Philippine Calendar of Festivals and Activities for August (Part 2)

Continuation of Philippine Festivals and Activities

CABIBI FESTIVAL : LALLO DAY

Lal-lo, Cagayan

The patronal town fiesta of Lallo, formerly Ciudad Nueva Segovia is highlighted by an agro-industrial trade fair and street dancing competition
For more information pls contact:

Hon. Florante C. Pascual

Mayor, Municipality of Lallo

Telefax : (6378) 854-4007

CEBU FOUNDING ANNIVERSAY

Cebu

Nightly cultural and variety shows, agricultural trade fair and night market are among the many activities lined-up in celebration of the island province''s founding day anniversary.
For more information pls contact :

DOT-Region VII

Tel. # (6332) 254-6077/6650/3534

CELEBRATION OF BUAN NG WIKA

Capitol Site,Batangas City

A month long activity celebrating "Buwan ng Wika". The activities undertaken are campaign for using Filipino as a medium, hanging of streamer and short program.
For more information pls contact:

Batangas Provincial Tourism

OfficeTel. # (6343) 723-4397
DOT-Region IVTel. # (632)524-1969/1528

PADAGYAW FESTIVAL

Dumarao, Capiz

A cultural and fiesta celebration in honor of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves. Padagyaw is a term coined by the Dumaraonon to describe a communal activity free of any monetary consideration in performing a project, an enterprise or any errand. A kindred, closeness and good relationship is developed in the community. Activities include Pista ng Bayan, Teachers Night, ABC Night, Coronation of the Fiesta Queen and the Centinela, among others.
For more information please contact

c/o Mr. Bo Bediones

Provincial Tourism OfficerRoxas City

Tel. no. (6336) 6210042

MERCEDES FISHTIVAL/KADAGATAN FESTIVAL

Mercedes, Camarines

It is a fishermen’s celebration of thanksgiving for the blessings and bounty during the seafaring, fishing expedition and fish farming endeavors. The fishtival is also a moment of retrospect and recognition of Mother Nature for having endowed Mercedes with a gift of vast fishery resources, magnificent shorelines and other aquatic potentials and the wise utilization and preservation of ecological balance for the attainment of environmental dignity and beauty.
For more information pls contact:

Office of the Mayor

Tel. No. (6354) 440. 10. 11

PANGAPOG FESTIVAL

Island Garden City of Samal

A thanksgiving festival celebration bountiful harvest features parade, indak-indak sa dalan, cultural presentation etc.
For more information please contact:

Island Garden City of Samal Office

Tel. No.(6382)227.09.63

Telefax:(6382)227.09.64

ADLAW HONG BUTUAN (CHARTER DAY ANNIVERSARY)

Butuan CityIt’s the charter day celebration of Butuan City. It is highlighted by the thanksgiving mass, motorcade recognition of outstanding Butuanons & City employees night.
For more information pls contact:

Ms. Liwliwa B. Esguerra

City Tourism Office

Tel. # (6385) 225-4041

PALAGSING FESTIVAL Butuan City

A competition for the longest and the best tasting palagsing
For more information please contact:

DOT REGION XIII

LETICIA TAN, Officer-In-Charge

No. 174 km. 2, J.C. Aquino Ave., 8600 Butuan City

Tel. No. (6385)2255712/3418413

Fax No. (6385)3416371

E-mail: tourism@balanghai.com

FIESTA BACOLOD (HRANO)

Bacolod City, Negros Occidental

Annual fiesta
For more information please contact:

Mayor Evelio Leonardia

Bacolod City, Negros Occ.

Tel. no. (6334) 7083066

Fax no. (6334) 4346751

KABANKALAN CITY CHARTER ANNIVERSARY

Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental

A weeklong celebration highlighted by an agro-industrial fair showcasing the indigenous products of the farmers and the cooperatives. Creative booths that display these products are constructed by the different barangays at the city plaza.
For more information please contact:

Eddie M. Yap

City Administrator

Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental

Cell # 639195921957

Tel.# (6334) 4712291/ 4712185

Fax 4712291

MINDANAO TRADE EXPO

Davao City

An Agro industrial trade fair with business matching for the promotion of Mindanao’s world class product.
For more information please contact:

City Tourism Office

Tel. No. (6382) 222.19.56

Telefax (6382) 222.19.57

OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS PATRONAL FIESTA

Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental

Nuestra Señora de los Nieves is the patron saint of the city, parishioners celebrate the event with the Holy Mass and a procession around the city streets and capped with a cultural show in the local catholic school.
For more information please contact:

Mayor Carminia Bascon

City of Himamaylan

Tel. no. (6334) 3883683

CORDOVA DINAGAT FESTIVAL (FISHING RITUALS)

