Nature Church: Las Pinas’ solemn haven

It has been my dream to visit significant places in the Philippines. What made me too enthralled of traveling around my beloved country is that I am a firm believer of this Filipino saying that goes, “Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan”.

Last March 30, after getting my sister’s passport at DFA Alabang, I decided to see one of Las Pinas’ famous churches, the Nature Church. I first learned of the church after watching an old episode of a local travel show, “I love Pinas” over You Tube. After watching that episode, I said to myself, I wanted to visit that church. I researched on how to get to the church via commute. Thanks to Google Maps, I made it to the church without any hassle.

Located at Moonwalk Village in Las Pinas, the so- called “nature church” is the Mary Immaculate Parish. It was coined as “nature church” due to its structural architecture and design. The church is sort of a haven in the city as this sacred place is made from materials seen in nature.  National Artist, Francisco “Bobby” Manosa was the one who designed this beautiful and one-of-a-kind church.

Inside the Nature Church

The idea of “Nature Church” came from the brilliant mind of its former parish priest, Fr. Pierino Rogliardi. Since the church was within the 4000 square meters of mango orchard, it was only fitting to construct a church that was inspired by nature.

A Church Inspired by Nature

When I entered the church premises, I was welcomed with fresh breeze of air coming from mango trees. I walked straight to the church and I was in awe. I never thought that such kind of structure existed in the city, never in my wildest imagination.

At first, I seated at the side of the church. I noticed that logs were used as church’s seat instead of the usual pews. I transferred seat at the middle and looked up the ceiling. The dove-shaped capiz lantern caught my attention. Those dove-like lanterns adorned the church’s high ceiling. I have already imagined how they looked at night. With that, I could not help but to take photos of this stunning church.  

church's seat

the ceiling- look at the doves

After I said my short prayer and took photos of the church, I went out and checked other facilities. I saw a small garden with some birds and fowls living in. It was a mini-zoo of sort. At the back of the church was the ossuary.  I did not go any farther because there were few constructions being made in the premises. I went back to the church’s entrance when I noticed an arch leading to its chapel.  I entered that way and I was again amazed. Like its church, the chapel, known as San Lorenzo de Manila was also nature-inspired. The sacred structure’s ceiling is made from abaniko. Hanging at the center was a chandelier made of twigs and capiz. The chairs were made from trees’ used trunks.

entrance to the chapel

Inside San Lorenzo Chapel

not your usual pews

native chandelier

Meanwhile, the altar was minimalist in design with a small crucifix hanging at the back. The palm leaves served as a background of the altar.

The Minimalist Altar

I stayed there for a while. During my brief stay, I realized how creatively geniuses were the people behind the construction of the church. I have high respects for people who dutifully built this parish not only a relaxing place to worship but also a tourist spot worthy of a visit.

The short visit that I did was indeed a memorable experience. I vowed to visit this church again. Likewise, I wanted to attend one Sunday mass there any time this year. I want to experience how it is like to hear a mass in a Nature Church

Bountiful Bolinao

Last April 18-19, 2015, I, together with my cousin's co-workers went to a quick trip in Bolinao, Pangasinan. The trip was memorable for I was able to meet new friends in the persons of Liway, Ate Dhoors, Judy and her family. Since I've been working at home, it was quite fulfilling to see the nature and commune with them.

Heading up north was nothing new to me. I've been to Pangasinan several times already. But this Bolinao trip was truly special because I was able to see the beauty of Bolinao. My guy best friend told me several years ago that I should visit Bolinao to ogle at the beauty it has to offer. He is right. The first time I set my foot in the town of Bolinao, I was in awe. We arrived there past 4 in the afternoon after our visit at Hundred Island in Alaminos, Pangasinan. However, it was low tide so we could not swim its clean, clear waters. Fortunately, we came in time for the sunset so we took the opportunity to take its awesome beauty. That Saturday afternoon, I was really blessed seeing how breathtaking the sun setting to cap off a tiring day. Very wonderful, indeed!

The golden sun says goodbye. 

Let the picture speak for itself.

