Inside the Church of the Angry Christ

Victorias in Negros Occidental is popular because of the Victorias Milling Company, the largest sugar mill in the Philippines and the largest combined sugar mill and refinery in the whole world. This made Negros Occidental the “Sugarbowl Capital” of the Philippines. Its popularity came into a downfall after the Japanese occupation in the 1940′s but was able to slowly revive itself in the 1990′s.

Truckloads of sugar cane being transported to Victorias Milling Complex

Victorias City Hall

You will know that you are already in Victorias when you can smell sugarcane. This becomes stronger as we entered the Victorias Milling complex. The main reason we went to Victorias is because we are curious about St. Joseph The Worker Parish (or popularly known as the Church of the Angry Christ). The church is located inside the milling complex so we had to ride a tricycle from the Victorias City Hall.

Outside the Church of the Angry Christ

Inside Church of Angry Christ

VMC commissioned different artists to design a church for the VMC personnel. Negrense Abstract Expressionist Alfonso Ossorio, Catholic lithurgical artist Ade Bethune, Benjamin Valenciano and Arcadio Anore. The controversial mural, the Angry Christ, was painted by Alfonso Ossorio (belonged to the family who owns VMC).  During the 1950′s it elicited negative reaction because of the vivid colors that showed the image of Jesus Christ with stretched arms together with other biblical characters. The artist is always questioned why he/she created a certain artwork. Ossorio explained that he wanted to portray Judgment Day. Because of this, Alfonso Ossorio and the others created buzz in the global religious iconography.

Mosaic Outside the Church of the Angry Christ (up close)

Aside from the Angry Christ, other notable artistic designs are the mosaic murals created by Ade Bethune. She recycled colored glass bottle pieces and created beautiful images of Jesus’ baptism, Joseph’s marriage to Mary, workshop in Nazareth and Jesus’ death. Bethune “Filipinized” Jesus, Mary and Joseph which at that time not very common in churches.

The photo above shows the mosaic mural showing Jesus’ baptism. It is located at the left side of the main entrance of the church. There is a mini pool there (without water). I am not sure if it is being used for baptismal rites, I guess not.

Other religious images that were “Filipinized” are below:

Mary and Jesus

St. Joseph

The Carabao Sundial was a created in 1975, years after the church was constructed. Senior Machine Shop students of Don Bosco Institute led by Hezekiah Katalbas and Vicente Gonzaga created the artwork which took them a year to create the actual sundial. Of course, this represents the sugarcane industry of Negros. The horns of the carabao was exaggerated to become the face dial. The sugar cane farmer is riding the carabao holding a sugarcane. One could tell time because of the sugar cane’s casted shadows.

The church is more than just an architectural structure and a place of worship. Ramon Hofilena, a great Negrense art historian and enthusiast, said that there are a lot of stories of why the artists created these images in the parish.

How to go to the Church of the Angry Christ:

From Bacolod City, ride a Ceres bus (or any bus) going to Manapla or Escalante. We came from Manapla so it only took us around 10 – 15 minutes to arrive at the Victorias City Hall. Travel time from Bacolod City is around 1 hour an 30 minutes. Our fare only costed us PHP 10 per person but if you will be coming from Bacolod City, it might cost you around PHP35 – 40 per person.

When you are already in Victorias, hail any tricycle and ask the driver to drop you off at the church. It is located inside the Victorias Milling Company. We paid PHP28 per person and he agreed to wait for us while we roam around the church. After Victorias, we rode the Ceres bus at the Victorias Terminal and headed to Silay. Fare was PHP 16 per person.

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Pagburnayan is a small barangay in Vigan, Ilocos Sur that is famous for clay pots and earthenwares which is popularly known as burnay jars. In this barangay, you can find here a lot of potteries. Before, they only use these jars for storage of basi, vinegar, rice, water, etc.

We were only able to visit Ruby Pottery. We went there via a calesa from the city proper of Vigan.

How to make a burnay jar

First, they let a carabao stomp in a hole full of red clay. After the texture of the clay is consistently fine, the potters get mounds of clay. The size of the mound of the clay that the potters get depends on the size of the jar/pot that they will make. Before they put the clay on the potter’s wheel, they put some sand on it so that it won’t stick. After placing the mound of clay, they will turn around the potter’s wheel using their foot. Simultaneously, they mold the clay using their hands. They do it until they have achieved their desired shape, size and texture.

