Corazon "Cory" Aquino Memorial Shrine in Intramuros

So, there’s a monument for Ninoy just beside the monument of Cory. Ninoy is officially a hero; Cory is not. The monument of Cory was commissioned by the City Government of Manila; the monument of Ninoy was commissioned by the National Historical Institute.

Yet we call it the Cory Aquino Memorial Shrine. But I’m just making a mountain out of a molehill, I know.

The statue, which was unveiled during the 77th birth anniversary of Cory, was made by sculptor Eduardo Castrillo, who also made the country’s first statue of Ninoy in Concepcion, Tarlac. He also made the Ninoy statue at the People Power monument at Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA).

The inscription/dedication under Cory’s monument is found below.

Corazon "Cory" Aquino Monument in Intramuros

Pangulong Maria Corazon “Cory” Aquino
(1933-2009)

Walang takot na kumandidatong Pangulo si Tita Cory sa ilalim ng bandila ng oposisyon sinagisag ng kanyang kabiyak na si Senador Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. na pinaslang nang umuwi sa Pilipinas. Sa ginawang mapayapang himagsikang nakilala bilang EDSA People Power I ng 1986 na nagpabagsak sa diktatura at nagluklok kay Tita Cory bilang ika-11 Pangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas at kauna-unahang babaing Pangulo sa buong Asya. Tinagurian siya na Ina ng Demokrasya; tumanggap ng gawad Ramon Magsaysay para sa pandaigdig na pagkakaunawaan noong 1988; napili ng Time Magazine bilang “Woman of the Year” ng 1986 at nahanay sa “20 Most Influential Asians” ng ika-20 dantaon noong 1999.

Sa Maynila isinilang si Pangulong Aquino noong ika-25 ng Enero 1933. Binawian siya ng buhay noong unang araw ng Agosto 2009.

Pinasinayaan: Enero 25, 2010.

On the other hand, the inscription/dedication under Ninoy’s monument is found below

Benigno Ninoy Aquino Monument in Intramuros, Manila

Benigno S. Aquino, Jr.
“Ninoy”
(1932-1983)

Isinilang sa Concepcion, Tarlac, 27 Nobyembre 1932. Cub Reporter, The Manila Times, 1949. Correspondent sa digmaan sa Korea, 1950-1951. Honor ni Pangulong Elpidio R. Quirino, 1951; at ni Pangulong Ramon F. Magsaysay, 1954. Negosyador sa muling pagsailalim sa batas ni HUKBALAHAP Supremo Luis Taruc, 1954. Punong Bayan ng Concepcion, Tarlac, 1955. Pangalawang Punong Lalawigan ng Tarlac, 1959; Punong Lalawigan ng Tarlac, 1961. Senador, 1967. Ibinilanggo matapos ideklara ang Martial Law ni Pangulong Ferdinand E. Marcos, 23 Setyembre 1972. Hinatulan ng kamatayan ng hukumang militar sa salang subersiyon, ilegal na pag-iingat ng sandata at pagpatay, 1977. Pinahintulutang magtungo sa Estados Unidos upang magpagamot, 1980. Pinaslang nang bumalik sa Pilipinas, 21 Agosto 1983.

Cory and Ninoy Aquino Monument outside of Intramuros

It’s easy to find the monuments. They’re in the intersection of Roxas Boulevard and Padre Burgos Drive, Manila City, just across Manila Hotel. The Monument of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Andres Urdaneta (Intramuros) is at the back, while Rizal Park (Luneta) is in front (see directions). If you’re taking a cab, you can stop right in front. If you’re bring a car, park in front of the Manila Hotel and take a 5-minute walk. It’s also near Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago.

By the way, for the benefit of  non-Filipinos who don’t understand the Filipino language, anybody cares to translate the dedications? Please do it in the comment section below. We offer no reward but good karma. Thank you in advance.

