1st Issue of January 2010

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1ST ISSUE OF JANUARY 2010

Great

Philippine DrugEnforcement Agency(PDEA) Acting ChairmanPaul Oaminal said therecent seizure of 200cocaine bricks in Samar isthe country's significantcontribution to the world'santi-drug campaign for theyear 2009, sparing atleast one million would-bedope users.Oaminal said that had thePhilippines not acted fastin seizing and retrievingthe drugs, these wouldnow have been distributedand consumed by dopeusers not only in thePhilippines but inHongkong which was thepoint of destination of thevessel that unloaded the

shipment, as well as theUnited States andEuropean countries.He said studies revealthat dope users consumean average .01 to .02grams of cocaine persession. Therefore a gramof cocaine could beshared by a conservativeestimate of 5 persons. Acocaine brick, weighingone kilo could beconsumed by at least5,000 dope users.The 200 cocaine brickswere seized by PDEA andthe Philippine National

Police (PNP) off theshores of Samar.Oaminal said hepersonally stayed in theLeyte-Samar area tomonitor and supervise thecocaine retrieval whichnumbered more 200bricks as of latest tally.Aside from the cocaineseizure in the provinces ofEastern Samar andNorthern Samar, thegovernment likewiseseized 16 kilos of cocainein Davao City lastDecember. The cachewould have beenconsumed by at least75,000 dope users."The Philippine antinarcotics agents may nothave the best

technologies and logisticalrequirements but theydefinitely achieve theirmission. In the past yearalone, PDEA incoordination with PNPand NBI has dismantledmore than a dozenclandestine shabulaboratories nationwide. Itis likewise beyondargument that more than70 percent of detainees inour jails nationwide aredrug related, an evidencethat our enforcers areindeed arresting drugoffenders," said Oaminal.

He said, "If our lawenforcers are not doingtheir job then there wouldnot have been jailcongestion in ourcorrectional facilities. Therise of the price of shabuis basically founded onthe fact of less supply andthe higher percentage ofarrest by the pushers, thisis due to the unrelentlessoperations of our lawenforcers. Usec Oaminalbelieves that the PNP,NBI and PDEA antinarcotics operatives areproperly motivated,despite the not so highsalary it has done its jobgreatly is because theyknow that they are fightingfor a cause larger than

their lives. Anti narcoticsauthorities are fighting forthe lives of their childrenand your children."

Oaminal welcomes theappointment of Sec.Bebot Villar by thePresident as the newchair of the DangerousDrugs Board, who willassume office on the 4thof January as theexperience and talent ofVillar would be of greathelp to the country'svision of a Drug FreePhilippines. (DDB/PIA)

Cocaine seizure in Samar RP contribution toglobal anti-drug campaign, says DDB official

Davao joins National Arts MonthDavao City and itsneighboringprovinces are playingan active role in thisyear's celebration ofNation Arts Month.

Leading thepromotion of theyear-round artscelebration areNational Commissionfor Culture and theArts (NCCA)executive directorCecile GuidoteAlvarez and Ricardode Ungria,Commissioner of theNCCA sub-commission on theArts.This year, NCAA isbringing in thousandsof artists together not

just from Manila butalso f rom all theregions in thePhilippines tocelebrate arts andculture in line with theUNESCO observanceof the InternationalYear of theRapprochement ofCultures.

"What gives us morereason to celebrate isthe recognition givento the Philippines asthe 1st CulturalCapital of Asean for2010 and 2011," saidAlvarez.It was in 2007 that thePhilippinessuccessfully hostedthe heads of statessummit in Cebu.Davao City, on itspart, also hosted theAsean TourismForum. Alvarez saidthat the country canclaim leadership inthis particular fieldand even the

governmentrecognizes culture as

a vital component fordevelopment.The Davao region joins all the otherregions in holdingevents for thePhilippineInternational ArtsFestival (PIAF) tocelebrate NationalArts Month. Thefestival is themed "Ani ng Sining" orharvest of the arts.Writers fromMindanao and otherparts of the countrywill gather in CebuCity for the PhilippineWriters' festival andinteract with oneanother on issuesthat concern theircraft.

Tagum City is alsoamong the 27localities to stage theSayaw Pinoy, atouring dance concertthat brings togetherdifferent dance forms.Ballet Philippinesperformers will alsoshowcase their talentat the Bangko Sentralng Pilipinas, DavaoCity and a specialperformance inPanabo City.

