Ambeth R. Ocampo's Blog, page 23

The "OLDEST" PH Calendar?

The "OLDEST" PH Calendar?
We change our planners, physical or digital, tomorrow the first day of 2025. It is a time for new calendars as well.
The earliest Philippine calendar came to light in an article on "PreSpanish Philippine Civilization" that appeared in the July 7, 1913 issue of Renacimiento Filipino [Left]. A prewar photograph of the actual calendar [Right], with Baybayin, suggest our ancestors had 12 months and a zodiac.
Decades later preSpanish Philippine calendar was proven...

Was Rizal a "conscious hero"?

Was Rizal a "conscious hero"?
Historian Teodoro Agoncillo thought so.
Did Rizal document himself for the future?
*Rizal left us with two "selfies" [Upper, Lower Left]: as a student in Intramuros c. 1878, and in Europe in 1887.
*Rizal's favorite photograph, [Upper Middle] would have been used as a profile pic if he had a socmed account today. This was taken in Madrid in 1890 when he was 29.
*The last three are by his contemporaries:
[Lower Middle]painted by Juan Luna in Paris, 1891.
[Upper Right]...

Sighting National Artists in Baguio

Sighting National Artists in Baguio.
BENCAB [Top] on Holy Innocents Day and KIDLAT TAHIMIK [Bottom] on Rizal Day.



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This pre-Martial Law photograph of Rizalistas in the Rizal Shrine Fort Santiago from the Manila Times reminded me of meeting my ...

This pre-Martial Law photograph of Rizalistas in the Rizal Shrine Fort Santiago from the Manila Times reminded me of meeting my first Rizalista. I was on a grade school field trip and saw an old man by the Rizal Cell. He asked, "bakit may ventilador sa selda ni Rizal?
"Wala naman ventilador noong panahon ni Rizal." I replied.
My classmate butted in and said, "siguro naiinitan."
I kicked him and told not to be "pilosopo" but the old man smiled and said: "Tama! Alam nyo ba na buhay pa si Rizal?" T...

Diet is one of the first 2025 New Years Resolutions I’m sure to break

Diet is one of the first 2025 New Years Resolutions I’m sure to break. I should’ve used a plate to cut the crispy skin instead of knife and cleaver.



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Sorry for the late posting

Sorry for the late posting.
My Christmas column the other day on my. Christmas wishes then and now.



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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
Apologies for the shameless plug and the audio in the video I cant replace with music :(
What to do with your "Aguinaldo"? Buy yourself a Christmas gift in Looking Back 17 "History in Lockdown" a compilation of essays written during the pandemic.



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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
This charming 18th century ivory "Niño dormido" [Bottom] comes out of storage on Christmas Eve. Garbed him with a gold helmet and belt adorned with Colombian emeralds and the smallest pearls I have seen. The late Ramon Villegas was of the opinion that the 17thC Manila goldwork was older than the 18thC ivory niño dormido.
Dormido used to rest by his lonesome, on a miniature teak four-poster bed I found in Hong Kong, till a Spanish friend parted with this 19th century miniat...

Christmas is around the corner

Christmas is around the corner. In one of the corners of San Agustin museum is this altar-front in Philippine hardwood filled with carvings. It is one of my favorite pieces because of the sleeping niño in the middle [detail on Right].
One wants to wake him up by pinching his plump cheeks.



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Payapa Ang Daigdig in the Pen Lobby

Payapa ang daigdig is a haunting Christmas Carolcomposed by Felipe Padilla de Leon as he looked upon the ruins of war-torn Manila. It was sung in the festively decorated Peninsula lobby by the students of St Scholastica’s Conservatory of Music.



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