Marikina City: Shoe Capital of the Philippines

The Augustinians were the first to arrive at the Marikina Valley in 1500, at the spot known as “Chorillo” in Barangka. Next came the Jesuits in 1630, in a place now called Jesus dela Peña (Jesus of the Rocks). Here, the Jesuits established a mission and built a chapel.

In 1687, this pueblo became a parish known as Mariquina. In 1901, with the coming of the Americans, its name officially became Marikina. The early settlers lived along the riverbanks and nearby fertile farms. With the industry of the natives, combined with the know-how of the early Chinese settlers, the farms began to produce rice and vegetables in great quantities until the valley became part of the country’s most prized hacienda.

By the 19th century, Hacienda Marikina was owned and administered by the Tuazon family and had become the biggest in the Philippines. For its size, natural beauty, and plentiful harvest, the hacienda was declared a mayorazgo (royal estate) by the Spanish colonial government. At one time, the estate was administered by a beautiful native lass, Doña Teresa dela Paz, who was married to a scion of the Tuazon family.

By the turn of the 20th century, Marikina emerged as a town of shoemakers. Shoemaking began in 1887 through the pioneering efforts of Don Laureano “Kapitan Moy” Guevarra, assisted by Tiburcio Eustaquio, Ambrocio Sta. Ines, and Gervacio Carlos.

Honed by years in shoe manufacturing, the natives had developed a work ethic that prepared them for the arrival of heavy-duty industries in the 1950s. With the proliferation of industrial plants came waves of workers who had chosen to stay, rapidly increasing the population.

The city soon became a victim of its own growth, creating a slew of problems. One of these was the deterioration of the Marikina River, which resulted from the reckless behavior of factories and squatter colonies that lined the banks.

Recovery and Renewal

Marikina jumpstarted its efforts toward recovery and renewal when Mayor Bayani “BF” Fernando assumed office in 1992. Guided by a vision of creating a modern and livable city, BF successfully laid the foundation of a flourishing community.

On Dec. 8, 1996, Marikina was proclaimed a city through Republic Act 8223. Marikina has since transformed itself from a backward community into one that boasts of a thriving economy and hardworking, tenacious, and disciplined citizens.

Today, Marikina is a multi-awarded city, often lauded for its vibrant business life, highly skilled workforce, and a responsive local government that puts a premium on governance, sustainable urban development, and public service.

Obando Fertility Rites: Obando, Bulacan

The Catholicism you find in the Philippines has a considerable pinch of older animist and pagan beliefs which inform rituals and traditions. The Obando Fertility Rites are no exception, and involve childless couples dancing an ancient folk dance to encourage reproduction.

The streets fill with couples hoping for children, who dance in an enormous procession, pushing before them wooden carts filled with images of the particular saint to whom they are appealing. The parade finally comes to rest at the steps of the church, into which the frenzied dancers continue their jamboree up the aisle.

Those to whom the pre-Catholic rituals were directed have simply been replaced by Catholic saints. So, if you want a wife, you dance to San Pascual Baylon. Conversely, if you want a husband, then you dance to Santa Clara de Assisi. Finally, if you want a child you dance to the Virgen de Salambao.

According to experts the dance must be performed with gyrating hips in time to the music and with belief. Many of town's people join in the dance although they may have no particular petition. One can observe the numerous childless couples, thankful parents, grateful farmers and fishermen dance along the streets together with colorfully customed women to pray for children and a good harvest. The population growth attests to the effectiveness of the right movements.

Pahiyas Festival: Lucban, Quezon Province

Pahiyas Festival is a colorful feast in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saints of farmers, as a thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. Houses along the old streets of Lucban are artistically decorated with agricultural harvest, and of the very unique highlight of the festival, the "kiping". It is a wafer made up of rice that comes in different colors. The Lucbanons come up in different designs every year, as they showcase their artistic talents in decorating their houses.