In the field of movingimages, three moviesfrom Davao areamong the 6 fulllength films chosenas the best in everyregion will be shownat the Cultural Centerof the Philippines.

Various activities inthe field of dance,literary arts,architecture, alliedarts, visual arts,music, and dramaticarts are lined up for

the said festival. (PIAXI)

Lifestyle and Leisure

VOLUME III NO. 10

Travel ad Tourism

Special Feature

Global Connect


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RODEL T. RABARAManaging Director/Editor

MA. FRANCIA C. ROSERO Associate Editor

GEORGE STANLEY T. SERRANO

Creative and Research Officer

PAUL RICHARD G. MARTIN Advertising Officer

OLIVER L. OLIVEROSULYSSES O. MANUELWriters/Contributors

BOYET G. GUEVARRAEMMANUEL S. ARIOLA

Photographers

JOHN REY B. GARCIAJERICO G. MANDAING

ROMA T. FEROLINO

Advertising Representatives

REINALYN R. TORADOToronto, Canada Bureau

ALEXANDER O. MANUELChicago, USA Bureau

ISRAEL P. SAVELLANO

Honolulu, Hawaii Bureau

1ST ISSUE OF JANUARY 20102 LIFESTYLE AND LEISURE

STAFF BOX CIRCULATION

Did I hear you right?N.O.A.H. got cancelleddue to floods? a U.S.-based friend humorouslyasked on Facebookminutes after I postedthat the last weekend ofTRUMPETS musicalN.O.A.H. (No OrdinaryAquatic Habitat) had tobe cancelled because of

Ondoy.

It was highly ironic cause for amusementand deserving of sarcasm- but that was early onSept 26, 2009 and neitherof us had any idea whatkind of devastationOndoy would wreakthroughout the day.

A month later,TRUMPETS actors and

production peoplegathered to assess thedamage, so to speak.Many had been affectedby the floods and hadharrowing stories to tell.

Our make up artist,Johann dela Fuente ,recounted how he and hisfather had to swim to abuilding underconstruction to escapethe raging waters thathad engulfed their house.Our dance captain, RizzaRibo , braved floods toget to Meralco Theatre

only to find the show hadbeen cancelled - all thewhile tearfully worryingwhether her dog was ableto reach higher ground asher family had done.

Then there was Mr. Noahhimself, Carlo Orosa . His70 -year old mother andinfant nieces weretrapped in neck deepmurky waters in Cainta,Rizal and were saved bya resourceful nephewwho floated them tosafety on a bed mattress.

Yet each distressing talewas capped with howGod had given them thestrength to get throughtheir ordeals, sentstrangers like angels to help and protect them

in their time of need and,afterwards, provided anoutpouring of love andassistance through caringfriends. Despite theirtraumatic experiences,they were all one inacknowledging that Godhad indeed saved themand their loved ones fromeven greater harm.

Through the tears and yes - laughter, the castand crew were evenmore convinced thatTRUMPETS needed toperform N.O.A.H. (No

Ordinary AquaticHabitat) so more peoplecould hear its timelymessage of hope in theface of disaster!

Trumpeteers weredivided into differentgroups each grouptasked to come up withideas on how to get thisprophetic show seen bymore people. There weregreat ideas like -translating the musicalinto Pilipino so it could beperformed for the abroader audience base,doing a school run andcoordinating with localgovernments to docommunity-based

productions.For starters TRUMPETS will be

bringing back N.O.A.H.(No Ordinary AquaticHabitat) to the MeralcoTheatre this January 16,2010, Saturday 3:30 p.m.and 8 p.m. and January17, 2010, Sunday 3:30p.m. Tickets of cancelledshows last September 26and 27, 2009 will behonored on thecorresponding days ofthis special run. Thoseinterested may buy theirtickets at Ticketworld(632) 891-9999 orTRUMPETS (632) 631-7252.

N.O.A.H.returns after the floods

Premier balladeerRaymond Lauchengcoand first lady ofPhilippine musicaltheater MenchuLauchengco-Yuloperform in a back-to-back concert for the veryfirst time this Valentine sDay.Sibling Revelry, adinner-concert to be heldat the Rockwell Tent onFebruary 14, 2010 bringstogether two of thecountry s most talentedmusical siblings in a rareevening filled with bigband standards, soulfulballads, and the mostromantic songs fromBroadway and the WestEnd.It s going to be a fun,musical eveningperforming with mysister, saysRaymond. It s not oftenthat we get to share thestage and to think shewas my first-ever singingpartner!Menchu continues,Growing up, we spent alot of time singingtogether, in front offamily and friends it sbeen a while since we vebeen able to do that. It s

always been fun to dothat. I think the last timewe shared a stagebefore a concertaudience was in the 80s,when we were both NewGeneration artists.

