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(Continued on page 10)(Continued on page 17)
 Lay-Offs: So what 
if I got red?
(Continued on page 17)(Continued on page 18)
Menfolk dressed up as Spanish soldiers lift the altar bearing the
image of the Sto. Niño as it arrives at the Cebu port after a uvial 
 procession. PhilStar photo by ALDO NELBERT 
 Parshooters Golf Club
: Front row: L-R seated: Marissa Nave, AndyVerbs, secretary/treasurer/coordinator, and Ed Carangian. 2
nd 
row: L-R seated: Ted Calaustro, Vice Pres., Ding Cope, Gus Martinez, Vic Oro- pilla, Ed Bassig and Ed Madriaga. 3
rd 
row: L-R standing: Nick Sunga, Ed Samaniego, Mike Echada, Mark Santos, Paul Cruz, Mars Marcelo, Dan Magno, Tim Mendoza, Ted Delunas, Handicap Chair, Matt Mazon, President; Fred Bihis, Armando Bareno, Raul Gonzales, Lito Parani, Amor Garingo, Art Buangan, tournament chairman and Bob Navales. 4
th
 row: L-R: Rino Belisario, Ruben Caballa and George David. Participant not in picture: Buddy Olivar, Brandy Brandenburg, Moreno David, WillieVelasco and Jack Bolado. See story on page 14.
Parshooters Golf Club of San Diego held its15
th
year with the championship tournamentin December 9, 2008 at the Salt Creek GolfCourse with tremendous success.
 By Edu Punay
Several gays and lesbiansin Quezon City have optednot to push for their accep-tance in major churches in thecountry and have instead putup a chapter of the 40-year-old American church for their kind, the Universal Fellow-ship Metropolitan CommunityChurch (MCC).
Gays, lesbiansform own church
REDWOOD CITY, CA,January 15, 2009 – Hot onthe heels of its very success-ful premieres in Los Angelesand the San Francisco BayArea (Redwood City), Star Cinema’s Love Me Again(Land Down Under) is nowset for its multi-city U.S.theatrical run this January.Love Me Again (LandDown Under) set a record by
 being the rst Filipino lm
to be screened abroad before being shown in the Philip- pines. The world premiereswere held last December 6 inLos Angeles and December 7 in Redwood City, attended
no less by the lm’s stars,
Piolo Pascual and AngelLocsin. They were joined byactor-singer Sam Milby,
 Blockbuster lm to have regular screenings in several U.S. cities in January
“Love Me Again (Land Down Under)”set for North America theatrical run
 Love Me Again (Land Down Un-der) stars Angel Locsin and Piolo Pascual attended the world pre-
mieres of their lm in Los Angeles
and San Francisco Bay Area last  December. (Photo by Tara Kitta)
 By Edmund M. Silvestre Philstar 
Citing his late Filipino fa-
ther’s strong inuence on his
 political as- pirations, this
rst genera
-tion Filipino-Americanmember of the UnitedStates Con-gress wassworn in onJan. 6, alongwith other freshmen belonging tothe 111th Congress.Rep. Steve Austria, aRepublican and former statesenator who is now rep-resenting Ohio’s large 7thcongressional district, alsoholds the distinction of beingelected president of his in-
 A Fil-Am on Capitol Hill
(Continued on page 14)
coming congressional class.As head of the batch, he willmeet weekly with a leader-
ship team to “nd common
-ality with our freshman classto help move good policyforward.”The new congressmen
rst took their oath in an
early afternoon group cere-mony at the House Chamber on Capitol Hill. They were
 Busy streets in Quiapo (photos by John Brian Silverio)
 Narding was a hard-worker and a good person. He would surely be a good husband and provider -- a prizedcatch for any decentwoman in town. Theonly problem was thathe fell in love not witha decent woman, butwith Clarita, a tall, fair-skinned prostitute with asad but beautiful face.
See page 5
Quiapo Memories:
Narding
 A photo coverage of President Barack Obama’s inauguration by the Na-
tional Geographic News depicting the American and Kenyan ags.
For the children of immi-grants who were raised inthis country, the countryheld possibility. To our  parents or grandparentswho left both hardship andfamiliarity to make a lifein America, this countryheld boundless opportuni-ties. Yet as the younger generations grew up inthis nation, we also sawunspoken restrictions andglass ceilings.
