Intramuros Learning Sessions episode no. 26
Overview
This presentation gives an overview the Santo Domingo Church and Convent, the motherhouse of Dominican Province of Santisimo del Rosario in Asia during Spanish period until 1972. It was founded in 1587 when a group of Spanish Dominicans arrived in the Philippines from Mexico. It is a history of construction and destruction, as each completed structure eventually succumbed to disasters, only to be rebuilt again and again, but bigger and stronger than the one preceding it. From the first, humble structure built from bamboo, wood and nipa, it eventually became the second largest church in Intramuros, upon the completion of the fifth structure, a neo-gothic church of brick and stone. The convent and church was also renowned for the image of Our Lady of the Rosary, which the Dominicans brought with them in 1587. Another image was commissioned by Governor-General Luis Perez Dasmariñas around 1593. The ivory image was subsequently referred to as La Naval, in commemoration of the Spaniards’ victory in the naval battles of 1644, which was attributed to the miraculous intervention of Our Lady. The La Naval and Good Friday processions drew people to the Dominican Church in Intramuros, until it was bombed in 1941.
- Guest speaker: Romeo Galang
- Moderator: Rancho Arcilla
About the Speaker: Romeo Galang
Romeo Galang is a historian. He has an MA in Art History from the University of the Philippines – Diliman where he is also finishing his current Ph.D. studies.
Prof. Galang currently teaches history at the Far Eastern University. He is the author of A Cultural History of Santo Domingo (UST Publishing House, 2013), and has contributed many papers in prestigious scientific journals locally and abroad.
About the moderator: Rancho Arcilla
John Paul Escandor Arcilla, known professionally as Rancho Arcilla, is the author of the Intramuros Register of Styles (2021). He served as Chairperson of the Intramuros Technical Committee on Architectural Standards (TCAS) from June 2022 to May 2024. As TCAS Chairperson, Arcilla oversaw the review of all development, including new constructions, in the Walled City.
Arcilla was also the first Archivist of the Intramuros Administration. With a mandate from Atty. Guiller Asido, Administrator of Intramuros from 2017 to 2022, Arcilla established the Administration’s Archives and Central Records Section, serving as its first Section Head from July 2019 to June 2024.
He has an MA in Philippine Studies from UP Diliman and a BA in Asian Studies from the University of Santo Tomas. Arcilla specializes on colonial architecture.
In 2021, Arcilla was instrumental in the development of the Revised 2021 Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Presidential Decree No. 1616, the main framework and legal instrument in the management of Intramuros District. The architectural provisions of the IRR and the Intramuros Register of Styles (2021) is based on his MA thesis Walls within Walls: The Architecture of Intramuros (2021).
About the Intramuros Learning Sessions
The Intramuros Learning Sessions (ILS) is the educational lecture series of the Intramuros Administration (IA). The IA is an attached national government agency under the Department of Tourism.
Topics are interdisciplinary and cover themes related to Intramuros and Manila studies, Philippine studies, as well as cultural heritage studies. Pursuant to IA’s charter, the ILS aims to contribute to the strengthening of the Filipino’s national identity and sense of belonging and pride.
For inquiries contact us at [email protected]
| See Previous ILS Episode A Re-Assessment of Intramuros Architecture | See Next ILS Episode Letania: Architectural Documentation of San Agustin Church Retablos |
Check out our previous ILS episodes here
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