Trixie Cruz-Angeles: Music and Rebellion in Sta. Ana

by Rose Beatrix C. Angeles

INQUIRER.net

First Posted 15:59:00 05/12/2008

History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity.

- Cicero, Pro Publio Sestio

Heritage Month is celebrated in May because it coincides with many of our fiestas, the latter being an example of intangible heritage. And there is much to celebrate, although we tend to overlook them. Much of our heritage, though compromised or randomly destroyed, still remains, although it requires increasingly talented people to see and help others appreciate them.

Fortunately, there is the Filipino Heritage Festival, Inc. funded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), an entire month of activities in various regions in the country.

Last May 4, the parish of Sta. Ana in Manila was the host of the Philippine Youth Symphonic Band Concert. The concert began at 8pm and some of the best young musicians in the country had the benefit of playing to a packed audience in one of the oldest parishes in the country, under the watchful eyes of Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados.

After the concert, we were treated to a rare lecture by Dr. Jaime Laya, former NCCA Chairman and Secretary of Education and Culture. Through his lecture the church of Sta. Ana and its history unfolded before us.

The parish is 430 years old and the church, 283. The first Franciscan mission outside of Intramuros, it was founded in 1578, a year after the Franciscans arrived in the country and, according to Dr. Laya, never left the church. To date they continue to administer the church and its patroness, Our Lady of the Abandoned.

When the church dug up the area beside it for a parking lot, the construction crew discovered an archeological site eventually excavated by the National Museum. The pottery and other relics retrieved from the area indicated that the church had also been the site of the ancient kingdom of Namayan, but more on this in a later column.

Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados has been venerated in Valencia, Spain since the 1400s. Her feast days feature carpets of roses and showers of rose petals. Fray Vicente Ingles of the Order of the Franciscans brought the local image, carved in Valencia and modeled on the original carving -- to Manila on the Sto. Cristo de Burgos. This ship later sank off the coast of Zambales. Its ruins have been discovered and will eventually be the subject of full- scale archeological excavation.

The cornerstone of the church was laid in 1720, and the building of the church includes it in a curious incident in Philippine history. In 1717, at about the time the image arrived from Spain, Marshal Fernando de Bustamante y Bustilo was appointed Philippine Governor General by King Philip of Spain. He was sent to straighten out the books and financial affairs of the Crown and he began work in August that same year. Under his administration, the deficit in tax collections was eventually wiped out.

Bustamante's actions upset the status quo. Resistance from taxpayers became evident when they sought relief from Church authorities through the latter's power of sanctuary. One such refugee, a notary public, brought with him documents pertaining to the protocols of 1717 to 1719. When the Archbishop, Francisco de la Cuesta refused to return the notary records, arguing that they were now subject to church sanctuary, Bustamante ordered his arrest.

On October 17, the church bells tolled all day. In the afternoon, priests from the Franciscan and Dominican Orders took to the streets with citizens who sought sanctuary with them. They marched to the Palacio del Governador and stormed the office of the Governor General. In the melee Bustamante was fatally wounded and his son killed outright.

Meanwhile, part of the mob had proceeded to Fort Santiago and released the Archbishop and all other prisoners. Archbishop de la Cuesta then took over the duties of Governor General, and as a final irony, pledged fifteen percent of the treasury that Bustamante had collected to building the Franciscan mission of the Church of Sta. Ana, estimated at about 30 million in today's pesos.

Save for the inappropriate renovation of the interior walls (faux adobe over real adobe) which were originally plastered with lime and painted in rose, much of the original church is evident. The retablo, for one, is intact and includes all the original saints, as is the gallery under the dome and over the altar with its original paintings of the apostles and evangelists.

But the truly outstanding feature is the Virgin's camarin or dressing room just behind the statue. Solid granite steps lead up to the room and one is astounded by the ornate antique silver filigree surrounding the encasement of the Lady and the eleven original ceiling paintings depicting important events in the life of Christ's mother. The paintings are all original and reportedly un-retouched, though they have darkened with age. The National Museum has been called in to conduct restoration.

While the Lady has her back to the faithful in the camarin, mirrors are placed strategically in the encasement, reflecting her face and front, allowing for worship in her dressing room. This month, there is an exhibit of other statues of the Virgin Mother in this camarin .

The multiple layers of the history of Sta. Ana Church give us insight into the nation's history and our people's psychology, including but not limited to the entanglements of Church and State, Philippine baroque art , echoes of which can still be seen in many middle class households and how all these still play in our daily lives.

(source: Trixie Cruz-Angeles - Inquirer.net)
To know more about Trixie Cruz Angeles, check out: I AM TRIXIE CRUZ