Date post: | 01-Nov-2014 |
Category: |
Travel |
Upload: | fergus-ducharme |
View: | 155 times |
Download: | 1 times |
proudly presents:
The Unique & Historically Significant
Bamboo Church,
Las Pinas, Manila
Written by: Fergus JM Ducharme & photographed by: Rommel C Legaspi
On November 5, 1795, the Archbishop of Manila assigned Las Piñas, then a small town
of farmers and fishermen, to the Augustinian Recollects to establish a new church.
Fray Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen, a native of Spain, traveled from Mabalacat,
Pampanga province and arrived on the town on the day after Christmas of 1795. Soon
after, he started building the church made from adobe (volcanic) stones in the
Earthquake Baroque architectural style.
The new parish priest was a very gifted man. He was a natural scientist, chemist,
architect, community leader, as well as organist and organ builder. He also built the
organs for the Manila Cathedral and San Nicolas de Tolentino Church, the main
Augustinian church in the old walled city of Manila.
In 1816, when the stone church was almost complete, he started building the organ
made of bamboo and completed the instrument in 1824.
Father Cera served as the parish priest of Las Piñas till May 15, 1832, when he could no
longer perform his duties due to severe illness. He died on June 24, 1832, in Manila.
During the construction period, the natives of Las Pinas were mostly fishermen, farmers,
laborers, embroiderers, and others engaged in small businesses.
Despite the condition of the parish, Fr. Cera set a goal to construct a temporary chapel
and convent near the seashore made out of nipa and bamboo. The inhabitants, which
were only 1200 before, saw his dedication and in return helped him in construction by
means of manual labor or donating construction materials.
From perishable materials, the natives, together with Fr. Cera, aspired to establishing a
stone church. It would serve as the inhabitant's protection from outsiders and natural
calamities.
In 1797, Fr. Cera bought the present site of the church for only one hundred and fifty
pesos. There was an existing house standing at that period, which belonged to the
Recollect estate. He initiated and drew architectural plans for the stone church. While
the foundations were being laid, big store rooms were built to keep construction
materials. After three years, Fr. Cera requested for polistas or townspeople to start the
actual construction of the church.
The request was granted and they were only given free food, equivalent to their
compensation. In 1813, religious activities were held temporarily at the old chapel. in
1816, the church's roof was completed and painting of walls began. With the cooperation
of all 300 families in the city, the stone church was finished in 1819. It resembles solemn
simplicity - truly an Earthquake Baroque architectural style.
The church had three naves, a dome, side altars with Romanesque-styled tables, crypt
stones each with a replica of the "Nuestra Señora dela Consolacion" on one side and St.
Augustine on the other, a baptistry with a stone altar, and two sacristies with two wall
closets each and a table with six drawers in one, and a tower with three posts topped by
a spire.
An antique statue of St. Joseph and life-size statue of the dead Christ were also among
the first religious objects owned by the parish.
The stone church and the parochial house was destroyed by three earthquakes in
January 18, July 29, and September 30 of 1829. Don Jose Rueda, former
Gobernadorcillo (1925) of the town of Las Piñas concisely described the damages
wrought to the church. According to him, the two arches were cracked, two naves and
walls were destroyed, and the whole roof of the church including its cross beams and its
dome were ruined. All the wooden structures inside the church were left standing in the
midst of the rain.
Fr. Cera did not only solidify his name in building the stone church, but also in terms
of architectural restoration.
Jose Sequi, Archbishop of Manila, after visiting Las Piñas Church on October 29,
1831, was reported to have been amazed by Fray Cera’s restoration work and
expressed his heartfelt feelings as follows: "After I have seen the beautiful church of
this place which was the work of the parish priest and also the very delicate
adornments done in spite of the poverty of the town, and for his (Cera's) effort to
procure the best for his church even without the help he needed, the Holy Mother
Church is rendering unto him the utmost gratitude and concern.“
Between 1971 and 1975, with the help from the community and neighboring towns,
the church was restored to its 19th-century look by Architects Francisco Mañosa and
Ludwig Alvarez
On December 3, 1972, the restored church was inaugurated. The newly renovated
church included such features as capiz chandeliers, aged bricks, old statues, a
bamboo ceiling, a choir loft with antique balustrades of carved wood and potted
native palms.
