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My friend, Rebecca Agoncillo, was well into the late second half of a wonderful, fulfilling, independent and charmed life when she sprang a surprise on me – she got engaged!  Another shock followed.  “For my wedding gift, I want a face of Christ carved by the master artists at Talleres de Maximo Vicente, ” she cajoled.

I didn’t have the heart (nor the largesse!) to disappoint her so with her dream wedding gift, I tucked a piece of my pained humor coupled with a word of warning: “Every inch of this image chewed a big chunk out of my retirement bourse so you’d better stay put in this marriage!”   It was worth it.  My “Jill-come-lately” friend will likely be one of the last few and proud owners of a Maximo Vicente original.

Having been spooked by my own doom-and-gloom prediction, I quickly asked my former classmate, Meldy (Hernandez) Gabriel-Merchan, if the story could be told of the only remaining, authentic taller in the Philippines, makers of religious images, holy crosses and hand-embroidered garments and vestments and builders of altars, church pews and silver carrozas, by the second generation and the heirs of the master craftsman himself (Maximo Vicente, Sr.), her uncle Maximo Vicente Jr. and her aunt, Soledad Hernandez-Vicente.  The response came back quickly.

The first thing that struck me about Talleres de Maximo Vicente was how its trade sign looked so outdated among the others next to it in a discreet, shady section of Malate, Ermita; it was the only one written in Spanish.  The shop was quiet like a monastery, broken only by the sound of an oscillating floor fan dispersing warm, recycled air.  It resembled a curio shop without the fancy trinkets, only images in wood with soft, pensive and gentle features.  Looking around, more statues lined each wall that served as samples of the fine craftsmanship that has differentiated the shop from any other similar shops over the past nine decades.  Some of the sculptures have actually acquired a patina of age just by being there.  One life size statue of the Virgin of the Assumption, however, was genuinely old. The owners kept it mainly for sentimental reasons; it was lovingly carved by the patriarch himself, Maximo L. Vicente, Sr. in 1908, the same year that the shop first opened for business.

Soledad Hernandez-Vicente (“Call me Tita Sol”) reclined in her lounge chair while Maximo Vicente Jr. or Tito Max, sat nearby and smiled as he stirred old memories.  He began, “When Manila was surrounded by lush and wild rain forests, my father, Maximo, Sr., spent his childhood in Bulacan with an uncle who was a scout ranger.”  (I didn’t know such a profession even existed in the Philippines).  It was natural for the young Maximo to feel an affinity to plants and trees that grew abundantly in their extended backyard.  He decided to try his hand at making something out of wood and for some reason, he chose a crucifix.  The parish priest was so impressed by the finished product that he offered to buy it with a promise to order more.  That inspired Maximo Sr. to return to Manila, confident that he finally found his true calling.  He set up Talleres de Maximo Vicente and invited his half siblings, the Santiago brothers Luciano, Felix, Rafael, Dionisio and Roberto, to be his associates.  It proved to be a wise and profitable venture.

“During the good old days,” Tito Max reminisced, “The shop was a bee hive of activities.  We were chiseling and carving wood almost around the clock to meet job orders.  The most popular wood used was the baticulin because it was fine-grained, resistant to anay or termites and it didn’t easily crack, chip or break.”  They also got lots of orders for images carved from ivory and marble.  (Today, aside from the traditional medium, fiberglass has also been used).  Tito Max continued, “Because of my father’s exacting standards, practically every major church in Manila had at least one or two images bearing the hallmark of Talleres.  My profession as an architect came in handy, too, as I was asked to design and build churches and altars.”

Tita Sol continued, “We employed full-time wood carvers, carpenters and embroiderers or bordaderas who were kept very, very busy.”  Tita Sol’s expertise in the fine art of needlepoint and embroidery proved to be an ideal tandem to her husband’s profession.  She not only took charge of the day-to-day management but split her time between buying or scouting for the material and accessories and teaching bordaderas how to embroider and set a high standard of quality for themselves – what she called their “personal best.”  Only the finest of material were used for these vestments: precious gems, gold thread, gold crowns, cut glass, crystals and the smoothest, most exquisite velvet, satin, silk and laces from exclusive houses of accessories in Europe and Asia.  It was not unusual, in fact, to have clients who changed the vestments of their images to correspond to the various church feasts and family anniversaries.

