Grand no more
by Gemma Cruz-Araneta
BEFORE
the 1996 Rizal centennial, the house where the national hero grew up,
in Calamba, Laguna, exhuded an air of dignity and old-world elegance.
Through the years, shrines and landmarks dedicated to his memory were
meticulously supervised and tended by the National Historical
Commission (now Institute), despite a meager budget. Special care was
lavished on the reconstructed Rizal house and the bucolic garden where
the Mercado children played in their "bahay kubo" and romped among
narra trees, mabolos and ilang-ilang. The Dapitan shrine, "Mi Retiro,"
was kept just as Rizal had left it. His cell at Fort Santiago evoked
awe and respect. Ironically enough, the multifarious ad hoc committees
created by the Rizal Centennial made officiously tasteless changes that
robbed these sacred shrines and landmarks of dignity and grace.
Built in the 19th century by Francisco Mercado, the
national hero’s father, the house was the first stone and hardwood
residence constructed in Calamba, ideally located at one corner of the
town plaza, across the street from the church. Due to political
misfortunes, the Rizals were banished from Calamba; Jose was executed
at Bagumbayan at age 33, but the elusive General Paciano, lived long
enough to defend the First Philippine Republic against the American
imperialist invaders.
Left to rot and decay, the fabled Rizal house was
finally reconstructed after WW II, by President Elpidio Quirino. Arch.
Juan Nakpil who had been commissioned to restore the Quiapo Church and
other heritage landmarks took on the Rizal ancestral home. However, the
1996 Centennial Commission could not leave well enough alone. Someone
attached ridiculously gigantic butterflies and beetles on the fruit
trees and superimposed a massive wooden trellis on the balustrade of
the azotea. The worst of all monstrosities is the L-shaped concrete
arcade that vulgarly encroaches on the garden. There are two function
rooms on the short leg of the L. The windowless one has a wobbly
over-sized door, a dusty television monitor in front of park benches
arranged in crooked rows. Hot and dark as hell, the second room has a
single window facing the garden and an odd collection of artifacts
displayed in glass cases lined with cheap red velour. There is an
air-conditioned office where staff members took turns going in and out,
as if to cool themselves on that muggy day. On a table near the door,
Laguna goodies were on sale along with barong Tagalogs, in-laid canes.
Sadly, the Rizal house is grand no more. Those
school children who contributed their allowance to the post-war
reconstruction of Jose Rizal’s house must be senior citizens by now. I
am sure they are horrified at the desecration of their patriotic
project. (gemma601@yahoo.com)
Tune in "Krus na daan", DZRJ, 810 khz,
Monday-Friday, 5-6 p.m. Watch "Only Gemma!" RJTV, Mondays, 8 p.m. Sky
19 (Mla. and Baguio), Sky 44 (Dagupan) Destiny 6 (Cebu) and 79 (Mla.),
Palompon 23 (Leyte), Colorview 40 (Zambales), Caceres 6, Comsatel 44,
Quezon 29, Mananap 18, Mariveles Space 27, La Union 38, Albay 6,
Isabela 18.
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/06/15/OPED2006061566840.html
