Thursday 26 July 2018

'Lin-ay Sang Iloilo' & The Real Treasures of Iloilo Province

Since last year, on my visits to Iloilo City in the Philippines, I already spied on him sitting on top of the city hall. 

At first, I thought it was a statue of a saint because I have never seen any photos of a statue of some dead Filipino standing on top of a city hall in the Philippines. 

That honor is usually reserved for a saint, though I'd always see Jose Rizal, the country's premiere national hero, standing in the middle of a town plaza on a pedestal. But his pedestal is usually the only elevated structure you'd see him on. 

You'd never see him on top of a building where he probably would prefer as his view would cover most of a town's geography and that no politicians or city official would be able to climb that high to bother him with overpriced dead flowers every December 30th.


(Whose statue is that standing 
on top of the city hall?)

So, I asked around about that statue. Last month, when we were in Iloilo City, the hotel where we stayed had a view of the city hall and the statue. Pointing at the mysterious statue, I asked the hotel staff about his identity; they didn't know, although I now realized I could just have googled!

But there was a more reliable way to find out because as they say when you want your question answered, 'seek and ye shall find'. And seek I did. 😀

During our walk from the riverside to our hotel, we decided to drop by the Iloilo City Hall. Although it was past 5PM when offices were closing, I walked up to the guards of the building to ask. And one accommodated my snooping! He brought us to a room in the building which held the answer!

Although it was already closed for the day, he opened the museum on the ground floor of the city hall that showcases the city's heritage, culture, and...the statue!

(Plaza Libertad with the San Jose
de Placer church on top)
(Her statue stands inside the museum 
inside the Iloilo City Hall)

It was not a he; it's a she!

'Lin-ay' is a Hiligaynon word that refers to a young, unmarried lady that embodies the admirable virtues of a Filipina. 

Hiligaynon is the language spoken in Iloilo Province and the neighboring Guimaras and Negros Island, while Ilonggo refers to the people, language, and culture of the Iloilo Province. So, Hiligaynon can be referred to as Ilonggo if you're referring to Hiligaynon spoken in the Iloilo Province.

Therefore, 'lin-ay' is an Ilonggo lass. An Ilongga lady.

And I finally knew that that statue is 'Lin-ay sang Iloilo', the Lass of Iloilo, made of bronze. She is seen wearing a 'patadyong' and carrying plants on her right arm and a gardening tool on the right, which made me think she's left-handed. While working, you'd always use your dominant hand to hold your implements, right?

The last time I saw exquisite samples of 'patadyong' was when I visited the beautiful Camiña Balay nga Bato in the Arevalo District of Iloilo City (read blog here).

Lin-ay's head is covered by piece of cloth to shield her from the sun, probably because she wasn't carrying any sunblock, and her wrap-around patadyong-slash-long skirt seemed too thick for the Iloilo weather, which made me think she might be hiding something (or someone) down there. Her boyfriend, perhaps?😝

Her neck is unusually long for a native Filipina, which emphasizes the big necklace hanging around it. 

Although I would infer that the presence of the big necklace hints of the 'manangyad', the long gold necklace that, along with the golden salakot, was presented by the ten migrant datu of Borneo in 1200's led by Datu Puti to the local aetas of Panay so that they could live on the lowlands of Panay Island. 

And I'm thinking she is wearing a huge necklace as she went farming to show off to other Ilongga friends her latest acquisition. Or maybe, she just wanted to remain glamorous as she dirtied her manicure and pedicure while tilling the rice fields.

A creation of an Ilonggo sculpture named Edward Defensor, the statue weighs 1.7 tons and stands at 18 feet.  According to the description about Lin-ay Sang Iloilo written next to the replica at the museum, the four sides of the pedestal represented the four major assets of Iloilo, namely, "rice farming, sugarcane farming, fishing, and education".

Hmm.😕

With all due respect to the sculptor, I disagree with
the 'major assets' he wrote down. In my opinion, Iloilo's major assets are really the following:



1. The Ilonggos!

Yes, it's always the people!👪 

Major assets are not the plants nor the fresh fish that end up at the Iloilo Central Market, where I bought my local snacks when I was there, by the way. 

Since I trace my ancestry to this province, I proudly count myself in. Ha-ha-ha! If not, at least my distant great-great grandfather General Martin Teofilo Delgado definitely could (read blog here). He was, after all, Iloilo's revolutionary leader during the Spanish period and the provincial governor during the American years.

Since the pre-hispanic period, it has been the Ilonggos that toiled, cultivated, developed, and enriched the land! 

