I was also determined to bring home a REAL shivalingam (a.k.a. shivalinga, shivaling) made of stone, and so, now I have one. This one's granite and is VERY HEAVY. Placed it inside the small loggia where sunshine and some rain will fall on it.

Years ago I had a long conversation with archaeologist (and playwright) Jess Peralta of the National Museum. He said that excavations in Cubao revealed elephant tusks and a lot of shivalingams in the area, the latter implying that the Hindu were here long before the Muslims were. Perhaps an explanation why there is a lot of albeit unusual spirituality in Cubao? Strangely, I've been reading that a lot of shivalingams have been discovered in the most unlikely countries as well.