BANAUE RICE TERRACES - BANAUE IFUGAO - STAIRWAYS TO HEAVEN

Banaue Rice Terraces were carved in the mountains of Ifugao province, Philippines by ancestor of the indigenous people.  A 2.000 -year old world-renowned Terraces dubbed  as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" This spectacular and beautiful creation has been done by the Tribes people using their hands and other minimal equipments. It is the only man made wonder that is sculpted from earth.

In the year 1995, UNESCO declared Banaue Rice Terraces a WORLD HERITAGE and listed as one of the Philippine National  Treasure.

The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 6000 square miles) of mountainside. This wonder are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. 

It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe and the length  is ten times longer that the Great Wall of China. And because of its stairways to the heaven design, this amazing place is well known tourist destination in the Philippines. 

Wood Sculpture 

How to get there

Banaue Rice Terraces are worth visiting on anyone's trip in the Philippines. A bus can be taken to Banaue directly from Manila and it would take 8 hours drive 

JAWILI FALLS - TANGALAN, AKLAN

A perfect place for people who wants to relax and who wants to enjoy the real beauty of nature. A perfect place to enjoy and have fun with your whole family and friends.

Jawili Falls is known for its seven basin is a tourist destination found in Brgy. Jawili, Town of Tangalan, Province of  Aklan. It has a mesmerizing composition of crystal clear pool created by a series of waterfalls. The people of Jawili maintained the cleanliness of this waterfalls, supported also by the local government of Tangalan.

You will surely fall in love with this place. All basins are deep and large enough for swimming. So don't miss a chance to experience the real beauty of nature "the Jawili Falls".

How to get there:

Tangalan is about 30  minutes drive from Kalibo proper. A tourist could take van or jeepney.  From Tangalan Market, ride a tricycle going to the falls.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

Pirates of the Caribbean is a Walt Disney Company franchise encompassing a series of films, numerous theme park attractions, and spin-off novels as well as numerous video games and other media publications. The franchise originated with the Pirates of the Caribbean theme ride attraction, which opened at Disneyland in 1967, the last Disney theme park attraction overseen by Walt Disney. Disney based the ride on pirate legends and folklore. As of August 2006, Pirates of the Caribbean attractions can be found at four Disney theme parks. Their related films have grossed almost US$4 billion as of 2011.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Carribean

This are a group of people wearing a costume of  Pirates of the Caribbean during a week long celebration of 2013 Ati-Atihan Festival in the Town of Kalibo, Province of Aklan, Philippines. The Ati-atihan Festival is a feast held annually in honor of the Sto. Nino every third sunday of the month of January.

Kalibo Ati-atihan Festival 2013 version's of Pirates of the Caribbean.

TOUCH-ME-NOT

Mimosa pudica (from Latin: pudica "shy, bashful or shrinking"; also called sensitive plant and the touch-me-not), is a creeping annual or perennial herb often grown for its curiosity value: the compound leaves fold inward and droop when touched or shaken, re-opening minutes later. The species is native to South Americaand Central America, but is now a pantropical weed.

The stem is erect in young plants, but becomes creeping or trailing with age. It can hang very low and become floppy. The stem is slender, branching, and sparsely to densely prickly, growing to a length of 1.5 m (5 ft). The leaves of the mimosa pudica are compound leaves.

The leaves are bipinnately compound, with one or two pinnae pairs, and 10–26 leaflets per pinna. The petioles are also prickly. Pedunculate (stalked) pale pink or purple flower heads arise from the leaf axils in mid summer with more and more flowers as the plant gets older. The globose to ovoid heads are 8–10 mm in diameter (excluding the stamens). On close examination, it is seen that the floret petals are red in their upper part and the filaments are pink to lavender. The fruit consists of clusters of 2–8 pods from 1–2 cm long each, these being prickly on the margins. The pods break into 2–5 segments and contain pale brown seeds some 2.5 mm long. The flowers are pollinated by the wind and insects.^[2] The seeds have hard seed coats which restrict germination.

Mimosa pudica is well known for its rapid plant movement. The leaves also close under various other stimuli, such as touching, warming, blowing, or shaking. These types of movements have been termed seismonasticmovements. The movement occurs when specific regions of cells lose turgor pressure, which is the force that is applied onto the cell wall by water within the cell vacuoles and other cell contents. When the plant is disturbed, specific regions on the stems are stimulated to release chemicals including potassium ions which force water out of the cell vacuoles and the water diffuses out of the cells, producing a loss of cell pressure and cell collapse; this differential turgidity between different regions of cells results in the closing of the leaflets and the collapse of the leaf petiole. This characteristic is quite common within the Mimosoideaesubfamily of the legume family, Fabaceae. The stimulus can also be transmitted to neighboring leaves. It is not known exactly why Mimosa pudica evolved this trait, but many scientists think that the plant uses its ability to shrink as a defense from predators. Animals may be afraid of a fast moving plant and would rather eat a less active one. Another possible explanation is that the sudden movement dislodges harmful insects.

