Bad News!

It is not new in the Philippines to hear bombings as terrorist attack. But just today, two bombs have exploded in Mindanao, killing two people and wounding 27 in one town and 11 in another. A crude bomb hidden in a motorcycle exploded early Tuesday morning in Jolo, Sulu, killing two people and wounding 27 others, officials said. Most of the wounded were passersby and students who were on their way to school. For fear of more attacks, authorities have suspended classes in Jolo. And then hours later car bomb exploded near the port of Iligan City wounded at least 11, including nine civilians and two soldiers. According to witnesses, moments before the explosion, the car with the bomb managed to park near the army jeep from the Philippine Army Light-Armor Division.





Here are some of photos that i found online, after the explosion in Iligan City

Tinago Falls

Tinago Falls is a waterfall in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Aside from Maria Cristina falls, it is also one of the main tourist attractions in Iligan, a city known as the City of Majestic Waterfalls. Tinago is a Filipino term meaning "hidden", the falls being hidden in a deep ravine. Trekking to the falls requires approximately 500 descending steps called the winding staircase. The falls is approximately 240 feet (73 m) high, its very cold waters cascading beautifully into a deep and calm basin-like pool which appears like a blue-colored lagoon. Under the falls is a small cave where people can enter and listen to the rumbling waters. The legend of the falls is that there once lived an influential and powerful Sultan Agok and her wife. They were appointed by their people as their king and queen. But they become too proud of themselves and became selfish rulers of their kingdom. When the sultan's wife was pregnant, an enchantress, disguised as a beggar, begged for their help but instead they exiled and rejected her. Because of this, the enchantress cursed the couple that the child will become ugly but they did not took it seriously and permanently banished the enchantress.
When the child was born, the child did become ugly. The couple was sad and disappointed, expecting the baby to be as lovely as her mother. They hid the child in a cave to avoid embarrassment and named the baby Tin-ag, which means "hidden face". They visited and took care of the baby in the cave. When the child grew up, she came out of the cave and became amazed at what she saw. The enchantress, who cursed her parents, saw her and made an offer to transform her into something of great beauty and splendor. She accepted the offer and became the Tinago Falls.

Sukang Pinakurat

A homegrown food processing family business is taking the whole country and soon, the rest of the world by surprise. The Pinakurat is the now famous brand of vinegar made in Iligan City. And there seems no stopping its growing fame because it has not only become the must-have pasalubong from visitors of this city of waterfalls, but it is the most in demand padala to Filipinos abroad. Sukang Pinakurat is that spicy vinegar made from fermented coconut nectar and spices grown in the farmlands of Iligan City and Lanao del Norte. Its mercuric rise to the top of the condiment and dip business owes primarily to the fact that it takes over one’s taste buds and gives the pulutan or any food that needed zzzing! The word “pinakurat” is an affixation of the Sebuano (correct spelling instead of “Cebuano” according to language scholars) root word “kurat.” “Kurat,” according to De la Cruz, means surprise. Thus, “pinakurat” means in a sudden or surprising manner as to shock the person. “Since the taste of the vinegar mixed with the spices was very similar to that used in the pinakurat dish, we decided to name our product after it,” explained Stuart del Rosario. And sure enough, sukang Pinakurat’s taste took everyone by surprise. “Papawisan ka sa sarap” (you’ll break out into a sweat from its spiciness) so the ad goes. The sukang Pinakurat indirectly provides 500 jobs to farmers who supply the coco nectar and spices from the different farmlands in and around Iligan. According to Stuart del Rosario’s son, Rene “Peppo” Jr., who now manages the family business, they plan to ship the sukang Pinakurat to Australia, Canada and parts of the United States.

