The Pasig Review

04/07/2021

28/06/2021

The hard copy of The Pasig Review is out!

19/05/2021

American Soldiers returning to Manila after capturing the town of Pasig.

From the 2 Volume 1899 Monumental Book "Our Islands and their People".

09/05/2021

Pasig town in the early years of American Colonization.

When the Americans came to Pasig, they converted the mighty fortress of the Pasig Church as their hospital and quarters. They pillaged the church and stole important documents relating to the history of the old town. Some of the papers and antiquated images landed in collections of antique dealers in the American Mainland.

The pillaging only stopped when the Archbishop of Manila begged to the American authorities to spare the Pasig Church from further desecration.

04/05/2021

The Miraculous Sta. Cruz

Last May 3, Barrio Sta. Cruz in Pasig Town had their Feast Day which commemorates the founding of the Miraculous Crucifix in the rice fields (Danng Kalabaw) of the barrio. Legend has it, the cross grows continuously up to the present.

Formerly known as Kapitan Ato or Munting Kalsada, Barangay Sta Cruz is home to the great former Senator Rene A.V. Saguisag who also acted as Presidential Spokesperson of former President Corazon C. Aquino. The Angeles House located in the Barrio is the ancestral house of the Angeles Family and the residence of the Ret. Ambassador to the Netherland Rodolfo Sanchez of San Nicolas who married Ophelia Angeles.

01/05/2021

The Flores de Mayo of Pasig Town

Today is the official start of the Flores de Mayo.

A tradition of offering flowers to the Virgin is a significant event in Pasig. The Pasig Church is home to the Young Catholic Social Circle a Youth Organization founded by Simeon Manosca of Barrio San Nicolas in 1914.

The Young Catholic Social Circle is known to be one of the most enduring Flores de Mayo Organizations in Rizal and Manila as it continued all through out its 107 years of existence despite the horrors of the Japanese Occupation.

The Image of the Virgen delas Flores de Pasig was made in the 1960s in the taleres of Don Maximo Vicente in Quiapo.

The Barrios of Pasig also have their own traditions of the Flores with the culmination of the Sagalahan at the last weeks of May.

Photo by Adam Arellano

27/04/2021

Sa kabila ng mga bantang ganito, kumakapit ang bawat Pilipino sa anumang pagkakataong maaaring makpagbigay ng tulong sa kanya upang mairaos ang isang maghapon kahit hindi malinaw kung paano maitatawid ang bukas kapag nagkataon.

Joel Zaporteza Kamakailan lamang, samut’saring reaksyon ang natamo ng isang Community Pantry na inorganisa ng isang artista bunsod sa di inaasahang pagkamatay ng isa sa mga nakapila roon. Maganda ang hangarin ngunit nagkaroon ng hindi inaasahang pangyayari (naalala ko tuloy ang Murphy’s Law). Il...

26/04/2021

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Our Lady of Good Counsel. The Patron of the Colegio del Buen Consejo and Barrio Malinao.

Some say that Malinao got its name because it used to be filled with bamboos but then, the early settlers cut these overgrown plants and they started to see each other "clearly". Another are that the wells located in this barrio are somehow clearer and potable than the other wells in nearby barrios.

The antiquated Icon of the Our Lady of Good Counsel is under the care of CBC and its Chapel. It was made in the taleres of the famed Don. Maximo Vicente - the designer of the early altars of the Pasig Cathedral as well as the sculptor of the Image of the Virgen delas Flores de Pasig and the Processional Image of the Nuestra Senora dela Imaculada de Concepcion de Pasig.

26/04/2021

SUMILANG and Dakilang Liwanag ng Katuwiran, Magtanggol ng Kalayaan!

This is the statement where Barangay Sumilang got its name. The rest of this patriotic sentence became streets.

Recently, we celebrated the Barrio Fiesta of Sumilang. Legend has it that fishermen from Sumilang and Bagong Ilog saw the image of the Sta. Rosa de Lima in the Marikina River. Hence, they share the same feast and organize a very beautiful "sunduan" signifying the unity of the Barrios under the patronage of the revered Saint.

Photo by Yssa Gerez

22/04/2021

The cave immortalized by the National Hero

Along the banks of the Pasig is a cave mentioned in Rizal's El Filibusterismo and offered a story of a failed love affair between an enchantress and a clergy.

