A walk back in time: A Celebration of Life within the walls

THE HIDDEN PART IN US. THE SEED OF OUR STORIES. INTRAMUROS. The buried treasure in our hearts. Deep down we connect with Intramuros amidst the hustle and bustle of urban living, albeit unknowingly. Usually visited only by tourists and apprentices of Philippine history, the Walled City has withstood the bombings of time to continue to fortress more generations of live experiences–including the generation in which we live today. It is not a distant past but a humble source of strength. It constitutes our days, completes our identity. It is not a mere remnant of history; it is alive and standing tall. The abode of Philippine history, the living culture of the Filipino, the living walls: that is Intramuros.

Intramuros, or within the walls, was the center for trade of Asian goods before the coming of the Spaniards. It was the native settlement of Maynilad. When it was conquered by the Spaniards, high walls, bulwarks, and moats had to be constructed as defenses against foreign intruders.

The walls stretched 4.5 kilometers in length, with an area of 64 hectares wherein residences, churches, palaces, schools, and government buildings reside. It became the political, cultural, educational, religious, and commercial center of Spain’s empire in the East. It was a destination of the famed Acapulco galleons.

But as a result of the Treaty of Paris, the Philippines was ceded to the United States, ending the Spanish colonial era. The Japanese occupied the Philippines at the outbreak of the World War II, which proved the end for Intramuros. During the battle in 1945, American forces shelled Intramuros where hundreds of Japanese held out in a last-ditch stand. Thousands died. Practically, the whole of Intramuros was leveled to the ground except San Agustin Church.

A ruined city lay at the feet of a modernizing metropolis through the years. Efforts to restore Intramuros were sporadic. In 1979, a presidential decree created the Intramuros Administration to restore the Walled City as a historic site and major tourist attraction.

Today, its illustrious past and historical value in harmony with the deep, humble touch of culture and arts make the Walled City a heritage site that speaks in crisp pictures of the totality of the Filipino character.

A walk through the City is enlivened by the nostalgic sites of the Plaza San Ignacio, the Jose Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church and Museum (a Unesco World Heritage Site), Colegio de Sta. Rosa, Ayuntamiento, Bahay Tsinoy, Plaza de Roma, Hidalgo Monument, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Aduana, Revellin del Parian, Reducto de San Pedro, and the Almacenes Ruins among others.

Artistic activities enrich the Intramuros experience as well. As a celebration of the grandeur of these walls, the Department of Tourism is launching A Walk Back In Time: The Intramuros Theater-in-the-Round Experience from November 17 to December 23 at the Plaza San Ignacio.

This is a series of multi-performance events highlighting life in the Philippine Colonial Period within the Walled City. Various themed activities revolve around the theater play, presented by Tanghalang Pilipino, which features aspects of colonial culture–trade, education, belief systems, religion, and courtship rituals, among others. The theater-in-the-round concept allows visitors to walk into the play and be part of the play itself.

The festivity will showcase a band parade, a lantern festival, and a food festival that will highlight cuisine from neighboring trade cultures that mattered during the Spanish colonial period: Chinese, India, Malay, Filipino and Spanish. In and around these rich artistic activities is an uplifting feel of theatrical Intramuros. Theater will transcend through the Walls.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano mindfully chose personalities whose spirits are moved by the inspiration Intramuros brings forth. Spearheading this endeavor is Jeannie E. Javelosa, DOT artistic consultant, also a member of the National Commission for Culture and the Art’s Committee on Special Events and Information Dissemination. Script writer Rody Vera has won Palanca Awards for Kung Paano ko Pinatay si Diana Ross, Balanggiga, and Luna: Isang Romansang Aswang.

The theater show will be directed by Chris Millado, named 2003 Aliw Best Stage Director and is the CCP Performing Arts Department head. Tanghalang Pilipino outgoing and incoming artistic directors Herbie Go and Dennis Marasigan head the group of talented actors.

A Walk Back In Time will give visitors not only a wealth of knowledge about history, but a fulfillment of having been touched by the living culture of theater, dance, music, entertainment, and cuisine all shared within the heritage of the Walls.

"Through the lenses of history, we see that our forefathers and ancestors have fought for, built, taken in from foreign influences, and continued to form a fusion culture that is what Philippine culture is about today," says Secretary Durano.

"Intramuros is the primary historical site that is in Metro Manila. It is the first place we bring our foreign guests to experience a historic place within a cultural heritage site," explains Javelosa. "We have chosen to highlight Intramuros due to its historicity. In a world of globalization, countries are all striving to get to that international level. However, we must remember that what sets us apart is our culture. This culture is what we have to carry with us, present to the world and be proud of. Intramuros is an aspect of our cultural past that can be made relevant through cultural tourism initiatives, such as A Walk Back In Time, a theater-in-the-round experience. The venue itself is key as it is a heritage site."

Seeking to blend history, culture, and tourism, the artful experience will cut through borders, heighten awareness, and widen interest in the bedrock of the Filipino character. In an era where individuals across borders find comfort in sameness, the call of cultural distinctions resounds. Filipino culture positions itself as the mark of uniqueness in a blur of similarities.

For years the walls have stood, to fend off invasion and preserve the life that was Manila. After centuries, the walls now beckon to us, to see the life and culture within, to tell the stories of our fathers and our father’s fathers, the story that is the Filipino. Once held within and kept from the world, the hidden treasure is now tapped and freed. Revisit. Reconnect. Take a walk back in time. Celebrate life within the walls.

A Walk Back in Time: The Intramuros Theater-in-the-Round begins on November 17 and will run every Friday and Saturday, 6-11 p.m. at the Plaza San Ignacio in Intramuros, Manila. The theater show runs twice nightly, at 8 and 9 p.m. Band performances begin at 10 p.m. The event is open to the public. Admission is free. For details, call 929-3238 or visit weblog http://awalkbackintime.multiply.com