Cordova, Cebu

The celebration honors the town’s most prized source of livelihood-fishing. “Dinagat” means “anything” pertaining to the sea”. It showcases Cordova’s distinctive cultural heritage though authentic traditional rituals and dances. The dance movement is an imitation of the movement of the sea life. Its story portrays own literary forms such as its folktales, legends, myths and historical facts inspire its dance scenarios.
For more information please contact:

Mrs. Cristina Sitoy/Office of the Mayor

Tel. No. (6332)496-8150

BAKASI FESTIVAL

Cordova, Cebu

The festival is a unique reinvention of the Dinagat festival. The exotic eel locally known as ''bakasi'' is pecullar and abundant in Cordova. The dance replicates the gliding movement of the Bakasi. Other related activities include a Bakasi race and cooking contest to show off the ways in preparing bakasi which is the main livelihood of the people.
For more information pls contact:

DOT-Region VII

Tel. # (6332) 254-6077/6650/3534

REGATTA FESTIVAL

Gainza, Cam. Sur

A week-long festivity aimed to preserve its culture and tradition and to promote the area as a tourist destination. Highlight is the boat race.
For more information please get intouch with the

Office of the Mayor

Gainza, Cam. Sur

BIMP EAGA « KUMBIRA » CULINARY SHOW AND LIVE COMPETITION

The Atrium, Cagayan de Oro City

Food and culinary competitions sponsored by the Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association (COHARA)
For more information pls contact:

REGIONAL OFFICE X

CATALINO E. CHAN III,

Regional Director

A. Velez Street, Cagayan de Oro City 9000

Tel.: (6388) 726 394 / 723 696

Fax: (6388) 723 696 c/o PTA / (6388) 727 432

dotr10@yahoo.com

BONGA

Sibonga, Cebu

The celebration is in honor of the town’s patron saint, Our Lady of Pilar and Santa Filomena. Among its highlights is the street dancing and ritual/showdown competition. Bunga is a Cebuano word which means fruit in English. This festival is a form of thanksgiving for all the blessings and graces the Sibongahanons have received for the abundant fruits found in their town.
For more information please contact:

Office of the Mayor

Sibonga, Cebu

Tel. # (6332) 486-9422

PAVVU RULUN FESTIVAL

Tuguegarao, Cagayan

It is the patronal fiesta of the city honoring St. Hyacinth enthroned at the elevated St. Hycinth Church beside the St. Paul University Philippines. The events surrounding the festival include street dancing competition, drum and lyre competition, beauty pageant, trade fair, pancit cooking and eating contests, job fair and many more.
For more information please contact:

Office of the City Mayor

Tel. No.(6378)844.14.49

KAADLAWAN HAN SAMAR

Catbalogan Samar

Festivities to commemorate the foundation day of Samar
For more information please contact:

Gov. Milagros Tan/ Te. No. (6355) 251.24.84

SANTONES

Barangay Calumpang, Liliw, Laguna

A five day festival featuring the sweet santol and lanzones fruits raised in the locality.
For more information please contact:

Office of the Mayor

Liliw,.Laguna

Tel. # (6349) 563-10010

Special thanks to: http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph

Philippine Calendar of Festivals and Activities for August

Welcome to Philippine Tourist Guide!!!

Visit and enjoy the festivals and activities for the month of August in the Philippines.

KASIBU CITRUS FESTIVAL
Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya
Marks the plentiful citrus harvest of the acknowledged citrus capital of the Philippines – Kasibu, known for its sweet oranges like Perante, Satsuma, Navel and also pomelo and other fruits.
For more information pls contact:
Ms. Catalina Acpal
OIC – Provincial Tourism Officer
Province of Nueva Vizcaya
Telefax : (6378) 805-3970

REGIONAL TOURISM COUNCIL ASSEMBLY (RTCA)
Region I
A two-day interaction of Provincial, municipal, barangay and regional tourism council officers discussing the issues and concerns, updates of tourism, presentation of plans and programs per council.
For more information pls contact:
DOT-Region I
Tel. # (6372) 888-2411/700-5780

HRAB’S TOURISM WEEKEND CULINARY EXPO
Baguio City (date to be announce)
Culinary skills demonstration and cook fest sponsored by the Baguio Country Club
For more information pls contact:
Mr. Anthony de Leon
Manager, BCC
Tel. No. (6374) 444-8129

CARACOL
La Huerta, Paranaque City
The fluvial parade is in honor of Brgy. La Huerta patron saint San Nicolas de Tolentino. The devotees use cascos or large wooden barges to carry and ferry the image of the saint. This simple but festive atmosphere started way back during the period 1912.
For more information please contact:
Ms. Josephine Orozca
City Cultural Affairs and Tourism Office
Telefax # 829-06910