The Legend of Dona Jeronima

"Once upon a time there was a student who gave his word to marry a maiden of his village who, it seems, he later failed to remember. She, faithful, waited for him for years and years, wasted her youth, became a spinster. One day she heard that her old love had become Archbishop of Manila. She disguised herself as a man, came by the Cape, and presented herself to His Most Illustrious Person, demanding the fulfillment of his promise. What she asked for was impossible, and the archbishop had a cave built, which you have seen, draped and decorated at the entrance with tangled vines. There she lived and died and there was buried, and tradition relates that Doña Jeronima was so fat that to enter she had to go sideways. Her fame as a charmer came from her custom of throwing into the river all the silver plates on which she served lavish banquets to which came many a gentleman. A net was stretched underwater to catch the pieces which were thus washed. It is not more than twenty years since the river passed close by, almost kissing the mouth of the cave, but little by little it receded from it, as its memory fades among the Indios".

This cave is not the only or***ce within the town and the river. In nearby Barrio Pineda, a cave system is still existent and are near the houses of the modern day Pasiguenos.

Source:
Francis Yumul
fyumul.blogspot.com

12/04/2021

Ermita de San Nicolas de Tolentino: A forgotten landmark, a token of gratitude.

Along JP Rizal in West Rembo, Makati City is an antiquate Chapel called the Ermita de San Nicolas de Tolentino - a chapel built in honor of the Saint which figured in a legend about a merchant.

According to the story, a Chinaman crossing the Pasig was about to be attacked by a crocodile when he prayed to San Nicolas de Tolentino. At that exact moment when the Chinese uttered the Saint's name, the crocodile froze and became a rock. In thanksgiving, the Chinese built a Visita and organized beautiful fluvial parades and festivities which centers in this small chapel upstream of the Pasig. Interestingly, this is the only festival organized by the Chinese outside of Manila.

According to Dr. Jaime Laya, the processions had a “multistory royal castle escorted by bancas, fireworks and raucous festivities, and illuminated with fat red candles offered in honor of San Nicolas de Tolentino.”

Nothing is left of this tradition as it was forgotten. The old image of the San Nicolas was moved to an Augustinian Monastery in Guadalupe while the supposed "buwayang bato" was cemented over during the beautification of the Pasig River in the 70's.

The chapel was revived in the 1990's and is now part of the jurisdiction of the Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish.

This place used to be part of Pasig Town but then administratively transferred to San Pedro de Macati in 1794.

Source:

Letras Y Figuras, Dr. Jaime Laya
Manila, My Manila, Nick Joaquin

10/04/2021

Nestled at the heart of Pasig is a kind of resort for old people that longs for the kind of relaxation that eases not only the body but also the "soul".

From the Desk Easter commonly coincides in the first days of summer. Children stop attending school for two months to have their well-earned vacation. The people and their families head to the nearest resorts in Pansol or Antipolo while some long for the colder climate of Baguio and Tagaytay. Summer...

09/04/2021

The Landmarks of Pasig: The Trees that reminded us of freedom

Days after the liberation of Pasig from the Japanese Forces, the townspeople headed by the town's leaders planted these trees around the Plaza Rizal fronting the Church and at the side of the Concepcion Mansion which was used by the Japanese Forces as its garrison.

These "Liberation Trees" are symbols of the town's liberty and stand against oppressors. Its mighty trunks that withstood time is a testament of Pasig's strong ideals of freedom and brotherhood. It still stands today, guarding the liberties of a people who will always protect the motherland from invaders.

Maligayang Araw ng Kagitingan!

03/04/2021

A cherished tradition of the Pasiguenos was suspended due to the twice in a row. The Salubong, a Filipino tradition is the culmination and the end of the Holy Week.

For now let us look back how the Salubong was in 2019. Happy Easter!

Photos by: Conrad Alvez and
Coun. Rhichie Brown

03/04/2021

The Landmarks of Pasig: The enduring legacy of the Augustinian Sisters

As you traverse the Jabson Street formerly Calle Antonio Luna in Malinao, you'll see the façade of the Chapel of Colegio del Buen Consejo which is known as the Beaterio de Santa Rita de Pasig founded in 1740. It was the fourth beaterio founded in the old province of Manila.

Tradition holds that when the founders of the beaterio struck ground, they discovered an underground river beneath the outer wall of the Chapel apse.

Source:

Angels in Stone, Pedro Galende, OSA
The Living River, Dr. Luciano PR. Santiago

02/04/2021

The most awaited procession of the year is the Procession of the Lord's Burial every Good Friday. Sadly, for two years, this Pasigueno tradition is put on hold due to the Pandemic.

