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 GreatPhilippinesExpedition

DOH PROMOTES NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH

THROUGH BRAIN ATTACK AWARENESSWEEK 2013

Volume V Issue No 6 | July 25-October 24 2013

www.facebook.com/GreatPhilExpedition

SCANDIC PALACE SUITE# 4291 Emilia St., Brgy Palanan, Makati City.

Mobile Numbers:0918-385-8571 &

0917-857-4493

Despite the advancements in

technology and infrastructure

that have improved today’s

standard of living, many people,

especially those living in devel-oping countries, still suffer from

hunger and malnutrition.

As per the United Nations-World

Health Organization (UN-WHO),

nutrition is identiied as a vital

ingredient in a person’s well-be-

ing and holistic development.

Those who receive a suficient 

dosage of nutrition during their

younger years are able to devel-

op a strong immunity from com-

municable and non-communi-

cable illnesses as well as absorb

knowledge better during their

academic years. This in turn will

help shape them to become pro-

ductive members of society in

the future.

On the other hand, malnutrition

occurs when one is not properly

exposed to the right amounts of nutrition. Among the dangers

posed by malnutrition include

early infancy diseases and

mortality, maternal death, im-

pairment of cognitive abilities,

among others.

Here in the Philippines, statis-

tics from the Food and Nutrition

Research Institute (FNRI) and

the National Nutrition Council

(NNC) show majority of young

children suffering from malnu-

trition. From the latest nutrition

survey conducted last 2008,

there are 3.35 Million children

ages 0-5 who are underweight.

Also, there are 3.57 Million chil-

dren who have stunted growth.

In Filipino adults, 1 out of 3 are

found to be chronic energy de-

icient while 3 out of 10 adults

are identiied as obese or over-

weighted.

Given this chronic situation, the

National Government thru the

NNC has declared July of each

year as Nutrition Month. This

month-long activity aims to em-

phasize the importance of prop-

er nutritional intake for every

“GUTOM AT MALNUTRITION,SAMA-SAMA NATING WAKASAN”Department of Education and National Nutrition Council

Spearhead 2013 Nutrition Month Celebration

Filipino.

For the 2013 Nutrition Month

Celebration, its focal theme is

“Gutom at Malnutrition, Sa-ma-sama Nating Wakasan” (Let 

Us All Unite in Ending Hunger

and Malnutrition). Joining the

NCC in this endeavor is fellow

government agency Department 

of Education (DepEd). DepEd

oversees the welfare of young

schoolchildren, given that they

are the most susceptible to the

maladies of malnutrition.

As stated in DepEd Memoran-

dum No.67 issued last April

2013, the Nutrition Month 2013

celebration is aimed to relay

information and raise aware-

ness in calling for more eficient 

action and policies towards ad-

dressing hunger and malnutri-

tion. This is in response to the

country’s pledge to eradicate

extreme poverty and hunger asthe foremost goal of the United

Nations Millennium Develop-

ment Goals.

For this year’s Nutrition Month,

the objectives as included in the

DepEd Memo are the following:

Increase awareness on hunger

issues and actions to mitigate

hunger and malnutrition, En-

courage stakeholders, Contrib-

ute in addressing hunger issues;

and Advocate for stronger politi-

cal action to end hunger.

In support to this undertaking,

schools and their students are

encouraged by both the DepEd

and National Nutrition Council

to conduct various activities that 

endorse the importance of good

health and nutrition in develop-ing an individual’s physical and

mental itness.

Nutritional Guidelines

for Filipinos

To be able to optimize the nu-

tritional balance for Filipinos

on a regular basis, the FNRI has

issued a series of messages that 

indicate the importance of prop-er nutrition for individuals to-

wards a healthy population.

These nutrition recommenda-

tions are taken from the Nutri-

tional Guidelines for Filipinos,

Revised Edition 2000 published

by the Food and Nutrition Re-

search Institute (FNRI), Depart-

ment of Science and Technology

(DOST).

1. Eat a variety of foods every-

day.

- Proper intake of different 

forms of sustenance helps in

absorbing various kinds of nu-

trients that are essential for

each bodily and organ function.

Meat gives protein which is im-

portant for growth while green

leafy vegetables bring in the

necessary iber and vitamins

to promote digestion. Carbo-

hydrate-packed foods such as

bread, rice and potatoes give the

needed energy boost for daily

strenuous activities.

2. Breast-feed infants exclusive-

ly from birth to 4-6 months and

then, give appropriate foods

while continuing breast-feeding.

- Breast milk provides many

health beneits for both the

mother and the infant. Accord-

ing to the UN-WHO, breast 

feeding decreases the onset and

lowers the risk of infant illness-

es such as asthma, autism, child-

hood diabetes, psychological

disorders and childhood leuke-

mia. It also boosts the immunity

system of a child against coldsand lu as well as help improve

intelligence. For mothers, breast 

feeding helps in reducing the

risk of breast cancer.

3. Maintain children’s normal

Brain attack, or commonly

known as stroke is a medical

condition which occurs when

there is failure of blood circu-

lation to the brain. Usually sud-

den, stroke causes blood clots

or a damaged blood vessel and

thus hampering the normal low

of blood to the brain. Because of 

this obstruction, it results in the

death of brain cells hence re-

sulting in an often fatal outcome

for the victim if not properly at-

tended to.

Based on statistics from the

World Health Organization

(WHO), more than 15 millionpeople suffer from stroke annu-

ally. From this igure, there are

5 million deaths while another

5 million are impaired perma-

nently, with disabilities ranging

from partial body paralysis, un-

even facial contours and speech

impediment, among others.

In the Philippines, brain attack 

or stroke account for 65,489

deaths per year and is the sec-

ond-cause of mortality among

the Filipino population behind

cardiovascular/heart diseases,

according to the Department of 

Health (DOH).

Types of Stroke

There are two kinds of stroke.

Ischemic Stroke is the most 

common and responsible for

80% of the stroke cases. Thisis caused by the formation of 

blood clots that impede the cir-

culation of blood in the arteries

and correspondingly, affect nor-

mal oxygen low to the brain. In

the Philippines, 70% of record-

ed stroke cases are of the Isch-

emic type.

Intracerebral Hemorrhage or

Hemorrhagic Stroke is caused

by a ruptured blood vessel

within the brain. In turn, blood

will leak inside the brain. What 

makes this fatal is that when

there is an increasing amount 

of bleeding, the sudden onset 

of pressure within the brain can

lead to unconsciousness or even

death. Hemorrhagic Stroke ac-

counts for 30% of stroke victimsin the country.

Brain Attack Awareness in the

Philippines

Given that brain attack is the

second-leading cause of death

for many Filipinos, the DOH

in this regard has proclaimed

the third week of August every

year as “Brain Attack Awareness

Week”.

Through this campaign, the

health department aims to make

the local folk be more conscious

and aware of the dangers and

perils of stroke. This includes

promotion of a healthy lifestyle

among Filipinos, which include

intake of adequate nutrition,

regular exercise and a stress-

free mentality. It should be not-

ed that stress is the primary

culprit behind many illnesses,

including stroke.

Who Is At Risk for Stroke?

Stroke is described as a

non-communicable disease,

meaning it cannot be transmit-

ted from one person to another.

However, there are factors for

people who might be susceptible

from suffering a stroke. These

are classiied as modiiable and

non-modiiable risk factors.

Modiiable risk factors are those

that can be controlled by a per-

son towards lessening his/her

chance of getting a brain attack.

These include the following:

-Smoking

-Drinking Excessive Amounts of 

Liquor

-Hypetensive Persons

-Diabetics

-Obese Persons

-Sedentary Lifestyle

On the other hand, non-modii-

able risk factors are those that 

cannot be controlled. These

are usually associated with the

over-all biological structure of a person, including hereditary

and genetics. These are:

-Gender

-Age

-Ethnicity/ Race

Warning Signs of A Brain At-

tack 

As a counter-part to the stroke

response in the United States

dubbed as F.A.S.T. that identiies

differences in Facial asymmetry,

Arm drift, Speech and Time to

call which are telling signs of 

an impending stroke, doctors in

the Philippines have crafted the

U.T.A.K. acronym to help poten-

tial victims and their families

know the impending signs of a

stroke.

Breaking down U.T.A.K., the

deinition of the initials are:

U - Utal or Stuttering/ Dificulty

in Speech

T- Tabingi ang mukha o tindig

or Uneven facial expression and

body posture

A- Angal sa sakit ng ulo (Com-

plaints of a severe headache)

K- Kumilos at Kumonsulta Agad

(Go and Immediately see a doc-

tor)

Lessening the Danger of 

Stroke: Prevention and Treat-

ment 

In order to lessen the chance of 

getting a brain attack or stroke,

it is recommended for persons,

especially those identiied as

high-risk, to observe such:

-Monitor blood pressure reg-

ularly, make sure that it is at a

normal level constantly.

