Greenhills: Club Filipino

Club Filipino: Back To The Future

"We explore Club Filipino, expecting grandeur, only to see the changes and its deterioration.

Deterioration that actually showed us what the big picture really is."

The torrential rain brought about by 
the infamous 7-8-12 monsoon, 
the car we used to get there, and the
 parking entrance to Club Filipino.

We braced the rain, deciding whether to go with it or not. 

This is our last chance. We decided to take the risk even with the torrential rains,

 the strong winds, and the flooded streets.

The History

The front of Club Filipino with its
Filipino inspired logo.

Walking to Greenhills, one cannot tell that this densely populated area of San Juan is actually a living and breathing place of history. Past through the famous Greenhills Shopping Center, the towering condominium buildings, and the ever famous subdivisions of Greenhills and Wack-Wack, a piece of Philippine history stands, and still in use today.

Club Filipino (pronounced: “Cloob”)  was born on November 6, 1898. After the declaration of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898, it was put up as a club for Illustrados (prestigious or rich Filipinos at that time) and influential politicians to be able to meet and settle their ordeals. Some of its famous members were Gen. Antonio Luna, and former President Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, who also served as the club’s honorary president.

The Club, under the reign of Spanish conquistadors, was not originally called Club Filipino. Upon the birth of the club, it was originally called Club Filipino Independiente, or Independent Filipino Club. Four years later, the name was then replaced to Club International after the turnover of power to the Americans. Then, in 1905, after the club members debated to the government (under influence of the Americans) on the club’s change of name, the name was then changed to Club Filipino, after the club members have decided to retain the original name sans the Independiente.

Not only has its name changed, but also its location; moving from one place to another through the years. According to Club Filipino’s official website, Club Filipino was born first as a club with no official clubhouse. The different clubhouses throughout the past years could not be traced, as the old clubhouses were under constant relocation due to economic reasons. The permanent clubhouse was inaugurated on October 18, 1970 in its now famous Greenhills San Juan area, where it still stands to this day.

Expectations

The visit to the club was not as fabulous, nor as historic as I imagined it to be. It was ordinary. In fact, a bit too ordinary to even have any historic value for me. We entered the club through the parking lot, as it was most convenient to enter through. There we were greeted with the scent of car smog and sweaty gym users, as the gym’s entrance was apparently near the entrance. I was accompanied by Miguel Tiosejo, a member of Club Filipino. He was there to give me a tour around the club. Entering the club, one can see a long hallway with different doors. I could imagine these rooms being the places where the president did this, or this significant person did that. Sadly, they were actually just storage rooms, entrances to the locker rooms, and a bathroom.

I’ve been wanting to document Club Filipino for a long time. After announcing that our trip would be here, I was ecstatic to document and show the beauty of a true Philippine heritage. Contrary to what I expected, disappointment was all I got. I didn’t have much of an urge to even bring out my camera as the place was almost left uncared for. The faded white paint on the walls, the very uninspiring fluorescent lamps on the ceiling, I sort of expected a grandeur Spanish inspired type of entrance.

Terrace Cafe

We went up the stairs, a staircase with marble flooring, and was greeted with the loud roar of the rain. The staircase lead us to the outdoor terrace where Terrace Cafe, a restaurant-cafe, was located. The cafe was quite typical for a clubhouse. Small chairs and tables adorned the red bricked flooring of the terraces guarded by Spanish inspired rails and pillars, overlooking the swimming pool. Here you can see people eating, some even on pambahay looking clothing, but one can notice the teeming number of senior-citizens eating, resting and talking in this area.

The terraces didn’t quite have an appeal to me. Even though it looked historic, it wasn’t the good kind of historicism. The red bricked floor, polished yet was somewhat too old, not replaced for years. The walls, separating the terrace from the inside of the club, were Spanish Capiz windows, but the thing that seemed wrong would be that it was painted white, making it seem very unauthentic.

Restaurant 1898

Passing through Terrace Cafe, you can see a small restaurant in front of it. It’s lit by tungsten bulbs and designed like an old Spanish restaurant. The restaurant, aptly named “1898,” was put up to replicate the dining experience during the Spanish era. It somehow looked as if it was trying too hard to be Spanish that it wasn’t authentic anymore. The dirty floor, old eating utensils, and old lamps made it look like an old restaurant going out of business. It wasn’t too long till we lost our interest and moved on.

We walked around some more and was lead to a small hallway going to the courts where Tiosejo’s friend was waiting for us. We had a chance to talk to him about our questions on the club and its history. We were lead to the waiting shed adjacent to the two badminton courts. There we sat down with “Totoy” Rodolpho. 