Suffice it to say that thesiblings have indeedcome a long way. Sinceappearing as Louis whenhe was twelve years oldin the RepertoryPhilippines staging ofThe King and I,Raymond pursued asinging career, recordinga total of eight albums(the latest of which isFull Circle, his big bandalbum) and performing inconcerts around thecountry and the world.Meanwhile, Menchuproceeded to

conquer the stage withone memorableperformance afteranother in dozensof musicals, including therole of Ellen, the wife of

American soldier Chris,in the Manila staging ofMiss Saigon.

Her recent portrayal ofMrs. Lovett in SweeneyTodd is consideredamong her finestperformances.Raymond and Menchu

will be accompanied by aneight-piece bandcomprising of twokeyboardists, one bassist,one

drummer, twotrumpeteers, onetrombonist, and onesaxophonist under themusical direction of JunAustria .

Prior to the concert, afour-course, sit-downdinner with a menudesigned and prepared byLe Cordon Bleu-trainedchef Him Uy de Baron ofChef Cuisine will beserved to guests.

To be able to sing thesongs that we love, thesongs we grew up with, isa real treat for us,Raymond says.

Adds Menchu, And wehope that when we do singthose songs, the audiencewill see why we fell in lovewith them, making the

concert a treat for them aswell.

Unforgettable voices,

beautiful music,

unmatched elegance,sophisticated charm, quickwit and a dash of humorare the elements thatmake Sibling Revelry theshow to watch this

Valentine season. Withmusic from Sinatra toStreisand, f rom theCarpenters to theOsmonds, from Broadwayto the West End, theLauchengcos are sure tomake February 14 a nightto remember.Sibling Revelry will be held on February 14, 2010 at the Rockwell Tent. Dinner will be served from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. The show promptly begins at 8:00 p.m.

Sibling Revelry is presented by Chevrolet and is also made possible by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, BusinessWorld,105.1 Crossover, Yellow Door Gallery, Empire Macarons, Chef Cuisine,Terra Wellness Spa, Pink Wheels Car Insurance for Women, Rajo Laurel, JC Buendia, Team Big Wave,Imarflex, Cuisinart and Saeco.Tickets at Php 3,300 (inclusive of dinner). For

free delivery within Metro Manila, please contact (0939) 128-6569. Also available at TicketWorld 891-9999.

Lauchengco siblingsin a rare Valentine show at the Rockwell Tent


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1ST ISSUE OF JANUARY 2010 3LIFESTYLE AND LISURE

"I'm so proud and honoredto have my musicalproduced in Manila. I wishRepertory Philippinessuccess in staging thisimportant production,"shares Mark Saltzman("The Tin Pan Alley Rag,""Romeo & Bernadette") inan email message sentrecently toBroadwayWorld

Philippines.

Saltzman is an Emmyaward-winning script andsongwriter, and creator ofmusical plays THE TINPAN ALLEY RAG (an Off-Broadway musical thattoys around with a fictionalmeeting between ScottJoplin and a young IrvingBerlin set in 1915) andROMEO & BERNADETTE(a "camp meets opera"take-off from good oldShakespeare's "Romeoand Juliet"), among others.

Repertory Philippines'73rd Season Valentineoffering is Saltzman'smusical comedy ROMEO& BERNADETTE. Here isentertainment at itsfunniest, with Neapolitanmelodies you recognizebut whose names youcan't quite remember, i.e."O Sole Mio" ("Now OrNever" recorded by ElvisPresley ) or "Matinatta"("Morning Song") bycomposer Ruggerio

Leoncavallo .

ROMEO & BERNADETTEstars PJ Valerio ("HighSchool Musical On Stage,""Altar Boyz") and CrisVillonco ("Hamlet").

Valerio plays Romeo,whose romantic featuresand image are perfect forthe role. He is at oncepassionate and courtly,but woefully innocent.Although PJ is havinggreat fun with his role, hesays he has to get used tothe Shakespearean

manner of speaking, whichhe does practically

throughout the show.

