St. Francis Xavier in Goa, India

Dateline: May 6, 1542 – St. Francis Xavier reaches Old Goa, the capital of Portuguese India at the time. Here is my photo of his coffin inside the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa. 

Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552) was a Roman Catholic missionary born in Xavier, Kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain), and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534.He led an extensive mission into Asia, mainly in the Portuguese Empire of the time. He was influential in the spreading and upkeep of Catholicism most notably in India, but also ventured into Japan, Borneo, the Moluccas, and other areas which had thus far not been visited by Christian missionaries. In these areas, being a pioneer and struggling to learn the local languages in the face of opposition, he had less success than he had enjoyed in India. It was a goal of Xavier to one day reach China.

aklan's mangroves

During my recent trip to Aklan, i decided to refrain from proceeding to its more popular tourist destination (Boracay)  and explore another aklan attraction, the mangroves, a perfect place to just relax and commune with nature!

 Mangrove forest is also known as the “rainforest of the sea.” It grows well in tropical countries, including the Philippines.  Mangroves are an important part of the coastal and marine ecosystem that includes the seagrass and the coral reefs.  Of the world’s more than 70 mangrove species, around 46 species are known to occur in various parts of the country.

In the morning, I visited the Bakhawan Eco-Park located at Barangay Bachaw Sur, Kalibo Aklan. It's a 220-hectare Mangrove forest of reclaimed land created by the Kalibo Save the Mangrove Association.I walked through the 1.3 KM bamboo trail bridge  that goes through the lush mangrove forest lush mangrove forest! Nipa, Pagatpat, Piyapi and Bakhawan are among the types of mangroves that can be seen in the park that benefit from the brackish water of Aklan River and the Sibuyan Sea.

The mangrove reforestation and protection was initiated in the 1980s by the then-mayor Atty. Allen Salas Quimpo. What started with 50 hectares of mangrove plantation grew to be one of the most successful reforested areas in Asia through the combined efforts of   USWAG Development Foundation Inc., LGUs and volunteer citizens. The park was also a recipient of Golden Eagle Award for Excellence in Environmental Preservation.

Roughly a 30-minute tricycle ride from the town proper of Kalibo., entrance fee is 20 pesos each for adults and 15 pesos for students and Senior Citizens. They are open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. There's a Canteen and a Gift Shop near the entrance if you need to buy some souvenirs or refreshments.

 

In the afternoon, I travelled to  New Washington ( the hometown of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin) for the Isla Capispisan Magrove reforestation. From afar, the area seemed like islets filled with mangroves. Upon close scrutiny, the magroves were planted in the middle of the sea. It is also known as Andagao Bay Island. 

We took  a 15-min. banca ride from the municipal wharf to reach the a 32-hectare mangrove reforestation project / mangrove-planted fishpond by the Aklan State University (ASU).The rent for the boat was P400.00. We were told that you can stay overnight in the area as one can use the ASU staffhouse for free. Just bring your own provisions.

Capispisan, they said, means "birds"since the mangroves serve as  habitat for the birds. Indeed, we saw many birds flying in the area as the sunset approaches.
 
   The Isla Capispisan recently gained recognition from the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for ASU's exemplary university extension project.The planting of mangrove propagules and a clean up drive are good  ways of helping our environment.

Once planted, a mangrove can grow a little less than three feet on its first year and that’s not fast enough if you’re trying to conserve life that’s why it needs a lot of attention and fostering to help it survive and endure certain conditions in the island.

Mangroves provide economic as well as ecological benefits, such as the following:

• they are a good source of products like alcohol, medicine, tannin, charcoal, timber and housing materials

• they support fisheries production and aquaculture;

• they provide nursery grounds, shelter and food for fish and other sea creature;

• they protect coastal communities from storm surges, waves, tides and currents;

• they act as carbon sink by reducing organic pollution along shore areas;

• they serve as recreational grounds for wildlife enthusiasts; and

• they stabilize the coastline by reducing erosion.

Bonsai Islet of Cagbalete, Mauban, Quezon

It was a weekend getaway again with my travel buddies Skwakings along with Lahing Kayumanggi group. Our destination: Cagbalete Island in Mauban, Quezon.

Cagbalete Island  is another jewel of the Quezon Province. Located in the Lamon Bay fronting the Pacific Ocean, it is another paradise in the province of Quezon surrounded by white sand that exposes during low tide.This 1,640 hectares privately owned island is home to a diverse ecosystem. With unique variety of birds, rich marine life, and the abundance of unique species of plants, the island is a coIt mplete paradise for adventurers and nature lovers. Similar to Jomalig Island in Northern Quezon, a part of the Cagbalete’s beach is dotted with Agoho trees, a family of pine tree.

The Bonsai Island

 One very interesting spot in Cagbalete is a small island called Bonsai Island, located in front of the beach were we stayed Villa Cleofas. It  is an islet that only shows up during low tide and disappears when high tide. It is a wide, flat, and huge   elevated  black rock islet (looks like a volcanic rock or dried magma) consisting  of pebbles, dead corals, and  mangrove plants. It is always a mystery  how this islet was formed and how is it that the color of the islet is black. . From the shoreline, we have to cross the waters for almost half an hour (depending on the level of water)  to reach Bonsai Island (because of the single “bonsai-like” mangrove in the center of the islet) .Its a challenge going to the Bonsai Island because you’ll never know when the water will get high as one passes  over the flat shoreline filled with sea weeds, shells and pebbles of different kinds.The bonsai mangroves belong to the pneumatophores species.It has been there since time immemorial according to the old folks in the place. the trees never grew tall because it is naturally trimmed by the waves of the sea Just a tip: don't walk bare footed .. you might cut yourself from sharp dead corals .

