Dampang Maliit: The Dampalit Falls of Laguna

The Main falls with the second one in view

The Dampalit Falls in Los Baños, Laguna

Located at the Mount Makiling Nature Reserve, there are two known paths that lead to the falls. There are two trails that lead to the falls. The first one, accessible via a wide cemented path beside the Lalakay Elementary School, slowly narrows down until it can only be accessed either by walking or by riding a motorcycle. The second one goes through the DENR station, having a wide path that is basically designed for nature lovers and mountaineers, has no houses beside the path. Though the latter looks harder, they basically have the same elevation.

The Dampalit Falls, together with the cottages and the natives' "development"

The falls has an entrance fee of 20 pesos per person, excluding infants, and has an additional charge for cottage rentals. 

Abandoned cottages

Quite commercialized, the area surrounding the falls have numerous spaces/tables for families going on an outing and has locals selling goods inside the area. The average price for renting one is 200 pesos to 300 pesos and the foodstuffs have prices that soar above their normal prices back in town. It is an interesting mix surrounded by forests and leveled by numerous small falls that branch out from the higher main falls.

Second falls, with the bridge in view

The second falls directly flowing from the waters above have been modified by human hands, something that I found quite unnecessary. Locals in the area have cemented some of the rocks in the falls to keep them intact and blocked waterways to make small pools, slowing down the flow of water. Despite the large fees, the falls and the area around it is littered by the occasional amount of refuse: Leftovers here and there. 

Dampalit Falls

But despite these minor setbacks and disappointments, with the added discomfort of the area slowly being congested by tourists that do not know how to take care of the environment, the falls prevail... their charm captures anyone's imagination as it trickles down the rocks and from the springs above. The multiple falls, mixed with the numerous rocks of different colors, is one of the things that I loved most about this area, with the added hidden tidbit of the rocky sides of the main falls being home to crabs, that is, if you are willing to risk getting snapped by them while you pursue them.

The place is perfect for photography. Come early to the falls so that there will be fewer people to block the perfect view. Be ready to get wet while taking pictures, though.

Second Falls

Second falls, left side

The flow of the river

Mini falls

Risking my camera for shots

Second falls, middle part

Second falls, left. Long exposure.

Beyond all these nature shots, the second falls is the best one for profile shots of people in different poses.

Test subject for MDF&P

The blogger

Take note, the lower picture exhibits a pose on an area that is very much forbidden by most guides and guards since it is dangerous, risky since one slip would lead to one's death. An after note, there are life guards in the area that ensure the safety of everyone. 

To end this post, I would ask anyone interested in going here to please maintain the cleanliness of the area. It's the least we could do to save Makiling and Nature for the future generations. I just hope that someday, they will use the fund to make the place cleaner. 

***

SOUTH BIKE fully supports any inquiries on the facts noted on this page or for any question regarding this article, the pictures and other materials on this blog. All pictures are property of South Bike and Midsummer Daydreams Film & Photography and may be used for any non-profit material, post and/or article. Information stated here in this blog have been culminated from research.

MIDSUMMER DAYDREAMS FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY is the official amateur photography blog/page used by the administrator of South Bike blogs. It also runs as an unofficial photography company of above-mentioned individual and may be hired for any local photography shoots for assorted purposes. For details regarding this, e-mail MDF&P at jhonlerygorme@gmail.com

Retrospect: The Original Paco PNR Station

"A people that does not love, or at the very least appreciates,  its past is headed nowhere."

Imagine a bustling metro, filled with horse-drawn carriages and quaint cars. People walking on clean streets and going past grand buildings that will make you feel that you are in some place beyond Asia; a lovely mix of hispanic architecture and the designs of the West. Smoke-puffing trains that ply and head to the far-off reaches of the island of Luzon, taking anyone who wants to travel to destinations that mesmerize, or bringing relatives and friends closer to each other. This is the City of Manila of the 1900s.

In the heart of Paco, which once was home to the Japanese Community living on an enclave called Dilao during the days when the city was under Castilian rule, the streets lead to this beautiful structure: the station of the Philippine National Railways that head off to any destination North or South of Manila.