By
Ashley Silverio
 Assistant Editor 
The San DiegoAsian Journal
For the rst time, I heard
the voice of reality comingfrom the Capitol. A manspoke before millions andwith his words captured a
 President Barack Obama’s Inauguration
 A possibility for the childrenof immigrants in America
vision of America as I knowit. President Obama’s inaugu-ral address depicted the fears,concerns, and hopes of manyacross country.For many who have longtired of the empty rhetoric of the past administration, theinaugural address was like being spoken to as an adult,with full understanding of the issues and investment inthe future. The coherent as-sessment of our nation’s
January 23 - 29, 2009
Msgr. Gutierrez
Entertainment
The Second Coming of Ipe
42/70 and Counting!
Riz A. Oades
 Philstar 
WASHINGTON – TheWorld Bank said on Wednes-day it had uncovered a major cartel involving local and
international rms bidding on
a Philippine road project andit had barred seven companies – three from the Philippinesand four from China – from bidding on its projects due toalleged corruption.The World Bank’s cor-
ruption-ghting unit said therms were blacklisted for 
“engaging in collusive prac-tices” during the bidding of 
the project nanced by the
Washington global develop-ment lender.Investigation by the bank “uncovered evidence of a ma- jor cartel involving local and
international rms bidding on
contracts under phase one of the Philippines’ National
Bidding for RP road project rigged - World Bank 
 
Page 2January 23 - 29, 2009 Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.com
Father Francisco Truong BuuDiego, a martyred priest fromVietnam, has been gaining a lot of devotees because of the miraclesattributed to him. Many peopleclaim that their petitions have beengranted when they prayed for him tointercede in their behalf in seekingGod’s favors. These devotees arenow telling people about Father Francisco’s miracles and martyr-dom. They hope that more miracles by him may occur that would resultto his eventual sainthood. If youwant to seek God’s favor, please pray the following. If your favor has been granted, please let us know.Thank you.
Prayer
Dear Lord, Dear Father 
You are the greatest saint within.The all-powerful savior. Pleasehear my prayers and help meovercome the hardships that I nowendure.(Please say hardships or peti-tions)Thank you, Lord.
Biography of FatherFrancisco Truong Buu Diep
Father Francisco Truong BuuDiep was born on January 1, 1897and was baptized on February 2,1897 at Con-Phuoc Parish, An Gi-ang Province in Vietnam. In 1904,when he was seven years old, hismother passed away. He followedhis father to Bactantang, Cambodia.In 1909, he entered Cu Lao GiengSeminary then the PhnompenSeminary in Cambodia. In 1924,he was ordained into priesthood inPhonmpen, Cambodia. From 1924to 1927, he was a reverend of Ho-Tru Parish, a Vietnamese missionin Kandal, Cambodia. He taught atthe seminary in Cu-Lao-Gieng from1927 to 1929. In March 1930, he became the pastor of Sac-Tay- Par-ish. Father Diep helped establishother parishes including Ba-Doc,Cam-Do, An-Hai, Chi-Chi, KhucTreo, Ding-Go and Rach-Ran.Between 1945 and 1946, the war years, havoc and disarray forced people to evacuate to safer areas.Father Diep’s superior had orderedhim to evacuate and only returnwhen thing settled. But he refused
and said: “I will live with the ock 
and if necessary will die with them.I shall not abandon them.”On March 12, 1946, he was cap-tured along with 70 parishioners of Tac-Say and imprisoned. He foughtand died in place for the peoplethat were imprisoned together withhim.He was buried in a catacomb of the Khuc-Treo Church. In 1969,his remains were moved to the Tao-Sau Church. He served 16 yeas as pastor.
“A good Shepherd sacriced hislife for the ock,” Father Francisco
Truong Buu Diep had indeed fol-lowed the word of the Lord, He had
offered his life to God and sacricedfor his ock.
