Manila LRT

The Manila Light Rail Transit System, popularly known as the LRT, is the main metropolitan rail system serving the Metro Manila area in the Philippines. There are two lines to the LRT: LRT-1, called the Yellow Line, and MRT-2, called the Purple Line. Although the system is referred to as a "light rail" system, arguably because the network is mostly elevated, the system is more akin to a rapid transit (metro) system in European-North American terms. The Manila LRT is the first metro system in Southeast Asia, built earlier than the Singapore MRT by three years. Although one of the original purposes of the system was to reduce traffic congestion in the metropolis, many commuters who ride the LRT also take various forms of road-based public transport, such as buses, to reach the intended destination from an LRT station and vice-versa. While this forms a comprehensive transportation system serving many parts of Metro Manila, the system has only been partially successful in cutting traffic congestion and travel times, which is further aggravated by the rising number of motor vehicles in Metro Manila. The network's expansion, which has been touted by successive administrations since the LRT's inception, is set upon tackling this problem.

Philippines National Animal

Carabaos (water buffalo) are typically associated with farmers, being the farm animal of choice for pulling the plow and the cart used to haul farm produce to the market. Although there is no law that decrees the carabao to be a national symbol in the Philippines it is generally considered by most Filipinos to be their national animal. Government agencies have come together to improve the marketability of the species.
Water buffalo have been domesticated in the Philippines as far back as pre-Hispanic times and are often used by farmers in the Philippines to plow the fields and as a means of transportation. The carabao is one of the most important animals in the country, especially in agriculture.

Native Delicacies

Filipino are artistic and very good in making food experiment. Some of the food made became the town specialty that when you visit the place, they will surely offer you their unique delicacies. Here are some of the yummy and very popular delicacies:

Tibok - tibok (carabao's milk pudding) - a native pudding recipe made from carabao's milk instead of the usual coconut milk.
Cebuano Corn Pudding - a native delicacy pudding made by cebuanos made from young corn kernels, buko meat and milk.
Budbud Pilipit - a glutinous rice delicacy cooked with coconut milk. Similar to suman, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.
Ginataang Pinipig - a delicious native dessert of fresh green pinipig cooked in coconut cream and mixed with cubed gabi or taro root, sweet potatoes, jackfruit and saba bananas.

Milk Puto Recipe - a rich tasting puto loaded with milk, corn and buko. Perfect for any occasion.
Sinabalo (Suman) - this suman recipe is from Cagayan Region II. Instead of wrapping the malagkit in banana leaves, it is broiled in fresh bamboo tubes.
Butse - butse - this native dessert is from central visayas region VII. Composed of mashed sweet potato formed into balls and stuffed with grated cassava inside.
Binu-Hang Gabi- this stuffed taro root recipe is an authentic native dessert from central visayas region VII.
Baye-baye - A Western Visayas Region VI dessert delicacy made from toasted pinipig, coconut water and grated young coconut.
Binaki - this delicacy is from Northern Mindanao Region 10
Bocarillo - an eastern visayas sweet made from sweetened grated coconut with eggs and milk.
Maja Blanca - a real version of maja blanca with additon of milk to make it more tastier and creamier.
Putong Bigas (Putong Puti) - steamed puto made from ordinary rice.
Minatamis na Saging na Saba - procedure on how to make a sweetened bananas ( saba ) boiled with lemongrass and ginger with ice cream.
Bibingka Cassava ( Kamoteng Kahoy )- bibingka made from grated cassava, coconut milk, eggs and sugar.
Puto With Cheese- is an all-time favorite kakanin or native delicacies.
Bibingkang Galapong (picture below) - a rice cake made out of rice flour,coconut milk, eggs.
Bibingkang Malagkit- a rice cake made out of glutinous rice,coconut milk, brown sugar etc.
Corn Maja- a cake made out of rice flour,coconut milk, grated young coconut .
Champorado - native gruel made out glutinous rice, cocoa, milk and sugar.
Simple Kutsinta ( Cuchinta ) - a steamed cake made out of rice flour, sugar, water.