Resembling the Penn Station in New York, the station was designed by William E. Parsons, the man behind the notable structures of the Philippine Islands under the early years of American rule which include the Manila Hotel, the Customs Office in Cebu City, the Manila Army and Navy Club Building, the Manila Elks Club, Philippine General Hospital, the Philippine Normal School, the Original Provincial Capitol of Laguna Province in Santa Cruz, the University Hall of the University of the Philippines in Manila and The Mansion House in Baguio.

The Paco railroad station came into being on March 25, 1908 when the Manila Belt Line from Tutuban to Paco Station and the railroad line from Paco Station to Binakayan, Cavite was opened. Furthermore, the Paco Railroad Station to Muntinlupa line was inaugurated on June 21, 1908. With the closure of the Manila-Dagupan line in the early 1990s, the Tutuban to Muntinlupa line is now the oldest railroad line still in operation here in the Philippines.

The present Paco Railroad Station building was constructed starting in 1912 and by 1915, the station was already complete. Paco Railroad Station is older than the Manila Post Office, Old Congress Building, Metropolitan Theater, or the Manila City Hall and was featured in the 1922 report prepared by the Philippine Commission of Independence parliamentary mission to the United States of America.

The Paco Railroad Station was also the scene of a heroic battle during World War II and the recapture of the station led to the crucial defeat of the remaining Japanese forces in Manila. 

In 1996, a contractor of a 7-storey mall partly demolished the PNR station but due to the lack of funds it stopped, leaving behind a skeleton of a the first four floors of the mall and the facade of the station.

Having such colorful history and the beauty of decades-old structures that have braved the storms and wars, the National Historical Commission, the PNR and other governing bodies decided to restore the structure in celebration of the station's centennial, with the addition of a historical marker on the structure in 2009.

But what happened?

On April 27, 2012, Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC) pursued the air rights sale over the mall despite the ongoing PNR protest, thus stalling the restoration and re-construction work for the station. As of now, there is no visible effort to restore this grand structure to its former glory. You can still see the skeleton for the mall at the right side of the picture. 

Years after its centennial and as the hype over it died down, the ruins remain as ruins.

This is the image of the common historical structure in the Philippines. 

This is the sad reality of heritage sites in Manila or in any parts of the country, they don't find the importance of these kinds of buildings. Every year, more and more old buildings and homes like this one disappear to give way to tasteless and unimaginative architectural pieces such as mall and condos. 

Each day these structures are threatened with destruction as greedy individuals try to make themselves richer. What this nation needs is love for its past, because without even a common appreciation of it this country is doomed to be nothing more than a bland and culture-less society. What natural forces and wars do not finish, man tries to destroy. 

There is progress beyond destruction. There is, I assure you. How I wish more people could realize that.

REFERENCES

http://www.philstar.com/business/798358/hgc-pursue-air-rights-sale-despite-pnr-protest

http://theurbanhistorian.tumblr.com/post/14551189842/theurbanhistorian-i-went-to-paco-yesterday-and

http://www.rihspi.org/about/agreements/2009-mou-with-pnr/

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/287451

http://wikimapia.org/24308166/Paco-Mall

http://historyofarchitecture.weebly.com/william-e-parsons.html

SOUTH BIKE fully supports any inquiries on the facts noted on this page or for any question regarding this article, the pictures and other materials on this blog. All pictures are property of South Bike and Midsummer Daydreams Film & Photography (the ones with the blog logo) and may be used for any non-profit material, post and/or article. Information stated here in this blog have been culminated from research.

MIDSUMMER DAYDREAMS FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY is the official amateur photography blog/page used by the administrator of South Bike blogs. It also runs as an unofficial photography company of above-mentioned individual and may be hired for any local photography shoots for assorted purposes. For details regarding this, e-mail MDF&P at jhonlerygorme@gmail.com

The Filipina Mother: La Madre Filipina

Postcard views: The obelisk-monument of Rizal in Luneta

Rizal Park - my old playground. Me and my cousins used to and still hang out in the hallowed grounds of this park; literally playing above what was once a ground dotted with the dried blood of both hero and traitor, criminal and martyr. Imagine if the people knew that where they are doing cuddly things that people once died on their spot! 