When his tormentors were aboutto kill all of them, he offered hislife and asked his captors to let his
ock go. He was beheaded and his
 body was thrown away in an undis-closed area.Some of the miracles people be-lieve he had performed are:1) He was believed to have led people to the discovery of his body.2) When people did not have theconstruction materials to build a proper shrine for him, constructionsmaterials were delivered, allegedlyordered and paid for a person bear-ing Father Francisco’s image.Thousands of people troop to hisshrine on March 12 to pray for andask him to intercede in their behalf in seeking God’s favors.If you want more informationor help spread the word on Father Francisco, please call Rose Hina-hon of Hongkong Boutique besideSeafood City in National City attelephone number (619) 336-2456.
Send your petitions to God throughFather Francisco Truong Buu Diejo
Barack Obama takes the oath of ofce
to become the 44th president of theUnited States in Washington, …Text of President Barack Obama’sinaugural address on Tuesday, asdelivered.OBAMA: My fellow citizens:I stand here today humbled by thetask before us, grateful for the trust youhave bestowed, mindful of the sacri-
ces borne by our ancestors. I thank 
President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity andcooperation he has shown throughoutthis transition.Forty-four Americans have now takenthe presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of pros- perity and the still waters of peace. Yet,every so often the oath is taken amidstgathering clouds and raging storms. Atthese moments, America has carried onnot simply because of the skill or vision
of those in high ofce, but because we
the people have remained faithful to theideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.So it has been. So it must be with thisgeneration of Americans.That we are in the midst of crisis isnow well understood. Our nation is atwar, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economyis badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the partof some, but also our collective failureto make hard choices and prepare thenation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shut-tered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the wayswe use energy strengthen our adversar-ies and threaten our planet.These are the indicators of crisis, sub- ject to data and statistics. Less measur-able but no less profound is a sapping of 
condence across our land — a nagging
fear that America’s decline is inevitable,and that the next generation must lower its sights.Today I say to you that the challengeswe face are real. They are serious andthey are many. They will not be meteasily or in a short span of time. But
know this, America — they will be met.
On this day, we gather because wehave chosen hope over fear, unity of 
 purpose over conict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim anend to the petty grievances and false
Text of PresidentBarack Obama’sinaugural address
 promises, the recriminations and wornout dogmas, that for far too long havestrangled our politics.We remain a young nation, but inthe words of Scripture, the time hascome to set aside childish things. The
time has come to reafrm our enduring
spirit; to choose our better history; tocarry forward that precious gift, thatnoble idea, passed on from generationto generation: the God-given promisethat all are equal, all are free and alldeserve a chance to pursue their fullmeasure of happiness.
In reafrming the greatness of our 
nation, we understand that greatness isnever a given. It must be earned. Our  journey has never been one of shortcutsor settling for less. It has not been the
 path for the faint-hearted — for those
who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the
doers, the makers of things — some cel
-ebrated but more often men and womenobscure in their labor, who have carriedus up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.For us, they packed up their fewworldly possessions and traveled acrossoceans in search of a new life.For us, they toiled in sweatshops andsettled the West; endured the lash of thewhip and plowed the hard earth.For us, they fought and died, in placeslike Concord and Gettysburg; Norman-dy and Khe Sanh.Time and again these men and women pended not just on the size of our grossdomestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend
opportunity to every willing heart — 
not out of charity, but because it is thesurest route to our common good.As for our common defense, we rejectas false the choice between our safetyand our ideals. Our founding fathers ...our found fathers, faced with perils wecan scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rightsof man, a charter expanded by the bloodof generations. Those ideals still lightthe world, and we will not give themup for expedience’s sake. And so to allthe other peoples and governments whoare watching today, from the grandestcapitals to the small village where myfather was born: know that America isa friend of each nation and every man,woman, and child who seeks a future of  peace and dignity, and that we are readyto lead once more.Recall that earlier generations faceddown fascism and communism not justwith missiles and tanks, but with sturdyalliances and enduring convictions.They understood that our power alonecannot protect us, nor does it entitleus to do as we please. Instead, theyknew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates fromthe justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.We are the keepers of this legacy.Guided by these principles once more,we can meet those new threats that
