Recently in Philippines Category

By Fung Yu

Author's Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Click the images to view the 360-degree VRs. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required. Average VR size is 2.3Mb each.

ANOTHER great dream is being unfolded in a little corner of space near the grounds of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Led by Art Valdez, the man behind the success of putting Filipinos on the summit of Mt. Everest, the new project will embark on a maritime adventure across the Philippine archipelago using a traditional wooden boat called the "balangay."

The aim of this endeavor is to re-trace some of our ancestor's journey in the Indo-Pacific during pre-colonial times in the effort to rekindle Filipino pride and spirit in the long forgotten maritime heritage.

First excavated in the late 1970s in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte by the National Museum, the balangay (also called 'Butuan boat'), is a plank boat adjoined by carved-out planks edged through pins or dowels. Nine balangays were actually discovered. The first one was preserved and displayed in the excavation site, carbon-dated at year 320AD. The second was dated to 1250 and is now displayed in the National Museum. The third was moved to the Butuan Regional Museum for preservation works, while the remaining six balangays remained in their original waterlogged condition, and are yet to be excavated.

Measuring 3 meters wide by 18 meters long (roughly the length and width of a passenger bus), and about a meter depth, the newly constructed balangay is made from a hardwood locally known as lupanga (or lutanga), an ubi-ubi family of apitong and dungon trees sourced from the eastern part of Tawi-Tawi.

A team of 10 Badjaos, also from Tawi-Tawi, led by Jubail Muyong from Sibutu and Haji Musa Malabong from Sitangkai built the boat from April to June, for a total of 41 days, with no drawn plans but based solely on knowledge passed from one generation to the next.

Based on the latest hydrostatic testing, the balangay will float in 18 inches of water at zero load, a capability that will allow it to come close to shores or to sail in shallow waters.

The maiden launch is scheduled on June 27. There is also a plan to sail it through the Pasig River in support of the river clean-up project. After which, the balangay will sail thru 67 ports from Manila to the tip of Mindanao in a voyage that will take about 6 to 8 months.

Sailing mostly during daytime with a speed between 4 to 6 knots depending on prevailing wind conditions, the boat will travel along the coast with an alternating crew of 18 personnel; the core team consists of the 8 members of the Team Everest, 4 Badjaos, 4 members of the Philippine Coast Guard/Philippine Navy, and 2 members of the Joint Manning (Seafarers) Group.

While on port, Team Balangay will undertake medical missions, school lectures, mini forums, video showing, and visits to archeological, cultural, and tourism sites.

After completing the Philippine voyage, the balangay will sail to Southeast Asia in 2010, to Polynesia and Madagascar in 2011, across the Atlantic and onward to the Pacific in 2012 and returning home in 2013.

In the words of Art Valdez, "The Balangay will become the catalyst to stir up historical consciousness among Filipinos today, a sine qua non in transporting our people to our cherished goals. Without that keen knowledge of history, our people will continue to suffer as our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, aptly described, "Ang taong hindi lumilingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa patutunguhan."

All VRs taken on June 3, 2009. References: wikipilipinas.org. Balangay's website: www.balangay-voyage.com. Article archive at: www.virtualjournals.net. The author can be reached at: fung@firefly.ph

IT was like seeing an army of ants climbing up a colony – only imagine it to be chaotic, more than a few stepping on heads and shoulders in order to touch a moving target. In a predominantly Catholic country, religious festivities such as this are commonplace but the Feast of the Black Nazarene definitely stands out in terms of scale. This year's estimates put the number of attendees by the millions. During this day, the image of the Black Nazarene is paraded from Quiapo Church around Manila's city streets and back. This year, though, the mass was held instead at the Quirino Grandstand (fronting Luneta or Rizal Park), followed by a procession leading to Quiapo Church. Dressed in maroon and carrying white towels, hankies and other pieces of clothing, devotees started converging by the thousands during the mass. Of course, any large gathering – religious or not – is bound to attract commerce. I saw vendors silk-screening T-shirts with image of Jesus Christ right there in the grandstand. What followed afterwards was literally a Black Nazarene showcase – a parade of replicas big and small owned by different parishes and devotees themselves. I've never seen so many statues of Christ before. The bigger replicas were atop carriages. Wiping towels or any piece of clothing on the image of Christ is believed by devotees to carry blessings and makes one's wishes come true. Me and my colleagues Majo and Izah -- shown here with her beloved SLR camera "Rash") -- had a great of view of the procession from the second floor balcony of the City College of Manila campus. At the end of procession is the "real" Black Nazarene, a centuries-old statue brought from Spain to the country. The image is said to have survived a fire and from then on, it was believed by devotees to be miraculous. This sort of explains why devotees are willing to risk life and limb just to get near it. On our way to Quiapo, we asked a few people how they became devotees of the Black Nazarene. This video also shows clips we shot from where we were positioned, marveling at the great spectacle that was the Black Nazarene mob.