 Making a “curio” tour of some of the old and exclusive homes in Metro Manila, I found that there was always a Talleres opus gazing down at me.  However, a commissioned statue doesn’t come cheap.  Talleres raised the art of carving wood to the no compromise, no short cuts, meticulously European artisan level.  It takes anywhere from three to twelve months or longer to complete one job order with no two images ever the same.  It was therefore easy to understand why each statue has been delicately and lovingly passed on from one generation to the next.  You get an heirloom from the very start.  If the price, however, is beyond the reach of one’s household budget, one can still enjoy their many works by visiting some of the magnificent churches or places of worship around Manila and provincial cities.  Among them:  The Santuario de San Antonio Church in Forbes Park, Makati, The Church of Mount Carmel in Broadway, New Manila (designed, built and supervised by Tito Max), the Santo Niño image found at the San Beda Chapel in Mendiola, Manila (built by Max Sr. at a princely compensation of P40), the chapel and the statues found at the Assumption Convent in San Lorenzo Village, Makati, the Alfonso de Liguori Church in Magallanes Village, South Superhighway, as well as those found at the Cathedral of Lipa City, Batangas, and many more.

For Tito Max, what started out as a sterling legacy from his father blossomed into a lifetime commitment of keeping religious art alive and available.  Their strong affiliation to the church made it so.

 Having made a name in this highly specialized trade, it was interesting to read through several of the published interviews and pictorials on some of the shop’s famous clients from the caviar and champagne circle.  Former first lady, Madame Imelda Marcos either owned a Maximo Vicente or received them as gifts.  When the much-venerated image of the Infant Jesus of Tondo was stolen in the early1970’s, Mrs. Marcos immediately brought back the recovered pieces to Talleres for restoration.  She knew that she was dealing with the best.  Another client (a government official convicted of assault and abduction) maintained a devotion to the Virgin Mother.  He commissioned three of his favorite saints from Talleres and had them delivered to his prison cell.

What about those religious groups who criticize and don’t believe in keeping statues and other holy images?  Tito Max has a gentle reminder, “Our images are not icons or idols to replace God.  They are meant to inspire the devotees to keep their faith strong and steadfast.”

 Sadly, it is not business as usual for Talleres.  Wooden, hand-carved images are not that much sought after anymore.  There are plenty of santos made out of wood, resin or plaster that have been mass-produced by small-to-medium-sized factories, therefore cheaper and affordable.  There is also the alarming issue of the dwindling supply of the wood baticulin.  Add to this the ironic but amusing observation that Tita Sol made: “Our statues were so well-made that they outlive the original owners.  We therefore don’t get repeat orders from the same clan!  The younger ones merely come back to the shop to have their inherited statues cleaned, repaired or restored.”  

Despite these setbacks, this gentle and retiring couple is not discouraged.  They have made the difficult choice of staying open, for now.  Tito Max remarked, “Even if business is soft, as long as there is that far-fetched desire for a hand-carved image, we will be here to make it.”

 But for how long?  “We honestly don’t know.  My wife and I are way past 40 karats, you know!”

Are we seeing the sunset days of the only remaining, honest-to-goodness taller in the Philippines?  Secretly, I made a wish:  May there be more unexpected and happy surprises like what my bosom friend got herself into.  Maybe that would dispel the worry and prove me wrong. 

Originally published by Philippine Star in 2001

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Note: Talleres de Maximo Vicente designed and built the beautiful altars, the pulpit and and the pews of Santuario de San Antonio, including some of the holy images in it. Tito Max and Tita Sol have completely retired after closing Talleres in the second decade of the new millenium. 

 

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Three men I knew passed away within the same month that left me believing the old folk superstition that “bad things come in threes.” It was spot on. All three suffered from lingering illnesses that were inoperable, that restricted their mobility and their capacity to communicate while their bodies steadily deteriorated. I saw the effects of these on the immediate families. The families, raw with emotion, swung like a pendulum from one extreme to the other. They hang on to a renewed hope that the body would improve, but on other times, surrendered to a helpless acceptance of the inevitable.

