Historian’s Nook

Carriedo Street.  Carriedo Station.  Sa isang payak na pedestriyan o komyuter, pamilyar ang mga pangalang ito.  Kung ikaw ay tutungo sa Simbahan ng Quiapo o maging sa SM Quaipo upang makipagtagpo sa iyong kasuyo, tumbok ng kalsadang ito ang mga nasabing tagpuan, lalupa’t kung ikaw ay manggagaling sa Rizal Avenue o mas kilala bilang Avenida.  Kung isa ka namang masugid na pasahero ng LRT, pihadong nadaanan mo na ang istasyong ito minsan sa iyong buhay.  Kung hindi mo pa batid (o kung madalas kang tulog sa biyahe ng tren), ito ay nasa pagitan ng mga istasyon ng Central Terminal (malapit sa may Manila City Hall) at Doroteo Jose.  Mas lalo pang sumikat ang kalsadang ito nang ilipat ng NBI ang kanyang mahalagang tanggapan para sa mga taong nagnanais kumuha ng clearance upang makapagtrabaho sa loob man o labas ng bansa.  Sa mga karatula ng mga dyip, maaari mong maaninag ang pangalang Carriedo bilang destinasyon ng iyong patutunguhan.  Subali’t maliban sa mga bagay na ito, dito lang ba nagtatapos ang ating pagkilala sa pangalang Carriedo? 

Sa kasaysayan ng pampublikong kalusugan (o public health) sa Pilipinas, ang pagkakaroon ng malinis na inumin ay sinasabing nagsimula noong 1690 sa pamamagitan ng pagtatayo ng isang sistemang patubig sa San Juan del Monte na maghahatid ng tubig sa Maynila at karatig-lugar nito.  Ito ay utang ng mga taga-Maynila kay Padre Juan Peguero, isang Dominiko, na siyang nagpasimula ng sistemang ito.  Gayundin naman, dahil sa pilantropong si Heneral Don Francisco de Carriedo, mas lalo pang mapag-iibayo ang sistemang patubig sa Maynila.

Noong 1732, si Don Carriedo ay nag-iwan ng halagang sampung libong piso sa pamahalaan upang gamitin sa pagpapagawa ng isang makabagong sistemang patubig sa Maynila.  Sa kasamaang palad, ang salaping ito ay nagugol ng pamahalaan sa pakikipaglaban sa mga Ingles na pansamantalang sumakop sa Maynila noong 1762 hanggang 1764.  Sa disenyo ni Don Genaro Palacios, ang proyekto ay nasimulan lamang noong 1878 at pinasinayaan noong 1882.  Ang sistemang ito ay tinatayang magtatagal ng dalawampung taon subalit sa katotohanan ay tumagal pa ng hanggang limampung taon. 

Bilang pagpupugay sa taong ito, isang makasaysayang palatandaan ang matutunghayan ngayon sa tapat ng Simbahan ng Sta-Cruz malapit sa lugar ng Ongpin.  Ang mga fountains sa liwasang ito ay nagsisilbing alaala sa dakilang adhikaing pinasimulan ni Don Carriedo para sa mga mamamayan ng Maynila.

Films are important teaching aids.  Students learn not only from the lectures given by their teachers but also from the movies they watch in classrooms (as well as in the outside, of course).  In my work, I have observed that historical films either reinforce or contradict what books usually state on the matter at hand.  And this is where the students’ critical judgment come to a test. 

For me and as far as I can remember, here are some of the more contemporary historical films that I enjoyed watching.  My Top 7 (not necessarily in order) are as follows: 

1)      Gandhi

2)      Schindler’s List

3)      The Gladiator

4)      Braveheart

5)      Alexander

6)      Elizabeth

7)      Joan of Arc

While lectures and discussions on history seem to bore you, try watching historical films.  Perhaps it may help you change that attitude.

Our very own University of the Philippines Manila is one of the four constituent universities of the UP System.  It is the country’s leading center of excellence in health education, training and research.  UP Manila continues to grow and develop in order to uphold the institution’s vision of becoming the focal point of Philippine educational system. 

