Nice website!
I saw this nice pictures !
The POS Yesterday
Written by [Philippine Orchid Review] Do��urita Ponce Enrile
Monday, 01 October 1979
THIRTY-TWO years ago, members of the prewar Manila Garden Club found themselves more and more drawn to the magnetic magic of the orchid world. With burning enthusiasm and love for this majestic plant singly and concertedly polarized, they decided to pool their efforts and to specialize in the culture and study of these prized plants.
Roy D. Bennett of the Manila Daily Bulletin, who was president of the MGC, encouraged the members to stage specialized garden exhibits using orchid plants as the main attraction.
The club held two exhibits at the Victoria Garden (later renamed Aurora Garden in honor of the late President Manuel Quezon’s wife). The orchids that made up the show were choice local sanggumay (Dendrobium anosmum), various Butterfly orchids or Mariposas (Phalaenopsis aphrodite, Phalaenopsis schilleriana, Phalaenopsis equestris, Phalaenopsis sanderiana). There were also several species of Aerides and Cymbidium. In those times there were no imported orchids yet.
Mrs. Francis B. Sayre and Mrs. Aurora Aragon Quezon participated in the exhibits, displaying dining set arrangements and displays of exquisite silver set set off by showy orchid centerpieces, Mrs. George Fairchild’s shadow frame of flowers was one of the show’s attractions. Within the Garden, one of the niches was converted by the Bureau of Science into an “Orchid Den”.
Members responsible for the success of the shows were Mrs. George Fairchild (Chairman for two occasions), Mrs. Kenneth B. Day, Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing, Mrs. F. L. Worcester, Mrs. Angus Burns and Mrs. Jose Gonzales.
Mrs. Mona Lisa Steiner and her enthusiastic group formalized the founding of the Philippine Orchid Society on February 18, 1947. The position of Honorary President was bestowed upon Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing, an accomplished botanist and an ardent orchidist “par excellence” who was on a Japan trip at that time. He gladly took over the presidency of the POS upon his return in May of the same year. He also constructed an orchid house in the Bureau of Science where the various orchids collected by ardent collectors were displayed and cared for.
For two years the Society grew, in membership and in knowledge. Members seriously studied more about orchids. They went into orchid hunting trips into the Philippine hinterlands to collect and to discover. Into the provinces, they went on weekend trips, to inquire and to secure. Most of them bartered. Some of the more affluent members bought and ordered from abroad. Few banked on the generosity of their friends for whatever extras that may come their way.
With tender love and care, the members’ collection grew. And after a ripe full years, the Society was ready for its first show. The gate of the first orchid exhibit was thrown open to the public one day in the merry month of May 1949, at the old Paco Cemetery (now Paco Memorial Park) for the benefit of the Girl Scouts (Chairman, Mrs. Kenneth B. Day). In the same year, August 16, a midyear show was held at the garden of Mrs. Encarnacion de Leon. The third, 1950 and 4th, 1951 Orchid Shows were held in the gardens of Mrs. Carlos Rivilla. For the first time, cut flowers and Vanda hybrids from Honolulu, were imported. President Elpidio Quirino was the Guest of Honor. The fifth in February of 1952, the Garden of Mrs. Albina Tuason in Silencio, Sta. Mesa was used. In 1953, the orchid show was held in Wallace Field, where the Philippine International Fair was held and was opened by the first Miss Universe, Armi Kuusela, who afterwards became Mrs. Virgilio Hilario.
In the garden of Mr. and Mrs. Igmidio Marquez in 1955 was the 7th orchid show. Aside from the orchid show, special event was a Fashion Show, with Mrs. Magsaysay as guest of honor.
We used to hold the POS shows in the gardens of members, because we did not have a permanent site.
In February of 1956 the show was at the garden of Mr. and Mrs. Roberto Martinez with Mrs., Jose B. Laurel as guest of honor. I remember very well that Don Roberto was a lover of Phalaenopsis. He had all varieties of our Philippine Phalaenopsis. One orchid show was held in Club Filipino. That was in 1958, and I’ll never forget that because there were imported orchids that were raffled to the members. The public was disappointed because the plants were sold only to members. So in that year I became a member, thru the urging of Mrs. Josefa Marquez.
The 10th Orchid Show in 1960 was held in the garden of Mrs. Consuelo Perez with Mrs. Carlos P. Garcia as Guest of Honor. The following year, we used the Paco Park. For the first time, awards were given in the form of cash prizes, for Orchids and Booths. In 1962, we were back again in the garden of Mrs. Consuelo Perez.
The 13th Orchid Show (1963) was at the Paco Park. The members outdid themselves in their exhibits. We had about 20 exhibitors and it was well attended. The inner circle of the Park was used for the commercial exhibits. Our Special Event was the Commemoration of Dr. Jose P. Rizal Centenary. A bronze plaque was placed at the tomb of Dr. Rizal, and Guest Speaker was Mr. Teodoro Valencia.