AMAZING PHILIPPINE BEAUTIES
Film Center,Pasay City
An annual event featuring the beautiful and intelligent transversties vying for the title as Ms. Amazing Philippine Beauty.
For more information please contact:
Ms. Aira Alano
Tourism Office, Pasay City
Tel. # (632)833-8470

WEDDING EXPO PHILIPPINES PICC
Forum, CCP Complex
WEDDING EXPO PHILIPPINES, the country''s biggest, longest running, and most respected wedding fair, celebrates its 11th edition at the PICC Forum, CCP Complex on 1-2 September 2007. This event, much awaited by both soon-to-weds and the entire local wedding industry, also aims to promote the country''s wedding tourism among local and foreign tourists.
WEDDING EXPO PHILIPPINES has firmly established itself as the wedding fair and launch venue of choice of the country''s premier wedding suppliers. In March 2007, more than Php29 Million in onsite down payments were booked with WedExpo Phil. exhibitors during the 2-day fair.
For more information you may contact
Themes & Motifs at telephone no:
371-9783/410-0032/0920-9083576
or visit their website at www.themesnmotifs.com

ANNUAL HOTEL, RESTAURANT & TOURISM WEEKEND
Baguio City
Culinary skills demonstration and cook fest sponsored by the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) and the Baguio Country Club
For more information pls contact:
(HRAB) Baguio Country Club
Tel. No. (6374) 442-2635

HANDURAW FESTIVAL
Leon, Iloilo
The festivity commemorates the transfer of Pueblo del Camando to Sitio Capan, the present site of the municipality. The week-long event include food festival highlighted by the cultural presentation depicting the founding of the pueblo and the transfer to the present site. It is preceded by the evacuation of residents with torches from Pueblo del Camando.
For more information please contact:
Ma. Analiza Camago
Municipal Tourism Officer
Tel. no. (6333) 3310036

Special thanks to: http://www.tourism.gov.ph/

Philippine Tourist Guide: Your number one guide in Philippine Tourist Spots, Tourism, Activities and Festivals.

Enjoy visiting this site and wait for more travel guides in August.

Off Topic: Philippine Properties & Real Estate

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Welcome and Mabuhay!!! Hope to see you there...

Philippine Destination Cebu : Cebu Queen City of the South

Welcome to Cebu, Philippines! Mabuhay!

The City of Cebu consider as the next established City in Southern part of the Philippines. The Malacanang Palace in the South resides in this City. There are Ayala Center Malls, SM Malls and other well-known malls they have. There are well-known universities like University of the Philippines, University of Cebu, Southwestern University, Cebu Normal University are one of the different universities in the city. Come, experience and visit their well-known Sinulog Festival one of the most visited festival in Philippines.

More of Cebu City:

The City of Cebu (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Sugbo) is the main capital of Cebu in the Philippines and is the second most important metropolitan center in the country. The city lies on the eastern shore of the island of Cebu and is the first Spanish settlement in the country. It is the country's main domestic shipping hub and is home to more than 80% of the country's inter-island shipping companies. Cebu is also the main hub, outside of the capital, of international flights into the country and is the most important center of commerce, trade, and industry in the Visayas and Mindanao, the southern parts of the country. It is because of this and other important aspects that Cebu City is dubbed the Queen City of the South. According to the official 2000 census, it has a population of 718,821 people in 147,600 households.
Cebu City is the center of a metropolitan area called Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay. Metro Cebu has a total population of more than 2 million people. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Lapu-Lapu City is only a twenty-minute drive away from Cebu City. To the northeast of the city are Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion, to the west are Toledo City, the towns of Balamban, and Asturias, to the south are Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City is located.

History

The Heritage of Cebu Monument in Parian.30,000 years ago,Cebu, zebu,or Sugbu, was already a prosperous settlement before it was colonized by Spain. It had trade relations with China and the other countries of Southeast Asia.
On April 7, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan landed in Cebu. He was welcomed by Rajah Humabon, who, together with his wife and about 800 natives, were baptized by the Spaniards on April 14, 1521 and are considered to be the first Filipino Catholics. Magellan, however, failed to successfully claim the Philippines for the crown of Spain, having been slain in neighboring Mactan Island on April 27, 1521 by the chieftain Lapu-lapu.
On April 27, 1565, Miguel López de Legazpi, with Augustinian Friar Andrés de Urdaneta, landed in Cebu. Legazpi renamed the city on January 1, 1571, from San Miguel to Villa del Santissimo Nombre de Jesus. During this six year period, Cebu City was the capital of the newly established Spanish colony. (See also: Manila Galleon)
The province of Cebu was created under Act No. 2711 on March 10, 1917. It is the home province of Sergio Osmeña, Sr. who succeeded Manuel L. Quezon as Commonwealth president during World War II.
CEBOOM refers to the boom of economy of both the city and the province of Cebu in the early part of the 1990's.
Cebu City was scheduled to co-host the ASEAN Summit along with neighboring Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City back in December 2006. However, due to the typhoon that swept through central Philippines on that month, the convention date was held in January 2007. The success of the summit made the city of cebu one of the most renowned cities in Asia. With investor population growing in the metropolis, Cebu is a promising city to be reckoned with.

