Throwback may 2008 UPLB HISTORY CLASS COMES TO SARIAYA By Eric J. Dedace Fifty five students from the University of the Philippines at Los Banos came to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Sariaya on Sunday, May 18, 2008. They belong to the History I Summer Class of Professor Dwight David Diestro of the Department of Social Sciences, who facilitated the field trip in connection with their exposure to the rich religious cultural heritage of three towns in Quezon (the former Spanish colonial province of Tayabas) namely Sariaya, Tayabas (the Basilica of St. Michael Archangel) and Tiaong (Villa Escudero). They arrived in a bus at a little before the appointed time of nine in the morning, and parked along Calle Rizal Ilaya near the eye-catching 1930’s style ancestral house of Governor Natalio Enriquez, now owned by Mrs. Linda Marquez. They were met at the church patio by Sariaya Tourism Council Secretary Eric J. Dedace, who, like Professor Diestro, is a member of the Southern Luzon Association of Museums (SLAM). Weeks before, Professor Diestro sent a text message to Mr. Dedace regarding the planned visit of his class to the Sariaya Museum, but since the erstwhile local heritage repository is not in existence anymore, he suggested the “Museo Ng Debosyon at Buhay,” the Franciscan museum located at the first floor of the church convent that opened on May 4, 2006 through the efforts of Parish Priest Msgr. Melecio V. Verastigue, together with some members of the local parish and the Sariaya Tourism Council headed by its President, Rev Fr. Andrew S. Hernandez. At the museum, Professor Diestro introduced Mr. Dedace to his class as a fellow UPLB alumnus and requested him to give a brief yet comprehensive information about Sariaya’s history. He welcomed everyone and proceeded to explain how the natives at the shores of today’s Barangay Castanyas were Christianized by the Franciscan friars in the year 1599. Then he explained how natural calamities and the burning pillage of pirates from the Southern Philippines forced the residents to transfer three more times to its present location. In the course of discussing about the Museum and its three Franciscan devotions namely the Nativity, the Eucharist and the Crucifix, set representations of which were prominently displayed, special emphasis was given to Sariaya’s 18th century miraculous icon, the “Mahal na Senyor” Santo Cristo de Burgos. Likewise featured are tarpaulin likenesses of the original Santo Cristo, the medieval crucifix of Burgos, Spain from which the “Mahal na Senyor” was patterened after, upon the request of the 18th century Spanish friars at the Lumangbayan third town site to His Majesty, King Felipe V of Spain. That an affinity with the struggles of Rodrigo Diaz de Vibar or “El Cid Campeador”, who used it as his inspiration and standard bearer in his zealous quest to free 11th century Spain from the Moors, was felt by the said Lumangbayan friars in the turbulence of early Sariaya history was likewise explained. The long held oral tradition about the so -called founding of Sariaya and the still ongoing “miracles” attributed to the “Mahal na Senyor” leading to the Friday pilgrimages and last year’s declaration of the town’s church into a Shrine to it were also told to the visitors. Since it’s a Sunday and a succession of Holy Masses were going on, a visit to the 1748 church and the celebrated icon behind the Retablo was not possible. On the side, Professor Diestro asked Mr. Dedace to pay lip service to the ongoing two-year pioneering study of the multi disciplinary Sariaya Community Empowerment UP Diliman Research Team that aims to help establish a tourism program for Sariaya based on the local heritage of the people. He told that it is only one of two research projects given funding by the UP in connection with its Centennial Founding Anniversary this year, thus exclaiming how lucky Sariayahins are in having their town chosen among the thousands or so localities in the country for such an academic endeavor. Everyone was then led to the Franciscan corner of the Museum where a wooden likeness of St. Francis, a tarpaulin on his life’s chronology, another of photos about his hometown of Assisi, Italy and still of others connected to his teachings, were displayed. A small crucifix containing the relics or minute parts of the saint’s skeleton in the care of the parish priest was not on display in it’s small glass covered mini cabinet, but its mere mention aroused interest. Equally interesting to the students is the colorful display for the May 15th Agawan Festival containing a small wooden likeness of its Spanish patron saint of farmers, San Isidro Labrador praying with another man at his side, while an angel was plowing the field with a cow for him, surrounded by an artfully arranged assortment of paper mache fruits and vegetables bought from Paete, Laguna, plastic Kiping – looking fans, and small likenesses of a man and a woman in traditional attire, with an appropriate bamboo backdrop. A tarpaulin of past Agawan Festival photos, alongside two framed photos of it gave credence to what was being described to them as a very costly, crazy and wacky, yet bountiful expression of Sariayahin hospitality and eagerness to share the blessings of their very productive farmlands with others…the so called “Happy Pandemonium” that they missed just three days before. They also looked at the set up for the Nativity devotion containing a big Belen and a tarpaulin of photos from the first Belen Festival, Sariaya’s emerging Yuletide tradition started by the Sariaya Tourism Council in December 2005. Framed and glass covered enlarged photo reproductions of Old Sariaya during the pre war years, which made up the photo exhibit put up by the Sariaya Tourism Council for the week - long celebration of the 2007 town Fiesta in honor of the Santo Cristo de Burgos, that showed past and at times forgotten church