Presently, UP Manila is composed of Executive Offices (Office of the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellors), ten degree-granting units with 48 academic departments, four non-degree-granting units, 16 Philippine General Hospital (PGH) clinical departments, eight National Institutes of Health (NIH) research institutes, and 21 central administration offices.  Under the Office of the Chancellor are the Staff Offices of the Vice Chancellors, Sentro ng Wika, Center for Gender and Women Studies, Office of Anti-Sexual Harassment, Committee on Culture and the Arts, the degree granting units, PGH, and NIH.  Furthermore, the Budget Office, Information Management Services Office, Information, Publication and Public Affairs Office (IPPAO), Internal Audit Office, and Legal Office shall be under the direct supervision of the Chancellor. 

The outgoing chancellor, Dr. Marita V. T. Reyes (2002 – 2005), has been at the forefront of major issues confronting the university.  Under her term, the cornerstone of university’s goals has been involved in developing a socially responsible UP Manila.  The administration has adhered and advanced the ‘values of excellence, relevance, cost-effectiveness and justice in various programs and services’.  Moreover, it has responded dynamically to the rising needs of different units and has tried to strengthen the university’s institutional capacity to assist its constituents in developing their ‘academic, administrative, research and infrastructure capabilities’.  As emphasized by Chancellor Reyes, UP Manila should not only devote its efforts in providing an excellent professional health education but must also strive hard in order to become a ‘relevant and socially responsible institution’.  Quoting from UP Manila Annual Report 2003, it declared that: “for every administrator and employee, the operative question should be: what should UP Manila offer the Filipino in terms of academic programs, service programs and research programs?”   

Similar to other organizations, UP Manila continues to evolve.  Our university should live up to its reputation as an outstanding and eminent institution of higher learning.  Henceforth, it must not only face challenges head on but should also serve as a catalyst of change – all these with the chancellor at the helm. 

For those people who interest themselves on foods, here are some facts that you may find intriguing and amusing.  I am currently reading the book Why Do Donuts Have Holes by Don Voorhees (New York: Kensington Publishing Corp., 2004) and I find it very entertaining.  For starters, did you know that:

1)  the first printed book containing recipes was published in 1475 titled Concerning Honest Pleasure and Physical Well-Being and authored by Plantina (Bartolomeo Sacchi), a Vatican librarian?

2)  the longest running ‘food conflict’ between two states was probably the Maryland-Virginia Oyster Wars (over the rights to catch oysters in the Potomac River and Bay) originated in 1632 and ended only in 1962?

3)  the Japanese did not invent tempura but it was the Jesuit missionaries who did introduce it in Japan in 1585 (with the term originating from the Portuguese term temporras meaning ‘Friday’, the day when deep-fried fish was eaten)?

4)  while people love milk on their cornflakes, cows love eating cornflakes while making milk?

5)   the milk production record for a single cow was a whopping 55,600 pounds in one year?

6)   brain freeze is caused by dilation of the blood vessels in the head and may be caused by a nerve center located above the roof of the mouth?

7)   the first banana split maker was David Strickler, a pharmacy apprentice in Pennsylvania, in 1904?

    of all fruits, the fig is the sweetest with a sugar content of 55%?

9)   mango is the most popular fruit being eaten while grape is the most  cultivated in the world?

10) grapefruit juice is sometimes dangerous to drink if you are taking medication?

Simply fascinating and informative.

Watching movies is another favorite pastime of mine.  To elucidate this point, I have come to discover that I can endure watching three consecutive films in my favorite cinema theatres - all these within a single day.  (That’s approximately from around 12 noon till 7 in the evening.)  Goodness.  Indeed, patience is a virtue…

As far as I can remember, here is a personal list when it comes to my favorite films and movies.  My Top 7 (not necessarily in order) are as follows:

1)    The Emperors’ Club

2)    A Beautiful Mind

3)    Forrest Gump

4)   Cinderella Man

5)    Goodwill Hunting

6)    I Am Sam      

7)  The Passion of the Christ 

So take a break.  Relax.  See a movie.  Nay, make that three movies…

We are but mere humans.  We are not perfect.  Sometimes, we do make mistakes.  We slip accidentally or fall off a cliff.  Without any signs, without any hints.  But the good thing is that every time we take a fall and stumble, we can always get back on track in no time. 