-Get adequate hydration, drink 

8-10 glasses of water daily. Wa-

ter helps to lower blood pres-

sure levels.

-Exercise, at least 30 minutes a

day. Brisk walking is a good op-

tion for people with a busy work lifestyle

-Avoid intake of salty and fatty

foods

-If diabetic, monitor glucose lev-

els in the blood frequently

-Have a signiicant consumption

of fruits and vegetables on a dai-

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Often associated with the im-

age of diminutive plants and

trees raised in pots or plastic

containers, the Japanese art 

form of bonsai encapsulates

two contrasting characteris-

tics of big and small immersed

into a single form. It presents

the tree, which is normally

viewed as a big specimen be-ing shrunk to it into a small

space. The uniqueness of 

bonsai has made it a preferred

choice of gardening for many

green thumb enthusiasts all

over the globe.

Derived from two Nihonggo

words which are bon, meaning

a tray or low-side pot and sai,

which is deined as a planting

or plantings, bonsai encapsu-

lates the ine qualities of ap-

preciating lora intertwined

with dedication and persever-

ance in crafting these unique

forms of natural art.

HISTORY OF BONSAI

Although widely associated

as Japanese in nature, bonsaitraces its roots from the Chi-

nese. Known as the method

of penjing in China, it is de-

scribed in which plants were

grown in containers by Bud-

dhist monks. The practice was

brought to Japan during the

12th century by Buddhist stu-

dents and members of the Im-

perial embassy from mainland

China during the Tang Dynasty

from BC 603 and 839.

Bonsai was irst recognized

as an art practiced mainly by

those belonging to the elite

class of society such as the

aristocrats and members of 

the Japanese Imperial Family.

This is due to the great value

that the trees possess as they

channeled to their owners an

enhanced source of spiritual

meditation that is beneicial

for their respective well-being.

Today, ordinary folk from Ja-

pan as well as those from oth-

er parts of the world engage

in bonsai culture as a mean of 

preserving traditional Japa-

nese ideologies of promoting

classic grace and perfection,

all while engaged in a sound

hobby of promoting wellness

and relaxation.

BONSAI CULTURE IN THE

PHILIPPINES

In the Philippines, given its

minimalist quality which only

requires a small space, the art of bonsai continues to attract 

many enthusiasts especially

those living in clustered hous-

ing units such as apartments

and condominiums which only

have a miniscule area for gar-

dening purposes.

This distinct quality of bon-

sai augurs well for Filipinos.

With an innate penchant for

promoting and preserving

the beauty of the ecological

system, bonsai provides an

avenue in which people can

still fend and express their ap-

preciation for nature notwith-

standing the constraints of liv-

ing in limited conines within

BONSAI 101:Learning the basics of 

miniature tree

growing

the metropolis.

Also, the country has a pre-

miere bonsai club in the form

of the Philippine Bonsai So-

ciety (PBSI). Established in

1973 and currently has a pool

of over a hundred members,

the organization routinely

holds exhibits and shows all

over the Philippines in advo-cating the artistry of bonsai, as

well as entice fellow Filipinos

to become practitioners of the

craft.

As answer to a growing

awareness and clamor for

bonsai art in the Philippines,

the PBSI has been created

two annual competitions that 

showcase the Filipino artistry

as interpreted in bonsai cul-

ture. These are the Philippine

Bonsai Society Exhibition and

Competition which is held ex-

clusively for members of the

group, and the PBSI National

Bonsai Exhibition and Open

Competition, which is open to

all non-PBSI members.The PBSI has also formed link-

ages with international bonsai

groups with the purpose of 

promoting the Philippine bon-

sai sector around the globe. It 

is associated with renowned

global bonsai organizations

such as the Bonsai Club In-

ternational (BCI), Asia-Paciic

Bonsai and Suiseki Friendship

Federation (ABFF), World

Bonsai Friendship Federation

(WBFF), Nippon Bonsai Asso-

ciation (NBA) of Japan and the

National Bonsai Association of 

Taiwan (NBAT).

For schedules and other infor-

mation, kindly visit the PBSI

website (http://philippine-

bonsaisociety.org).

BONSAI STYLES

Among the common styles of 

sprucing up bonsai trees in-

clude the following:

1.Chokkan or Upright Style

2.Moyogi or Informal Upright 

Style

3.Shakan or Slanted Style

4.Kengai, Han Kengai or Cas-

cade Style

5.Hokidachi or Broom Style

6.Sokan or Multi-Trunk Style

7.Bunjin-gi or Literati Style

How to Grow Your Own Bon-

sai

Although relatively small

in form, making a bonsai re-

quires a lot of materials as

well as the correspondingamount of patience and deter-

mination for a person to create

one of the world’s unique nat-

ural masterpieces.

Item preparation include the

following:

-Bonsai soil (you may use the

original soil that your plant 

grew up with); Akadama and

Kanuma soils are the usually

preferred ones for bonsai.

-Coarse soil (to prevent the

main soil from coming out of 

the bottom)

-Wires (The aluminum kind is

more preferred since it is soft-

er and easier to use)

-Scissors

-Pliers/ Nippers (For bending

the wires)

-Stick 

-Net (To cover the hole in the

pot)

-Pot 

-Gloves

-The main plant and mosses

BASIC STEPS IN MAKING A

BONSAI

1.Mix the Soils-For example, if you are using

Akadama and Kanuma soils,

the ratio should be Akadama

7:3 Kanuma

2.Prepare and Place the Net 

(For Pots and Plans That Have

A Bottom)

-Cut the wire and net and place

them at the bottom of the pot.

To hold it in place, insert a

wire and let its legs stick out 

the pot. Bend the looped part 

of the wires to hold the net.

3.Put the Coarse Soil

-Coarse soil is used to prevent 

the main soil inside the pot 

from coming out and helps in

draining out the water.

4.Cut the Extra Branches andLeaves Off the Plant 

-Pruning the extra branches

and leaves help greatly in han-

dling the plant.

5.Get The Plant Ready For Its

New Pot 

-Remove the plant from its old

pot. Take off the old soil. Cut 

the extra roots if necessary

6.Wire The Root and Place

Some of the Main Soil

-Put the plant in the pot and tie

it with the wire. Place the soil

equally among the all small

roots in the pots using a stick.

7.Fill the New Pot With Soil Up

to 80% of the Pot 

-Distribute and ill equally the

soil within the pot.

8.Water the Plant 

-Water the plant until the wa-

ter being drained outside the

pot transforms from being

brownish due to soil to becom-

ing clear with no more traces

of soil. It means that the plant 

has already gotten a suficient 

intake of water.

9.Fill It With Green Moss (Op-

tional)

-Green moss is used for aes-

thetic purposes, mainly to cov-

er the barren soil surrounding

the plant.

And done! Congratulations,

you have successfully worked

on your irst bonsai tree. Do

remember that the plant alsoneeds to be well-maintained

in order for the full beauty of 

the bonsai to blossom. Happy

Gardening!

 Alexander B. Estoesta II

References:

Cutebonsaitree.com- How to

Make Bonsai (http://www.

cutebonsaitree.com/how-to-

make-bonsai-tree.html)

Philippine Bonsai Society Of-

icial Website (http://philip-

pinebonsaisociety.org/)

Wikipedia- Deinition of Bon-

sai (http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Bonsai)

artofonsai.org

The country especially in the

Cordillera region has suffered

from economic crisis and low

agricultural production.

“What we need are real chang-

es to improve the conditions

we face in our communities, in

the region [Cordillera] and in

the country,” a statement givenby Cordillera Peoples` Alliance

recently during the Cordillera

Day 2013 and was published

by the Philippine Information

Agency.

Thus, Department of Agricul-

ture (DA) made further steps

together with the Department 

of Trade and Industry (DTI)

in order to revive the coffee

industry in the region and to

promote the coffee production

internationally.

DTI Provincial Director Grace

Baluyan encouraged farmers

to do improvements of their

coffee plantations consider-

ing this will boost the eco-

nomic status not only in theregion but also in the nation.

The DTI also recently provid-

ed a common-service facility

which aims to serve the coffee

production processes in the

provinces of Benguet, Ifugao,

Apayao, Kalinga and Moun-

tain Province. Workshops are

also formulated and soon to

be conducted with public and

private agencies to study how

to go on the said projects.

Nowadays, coffee is consid-

ered second to oil as the most 

traded commodity. That is

why P700 million have been

allocated for different projects

to establish facilities needed

by coffee growers in view of 

the fact that coffee business

needs processing, production

and marketing to sell abroad.

REVIVING THE CORDILLERA REGION’S

COFFEE INDUSTRY 

The coffee industry is seen to

be a more proitable business

today. Coffee farmers, on the

other hand, could play an es-

sential role by keeping abun-

dant and producing high-qual-

ity beans.