Geography

Magellan's Cross kiosk.
Cebu City has a land area of 291.2 km². Of this, 55.9 km² is classified as urban, while 235.2 km² is classified as rural. Its geographic coordinates are 10°17′0″N, 123°54′0″E. To the northeast of the city are Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion, to the west are Toledo City, the towns of Balamban, and Asturias, to the south are Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City is located.
The city is politically subdivided into 80 barangays. These are grouped into two congressional districts, with 46 barangays in the northern district and 34 barangays in the southern district.

Culture
The city is an important cultural center in the Philippines. The city's most famous landmark is Magellan's Cross. This cross, now housed in a chapel, was supposedly planted by Ferdinand Magellan when he arrived in the Philippine Islands in 1521. It was encased in hollow tindalo wood in 1835 upon the order of the Augustinian Bishop Santos Gomez Marañon to prevent devotees from taking it home chip by chip. The same bishop restored the present template, or kiosk, located at the present Magellan street between City Hall and Colegio del Santo Niño. Revered by the Cebuanos, the Cross of Magellan is a symbol of the beginning of Christianity in the Philippines.
A few walks away from the Magellan's Cross is the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, an Augustinian church which was elevated to the rank of minor basilica in 1965 during the 400th year celebrations of the Christianization of the Philippines held in Cebu. The church, which was the first to be established in the islands, is built of hewn stone and features the country's oldest relic, the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu.

A 19th century map of old Cebu (downtown Cebu City).
Cebu City is also host to the popular Sinulog festival, held every third Sunday of January in honor of Santo Niño, the "Holy Child". The Sinulog is a dance ritual of pre-Spanish origin. The dancer moves two steps forward and one step backward to the rhythmic sound of drums. This movement resembles somewhat the current (sulog) of the river. Thus, the Cebuanos called it sinulog. The dance was meant to honor the anitos (spirits of descendants).
When the Spaniards arrived in Cebu, Magellan offered, as a baptismal gift, to Hara Amihan, wife of Rajah Humabon and later named Juana, the image of the Santo Niño (Child Jesus). With Magellan gone, the natives likewise honored the Santo Niño with their sinulog. Because the Augustinian missionaries appreciated native culture, the sinulog was preserved but limited to honoring the Santo Niño. Once the Santo Niño church was built in the 1500's, the faithful started performing the sinulog in front of the church, the devotees offering candles and the dancers shouting "Pit Señor!"
During the annual feast of the Santo Niño, held every 3rd Sunday of January, the Basilica del Santo Niño, which houses the still original icon, turns into a dancing hall after the solemn mass, with all the devotees executing the sinulog. The dance continues during the procession in front of the carroza which bears the statue along the streets of Cebu up to late evening.
In 1980, the city authorities of Cebu made the Sinulog part and parcel of the religious feast of the Santo Niños. A mardi-gras atmosphere was added, the innovation becoming more colorful each year. The religious and the earthy sometimes overlap each other but, as a whole, there is much fun for Cebuanos and tourists alike who find in the Santo Niño festival that part of every one's childhood that must stay like Santa Claus and halloween.

Government
Main article: Barangays in Cebu City
Cebu City is a chartered city and thus is actually independent from Cebu Province. Registered voters of the city cannot vote for provincial candidates unlike its nearby counterparts (Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay cities) that form part of Metro Cebu. It is the capital of the province mainly because the provincial capitol is located in it. There were proposals however during the time of Governor Lito Osmeña to create an "administrative district" that would be independent from Cebu City. This would literally mean carving out Cebu City's Barangay Capitol where the provincial capitol and other provincial offices are located. The plan however didn't push through and was even followed by other proposals like the transfer of the capital to nearby Balamban town.
Cebu City is governed mainly by city hall, composed of one mayor, one vice-mayor and sixteen councilors (eight representing the north and eight representing the south). Each official is elected publicly to 3-year terms. The day to day administration of the city is handled by a city administrator.
Cebu City is politically subdivided into 80 barangays. The chief of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) also sits in the city council.

