At Center Of Town: Palapag
Let's continue roaming. I was done with the church. What else was worth my while? A lot! That's too typical when we go to places (even if for the nth time) 'no? Like this:
People's Center. What is that? Ah, that's just how Palapag calls their Municipal Hall. Like many in our country, it's growing bigger & wider, to cater to a growing populace.
That's why you'll notice, both flanks of the building are also buildings-in-the-making.
As constructions and repairs were obviously on-going here and there, I didn't bother to go near, much less enter the building. I didn't want to be an extra burden to them.
Municipal Park
Behind me as I took that 'munisipyo picture' was their municipal park (town plaza).
There still is a Bandstand
I saw a bandstand and it was hard for me to tell in which direction it really is facing!
I forgot to take a photo of the area, but thanks to googlemaps (where I grabbed that screenshot), it becomes easy to refresh my memory. Look now, where does it face?
Yes the bandstand, where does it face? Aw, do you even know what a bandstand is? If you really know what it is, you'd also be wondering like me heheh! Malipung baya!
Stairs are not indicators. They can be front, back or side, as bandstands are usually round or polygonal (pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, etc.). But, the band has to be clearly visible to an audience or crowd. In this case, where would their audience be?
If it's the People's Center (munisipyo), it is across the street - directly in front of that little gate. Audience ba yan? If it's inside the park, eh bakit hinarangan ng flagpoles?
Interestingly-confusing or confusingly-interesting? I strongly suspect though, it's the result of today's people-in-authority who don't know what to do with olden structures that they don't know the significance-of, in the first place heheh! Be safe, ayaw labti!
Syempre they won't easily demolish that, since they do not know its significance eh!
Why the fuss over such a 'seemingly'' useless thing?
Ah, if the people of Palapag would dig deeper, they might discover that such a small platform (stage) might have been witness to historical events of the town/province.
For example, they may discover "dyan nanumpa ang whoever mayor in 19-4-gotten"; or "dyan nangampanya si blablabla"; or "dida natukar an sikat nga orchestra sadto"!
I'm happy to discover though, that there's still such a thing in Palapag. If researched well, that bandstand could help them discover more about the town's historical past.
Let's go to the other side of the park. Why is that?
Ah, I arrived late at this park (1612H), madami nang bata, it was already difficult for me to shoot photos without them getting caught in a shot. Bawal na yan nowadays.
I observed that it was near the park's main entrance, where there were not so many people, that is why I went there. Well, some of the kulits were already following me.
That is the best I could shoot with the least number of youngsters. Laws nowadays are different when it comes to posting pics with kids, even if they're not the subject.
Iisa-isahin mo pang i-blur ang mukha nila - kabutlaw! So, avoid them na lang.
Sumuroy Monument
Anyway, in that photo above (I took it from the park's front fence) you can already see the Sumuroy Monument - another of those I call the Filipino's Paradoxical Veneration.
Oh, you and I encountered that name in Elementary School History, right? Grade IV? Yata! The Sumuroy Rebellion? But I did/do not remember his first name was Agustin.
There is something in my head whispering Juan Sumuroy. Meron bang ganun? If so, are they related? Or is it already him? Just like Fr. Alcina's name was also mixed up?
A basta, "Agustin Sumuroy, Hero of Palapag" - that's what the monument says. You can even see a historical marker on that same photo above (beside the monument).
Okay okay.., what about this paradoxical veneration? Hah, for lack of any applicable word, I coined that phrase to say our odd way of making both antagonists our heroes.
How is that? Ah eh.., parang Lapu-lapu at Magellan lang - yung pumatay, hero; yung pinatay venerated! There are even more places in this country, that are named after Magellan (Magallanes) than Lapu-lapu! Plus, all too many of us became Christians!
Samoka ba 'no?! At one time in my life, I already heard this debate. One said "it was not Catholicism that our forefathers hated, it was the cruelty of the colonizers". Da!
Pero ayoko ang debate na yan. Makalilipung
Now, as to Agustin Sumuroy, the Kahimyang Project says "On Tuesday, June 1, 1649, Father Miguel Ponce Barberan was killed by Sumuroy by hurling a javelin at him, killing the priest instantly. This event marked the beginning of the uprising...". Adto, biribra na!