Panoramic view of the sea and the people who visited the place

hello low tide

The sun bids goodbye.

The next day, we had our whole day tour of the town. Our first stop was the Bolinao Lighthouse, one of the most famous landmarks of the said town. Its heritage has attracted a lot of visitors who saw its towering presence.

Up close shot of the Lighthouse

The towering Bolinao Lighthouse

After our short visit to this place, we went to Patar Beach. However, the scorching heat of the sun hindered me to swim here. But what I looked forward was to swim over the cool waters of Enchanted Cave.

Enchanted Cave. The name itself suits the place well because you will be relaxed with its crystal clear waters under the cave. Upon entering this one of the famous landmarks of Bolinao, you will be accompanied by a welcoming tour guide to assist you during the visit. I've noticed the corals around the place. At first, I thought it was a rock. But learning the history of Bolinao, being part of the underwater world for centuries ago, I found out that these corals were the only remnants left to signify its history.

With cousin Meann and new found friends, Liway and Ate Dhoors.

After a quick dip to Enchanted Cave's cool waters, we headed to our transient for check out. Then, we proceeded to Balingasay River to eat our lunch. Unfortunately, the place was fully booked and we had no reservation so we left the place and went to eat at a nearby restaurant. Afterwards, we went to Bolinao Church and the infamous falls of Bolinao.

St. James the Great Parish

 A beautiful painting over the ceiling welcomes churchgoers

Inside the church

St. James the Great Parish was said to be the first church to hold the first mass in the Philippines but other historians said, otherwise. Nonetheless, the church, filled with history, has been the religious landmark of Bolinao.

Bolinao Falls

Our last stop, Bolinao falls. That day, the falls was filled with different tourists so we did not able to swim here. Aside from that, we were heading back to Manila after the visit, so we just content ourselves ogling at its beauty. 

This quick trip to Bolinao made me realize that  there are more to explore in Pangasinan. The town really offers bountiful treasures you cannot afford to ignore. 

"The Votes of the Philippines": Reality in Check

I received a text message from a good friend of mine, Crystal, last Wednesday, informing me that our friend, Frida, is giving complimentary tickets of the repeat of their successful run of their show, “The Votes of the Philippines”. I hesitated at first because I did not know if I have urgent schedule on a Friday, but thinking of the opportunity to watch it free, I decided to come over whether or not my other friends will come to watch it with me. I agreed to the invitation because I know, the show’s worth.  Good thing, my friends took time to come and watched the show as support to our dear friend, Frida.

Aside from the show’s worth, it was my first time to see my friend, Frida, perform live, in front of a big, paying audience in a satirical presentation. It was a rare opportunity for me, so I grab this once in a lifetime chance to witness my friend’s brilliance.

“The Votes of the Philippines” is a parody of local politics in the Philippines.  Inspired by the talent show, “The Voice of the Philippines”, “The Votes of the Philippines” showcased presidential aspirants who expressed their intent to become the next president through singing.  Similar to the talent show’s concept, a blind election was done (blind audition in the original show) to determine who deserve to replace the Philippine President, PNoy, after his term in the government office.  Lookalikes of Apl de Ap, Lea Salonga, Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo were the panel of judges who did their verdicts for these presidential wanna-be’s.  I commend the team for pulling off a good job in executing this concept, because even the hand sign (Laban sign of the Aquino with indelible ink) was aligned to the true essence of the show.

See the "Laban Sign" with indelible ink? Nice spoof!

Master Impressionist, Willie Nepomuceno, portrayed these presidential hopefuls namely: former president and current Manila mayor, Joseph Estrada and Department of Interior and Local Government secretary Mar Roxas with special participation of the late actor, the King, Fernando Poe Jr., and the president himself, Pres. Noynoy Aquino. His daughter, Frida, played Senator Grace Poe.

His Excellency, President Noynoy Aquino

PNoy delivers his introduction.

First presidential hopeful: Mayor Erap Estrada

Mayor president Erap defending himself in front of the judges.