Villonco, on the one hand,returns to the Philippinestage to take on the role ofBernadette, a vulgar, sexy,spoiled brat who, deepwithin, is a well oftenderness capable of truelove. She recentlycompleted her performingcontract with "The GoldenMickey" in Hong KongDisneyland, which sherecalls with greatfondness. This great urgeto be self-supporting andto be in a workingatmosphere that she lovesmade her apply for the job.Very few people are awarethat Villonco studied musicand economics in NewYork City prior to her stintat Disneyland -- a uniquecombination and aformidable foundation forthis young actor.

So how does Villonco

relate to Bernadette? Shegives a smile, and saysthat the role is great fun,and camp. "It's not reallymy forte, and I do have toloosen up a lot..." Whileadmitting to the fact thatshe's not really intocomedy, and is more athome with "serious" roles,this is her big challenge: tocome across as the feisty,sexy Bernadette.

Repertory Philippines'Associate Artistic DirectorJoy Virata directs her 10actors in the musical, oneof them playing eight

roles!

Rem Zamora ("SweeneyTodd," "Jesus ChristSuperstar") takes on thishumongous challenge withgreat ease and energy -and a sense of humor onlyhe can give. And he isalso assistant director toMs. Virata. In ROMEO &BERNADETTE, Zamoraplays an accordionist, anopera-style singer, a

nervous airportimmigration agent, a gay

flamboyant florist, an Irishpriest, a dominatingfemale dance instructor, afemale dressmaker, and afather to Donna. And then,he has to contend withthree accents: Russian,Irish and Brooklyn. Hesays the hardest to learnwere the accents.Especially the Irish onewhere he has to be extracareful he doesn't sound

Indian.

The musical also featuresactors Red Concepcion(Brooklyn Guy/Dino), LieslBatucan (BrooklynGirl/Donna), Dido de laPaz (Sal Penza/Usher),Juno Henares (CamillePenza), Kenneth Keng(Tito Titone), Jim Paoleli(Don Del Canto/AirportSupervisor), and JamieWilson (Lips).

Choreography is byDeana Aquino ; costume

design by Santi Obcena ;set design by DenisLagdameo ; lightingdesign by John Batalla ;and stage management byGidget Tolentino and Mia

Marcy .

ROMEO & BERNADETTEopens on February 5,2010 at 8 p.m., and for therest of the month's Fridaysand weekends thereafter,with matinees at 3:30 p.m.at the Onstage 2nd floor atGreenbelt 1, Paseo deRoxas cor. Legazpi St.,Makati City.

For inquiries and tickets,call (632) 887-0710 or logon to repertory.ph; (632)891-9999 or log on towww.ticketworld.com.ph.

As a treat for Valentine's,"Buy One, Take One"Orchestra Side tickets aremade available on theweekend of February 5 to7, 2010. Orchestra Centertickets: PhP 600.00.Orchestra Side tickets:

PhP 400.00 and Balconytickets: PhP 250.00.

For 2010, RepertoryPhilippines has picked anexciting selection ofshows sure to stimulatelocal theatergoers.Repertory s new Seasonstarts off with thePhilippine premiere ofPeter Quilters newromantic comedy,DUETS. Scheduled formid-January to the end ofthe month, DUETS is fourdifferent vignettes withfour sets ofcharacters. Set i nglorious comedy, the playexplores the hilariousnuances of love inseemingly impossible, butextremely funnysituations. Joy Virataand Miguel Faustmanntake on all four sets ofcharacters, providingrollicking entertainment asthey go through costumeand character changesonstage. DUETS isdirected by Ana AbadSantos . Playdates are

January 15, 16, 22, 23, 29and 30 at 8 p.m. with 3:30p.m. matinees on January16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31.

Still high on love andlaughter, February isROMEO ANDBERNADETTE, MarkSaltzmans musicalcomedy. Directed by JoyVirata, the story promisesto be uproariouslyfunny. A take-off fromgood old Shakespeare,you d think Romeodied? Well, he didn t . He just took a sleeping potion

and wakes up onBroadway in 1960. Andhe doesn t fall in love withdear Juliet; instead heruns after someone hethinks is Juliet, but isnot. Because she sBernadette and she justhappens to be thedaughter of a localmobster. That being said,this musical is sure to bea bag of real fun foreveryone. Catch it onFebruary 5, 6, 12, 13, 19,20, 26 and 27 at 8 p.m.with 3:30 p.m. matineeson February 6, 7, 13, 14,20, 21, 27 and 28.