The Story of the Bamboo Organ.
Fray Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen, an
Augustinian Recollects. And native of Spain, he
served as the parish priest of Las Piñas from 1795 to
1830.
He has been portrayed as a gifted man, a natural
scientist, chemist, architect, community leader, as
well as organist and organ builder.
He had previously built organs in the Manila area with some organ stops made from
bamboo, he chose bamboo for most of his organs for both practical and aesthetic
reasons. Bamboo being abundant in the area and used for hundreds of items of both a
practical and artistic nature.
Cera began work on the organ in 1816, while the church was still under construction.
He gathered and buried the bamboo he would use under beach sand. This ‘burial’
apparently happened October and December 1816. The good Father, as a natural
scientist he knew that bamboos to be used had to be aged to ensure that it was be
tough, mature, and enduring. In 1817, he unearthed the bamboo and his work began in
earnest.
It took almost 5 years to get it to the stage where the organ was playable.
At first, Cera attempted to use bamboo for one hundred and twenty two pipes. This
experiment failed and eventually the bamboo pipes were used ornamentally on the back
side of the organ. The instrument was finally completed in 1824, after Fr. Cera had
decided to make the trumpets using metal, musical characteristics of which he could not
replicate with bamboo.
In the late 1830s, within a span of one week, three earthquakes occurred (July 14, 18,
and 20) and heavily damaged the organ. In October 1882, a massive typhoon hit the
country causing the rise of flood water, reaching within the church's vicinity. Dismantled
portions of the organ were found adrift in the flood waters around the church. After this
most recent incident, the Gobernadorcillo and other prominent residents of Las Piñas
pleaded help from the central administration in Manila.
During Cera's lifetime, disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons damaged both the
church and the organ. Fr. Cera himself was the organ's first "restorer.” Down through the
years, natural disasters continued to take their toll; the organ was unplayable for years.
In February 1883, repairs on the organ were carried out through the combined
contributions of the government, town residents, and the Archbishop.
A total of two hundred seventy pesos was the cost of the repair.
In 1888, Fr. Saturio Albeniz headed the project of improving of the organ. The project
was not fully completed, further degrading the condition of the organ. In 1891, the organ
repaired once again.
In 1909, an attempt was made to sell the organ and substitute it by a harmonium.
However, "Capitan Pedro" opposed this, and paid for the repair work. Unfortunately, only
two stops were rehabilitated. Although highly deteriorated it continued to attract tourists.
The administration of Las Piñas Church shifted to the C.I.C.M. (Congregation of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary) or Belgian Fathers. Fr. Victor Faniel showed deep
appreciation of the organ's historical value. During his term (1915-1920), he initiated
Historical Facts - a pamphlet featuring substantial historical data about the bamboo
organ. This was published in order to solicit voluntary contributions for the repair of the
organ. In 1917, the organ was reassembled by the Las Piñeros. However, the repair
works were not conducted in an expert manner.
In April 1932, Fr. Paul Hubaux, C.I.C.M. saw the difficulty of pumping air and physically
manipulating the bellows. He had installed a one-horse power Wagner electric motor in
order for the bamboo organ "to be heard again in full and sufficient volume."
In 1960, H.E. Friedrich von Furstenburg, the German Ambassador to the Philippines,
offered a donation of 150,000 DM to have the organ completely renovated on the sole
condition that the work was to be done in Germany. The risks of transporting the organ
from Manila to Germany and back temporarily shelved the restoration project.
In 1962, the Historical Conservation Society offered its services to restore the organ, in
anticipation of the second centennial anniversary of Las Piñas. A total of Php 4,975.00
was donated for the instrument alone. However, lack of funds only allowed partial repair
works by Mr. Jose Loinaz.
