There’s this Facebook Page called “Sulu Cultural and Historical Society” that I really like. (You can check it out here) They usually upload old images of Sulu, or any old artifacts related to Sulu that are found around the world (usually in Museums). What I really like about this is the fact that they do their research and provide the readers the necessary and factual information regarding those places, items, etc.
One of those series that I enjoyed in their page is the old photos of Jolo, Sulu. I saved a couple of those images (screenshot), and then I went on a bike ride a few days back and decided to take a picture of the same exact place in the present time. Kudos to the admins of the FB Page mentioned for all of these!
So here they are, I hope you’ll enjoy this as I did!
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| Photo by William "Bill" Fabianic circa 1961 |
This is the screenshot of the post in the FB Page. It says, “Rizal Park, Jolo, Sulu, circa 1961. Jolo’s Plaza Rizal in the foreground and Mount Carmel Catholic Church in the background, circa 1961. Photo credit: William “Bill” Fabianic.” Original post here.
I found an older photo, dated 1928 from the FB Page “Philippine Nostalgia”. This phot was not credited.
And here is the same place now:
I tried to take a picture of this with the same angle, but unfortunately, the Plaza is now well-fenced and the gates are closed to the public (which is good, to keep it clean and maintained). So I tried to take a picture of it from outside the fence, sticking in my hands and my camera-phone inside, trying to be so careful not to slip. Haha! This is the best I could get.
The shrub was covering much of the view, so I moved a little and took this second shot:
[photo 3]
As you can see, this looks much better. The main structure of Rizal’s statue is still intact after 60 years. If you will look closer, there are two more statues at the front. Here’s a photo by JoloTourism.
You will notice in all of these old pictures, there is a church. At the back is the Mount Carmel Catholic Church. Yes, this is the same church that was “bombed” in January 2019. That was indeed a devastating tragedy in the recent history of Jolo, Sulu and we lost a lot of people that time. Indeed, Sulu are still experiencing such turmoil in this part of the world. We are still fighting for a future where we can live a much peaceful and harmonious place here in Sulu. Gladly, the church still survives, today.
Looking at the two old photos (1928 and 1961) the church was at least renovated twice already (I am not sure how many more time or what year they changed it to what we have now). The huge building on the left of the church (on the “right” if from the first old photo), is already gone. These two landmarks (Plaza Rizal and Mt. Carmel Church) are both situated right at the center of the town of Jolo, along Serantes Street and Gen. Arolas Street.
Here are more old photos of the Rizal Park before the recent renovation. I took this photo way back in 2013, on a high building:
Looking at the map of Jolo, the Plaza Rizal is situated Serantes Street and Buyon Road. The Mt. Carmel Church is facing the Plaza Rizal from the side of Sanchez Street. Here’s a screencap of the Google map. You can check and visit the place here.
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We will end our “trip back in time” series for now, because this post is getting too long already. I still have a lot of old photos to explore, and I hope you will join me in this journey: visiting the old photos of Sulu and where they are now.
I love doing this because it makes me feel like I’m discovering new things in my humble hometown. Sulu was once known as a marvel of a Sultanate in the Southeast Asia, and yet here we are now… forgotten, unknown to most. This is just a humble contribution of mine, especially for all those young generations of Tausugs. Please, be proud of your place and be proud of where you came from. Learn our rich history which was never taught to us in school. Come and join me, let’s discover the hidden beauty of Sulu!
Our next stop? The iconic, oldest and largest mosque in Sulu: Masjid Tulay. Can’t wait to explore that part of Sulu with you guys! Until then,
Salam kasilasa!
-Ahmad
#SuluHistory #TravelBackinTime #JoloSulu #PlazaRizal #MtCarmelChurch
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