Whenever I happened to pass at the back of San Agustin Church going to Puerta Real memories cross my mind of the wedding venue where I started to be involved with weddings. Father Blanco's Garden then was the favorite venue for a reception in Intramuros. Until now no venue matches the splendor of the place. When we had performances there the feeling seemed different. I felt romance in the heart and when performance ensued I enjoyed the moment with my musicians playing along with me. That was more than 5 years ago but it still Father Blanco's Garden will always be a part of my music memories. 

I was then resident singer of San Agustin Church and I observed the evolvement of the garden when it was still a little barren with only the ruins as backdrops but came the ingenuiety of Father Galende who made the place a heaven of sort becoming one of the attractions besides the famous San Agustin Museum. I also owe a great deal becoming a part of San Agustin even it was accidental and forced to join the music department becoming one the Cantores of the church. It was there I happened to listen to great Philippine Opera singers guesting for weddings. It was there I began to appreciate classical music. When I started singing at the church microphones were not allowed. Even guest singers were not provided one. I learned to project somehow. Guest celebrities could hardly sing without microphones but that was a rule and nobody could break it. That was also the reason why opera singers were mostly the ones invited to sing because even without a microphone they can project their voices.


Concerts were often done at the ruins of San Agustin Church, a portion of Father Blanco's Garden and every now and then film shootings were made there because of the intense romance of the air and less noise nearby being a bit secluded haven. But those were the days.


Now the place is turned into a seminary recluse that nobody can just access . It is now a private place and even relatives or friends of the seminarians can't just come in. There is a designated place for visitors. It is not easy anymore to indulged in the splendor of the haven we used to be most of the times

but still on my mind there is a heaven somewhere. And that is Father Blanco's Garden.