Economy

The Cebu Business Park.
The local economy is mostly propped up by trade, services, and tourism. Small and medium enterprises, mostly driven by the natural enterpreneurial tendencies of its people, have played a great role in the economy. The city is also home to a number of national and international corporations some of which are homegrown. More than 80% of interisland vessels operating in the country are also based there. Recently, the entry of business process outsourcing (BPO) firms such as call centers have contributed much to the growth of the local economy. Such has made the city together with the nearby cities that form part of Metro Cebu as the country's second important economic center.
Cebu pulses around the old district popularly known as downtown area and is regarded as the main central business district. In the years that followed however, and with the city's growth and expansion, the concentration of businesses have expanded outside this area. In 1988, the Cebu Provincial Government sold a vast tract of land that was occupied by a golfcourse to a group of Manila-based businessmen, the Ayalas, who later developed it into what is now the Cebu Business Park, a neo-central business district. Just nearby is the Asiatown Information Technology (IT) Park, also by the Ayalas, which was once the old Lahug Airport and caters mostly to firms related to the information technology (IT) industry such as software development, telecommunication, call centers, among others.
Certain areas though still have to be addressed in order for the city and the rest of the island to sustain its growth in the coming years. The lack of space though has somewhat been taken cared of with the completion of the South Roads Properties (SRP), a 330-hectare reclamation area in the southern portion of the city. It was built by the city government through a loan and is envisioned to play a driving role in the economy especially that congestion, given the fact that most of the city's land area is mountainous, would definitely be an issue in the future.
Most businessmen have acknowledged that the city must work hard in attracting direct foreign investments especially for the SRP especially with the entry of China in the global playing field.

Infrastructure

Cebu City Skyline as captured from a moving ship.
Cebu City and the rest of the metro areas have all the necessary infrastructures sufficient enough for its pace of urbanization. The city is readily accessible by air via the Mactan-Cebu International Airport located in Lapu-Lapu City which has direct flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China, Palau, Malaysia, Taiwan, Qatar, and South Korea. There are also direct transfer flights via the capital's Ninoy Aquino International Airport that readily connects the city to other destinations in the world. The city mostly gets its power from an interconnection grid with the Leyte Geothermal Power Plant which also powers majority of the Visayas Islands. There are also coal-fired power plants though these have been controversial due to its impact to the environment. Another coal-fired power plant is nearing completion and is envisioned to make the city independent from the interconnection grid once completed. Distribution of electricity is provided by the Visayas Electric Company (VECO).
The city is served by a domestic and international port which are handled by the Cebu Port Authority. Much of the city's waterfront is actually occupied by the port with around 3.5 kilometers of berthing space. The domestic port readily gives access to nearby islands and provinces. The city's central location makes it as an ideal transshipment hub. It is in fact home to more than 80% of the country's interisland vessels plying domestic routes mostly in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Telecommunication facilities, broadband and wireless internet connections are readily available and are provided by some of the country's largest telecommunication companies.
In the mid 1990s the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill was constructed to ease garbage disposal within the city. It is however nearing its lifespan although the Provincial Government is planning to build two sanitary landfills to serve both the northern and southern parts of Metro Cebu including Cebu City. In June 2005, the city fully implemented the segregation of wastes as mandated by law.
Mass transportation throughout the city and the metropolis itself is provided by the popular jeepneys. There were previous plans of setting up a mass railway system but it was deemed not feasible as of the moment due to the high construction cost that it will entail and the uncertainty of making the routes profitable. A metro bus system, however, was recently implemented.
IDEA analysis of AIM survey Directly relating with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) survey, the Institute for Development and Econometric Analysis Inc. (IDEA) analyzed that Cebu City's fast growth has resulted in an irony of sorts as the Queen City of the South slipped below the top five most competitive cities in the country last year, losing its former spot to Davao.
Veteran economist Cayetano Paderanga Jr., head of the team, stated that the city's ranking suggests that businessmen continues to have "anxieties" about "congestion in roads, water and others."
He also stated that concerned local governments must invest in needed infrastructure to address issues raised by the business sector.
Despite the setback however, Paderanga declares that "Cebu is still a fast growing city," and that its speedy growth led to economic development overtaking the city's infrastructure.
In the AIM survey, Davao replaced Cebu in the top five most competitive metro cities in the country. The other four are Las Piñas, Makati, Marikina and Muntinlupa. Cebu City finished last of 12 metro cities in terms of infrastructure but landed first of the same 12 cities surveyed in terms of linkages and accessibility [1].

