Santa Rosa Heritage, a magazine for ages

Last January 29, my wife and I had the privilege to witness the launching of Santa Rosa Heritage (Magazine of Old Santa Rosa) at Seda Nuvali. A publication of Architect Mario Zavalla, himself a cultural icon of La Laguna’s heritage city, the magazine features various articles about Santa Rosa’s rich history. I am in fact one of the magazine’s contributors, thanks to my good friend (and Architect Zavalla’s life partner) Gemalin Batino, the Executive Director of the Kilusan Cuartel de Santo Domingo (KCdSD) which is tasked in taking care of the group’s namesake Spanish-era bastioned fort.

My wife’s copy autographed by heritage advocate Gemalin Batino whose writings dominate most of the magazine’s contents.

The austere event was graced by the presence of Congressman Danilo Fernández, former Mayor José Catindig Jr., and members of the KCdSD (Atty. Jun Ragaza subbed for Mayor Arlene Arcillas who was then under the weather). Batangas-based historian Derrick Manas gave a brief lecture about the historical ties that bind the Tagálog provinces of La Laguna and Batangas while motivational speaker and author, Architect Tzarina Saldaña, gave an inspiring talk about the importance of heritage.

With former Mayor Joey Catindíg Jr., one of the founding members of the KCdSD.

My wife with Ms. Nonia Tiongco, former Executive Director of the KCdSD and current director of the Santa Rosa Studies Center.

With 1st District Representative Danilo Fernández.

With the star of the night, Ms. Gemalin Batino. She is also one of last year’s Most Influential Filipina Women in the World (Behind the Scenes Leaders awardee), conferred by the Filipina Women’s Network.

With Mario Zavalla, the architect behind The Ritz Towers, SM City Santa Rosa, and the left wing of Malacañang Palace just to name a few.

The maiden issue of the 56-page glossy magazine highlights Santa Rosa’s heritage landmarks such as the Bantayan or the 19th-century welcome arch, the Casa Tribunal (which is now the city’s museum), and the Cuartel de Santo Domingo which was publicly declared last year as an Important Cultural Property of the National Museum of the Philippines. The magazine’s pages are dominated by Gemalin’s writings, most interesting of which is her argument that Santa Rosa’s purported original name is not what it really is. Throughout many decades, locals have been made to believe that Santa Rosa’s original name was Barrio Bucol when it was still part of Biñán. Gemalin counters this in the magazine:

Contrary to what we all know, it is not Bucol, but Bucal. During that time, the name of a town was generally derived from its geographical location: a bed of springs. Bo. Bucal was composed of five places named Ytaás, Ybabâ, Aplaya, Tagapo, and Balibagó. Ytaás and Ybabâ (Ylaya and Ylawod) are the terminologies used to depict direction of the flow of water as in "upstream-downstream riverine polarity".

We can also see with our own naked eyes that Tagapo, Aplaya, Ybabâ, and Ytaás are almost within the sea level of the shorelines of Aplaya and not "naka Bukol" (lumped in English) as what locals claimed to be the origin of the name Bucol. No scientific explanation can prove that Bucol is upland hilly.

Gemalin even went so far as to visit the Archivo General de Indias in Sevilla, Spain just to prove her point. From there she was able to secure copies of rare documents and maps pertaining to old Santa Rosa as evidence to prove her hypothesis (I told her that very few Filipino historians had the privilege of exploring its nine kilometers of shelving).

The magazine also features many other articles about Santa Rosa City’s heritage, history, and its people. My three-page contribution is about the general history of the people of the province. Gemalin also included my translations of old Spanish documents pertaining to both Santa Rosa and its mother town, Biñán. Architect Zavalla and Gemalin plan to release two issues of the magazine yearly. This modest project is a great leap forward to further emphasize and disseminate the importance of not only the city’s history and heritage but of the province’s overall cultural upliftment.

My article “Los Lagunenses: Peopling a Paradise” is three pages long, from page 30 to 32.

My transcription and translation of old Spanish documents on pages 12 and 13.

Copies of Santa Rosa Heritage are available at the KCdSD office (old Santa Rosa High School, on top of Maybank) located at Feliciano Gómez Street corner José Rizal Boulevard in Población, Santa Rosa City, La Laguna, to the right of the old town plaza. Proceeds of the magazine will fund future projects of the KCdSD. Please contact Ms. Gemalin Batino for more details. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Mi Patria

Este bello poema patriótico, escrito por el Príncipe de los Poetas Filipinos en español, Fernando Mª Guerrero (1873-1929) de Ermita, Manila, fue publicado en la primera edición del periódico revolucionario La Independencia el 3 de septiembre de 1898. Guerrero, que también fue el Poeta de la Revolución Filipina contra los invasores yanquís, era uno de los escritores del dicho periódico que fue editado por el famoso General Antonio Luna. Mi Patria es considerado como uno de los mejores poemas de Guerrero. Sus versos exaltan la belleza física y espiritual de Filipinas.

MI PATRIA

Fernando Mª Guerrero

I     Filipinas es un nido
formado de hermosas flores;
es un idilio de amores
sobre un mar embravecido;
es el delirio querido
que mi cerebro obsesiona;
es la impávida matrona
que, heredera de titanes,
tiene por solio volcanes
y centellas por corona.

II     Filipinas es la maga
cuyos oráculos santos
calman los lloros y espantos
del corazón que naufraga;
es vino cordial que embriaga
con su ardor la fantasía;
es hechizo que extasía,
y es, en fin, eterna palma
que un henchido de calma
con sus lágrimas rocía.

III     Mi tierra es noble y hermosa,
porque es su asiento el Oriente;
tiene estrellas en su frente
y en sus labios miel de rosa.
Cuando sonríe amorosa
la aurora le da sus rayos;
mas si padece desmayos
porque la hieren abrojos
brotan tristes de sus ojos
los crepúsculos malayos.

IV     Frente a lujosa floresta
donde un río se destaca,
recostada en una hamaca
duerme el sopor de la siesta.
Las auras forman su orquesta,
un palio azul la sombrea,
y cuando la noche ondea
su obscuro y tupido manto,
hirviente arrullo de llanto
por sus mejillas serpea.

V     Mi tierra es hada divina
que a mil caprichos se entrega:
suspira, retoza y juega
bajo la onda cristalina:
rompe el tul de la neblina
que arropa selvas de cañas,
y al trepar a las montañas
rojas al sol de la tarde,
bendice la lumbre que arde
en las pajizas cabañas.

VI     Mi tierra noble y bendita
no cría en sus bosques fieras,
sino palomas ligeras
y flores de sampaguita.
Quien sus rincones visita
halla sombra hospitalaria:
¡aquí se abraza hasta al paria,
porque mi encantado suelo
es un pedazo de cielo
puesto en la mar solitaria!

VII     Aquí son las alboradas
una ignición de rubíes;
aquí son nuestras huríes
tan tiernas y apasionadas
que funden con sus miradas
hasta las almas de hielo,
que dan, en un beso, el cielo
y que, con la fe de un niño,
fían a nuestro cariño
su corazón, sin recelo.

VIII     ¡Oh, tierra de mis amores,
santa madre de mi vida,
que vertiste, en mi alma herida
el aroma de tus flores!
Llora, si tienes dolores,
si sueñas ser grande, espera;
pero te juro que fuera
para mí suerte afrentosa
ver nacidas en mi fosa
hierbas de savia extranjera.