Iloilo's main treasures are all its citizens and inhabitants. From teachers and students to merchants, professionals, religious organizations, transport workers, artists and historians, agricultural workers and fishermen, senior citizens, moms and pops, and not to forget, those who bake my favorite Balasan bingka by the Jaro Cathedral (read blog here), those who prepare batchoy at La Paz public market, and those who create the yummy barquillos and biscochos!

Again, it's the people who make up Iloilo!😊  

2. Iloilo's rich heritage and culture! 


Even before the Barter of Panay in 1200s, Marikudo and Maniwangtiwang lorded over Panay Island and the lands that are now part of Iloilo Province. And from Datu Paiburong, who governed Irong-irong, to the time of Spanish governors and American colonizers, and through the Japanese occcupation and up to the present-day Iloilo, we all should celebrate the very rich history, heritage, culture. 

Thankfully, Iloilo holds the very popular and fun Dinagyang Festival every January (read blog here) to celebrate and remind us of this rich history.


We shouldn't forget that part of it all is Iloilo's culinary heritage that includes batchoy, biscocho, and pancit molo! I don't think 'butterscotch' counts. 😛


(Lin-ay sang Iloilo standing next to the lyrics of Iloilo City Hymn. I wonder how it goes?)


3. Iloilo's fertile agricultural lands and rich seas

Now, this is where you throw the plants and fish in. 

It might have been politically nice to hear that there's an economic symbolism added to the sculpture because, well, this was commissioned by the sitting mayor then. But the agriculture and marine aspects of the province take a backseat to its people and their history. I also wondered whether, regardless of its height, its base should have four sides and that the sculptor just squeezed in four things he could think of as 'major assets'. 

4. Geographical location

Ever since I was a kid, I have admired Iloilo City's seaside port. It was so convenient! When your ferry boat docks, you're actually already in the city center! 

Iloilo has mountains, plains, beaches, and seas, and is situated right in the middle of the Philippines. This might have been the main reason why Spanish and American colonizers were keen on developing it ahead of the other settlements in the Visayan area. It was just accessible and rich in natural resources!

(Looking at the statue's photo presumably 
taken when it was atop the building, 
I thought the garden tool on Lin-ay's 
left hand was missing)

So, there. Thanks to the security guard who opened the museum for us even though it was past 5PM, I now know who she is. 

But even more important, 'Lin-ay' and her fellow Ilonggos should know that they, and not plants and fish, are the most important treasures of Iloilo. 😀

                     (I can't see Lin-ay's farm implement, or 
                        was it just the lighting and angle?) 

Thursday 19 July 2018

Got a Stopover In Korea? Go Shopping in Seoul!

I have toured friends in record-breaking time around Seoul! Knowing Seoul like the back of my hand, so to speak, I draw up a route in my mind that included the tourist spots need to be visited by any visitor and a timetable that fits within their free time before heading back to the Incheon International Airport.

On my first trip, I successfully toured my friend Maria around Seoul for five hours!  Then, another friend Jean came over for a stopover and I toured him, too, within five hours!

But this time, another friend Judy Ann is asking me for a suggestion. She'll be flying from the US to the Philippines and will have a stopover at Incheon Airport for about 12 hours. Her flight will arrive early morning at Incheon Airport and her connecting flight will leave early evening. So, she's planning to go shopping in Seoul between 6AM and 3PM. 

Just what Maria and Jean did before during their layover at the Incheon International Airport, Judy Ann will simply present her passport and her boarding pass (for her connecting flight) to the Immigration officer before she's allowed to leave the Airport. But I do emphasize that the decision to allow a passenger to leave the Incheon International Airport rests solely on the Immigration officers.

Here it is:

SUGGESTED ITINERARY/INSTRUCTIONS (I added links to my BLOGS related to the instructions):


           (The bus stop in front of the Dongdaemun 
                    Design Plaza or DDP)

1. Take Airport Bus 6702 from Incheon Airport and get off at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza bus stop. If you want to have your morning coffee in Dongdaemun, there are few cafés in the area. The ride from the airport up to Dongdaemun may take more than an hour. (Read this AIRPORT BUS BLOG.)

