Gemma Cruz Araneta | LANDSCAPE

She grew up in Argentina and has traveled extensively in Spain and Latin America where there are statues and images of the Blessed Mother, Jesus Christ and the saints, not only in churches and homes but also in secular spaces. No wonder Prof. Cristina H. Lee, Phd,  had “simultaneous feelings of eerie familiarity and strangeness” … Read more

Instead of hauling in the wrecking ball to demolish the Aduana, a heritage custom house, the local government converted it into the National Museum of Cebu, disbursing close to 250 million pesos for adaptive reuse. That was tax payers money well spent on the 16th regional site of the National Museum of the Philippines. From … Read more

There were two SONAs (State of the Nation Address) which I was fortunate enough to witness in the flesh, in the August session hall of the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City. I was then the Secretary of the Department of Tourism, appointed by Pres. Joseph E. Estrada. The SONA is a solemn, ceremonious annual event … Read more

If the USA should “alienate sovereignty “ it means that the USA is giving up territory incorporated in its body politic, like Puerto Rico, and at one time, the Philippines Islands. Just as the USA acquired and incorporated territory by treaty, purchase or conquest, it could very well alienate sovereignty over the same. No, I … Read more

We have been waffling on this question– should we prepare for war? I do not mean as a belligerent party because the 1987 Philippine Constitution renounces war as an instrument of national policy and adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land. (Declaration of Principles and State … Read more

How unfortunate that Secretary Christina G. Frasco of the Department of Tourism (DOT) should suddenly be mired in the fiasco of “Love Philippines”, the new branding titled “GINTO, Greater Innovation, New Tourism Opportunities “ launched last 27 June to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of Philippine tourism. Sec. Frasco described it as DOT’s “ commitment to … Read more

Did your parents ever take you to Luneta to watch the Independence Day parade? Or a reenactment of Rizal’s execution? My maternal grandfather, Dr Alfredo Guerrero, would take my brother and I to Luneta on July 4, that was when Independence Day was celebrated in those days. I enjoyed the fanfare and those floats representing … Read more

During Jose Rizal’s 162nd birthday, Calamba Mayor Roseller H. Rizal expressed how proud he is that his constituents’ appreciate Jose Rizal’s exceptional life which was too short, but significant nonetheless. Even if there were different programs implemented in Calamba in the previous years, Mayor Rizal believes in “the golden lessons bequeathed by preceding generations.” I … Read more

As early as I can remember, it was Dr. Leoncio Lopez-Rizal, Lolo Leoncio to my generation, who was the “ Captain of the Guard”. His mother, Narcisa Mercado (married to Antonio Lopez) was the third child of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso y Realonda. Because he was a sickly child, he was not sent to … Read more

Very few know that one of our declared National Cultural Treasures, the mural “  Filipino Struggles Through History” by Carlos V. Francisco, a worthy recipient of the Order of Filipino National Artist,  was saved by the Department of Tourism when the late Mr. Ramon Jimenez, Jr. was Secretary. It was pure serendipity. Carlos Franciso, better … Read more