Day: May 23, 2017
DIY Travel Guide: Bicol (Sorsogon + Albay ) Backpacking
Bicol (Sorsogon + Albay) Backpacking
I thought that the only thing that can be best found in the Bicol Region was the ever-majestic and infamous Mayon Volcano per my childhood memories. But I was absolutely mistaken! There’s a lot more to see in Bicolandia!
So let’s start with the basic. Where is Bicol?
Bicol also known as the Region V in the Philippines comprises the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Masbate and Catanduanes. Geographically speaking, Bicolandia is the largest island in the Philippine archipelago!
How to get there?
Opton 1: Via Plane- Book a flight that is en-route to Naga or Virac (depends on where your entry point is). Best if you book months ahead before your trip to get cheaper fares or watch out for seat sales.
Option 2: Via Bus- Preferably book a ticket in a bus company of your choice going to Bicol Region two…
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The Hedonistic Celebration of Special Occasions by Impoverished Filipinos
The Hedonistic Celebration of Special Occasions
By Impoverished Filipinos
By Apolinario Villalobos
Many Filipinos borrow money to celebrate special occasions such as birthday, fiesta, and anniversaries…I mean here, Filipinos who cannot even afford three square meals a day. They hinge their desire on the wrong justification that the celebration is just once a year, anyway. What they forgot is that the obligation to pay the debt could stretch for not less than three months, especially, if the money is from a loan shark who slaps suckers with as much as 20% interest per month! These unthinking Filipinos are blinded by arrogance as they want to show others that they can afford to splurge money. They also forgot that the people who know them are already aware about their impoverish status in life, so that any effort to cover it up, is useless.
The hedonistic way of celebrating special occasions among Christians is an influence from pagan Romans who were converted into Christianity. The Roman Saturnalia was celebrated for days with fun – dancing, drinking, eating, and sexual activities with wild abandon. Not only was Saturnalia celebrated without let up but anything that can be used as an excuse. This hedonistic practice was brought to the Philippine archipelago by the Spanish friars who preceded the contingents of armed conquistadores who came on galleons. The friars used the celebrations that they masked with spirituality to entice the natives to come down from their mountain abodes with eventual motive of converting them.
Today, the influence is so deeply rooted that it has practically ruined the character of Filipinos in general. As mentioned earlier, many Filipinos would go to the extent of borrowing money from loan sharks in order to celebrate “debut” of daughters, fiestas, birthday, etc, for one day, and suffer from the consequence for months!
On the other hand, those who can afford to feed a barangay as a way of celebrating their birthday, for instance, may go ahead, as nothing could stop them, not even this blog that serves as just a simple reminder, and which they may even view as an idiocy!
Our Unsafe World
Our Unsafe World
By Apolinario Villalobos
Our world is so unsafe today that even billionaires are not secure behind the thick and high walls of their home. Their palatial abode may not be burglarized due to tight security but they may have acquired diseases from excessive vices that can certainly shorten their life…vices that involve “creations” of man such as alcoholic drinks and synthetic foods.
The atmosphere is so poisoned that the rainwater is no longer safe to drink. The air is permeated with heavy carbon dioxide that even the so-called organic vegetables that are not raised with fertilizer are still not safe to eat. Chicken in poultries are fattened with growth-enhancing feeds and so are pigs and cattle.
Fruits are sprayed or swabbed with chemicals so that their shelf-life can be extended. Marine fishes are soaked in formalin to make them look fresh and so are vegetables such as okra, tomatoes, eggplants, slices of young jackfruit (langka), and many others. Fishes filleted and dried (daing), as well as, sardines are also soaked in formalin to make their scales shiny and enticing.
The government that is supposed to protect us can no longer be trusted with confidential information due to careless and corrupt “public servants”. The most important link between diverse humanities, the internet system is also prone to hacking which jeopardizes the security of users. Even the guy sitting next to you in a bus, could be a mugger.
The eroding cultures of peoples result to the overall weakening of human character and his virtual self-annihilation.
penpowersong 