By Fung Yu Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.2Mb each. I FIRST set foot on Sagada about 4 years ago, had so much fun and adventure then that I vowed to visit the place again. The opportunity came during the long December holidays. It was more of a sudden decision really, of packing your bags, leaving your thoughts and hopping on the bus the day after Christmas. Sagada, known as Philippines’ shangri-la, is a rusty idyllic town near Bontoc, the provincial capital of Mountain Province in the Cordilleras. Located some 275 kilometers north of Manila and about 140 kilometers from Baguio City, it is a haven for adventurers. Famous for it’s centuries-old hanging coffins and burial caves, underground river and water falls, majestic sunrise and star-studded night skies, aromatic coffee Arabica and verdant rice terraces. At 1500 meters above sea level, Sagada boasts of cool breezy weather throughout the year. Dry season starts usually from December to May and wet season from June to November. Even after 4 years, little has changed in Sagada. The whole place seems to be trapped in a time-warp with the locals keeping to their traditional way of life. The only notable transformations are the numerous inns and lodgings converted from residential homes, upgraded rest houses catering to more tourists with better amenities, and more dogs in the streets. Relatively crime-free and peaceful, with residents familiar with one another, only dogs are employed for house security; shifting from pet dogs in the morning to guard dogs at night. We stayed for 3 days in Sagada, exploring and revisiting some of its major attractions. The first two days were mostly trekking; which started from the limestone cliffs of ‘Echo Valley’, up Cavalry Hills, down the hanging coffins with the most recent burial in May 2008, passed the mouth of the underground river, felt the misty falls of Bumod-ok and Bokong, beheld the spectacular fog-covered mountains atop Kiltepan Viewpoint during sunrise, tranquil Lake Danum, and flourishing rice terraces. We also witnessed two wedding celebrations wherein family members and guest took turns dancing to traditional gong music from dawn to late evening. View 360VRs View 360VRs Our last day saw the arrival of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the First Family in the morning. Flying in from Baguio, the President visited Echo Valley, marveled at the hanging coffins, trekked down Lumiang burial cave and had lunch at Rock Inn with local officials. In the afternoon, our group did the “cave connection,” easily the highlight of the tour, as this entails rappelling down Lumiang cave, traversing limestone chambers and coming out of Sumaging cave -- an almost 5 hours of exhilarating adventure! View 360VRs As most of Sagada’s attractions are reachable only by trekking and climbing, it helps to have a healthy body and happy disposition. Good trekking shoes are also a must as well as warm protective clothing. Tourists usually take home Arabica coffee beans, fresh mountain tea leaves, weaved products and shirts, and our recently discovered lemon pie. Travels to Sagada are generally by bus. Cable Tours located near St. Luke’s hospital in Quezon City has several trips a week. It leaves Manila around 8 p.m. and arrives in Bontoc the next day with approximate travel time of 12 hours. One can also opt to go via Baguio, taking the scenic route of the Cordillera Mountains in a 6-hour bus ride. All VRs taken on December 27-29, 2008. Thanks to Leia of www.travelfactor.org as our facilitator and the many new people I’ve met throughout this trip. The author can be reach at: fung@firefly.ph.

FILIPINO celebrity kids Paul Salas, Jane Oineza, Eliza Pineda, Kristel Fulgar and Micah Torre pick their favorite dinosaur and talk about lessons they learned from the Dinos Alive World Tour currently open to visitors at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Philippines. Watch this video report of INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Izah Morales.

