Old but Gold: A Journey to Decipher San Juan, Batangas

Let me tell you first the history of San Juan, Batangas, my beloved hometown.

One thing I learned from the professor is to always look for the story behind things,

cultures, or beliefs to fully appreciate their beauty. On the 28th of February 1914, the

former name of the town, San Juan de Bolboc, became San Juan de Nepomuceno by

the legislative order no. 2390. Later on, the locals settled on calling it San Juan only.

The town was formerly a village of a town of Rosario. It was only in 1843 when the

town was recognized for its independence from the said municipality, although it was

just in the year 1848 when it was officially separated from Rosario. San Juan, Batangas

has a total land area of 27,340 hectares, consisting of 42 barangays with 178 sitios.

According to the official webpage of San Juan, the town's first church was built in the

barrio of Pinagbayanan in the year 1843; using palms and bamboos but soon

refurbished with stone. Due to persistent flooding of the two rivers ( Bancoro and

Bangbang), the residents requested relocation of the church. The request was granted

in 1890 after the whole former town sank due to persistent flooding. A bell tower was

then added to further enhance the look of the said church (between the years 1928 and

1935). In an excavation made by the University of the Philippines Archaeological

Studies Program (2010), they were able to learn the methods and materials used for

the construction of the old church. Moreover, it revealed that a church and a municipal

hall was situated in the center of the former town.

Saint John Nepomucene is our patron saint. Upon researching, it revealed that

St. John Nepomucene was called "martyr of the confessional" ("Eye in the Sky," 2015).
Also, he was thrown out of the river by King Wenceslaus, for the reason of St. John

Nepomucene's refusal to reveal the confession of a queen. Hence, people devoted the

16th day of May every year to commemorate him. San Juan comes alive for this feast,

and in my whole existence in this place, I am living proof of how hospitable the San

Juaneños are. Expect to be invited in the homes of the locals and join them on their

small or extravagant salu-salo. Bands are playing, Flores de Mayo parading, and St.

John Nepomucene is walked around the whole Poblacion, the town's center. The feast

is not just a celebration of the patron saint, but also a binding of relationships between

the neighborhood. Above all, the buzzing noise and splurge of food on the annual feast

is what excites the people.

LOCAL FESTIVAL: Lambayok Festival

Just like any other place, San Juan Batangas has its festival too. On the 12th day

of December every year, San Juan, Batangas, my hometown celebrates Lambayok

Festival. A thanksgiving activity where our locals showcase the three booming and

growing industries of San Juan, Batangas; Lambanog, Palayok, and the maritime

industry (not only the rich maritime life but also our famous white-sand beaches). A

street dance competition opens the festival. Of course, the main theme of the dance

circulates the Lambanog and Palayok. 14 different schools from the municipal join the

competition, wearing a costume that depicts the industries being celebrated. A muse

holds and dances the statue of our patron saint, St. John Nepomucene. After the street

dance, the participants will then proceed to the venue of the showdown competition.

Street dance and the showdown are graded separately. Saing, Sisid, Barik was the
theme of last year's Festival. The 12th day of December every year seemed like a rest

day for us San Juaneños. People flock in the town to witness the opening ceremonies of

the annual festival. People from nearing municipals also join the celebration. The

festival included the activities of the pottery-making contest, mural painting contest,

cookfest, bartending competition, lambanog expo, and fun run. Search for Ms. San Juan

and Gng. San Juan was also done to give acknowledgment on the beauty of San

Juaneños. Gabi ng Parangal is intended to acknowledge people who are still fishing and

people who still make lambanog and palayok. Our festival has already been featured by

some television programs. I just feel so proud and honored to be a citizen of San Juan.

Lambayok festival has been joining the Aliwan Fiesta, a competition among Philippine

Festivals in which San Juan, Batangas placed 7th out of many participants in the year

2007 and 2009.

