Simala in Cebu

Have you ever heard about the miraculous virgin Mary of Simala in Cebu? I have heard about this place in some of my friends and they said I should visit there when i will go back there. So as i planned to have my CFO (Commission of Filipino Overseas) interview as requirement to change status and name in my passport soon in Cebu City, I also want to see the said place. I am checking here online about the place and is this is what i found from Inquirer Net - In south Cebu, thousands of Cebuanos and other visitors from far and wide, climb up a hill to the Mother Mary Shrine in Simala, Sibonga town, bringing their faith and petitions for cures and other divine aid.
Each year, the crowd of devotees and first-time pilgrims seems to grow bigger.
January 1 is marked in the Christian calendar worldwide as a solemnity in honor of Mary as the mother of God, a day of obligation for Catholics to attend Mass.
At the Mother Mary Shrine in upper Lindogon in Barangay (village) Simala, Sibonga town, 48 kilometers south of Cebu City, devotees come by truckloads to be there every 13th of the month to hear Mass at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. or during the weekends at 3 p.m.
The shrine became “famous” after word spread that the image of the Virgin Mary was seen “shedding tears of blood,” a phenomenon that lacks scientific or official church validation but nevertheless draws more people to the area.
Driving to Simala shrine by private car from Cebu City means two to three hours on the road, barring heavy traffic in the outlying towns. Public buses ply the south Cebu route but one would have to get off a corner of the national road to reach upper Lindogon and hail a motorcab or a habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) for P20 to take you to the shrine about four kilometers up the mountains.
At the site, one has to cross a foot bridge and walk up a concrete pathway to reach the church, an imposing concrete structure at the top of the mountain. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the peak, which offers a breathtaking view of green slopes and fresh air.
The Marian monks who maintain the shrine have also landscaped the area, which has a mini falls that cascades down a small pool and well-tended gardens.
Signboards warn people that picking the flowers would be like “stealing from Mother Mary”. Families can have picnics and meals in cottages built for visitors. Children like to throw coins in a wishing well which features a large bell. Carenderias outside the gates of the shrine are proof of the steady volume of visitors in Simala.
Those who grumble about the distance are quickly shamed by the sight of elderly men and women on wheelchairs and crutches who go there to hear Mass and line up to kiss the image of Mary. These senior citizens don veils on their heads while praying, the same one Mary wore when she “shed tears of blood.”
While the church exterior is imposing, the interior is clearly a work in progress. The floor doesn’t have tiles and the church is not completely roofed. The hall is filled with wooden pews that look up to an elevated makeshift altar, where the statue of Mary is visible. Scaffoldings around the makeshift altar show work still being done on the ceiling. The rest of the church has no ceiling yet, which makes it humid inside, eased only by the breeze that wafts inside the tall windows on each side of the church.
A major purpose of visitors and devotees who go to Simala is to offer their petitions. Blank sheets of paper and pens on which to write their intentions are prepared by the monks for one to drop in a box at the right side of the glass-encased Marian image. Thank you letters are dropped in a box to her left side.
Visitors in lone queues walk barefoot to the statue. Since the area is considered sacred ground, shoes and footwear have to be removed and modesty is part of the dress code. Wearing of shorts, body-hugging blouses or sleeveless shirts is not allowed. Visitors who come dressed in this attire are asked to cover up with sarongs or malongs, prepared by the monks at the entrance.
In front of the Marian image, one is given only a few minutes to either kiss or say a short prayer, so as not to hold up the line.
Two other lines lead to a display of veils similar to the one the Marian image was wearing on the day believers said the “Birhen sa Simala” “shed” tears of blood.
On one display, the veil is placed on a low altar, where one can kneel and place the veil on one’s head while praying. The other one is placed on another statue of Mary. To view this, devotees have to stand within the folds of the veil and hold on to the hands of Mary while praying.
The path leading to both veils is lined with wooden cabinets where written petitions and thank you letters from as far as the United States and other countries are posted. Most petitions ask for a divine cure for ailments of the seeker or a family member’s. Several petitions were made by students seeking to pass the Bar or board examinations. Others seek help in finding jobs abroad.
In another cabinet, thank you letters are laid out, full of gratitude to Mary for answered prayers. While waiting for the line to move, reading the letters is an engaging past time. One woman sent a package containing her nursing uniform, her offering of thanks to Mary for passing the nursing licensure examination.
Further on is a cabinet crammed with wheelchairs and crutches offered by those who were cured of their ailments. The sight is a moving, modern day wonder, echoing Bible stories about the sick and lame who were able to walk again or were freed from their maladies by Jesus Christ.