After that, the jar/pot will be dried first (about a day) before putting inside the kiln. These jars are baked for three days (at 1200 degrees Celsius). Then, the jars will be removed from the kiln and shall be cooled down for 20-22 hours or until it hardens.

Visitors in these potteries may also experience making a jar or a pot. We were offered by the potter if we wanted to try but we declined because we didn’t want to get our hands dirty. Hehe.

These beautiful burnay jars just show the quality of Filipino craftsmanship.

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During our trip to Bacolod last February, three of Sha’s officemates joined us. We are 5 (five) in the group. Instead of getting two separate rooms, we decided to get the Family Suite where we just added an extra bed. The room is perfect for group and family holidays because our room has four single beds, one sofa, and a dining table and chairs that’s good for four people.

Single beds

For the bathroom, there are two cubicles for shower and there are two cubicles for the toilet which I like because it would be hard to follow our schedule if there’s only one shower and one toilet to be used by all of us. There’s a TV inside the room (yes, they do have cable). They also provide free Wi-Fi access which is available in all of the rooms with no extra charge. I’m sure that bloggers, and for those who will go to Bacolod for a business trip will surely enjoy this.

Dining Area

What I don’t like about the Family Suite is that there are a few outlets available for us to use for charging our cameras and mobile phones. Thus, if you’ll be checking in at Circle Inn’s Family Suite, I suggest for you to bring an extension cord.

TV and sofa

It’s too bad that the plunge pool jacuzzi is turned off at night. Thus, they were only able to swim at the other pool. If you plan to use their jacuzzi, just go there earlier.

Bathroom

Another thing that I like about Circle Inn is that there’s a nearby convenience store. It became easy for us to buy snacks and bottled water since we do not need to ride a jeep or walk further to be able to buy those items.

Circle Inn
http://www.circleinnph.com/

Lopez Jaena – Malaspina Streets, Capitol Shopping Center Bacolod City 6100 Philippines
Telephone: 63-34-709-9111 OR 63-34-709-9009
Telefax: 63-34-433-2538
Mobile/Text Messaging: 63-917-445-9972
E-Mail: info@circleinnph.com

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Here’s a glimpse of the sights and sounds of the recently concluded Masskara Festival 2011 in Bacolod City. It was truly a memorable experience for us!

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Who would have thought that indigenous farm materials such as cartwheels (carriage wheels), wood and plows can’t be made into a place of worship? In Manapla, Negros Occidental, there is a chapel commonly called “Chapel of Cartwheels” built in the 1960′s at the middle of Hacienda Rosalia. I found out about this chapel while researching our Bacolod itinerary back in February 2011.

The Adventure of Getting There

To be honest, we had a hard time locating for this chapel but because we are eager to see this wonderful architectural and cultural masterpiece, it is imperative that we view this in person. We first rode a mini bus from Bata Pepsi Plant in Talisay to Manapla at around 9 am, right after we went to the Ruins. The fare for the mini bus costs PHP 30 per person and the travel time is around 1 and a half to 2 hours because of the many stops by the driver to pick up passengers. It should only take you around 45 minutes to an hour if you are riding a private vehicle or if the bus you’ve ridden do not stop most of the time. You’ll pass by the towns of Silay and Victorias before arriving Manapla (route would be Bacolod City – Talisay – Silay – Victorias – Manapla). I would advise you, tell the conductor to drop you off at the Hacienda Rosalia waiting shed (or Gaston waiting shed). If you tell the conductor “Chapel of Cartwheels”, the conductor might bring you to the Roman Catholic Church in Manapla proper. Well, that was what happened to us. We dropped off at the Catholic Church and was surprised that it does not look like cartwheels. And so we made a mistake. Good thing that someone from the office of the church requested their van driver to drop us off at the hacienda and kept on saying “Monsignor’s House”.  The driver didn’t even know how to speak Tagalog and I could only understand as much Visayan language as I can then interpreting to my friends.

House of Monsignor at Hacienda Rosalia

Going to the Monsignor’s house was a familiar one. I was saying to myself that it seems that I have seen this place before and then suddenly saw the Gaston Ancestral House which was also Monsignor’s house.  I then discovered that  THIS WAS THE HOUSE WHERE ORO,PLATA,MATA WAS SHOT! Oro Plata Mata is one of my favorite Pinoy films of all time and probably the best of all time and I could not believe that I am actually standing on it! The fan girl in me suddenly arose but I needed to snap out of it to find the Chapel of Cartwheels. All along, I was wondering where it was located and then voila, it appeared to me unexpectedly.