Senator Grace and her dad, Fernando Poe, Jr. reunited on stage

DILG Sec. Mar Roxas shows his singing prowess.

The show did not fail me. I was entertained from start to finish. The Master Impressionist, Willie Nepomuceno, did it again. His profound characterization of different political personalities provided valuable entertainment at its finest. He proved that he is the master impressionist by bringing to life famous celebrities with his artistic command in putting prosthetics, wigs as well as changing costumes in a snap. Yes, he mastered the art of mimicking these big names in politics and entertainment world, yet he never ran out of ways in continuously improving his craft he had been doing for decades.

After the “The Votes of the Philippines” presentation, Nepomuceno did another character portrayal. This time, he played as Pope Francis, which I believe, the best highlight of the show. The final act gave the audience a hearty laugh. His homily-inspired delivery tackled topics on poverty, corruption and the youth. During his homily, he even stated the lyrics of the song, “The Greatest Love of All”.  His portrayal of the holiness, Pope Francis, was very timely for it paved engaging yet thought-provoking wisdoms about the present situation of the country after his papal visit last January.

His Holiness, Pope Francis

Willie NePOPEmuceno delivers his homily.

Prior to the staging of “The Votes of the Philippines”, Nepomuceno gave tribute to world’s legendary music icon, the Beatles. He brought to life the members of the band in the persons of George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. A video documentary was shown in every gap, which provided new learning to the viewers, especially the young audiences, on how this group rocked the music scene. I was not only entertained but also learned something new from this UK-based band.  

Paul McCartney

Ringo Starr

John Lennon

George Harrison

Apart from the international icon, the Beatles, Nepomuceno spoofed other local icons

who made remarkable contributions in the country. He did his comic performance of the late Comedy King, Dolphy.  Also spoofed were Freddie Aguilar, Hajji Alejandro and Tom Jones, at the start of the show. A video spoof of the three opposition senators: Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Sen. Bong Revilla and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile who are now in detention for their involvement in PDAF scam, tickled my funny bones.

Meanwhile, I want to commend my dear friend, Frida, for doing a delightful job in masterfully imitating the presidential sister, Kris Aquino in a solo performance. From Kris’ laughter, appearance and voice, she was able to do justice to her role. Job well done, sis!  Love, love, love!

Frida as Kris Aquino

Frida's solo act

True to his craft, Sir Willie Nepomuceno will always be the man with many faces and voices whose impressions not only aim to entertain but also to remind us to be vigilant members of the country.

Again, I congratulate the hardworking people who worked on and off stage for the successful repeat performance of the Votes of the Philippines.  

the girls with Frida  (extreme left). Nice meeting you, Nanz (beside Frida)

Riz, Frida & Tin

Photo opportunity with Sarah G and Sen. Miriam lookalikes.

With Willie NePOPEmuceno. Thank you for entertaining us.

Until my next shoot and scribble.

~Riz~

Manila, in my eyes

Manila, the Philippines' capital city, is a source of pride; credit is due to its colorful cultural heritage and vast history. It is also where the seat of power resides (Malacanang). Moreover, Manila continues to be the source of trade, commercialization, education, and religion. No wonder, the Philippines' capital city has not lost its sparkle despite various issues thrown to it, may it be in politics, environment, poverty, crimes, among many others.

As I wander around Manila together with my college friends last week, I consider my birth place as art. The diversified images seen here has many interesting stories to tell. Some are written in the history books. Many are hidden in the concrete structures. Others are viewed in the expressive eyes of the people. One can tell the story of Manila in different art expressions.  

During my revisit in Manila early this month, I found these urban landmarks of Manila, truly, "photogenic". Captured using my smartphone, Manila's enormous beauty was unveiled. 

When nature and structures collide. The stillness of the water in Manila Bay and the view of tall buildings along Roxas Boulevard continue to captivate tourists and city-goers.

The famous golden sunset of Manila Bay remains as attraction to city-goers and tourists, alike.

Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) sparkles at night with its bright lights and splashes of water at the central fountain. 

I appreciate these famous landmarks Manila has to offer. I still have more to discover and rediscover. But for now, this post is summarized with these lines from the song "Manila" by Hotdog. 