In any way the park is famous for being the spot where one of the country's national heroes, the great Jose Rizal, was executed for writing materials that exposed the cruel system of the spanish regime and the abuses of Catholic priests that were well-known among Filipinos fighting for the cause. It was also in this place once called Bagumbayan where the three priests who called for reforms were killed by a garrote in public. Entertainment, then, was how they saw public executions in the days when malls where a far-off idea.

But beyond the picturesque and typical postcard view of the statue of the obelisk where Rizal is the star and where Emilio Aguinaldo once requested a similar spot, beyond the squat obelisk of the GomBurZa and the fountains and the couples there is one particular star that has been barely noticed and has been one of those statues that has travelled from one place to another in different periods of time.

A dramatic pose in stone: La Madre Filipina

Just beside the Rizal monument is the statue known as La Madre Filipina. 

Representing the Filipina mother which in turn represents the Filipino nation, the statue once stood at the foot of the Jones Bridge (formerly the Bridge of Spain) along with three other majestic statues that stood atop columns filled with grandiose designs. During those days of carts and simple cars the bridge was, in every way, majestic. 

Before: The Jones Bridge before the war

But, just like a plot line in one cartoon "It all changed when..." well, you probably know the rest. The bridge was bombed, turning the once graceful "Queen Bridge" into nothing more than a pile of dust and rubble. The statues, however, survived the harrowing ordeal... unlike most heritage structures that were either bombed or burned by the Japanese Imperial Army or the Americans who were then at war with each other.

A sculpture by Martinez. It is a copy of the sculpture to the left of La Madre Filipina in the old Jones Bridge picture.

Made by Ramon Martinez, the man behind the statues that graced structures built during the american regime; such as the Grito De Balintawak monument (1911) that was unveiled in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the start of the revolution waged by Andres Bonifacion and the rest of the Filipinos. Most of his sculptures had great detail, such as this small scale sculpture of one of the Jones Bridge monuments that once stood on the corners of the bridge done by Martinez himself. 

The sculptures, save for one that was either missing or destroyed by the war, were moved to different locations. La Madre Filipina was moved to her present site in Rizal Park while the other two were moved to the present Court of Appeals building (topic for a future post) in Maria Orosa Street in Ermita, thus ending their glory days as guardians of the queen bridge which, as I would always dream about, is something that needs to be re-built to its former glory.

The sculpture as of today

SOUTH BIKE fully supports any inquiries on the facts noted on this page or for any question regarding this article, the pictures and other materials on this blog. All pictures are property of South Bike and Midsummer Daydreams Film & Photography and may be used for any non-profit material, post and/or article. Information stated here in this blog have been culminated from research.

MIDSUMMER DAYDREAMS FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY is the official amateur photography blog/page used by the administrator of South Bike blogs. It also runs as an unofficial photography company of above-mentioned individual and may be hired for any local photography shoots for assorted purposes. For details regarding this, e-mail MDF&P at jhonlerygorme@gmail.com

The Manila Post Office

A gem.

Years ago, according to my teacher, she used to recall the long lines that the post office had every Christmas, mostly friends and family members who had loved ones in abroad. Before the rise of technological advancements in Manila, the post was the life-blood of communication and business during those crucial years. It was a gem, making "talking" with relatives and acquaintances a happy possibility for an era where text messaging was nothing more than an object of one's sci-fi read.

Before and, especially, after the war the influx of a need to connect with other people was met by mail. My family was a witness to the transition of mail to electronic mail, with my father being a maritime man and my parent's grandparents living in Japan the number of mail we received was fairly big -- with my dad's collection of stamps and TB stubs counting among them Japanese stamps.

Comics of the 1990s still make the passing remark of the tradition of having "pen pals" and joke about them, how people still try to find friendship and love through mail, there was even a time when, in a bid of advertising and looking for anyone to talk to, people would write to magazines to have their names and addresses printed in the Pen Pal corner of the magazine. Some even write their addresses on paper bills, hoping that they'll find decent people to talk to on the mail.