The species is known by numerous common names including

• sensitive plant
• humble plant
• shameful plant
• sleeping grass
• touch-me-not
• chuimui
• ant-plant

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa_pudica

INSTRUMENT

Classical Guitars

The classical guitar is the member of the guitar family used in classical music. It is an acoustical wooden guitar with six classical guitar strings as opposed to the metal strings used in acoustic and electric guitars designed for popular music.

In addition to the instrument, the phrase "classical guitar" can refer to two other concepts:

• The instrumental finger technique common to classical guitar—individual strings plucked with the fingernails or, rarely, fingertips
• The instrument's classical music repertoire

The shape, construction, and material of classical guitars vary, but typically they have a modern classical guitar shape, or historic classical guitar shape resembling early romantic guitars from France and Italy. Classical guitar strings were once made of catgut and nowadays are made of polymers, with a fine wire wrap on the bass strings.

A guitar family tree can be identified. The flamenco guitar derives from the modern classical, but has differences in material, construction and sound.^[1][2]

The term modern classical guitar is sometimes used to distinguish the classical guitar from older forms of guitar, which are in their broadest sense also calledclassical, or more specifically: early guitars. Examples of early guitars include the 6-string early romantic guitar (c. 1790–1880), and the earlier baroque guitars with 5 courses.

Today's modern classical guitar was established by the late designs of the 19th-century Spanish luthier Antonio Torres Jurado. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_guitar

The word cymbal is derived from the Latin cymbalum, which is the latinisation of the Greek word κύμβαλον (kumbalon), "cymbal",^[1] which in turn derives from κύμβος (kumbos), "cup".^[2]

Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a definite note (see:crotales). Cymbals are used in many ensembles ranging from the orchestra, percussion ensembles, jazz bands, heavy metal bands, and marching groups.Drum kits usually incorporate at least a crash, ride or crash/ride, and a pair of hi-hat cymbals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbals

The conga, or tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum. Although ultimately derived from African drums made from hollowed logs, the Cuban conga is staved, like a barrel. These drums were probably made from salvaged barrels originally. They are used both in Afro-Caribbean religious music and as the principal instrument in rumba. Congas are now very common in Latin music, including salsa music, merengue music and reggae, as well as many other forms of popular music.

Characteristics

Most modern congas have a staved wooden or fiberglass shell, and a screw-tensioned drumhead. They are usually played in sets of two to four with the fingers and palms of the hand. Typical congas stand approximately 75 centimetres (30 in) from the bottom of the shell to the head. The drums may be played while seated. Alternatively, the drums may be mounted on a rack or stand to permit the player to play while standing. While they originated in Cuba, their incorporation into the popular and folk music of other countries has resulted in diversification of terminology for the instruments and the players. In Cuba, congas are called tumbadoras.

Conga players are called congueros, while rumberos refers to those who dance following the path of the players. The term conga was popularized in the 1950s, whenLatin music swept the United States. Cuban son and New York jazz fused together to create what was then termed mambo, but later becamme known as salsa. In that same period, the popularity of the Conga Line helped to spread this new term. Desi Arnaz also played a role in the popularization of conga drums. However, the drum he played (which everyone called a conga drum at the time) was similar to the type of drum known as boku used in his hometown, Santiago de Cuba. The word conga came from the rhythm la conga used during carnaval (carnival) in Cuba. The drums used in carnaval could have been referred to as tambores de congasince they played the rhythm la conga, and thus translated into English as conga drums. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congas

ST. CLARE MONASTERY

ST. CLARE MONASTERY - KATIPUNAN, QUEZON CITY

Santa Clara was the childhood sweetheart of St. Francis De Assisi. She founded a Franciscan order of women known as Poor Clares whose local house is Real Monasterio de Santa Clara (Royal Monastery of Saint Clare), the oldest cloister in the Philippines. She was the patron Saint of Television for the catholic Church. Her feast day is on August 11.

Monasterio De Sta. Clara was founded by Mother Jeronima De La Asuncion (May 9, 1555-Oct. 2,1630), she was the foundress of the first Catholic Monastery in Manila and the Far East. 