Close view of Monument of Legaspi and Urdaneta in Intramuros Manila

We start with the familiar facts — March 16, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan first set foot in the Philippines. He died on 27 April 1521, fighting a local chieftain named Lapu-lapu (read more: Magellan’s Cross, Mactan Shrine and Basilica del Sto. Nino). More than forty years after Magellan’s demise, Spain sent out four expeditions to establish colonies in the Far East. One of these expeditions was led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who reached the Philippines in 1565. Fr. Urdaneta recommended that Legaspi be the captain-general of the Spanish fleet. Legazpi entered into the now-famous Blood Compact with a local chieftain in Bohol (read more: Blood Compact Monument) and he ordered the construction of Fort Santiago in Ingramuros.

Fr. Urdaneta, a cousin of Legaspi, is an Augustinian priest and an adventurer. Urdaneta City, a 1st class city in the province of Pangasinan, is named after him. On the other hand, Legazpi City, a first class city and capital of the province of Albay, is named after Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. Legaspi’s tomb is found at the San Agustin Church, located beside the Manila Cathedral.

The bronze and granite monument depicts Legaspi (left) holding a sword (which is now gone) and Urdaneta (right side) holding a cross. The monument also commemorates the introduction of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines, represented by the cross.

Monument of Legaspi and Urdaneta outside Intramuros

I understand that there used to be an inscription which reads: “he is the unparalleled cosmographer, pioneer of the Christian and Spanish civilization in the Philippines”, but it is now gone like the sword.

The monument also depicts Urdaneta stepping on a ship anchor, reflecting the fact that the technical direction of the expedition was the exclusive affair of Urdaneta (read more: Philippine Historical Commission). He is said to have discovered the “tornaviaje” or return route to Spain.

Why would you want to see this monument? Aside from its historical value, it’s just beside the monuments of both former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, and former President and People Power saint Corazon “Cory” Aquino, the parents of the incumbent President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. It sits across the history-rich Manila Hotel. The next block, a two-minute stroll, is the Rizal Park (or Luneta Park). It’s a 10-minute walk from the Manila Ocean Park and the National Museum.

Kilometer 0 Marker between Rizal Park and Quirino Grandstand

What’s the significance of a marker, the round silver top of which resembles the NBA Championship trophy? Let’s see. People don’t know it exists. I’ve been looking for it and I didn’t see it. It just sits beside the road and people don’t see it.

Why is it significant? No profound reason, really, except that it’s a reference point of kilometer markers you find in any Philippine national highway. It’s like the Milliarium Aureum of ancient Rome that survives to this day — “all roads were considered to begin from this monument and all distances in the Roman Empire were measured relative to that point.”

A kilometer marker was placed smack right in front of our old house, so I was aware of its existence at an early age. I started asking questions about the meaning of the figures on that marker. It’s usually made of cement, spaced one kilometer apart, that reflects a few important details (it’s different from the markers of the Death March).

One, it has 2 or 3 letters which designates the next town. Two, immediately under the letters is a number, which designates the remaining distance (in kilometers) to the next town. It’s like a countdown. We love countdowns, from the New Year, the most embarrassing moments on TV, and what-have-you.

Kilometer 0 in Manila City, in front of Luneta Park

The third detail is a number at the top of the marker, usually in the thousands. This number was a mystery to me back then. Someone explained that it’s the distance in kilometers from Manila. There’s a “Km 0″ in Manila, I was told. The urge to look for Km. 0 stayed with me through the years.

I learned it’s somewhere in Luneta Park. We’ve been to the Manila Ocean Park and the Quirino Grandstand, which is just across the Luneta Park. The other end of Luneta Park is the Manila Post Office. As mentioned somewhere in this blog, I usually pass by Luneta but didn’t have the time (and interest) to stop.

When I finally had the opportunity to stop and visit Luneta today, in search for that marker while my wife finished her grocery shopping, I was surprised to discover that Kilometer 0 is just standing at the south-bound side of Roxas Boulevard (that’s going to the U.S. Embassy or PICC if you’re coming from the Manila Hotel or the Port Area; Roxas Boulevard sandwiched by the Luneta Park and the Quirino Grandstand). It’s right there all along, at the side of the road, straight across the Rizal Monument. It’s on plain sight and for years I didn’t see it. I’ve finally found it. Now I can sleep (ok, that’s too much, but I’m glad I’ve finally found it).

