Moriones 2015 | Marinduque

Moriones 2015

Marinduque

Did-You-Know That?

Morinones- named after the 16th and 17th century, Morion Helmet

                  - refers to the masks and costumes worn by participants who march around the town

                  -from the word "

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DINAGYANG 2015 | Sum It Up To The Top!

Dinagyang 2015
Iloilo City, Iloilo

Did-You-Know-That?

*Dinagyang- from its root word "dagyang" means to make happy. 
* Started in 1968 when Senor Santo Nino was brought from Cebu City to San Jose Parish
* Launched and used the name Dinagyang in 1977 by the late Ilonggo writer and broadcaster, Pacifico Sumagpao Sudario

It is a yearly celebration being held every fourth (4th) Sunday of January. The festival composes of Ati-Ati Competion, religious sadsad/ street dance, fluvial and foot processions as well as the Kasadyahan Festival that normally takes place a day before the Dinagyang Festival. This year, there are 9 tribes joined the competition. They are:
1. Milagros                           6. Obreros
2. Ilawudnon                        7. Panayanon
3. Salognon                         8. Baybayanon
4. Paghidaet                        9. Atub-Atub
5. Ilonganon

It is being celebrated to honor how the rich culture of the natives accepted and embraced Christianity and reverence to the Holy Child Jesus. It is being celebrated by dance competitions being performed in three stage areas simultaneously, after which the competing tribes roam around the whole city to showcase their costumes and of course to take picture with the people and do the selfie.

This year, Dinagyang council celebrates the First Philippine Festival Costume Expo, a parade of the best costumes in the country that is being carried by pick-up vehicles. snaking in the metropolis.

The Dinagyang's year tagline, "Sum It Up to the Top" defines where Dinagyang is heading for 2015 as country prepares for the big events like Papal Visit, APEC Summit Meeting, ASEAN and Philippine Visit Year.

If you ready the word SUM IT, you will arrive at word "SUMMIT" which the Dinagyang is aiming to achieve.

Personal Insights:
This is my second time celebrating the event and from all the different festivals I have attended, this is one of the most glamorous, colorful, alive and active events, so far...

Each tribe showed the simplicity of life, the way they live with their culture including the beliefs in myths like aswang, halimaw, evil spirits and other elemental from underworld until Christianity took place by the introduction of the Spaniards,

From this competition, each tribe gives their very best to perform the cultural dance with it astonishing and spectacular costumes. All of them danced in synchronize with the natural sounds being played by their co-performers.

You will feel the Filipino blood in you and where you really came from before the foreign conquerors had gone to our country. You will feel how strong, solid and intact to them the culture that until now is being preserve by the Ilonggos from the way the execute their cultural dance at the stage.

From this celebration, lots of local and foreign tourists visit and join this major event which they can share to all people they come along and spread them how rich and meaning culture we have as compared to other nations.

VIVA PIT SENOR!!! | VIVA STO. NINO!!!

For reference of Dinagyang history you may try to check this link: 

http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippine_festivals/dinagyang_festival.html

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Calaguas Island | A Year-End Travel 2014

Calaguas Island
Vinzons, Camarines Norte


I have been aiming to get this done in bucket list. I have been thinking to get to this place and I want to know why a lot of beach enthusiasts like to travel for more than 8-9 hrs just to feel the cool, crystal clear of the water. The bed of white sand. The green landscape of the island of Calaguas.

It was a last minute call and I don't have any plan of having a getaway due to an urgent manner. However, it didn't stop me to get through this decision and prepare myself after Christmas. So on December 26, we went to Philtranco Bus Lines and to our surprise, it was a long line, there has no Buses going to Daet, and we don't have any idea if we can still catch up the last boat ride to the island. Luckily there was one bus just passed, leaving at 1PM and waiting for the passengers who bought tickets at that scheduled time but no one came and there has one guy who offered me his other ticket because his friend was still at Pampanga and it will take him approximately 2 hours so he sold it for P500.00.

We left at exactly 1PM but for some reason, it took us 11 hours to get to Labo and we decided to get off the bus instead of waiting at the Philtranco Daet Terminal. But there has no trips anymore going to Paracale and thank God there has a lady who is alone and waiting for someone to assist her in going home in Panganiban, next to Paracale. We helped her out to get home safe and asked her also if she could assist us in getting a cheap and comfortable accommodation where we can stay the night for tomorrows trip. In our surprise, she invited her to her house and stay the night there instead. We met her family members and treated us as part theirs. Thank you so much.

We woke up at 5:30 to catch the first trip to Paracale in Batobalani at 6AM. Then from Batobalani, we took a tricycle up to Paracale Market where we met our unknown group from Mang Boy, out tour guide to Calaguas. Due to bad weather, our time of departure from theor house was delayed from 6AM to 10AM. From their house we took a big boat good enough for 10 to 15pax. We joined the other group of 10 and they were all spending their long vacation at Calaguas.

Due to bad weather, we were not able to take good pictures on our 2 and a half boat ride to the island. The rain was pouring hard and as well a the wind. Waves were bigger than ours and it was like in roller coaster. But As per Mang Boy, it will only take 2 hours to get there if the water is calm. It was a death-defying adventure but it was all worth it when we saw the island. I, myself can define it as Boracay of Luzon. The island is very untouched and very peaceful.

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