Museo San Agustin Intramuros: Tale Of The Oldest Stone Church In The Philippines

It's not fool to say that April month is on its way! Aren't you excited? One more week to go and we need to turn another calendar page. What are you looking forward to? Yey! The long wait is almost over and I can feel the summer here in the Philippines. Without a doubt, one of the things you have on your list this April is "grand vacation". For students, definitely a much longer hours of sleep since officially most are already on school break this time. For catholics, let's not forget that Holy Week falls on April this year. Are you ready for the Visita Iglesia(church visit)? Well, you're maybe still on the process of searching for your seven churches and if I'm correct you might wanna consider San Agustin Church especially if your route is just within Manila City. Aside from Casa Manila, this is also a must-see place in the Walled City, Intramuros. It was last year when I visited this church for the holy week also and that was the only time I had a chance to go inside. I thought before that you couldn't go inside if you're not rich or a wedding attendee. But no, in fact I got chance to know more the beautiful tale of this church again this year. Come and join me!

Welcome to San Agustin! This church is just a few minutes walk from Casa Manila. I can say that these two places are always the word-of-mouth from most wedding planners. If you want to win the best wedding of the year usually these are the top choices for reception and church. But, if you want to be trapped in the past for like a day, this can be a time warp too. "Tale as old as time, beauty and the beast". Oops! Sorry, I just realized that the Disney movie that is still showing in the cinema today is relative to the picture of San Agustin church above. Oh! Why? Is there a beast inside? Definitely no, but many said that the facade of the church is not really attractive. On the contrary, an impressive interiors will awe you when you get inside, that's the beautiful part. From the breathtaking main altar to the illusive 3D paintings on the ceiling. This church is a perfect example of "don't judge the book by its cover". Although I haven't been to Rome, Italy and Vatican City yet I find this church a local version of the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica if you will base it on the pictures online.

Convento de San Pablo or San Agustin Church is a Roman Catholic church under the auspices of the order of St. Augustine. It is considered the oldest stone church in the country. Did you know that the present structure is actually just the third Augustinian church erected on the site? The first was completed in 1571, made of bamboo and nipa. It is also the first religious structure constructed by the Spaniards on the island of Luzon. The second was built when the first was destroyed by fire, it is also made of wood and unfortunately it didn't last because of the fire too. The construction of the present church started in 1587 when Augustinians decided to rebuild it using adobe stones and construct an adjacent monastery. It became operational in 1604 and the church was finally declared on January 19, 1607 with a name St. Paul of Manila.

The church survived several natural and man-made disasters from earthquakes, calamities to invasions. A lone survivor of World War II in the walled city.

On December 11, 1993, it was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site under the collective title Baroque Churches of the Philippines and also named as National Historical Landmark by the Philippine Government in 1976. 

St. Augustin church was patterned after some of the magnificent churches built by the Augustinians in Mexico. It is also one of the proofs of splendid Spanish era and the strong influence of Catholic Church during the colonial years. During Japanese Occupation of World War II, the adjacent monastery was completely destroyed but rebuilt in 1970s as a museum. I tried to visit here last year and thankfully I got the way to do it last week. The entrance fee is 200 pesos or roughly 4 US Dollars. The operating hours are 8am-12am and 1pm-6pm daily. The entrance to the museum is on the right side of the church.

The first stop of your visit is the Sala Recibidor, it was a classroom before where the Filipinos were taught music, art, writing, reading and catechism. Here was the formal school of the Philippines and since 1970, it has been part of the San Agustin museum, showcasing different collections through the years like this replica above of Nuestra Señora Del Pilar Galleon. The Spanish era started by the expedition of Magellan when he and his men arrived in the Philippines in March 1521. While in Cebu, Magellan gave an image of Santo Niño as a gift to the Queen Juana after her baptism as a substitute to her idols. Sadly, Magellan was killed by Lapu-Lapu. It didn't stop courting the beautiful Philippines but  several expeditions went on after. It is said that the main motives of the explorers during the Age of Exploration were the 3Gs: God, Gold, and Glory. Because of that the Catholic religion was born in the country.

