366. Found Identities: THE CHAPEL SANTOS OF UBIHAN

Old photos of 3 Santos on their andas, 1922.

Stashed among my collection of religious photos are these 2 snapshots taken over a hundred years ago in 1922. On the back were short lines written by a Mother to his Son, David, updating him of the goings-on of some religious events happening in their place, which unfortunately, was not named. For over a decade, I have not been successful in identifying where these santos came from, as the real photo postcards have no postmarks.

The first photo shows a trio of images: St. Joseph with the Child Jesus, a Crucified Christ, and an Immaculate Conception, on top of individual andas (shoulder-borne platforms). The mother writes:

David:

Ang Retrato ng Señor ay hindi nakunan sa prosesion pagkat nĝ dumating ang kukuha ay tapos na ang prosesion, bukod sa rito, ng tang(g)apin ni Jacin ang sulat mo ay sa 11 nĝ Enero sa kaniang kasera. Yto na lamang at kahi(t) ma na wari pagpalain ka ng P. (oong) D. (iyos) at nĝ mahal na Virgen.   Ang iyong Yna

 (David, The picture of the Lord was not taken during the procession because by the time photographer came, the procession had already ended. Also Jacin received your letter on Januray 11 from his landlady.  This is all for now, and may you be blessed by the Lord God and our beloved Virgin.---Your Mother).

The second photo shows a picture of the Crucified Christ nailed on his Cross, outfitted with an opulent metal burst and paper flowers. The back has this handwritten notation:

David:

Pinagpilitan na ming pakuhanan ng retrato ang poon sapagkat bagong lubog na lahat ang kaniang kasangkapan na iyong makikita rito; sa pecha 27 ng Deciembre ng 1922.   Ang iyong Yna.

(David: We made an effort to have the picture of the Lord taken because all His metal  accessories that you see here have been newly re-plated; on this date 27 December 1922.)

Just last month, Robby de la Vega, a friend from Intramuros Administration, alerted me about the photos, informing me that they are those of the still-extant chapel santos of brgy. Ubihan of Meycauayan, Bulacan. The key was the date written by the mother—December 27---which is the date of the fiesta of the barangay patron—Sto. Cristo.

Checking online, I found the FB page of the “Sto Cristo de Ubihan”, which has posted pictures of the Crucified Christ in my old photo—and indeed, they are one and the same image. There were also fiesta photos of their images of  San Jose con Niño Jesus, and the Inmaculada Concepcion on new carrozas, as the andas in the old photos are long gone.

I also learned the Ubihan was one of the most remote barrios of Meycauayan which thrived on fishing and aquaculture as it was surrounded by rivers and fishponds. It was so named because ube plants used to be planted in abundance in the barrio. In 1882, Ubihan was plagued by cholera that decimated the population. So distant was the barrio, that revolucionarios used Ubihan as their hiding place. As such, it was constantly raided by Spaniards. The Americans burned the barrio in 1900 at the onset  of the Philippine -American War and once gain razed by the Japanese in the last world war.

Inspite of all these tragic calamities, both natural and man-made, Ubihan survived, and continues to thrive--certainly protected by their 3 Patrons who, after over a century are still very much around, cared for and revered by  the local faithful in gratitude for the blessings received and the salvation of their humble barangay in the most trying years of its existence. 

CREDITS:

MANY THANKS to Mr. Robby dela Vega of the Intramuros Administration

Photos from the "Sto. Cristo de Ubihan" FB Page

City Government of Meycauayan website:https://meycauayan.gov.ph/ubihan/

325. A Folksy Warehouse Find: SAN JOSE AND NINO JESUS

Oh, the things you find in a warehouse! Yes, this San Jose with his little Niño—carved from a single piece of wood—was found in a dusty warehouse of demolished house parts and old lumberyard materials. It was such in a sorry state—with paint peeling, base cracked, and features that are hardly recognizable.

But I thought the 15.5 inch santo looked promising underneath that layer of dust and grime. It had all the characteristics of a true primitive--carved with shallow features, painted with bright colors to cover up the stiffness of the figure. 

There are little details that added much to the appeal of this peace which I got next to nothing. The fact that it was totally fashioned from one piece of softwood wood, including the base, was remarkable, as the symmetry of the piece was almost perfect. Why, the silhouette looks almost like an awards trophy for some contest!

San Jose, himself, looks younger, what with his very sharp, pointed beard and straight black hair. His tunic features a collar while a bow knot is neatly tied high above his waist, as opposed to a simple cord. His robes are painted yellow (which has become grrenish with age) with chicken feet-like prints, typical of Visayan santos. The santo tapers down to the simple, squarish base, with corners lopped off.

Child Jesus on the other hand, looks like an afterthought, ramrod-straight in the arm of San Jose. It almost looks like standing, not seated in a cuddle.

All this San Jose needed was a thorough cleaning and a quick trip to a neighborhood painter to make it more presentable. A light coat of varnish to fix the paint was the final touch to this folksy warehouse San Jose and his little Niño—now fit to be displayed in my house!

