Ambeth R. Ocampo's Blog, page 49

Walking in the present, imagining the past,In a vanished time, this forgotten street in San Nicolas was lined with trees and ba...

Walking in the present, imagining the past,
In a vanished time, this forgotten street in San Nicolas was lined with trees and bahay-na-bato with red-tile roofs lined up to produce a vista of the spires of the Manila Cathedral in the distance. All that has given way to buildings, electric wires, and parked vehicles. The loss is not just visual, ambient noise from cars, unmuffled motorcycles, honking horns etc. won't allow us to hear and be blessed by the pealing of the Cathedral bells.



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I read a prewar article long ago that hailed LAUREANA NOVICIO (1836-1906) as "the greatest mother in Philippine History." Her fi...

I read a prewar article long ago that hailed LAUREANA NOVICIO (1836-1906) as "the greatest mother in Philippine History." Her five sons were all prominent: Juan Luna (painter and later diplomat of the First Republic), Antonio Luna (scientist and later general in the Philippine-American War), Manuel Luna (violin virtuoso), Jose Luna (toxicologist), Joaquin Luna (Senator).
Laureana must have been a strong woman by the looks of her photograph (left) and a portrait by her son Juan (right) now ...

Kalayaan, the Katipunan newspaper circulated in 1896. Its masthead listed Yokohama its place of publication, to hide its true ad...

Kalayaan, the Katipunan newspaper circulated in 1896. Its masthead listed Yokohama its place of publication, to hide its true address on Lavezares street in San Nicolas, Manila.
The original house where the paper was printed was destroyed during the 1945 Battle for Manila, so the present historical marker has to be updated.
While it is surprising that the marker [Right] has not been stolen and sold for scrap metal yet, the historic site [Left] should be spruced up to value its contem...

I grew up knowing Sergio Osmena from his formal, almost humorless, mugshot on the P50-peso bill. Finding this photo of him smili...

I grew up knowing Sergio Osmena from his formal, almost humorless, mugshot on the P50-peso bill. Finding this photo of him smiling made me see him in a new light. What was he like behind the paper bill? It reminded me of the move to make Ninoy Aquino on the old 500-bill smile. What will our banknotes say of the Philippines if Osmena and the others smile?



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Necessary Fictions. Donated to the National Library in 1913, James Alexander Robertson declared three bark manuscripts, wit...

Necessary Fictions.
Donated to the National Library in 1913, James Alexander Robertson declared three bark manuscripts, with writing in baybayin using cuttlefish ink, "the greatest literary find in the Philippines." He declared them to be the only extant pre-Hispanic documents that escaped destruction by overzealous friars who erased our native culture. The manuscripts were displayed in the Library till they were lost or destroyed in the 1945 Battle for Manila.
This is a photo of one o...

BAYBAYIN can be found in the "Relacion de las Islas Filipinas" (Rome, 1604) by the Jesuit Fr. Pedro Chirino. He documented the p...

BAYBAYIN can be found in the "Relacion de las Islas Filipinas" (Rome, 1604) by the Jesuit Fr. Pedro Chirino. He documented the pre-Spanish syllabary as having three vowels and twelve consonants, and provided the key to reading and writing it.
It is significant that Chirino acknowledged that there was universal literacy in our own writing system, declaring that:
"“All these islanders are much given to reading and writing and there is hardly a man, and much less a woman, who does not rea...

I am "Green" under the "Blue." Pleased and honored to be Speaker at the 198th Commencement Exercises of De La Salle Universi...

I am "Green" under the "Blue."
Pleased and honored to be Speaker at the 198th Commencement Exercises of De La Salle University this morning. I spoke to the graduates about Rizal who said:
"I enter the future, with a memory of the past."
He never said: "ang di marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan di makararating sa paroroonan." That's fake news.
I hope they were entertained and inspired.
From left: Provost Dr. Robert Roleda, me, University President Br. Bernard Oca, FSC, and SVP Finance...

People usually see Historical markers but rarely stop to notice or read them.Along Singalong Street, on Gate 6 of St. Scholasti...

People usually see Historical markers but rarely stop to notice or read them.
Along Singalong Street, on Gate 6 of St. Scholastica's College you will see a plaque that marks the spot where National Artist Jose Garcia Villa was born on august 5, 1908. It is not well known that the poet's father was Col. Simeon Villa one of the aides that was in Palanan when Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by the enemy in 1901.
Thanks to Mrs. Shoolie who drove me there for this photo.



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How different is Manila today from before?

How different is Manila today from before?



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People are asking how I survived doing three lectures this weekend: one at the Art Fair Philippines and two, back-to-back at the...

People are asking how I survived doing three lectures this weekend: one at the Art Fair Philippines and two, back-to-back at the Ayala Museum. The secret is the energy I get from the audience who nod in agreement, smile or laugh in the right places and leave the hall with something to think about.
This selfie from last year's History Comes Alive at the Ayala Museum was taken by Wawi Navarosa (Left) the photo on the left are tokens gratefully received after the talk or booksigning. It is nic...