A Traveling English Group's Weekend Off by Trista Vega

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." 

-Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller's Day Off

        With the many advancements of technology today, everything has become instant.  The modern man is so preoccupied with his gadgets that he never has the time to absorb and reflect on the true and significant things in life, like family and friends. Technology may have been able to make people from opposing ends of the world communicative; but not necessarily closer. The good thing is that there are certain things in life that will always remain priceless. One of these is that quintessential experience of going on a road trip with a couple of friends. There is something very personal and precious about going on an adventure that a tablet, an iPad or a Blackberry phone cannot give.  

      I had all of these in mind while putting my weekender bag inside the trunk of the car that was going to bring us (four friends and I) to Angeles City, Pampanga. Four of us were quite unfamiliar with the province. We simply thought of Pampanga as the home of the best Tocino or as the site of the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. "The province Mt. Pinatubo afflicted with lahar" was also one of the first things that came to my mind. My knowledge on Angeles City was very limited. The Clark Freeport Zone and Angeles City used to be synonymous to me. Luckily, the fifth member of our group was a proud Kapampangan. She served as an all-knowing tour guide for us. While inside the car, I dared myself to limit my use of my cellular phone and my iPod touch for the whole weekend. Intent on learning more about Angeles City's history and culture, I figured that I would only be able to fully appreciate Angeles City if I devoted my whole attention to it. 

      Like the typical Filipino tour, the first destination was a church, the Church of the Holy Rosary. I consider every Spanish colonial-period church an important witness of what our nation has been through. In fact, it took twenty years to build the Church of the Holy Rosary. It was a project of the whole community, poor farmers and rich Dons alike. Everyone patiently laboured for this place of worship. It was on February 12, 1986 when the whole structure of the Church was finally completed. Visiting the Church of the Holy Rosary made me think of all the friars who recited sermons to the Kapampangan people they considered as mere "indios".  Having a vivid imagination, I  also started to wonder about the Spanish-Filipinos of Angeles City who dressed to impress every Sunday. During 1899-1900, the American Army used the church as a military hospital. The church also lived through and survived the gruesome World War II (Gabriel,Sol). 
     The Church of the Holy Rosary is also adjacent to the Holy Family Academy, a branch school of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters from Tutzing, Germany. Having attended the main Benedictine school in Manila, I felt nostalgic upon seeing the Academy.  

      In every church I visit, I  find something distinctly unique. True enough, the bigger than life rosary which adorned the facade of the church really caught my eye. It looked so delicate and beautiful against the ancient brick walls. I was also told by my friend that the rosary would light up at night. There were also sculptures of the four 
evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I could not help but admire the life-like quality of the sculptures. 

      Upon entering the church, I saw beautiful floral arrangements surrounding the red-carpeted aisle.  The people inside the church looked formal. It was very evident that a wedding ceremony was about to take place. I also saw a man wearing a modernized version of the Barong Tagalog greeting and kissing every guest while pacing back and forth with a hurried expression on his face. He would also wipe the drops of sweat on his face with a handkerchief once in a while. The man was obviously the groom; he looked extremely anxious for the bride's arrival. Our group was very lucky to have coincided our visit with a local wedding. Since the church was still open to the public; we decided to seize the opportunity of observing the architectural details of the church.  I have never seen a church with as many chandeliers. The chandeliers added to the dominant majestic feel of the church of the Holy Rosary. 

     A car adorned with fresh flowers suddenly pulled up in front of the church. The father of the bride went out of the car first; he was wearing a traditional Barong Tagalog. After a few minutes, the blushing bride who looked so radiant in white came out. I could not help but scrutinize her dress.  The bride looked like an Asian version of the character Giselle from the 2007 Walt Disney film "Enchanted". She was assisted by the little flower girls in pretty red dresses. It was such a beautiful and romantic moment. The whole thing made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Like most girls, I have an obsession with weddings in general. My friends and I were not intruders; we were simply witnesses of one of the most precious events in every couple's relationship.

    The next destination was the Angeles City Museum, which was conveniently located right across the street from the Church of the Holy Rosary. I myself suggested this museum. For me, a trip to an unfamiliar place would not be complete without a visit to the local museum.  A statue of  the Kapampangan hero Jose Abad Santos greeted us. I found the statue inscription quite moving. It highlighted the martyrdom and nationalism of Jose Abad Santos, the fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. 

     We decided to start with the diorama section of the museum which showcased the creativity of Beatriz Pamintuan Tesoro, a local fashion designer. Each diorama showed a scene of traditional life in Pampanga in excruciating detail. Some of the scenes depicted showed people attending a local wedding, mothers shopping during market day, and townspeople having a procession. My favorite would be the diorama which showed the "Manduduquit" or woodcarvers.  Next, we went to the "Balikdan" section of the museum. Balikdan literally means "to look back" in Kapampangan. The Balikdan section aims to show the history of Angeles City (from the 1796 establishment until the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo natural disaster) while also stressing the importance of understanding one's history  for the present and for the future. I find this most inspiring because for me, an understanding of the past is exactly what our nation needs to be able to move forward. 

    While climbing the staircase to reach the second floor, I saw photos of the unique and exotic dishes in Pampanga. There were mouthwatering photos of Tocino, Sizzling Sisig and so much more! The photos actually foreshadowed the upper level of the museum, the Culinarium. It was generally a big dining area with cooking stations. There was also a main kitchen which looked very traditional. Sketches and pictures that were distinctly Filipino were hung on the walls. The Culinarium is a project which aims to preserve the Kapampangan Culinary Tradition. After all, Angeles City is hailed as the culinary arts capital of the Philippines.

    Since my friends were busy fiddling with the culinary tools; I decided to spend the last few minutes in the reception area of the museum. The view from that area was great; it showed the vastness of the Church of the Holy Rosary. I started to reflect on our first two destinations while watching the busy street. In a totally unexpected twist of fate, a funeral procession suddenly inhabited the street. Eric Clapton's song, "Tears in Heaven" was being played. It looked rather melancholy. Life does move pretty fast.

     Upon leaving the museum, I could not help but feel content. Going to Pampanga for the weekend was indeed a wise decision because it made me see that Angeles City is one of the few places in the Philippines that is literally a living testament to everything our nation has been through. Angeles City is filled with remnants of the past. Visiting the Church of the Holy Rosary and the Angeles Museum made me realize that Angeles City is not just about Tocino, Mt. Pinatubo or Clark. Angeles City is a unique, interesting and inspiring place with a great sense of culture and history. By stopping and looking around in the unfamiliar Angeles City, I was able to reflect and learn about many things. Angeles City also reminded me of the universal truth that despite the prevalent fast-paced lifestyle, history will always be pivotal to one's understanding of modern times. 

Sources
Gabriel, Sol. "History of Holy Rosary Parish." Andropampanga. Web. 16 Aug. 2011.

                  <http://www.andropampanga.com/churches/angelescity_  church.htm>.