308. A Padre de Familia, Reworked: SAN JOSE

Talking about devotional images for the home, it is surprising that, growing up,  I never saw heirloom santos in our family altar. Not even one. What we had were plaster cast saints from the 1950s,  a handful of which survived—Virgen de los Remedios, Fatima,  Lourdes, and a headless escayola figure of a Sacred Heart of Jesus. But old, wooden tabletop santos? Never. The only thing close was a small Nazareno that  my Apung Tiri bought after the war, perhaps from one of those stalls in Quiapo church, and which is now in the possession of my 95 year old aunt.

Perhaps that’s what excites me when I visit my other distant Castro relatives and discover antique family santos in their home altar. In one such visit to my second cousins, I saw a couple of folk santos on a table, not so finely carved, but antique nevertheless. Of course, my cousins—who knew of my penchant for collecting them—would tell me stories behind the santos—how this particular San Isidro Labrador was often beseeched for good rice harvest by their Apu. Or how this San Jose was prized by the mother, until termites gobbled him up. These santos, however, would be stored for good, when, one by one, my cousins left for the U.S., and I thought I would never see them again.

But  a day before the last of my cousins departed for the U.S., I was in for a big surprise. When I got home from work, I found this San Jose with a Child Jesus on my living room table, brought there by my cousin in the hope that I can adopt it and have it restored for my collection. I was grateful and thrilled at the same time, and I promised to take care of their San Jose, no matter what shape he was in.

I have seen similar santos of this make, possibly one of the earliest,--and cheapest-- types of commercial, mass produced wooden figures, all with uniformed sizes, same manikin body construction, same bases, and even same facial features. 

The same goes true for the globe-holding  generic Niño, made to be held by these generic santos and santas,  then clothed with different vestments and outfitted with accessories, to finally define them  and their titles. 

True, there may be nothing remarkable about this San Jose, but its special-ness comes from the fact that it once was the center of a family devotion, sharing home and hearth with my Castro forebears.

The wooden head of San Jose was in a terribly bad shape. The wood had been eaten by termites, with half of the head gone—just a thin shell---no nose, right cheek gone, the base, ridden with holes.

Surprisingly, the wooden body was in good condition, the hands complete; even San Jose’s original rattan staff was intact. He was wearing well-worn robes on his shapeless body, most likely sewn by another cousin, an expert sastre (tailor), as well as an old abaca wig.

The Niño was in better shape, as it was carved in one piece. Its paint has long faded and it came to me clothed in a white eyelet tunic, several sizes bigger.

  

My biggest problem was San Jose’s heavily damaged head. My first impulse  was to discard the head, have a new one made, and that would have solved my problem. It also means destroying the integrity of the image, no matter how plain and folksy it looks. I decided to see if I could restore it myself , and so, armed with perseverance and prayer, I embarked on this restoration project.

To fill the gaping hole on San Jose’s head, I had to buy a can of plastic filler, some sort of a wood putty, that sets in an hour, then dries in a day or two. My patience was tested when I started filling the hole, as I had to do put the filler in one layer at a time, wait for it to set until it achieves a clay-like consistency.

Then you build on this layer, poured more filler, wait for half a day or so, and begin the process again until you build up the filler all the way to the surface are of the santo’s skin.  Only then can I mold and shape facial features—like the nose, nostrils,  the beard, the missing cheek and forehead--using all sorts of spatulas, ice cream sticks and even my hands. Sometimes, I was always in a rush; I would begin molding, only to realize that the putty had not fully settled yet. After a day, the cheek and forehead would cave in as the putty seeped through the crevices of the hole-ridden head.

Meanwhile, I tried replacing the missing eye with a glass eye I cut from a broken bulb. When that did not fit, I made another eye using clear plastic, from an empty mineral water bottle. The fit was better! Finally, after two week of filling, shaping, sculpting and sanding--- I declared my finished santo head a success.

The next step was painting both the San Jose head and the Nino. I was just too lazy to do this, so I just brought it to an art gallery in Angeles and convinced the artist-owner to paint them, even though he paint only on flat canvasses.

When I put the San Jose head on the cleaned-up manikin body, I was pleased with the result, although it could have been better. I could still detect a dent on one side of the head—the result of my impatience, of not waiting longer for the putty to set. I could also have done a better job with sanding the piece, as, despite the paint job,  I could still see areas where the wood and the putty meet.

For San Jose’s vestments, I retained the original green tunic and had a full velvet cape made so that his clothes would have more volume and body. I also spruced up the undershirt with lace. 

The Niño had to contend with His old clothes, which I altered to make it smaller. I smooched a wig from one of my old santas, and had his metal halo re-wired (it is still with the latero, so you don’t see him wearing it here).

The final results of my San Jose restoration project are on this page. I have signified my intention to donate this image to our chapel—on behalf of my generous cousins-- as soon as I have a glass-fronted urna or cabinet made. 