As stark contrast to thelightness and gaiety of thefirst two offerings, themonth of July brings onEQUUS, Peter Shafferspowerful, riveting dramathat invades the darkcorners of the humanpsyche. The play focusesits light on the nakedreality of what

contemporary society cando to the beauty that oncewas the human soul. Thisnow considered classic ofour time will be performedon July 9, 10, 16, 17, 23and 24 at 8 p.m. with 3:30p.m. matinees on July 10,11, 17, 18, 24 and 25.

Repertory has always hada special place for youngaudiences throughChildren s Theatre. In2010, Repertory bringsthe adaptation of the well-loved fairytale SLEEPINGBEAUTY. With book,

music and lyrics by JimEiler , this show is sure toset the hearts ofeveryone, both old andyoung alike, singing to themelodies that include I mSo Mad, It s Lovely ToBe A Troll and SpinningSong. SLEEPINGBEAUTY is set for August14 to December 10 .As a perfect ending to theCompany sSeason, Repertorypresents LITTLEWOMEN, a Louis MayAlcotts classic. Withmusic by Jason Howard ,lyrics by Mindi Dicksteinand book by Allan Knee ,the musical is anexceptional offering forthe merry season ofgiving and loving. Thestory, with its warm, feel-good theme focuses onthe March family, Marmeeand her four girls, and is atimeless reminder of whatfamily is truly allabout. Directed by

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo , LITTLE WOMEN isset for November 19 toDecember 12.

All Repertoryperformances are atONSTAGE, 2 nd floor,Greenbelt 1, Paseo deRoxas corner Legazpi St.,Makati City. For ticketsand inquiries, call (632)887-0710 or log on torepertory.ph. Tickets arealso available atTicketworld at (632) 891-9999 or visitwww.ticketworld.com.ph.


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1ST ISSUE OF JANUARY 20104 TRAVEL AND TOURISM

aaaaaa

This town played a vital and historicalrole in the right of the PhilippineIndepedence. The Cacarong Republicwas the first truly organizedRevolutioary Government establishedto fight against the Spaniards. Irecognition thereof, it is symbolized inthe seal of the province of Bulacantogether with the famous MalolosRepublic and the Biak-na BatoRepublic. The actual site of the Battleof the Kakarong de Sili is now a part ofBaranggay Real de Cacarong wheremonument of Inang Filipina was built in1924.

After the liberation, the prominentleaders ad sons of Pandi headed byformer Mayor Mamerto C. Bernardosecured the separation of Pandi from

Bigaa. It was formally separated andwas able to secured its indepedece on

April 17, 1946. Starting with onlyfourtee (14) barrios. Pandi now hastwenty-two (22) baranggays with a totalpopulation of 63,676

LOCATIONThe Muicipality of Pandii lies at thecentral park of Bulacan at the foot ofthe Sierra Madre Mountain Range. Itoccupies a total land area of 4,978.88hectares representing 1.89% of theland area of Province of Bulacan.

It is bounded by the municipalities ofBustos and Angat in the north; SantaMaria to the east and south; andBalagtas to the west. Pandi isapproximately 41 kilometers from MetroMaila via the North Luzon Expresswayad maybe reached by any form of land

transportation.

Pandi is a 2nd class urban municipality in the province According to the latest census, it has a population of 9,817 households.Pandi is historically known for the Real de Kakarong d

where the bloodiest revolution in Bulacan took place,

Katipunero revolutionaries died. Likewise, it is on this site where the Republic of Real d1896, one of the first Philippine revolutionary republics

Province of BulacanPANDI

D iscover


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1ST ISSUE OF JANUARY 2010 5TRAVEL AND TOURISM

LucbanProvince of Quezon

K amay ni Jesus Shrine in

Kamay ni Hesus Shrine is situated in the slopes of M actually considered a holy ground. Itsa 3-4 hour drive of a private from South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) passing Lag Quezon. Here, they have healing masses by noted

Faller. The site itself is visible from afar. AngKamay ni Hesus orHands of Jesus is one of thetop Lenten destinations todayhere in the Philippines. Thispost is a guide for those whoare looking to come over to thisplace where you can find thelargest life-sized image ofJesus Christ on top of amountain with his hand open

wide. This place is called asKamay ni Hesus.

