Lusungin ang Malabon 2011

Lusungin Ang Malabon 2011

October 15, 2011
Malabon

For quite some time now, Ive been meaning to wander somewhere new other than the usual cultural haunts in the city of Manila. In this search for somthing fresh, I recently joined a tour to rediscover the hidden cultural and culinary delights of Malabon - a city so readily dismissed as nothing more than a waterworld for its notorious tidal flooding. The tour named with a bit of pun "Lusungin Ang Malabon" literally "to immerse" was indeed an immersion not in murky flood waters though but to a hidden wealth of culture, architecture, history, urban planning, and food. 

The tour started in Pescadores Restaurant in Dagat-Dagatan - a place which holds great significance to understanding the city's history and unlocking its present conundrum. Here a briefing on the history of Malabon and what is to be expected from the tour is outlined as well as a sampling of food we can later visit while on the Poblacion itself. Noteworthy is my brush with infamous Betsy's Broas - so unlike the ones I was accustomed to from Quezon in that this variety is soft and is served sandwiching a sweet custard. Of course completing the menu are the now ubiquitous Dolor's kakanin and the noodle dish which has made Malabon a household name - the Pancit Malabon. 

The tour bus departed for the Poblacion with the ever frank Richard Bautista - a proud Malabon native at the helm. Highlight of this segment to the Poblacion is a visit to the Neo-Classic church of San Bartolome, its neighboring cemetery, a bird's eyeview of the city from the Penthouse of the City hall and a detour to Betsy's where I purchased the token pasalubong - a box of Malabon Broas.

Malabon's center of Catholicism - the San Bartolome Church is a fine example of Neo-Classic colonial architecture. Very few churches in the country have been built in this style and this one in Malabon feature a grand portico where churchgoers are dwarfed by a row of Ionic columns. Set beside the temple is a cemetery - another unusual feature of the complex especially that it still has the original mortuary chapel and central monument both of adobe construction. 

After the Poblacion, the bus went northwards to Barangay Concepcion where bulk of the ancestral houses still standing are found. It is here that we went on foot wandering for the string of houses we were to visit. The houses were indeed grand and vary in the scale, decoration and extent of preservation. this brings to the the fore the reality of these old mansions, especially in the environmental context of Malabon where flooding has been a way of life. Common are the stories of perennial flooding and the uphill battle against deterioration but overriding is the sentimentality with maintaining these houses. Noteworthy also is that a lot of these houses are still maintained by the original families that built them. 

Highlight for this segment are the Paez House - a yellow structure whose 2-storey masonry construction typifies the Vigan style and the inscription "1877" (probabaly the date of construction) at the exterior; The Rojas-Borja Mansion - a grand well preserved arcaded house fronting the Concepcion church and is touted to be the the height of Malabon artisty and after venturing inside I have to agree, and of course the church itself which houses the venerated image of the Immaculate Conception whose feast in December is the object of pageantry and spectacle. 

Completing this segment are the foodie possibilities in the public market like ginormous burgers and rice cakes, Dolor's Kakanin hails from this part too so a trip to their birthplace is a must, and the pastries like Pacencia, Pianono, and Camachile from the Concepcion Bakery should not be missed.





Now on board the bus again further northward to visit one of Malabon's living treasures - Angel Cacnio in his home and studio. Here we were met graciously by the artist and his wife who lovingly prepared a spread again of local Malabon delicacies like the best Ice Buko I've had ever, Bibingka, ang Puto Bumbong (Christmas food for you and me but year -round treats for Malabon natives). We were regailed by Mang Angel of his Malabon insights, his inspirations, and his stories as an artist. A very humble man and a gifted artist, Mang Angel showcased to us his cherished works and the stories behind them. 

After that brief reprieve from the heat at the Cacnio home, we went on foot to two other sites - first was the Rivera House and the ruins of the old Tabacalera in the Elementary School. Tucked within a large private compound, the Rivera House is stately mansion that was raised to ward off flooding. Radical was this solution but rather effective given the flooding problem, the house feature intricate details in the interiors and extensive wall paintings which are surprisingly still vivid given the age and the humidity of the area. The ruins of an old Tabacalera in the Malabon elementary school was an insight into the industrial heritage of Malabon. Thankfully, recent plans for its demolition have been thwarted while other options for its preservation are being studied. 

On the homestretch of this jampacked tour was a visit to Rufina Patis Factory, a quick stop and another gracious spread at the stately Martinez House where we were served the yummy Puto Sulot, and finally the Raymundo House.The Raymundo House is the oldest surviing house in Malabon as seen in the "1861" inscription in its exterior. As if reinforcing its age, the columns of the house are of cut logs, circular and crooked as what it used to be practiced. 

Noteworthy are the heavy masonry construction of the sunken ground level and the arched portal bearing a releif of what appears to be the "Hapsburg" seal of Austria. 



The trip ended with the view of the glorious Manila Bay sunset over the shipyards of neighboring Navotas at the vast grounds of the Raymundo House. It is here that I realize the overload of experiences I gathered throughout the day. true to the tour's name of "lusingin" or to "immerse", the setup was such that we were looking at both sites that would take your breath away and those that would be otherwise be day to day typical. Tired but nonetheless filled to the brim, Malabon turned out to be much more that what I had hoped for. I never thought that somewhere in Metro Manila could exist a place as culturally vibrant and distinct as Malabon. I'll definitely be coming back for more.