00:00Near the Hinulugang Taktak is the place where more people worship.
00:09This is the famous Cathedral of Antipolo.
00:13This is the place where more people worship every year.
00:18This is the patron of travelers.
00:21That's why the OFWs, who have new vehicles, come here to worship.
00:26In his diary, Jose Rizal recalled his family's visit to the Church of Antipolo.
00:35He was only 7 years old then.
00:38To thank the dear Virgin of Antipolo,
00:42Our Lady of La Paz,
00:46may you have a pleasant journey.
00:53The deep faith in the Virgin can be seen in the passage of time.
01:02In January 2024, the Vatican proclaimed the Antipolo Cathedral
01:09as the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.
01:14It is the first International Shrine in the country and in the whole of Southeast Asia.
01:21The influence of this church in Antipolo is great.
01:30Since this is where people really worship.
01:33Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.
01:38This is where we will know the origin of the name of the city.
01:44So, that's the original?
01:46From 1626?
01:49That was brought by Governor General Tabora?
01:52This is not a replica?
01:54This is not a replica. This is the original image of Antipolo.
01:59On top of the altar, the dear Virgin of Antipolo is placed on a pedestal.
02:05A sacred wood made from the tree of Antipolo.
02:09Before the dear Virgin of Antipolo came here,
02:14this place was called Antipolo.
02:18Antipolo came from the word ang-tipolo.
02:25This is a type of tree that is now disappearing.
02:30Why was this city named Antipolo?
02:33This is the largest species of the tree of Antipolo during that time.
02:40According to Father Keith Buenaventura, the Virgin and the tree of Antipolo have a deep connection.
02:49Because the image is always used in traveling, in exploring Galion,
02:56the dear Virgin is disappearing.
03:00She is disappearing here in the church and is usually found on the tree of Antipolo.
03:08So, the tree is also sacred, not just the Virgin?
03:17Aside from the Virgin, we also hired the tree itself.
03:21This is the tree of one of the trees of Antipolo.
03:25The leaves are beautiful, right?
03:27It's big.
03:28It's big.
03:29It looks like this is the only one, right?
03:30This is the only one here.
03:32So, if this is gone, then there is nothing here in the center.
03:36So, that's why it really needs to be taken care of, right?
03:38Yes, yes.
03:41We were just wondering if that's how it's sacred.
03:46We were just wondering if that's how it's sacred.
03:50And if the Virgin is disappearing, she is looking for the trees of Antipolo, right?
03:56Shouldn't we plant a lot of these trees?
03:59Until now, why does it seem like it's rare?
04:03Maybe it's been growing for a long time, or it's hard to grow here in the town of Antipolo.
04:11But it's possible.
04:13There is a plan, there is a project, the diocese of Antipolo,
04:20that every parish will plant seedlings of the Tipolo tree in the entire diocese of Antipolo.
04:31Despite our joy that we also saw the Tipolo,
04:36there is also sadness that it is the only tree here.
04:44We continued our search for Antipolo.
04:48And this is where we ended up.
04:54One of the most famous museums in Antipolo of Philippine Contemporary Art.
05:03Behind the Pinto Art Museum is the Tagongyama Museum.
05:08Behind the Pinto Art Museum is the Tagongyama Museum.
05:20A garden in the middle of the village.
05:23And a Bukodtanging Arboretum or Sanctuary of Philippine plants and trees.
05:30The idea of mixing plants, trees, and plants in one place
05:35was the foundation of the Pinto Art Museum by Dr. Joven Cuana.
05:42Why did you decide to combine art and nature?
05:47After the EDSA revolution, what can we do to help the Philippines?
05:55What can we do to help the Philippines recover?
06:01So we said, okay, let's promote art, culture, and ecology.
06:06So that's the reason why when we built this up,
06:09I said, okay, we'll want to come out with a rescue center
06:13for indigenous endangered Philippine plants and trees.
06:18Why call it rescue center? Rescue from extinction?
06:22Extinction. Yeah, extinction.
06:24Rescue from danger.
06:27From hills and mountains being converted into subdivisions.
06:36Right?
06:38It's been more than 50 years since he started planting
06:42his two hectares in Antipolo.
06:44So your interest in nature came first before art?
06:47I was, as a kid in Ilocos, I was in charge of our garden.
06:52So I would water the plants in the morning,
06:55water the plants after I come from school.
06:58So it was part of my childhood to really be interested in plants and trees.
07:11Plants and trees are important to health.
07:16We are now going ahead and evangelizing, sort of,
07:24that art and nature are part of the healing process,
07:28apart from the pharmaceuticals.
07:33Michael Belmonte is one of the caretakers of Arboretum.
07:38This is where the names of the roads and train stations are inspired.
07:46This is Santol.
07:48This is Santol? It's big.
07:50How old is it?
07:52It's been 15 years.
07:54Did you plant it too?
07:56Yes, we did.
07:5815 years.
08:03We also saw Camuning here.
08:06For others, Balete is a street in QC or town in Batangas.
08:14This is it as a living tree.
08:18What kind of Balete is that?
08:20Benjamina?
08:21Yes, that's Benjamina Balete.
08:24This is really growing, right?
08:27Did you plant it?
08:29Yes, we planted it.
08:30This Balete is still growing?
08:32Yes, it's still growing.
08:34It's like it's carrying a tree.
08:36It might die.
08:38The Balete will replace it.
08:40How many kinds of ferns do you have here?
08:43And the Lipa, the name of my wife's hometown.
08:47It's also a tree.
08:50That's the Lipa?
08:52Yes, that's the Lipa.
08:54This is the Lipa?
08:56Yes, that's the Lipa.
08:57That's the Lipa?
08:58Yes, that's the Lipa.
09:00What do you do when the leaves fall? Do you have to avoid it?
09:03Yes, I avoid it. And I remove it right away.
09:05Because there might be other...
09:07So you just hold it for a while and it will bite you?
09:10Yes, even if it's just a little bit, if it's stuck like that, it will really bite me.
09:19This root is beautiful.
09:21What is this?
09:22Finally, we visited this place.
09:25It looks like a pandan tree.
09:27It's a type of tree that grows in the cathedral.
09:29And this is?
09:31Tipolo.
09:33This is the Tipolo tree.
09:37Here, it's free to grow and breathe fresh air along with many other native trees.
09:44So, finally, this is the real El Grande Tipolo tree that you can see in the jungle.
09:56Yes.
09:58How many years has this been here?
10:00About 20 years.
10:02So, you planted this, Ronald?
10:04Yes, we're almost there.
10:06You're almost there?
10:08So, it was here before?
10:10Yes, it was here before.
10:13This is where the original Tipolo trees, which is fabled to be the site where the Virgin appeared.
10:21There were a lot of Tipolo trees here that day.
10:24They just grew wild.
10:26And then, they were cut because of subdivision.
10:31How do you see the connection now between your interest in art and nature?
10:36The best art is coming from nature.
10:40Okay?
10:41The best, I mean, the inspiration actually comes from nature.
10:46The forms that artists paint, actually, if you look at it, they're from nature.
11:07Thank you very much for tuning in to Eyewitness, Kapuso.
11:11What can you say about this documentary?
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