Treasures of the past.

The Augustinian Friars were sent to the Philippine islands as a messengers of the main commandment of Jesus: "Love one another as I had loved you"

The hallways of the museum will surely give you peace of mind and soul. It also reminds me of Hogwarts School in Harry Potter series.

The Door of Faith. I can say that this is the best room to see in San Agustin museum and convinced me to say that so far this is "the most beautiful museum" I've ever seen in the country. Why? It's not because I'm also catholic, without any bias I really felt I was out of the country, somewhere in Europe. It allows you to walk back in time and see the history of Catholicism. 

Do you think these breads are edible? The Last Supper

Mexican Crucifixes. The unique thing about this images is they are all made of corn stalk paste called "j'atzingheni" in Mexico. They are extremely light because of their composition and a human-size figure could only weigh 7 kilos.

Sala "De Profundis". It was my first time to see a columbarium inside a monastery. This is the area where you can see storage of cinenary urns of the members of the Augustine community who passed away. Even the remains of Juan Luna, a prominent Filipino painter and the first Philippine artist.

Retablo of Juan De Los Santos. It was the main altar of San Agustin church which was executed in 1617 by the carver, Juan De Los Santos. It was replaced later on because of its Ionic-Corinthian style and no longer conformed with the baroque style renovations in the church. Sadly, the original wood gilded image of "santos"(saints) that filled the niches were stolen by the british invaders in 1762 and by the north american soldiers in 1898.

Wash Basin or "Lavamanos". It was usually found in the sacristy for the celebrant priests to wash their hands before vesting the liturgical vestments for the mass. It is said that this is "the best lavabo that existed in all the sacristies of the Philippines" in the old times.

Originally San Agustin Church and Convent had an extraordinary collection of ivories but British invaders looted 50 ivory images during the war. Augustinian Friars also promoted the creation of beautiful works of art, among them the so called "Filipino-Spanish Ivories". The original artists who made these were the sangleyes or the Chinese living in the islands.

Old vestments. The form of garment worn at baptism.

Outside the hallways of monastery is a perfect place to relax your mind and spirit.

Way to the first floor.

Sala San Pablo. It's a special living room where you can see different paintings from Mexico, Spain and Japan. Paintings played a big role for the evangelization and also to embellish the churches and the convents. San Agustin church also had an extraordinary collection of paintings but sadly most of them were also looted and destroyed during invasions.

In the Augustinian order, some friars like Fr. Manuel Blanco dedicated their time to different sciences from cosmology, astrology, biology and botany. They did most of the important studies in the Flora of the Philippines. Let me not forget Fr. Gregor Mendel, considered as the "Father of Modern Genetics".

Botika or San Agustin Pharmacy. These were old containers of drugs and medicines made of terracota used by the Friars living in the convent. Sadly, British invaders destroyed most of these during the Battle of Manila.

This area is where you can see the collection of porcelain from the Chinese-Philippine trading.

Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico. It is said that in 1601, Augustinians built a church in Manila devoted to the miraculous image venerated in Spain with a title of Guadalupe. Later on, it was changed with an oil painting on canvas.

Garden of Father Blanco. He was also a Botanist and because of his admiration to nature's beauty he even wrote a book Flora de Filipinas, which was published in 1883.

Lenten season has just started and going to San Agustin museum helps us know our religion more. It is good to know that more Filipino Catholics visit different places in the Philippines. Everyday I see people post crystal clear beaches, amazing mountains and unique places on social media but sadly it's seldom to see someone posting about church or museum. Since Holy Week is about to come, maybe this is the perfect time to visit these precious and historical churches like the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin, both are in Intramuros. For sure your one whole day will not be wasted. The information here came from San Agustin museum and with the help of online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. It's nice to see you here on my blog! Please don't forget to like my facebook page and instagram. Kindly search Supermarkymacky.

