It was the launch of Christmas 2019 celebration at the University of the Philippines Manila with the lighting of the Christmas Tree in front of the Philippine General Hospital. And who else should be there to launch it but the man whose song ushers in the Pinoy Christmas season in September. Jose Mari Chan called himself the “Little Drummer Boy” who heralds the coming of the season as his name is practically synonymous with the start of the Filipino Christmas season.
Tag: Philippines
Regina Cæli
San Agustin Museum together with the different Marian shrines and parishes in the Philippines have brought up a Marian exhibit called “Regina Caeli”. The exhibit showcased 30 of these pontifically crowned Marian images in the Philippines, aiming to show that the country is “Pueblo Amante de Maria” or a people in love with Mary.
Visita Iglesia 2019: Churches of Cavite
It was Holy Week again and it has been my duty to do Visita Iglesia every Maundy Thurday. So this time, I and my sister chose to visit the churches in Cavite. Cavite has been called Tierra de Maria Santisima (Land of the Most Holy Mary) in the last quarter of the 16th century because of the 10 venerated images of the Virgin Mary located in Cavite’s century-old churches.
Pila Municipal Center: From Red To White
But much to my surprise, they had repainted the Pila Municipal Center with an off-white and beige color. This is very much in contrast to the flaming red facade it has donned before. I was a little bit frustrated because I really like its color before. Its red color gave it uniqueness among all the municipal halls in the Philippines.
Visita Iglesia 2018: Churches of Laguna
Laguna has a total of 86 Catholic churches with 26 of them being built between the 16th and 19th centuries. This Holy Week, we have visited few of these churches to do the “Station of the Cross”.
Puerto Princesa Underground River
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park features a stunning limestone karst mountain landscape. Within the cave, there are remarkable formations of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as several spacious chambers. In recognition of its exceptional value, UNESCO designated the site as a World Heritage Site in 1999. It was also voted as one of the new seven wonders of nature in 2012.
Malate Church By Manila Bay
Formally known as Our Lady of Remedies Parish Church, the Malate Catholic Church is in front of the Plaza Rajah Sulayman and the Manila Bay. The church is dedicated to the patroness of childbirth, with the Our Lady of Remedies statue brought from Spain in 1624 being the center of the main altar.
Paoay Church
Together with the San Agustin Church in Manila, Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church in Ilocos Sur and Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church in Iloilo, the Saint Augustine Church of Ilocos Norte was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site under the collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 1993. The church more commonly known as Paoay Church was also declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government in 1973.
Mystical Banahaw
Mount Banahaw is considered by many as a “holy mountain” and is a popular traditional pilgrimage site among the locals. Many spiritual groups and mystics consider the mountain sacred with over a hundred specific places they identified as “puestos” or holy sites that should be respected and even venerated.
My Last Visita Iglesia
It’s Good Friday and at this time, I should have been going to some churches and do the prayers along the stations of the cross. This is the Catholic’s tradition of doing “Visita Iglesia” every holy week. I have started doing it since the late 90’s with my sister. When I had to leave Philippines and study in Japan, I have never done it for many years until 2014. Since I was in the Philippines at that time during the holy week, I went out with my friends to do the “visita iglesia”.
Regina RICA
Regina RICA was built on a hill with a 13.5 hectare land. At the heart of this spacious land is the 71-foot statue of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. Inside the statue is a place called “Sanctuary of Universal Love and Devotion” or SULOD where one can go to a deeper meditation.
The Wonders Of Ifugao Rice Terraces
The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2,000-year-old terraces that were carved by hand by the indigenous people living in the mountains if Ifugao. Terraces were constructed as a practical solution to the problem of growing rice on mountanous land like Banaue. Because of its scenic beauty, it was called by the Filipinos the “Eighth Wonder of the World”.
Amoj In Wanderland 