This year's Festival is so special, as it marked as the very first trip that i joined with the NACCI (Nature Awareness and Conservation Club, Inc.). I was so excited, that i barely slept on Sat night, hahaha. We almost missed the trip, coz we made a buzzer-beater arrival at Shell Edsa at exactly 515am, whoa so early, right. Assembly time was 5am, but we had the hard time on catching a taxi from Taft. I was so nervous during the taxi ride, coz John (who is so friendly and nice, well all of them from NACCI, esp Patrick), was already texting me. When, we arrived, i was stunned, coz i saw 2 buses, whoa, there are a lot of

Mt. Banahaw
joiners in the Pahiyas Trip. We paid for Php 888, which includes roundtrip aircon bus service, plus a buffet lunch, with side-trips to Laguna. Fair deal, right. So John escorted us to our seat, well, what will i expect, we came late, so we'll be given the seats at the back.

As we arrived at Lucban, 2.5 hrs later, we were greeted by the beauty of Mt. Banahaw, also known as the "Holy Mountain" to some. We rode by a tric, to get us to the entrance of the festival area. Manong was really kind, he even helped us find a restroom, and gave us the directions on getting around Lucban. There were a lot of tourists in the place, and it was strikingly hot, so we immediately scouted for cheaper hats to cover our faces from the heat of the sun.

Finding the path to the church seemed like eternity as there are tourists going to and from. The streets were narrowed by vendors, an ongoing procession/parade, and with all the vehicles that caused the traffic jam. Good thing, we were just in time for the 9am mass. The Lucban church is an old church, jampacked with

Lucban Church
a lot of people, so it was really really hot inside. I just sat on the floor coz my soles were already aching, well maybe because, I went malling, the day before.

After the mass, we went down the streets to witness the Kiping-designed houses. Wow, they are really colorful. I can imagine how hard they worked to cook those rice wafers, and design them into different shapes and decorations. Every house has different designs, all in honor of San Isidro. It was a very hot day, and the streets were really full with visitors, so i really had a hard time on taking pictures. I thought it was just the stretch of the street that is decorated, but i was wrong, as we arrived at the end of one street, we'll find out that there is another. Whoa, it was really a feast to the eye, seeing all those colorful decorations.

One of the best decorated houses that ive seen was, the one w/ the elf and eagle on it. I think it tells a story of a man, or an archer(?) i think. Too bad, there were a lot of electrical wires that obstructs the very

Lucban Hats
nice design. Another one, is the house decorated by egg trays, sprinkled with rice. It was so artistic.

As we trek down the busy street, we also took the chance to buy pasalubong items. Lucban products are being sold along the streets which include the Apas and Broas which can be bought 3 for Php 100.00. There are also other products, like buri slippers and fans, dried flowers, fruits, and the famous Lucban Longanisa.

We just managed to finish one half of the festival area, but we were already tired, and we have yet to find Koffee Klatch to have our lunch.

A few blocks away from the festival area, we've seen the resto along Quezon St. A funny thing happened during our lunch time. We've wasted, i think 10-15 mins, waiting in line for our food, only to find out that it was the wrong place. I was kind of wondering, why i can't see familiar faces from our group, and there were already no food to serve on the counter. My bitchy self had already taken over, only to find out that our reserved buffet lunch was on the second floor of the building, and

First Prize Winner
not on the line, where we've waited for 48 yrs. Ha ha ha. So, it turned out, that it was fine after all.

It was time to hop on our buses, and proceed to Laguna for our side-trips. We were walking in group with John, when suddenly, we lost track of them in the market place. I thought, we don't know the way out, so we called them to go back from where we are. After minutes of waiting, we were again on our way out, supposedly. But then, we've realized, after years of walking, that we're just getting to another busy street, and not to the exit. It turned out that they don't know the way out, ha ha ha. At least, we've come to see the other half of the festival area, where the houses are more beautifully decorated than the half that we went thru.

Sad. A day trip is really not enough to see all the wonderful houses. The parade of the giants and the street dancing will be held late afternoon. Too bad, Lucban is far, that we have to go home early.

