AKLAN
The oldest town in Aklan, Kalibo is also the home of the Ati-Atihan.
Every third Sunday of January, locals throw themselves in a Mardi-Gras
like festival that involves intense drum-beating and chanting, masks and
costumes, and even body-painting. The festival ends in a procession to
the church, where participants pray to the Sto. Nino (the child Jesus)
and promise to return the next year.
South of the bustling crowded and fast pace City of Manila,
Philippines, is an island called Panay, where you will find the
Province of Aklan. About an hour, to an hour and an half, flight via
Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific or Air Philippines to its capital
town of Kalibo.
It is also about half a day's William, Gothong and Aboitiz Super
Ferry ride from Manila's South Harbor where the ferry will bring you
to it's town port of Damaged, about a 20 minute drive east of
Kalikow.
Alan is bounded by the Sulu Sea on the northwest, by the
Siouan
Sea on the east and northeast, by the province of Antique on the
west and by the province of Capes on the south. Alan is the oldest
province in the Philippines, organized in 1213 by settler from
Borneo as the Manure it Akin to include what is now Capes.
-- TOP --
ANGELES CITY
where Clark Air Force Base
was until Mt. Pinatubo blew up in 1991, is still full of night life, in
the Bali ago section, with more bar girls and dancers per capita than
any place in the Philippines.
These are commercial sex
workers, licensed by the government so they can be subjected to health
inspections for everything from TB to AIDS. But at the same time,
prostitutes and prostitution are many places, as in every nation in the
world, is illegal.
The prostitutes and bar
girls, synonymous, are sometimes arrested and prosecuted as are owners
who have nude and topless shows also illegal in this country.
Prostitution will continue to flourish in the
Philippines and other developing countries as long as there is abject
poverty. But because of the strong moral and Catholic culture, I believe
only a small income will keep many from engaging in this practice they,
their families and their religions find repulsive, immoral, degrading
and not the least, dangerous to the individual's and the nations health
-- TOP --
BORACAY
A popular tourist some foreigner
never get out of, really a resort island but a home to many is Boracay,
a beautiful white sand beach with many reasonable price hotels and
resorts of world class standards. Scuba diving reigns supreme as it does
in many places including Mazola,
Cebu Island in the south. Puerto Galleria
is also a hot tourist destination for sand and water, even cheaper and
with a fine character too.
Subic Bay, near the Olongapo
Free Port Zone has beautiful resorts though not as many as it did when
the US Navy had a facility there. And now, it is much more family
oriented.
Boracay Island, Known far and wide as
an island paradise, Boracay has charmed vacationers with its powder
white sand, crystal blue waters and laid back pace. Located at the
northern tip of Pansy provinces, Boracay is about three hours away from
Manila. Sun worshippers from all over the world visit Boracay yearly,
and some had made it their second home. It is no wonder that French,
German, Spanish and English can be heard spoken in the island. The
culinary face is equally exciting featuring a wide range from Thai and
Austrian to Belgian and Filipino. Numerous water sport facilities
including dive shops are on hand, as well as a sprinkle of bars and
dance clubs.
-- TOP --
Capiz (Roxas City,
Panay)
Roxas City (named after Manuel Roxas, the first president of the
Philippine Republic) is at the northeastern portion of Pansy Island,
greeting the Visayan Sea. It is primarily an agricultural metropolis
--producing sugar, coconut, banana and capote -- although fishing is the
main source of income for most of the residents. This can be seen in the
lattice-work of bamboo for drying fish that are scattered along the
coastal areas. Roxas City also has several home industries: mat and
slipper making, banana and capote chip production, and poultry raising.
-- TOP --
Lingayen Gulf
One of our Lists members, Thomas
Glenn shared about the Philippine Sea Chicken:
I've lived near one coastline or another for a good portion of my life.
And that is where I am living now, on the Linguine Gulf, in the
Philippines. I've lived literally on the beach for the five months I've
been here. I can't explain my lack of perception, but it was not until
fairly recently that I realized that here there were no raucous seagulls
or diving pelicans or the tidbits of sand pipers projecting themselves
across the sand. There were no seabirds!
After my illumination I made a point of looking for these birds, and
they never appeared. "Hmmm", I thought, "there just are no seabirds
here. Maybe on the other islands." And I let it go at that. Just
yesterday I was at the beach with my camera and I believe I am the first person to record the
Philippine Sea Chicken in its natural habitat. Well, these fowl are not
marine predators. They are scavengers much like you would see on any
farm or rural setting. But, they scavenge on the beach much as might a Sea Gull,
and to me that puts them in a special class, Sea Chicken. I include the
following photos to illustrate this remarkable fowl. Seeing is
believing.
SIQUIJOR
Living in Siquijor and Loving it:
Witch Doctors, Evil Spirits, Dwende's, White Ladies,
Ashwangs in Siquijor?
I like to seem bad thing about my home, Siquijor. Do
please continue to bag Siquijor. It keeps the hordes
of loud tourists away.
Seriously though. I am married to Cebuano lady who
is originally Siquijoran, and I have stayed on
several occasions on the island. We love the endless
clean beaches, and the nearly total lack of serious
crime. I have been visiting the Philippines for 20
years now, and we have a house in the Hills outside
of the town of Larena. The reason that I posted this
is that the idea that witch doctors abound in
Siquijor is a myth. There are a few dozen weirdos in
the hills killing chickens for the tourists, but
apart from that the people are very level headed,
and a lot less prone to the violence of their big
city cousins. The police here have only just
introduced firearms. Do yourself a favour, don't
listen to the Philippinos as I did for 15 years. Try
visiting Siquijor and if like me, you have dreams of
retiring one day to a beautiful tropical island,
unspoilt by the ravages of over-tourism. It may just
win your heart.
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