Benigno Ninoy Aquino Monument in Quezon City

It just so happened that I was at the Capitol Medical Center, around two blocks away from the Ninoy monument. It was 2:00 a.m. and I was dead bored. I know, men’s clubs abound in the area, good antidote for boredom. Let’s just say I have a better chance of coming back to a men’s club here than taking time to visit the Ninoy monument (labeled as a “shrine” by some).

It’s not a place that, on its own, you purposely visit. This is not really a “shrine” in its grand sense. Perhaps you could drop by the monument on the way to the wide array of restaurants and gimmick places in Timog Avenue and Tomas Morato Avenue (or, at night, the men’s clubs that abound along Quezon Avenue, literally a stone’s throw from the Ninoy shrine . . . I guess this still falls within the ambit of the freedom that Ninoy fought for.)

The Ninoy monument seems to be totally out of place in this area. The location (at the intersection of two major roads, Quezon and Timog Avenues, and surrounded by commercial establishments) and the way the statue looks (with right arm raised, as if hailing a taxi or bus), a public transport driver will mistake it for a commuter one of these days.

Boy Scout Circle, Quezon City

Apologies for the blurred photograph. It was way past midnight and the “shrine” was not lighted. Either they’re conserving electricity or they’re not giving enough importance to this monument. Compare this to the well-lighted memorial known as the 11th World Scout Jamboree Memorial Rotonda or simply the  “Boy Scout Circle“, also located along Timog Avenue intersecting Tomas Morato Avenue, in honor of the 22 Filipino Boy Scouts who died in a plane crash on the way to Marathon, Athens during the 11th World Scout Jamboree.

You won’t  really mind, though, that  the Ninoy Aquino monument is not well-lighted — the statue does not resemble Ninoy anyway (at least he’s wearing the iconic pair of glasses). It may be fitting to light up this monument, a symbolic beacon in the middle of the night, seemingly out of place, surrounded by establishments that cater to the flesh (then again, talking about contrasts, at the next block lies the Saint Paul The Apostle Church).

You’ll know that this is dedicated to Ninoy Aquino by the marking at the foot of the monument, with a plaque which reads:

“Quezon City dedicates this monument in honor and lasting tribute to BENIGNO Ninoy AQUINO JR, whose life embodied that of a fiery fiscalizer who lived an exemplary patriotic life.

In 1950, 17-year old Ninoy became a Manila Times War correspondent in Korea. In 1952 when he was assigned to Indo-china covering the last moment of French colonialism in Asia at Dien Bien Phu. Three years after, at age 22, he was elected as the youngest mayor of his hometown, Concepcion, Tarlac. He was Most Outstanding Senator in 1957 and voted Man of the Year in 1971. He manifested heroism in leading his party in Plaza Miranda as he survived the bomb blast to continue his fight for democracy.

On September 22, 1972, a day after the declaration of Martial Law, Ninoy was arrested, detained and imprisoned at Fort Bonifacio and in Laur, Nueva Ecvija for 7 years and 7 months in solitary confinement. He went on a protes hunger strike while in prison from April 4 – May 13, 1975. On May 8, 1980, he was released from Fort Bonifacio to undergo tripe bypass operation at Texas, U.S.A.

On August 21, 1983, Ninoy returned in his homeland and was assassinated at the airport after disembarking from the plane. This was the event that changed the course of Philippine history. Ten days after his death, a funeral march from Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City to Manila Memorial Park was joined by around two million people. This was considered the longest funeral march in world history.”

The QC government unveiled the monument during Ninoy’s 77th birth anniversary. Added: We happened to pass by the monument when we were discharged from the hospital, so here’s a clearer view:

Incidentally, the inauguration of Ninoy’s only son, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, as the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines is on June 30, 2010, which has been declared as a national holiday (see also, list of 2010 holidays).

Acacia trees lining the UP Diliman Academic Oval

You go to church, then enjoy fishball or some other Philippine delicacies sold at the booths outside the church.