Baguio City: Summer Capital of the Philippines, City of Flowers

Known as one of the industrialized cities in the Northern part of the Philippines, Baguio is hailed as the summer capital of the Philippines. Many people visit this city every summer because of its cold weather and attractive tourist spots. Based on the history of the city, it is the Americans, which recognized Baguio as one of the Philippine cities on June 1, 1903 at Kafagway.

Naguilian Highway, Marcos Highway and Kennon Road are the three accessible roads to the city. The most famous route to the city is Kennon Road, however, it is dangerous to take that route during the rainy season because the road is prone to land slides. In this case, travelers who want to visit the city is advised to travel by air since the city has an airport which is named as Loakan Airport.

Baguio City is a big city in the Northern region of the Philippines. Based on reports, the city has 130 barangays, which include the Session Road area, the barangay that is very popular for bars, restaurants and other business establishments that attract tourists and travelers to the area. Aside from the Session Road area, Mines View Park, Camp John Hay and Burnham Park are the other tourist attractions in the area.

For travelers who want to have a look at some tourist spots in city, they can also visit the vacation house of every Philippine president in Baguio. It is also exciting and luring to have a tour at some of the strawberry farms of the city. In addition, the city is also renowned for its top universities and colleges such as University of the Philippines Baguio, University of Baguio and Saint Louis University. Above all, Baguio is popular for Philippine Military Academy that is based on one of its barangays.

Siargao: Philippines' Surfing Capital

Siargao is a tear-drop shaped island in the Philippine Sea situated 800 kilometers southeast of Manila in the province of Surigao del Norte. It has a land area of approximately 437 square kilometers. The east coast is relatively straight with one deep inlet, Port Pilar. The coastline is marked by a succession of reefs, small points and white, sandy beaches. The neighboring islands and islets have similar landforms.

Siargao Island contains the largest mangrove forest reserves in Mindanao, at Del Carmen. Long stretches of wetlands indicate a potential for commercial seaweed propagation. Siargao Island is greatly influenced by the winds and currents coming uninterrupted from the Pacific Ocean, intensified by the Mindanao current running westward through the Siargao Strait.

Siargao Island is situated at a coordinate of 9°52′N 126°03′E / 9.867°N 126.05°E / 9.867; 126.05. It is composed of municipalities of Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, General Luna, San Benito, Pilar, San Isidro, and Santa Monica.

Offshore, a classic tropical island lies protected within its surrounding coral reef with dozens of coconut palms dressed in the center circle of the island. Off to the right, well within the massive coastal reef, lies a shining white sand bar, (Pansukian, or Naked island) some 200 meters long. The tide of Siargao is diurnal with tidal curves typically present, especially on the east coast of the island.

The Island's Pacific-facing reefs are situated on the edge of the Philippine Trench, and the extremely deep offshore waters assure the ocean swells have undiluted power when they encounter the many coral and rock reefs. Siargao has excellent surfing conditions, particularly during the southwest "habagat" monsoon from August to November, when the prevailing wind is offshore.

In the past , going to Siargao is by domestic flights from Manila to Surigao, and then by boat to Siargao Island. Beginning March 4 however, the easiest, fastest, most convinient way to the island is now by flying Cebu Pacific direct to Siargao Island via Cebu.

One of the best known surfing waves on Siargao and the Philippines, with a worldwide reputation for thick, hollow tubes is "Cloud 9"[citation needed]. This right-breaking reef wave is the site of the annual Siargao Cup, a domestic and international surfing competition sponsored by the provincial government of Surigao del Norte.

The wave was discovered by travelling surfers in the late 1980s. It was named and made famous by American photographer John S. Callahan, who published the first major feature on Siargao Island in the United States- based Surfer magazine in March 1993, and hundreds of his photos in many other books and magazines since his first visit in 1992. Callahan has put the island on the international map and has drawn thousands of surfers and tourists to Siargao. Cloud 9 also has a reputation for being a relatively cheap destination for surfers with many cheap accommodations and restaurants and bars to choose from.

