Writing exercise 1

I see my cottage rising from the bottom of the earth. Why do I say “bottom” of the earth? My property is below road level and as I walk farther into the lot, the earth dips another 5 feet. Part of the property was recently filled but another part was left as is to build the foundation of my 3 cottages. I can now see it gaping widely with parts slightly under water.

The sound of an angry and snarling dog scares the heck out of me. I realize I am alone and no one about to whom I could shout for “Help”. I have no stick to defend myself in case this mad dog, who has never seen a veterinarian, attacks me. I walk away from it feigning pluck, which is nothing close to what I really feel.

The smell of newly laundered clothes make me wince in horror. But the sun has been missing for days and my clothes must have been slightly damp when the laundry woman ironed them. It is an embarrassment and I hope I meet no one along the beach on my way home. I wish I could buy a real dryer. Not the spinner they call dryer!

I taste saltwater in my mouth as I walk leisurely on the beach. These days have been windy and I’ve been spritzed and sprayed by seawater. My hair is no longer soft. It is in a tangled web and stands on edge. I hope we’ll see sunnier days soon. Summer is a couple of months away.

I look across the long avenue of sand, to the islands in the distance and the skies above. I’m praying my new home will be completed soon. I can see the long, narrow corridor now defined by a five foot concrete fence. There at the end of a long driveway my Balinese cottage will rise amidst lush greenery. It’s all drawn up in my head, waiting to see the light of a tropical day.

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called Kasaysayan ng Maynila (History of Manila). The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the

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