Rough Groove

Around Mindanao, 3 - Rizal Shrine

For four years, Jose Rizal was exiled in Dapitan from 1892 - 1896, critical years that marked the start of the end of Spain’s more than 300 year rule in the country. The Rizal Shrine, the major tourist draw in this peaceful city was bought by Rizal and there, he built (all are replicas now) a couple of wooden houses, a clinic, schoolroom, quarters, etc.

Its really a lovely place with lots of foliage, trees and fresh breeze from the sea. There is also a building constructed in 1972, the Rizaliana which supposed to be a sort of a museum but when I visited it, it was really in bad shape.

Left, Casa Quadrada is Rizal’s main house where he resided. Right, is his room.

Left, Casitas Hospitales is where Rizal received his patients while, right, Casa Redonda an octagonal structure served as his pupils’ quarters.

Around Mindanao, 2 - Dapitan church

Left, the Church of St. James which was built by the Jesuits in 1883 where Jose Rizal goes to for Sunday mass. Its an imposing edifice with few embelishments on its facade and lords it over the plaza. Right, the interior of the church with its mesmerizing cieling.

Left, the place where Rizal usually stands during mass. Right, unlike other churches which hosts a population of bats, this one have swifts making there nests.

Around Mindanao, 1 - Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte

First few weeks of October and I landed in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte for the start of my Mindanao leg for my assignment on Philippine churches. It has been years since I’ve been to this place. The last time I was here was when I was still based in Davao and I visited this city while doing some work in Dipolog.
The plane landed to a rather wet Monday morning brought about by a passing typhoon that I was quite worried that my planned shoot would be ruined by bad weather. Anyway, as I was already there, I really didn’t have much choice but to hope for the best. The city is really charming and cozy. Life is kind of slow, streets are wide and clean and generally peaceful. There are a few ancestral houses near the plaza and one is constantly reminded that this is also a city steeped in history with no less than Jose Rizal, the national hero, spent 4 years as an exile here.

Left, the relief map of Mindanao in front of the century old church. This was made by Rizal when he was exiled here. Right, one of the imposing ancestral house, the Corazon de Dapitan just a stone’s throw from the plaza.

Since a typhoon just passed when I came here, the sea was rough and brown with sediment from the river. A man, left, is holding a bag with shells that he has gathered.

In Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte

Just landed a few hours ago in this city that has much history as far as the national hero Jose Rizal is concerned. Well, weather is just bad and tricycle drivers are an opportunistic lot here (well, the one who drove me from the airport just overpriced my fare). While it was a but sunny when I left Manila, here, its just raining cats and dogs that the prospects of a sunny day is becoming nil. Hmmm, not sure what’s in store for me here if the sun would not peek. I just saw the church here and looks good but with the weather?

Its more than a few years also that I’ve been here but usually, just in passing. Just doing some telecom work before but not staying for a few days. Now, if not for the photo work, I would not have dropped here.

Anyway, even if strong and driving rain outside is kind of ruining my assignment, the lusty smell of durians and sight of marangs here is already tempting me to drop bu the market and indulge in these fruits and may still make my brief stop worthwhile.