Fung Yu was recently in in Sagada, Mountain Province, where he was able to catch President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the First Family visiting one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country last week. Watch these 3D shots taken by Yu. Echo Valley Hanging Coffins Lumiang Cave

By Anna Valmero HER love for drawing portraits and collecting photographs since childhood led to a business she now dubs a “stylistic preservation of portraits” on canvass. As I was strolling Shang Ri-La Mall, I chanced upon the month-long Pinoy Pop Art exhibit showcasing 13 pop culture icons of the country painted on canvas. “The exhibit aims to bring awareness to Filipinos 13 pop icons that can be emulated for their supremacy in their particular field and personal values,” says Bing Bernardo-Gaw, creative head and owner of Gallery 7 or “Art is Me,” the graphics design house that developed the exhibit. The exhibit included Fernando Poe Jr., Efren “Bata” Reyes” Dolphy, Sharon Cuneta, Judy Ann Santos, The Apo Hiking Society, Gloria Diaz, Gary Valenciano, Michael V., Peque Gallaga, Parokya ni Edgar, Leah Salonga and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. Gaw said the they chose the 13 icons from a list of Filipino idols that can inspire Filipinos. There are plans to bring the exhibit to different malls around the Metro, she says. Through this exhibit, Gaw hopes to reach out to Filipinos how portraits can be designed to show one’s character. Portraits can be blown up and be personalized using art styles -- such as Grafotos (their signature style), Japan manga, caricature and Andy Warhol styles -- to show how photos can be customized according to one’s character. “When I was five, I remember [what] my mom used to say that photographs are important archives of the family, so we cherish our family photos very much,” Gaw says. A graduate of Fine Arts at UP Diliman, Gaw says her road to designing portraits started in grade school when she drew pictures of teachers. She had stints in McCahn, J. Walter and an advertising company in Dubai. After having a family, she started sending pictures of her kids to friends and families in the form of collage, a collection of different photos arranged to form one big picture (now popularly known as photo mosaic). Driven to spend more quality time with her family coupled with encouragement from friends to make the hobby of graphic designing a business, Gaw started Art Is Me. She used the large format printer that was bought by her mother in 2005 to print campaign materials. When asked how they manage the intellectual property issues in the design business, Gaw says they differentiate their product with the attention to detail and the quality of printing of their products. She says Art Is Me is the pioneer in the business here in the country and is competitively priced against similar overseas businesses. “Pictures are important, they preserve moments in our life and are treasures that can allow us to remember our loves ones even if they have passed away already,” she adds.

"This is the best of them all." Thus said former UP president Jose Abueva himself when asked to describe this year's lantern parade. The annual Christmas event also became a fitting conclusion -- the "climax," says Abueva -- to UP's year-long centennial celebration. "So many people are here," he said, when I interviewed him while he was watching the parade from atop Quezon Hall, overlooking the Oblation statue. "We are out to make it the best celebration because it's our centennial year. This year, UP was proclaimed the national university and the amount of people here shows that UP is indeed the people's university." All seven UP universities and 12 campuses were represented in this year's centennial parade. The Lantern Parade is one of the most anticipated events in UP's calendar not only by students and faculty but also guests from outside the university. For a change, the staging area was held in front of Quezon Hall fronting University Avenue, which serves as the gateway to the university. The parade was traditionally conducted at the mini-amphitheater at the back of Quezon Hall, which houses the UP administration. During this year's parade, the Oblation can be seen hovering above as each college presented in front of a jampacked audience. The College of Mass Communications was pronounced as the Most Creative while the College of Engineering was awarded Most Resourceful. You can also watch this grand fireworks display to mark the UP Centennial:

I was aimlessly wandering around CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) when I sighted what seemed to be structures amid a clump of coconut trees. So I went further to explore what looked like a park, half-expecting to sit for a while in the shade. What I found instead were bare-footed kids playing and later on people lying on cartons under the shade. And then it dawned on me that these people could be ACTUALLY living here. From afar, camouflaged by trees and foliage, I spotted makeshift tents. And more kids. I tried making conversation with Joey and Jingjing -- they won’t give me their surnames -- and learn more about the people living there. They told me there are about 200 people who live in this park Joey, a 47-year-old native of Iloilo, was the more amiable one, telling me stories about how they are able to survive through "pangangalakal" or the picking up thrown away stuff they can sell -- along Roxas Boulevard and nearby areas. According to this marker I found, the 6th ASEAN Square Sculpture Symposium was ordered built in 1989 by former Foreign Affairs secretary Raul Manglapus. Some of the sculptures produced during this gathering were put in this park right beside the Sarimanok site, the venue for the Miss Universe pageant held in the country back in 1974. Spain’s Amparo Munoz, who later became actress, won that year. I wanted to linger for a while but seeing more and more kids gathering around me begging for alms -- not to mention this suspicious -- looking character who tried to lure me to look more “statues” somewhere -- I decided to go. So then maybe it’s just fair to warn people to be extra cautious should you find yourself in this park along Roxas Boulevard, fronting Aliw Theater right beside CCP. The sculptures look interesting but in dire need of restoration. Unfortunately, I won’t guarantee that the place is safe enough for a leisurely stroll.