It happened at that church we visited earlier - behind the trees behind the monument.
Ei, I don't like talking about blood or bloody things, but let's be a bit morbid. Kakaiba kasi ang WOW (Weapon Of War) nitong si Sumuroy. Sosyalin pakinggan eh: Javelin!
Mala-Olympic Games ang arrive 'no? Javelin! Or parang Gae Dearg ni Lancer! Pwede rin yung Silence Glaive ni Hotaru Tomoe (si Sailor Saturn)! Naunahan sila ni Sumuroy!
That, is the lowly Sugob of the Warays. I think it's a Sibat in Tagalog.
Oy, eto hindi marites, the last line in that marker says: "ito ay kinikilala bilang unang malawakang paghihimagsik ng mga katutubo. Pinagkanulo at pnaslang ng sariling mga tauhan, 1650". Hmm, trinaydor pala siya ng kanyang mga ka-berks. Pinugotan!
Tapos daw, dinala ang pugot nyang ulo, doon sa mga Espanyol.
Rizal Monument!
Yes, Jose Rizal is not lost. He is also in the town plaza. Look at the right edge of the pic above; that's his monument. Behind him is a new gym, previously public market.
Foreigners in the park!
Still in that picture above, look at the 2 white arrows I drew on both ends. They point to foreign visitors, mostly women, probably of a religious organization. Okay, di ba?!
Now that Palapag is already easily accessible, it probably wouldn't be too long, until more and more curious visitors (like me) start trickling in, for business and tourism.
Old Houses
As always, I never forget to keep on glancing left and right, perchance to spot those charming old houses all over our country, especially at remote towns. Like this one:
I can guess: not very old, yet obviously not very recent too! And I think it even must've already been spruced-up, from-time-to-time, all these years. But that, is a BIG house!
How big or wide? I can't say exactly. But since its a corner house, I saw its length on that other street (Buenvista) is double than what we see in the picture (De La Luz St).
That house is right across the entrance to the plaza and gym. In fact, Buenvista St., goes all the way to Rizal's monument, though permanently closed to vehicle traffic.
That said, imagine with me... in the olden days, people who lived in that house must have been the well-to-do, the alta sociedad, members of the ruling class of Palapag...
Di ba?! Ikaw na ang magkaroon ng ganyan kalaking bahay na nasa harap mismo ng plaza, simbahan at munisipyo.., napapalibutan pa ng mga tindahan, at ng palengke!
Ayun, due to its centrality, naging mga tindahan nga ang lower portion!
Beside that house (look at the right edge of that picture above), their neighbor is this:
Wow 'no?! I mean not just 'wow' that they're old and reminescent of an affluent past, but 'wow' too, that they're somehow still able to 'not modernize' it. For the nostalgia!
It's actually a difficult situation. Trying to maintain a big old wooden structure just to save the family affairs, the nostalgia, the memories of the past, is short of being crazy!
Magkano na ba ang tabla ngayon? In fact, meron pa ba? Saan?
Aw, may I just mention (I think I already shared this in previous stories), I have been to places where some of their grand old homes were declared as "heritage houses".
That way, the owner of the house is helped by the government (national or local), in maintaining the structure of the house. But you will not be allowed to 'modernize' it.
They'll help you maintain it's original look - that which has the 'historical' or 'cultural' value that made it important in the first place - including paint, wood, even gardens!
However, any changes that you the owner may want, needs government approval!
It's a fair deal (usually), but sana all, since many LGUs don't even know that (yet)! It's mainly based on Republic Act No. 10066 and/or 11961, plus local ordinance, if any.
Alright and that's it, but if you noticed that new roof on the right edge of the picture, that is (the 'old' Palapag Public Market converted into") a new commercial building.
Hey there's now a BDO Network Bank Branch at that corner (opened last NOV2024).
There are other 'still standing' beautiful old houses in town. I saw a number of them as I rode around. But the two above are what I was able to shoot while at the plaza.
Water wonder.
By the way, there was something a little bit odd across that BDO Branch. The town's old water tank (concrete) and a newer bigger version (steel) both at the park/plaza!
I was not able to take a picture, but thanks to google maps again, I saw this:
That's a 2021 capture says google, but in general, those tanks are still the same - as of kanina when I visited. My question is: why do they have to be in the town's plaza?
