The Evolution of Philippine Culture The story of The Evolution of Philippine Culture began in 1957 when the Fleur de Lis Auditorium at St. Paul University Manila was under construction. Jose L. Reynoso, the architect of the Fleur de Lis, asked his townmate, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, to paint a mural which he envisioned as the focal point of the auditorium’s lobby. The 3.5 meters by 4.5 meters mural was fitted between two pilasters and it is the first thing a theatergoer would see as they enter the foyer from the main portal. The theme, The Evolution of Philippine Culture, was carefully considered to complement the purpose of the Fleur de Lis, that is, to bring to the stage noteworthy musicals and concerts which have since earned the theater the name, “Broadway of Herran”. (Herran was the former name of Pedro Gil Street.) The central figure is that of a muscular Filipino who is intensely beating the drum. The sound is almost palpable. Above him is a Caucasian woman whose head is caugh...
Scoglio di Santa Rita Roccaporena or Rocca Porrena is a tiny mountain village in Umbria. It sits at the foot of Mount Rucino and was isolated from most of the world until after the Second World War when a road was built connecting it to Cascia . It took ten minutes for us to reach this serene community from Cascia. There is a trail that leads up the mountaintop where it is believed that St. Rita spent time to pray and meditate. The chapel on the mountaintop is the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie di Roccaporena. Marital House of St. Rita Saint Rita of Cascia was born in Roccaporena. She was a widowed woman with two sons. After her husband was assasinated around 1406, she worried that her sons might resort to violence against the family that murdered her husband. She prayed that they would not avenge his death. Her sons died not long after from natural causes. Saint Rita joined the Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene in 1407 where she remained until her death in 1457. In ...