Totoy has been working for Club Filipino for almost two decades and he has seen the changes involved with the club. “Kuya Totoy, if I may ask, why is the club like this? It isn’t as fabulous and as amazing as I expected it to be,” I asked in Filipino. He replied to me, telling me that I haven’t seen the club as a whole. He tells me that I was only seeing its physical appearance, not its sentimental value. He then tells me to look around the club for a while as Tiosejo interviews him for his part of the story. It was intriguing really,  about what he had told me.

A New Perspective

I went around the courts area, passing the badminton courts and seeing a separated court. The court had a line on the wall, with the words “Pasa” and “Falta.” The words to indicate pass or fail for a serve in Raquet Ball. Raquet Ball is a famous sport in Europe, but here you can notice the dust collecting on the corners of the room and the almost retro-80s looking scoreboard, indicating how much the room is left unused. I took a picture of the room as it was odd to see that such a court even exists here in the Philippines.

The unused Raquetball court

I moved on, going in the club itself. I was afraid I might get lost but I decided to go in anyways, knowing I can contact Tiosejo anytime through my cellphone.  I went in a long hallway past Terrace Cafe. The hallway was similar to the first one we saw upon entering the club, but this hallway somehow was different, looking more Spanish inspired and similar to how I imagined Club Filipino to be. Going deeper into the hallway, you can see a long row of portraits of the past club presidents, all the way from Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo down to the club’s current president. Deeper into the hallway and you’ll pass by a seemingly very understated door.

The wooden door is engraved with typical square designs of Filipino doors. A look at the plaque fixed on top of the door reveals its true identity, the Cory C. Aquino Kalayaan Hall.

One look at the door and it looks seemingly understated. Only the plaque tells a story in this part. I decided to go around looking for another entrance. To my surprise, as I turned right from the end of the hallway, I was bombarded with history. It was the history that I expected, history that I wanted from Club Filipino. It was right here in the club that the place I was looking for was located.

The side entrance to the Kalayaan Hall
The main entrance was not photographed as the guard unfortunately
insisted that pictures were not allowed

The walls were white but the designs on the walls were real wood, the glass casing showed pictures of the inauguration, two giant doors with Spanish-esque engravings guarded the room entering the Cory C. Aquino Kalayaan Hall, and a golden plaque beside the doors told the story of how the room came to be known as the room where Cory Aquino became president. I was in awe as I imagined being in the room during that time. The joy, the tension, it was as if I relived history. I was quick to bring out my camera to take a picture but the guard insisted that taking of pictures of the Kalayaan Hall were not allowed.

I went back to the courts, retracing my steps through the long hallway and Terrace Cafe, back to the badminton courts where Tiosejo and Totoy were just wrapping up their interview. After snapping their pictures for Tiosejo’s article, I asked Totoy as to why the other places were left abandoned and left-out unlike the Kalayaan Hall. 

        He said to me, “Kailangan na magbago nung ibang mga rooms at lugar dahil hindi na nagagamit, sayang lang.” (We needed to change the other rooms and places, they’re not being used. It’s such a waste if they were left like that.) I remembered then, the abandoned Raquetball courts and the rooms converted to storage areas. He tells me that some of the places were even converted to real working profits. 

        He tells me about Cafe Amorsolo, a cafe put up by the club as additional profit. It used to be an old office, and was then converted to a cafe upon the relocation of the office. “Mabuti nga at mapapakinabangan rin namin.” (It’s great that we can find some usefulness for it.) He added. I smiled at him, knowing just exactly what I came here for.

Cafe Amorsolo
Used to be an old office, now is a working profit.

We said our thank you and gave our gifts to Totoy as we prepared to leave. I ask myself about the changes they had done to Club Filipino, whether it was good, or it was bad. Walking out I see Cafe Amorsolo, perched on the inside of Club Filipino, attracting customers. Looking at the cafe, it then hit me.

Life isn’t permanent, it is always prone to change. I hadn’t seen it when I first arrived at Club Filipino, expecting a grandeur Spanish entrance. I have seen it when I left Club Filipino, seeing the modern take over the ancient. It is something we have to face. Though most of us, including me, are afraid of change, we should accept it. Change is inevitable, nothing is permanent. Like Club Filipino, we should learn to get over our sentiments and change for the better. We should listen to the future and bury our past, but we should also learn to embrace it and look back, just like the way they did with the Kalayaan Hall.

Club Filipino may have changed a lot since its birth in 1898, but it will forever be in the hearts of Filipinos as a place of history. Historic, yet looking into the future, seeing in a new perspective.

***