This would have been the third time I had done this circle tour, the previous trips in the company of fellow camera bugs. They were fun trips; but the point of each tour was missed in the myopic search for that prize-winning shot. Sifting through old photographs, I saw an ancient church captured in a rain puddle; blurred interiors of churches betraying a laziness to use the tripod; interesting façades where we had not known anyone who could have shown us the more interesting interiors. To my chagrin I could not place their locations nor the significance of the structures, other than that they were old. One trip had a high recall on the group. This was the summer of 1990 when we took a guided tour of Taal led by a University of the Philippines student. Passing by Laguna de Bay in the early morning, he explained to a sleepy group that the name Laguna Bay, or Laguna de Bay, was an error in the translation of the ancient name Laguna Ba’i, meaning lagoon or lake woman, the mother figure being central to the Filipino culture. For the rest of the bus trip, everyone perked up to listen to this young tour guide, who gave fresh insights to places that would have passed us in a blur. If that hints of the flavor of the past two Metropolitan Museum guided tours of Bohol and Laguna, you’ve got it right. The tour guide was Ino Manalo, the very creative director of the Metropolitan Museum.

On Saturday, Nov. 29, the 40 MVP members with Ino Manalo and Metropolitan Museum Board Member Marivic Vazquez experienced the Laguna tour, circling Laguna Ba’i from Rizal to Laguna. This could have been a dizzying two-day tour focused on old Spanish-era churches, its architecture and art works, as well as art works in some private homes. However, Ino emphasized at the beginning of the tour the significance of the lake connecting Rizal province to Laguna Province. We were to look for similarities in the works of art in both regions, to support the theory that artisans had traversed the lake and contributed their talents to the opposite side, with the Chinese influence very much in evidence. This observation was poetically described by William Henry Scott as "a crack in the parchment curtain..." Bearing this in mind, Ino proceeded to bring us to points of interest that validated this thesis.

The bus ride was pleasant due to well-paved roads all throughout the trip and the refreshing change in scenery: golden palay laid out to dry in mats on the national roads, impervious to passing vehicles; the lake view from a high point of Rizal showing the Jala-Jala peninsula, with mystical Mt. Banahaw in the distance and the "Suso ng Dalaga", a mountain oddly shaped like the breast of a young girl.

For the next two days, we covered the churches of Morong (photo: top right) and Tanay on the Rizal side; Paete (photo: left), Pakil, Lumbang, Magdalena, Liliw, Majayjay and Nagcarlan on the Laguna side. We looked at the baroque/rococo style in the façades and interiors of the churches, dating the periods these edifices were built. 18th and 19th century paintings and statues abound in the churches. We looked, with much amusement, for the wrinkles in the neck of the statues of the Virgin, a Chinese symbol for wisdom (someone whispered "old age"); noted the oriental lion statues standing guard at the Morong church gate. Fascinating was the blood on the crucified Christ in the Pakil church painted in the pattern of a chrysanthemum flower, again the artist asserting his Chinese roots. In a dark sacristy in Lumbang, we were saddened by the sight of exquisite but faded blue and yellow-orange flowers painted on wooden beams, dated as 18th century. With no plans for restoration, the paintings may disappear in a few more years. Unfortunate also was the obliterated patina on the intricate altars of most churches, painted over in an effort to make the old glitter like new. In Magdalena church, we peeked at the spot where Emilio Jacinto was wounded in a clash with the Spaniards in 1898. His blood had seeped in, eerily enshrined on the stone floor. This parish is reportedly 183 years old. Its church was built slowly through Sunday collections of stones from each parishioner.

The Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) of each of the churches were equally fascinating, as Ino pointed out the different styles.

Picturesque Nagcarlan cemetery is only one of two circular cemeteries in the country (Paco is the second). The only underground crypt in the country has an exciting history having served as a secret meeting place during the revolutionary period.

Outside of the churches, we took a look at some art pieces in the Quesada house in Paete, particularly an antique Virgin and a carving of the Last Supper in wood sculpted by a pupil of Rizal, a revered town artist. The mural in the Municipal building of Liliw, painted by the talented Jaime de Guzman, who trained under the Mexican artist Siquieros, had the theme of "birdman" in bright colors showing the Mexican influence. The figures were noted as somewhat Christ-like relating to crucifixes earlier seen in the churches. In Pila, we looked at artifacts, mostly Chinese, displayed in the town museum. These diggings would tie in with a Chinese record dated 1225 that reported active trading with the Philippines. Pila, with its early 20th century large houses circling the town church and plaza, is picture perfect. The town center is a declared National Historic Landmark. When the group learned that Michael Mastura had a significant hand in its declaration, Michael found himself busy signing the Pila book handed out by Cora Relova. Cora, who is active in the preservation of the town center, was our gracious hostess, showing us the art deco interiors of her house and those of her relatives.

Of course, we had stops in between to avoid a jaded artistic palate. We were touched by the hospitality extended to us in Paete. The delicious and sumptuous lunch served at the public school were all dishes native to the place. The Paete theater group was small in number of performers but exhibited versatility in performing folk dances, poetry reading and a short interesting play on a local legend. In Lumbang, we had a merienda of "kesong puti", which went well with the condiments brought along by Ino, and ended up ordering some to take home. And who can resist shopping? At the whittling shop in Pakil, I found myself buying the miniature chairs upon Ino’s whispered suggestion that they made novel placecard holders for the lunch or dinner table. (They were a hit with my daughter’s breakfast guests.) There were banigs to lug home in buri baskets (Linda Lupton uses hers as a tablecloth) and those colorful beaded slippers of Liliw that almost caused Mayela Ryan to be run over. An interesting item was the small bottle of oil purchased by Aurora Melvin in Pakil that appears to have cured her chronic shoulder pain. If that were not magic enough, the bottle reportedly continues to be full even after constant use. But that is another story that should merit an article from Aurora herself.

A welcome respite after a full day was at the Lagos del Sol resort with a scenic view of Caliraya lake. The evening meal, a well chosen buffet, was thoughtfully capped with an after dinner talk by Ino, to summarize the day’s activities and to share with us the new directions of the Met.

On day 2, the tour ended with dinner at Ernest Santiago’s restaurant in Pagsanjan, definitely a grand way to end the Laguna trip. You have to visit Ernest’s place to believe it.

Thank you, Ino, for that eye-opening tour and thanks to Sony, who always thinks of interesting trips and ensures flawless arrangements. (She absorbs the bumps.)

When do we go to Taal? Batanes?

Tour participants at Magdalena