Considering the growing num-

ber of consumers, the manu-facturers of coffee in the pre-

vious year was not enough to

sustain the needs of the con-

sumers.

Furthermore, shown by the

latest records of the Bureau

of Agricultural Statistics (BAS

–CAR) coffee production in-

creased only at .34% in 2011.

From 5,608.13 in 2010, cof-

fee production move up to

5,627.13 in 2011 with Kalinga

(3,857.20 metric tons) as the

top producer, Ifugao (1,053.81

mt), Benguet (486.55 mt),

Mountain Province (162.15

mt), Abra (54.05 mt) and

Apayao (13.37) respectively.

To make things better, DA inCordillera is looking forward

to work with private sectors

as to promote coffee and ind

market linkages to expand the

making.

Not just because of its aroma

and good taste, drinking coffee

which has been a tradition of 

every Filipino, has numerous

beneits. Did you know that 

coffee, because of its caffeine

content helps to stimulate our

senses and supports mental

alertness and concentration?

That is why most workers es-

pecially call center agents who

work in the grave-yard shift 

drink coffee a lot.

Most country homes and

shops always never forget to

store coffee products in the

pantry, especially during the

rainy season. This can also be

served hot or cold and some, if 

wanted to, added it with fruits.

A cup of coffee, keep listed on

menu, mixed with cream and

sugar brings a delightful start 

of the day. No wonder, why

the government is doubling its

effort to produce coffee regu-larly.

Coffee became a important 

crop in the region of Cordil-

lera for hundreds of families

depend on it. Several beauty

experts used coffee in making

body soaps, lotions, scrubs

and other beauty regime due

to its antioxidant content and

it is a good exfoliator.

Two among coffee kinds

are Robusta and Arabica,

which many believed derived

“from-Arabia”, known for its

aroma, acidity and low caf-

feine characteristics. It is more

brittle than Robusta. Robusta

beans are more robust than

the other. The caffeine content of this bean is twice higher

than Arabica and has strong

body, very little acidity and

can be grown either high or

low altitudes. The two men-

tioned coffee beans can now

also be found in the country.

Moreover, to support the gov-

ernment`s climate change

adaptation and elimination

measures, agro-forestry in

the region is being promoted

which would serve as alterna-

tive planting materials and to

help in preventing soil erosion

in the highlands.

Joswaldo Dingal

References:

www.pia.com

www.sunstar.com.ph

www.inquirer.net 

businessinquirer. net 

Marindal St., Rincon, Valenzuela City 0917-8574493 and 0918-3858571

2 BUSINESS

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As the sun quietly rises to

greet the start of a new morning,

most people are slowly getting

up from a peaceful slumber,

while there are those who pac-

ingly prepare themselves either

for school or work by hitting the

showers and cooking breakfast 

as they make ready for the long

day ahead.

However, in a small and quaint barangay located in the vicinity

of Valenzuela, one of the towns

that make up the country’s Na-

tional Capital Region (NCR),

there is a group of men and

women mostly in their golden

years, who are busying them-

selves with several sessions of 

streching as they are about to

commence with their daily ac-

tivity: exercising and aerobics.

Meet the aerobics and exercise

club of Barangay Lingunan.

Composed mainly of senior cit-

izens with young teenagers and

children on the side, this group

of 50 people religiously gather

for three times a week at seven

in the morning to do their rou-

tine of exercising all in the name

of health and wellness.

“Nagsimula itong exercise pro-

gram ng Barangay Lingunan

noong 2011. Proyekto ito ng ba-

rangay na isinagawa ni Carmen

Delesmo. Siya ang maybahay ni

Barangay Captain Danilo Deles-

mo.” (The exercise program here

in Barangay Lingunan started in

2011. This is a project of the ba-

rangay that was established byCarmen Delesmo, the wife of Ba-

rangay Captain Danilo Delesmo)

says Barangay Kagawad Carlito

Antonio.

Kagawad Antonio also adds

that Valenzuela city oficials

have also contributed greatly

to the establishment of the or-

ganization. Representative Rex

Gatchalian and City Councilor

Gerry Esplana are two of the

most ardent supporters in pro-

moting the importance of exer-

cising in every community that 

comprises the Valenzuela area,

hence the city being dubbed as

the “Aerobics Capital of the Phil-

ippines”.

To note, the present Lingunan

Aerobics Club is the predeces-

sor of the Lingunan Ladies Club

which spearheaded the aero-

bics movement in the barangay.

In existence for nine (9) years

running, the club has attracted

members from outside of Lingu-

nan such as those from Baran-

gay Canumay and Lawang Bato

before going into hiatus and

eventually resurfacing as Lingu-

nan Aerobics Club.Presently, aside from the sup-

port given by the barangay ofi-

cials, the club is funded by City

Councilor Cora Cortes with Baby

Juliano as President and Car-

men Delesmo as Chairwoman of 

the club. The organization also

charges P20 per head each ses-

sion which goes to its club fund

meant for various activities such

as outreach missions and orga-

nizational affairs.

Having a comprehensive activ-

ity such as aerobics helped in

instilling a higher conciousness

of health among the residents.

Says instructor Jonnabel Base:

“Dati kasi, hindi physically ac-

tive and mga tao dito sa Lin-

gunan. ‘Yung mga matatanda,

One can be lost in tranquili-

ty in the hilltops of Antipolo in

Rizal province. Located in the

southern portion of Metro Ma-

nila, the picturesque scenery

brings along a resolving image

of peace and serenity far from

the hustle and bustle of the city.

However, these days the famed

hillside is not exclusively for

people wanting to relax the

weekend off. There is a buddinggroup of young men, feeding off 

the adrenalin rush in their veins,

clasping through the rugged

curves and winding roads of the

hills in maneuvering their vehi-

cle of choice. Seizing the day, or

at least have a very good time in

doing so.

Before assuming that these

thrill-seekers are equipped

with the most customized, de-

tailed and well-maintained four-

wheeled sedans or the minted

and highly-octaned motorcycles

seeking to both awe and threat-

en the quiet setting, think again.

Upon careful observation, one

will notice that there is not a

hint of smoke or a wisp of noise

emanating from these rushing

A TAKE ON TRIKE DRIFTING, PINOY STYLE

THE EXERCISE CLUB OF BARANGAY LINGUNAN:LEADING THE REVOLUTION TO HEALTH AND FITNESS

machines, except from occasion-

al screams and cheers from the

drivers.

And as the vehicles slow down

upon the end of the hilly trail,

there is a wave of awe and im-

pression beaming around those

who witnessed a show of stunts

and histrionics a few moments

back featuring these wheeled

devices. Remarkable, given that 

these were not aided by thepower of a motor or engine but 

by the sheer and intricate design

complimented by the pure ener-

gy and creativity exerted by the

drivers that makes these rides

unique.

Welcome to the world of the

Drift Trike. First gaining popu-

larity in the United States as an

extreme sport, these vehicles

have made their way across the

globe among countries such as

Germany, Spain, Brazil, United

Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, New

Zealand and even our fellow

South East Asian neighbors, In-

donesia and Thailand, to name a

few. At present, a group of local

drift trikers are spearheading

the movement to make this kind

of extreme sport popular in the

Philippines.

What is a Drift Trike?

Its design may be similar to the

plastic three-wheeled cycle that 

small children use, except that 

the rear end is a customized PVC

pipe. Also, the drift trike varies

in style also, as there are models

which have a pedal attached to

the front wheel while there are

those who do not have one.As per the description in the

Pinoy Drift Trikers’ facebook 

page (https://www.facebook.

com/PinoyDriftTrikes), a pro-

spective triker needs only a old

bike to start this hobby. A little

bit of sawing some parts mixed

with some welding plus equip a

step nut on the front tire, attach

a customized a PVC rear tire and

place a seat, and a modiied drift 

trike is created.

Of course, it would be more

feasible to tap someone who is

adept and skillful at converting

these machines for performance

and eficiency reasons. As Mr.

Barcelona shares, at least eight 

thousand pesos (P8,000.00) is

needed to customized a drift 

tike. But the price is worth the

hours of fun, excitement and

thrill that this sport will give to

a budding triker.

Meet the Pinoy Drift Trikers

According to an interview grab

from ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay

Ganda show last January 23,

2013 with the founder of the Pi-

noy Drift Trike, Mr. Geri Barcelo-

na, he cited that he was lookingfor a new hobby to pursue, and

fortunately he discovered the

concept of the drift trike.

