WALKING along Jose P. Laurel Street in the San Miguel area never fails to conjure up an aristocratic air. Despite the exodus of their former occupants, one can still see some upper-class houses in the area overshadowed by the old houses and, of course, Malacañang complex.
It is also interesting to note there are still ancestral houses present in the area, even though most of the elite families have moved to the posh villages in Makati and Alabang.
It is interesting to note that San Miguel Beer, which was founded by the Soriano family, got its name from the district. La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel, Southeast Asia’s first brewery, opened its facility in the area in 1890,
The first stop of the tour was San Miguel Church. Our guide, Bro. Gil Sanchez, told the group of journalists, which included this writer, that San Miguel de Manila has the distinction of being the parish church of Philippine presidents. It also became the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila, when the Arsobispado and the cathedral, both in Intramuros were destroyed during World War II.
The Franciscan friars took over the jurisdiction of San Miguel, when the Jesuits were expelled from all Spanish territories. They were tasked to manage the new San Miguel settlement across the Pasig River. In 1799 Fray Pedro Malo de Molina, the first Franciscan parish priest, started constructing a provisional chapel. It took 36 years and 17 parish priests to construct the church before it was finally constructed. It was inaugurated in 1835.
After World War II, Archbishop Michael O’Doherty designated the Church of San Miguel as the Pro-Cathedral of Manila until a new Arsobispado and cathedral could be built in war-torn Intramuros. It also had the distinction of being the parish of Malacañang and the seat of the Prince of the Church. Moreover, the church holds the distinction of being the burial place of both the last foreign and first Filipino archbishops of Manila, Michael O’Doherty and Rufino Cardinal Rufino Santos.
Of the Malacañang residents, President Carlos Garcia and First Lady Inday Garcia were its active parishioners, who were generous donors during their incumbency. One of their donations was the Lourdes grotto at the east end of the patio. Future tenants of Malacañang also added to the glamour of the Church of San Miguel, when the Romualdez-Marcos nuptial was held there in 1954. The late president Corazon Aquino used to attend services on some occasions. “Even President Fidel Ramos, who was a Protestant, attended Masses sometimes,” Sanchez said.
Interestingly, former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo regularly attended Masses at the church.
Casa Roces
For people who want to experience home cooking in the Castillan tradition, Casa Roces is the place to be. The historic restaurant not only provides sophistication and gourmet excellence, but also a rich history, culture and heritage cuisine in which the Roces clan played a major role.
Xavier Villa-Abrille, manager of Casa Roces, said in an interview with journalists that the restaurant is introducing tapas paellas that are done in home-cooking style. “These are timeless traditions done by the Roces family during their gatherings here,” Villa-Abrille said.
Touring the two-story place will enable the visitor a glimpse of the scope of the Roces family’s role in Philippine media. The rooms in the restaurant are named after the publications controlled by the family.
The Daily Mirror is a private room located on the second floor. Also on the second floor are rooms named The Manila Times, The Tribune and Liwayway. Further, these rooms also serve as venues for special celebrations, such as weddings and corporate events.
Kape Chino, named after former Manila Times publisher and activist Joaquin “Chino” Roces, can be found on the ground floor.
Romantic weddings and seasonal affairs are given a touch of Spanish elegance at Casa Roces, as the restaurant sets up the idyllic setting for these memorable celebrations with its array of wedding and events packages.
As part of broadening its client base, Villa-Abrille said Casa Roces is offering its wedding packages. Aside from the catering menu options, the package also offers services and amenities good for 100 guests for a hassle-free reception. Services in the wedding package include event management on the day of the wedding, coordination with client’s wedding coordinator; food tasting for two; venue for prenuptial pictorial with refreshments; and waived corkage for maximum of three wine bottles.
The package also includes complimentary bottle of sparkling wine for toasting, table centerpieces (flower arrangement per table), couples’ table setup, personalized menu card for the VIP table, designated gift table with skirting, basic sound system with microphone and use of projector. Moreover, the wedding menu packages come with one round of Sangria Te. Other wedding menu specials, including wine and beverage packages (open bar for 30 persons), are available upon request.
To cater to the different culinary preference of the customers, Villa-Abrille said Casa Roces developed three customized choices to choose from.
For special gatherings like corporate parties and family reunions, he said Casa Roces has a selection that comprises an array of traditional Spanish and international favorites with contemporary twists.
Furthermore, Casa Roces encourages visitors to try its new creations, such as oysters mushroom frittura, baked laing dip with lavash, marinated artichokes, onion soup gratinee truffle mushroom purée and roasted tomato soup.
Malacañang Tour
The last leg was a tour at the Presidential Museum and Library at the Malacañang area. Before the tour, the media was briefed on certain rules and regulations, such as only one camera per group. The guide informed us the difference between Malacañang and Malacañan. The first refers to the whole complex, while the latter pertains to the Presidential Palace. Since the Spanish colonial era to the present, Malacañan Palace remains a symbol of power. According to the official history of the Palace, the earliest etymology of Malacañan, in Spanish, meant “place of the fisherman.” Many believe that the Filipino word mamalakaya or fisherman was the origin of the name with the addition of the Tagalog suffix—han.
Malacañang played a vital role in some dramatic events in Philippine history. The execution of Dr. Jose Rizal was decided there. The First Philippine Republic’s demise under the helm of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo happened in the Palace when he surrendered to the American colonizers in 1901. The liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese was declared in Malacañang in 1945. The Palace was the venue when Ferdinand Marcos declared his authoritarian rule in September 21, 1972, through Proclamation 1081. It was in the same area where freedom was restored in February 1986, when people stormed the Palace to oust the Ilocano fuehrer.
The tour included a viewing of the different rooms named after former Presidents Sergio Osmeña Jr., Manuel L. Quezon, Manuel Roxas and Elpidio Quirino. In the Old Governor General’s Office, the furniture used by Marcos, when he announced the declaration of martial law on national television, is prominently displayed. There is also a reproduction of the draft of Proclamation 1081.
We were told that, although the tour is very informative, the tour guides must be trained to give more substance, especially in the dynamics of Philippine history. For instance, the tour guides must be given a solid foundation of Philippine history. For instance, they should be aware the Ilustrado class must not only be associated with Rizal, Luna and Paterno, among others. The old definition of Ilustrado must be junked and be broadened. This would enable other heroes like Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto and Macario Sakay to gain more respect from fellow Filipinos. For a long time, Bonifacio was treated as poor and illiterate. On the contrary, Bonifacio was an intellectual who worked in a British company in Binondo. He was also able to read classics such as Les Miserables, Ruins of Palmyra and The Wandering Jew.
Futhermore, the tour should highlight the power-grab led by Aguinaldo and the Magdalo group. It should tell that Aguinaldo and his cohorts subverted the essence of the Philippine Revolution. Furthermore, they should stress that Aguinaldo betrayed the country thrice—during the Spanish, American and Japanese colonization.
The museum tour guides must give depth to the issue of Marcos and martial law. It is not enough to tell visitors that Marcos killed democracy. They should expose the abuses and plunder committed by Marcos and his cronies. They should stop telling visitors that martial law was lifted in 1981. It was just a farce and Filipinos continued to suffer repression.
If the Presidential Museum and Library pursues this direction, it will give the people a relevant source of history to counter the distortions led by the dark forces of society.