At the vigil, I was astounded by the abundance of flowers, beautiful exquisite flowers that must have cost a bundle. It got me wondering. “Why didn’t anyone think of sending him a small pot of fresh plants or flowers for no apparent reason, and not wait to spend thousands of pesos for flowers that he wouldn’t be able to see, much less appreciate?” (One could maybe send instead a bottle of his favorite Shiraz or a cheese platter or Italian antipasto or a decadent chocolate cake). The Canadian recording artist Celine Dion, said that in Quebec, the nuns gather these floral wreaths and dry them. They then wet, roll and form balls out of the petals to make rosary beads that one can give to friends and relatives as a lasting tribute.

It was so sad to see these beautiful flowers being dumped and piled high on the hearse. Mourners tried to save as many of them by pulling them out from the arrangement to drop them on the casket before the tomb was completely sealed.

With that image still fresh on my mind, I was determined to stop this practice by making a questionnaire or list of things that I’d like to be followed when the inevitable time comes around. I was going to share this list with my friends so that they too can prepare now. I called it a “living workshop” but gave it a cooler title: “When I croak….” (Sic).

“Why ‘croak’,” asked friend no. 1. “It’s in reference to a frog that when it croaks, it was time to say goodbye and jump from the lily pad,” I replied. And to spark the enthusiasm in the minds of these confirmed “drama queens”, I gave my personalized list as an example.

In brief, the list covered everything that surviving relatives would need to know if by chance, they failed to take note or listen closely during the lifetime of this departed relative.

When my friends arrived, I gathered them in a round table – like King Arthur and his knights – and gave them a copy of the list.

Friend No. 2 popped her eyes, “Oh this is great! I’ve been thinking about this but haven’t sat down to seriously do it.” (Author’s Note: Now, she has no more excuse not to complete her list.)

Friend No. 3 remarked, “I haven’t made up my mind what to wear.” I replied, “Choose now lest they wrap you in your floral sheet.”

Friend No. 4 thought deeply and said, “I want a solemn celebration. When they come to my wake, it shouldn’t be purely to socialize or use it as a reunion. They must remember that they are there to pray for me. I want each one to pray the rosary and to hear mass. VERY IMPORTANT!” she exclaimed.

Friend No. 5 laughed and said, “I want everyone to eat well so I’m going to book my favorite caterer to feed all of you.” (Author’s Note: Hmm, for sure, she’s going to have a full house of hungry but mourning friends.)

Friend No. 1 interjected and said, “Do you know that I already have prepared an Obituary? Complete with my favorite photo with a gumamela on my hair? It was a candid shot but one that turned on my hidden charm that hubby’s camera captured, miraculously!” (Author’s Note: Ladies, choose your favorite photos now, where you are at your ravishing best, remember.)

While they were writing down the details, I played a medley of love songs starting with Elvis Presley’s “I’ll remember you.” Friend No. 5 suddenly swooned, “Awww, Elvis. I want this song to be played.”

Suddenly, the music switched to “I Loved the Night Life” and two of the ladies stood up and began to shimmy and shake. “Can we have a jam session too?” “If you like,” I said.

Barry Manilow next sang, “I’m out of work, out of my head, out of self-respect, I’m under-loved and underfed, I wanna go home!” (Author’s Note: Yes, in good time.)

After accomplishing the list, in between laughs, teasing and pushing, we all sat down to an afternoon repast of chicken pie and their favorite bacalao with freshly baked baguettes. Friend No. 2 turned to me and asked, “What flowers do you want?” I replied, “I don’t want flowers.”

I told them of the beautiful flowers in the wakes I attended and how it was too late to have them at my funeral. “If we don’t stop to talk now, if we don’t call each other or do kind deeds to each other now, how are we then when we hear of someone’s death? Don’t feel guilty or obligated and send flowers that will never be seen or enjoyed by me.”

“You’re so right,” agreed friend No. 3 as she turned on the TV to watch a well-known talk show host shed buckets of tears, again.