  • Exchange a few US$ to Korean at the airport in order to buy a bus ticket at the ticket booth, depending on how much you're going to spend. 
  • The bus ticket may cost about KRW16,000 one-way; coffee about KRW 5,000; lunch about KRW 10,000; a bag at Dongdaemun about KRW 10,000-40,000. Purses are as cheap as KRW 7,000.
  • Small shops and market stalls only accept cash; cosmetic shops accept credit cards.
  • Currency exchange stalls in Dongdaemun and Myeongdong tend to give better rates than banks at the airport.
  • At the airport's information desk, ask where you can find the bus ticket booth, the gate number where you can wait for the bus, and the bus departure time. The first Bus 6702 leaves at 4:56AM for Seoul.
  • Wait at the designated bus stand for Bus 6702; it will swing by and stop for a minute to pick up passengers.
  • Show the bus driver your bus ticket.
  • If he asks you where you will be getting off, just tell him 'dongdehmoon-dee-jja-yin-pla-jja'. That's how 'Dongdaemun Design Plaza' would sound if written and read in Korean. 
  • There's a red bell above your seat at the bus. 
  • Press the red bell if you're getting off. (Read this AIRPORT BUS BLOG to find out about the red bell.)
  • Once you see the spaceship-looking building, that's the DDP and you need to get off!

Here's the online info on the airport bus: https://www.airport.kr/ap_lp/en/tpt/pblctpt/busstoinft1/busstoinft1.do



2. Visit NPH Bag Market behind MaxStyle Building, which is to your left if you're facing the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. The bag market is on the ground floor and basement of NPH Building, opens at 9PM and closes at noon the next day, and is closed on Sundays. 

  • Use your charm, if you want to haggle at the bag market, especially if you're buying more than one bag. (Read this NPH BAG MARKET BLOG.)
  • Always bear in mind that you will probably hand-carry these bags on the plane. So, make sure you're within your limit at the end of your shopping day.

3. Visit the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (opens 10AM and closes at 7PM). You can go around the DDP and inside the DDP. Behind the DDP is a garden full of the interesting LED white flowers. Read these blogs about the DDP and WHITE LED FLOWERS.

http://www.ddp.or.kr/main?hl=en_US

NOTE: There's a tourist information booth in front of GoodMorning City mall building, near Exit 14 of the Dongdaemun Culture and History Park Station in case you want to know more about the area or have questions about directions, etc.


             (Tourist information booth in front of 
                  GoodMorning City building)

4. Lunch around the Dongdaemun area. There's also a fast food restaurant on the ground floor of Doota.

5. Take the subway at the Dongdaemun Culture and History Park Station. Get on the Blue Line 4 and get off at Myeongdong Station (2 stops from where you are). You can buy a subway ticket from a ticketing machine inside the station. Be prepared with your Korean won cash.


       (Upon getting out of Exit 6, this alley leads 
           to the Myeongdong shopping center)

6. At Myeongdong Station, head out from Exit 6. At the exit, turn left and you'll see alleys upon alleys of cosmetic shops, clothes, cafés, souvenirs, and others. Make sure to ask for 'samples' when you buy cosmetic or skin products. 

NOTE: Do remember that you may have to hand-carry all the things you have shopped for, which means NO LIQUIDS!

NOTE: If you see a team of two people wearing RED jackets, they are tour guides from whom you can ask tourist information or directions.

7. Try the food stalls along the Myeongdong streets. (Read this blog on Myeongdong's STREET FOOD).

8. Visit the MYEONGDONG CATHEDRAL. It is located on the other side of Myeongdong, just a short walk from the busy center.

9. Visit the Seoul Global Cultural Center in Myeongdong for photo-op in Korean traditional costume and for other Korean experience activities. It's on the 5th floor of M-Plaza.

The Seoul Global Cultural Center was the venue of the Filipino Christmas party hosted by the Philippine Women's Club last December 2017. Also, I always hang out at this center whenever I am in Myeongdong because it's a quiet place, they have a strong wi-fi and very friendly staff! I remember giving them dried mangoes once to show them my appreciation.

For more info:
https://www.seoulculturalcenter.com/faqs/

NOTE: Do ask the RED JACKETS for the location of the airport bus stop near Exit 8 of Myeongdong Station. (Read this blog about the RED JACKETS.)


10. For the airport bus going back to the airport, go the airport bus stop a few meters from Exit 8 of Myeongdong Station. Earlier, you went out of Exit 6. Had you walked straight, instead of turning left, you would have ended up at Exit 8. 
         (Airport bus stop for the bus going back 
                     to Incheon Airport)

At the bus stop, wait for any of these bus numbers: 6001 (KRW 15,000), or Bus 6015 (KRW 15,000). Any of these will take you back to Incheon Airport. Be prepared with your EXACT change of KRW 15,000 as the driver DOES NOT have a change. Drop the money inside a plastic box upon entering the bus. (This stop also includes Bus 6021. Do not ride that bus number).

This airport bus stop is in front of KB Bank, and a few meters from a pedestrian lane a Tour Les Jours bakery.

