The night
before the fieldtrip I was doing my plate for my architecture subjects. One of
my professors said that architecture started from the man himself. Hence, culture
is reflected, surrounds us and became basis of architecture. Art Studies 2
fieldtrip became an opportunity for me to study the rich architectural heritage
of Pampanga and the art around it. Most of the structures in Pampanga were a
result of Spanish Colonialism in the Philippines.
There are numerous churches
that can be found in Pampanga. It signifies Spanish Colonial power and the aim
to spread the religion. One of the destinations
is the Betis Church, embedded inside are the artworks done only by the
Kapampangans. The architectural style of the Church is purely Baroque. The
church according to the local officers was built around 1660 and its architect
is a PRIEST! The materials used in the structure was made of light materials mainly composes of wood and stucco.
The form of
church is symbolized by a cross. The cross greatly signifies Christianity. The
altar or altar mayor is where the priest conducts the eucharist According to
its history, the church experienced fire in 1900s. Although the majority of the
church was devasted, the bell tower of the church remains its archaeological
value. Pampanga as a Christian community
have many religious patrons assigned in different community. The retablo
part of the church embodies the patrons. Each of them is placed in different
niches.
As we further analyze the Church,
walls contain paintings and carvings of religious icons and some aesthetics
where inspired from different chapters of the Bible. The unique features of the
church are the paintings found in the ceiling and the dome because it is very
detailed and almost realistic to look at.
The
Baptistry also have a very detailed retablo. Accroding to Dr. Gerard Lico,
artisans of Pampanga used mixture of mud and straw applied on both sides of the
wall and allowed to be sun dried instead using pliant branches of palnt in most
churches. If pliant plant is used, it will be mixed with mortar composed of
sand, lime and water. The term is tabique pampango from Pampanga.
Churches are made of mostly from
EGGS AND MILK. I am not kidding. The mortar mixture used as a workable paste
used to bind constructions bricks are made of apog (lime), crushed coral,
crushed shells, crush eggshells, molaases, animal blood, carabao milk. Sugar cane
extract, and egg whites.
I
have also noticed that furnitures are made from heavy sculpting. Columns are
heavily Roman Corinthian based. Moreover, side windows are made of stained
glass and some doors are made embedded with capiz shells. Bas relief sculptures
in the sacristy are also very interesting to look at.
Optical illusion
paintings can be also be seen in the dome structure. The 2D optical illusions
became 3D if you look directly at it. Because the whole interior of church has
a lot of intricate elements work of art. Betis Church is considered Sistine
Chapel of the Philippines.
This building is a sculpting
manufacturing place. It façade tells already what maybe the things happening
inside. Betis Galleria is popularly known to be a factory of religious
sculptures. As I went inside, I saw
sculptures almost made by the hands of god due very realistic and detailed
modeling. I was amazed! Indeed, such sculptures contribute more greatly to the
aesthetic appeal of architecture.
My next
stop was the Bacolor Church. It is located in Cabambangan, Bacolor. The church
inside was so dark, there almost no natural sunlight penetration coming in. At
present, this church is buried in lahar and volcanic debris that flowed wiped out
the town of Bacoor in 1995.
The thing
that greatly amazes me in this church is on how the authority preserves some of
its structure. A portion, maybe a parish
or rectory, is converted into a museum.
After church hopping, we went to
Museo ning Angeles which was an old municipal hall during Spanish Colonial
Period. Municipal Halls holds administrative power of the colony. If you look its
whole structure carefully, you will see capiz windows, ventilation below the
windows (ventenilla), stoned wall on the ground floor and wood structure of the
2nd floor. Currently, it has a culinarium on its 2nd
floor where in they showcase native recipes, cooking demos and food lectures.
Moreover, the roof is a thatched roof system and sides serve as eaves to the main structure. As
you will notice, the parish or rectoral portion of a church have similar
elements compared to this one.
The last
stop was at Claude Tayag’s “Bale-Dutung”. The whole structure is in
Bahay-na-Bato Revival style of Architecture. Elements from the Bahay-na-Bato
are barrowed. Ventilation and openness of
the structure is designed to allow passive cooling. Landscaping and an
artificial lake were also designed to aid the ambient of historic times.
Throughout the whole
field trip, I enjoyed the architectural heritage of Pampanga. I discovered
different architectural elements with archaeological importance. I feel like an
adventurer discovering the footprints of the past and rich form of culture.
