The Vaccine Factory that is now a Mall
by Oliver Carlos
Have you been to this mall in Alabang? Did you notice the old-looking façade and a large statue of a woman in front of it? What are these doing in the middle of a commercial district? Are they related to buying and selling? These 2 structures have a deep history that most shoppers do not know. This may be the first time you will hear this.
On the same spot where the mall stands today, there used to be a vaccine factory. That facility was built during the American colonial period. There was a big cholera outbreak in the early 1900s, and the colonial government had its hands full in trying to solve it.
Outside the said vaccine factory is an imposing white statue of a woman holding up a torch. She is standing on a skull as a pedestal. Actually, that statue is a giant copy of Rizal’s sculpture “Triumph of Science Over Death.” The original Rizal-made work of art is just around 12 inches tall. For our national hero, the woman represents the human race, and she is stepping over the skull which symbolizes death. The torch she’s holding represents science or scientific knowledge which is a light that takes us out of the dark. The message of the sculpture is that science is the hope of humanity. With it, we have a fighting chance against death and illness. Since the Americans selected Rizal to be our national hero, a statue made by him who was also a medical doctor, would be a very fitting image to be erected in front of the vaccine factory.
After World War 2, the vaccine factory ceased to operate, it became a desolate abandoned building. It was only a few years ago that the place was transformed into a mall. Good thing the developer didn’t demolish the ruins of the vaccine factory but decided to keep the façade and the statue intact. They just integrated them in the mall architectural design.
The statue “Triumph of Science over Death” is quite similar to story of Moses holding up his walking stick that has a bronze snake twirled around it. In our modern times, that stick-with-snake image is the symbol of medicine. Some may argue that the said symbol originated from the ancient Greeks who lived around 400 BCE. But I think the very original version is Moses’ because he lived a thousand years before the Golden Age of Ancient Greece.
Anyway, Moses’ story goes like this: When the Israelites were in the desert during the Exodus, several snakes bit them because of their rebellion towards God. As they were dying, many repented and so God was gracious enough to give them a way out:
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. If anyone is bitten by a snake, that person should look at the bronze snake on the pole. Then that person will not die.’” (Numbers 21:8, ERV)
In Jesus’ time, he referred to the same event when he lectured to Nicodemus on how to get to heaven. Here’s the 2 verses prior to the most famous verse, John 3:16:
“Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. It is the same with the Son of Man. He must be lifted up too. Then everyone who believes in him can have eternal life.” (John 3:14–15, GNT)
Jesus explained to Nicodemus that in order for a person to get saved, he must put his faith in the Son of Man (Jesus). It’s not the bronze snake that saves, but Jesus himself. Just as Moses’ stick was put up for all to see, so will be story of Jesus’ cross. Anyone who looks up to Jesus and begs for forgiveness will be saved. But remember, it is not the cross per se that saves, but Jesus only.
We all need and want eternal life. Let’s rejoice because God loved us so, and he made a way for us to have it.