Dr. Quisumbing then began looking for a permanent site for the shows. He was able to ask the help of Dr. Taca who was then the Director of the Manila Zoo and Botanical Garden. In March of 1964, we were able to use part of the Botanical Garden. The same year we organized a contest among firls from 7 to 12 years old. They were daughters, nieces and granddaughters of POS members. Winners were named as Queen of “Waling-waling” and the princess “Mariposa”, Princess “Aerides”, Princess “Renanthera”, and Princess “Sanggumay”. It was a very colorful and successful event.
There was a parade from Luneta and ended in the Manila Zoo compound entering Mabini. We used the Lagoon where we had the coronation of Queen “Waling-waling” and the Princesses. In this show the best attraction and prize-winning exhibit was the personal collection of our President Carlos P. Garcia.
The following year, 1965, was the “Crystal Anniversary” exhibit, and again at the Manila Zoo compound. Aside from the exhibits we featured a fashion show, floral arrangement, orchid plant raffle and main feature was the on-the-spot painting. There were more than fifty students from different Art schools and winners were given cash prizes, with Prof. Galo Ocampo heading the judges.
The Manila Zoo became too small for the exhibits so that we asked again the help of Dra. Taca. A parcel of land connecting with the Zoo facing Dakota St. in Front of Rizal stadium was offered to us, so Dr. Quisumbing lost no time to negotiate with Mayor Villegas. It took us two years to wait. Again, we had to think of a proper place to hold the 16th Orchid Show with the theme “World Peace Through Orchids”. Featured were costumed teenage girls representing the world’s countries. We held the show at Paco Memorial with Mrs. Eduardo Romualdez representing Mrs. Imelda Marcos, as guest of honor. That year, Don Macario Lim our Treasurer conceived the idea of the Perpertual Cup to be given to the most Outstanding Exhibit, but the cup will be left to the Society, with the name of the winner engraved (a replica to be given to the winner). A participant can win and own the Perpetual Cup, if for 3 consecutive years he wins the most outstanding presentation. In choosing the most outstanding booth, a participant’s score must have the following: 40% for the booth, 30% for the quality of plants and 30% for the quantity of plants. Mrs. Lopa won the most outstanding exhibit that year, for her “Log Cabin U.S. America”.
1966 was a busy year for the POS members. The first midyear show was launched and the Philamlife Court Garden in the United Nations Street was used. We did not have booths because the place was not enough for the many exhibitors. The late President Garcia exhibited Waling-waling. Miss Norma Serafica introduced her “Star of Leyte”, (about 20 plants). Mrs. Lucia Tecson’s a clump of “Phalaenopsis Grandiflora”; there were about 50 spikes and the flowers were big and almost overlapping. By 1967 we were back at the (Mabini) Manila Zoo because the delay of the permanent site was still pending the approval of Mayor Villegas. “Orchids – Passport to Happiness” was our theme. My presentation of the “Orchid Pot” won the most outstanding exhibit.
Late 1967 our letter to Mayor Villegas received an answer, that the place we asked for is ours, for a lease o 50 years. We were very happy and began working in that place of barren land. Mr. Igmidio Marquez, Mr. Rafael Lerma, and Mr. Felix Flores, were asked to help me in the physical arrangement of the site. We built permanent booths, planted trees, and fenced the entire block. And by February of 1968, we were able to hold the show there. Our theme was “Say it with Orchids”. My presentation was “Aloha” and again it won, over all other entries.
The following year 1969, with my entry “Slave Beauties”, I was presented the Perpetual Cup.
We now have a permanent site and we developed the place with some enthusiasm and worked harder. More permanent structures were built. An office, where we can have our meetings and other affairs and a commercial section. Some of the members had beautiful booths made, spending thousands of pesos, confident that we have now our own site.
Unfortunately in 1974 we were advised to leave the place, because a prominent company was to build a hotel, supercenter and our place was a part of the land the company bought. This time Mayor Bagatsing helped us, and gave us the present site. Some of the plants we had in Adriatico wre moved to our present site, which belonged to the City of Manila. Because we are a part of the Manila Zoo Botanical Garden we were asked to manage the place, which we called “Hardin ng Maynila”. Again, without losing our love for orchids and enthusiasm we developed the place through donations from Mrs. Bagatsing and other affluent members. By 1976 we had our annual show. Then we had the “May Festival”, not an orchid show but a flower and orchid show with Mrs. Marcos as the guest of honor. She was very happy and told us to develop the place and would recommend for us to stay there permanently. We worked harder to show Mrs. Marcos our cooperation with her Program of Beautification.
We are on our fifth year at the place. With the help of the younger members and the new Board, we will be able to give the public maore and mo shows, bigger and better, than “yesterday’s.”
I saw this article form the POS site:
That is still a big issue to settle??