Healthcare
There are currently four large, and privately owned, tertiary hospitals operating in the city that are modern and of international standards: Cebu Doctors' University Hospital, Chong Hua Hospital, Perpetual Soccour Hospital and Visayas Community Medical Center. Other tertiary hospitals can also be found within the metro area. There are three government hospitals, one run by the city, the other which is the biggest is run by the province, while the third which is a mother and child hospital is directly under the Department of Health. The city however just like any other in the country is rapidly experiencing a shortage of skilled nurses due to the high demand abroad where compensation is attractive. Most of the nurses already working in the hospitals have only a few years of training, some are even fresh graduates. Despite the fact that the country produces thousands of nurses annually, the turnover is still high with even some fresh graduates working for only an average of 1-2 years before going abroad. The government though has tried several ways to address this issue including requiring fresh graduates to serve in the country for a specified period of time before being allowed to work overseas.

Education

Cebu Normal University
Cebu City is the country's center of education outside of Metro Manila. It currently has nine large universities each with a number of campus branches throughout the metro, and more than a dozen other schools and colleges specializing in various courses such as Medicine, Engineering, Nautical courses, Nursing, Law, Computer and IT, etc.
Among these schools is the University of the Philippines, Visayas- Cebu College (U.P. Cebu) - a satellite campus of the University of the Philippines, Visayas- Miagao, Iloilo (U.P. System - Visayas) which is generally acknowledged as the top university in the country. It is located in the Lahug district in Cebu City.
The oldest school (but not the oldest university) in the Philippines is the University of San Carlos and has 4 campuses around the metropolitan area. It was originally called Colegio de San Ildefonso and was established in 1595 by the Jesuits. It is currently headed by the SVD.
Its newest university, Cebu Doctors' University (formerly Cebu Doctors' College) was elevated to university status on November 2004. It is the first and only medical university in the Philippines and is currently constructing a nine-storey main building at the Cebu Boardwalk in nearby Mandaue City.
Many foreign students also come to Cebu City to study since education is relatively cheaper here. Most of them are Iranians and Nepalese who come to study dentistry and medicine. In recent years, many Koreans have come to Cebu to study English.
Cebu City has 68 public elementary schools, 23 national high schools and 28 night high schools. These night high schools are operated by the Cebu City Government. The City has a literacy rate of 97%.

Tourism

Tourism contributes a big chunk to the local economy. Inset shows Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Convention Center which was constructed in time for the 1998 Asean Tourism Forum.
Tourism continues to contribute much to the local economy not just of the city itself but of the entire province and because of this the city hosted the 1998 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF). The city also hosted the East Asian Tourism Forum (EATOF) in August 2002 in which the province of Cebu is a member and signatory.
Early 2006, one of the island's famous landmark formally reopened under a new name, Marco Polo Plaza, after more than two years of closing its doors. The hotel complex was formerly occupied by Cebu Plaza which was the first deluxe hotel in the province. It opened in the early 80s and was viewed by some as a symbol of the province's economic growth.
There are a number of commercial establishments in the city, the most popular of which are the SM City and Ayala Center malls. There are also other smaller malls and stand alone department stores. Throughout the years however, the establishment of "strip malls" which offers some sort of a town center environment have become the trend.
Despite the presence of such establishments, the downtown area still remains the nerve of commercial activity in the city. The Basilica Minore del Santo Niño and the Metropolitan Cathedral are also located there.

Special thanks to: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Congratulation to Rep. Pablo Garcia

Philippine Tourist Destination: Batangas

WELCOME TO BATANGAS!!!

The place of "Kapeng Barako", "Batangas Blades", "Taal Volcano", "Goto", "Bulalo", "Diving Spots" and most of all "My Birth Place".

We have different beautiful diving spots at Mabini, Batangas. We have the Eagle Point, Vistamar, Aguila and other beautiful beach resort. There are beautiful beaches in Calatagan - Munting Buhangin Beach Camp, Nasugbu, Bauan - Dive and Trek, San Juan - Laiya and a lot more.

More about Batangas:

Batangas is a province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the island of Mindoro and to the west lies the South China Sea.

Batangas is one of the most popular tourist destinations near Metro Manila. The province has many beaches and famous for excellent diving spots only a few hours away from Manila. Some of the more notable ones are Anilao in the Municipality of Mabini, Matabungkay and Punta Fuego in the Municipality of Nasugbu, the Municipality of Calatagan and Laiya in the Municipality of San Juan.

Found in the province is world-known Anilao (Mabini) and its many dive sites that are ideal for observing marine life, and outstanding for macro photography. Located only 110 kilometers south of Metropolitan Manila, it is very accessible by land or by sea.