demand even greater effort — even
greater cooperation and understand-ing between nations. We will begin toresponsibly leave Iraq to its people, andforge a hard-earned peace in Afghani-stan. With old friends and former foes,we will work tirelessly to lessen thenuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apolo-gize for our way of life, nor will wewaver in its defense, and for those whoseek to advance their aims by inducingterror and slaughtering innocents, wesay to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot out-last us, and we will defeat you.For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weak-ness. We are a nation of Christians
and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and
non-believers. We are shaped by everylanguage and culture, drawn from everyend of this Earth; and because we havetasted the bitter swill of civil war andsegregation, and emerged from thatdark chapter stronger and more united,we cannot help but believe that the oldhatreds shall someday pass; that thelines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that asthe world grows smaller, our commonhumanity shall reveal itself; and thatAmerica must play its role in usheringin a new era of peace.To the Muslim world, we seek a newway forward, based on mutual interestand mutual respect. To those lead-ers around the globe who seek to sow
conict, or blame their society’s ills onthe West — know that your people will
 judge you on what you can build, notwhat you destroy. To those who clingto power through corruption and deceitand the silencing of dissent, know thatyou are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are
willing to unclench your st.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make
your farms ourish and let clean watersow; to nourish starved bodies and feed
hungry minds. And to those nations likeours that enjoy relative plenty, we saywe can no longer afford indifference tothe suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resourceswithout regard to effect. For the worldhas changed, and we must change withit.As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humblegratitude those brave Americans who, atthis very hour, patrol far-off deserts anddistant mountains. They have somethingto tell us, just as the fallen heroes wholie in Arlington whisper through theages. We honor them not only becausethey are guardians of our liberty, but be-cause they embody the spirit of service;
a willingness to nd meaning in some
-thing greater than themselves. And yet,
at this moment — a moment that willdene a generation — it is precisely this
spirit that must inhabit us all.For as much as government can doand must do, it is ultimately the faithand determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.It is the kindness to take in a stranger 
when the levees break, the seless
-ness of workers who would rather cuttheir hours than see a friend lose their  job which sees us through our darkest
hours. It is the reghter’s courage tostorm a stairway lled with smoke, but
also a parent’s willingness to nurture a
child, that nally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. Theinstruments with which we meet themmay be new. But those values upon
which our success depends — hard
work and honesty, courage and fair  play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty
and patriotism — these things are old.
These things are true. They have beenthe quiet force of progress throughoutour history. What is demanded then is areturn to these truths. What is requiredof us now is a new era of responsibil-
ity — a recognition, on the part of every
American, that we have duties to our-selves, our nation, and the world, dutiesthat we do not grudgingly accept but
rather seize gladly, rm in the knowl
-edge that there is nothing so satisfying
to the spirit, so dening of our charac
-
ter, than giving our all to a difcult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our condence — the knowledge that God calls on us
to shape an uncertain destiny.This is the meaning of our liberty
and our creed — why men and women
and children of every race and everyfaith can join in celebration across
this magnicent Mall, and why a man
whose father less than sixty years agomight not have been served at a localrestaurant can now stand before you totake a most sacred oath.So let us mark this day with remem- brance, of who we are and how far wehave traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying
campres on the shores of an icy river.