Or you go back to the campus to have the familiar taste of Rodic’s, Chocolate Kiss, Chateau Verde or the walang kamatayang isaw.

Or go back on Sundays to sweat it out and inhale fresh air — the academic oval is completely sealed off from vehicular traffic on Sundays, perfect for jogging, biking and other family fun. In other days, half of the two-lane road around the acad oval is STRICTLY for pedestrians and  bikes (the other half is one-way).

Firetrees of UP Diliman - University Avenue

Or, if too lazy to do some exercise, just lounge in the shade of almost a century-old acacia trees (the huge green ones), perhaps have a simple picnic at the Sunken Garden. Bring a mat, some food (or buy food at the shopping center, near the church), and good company. And there, with your back flat on the ground, you appreciate the beauty of these trees. Sometimes I wonder that even if only God can make a tree, we mortals sure have landscaping to make it more beautiful.

A Firetree in UP Diliman: Up close

It’s hard to miss a firetree, let alone a cluster or row of firetrees (scientific name: Morella faya?). The fiery orange flowers that completely cover the branches are like bright-colored poisonous plants or animals — the loud colors are too hard to miss.

Firetrees in Academic Oval of UP Diliman

This summer, when you have the chance to pass by the campus of the University of the Philippines-Diliman, enjoy the sight of the fiery-orange canopies that seem to be on fire from afar.

Facade of Museo Ilocos Norte

Then we have a museum about a place, something which we don’t often see in other parts of the Philippines — the Museo Ilocos Norte.

Ilocos is at least 8 hours drive from Manila. You’ll get up to Vigan with that time. Add another 5 hours and you’ll hit Laoag. These are the suggested pit stops in an Ilocos road trip. Drive all the way to Laoag on the first leg, staying overnight (we stayed at Balay de Blas) after dropping by a number of tourist sites. Drive all the way up to Pagudpud beach in the morning, then rest for the night in Vigan. Perhaps we’d have a separate article for an Ilocos trip itinerary.

You need not enter a museum when taking a road trip to Ilocos. Just look around, while on the road and going through the towns and cities, and you’ll see landmarks and places of significant historical value. For instance, you’ll pass by the place where Gabriela Silang was publicly hanged by the Spanish authorities. You’ll see the churches that survived from the Spanish time, part of the declared UNESCO World Heritage sites. You’ll see lighthouses, old houses in Vigan’s Calle Crisologo, and other relics of the past beautifully preserved for future generations to see, and more importantly, to experience.

Displays at Museo Ilocos

Should you be interested in taking a glimpse of Ilocos history  (and escaping the humid heat outside) under one roof, drop by Museo Ilocos, a few minutes from the Tobacco Monopoly monument and the Ilocos Norte provincial capitol.

The unpretentious building housing the Museo Ilocos blends perfectly with the Spanish-influenced architecture of Ilocos. The roof is bare, with exposed trusses. On both sides of the brick-floored corridors are neatly-labeled tools and utensils, weapons and everyday objects, of old Ilocos.

Gantilla at Museo Ilocos

Now, let’s have a little alin-ang-naiiba game. Which one does not belong among these Ilocos artifacts? No, it’s not the gantilla (a square measure for grains; eight gantilla is equivalent to one cavan). See the bottle partly hidden by the Sanga Gudua? Every Filipino knows what that is — the one and only Ginebra San Miguel (ahh, I wish they’d have another championship that brings back the time of Coach Jawo, Bal “the flash” David, Noli “the tank” Locsin, Vince “the prince” Hizon, Pido Jarencio, the twin towers Marlou Aquino and EJ Feihl, Benny Cheng and the rest of the gang). Why would a bottle of Ginebra San Miguel be there?

More displays at Museo Ilocos

I don’t know. Maybe one of you knows. Please tell us why. I’m thinking of two possibilities. One, maybe the guard had a drinking session the previous night and forgot to hide the evidence. Or maybe it’s related to the Basi Revolt — an Ilocano uprising triggered by the Spaniards’ oppressive decree expropriating the manufacture and sale of basi in their favor. Basi is local wine. Get our liquor and we’ll give you a revolution. Ilocanos are known as fierce warriors. I didn’t even bother to touch the bottle of Ginebra. I wanted to get our of Ilocos alive. I didn’t want to trigger one more revolt.

