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Showing posts from March, 2014

Advocacy: Balay ni Charie

First Grade classroom, Agsilab Elementary School February was a hectic month for Balay ni Charie. We distributed school supplies in four elementary schools in Capiz. Our first stop was in Sapian at  Agsilab Elementary  School . 300 students received notebooks, pens and pencils from Balay ni Charie. At Agsilab, we saw first hand the damages wrought by super typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. In one building, three different grades had to share the same room. Blackboards were used to separate one class from the other. The ceiling was gouged out. In another classroom, a red plastic tarp keeps the children dry from the rains. The kindergarten and day care kids were installed at the barangay hall across the street as there were no classrooms available for them. The good thing is that all the children were able to continue with their studies. And maybe the buildings will be repaired during the summer break. Agsilab Elementary School Our next stop was at  Agoho   Elementary School

Kalibo Art Tour

Erlinda Quimpo Wilson (l) and fellow artist, Clay Dalid (r) at Studio Q We drove to Kalibo from Roxas City to see the paintings of Erlinda Quimpo Wilson at her own Studio Q in the center of the city. At the time of our visit in February, Erlinda was busy preparing for the Transwing Art Exhibit at SM Aura Mall in Fort Bonifacio where her paintings were included in the exhibition.  Erlinda has received awards for her works and these are proudly displayed at the studio. The walls of the cozy studio show a wide selection of her paintings depicting local scenes or festivals as well as canvasses she completed while in U.S. where she took painting classes. I really loved this peaceful painting of 2 people busily working on the field with their backs bent against violet tinged mountains in the background.  Saylo Cuisine We went to Saylo Cuisine for lunch where some of Erlinda’s paintings were prominently displayed in the dining room. Saylo encourages local pain

Miag-ao Church

It's a 35-minute drive from Iloilo City proper to Miag-ao along well paved roads. We left the city around five in the afternoon and arrived in Miag-ao just after sunset. I've had to filter these photos as it was too dark to get any clear images. Miag-ao Catholic Church or the Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was completed in 1797 and ravaged during the 1898 Philippine revolution against Spain, during World War II and again during the 1948 earthquake. The walls, the belfries and the facade are all that is left of the original structure.  Miag-ao Church is a fine example of colonial Baroque. The facade of the Church is of yellow ocher limestone which was quarried from nearby mountains. It is decorated in high relief with a palm tree on the top and center of the triangular frame. St. Christopher with the child Jesus on his shoulder is under the palm tree and they are surrounded by indigenous flora. In the niche below S

The Ruins

The Ruins, Talisay City In a residential neighborhood of Talisay is this evocative architectural demonstration of love - The Ruins. When Maria Braga died in an accident in 1911 while pregnant with her 11th child, her husband, Mariano Lacson, built this house in her memory. There's no mistaken whose house this belongs to. The double M (looks like E backwards) on the columns and pillars are the initials of Maria and Mariano.  Mariano Lacson and Maria Braga The house which is reminiscent of European villas, is made of concrete which has the look and feel of marble as it was mixed with egg whites rather than water. The tiles were imported from Spain and have withstood years of exposure to the elements. The four tier water lily fountain is original to the property as is the sugar mill smokestack that is topped by a tree, a not so subtle reminder of a tower in Lucca, Italy. Tiles from Spain A house rule strictly followed by the family including Mariano him