Luisa Paula A. Lioanag 2009-29566 The City Lives On!

Geography 1 Casa Manila, San Agustin Church

Manila is a prime region. The Manila Bay, as well as the Pasig River and its tributaries enabled ease of travel and trade, leaving no room for wonder why, long before the Spaniards arrived, the Malay settlement was already flourishing. Given its strategic location, and also as a means to impress on the natives the might of the empire, the Spaniards dislodged the Muslim rulers and built, in its place, what would be the seat of Spanish sovereignty in the east for more than three hundred years. The famous walled city of Intramuros was built in response to the constant threat of invasions by Chinese, Japanese, Dutch and Portugese pirates in Manila and in its protection were the houses of elite Spaniards and Filipinos, the Governor-Generals palace, some iconic churches, schools and government buildings. Though much of it was destroyed in the battle to reclaim Manila during World War II, the city eventually sprung back to life with the help of the Presidential Decree 1616 and the creation of the Intramuros Administration, a committee working together with the Department of Tourism to restore and develop Intramuros to its former glory. CASA MANILA One of the monuments being maintained by the Intramuros Administration is Casa Manila, a museum built in the style of a colonial-period residence during the 19th century. It is located in the Plaza San Luis Complex, corner Gen. Luna St. and Real St. in Intramuros, right beside the San Agustin Church. Its facade is based from a house at Calle Jaboneros in San Nicolas, dated 1850, and in the tradition of that area, the first floor of Casa Manila is occupied by shops where one can buy souvenirs, antiques and art objects. The administration office for Casa Manila is also located in the ground floor. While most of its displays are located in the higher floors, the ground floor of Casa Manila is already a sight to behold. Upon entering the complex through a large wooden door, you see a paved corridor called the Zaguan. It is through here that carruajes entered and they would drop their passengers at the grand staircase leading upstairs to the offices and residential rooms. The zaguan opened to the airy patio, a squarish open space, also paved by granite, that featured a fountain. It is most unfortunate that the rest of the museum may not be taken photographs or videos of, so I would just try to describe it the best I can.

Upon climbing the grand staircase from the zaguan, one is greeted with a relatively narrow landing connecting a few rooms and another flight of stairs going to the third floor. This area, according to the tour guide, is called the entresuelo, literally meaning between floors. The entresuelo is decorated more for function than display, as those who are entertained in this area are in the house for business than leisure. In the same floor, the oficina or despacho is located. The owner of the house conducts business here and meets with clients, tenants or estate managers in a spacious room directly connected to the entresuelo. Also connected to it are two rooms or cuartos. These are adequately furnished with a four-poster bed, a marble-topped lavabo, a decent-sized dresser, bedside tables and a door connecting to what appears to be a bao. The third floor, which houses the antesala, sala, and the living quarters of the family is significantly more opulent than the lower floor. A piano, harp and a lot of chairs and tables occupy the antesala and sala, since this is where the family entertains close friends and very important people. Leisurely activities as well as social functions are conducted in the large space. Adjacent to the sala is the oratorio, a small room dedicated as a chapel where the whole family gathers to pray in the evening. From the oratorio, two bedrooms, for the owner and his family, are accessible. These two are significantly larger than the cuartos in the second floor. The smaller one, most probably for the children, is called The Blue Room, with its impressive trompe loeil murals on the walls and ceiling reflecting the neo-Classical style that reached the Philippines during the early 19th century. More than thrice the size of the cuarto is the cuarto principal. Aside from being the largest bedroom, the masters bedroom is also the most ornate. It has a huge dresser, apparently called aparador de tres lunas (armoire with three sections), a tremor (dresser with swinging full length mirror, and space for two or more armchairs. The foot of the large fourposter bed is a chest where clothes and important documents may be kept. The ceiling features a mural of cherubs, also in the neo-Classical style. On the other side of the antesala is the comedor or the dining room. A large door leading to the cocina is directly connected to the comedor, and you immediately see the five stoves that are operated by feeding firewood. The Casa also built a copy of the stone oven from that period, but as said by the tour guide, considering its position in the cocina, it would be unwise to use it in real life. From the cocina, one can access the letrina (toilets) and the bao with two baeras (bathtubs) - these are stoneware from China, and the master need only sit inside it while his or her servants would attend to the washing, soaping, scrubbing and rinsing. The cocina also leads to the azotea, which is also the exit point of the museum. The tour guide explains that it is here that laundry and butchering for meals is done. When asked how Casa Manila could be considered a symbolic landscape, the tour guide explains that though it was built under the prerogative of the PD 1616 and with then first lady Imelda Marcos initiative, it was made symbolic by the materials used in its construction and decoration. The granite paving in the zaguan and patio, the adobe blocks