As early as 1598, the people of Manila desired to have a Poor Clare foundation in their midst. When Mother Jeronima learned about it, she volunteered to become the foundress. Her Franciscan superiors accepted her proposal with enthusiasm, but due to some problems between the ecclesiastical and civil governments in the Philippines, she had to wait for 22 long years before she was finally allowed to come in the Philippines together with the nine Poor Clares nuns. The nine foundresses and their chaplain and head of the mission, Fr. Jose De Santa Maria, OFM arrived in Manila on August 5,1621, after an eventful voyage lasting one year, three months and nine days. The sisters were the first woman missionaries to reach the Philippines, and for that matter, the Far East.

Mother Jeronima steered the course of her community's history for nine years until her death on October 2,1630 at the age of 75. Her life of holiness inspired and strengthened the people to persevere in their faith.

In the intervening years, the sisters in Intramuros were forced to transfer from one place to another due to various circumstances. They evacuated to the Franciscan Convent in Sta. Ana. In 1896, during the Philippine Revolution, they again transferred to the Franciscan Convent in Sampaloc. In 1941, they also transferred to the VOT Convent in Solano, Intramuros, then to St. Anthony's Orphanage. During the last days of the war in 1945, the American soldiers were forced to bombard the monastery in Intramuros because Japanese soldiers sought feruge within convent walls. They transferred to their present monastery in Quezon City on February 20,1950.

Picture

In this new location, devotees still continues the tradition of offering eggs. In Castillian Claras means "short interval of fair weather on a rainy day. In Spanish, clara pertains to the albumen (white eggs) of the egg. In effect, Claras (white eggs) is being offered to Santa Clara to keep a particular date clara (fair in weather). They said that the eggs that are being offered will be made into bread and will give it to the poor people. In their office they provide pens and papers where you could write your prayer intentions and drop in the provided boxes and ask for the nuns of the Order of Saint Clare of Assisi to pray for them as well for good weather.

http://experienceqc.weebly.com/monasterio-de-sta-clara.html

CALADIUM PLANTS

Caladiums ay isang kapansin-pansin na kapalit para sa mga bulaklak, na may kanilang mga puso hugis-dahon at splashes ng kulay-rosas, puti at pula.

Caladium with red leaf with green round

   

 Caladium with white leaf with green veins 

Mini Caladium with white leaf with green

Caladium /kəˈleɪdiəm/^[1] is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. They are often known by the common name elephant ear (which they share with the closely related genera Alocasia, Colocasia, and Xanthosoma), Heart of Jesus,^[2] and Angel Wings. There are over 1000 named cultivars of Caladium bicolor from the original South American plant.^[3]

The genus Caladium includes seven species, which are indigenous to Brazil and to neighboring areas of South America and Central America. They grow in open areas of the forest and on the banks of rivers and go dormant during the dry season. The wild plants grow to 15–35 inches (40–90 cm) tall, with leaves mostly 6-18 inches (15–45 cm) long and broad.

Cultivation and Uses

Several species are grown as ornamental plants for their large, arrowhead-shaped leaves marked in varying patterns in white, pink, and red (somewhat resembling the unrelated coleus) and have been in cultivation in Europe since the late 18th century. The two forms most widely cultivated are called "fancy-leaved" and "lance-leaved". The former is the more commonly seen and is the traditional caladium of cultivation; the leaves are more heart-shaped. The latter has more lance-head-shaped leaves. Most Caladiums in cultivation grow to about 24 inches (60 cm) high and 24 inches (60 cm) wide, although dwarf varieties are now in cultivation.

Numerous cultivars have been selected, most of them (over 120) derived from C. bicolor. The lance-leaved varieties are also derived from C. schomburgkii. Many are sold as C. x hortulanem.

Caladiums grow from corms and can be propagated by dividing the tubers. They are hardy only to USDA plant hardiness zone 10; in colder areas, they are typically grown as tender bulbs or as houseplants.

During their growing season, they require moderate watering (damp, not soggy). Most varieties prefer partial to full shade, although sun-resistant varieties are now in cultivation. Approximately 98% of all caladium bulbs are from Lake Placid, Florida, in the United States. In recent years many new varieties have become available through breeding and are now largely disease resistant. The bulk of bulb production is sold to pot producers who in turn provide your local nursery outlets with potted caladiums ready for immediate planting. Most of the bulb growers also sell direct retail via websites, shipping of bulbs takes place in the spring when temperatures permit (bulbs are subject to damage if temps too low).