LOCAL PRODUCT: Lambanog

Coconut trees are very abundant in Batangas, especially here in San Juan. 80%

of lambanog supplies all over Batangas are from the municipality of San Juan (GMA

News, 2017, 2:10). Production of the said coconut drink started in the 1900s. The

process itself is very artistic. You will need a great amount of patience and meticulous

eyes to produce a high quality and safe to drink lambanog. According to Mallari (2017),

80 proof is the maximum number of tolerance of humans. If the proof is exceeded,

chances are drinker's throat will burn.

One of the most popular and longest lambanog producers in San Juan is the RPL

Lambanog. RPL's been producing the said drink since 1985. Since Lambanog is
inexpensive, people coined it as a "poor man's drink." Hence, the RPL Lambanog

owner's son thought of making lambanog as an international product and established

Juan Lambanog. The company also thought of incorporating new flavors to introduce to

today's generation such as pure and clear, strawberry, bubblegum, grape, and green

apple. The consumers loved the new flavors that the production went on for years now.

Let me also introduce a coffee shop here in my hometown. Cafeño is considered as one

of the oldest establishments here in San Juan, along with the heritage houses built. One

of the best sellers of this coffee shop is their "spike cooler" which tourists and

foreigners loved. It is a beverage in which lambanog is mixed with Kapeng Barako

(which my hometown is also famous for); the usual amount of lambanog incorporated

in the drink is 30 mL but according to the staff of the café, foreigners usually ask for a

more concentrated amount of lambanog.

LOCAL PRODUCT: Palayok

Palayok is a collective term for all goods made out of clay; it usually includes

cooking pots, flower pots, and decorative vases. Residents of Libato, and Palahanan

(1st and 2nd) are making these palayok for decades now: Libato, is usually the

production place while Palahanan (1st and 2nd) is usually the market place. San Juan,

Batangas is considered the Palayok Capital of the Philippines, the locals are producing

them in various shapes, styles, sized, and design since the 1900s.

My hometown has a land area of 27, 340 hectares which were predominantly

intended for agriculture. It is considered the second-largest municipality in the whole

province of Batangas. With this size of land area, the people made use of it and started
making palayok out of luad or mud. The owner of a famous pottery shop here in my

hometown, Mrs. Grace Virtusio of EVC Pottery, was interviewed by Avendano et al.

According to Virtusio (2019), the luad is initially collected by the riverbanks of the

municipality; number of trucks of clay soil would last up to months and she also added

"Maganda ang lupa dito sa San Juan." As per Virtusio (2019), when her family started

the business in the 1970s, ordinary pots were initially produced, and when 2012 came,

they started to change their strategy and made decorative-modern pots as well.

Moreover, ordinary pots are made with machines while the decorative ones require

more effort and creativity, hence are handmade. To strengthen and prolong the

business, the owners must have a standard price and standard quality of the product

(Virtusio, 2019). She also pointed out the kind attitude you should be showing your

customers. It will pave the way to attract foreign customers or tourists.

Decorative vases and flower pots are very popular today, in which San Juan,

Batangas is known for. Through the production of these decorative pots and vases,

their creativity and patience are acknowledged.

TRIVIA: Foods are said to be more appetizing when cooked in Palayok (e.g., Sinaing na Tulingan and Pinaupong

Manok)

LOCAL ARTISTS

Why art? "It is my first painting in which I found my artistic identity." (R. Reyta

Jr. personal communication. September 22, 2020)

 Ramil Reyta Jr. was a former classmate. Even before in our younger years, I

already saw his potential in art-making. He is currently enrolled in a state university in

Batangas, taking up Bachelor of Science in Architecture. According to Reyta (2020), he

is aiming to serve people by creating alluring housing projects while being able to do his

passion incorporating all the theories and methods he will acquire. To be able to put his

art together, I learned that he just uses all the materials available around him. These

different materials according to him give life and help establish the message he wanted

to imply. According to Reyta (2020), art gives him satisfaction, and at the same time,

he was able to influence, inspire, and motivate other people. For him, art is something

we put our heart into; it is creating something to express what we want, he added. As I

know Reyta, I saw how he works hard to help his parents fund his school requirements.