“Naghahanap ako ng bagong lil-

ibangan, nagpunta ako sa You-

Tube (a video sharing website)

at ‘yun, nakita ko yung drift trik-

ing” shares Mr. Barcelona. “Wala

pang ganito sa Pilipinas kaya

naisipan ko na simulan”. ( I was

looking for a new hobby when

I chanced upon a clip of drift 

triking on Youtube. I found it 

interesting to bring this concept 

to the Philippines since there

aren’t any drift trikes or groups

here yet.)

Eventually, his fondness for the

sport has led to forming a group

in May 2012 that would pioneer

the drift trike scene in the Phil-

ippines: The Pinoy Drift Trikers.

Occasionally, this group of drift 

trike enthusiasts gather at hilly

places such as in the Antipo-

lo area .With their toys in tow,

they hike upwards to the highest 

point of the road then freely cast 

themselves down the road. All

of this while doing a myriad of 

drifting stunts as they cascade

from one curve of the hilltopuntil they have descended to

the base or the end of the road

below.

Also, as this hobby is classiied as

an extreme sport, the necessary

safety nets and precautionary

means should be of utmost im-

portance to the rider of the drift 

trike. In a nutshell, the sport is

almost similar to the original

concept of drifting which has

automobiles descending from

mountain roads at a fast pace

while performing a various set 

of turns and maneuvering tech-

niques. For drift trike, the only

difference is that in lieu of a car,

a three-wheeled cycle is utilized.

But the same practice of drifting

and stunts are used, hence the

same safety measures should be

observed.

“Delikado siya kasi kung hindi,

di siya macoconsider na ex-

treme (sport) kaya dapat may

safety precaution like kneepads

at shoulderpads, wearing a hel-

met, gloves,” (It’s dangerous

given that it would not be con-

sidered as an extreme sport so

one has to have the necessary

safety precaution like wearing of 

kneepads, shoulderpads, helmet 

and gloves) notes Mr. Barcelona

in another interview, this time

with the GMA-7 Show Kapuso

Mo Jessica Soho.

He also cited that although there

are many dangers in the sport,such as overturning which can

be a cause of many accidents,

putting in the proper amount of 

practice can help one greatly in

manning a drift trike regardless

of how many high-speed slides

and 360 turns they’ll experience

down the road.

Despite the costs and the prob-

able risks that drift triking pos-

sess, the sheer experience of 

riding one down the slopes at 

a speeding pace with adren-

alin going to the extremes is all

worth the while. Especially for

those who want to encounter a

new kind of adventure without 

having to stray far from the me-

tropolis.

For inquiries and other detailsregarding the Pinoy Drift Trike,

visit the Pinoy Drift Trikers’

facebook page (https://www.

fa ce bo o k.co m / Pi n o yD ri f t -

Trikes).

 Alexander B. Estoesta II

References:

Pinoy Drift Trikers’ Facebook 

Page (https://www.facebook.

com/PinoyDriftTrikes).

GMA 7’s Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho

Show (Pinoy Drift Trikes epi-

sode)

ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Gan-

da Show aired last January 23,

2013 (Pinoy Drift Trikes seg-

ment)

matamlay. Ang mga bata, tumat-

ambay lang. Nang magkaroon

ng exercise program ay naging

physically and mentally healthly

sila, at nadidisplina pagdating

sa kalusugan, tulad ng pagkaka-

roon ng kaalaman kung ano ang

dapat kainin o hindi, iwasan ang

mga bisyo.” (Before the club was

created, the people here in Lin-

gunan are not physically active.The elders tend to be sluggish

while the young kids would just 

wander around, Having an exer-

cise program has helped them

to be physically and mentally

healthy. It also instilled to them

the value of discipline when it 

comes to being healthy, such as

having good knowledge what 

foods to take and what to avoid.)

For every Tuesday, Thursday

and Friday of each week, the

Lingunan Aerobics club gather

at the multi-purpose gymnasi-

um of the Barangay to do calis-

thenics, push-ups, sit-ups and

light aero exercises for an hour

streching to an hour and a half.

This good practice of wellness

has beneitted the partcipants

not only in improving their

health but also in achieving no-

table goals as a group.

Among those accomplishments

of the club include being named

the champion of the Senior’s

Division in Valenzuela City’s

annual Inter-Barangay Aerobics

Tournament last March 2013.

This yearly competition pits the

different aerobics and exerciseclubs all over the city in show-

casing their talent in various

aerobic routines.

Aside from leading the group

in their regular aerobic sessions,

Instructor Jonnabel states that 

she personally oversees the

various health parameters and

recommends these to the par-

ticipants. Among these tips are

periodic check-up of their phys-

ical health, maintaining blood

pressure at normal levels and

the intake of proper foods which

are nutritious to the body.

Being one of the more known

instructors in Valenzuela given

that she carries an internation-

al license and has also taught 

abroad, Instructor Jonnabel is

considered as an authority when

it comes to health and itness. So

when she recommends some-

thing to the people, they eager-

ly listen and promptly follow it 

since they knew that it will be

rewarding for them health-wise

in the long run.

On her behalf, Instructor Jonna-

bel foresees a bright future for

the club. “Nakikita ko na marami

pa ang sasali kasi na-eenganyo

sila na mag-exercise sa kaka-

panood ng mga nag-aaerobics

tuwing umaga.” (I foresee that 

there will still be a lot of peo-

ple who will join the aerobics

sessions since they are enticed

by watching the participants

each morning.) On a personal

note, she plans to build an aer-

obics studio to further promote

and inluence healthy lifestyle

among her neighbors as well as

to the whole of Valenzuela.

Kagawad Antonio also states:

“As long as we are here (the

barangay oficials), we will con-

tinue to support them, the Lin-

gunan Aerobics Club.” He noted

that aside from the funding

support , the Barangay Lingu-nan oficials also provided the

uniforms and food as recovery

meal for the participants every

aerobic session.

Truly, it is inspiring to many

for these individuals to group

themselves and promote the

essence of healthly living. With

the world today being envel-

oped in a multitude of illnesses

and poor living conditions, it is

appropriate that each person

should start being an ideal mod-

el of good health in both physical

and mental aspects. By having a

sound mind and a sound body,

one can look forward to many

wonderful mornings and beau-

tiful days ahead.

 Alexander B. Estoesta II

LIFE, BEAUTY & LEISURE 3

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Millions of people, especially

the Filipino students are likely

getting involved in volleyball.

Beside from the healthy beneits

of the sport, this also can help in

maintaining the academic status

of students and letting them stay

in school. College students now-

adays acquire scholarships by

joining the volleyball varsity.

In history, former President of 

the Republic of the Philippines

Fidel V. Ramos declared the

month of August 1994 as “Vol-

leyball Month” under the procla-

mation No. 333, s. 1994, where-

as the national intention focused

on the sport and to stimulategreater awareness.

Recently, the country has sent 

115 athletes to ight for the

country on the 5th Association

of South East Asian Nations

(ASEAN) School Games (ASG)

held in Hanoi, Vietnam.

This is with the participation of 

Department of Education jointly

with the Philippine Sports Com-

mission (PSC) working hand-in-

hand to support the athletes to

play against Thailand, Brunei,

Cambodia, Indonesia and Malay-

sia, Laos and Vietnam.

The events were track and ield,

sepak takraw (Kick volleyball),

swimming, basketball and vol-

leyball among others.

“We will continue to work 

together to enhance the pro-

motion and development of 

sports [including volleyball] in

the country with the hope of 

producing more world-class

athletes,” expressed Education

secretary Bro. Armin Luistro in

VOLLEYBALL: THE NEW DARLINGOF PHILIPPINE SPORTS

acknowledging the effort shown

by PSC.

Next year, the Philippines will be

hosting the 6th ASEAN School

Games.

Thanks to several athletes in the

country who are carving their

name in the world of volleyball

and made the sport more inter-

esting and popular among teens.

Nicole Tiamzon (UP), Maruja

Banaticla (UST), Princess Lista-

na (Adamson), Michele Gum-

abao (DLSU), Denden Lazaro

(Ateneo), Fille Cainglet (Ate-

neo), Mika Reyes (DLSU), Prin-

cess Gaiser (UP), Melisa Gohing

(DLSU) and Gretchen Ho (Ate-neo) are the more popular and

cutest-faces seen on the volley-

ball court and television, in ref-

erence from InterAksyon.

Whatever it takes, blocking or

diving, it has been an enjoyable

job for UAAP Women’s Volley-

ball Finals MVP Michele Guma-

bao. Atmosphere becomes hot 

when this young MVP lady hits

the ball that all eyes must see.

This marketing management 

student has learned how to

play volleyball using her right 

hand because she was born a

left-handed baby. It was only in

college when this pretty warrior

found out that her name must 

be spelled with only one “L” not 

two “L`s” as what she was ac-

customed to since nursery.