Classroom setting at Museo Ilocos

There’s a replica of the typical mestizo house during Spanish era. The two-floor replica is complete with furniture and equipment, fully functional for the visitors to enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised that many displays are intended to be used and experience by guests.

The area we enjoyed the most was the old-school setting of a classroom. As you can see from the photo, it’s not really the desks and chairs used during the Spanish time. These chairs were used during the 70′s and many are still being used until today (if you were around in the 50′s and 60′s, please tell us if those desks were already around).

Museo Ilocos is a place to be experienced. You’ve seen the photos and you’ve read how to get there. It’s time I stop blabbing. It’s time you experience it yourself.

Beach and Clear Sea at Panglao Island, Bohol

And so we embarked on a mission, to chronicle our visit to Panglao Island, found at the southwestern part of the island-province of Bohol, Philippines (map and directions).

We proceeded to Panglao Island, just a 45-minute drive from Tagbilaran City, when the sun was in the middle of the sky (Tagbilaran City, the capital of Bohol province, is 1 hour by plane from Manila or under 2 hours by ferry from the neighboring Cebu Island). It was hot, but not the humid hot. It was more of the tourist-hot, the kind of warmth that even gets better with sunblock.

It was lunchtime when we arrived at a resort in Panglao. We were excited to see the place. But we were hungry. I now have proof that hunger is a more primordial and basic instinct that curiosity — I had to exert more effort to stop myself from telling the van driver to shut up, focus driving fast and zip through the bridge connecting Panglao Island from mainland Bohol. You don’t mess with someone who is hungry.

Tinowa in Bohol

There’s a soup with the most basic of ingredients — fish (sliced fish, like blue marlin). Throw in a bit of sliced tomato and spring onions, with a bit of flavoring, then there’s tinowa that Visayans enjoy (sometimes called tinola in other areas in the Visayas, but don’t equate tinowa with Luzon’s tinola, because the ingredients and the taste are islands apart. And don’t try cooking tinowa other than the freshest product of the sea — you have an all-year round supply of fresh seafood and farm produce in Bohol (there’s no problem with meals because, just like in Boracay, there are a number of restaurants and open-air dining areas on location).

After lunch and a little rest, it’s off to the beach for the little kids, running around like there’s an endless supply of energy. They stopped not because their energy level dropped. They stopped because, after hours of having fun on the white beach and the clear waters of Panglao, it was already sunset. Click for more of Bohol Sunrise and Sunset.

Clear waters of Panglao Island, Bohol

It’s easy to say a place is a paradise. It’s easier to say a place is overrated. Between these two characterization lies the waters of Panglao Island. Don’t get me wrong, though, it’s totally incorrect to say that’s equivalent to being ordinary. For the waters of Panglao is far from being ordinary. Click for Clear Waters of Panglao.

The white beach is perfect for the little ones, running around and having a grand time on (and in) the sand. It’s a strip where you could leisurely stroll, encountering lumps of sea grass carried by the waves. Either wait for the sun to hide along the horizon during sunset or wait for it to emerge in glorious explosion of colors during sunrise. Perfect place to be in love (or simply having a great time during summer vacation). Click for Beach of Panglao Island.

There’s a standard tour package in Bohol, the “Countryside Tour”, which you could book in advance when booking your hotel. Not a big island, Bohol (if Yoda would say it). You’ll see the more important places in Bohol with a well-planned one-day tour. Our tour, which should have started at 8:30 in the morning, was moved to 10:00 a.m. because we had to wait for half of the group who went island-hopping before sunrise. The island hopping, of course, comes with whale-watching (unfortunately, they didn’t see any whales because they were in a hurry).

First stop was the Blood Compact Monument, the site where Spaniard Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, forty years after his compatriot Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Philippines, declared to local chieftain, Datu Sikatuna, that he came in peace (yeah, right). Click for more of Blood Compact Monument.