Maria Cristina Falls

Maria Cristina Falls is a waterfall of the Agus River on the island of Mindanao. It is sometimes called the "twin falls" as the flow is separated by a rock at the brink of the waterfall. It is a landmark of Iligan City, nicknamed the City of Majestic Waterfalls, because of the presence of more than 20 waterfalls in the city. It is located 8.5 kilometers away southwest of the city proper. It is sometimes called the "twin falls" as the flow is separated by a rock at the brink of the waterfall. It is a landmark of Iligan City, nicknamed the City of Majestic Waterfalls, because of the presence of more than 20 waterfalls in the city. It is located 9.3 kilometers away southwest of the city proper at the boundaries of Barangay Maria Cristina, Ditucalan, and Buru-un. Well-known for its natural beauty and grandeur, the 320-feet98 meters/320 feet high waterfall is also the primary source of electric power for the city's industries, being harnessed by the Agus VI Hydroelectric Plant. Maria Cristina Falls contributed much in Iligan’s progress since aside from being a popular tourist attraction, it invites local and foreign tourists that add income to city's coffer. Maria Cristina Falls is also utilized as a hydroelectric power generating plant that supplies 80 percent of the total energy requirement of the Mindanao region. Countless industries were built and more people came to settle making Iligan’s economy elevate much. Thus due to this, Maria Cristina Falls is also tagged as the “Mother of Industry” and “Fountainhead of Progress”. Maria Cristina Falls contributed much in Iligan’s progress since aside from being a popular tourist attraction, it invites local and foreign tourists that add income to city's coffer. Maria Cristina Falls is also utilized as a hydroelectric power generating plant that supplies 80 percent of the total energy requirement of the Mindanao region. It made the city’s urbanization rushed upon the establishment of the plant in 1952. Countless industries were built and more people came to settle making Iligan’s economy elevate much. Thus due to this, Maria Cristina Falls is also tagged as the “Mother of Industry” and “Fountainhead of Progress”.

Timoga Swimming Pool

The most distinguished springs in the city because of its crystal clear cold flowing water. It is located in Barangay Buru-un which is 9 kilometers from the city proper. Timoga Swimming pool is one of the spots that you can only found in Iligan City, Philippines. It was one of the spots in Iligan were the neighboring cities and foreigners are visiting this place due to its amazing and fantastic beauty. In fact, its not just about the beauty of the place but its about the natural overflowing water were you can possibly had your great time together with your family and friends. Timoga Pools is consist of 5 different owners and designs. My cousin's family from Cebu, visit us here in Iligan City and just yesterday we had so much fun at Timoga pool, specifically at Dela Mar Resort. It was such a cold swimming because we experienced rain showers while we are at the pool.

Island Where I Belong

I was born and grew up in Iligan City, Northern Mindanao. The island Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also one of the three island groups in the country, along with Luzon and Visayas. Contrary to common belief, only a portion of Mindanao was inhabited by Muslims by the time the Spanish arrived and colonized the Philippines, and centuries after the first native was converted to Islam. In fact, most of the people in the northern and eastern part of the island practiced native religions before they converted to Christianity. Designated as Region X of the Philippines, Northern Mindanao (Filipino: Hilagang Mindanao) is composed of five provinces and two cities classified as highly urbanized, all occupying the north-central part of Mindanao Island, and the island province of Camiguin. The regional center is Cagayan de Oro, where the national government's regional offices and other big establishments are located. The economy in Northern Mindanao is mainly agricultural. But there is also a booming growth of industries particularly in Cagayan de Oro and in Iligan City. The famous Del Monte Plantation is located in Bukidnon and it's plant is located in Cagayan De Oro City. The Agus-IV to VII Hydroelectric Plants in Iligan City and Baloi, Lanao del Norte supplies most of its electrical power in Mindanao.

My Alma Mater

The school where my potentials, skills and knowledge has develop is Iligan Capitol College. It has a great contribution on my intellectual, physical, behavioral and spiritual growth. Iligan Capitol College is situated ideally along the national highway south of the city proper. It started with two simple wooden structures in 1964 which housed the classrooms and offices. Those wooden building have been replaced, for as ICC progressed through the years, permanent concrete structures were constructed. Presently, the seven thousand square meter campus has been fully utilized with three imposing concrete structures dominating the landscape. The ICC campus today stands out as one of the most impressive in the Iligan City and in Region XII.All through the years, Iligan Capitol College has re-redirected her course offerings according to the need of the times. It was to open the Midwifery and the Maritime Courses in the Region XII. In keeping with the Computer age, Iligan Capitol College open very lately the BS. Computer Science and BS. Computer Engineering Courses. The opening of these courses now gave the youth in the locality and environs opportunities for a highly technical education.Today after 42 years of service to the community, Iligan Capitol College prepares itself to face the challenges of the more complex and exacting era. A period of revolutionary changes were the world is made smaller by the “Global Community” concept.Undaunted by the unprecedented turns of events Iligan Capitol College marches onward firm and resolute in its mission of providing quality, relevant and affordable education to the Filipino Youth – for God and Country.