By Izah Morales INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines-- Singaporean adventurer and world-record holder Khoo Swee Chiow was in the Philippines to climb the second highest peak in Luzon, Mt. Pulag. He also decided to visit Mountain Province’s Sagada, which is known for its “hanging coffins” and mummies. It was Swee Chiow’s first time to explore the country despite having explored the world and set world records in the process. “I would definitely go back and bring my family here,” Swee Chiow said. An adventurer, Swee Chiow has scaled at least seven summits in the seven continents, conquered Mt. Everest twice, traveled to the North Pole without an oxygen, skied in the South Pole for 57 days, skated from Hanoi to Singapore for 94 days, cycled from Singapore to Beijing for 73 days, swam the Malacca strait and dived for 220 hours earning him the world’s record of doing the longest scuba dive. His most memorable adventure involved his first journey to North Pole where suffered frost bite. He later succeeded during his second attempt and said the journey was sweeter. Swee Chiow said being adventurer entailed a lot of sacrifices. “I quit my stable, high-paying job and decided to follow my passion,” he said, adding that he would continue doing new things. Asked for tips, Swee Chiow said any explorer should always bring a whistle and a mirror, which could be used during emergencies. More important, he noted that one should learn life-saving skills, such as first aid. Swee Chiow’s greatest lesson, however, was discovering his potentials during a crisis. “To me, it’s about finding out my weaknesses, finding out my strengths, and how I should keep going,” Swee Chiow said.

By Anna Valmero INQUIRER.net MAKATI CITY, Philippines – Yes, delicious and healthy defines new dishes today. Increasing healthier food alternatives has been the focus of Bubba Gump, said Chef Paul Abalan of Bubba Gump Makati. Local fishes pompano, talakitok, labahita and maya-maya (Red Snapper) are now included in Bubba Gump’s local menu, he added, as he revealed that the seafood restaurant is now using more local varieties to make sure the fish will arrive fresh, not frozen at the restaurants. “This helps us serve delicious and healthy dishes and allows us to use simple cooking methods like pan-searing and grilling which also preserves the juices intact in the fish—thus more nutrients for health eaters,” Abalan said. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is a seafood restaurant inspired by 1994 movie “Forrest Gump.” It has recently added to its menu all-new shrimp dishes, a Fresh Catch Special section and a dark chocolate treat -- giving more alternatives to tickle people’s taste buds. Capitalizing on the nostalgic theme of Forrest Gump, several shrimp dishes are added on Bubba gump’s menu. Starters include the Dynamite Shrimp with a sweet and spicy Asian sauce and She Crab Soup -- a recipe from South Carolina that combines the rich flavor of female crabmeat, sherry and caviar. For the main dish, the restaurant added two Jambalaya delights on the menu: Grilled Dory with Jambalaya Rice and Jambalaya Pasta. Fresh fish from our local waters goes international as South American delights -- our local “pompano” (fresh cajun pompano) and “talakitok” (Mediterranean trevally) are grilled and pan-seared, respectively. Other new dishes include Surgeon Fish (locally called “labahita”) with Mango-Pineapple Salsa, Sweet-Chili Shrimps with Pineapple-Mango Salsa and Shrimps and Veggie Stir Fry. All are served over a bed of Jasmine rice. There is also Steamed Sheelfish—mussels, clams and shrimps steamed in broth. Only available here in the Philippines, the Grilled Shrimp Salad with Garlic-Cilantro Dressing is a recipe from a Pinoy Bubba Gump chef—which if approved in the company’s U.S. head quarters will become available in all Bubba Gump chains. For dessert, Bubba Gump said “That Chocolate Thing!” is a must-try—a serving is a jar of flourless dark chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream with raspberry sauce. “Shrimp is the fruit of the sea,” a line from the Forrest Gump movie goes. And the new dishes prove shrimp’s flexibility to taste good and work with any flavor. Shrimps and fish are good sources of protein, iron, vitamin A and C as well as calcium. Based on the U.S. FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition fact sheet, three ounces of shrimp can give 100 calories. Meanwhile, fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. According to University of Delaware website, omega-3 fatty acids prevent our bodies from over-producing hormone-like substances that can, in large amounts, cause arthritis, asthma, heart disease, stroke and related disorders. Bubba Gump also launched the “Get Gump’d” campaign in which Forrest Gump himself visits the Bubba Gump restaurant. When asked what to expect during his visits he said: “Like my Mama used to say: ‘You’re gonna have to figure that out for yourself. Life is a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”