Note that the flagpoles, bandstand and municipal hall are at the back of the 2 tanks and the big tree at left. Sumuroy, their RHU and the church are also behind the trees in the middle. Plus, Jose Rizal and the new gymnasium are behind the trees at right.
I wondered what a water tank has in common with the facilities I just mentioned, so that it must also be at the town plaza? Isn't it an eyesore - especially if there are two?
I knew Palapag isn't unique on this. I have seen Roxas City and CDO - their old tanks are now museums. At EB Magalona, it's also near the church & munisipyo. But why?
So I texted/messaged some friends in the know, and OMG I got heftily educated, of course, after all of them unanimously ridiculed me for being ignorant (as expected)!
I learned that the reason/s for tanks being at center of town is not lack of aesthetic sense, but is rooted in a combination of practical, historical, and logistical reasons!
And these are:
1. Equal and fair water distribution. Because in the past (until now in many places), water from these tanks use just gravity to feed into pipes and to all the households.
They told me that ever since the Spanish colonial times, towns are built with homes in a "radial" fashion from a center where the church, munisipyo, plaza, school would be located. So, the best water tank location was also at that center for optimal use!
Onga naman ano? I like that, merong science involved hehe!
2. Location (Land) ownership. Where the tank stands, must be government owned. THE plaza was usually it. So government didn't have to deal with acquisition issues.
I agree. Baka pag-hari-harian pa ang tubig ng me-ari ng lupa!
3. Visibility and Security. Because a tank is in the middle (always seen by many), it was (is) easily monitored from tampering, vandalism or unauthorized water access.
And just nearby, in case it needed repairs or more protection. Oy, I was also told via txt, that in olden days, pirates would even poison a town's water and/or source. Da!
So all the more that water tanks had to be in the very center of the pueblo.
4. "Visibility" too - as "proof of output" or "proof of accomplishment", though usually described in flowery terms like "a symbol of progress"! Hmm, parang ka-epal-an yan!
Me pinag-manahan naman pala ang mga epal at traydor sa atin. Nothing new pala!
Kaya keri na yan! Like that na pala talaga tayo! Let's proceed hehe!
Imagine all that! What a learning! Lucky that I know many such knowledgeable AND generous people! All via txt or msgr lang! I did not hear those from kinder to college!
O ha? Namamasyal lang ako nyan andami ko nang natutunan! Now I won't anymore think of water tanks as mere eyesore. I'll think of them as 'necessary eyesore'. Pak!
Harumamay! I was only in the middle of Palapag and I learned many new things!
Alright, let's talk about something else...
Coming up next!
That's why you'll notice, both flanks of the building are also buildings-in-the-making.
As constructions and repairs were obviously on-going here and there, I didn't bother to go near, much less enter the building. I didn't want to be an extra burden to them.
Municipal Park
Behind me as I took that 'munisipyo picture' was their municipal park (town plaza).
There still is a Bandstand
I saw a bandstand and it was hard for me to tell in which direction it really is facing!
Yes the bandstand, where does it face? Aw, do you even know what a bandstand is? If you really know what it is, you'd also be wondering like me heheh! Malipung baya!
Stairs are not indicators. They can be front, back or side, as bandstands are usually round or polygonal (pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, etc.). But, the band has to be clearly visible to an audience or crowd. In this case, where would their audience be?
If it's the People's Center (munisipyo), it is across the street - directly in front of that little gate. Audience ba yan? If it's inside the park, eh bakit hinarangan ng flagpoles?
Interestingly-confusing or confusingly-interesting? I strongly suspect though, it's the result of today's people-in-authority who don't know what to do with olden structures that they don't know the significance-of, in the first place heheh! Be safe, ayaw labti!
Syempre they won't easily demolish that, since they do not know its significance eh!
Why the fuss over such a 'seemingly'' useless thing?
Ah, if the people of Palapag would dig deeper, they might discover that such a small platform (stage) might have been witness to historical events of the town/province.
For example, they may discover "dyan nanumpa ang whoever mayor in 19-4-gotten"; or "dyan nangampanya si blablabla"; or "dida natukar an sikat nga orchestra sadto"!