 Going to Mauban, Quezon

You can take JAC Liner at Buendia going to Lucena Grand Terminal. The bus ride is around 3-4 hours and costs 210 pesos. Once you reach Lucena Grand Terminal, take the ordinary bus going to Mauban, Quezon. The fare is 50 pesos and about 1 1/2 hour trip. The 1 1/2 hour bus ride will take you through a long stretch of Quezon's scenic views of  lush-green environment so just enjoy the whole ride. Upon reaching the Mauban Terminal you may take a tricycle and head first to the wet market where you can buy your island supplies and foods before heading to the "Pantalan". The fare is 14 pesos. At the Pantalan Port, look for the ferry boats going to Cagbalete Island. 

Going to Cagbalete: Boat Fare

 There are only 2 schedules per day going to the island so be there on time. The first trip is at 10:00am and the last trip is at 4:00pm. The fare is 180 pesos and it will take almost 1 hour to reach Cagbalete.When you reach the port, you will be asked to register and pay for these : boat fare, environmental fee, terminal fee and porters fee. All in all, round trip fare for passenger boat is P180. If you are renting a private boat, LGU will collect only the environmental and terminal fees – P70 on top of boat rent.

Round Trip Fare/Fees (centralized collection by Tourism staff at the port)

Environmental Fee – 40.00

Terminal Fee -30.00

Porters Fee – 30.00

Boat Fare – 80.00

Once you reach Sabang Port (Cagbalete Island), you can either trek for 15-20mins or rent a boat to reach the resorts. . There are 3 known resorts in the area - Villa Cleofas, Pansacola Beach Resort and MVT Sto. Niño Beach Resort.We stayed in Villa Cleofas owned by the Reyeg family.

Mcdo vs. Big Mak trademark case

I recently  saw the food chain  in  Mauban, Quezon which was  involved in one of the landmark trademark case of McDo vs. BigMak. 

The Supreme Court ruled in August 2004 that aurally the two marks are the same, with the first word of both marks phonetically the same, and the second word of both marks also phonetically the same. Visually, the two marks have both two words and six letters, with the first word of both marks having the same letters and the second word having the same first two letters. In spelling, considering the Filipino language, even the last letters of both marks are the same. Clearly, respondents have adopted in “Big Mak” not only the dominant but also almost all the features of “Big Mac.” Applied to the same food product of hamburgers, the two marks will likely result in confusion in the public mind.Absent proof that respondents’ adoption of the “Big Mak” mark was due to honest mistake or was fortuitous, the inescapable conclusion is that respondents adopted the “Big Mak” mark to “ride on the coattails” of the more established “Big Mac” mark. This saves respondents much of the expense in advertising to create market recognition of their mark and hamburgerhttp://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2004/aug2004/143993.htm

byaheng aklan; Cardinal sin's statue

This is the statue of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin near his ancestral home in New Washington, aklan. this is an old statue that was originaly intended to be in manila but was later shipped to Sin’s hometown in Aklan. the bishops and the entire priesthood criticized that it did not look anything like the cardinal.The much-improved statue of Sin, also bespectacled, clad in plain priestly robes, with the right hand raised in blessing, was made in Beijing, China by Chinese artist and sculptor Shin Yanmin. and was unveiled in Edsa shrine on February 2012.

May 1: Labor Day in the Philippines

Dateline : May 1. It  is known as Labor Day and is considered a public holiday. Labor unions and organizations hold mass protests in major cities, while schoolchildren have no classes as it is part of the local summer holiday.

On May 1, 1903, the Union Obrera Democratica Filipina (Filipino Democratic Labor Union) held a massive rally in front of the Malacañan Palace demanding workers' economic rights, and the granting Philippine independence. Ten years later, the first official celebration was celebrated on May 1, 1913 when 36 labor unions convened at the Cine Oriente along C.M. Recto street, then known as Azcarraga, in Manila. Around 36 labor unions heeded the call to hold congress and unite under one umbrella, the better to fight for the rights of Filipino workers.  Thus was born the Congreso Obrero de Filipinas (COF) or Congress of Philippine Labor.

Since then, Labor Day in the Philippines has been commemorated not only with parades and celebrations, but also with rallies and demonstrations of the labor sector.

During the Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the holiday economics policy was followed, where holidays were moved to weekends to give workers a longer vacation. This was applied on Labor Day in 2002, which caused the holiday to be held on April 29; this was protested by labor groups, as they accused the Arroyo administration of belittling the holiday.By 2008, Labor Day was excluded in the holiday economics policy, returning the commemorations every May 1, no matter what day of the week it falls under.


In a 2013 statement, the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)  said there’s chronic unemployment in the country because the government has refused to develop agriculture and basic industries to serve local needs and has instead relied on foreign investments to generate jobs.
It said that the country’s dependence on foreign investments has failed to generate sufficient jobs in the country and has only resulted in lower wages, contractual employment, and violations of workers’ rights.