Vibal Group’s new books on Philippine Heritage: bullfighting, anting-anting, and more

An excerpt from this book reads: “One by one, the bulls were let out. Its bravery was tested by a picador on horseback. However, the bull charged at it so ferociously that the horse’s flanks were gashed, ripping out its intestines.” One might think it occurred in Spain, but it was a first-person account of a bullfight held in Manila’s Plaza Mayor in 1730. 

The tradition of bullfighting in the Philippines is little-known, and Gaspar A Vibal uncovers a part of our Iberian identity and Spanish-colonial history. He dives deep into this centuries-old tradition and covers all topics, from its ancient origins in livestock ownership to its peak in the 1600s-1800s and its decline and revival in the early 1950s.

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The inaugural title in Vibal Group’s “Voyager Series”, which is dedicated to the study of secret cultures, You Shall Be As Gods by Dennis Santos Villegas, traces the origins of anting-anting—amulets—from pre-colonial times to its use in the Philippine Revolution.

The second edition has two new chapters, one on Mount Banahaw and another detailing the anting-anting. Villegas seeks to shed light on these amulets as more than mere lucky charms. They were regarded as figures of devotion—objects of power and faith.

Author James Owen G Saguinsin, a native of Angono, aims to spotlight the unknown masters of the “Art Capital of the Philippines.” We know of famous artists like Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Lucio San Pedro, and Jose “Pitok” Blanco, but before them were the old masters like Juan Senson, Pedro Piñon, and Moises Villaluz, Snr who defined the artistic history of the town, yet were not documented or acknowledged as much.

Saguinsin devoted two decades to discovering and uncovering the three masters’ works, documenting their life and art, and how art runs in the blood of every citizen of Angono.

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The printing press was a pivotal piece of technology that helped spread literacy in the 1400s. Though one printing press was the cornerstone of Philippine literacy in the 19th century, the Imprenta de Ramirez y Giraudier (IRG). Starting with printing simple religious texts and school announcements, it eventually published books and periodicals that paved the way to the enlightenment of the Spanish-colonial Philippines.

Though its lifespan was short—with only three decades of runtime—its publications started the Ilustrado class, which led to the Propaganda Movement, then the Philippine Revolution.

Heritage churches are everywhere in the Philippines. But one specific region stands out, the Rio Grande de Cagayan. It is the longest river system in the Philippines and was once a target of a massive evangelisation effort in the 1600s. 

Author Javier Galván Guijo, an architect and director of the Instituto Cervantes, documented his visits to these churches from the 1990s onwards, detailing every measurement of each church, how its geographical location influenced the materials used, and the ecclesiastical architecture of Cagayan. A book that shows the importance put into the conservation—or lack thereof— of each church, it serves as a reminder of our rich cultural history.

What comes to mind when you think of Cebu’s history? It was the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines and the colonists’ capital when they first made landfall. But is that all there is to it? More Cebuano Than We Admit answers this question by challenging our Luzon-centric view through essays of 14 scholars on the history, language, religious practices, literature, art, poetry, and cuisine of Cebu.

An anthology that showcases the island’s traditions, it not only highlights their entire culture but also puts light on how their heritage has ingrained itself into our nation’s identity. And we don’t even realise it.

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