Another volleyball heroine,

Rachelle Anne Daquis, the

Best Server in Season 7 of the

Shakey`s V-League, emerged as

one of the most popular players

in the country now and Mika

Before judo, boxing and kara-

te were recognized as the main

combat sports among the local

folk. But now Mixed Martial Arts

(MMA) in the Philippines is be-

coming popular.

MMA is a full-contact combat 

which mixed ighting styles and

techniques from modern and

traditional martial arts are be-

ing used, and it is now arisingsport only in the country but 

also abroad. Such competitions

are also being made by Ultimate

Fighting Championship (UFC)

and Universal Reality Combat 

Championship (URCC).

Since many Filipinos nowadays

have interested dealing with the

sport, some advocates like Team

Lakay made great efforts to

come up with programs, teach-

ing new students in the country.

They provide proper trainings in

order to obtain suficient knowl-

edge and skills, self-defense and

self-discipline which are the

most important for a MMA com-

batant.

Considered as the best MMA

club in the country, Team Lakay

is hoping that via healthy com-

petition and entertainment, the

Cordilleras will be dubbed as

the “Home of Champions”. They

have also started to produce as-

piring ighters and promoting

competitions including six MMA,

Wushu Xanda Eliminations and

Grappler`s Cups as to encour-

age more MMA enthusiasts and

tourist who could watch and vis-

it the country.

Several home-grown talents

have also lourished like Eric

Kelly and Honorio Banario at 

ONE FC: ‘Return of Warriors,

both from Baguio. Other Filipino

ighters Eduard Folayang, Kevin

Belingon, Rene Catalan and Geje

Eustaquio have also made marks

in the world of MMA. Recently,Banario won the irst ONE FC

Featherweight championship.

“Before I was a boxer, but I got 

injured and so I decided to start 

THE POPULARITY OF MIXEDMARTIAL ARTS IN THE COUNTRY

learning MMA. Ever since I start-

ed ighting, my dream has been

to be a world champion and in

2013 with God’s will I will make

that dream come true,” said Eric

Kelly who fought with four other

Filipino ighter at Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia recently.

Many gyms have been estab-

lished, in some parts of Cordil-

lera region, Baguio and Cebu, of-

fering boxing and MMA training

for those interested to compete

furthermore.

Moreover, The CEO of the ONE

FC, Mr. Victor Cui envisions of 

uniting biggest MMA promo-

tions in Asia for the future de-

velopment of Asian MMA.

Several organizations are now

at the frontline of MMA promo-

tions, to name a few, Yaw-yan

Ardigma of Master Benigno Can-

iga in Cebu which has started a

tradition of tournaments called

as “Ground and Pound”.

URCC is founded by Filipino Al-

vin Aguilar. It is the organization

that irst promoted the MMA in

the Philippines broadcasted in

cable television. URCC can be

seen on Solar Sports Channeland all its afiliated networks.

Even if a few argue that the

country has not yet equipped

to patronize such extreme sport 

and are not accustomed with

its rules and regulation, MMA

enthusiasts are still pushing the

sport for the nation to embrace.

Government must support the

sport considering not only the

entertainment it brings but the

glory an individual would ac-

quire. Several MMA combatants

have already spent much blood

and sweat just to buy victory

and honor for the

Philippine lag.

MMA has penetrated even the

farthest points of the country.

In Bacolod, Baguio, Davao and

Cebu MMA tournaments had in-

vaded of waves of fans. Even in

Manila alone there is a collegiate

challenge attended by amateur

ighters and this is only proving

what MMA has gone so far.

The more competitions, the

more gyms, the better it is for

MMA to lourish and propagate

in the Philippines!

Joswaldo Dingal

References: 

http://newsinfo.inquirer.

net/334907/eric-kel-

ly-dreams-of-becoming-irst-ev-er-ilipino-mma-king#ixzz-

2VUMX8xQQ

Sun.Star Baguio

Redjie Cawis PIA-CAR

growth through proper diet and

monitor their growth regularly.

- By introducing a well-balanced

diet to a young child, it will en-

sure the optimization of their

physical and mental develop-

ment through their growing

years.

4. Consume ish, lean meat,

poultry or dried beans

- Lean meats, poultry, driedbeans and ish offer a good al-

ternative from traditional fatty

meats such as pork since they

contain a lesser amount of 

see page 4

saturated fats, which are usu-

ally the cause of cardiovascular

ailments. Also, aside from being

a good source of protein, these

food items also contain signii-

cant amounts of nutrients such

as Vitamin A, Iron and Zinc.

5. Eat more vegetables, fruits

and root crops.

- Consumption of more fruits

and vegetables helps in aid-

ing digestion because of its

iber-rich qualities as well as

provide an adequate dosage of 

various micronutrients that is

good for the body.6. Eat foods cooked in edible/

cooking oil daily.

- Oils and fats are considered to

be good sources of energy and

absorption of fat-soluble vita-

mins such as Vitamin A. Cooking

foods in oil will help in address-

ing energy deiciency. However,

this should also be done in mod-

eration as excessive usage of oils

and fats may lead to susceptibil-

ity to heart diseases.

7. Consume milk, milk products

and other calcium-rich foods

such as small ish and dark 

green leafy vegetables everyday.

- Being the most essential nu-trient in strengthening bones

and teeth, consumption of food

items containing signiicant 

amounts of calcium such as

milk, cheese, seafood and dark 

green vegetables will help in

improving the skeletal structure

of an individual as well as help

avoid bone degenerating diseas-

es associated with ageing.

8. Use iodized salt, but avoid ex-

cessive intake of salty foods.

- Goiter and mental retardation

are two medical problems as-

sociated with iodine deiciency.

Usage of iodized salt in food

cooking and consumption will

help greatly in preventing these

illnesses. However, the intake of 

salt should also be controlled as

to avoid the risk of hypertensionand heart diseases.

9. Eat clean and safe food.

- Consumers should be aware of 

the necessary health standards

that indicate if certain food

items are safe for consumption

“GUTOM AT MALNUTRITION... from page 1

ly basis

-Have adequate sleep, at least 8

hours a day.

-Always a lot time for rest and

relaxation to mitigate stress.

In terms of treating stroke vic-

tims, doctors administer a clot 

buster to patients during the

irst 3 hours following the on-

set of symptoms. This injection

eliminates the blood clots that 

disrupt normal circulation in

DOH PROMOTES....FROM PAGE 1

4 LIFE,BEAUTY & LEISURE

Address: #26 Quirino Bou-

levard, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur,

Philippines

Vigan Telefax: (077)722-2914

Manila Line: (02)425-6473

For reservations or further

inquiries contact:MARICRIS PANDORO, Front 

Desk Oficer (0919-3156122)

NINAY VERZOSA, Asst. General

Manager (0919-9560844)

Please call during ofice hours

Or you may email us at vil-

langela.heritage@gmail.com

http://www.villangela.com/

the brain.

Medication for patients and

those who have a high risk of 

stroke include antiplatelets and

blood thinners in order to de-

crease the formation of blood

clots. Aspirin is a known form

of antiplatelet medicine. Doc-

tors recommend a pill a day for

patients and high-risk persons

in avoiding the possibility of a

stroke.

Even with these forms of treat-

ment, it is still highly recom-

mended for everyone to lead

and promote a healthy lifestyle

in order to prevent the occur-

rence of brain attack. As one of 

the founding fathers of the Unit-

ed States of America, Benjamin

Franklin, once said: “An Ounce

of Prevention is better than a

Pound of Cure”.

 Alexander B. Estoesta II

or not. These include freshness,

sanitary environment and hy-

gienic handling of the items.

They should be free from pest 

containment and not exposed to

chemicals.

10. For a healthy lifestyle and

good nutrition, exercise regu-

larly, do not smoke and avoid

drinking alcoholic beverages.

- In order to achieve and main-tain a it and sound well-being,

a sedentary lifestyle of smoking

and drinking should be avoided.

Proper diet must also be accom-

panied by exercising regularly,

at least 30 minutes a day.

 Alexander B. Estoesta II

References:

United Nations- World Health

Organization (http://www.who.

int)

Food and Nutrition Research

Institute – Philippines (http://

www.fnri.dost.gov.ph)

National Nutrition Council- Phil-

ippines (http://www.nnc.gov.

ph)

Department of Education- Phil-

ippines (http://www.deped.gov.

ph)

Nutritional Guidelines for Filipi-nos, Revised Edition 2000; Food

and Nutrition Research Institute

(FNRI), Department of Science

and Technology (DOST)

Reyes of DLSU, the new darling

of UAAP volleyball.

Since volleyball is a fast-growing

activity nowadays considering

millions are watching on ield

or on television screen, the PSC

sees this development as a proof 

of its mandate to pursue promo-

tion of active participation.