Casa Manila Intramuros: A Short Walk To The Trace Of The Colonial Past

How well do you know your country? Do you know well your history, cultures and traditions? Definitely not and that's really understandable. We wake up everyday and it's a human nature to think about what to eat or unfixed issue at work first. It's vague to say that we are living in this world where those things we've learned when we where in school are not useful or relevant in our everyday lives. Because time is important we no longer need to make it more complex and use trigonometry when we buy gas at the pump or at the grocery store. So, if I could answer that question how well I know my country, the Philippines? Let say from 10 the highest, it's a 5. Although I really love my country, from hardworking Filipinos to top-notch beaches and also my favorite subject before was History, I just forget it because these things are not useful on my daily chores. Sadly, we tend to just pass by these important details which are the roots of who we are now. How about you my fellow Filipino? How well do you know the Philippines? 

Everytime we watch local news on television or when we ride jeepney, more often than not, we hear that the Philippines is a third world country. Honestly, I don't know how it happened and what were the basis even though one venti Starbucks frappe price in the US and the Philippines is almost the same. Give me justice please! Sadly, this is a negative connotation and you don't know if it's a lifetime. The questions are until when is this and how to have a first world country label? Unfortunately, we are defined by the media and to pacify most survey companies somewhat made it more light and labeled it as "one of the fastest-growing countries". Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you're living in the first world country? What if the Philippines was a rich country in the past? If it was, I'm so unlucky. 

There is one place in Manila where you can walk back in time and as you walk through, your questions are like being answered by the undeniably beautiful houses, churches and strong walls. My favorite place in Manila, the Intramuros, also called Walled City. In fact because of my admiration I bought a canvas tote bag with a print of this place and it's very informative. The words are still readable on the print after almost half a decade of using it once in a while. The place describes as "Defensive Walls" and gives brief information. Wonder why? Intramuros is the oldest district and historic core of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The Walled City, its name in Latin intramuros, literally means "within the walls". Districts beyond the walls of Manila were referred to as extramuros, which means "outside the walls"- from the Kultura Filipino canvas tote bag. Like from my previous article the Philippines was colonized and ruled by Spain for more than 300 years. This is why there are traces of colonial past you can see everywhere especially in Manila. Without a doubt the most important and plays a vital role in the history of the country is, the Intramuros. This place has a lot of stories to share and not just walls. It cannot be discussed in one day. Intramuros is like a city inside a city. There are schools, universities, hotel, restaurants, churches and museums. I was in 7th grade when I went here for a school trip and I can say that Intramuros was really popular go-to place before because of the country's tourism marketing campaign "Wow Philippines" and the unforgettable clamshell.

Casa Manila. Come Inside! It was international women's day when I went to one of the famous Spanish colonial houses in Intramuros and unfortunately I didn't get a free entrance. On a normal day, it's still affordable with an entrance fees of 75 pesos(roughly $1.25) for adult and 50 pesos(roughly $1) for student and children below 12 years old. Like most museums, Casa Manila is open from  tuesday to sunday(9am-6pm). Truly worth it to be part of your Manila day tour or if you want to step back in time and study the country's history during Spanish occupation.

The facades are based on colonial period designs and were copied from an 1850's house at Calle Jaboneros in San Nicolas, a district across the river. The walls are made of adobe stones or volcanic tuff.

This "colonial lifestyle" musem uppermost floor, the living quarters, was made of wood since its lighter than stone, it was less risky during earthquakes. The architectural design of most houses during this era will surely amaze you, why? Not only an earthquake resistant but also the uppermost floor extends outwards help shade pedestrians during the day.

This part of Casa Manila that will give you somewhat a setting of Romeo and Juliet or another romantic movie like Cinderella. Imagine your prince is waiting for you almost all day because you're still bargaining with your dad but in the end you lost, eitherway you can only stay at the ball until 11 in the evening. This very beautiful patio is always the perfect choice for weddings and paved with piedra china(granite). The stones were used first by the Chinese as ballast for their junks and later sold for paving patios, streets and pedestrian lanes.

Not only shops where you can buy souvenir items on the ground floor but if you're a bike lover and protector of mother earth, you can try this bambike ecotours. Unfortunately, I don't know how to bike but these bamboo bikes were handmade by Gawad Kalinga villagers, from a foundation that helps end poverity by building and giving houses for the poorest of the poor. You will not only enjoy this educational ecotourism activity but you can also help them to create more of these.