used to build the house, like the old days, were quarried from Bulacan. The furnishings were also genuine antiques. Some were donated to the Intramuros Administration while others were salvaged from ancestral homes that fell to neglect. Some came from Laguna, Bulacan and Cavite. Aside from this, the team that led its construction tried to faithfully follow the building plans during the 19th century. Asking another visitor of Casa Manila, on the other hand, Ivy thinks that from the fact that it was located in the symbolic city of Intramuros already adds to the sense of place held by the house. With the Casa trying to faithfully replicate the houses from that period, there is the importance of preserving and maintaining this as well, as it is one of the rare occasions that we get a glimpse of our past in such a detailed form. Ivy adds that she also finds it symbolic as it is primarily a museum. SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH, CONVENT AND MUSEUM Right beside Casa Manila stands the oldest church in the Philippines, the San Agustin Church. Part of its symbolism, my companion Ted explains, is how it weathered and survived the series of high intensity earthquakes that flattened most of the buildings in the area. Completed in 1607, not only is it the oldest church, but it also holds the distinction of being a World Heritage Site and also a National Historical Landmark. It is, literally and figuratively, a staunch reminder of the long-standing and continuing presence of the Roman Catholic church as it celebrates the arrival of the first wave of Spanish Christian missionaries, the Augustinians, in the Philippines. During my visit, San Agustin was holding a mass, so me and my friend opted to visit the museum adjacent to the church. It was almost 5 pm so we werent fortunate enough to ask a guide who I may interview, though the administration was generous enough to allow us in despite the time. Also, while most of its cloister galleries are open, some of the exhibits inside halls may not be taken photos of. A large expanse of the church complex was turned to a museum to house its large collection of religious items comprised of images and figures (varying from their make, but usually of wood and ivory), paintings and drawings, altar pieces and even robes of both the religious images and the priests and their assistants. Upon entrance, one is greeted by the massive iron cast bell. Apparently, this was from the belfry of the San Agustin, and had to be taken down because the bell tower suffered greatly during one of the greater earthquakes that shook Intramuros. In fact, comparing previous pictures of the facade of the San Agustin from 1880, one would notice that the right bell tower is no longer present today (see Fig. G and Fig. H). There was also an exhibit dedicated to the porcelain and ceramic ware that they were able to acquire upon digging in the church grounds. A large exhibit of religious sculptures and church fittings (like the thrones for priests and sacristans, as well as a pulpit)

is located right beside the cemetery and columbary of the San Agustin. The ceilings, left as they were, had the remaining impressions of murals done in trompe loeil for which the ceilings and walls of the church was famous for. The cemetery, originally reserved for the friars, was opened to the public and now holds the remains of some elite and very important Filipinos, like the master painter Juan Luna. Another entrance, near the one leading to the cemetery, leads to the grand staircase, giving access to the second floor. This connects to another cloister gallery, connecting to more rooms. Overlooking the altar and the rows of churchgoers, the chamber for the choir (coro) and its pipe organ, located just above the entrance of the church is accessible through the museum and one may examine the intricate woodwork of the choir seats and look at the display in the small music room next to the choir chamber. Owing to its long history, the San Agustin Church complex is, without a doubt a symbolic landscape. It has seen much within its four hundred and five years of existence, and continues to be a living testament of the rich colonial history of the walled city and of Intramuros. In its walls are countless stories, some backed with facts and testimonies while others seem quite far out. As long as the church stands, these stories are sure to accumulate and all the more will it hold importance to the immediate community and to the Filipino people. Though many of its contemporaries have been burned or torn down, the San Agustin Church and the whole of the walled city continues to live on through the conservation efforts of the Intramuros Administration and the people who visit it to catch a glimpse of how it used to be and the way it is now.

Appendix

Fig. A - Entresuelo floor plan with description and inventory of furnishings Fig. B - The guest book of Casa Manila (located at the cocina)

Fig. C. Puerta Del Parian, one of the many gates into Intramuros

Fig. D - Part of the patio from the azotea

Fig. E & F - Views of Plaza San Luis from the azotea

Fig. G - San Agustin Church facade after the 1880 earthquake (photo from Wikipedia)

Fig. H - Present San Agustin Church facade

Fig. I - The bell from the fallen belfry

Fig. J - Cloister Gallery

Fig. K - Cloister Gallery corner

Fig. L - Detail from the retablo at the Cloister Gallery

Fig. M - Gate to the Church Proper from the Cloister

Fig. N - Garden Plaza in the Church Complex