As other volleyball advocate,Daquis wishes to have a profes-

sional league in the country as

to sustain awareness about the

sport. “Kailangan nila yun, kasi

after nila mag-graduate wala na

silang mapupuntahan,” pointing

what a coomercial league could

offer a player, said Daquis on an

interview with Rappler.com

Looking further, volleyball is a

team-sport played by two teams

and it is played on a court divid-

ed by a net aiming to send by

hitting the ball to the opponent`s

ground.

Fault is committed if a serving

team fails to send the ball or may

the ball ‘goes out’ or it touches

the ground. During the game,

a member is allowed to hit the

ball once except he is attemptinga block.

The sport which created by Wil-

liam G. Morgan was introduced

in 1895 and originated in the

United States. He designed the

game by a combination of bas-

ketball, baseball, tennis and

handball. It was originally called

“Mintonette”. It was later re-

named to Volleyball only after

someone observed that players

seemed to be volleying the ball

back and forth over the net.

Nevertheless, playing this kind

of game is ideal for men and

women who want to achieve

good body itness as this is a

best way to burn fats. Thus,

schools are more become sys-

tematic to train students in the

fast-growing sport.

Joswaldo Dingal

References:

http://www.gov.ph

http://www.Volleyball.org

Rappler.com

References:

ABS-CBN’s Salamat Dok: Stroke

The Brain Attack (http://www.

abs-cbnnews.com/current-af-

fairs-programs/10/27/10/

salamat-dok-stroke-brain-at-

tack)

Department of Health- Philip-

pines (http://www.doh.gov.

ph)

The Internet Stroke Center

(http://www.strokecenter.org)

Wikipedia- Deinition of Stroke

(http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Stroke)

7/27/2019 Great Philippines Edition Volume V Issue No. 6

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LIFE, BEAUTY & LEISURE 5

Gov. Camins Avenue Zamboanga City, PhilippinesTelephone: 991-0031 goh@jetlink.com.ph

Brgy. Dapdap Tayabas QuezonRestaurant: (042) 793-3654 or (042) 793-3655

Hotel & Resort: (042) 793-0088 or (042) 793-0089

Cellphone: 0918 951 0460

Email: info@kamayansapalaisdaan.com.ph

Villa Carolina Y Juan

Beach ResortBrgy. Ilog Malino, Bolinao, Pangasinan

Carol: +639216983340

Email: villacarolinapangasinan@yahoo.com

 GreatPhilippinesExpedition

The Premium Health,Travel and Lifestyle Newspaper

Managing Director/Editor

Rodel T. Rabara

Section Editor

 Alexander B. Estoesta II

Graphic Designer/Layout Artist 

Belle A. Dinglasa

Advertising Executives

Giselle Marie J. Gutierrez

Cathy Domingo

Contributors

Joswaldo Dingal

Mary Grace Ramos

Photographers

Rey-An Santelices

 Adrian Caballero

Paul Richard Martin

Field Assistant to Senior Executive

Ronie M. Diata

Suite 201 Chelsea Bldg., Chateau Valenzuela,

Lingunan, Valenzuela City, Philippines

Mobile numbers : 0917-8574493 and 0932-6641028

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It is relatively known that to-day’s world has been considered

as a hotbed of different illnesses.

Spanning from acute varieties to

deadly strains, these maladies

have contributed heavily to the

loss of life annually not to men-

tion draining of inances across

communities all over the world

on an annual basis.

Over the years, medical per-

sonnel and scientists have dab-

bled in a myriad of experiments,

laboratory tests and dozens of 

conducted researches and stud-

ies in order to ind a solution

in combating the worst kinds

of diseases that has enraptured

mankind. Sickness that are

non-communicable in nature

meaning these cannot be trans-

mitted from a host to another

such as heart and coronary dis-

eases, cancer and stroke, as well

as communicable ones which

include pneumonia, tubercu-

losis and the dreaded Human

Immunodeiciency Virus (HIV),

the catalyst of Acquired Immune

Deiciency Syndrome (AIDS)

that primarily attacks the body’s

immune system,leaving it help-

less against a rash of diseases

later on.

Add to this is the sprouting of 

medical facilities that specialize

in giving the speciied care to a

patient who has been diagnosed

with a certain disease. Some are

part of large-scaled hospitals

while others operate on a stand

alone basis. In metropolitan ar-eas, there is a number of kidney/

dialysis centers, cancer institues

and cardiovascular clinics that 

cater to those who suffer from

a particular sickness affecting

these organs of the body.

However, despite this remark-

able feat that has been brought 

upon by these esteemed men of 

the medical profession, it is stilll

puzzling as to why there are still

a lot and that igure pertains

to millions of people dying of 

those aforementioned diseas-

es. Notwithstanding the pour-

ing of a ton of money invested

into training doctors, nurses

and other specialists, countless

hours spent in the laboratory

and the ield performing special-

ized forms of research and de-velopment to ind the supposed

cure, moratlity rates of people

succumbing to illnesses still rise

to alarming numbers each year.

A lot of factors can

contribute to the onset of var-

ious sicknesses. These include

poor hygiene, lack of adequate

nutritional intake, sedentary

lifestyle, bad hereditary and ge-

netic traits and unsanitary living

conditions. The painful truth is

that there are a large number of 

families who cannot afford to be

treated by doctors or have sufi-

cient access to a medical center

mainly because of their impov-

ersihed state. Still, a more dis-

turbing reality is that there are

those sick individuals- - to the

point of being terminally ill, whoare being rejected and down-

turned by medical professionals

and hospitals with the reason

that they cannot be cured any-

more.

But all is not lost, es-

pecially for a person besieged

with a serious form of illness.

Besides the emergence of char-

ity groups that extend assis-

tance to poor families in terms

of medical care, there are those

who practice an alternative form

of healing that seeks not only to

create a ray of hope for a patient 

to be treated, but also allows

them to save on their inances

and get a well-deserved money’s

worth of cure.

One of those remarkable prac-

titioners is Dr. Winie R. Elfa. She

has been one of the pioneers of 

alternative medicine in media

here in the Philippines. Dr. Elfa

earned the title of Scientist-Na-

turopathic Doctor (ND) or Alter-

native Medicine Doctor because

of her impressive work in en-

hancing the growth of alterna-

tive healing in the country.

In an exclusive interview

granted by Dr. Elfa to Great 

Philippines Expedition, the “Su-

perlady” details her start in the

local alternative medicine sector

as well as her current experi-

ences in promoting her brand

of healing both here in abroad,

and her plans for the future of 

alternative medicine here in the

Philippines.FROM A NURSING GRADUATE

TO SKIN CARE SPECIALIST

After graduating from Philip-

pine Union College, now Adven-

tist University of the Philippines

with a degree in BS Nursing in

1981, the then fresh graduate

Dr. Elfa decided to dabble in

formulating and selling derma-

tological products. Her primary

reason was to improve her hus-

band’s condition, whose face

was affected severely with acne.

Mentions Dr. Elfa: “Nagsimula

ako na magdistribute at mag-

benta ng beauty products dahil

sa mister ko, na malala ang skin

problem sa mukha. Eventually,

nag-expand ang negosyo ko at 

maraming mga pasyente na re-

jected ng mga dermatologistsang nagpuntahan sa akin.” (“I

started to distribute and sell

beauty products because of my

husband, who has a severe case

of acne at the time. Eventually,

business lourished and I was

able to entice a lot of patients

who were rejected before by

dermatologists”.)

Trooping to her then clinic

in Blumentritt, Manila, Dr. Elfa

treated patients, ranging from

simple skin problems such as

acne blemishes to more serious

ones like ulcerated or deeply

perforated wounds including

psoriasis. She even recalls a pa-

tient from the province who was

suffering from deformity of her

skin, a victim of absolute malnu-

As slowly as the

irst rays of sunshine cascade

through the skies, the greetings

of a new day is imminent. From

the shadows that has enveloped

the whole of the world the night 

before, the sight is beholding

and gleeful to see! Truly, a new

morning echoes new hope and

a new beginning that the day at 

hand holds full of promises and

dreams that are set to come true.

And this statements

holds very true for us here at 

Great Philippines Expedition

newspaper. Change has come

forth in a special way and this

issue marks that wondrous be-

ginning for all that has been and

will be part of GPE in the years

to come- - from the editorial

staff, the advertising executives,

the writers , photographers and

graphic artists as well as to our

endeared stakeholders, our

readers and ardent followers.

To those who have loyally stayedwith us through times of fortune

and trial, my sincerest thanks to

each and everyone of you. For

our newly-acquainted partners

and colleagues, I humbly wel-

PRAISING JOYFULLY TO THE HEAVENSFOR A NEW BEGINNING

ACHIEVING GOOD HEALTH WHILE

AT WORK ALEXANDER B. ESTOESTA II

It has been a well-known fact 

that in order to live, man has to

work. This is justiied by a pas-

sage in the Holy Bible in which

the Book of Proverbs state that 

“Those who work their land will

have abundant food, but those

who chase fantasies have no

sense” (Proverbs 12:11). More

so, work provides man with

an equal sense of dignity and

worthwhile place in society.