The following day, I received a bouquet of flowers from friend no. 6. She wrote, “I’m thinking of you and you’re not dead.”

Hah! Not just yet but I’m preparing for it, now.

“What the caterpillar perceives is the end, to the butterfly is just the beginning.”

originally published August 14, 2010, PHILIPPINE STAR

Living Bouquets
by Mabeel Easley

When I quit this mortal shore
and mosey ’round this earth no more,
Do not weep and do not sob;
I may have found a better job.
Don’t go and buy a large bouquet
for which you’ll find it hard to pay,
don’t mope around and feel all blue;
I may be better off than you.

Don’t tell the folks I was a saint
Or any old thing that I ain’t.
If you have jam like that to spread,
Please hand it out before I’m dead.
If you have roses bless your soul,
Just pin one in my buttonhole
While I’m alive and well today;
Don’t wait until I’m gone away.

 

When I croak….

1) CREMATION or Traditional Burial? Your preferred choice must be clear to your loved ones.

2) BURN WITH ME THE FOLLOWING: At the cremation, do you want anything you value personally to be included? (Rosary, favorite prayer, souvenir, etc.)

3) MY ATTIRE: (What do you want to wear?): Do you want to wear your favorite jeans, blouse, dress or wedding gown?

4) MAKE UP: For those who will opt for the Traditional Burial, do you wish your favorite make up artist to do your make up?

5) ONE-DAY VIGIL (or more) and INTERNMENT: (Venue) Specify the venue whether Church, memorial chapel, at home, etc.

6) PORTRAIT OR PAINTING TO BE USED: (To be displayed at the wake or vigil) Choose your favorite photo and have it enlarged.

7) DRESS CODE: (Do you want your sympathizers to wear a particular color?)
 One friend wants everyone to come in white shirt and blue jeans.

8) FLOWERS: (What colors or kind of flowers do you like to be displayed at the wake to be arranged by your chosen florist)

9) PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENT AT VIGIL/WAKE: (Any lay out that you prefer?) In one vigil, the favorite typewriter of the deceased was displayed together with his desk and books.

10) AUDIO VISUAL: (Do you want a video of your favorite photos and music?) You may have celebrated a milestone that was recorded in an audiovisual presentation. Do you want to use this? Or would you like to have a new one made?

11) MUSIC: (classical, hits of your generation, love theme songs, kundimans, etc.) Do you want a church choir or a band to play during the wake and at the memorial mass?

12) MASS or SERVICES: (Catholic rites or other denomination?)

13) PRIESTS or MINISTERS/PASTOR: (Do you have a favorite priest or minister who will say mass or preside over the last rites for you?)

14) ROSARY and NOVENA: Any particular novena to your favorite saint, etc.?

15) EULOGY: (Choose who will speak at the mass or gathering from your family, relatives, BFFs, colleagues, etc.)

16) PROGRAMME COORDINATOR: (Designate your children, friends, colleagues to plan the last rites)

17) THANK YOU STAMPITAS/SOUVENIRS: (To be distributed at the end of the mass or ceremony). When my brother in law passed away, his daughters distributed a children’s book on Alzheimer’s Disease (“Ang lihim namin ni Inciong”) together with a novena to the Infant Jesus of which he was a devotee.

18) FOOD/MENU: (choose menu). Your favorite food to be served.

19) DONATIONS: (If your family gets donations, do you want this to be given to your favorite charity, church or any individual?)

20) BY THE WAY:

a) Do I owe anyone money? If in case you have outstanding IOUs

b) Who owes me money? Hopefully, this won’t be necessary if those who owe you are straightforward and sincere in paying you back.

c) Pending stuff: Acknowledge household staff who have been faithful, loyal and kind to you. And for other special wishes, write them down here.

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Our senior bunch still plays and listens to Beatles music so you can imagine how I laughed like a drain to find a 2-minute YouTube music video on forgetfulness sang by an elderly looking bloke, MackDry Den, not sure whether this is his real name. He sang it to the tune of the Beatles’ Do you want to know a secret? (Listen, do you want to know a secret, do you promise not to tell, oh woh o woh….)