"Manila, I keep coming back to Manila. 

Simply no place like Manila

Manila, I'm coming home."

Until my next shoot and scribble.

~Riz~

Revisiting Manila Zoo: More than childhood reminiscing

A friend of mine, Christine, wanted to re-visit Manila Zoo to reminisce her childhood. She imagined herself walking around the area, holding a big balloon resembled to an animal. For her, this visit served as a way of what was it like to be childlike again. Her suggestion of visiting the zoo was a way to relieve stress as well as spend some quality time with friends. I, together with my other friends (Crystal and Frida), being the supportive peers, bought her idea of going back to the zoo. Thinking of how many times I have visited Manila Zoo, I realized that I did not have photos of my visit. So, the idea of revisiting the zoo was excellent to document this trip. I may never know, it might be the last time that I will be visiting the first zoo in the country. I hope it will not be the case.

It was a sunny afternoon of March 7, 2015 when we revisited Manila Zoo. Upon entering the zoo, I was a bit surprised to see the entrance fee. My last visit of the zoo was in 2001 for a school project and the fee then, did not even reach a hundred pesos for non-Manila resident. Now, if you are a non-Manila resident and you like to visit Manila Zoo, prepare a hundred bucks to pay for your entrance. Well, it's 2015 already, so it is expected that fees gone higher for a reason.

Manila Zoo's Glory Days

Let me share a little bit of history about Manila Zoo.

Manila Zoo also known as Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden was opened to the public on July 25, 1959 during the administration of former Manila City Mayor Arsenio H. Lacson. Located along Quirino Avenue corner Adriatico Street at Malate, Manila, the zoo housed different kinds of animal and plant species and served as a tourist attraction of the said city. The zoo became popular  with the presence of its lone elephant in the country, Mali.

According to internet sources, Mali, the elephant, was transported from Sri Lanka to the Philippines after being poached from the wild. She has been living her life in the zoo for more than 40 years (By the way, Mali is a female elephant). Animal advocates have been vocal of  letting Mali out of Manila Zoo and be transferred to a better natural habitat, where she can freely live and mingle with other elephants. As of this writing, Mali is still under the care of Manila Zoo administration.

Mali and her encounter with the tourists of Manila Zoo

Re-exploring Manila Zoo

Our zoo adventure began. I, together with my good college friends, re-explored this animal park once again. All of us, felt like we were in an educational tour, just like before. Seeing these animals again gave us the chance to look back, re-familiarize and re-learn their names and their breed. We could still recall some of the animals; however, identifying their differences from the others, seemed to be difficult. Nonetheless, being at the zoo with the company of my friends was an interesting yet fun activity to do. With this activity, we were able to spend our quality time together by learning new things as well as reliving childhood activities. Moreover, spending some leisure time at the zoo led us in embracing our childlike ways. Also, this gave us the room to improve our skills in photography and videography as we took photos and videos of these creatures.

Again, like what I have said in my previous blog, I am thankful to the people behind improving and developing our technology.  Handheld smartphones were our primary tool in capturing the extinction of these animals as well as reliving our moments in the zoo. With this, it is my pleasure to share to you some photos of the existing animals in Manila Zoo.

Ostrich's long, slender neck

I'm coming- Turtle

Snake's attack

Slow down, turtles ahead!

behind the bars -tiger

Fierce look of the wide-eyed owl

Gentle white pigeon

It's showtime - peacock

My hopes for Manila Zoo

I am truly blessed to see these creatures again. They are created by God for a special purpose; thus, appreciating their extinction and caring for them, are, indeed, necessary. I hope that the City Government of Manila will continue to support improvement efforts in making Manila Zoo become a world-class attraction. Also, I hope that other non-government organization will extend its help in regaining Manila Zoo's lost glory which it had enjoyed in the past decades so the future generation can still see for themselves.

For me, this afternoon leisure trip in the zoo with my friends, is a worthwhile activity to be done, once in a while.

Until my next shoot and scribble!


-Riz-