In temperate areas, they should be lifted before the first frost. The corms are dried and stored for the winter when temperatures fall to 65 °F (18 °C), and stored moderately dry (not bone-dry) over the winter at temperatures between 56 °F (13 °C) and 61 °F (16 °C).

All parts of the plant are poisonous. They should not be ingested and may irritate sensitive skin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caladium

BINONDO CHURCH

Binondo Church - Binondo, Manila

Binondo Church, also known as Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish , is located in the District of Binondo, Manila fronting Plaza Calderón de La Barca, in the Philippines. This church was founded by Dominican priests in 1596[1] to serve their Chinese converts to Christianity.[2] The original building was destroyed in 1762 by British bombardment. A new granite church was completed on the same site in 1852 however it was greatly damaged during the Second World War, with only the western facade and the octagonal bell tower surviving.

San Lorenzo Ruiz, who was born of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, trained in this church and afterwards went as a missionary to Japan and was executed there for refusing to renounce his religion. San Lorenzo Ruiz was to be the Philippines' first saint and he was canonized in 1987. A large statue of the martyr stands in front of the church.

Masses are held in Filipino, in Chinese dialects 

(Mandarin, Hokkien), and in English.

Historical background

Statue East Side

Even before the arrival of the Spanish to the Philippines there was already a community of Chinese traders living in Manila. The population of Chinese traders increased with the advent of Spanish colonization of the Philippines, due to increased trade between the islands.The upsurge in their population prompted the catholic missionaries to manage the conversion of the Chinese population to the Christian faith.[3]

In 1596, Dominican priests founded Binondo church to serve their Chinese converts to Christianity as well as to the native Filipinos.

The original structure has sustained damages during wars[4] and various natural disasters.[5] The current granite church was completed on the same site in 1852 and features an octagonal bell tower which suggests the Chinese culture of the parishioners. The church was burned during the British invasion of 1872. Another one was quickly built following the occupation. Improvements were made in the 18th century but the edifice was again destroyed in the 1863 earthquake. It was rebuilt in the grandeur the remains on which we see today. Before the war, it was considered as one of the most beautiful churches in the country. Its bell tower was composed of five stories, octagonal in shape. At its top was a mirador (viewing window). This roof was destroyed during the 1863 earthquake.

American bombing on September 22, 1944 destroyed the structure. Everything including the archives of the parish were burned. Nothing was left behind except the stone walls of the church and the fire-tiered octagonal belltower. After the war, Binondo parishioners had to make do with a roofless church for several years until it was rebuilt in the 1950s.

The present church and convent was renovated between 1946 and 1971.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binondo_church

OUR LADY OF THE ABANDONED PARISH - MARIKINA CITY

Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish - Marikina City

The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned, also known as Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados or Ina ng mga Walang Mag-Ampon, Marikina City, is a Roman Catholic church and the home of an image of the Virgin Mary venerated locally, which has received Papal recognition.

Early year

The supervision of Catholic faith in Marikina started when the town was again ceded by the Augustinians from the Jesuits. On March 10, 1687, Governor Gabriel Cruz Elasque ordered the transfer of Marikina to the care of the Augustinians and merged with the ministry of San Mateo. He instructed Don Juan Pimentel, Alcalde de Tondo, to vacate and demolish the visita of Jesus de la Peña due to the turbulent Marikina River which floods the area during rainy season. The visita cannot accommodate the growing population of the community. This finally led the friars to cross the river to find a higher place for a bigger church which is now where the present church stands and subsequently made an independent parish in the year 1690.

The first image[edit|edit source]

On October 23, 1791 the church was consecrated by the Archdiocese of Manila for the Virgin's said title so that it could not be used for any secular purpose. In 1898, during the Philippine–American War the first image was burned together with the pertinent records on the devotion in Marikina. Last 1902, a new image was created which is presently venerated in the parish.

A miracle[edit]

The devotion became well known because of miracles attributed to the image. It was said that during World War II when the Japanese army bombarded the city a bomb fell near the bell tower of the church but did not explode, which was said to be a miracle.[citation needed].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_the_Abandoned_Parish

 — with Ago Lopez E, Wenzell Xiu, Aloe Est and Kingfisher Ago in Marikina City.