For now, let us enjoy some photos from the 2019 Procession.

Photos by Marie Ramos

01/04/2021

What do you miss most during Holy Week?

From the Desk For two years we have missed perhaps one of the most important events in the Christian Calendar. All thanks to this Pandemic, Holy Week Celebrations meant solitary confinement and reflection all on your own. For Pasiguenos, this is so hard to do. Being a town renowned for its faith int...

29/03/2021

Let the Pelican move us to show compassion, charity and the spirit of self-giving especially at these trying times.

From the Desk As you ascend the old wooden staircase of Pasig Town's oldest and most iconic household - the Bahay na Tisa in Barangay San Jose, you would be greeted by a humble wooden icon of a mother pelican that seemed to feed her chicks. Upon close inspection of the old image you'll see droplets....

15/03/2021

It's been a year since the country plunged into uncertainty: lockdown, a word that brings shrills to our necks.

Immortalized into verses by a Pasigueno Poet, Pablo Tariman picks up important pieces of elements that covered our lives as we journey on with the world's longest lockdown.

Pablo A. Tariman I see myself in deep thought Clearing the kitchen sink After sharing modest meal With my grandson Now getting used To on-line classes. In those dreary months You learn the art Of coping Of planning meals Of making do With reduced income While turning to Chopin nocturnes Early in the...

11/03/2021

The way things are unfolding, everything is as blurred as it was in the beginning. 2022 will be pivotal, of that we can be sure.

Where are we headed? Bhen Toor, Editor-in-Chief The events unfolding before us is worrisome. While detained Senator Leila De Lima has won a key victory in the trumped up charges against her, the present administration continues to pull strings to continue her unjust detention for simply being the mo...

17/02/2021

The people of Pasig is just as gracious that the Government is shielding them from the evil works of politics while exposing them to true political will.

From the Desk Safety is one of the conditions Filipino Families consider in finding the right spot where they can raise their children. It is indeed a very huge word with many meanings and is dependent on who you ask. However, with all things summed up, safety means one thing and that is security. T...

08/02/2021

With the kind of state of affairs we are all now in, a leader must emerge to take command and remind his people to search for the truth despite the impossibility of the situation. In Pasig, Vico Sotto did his part and empowered his citizens to look for the kind of truth that informs and restores hope for the future.

From the Desk In a world plagued with uncertainties, the last thing we need is misinformation. A continuous battle yet to be won is waged against peddlers of fakenews and propaganda that brings harm and panic to a populace bombarded by negativity almost everyday. With the kind of state of affairs we...

29/01/2021

Vico in all his humbleness and wisdom is already laying the foundations of a city far from its former backward and immature self where progress is described as whitewashing, short lived projects and irrelevant visioning.

From the Desk The week is about to end and Pasig is once again the talk of the town. Given the first-world approach of the city government in its continued fight against the Covid19 Virus, the manner by which everything is being executed is run like a systematized machine with no room for errors. Th...

23/01/2021

Many of these of stores have come and went and left us something very important and that is their memory - something we always look back and reminisce with a smile.

From the Desk Pasig City was recently listed as the fourth richest city in the Philippines with Makati as the first followed by Quezon City and Manila. Undoubtedly, this can be attributed to the fact that the majority area of the Ortigas Center falls within the jurisdiction of the city. As a result,...

20/01/2021

Mayor Vico Sotto during his weekly address gave the city government employees a taste of a brand of leadership that transcends politics.

From the Desk Mayor Vico Sotto during his weekly address gave the city government employees a taste of a brand of leadership that transcends politics. The Mayor who became a first time city councilor before running in the city's top post cited the importance of security of work and increase in salar...

18/01/2021

The old town filled with landmarks will make you realize that no matter where you are, your town of origin is relatively small and how surprising that despite its smallness and its simplicity, the volume of memories you made from it is large enough to make you full, whole and never wanting.

From the Desk Impatience is a number one criticism against millennials. In a world filled with digital work and "instants", it is no wonder why majority of the younger populations are having a hard time waiting. The mere thought of it sends negative vibes for they have been accustomed to the culture...

11/01/2021

Pasig is indeed fortunate to have the necessary funds to buy its own and for the record, has the capacity to identify the priorities, something which some people or institutions failed to recognize.

From the Desk The past days saw the rise of LGUs racing against time in the procurement of vaccines as the National Government buries itself in finding remedies to secure allocations for the greater populace. Pasig is indeed fortunate to have the necessary funds to buy its own and for the record, ha...

