Balangay Voyage - 600th Year Commemoration of the Philippines Maritime Prowess

The Balangay Voyage Expedition is an adventurous attempt of the 35-crew members led by Arturo Valdez to commemorate the 600th year of Sulu Sultan Paduka Batara's voyage using wooden boats originally designed by the Kingdom of Butuan (now the province of Agusan del Norte) in the 4th century. Using the same wooden boats called Balangay, the expedition braved through the vast South China Sea to reach Xiamen, Fujian province of China to relive the footsteps of the great Philippine ancestor.

LIST: 99 Villages and Subdivisions Traversed by the Valley Fault System

The Valley Fault System is a dextral strike-slip type fault that traverses primarily in the eastern portion of Metro Manila and other provinces such as Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna that sums up to a total length of 146.71 kilometers. It traverses a densely populated area in southern Luzon piercing through over 90 private villages and subdivisions with over 6,000 buildings on top of the fault line.

Barangays and Buildings Traversed by the Valley Fault System

The Valley Fault System, which is composed of the West and East Valley Fault traverses to several provinces all the way from Bulacan in the north to Laguna in the south with a total length of 146.71 kilometers. This also includes the whole length of Metro Manila from Quezon City all the way down to Muntinlupa City. About 80 barangays are affected and more than six thousand structures sitting on top of the fault line with over 2 million people in the danger zone.

The Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway

The Muntinlupa Cavite Expressway (initially named as Daang Hari-SLEX Link Road) is a new toll road constructed by a subsidiary of Ayala Corporation that aims to provide fast access to the residential areas of Bacoor, Cavite by linking the South Luzon Expressway and the Daang Hari Road via a four-kilometer fast lane highway.

Interactive Risk Analysis Map of the Valley Fault System Earthquake

Last June 2013, PHIVOLCS has released a series of risk analysis scenario maps pertaining the West Valley Fault System in case its movement triggers a large earthquake within Metro Manila. These maps provide structural stability analysis of localities that can be affected in case a 6.5M or 7.2M earthquake jolts the metropolis due to the movement of the Valley Fault System that is estimated to be active in every 300 +/- 100 years.

The Cavite-Batangas Bus Terminal (SWIPTS) - a year after

Last year, the Southwest Integrated Provincial Transport Terminal (SWIPTS) was inaugurated as first of 3-integrated bus terminals in Metro Manila to decongest the volume of vehicles plying inside the Philippine capital. SWIPTS services commuters to and from the province of Batangas and Cavite. It promised high tech queuing system certified with ISO9001 standards. A year after, let us see what has happened to this promising project of the government.

Interactive Map for the West and East Valley Fault Line on Rizal, Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite

The West and East Valley Fault System span from Angat, Bulacan all the way down to Carmona, Cavite and Calamba, Laguna and is the most feared event that could hit Metro Manila in case the fault system moves as it may cause larger than 7.0 magnitude earthquake. As of the meantime, disaster resiliency assessors have been saying that the country is not prepared for a calamity such as this. Schadow1 Expeditions has acquired the fault line data from PHIVOLCS and traced it on top of OpenStreetMap and Google Earth.

5th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition - Explosions, Colors, Festivities and Food.

February 22, 2014
Manila Bay is known for its great sunsets facing exactly to where the sun sets all throughout the year. The bay itself is enclosed with the Bataan peninsula to where the great mountain range of Mariveles can be seen from afar as well as the mountains of the Palay-Palay range of  Cavite. The scenery as expected is the best you can get at the Philippine's capital. After the sun sets, what more can you get? Every Saturdays from February 16 to March 22, 2014, indulge yourselves with the festivities at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay as various countries' compete for the the best display of fireworks, heart-pounding explosions, music, and parades and food from sun down until midnight.