At the foot of the mountainbelow is where you can find alocal church where hundreds ofthousands of people flock eachyear especially in Lenten during

Good Friday and Easter Sundayto attend the mass and travelthe 14 stations of the holyrosary in steps to the holymountain in Lucban Quezon.

This is a century old tradition bythe Filipinos and part of that isgoing to holy places andattending mass as well as what

we call as the Bisita Iglesia orvisiting churces. This is done byvisiting churces in a series allover Metro Manila while notwearing any slippers of footprotection.How to Reach Kamay ni

Hesus (Paano

Mararating ang Kamay niHesus)

This is a short guide for thosewho are interested to come overthe holy mountains of LucbanQuezon where you can find thelargest life-size image of JesusChrist on top of a mountain.This holy place is called as

Kamay ni Hesus.The first route is to take a bus atthe Buendia Station just belowthe LRT and ask for tip toLucban Quezon and the secondroute may be taken by taking atrip to Sta Cruz Laguna andthen coming off back to LucbanQuezon from there.


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1ST ISSUE OF JANUARY 20106 SPECIAL FEATURE

S pecial feature focus on

San JuanProvince of Batangas

Thetown of SanJuan, Batangas wasformerly called Bolbok which wasderived from a living stream whichwas continuously bubbling (nabulbok)there. At the beginning this town was just a village in the barrio ofPinagbayanan. Its first settlers werethe TRIVINO family from Tiaong,Quezon, the PEREZ family fromIbaan, Batangas, the MERCADOfamily from Batangas, the DE VILLAfamily from San Jose, Batangas, theRAMOS family from Rosario,Batangas, and the MAGTIBAY family.(lihitimong taga San Juan) The headof the local government then wascalled "Teniente Absoluto", gradually,the village grew and became a townunder a gobernadorcillo. The firstgobernadorcillo was Camilo Perez.

The year 1869, through the leadershipof Camilo Perez, the town wastransferred to the present site. The

then gobernadorcillo was Fidel Salud.The transfer was done

be-cause of the

constant over flooding of the place.The present site was a part of thebarrios of Calitcalit and Maraykit.

In 1881 the head of the localgovernment was called "Capitan".San Juan has for its last Capitan,Eusebio Salcedo. On January 24,1894, the town's Parish Church wasinaugurated under the leadership ofFr. Celestino Yoldi, the most belovedparish of the community.

In 1896, when General Aguinaldoorganized his revolutionary forces, thetown had for its revolutionist leaderColonel Mariano Castillo, MajorsRoman Ruedas and Santos Perez,Captains Inocente Mercado, TomasQuijano, and Leon Mercado.

At present the town is famously calledSAN JUAN BATANGAS .

EVENTS. San Juan, Batangas, in turnholds an annual event to showcase

the

threem a j o r

industries of themunicipality - lambanog,

palayok-making, along withthe growing resort sector.Their festival promotes

creativity, ingenuity, andhard work. The core theme of theirpresentation revolves round thelambanog, often called thepoor man's drink becauseof the abundance of coconutand the relatively cheap distillationprocess it goes through. Thedance depict the popular "tagayan" - atradition of simplicity handeddown from one generation to the next.The float called Lambanugan wascrafted from various materialsfrom the coconut tree, and shows howand where lambanog is processed.Mangangarit are workers who climbthe trees in the afternoon to prune theflowers and gather the sap in bambooreceptacles. In the morning,it is fermented to produce "tuba"which when distilled becomeslambanog. From a mere cottageindustry, lambanog is gainingrecognition and is nowpackaged in different flavorslike mango, blueberry, bubble

gum, and cinnamon among manyothers.

Lambayok Festival

San Juan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philipp It occupies the easternmost portion of the province, 43

Batangas City, also the same distance southwest of Luc115 kilometers away from Manila. According to the la population of 87,276 people in 16,519 households.


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1ST ISSUE OF JANUARY 2010 7SPECIAL FEATURE

Located about an hourand a half plane ridesouthwest of Manila, thesprawling City of PuertoPrincesa which alsohappens to be the capitalof the province of Palawancomes into view where the

traveler is first greeted bythe many islandsscattered all over HondaBay.

The entire city straddlesthe middle of the Palawan

bordered by the towns ofSan Vicente and Roxas inthe north, Aborlan on thesouth, Sulu Sea on itseast and the South ChinaSea and the Kalayaantown of the KalayaanIslands Group in the west.It is by no joke that thiscity is humungous in size;it is after all the secondlargest city in thePhilippines in terms ofarea at 2,381.02 squarekilometers, next only toDavao City which has atotal area of 2,443.61square kilometers.

