A quick post to provide this link to a Los Angeles Times article/post on some of the endangered cultural treasures from around the world. The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras are on this photo list, and two other Philippine sites are on the list as well… the Sta. Maria Church in Ilocos Sur and the San Sebastian Church in Quiapo.
11 Responses
Hi MM! I looked through the post but couldn’t find the 2 churches you mentioned. :(
Neither could I
it seems that the 2 churches are under the WMF website linked from the article, listed under the 2010 Watch List :)
Don’t wish to be too gloomy but perhaps in the light of the terrible events this week we could add Philippines democracy to the endangered treasures list?
ADAM: Add our journalists to RP’s Endangered List, too!
adam and Vanessa, yes I have missed a major news item and reading about it in NY is insufficient… such an atrocity, it’s very depressing.
I totally agree. I am even more amazed to hear more and more presidentiables/vice presidentiables and senatorial candidates are now taking trips to coc to file their candidacy…while the poor Filipino people, especially the family and relatives of the victims are camping out crying for justice. Madam even dared to file for a congressional seat amidst the on-going investigation! I’m so sure, she would even welcome the support from the family of the accused………
This is a food blog, not a political column
Ooh Lex, I have to bite back sorry! Surely it is virtually impossible to separate culture from politics? I am hopeful that you have been reading this blog for a long time now and will therefore appreciate that one of the great joys of Market Manila is that MM does not only provide recipes – though in fairness he does this to great effect! But through a wide ranging discussion of food, travel, media, and yes Politics in it’s broadest form and many other issues, MM and contributers to the blog provide a fascinating and contemporary insight into Philippines life. Something that I guess thousands of people throughout the world turn to every day to read.
I am sure that those reading comprise a broad church and therefore have a wide range of views on all sorts of topics from inasal and alimasag to silver cutlery through to hotel and airline customer services so doubtless there are political colours of every hue represented.
And last week’s domestic news was dominated by one of the most awful and depressing events that I can remember here or indeed anywhere for a very long time. Much worse in so many ways than the recent typhoons which demonstrated through countless tragedies the poor and weak infrastructure and support in place that the Country has for emergencies and climatical catastrophes.
However, the things that happened in Maguindanao were the result of human evil and literally beyond comprehension. The slaughter, in peacetime, of unarmed men and women for daring to suggest another democratic path was horrific. And the more one reads of events and the political manoueverings behind the scenes (over the past few years in particular) at the highest levels that seemingly led to a situation where people knew that they could act almost with impunity the more depressing it becomes.
You can’t expect such events to go uncommented on – it would be too surreal if no one at all made passing comment on it here or on any other blog that took the Philippines as it’s main focus. I can’t speak for MM but I am sure that if in Country he would have not let this pass either.
Anyway, enough now, didn’t mean to lecture but I do think that you are wrong in so many ways.
Lex, if you have read a substantial fraction of the 2,300 posts on this blog, you would know I would have TOTALLY welcomed the diversion to a highly charged political issue if only to raise the level of awareness and indignation we should all feel about the atrocious incident in Maguindanao. I was away and missed 99% of the news on the topic, but I do think all Filipinos should be utterly disgusted with what transpired. Here is just a sampling of other posts that are NOT food related:
Economic Shortcircuit
Money in Paper Bags, here and here
Overpriced Lamp Posts in Cebu
PIPC Scam, here and here
Educational Plan Fiasco
That’s why I like this blog. It is a mixture of everything that’s going on. It keeps me informed and amused by the different topics covered. Most of the bloggers are educated and has taste and respectful of each other’s comments. Let’s keep it that way so all of us can continue to enjoy this site. More power to MM.