A very relaxing to the eyes archway seems like guiding you to the colonial past. This is the way to Barbara's, a Filipino restaurant. They will make you full from wedding catering to their unique dinner buffet.

The main purpose of this visit is to let you know the history of the Philippines during Spanish era and the story of the elite Filipinos before. Somehow these change the stereotypes "third world country" and "poor Fillipinos".

Sadly you cannot take pictures on the second floor. For sure students who study interior design will love this place for research and get ideas on what style of bedrooms and living room the rich Filipino family had during colonial period. But don't worry because amazing treasures of the past will welcome you on the third floor. It's the cherry on top! This image is part of the Sala or the living room. This is the most decorated area since very important people are entertained here to show off the status of the family in the society. It was my first time to see a splendid music area here. It is said that in the late afternoon Tertulias(soirees) and bailes(dances) are held here where young ladies of the house are playing piano, singing or dancing. Older people used to discuss the latest in politics or business too.

It is said that most of the furnitures here have European influence. It started when Suez Canal opened in 1869 which created vast market for Philippine sugar, tobacco, coffee and abaca. Filipino businessmen were able to send their children to Europe for their education. When they went back, they brought not only their career but new lifestyle. Most of the furnitures were made of Narra wood and Kamagong wood, from the native trees of the Philippines. 

The feeling of prestige when I walked on this red carpet going to the dining room. Yes! You can only walk on the red carpet and it is not permitted to walk on the wood flooring, touch the furnitures and even seat on the old chair.

Every room has their unique jaw-dropping ceiling art and rare kind of chandelier.

Literally "sleep like a king" when I saw one of the beautiful bedrooms or cuarto in my entire life. Filipinos are very hospitable even in the past, they usually offer the most lovely room to important guests staying overnight.

Majority of the Filipinos are catholic and it is important to go on Sunday mass on time. For sure, you will never be late if the church is just two blocks away from your house. I can say somewhat only from affluent class can have this kind of view from the bathroom. 

The Baño, bow! In english, the bathroom. This area of the house where you can relax and spend more time with yourself peacefully. In the past, the upper class had bathtubs like these two different sizes also called bañeras usually large stoneware bathtubs from China. It is said that they have many servants during bath time, the master sits in the tub while they pour water, pull the cork from the tubs and drain the water to the floor after bath.

Simple yet intricate lamp inside the letrina, an old version of toilet (room).

The European influence can still be seen in the Cocina or Kitchen. This is the stony part of the house, a typical kitchen in the 19th century. This area of the house reminds me of the old Japanese anime series "Princess Sarah". Did you notice stovetop before? It was made of ashes and water. This could be the reason why breads were more tasty before because they were baked by piling live charcoal along the interior side of the oven, with the breads at the center. We can still see this in some very old bakeries today and commonly known as "Pugon".

The feeling of not wanting to go home when you see this kind of view from an old Azotea, a platform on top of a house. This part of the house where rich Filipino family used to plant herbs before. They mostly use tanglad(lemon grass) and pandan(fragrant screw pine) in flavoring and cooking.

A place like Casa Manila is something that you will never forget if you want to know more the history of the Philippines. It's nice to see foreigners visiting this place and I hope more Filipinos will do the same thing. After that short visit, I realized that Intramuros is a special place you need to visit before anything else. It is the origin or somewhat kilometer zero of the country's rich history. We have comfort food and me I also have comfort place like this. (Most information you can read here came from the guidebook of Casa Manila) Please make sure to like my facebook page and instagram Supermarkymacky. Thanks!