I'm happy to discover though, that there's still such a thing in Palapag. If researched well, that bandstand could help them discover more about the town's historical past.
Let's go to the other side of the park. Why is that?
Ah, I arrived late at this park (1612H), madami nang bata, it was already difficult for me to shoot photos without them getting caught in a shot. Bawal na yan nowadays.
I observed that it was near the park's main entrance, where there were not so many people, that is why I went there. Well, some of the kulits were already following me.
Iisa-isahin mo pang i-blur ang mukha nila - kabutlaw! So, avoid them na lang.
Sumuroy Monument
Anyway, in that photo above (I took it from the park's front fence) you can already see the Sumuroy Monument - another of those I call the Filipino's Paradoxical Veneration.
Oh, you and I encountered that name in Elementary School History, right? Grade IV? Yata! The Sumuroy Rebellion? But I did/do not remember his first name was Agustin.
There is something in my head whispering Juan Sumuroy. Meron bang ganun? If so, are they related? Or is it already him? Just like Fr. Alcina's name was also mixed up?
A basta, "Agustin Sumuroy, Hero of Palapag" - that's what the monument says. You can even see a historical marker on that same photo above (beside the monument).
Okay okay.., what about this paradoxical veneration? Hah, for lack of any applicable word, I coined that phrase to say our odd way of making both antagonists our heroes.
How is that? Ah eh.., parang Lapu-lapu at Magellan lang - yung pumatay, hero; yung pinatay venerated! There are even more places in this country, that are named after Magellan (Magallanes) than Lapu-lapu! Plus, all too many of us became Christians!
Samoka ba 'no?! At one time in my life, I already heard this debate. One said "it was not Catholicism that our forefathers hated, it was the cruelty of the colonizers". Da!
Pero ayoko ang debate na yan. Makalilipung
Now, as to Agustin Sumuroy, the Kahimyang Project says "On Tuesday, June 1, 1649, Father Miguel Ponce Barberan was killed by Sumuroy by hurling a javelin at him, killing the priest instantly. This event marked the beginning of the uprising...". Adto, biribra na!
It happened at that church we visited earlier - behind the trees behind the monument.
Ei, I don't like talking about blood or bloody things, but let's be a bit morbid. Kakaiba kasi ang WOW (Weapon Of War) nitong si Sumuroy. Sosyalin pakinggan eh: Javelin!
Mala-Olympic Games ang arrive 'no? Javelin! Or parang Gae Dearg ni Lancer! Pwede rin yung Silence Glaive ni Hotaru Tomoe (si Sailor Saturn)! Naunahan sila ni Sumuroy!
That, is the lowly Sugob of the Warays. I think it's a Sibat in Tagalog.
Oy, eto hindi marites, the last line in that marker says: "ito ay kinikilala bilang unang malawakang paghihimagsik ng mga katutubo. Pinagkanulo at pnaslang ng sariling mga tauhan, 1650". Hmm, trinaydor pala siya ng kanyang mga ka-berks. Pinugotan!
Tapos daw, dinala ang pugot nyang ulo, doon sa mga Espanyol.
Rizal Monument!
Yes, Jose Rizal is not lost. He is also in the town plaza. Look at the right edge of the pic above; that's his monument. Behind him is a new gym, previously public market.
Foreigners in the park!
Still in that picture above, look at the 2 white arrows I drew on both ends. They point to foreign visitors, mostly women, probably of a religious organization. Okay, di ba?!
Now that Palapag is already easily accessible, it probably wouldn't be too long, until more and more curious visitors (like me) start trickling in, for business and tourism.
Old Houses
As always, I never forget to keep on glancing left and right, perchance to spot those charming old houses all over our country, especially at remote towns. Like this one:
How big or wide? I can't say exactly. But since its a corner house, I saw its length on that other street (Buenvista) is double than what we see in the picture (De La Luz St).
That house is right across the entrance to the plaza and gym. In fact, Buenvista St., goes all the way to Rizal's monument, though permanently closed to vehicle traffic.
That said, imagine with me... in the olden days, people who lived in that house must have been the well-to-do, the alta sociedad, members of the ruling class of Palapag...
Di ba?! Ikaw na ang magkaroon ng ganyan kalaking bahay na nasa harap mismo ng plaza, simbahan at munisipyo.., napapalibutan pa ng mga tindahan, at ng palengke!