Without it, he or she is looked

down upon aside from lacking in

basic needs in daily living such

as sustenance.

Most of us have heard

or came across people who are

identiied as being workalholics.

These are the individuals who

go beyond the normal working

hours and render overtime just 

to get their tasks done, and in re-

turn get a little extra in return-

- a signiicant bonus or raise in

pay, or even a promotion to amangerial rank. Sometimes even

maybe a trip to Europe or a new

car. All in for going beyond the

norm and accomplishing things

and more for their respective

company’s beneit.

But is it all worth the

countless hours of sleep lost, the

amount of stress exerted into

one’s well- being, and the beat-

ing that takes its toll on the body

each time that one goes beyond

the usual hours at the ofice? It 

should be taken note that the

human body can only tolerate

a certain amount of mental and

physical pounding on a daily ba-

sis. Even though one may seem

ine after rendering long hours

on the job, still it does not dis-

count the fact that the conse-

quences may haunt him or her

later in life.

Among the effects of 

rigorous amounts of stress expe-

rienced by the body include the

onset of dreaded diseases such

as heart attack, stroke and can-

cer. Also, stress can also degen-

erated the normal mindset and

can led to bouts of depression

and anxiety attacks as well.

So, how does one

cope up with the rigors of the

workplace yet still maintain

good health? The key here is

discipline and proper time man-

agement. Here are some ways on

how to achieve wellness despite

the busy environment at work:

Have Proper Intake of Food.

Most workers usually skip

breakfast in order to get to the

ofice on time, or even lunch in

order to inish the task at hand.

It should be noted that forego-

ing meals means depriving the

body of necessary nutrients and

sustenance to be able to move

towards the day.

Make Time for Exercise.

Going to another department 

three loors up? Take the stairs,

not the elevator. Going home

from the ofice, how about 

avoiding the ive-minute tricycle

ride from your village’s gate to

your house and instead have a

brisk walk going home? Exercis-

ing, regardless if it is on a grand

or small level, will reap beneits

to you in the end.

Pray and Meditate. F e e l i n g

pressured due to deadlines and

the annoying co-worker? Take

a deep breath three times and

clear your mind. Sit relaxed in

your chair. Close your eyes even

for a few minutes. If you can,

mutter a silent prayer. Relect.

And if you feel better already,

slowly start again. Being bur-

dened with a ton of problems

at work does not warrant giving

up. It is simply rising up and ap-

proaching the challenges with a

irm resolve and strong will.

Always remember, that in order

to be both productive at the of-

ice and at the same time main-

tain a conscious and healthly

self, there should be an equally

reciprocative relationship given

by an individual to both aspects

and to not overlap responsibili-

ties. Only in that can a person be

remarkable in his/her job while

properly it, both physically and

spiritually.

trition.

It is from these experiencesthat prompted Dr. Elfa to further

delve into the study of health

and wellness. She started this

initiative by lecturing about 

proper skincare in different gov-

ernment agencies that included

the Department of Health, De-

partment of Science and Tech-

nology and Department of Agri-

culture, among others. She also

shared her knowledge about the

various cause and effects of food

intake in those talks as well.

PROMOTING HEALTH AND

WELLNESS ON-AIR

Soon after in 1986, Dr. Elfa

jumpstarted her media career

via radio broadcasting. Through

her regular show, which is Win-

ie’s Natural Health and Beauty

Program, she discussed a mul-

titude of aspects concerning

health and wellness. Among

her topics were the physiolog-

ical and nutritional aspects re-

garding the composition and

chemistry of blood in relation to

food preparation. She also per-

forms demonstrations on how

to prepare meals. Her preferred

method to establish good health

should be plant-based dishes

and no meat combined with an

active lifestyle of exercising reg-

ularly.

Aside from appear-

ing in broadcasts for local radio

networks such as DWWO, DZME

DWIL, DWBL and more than 20

stations nationwide. She also

lew overseas to render hostingfor foreign stations like Radio

Mindanao Network’s (RMN) Tri-

State (New York, New Jersey and

Connecticut) afiliate station as

well as KCEO based in San Diego,

California.

It is also during her stint in

California where Dr. Elfa studied

at Escondido, California from

1990-1994. Among her prized

mentors which she fondly re-

members is Dr. Bernard Jensen,

the esteemed Father of Iridol-

ogy. Iridology is an alternative

medicine practice in which the

iris of the eye is carefully exam-

ined to determine a patient’s

health.

In addition, Dr. Elfa spent time

doing broadcasts and visiting

Filipino communities in Mary-land in the United States as well

as Hong Kong and Sydney and

Melbourne in Australia. She

vividly remebers frequent visits

from Filipino families during her

stay in those places. “It is good

to know that I give inspiration to

Filipino families abroad. Reach-

ing out to let them know that 

there is an option to live longer,

lessen agonies and avoid bank-

rupcies” Dr. Elfa recalls.

Her time abroad while working

with established igures in the

ield of Alternative Medicine has

inspired Dr. Elfa to further hone

her craft. She further went into

research about food technology

and its importance to the ield

of alternative medicine. That led

MEET THE SUPERLADY OFALTERNATIVE MEDICINE,

DR. WINIE R. ELFA NDRODEL T. RABARA

6 HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Main plantation, Claveria,

Misamis Oriental

for more information please

contact or visit

Catherine Bautista

at 3rd Floor, Victory Mall,

Caloocan City

Mobile Nos: 0929-4052523 and

0927-8310483

DOALNARA YAKON

come you into our community.

The rest of us here at GPE are

looking forward to a fruitful

and prospered partnership with

your esteemed selves in the

times ahead.

Yes, it will still be the

same Great Philippines Expedi-

tion that all of you have appre-

ciated before. Only this time,

we are adding a new twist to

our successful formula. Aside

from the remarkable features

that highlight the beauty of our

tourist spots all over the Philip-

pines as well as our neighboring

countries all over the globe, we

are also making our initial foray

at introducing the concepts of 

health and itness to our read-

ers. Starting with this issue, GPE

will showcase various innova-

tions, products and even famous

and known individuals in the

ield of health and wellness. We

believe that through this inno-

vative concept, it would inspire

many of our readers and stake-holders in rearing themselves

towards a lifestyle that places a

premium on a sound body and

a sound mind, total and holistic

health wellness for all.

I want to personally

give my acknowledgement and

heartfelt gratitude to our Di-

vine Creator, for all of this is not 

possible without his Benevolent 

Inspiration. Father In Heaven, it 

is with my deepest thanks to You

for giving me another chance,

a new opportunity to carry on

with my chosen work. I promise

to you that I will excel and strive

for the best in each work that 

I carry out, all for your Divine

Glory. Again, Thank You, Lord,

for the new hope that you have

bestowed upon me through our

publication, Great Philippines

Expedition.

Again, my sincerest 

thanks to all who are reading

and sharing this new issue of 

Great Philippines Expedition. I

and the rest of the staff prom-

ise to deliver more interesting

and inspiring stories, articles

and photos that capture differ-

ent events and personalities on

the aspects of travel, tourism,beauty, wellness and health. To-

gether, we look forward to more

amazing stories and interesting

articles that will captivate our

avid readers.

7/27/2019 Great Philippines Edition Volume V Issue No. 6

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/great-philippines-edition-volume-v-issue-no-6 7/12

A Healthy Lifestyle MadePossible Thru Healthy Food and Cooking

  Given one’s busy

life in work, school, household

chores and related activities,

rarely is noticed the intake of 

food on a daily basis. Most of the

time, people cannot identify the

nutritional value of what they

eat, if it is good and beneicial

ENSALADANG LABANOS OR RADISH SALAD

ENSALADANG MALUNGGAY 

PAKSIW NA BANGUS WITH AMPALAYA

Ingredients:

2 chopped tomatoes

1 chopped onion

½ julienne ginger

1 tbsp. bagoong or rock salt 

2 big chopped radish

Just mix all the ingredients in

bowl and serve it.

Ingredients:

2 chopped tomatoes¼ kilos of Malunggay leaves

¾ tbsp. rock salt 

½ cup of water

Put all the ingredients in a

small pot. Let it boil for

15-20 minutes. Then serve.

Ingredients:

2 big sliced Bangus (1 ½ kilos)

1 chopped ginger

2 medium size chopped

Ampalaya

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. rock salt 

2- 2 ½ cups of water

6-7 cloves of chopped garlic

1 chopped onion

Mix the bangus, garlic, onion, ginger, pepper, salt andwater in a pot. Let it boil within 15-20 minutes. Then put 

the ampalaya and wait for another 5 minutes. Then serve.

