At the foot of
Mount Arayat in the Philippines stands a large, pyramid-shaped structure. It’s called Bale Batu, and it is the creation of a local artist named Jesus Padilla. The man, called Apung Susing by his fellow artists, spent years working on Bale Batu. Literally, for more than half of his life, he worked on building this temple. The result was something you’d never expect.
Jesus created the temple using cement and pulverized mountain rocks.
He earned money to work on this creation by selling vegetables in the lowlands.
His wife, Teresita, didn’t think he’d be able to do it. But the artists was determined.
He started construction in the 1970s.
Over four decades, Jesus diligently worked on his masterpiece.
He knew what he wanted to build from the very beginning and his plans only slightly changed over the years.
He wasn’t formally trained, but Apung Susing was able to build a temple that stood the test of time. Even though there have been earthquakes in the area, they have not toppled Bale Batu.
In March 2007, Apung Susing wasn’t feeling well. He asked his wife to cook him tinola, a type of soup.
She brought it to him in the temple. He ate that meal… and took his last breath. Bale Batu became his own grave.
At the end of it all, after spending four decades building this beautiful temple, it became Apung Susing’s own burial ground. Although that is sad, it’s also beautiful to know that he will forever rest in the temple that he loved so much and built his life around (literally).
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