A Memorable Walk Down History Lane 2

Another thing that struck me the most in the tour was the way Carlos related the Philippine side of World War II, specifically the Battle of Manila. In the cool dampness of the San Agustin crypt in 2006, I could practically hear the Japanese and American warplanes of 1945 zooming above us, howitzers and tanks booming, the cries of the injured and dying, soldiers and civilians alike.

We are taken back again to the Spanish period as we went into the San Agustin church. My dream come true. No joke! It's amazing to learn that among the seven churches built by the Spaniards in Intramuros, it is the only one that survived the destruction of Intramuros during the war. Miraculous, isn't it? And it goes without saying that I so savored the opportunity of seeing conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi's tomb as well as the ancient tombstones on the church's floor and walls dating back from the 19th century. I have never seen anything quite like it in my whole life.

After San Agustin, we crossed the street over to Casa Manila. I have been to Casa Manila lots of times before, but having Carlos Celdran as a tour guide would forever change my view of this casa/museo. For the longest time I thought that Casa Manila was a genuine Spanish-era house along with the furniture inside it, but was mistaken. Maybe it's just my penchant for dilapidated, crumbling old edifices made me want to believe that it's so. The house was reconstruced after the war, so those hardwood floors aren't exactly what the ancient inhabitants of that place trod upon, right? And as for the furniture, well, they all (or most of them) came from the efforts of the former First Lady Imelda Marcos. I have to commend her for her efforts in building up cultural awareness...

Carlos mentioned that the whole place epitomizes the Filipino's jeepney/halo-halo mentality--something just has to be decorated even if the decors don't match. It's the Filipino's ingenuity that can fool the ordinary observer into thinking that it's one whole whole piece, but in reality it's a combination of bits and starts. Hm, that's one more mystery solved as to why Filipinos have an identity crisis.

Going on a tour with Carlos Celdran is definitely worth it. I have truly learned a lot more about Manila from it. It's a wonderful combination of history, theater and a bit of "insider's info" in which you'll learn some facts about Manila that you'd never think about. I'm sure you will also agree with Carlos's statement: "History helps clarify the chaos that is our capital city. Because if you cannot change the way Manila looks, history will help you change the way you look at Manila."

How true.