Ambeth R. Ocampo's Blog, page 199

Sadly out of print, this book changed my life. I read it as a college freshman l...

Sadly out of print, this book changed my life. I read it as a college freshman learning to write an essay but ended up with an appreciation for all things Philippine. I interviewed the author for my term paper and we became fast friends. The writer and historian I am today is payback to Emilio Aguilar Cruz who saw my interest and turned it into a career.


Autographs

Mark your calendars! Its two weeks to my next Ayala Museum lecture on the Kala...

Mark your calendars!
Its two weeks to my next Ayala Museum lecture on the Kalantiao Hoax. See you Saturday July 20.

Conclusion of my columns on the Rizal manuscripts ransomed.http://opinion.inqui...

Conclusion of my columns on the Rizal manuscripts ransomed.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/55883/rizal-manuscripts-kidnapped-for-ransom


Rizal manuscripts kidnapped for ransom
opinion.inquirer.net
Kidnap negotiators today begin with “proof of life.” The victim is made to speak by phone or on video holding a copy of the day’s newspaper (to indicate the date), to encourage the payment of ransom.

Fashionable footwear for school in 1929 from "Ang Tibay."

Fashionable footwear for school in 1929 from "Ang Tibay."

My Inquirer column today and Friday is a summary of my Ayala Museum lecture last...

My Inquirer column today and Friday is a summary of my Ayala Museum lecture last weekend.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/55741/rizal-manuscripts-stolen


Rizal manuscripts stolen
opinion.inquirer.net
Over 600 people attended my lecture at the Ayala Museum last Saturday on the theft of the Rizal manuscripts. The best account of this almost unbelievable story is a retelling by Nick Joaquin, but going through the newspaper reportage in 1961 in the Manila Times, Daily Mirror, Manila Bulletin, Manila...

When I went through the 1860 Vocabulario de la lengua tagala I was surprised to...

When I went through the 1860 Vocabulario de la lengua tagala I was surprised to find that "salita" which we know today as "word" meant history or narrative (salaysay) then. More surprising was that "historieta" was a "small word with no meaning." Kasaysayan which we know as "history" today was originally rooted in "saysay" (sense or meaning). Fascinating.

In 1961 the original manuscripts of Rizal's: Noli, Fili, and Ultimo Adios were...

In 1961 the original manuscripts of Rizal's: Noli, Fili, and Ultimo Adios were stolen and held for a 1.5M ransom. Alejandro R. Roces was able to get everything back without spending a centavo. The ransom note was made from cut out letters glued on bond paper. Truth and history can often be stranger and more engaging than fiction.

We had close to 700 people at the Ayala Museum today. Thanks to all who made t...

We had close to 700 people at the Ayala Museum today.
Thanks to all who made time.
Thanks to the Ayala Museum staff who create the theater for me to make History Come Alive: from wonderful posters, to finding a lapel microphone, and even making my presentation move manually on auxiliary screens.
See you next month!
(Thanks to Pia Pagkalinawan on Twitter for the crowd photo)

My Inquirer column today.http://opinion.inquirer.net/55419/fac......

My Inquirer column today.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/55419/face-to-face-with-guillermo-tolentino


Face to face with Guillermo Tolentino
opinion.inquirer.net
What you remember hanging as décor in your home as a child is a way of understanding Filipino taste. In many dining rooms in the past hung an image of the “Ultima Cena (Last Supper)” or a pair of those giant hardwood spoons and forks from Baguio that led some children to believe their ancestors were...

"Miseducation of the Filipino" by Renato Constantino describes in so many words...

"Miseducation of the Filipino" by Renato Constantino describes in so many words what this page from the "Insular Primers" demonstrates. A whole generation of Filipinos grew up with the Stars & Stripes as their flag and July 4 as their independence day, no wonder they are confused when we celebrate independence on June 12 and salute another flag of red, white, blue and yellow with a national anthem called "Lupang Hinirang" a.k.a "Bayang Magiliw."