There are several other quality waves on Siargao and nearby islands, but Cloud 9 has received more publicity than any other, indeed in the Philippines as a whole. It is the only wave easily accessible without a boat, leading to overcrowding and the nickname of "Crowd 9" among surfers. Eager foreign and locally owned accommodation and tourist facilities have profited from the magazine publicity and the influx of visitors drawn by the annual Siargao Cup competition in September.

Siargao is well known as "The Surfing Capital of the Philippines" with a reputation among surfers within the Philippines and the International scene.

Eddie Florano has also written a song called "Surfin' in Siargao" from the 2006 Ukulele World: Acoustic & Power Ukulele compilation album.

Zamboanga City - Asia's Latin City

Zamboanga City ( Zamboangueño Chavacano/Spanish: Ciudad de Zamboanga) is a highly urbanized city located in Mindanao, Philippines. It is currently ranked as the 6th most populous city (947,020 population as of 2010) and the 3rd largest by area in the Philippines ((522/km2) 1,353/sq mi).[8][9] It is located at the southernmost tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula and is bounded in the north by the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte, in the west by the Sulu Sea, in the east by Sibugay Bay, and in the south by the Basilan Strait. It is approximately 460 nautical miles (850 km) south of City of Manila, 365 nautical miles (676 km) northeast of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, 345 nautical miles (639 km) northeast of Menado, Indonesia, bounded to the west by Sulu Sea, on the east by the Moro Gulf, and on the south by the Basilan Strait and Celebes Sea. Its distance from Cebu City is about 372.57 nautical miles (690.00 km), and is 340.17 nautical miles (629.99 km) from Davao City.

The City’s climates are generally of the third and fourth types where it is practically from June to December. The highest rainfall occurs on the month of July while the lowest rainfalls on the month of April. The city is outside the typhoon belt, hence, typhoons rarely visit the city.

It is now the centre of economic activities in Mindanao with its modern international seaport, which is one of the principal ports of call for inter-island and international shipping. Its airport, which also classified as an international airport, provides air transportation to various domestic destinations. Both seaport and airport serve as transshipment points of various goods to neighboring cities and countries.

It is the seat of one of the largest number of military and police bases in the country. It is also home of the 3rd Air Division of the Edwin Andrews Air Base, which handles the Air Force of the Philippines in the city; and the 6th Naval District in Camp General Basilio Navarro also known as Western Mindanao Command, the main headquarters of Armed Forces of the Philippines in Western part of Mindanao; the Philippine Army, Philippine Marines, and Philippine Navy are assigned to that command. The "Camp Enrile" and other three military camps can be found in the city.

It is the former capital of Moro Province now Mindanao Island (1903 to 1913) in the Philippines. On September 15, 1911, the Municipality of Zamboanga was converted into a city by the legislative order Act. No.272.It is known as Asia's Latin City for its strong Hispanic/Latin influence.

Currently, Zamboanga City is one of the primary hubs in the Philippines, being the premier city in Zamboanga Peninsula Region in terms of commerce, trade, health services, financial institutions and education.

Zamboanga City serves as an entry point in the Philippines to many destinations in Southeast Asia.

The Moriones Festival - The Colorful Lenten Celebration of Marinduque

Marinduque Crowds of town people dress up as a Roman legionaries and figures from the Bibles. The festival takes place in Marinduque during Holy Week and culminates in the re-enactment of the beheading of Longinus. Entire towns are converted into huge stages as the story of Longinus unfolds.

Participants wear colorful costumes (similar to those worn by Roman Legionaires) and masks made from paper mache and painted in lively colors. Other even dress up in the image of various other figures from the Bible.

"Morion" means "mask" or "visior”, refer to the colorfully garbed and masked soldiers and centurions during Christ's Passion, a part of Roman armor which covers the face. Morion serves as the focal point of the Moriones festival and celebrations.

One of the most colorful festivals celebrated in the island of Marinduque is the Moriones Festival. Moriones, on the other hand, refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus. This week-long celebration starts on Holy Monday and culminates on Easter Sunday when the story of Longinus is reenacted in pantomime. This is a folk-religious festival that re-enacts the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one eye.