It brought me to that evening when I was dining with friends. We laughed ourselves silly as we exchanged anecdotes on growing old:

Rita Dy said, “A friend from our Travel Club told me that she was going up the stairs but got distracted when her grand daughter rushed up the staircase zooming past her. She held to the banister, paused, looked up and looked down and thought, ‘Wait a minute, was I going up or going down?’”

Betty Nelle related, “An elderly woman was going to be interviewed live on TV so she made sure that she went to the beauty salon for her hair and makeup and came dressed in her vintage finery; she also brought along her caregiver to assist her in the interview so she won’t forget anything. She sat in a cushioned chair and the interview begun, ‘Madame Castro, tell me of the time that you were growing up in Bacolod,’ said the host. She beamed and said, ‘Oh those were beautiful days. During summer, we would welcome visitors from Manila and we would go to the waterfall and bathe and then enjoy a spread of fresh seafood and appetizing desserts.’ The host smiled and while checking his notes for the next question, the elderly woman waited but was slowly, slowly veering to the left side of her chair, about to doze off. Her caregiver quickly propped her straight and she woke with a start. When the host asked another question, she smiled and recounted more of her halcyon days. But then again, the host turned to his notes and that created a lull in the interview. Without making a fuss, she slowly, slowly veered to the right. The caregiver and the host kept propping her up throughout the interview.”

This made us howl and giggle, not at the story, but at the thought that someday, we’d be propped up to sit straight like this elderly lady. Oh dear, much later in life, we hope. “Better make sure we have loving and caring caregivers surrounded by friends, children and grandchildren who’d do that for us,” I said.

Fe Wanner replied, “I keep going to the kitchen looking for something but only not to remember what I was looking for.” “Huh!” I exclaimed. “When that happens, I retrace my steps and repeat what I was doing. And sure enough, I would remember, but not right away.” Hmm, this situation is occurring a lot more these days.

Maree Olney said, “I always lose my pair of reading glasses; oftentimes, it’s right under my nose or on top of my head.” “That’s so real and I solved it,” replied Celia Silang Cruz, “By carrying several pairs. I visited a friend in fact who was convalescing in the hospital and she had 3 pairs of glasses hooked to her hospital gown.”

What about that time when there was a leak in the bathroom and I was frantically calling out the name of my children and I could not remember which one so I simply hollered, “Anak!” My son came dashing up the stairs, pushed open the door and replied, “Are you all right, Ina?” Oh dear, what’s his name again?

If you are young and haven’t started misplacing things or being absent-minded, don’t be too smug about it. Your time will also come, or as my friend succinctly remarked, “Tatanda ka din.” Here is the Beatles’ “Do you want to know a secret?” with lyrics changed by senior citizen MacDry:

You’ll never know how much it really bugs you. You’ll never know until your brain is impaired….

Listen do you want to know a secret, forgot what I was going to say, heyeh yey yey….

It’s maddening, tell me why I’m in the kitchen, now my mission isn’t clear, it just disappeared.

Listen, I get my children’s names all wrong, so scary, my coffee cup hides from me, it runs around when I can’t see, like my memory.

Got 2 pairs of glasses in every room, my car keys are in the loon….

Listen, do you want to know a secret, forgot how to end this song. Sorry, I somehow knew I’d get it wrong, its here one minute now its gone… in the O-zone. Oh woh oh woh oh woh….

And do you know why I love to wear denim jeans? It serves as a cool and hip reminder that my memory will fade (or is fading) just like my crushed, stone-washed, tie-dyed, stretched and slim-fit pair of jeans. Thank goodness for our friends and family who help us with humor to keep us young and in good spirit.

My high school mate, Pichina Abila-Pena, sent me this anecdote: A young man approached an elderly woman and said, “Lola, bumili ka na ng payong” (Old woman, please buy an umbrella). The woman looked up to a bright and sunny sky. “Bakit? wala namang ulan?” (Why? There’s no rain.) The young man replied, “Umuulan kayo ng ganda!” (You’re raining with beauty!)

Remember that the key word is growing.

It can be fun and funny to grow old.

Originally published, March 26, 2011 PHILIPPINE STAR

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