Batangas is also where Taal Volcano, one of the Decade Volcanoes is located. The volcano has a water-filled crater and sits on an island in the center of Taal Lake, which geologists believe is an ancient caldera.

The town of Taal is famous for its hand embroideries, knives, and sausages; and it reigns as one of the two most culturally preserved sites of the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines.

Batangas is also generally accepted by linguists as the 'Heart of the Tagalog Language'. Poetically, Batangas is often referred to by its ancient name Kumintang.

NAME:

The first recorded name of the Province was Kumintang. Later, the Spaniards went to settle the present day Balayan, then the most progressive town of the Province. The name of the Province was changed into Bonbon.

Some time later, the capital of the province was transferred to Taal, since being near the lake, it is an easy commercial centre. After the transfer, the leaders of the province decided to change the name of the province after its capital.

Still later, the Spaniards chose to transfer the capital for the third time, now in its present capital the Town of Batangan. later Batangas City, and the Province changed its name once more after the Capital. in 1889, Batangas City became the country's 8th city.

The term batangan means a raft, the people used so that they could fish in the nearby Taal Lake.

The name "Batangas" was derived from the word "batang," which is a term of the natives for the numerous logs found in the Calumpang River, the body of water that runs through the northeastern portion of the town and assumes the shape of a tuning fork.

the term Batangueño or Batangueña generally is an adjective that describes something or someone from Batangas. However, in the recent revival of provincial identitity among the natives of Batangas, these terms is more commonly being used nowadays to mean at native of the province. On the other hand, the old term Batangan is being revived to describe something that is of Batangas flavour.

LANGUAGE

Batangas is the 'Heart of the Tagalog Language' as the dialect of Tagalog spoken here closely resembles the Tagalog spoken before the arrival of the Spanish. Therefore, a strong presence of the Tagalog Culture is clearly visible until now.

Linguistically Batangueños are also known for their unique affectation of often placing the particles eh or ga (equivalent of particle ba Filipino), usually as a marker of stress on the sentence, at the end of their spoken sentences or speech; for example: "Ay, oo, eh!" ("Aye, yes, indeed!"). Some even prolong the particle 'eh' into 'ala eh', though it really has no meaning in itself.

In the recent years, waves of migration from the Visayas had brought significant number of Visayans to the province. There are also a few who can speak Spanish, since Batangas was an important centre during the colonial period.

The province of Batangas also has one of the highest literacy rates in the country at 96.5%, wherein the males have a little higher literacy rate at 97.1% than females with 95.9%.

PEOPLE:

Maria Kalaw Katigbak, a Filipino historian, was quoted to call the Batangueños the Super-Tagalogs. This is because these group of people belonging to the Tagalog stock is the paramount example of what one can expect from this ethnolinguistic group. And indeed, when you ask someone to overact a Tagalog, they would imitate the Batangueños.

One particular custom in the Batangan culture is the so called Matanda sa Dugo (lit. older by blood) practice wherein one gives respect not because of age but of consanguinity. During the early times, the custom of having very large families are very common. Thus, it may be expected that the someone's uncle could be of the same age, or even younger than himself. In this case, the older one would call the younger one in an honorary title (such as tiyo or simply kuya if they can no longer establish the relationship), not the other way around. This often draws confusion to those from other provinces who are not accustomed to such practices.

Batangueños are very regionalistic. When one learns that a person in the room is also from Batangas, expect them to be together until the end of the event. It is also expected that those in office would favour their fellow Batangueños as long as the rules could allow it. Thus the running joke, the Batangas Mafia came to existence.

They also tend to live in a large extended family. It is but common that a piece of land remains undivided until the family connection becomes to far-off related. Marriages between relatives of the fifth generation is still restrained in the Batangan culture even if Philippine laws allow it.

Most Batangueños are either farmers or fishers who sell their own products in the market. Although most of them has also finished a degree, a lot of the people not to use what they have studied and put up their own small businesses instead. This is perhaps due to the subconscious idea that he who has no land to cultivate or trade to make is a lazy person.

Since Batangas has long been declared a tourism area by late President Ferdinand Marcos, people from other places could find a very hospitable culture in the Batangueños. They will feed you more than the usual with the food they eat. Actually, these folks would appreciate it greatly if they see that you are trying to be one of them.

Batangueños are heavy drinkers. Men, and sometimes women, could spend long hours of drinking sessions as if there would be no more work the next day. This is specially true if you are to visit the far-flung barangays.

Aside from drinking too much liquor, Batangueños like sweet food. Perhaps this is because there has never been a shortage of sugar in the province due to the presence of the Central Azucarera Don Pedro, the current largest producer of sugar in the whole archipelago.