Legend has it that Longinus pierced the side of the crucified Christ. The blood that spurted forth touched his blind eye and fully restored his sight. This miracle converted Longinus to Christianity and earned the ire of his fellow centurions. The re-enactment reaches its climax when Longinus is caught and beheaded.

The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics. The towns of Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz, Buenavista and Mogpog in the island of Marinduque become one gigantic stage.


The observances form part of the Lenten celebrations of Marinduque. The various towns also hold the unique tradition of the pabasa or the recitation of Christ's passion in verse. The Via Crucis is also reenacted and flagellants, known as antipos, impose suffering upon themselves as a form of atonement. After three o'clock on Good Friday afternoon, the Santo Sepulcro is observed, whereby old women exchange verses based on the Bible as they stand in wake of the dead Christ.

THE TRUTH, ALL READ HERE: RE: Photocatalyst and Negative Ion Bulb

Photocatalyst and Negative Ion Bulb was scattered like wildfire passing to every ears of Filipinos, the innovation has been already successful, whereas someone spent time to research it and post it without even using and feel the benefits of it. I am a user a the said bulb and it really helps me a lot, when I got the Photocatalysts and Negative Ion Bulb and used it in my tiny shop, drastic changes has been made.

Researched by an unknown blogger was published in a blog, readers be aware because it was really misleading, he only qoutes Carl Koval's saying about the Tio2 , without knowing that Carl is also an inventor of improve photocatalyst application.

See more details about Carl Koval

http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/5439652.html

http://www.patentgenius.com/inventedby/KovalCarlAGoldenCO.html

Reading upon the line,

"..Says Koval, “When illuminated TiO2
is used to decompose organic compounds, a
large number of intermediate compounds are
usually formed. In some cases, these intermediate compounds can be more hazardous
than the compound being decomposed.” For
example, he says, the breakdown of TCE
yields trichloroacetic acid (a substance almost
as toxic as TCE) and, in the gaseous phase,
p h o s g e n e ( a c h emi c a l w a r f a r e a g e n t ) .
However, he says, this doesn’t mean that all
applications using TiO2
would be dangerous.
“In situations where this type of process was
being proposed for outdoor use, I see no
problems with it, because similar things occur
naturally in the atmosphere, and it would be
unlikely that concentrations of the hazardous
c h emi c a l w o u l d r e a c h t o x i c l e v e l s . . . .
However, [in an indoor setting] who knows
what would be formed if TiO2
photocatalysis were used to decompose plasticizers, bacteria,
and so on, and what the health effects might
be from inhaling such compounds?”
Certainly there is cause for caution, agrees
Anderson. “But given time and control over
the process,” he adds, “these daughter products do break down into environmentally
benign substances, a process which can be
monitored using a gas chromatograph.” And,
says Blake, “All oxidization processes have
the potential to produce partial oxidization
products. It comes down to a question of the
fraction of the target compounds that are
converted to the intermediate products and
how much of those produced are released
into the air or water. The amount released
will be a function of the efficiency of the
photocatalytic device and the way it is constructed and operated.”
All that being said, in the realm of envir o nme n t a l c l e a n u p t e c h n o l o g y i s T iO2
indeed the white knight riding to the rescue
or something less? Says Blake, “There is no
single technology that can address the very
wide range of contamination problems in
the environment. Most workers in the field
recognize that the photocatalytic chemistry
of TiO2 has pluses and minuses that make it
attractive for some applications and not for
o the r s . The pho t o c a t a l y t i c chemi s t r y o f
TiO2
is very intriguing. It works in water or
air, it uses light instead of heat, and it is
such a simple concept. Engineering it with
the right balance of economics and performance is the challenge.”

Link here


That article was written 10 years ago, so what do you think has happened after 10 years? Does the development of Photocatalyst and Negative Ion Bulb has been changed? Those articles is just a speculation that time, the reason why it is written with a question mark (see Title: Titanium Dioxide:
Environmental White Knight?, means that it was not proven at the time, but after ICC (Import Commodity Clearance) has certified the product of Goodfaith, no question ask get your GoodLights, come and get one used it and enjoy the benefits of inhaling clean air.