Be Part Of The 3D Artwork At Miracle Art Happyworld Museum

Strolling around Makati City is not yet over and definitely visiting fascinating museums will continue. So, what's next after Ayala Museum and Yuchengco Museum? Well, from a very busy and crowded Makati Business District let me take you to a more laid-back and chill place, the Circuit Makati. Like when I went here last year although this place is a haven for skaters and runners I'm still looking for something more, like a perfect place for a family bonding every Sunday or a quick escape from stressful work every Saturday morning. So, since I was not satisfied before, I decided to go here again. Let's call it another try. I pretty much believe that this place has a lot of things to discover. It was last month when I started blogging about museum again and shared to you how this impacted my inner self, after that everything just followed, from one museum to another. After reading several reviews and spending several hours of research on where to go next. Eureka! Finally, I've found my next museum.

Welcome to Miracle Art Happyworld Museum! Two weeks ago when we went here with my colleague. Honestly, for the sake of new article I really had to wake up early, go to the office, bring my friend with me and go back to Circuit Makati. I'm near there but I had to do all this stuff because I couldn't find someone who would take pictures for me. Yes! I'm telling it now, this kind of museum requires you to grab a photographer or at least a very patient and artistic friend who can take illusive shots. Later on you will know why. It was my third museum visited this year. So far, the coolest, most unique and very millennial. Why? Because this place showcases simply amazing 3D paintings. Wow! 

What is 3D painting? By my own definition, it's an artwork that creates illusion as if you're part of it. Now you know why you need someone to take pictures for you. Because you can't have a perfect illusion without a perfect buddy. Attention! To all the singles out there. Be prepared! Sadly, our selfie stick won't work this time. Moreover, there are also information related to 3D(three-dimensional) painting available online. Here are some examples.

"Three-dimensional model displays a picture or item in a form that appears to be physically present with a designated structure."-www.businessdictionary.com

"A 3D street painting is actually an anamorphic painting. Anamorphosis is the technique used to distort a picture in such a way that from a vantage point it looks correct."-www.3dstreet-painting.eu

You can jump into more than 30 artworks and pretend like you're there. For sure your social media followers will hit like or put a heart on your trendy posts. Like my usual drill it's better to go early than sorry. Not mainly to avoid large number of museumgoers, we were already there around 10 in the morning to at least take better pictures. Believe me it was not easy, you need to find correct angle before your friend click the camera. It took us five to ten minutes to get very 3D shot for each painting. This instagram worthy museum is a must visit! I tried to go here last February 14 because of their Valentine's day promo 2 for only 214 pesos(roughly 2 US Dollars) but I didn't since I couldn't invite someone, even a friend that time. But that's okay they had extended promo 200 pesos per adult(roughly 2 US Dollars) when we were there and still an economical price for this kind of museum. Place was not that huge and if not crowded you can complete your "picture taking" for less than two to three hours. There are also paintings on the floor. Taking off your shoes are mandatory. Here are my top 14 favorite illusive shots.

Close encounter with Jesus? Don't be afraid you're still on earth. He will just teach you to read Bible.

Oh my goodness! This what happens when you saw your friend's ex-boyfriend kissing another man. For sure you'll be an instant acrobat.

After gazillion years, for the very first time she came out from the canvas and had some coffee with me. You made the right decision to show off your legs. Hopefully, you got permission from Leonardo da Vinci.

Forgive me for not wearing underwear. Pretty much I just wanna brag how gifted am I?

No place for demure people here or else I'll literally blow you away.

Mom! I'll just go to hell for a window shopping. I'll be back this afternoon.

This is what you call "Sky Biking". It's a cloudy trail, be careful. 

Imagine surfing wearing not a rash guard but a sweater? Why not! It's a cold water.

How's it? Is it deadly? I think I can't do it. I'm afraid of cliff diving.

I'll cross that bridge when I get there with grace. 

Hi! Thanks for the warm welcome. I'll be back and bring my alien friends with me. 

My new sport is equestrianism. It's hard to pronounce, much better to say horseback riding.

When Santa gave me a teddy bear because I'm doing good since the year started. 

Everything won't be possible without my friend, you can call him Kong. He was the one who took all my pictures. But sometimes he takes so much pictures and becomes hardheaded. No, I'm just kidding. Want to experience this kid-friendly and even for all ages museum? Check out their facebook page for the updated promo. Just search Miracle Art Happyworld Museum. Don't forget to like my facebook page and follow my instagram Supermarkymacky.