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I think I already tackled earlier about Barosoain…but Malolos City is more than just that. We do all know that it has been the capital of the first republic of the Philippines under the “dictatorship” of Kapitan Miong (the first president himself) and right now, the heart of governance of the province of Bulacan. We do all know that the women here has a special place in our history as Lolo Jose wrote about her women’s courage.

The second of the Malolos series. Ngayon naman, we’ll be passing by the Provincial Capitol of Bulacan and the Cathedral of Malolos. Both are of edifices of power, with the latter having an interesting place in Philippine history…

Capitolyo Provincial de Bulacan

Located just beside the main highway going to either Pampanga and Manila, this art-deco dominated capitol was said to have been constructed during the American colonial period, in 1930′s. Grand as it may be seen from the Provincial Capitol plaza, it manifests the best of neo-classical and art-deco mixture. Inside, the said style dominates the scene. It gives a commanding yet majestic impression of the province.

I’ll be skipping Barosoain Church now because I’ve tackled this earlier, so off we go to the town center.

Gee, Malolos is bustling…really. Near the city’s plaza, trikes and jeepneys zoom past over several of its most important edifices in the city…or perhaps the country. Imposing and welcoming the people like a woman with open arms, is the cathedral itself…interestingly enough…the church and the convent has a special place in our country’s history books…

Cathedral of Malolos (Basilica Minore de Imaculada Concepcion) and Convent.

The Marian coloured baroque church with a humongous statue of Mary the Immaculate at the top of seemingly “pedestalish” belfry. Well, that’s not what you see in usual belfries in the country in which crosses are on top and not statues.

Anyway, being the seat of ecclesiastical territory of Roman Catholic Bulacan, the convent besides it has a very significant in Philippine history, for it became the Casa Presidencial or Presidential Palace of Aguinaldo’s Malolos Republic….Yup, Malacanang was inaccessible to the newly-formed government and decided to make the convent as the Executive house of this country for a short period of time (September 1898 to March 1899). Very conveniently located near the “Batasang Pambansa” of Malolos Republic, which is Barosoain Church! Talk about being the Manila and QC in 1898! And take note, these are churches.

More on Malolos later…

For more pictures of the Cathedral and the Bulacan Provincial Capitol, click on the links below:

Bulacan Provincial Capitol |      Malolos Cathedral

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It seems that the Cha-Cha issue is back again in the arena…sa pula! sa puti! I do agree with ammending our 21 year old Constitution since it may be innapropriate of times. But anyway, the Constitution is one of the most important elements in composing a sturdy state…kahit nga organizations meron nyan eh. It sets the guidelines and order to humanity’s usual chaotic self. The constitution of this country has created history of this nation…mobilized the power of the state and its people, but the foundations were not in Manila, but in a town up north, known for its women and that ten pesos church in which the constitution of the first republic was born…Barosoain Church in the capital city of Malolos in the province of Bulacan.

One boring Thursday, I decided myself to go to Malolos, Bulacan…I always pass by Bulacan but never been at her heart. This progressive province up north is the catchbasin of Manila’s expanding urban area but thank goodness for NLEX!

Barosoain Church is found at the old city center of Malolos…take note, this is not the main church of the city but so far it is church that still manifest its old Spanish colonial era construction material…very baroque in design. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get in the Church because its closed…but at least I went inside the Museum which was the convent.

Batasang Pambansa was not in QC…but in Bulacan!

That’s right folks, Barosoain was the legislative capital of the fledgling state of the Philippines from September 1898 to February 1899. Ang Batasang Pambansa, wala pa sa Batasan Hills o sa Lawton. And like the old Spanish settlements, Barosoain separated from Malolos proper in 1859 and merged once more in 1903. Malolos proper is just a few blocks away from Barosoain…now that reminds me of Lemery and Taal in Batangas!

The Church as Batasang Pambansa

Congressmen unite! It’s time to make up the rules so that the people of this fledgling republic would be put in order! Thus Malolos Republic was born in this Church…but wait…Church? Kala ko ba galit ang mga rebolusyonaryo sa mga prayle? Since September 1898, Intramuros is at the hands of another foreign agressor, the solons decided to have the venue be at Malolos. This Church, built lead by an Agustinian Friar in 1859 by Francisco Royo, and was destroyed by fire in 1884. Then it was rebuilt by another Agustinan Juan Giron in 1885. Interestingly enough, it served as the assembly of lawmakers for the new republic of the Philippines after when Aguinaldo decided to move his cabisera to Malolos because of several factors mentioned earlier. The inaugural session was in September 20, 1898 and the new constitution was born in these grounds on January 18, 1899.

The irony of it was, Uncle Sam took over Juan’s freedom from Don Quixote in December 1898 for a price of US$20,000,000! Ganun pala ka-cheap ang Pilipinas sa mga dayuhan…and guess what, they didn’t recognized the efforts of the Filipino revolutionaries in creating the first republic….by March 1899, Uncle Sam started his two years of atrocious invasion of this fragile republic. Aguinaldo and several of his men fled from Malolos to northern Luzon.

Lektyur nanaman ba ito?

Ayoko naman maging boring sa nagbabasa nito but I would want to share how important this church and convent is in creating our republic. Several influences from this constitution influenced our present 1987 Constitution such as the Philippine Army and the likes.

Besides the Church, the convent is now a light and sound museum managed by the National Historical Institute. Kaso mukhang tinatamad ata yung docent nila kasi total ako lang naman ang bisita nila nung araw na yun…yet I was thankful he gave me a brochure that gave details about Barosoain’s influence to our Republic. Besides, its for free, just go there every weekday on office hours…sarado as usual during lunch hours.

Baka naman maligaw ako?

Nah…you won’t get lost getting here. Its a significant landmark in Malolos and its almost impossible to miss it going to “Bayan” or city proper of Malolos. Going here is just like this:

• Take a bus from Caloocan City (I took Victory Liner aircon bound for Apalit). Just ask the bus conductor if the bus passes by Malolos. Then it will be a 30-40 minute ride via NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) at a cost of more or less P50. Tell manong conductor to have you drop at the Bulacan Provincial Capitol. Its just along MacArthur Highway and its outside “Bayan.”

• From the Capitol, take those karatig jeepneys (small modified owner-type jeepneys unique in Malolos) with a label “Bayan” or “Derecho.” Minimum jeepney fare is applied (as of the time of writing, its P7.50) and tell manong driver to drop you at Barosoain Church…its along the way anyway…or just look at the right side window of the jeepney…the church is recognizable.

For more pictures of Barosoain Church, click here.

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Be needing to have a time off from my Sabattical and idle activity, boredom is pushing me to sanity limits…Therefore thinking of another trip tomorrow morning…to where Asia’s first republic was born and stood still amidst the tides of imperialist chess players of the early 20th Century…the settlement found north of the Cabisera de las Islas, known for its women and that church on that old ten peso bill…need to give clues more? Hardly anything but going there alone for the first time and has to stand on its name as “batikang komyuter” (professional/veteran commuter), Berniemack strikes the heart of the sweet province of Bulacan….La Ciudad de Malolos!