The capital was abandoned. The enemywas advancing. The snow was stainedwith blood. At a moment when theoutcome of our revolution was most indoubt, the father of our nation orderedthese words be read to the people:“Let it be told to the future world ...that in the depth of winter, when noth-ing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmedat one common danger, came forth tomeet (it).”America, in the face of our commondangers, in this winter of our hardship,let us remember these timeless words.With hope and virtue, let us brave oncemore the icy currents, and endure whatstorms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we weretested we refused to let this journeyend, that we did not turn back nor did
we falter; and with eyes xed on the
horizon and God’s grace upon us, wecarried forth that great gift of freedomand delivered it safely to future genera-tions.Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
struggled and sacriced and worked till
their hands were raw so that we mightlive a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individualambitions; greater than all the differ-ences of birth or wealth or faction.This is the journey we continue today.We remain the most prosperous, power-ful nation on Earth. Our workers areno less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive,our goods and services no less neededthan they were last week or last monthor last year. Our capacity remainsundiminished. But our time of stand-ing pat, of protecting narrow interestsand putting off unpleasant decisions
 — that time has surely passed. Starting
today, we must pick ourselves up, dustourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.For everywhere we look, there iswork to be done. The state of the econ-omy calls for action, bold and swift,
and we will act — not only to create
new jobs, but to lay a new foundationfor growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digitallines that feed our commerce and bindus together. We will restore science toits rightful place, and wield technol-ogy’s wonders to raise health care’squality and lower its cost. We will har-ness the sun and the winds and the soilto fuel our cars and run our factories.And we will transform our schools andcolleges and universities to meet thedemands of a new age. All this we cando. All this we will do. Now, there are some who question
the scale of our ambitions — who
suggest that our system cannot toleratetoo many big plans. Their memoriesare short. For they have forgotten whatthis country has already done; whatfree men and women can achieve whenimagination is joined to common pur- pose, and necessity to courage.What the cynics fail to understandis that the ground has shifted beneath
them — that the stale political argu
-ments that have consumed us for solong no longer apply. The question weask today is not whether our gov-ernment is too big or too small, but
whether it works — whether it helpsfamilies nd jobs at a decent wage,
care they can afford, a retirement that is
dignied. Where the answer is yes, we
intend to move forward. Where the an-swer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will
 be held to account — to spend wisely,
reform bad habits, and do our business
in the light of day — because only then
can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expandfreedom is unmatched, but this crisishas reminded us that without a watchfuleye, the market can spin out of control
 — and that a nation cannot prosper long
when it favors only the prosperous. Thesuccess of our economy has always de-
 President Barack Obama deliver-ing his inaugural address.
LAW OFFICES OF
E.B. ALEJO
“20+ Years Experience” 
 Been living in San Diego since 1977 
 Attorney is available daily on regular business days at the San Diego Office
*Member, California State Bar Licensed to practice before the US Federal District CourtSouthern California and California Supreme Court*Author,”How to Apply for the US Tourist Visa” as listed byworldwide bookseller Amazon.com Bookstores*Former San Diego Regional Coordinator for U.S. ImmigrationAmnesty for Catholic Community Services, Catholic Diocese of San Diego*Legal Advisor, Los Chabacanos of Cavite CityAssociation, Inc., San Diego, California*Juris Doctor law degree, University of San Diego (1985),Diploma; Oxford Institute on International andComparative Law (USD), Oxford, England (1984);Bachelor Degree, University of Southern California (1983);Montgomery High School, San Diego (1979)*Born in the Philippines (Cavite)
For your convenience, walk-ins accepted especially between 2:00pm – 7:00pmBusiness days Monday to Friday 
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Convenient location and plenty of free parking;Near Chula Vista trolley station. Nagsasalita kami ng Tagalog
call (619) 203-5782 • (619) 254-7610
We can help you stop worrying about your legal problems.
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Page 3 Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.comJanuary 23 - 29, 2009
The 15-foot stone pylon in Daet, Ca-marines Norte, which was completed in February 1899, was the country’s
 rst memorial marker for Dr. Jose P. Rizal. PhilStar Photo by BERNARDSUPETRAN 
 By Bernard Supetran Philstar 
The 15-foot stone pylon in Daet, Ca-marines Norte, which was completedin February 1899, was the country’s
rst memorial marker for Dr. Jose P.Rizal. BERNARD SUPETRANDAET, Camarines Norte — While
the Filipino nation pays homage to
national hero Dr. Jose Rizal on his
day of martyrdom, this quaint town of Daet, capital of Camarines Norte, isabuzz with activities around its own
Rizal monument.
The 15-foot-tall stone pylon namedafter the national hero is bereft of intricate design, but is in every way
special because it is the rst-ever Rizal memorial marker in the country.Situated in a river park, construc
-
tion of the memorial began on Dec.
30, 1898 in compliance with a decree
of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, president
of the revolutionary government, to
observe Dec. 30 as a national holidayin the “Free Philippines.”
It was completed in February 1899,
shortly after the outbreak of theFilipino-American War, antedating
 by about 14 years the monument inLuneta, which was inaugurated only
in 1912.By virtue of this act, Camarines Norte became the rst province tocelebrate Rizal Day.
