By Levine Andro Lao
The works of Thomasian architect Francisco 鈥淏obby鈥� Ma帽osa spell out his fate of becoming a national artist. Think of the EDSA Shrine, the Coconut Palace, and the Davao Pearl Farm: these are among the landmarks, gifted to us by Ma帽osa, that bring a sense of pride and identity to the Filipino.
To be true, these architectural gems are only testaments to a more important philosophy, which Ma帽osa has since been advocating. For, long before he became a paragon in the practice of vernacular architecture, he already believed that what we build must blend with indigenous culture. His case has always been aesthetics that is put in practice.
Much of this was presented in an exhibition of his works at the National Museum of the Philippines, which was fittingly titled 鈥淢a帽osa: Beyond Architecture.鈥� The showcase featured the documentation of the architect鈥檚 notable works that span his over 60 years of practice.
In one interview, Prof. Gerard Lico of the University of the Philippines praised the personal principles and the ingenuity of Ma帽osa, whom he regarded to have revolutionized the use of indigenous materials and the local methods of building houses in Philippine architecture.
Also the exhibit curator, Lico noted that Ma帽osa concerned himself with complementing the local attributes of a tropical country with the spatial concept of his architecture, which resulted in his reinvention of the bahay kubo.
鈥淔or his designs, Ma帽osa processed sawali, abaca, bamboo, rattan, shells, local textile, and other materials, using new technologies and techniques to find more applications for them rather than merely using them for decorative purposes,鈥� the curator added.
Aside from the use of locally found materials, also characteristic to Ma帽osa鈥檚 designs are high ceilings and large windows, which are architectural provisions for the tropical climate of the country. These were adopted, and have become the trademark of his firm, now known as Ma帽osa & Co., Inc.
Designs, principles
The Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace, more popularly known as the iconic EDSA Shrine, would have looked differently had Ma帽osa not designed it.
In a revelation by his wife Denise, she narrated that some decades ago, Jaime Cardinal Sin asked the architect Ma帽osa to build a church on a site donated by the Ortigas family and John Gokongwei, which was located at the corner of the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and Ortigas Avenue.
鈥淏obby鈥檚 vision for the Shrine was a 鈥楶eople鈥檚 Basilica鈥� with the structural outline of a bahay kubo but on a grander scale鈥攚ith seven pitched roofs clustered together, framing a statue of the Blessed Virgin,鈥� Denise wrote before revealing that her spouse, in the middle of the meeting, walked out on the project after his first presentation because the committee had initially 鈥減referred a Spanish design for the church.鈥� Perhaps his reaction was to be expected; Ma帽osa has been known to say 鈥淚 design Filipino, nothing else.鈥濃�攁 bold statement that reportedly had cost him dearly, for he turned down lucrative offers because the clients wanted some trendy foreign style for their projects.
Denise remembered her husband, even saying, 鈥淚 believe I am not your architect. I cannot do that to our country or to our people.鈥� He made his point, and the Cardinal listened. The result was a promenade with the towering image of Mary, sculpted by Virginia Ty-Navarro, and an underground church, which is no bahay kubo yet still something that embraces the milieu of the metropolis and reflects the history of the Filipino people.
Another display of Ma帽osa鈥檚 genius is the 鈥淭ahanang Pilipino,鈥� (Filipino 草榴视频) which was originally for the purpose of housing the visiting artists, who were to perform at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Today, the structure is known as the 鈥淐oconut Palace鈥�; its name taken from Ma帽osa鈥檚 innovations on the use of mainly the materials from the coconut tree to erect the grand structure.
Among other notable edifices that mark Ma帽osa鈥檚 artistry are the 鈥渘ature church鈥� of the Mary Immaculate Parish in Las Pi帽as and the Amanpulo Resort in Palawan, which earned for him the Asia Pacific Interior Design Award and the Best Beach Resort Worldwide, which are given by the United Kingdom-based Gallivanter鈥檚 Awards for Excellence.
UST鈥檚 pride
Ma帽osa was officially declared a National Artist last Oct. 24 in a formal ceremony held in Malaca帽an Palace. Other newly minted National Artists were filmmaker Eric Oteyza de Guia, more known as 鈥淜idlat Tahimik鈥�; musician-composer Ryan Cayabyab; writer-scholar Resil Mojares; dramatist-puppeteer Amelia Lape帽a-Bonifacio; Hiligaynon writer Ramon Muzones; and cartoonist Lauro 鈥淟arry鈥� Alcala.
Only a Presidential Proclamation can declare a Filipino a National Artist. This award is a national recognition in the fields of Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film and Broadcast Arts, and Architecture or Allied Arts.
Ma帽osa is a 1953 graduate of the University of Santo Tomas under the BS Architecture program. He is trailblazer in the field of vernacular architecture and, of course, an outstanding Thomasian.
The author, Levine Andro Lao, is a part-time faculty member of the Ecclesiastical Faculty of Philosophy, University of Santo Tomas. He is the Executive Assistant of the Office for Grants, Endowments, and Partnerships in Higher Education, UST. While in college, he was Managing Editor of the Varsitarian from 2008-2009. The Varsitarian is UST鈥檚 official student publication.