But, with the march of progress, the numbers dwindled and the lines gradually decreased. The once large crowds that flock to the post office decreased to a few who still clamor for a classic form of what is now called "art." We became one of the patrons of the first internet cafes in Escoda and would usually send electronic greeting cards to our father. The physical cards and letters changed to nothing more than electronic data as memories of an era full of mail got stacked into my desk along with Philippines 2000 booklets on mail and my book on Philippine Stamps.

In the Christmas season of 2012, I went to the Post Office to mail one letter to Adam Young (Owl City) in Minnesota, where I received from him some signed album covers and a stamp from MN. It was my first time in there, with only a few people sending Christmas wishes in there, but the structure captured my imagination as I wonder about its past, beyond the stinking fountain and the smelly informal settler land, it was still a gem.

Sporting a neoclassical design similar to most, if not all, of the government structures built during that period. Designed by Juan M. Arellano, the post office is home to the head office of Philippine Postal Corporation, commonly known by its nickname "Philpost" by people.

The office was a witness to the passing times; Built besides the Pasig River during a time when that watery arm that connects Laguna De Bai and Manila Bay was used as a major waterway and boats were a mode of transportation, destroyed by the war between the Americans and the Japanese before being restored to its former glory just when the nation is beginning to stand up again on its feet and its wobbly members is still in need of a way to connect with family and friends.

It faces the Liwasang Bonifacio which, too, had a whole too many name changes in the past. It was once called Plaza Arrocerros during the Spanish era and it was the first home of the statue of the Queen of Spain, Isabel II. Then, with the tide that swept the Americans and brought forth a new change to Manila the plaza was re-christianized and named after Gen. Henry Ware Lawton, the highest ranking casualty in the war with the Filipinos. Busses and jeeps still now the place as "Lawton" even after more than six decades since it was re-named as a fitting honor to one of the notable sons of Manila: Andres Bonifacio.

It was a witness to the intrigue that surrounded and soon destroyed the reputation of the corporation as issues of missing mail and money orders grew large and spread like wildfire into the whole of the nation... a big set back to the only thing that once connected the many islands of the archipelago. The corporation still has a long way to go to bring back and gather the trust of the people they are serving.

Stamps: A mirror

Philately records the many faces of the country and the world, giving a mirror into what was and what is. In celebration of many things like the inauguration of a new president or the passing of a law. After some time, the government even used the stamps themselves to promote the main projects of the government, lauding praise for the president. They also commemorate anniversaries and give honor to men and women who were leading figures in the history of the Philippines and those that shaped the course of the future.

Then it featured nationalism, themes that delved into nature and the arts. The stamps themselves become an art form so elegant and worth collecting, just as many men of before and now still continue this glorious past time of collecting stamps.

The Post Office itself houses a whole collection of stamps, a small sample of a wonderful art in print. But the museum itself was clearly unattractive and unkept. The whole exhibit was dark, with none of the adequate lighting expected of museums of such wonderful specimens. It was hot, having viewed this place in summer, and it had no adequate air conditioning. Banes for any tourist, the exhibit itself would have attracted tourists if it had it made known to the tourism world and placed it in a more attractive space, one that does not go to a random building full of dust.

One other thing that I found quite... well... annoying is the fact that they had no labels. At least not all of the items. Which leaves any visitor to the museum wondering what is what. It would have been better, of course, if it had tourist guides to explain the fascinating story behind each item. But,alas, this is too much of a dream for them too accomplish.

In my opinion, the Philippine Post Office must;

a. Organize a tour of the whole structure

This would mean more people, students and foreigners alike, will find interest in the Post Office and would therefore have some of the budget from the fees collected from the organized tours of the facility. It should be really publicized so that even schools would op to visiting this historically-significant place rather than some mall.

b. Re-locate the exhibit

Or at the very least, add air conditioning and add lighting and labels to all of the items concerned. Why? AN exhibit will fascinate anyone, making them curious about stamps. In the end, it will even attract the youth to collect stamps and that will in turn be business for the post office. The place where the museum is located in its present condition, I'm sorry to say, is hardly attractive. If anything, it repels people, looking like a haunted house and whatnot.

c. Remove the squatters surrounding Liwasang Bonifacio

Seriously. They ward off people.

d. Promote a new image of the Philpost/re-update the website

The people are more on the web, so what better way of attracting attention and providing information than by posting info on the web? This, and some options regarding alternative ways to purchase stamps and to have them mailed to anyone interested will be a great boost for the world of Philately and the Post Office. 

