Patrick shares his thoughts.....
The Salinlahi Park of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines was true to its name in uniting different countries into one Pacific Rim. Salinlahi, is a Filipino word, which means, “One Race”, which is used in the Philippines for its diverse culture and influences that seeks to establish as one Filipino nation. It also fits in a broader perspective of the Pacific Rim countries, for it expressed the need for mutual friendship and shared cultural experiences among each nation.
The whole activity had provided us a new perspective in thinking and building ideas. In the design process, it gave us a different outlook in design unlike what we are used to do in the architectural school. It had taught us in broadening our creativity and searching for the “genius loci” or “feel of the place” that would best expressed the nature of Palawan, the Philippines and the Pacific Rim countries. Creativity and imagination came first and then the technical and scientific aspects followed which made our design much more creative and enriching. Moreover, the use of clay, as a tool in expressing our design in 3 dimensional, makes our design flexible and dynamic in the sense that both drawing and model interrelates with each other. In this way, it became an interactive way of learning and appreciation of the design in a scaled model.
The building process was the most challenging part of the program. It was my first time to experience real construction wherein we will be the one to build the design that we have made up. I also learned a lot from the experiences that goes beyond what the four-cornered classroom taught us. I appreciate the materials like the metal bars, level tool, the cement mixer and many other things that are necessary for the completion of the structure. I remembered what James Hubbell told us that, “The metal bars are the natural French curves in construction. They formed natural smooth curves.” I realized that in construction, it does not need to be rigid in the sense that, it will strictly follow what the plan said, but it is dynamic and flexible depending on what best suits the overall design.
It is not only the architectural knowledge and ideas that we have shared with one another, but also the richness of culture and mutual enjoyment we have experienced together as one Pacific. It gave me a fresh outlook on the different culture beyond the Philippines and learned to appreciate the diversity of different nations and build long-lasting friendship with our fellow Pacific rim countries.
Patrick Manlangit is a 3rd Year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture student of the University of the Philippines.
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