Loboc River, Bohol (view from the banca)

Since we left at 10:00, lunch was fast approaching, after a short stop at the Baclayon Church, more formally known as the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon. It’s one of the oldest churches in the Philippines.

We were anticipating buffet lunch to be served on a banca, floating through the immaculately clean and wide Loboc River. A tour in Bohol is not complete without a river cruise up along Loboc River, a clean and scenic river winding through a number of towns in Bohol. The cruise, of course, includes lunch. It also includes catching a glimpse of children diving in the sparkling waters of Loboc River. Click for more of Loboc River.

Chocolate Hills in Bohol

The next major destination is the Chocolate Hills, but there are a number of stops along the otherwise one-hour drive. There’s the Philippine Tarsier, with viewing sites just beside the highway. The Hanging Bridge and the Man-Made Forest are also along the highway and you’d begin to wonder if the tourism planners in Bohol consciously arranged the spots in neat succession (Bohol is one of the very few places that seriously protect their environment and cultural artifacts).

The deliciously-sounding Chocolate Hills are the most famous tourist attractions of Bohol. I’d even go where no one dared to go, and say that you haven’t been to Bohol unless you’ve seen the Chocolate Hills. Click for more photos of Chocolate Hills.

A 2-night, 3-day trip is a very brief introduction of Bohol, providing a glimpse of Bohol’s place in history and a feel of Bohol’s sand and sun. With a whole-day off for tours, however, the remaining hours spent on the beach is seriously not enough. But you can always go back for more.

Decorative earthen pots at Burnayan in Vigan, Ilocos

When we think of Vigan, we think of the cobblestones in Calle Crisologo, that postcard-perfect stretch of old houses. The cobblestones, the stone houses, the yellowish laminated photos hanging on the walls are some of the relics that remind us of what Vigan looked like even before we were born. Some places go beyond showing photos of how the past look like — some places still practice how things are done in the past.

Take the burnayan, for instance.

Jars at Burnayan (Vigan, Ilocos)

We were told by the kalesa driver, who also served as the tour guide, that our next stop is the burnayan. We were told that it’s a place were earthen pots and other clay products are made. Nothing exciting in that, I thought. I once saw how a vase is made in the film “Ghost“, and the vase-making process was interesting only because Demi Moore made it so sexy. No Demi Moore here and not much to see, I suppose.

I thought everything I need to know about the burnayan is summarized in the marker at the entrance: “The “Burnay” industry preseded the arrival of the Spanish colonizers in the Philippines. Introduced by early Chinese settlers, the “Burnay” served as an all weather container of loca products for shipment to China and other Asian kingdoms in pre-colonial times. “Burnay” is also used in the fermentation of fish sauce, vinegar and “Basi”, the Ilocano wine from sugarcane juice.”

Carabao mixing the clay at Burnayan (Vigan, Ilocos)

I planned to stay in the kalesa and simply wait for the group to finish the Burnayan leg of the tour. As fate would have it, something made me change my mind (and, fortunately, reminded me that it was supposed to be a trip of discovery): while I was happily inhaling the summer-crisp fresh air of Vigan, the horse took a pee in front of me. Discovering how the burnayan works suddenly became interesting, considering the options.

They still do it the old-fashioned way in the burnayan and it’s impressive that they took pains in maintaining it. A carabao goes round and round a shallow hole full of red clay and god-knows what else (the horse peeing flashed in my mind). It’s supposed to produce a clay with a fine consistency, perfect for shaping into works of art.

Turntable at Burnayan, Vigan

Once the right consistency is reached, one man takes a lump of clay and smacks it into the turntable, which runs on human power. A worker kicks the bottom of the circular stone contraption sideways, spinning the entire thing. Another worker shapes the clay to the desired configuration. All muscle-power.

The hand-molded figures are dried, then transported to the brick-and-clay kiln, where the pieces are “cooked” for some time. The kiln stretches to around ten meters, with its back resembling the scales of a crocodile baking under the sun.

The trip to the burnayan turned out well. A trip to Vigan is basically a way of taking a glimpse of the past. The burnayan is a small portion of that.

