Inspiration for a generation

Last week Philippine arts and architecture lost a great champion  Rodrigo D. Perez III (Dom Bernardo Ma., OSB). Most of my generation knew him as Father Bobby. He was one of the first acknowledged scholars of Philippine architecture. We read his books like Folk Architecture and Philippine Ethnic Architecture, and his voluminous essays on design. We listened to his talks, and were inspired to imbue our designs with the cultural specificity that he advocated.

Visiting his wake I conveyed my condolences to his family, including his sister-in-law Dolly Quimbo Perez. Dolly was one of my professors in landscape architecture at the UP in the 1970s. From them, and from a tribute by the CCP (displayed at the wake), I gathered the missing pieces of his story before the ’70s when I had started to read his books and writing.

Fr. Bobby graduated from San Beda high school. He studied architecture at the UST. His contemporaries were National Artists for Architecture Leandro Locsin and Bobby Mañosa (his case needs to be resolved in the next cycle of considerations for National Artists, or even before that).

Fr. Bobby was enamored of architecture but was also drawn to the humanities and the arts. In the mid-’50s, after college he took to writing and started to contribute to The Philippine Herald, The Manila Times, Philippine Graphic, and The Manila Chronicle, among a slew of publications. He wrote critical essays on the arts and architecture, continuing in the footsteps of pre-war writers like AV H Hartendorp, the brothers, Arcadio and Juan Arellano, and IV Mallari. (I do hope soon to get an anthology of their writing published; once I get a grant, that is).

Rodrigo Perez III was Fr. Bobby’s byline. It appeared regularly in the ’50s but most memorably in a seminal series on modern Filipino architecture for the Sunday Times Magazine. The series was titled, “Architects of a Generation.” In the series he introduced the general public to the new-fangled styles and movements in architecture as espoused by a select group of post-war Filipino architects. These included Cesar Concio, Pablo Antonio Sr., Angel Nakpil and Carlos Arguelles.

The choices for this series were based on criteria set by Fr. Bobby and his editors and advisors (I have copies of the original essays in my collection). The criteria for the architects featured read, “(The choices were dependent on) the significance of their achievements in 1) The solution of the problem of climate, 2) The improvement of standards of living and of public taste, 3) honesty in design, 4) Conformance with the Filipino way of life, 5) Influence on young architects and on architectural consciousness. The recommendations were limited to those architects who, even at the start of their careers, were identified with progressive movements in local architecture, and who have consistently upheld the cause of modern architecture.” His classmates Lindy Locsin and Bobby Mañosa were just starting out in their careers. He would write about them and their work later.

His involvement in journalism and literature, tied to his architecture background led Fr. Bobby to design sets for Felipe Padilla de Leon’s opera Noli Me Tangere in 1957. The next year he booked a gig as set and lights designer, as well as stage manager for the Bayanihan Philippine Company on their famous world tours in 1958 through 1960. That included a stint on Broadway.

Back in Manila in the 1960s, Fr. Bobby entered another arena, that of government service. His experience with the Bayanihan, de facto touring ambassadors of the Philippines, led him to a stint with the Philippine Tourist and Travel Association under Modesto Farolan. Philippine culture experienced a renaissance in those years and culture-based tourism awakened the need to rediscover Philippine heritage.

Key to this rediscovery was Philippine Spanish-era churches. Again, Fr. Bobby’s architecture background led him to help found and be active in the Historical Conservation Society (the precursor of the Heritage Conservation Society of today).

As Rodrigo Perez II, Fr. Bobby wrote a seminal series of essays on modern FIlipino architects.

Towards the end of the ’60s Rodrigo Perez drawn to a higher calling. A retreat at his old high school San Beda led him to enter the convent and emerge in the ’70s as the Father Bobby most of my generation were acquainted with.

Fr. Bobby had been a non-conformist in pursuit of a career. He considered himself a rebel against the norm then and explained his redirection to monastic life as Benedictine thus, “It is not strange that a man with qualities of a rebel should take up a life of poverty, chastity, obedience and monastic stability. True Christianity is essentially a life of protest; it is non-conformity with the materialistic values of the world, it is protest against the prevailing system of self-interest, corruption and injustice, is a revolutionary movement that encourages each man to rise above himself and to realize his true destiny as a son of God …a revolutionary movement that hopes to create and constantly renew a world of grace and charity that looks ever forward to the betterment of the human condition and to the eternal beatitude of mankind.”

From that point on he redirected his life to the service of God and the betterment of young Filipinos as member of the order and eventually as Rector of San Beda — a post he held for over 20 years. He was a great and well-loved administrator while not forgetting his architectural roots and responsibilities. He was active with the Archdiocesan Committee on Liturgical Environment. He kept on researching, writing books and delivering talks. He was one of my inspirations to start writing about architecture, design and the city.

As a Benedictine he pursued his mission for Filipino education and culture by serving the boards of the St. Benedict College, Miriam College, St. Scholastica’s College and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

For his half a century in the service of his order and Philippine culture he was bestowed the Gawad CCP para sa Sining award in 2008, one of many accolades reaped on him. This did not matter to him as much as his actual work. His life is a wonderful model for any Filipino and his passing takes a toll on Philippine arts and architecture. Thank you Fr. Bobby, you will be greatly missed.

This is the San Beda garden that Fr. Bobby meditated in, an oasis in the middle of bustling Manila.

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