The monument was built through
the nancial contributions of thetownsfolk of Camarines Norte andthe Bicol region, with Lt. ColonelsAntonio Sanz and Ildefonso Alegre of the Revolutionary Army leading itsconstruction.Designed by Sanz, the monument is
a three-tiered stone pylon, its square base surmounted by a two-leveltriangle, the last one tapering off to a
 point.The front face contains a black 
metal slab from the National Histori-cal Commission when it was declared
as a historical landmark in 1961.
Inscribed on the square podium are
Rizal’s popular novels—Noli Me Tan
-
gere, El Filibusterismo, and Morga, atribute to Antonio de Morga, author of Sucesos de las islas Filipinas in 1609,an important book on the early historyof the Spanish colonization.
On both sides of the topmost
triangle is an eight-rayed sun, a ve- pointed star and the phrase “A JoseRizal” (To Jose Rizal).However, unlike other monuments,
it does not bear any of his sculptured
images.According to oral accounts, the base
contains a time capsule containing thelist of contributors to the construction
of the monument.
It is also a widely accepted belief 
that Masons played an important role
Jose Rizal’s frst
monument revisited
in putting up the pylon because of its
 pronounced Masonic elements. Add tothis the fact that Aguinaldo and Sanzwere Masons.Masonic historian Reynold Fajardo
wrote in the bimonthly periodicalCabletow, “the monument is unques-
tionably Masonic, the squared base is
surmounted by a triangle; on the sides
of the triangle is a ve-pointed star and the all-seeing eye at the top.”“The First Rizal Monument is
a source of pride, not only for the
townsfolk but also for all Bicolanos. It
also attests to the people’s reverence
for Rizal and his ideals,” says DaetMayor Tito Sarion.He said Daet and the Provincial
Government of Camarines Norte
hold colorful Dec. 30 rites includ
-ing a street theater reenacting Rizal’smartyrdom, which concludes at the
Monument. There’s also a host of 
special events such as essay-writingand oratorical contests, socio-civic
activities and wreath laying.Sarion said Rizal’s life and ideals
inspired Daet’s political leaders andcitizenry to declare the municipality
as a “character town” in 2002.In recognition of the landmark’s
historic value, the National Historical
Institute (NHI) recently declared a
national monument by virtue of NHI
Resolution No. 12.
“Today, the monument is not onlya reminder of the greatness of the
Great Malayan, but also the top touristdrawer of Camarines Norte. Failure
to visit it when in Daet would be a
tragedy of monumental proportions,”he said.
CITY SENSE  By Paulo Alcazaren Philstar 
(First of two parts)
It was the best of times, it wasthe worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,it was the epoch of belief, it was theepoch of incredulity, it was the season
of Light, it was the season of Dark 
-ness, it was the spring of hope, it wasthe winter of despair, we had every-thing before us, we had nothing beforeus, we were all going direct to heaven,we were all going direct the other 
way... — Charles Dickens, A Tale of 
Two Cities
In last week’s column, “An IdealChristmas,” I featured downtown
movie houses and how they contrib-uted to the vibrancy of pre- and post-
war Manila. One of those ediceswas the Times Theater. The theater 
was probably scheduled to open inDecember 1940 but the construction
of the new Quezon Boulevard fronting
it may have led to its opening only in
March 1941.
That new boulevard is one of the
key elements in a story that brings tomind English novelist Charles Dick 
-
ens’ classic tale. Quezon Boulevardwas widened and extended to link oldManila with the planned new capitalof Quezon City. The tale of the twocities of Manila and Quezon is as dra
-matic and turbulent as that of London
and Paris; as told through the story of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton.But I will leave that to some youngPalanca aspirant to weave a compel
-
ling yarn that channels Dickens.
I recently found an old souvenir pro-gram that I thought I had misplacedamong my ever-growing collection
of ephemera on Manila in particular and Philippine cities in general. It
The best of Times
was from the 1941 inauguration of 
the Times Theater. Theater open
-ings were grand affairs then but what
made this event signicant was that
it pushed through despite the geo-
 political uncertainty that year. Europehad plunged into war. The Philip
-
 pines’ independence was imminent.All this produced an anxiety built on
fears of expansionist neighbors and
an America initially inclined to shut
itself off from the rest of the world’s
troubles.