An organ builder, Fr. Hermann Schablitzki, S.V.D., also attempted to conduct repair
works to the bamboo organ. The condition of the bamboo organ reached its "terminal
stage" - disconnected horizontal trumpets and bass pipes, three functional stops put of
twenty-three, leakage of air from the chest, and piling of disconnected pipes inside the
bamboo organ.
In 1970, Fr. Mark Lesage, C.I.C.M., and his assistant, Fr. Leo Renier consulted with
several authorities on the bamboo organ. The experts all appeared to be in full
agreement on the need for total restoration.
It was agreed that the crucial and sensitive work was to be shifted to Johannes Klais Org
elbau (firm) and Hans Gerd Klais, one of the best organ builders in the world which had
already garnered extensive experience in restoring Spanish style organs.
During the inauguration of the Las Piñas Church in 1972, Klais visited and assessed the
bamboo organ. He remarked that the organ could still be repaired, but only in if the work
was completed in the Company’s factory in Germany.
An estimated cost of 200,000 DM (Php 460,000 at that time) was needed, excluding
transportation tickets for the technician, and other expenses.
In March 1973, two technicians, Joseph Tramnitz and Joseph Pick, arrived at Las Piñas
and dismantled the organ. The repair of the bamboo pipes was done in Japan under Mr.
Tsuda who had previously trained under Mr. Klais himself. The other parts of the organ
were shipped to Germany. A special room, called KLIMAKAMMER, was built in his
factory - having same temperature and humidity of the Philippines to prevent shrinking of
bamboos.
Work on the instrument started in February 1974 and on February 18th,1975 the organ
was once again ‘showcased’ to the world.
It had eighty six completely new pipes - 33 were trumpet pipes and 53 were bamboo
pipes. At a one-hour concert at the Philippine Embassy at Bonn, Germany, world-
renowned organist Wolfgang Oehms played the bamboo organ.
After that historic event, the launching of the first long-playing album of the bamboo
organ was released. T
he restored bamboo organ returned home in March 13, 1975. Through the courtesy of
Sabena Airlines, the musical instrument's restored parts were ferried from Europe to
Manila.
On March 16, 1975, the bamboo organ was received joyous welcome from the people
of the Philippines. The joint restoration of the church and organ was a triumph of local
and international cooperation.
A Bamboo Organ Inaugural Concert was held to mark its return to the Philippines.
Wolfgang Oehms was the featured performer, complemented by the Las Piñas Boys'
Choir and the Cultural Center of the Philippines Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro
Luis C. Valencia, and the Maharlika Rondalla.
He played standard European compositions and two Filipino works; excerpts from
Misang Pilipino by former dean of Philippine Women's University College of Music,
Lucrecia R. Kasilag (later became a National Artist) and commissioned Parangal by
organ, rondalla, brass, woodwind, and percussion by Prof. Alfredo S. Buenaventura, the
composer himself conducting.
Since then, the church has been the scene of many concerts and festivals. The Bamboo
Organ is described by many international organ masters as one of the finest old organs
in the world. Its construction of bamboo is noted as being one of the major factors that
gives it a truly unique and lively sound.
The National Museum of the Philippines officially declared the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ
a National Cultural Treasure on November 24, 2003. A panel of experts evaluated the
instrument and were unanimous in their decision, since it is the only 19th century
bamboo organ in the Philippines that has survived and still functioning.
We want to thank the following for their contributions to this article:
Photos provided by: Arch. Rommel C Legaspi,
Other materials and some photos provided by: www.wikipedia.org
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution - ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
If you have suggestions or recommendations on how we can
improve this service for you please e-mail your ideas along to:
Just a few of the churches Historic Philippines
has visited & reported on just for you!
Visit our website: Simply left click on the banner below to be redirected
or Like Us on Facebook: Simply left click on the banner below to be redirected