544. Summer Getaways: BATULAO VILLAGE CLUB, 1975

For many Manilans in the 70s decade, Mount Batulao in Nasugbu, and its environs were the go-to places to unwind every weekend. In 1975, these area,and parts of Ternate and Maragondon were designated  as tourist zones.

One of its earliest developments was the sprawling Batulao Village Club owned the family of senator Gil Puyat and designed by architect Benjamin Bautista with landscapes by Ildefonso P. Santos Jr. It was the first resort south of Manila to offer the same luxurious amenities as Baguio’s older destinations.

The club’s modern look took inspiration from the terraces of the Mountan Province ( the architect and planner was from Baguio), with touches of  environmental sensibility ahead of its time. Natural materials and indigenous patterns and textures  were incorporated  in the buildigs and cottages, like rattan, Capiz and local woods.

The expansive  club boasts of a Gary Player-designed golf course, a main clubhouse, a halfway house, a village inn, cottages and a sports complex that featured the latest rage in 70s racquet sports – pelota.

Batulao Village Club rose in prominence in the 70s, providing live combo music, and evening events. There were hiking and camping activities at the Gulod sa Batulao, plus lots of swimming and snorkeling for nature lovers.Golf and pelota  tournaments were frequently held, as well.

Batulao lost much of its appeal beginning in the 80s as more affordable resorts opened up north, made accessible by the new expressway of North Luzon. Add to that the internal problems of the company. Attempts to redevelop it in the mid 1990s  with the addition of another beach resort and the restoration of the golf course did not do much to its dwindling popularity until it fell into disarray and eventual closure completely.

SOURCES:

Batulao, wikimedia entry

Batulao Summers, https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/modern-living/2004/04/17/246536/batulao-summers

543. Summer Getaways: MONTEMAR Beach Club, 1984 Ads

One of the premiere beach resort clubs in the 80s was the the MONTEMAR Beach Club, which was established way back in 1978 in Bagac, Bataan. It has since been operating as a private membership beach resort Club.  As a beach resort, Montemar is ideal for rest, recreation, dining, conventions, parties and weddings. 

In the 1980s, its facilities and amenities include 64 airconditioned rooms with balconies, tennis, golf, pool, two restaurants, waterfall, and windsurfing. It boasts of a 500 meter-long powdery white sand beach, spacious palm-dotted lawns, just 2.5 hours-drive away from Manila. Back then, MONTEMAR was the go-to place for the rich and famous,

Today, MONTEMAR is still in operation. According to its website, it now has  89 plantation-inspired rooms spread among the five Mediterranean-styled inns that provide comfort and space for relaxation.  Ocean View and Garden View rooms are offered at the Club to provide scenic views for a worthwhile and memorable experience. 

Three swimming pools (Members’ Pool, Pavilion Pool and Garden Pool) are also available at the Club.  Various indoor and outdoor activities such as kayaking, jet-skiing, horse-back riding, and fishing are offered at the Club for everyone’s enjoyment.

MONTEMAR is majority-owned by Philippine Communications Satellite Corporation (Philcomsat).

SOURCE: Montemar Beach Club website, https://www.montemar.com.ph/

 

542. Brand Stories: TIKI-TIKI MANUEL ZAMORA, the Medicine Against the Malady of Beri-Beri

TIKI-TIKI MANUEL ZAMORA, Print Ad, 1937

One medicine that has a special place in our medical history is TIKI-TIKI, that was developed in 1909 by chemist-pharmacist MANUEL ZAMORA ,(1870–1929), of  Sta. Cruz, operating out of his laboratory/pharmacy on R. Hidalgo Street. It was formulated to cure infantile beriberi (“taun”, in Pilipino) , a deadly disease that plagued poorly-nourished Filipino children during the American colonial period, caused by Vitamin B1 deficiency.

TIKI-TIKI 'BOUNCING BABY', Print Ad, 1940

Made from rice bran extract, it became a crucial public health solution during the American colonial period. The brand name was derived from “tikitiki” a local term for   the rice bran from which the liquid medicine was extracted. The bran was a rich source of Vitamin B1 or Thiamine and it was Zamora who successfully extracted a stable version of it, producing it commercially, thus saving thousands of Filipino babies’ lives.

TESTIMONIAL AD 'Virginia Dela', Print Ad, 1953

Zamora made known TIKI-TIKI’s life-saving impact on Tiki-Tiku print ads that were circulated in dailies and magazines regularly: “The TIKI-TIKI MANUEL ZAMORA extract is a medicine unequalled in quality  for the prevention and cure of Infantile Beri-Beri which is a dangerous disease of children…..Within the years that this famous TIKI-TIKI MANUEL ZAMORA has beEn discovered, countless mothers and children have been saved from early death”.

TIKI-TIKI 'Health Protection', Print Ad, 1958

The success of the ban prompted international pharmaceutical companies like Parke Davis  to make lucrative offers to Zamora to buy him out, but he refused to sell the rights to his formula, ensuring it remained accessible to Filipinos. Zamora eventually helped establish the Philippine Pharmaceutical Association.

UNITED AMERICAN TIKI-TIKI Print Ad, 1964

While originally a specialized medicine, TIKI-TIKI is now manufactured by Unilab as a children's multivitamin brand, originally under the name United American (Tiki-Tiki Drops and Syrup). It became well-known for its memorable jingle that was heard on he raio without fail, every day—“United American, United American, United American TIKI-TIKI ang bilhin!”.

UNITED AMERICAN, 'Bring Up Your Babies', Print Ad, 1964

Today, TIKI-TIKI is a significant product in the history of Philippine medicine, credited with fighting a national health crisis.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_A._Zamora

Ginats in History: Manuel A. Zamora: https://www.asiaresearchnews.com/content/manuel-zamora