Halo- Halo in Philippines

Eventhough it's not summer time in Philippines but sometimes the weather is still too hot. Halo-Halo (also spelled Halu-Halo) is a Filipino treat perfect for tropical climes. Although referred to as a dessert, it's actually more common to eat it as a stand-alone snack, especially in the middle of a hot afternoon. It's literally meaning "Mix-Mix" and it's a blend of fruits, sweet preserves, evaporated milk and shaved ice. Imagine that. Now if that doesn't make you drool, think about the combination of red munggo beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, sugar palm fruit (kaong), coconut sport (macapuno), jackfruit (langka), tapioca or sago, nata de coco, purple yam (ube) or sweet potato (kamote), sweetened corn kernels or pounded crushed rice (pinipig), leche flan or custard, evaporated milk and gelatin. And to top that vision add up a scoop or two of your favorite ice cream! Just thinking about halo-halo makes my mouth water. It is available rain or shine, halo-halo serves as a delight to all food trippers, young and old alike. In Iligan City, Philippines, a number of fastfoods and restaurants serve halo-halos which will surely make you come back and ask for more. During the peak of the Philippine summer (April and May), makeshift stands are set up all over by people selling halo-halo. The ingredients are laid out on a table and the customer gets to choose which to have added to his or her order. Indoors, it's easier to have halo-halo topped off with a scoop of ice cream. Make sure to halo (mix) thoroughly before digging in. Yes, mixing all those goodies at the bottom without spilling the ice and ice cream off the glass is a skill that needs to be honed by regular indulgence!

Public Market

I think all of us know what is market place. It is where people buy and sell things, usually with profit as the objective. Some markets have a physical location like the fruit markets and the stockmarket. In the Philippines, usually every city, mucipality or town have their own public markets. This market is not like the market at the mall where you can see all the products are organized and place at the right area which you can easily find. In public market, all the products can be found in different part of the market which sometimes not the same in prices. In public market also you can see where the farmers or fishermans deliver their products so it's expected to be cheaper then the others because they not adding profit on each product, is still on its original prices. You can also see the wholesale buyers for those products. Some vendors in a public market went out the place and sometimes display their products right near the street sides so they can have more customers and their products will be sold sooner. Though this is againts the government rules still some did not obey. Here are some photos i took in one of the market Iligan City.

Philippine Fiesta

Last August 28, 2008 we celebrated our fiesta here in our barrio (small community) for our patron San Agustin. The fiesta is part and parcel of Filipino culture. Through good times and bad times, the Filipino fiesta must go on. Each city and barrio has at least one local festival of its own, usually on the feast of its patron saint, so that there is always a fiesta going on somewhere in the country.The Philippine fiesta is a lot more that it seem on the service. It is the tie that binds Filipinos from a region or an area together, a time to reunite with our extended family and our countrymen. No matter where they are, they are expected to attend. It is a time to rejoice in friendship, spend all you have, forget the expense, just be happy you can afford to entertain and feed others, if you can. When i was still a kid, i was wondering why we really need to prepare something just to feed those people who will be our visitor on our fiesta. My mother answered me that it's like a thanksgiving for all the graces that is given to our family and sharing it to others. City fiesta are more fun than those in the barrios (small community) because usually big events happen. After the fiesta celebration of our barrio, Iligan City will celebrates its City Fiesta this September 29. Before the fiesta dates, there will be many events. Highlighted by the traditional Diyandi, Eskrima and the street drama. The Diyandi (ritual dance) is performed only during the feast of Iligan Patron Saint, Senior San Miguel. Other curious dance-forms, also performed during the San Miguel Fiesta, include the Eskrima (a dance simulating a fight between San Miguel and his enemies, and the Yawa-yawa, literally, devil-devil), a dance from depicting the celestial battle between the forces of good and evil as impersonated by St. Michael, the Archangel and Lucifer.

KASADYA(street dancing and merry-making) was started, as a local form of entertainment has become a major tourist attraction of Iligan drawing crowds both local and tourist alike. This happens every 27th of September at early morning. It is considered as a non-income generating project having the most number of spectators both in the streets and in the showdown venue proper as compared to other tourism related activities.