Puerto Princesa got itsname from a legendaryprincess-like maiden, whoin the olden times is saidto have roamed aroundthe area on certain nightsof the year. W hile others

who are too skeptical of

such stories point out thegeographical advantage ofits harbor, which isnaturally protected andhas a depth which canaccommodate largeseagoing vessels- thusbasically a virtual princessof ports as indicated bythe maps of the Spaniardsduring the colonial era.

Historically of course thecity was named after theSpanish Princess Eulaliaborn in 1864. Her mother,Queen Isabel II changedthe name to Puerto de laPrincesa after PrincessEulalia s death. Afterwhich, it was shortened toPuerto Princesa as it isknown today.As it is the same today,Puerto Princesa wasalready quite known andrecognized for itsorderliness andcleanliness way back in1894. As we walkedthrough the streets of thiscity (which was still quitescorching hot and humideven during December-we really wished thatthere were more treesplanted along theboulevards of the city), wenoticed the absence oflitter for such a highlyurbanized community.Police and even localcitizens (yes, locals canmake a citizen arrest) arereally quite strict when it

comes to waste disposal.

There isno excuse to throwyour trash any

where since there aretrash bins every couplehundred meters.

Now the city is becomingto be known as being atthe forefront of Philippineecotourism campaigns

with its various projects inpromoting environmentaltourism in the countrytoday. Puerto Princesa inrecent years has againbeen grabbing nationaland internationalheadlines with itscampaign to make itsmost famous feature todate be listed as one ofthe New 7 Wonders ofNature the PuertoPrincesa SubterraneanRiver National Park (morecommonly known as theUnderground River/St.Paul Underground River)which at 8.2 kilometersmakes it the longestnavigable undergroundriver in the world. Thepark is located about 5kilometers from SabangBeach in the northwestpart of the city and isabout 2-3 Hours by publicbus/jeepney from PuertoPrincesa City BusTerminal (by the NewPublic Market).One basically navigatesunder the spectacular

limestone formations

which often resemblefamiliar things likemushrooms, and othervegetables as well as

people the boatman pretty muchdoubles as the guide andat the same time thegroup s official entertainer.

There is a turquoisecolored lagoon at themouth of the cave withancient trees that basicallygrow right on the water sedge. There are threeways of heading out to thePuerto PrincesaSubterranean RiverNational Park either byboat from Sabang(easiest), or a hikethrough the Monkey Trail(moderate hike) and theJungle Trail (difficult hike).Be prepared to encountera lot of endemic flora andfauna along the way, weprobably spotted at least 2huge monitor lizards alongthe way, some really nastyants, and heard birdcallsfrom different species ofbirds along the MonkeyTrail. Noticing there wasan absence of monkeyson the monkey trail,apparently, the pack wasalready at the beach nearthe Puerto PrincesaSubterranean RiverNational Park openingsince there are more

tourists (meaning more

food for the simians).Around the park, one canfind other things to do, youmay check out

Ethnographic Museum, goon a mangrove cruiseusing a paddle boatthrough the Puyoy-puyoyriver, or go spelunking inso many of the caves inthe area (Lion Cave,Ugong Rock, Cawili Cave,Daylight Hole, MillionBirds Cage).

On your way to Sabang,fantastic jungle cladlimestone and marblecliffs and karst mountainspepper the horizon- makesure to prepare yourcamera and that you areseated on the right side ofvehicle, then you shouldbe able to capture thesegeologically significantlandscapes which arelocated at BarangaysTagabinet andCabayugan. Just beforereaching Sabang, is thebeautiful Ulugan Bay- adeep channel where acluster of three isletscalled Tres Marias guardthe mouth of this bay.There is a mangrove

footwalk as well as a

nearby waterfall (Kayulo)and Rita Island which islocated inside the bay is apopular dive spot. There

will be more detailedinformation on the PuertoPrincesa SubterraneanRiver National Park in myarticle which focuses moreon this wonder of nature.You may cast your voteonline for Puerto PrincesaSubterranean RiverNational Park as one ofthe New 7 NaturalWonders of the Worldwww.new7wonders.com.

