...Ginebra San Miguel originally owned by the Recoletos' Fathers like "Cervesa San Miguel" (San Miguel Beer). The Ayalas who were part owners needed a label for their "Ginebra" (Gin) line. They commissioned a young fine arts student from UP to design a label that will neutralize the "strong" alcohol content of their product. One of our country’s national artists, in his effort to put food on his family’s table, as well as earn enough money to afford the materials he needed to pursue his passion for painting, took on other jobs, including that as a commercial illustrator. The artist came up with a design "Marca Demonyo" by then unknown artist Fernando Amorsolo.
When Enrique Zobel de Ayala took notice of this label, he summoned the young man and funded his advanced studies in Madrid. Thus, this particular creation of his done during his day job as an illustrator, also gave him the opportunity to further develop his skills as a fine artist. Amorsolo grew up in the carefree setting of the province although he was born in Manila. When his father died, the family moved back to the city to stay with his maternal uncle, Fabian de la Rosa, one of the country’s distinguished painters and who was to become one of his early teachers in the realm of fine arts, along with Miguel Zaragoza and Rafael Enriquez. He would also become one of the first graduates of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts.
Later Ginebra San Miguel, because of its high alcohol content that gave a bad image to their religious order, the Recoletos' Fathers and the Ayalas sold the brand to Carlos Palanca, of Tondo. Carlos Palanca after obtaining Ginebra San Miguel, also bought "Distelleria La Locomotera" from the Ubedas, in 1902. He introduced an industrial innovation by switching to molasses and deriving alcohol from it. During those days molasses was considered a waste by-product of sugar cane. Don Carlos Palanca, established his distillery in Velasquez, Tondo and named his corporation "La Tondena Incorporada" (The Incorporation from Tondo). Don Carlos Palanca was a philanthropist, benefactor founder of the "Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature." Don Carlos Palanca's real name was TAN GUIN LAY originally from Amoy, Fukien who went to the wealthy city of Manila. He was looking for a job and connection, he went to Chinese Gobernadorcillo of Manila's China Town for help. Once established, TAN GUIN LAY was baptist to Catholicism, made his baptismal sponsor the Gobernadorcillo and also adopted the name of his Godfather "Carlos Palanca."
Like TAN GUIN LAY (Don Carlos Palanca of La Tondena), his Godfather - the Chinese Gobernadorcillo of Manila's China Town - "Carlos Palanca" adopted his Godfather's name when he was baptist to Catholicism. The real Colonel Carlos Palanca y Gutierrez, was a Spanish leader in the Franco-Spanish war of 1858-62 in Cohin, China, later assigned in Manila. The former TAN QUIEN-SIEN born in T’ung-an hsien, migrated to the Philippines in 1844. "Carlos Palanca" (fr;Tan Quien-sien), attained the position of Gobernadorcillo from 1875-89, he obtain a Chinese consulate in Manila because of the growing wealth from the Manila/Acapulco, Galleon Trade. He was the "Al Capone" of the first and the biggest "China Town" in the world Ongpin.
Gobernadorcillo "Carlos Palanca was only twenty years old when arrived in Manila, he had risen as a powerful leader in the Chinese community. His wealth stemmed from importing enterprises, which included sugar and rice. He was also involved in coolie brokerage. Besides the businesses that he presided over, there were many commercial ventures in which his investments raked in enormous profits.
He played a major role in the community’s efforts to obtain a Chinese consulate in Manila during the 1880s and 1890s. When the Americans took control of the country in 1898, he provided the American troops with temporary lodging arrangements, as well as furnished them with coolies to build their barracks. Subsequently, he urged the Ch’ing government to negotiate with the United States for a Chinese consulate in Manila. When the consulate was established in 1899, the Ch’ing government appointed his son, Ignacio Palanca Tan Chueco, to the position of first consul.
When the Philippine Revolution broke out he chose to keep distance; not committing to either side. When the Spanish government charged a number of mestizos with conspiracy, he argued in behalf of some of them and helped secure their release, though his attitude toward the Chinese mestizos was one of contempt. Not a believer of inter-racial marriage, he sent his son to a school in China to thwart his Filipinization.
The Spanish and Filipinos on the other hand, regarded "Carlos Palanca" with mixed sentiments. Their pervasive perception of him was that of a master corrupter; one who would resort to extreme measures just to get what he wanted.
He was thought of as a man obsessed with becoming the Chinese consul. He did assume the interim role of which when his son’s return from China was delayed for several months; unable to immediately fulfill his appointment as consul.
There were speculations among the Filipino intellectuals that Jose Rizal modeled after Don Carlos Palanca his character of Chinaman "Quiroga" in "El Filibusterismo." Jose Alejandrino, a friend of Rizal, confirmed that it was indeed the case. Alejandrino further claimed that Don Carlos Palanca approached Aguinaldo, when he was forming his revolutionary government about the possibility of creating an opium monopoly, but Aquinaldo refused. Despite such controversies, he was, undoubtedly, a powerful force in the Chinese community during the late nineteenth century. When he died in 1901, a statue was erected in the Chinese cemetery as a tribute to his community service and philanthropy.
ka tony
revised 8th of Jan., 2012
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