King of Comedy died at 83

Comedy King Rodolfo “Dolphy” Vera Quizon died on July 10, 2012 after a four year battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He died at the age of 83. A statement from Makati Medical Center revealed the exact cause of his death. “We would like to inform the public that Mr. Rodolfo ‘Dolphy’ Quizon passed away today at 8:43 pm due to multiple organ failure, secondary to complications brought about by severe pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute renal failure”.

Following Dolphy’s death, fans and friends of the actor flooded the internet with condolence messages. President Benigno Aquino III also declared July 13, 2012 as “National Day of Remembrance” in honor of Dolphy’s contributions to the Philippine showbiz industry.

UAAP Season 75

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines or UAAP was established in 1938. It is composed of eight universities in the Philippines. Each year, teams from these member schools play in 15 different sports which include basketball, women’s volleyball, baseball, football, swimming, track and field, relays, tennis and soccer.

            The member universities are the University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, National University, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Adamson University and University of the East.

Sandugo Festival

re-enactment of blood compact between
Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi

The Sandugo Festival also known as the Blood Compact Commemoration is a month long celebration every July in the city of Bohol to commemorate the Sandugo or the signing of a treaty of friendship between a local Philippine leader Datu Sikatuna with the Spanish king conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The Sandugo treaty is called a blood compact because the participants each drink a small amount of the other’s blood. This was a traditional way to formalize treaties of friendship in the country. It was the first international treaty of friendship and comity between the Filipinos and the Spaniards.

Many tourists from around the country gather for this special event which involves colorful costumes, loud drum beats, street parades, church services, fireworks, beauty pageants, cockfighting and sport tournaments. The most awaited part of the whole festival is the reenactment of the blood compact which features actors, singers and dancers. This is done to make people remember the origin of the cause of their celebration.

This Day in History: Gloria Diaz conquered the Universe

The United States of America conquered the moon when Neil Armstrong took its first human step on it but the Philippines conquered the Universe when Ms. Gloria Diaz bagged the Miss Universe title on July 21, 1969 in Miami Beach Florida, USA. She was the first Filipina to win the title and third Asian to do so. With her natural charm and wit, she confidently answered the final question on how to entertain the first man from the moon if he landed in her hometown. Her immediate response was, “Oh! Uh, just the same I do.  I think if he has been in the moon for so long, I think when he comes over he wants to change, I guess”

Sambali Festival and Our Lady of Piat

Our Lady of Piat

The Sambali Festival is being held every July 1 and 2 annually in Piat, Cagayan. The said festival is a religious and cultural revival to commemorate the Christianization of the Itawis region of Cagayan. During the 16^th century when the Spaniards set foot in Cagayan, they found out that the Itawis town, particularly Piat was inhabited by an aggressive Kalong sub-ethnic group that originated from the mountains of Kalinga Apayao. The Spaniards tried to convert them to the Catholic faith, but they failed and it led to war. However, the Spaniards did not give up. In 1604, the image of Our Lady of Piat, which was originally known as “Nuestra Senora del Santissimo Rosario” was brought to Cagayan from Macau and made numerous miracles. Because of this, the people of Piat were gradually converted to Christianity.

Popular Pinoy Soup

Summer is over and the cold rainy season is here. It’s time to indulge on some warm soups and dishes that will surely satisfy your cravings and warm your belly. Forget the ice cream, smoothies and all other summer comfort foods because we deliver to you some of the Filipino popular foods that are best eaten during the rainy season of the year.

ARROZCALDO

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken; cut in small pieces

1 cup uncooked malagkit or plain rice or combination

1 small onion; chopped

4 cloves garlic; chopped

1 root ginger; sliced

Fish sauce

Cooking oil

Salt to taste

1 tbsp minced fried garloc

1 tbsp green onions

Larong Pinoy

A few decades ago, kids used to gather in the streets or in the neighborhood playground to play their favorite Larong Pinoy. It is an important part of growing up; it also teaches camaraderie and sportsmanship. Some games are physically challenging, some are intellectually stimulating. Traditional Filipino street games are commonly played using native materials but since there is a limited resource of toys, Filipino children usually come up on inventing games without the need of anything but the players themselves.

With the increasing popularity of western sports activities like basketball and volleyball and the emergence of high tech gadgets, children playing traditional street games gradually reduced. If only we could revive it and maintain it, children of today can reap the benefits of playing these games - a positive influence on our physical, mental and emotional well being.

According to Magna Kultura Foundation, Larong Pinoy fosters appreciation of national culture especially the new generation. Through play, children can experience the Filipino spirit and in fun way, it instills patriotism.

The following are popular Filipino Games we used to play growing up:

1. Chinese Garter – two people hold both ends of a stretched garter while the other attempt to cross over it. The goal is to cross without having tripped on the garter

Pintados Festival

The Pintados Festival is a cultural-religious festivity celebrated annually on the 29^th of June in Tacloban, Leyte. The festival is based on the traditions of the ancient tattooed “pintados” warriors and in honor of Sr. Sto. Niño.

The Pintados Festival recalls the pre-Hispanic history of the native Leytenos and showcases the cultural heritage of the people of Leyte by incorporating native music and dances. The word “pintados” refers to the body tattoos of the native warriors which represented courage and beauty.

When the Spaniards came to Visayas in 1668, they found heavily tattooed men and women whom they called Pintados. In the 17^th century, the friars banned the use of tattoos branding the practice as savage and evil. In 1888, the missionaries from Spain brought the image of the Child Jesus that was known as El Capitan to the island. The Leyte natives were drawn to the story of the Child Jesus and became devotees and worshipers of El Capitan.

Parada ng Lechon

   The Parada ng Lechon is celebrated annually every 24th of June in Balayan, Batangas. This festival commemorates the feast day of St. John the Baptist and is celebrated by a procession of roasted pigs or lechon. 

    During the event, a mass is held at the Immaculate Conception Church. After the mass, the participating lechons are lined up at the church patio, the parade then proceeds after the blessing of the roasted pigs in St. John’s name. In this festival, one can witness a hilarious sight when the roast pigs are dressed according to the theme of participating organizations. Some of the lechons are dressed in wigs, sunglasses, clothes and whatever the decorators want. While the parade passes by the streets, bystanders will drench the participants with water. They are even free to take a piece of lechon while on parade. 

Manny Pacquiao: Pambansang Kamao

     Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao also known as Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is a Filipino boxing superstar that was named Fighter of the Decade by the Boxing Writers Association of America. He is the first 8-division world champion as well as the first to win the lineal championship in 4 different weight classes. He is also a three time The Ring and BWAA Fighter of the Year winning the award in 2006, 2008 and 2009. He was long rated as the Best Pound for Pound Boxer in the world by some sporting news and boxing websites including BoxRec.com, Sporting Life and The Ring Magazine. Pacquiao has a record of 54 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws with 38 wins coming by a knockout. He was ranked 22^nd in the 3^rd annual Time Magazine’s 100 poll for the World’s Most Influential Person. He also ranked 2^nd in the Forbes Magazine list of World's Highest Paid Athletes for earning $62 million between June 2011 to June 2012.