Inside the Chapel of Cartwheels

Viewing The Chapel of Cartwheels in Real Life

Monsignor Gigi Gaston (also the designer of the chapel) now lives in the house but it was originally owned by Negros Occidental sugar baron Yves Leopold Germain Gaston. On a side note, there is also another Gaston Ancestral House in Silay popularly known as Balay Negrense which was owned by the son of Yves. One of the caretakers pointed us to the direction where the Chapel of Cartwheels was and it was located at the back of the house, just a few meters away.

The chapel is shaped like a “salakot”, a hat made of locally available materials used by mostly farmers in the Philippines. When you stand at the middle of the chapel and look at the ceiling, it’s like a beehive full of wires. I believe that the designer of this chapel intended it to shape like a “salakot” because of the tenants or workers living in the hacienda (sugar plantation) are mostly farmers.

Sliding Doors Made of Cartwheels

The chapel could only fit a few people inside, probably around 40 – 50 people. They still have masses in this chapel every Sunday, even weddings are being held here.

By being inside the chapel and looking at the interiors, we can’t feel anything but pure admiration by its uniqueness. I have always been fascinated with old churches and even uniquely designed churches / chapels even though I am not really a church-goer myself. I admire the architecture and the possible relevance of this chapel to the people living there. We didn’t have a tour guide so all we can do is just ponder on the rationale of building this chapel at the middle of the hacienda.

Crucifix at the Chapel of Cartwheels

The crucified Jesus Christ was hand carven on a cartwheel which is another unique feature of this chapel. This crucifix is elevated at the center of the chapel right above the stone carved altar. Jesus Christ here was dressed like a typical farmer.

Wooden Carving of the Virgin Mary

At the left side of the altar is the wooden carving of the Virgin Mary. Notice the Virgin Mary is dressed like the typical “baro’t-saya” (blouse and skirt), typical clothes of peasants. There are also cartwheels embedded used colored bottles  to have a stained glass effect.

Small Sign Going to the Chapel of Cartwheels

The Chapel of Cartwheels is one of the must visit chapels / churches in Negros Occidental especially when you are in Manapla. In order for you not to miss this, there is a small sign or marker along the left side of the Osmena Road (the main road if you’re coming from Victorias). Just turn left at the side road going to the hacienda (this is right before arriving at the Manapla town proper). Reminder, the road is rough so be prepared for a bumpy ride. There are few tricycles that go in and out of the hacienda, just be patient in waiting. Tricycle ride going to or from the Chapel of Cartwheels may cost you PHP 7.00 (rate as of Feb 2011). If you try to walk from the main road, it will take you probably an hour or more.

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It was in February when we first went to Mambukal Resort. From Circle Inn (the hotel where we stayed), we took a jeep and went off at Libertad (7 pesos). And then, we took a non-air-conditioned bus going to Mambukal which costs 35 pesos/pax (one way). Just tell the conductor that you’ll get off at Mambukal. And yes, the bus stops in front of Mambukal Resort.

The travel time from Bacolod to Mambukal is around 1.5 hours. It’s not that long. On the way to Mambukal, you’ll enjoy the scenery of the vast fields of sugar cane and of Mount Canlaon.

Upon arriving Mambukal Resort, just go inside, and pay an entrance fee of 30 pesos for adults and 10 pesos for kids.

2nd waterfall at Mambukal Resort

When we finally got inside the resort, the guides were already approaching us and asked us if we want to go and see the waterfalls. In Mambukal Resort, there are seven waterfalls. However, we weren’t able to see all of them. After preparing ourself for the hike that we won’t forget, we finally got two guides since we belong in a group of five.

3rd waterfall at Mambukal Resort

Going to the first waterfall was quite easy. After that, it became quite hard for the group especially that not all of us are physically fit. I think that it was harder for me because I have to keep my balance, thus, I was very careful when taking  each step.

It’s good that the guide helped me in bringing my tripod. If not, I would probably need more time to finish the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th waterfalls.

We stayed longer at the 6th waterfalls where Sha, Kitel, Pichy and Carla took a dip in the pool there. As for me, I just savored the cool breeze and continued taking photos.

6th waterfall at Mambukal Resort

After that, the difficult hikes became all worth it. We didn’t proceed anymore to the 7th waterfall because it started to drizzle so we decided to go back. After the hike, we paid the guides 200 pesos each.

