In February, Senator Loren Legarda had a post-birthday celebration at the gardens of Baluarte de San Diego in Intramuros, Manila.
“I do not usually hold birthday parties but I was invited by Intramuros Administrator Marco Sardillo and so I decided to have a simple dinner with friends. I wanted to use this beautiful courtyard as an opportunity to promote the place,” said Legarda, who turned 56 on Jan. 28.
Legarda said she made sure that more than a celebration of her birth, it was Philippine history and heritage that took center stage. “Intramuros is a venue steeped in history, with untold stories about our past etched in its centuries-old adobe walls,” she explained.
The Baluarte de San Diego is a bastion in Intramuros, part of the Spanish colonial fortification in the Walled City of Manila. It was originally a circular fort called Fort Nuestra Señora de Guia, built in 1586. It was renovated in 1593 to become Baluarte de San Diego that was shaped like an ace of spades.
In 1762, the Baluarte was breached by British Forces with canon fire. It was restored and strengthened when the Spaniards returned but was again destroyed when an 1863 earthquake hit the grounds. It was expunged during the Battle of Manila in 1945. The Philippine government began its restoration in 1979 and was completed in 1992.The gardens and gazebo were added, making the Baluarte an ideal venue for special events.
Senator Legarda wanted a simple set-up that used recycled items. Underneath a well-lit sky and a cool night, lanterns (made of transparent reusable bags with candles) dotted the garden to illuminate the space. Wooden tables had mismatched chairs. Flowers and fallen branches were the buffet table centerpiece while dinner tables were designed with flowers on recycled spread jars.
The food from Cabalen Restaurant featured selected Capampangan favorites, including Sisig, Kare-Kare, Filipino delicacies such as Adobong Balut and Pampanga’s dessert specialty, Tibok-Tibok.
Government officials, foreign dignitaries, media, personalities from arts and culture, and environmentalists mingled underneath a canopy of stars with music from flutist Ray Sison and guitarist Jeff Malazo.
Senator Legarda herself declared her love for Filipino art and culture through her attire. She wore an upper garment made by the Gaddangs from Mt. Province and shoes made in Marikina.
“By supporting the works of our local and indigenous artists, we pay homage to the creativity and dynamism of the country’s rich culture and world-renowned arts,” said Legarda.