traditions, were annotated for the benefit of the students as well. Old church artifacts and relics like the wooden “Teneblario” used for the Lenten ritual of the “Teneblas” on Holy Wednesdays offered peek-a-boos on forgotten church practices that were once part of a Catholic Sariayahin’s life. He likewise mentioned that Sariaya burned four times in the last century, destroying much of its opulent architecture, a legacy of a booming coconut industry in the Pre War years when rich landowners had so much money that they spent fortunes to turn their old Filipino-Hispanic houses into grand mansions with European and American fixtures. Whatever, the proud ruins of some of them truly do justice to their surviving photographs, just as the remaining few ancestral houses reflect the artistry and prestige of their designers like Juan Nakpil, Andres Luna de San Pedro and even Juan Arellano who designed the present art deco style Municipio. Mr. Dedace then led the group to the second floor after climbing the massive concrete stairs of the 1922 convent, all the while informing them that the original convent was to the west of the church, now being occupied by the St. Joseph’s Academy, founded by the nuns of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary who were all foreigners that time, the year 1921. They admired the beautiful and intricate interiors, largely beautified through the efforts of parish priest Msgr. Melecio V. Verastigue, now referred to as the Residential Museum. Professsor Diestro had to admonish his youthful, adrenaline - filled and fun loving wards every now and then to behave as they should in the home of the priests. The receiving area led to the balcony that offered a commanding view of the patio overlooking a big fountain spouting water, the church entrance, the remaining half of the old acacia tree and the parking area, as well as the main street, the Municipio , the park and the famed ancestral houses of Sariaya……that encouraged more photo opportunities. It also led to the church belfry’s second level, separated by portions of the old communal railing that once ringed the church altar area, which pricked the young people’s curiosity to no end. Mr. Dedace led them beyond it first, to the adjoining choir loft, largely unused nowadays, that offered a great view of the church interiors , the numerous chandeliers and the aisle that led straight to the intricate Retablo and the “Mahal na Senyor” behind it, full of devotees waiting to kiss it in between masses. Thereafter, Professor Diestro called on everyone to go back to the convent but a few of the irrepressible Quasimodos and La Esmeraldas were really bent on climbing the beckoning stairs that prompted Mr. Dedace to accompany them for good reason, that resulted in a domino effect. Joking that they should have to be insured for the effort, he led them to the third level amid nesting black birds flying every now and then, and into a small arched passage that led to the once brick roof of the church, with a narrow concrete stair walkway to the church cross, and the open skies. It was a bit disappointing because the clouds rendered Mount Banahaw as a faint haze beyond the red colored church dome, but the excited and adventuresome students hardly noticed. All at once, snapshots were being taken and Mr. Dedace likewise had his digital camera handy, and joined the gleeful, high tech fray much to their delight. One of them, this high – spirited cheerful fellow in black shirt with white stripes, a Chinese - eyed dead-ringer to the late Rico Yan who said he’s from Ilocos, walked past and gave him his camera, his hair rendered handy for a wind – swept snapshot near the church cross. Mr. Dedace pointed to them the haze-filled shorelines of Batangas to the west and Quezon to the south and east, and described how on cloudless days, they will be able to see outlying Marinduque and even Mindoro. “Really Sir”….. they gasped in excitement! Some went back to the belfry and gave way to others, but a few stayed on and proceeded with the documentation of the moment…..you just can’t beat young people in the game of unbridled fun! In the end, they lost more time and were not able to climb the topmost fourth level of the belfry for an even more commanding view of the surroundings, and an encounter with the oldest yet now unused bell in church dating from the year 1787, hanging from the ceiling of the belfry’s roof. Whatever, that spared everyone from the ear – splitting ringing of the big church bell at the third level, just as the 10 am mass was about to start. It was then Professor Diestro’s turn to be immortalized by Mr. Dedace care of a snapshot at the top of the convent stairs. Everyone headed for the big fountain and he immediately snapped a picture of the young people by the fountain, before Professor Diestro called for a group photograph. Mr. Dedace did the honors for two of the students who handed their digital cameras over, and then disappointed himself when what would have been a third snapshot registered “Memory Card Full” from his own camera. With that, everybody headed for the bus, walking through the passageway under the convent into the Parlor of the Saints of the Devotional Park, turning right on the narrow Valderas Street extension that passes by the erstwhile Sariaya Museum and into Calle Rizal for the waiting vehicle. Well not everybody, as it turned out because some of them lagged behind for last minute photo opportunities at the Parlor of the Saints. Indeed, you’re only young once so you should take every “Pasaway” moment to enjoy it. Bidding Mr. Dedace goodb’ye, they left Sariaya for the much older and more massive Tayabas Church before proceeding to “Kamayan Sa Tayabas” for a hearty lunch, and on to Tiaong’s Villa Escudero for the last leg of a heritage – filled day in Quezon Province. May 18, 2008 9:17 PM
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 08:12:23 +0000