Horticulture Walk and Visit to Family Mausoleums within Manila Memorial Park

Manila Memorial Park is the biggest private cemetery with combined total area of all its parks totals 342 hectares. It is located along Dr. A. Santos Avenue along Sucat, Parañaque City. The Sucat property alone covers 142 hectares.

Tan Seng Co family mausoleum and Benigno and Corazon Aquino mausoleum

Plaza of Dignity XIX– This is where the family mausoleum of former president Corazon “Cory ” Aquino and husband Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino is located. The park also manages the Holy Cross Memorial Park in Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City.

flowers were neatly arranged at the tomb of  President Corazon Aquino and Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.

The memorial park was opened in 1964, one of the first place in the country to have to western style concept of lawn burials.  In 1985, the memorial park also boasted of modern crematorium.

lawn type burial place

We have several relatives, distant cousins, family friends and close acquaintances who were buried in different sections of the cemetery.

royal palms, acacia trees, narra and mahogany tree dot this landscape

food stalls

Food stalls from small , medium and large companies had already set-up inside the park as early as October 29. Most of these stall will be open until November 2.

Horticulture and Mausoleums

There were at least 250 species of trees, flowering shrubs, ornamental plants, native trees, ficus, cacti, succulents, ferns, orchids and even variegated palms which can be easily spotted with the park. Most of the trees and ornamental plants were planted by the park management or by the families.

Adonidia merrillii / Bunga China mutant form with several kinds of ti-plant

At least 2 dozen bird species from Eurasian tree sparrow, Philippine pied fantail, turtle doves, pigeon and others which call the park as home. The wooded areas also host a number of bats, butterflies and bees. There is also an informal jogging group who meet at the park.

Valero family mausoleum

Valero family mausoleum is simple with two Egyptian sphinx guarding the main entrance. This remind me of the tomb of Tuazon-Arroyo within Manila North Cemetery.

Litonjua family mausoleum

Narciso Ramos and Angela Ramos family mausoleum

Statesman Narcisco Ramos and Angela Ramos mausoleum is just located within few meters away from a relative’s mausoleum.

Josephine “Jo” Martinez Ramos tomb- daughter of President Fidel V. Ramos is buried near the mausoleum of Narciso and Angela Ramos

Yan family mausoleum

Rico Yan mausoleum

Ricardo Carlos Castro Yan ( March 14, 1975 – March 29, 2002) mausoleum is simple, stylish and modern. Almost every caretaker within the cemetery knows this spot. Another uncle was buried just 100 meters away from this mausoleum.

Some of the fans and friends of the celebrity would visit his mausoleum every March 29 to commemorate his death anniversary.

family tomb with foo dogs and blessed mary statue

family mausoleum

Filipino-Chinese family mausoleum with foo dogs

Mabolo and Talisay tree

Adapon family mausoleum

Adapon family had a unique family mausoleum which resembles an old town church.

chinese style pagoda

Chinese style pagoda mausoleum resemble those in Manila Chinese Cemetery.

california mission style mausoleum

Co family mausoleum -with greek columns

Co family mausoleum is stately with Araucaria pine and Ptychosperma macarthurii, known as the Macarthur palm planted within the family lawn.

This chinese style mausoleum had neatly manicured lawn with large Polyalthia longifolia, the false ashoka native to India, is a lofty evergreen tree.

classical style with Manila palms and Bermuda grass

There were many interesting native trees and flowering plants within the park.

Horticulture Walk and Visit to Family Mausoleums within Manila Memorial Park Part 2

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Visit to Thousand Buddha Temple along Maria Clara and Don Pepe Street in Quezon City

15 Don Pepe Street corner Maria Clara street , Barangay Santo Domingo ,Santa Mesa Heights -Quezon City , Philippines

This is one of the largest Buddhist temple in this part of of the city . The temple is founded by a monk from Seng Guan temple in the mid- 1980’s who have some misunderstanding ( financial and teachings ) with Master Tuan Yin. 

The second floor had several hundred Buddha statues and the hall is also used for the ceremonies.

( left ) Doña King Pao Guat Typoco– prominently displayed at the main hall and ( right )  Don Ty Tiong Typoco

With the help of some local Filipino- Chinese like Dr. Lucio Tan and his mother , (Doña King Pao Guat Typoco and Don Ty Tiong Typoco ) mother and father of taipans Tan Yu and Don Jesus Typoco Sr.

Mr. Tan Yu established King Pao Guat Typoco Tanyu Internationale (KTTI) Foundation in memory of his late mother in the early 1990’s which provided scholarship among thousands of indigent students from all over the country. Mr. Sy ( manager ) of then Storck Candy  and some prominent businessmen with deep  Buddhism faith.