Now i am more eager to be there soon!

Dream Furniture

Each one of us has it's unique ideas and choices. Like in choosing our home furnitures, it's best to decide what kind and designs or styles we wanted it to be. I would like to have a rustic furniture and a woodcraft. In Philippines, there are a lot of companies that manufacture affordable woodcrafts products.

Mabuhay Philippines!

Today is June 12, the Philippines is celebrating the country's Independence Day! Do you want to know more about it? Here is a clipped from wiki: In the presence of a huge crowd, independence was proclaimed on June 12, 1898 between four and five in the afternoon in Cavite at the ancestral home of General Emilio Aguinaldo some 30 kilometers South of Manila . The event saw the unfurling of the National Flag of the Philippines, made in Hong Kong by Mrs. Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo and Delfina Herboza, and the performance of the Marcha Filipina Magdalo, as the Nation's National Anthem, now known as Lupang Hinirang, which was composed by Julian Felipe and played by the San Francisco de Malabon Marching band.
The Act of the Declaration of Independence was prepared, written, and read by Senior Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista in Spanish. A passage in the Declaration reminds one of another passage in the American Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was signed by ninety-eight people, among them an American army officer who witnessed the proclamation. The final paragraph states that there was a "stranger" (stranger in English translation — etranger in the original Spanish, possibly meaning foreigner) who attended the proceedings, Mr. L. M. Johnson, described as "a citizen of the U.S.A, a Coronel of Artillery". The proclamation of Philippine independence was, however, promulgated on the 1st of August, when many towns had already been organized under the rules laid down by the Dictatorial Government of General Aguinaldo.
Later at Malolos, Bulacan, the June 12 proclamation was modified upon the insistence of Apolinario Mabini who objected to that the original proclamation essentially placed the Philippines under the protection of the United States.
The Philippine Declaration of Independence occurred on June 12, 1898 in Cavite el Viejo (now Kawit), Cavite, Philippines. With the public reading of the Act of the Declaration of Independence, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain, which had been recently defeated at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.
The declaration, however, was not recognized by the United States or Spain. The Spanish government later ceded the Philippines to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American War.
The United States recognized Philippine independence on July 4, 1946 in the Treaty of Manila. July 4 was observed in the Philippines as Independence Day until August 4, 1964 when, upon the advice of historians and the urging of nationalists, President Diosdado Macapagal signed into law Republic Act No. 4166 designating June 12 as the country's Independence Day. June 12 had previously been observed as Flag Day.

Be a proud Filipino and be responsible one!

Rainy Season

Summer has just ended in Philippines, though we still experience a sunny day every now and then but we know it's going to be rainy season soon! And because of some areas in the country that are prone to floods, it's also prone to diseases cause by stagnant waters like dengue. So we need to learn how to protect us from diseases like this. Based on the WHO website : Dengue is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with any one of the four dengue viruses. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. Symptoms appear 3—14 days after the infective bite. Dengue fever is a febrile illness that affects infants, young children and adults.
Symptoms range from a mild fever, to incapacitating high fever, with severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and rash. There are no specific antiviral medicines for dengue. It is important to maintain hydration. Use of acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. aspirin) and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Ibuprofen) is not recommended.
Dengue haemorrhagic fever (fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding) is a potentially lethal complication, affecting mainly children. Early clinical diagnosis and careful clinical management by experienced physicians and nurses increase survival of patients.

