Save Puente de Atulayan from obscurity and destruction

Tuguegarao's Spanish-era Puente de Atulayan.

We called attention to this historic bridge some years ago..and sine that time, its condition has considerably deteriorated.

This is in the Atulayan area, fronting ISAP Senior High. Clearly constructed in Spanish times of brick, time and sheer lack of historical sense will soon make of this bridge nothing more than a fuzzy memory.


God bless!

Kevin

Sacrilegious "Restoration???" of Tuguegarao's Rizal Monument

El Monumento de Rizal y Catedral de Tuguegarao right after the Second Word War. 

The Rizal Monument in Tuguegarao turned a hundred years old this August, and for that occasion they have repainted the monument. I really hope those behind the repainting of the Rizal Monument in Tuguegarao take heed of the various calls for a return to its original whitewashed patina.

Earliest extant photographs reveal that as early as the post-war period, the Rizal monument of Tuguegarao has been white. Even though the photos are in black and white, restorers can assure you that the monument is white. According to the 1981 International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, also known as the Venice Charter adopted by the National Historical Institute, "Least intervention is the best intervention."

While its true that "de gustibus non disputandum est," the monument has always been monochromatically white, perhaps with subtle variations on the shade of white used throughout the decades. Moreover, the Venice Charter says "Restoration (...) conserves the originality of the work."

The monument, whimsically re-painted disregarding heritage conservation principles. 

Article 3 of the Venice Charter says "the intention of restoring historical monuments is to safeguard them no less than as works of art than as historic evidence." You do NOT paint over a work of art with alien colors according to your capriccio unless these are backed-up with studies and research. Otherwise, such painting over an art-work, is sacrilegious.

As the monument celebrates its centennial anniversary this month, the most fitting act one could do for it and to honor the memory of those who had it put up, is to remain faithful to the original sensibility that guided the aesthetics of the monument.


God Bless!


Kevin

NB. The images are not mine thus I invoke the ***Fair Use*** doctrine, brief excerpts of copyright material may, under certain circumstances, be quoted verbatim for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research, without the need for permission from or payment to the copyright holder.

Just in case I get blocked out of Facebook...

Facebook's commitment to preventing people from feeling offended is doing more harm than good. They claimed they improved with community standards last June 2017 and instead of things getting better on Facebook, they've gotten worse.

I'm reading about more and more individuals who are being wrongfully, unjustly removed or suspended from Facebook, myself included once, for reporting a certainly defamatory rendition of Mary and Christ. That is itself quite offensive -- and troubling.

I fear that Facebook is going to go from bad to worse. I hope I'm wrong.

This is from Facebook. "We define hate speech as a direct attack on people based on what we call protected characteristics — race, ethnicity, national origin, RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, sexual orientation, caste, sex, gender, gender identity, and serious disease or disability"

This isn't the first of many reports I made to FB Community Standards. All apparently were "okay." And Catholicism seem to be at the disadvantage with Facebook's biases.

Frankly, If it wasn't for them flaunting their so-called "Community Standards" then I'd keep mum and simply block offensive people or those who cant keep a civil dialogue. But they keep in rubbing community standards in our faces that we wonder, is there really?

Learned my lesson....hehehe, so I made this alternate space where I may still be reached. I may get blocked out my account again. Hehe. If I do, you can reach me at kevindomingobacloig@gmail.com or see this blog for updates from me. I got blocked out sometime ago for reporting too many violence-inciting anti-Catholic groups, which apparently did not breach any of Facebook's standards on violent content and hate speech.


God bless you!

Kevin

The imaginary sheep is back!

Its been the longest time since I "journaled", and although nothing beats the feel of paper underneath my hand clutching a pen, I will try my best to bare my mind and heart once more in this new space.

My old readers may remember the name of my blog from my old column in The Lycean magazine which I also carried to Vigan when I had my post-graduate studies there and wrote for the KNOW magazine. I will also try to upload my old columns here for everyone soon.

Why sheep in the box? Readers of the beloved Le Petite Prince will understand completely and deeply. Have you read Exupery's magnum opus? I suggest you do.


God bless you!

Kevin