Do Good Things

We do good but sometimes others do the opposite, others don't appreciate it, others don't even recognize it and still others even try to destroy it. But do good things anyway.

Nadsadjan Falls is a famous tourist destination in Igbaras. Its cool and fresh Prussians blue

waters attracts foreign and local tourists every year. The Nadsadjan Falls measures 100 feet in height, spewing water on a giant cauldron-like natural swimming pool

How to Get to Nadsadjan Falls

You can catch a jeep going to Igbaras in the Iloilo Terminal Market (located in the City Proper, right beside Robinsons Place), in front of Iloilo Supermart – Molo Branch (in Molo District Plaza), or in Mohon Terminal in Oton. From Igbaras Town Proper it is a 30 minute ride to Brgy. Passi and another 45 minute trek along the river to reach Nadsadjan Falls. Visitors are advised to arrive in the early morning and visit the Municipal Tourism Office first to arrange with the Tourism Officer the means of transportation.

BOB ONG QUOTES

Ilan lang ito sa mga paborito kong linya galing sa mga libro nya:

ABNKKBASNPLAko

Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino?

Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas

Alamat ng Gubat

Stainless Longganisa

MacArthur

Kapitan Sino

Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan

(BOB ONG BOOKS TRIVIA HERE)

"nalaman kong hindi final exam ang passing rate ng buhay. hindi ito multiple choice, identification, true or false, enumeration or fill-in-the-blanks na sinasagutan kundi essay na isinusulat araw-araw. Huhusgahan ito hindi base sa kung tama o mali ang sagot, kundi base sa kung may kabuluhan ang mga isinulat o wala. Allowed ang erasures."

"...mas marami pa s'yang alam kesa sa nakasulat sa Transcript of Records n'ya, mas marami pa s'yang kayang gawin kesa sa nakalista sa resume n'ya, at mas mataas ang halaga n'ya kesa sa presyong nakasulat sa payslip n'ya tuwing sweldo."

"...madaming teacher sa labas ng eskwelahan. desisyon mo kung kanino ka magpapaturo."

"mag-aral maigi; kung titigil ka sa pag-aaral, manghihinayang ka sa pagtanda mo dahil hindi mo naranasan ang kakaibang ligayang dulot ng mga araw na walang pasok o suspendido ang klase o absent ang teacher."

"iba ang informal gramar sa mali!!!"

"Masama akong tao, tulad mo, sa parehong paraan na mabuti kang tao, tulad ko."

"kung kabayo gagawa ng libro mahirap maging palaging politically correct para sa mga damo"

"Wag magmadali sa pag-aasawa. Tatlo, lima, sampung taon sa hinaharap, mag-iiba pa ang pamantayan mo at maiisip mong di pala tamang pumili ng kapareha dahil lang sa kaboses niya si Debbie Gibson o magaling mag-breakdance. Totoong mas importante ang kalooban ng tao higit anuman. Sa paglipas ng panahon, maging ang mga crush ng bayan sa eskwelahan e nagmumukha ring pandesal. Maniwala ka."

"hikayAtin m0 LahAt ng kakilala m0 na mAgkaro0n kahit isA man lang paboritong libro sa bu0ng buhay nilA..dahil walA ng mas nakakaawa pa sa mga ta0ng literado per0 hindi nagbabAsa "

"kung paniniwalaan namin kayo na hindi naglaro ng tubig kahit na basa ang damit n'yo, kayo ang niloloko namin; hindi kayo ang nakapanloloko."

"dalawang dekada ka lang mag-aaral. kung 'di mo pagtityagaan, limang dekada ng kahirapan ang kapalit.sobrang luri. kung alam lang 'yan ng mga kabataan, sa pananaw ko ehh walang gugustuhing umiwas sa eskwela."

"Para san ba ang cellphone na may camera?Kung kailangan sa buhay un, dapat matagal na kong patay."

"ayokong nasasanay sa mga bagay na pwede namang wala sa buhay ko "

"iba ang walang ginagawa sa gumagawa ng wala"

"mas mabuting mabigo sa paggawa ng isang bagay kesa magtagumpay sa paggawa ng wala"

"Titingnan mo ba ang basong kalahating bawas o kalahating puno?"

"hindi dahil sa hindi mo naiintindihan ang isang bagay ay kasinungalingan na ito. at hindi lahat ng kaya mong intindihin ay katotohanan."

"bakit ba ayaw matulog ng mga bata sa tanghali, alam ba nilang pag natuto silang umibig e hindi na sila makakatulog kahit gusto nila?

"hindi lungkot o takot ang mahirap sa pag-iisa kundi ang pagtanggap na sa bilyon-bilyong tao sa mundo, wala man lang nakipaglaban upang makasama ka."