Be safe and learn more!

Property Management

Management in all business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Resourcing encompasses the deployment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources, and natural resources. It can also refer to the person or people who perform the act(s) of management. Like the Real Property Management company they offered a full service management those owning a single house, or investors within other places.

Humba Recipe

Have you ever heard of Filipino recipe called Humba?It is a braised pork belly and one of the comfort foods in the Philippines. It's popular Filipino dish in places like mindanao and in visayas regions. Some places in Luzon island have also known humba but i don't what they call it exactly. Humba is one of the dishes that we can always see in the table during Philippine fiestas and any other occassions. For thos who want to try cook Humba, here is the exact ingredients and cooking procedures from del monte page.

Ingredients :
1 kilo Pork Pigue (Pork Ham), cut to serving pieces4 cloves garlic, minced1 cup water2 tablespoons brown sugar1 teaspoon salt1/2 cup vinegar1 sprig of oregano1 bay leaf2 Star Anise (optional but I love the star anise twist to the Humba flavor)1 teaspoon pepper corn
3 tablespoons tausi or salted black beans
1/2 cup of banana blossoms (for a nice decorative touch)

Directions:
1. Sear the pork cubes in the pan until the sugar has caramelized with the pork. Add garlic and black beans and mix well.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (like vinegar, soy sauce, oregano, bay leaf, and salt ) except banana blossoms together until the pork is tender. It may take 30 minutes or so to make the pork tender so just add a little more water when sauce appears to dry up.
3. Halfway through the cooking, add banana blossoms and continue cooking until tender.
4. Arrange on a platter. Serve hot.

Enjoy cooking!

Check for the Best!

I graduated as a computer science students. And part of our study was making our own website and to do this, we need to have a very reliable and professional web hosting services like what the Web Hosting Geeks are offered. Also many businesses here in the Philippines are using online to earn more or to advertise their products and services online, they need to have their own webpage! Choosing the right kind of web hosting service can be a very daunting task at times as there are some very important features that you need to make sure of. Here you can find what exactly to look for when choosing the best web hosting service. I was browsing online looking for the best website that I can recommend to my readers here especially those in the business fields. And the Web Hosting Geeks is what I have found that has all the components you will need of personal or business website. Finding the best dedicated server hosting service for your website can be complicated too. The best way to select a quality web host is to take the selection process one step at a time. I already gave you some idea, so it’s your choice to pick the best web hosting. Good luck!

The Month of June

Time flies fast and it's June now! Aside from what i had mention in my last post that this is the month when classes starts, this is also month for weddings as many ladies in Philippines wants to be a June Bride. To those who are planning to have a Philippine catholic wedding, you need to take note the following requirements:

Marriage License - This should have four months validity. For other couples who had civil wedding prior to church wedding, you just need to submit the Marriage Contract. And to secure a Marriage License in the Philippines, below are the requirements you need to submit:
1. NSO Birth Certificates
2. CENOMAR - Certificate of No Marriage form from NSO office.
3. Parental Consent for couples aged 18 to 21 or Parental Advice for those 22-25 years old.
4. Passport sized Pictures
5. Residence Certificate
6. Seminar - Conducted by the Division of Maternal & Child Health at the Municipal/City Hall
7. Application Form

Baptismal Certificate - Each should submit baptismal certificate with annotation “for marriage purposes”.

Confirmation Certificate - Same thing with baptismal certificate, this also requires an annotation of “for marriage purposes” and should be valid in six months.
- Publication of Wedding Banns for three consecutive Sundays in the parish of the bride & groom, also permission from the parish of the bride
- Catholic Seminar
- Canonical Interview
- List of Principal Sponsors

Best Wishes to those who are planning to get married and Good Luck!