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Here are photos of the Sto. Nino fiesta as celebrated in Balubaran, Malinta, Valenzuela. The Feast of the Sto.Nino (child Jesus) is held every 3rd Sunday and is celebrated in different parts of the country, the more popular celebrations are at
- Tondo in Manila
- Cebu (Sinulog)
- Kalibo, Aklan with their Ati-atihan dance which is also performed and mimicked throughout the country.

By Valerie Tort

Cebu is a tourist destination that will give you an opportunity to sift through the relics and present additional information about the history of the Philippines. Cebu is an ideal education trip destination too. Relax and feed your mind as you discover Cebu.

Cebu is one of the oldest tropical vacation paradise in the Southern Philippines way back the colonization of Spain to the Philippines. The coastlines of Cebu provided one of the safest harbors in the country, thus created and developed the center of trade and commerce in the Visayas Region. The villages near the coastal areas started the boost in the Philippine economy as their businesses grew and spread not only in the Philippines but on other Asian and European countries as well.

More Cebu Travel Tips

There are transport lobbyists who are silently campaigning for the phasing out of Philippine jeepneys from our messy trafficked roads. By introducing alternative modes of transportation like the MRT or the FX taxis a handful of people are saying the jeepney is obsolete.

But do you agree? Would you prefer a jeepney-less road?

First, phasing out the jeepney is equal to killing a cultural heritage. The jeepney is a national symbol and remain an effective mode of transport especially for commuters who don’t have the money to pay for the high fares of taxis and the railway.

More on the Philippine Jeepney

by Valerie Tort

Filipino readership of Philippine literary works is one of the many endeavors of Filipina authors in the dawn of information technology. These Filipina writers are willing to take Philippine literature into new heights.

Instead of making our lives easier and the progression of our country faster, the onset of the technological era has caused the diminishing Filipino readers. Many of today’s youth and young professionals relied on technology too much that the value of reading lessened since everything is fast paced, instantaneous and can be searched on the Internet.

More on Philippine Literature’s Filipina authors

Excel V. Dyquiangco

Come May, the Santacruzan is too familiar a sight to behold – debonair gentlemen and elegant ladies strutting their wares on the streets, robes of seemingly expensive garments worn by sexy ladies with a crown attached to their heads and suave princes holding a rainbow of arcs over their heads, and a mere soulful music invading homes as they pass by.

But beneath the array of colorful designs and matched-up beauties lie a bit of an old tale that is far too different from the Santacruzan one watches today. More than the pageantry, this event cast a religious secret.

More on the Santacruzan Philippine Festival

by Valerie Tort

A rainbow-like congestion of plastic bags and other synthetic man-made materials are floating in the Pasig River for so many years that made the stretch polluted and clogged the San Juan stream.

But the Pasig River has shown promises of revival to its real beauty when the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources in cooperation with the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission and a Filipino-Australian association that manages and organizes the operations of the ferry boats along the stretch of the historic river.

More on Pasig River rehabilitation program

The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon is nestled in the town of Baclayon, Bohol 6 km. east of Tagbilaran City. Simply called Baclayon Church, it is considered to be one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines. It is also one of the best preserved Jesuit built churches in the region, although in the 19th century, the Augustinian Recollects added a modern facade and a number of stone buildings that now surround the church.

Read more about Baclayon Church

by Valerie Tort

A gruesome Good Friday made me realize how important life was and how people do unusual acts just to prove they were worthy of God’s grace. Cutud, San Fernando, Pampanga was our destination towards an enlightenment of our hearts and a purification of our minds last Lenten season. I’m ready to face what I am about to see, but still a bit nervous on how frightening and horrific it would be — a real-life cricifixion.

Victor showed no fear while he was smoking a cigarette, and waiting in line for his turn on the cross. He just happily chatted with some of the townsmen in his Kapampangan dialect. When asked by Pilipinas.ph regarding what he felt before being crucified, he said that he felt an ordinary day will just pass.

More on Good Friday Crucifixions in the Philippines

By Excel Dyquiangco

In an ethereal world of poverty, lack of governance for education and health, and intangible projects for the community, there is one private sector that delivers a most surprising contribution to what this country needs — the spirit of Filipino bayanihan. A name most is already familiar with – Gawad Kalinga, or as its English name suggests, “to give care,” and that is precisely what it is doing.

Gawad Kalinga gathers volunteers to help implement its livelihood programs. The organization first held its ground as a pilot project in Bagong Silang, Kalookan City, the biggest relocation site in the country, with a youth program back in December 1995…

Continue reading Gawad Kalinga Bayanihan Projects

By Valerie Tort

Philippine handicrafts became a leading export product of the Philippines in different countries such as the United States of America, Germany, Japan, and other European countries. It uplifted the artistry and craftsmanship of the Filipino worldwide. The leading dollar-earner started as a hobby then it evolved as a cottage industry in several provinces such as Laguna, Cebu, the Mountain Province, and other provinces in the archipelago.

But Philippine handicrafts are not only used as home furnishings but also as fashionable items. Contemporary approach to style has been incorporated with the traditional accessories and garments to recreate a certain kind of look or just to achieve a modern Filipina look.

Continue reading Cheap But Quality Philippine Handicrafts