Swimming at the Mambukal Sulfur Pool is a must after the long trek. It will surely soothe your muscles. Then, we had our late lunch before going back to Bacolod City. There are food stalls inside the resort. Food is not that expensive and of course, they serve the famous Bacolod Chicken Inasal. Aside from the waterfalls, you can also enjoy other resort amenities at a very low cost. Half a day is enough to enjoy Mambukal Resort. For us, we only targeted to go to the waterfalls and have ourselves be relaxed at the Sulfur Pool.

There’s a bus outside Mambukal Resort that you can take if you’ll go back to Bacolod City.

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1. Rizal Park and Rizal monument

The Rizal monument is a bronze sculpture by a Swiss sculptor (Richard Kissling). Anyway, there was actually a design competition for the monument and Kissling’s entry landed in second place. Read more about this in Wikipedia. Be sure to ride the tranvia jeepney in Rizal Park. It’s a fun experience if done with family or friends. Fare for each person is 50 pesos.

2. Rizal Execution Site

Rizal was executed here in December 30, 1896. The Rizal Execution Site is just located beside the Rizal Park. If you’re already there, be sure to visit it.

3. Paco Park

After Rizal was executed in Luneta (formerly known as Bagumbayan), he was later interred at Paco Park [via Wikipedia]. Today, Paco Park has been a famous venue for weddings and a venue for engagement shoots. Paco Park has an entrance fee of 5 pesos.

4. Molo Church

The Molo Church is one of the places that Rizal was visited when he was in Iloilo. During that time, he was on his way back from Manila after his exile from Dapitan. He went there to meet with this friend Raymundo Melliza [via The News Today].

5. Fort San Pedro

The SS Panay, the steamship that he took on his way to Manila, has stopped over at Fort San Pedro, Cebu City so that they can get more coal and also some more passengers [via The Philippine Daily Inquirer] The entrance fee here costs 30 pesos for adults.

To know more details and get updates, like Rizal150 in Facebook or follow them in Twitter.

This is an entry to the PTB (Pinoy Travel Bloggers) Blog Carnival in commemoration of the 150th birthday of Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Our theme for June 2011 is “Rizal and Travel”. This blog carnival is hosted by Ivan Henares.

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It’s actually my first time to stay in any Microtel in the Philippines. I agree with most of my friends who have stayed in a Microtel Hotel,  the experience is worthwhile. Aside from its clean facilities, Microtel boasts their chiropractic beds (like the ones you see above). Even though I only had 2 nights to sleep there, at least my back was able to experience at least 4 hours on it . It was such a comfort to lie down there after a tiring day from the activities.

We stayed in double room which was worth around Php 2,500 per night. This includes 2 queen size beds, refrigerator, 1 bathroom, cable television. This room can occupy 4 people; perfect for families and groups of friends. What I liked about the room, aside from the chiropractic bed, is that it’s not very crowded. If your group has a lot of electronic gadgets (cellphones, laptops, Ipods, cameras, etc.), it would be best to bring your own extension cord or you may ask this from the reception.

The bathroom is simple yet clean. The blow dryer is in the bathroom, it may be of a hassle if you want to dry your hair in the bedroom area. They also have bathroom freebies such as toothbrush, soaps, toothpaste, etc. so if you forgot some bathroom stuff, at least you have these freebies to use. Now speaking of freebies, they gave us some Davao delicacies – not sure if this is common to their paying customers.

There’s no wifi in the room so I’d have to stay at the lobby. There are sockets there so there’s no problem if you want to charge your laptop while using the wifi.

Microtel also has a small dining area where you can eat your breakfast. They don’t really have an in-house restaurant like other hotels. The food was good; they serve typical Filipino breakfast (rice and viands. Nothing really fancy.

The location of Microtel is strategic, it’s just 10 minutes away from the Davao International Airport. Also, it’s very accessible to public transportation and commercial district. It’s just opposite a 24-hour Mcdonald’s!
Overall, I enjoyed my stay there because the place is clean and well maintained also, their staff are very courteous. They don’t hesitate to give me a smile whenever I see them. If I paid for my stay there, it will be worth my money.