When I told my cousins of this plan, they were elated and touched, of course, at the thought that their San Jose—once their padre de familia—would now be a Great Father to a whole barangay who would only be happy to have him in their midst.

278. ALTARS OF THE NATIVITY

ALTAR OF THE NATIVITY. Mabalacat Church. Photo by Dr. R. Feliciano

The whole Christendom celebrates the birth of Jesus with great joy and mirth, but nowhere is it celebrated with more pageantry than in the Philippines. Churches and communities prepare by staging the Nativity Scene before the altar, to be reflected on during the Simbang Gabi.

BACOLOR BELEN, dressed by the late Thom Joven.Photo: T. Joven

Some churches with side altars already containing belen images need only to clean and spruce up the figures. But those churches without lifesize images of San Jose, Sta. Maria and Nino Jesus, have to source them out from families, or make do with what they have--converting generic looking saints into the Holy Family.

A RECONSTITUTED BELEN, Staged using separate individual santos.
 Photo by Rainier Sexon

But that is not the only challenge; there is the stable that needs to be built,  plus the manger and all the "props" that would make the Nativity scene looks more authentic--animal figures, mostly sheep, goat, cattle.

SMALL ESCAYOLA CHURCH BELEN. Photo by Lulot Ruiz.

The Nativity scene takes inspiration from the accounts of the birth of Jesus in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. The narrative describes an angel announcing Jesus' birth to a group of shepherds who then went on to visit the humble site, where they found the Child Jesus in a manger. Matthew's story includes the presence of the 3 wise men who were guided by the star to the stable, hence, these characters are likewise included in the tableau. 

NATIVITY SCENE with the 3 Magis, Photo by Leo Cloma

St. Francis of Assisi is credited with making the first Nativity Scene in 1223 to shift emphasis to Christ rather than gift-giving. In the Philippines, those in charge of staging the Belen take great efforts to make the tableau truly artistic. All sorts of materials go into the making of the stable--cut bamboo, old house parts, sawali, palm leaves, outlumber posts, old capiz windows.

BARASOAIN CHURCH BELEN, Photo by Leo Cloma

The scenography is fashioned from crumple brown paper then painted to simulate stones and boulders, then further decorated with pieces of pottery, flowers and greeneries, The floor is strewn with hay and then the stable is anachronistically festooned with lanterns and Christmas lights

ESCAYOLA BELEN. Photo by Leo Cloma

Elaborate belens also include an animated Star of Bethlehem--a lit lantern that can swing into place through the use of pulleys--to the center of the tableau, which is the highlight of the Midnight Mass. After the Mass, the Baby Jesus is taken out of the manger for the traditional kissing of its feet or cheeks--the Pahalik.

BELEN IN AN ILOCOS CHURCH, Dressed in Filipiana. Photo: Leo Cloma

Distinctive nativity scenes and traditions have been created around the world, but they have not escaped controversy---mostly issues on propriety (characters are sometimes made to wear outlandish costumes), extravagance, and accuracy (like the presence of non-Biblical characters).

MABALACAT CHURCH BELEN, Photo by Leo Cloma

But whether we like it or not, the Belen is here to stay. Like the Christnas tree, parol, noche buena and aguinaldo, Christmas is not Christmas without the traditional nativity scene to inspire awe and devotion of Christ--not just during the holidays, but for the whole year through!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

252. THE SANTO COLLECTION OF DOM MARTIN OSB

SANTO BAMBINO OF ARACOELI,

Edgardo Ramon Gomez comes from the prominent Hizon Family of San Fernando, Pampanga who made a name for himself in the Philippine fashion world as "Gang Gomez". The New York-trained Gomez was known for his classic, hand embroidered creations that made him the toast of high society misses and matrons.

No wonder, he was acclaimed as one of the country's top young designers in the 70s,  along with Inno Sotto, Ernest Santiago and Auggie Cordero. But at the peak of his career, Gomez surprised everyone when he closed his Manila atelier to join the Monastery of the Transfiguration in faraway Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

Today, as Dom Martin de Jesus Gomez, OSB, he remains true to his calling as a monk--teaching classes, helping run the affairs of the school. he has also channeled his designing talents to creating vestments using indigenous materials. His religious calling has also prompted him to look again at his sacred art collections, precious reminders of his unwavering relationship with God, now kept at the family's ancestral home in Pampanga.

NINO DE LA NAVIDAD in a basket.

AGNUS DEI on top of a book, perhaps from St. John.

THE HOLY CROSS, used in Good Friday processions.

MATER DOLOROSA, antique ivory in virina.

HOLY CHILD JESUS, carved wood.

CRUCIFIED CHRIST.

SAINT JOSEPH WITH CHILD JESUS, in virina.

THE VIRGIN, STANDING ON A HORNED BASE.

OUR LADY, IN A PRIVATE ORATORY.

IVORY ANGEL, with silver wings