"Kung nagmahal ka ng taong di dapat at nasaktan ka, wag mong sisihin ang puso mo. Tumitibok lng yan para mag-supply ng dugo sa katawan mo. Ngayon, kung magaling ka sa anatomy at ang sisisihin mo naman ay ang hypothalamus mo na kumokontrol ng emotions mo, mali ka pa rin! Bakit? Utang na loob! Wag mong isisi sa body organs mo ang mga sama ng loob mo sa buhay! Tandaan mo: magiging masaya ka lang kung matututo kang tanggapin na hindi ang puso, utak, atay o bituka mo ang may kasalanan sa lahat ng nangyari sayo, kundi IKAW mismo!"


"hinahanap mo nga ba ako o ang kawalan ko?"

"Kumain ka na ng siopao na may palamang pusa o maglakad sa bubog nang nakayapak, pero wag na wag kang susubok mag-drugs. Kung hindi mo kayang umiwas, humingi ka ng tulong sa mga magulang mo dahil alam nila kung saan ang mga murang supplier at hindi ka nila iisahan."

"Mag-aral maigi. Kung titigil ka sa pag-aaral, manghihinayang ka pagtanda mo dahil hindi mo naranasan ang kakaibang ligayang dulot ng mga araw na walang pasok o suspendido ang klase o absent ang teacher. (Haaay, sarap!)."

"Mangarap ka at abutin mo. Wag mong sisihin ang sira mong pamilya, palpak mong syota, pilay mong tuta, o mga lumilipad na ipis. Kung may pagkukulang sa’yo mga magulang mo, pwde kang manisi at maging rebelde. Tumigil ka sa pag-aaral, mag-asawa ka, mag-drugs ka, magpakulay ka ng buhok sa kili-kili. Sa banding huli, ikaw din ang biktima. Rebeldeng walang napatunayan at bait sa sarili."

"Tuparin ang mga pangarap. Obligasyon mo yan sa sarili mo. Kung gusto mo mang kumain ng balde-baldeng lupa para malagay ka sa Guinness Book of World Records at maipagmalaki ng bansa natin, sige lang. Nosi balasi. wag mong pansinin ang sasabihin ng mga taong susubok humarang sa'yo. Kung hindi nagsumikap ang mga scientist noon, hindi pa rin tayo dapat nakatira sa jupiter ngayon. Pero hindi pa rin naman talaga tayo nakatira sa jupiter dahil nga hindi nagsumikap ang mga scientist noon. Kita mo yung moral lesson?"

"Nalaman kong marami palang libreng lecture sa mundo, ikaw ang gagawa ng syllabus. Maraming teacher sa labas ng eskuwelahan, desisyon mo kung kanino ka magpapaturo. Lahat tayo enrolled ngayon sa isang university, maraming subject na mahirap, pero dahil libre, ikaw ang talo kung nag-drop ka. Isa-isa tayong ga-graduate, iba't-ibang paraan. tanging diploma ay ang mga alaala ng kung ano mang tulong o pagmamahal ang iniwan natin sa mundong pinangarap nating baguhin minsan...""

"Sabi nila, sa kahit ano raw problema, isang tao lang ang makakatulong sa’yo – ang sarili mo. Tama sila. Isinuplong ako ng sarili ko. Kaya siguro namigay ng konsyensya ang Diyos, alam niyang hindi sa lahat ng oras e gumagana ang utak ng tao."

"Obligasyon kong maglayag, karapatan kong pumunta sa kung saan ko gusto, responsibilidad ko ang buhay ko."

"Nalaman kong habang lumalaki ka, maraming beses kang madadapa. Bumangon ka man ulit o hindi, magpapatuloy ang buhay, iikot ang mundo, at mauubos ang oras."

"Masama akong tao, tulad mo, sa parehong paraan na mabuti kang tao, tulad ko."

"Hikayatin mo lahat ng kakilala mo na magkaroon ng kahit isa man lang paboritong libro sa buhay nila. Dahil wala nang mas kawawa pa sa mga taong literado pero hindi nagbabasa."

"Mas mabuting mabigo sa paggawa ng isang bagay kesa magtagumpay sa paggawa ng wala."

"Pare, isa kang totoong tao at walang halong kasinungalingan.
In English, FACT you, pare. Totoo ka. In English, FACT you!"

VIGAN

The City of Vigan is a 5th class city in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It is the capital of the Province of Ilocos Sur. The city is located on the western coast of the large island of Luzon, facing the South China Sea.

Local and foreign experts describe Vigan as a "place like no other". Its uniqueness lies in its historic townscape which is an architectural blend of Asian, European and Latin American influences. Being the only surviving colonial town in the country, Vigan has more strung along the narrow streets of the old Mestizo District, popularly known in the olden days as Kasanglayan (Chinese Quarters).

