LOS ULTIMOS DE FILIPINAS
- Jaime Picornell
- Jun 11, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 16, 2019
Amigos de España en Cebu will hold a regular meeting on June 25, a Tuesday, over lunch at Salon Barcelona of Casino Español de Cebu.
It is the first meeting since the arrival of the organization's president, Myra Gonzalez y Osmeña, from an extended sojourn in Spain, mostly spent in Sevilla.
She had a wonderful time with family and close friends. Myra was there during Semana Santa, Holy Week, which was quite rainy.
Some of the silver floats laden with antique statues, heavy silk hangings, and masses of flowers were unable to emerge from the churches and participate in the traditional processions. The rain would have greatly damaged the centuries-old polychromed statues.
A few weeks after Holy Week, Sevilla celebrated its traditional Feria which gathered the city's elite as well as thousands of visitors, to take part in "El Real de la Feria."
That is a daily procession of carriages drawn by horses colorfully festooned. There are also prominent people who take part on horse back, with celebrities getting their share of applause.
This year, there were over 3500 "casetas," booths filled with festive crowds enjoying fine wines, excellent tapas, and flamenco dancing. Of these, the most graceful are the "Sevillanas," and it takes two to perform it at its best.
During the June 25 meeting of "Amigos," there will be a film showing of a DVD brought by Myra: "1898 - Los Ultimos de Filipinas." It depicts a heroic stance by a detachment of Spanish soldiers under siege by Filipino revolutionaries.
The story is based on real facts well woven into a veritable documentary of what it was like in those last days of the 19th century. The siege lasted 337 days in the town of Baler in the area of Luzon facing the Pacific ocean.
In December 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed between Spain and the United States of America whereby Spain turned over sovereignty over the Philippines to the USA.
The Spanish detachment in Baler refused to believe that such had taken place and continued to fight, with the consequent loss of life, until they finally surrendered. They were hailed as heroes as they marched out of the bettered church in their battered uniforms.
History, even to this day, calls them "Los Ultimos (the last) de Filipinas."
In Baler, every year is celebrated on June 30, Philippine - Spanish Friendship Day. It is a grand celebration with the presence of the diplomatic corps and important VIPs in attendance.
This and the June 25 meeting are up for discussion at a meeting in the Casino Español de Cebu at noon on Thursday, June 13. Expected to be present are president Myra Gonzalez, vice president Susan Sala, treasurer Julina Muertegui, and members Chinggay Utzurrum and Anna Marie Conejero.
From June 1 to 12, the Marco Polo Plaza hotel held a culinary journey titled Independencia, evoking the declaration of Philippine Independence on July 12, 1898. It featured a buffet of Mindanao specialties for lunch and/or dinner at the hotel's Cafe Marco.
The exotic dishes were prepared by the Marco Polo Davao executive chef Alex Destriza and chef King James Tinio.
There was a program to the beat of drums with Manna Alcaraz giving the rationale, and GM Brian Connelly delivering the welcome speech. Hotel VIPs present included Lara Scarrow, Joward Tongco, Febe Compañon, and executive chef Juanito Abangan.
As we said our farewells to resident manager Michaela Preisner, we recounted what culinary journeys the Cebu Marco Polo has in store for the future.
There is the United States of America to mark July 4 (their independence day), Switzerland on August 1, also to mark independence, and Spain's "Sabores de España" perhaps in September, an advance celebration of Dia de la Hispanidad which is in October.
Then there may be another Indian sojourn in November, and before we all know it, it will be Christmas with all the fanfare the season generates. Those "ensaimadas" at the Marco Polo lobby lounge in boxes make for excellent gifts.
How many did they sell last Christmas? Some say 3500, others argue it could well be 5000.
The Radisson Blu Cebu opens the bridal fair Something Blu - A Wedding of a Kind on Saturday June 15 at 3 PM, at the North Wing Atrium of SM City Cebu.
Highlight is a make-up demo by the prestigious company Estee Lauder. At 6 PM is a fashion parade of bridal creations by Cebu's top designers.
We gratefully acknowledge the invitation but we are unable to go due to a previous engagement in our home, organized by my son Jimmy.
As a rule Saturdays are sacred for us. Invariably we attend the anticipated (for Sunday) mass at 6 PM at Casino Español de Cebu.
We go early if only to chat with Paqui Aboitiz, Quina Melendez, Julina Muertegui and others like Sonia Moras who is in charge of the songs.
Later we stay on for dinner at El Comedor, Jimmy and I , and sometimes joined by my younger son Louie and his wife Charmaine.
At other times we are also joined by my niece Choco Escaño with her husband Darwin Laplana and their two daughters - Ana Luisa and Andrea. Their eldest child, Ado, studies in Manila. He will be 23 this month.
On an occasional Saturday after the mass we go home and have dinner prepared by our cook who has been reviewing cook books of my late wife Cecilia, and my mother Anita Rodriguez de Picornell. We have had some felicitous results.
We have made some exceptions to our Saturday rule. One was the May 5 wedding of Leslie Ann Reyes to Bugsy Hernandez. Another was on May 18 for the Safari Encounter of La Chaine des Rotisseurs at Michel Lhuillier's Cebu Safari and Adventure Park. We will have coverages of these events in some future issues.
There is something about weekends. Some opt to stay in the city, but others take the opportunity of going out of town, to resorts, or to their own vacation homes.
They say that Parisians leave Paris in droves when Friday comes, to return on Sunday night or Monday morning. We were in Paris once during a weekend and found the theaters, the opera, the spectacular shows and the restaurants filled with people.
Listen carefully, we were told, and sure enough they were all speaking in Engilsh... Londoners spending "le weekend" in Paris.
Muy bonito ! Me gusta mucho Enhorabuena !