If only they could do that, well, let's just say that this gem has hope of getting polished once more.

Afternote:

Mr. Lawrence Chan and the Filipinas Stamp Collectors' Club have a monthly tour of the Manila Post Office and other locations for free (plus donations and museum fees). It is guaranteed to be the most awesome tour of the city. 

For more info, please contact:

Mrs. Josie Tiongson – Cura – ( 0917-9800708 / GLOBE )
Everyday -preferably office hours

Mr. Lawrence Chan – ( 0919-3901671) anytime preferably 7:00am to past 10PM Email:L_rence_2003@yahoo.com.
Mr. Rey Ong De Jesus- Education and Exhibition
(577-1297) Monday to Saturday 8am to 5pm only

SOUTH BIKE fully supports any inquiries on the facts noted on this page or for any question regarding this article, the pictures and other materials on this blog. All pictures are property of South Bike and Midsummer Daydreams Film & Photography and may be used for any non-profit material, post and/or article.

What's Up, Cavite?

Election fever kicks in as the traditional mud-slinging of candidates push through, with flyers full of dirty accusations and un-founded statements fill the streets and highways of Cavite. Alleyways, billboards, walls, buildings and houses are being posted and plastered with posters, stickers and canvasses with the politician's names and pictures: Some of them doing so "the wrong way" as Comelec issued a resolution declaring guidelines that have been oh-so violated by what locals call "Epals"

Recently, me... as a contributor to the fight against rule violations of politicians and to ensure a better elections and prevent things like the first picture (which shows a blatant violation of the regulation), was confronted by what I shall call a "loyalist." 

Our talk went as follows: I was biking and taking pictures of violations when I spotted a violation, two posters of a city council candidate on the very window of the local barangay hall, an act disobeying the Commission on Elections ruling on that matter. I approached the poster, took out my camera, and that was when three men inside the facility spotted me. The people there tried to take my camera, which resulted in a debate between a legality of my actions and the man's concept of his power.

So pathetic for that man.

In this case, the lawmen themselves do not know what the law is and, in trying to keep their concept of the law and of their power, they harass people who really know the law and the people who try to enforce them. They used brute power on me, something that I will always condemn. But I did not reciprocate, I used my words and the power of my freedom to post the whole conversation on Facebook, leaving out his name as a final mercy  for him. 

How Barangay Officials Handle Situations In Bacoor

Me: *Taking pictures of Comelec Poster Resolution Violations in Barangay Hall*
Barangay Councilor: Sir, para saan po iyan? *forcibly tries to grab my camera*
Me: Bakit? Bawal po ba?
Barangay Councilor: Nakuhaan nyo na eh, delete mo. *Tries to take hold of my camera*
Me: Sir, Private Property po yan at di nyo maari yang gawin sa akin ng walang pahintulot at walang dahilan.
Barangay Councilor: Taga saan ka ba? Ire-report kita. Councilor ako dito.
Me: Bakit? Ano pangalan mo?
Barangay Councilor: Ako nagtatanong. Taga-saan ka?
Me: Panapaan 5. Eh paano ko malalaman kung talagang tauhan ka dito?
Barangay Councilor: Sino Barangay Captain n'yo?
Me: Jorwin Revilla. Kapatid ni Jordana. Yung naka-wheelchair.
Barangay Councilor: Eh, para saan ba yang kinukuhaan mo?
Me: Paano ko'ng sinabi ko na hobby ko ang photography?
Barangay Councilor: Yun naman pala eh.
Me: *tries to take pictures*
Barangay Councilor: *blocks the way* Ako nga pala si Barangay Councilor _____.

Happened today. Justinville/Panapaan VII, Bacoor City, Cavite.