Golden Tara: The Agusan Image

In the country that has to be the Philippines, the statues of Hindu Gods were hidden to prevent their destruction by a religion which destroyed all cult images.

One statue, a "Golden Tara", A 4-pound twenty-one carat gold statue of a Hindu-Malayan Goddess, was discovered in 1918 in Ezperanza,Agusan Phlippines by Bilay Campos ( A Manobo Tribeswoman).

The image is that of a Hindu-malayan female deity, seated cross-legged. It has a richly ornamented Headress and many ornaments in armas and other parts of its body.

Scholars date it to the late 13th 0r 14th century. It was made by a local artist, perhaps ciopying from an imported Javanese model. The gold that was used was from this area, since Javanese miners were known to have been engaged in mining in Butuan at this time.

The statue, denoted the Agusan Image, was eventually brought to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago by Louise Adriana Wood ( whose husband Leonard Wood, was Military Governor of the Moro Province in 1903-1906 and Governor General in 1921-1927)

The Compania de los Tranvias de Filipinas

The Compania De  Los Tranvias de Filipinas was established in 1885 by Jacobo Zobel y Zangronis (the first Filipino Zobel and Freemason) and Adolfo Bayo. It is a 5 street car services (four horse drawn and one steam powered) connecting Intramuros, Malate, Sampaloc, and Tondo. The steam powered street car serves between Binondo and Malabon only since 1888. A carriage has the capacity transport of 12 passengers.

The steam operated tranvia began operation in 1888

MERALCO Acquired the company in 1903 which inaugurated an electric railway system in 1905

A passenger ticket for the third-class section of the tranvia (not the actual size).

Can you add something about this? Do the same system existed in your own country before? I would love to hear from you.

You might be also interested in; The other mode of transportation during the Spanish Colonization Period

Image Source: http://www.ayala.com.ph/uploads/pdfs/2015/INSIDE%20180years%20Magazine%20-%20lowres.pdf

Transportations During The Spanish Colonization Period : Ferrocarril de Manila - Dagupan

Ferrocarril de Manila - Dagupan

Extended 120 miles long from Manila up to Dagupan Pangasinan, it was the only railway line in the archipelago during the Spanish period. It was constructed using mainly Filipino labor (Polo y Servicio Personal) 

It began operations on November 24, 1892 as the Ferrocarril de Manila-Dagupan, during the Spanish colonial period, and later becoming the Manila Railroad Company (MRR) during the American colonial period. It became the Philippine National Railways on June 20, 1946 by virtue of Republic Act No. 4156. The PNR is an agency of the Department of Transportation and Communications.