05/01/2021

What are your memories of the Lumang Tulay?

From the Desk The moment you approach C5, a 35.5 kilometer stretch of a highway that separates the old Pasig from the new, you are given a choice of two bridges, one that is called Vargas (Lumang Tulay) and the other called Sta. Rosa (Bagong Tulay). Both bridges would lead you to the heart of Pasig,...

04/01/2021

Transparency and humility goes well together especially in times of crisis when the government is the last resort of the people's survival.

From the Desk This morning, the Pasig City Hall had its first flag ceremony for the year 2021. Selected workers from government as well as officials attended the event as the rules governing social distancing and assemblies are still strictly enforced in the city. The Mayor also used this assembly t...

27/12/2020

Do you remember the Cinemas in Pasig town?

From the Desk We had one of the most silent Christmas Days ever. In fact it was very far from what we are all accustomed to. The last Christmases have been devoted to parties and endless reunions - something which we cannot do as of the moment. Perhaps one of the things we can't do as well is to wat...

24/12/2020

Food is a simple element in life, but how we prepare, share and partake it offers a window to the benevolence of our souls.

From the Desk The whistling tubular steamers of the putobumbong is a familiar sound around the ancient Cathedral of Pasig. It is a signal of a grand feast about to happen at the strike of midnight of the 25th of December. Filipino's like to welcome Christmas in a vigil a biblical waiting like how th...

23/12/2020

Our diplomats like the late Rody Sanchez embraced cultural differences and helped the Philippines be one in the family of nations.

From the Desk The Dynastic Union of the Kingdoms of Spain and Portugal brought peace to the otherwise warring empires of the Iberian Peninsula - the old world powers. Between 1580 - 1640 the Iberian Union linked the great territories, colonies and even the very peninsula under one monarchy, the Span...

21/12/2020

Poverty has deep roots, and we are all in for a hard fight to defeat it so long as there are those who prefers the status quo.

Aian Guanzon What causes poverty? How are we supposed to address it? These are the million dollar questions - which are probably worth more than millions of dollars! You have probably heard a lot of insights and opinions about this topic; some from economic experts telling us the secrets of capital....

18/12/2020

This Christmas of 2020 is muted but Christmas we will still have here in Pasig.

Jonathan Olabre Christmas was always special in Pasig for this Generation X. Having been born in Pasig and lived here until now. I was witness on how Pasig celebrated the Yuletide Season when it was less densely populated and everybody mostly knew who was everybody. How the season began and how it e...

03/12/2020

What transpired before and after the tragic death of Baby River and how her funeral proceeded without her and her mother being given the privacy granted to high profile inmates show a clear disparity in the implementation of our laws and in the treatment of
accused individuals, which has outraged many.

by Dannah Faye Felicio and Jasper Mikko What transpired before and after the tragic death of Baby River and how her funeral proceeded without her and her mother being given the privacy granted to high profile inmates show a clear disparity in the implementation of our laws and in the treatment of ac...

02/12/2020

The city's perennial Christmas Gift for the year of the Pandemic is its government.

From the Desk We have now arrived in the most awaited part of the year. The night comes early everyday and the cold winds from Siberia embrace the islands in a chilling but happy mood. In the west, they call it the winter solstice but in the Philippines its Christmas! Anticipation of the holidays ha...

30/11/2020

Regardless where you put Bonifacio, the town is thankful for the hero's lasting influence to the bravery of the sons and daughters of Pasig.

From the Desk, December 30 is Bonifacio day. It is a holiday across the country and it commemorates one of the pillars, if not, the only pillar of the Philippine Revolution, Andres Bonifacio. He was born in November 30, 1863 and unlike his idol, Dr. Jose Rizal, he didn't have the luxury to study abr...

29/11/2020

The Age of Digital technology is upon us. It has been for quite sometime now, and COVID-19 simply made it happen across demographics.

Joaquin Villareal The Age of Digital technology is upon us. It has been for quite sometime now, and COVID-19 simply made it happen across demographics. Distance learning was an odd concept during the first wave of the pandemic. The idea of learning from home was not what everyone expected to come in...

22/11/2020

Rizal High is not an ordinary school named after a hero for they have produced heroes as well.

From the Desk We are not talking about the religious movements in southern Luzon, for they are called the Rizalistas. Neither are the people residing in Rizal Province, as they are called Rizalenos. Rizalians are actually youngsters but even the old claim this title because of their past. They are s...