History of Tiwi Japanese Garden (second in a series)

In the first few years after its completion, the supervision and maintenance of the Japanese Garden was under the jurisdiction and supervision of Barangay Tigbi, since the barangay council in partnership with some prominent movers and shakers of the town spearheaded the fundraising drive for the creation of the Filipino-Japanese Friendship Garden in Tiwi.

Mayor Oriel C. Clutario (seen in this photo from the 1970s with vice-mayor Alfredo Corullo among others) was one of the driving forces behind the project and became so enamored with the traditionally designed Japanese strolling garden as well as with the colorful and beautiful fishes that he took it upon himself to personally handle the upkeep of the garden. For years, the townspeople would often see the mayor feeding the Koi and the large-mouth gouramies in the pond as well as trimming the ornamental plants all by himself.

During his long tenure, Mayor Oriel Clutario even had Tio Juan Cruz, one of the Municipio’s utility men, designated as the caretaker of the Japanese garden and if needed would assign other municipal personnel at his disposal to help maintain its charm and beauty.

The Tiwi Japanese Garden is more than 50 years old and is probably the first and oldest authentic Japanese garden designed by a Japanese national in the Philippines. Also, it is older and its landscape design more beautiful than the ones found at the Luneta and in Lake Caliraya in Laguna respectively. The Japanese Garden is also one of the last, if not the last public green space in the heart of Tiwi.

—- a few distinctions that if properly explored especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, a rehabilitated and well-maintained Tiwi Japanese Garden, especially in this age of instagram and social media, can once again be a magnet for domestic and international tourists alike, with the potential to help reinvigorate the once prosperous tourism industry in Tiwi.

It is worth noting that the Japanese Garden’s creation was spearheaded by Tiwinhons and its construction was funded by money through the efforts of Tiwinhons. It was an endeavor, guided by the spirit of Bayanihan to attain a common goal.

And if we consider the Japanese Garden’s age as well as the circumstances behind its creation, the Japanese Garden qualifies to be registered and be classified as one of the Heritage Sites of Tiwi. Let us hope that the Local Government, who at present is undergoing a cultural mapping of the town, will consider its inclusion and push for the aforementioned distinction under Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

Tigbi 1968

This was the view in 1968 that Akihiko Shimizu, a Japanese Peace Corps Volunteer, saw from the window of the Tiwi Ceramics building that sparked the idea of installing a Japanese Garden in the vacant lot beside it.

He then told Mayor Oriel C. Clutario about his vision and the good mayor was receptive of the idea. They in turn gathered the Barangay Officials of Tigbi as well as other prominent citizens of the town for the project and they responded with a collective effort to make the Japanese garden in the heart of Tiwi a reality.

The Tiwi Town Plaza

In 1880, Gobernadorcillo* Higino Templado conceptualized and constructed Tiwi's first town plaza in order to provide the community with a wholesome place for people to gather on Sundays and holidays to relax and watch the Comedia or local plays.

Municipal President* Mateo Clidoro (1926-1931) initiated the naming of the town plaza to Plaza Templado in honor of Higino Templado during his incumbency. His successor, Mayor Lino Clutario (1931-1934), with monetary donations from the townspeople, was instrumental in erecting a bust of the late mayor Higino Templado at the center of the plaza, where it remained until it was relocated to give way to the building of the "Kiosko" during the term of Mayor Eleodoro Cortezano (1948-1951). Mayor Cristito Cirujales (1952-1955) contributed a water fountain in front of the kiosk, while Mayor Jose C. Templado (1956-1959) in turn built a concrete fence surrounding Plaza Templado in the mid-1950's. Some of these contributions can be seen in the accompanying picture, which was taken in the late 1960s by my late father Aki Shimizu.

During the early days of the geothermal exploration in Tiwi in the 1970s, Mayor Oriel C. Clutario (1968-1992) decided to re-design the town plaza, buried the kiosk under earth and pushed for the concreting of the walkways/sidewalks around the oval and planted the many Talisay and Acacia trees that still stand to this very day.

Mayors Naomi C. Corral (1992-1995), Patria C. Gutierrez (1996-2004) and Ami C. Villanueva (2004-2013) have, in one way or another, taken turns in putting their mark on the town plaza during their terms.

When Leo P. Templado (2013-2016) assumed office as mayor of the town, the local government under his leadership undertook a massive rehabilitation and improvement of the town plaza. Cognizant of the place's history and significance, the Sangguniang Bayan of Tiwi passed an ordinance to restore the newly-minted town plaza back to its original name of Plaza Higino Templado, an affirmation of its historical place in the annals of the history of Tiwi and a fitting homage to the man who played an important role in the affairs of the town's early days.

*gobernadorcillo - municipal president - mayor

The Flag Pole

This is a picture that I grabbed from the LGUTiwi FB page of the ongoing redesign and enhancement of the Plaza in front of the municipal building.

What caught my attention amid the chaos of construction and what have you was the concrete base of the flagpole. I can still vividly remember the story behind said structure.

One day in the late 70s or early 80s, while supervising the construction of the koi (Japanese carp) ponds & water fountains in front of the old 'municipio', my father, Aki Shimizu, was asked by mayor Oriel Clutario if he could improve the old flagpole in the plaza.

He immediately asked his workers to gather the materials needed for the simple design that he sketched on a paper bond in haste: bricks made at the Tiwi Ceramic Plant and corals that were brought from Corangon earlier; they finished the job by late afternoon of the same day.

Of course, as with many of his public landscape projects and works in Tiwi, my father did it for free.

The koi ponds and the fountains are long gone, and judging from the current design of the plaza, the flagpole will eventually be condemned to oblivion, too. I am sharing this backstory here for posterity.

On a side note: Can anyone tell me the proper name of the Tiwi Municipal Plaza?

Yes, it has a name that not too many people, especially the newer generations of Tiwinhons, are aware of. But if you read the book "TIWI Molding the Pots of Prosperity from the Springs of History" -- authored by eminent historian Danilo Madrid Gerona, you probably already know the answer to the question above.