Ayun, due to its centrality, naging mga tindahan nga ang lower portion!
Beside that house (look at the right edge of that picture above), their neighbor is this:
It's actually a difficult situation. Trying to maintain a big old wooden structure just to save the family affairs, the nostalgia, the memories of the past, is short of being crazy!
Magkano na ba ang tabla ngayon? In fact, meron pa ba? Saan?
Aw, may I just mention (I think I already shared this in previous stories), I have been to places where some of their grand old homes were declared as "heritage houses".
That way, the owner of the house is helped by the government (national or local), in maintaining the structure of the house. But you will not be allowed to 'modernize' it.
They'll help you maintain it's original look - that which has the 'historical' or 'cultural' value that made it important in the first place - including paint, wood, even gardens!
However, any changes that you the owner may want, needs government approval!
It's a fair deal (usually), but sana all, since many LGUs don't even know that (yet)! It's mainly based on Republic Act No. 10066 and/or 11961, plus local ordinance, if any.
Alright and that's it, but if you noticed that new roof on the right edge of the picture, that is (the 'old' Palapag Public Market converted into") a new commercial building.
Hey there's now a BDO Network Bank Branch at that corner (opened last NOV2024).
There are other 'still standing' beautiful old houses in town. I saw a number of them as I rode around. But the two above are what I was able to shoot while at the plaza.
Water wonder.
By the way, there was something a little bit odd across that BDO Branch. The town's old water tank (concrete) and a newer bigger version (steel) both at the park/plaza!
I was not able to take a picture, but thanks to google maps again, I saw this:
Note that the flagpoles, bandstand and municipal hall are at the back of the 2 tanks and the big tree at left. Sumuroy, their RHU and the church are also behind the trees in the middle. Plus, Jose Rizal and the new gymnasium are behind the trees at right.
I wondered what a water tank has in common with the facilities I just mentioned, so that it must also be at the town plaza? Isn't it an eyesore - especially if there are two?
I knew Palapag isn't unique on this. I have seen Roxas City and CDO - their old tanks are now museums. At EB Magalona, it's also near the church & munisipyo. But why?
So I texted/messaged some friends in the know, and OMG I got heftily educated, of course, after all of them unanimously ridiculed me for being ignorant (as expected)!
I learned that the reason/s for tanks being at center of town is not lack of aesthetic sense, but is rooted in a combination of practical, historical, and logistical reasons!
And these are:
1. Equal and fair water distribution. Because in the past (until now in many places), water from these tanks use just gravity to feed into pipes and to all the households.
They told me that ever since the Spanish colonial times, towns are built with homes in a "radial" fashion from a center where the church, munisipyo, plaza, school would be located. So, the best water tank location was also at that center for optimal use!
Onga naman ano? I like that, merong science involved hehe!
2. Location (Land) ownership. Where the tank stands, must be government owned. THE plaza was usually it. So government didn't have to deal with acquisition issues.
I agree. Baka pag-hari-harian pa ang tubig ng me-ari ng lupa!
3. Visibility and Security. Because a tank is in the middle (always seen by many), it was (is) easily monitored from tampering, vandalism or unauthorized water access.
And just nearby, in case it needed repairs or more protection. Oy, I was also told via txt, that in olden days, pirates would even poison a town's water and/or source. Da!
So all the more that water tanks had to be in the very center of the pueblo.
4. "Visibility" too - as "proof of output" or "proof of accomplishment", though usually described in flowery terms like "a symbol of progress"! Hmm, parang ka-epal-an yan!
Me pinag-manahan naman pala ang mga epal at traydor sa atin. Nothing new pala!
Kaya keri na yan! Like that na pala talaga tayo! Let's proceed hehe!
Imagine all that! What a learning! Lucky that I know many such knowledgeable AND generous people! All via txt or msgr lang! I did not hear those from kinder to college!
O ha? Namamasyal lang ako nyan andami ko nang natutunan! Now I won't anymore think of water tanks as mere eyesore. I'll think of them as 'necessary eyesore'. Pak!
Harumamay! I was only in the middle of Palapag and I learned many new things!
Alright, let's talk about something else...
Coming up next!
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