STA MONICA PARISH - PANAY, CAPIZ

The Sta. Monica Parish - Panay, Capiz

HISTORY

The Parish of Panay was established by the Spanish missioneries in 1581, which had six(6) visitas. The Christian Faith in the island of Panay, Philippines was the first to evangelize the Sta. Monica Parish Church which now stands as a Historical Landmark. In 1566, Padre Martin de Rada, the augustinian missionery, proclaim the Gospel in the island at the riverbank of Bamban, which now known as the town of Panay, Capiz. The original structure of the church was built during the term of Fr. Manuel Lopez, between 1692 and 1698, and was rebuilt by Fr. Manuel Murguia in 1774. After the destructive typhoon of 1875, the famous Augustinian builder, Fr. Jose Beloso renovated the stone church in 1884. Fr. Lesmes Perez, restored it in its beautiful grandeur in 1895 from the aftermath of the typhoons of 1874 and 1875. Don Juan Reina Cast the Largest bell in Asia and 3rd biggest in the world. The "Dakong Lingganay"(meaning "Big Bell"), it was made from seventy(70) Sack of coins donated by the townpeople and measures seven(7) feet in diameter, five(5) feet in height with a weight of 10.400 kilograms. It carries a meaningful inscription which mean "Soy la vos de Dios que llevarey ensalzare desde el principio hasta fin de este Pueblo de Panay para que los fieles de Jesus vengan a esta casa de Dios a recibir las gracias celestiales" (meaning " I am God's voice which shall echo and praise from one end to the other of the town of Panay, so that the faithful followers of Christ may come to this house of God to receive the heavently graces."). Fr. Francisco alba was the first Filipino priest who served as the Parochial Vicar of the Parish of Sta. Monica. The National Historical Institute in its Resolution No. 3, series of 1997, declared the Sta. Monica Parish Church as a Historical Landmark.

http://panaystamonicaparish.weebly.com/history.html

BARASOAIN CHURCH

Barasoain Church - Malolos Bulacan

Barasoain Church (also known as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish) is a Roman Catholic church built in 1630[1] in Malolos City, Bulacan. Having earned the title as the Cradle of Democracy in the East, the most important religious building in the Philippines,[2] and the site of the First Philippine Republic, the Church is proverbial for its historical importance among Filipinos.

Founded by Augustinian Missionaries in 1859, the church is also renowned for its architectural design and internal adornments.[1] The original church was burned during the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution however, it was renovated. It is about 42 kilometers away from Manila.

The church recorded some of the important events occurred in the country. While it has been a temporary residence of General Aguinaldo, three major events in Philippine History happened in this church: the convening of the First Philippine Congress (September 15, 1898), the drafting of the Malolos Constitution (September 29, 1898 to January 21, 1899), and the inauguration of the First Philippine Republic (January 23, 1899).[3] By Presidential Decree No. 260, the church was proclaimed as a National Shrine by President Ferdinand Marcos on August 1, 1973.[4] Unusual for newly elected presidents in the Philippines, the church has been a venue in an inaugural affairs. General Emilio Aguinaldo and former president Joseph Estrada were the only two who have been inaugurated in the place.[5]

Historic Barasoain used to be independent from Malolos and this explains the presence of a stone church here. The Parish Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel had its first stone edifice in 1871 to replace a temporary one but was burned later. In 1885, the current structure was started while the belltower was constructed in 1889. The church was the scene of the proclamation of Philippine Independence and recently, where Joseph Estrada took his oath of office.

The facade has Neo-Classic touches and its rounded pediment is echoed by the arches and rose window at the lower part

The term "Barasoain" was derived from a place in Spain to which the missionaries found the place in Malolos in striking similarity. When the Spanish-Filipino revolution broke-out, revolutionaries coined the term "baras ng suwail", which means "dungeon of the defiant"

Barasoain Church was founded by Augustinian Missionaries. Built on the 1630, the original church was destroyed in a fire in 1884 prompting various renovations. However, the structure itself was very similar to the Church during the Spanish era.

The church consists of two structures, the church and an adjoining convent. While the left outside of the Church is a medieval bell tower, the entrance of which has bamboo arches linings and its sides are rose windows. Its architectural design is simple however, it has paintings in its ceilings and domes which makes it look bigger than its actual size. The altar in the inside has glimmering lights despite the church's historical reputation.[7] Aside of which, floral motifs, frescoes of angels and saints embellish the interior of the Church. Right in front is a convent which has a museum dedicated to the three historical events that took place in the church.[3] While the Barasoain Church Ecclesiastical Museum has been a repository of important artifacts found within the vicinity of the province,[8] the Church's Historical Landmarks History Museum concerns on preserving the fruits of the Philippine Revolution as well as freedom and the Filipinos' heritage of democracy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barasoain_Church