Espasol - native dessert made out of glutinous rice, coconut milk, shredded coocnut, rice flour.
Ube Halaya - dessert made of mashed purple yam and condensed milk.
Puto Biñan Special - a native steamed cake made out of brownie mix, eggs, cheese.
Ginataang Munggo- a sweet thick gruel made of glutinous rice, toasted monggo beans, coconut milk.
Nilupak - made from unripe cooked bananas ( saba variety ), young coconut meat, brown sugar.
Palitaw - famous native delicacy made from ground glutinous rice, sugar and shredded coconut.
Polvoron - a powdery dessert made out of flour, powdered milk, sugar and butter.
Maruyang Saba - fried saba bananas coated with batter with eggs and milk.
Cassava Cake - tasty cassava cake for any occasion.
Suman sa Ibos(picture below) - famous suman wrap in buli leaves.
Pichi-Pichi Espesyal- a steamed cake made out of grated casava, sugar, water, coconuts.
Puto Bumbong(picture below)- a steamed malagkit rice mixture.
Guinataang Halo-Halo- saba bananas,camote,ube,langka boiled in coconut milk.
Biko- a steamed malagkit rice mixture.
Sapin-Sapin(picture below)- a native dessert consists of coconut milk,ube powder,gelatin,corn kernels.
Bukayo with Pandan (picture below) - a sweetened grated coconut, a famous delicacy with a slight variation.
Binignit - a sweet delicacy made out of gabi,ubi,tapioca,bananas boiled in coconut milk.
Puto (Steamed Muffins With Anise Seed) - steamed muffins made of flour,coconut milk and cream,anise seeds.
Puto Caramba - deep fried puto made from flour,shrimp,pinipig.
Pastillas De Gabi ( Taro Root ) - made out of young gabi or taro root,condensed milk sugar.
Sapin-Sapin Palitaw Espesyal - made from ground rice,nestle cream,macapuno,langka floating on syrup.
Suman Sa Lihia - made from glutinous or malagkit rice, lihia or lye, salt and wrap in banana leaves.
Suman Sa Moron - made from glutinous or malagkit rice,ordinay rice,coconut milk,peanuts.
Ube Kalamay - made ube, mochico(sweet rice flour),coconut milk, latik and baked.
Banana Pastillas - pastillas made from saba bananas, sugar and butter.
Umaalab Na Mangga ( Flaming Mango ) - pancake with specially prepared syrup(bignay brandy , passion fruit concentraste) and garnished with sweetened mangoes and sago.
Kamote Pie (Sweet Potato Pie)- our very own kamote or sweet potato made and baked into a delicious pie.
Sticky Turron Saba ( picture below) - turn your over ripe saba bananas to a gourmet dessert, sitcky turron saba caramelised, crispy and sticky.
Maruyang Saging In Rum Butter Sauce - a variety of maruyang saba (fried banana patties), mixed with special batter, fried and poured with rum butter sauce.
Ginataan Mais (picture below) - glutinous rice or malagkit rice and scraped corn from a cob then cooked in coconut milk. Buko Pie - the all time favorite original buko pie !

There are many more other kinds of native delicacies that you will surely love to taste from any part of the Philippines

Kalesa in Philippines

Another transportation that can be found in the country is a kalesa (sometimes called a karitela). It is a horse-driven carriage use in the Philippines. The word, also spelled calesa, meaning "wheels." This was one of the modes of transportation introduced in the Philippines in the 18th century by the Spaniards that only nobles and high ranked officials could afford, but today you ride kalesa so you can save fare. They are rarely used in the streets nowadays, but here in our city you still can see it at the market area going to some baranggay. Only a few times i ride kalesa (tartanilya as it is called in iligan city), the first time is quite uneasy because i'm afraid to fall off from the cart but it's fun.