Christmas Food Trip at Las Pinas Bamboo Organ Church

Christmas season in the Philippines is the longest in the whole world. Usually starting when Simbang Gabi "Night/Dawn Mass" is started to be held by the predominantly Catholic denomination of the country. And when there is Simbang Gabi, authentic Filipino "Kakanin" or rice-cakes start to proliferate. One of the best churches to go to for Simbang Gabi is the St. Joseph Parish Church in Las Pinas, popularly known as the Las Pinas Bamboo Organ church due to the centuries-old Bamboo Organ that is housed inside the old parish church which is still functioning until this day. And why of all the churches, this would have been once of the nicest place to go to? It is because of the bibingka and puto bumbong that is sold at its Patio all throughout the Christmas Season.

Nielson Airfield - what is now an ultra urbanized business district

Nielson Field, January 1945

Have you ever wondered that 68 years ago, Nielson Airfield is the first commercial airport in Asia? Built last 1937 and has been immensely destroyed during the Battle of Manila on World War II last March 1945. Unknown to most of us, a once military and commercial airfield is now a bustling ultra urbanized city in the Philippines. 

What remains of this airfield is a solitary building which was once an air operations office in a middle of a park amidst high-rise buildings. This location is now far from being an airport.

Mongolian Rice Bowl in Las Pinas - The neighborhood buffet for the rice lovers

It was a cold and stormy Sunday night and we were craving for a warm rice meal for dinner. And it was that I remembered there was this new fast food area in Las Piñas City near the University of Perpetual Help Rizal that offers hot rice bowl. It is the Mongolian Rice Bowl. The last time I had tried to dine at Mongolian Rice Bowl was 16 years ago. So why not try it again and see what they offer now.

Million People March

August 26, 2013

It was Monday, right in time for the National Heroes' Day in the Philippines; where the Filipino has stood up, without an organizer nor a leader, but walked out of their comfort zones with a single battle-cry... "Scrap the Pork Barrel and place culprits of corruption to justice". It was the third peaceful and massive united rally in the Philippines coming from EDSA 1 of 1986 and EDSA 2 of 2002. But this time, it was without a leader, fueled by social media; they went out to be heard and left the park clean... as if hundred thousands of people were not there that morning.

Southwest IPTS Terminal (Cavite-Batangas Bus Terminal) Opens

The Southwest Integrated Provincial Transport System Terminal (Cavite and Batangas Bus Terminal) opens at August 6, 2013 and will the first of three bus terminals in Metro Manila that will centralize the drop-off point of provincial buses hoping to alleviate the traffic congestion in the Philippines' capital. The SW IPTS will hopefully alleviate traffic by forbidding entry of almost 1000 buses that ply from Cavite and Batangas to Metro Manila. With its state-of-the-art queuing system, it is planned to organize a harmonious dispatch of provincial buses and also only allowing bus companies with proper franchise and authorized drivers without records of crime and grave accidents to enter the facility and serve the commuting populace. Coordinates 14.516436,120.991208

Food tripping the whole Philippines in one place... Fiesta Bahia

It was a Sunday night, and we are hungry and we miss Ilocos badly. But hey, we bumped to San Miguel By The Bay and learned out that Fiesta Bahia is right there so we checked it out for our Sunday food trip; and so we were there and did not get disappointed. What is Fiesta Bahia all about?

New Cavite Batangas Bus Terminal

Starting August 6 July 15 22, 2013, on a Tuesday, buses plying to and from Batangas and Cavite now has a new bus terminal in Paranaque City: Using the previous ground floor parking of Coastal Mall as its new bus station. This means that provincial buses from Cavite and Batangas are no longer allowed to go beyond the Manila-Cavite Expressway.

Coordinates: (14.516373,120.991261)

What's in Manila's Name?

Metro Manila on Openstreetmap

As we all know, Metro Manila is the capital of the Philippines to which is made up of 16 cities and 1 town and is divided in 4 major districts. It is the most populous and urbanized area in the Philippines. The total area of which is about 640 square kilometers. It is where the central seat of the government is located which includes the executive, legislative and judicial branches.
It is bounded by Bulacan at the north, Laguna at its southern tip, Cavite at its southwest, Rizal at its east, Laguna Bay at its southeast, and Manila Bay at its west.

But do we ever know where its name come from?