And if they like their liquors strong and their foods sweet, Batangueños also like their coffee strong. During the early 1900s, Batangas was the largest producer of coffee in the whole of Asia. In the barrios, the people would drink brewed coffee, which the locals call kapeng barako, translated as the stud's coffee. At present, steps are being made, especially in the city of Lipa to regain the title of having the largest coffee production in Asia.

LANGUAGE:

Perhaps, there is no better way to describe a Batangueño than the language he or she speaks. Batangueños, being mainly descendants of the ancient Tagalogs, speak a dialect of the language with a very strong accent. Indeed, one can easily recognize a Batangueño the moment he opens his mouth.

Though generally intelligible to speakers of other dialects, such as the Manila and Tayabas dialects, the vocabulary of the Batangan Dialect is more closely related to the ancient Tagalog. Rarely do Batangueños use Taglish, as the custom in Manila. In fact, when you ask someone from the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino to describe the Tagalog spoken in Batangas, it will easily be labelled 'makaluma' (old style.)

Although much can be said about the way a Batangueño speaks his or her Tagalog, the high literacy of the locals means English is also widely spoken in the province. Spanish is also understood up to some extent. In fact, some towns like Nasugbu, Taal and Lemery still have a significant minority of Spanish speakers. Visayan is also spoken by a significant minority due to the infulx of migration from the Southern Philippines.

MYTHODOLOGY & LITERATURE

According to scholars, the mythology of Batangas is closely related to the mythology of the Oaxacan Tribe of Mexico. A clear proof is the presence of story 'Why the Firefly is Noisy?' and 'The Race of the Carabao and Tortoise', both having their counterparts in Mexico.

Scholars also identified that the ancient Batangueños, like the rest of the Tagalog Tribe, worship the Supreme Creator, known as Bathala. Lesser gods like Mayari, the goddess of the Moon and her brother Apolake, god of the sun, were also present. And although people would not easily connect it with mythology, the Northeast Monsoon is still called Amihan, while the Southwest Monsoon is called Habagat.

For literature, Padre Vicente Garcia came to be known when he wrote an essay to defend José Rizal's Noli Me Tangere.

In 2004, the Province of Batangas gave its Son Domingo Landicho (familiarly called Inggo be Batangueños) the 'Dangal ng Batangas Award' (Pride of Batangas) for being the 'Peoples' Poet'. He, together with Ambassador Lauro Baja, former Executive secretary Renato de Villa, Current Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona, and Transport Secretary Leandro Mendoza received the award in a ceremony which highlighted the celebration of the 423rd year of the founding of the Province.

MUSIC

When a foreigner visits the Philippines, he or she always remark on how musical the Filipinos are. The Batangueños are no exception. Batangueños have always been visible in the Philippine music scene, whether it is in the field of traditional music, popular music or even popular music.

Musicologists identified Batangas as the origin of the kumintang, and ancient war song, which later evolved to become the signature of Filipino love songs the kundiman. From the ancient kumintang, another vocal music emerged, identified as the awit. The huluna, a psalm-like lullaby, is also famous in some towns, especially Bauan. And during the Lenten Season, the Christian passion-narrative, called Pasyon by the natives, is but expected in every corners of the province.

Debates may also be done while singing. While those from the Province of Bulacan are known for their Balagatasan (a form of debate done in poetry), Batangueños are famous for the duplo (a sung debate where each lines of the verse must be octosyllabic) and the karagatan (a sung dabate where each lines of the verse must be dodecasyllabic.) The latter, whose literal meaning is the ocean, got its name from the opening lines. Always, the karagatan is opened by saying some verses that alludes the depth of the sea and comparing it to the difficulty of joining the debate. And as mentioned above, the debate must be sung.

Batangas is also the origin of the Balitao (although Cebuanos may argue.) Aside from being a form of vocal music, the Balitao is also a form of dance music. The Balitao, together with the Subli is the most famous form of dance native to Batangas.

In the field of serious music, no one can underestimate the contribution of Batangas. Batangas is the birthplace of the famous Filipino soprano Conching Rosal, dubbed as the First Lady of the Philippine Operatic Stage. Lorenzo Ilustre, a local composer, also became famous for his wide array of religious and liturgical music.

On the other hand, the Maestro of Philippine Music, Ryan Cayabyab is no less than a Batangueño, whose mother Celerina Pujante was in her own right a well sought operatic soprano in the 1950s, about the same time as Rosal. Ogie Alcasid, known to fans as Mr. Composer, also hails from this province.

Special thanks to http://en.wikipedia.org/
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