Cuartel de Santo Domingo
THERE was an invisible drizzle, betrayed by the subtle fragrance of wet earth; had a cloud burst suddenly drenched Santa Rosa last Monday afternoon, no one would have budged, the unveiling ceremonies would have continued as planned. Obviously, the devil was in the planning. The “Kilusan Cuartel de Santo Domingo (KCde SD),” formed in 2000, took the lead but for that particular unveiling ceremony, several ad hoc committees were formed under the banner of “Paghahawi ng Tabing ng Panandang Pangkasaysayan ng Cuartel de Santo Domingo bilang Mahalagang Yamang Pangkalinangan.” I think a translation is in order: “The Unveiling of the Historical Marker of the Barracks of Saint Dominic as an Important Cultural Property.”
Said designation was granted by the National Museum of the Filipino People last Monday, 6 May. Fourteen years ago, the Cuartel was declared a National Historical Landmark by virtue of National Historical Institute Resolution No. 3, series 2005. (The National Historical Institute has been renamed National Historical Commission of the Philippines). I had a TV show then at DZRJ and I happily covered the event. That was the first time I went to the Cuartel.
For the opening speech, a debonair and knowledgeable Architect Mario Zavalla, president of the “Kilusan
Cuartel de Santo,” told the audience everything we needed to know about the historical landmark. He said it was constructed in 1877 primarily to protect the water system of Santa Rosa town. Due to its abundant sources of mineral water, the Spanish colonial government in that town constructed the first massive irrigation system.
The Cuartel was the headquarters of the Guardia Civil mandated to guard the extensive land holdings of the Dominican friars in Santa Rosa, Binan, Calamba, and environs. There were lots of tulisanes or bandits, during those turbulent times, most of whom came from neighboring Cavite. At the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, the Cuartel became the headquarters of the fearsome Spanish General Jose Lachambre who relentlessly hunted Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and his army of patriots.
Archt. Zavalla said the Cuartel’s history was pivotal for it was also used during other wars of conquest, like during the Japanese Occupation when it became the refuge of women from Cabuyao, Calamba, and other towns of Laguna, fleeing the abusive Japanese Imperial Army. Fast-forward to 1957, the Cuartel was taken over by the Philippine Army until 1992, when it was transferred to the Philippine National Police. [
As my daughter, grandson, and I drove into the Cuartel premises that Monday afternoon when the humidity threatened a downpour, we noticed there were names and emblems of various police special action forces painted on the perimeter wall of the camp, a reminder that the Cuartel is a training camp of the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force. It has also become a detention center for certain high-profile prisoners. The first time I went in 2005 (a visit Archt. Zavalla remembers), Mr. Nur Misuari, head of the MNLF, was the celebrity inmate; then it was the turn of former Sen. Gregorio Honasan for I don’t remember what crime. The Cuartel was President Joseph Estrada’s preferred prison after he was impeached. More recently, Pork Barrel Queen, the notorious Janet Lim Napoles, begged to be incarcerated there where she felt safe.
Understandably, the inhabitants of Santa Rosa believe it is a travesty to use such a historical relic as a detention center for those accused of plunder and other crimes. When the current mayor of Santa Rosa, Mr. Dan Fernandez, was the congressman for the first district, he began a movement that demanded the return of Cuartel Santo Domingo to Santa Rosa.
As I mentioned earlier, there were many ad hoc committees that made the unveiling run smoothly – Logistics, Physical Arrangements, Documentation, Peace and Order, Traffic, Refreshments and Food, Legal, Escorts, etc. Each had at least three members. All that brought to mind a chapter of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and his oblique remarks about how his compatriots could plan fiestas with such energy and enthusiasm. Highlights of the evening were an audio-visual presentation of “Ang Cuartel Noon, Ngayon, at Bukas,” a development plan designed to protect the Cuartel with buffer zones and parks. My daughter Fatimah and grandson Taiwan, were all praises for the UP Los Baños Choral Ensemble.