Sounds really deep, huh? These are the words of a wise tortoise, named Master Oogway in the animated movie Kung Fu Panda (kids seem to have this tendency of watching the flavor-of-the-month cartoon over and over again, wait till you have your own).

15th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

That line doesn’t squarely apply to what we’re about to discuss, but it somehow is related. Besides, it’s more impressive to start an article with a nice quote.

Anyway, what I’m trying to drive at is this – we sometimes discover things that we won’t have discovered if we didn’t get lost. Doesn’t make any sense? Let’s put it another way. I’m sure we all experienced a time when we keep on looking for something, but we can’t find it. We spend the whole day looking for it, but we still can’t find what we’re looking for (I guess this is common, even U2 titled a song from this). Then the moment we stop looking for it, we find it.

Have that kind of experience? Good. It’s a bit like that, except that in this case, it’s about something that you weren’t looking for in the first place. Still doesn’t make any sense? Let me just describe it.

Clark Cemetery in Clarkfield, Pampanga

It was a sunny morning, a leisurely drive into the labyrinth of roads within Clarkfield (Pampanga) after a hearty breakfast at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). We were looking for the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), a task which should be easy considering that we’ve been here a couple of times. That includes visits to Montevista/Mimosa, Clearwater Country Club and, of course, the fun experience at the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. Incidentally, the 15th International Hot Air Balloon Festival, scheduled from 11-14 February 2010, is fast approaching. You should go there.

That time was the first we’re actually going inside DMIA. We made it a point to leave early from Metro Manila, even if the DMIA is just an hour’s drive away, to make allowance for the possibility that we’ll get lost. And got lost, we did, which is not really a bad thing because, one, we had plenty of time to kill, and, two, we stumbled on something interesting.

Death March Marker in Clark, Pampanga

But let’s backtrack a bit. As noted in a previous article, it’s easy to know that Mt. Samat is near — you’ll see the Dambana ng Kagitingan even from a distance and you’ll see the Death March markers along the way.

When Bataan fell on April 9, 1942, it was just a matter of time that the last Filipino-American stronghold in Corregidor would fall. The Philippines would commemorate April 9 as an annual holiday – Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor, also known as the Bataan and Corregidor Day. On May 6, 1942, after months of heavy bombing, the little island of Corregidor surrendered.

Around 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers surrendered. Only around 54,000 reached the destination after what is now infamously known as the Death March.

Many more died in the prison camps. The more than 100-kilometer walk was characterized by inhumane physical abuse and murder (click here for more story).

Today, the path of suffering is marked by white markers, designating the kilometer number. The intersection that leads to Mt. Samat is Kilometer 19 (different in usage from the regular Kilometer 0).

Unknown Dead at Clark Cemetery

Kilometer 100 is in Clark, marking the entrance of the Clark Cemetery. This cemetery is the final resting place of around 7,559 individuals (World War II casualties were relocated in Fort McKinley, which lies between Makati City and Taguig City) — those who died from the Philippine-American War, Spanish-American War, their civilian family members, some remains of non-WWII Japanese civilians, Philippine Scouts, Chinese/Vietnamese refugees.

More than 1,600 individuals are still unidentified, their graves simply marked as “Unknown”. It’s no surprise that many of us wouldn’t know this place exists, except by accident. (Or, ahem, when you’re subscribed to this blog.)

And they’re all found in Cebu because they have no choice but to stick in one place — they are prisoners in a maximum security prison better known as CPDRC — the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center. Here’s their latest group production, Michael Jackson’s‘s They Don’t Really Care About Us.

We first noticed them, of course, when their dance video of Michael Jackson’s Thriller exploded in the internet. While we don’t know what they’ll come up next, at least we know that they have other productive things to work on. So, should you visit the Philippines and, for some reason, get thrown in jail, perhaps you could request that it be in CPDRC. Who knows we’ll see you in YouTube one of these days? Just kidding.

Added: Some say it’s ok for the inmates to have this kind of activity, consistent with the rehabilitation thrust of the penal system. Some say this is insensitive to the victims/families of the victims of crimes committed by these people. What do you think?