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IT’S BEGINNING
to look a little bit like Hogwarts in the
Tropics around here — old architecture and tall tree branches
covering the school grounds; sculptures of mythical
creatures; an enigmatic door that opens to a dark chamber;
stairs that lead to nowhere; students waving wands.
Welcome to CASA San Miguel, where a family of artists
have converted their ancestral home and its grounds into the
province’s cultural and artistic center. CASA, short for Creative
Alternatives for Social Action, is tucked away in a picturesque
mango orchard sandwiched between mountains and the
sea. The small sprawl in the town of San Antonio, Zambales,
includes the private homes of husband-and-wife artists Elmer
Borlongan and Plet Bolipata, as well as the private retreat of
writer Rica Bolipata Santos and her family.
The gated compound’s centerpiece is a three-storey
concert hall and school where young aspiring musicians,
such as 11-year-old Simon Tabon, wield violin bows for hours
on end, rehearsing chamber music. Simon, who lives in
town, has been dead-set on becoming a violinist ever since
he caught a performance at CASA, where his mom used to
work, almost five years ago.
Simon is gifted with a sharp sense of hearing; he can pick
up songs from the radio, such as Green Day’s “21 Guns”,
Imagination
takes
flight, bow
in hand