Located in the Northern part of the Philippines, Vigan is 408 kilometers northwest of Manila and includes area of the China Sea as a buffer zone on the western side of the town.

Vigan, earlier known as " Ciudad Fernandina" from 1758 to late 19th century, is the oldest surviving Spanish colonial city in the country. It has auspiciously escaped the bombs of World War II unlike its sister cities, Manila and Cebu. How and why it has survived the wrath of war is a fascinating story on its own.

Vigan brings images of antiquated houses, cobbled narrow streets, calesas and friendly faces peering out of large windows; a place where "time stood still". Yet, despite all the romantic images this place provokes, much is still unfamiliar about Vigan.

The name came from the Ilocano word "kabiga-an" pertaining to the plant "biga" abounds. Biga is a tuberous plant (alocadia indica) that once grew along the banks of its rivers.

Vigan was once a thriving center for trade and commerce among the people of Ilocandia and the Cordilleras. It is situated at the delta of the Abra River (now the Mestizo and Govantes Rivers) going to the South China Sea. This position at the mouth of the river most probably afooded its existence as it was a fluvial harbor connected to the China Sea, making trade possible with other islands and with China.

Today, Vigan was recently included in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List in December 1999 and converted into a component city last January 21, 2001. In partnership with the government of Spain, the Vigan Master Plan is in the process for the revitalization of the historic Vigan.

Ang Mga Kaibigan Ni Mama Susan

Last night when all the world is sleeping, I wake-up around 1am and thinking of my girlfriend because their company send her to business trip in China. And I wish that she were here or that I were there or that we were together anywhere....

I go back to bed and try to sleep again but I can't sleep anymore... I think reading a book that will make my eyes tired & make me sleep again... I grab my newest purchase book title "Ang Mga Kaibigan Ni Mama Susan" by Bob Ong.

The Story revolves around Gilberto P. Manansala, (Galo) a college student who studies in an unnamed University somewhere in Manila, first started writing on a journal for an assignment and ended up keeping it because he did not want to waste his notebook. He chronicles his life in Manila where he lives with his relatives who never made living with them easy for him. He gets fed up with them and leaves to go back to the province to stay with his grandmother who raised him before he left for Manila. Things changed drastically from what he remembers in the province. Instead of finding the town to be just less noisier than Manila but still with improvements from his last visit, he finds that the town went backwards and were rejecting technology. His grandmother’s house grows increasingly creepier with the presence of different statues of saints and the weekly gatherings of her grandmother’s friends in her house. As weirder things start to happen, Galo tries to escape, but finds that there may be powers stronger than he is that are keeping him from doing so.

After I finished reading this book, I still woke up in the middle of the night and can't sleep anymore, I need to go to the rest room. I almost decided not to go because it would mean standing up and going there alone, and who knows what I will find when I open my bedroom door? I keep on remembering the face in the back cover of the book and freaked out at the thought of seeing that in the dark corners of our house. I got up eventually because I couldn’t hold it in any longer. But I left all doors and lights open, and ran back to the bedroom right after doing my business, all the while my mind remembering the last words of the book in absolute clarity.

Moriones Festival

The Moriones is an annual festival held on Holy Week on the island of Marinduque, Philippines. The "Moriones" are men and women in costumes and masks replicating the garb of biblical Roman soldiers as interpreted by local folks. The Moriones or Moryonan tradition has inspired the creation of other festivals in the Philippines where cultural practices or folk history is turned into street festivals.

colorful festivals celebrated on the island of Marinduque and the Philippines. Morion means "mask" or "visor," a part of the medieval Roman armor which covers the face. Moriones, on the other hand, refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus. Morions roam the streets in town from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday scaring the kids, or engaging in antics or surprises to draw attention. This is a folk-religious festival that re-enacts the story of Saint Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one eye. The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics. The towns of Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz, Buenavista and Mogpog in the island of Marinduque become one gigantic stage. The observances form part of the Lenten celebrations of Marinduque. The various towns also hold the unique tradition of the pabasa or the recitation of Christ's passion in verse.^[ Then at three o'clock on Good Friday afternoon, the Santo Sepulcro is observed, whereby old women exchange verses based on the Bible as they stand in wake of the dead Christ. One of the highlights of this festival is the Via Crucis. A re-enactment of the suffering of Christ on his way to the calvary. Men inflict suffering upon themselves by whipping their backs, carrying a wooden cross and sometimes even crucifixion. They see this act as their form of atonement for their sins. This weeklong celebration starts on Holy Monday and ends on Easter Sunday.