Note to Judy Ann: Tell the airport bus driver you will be getting off at TERMINAL 2. Upon arriving at Incheon Airport, the first stop is Terminal 1, then Terminal 2.

                          *   *   *   *   *

Anyone can use these instructions during a stopover at Incheon Airport, but ALWAYS make sure you have ENOUGH TIME to go to Seoul and shop. 

Because other than your shopping or sightseeing, you have to make enough time for your ride back to Incheon Airport (about 90 minutes), queuing at security and Immigration (about 30 or more depending on passenger traffic, and your walk to your plane's assigned departure gate for boarding.

Do let me know if any of you have questions.

Have fun! :-)

PS. Thanks to map.daum.net for the street-level views I used as screenshots!

Tuesday 17 July 2018

The Kabayao Family Quartet And An Evening Of Enchanting Music in Seoul


           (The Kabayao Family and Jimmy Tagala, Jr. 
             at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul)

I was in Grade 5 at Don Bosco Technical Institute in Victorias City, Philippines, when I first heard him play. He was on the stage of our school's gymnasium playing the violin while his wife was on the piano accompanying him. He played classical music pieces as well as popular compositions. He also gave us lessons about the violin and music tempos, which I appreciated as, at that time, I was taking piano lessons during the weekends.  

             (The Kabayao Family, Jimmy Tagala,
                    and Ambassador Luis Cruz)

                   (Maestro Gilopez Kabayao)

Our school's visitors that day were the internationally renowned violinist, Gilopez Kabayao, and his wife and pianist, Corazon Pineda-Kabayao. Their visit was part of their campaign to bring classical music to everyone in the countryside.

Looking back, I think all of the students enjoyed the afternoon's mini-concert, not only because of this special occasion but also because everyone was out of their classrooms like it was recess! Any reason to be out of the classroom was always a cause to celebrate! Ha-ha-ha!

                 (The Kabayao Family Quartet)
       (Jimmy Tagala, Jr. competed in the prestigious Seoul International Music Competition in 2012)

After the mini-concert, when we returned to our classroom, Miss Rebecca Maroma, our English teacher, asked us to write something about the musical performance. I remember writing three paragraphs with a few sentences and with the words 'excellent''magnificent', and 'music that can lull you to sleep' finding their way into my essay.

A few days after that, Miss Maroma told me and my mom that the Maestro picked three essays written by the students about his visit; one was mine! He wanted to get the original copies but since it wasn't allowed, Miss Maroma gave him photocopies instead.


    (Jimmy meeting the members of the diplomatic 
           corps who became his fans that night)


And in April 2012, Maéstro Gilopez Kabayao, accompanied by his family and a protegé, held another concert at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, with the diplomatic corps as the audience!

And on that spring evening, the grade school student, whose essay caught the Maestro's attention, was finally reunited with him!


    (Ambassador Luis Cruz and Cultural Attaché Mylo Fausto hosted the Kabayao Family concert)

The Kabayao Family came to Korea in the spring of 2012 because Jimmy Tagala, Jr., the maestro's protegé, competed at the Seoul International Music Competition. And thanks to the Philippine Ambassador Luis Cruz and the Embassy's cultural attaché Mylo Fausto, we were treated to an enchanting evening of beautiful music.

Joining the Maestro and Mrs. Kabayao were their daughters Sicilienne and Farida, who were are both accomplished violinists themselves. 

          (The Kabayao Family Quartet, Jimmy and 
            their Filipino audience members)

With the Kabayao family playing classical compositions like Brahms' Scherzo and Sonata No. 3 in D Minor for violin and piano, Mendelssohn's Trio in D Major, and Wieniawski's Legende, and Jimmy with Ravel's Tzigane, you could just imagine the enjoyment of the Filipinos and the international guests. 

One of the pieces that I especially liked that evening was the Kabayao Family Quartet's interpretation of Nais Ko, a Ryan Cayabyab composition popularized by Basil Valdez.

                (The Maestro signing my copy of 
                        his coffee table book)

Gilopez Kabayao is a legend in Philippine music. He had played in famous concert halls of the world, including the Carnegie Hall where he was the first Filipino to do so. He has volumes of violin recordings and was a Magsaysay Awardee in 1972 (the Magsaysay Award is the Asian version of the Nobél Prize).

As they say, music brings everyone together. And that evening, music brought the Maestro and that grade school student together again.


And decades after the Maestro received a grade school student's essay about his music, this time, it was the other way around...

       My Gilopez Kabayao coffee table book with a                dedication from the Maestro!