Microtel Davao
Damosa Gateway Complex
Mamay Road, Lanang
Davao City 8000
Philippines
http://www.microtel-davao.com/

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I never knew that I will someday experience white water rafting. Last May 8th, while everybody was busy watching the Pacquiao vs. Mosley boxing match, me and fellow bloggers Rochelle Chua, Evanjohn Mendoza, Faith Salazar, Eric D., Yoshke Dimen, Jonel Uy and Lalaine Orozco and others were having a hell of a time at the Davao River for the White Water Rapid Adventure. Actually, It’s the first extreme sport I’ve ever done in my life and preferred this than going through the zipline.

To get ready for this extreme adventure, we had a heavy breakfast in Microtel. I need to ensure that I have enough energy (Carbo loading!). We left the hotel at around 8:30 am and headed to the Davao Crocodile Park Complex in Ma-a, Davao. We arrived at around 9:00 am. This is where we had our briefing, took our life vests and helmets and tweeted with a hashtag #hulinghabilin in case it’s gonna be our last time on earth . Kidding aside, we were really scared because most of us are first timers on this kind of extreme sport. After the briefing, we headed to Tamugan, a one and a half hour (1.5) travel time from Ma-a, Davao.

We arrived at the Put-In Area at around 10:00 am. The guides gave us a brief instruction on how to do defensive swimming, how to use the paddle and what to do in case our raft capsizes. After that, Eric, Faith, Lalaine, Rochelle and I jumped into our blue raft together with our guide. Now, this is the time to put what we have learned to the test during our 13 kilometer adventure.

The whole rafting experience took us around 3 – 4 hours. We experienced quite a number of rapids such as the “washing machine”, “rodeo”, “double drop” and the “drop and suck”. Ever time that we conquer a rapid, our guide would shout “high five” and we altogether shout our team name “Team Merla”, as a symbol of achievement. We were all laughing so hard!

(photo courtesy of Davao Wild Water Adventure)

I also had a chance to drift myself along in the river. It was a symbolic experience just letting myself literally drift. No inhibitions, just me, the river and nature.

We had lunch somewhere in the picnic grounds by the river. Nothing too fancy, it’s just us and nature surrounding us. There were some rain showers after lunch. We’re already wet anyway so it’s fine.

And then we arrived at the “take out” area in Purok 8, which is the pit stop of our wild river adventure. We were all tired but everything was worth it!

If you’d like to experience the Davao Wild River Adventure, why not reserve a slot by contacting them through their website and their Facebook page? Our adventure was complimentary (please see post in Kaladkaringpaa.com to know about it). Cost of this adventure is PHP2000 per person which consists of:

• Transportation (From Crocodile Park to Rafting Area and back)
• Packed Lunch and bottled water
• Use of white water rafting gear and equipment
• Raft Guide
• Documentation (2 per group of 6)
• Ticket to Zip City

Here are a few tips if you plan to have this adventure:

1. Wear light clothes, avoid the maong type.
2. Bring only the essentials for the rafting trip: sunblock and yourself. If you don’t want to bring sunblock, it would be better to wear long sleeves. You can also bring a waterproof camera but make sure that you bring this out when the water is calm. I had mine tied in my life vest and hidden underneath it. You can also bring sunglasses or eyeglasses, for as long as it has a string.
3. It’s better to wear strapped outdoor sandals so that you will not easily slip. I used my Tribu sandals (my all around travel sandals, model is Subanon) which is wrapped in my foot.
4. Follow the instructions given to you by the raft guide.
5. Have fun and don’t be a party pooper!

Just the girls after the wild river adventure

For more information about Davao Wild Water Adventure, please visit their website and their Facebook Page.

Here’s a video of our white water rapid adventure! Thanks to Davao Wild Water Adventure for this!

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One of things that I’d like to do is to walk on an aircraft carrier. Well, it should not be just any aircraft carrier. It must be historic. I’m glad that I was given the chance to go to the USS Carl Vinson. This nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is docked in Manila.

Navy Ship Flags

The USS Carl Vinson is part of the U.S. Navy’s Carrier Strike Group 1. In addition, that’s the ship where Osama Bin Laded was transported to and then buried to the North Arabian Sea.

One of the aircrafts on the flight deck

They USS Carl Vinson Group arrived in Manila last May 15 and will be here until May 19. According to the US Embassy, they are here for a routine port call and goodwill visit.

Thus, I guess the MOA dinner cruise (from the Jetty Terminal) won’t be available on those dates since the terminal will be very busy accommodating transfers to and from the USS Carl Vinson. Check out my other photos of the USS Carl Vinson in Flickr.

Thanks to the US Embassy for the invitation.

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