I’m not a saint.  I’ve done grave mistakes in the past to the point of even hurting people along the way.  If I could only bring back the hands of time I would, so that I can be able to un-hurt individuals who I may have offended in the past.  My sincerest apologies.  Nevertheless, I’ve learned my lesson. I really do.  Regrets are wastes of time, as one movie goes.  Again, the good thing about life is that lessons are being learned in each step of the way.  Don’t ever miss them. 

Between free will and destiny, I’d go for free will.  We do things because we want it done.  We chose things because we basically want it.  Not because of fate or sheer luck.  We decide.  We choose.  And for all my faults, I am sorry.     

Teaching was never a career option for me.  My first choice campus was Diliman hoping to take an engineering course.  But somehow, I ended up waitlisted in the PT course, before I opted to take the Dentistry course.  Late as it may seem, I shifted from the course and again returned to the hallways of Rizal Hall – this time taking a CAS-based course, Area Studies.  And the rest is history, literally and figuratively..

An ancient Chinese proverb states, ‘teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself’.  It is an opportunity that I take everyday when students open up themselves to embrace the wealth of knowledge and wisdom history (and Jose Rizal) can offer them.  William James once said, ‘the great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it’.  It is in teaching that I found my true purpose in life.     

Opisyal na ang pagtatapos ng unang semestre para sa AY 2005-2006 noong nakaraang ika-1 ng Oktubre.  Napakatulin nga ang pagtakbo ng panahon.  Noong Hunyo lamang ay tinatalakay ko sa klase ang kahalagahan ng kasaysayan.  Bakit kinakailangang pag-aralan pa ito?  Ano ang mahihita natin dito?  Mayroon nga ba o wala na?  Hulyo at Agosto nang sinaklaw namin ang prehistorya ng kapuluan at ang pagdating ng mga Espanyol sa napakagandang paraiso ng Pilipinas.  Setyembre nang ungkatin namin ang mga pangyayari sa gitna ng naglalagablab na mga kaganapan sa panahon ng Himagsikang Pilipino.  Setyembre rin nang aming batikusin ang pandarambong na ginawa ng mga Amerikano sa mga Pilipino sa mga unang taon ng kanilang pananakop.  Ika-11 ng Seytembre nang dalhin ko ang aking mga estudyante sa Corregidor upang matunghayan ang kabayanihan diumano ng mga sundalo sa harap ng mga mapanalasang mga Hapones.  Sa mga gawaing ito, tanong ko sa mga mag-aaral, ikaw nga ba ay mayroong napala? 

Matapos ang daan-daang mga bluebooks na winasto at minalian… matapos ang walang puknat na pagbabasa ng mga term papers, reaction papers, position papers, film reviews, article reviews at kung anu-ano pa… matapos ang pagtutuos sa mga numero sa aking scratch papers at computer, ngayon nga ay panahon na – panahon na upang isipin kung sino ang magpapatuloy sa mas mataas na antas ng pag-aaral ng kasaysayan at kung sino ang kinakailangan pang maghasa ang isip at magbanat ng buto sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas.  Para sa akin, kung ano ang ipinundar mo sa klase ay siya ring aanihin mo sa classcard.  Mas maliwanag pa ‘yan sa sikat ng araw.  Walang duda.  Mayroon pang ilang araw upang mag-isip-isip kung sinu-sino ang makakaalpas at maiiwan.  Moment of truth ‘ika nga.  Magdasal.  Magnobena.  Mangilin. 

Assembling jigsaw puzzles is my principal hobby - especially those puzzles numbering a thousand pieces and more.  I like the challenge.  Very much.  In fact, I have assembled 11 jigsaws and still counting.  Ten of these puzzles are of scenery-type found in different parts of the world.  The eleventh puzzle seems like an old map, perhaps sketched during the medieval times.  I still have four puzzles waiting on the line: Mt. Rush More (U.S.A.), the Angkor Wat (a Christmas present from a former student), Napoleon Bonaparte, and Mona Lisa (a 2,000-piece puzzle).  The last two puzzles (plus the aforementioned old map) were the prizes we won (with friends) from a jigsaw competition we joined last year where we placed second.  Definitely.  Absolutely.  I am a jigsaw addict.