S pecial feature focus on

PalawanPuerto Princesa

Knownworldwide as the home of the UNESCO World Heritage Subterranean River National Park the longest navigable underground rive world and many of its exotic islands, cream colored beaches, a springs, verdant rainforests, fauna and flora that can never foun

planet,- the melting pot city of Puerto Princesa City is always happen.


8/8

1ST ISSUE OF JANUARY 20108 GLOBAL CONNECT

Good, bad or ugly,everyone has somethingto say about France andthe French: chic, smart,sexy, rude, racist,bureaucratic, bitchy ashell, pavements studdedwith dog poo, baguettesthat dry out by lunchtimeand a penchant fortorching cars is some ofthe chitchat on the street.Spice up the cauldron withthe odd urban riot, political

scandal and a 35-hourworking week - not tomention a massive box-office hit like The Da VinciCode taking over Paris orsuperstar Angelina Jolieallegedly plumping for achateau in Normandy toraise her kids - and the

international media is allears too.

This is, after all, thatfabled land of good foodand wine, of royalchateaux and perfectlyrestored farmhouses, oflandmarks known theworld over and hiddenlandscapes few reallyknow. Savour art andromance in the shiningcapital on the River Seine.

See glorious pasts blazeforth at Versailles. Travelsouth for Romancivilisation and thespark ling blue Med;indulge your jet-setfantasies in balmy Niceand St-Tropez. Ski theAlps. Sense the subtle

infusion of language,music and mythology inBrittany brought by 5th-century Celtic invaders.Smell ignominy on thebeaches of Normandy andbattlefields of Verdun andthe Somme. And knowthat this is but the tip ofthat gargantuan icebergthe French call culture.

Yes, this is that timelessland whose people have a

natural joie de vivre andsavoir- faire - and have forcenturies. But change isafoot. France and theFrench are fed up - andinspired. It's on the tip ofeveryone's tongues.

By lonelyplanet.com

St. John Mary Vianney ,the patron saint of priests,and on whose 150th DiesNatalis the Catholic worldcelebrates the "Year ofthe Priests," will bevenerated through hisrelics in time for the 2ndNational Congress of theClergy on January 25-29,2010 at the World TradeCenter in Pasay City.Theme of the congress isFaithfulness of Christ,Faithfulness of Priests,which the Pope haschosen as the officialslogan for the celebrationof the Year of the Priests

(2009-2010).

The Catholic BishopsConference of thePhilippines (CBCP)through its EpiscopalCommission on theClergy is organizing theretreat-style nationalcongrees, which will befacilitated by Preacher tothe Papal Household, Fr.Raniero Cantalamessa ,OFMCap.

A part of the bodytogether with his stole andbreviary relics of St. John

Mary Vianney will arrivefrom France accompaniedby two French priests.The relics will be ondisplay at the congressand in parish churches onJanuary 23 to February 1,2010.

The exposition and visit ofthe relics of St. John MaryVianney will officiallybegin at the NationalShrine of the SacredHeart in San AntonioVillage, Makati and end atthe St. John MaryVianney Parish inBarangay Cembo, Makati

-- two churches that weredecreed PilgrimChurches on the Year ofthe Priests. This meansthat people whoundertake pilgrimagesand pious exercises atthese churches during the"Year of the Priests" aregranted plenaryindulgence (under theordinary conditions) asdecreed by the ApostolicPenitentiary of the HolySee.

The schedule of the relicsexposition is as follows:

(January 23) Arrival atNAIA at 9:30 a.m.,National Shrine of theSacred Heart at 11 am;(January 24); EDSAShrine at 12 noon;(January 25-29) 2ndNational Congress of theClergy at the World TradeCenter; (January 29) Sto.Nio de Tondo Parish at12 noon; (January 30)Minor Basilica of theBlack Nazarene orQuiapo Church/St. JohnThe Baptist Parish at 12noon; (January 31) St.John Mary Vianney Parishat 12 noon; and (February

1) Departure at NAIA at11:30 a.m.

St. John MaryVianney(May 8, 1786 August 4,1859) was a parish priestin Ars, France. He isknown for his priestly andpastoral work in hisparish, whose membersand pilgrims grew from amere 200 to around20,000. Catholics attributethis phenomenon toVianney s saintly life,mortification, andpersevering ministry in thesacrament of confession.

Relics of St. John Mary Vianney,

Patron Saint of Priests, Arrive for

2nd National Congress of the Clergy

France

INTRODUCING:

Documents

1st Issue of January 2010