And during the interview, I asked him what inspires and he answered me with "I

continue doing my passion because of those around me, the ones who support and

those who get inspired by what I do." He also mentioned the words of discouragement

he got pushed him to where he is now. As per Reyta (2020), the Philippines is a home

of many talented individuals, excelling in their own fields, and all these great artists

served as his influence in doing his works.

"My passion is creation." (R.F. Perez Jr. personal communication. September 22,

2020) on why he chose art.

Ramon Florencio Perez Jr. is a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, De La

Salle University-Manila, and aspires to be a National Artist in three different disciplines:

Literature, Music, and Theatre. As per Perez (2020), he does not have any specific
theme. He just makes what his clients want, and he personally likes writing about the

people and their lives, he added. Perez wrote a song, titled "Duyan", a theme song for

his musical "Ang Awit sa Hiraya," which tackled the growth of a child, preparing to face

the harsh realities of life by remembering the words of her mother (Perez, 2020). He

also joked about money as a great motivation, the reason why he gets encouraged by

the potential clients and income he will earn. For influences, Perez (2020) identified it

into two categories: storytelling and musicking. He pointed out Dr. Merlinda Bobis' Fish-

Hair Woman and Locust Girl and Neil Gaiman's Lucifer, Coraline and Sandman

influenced him to tell stories. On the other hand, Nobuo Uematsu's Final Fantasy and

Tenmon's 5 Centimeters per Second goes in the list of musicking. When it comes to

representation, Perez has composed number of songs in which some of them tackle

political issues present in the country such as "How Can We" which talks about the

maltreatment of the medical workers by the government (Perez, 2020). " Baba Nam

Kevalam" is also a composition which talks about world peace. The title itself, according

to Perez (2020), is a Sanskrit mantra which translates into "Love is the essence of

everything." When I asked Perez about the reason why he does this kind of art, he

gave me an answer of "I like creating, writing stories and music, and I combine them to

tell stories through music." (R.F. Perez Jr. personal communication. September 22,

2020). He also added, "I usually combine orchestral instruments with native

instruments and even rock instruments with EDM elements. I don't limit myself to a

specific group of instruments. I love to mix them all up and experiment." And so far,
the best response he got was "Will you make the soundtrack for a film I'm making?"

(R.F. Perez. Personal communication. September 22, 2020)

Figure 1: Photo by: Kylie Dela Cruz \ Map of San Figure 2: Photo by: Kylie Dela Cruz \ Two blocks of
Juan posted in the museum. Adobe from the ruins of the old church.

Figure 4: Photo by: TAGAIBAANAKO \ “Sico Tanke,” a famous landmark

of the town. It was built in the year of 1923 with a 25-meter height.

Folktales say, the gunshot-holes are attained during World War II.
 Figure 3: Photo by: Kylie Dela Cruz \ San Juan
Nepomuceno Parish

Figure 6: Photo by: Czar Nicolai Samarita \ A muse,

Figure 5: Photo by: Czar Nicolai Samarita \ Street dance, showing the
dancing the statue of St. John Nepomucene.
three celebrated industries of San Juan.
 Figure 7: Photo by: Czar Nicolai Samarita \ One of the Figure 8: Photo by: Czar Nicolai Samarita \ One of the
participants in Showdown Competition. participants in Showdown Competition.

- -

Figure 12: Photo by: React Lambayok \ Figure 10: Photo by: LGU San Juan Figure 11: Photo by: Victoria Yson \
Cooking Contest Batangas \ Pottery-Making Contest Champion of Mural Painting Contest

Figure
Figure12:
12:Photo
Photoby:
by:Jimmy’s Lambanog\ \
WOW Batangas
DecorativeVariants
Vases of
of Lambanog
San Juan Batangas

Figure 14: Ramil Reyta Jr. \ “SMILE”, his first art where he
found his art identity Figure 15: “How Can We?” on Spotify

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(2010, October 15). Archaeological Investigation in Brgy. Pinagbayanan, San Juan, Batangas.
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