Exploring Manila

Sunday was a complete change of scenery for the delegates and other participants of the IYBA, for instead of dialogue, presentations, and discernment, we explored the sights, sounds, and history of Manila. Guided by a host of Aspirants and IYBA Volunteers, we made our way through many places.

The day began with Sunday liturgy at La Salle Green Hills and included lunch with the Alumni Association, where they expressed great gratitude for the guidance of the Brothers, not only during their years at Green Hills, but also in the years that followed. The delegates boarded buses, making their way into the heart of Manila to explore the historical sites. A number of our stops included hearing about one of the Philippine national heroes, José Rizal, and his having sought to expose the mistreatment of Filipinos by the Spanish by means of his fictional writings. We then visited the art gallery of the National Museum where the largest painting of the Philippines is housed, the "Spoliarium.” The tour continued into Intramuros where we stopped at the Church of San Augustín and Fort Santiago. All of these sites spoke richly of Filipino history which is greatly intertwined with both Spanish and American influences.

Please don't think that our day was filled solely with educative experiences, for we spent the next two hours at "MOA." The Mall of Asia the largest mall in all of Asia, which is owned by one of the donors of De La Salle University, Henry Sy. Our guides have also loved showing us their shopping centers.

The capstone experience of the day was our visit to The Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament at De La Salle University. This was the place where the Brothers and local civilians were murdered by the Japanese on February 12, 1945, as the Americans were entering Manila. Upon entering the room, I could personally feel the reverential presence of the room, and its history is quite palpable. We were told the story of the massacre by Brother Bernie Oca, FSC, President of De La Salle in Zobel, and he pointed out the many tiles which still remained stained by the blood of the victims. We had evening prayer in the chapel, and concluded the day with dinner at the University.

Blessings from the Philippines!

--Brother David L. Caretti

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