 Buddhist scholars and deities within the perimeter wall of the temple

The head priest was able to purchase a small lot and construction began shortly . There used to be several big time contributors living near the temple . Their donation of cash and construction supplies fuel the growth of the temple complex.

Quan Yin statue with Indian tree ( False Ashoka )  – Polyalthia longifolia

It is a favorite site for television , commercial and photo shoot, since the ground is well kept with manicured grass and man-made lagoon where hundreds of kois , red ear slider turtles are found.

man-made pond with kois

The Indian tree or false ashoka was planted within the compound the the late 1980’s to beautify the garden .

columbarium building

My grandparents ( paternal side)  , several aunts , uncles , relatives and close friends were interred at the temple’s columbarium units . I have seen the growth of the temple compound to what it is today.

Manila Buddha Temple is also known as Po To Si  or PO CHE CHIAM SI among those who frequent the place.  The columbary construction started in the late 1989 until early 1990’s where cremated remains have their final resting place.

columbary units ( one unit can hold 2 to 3 urns)

At least 8,000 to 10,000 cremated remains were interred inside the columbarium building since it was built . Each vault can hold up to 2 urns with 108 spaces length and 880 vaults . The full capacity of the columbarium units are estimated between 95,040  ( one interred inside the vault ) to 190,080 if two were interred .

live flowering plants especially orchids ( Phalaenopsis ) are  offered by relatives

The second floor (Dr. Lucio Tan’s mother is said to be interred)

temple entrance viewed on top of the temple and Philippine Buddah Care Academy 

In 1997, Philippine Buddah Care Academy is the realization of the Venerable Master Guang Chun’s aspiration a number of decades ago at the adjacent lot which is almost as large as the main temple. Whenever there is a need for extra parking space ( especially during All Saint’s Day , All Soul’s Day and Chinese New Year ) The school would open its parking area for the visitors.

Philippine Buddha Care Academy students

He and his capable assistant, the Venerable Master Guang Xue, the superintendent of Thousand Buddha Temple, commit themselves to the mission of spreading the doctrine of Buddhism to purify people’s minds and promote Chinese virtues and culture.

screen caption from MMDA twitter -August 17, 2013

During the first decade of existence, The academy enjoyed a robust growth in terms of student enrollments – However , after series of unfortunate events that happened during the succeeding years like mismanagement , a fire which started at a nearby shanty area and spread to one of the school building, caused a lot of damage to the classrooms and facilities.

burning paper -folded into bar shaped money for the dead and guardians of hell

There are also campaign by the temple management to minimized the burning of paper money which cause some environmental concerns on its immediate neighborhood. I just do not know how the others will react on this reminder. Perhaps , they should be burning their paper money within the confine of their homes.

Controversies

Both the school and the temple had its own share of controversies . There are several accusations that the head nun Chong Yau Kan also known as Kwang Xie had been getting a lot of solicitations from the public even without rendering their services. The head nun and monks also go around funeral chapel offering prayer and chanting service for departed one so that they can earn money and racket by doing this.

facade of the columbarium

There are also accusations of exorbitant fees for memorial prayer service and wooden plaque at the columbary costing reaching around Php 180,000 ! I think the one which made accusation did not check that memorial prayer service was already quite expensive ( even before)  the simplest ceremony would cost at least one month worth of ordinary wage. Excluding columbarium vault.

I found these accusations preposterous until several people who refuses to be named keep on insisting that these are the ordinary cost. Mahal ang Padasal para sa Patay  ( Cost of Memorial Service for the Dead is Expensive). This is why they defray the memorial services , since they cannot afford the cost.  This was a different story when they bought the columbary units several years ago.

Some also say that the head monk and nuns are living in a life of luxury with several townhouses located in Tagaytay ,  Fairview and upscale house located in Muntinlupa .

I have nothing against the monks and head priest of the temple. But with several relatives and friends interred within the temple compound . I think , I also have some concern with regards to the persistent rumors about mismanagement and being mata-pobre ( elitist ) looking down upon those people without money or status in life .

They should be living in a life of simplicity and the teachings of Buddha .

Website: https://peacefullife1000.wordpress.com/

Ripoff Report : http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Buddhacare-Academy/internet/Buddhacare-Academy-Thousand-Buddha-Temple-Buddhacare-Academy-scam-Thousand-Buddha-Temple-536209

Unofficial Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thousand-Buddha-Temple/119748038108192

Scam Exposure:  http://www.scamexposure.com/scam-report/thousand-buddha-temple-ma-clara-quezon-city-cheating-people-money-thousand-buddha-temple-quezon-city-cheating-people-money-c165966.html