The Anthem Philatelist

Witness Master Celso Duazo Pepito , Fe Madrid Pepito and Florentino "Jun" Impas in Dumingag , Zamboanga del Sur , (upon the invitation of artist, art collector and patron, Mayor Gerry Paglinawan ), as they continue promoting the arts and artists in the peripheries, unifying Luzon , Visayas and Mindanao within weeks ( VAF yesterday, Imagination now then Manila Bang tomorrow). Venue at the Senior Citizen building, Municipal Compound.    Come here for the best source of crustaceans in the Philippines, and for continued adventure. Zamboanga del Sur comprises four bays, three rivers, three lakes, and plenty of nature. People here speak mainly Cebuano, but you’ll hear a bit of English and Chavacano as well. The land’s first settlers were the “river folk”—called Subanons or Subanens. For a new food trip, try eating one of the local Tausug favorites: tiula itum . It’s a ginger and turmeric infused black soup served hot and spicy. It’s made from beef or chicken and gets its ...

I would never imagined I'd ever have a tatoo in my life. When I was young, I loathed rhe idea of having tatoos- why put graffiti on your body, it's tantamount to desecrating God's creation? Then I read Bantugang Sugbuan chapter on Painted Bodies by Jay Nathan T. Jore that this practice is a Cebuano cultural heritage. "Decorative painting and decoration in general during the precolonial Cebu were "not architectural, rather it was centered in one important entity - the human- body. As a prized possession, the human body is well celebrated ans decorated. Art was a celebration of this humanist attitude, geared towards the endowment of the human body with the implements and ornamentation that mark the bearers with proper distinction in society and command certain roles in community affairs". That notion that tattooing was undesirable was further shattered when I visited Whang-od . I also realized that she being an artist and my body- the canvas, I've become ...

This is where one can see the oldest work of art in the Philippines done 3000 years ago using stone tools.  I visited this site on May 1, 2018 and what normally is a 2 to 3 hour ride from Manila to Angono-Binangonan in Rizal Province took me less than an hour, being a Labor Day holiday.  The Waze app I used was very accurate and I suggest using this because only 5% of the locals have knowledge of this place.  Ninety five percent of the visitors are out-of-townees.  The site is on an elevated area, hilly, and located inside a subdivision which is privately owned.  There are no public transportation inside so one has to walk a few minutes from the entrance to the site.  If you have a private car, there is a parking area beside the tunnel entrance to the petroglyph.  Its a 5-10 minute walk from the man-made tunnel entrance which was a little dark but cool.  There is a mini museum which use to house the artifacts like flake stone tools ...

I've been road running for the past 3 years. A few days ago however, I ventured into a different running adventure-  trail running.  Earlier on, I always wanted to run in varied off-road terrain, but friends warned me that injuries are higher in these types of run .    A colleague of mine, dislocated his knee and another had bruises in his shins and foot courtesy of the rocky terrain. My witty, humorous, fitness loving travelmate  Dr. Clifford "Ipyok" Aranas almost collapsed due to anaphylaxis after being bitten by a bee. Some even got lost (due to absence of signs) and became severely dehydrated (due to lack of water stations).  So, I told myself: "I'll have to prepare for this event"- the first ROX (Recreational Outdoor Xchange) Trail run in Liloan , Cebu sponsored by Salomon .    After much reading from various books and frequent site visits to Runner's World , I came up with these strategies, which I call the ABCDE strategy, for a successf...

Entering into caves gave me goosebumps.  No video or photos can justify this truly world class experience. All your senses are stimulated- the sound of flying bats and sparrows, the cold air draft, the taste of dripping water( or bat urine?),the unforgettable subterranean whiff, the magnificent and jaw-dropping stone formations.  This is a heritage site all Filipinos should visit at least once in their lifetime. The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 kilometres (30 mi) north of the city center of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. The river is also called Puerto Princesa Underground River. The national park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of the island. It is bordered by St. Paul Bay to the north and the Babuyan River to the east. The City Government of Puerto Princesa has managed the National Park since 1992. The park is also known as St. Paul's Subterranean River National Park, or St. Paul Undergroun...

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. It is a World Heritage Site in that it is one of numerous Hispanic towns in the Philippines, and is well-known for its cobblestone streets, and a unique architecture that fuses Philippine building design, and construction with colonial European architecture. According to the latest Philippines census, it has a population of 47,246 people in 9,193 households. Former Philippine president Elpidio Quirino, the 6th president of the Philippines, is born in Vigan, at the current location of the Provincial Jail (his father was a warden); and resided in the Syquia Mansion. Vigan is an island which is separated from the mainland by three bodies of water: the Abra River, the Mestizo River, and the Govantes River. The city is unique in the Philippines because it is one...