The souvenir was optimistic, point-ing to a fact that holds true today:
That in the face of troubles (military, political or economic), people turnto the movies to escape. The souve
-
nir played on this as a justicationof the theater’s opening. “With the
threatening clouds on the horizon andamidst the turmoil of a perturbed andtroubled world the Times Theater,undaunted and unafraid, a center of 
 joy, an institution of 
happiness, a sym- bol and champion
of the Philippines’
 bright future inthis era of war isnow open for the public’s entertain-
ment.”
The architectof the theater wasyoung, new and tal-
ented. There were
less than a hundredregistered architects before the war and
Luis Ma. Araneta
entered their small
fraternity right before the tumult. Hecame from an upper-class background
 but little has been documented of 
his body of work. He is one of those
forgotten but talented modern Filipino
architects of the mid-century.Araneta graduated with a degree inarchitecture from the University of Santo Tomas in 1939. He was the ar 
-
chitect of the Makati Medical Center,the Manila Doctors Hospital and a
slew of private residences but it waswith the Times Theater that he made
his landmark debut; or rather a debutthat produced a Manila landmark thathas survived to this day.
The souvenir program described thearchitecture of the theater in the article
entitled “Arts, Science and IndustryPlay the Times Symphony.” The intro
-duction credits the structure as a col-
laborative effort between Araneta andengineer Jose Cortez, who “knows no
impossibility in solving the structural problems that modern architecture
 presents.”The rest of the article was a owery
description of the exterior and interior 
treatment. It started with the mainfaçade: “(The) center motif in the
scheme for the façade is the tower-
ing block of glass. Here, the march of 
time is symbolized in the use of glass,
a material once weak and disgustinglyfragile, now made rm and surpris
-ingly strong by the progress of science
…(suggesting) a look into the future.
 Night turns the tower of glass into a
monumental lamp — an expression of the triumph of time over darkness.”
The theme of architecture as “frozen
music” was used by the writer with
the description of the rest of the the-
ater: “Flanking the tower of glass are
columns depicting organ pipes; as if to prepare us for the great symphony
to be found within. …In the lobby the
music starts with a sombre tone as
reected by the oor of black marbleand columns of black carrara glass.”From the article, we know that thearchitect specied what was consid
-
ered modern materials then — steel
and structural glass mixed with luxuri-
ous native and imported materials likemarble, and Dao hardwood.Araneta reserved the most dramatic
note in his composition for the pro-
scenium, the frame for the projectedimages of the featured movies. Amagnicent mural was commissioned.The artist was Enrique Ruiz, known
for his illuminated illustrative type of 
murals in pre-war Manila.
The mural is made up of three pan-
els. The right panel features the “Vi
-
sion of the Architect.” It was meant
to personify “…the spirit of one man
glorifying the edice wherein shallspring the arts of lm, ction andcomedy. Fiction embodied by the pleading female gure, pleads for the
 preservation of truth and the art of 
serious thinking.”
The central panel tells the story of 
“The Wooing of Maria Makiling.”
This shows how much culturally
connected Manila was then with itssurrounding provinces. Finally, theleft panel portrayed “The inuenceof lm,” showing the “producer upholding the contribution” of his
art, the scripts, cameramen, actors
and a “family” of artists towards the
 production of the movies shown in the
theater.One nal innovation was introducedwith the Times Theater. It was a light
-ing effect that would not see popular-ity until much later, in the swinging
‘60s — blacklight. Intermissions were
a regular part of movies in those days,so the lighting of the mural and theinteriors were an important part of the
experience.
The article ended by placing the the-
ater in a perspective of the times (no pun intended), “The Times Theater stands — a great structure of steel and
concrete and glass and chromium andwood and a hundred other materi-
als — a product of modern mindsand modern mechanical power. In the
course of time, men have learned to
take advantage of the earth’s resourc
-es, developing them to their maxi-
mum perfection in order to t human
needs…Times Theatre is a notable
contribution to Manila Beautifu l —a
shining tribute to time, the moderntimes, the arts, industry and science
 — and the men who had courage to
erect such a structure in these troubled
times.”
F&L BERNABECORPORATION
TOLL FREE877-532-2677
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