Ambeth R. Ocampo's Blog, page 191

After my Philippine history class in Tokyo one of my students asked if I had hea...

After my Philippine history class in Tokyo one of my students asked if I had heard of the earthquake that rocked Bohol. I feel bad that many people died, it is also tragic that part of our heritage died tis morning. The ancient Jesuit church of Loboc is no more. Same for the Loboc belfry that was built away from the main church. All that is left for historians now are memories and old photos. Sad day for heritage indeed.

Vo Nguyen Giap (1911-2013) passed away recently generating obituaries that asses...

Vo Nguyen Giap (1911-2013) passed away recently generating obituaries that assess his role in Vietnam’s history. Can’t find our blurred photo together so I’m posting the title page of the book he autographed for me during the commemoration of Ho Chi Minh’s 100th birthday. I met General Giap in Ho Chi Minh’s house and was thrilled to shake the hand of a man who fought in the two Vietnam wars that saw the defeat of France and the U.S. He didn't speak English and I spoke no Vietnamese so we communicated in French. Kahit kulang at baluktot ang beginners Pranses ko nagkaintindihan naman ata kami. He said he was a former history teacher and would give me a lesson not on the Vietnam wars but on Ho Chi Minh. So he walked me through the rooms and introduced Ho to me as a person and friend rather than a hero fossilized in bronze and marble.


Autographs

Epifanio de los Santos by Guillermo E. Tolentino. The sculpture that inspired to...

Epifanio de los Santos by Guillermo E. Tolentino. The sculpture that inspired todays Inquirer column is probably the closest thing to meeting "Don Panyong" face to face. Too bad this likeness does not talk.

Sorry for the late posting--my Inquirer column today on being eyeball to eyeball...

Sorry for the late posting--my Inquirer column today on being eyeball to eyeball with a bust of Epifanio de los Santos.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/63099/epifanio-de-los-santos


Epifanio de los Santos
opinion.inquirer.net
Historians work with traces of the past, with diaries, letters, photographs. One could say historians work with ghosts from the past—they are there but you cannot see, touch, or talk with them. One person who took a step historians will never take was Guillermo Tolentino, first National Artist for S...

My Inquirer column today, a bit late, on National Teachers Day.http://opinion.i...

My Inquirer column today, a bit late, on National Teachers Day.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/62997/teachers-who-matter


Teachers who matter
opinion.inquirer.net
National Teacher’s Day comes and goes and I have never paid attention to it—until this year. A month ago I was surprised when all my students stood up as I entered the classroom and shouted a greeting that sounded like “Happy Birthday!” I thought some practical joker had given them the wrong date, b...

Ten years ago Bencab visited me in Kyoto and we spent a week on bicycles explori...

Ten years ago Bencab visited me in Kyoto and we spent a week on bicycles exploring the ancient city. In one temple I picked up a prayer tablet with an Ox, my astrological sign, and was pleasantly surprised when Ben pulled out his pen and drew me on it.

Final version of Juan Luna's "Spain guiding the Philippines on the road to progr...

Final version of Juan Luna's "Spain guiding the Philippines on the road to progress" has España in ancient Roman garb while Filipinas wears Filipiniana. Luna made three of these: one is in the Lopez Museum in Ortigas, the biggest version in the Ayuntamiento in Cadiz, while the third is unlocated. The España y Filipinas sold last weekend in Hong Kong for US$3.5M was an earlier version commissioned by Pedro Paterno.

An earlier version of Juan Luna's iconic "España y Filipinas" was sold in Sotheb...

An earlier version of Juan Luna's iconic "España y Filipinas" was sold in Sotheby's Hongkong tonight for little over US$3 million! I hope it was acquired by a museum where it will be accesible to the public. This success, however, is double-edged because more fake paintings will come out of the woodwork in the wake of this record-breaking price!

Conclusion of my column last Wednesday on the inside story of the Tripoli Agreem...

Conclusion of my column last Wednesday on the inside story of the Tripoli Agreement.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/62619/marcos-misuari-gadhafi


Marcos, Misuari, & Gadhafi
opinion.inquirer.net
“Fear history,” declared Andres Bonifacio, “for it respects no secrets.” Ferdinand Marcos feared history, which explains why he left diaries to confound historians. A keen student of history, he used the lessons of the past to hold on to power longer than any Philippine president before or after him...

I don't understand why stalled traffic on EDSA from 6-9 am and 5-7 pm is describ...

I don't understand why stalled traffic on EDSA from 6-9 am and 5-7 pm is described as "Rush hour." I don't understand why some people claim traffic was better in the distant past than today, if you think EDSA is slow imagine going to and from work or school on this.