SAPPAN WOOD JUICE WITH

WHEAT GRASS AND HONEY 

Ingredients:

1 glass of sappan juice (150-

250 ml.)

1 sachet of wheat grass

1 tbsp.of honey

Put the wheat grass and honey

onto the sappan juice. Stir it 

well.

DOALNARA YACON ROOT CROP

Ingredients:1 pc. Peeled yacon root crop

Put the chopped yacon on a

bowl and serve.

A proper serving of Ensaladang Labanos or Radish Salad,

Ensaladang Malunggay, Paksiw na Bangus with Ampalaya,

Sappan Wood Juice with wheat grass & honey and Yacon Root Crop

with Red Rice equals to a complete, hearty and nutritious meal

that offers a multitude of beneits essential to a person’s healthy

self. Here are the following health beneits of these ingredients.

for their health and physique.

In this regard, The Great Philip-

pines Expedition Health section

suggests trying these special rec-

ipes that are not only nutritious

but will surely ire up your taste

buds and keep you energized

and strong throughout the day.

to her propagation of promoting

the concept of macrobiotics as

a viable option for healing and

maintaining an ideal well-being.

Basically described as a life-

style that adheres to the prin-

ciples of nature, Dr. Elfa discov-

ered macrobiotics applying the

principle of life. “ In life, our ob-

jective is to live long. There are

three important aspects which

revolve around this cycle. Input 

which means man’s intake of 

food, Output in which waste is

eliminated and Regeneration in

which man sleeps and takes rest 

in order to regenerate cells and

strengthen the body for the next 

day. The reality is that in today’s

society, there have been changes

in lifestyle that has affected the

concept of input, output and re-

generating.” says Dr. Elfa.

According to her, these chang-

es such as excessive consump-

tion of meat and less fruits and

vegetables therefore minimizing

iber intake has affected output 

of wastes and thereby leaving

them uneliminated from the

body. Add to this the lack of 

sleep that is becoming prevalent 

especially among young people,

and in effect the body systemsbecome clogged and leading the

cause for sickness and diseases

to manifest and spread.

THE MACROBIOTIC

MOVEMENT: DR. ELFA’S WAY 

Utilizing the macrobiotic prin-

ciple in her own method, Dr. Elfa

concoted the Macrobiotic 1000

recipes. Numbering a thousand,

these recipes are speciically

catered to maintain good health

and cure different kinds of ill-

nesses, such as skin infections,

tumors, edemas, infections and

the like.

A sample is the Macrobiotic

Recipe 1 which is intended for

cleansing infections and pro-

moting holistic health. It is a

puree mixture that is effective in

eliminating and iltering infec-tions through the blood stream.

Dr. Elfa remembers a patient 

suffering from leukemia that il-

tered pus from her body after in-

taking the mixture, a sign of the

body cleansing waste.

She also emphasizes that the

Philippines is a best place to

enhance the purpose of macro-

biotics. “There are a lot of crop

and grain varieties grown locally

here in the country that is bene-

icial for macrobiotic-based food

preparations as well as medica-

tion, given that the macrobiotic

diet is 80% raw food and 20%

cooked.” Dr. Elfa muses.

Aside from this alternative

form of diet, Dr. Elfa stresses

that it should also be supple-

mented with exercising. This

will eventually pave the way for

one’s healthly well-being and

free from illness and sickness.

THE LIVING TESTIMONIES:

PATIENTS CURED THROUGH

MACROBIOTICS

According to Dr. Elfa,

there have been quite a number

of patients that beneitted well

from taking macrobiotic-based

products. She says that these

persons were once rejected by

doctors and hospitals since they

cannot be healed of their illness-

es anymore.

But thanks to the

hope given by Dr. Elfa through

macrobiotics, they have anoth-

er chance in life. Free from any

traces of their past diseases, Dr.Elfa recalls some of her remark-

able patients.

One is Mrs. Adoling Bravo

from Pangasinan. 20 years ago,

she was diagnosed dying of a

respiratory ailment. After intak-

ing some of Dr. Elfa’s prepared

macrobiotic recipes, she soon

got better and later on became

cured of her sickness, getting a

clean bill of health from the doc-

tors. Now at 70 years old, Mrs.

Bravo is living alive and well in

the United States with her fam-

ily.

Another impressive recovery is

of our own Great Philippines Ex-

pedition Managing Editor Rodel

T. Rabara. Mr. Rabara suffered

a serious stroke in March 2012

in San Fernando, La Union and

was on the verge of dying. Doc-

tors have given him less than 24

hours to live. But by some mirac-

ulous turn of events, he survived

that period but still needed to

gain full recovery of his mental

state and physical control of his

body. Thanks to Dr. Elfa’s medi-

cations, he found himself resum-

ing his editorial duties at Great 

Philippines Expedition in a short 

span of recovery.

Dr. Elfa also has a patient from

Daet, Camarines Norte who was

supposed to have bypass sur-

gery for the heart but stopped it 

after taking several of her mac-

robiotic recipes.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF

MACROBIOTICS AND LOCAL

 ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

At 63 years of age, Dr. Elfa is

showing no signs of resting on

her laurels even though her

success with macrobiotics and

naturopathic medicine has reso-

nated with conviction all around

the globe.

Dr. Elfa says “ I’ve been in the

business of promoting health

and wellness for nearly three

decades (30 years), with 25 of 

those spent on air. I’m thankfulthat my show and products are

appreciated by many and has

eventually led to them being

cured of their illnesses and stay-

ing healthy afterwards.”

She plans on establishing

kiosks all over Luzon to com-

pliment her existing stall in

Caloocan City, so that “small

communities can avail of our

products in a small amount to

help them from their illnesses”

says Dr. Elfa. She also adds: “ I

am also looking forward to see

the Superlady’s macrobiotic life-

style kiosk spread worldwide

not only in the Philippines as

part of the lifestyle of the human

race.”

Regarding the future of macro-

biotics and alternative medicine

in the country. Dr. Elfa is opti-

mistic: “I’m positive that the de-

mand for macrobiotics will con-

tinue to rise given that Filipinos

nowadays are becoming more

health conscious, especially the

younger generation. The youth

should be educated about health

and food medicine instead of 

food poisining” she says. Food

poisoning is in reference to the

commercialism brought upon

by makers of processed foods in

which they are labeled as sup-

posedly good for the body. This

form of manipulation defeats

the purpose of being healthy.

Also, Dr. Elfa is planning to

start a TV program on local sta-

tion UNTV about MacrobioticFood Technology. She also has

a live daily streaming on the in-

ternet, utilizing social media to

let her recipes and programs be

made known to all, including the

young people who are avid users

of the internet.

Even if one has been diagnosed

with a dreaded form of illness,

he or she should not panic and

be stressed out with the high

cost associated with medical

care. There are other feasible

options that are abound, such

as that of Dr. Winie Elfa’s mac-

robiotics recipes that offer a

glimmer of hope for those who

are stricken with diseases. Being

a pioneer of Alternative Medi-

cine in Mass Media here in the

Philippines, she hopes to leavea legacy with her craft. As the

Superlady’s marketing slogan

states:“Effectivity is our Identity,

Result is our Evidence”

Listen to Dr. Winie “Superlady”

R. Elfa ‘s Radio Program: Radyo

Kalusugan University in the Air

Health Seminar which is aired

on Radyo Veritas 846 KHZ Mon-

day to Friday from 2:00 to 3:00

am and every Thursday from

1:00-2:00 pm. Her program is

also aired on DZME Radyo Uno

1530 KHZ Monday to Friday

from 4:00-5:00 am and Saturday

from 4:00-6:00 am.

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE 7

HEALTH BENEFITSRADISH

- Radish puriies blood as well as help facilitate digestion.

- Digestion of radish also helps in detoxifying the body and serves asa good anti-carcinogenic.

TOMATO

- Tomatoes contain Mineral chromium, which helps diabetics to keep

their blood sugar level under control, and Potassium and Vitamin B

to help lower blood pressure and to lower high cholesterol levels.

- Tomatoes also contain Vitamin C, a potent anti-oxidant which ights

cancer as well as Vitamin K and Calcium, which repairs and strength-

ens bones.

ONION

- Onions contain Anti-Inlammatory properties and greatly help in

balancing blood sugar levels. GINGER

- Ginger gives Gastrointestinal Relief and provides Safe and

Effective Relief of Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy.

MALUNGGAY LEAVES

- Malunggay helps restore skin condition, controls blood pressure,

relieve headache and migraines.

- Malunggay also heals inlammation of the joints and tendons.

- Malunggay contains calcium which helps in lactating milk from new

mothers

- Malunggay leaves are rich in Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, &

Protein

BANGUS (MILK FISH)

- Bangus or Milkish contains water-soluble vitamins and B-complex

vitamins which are B6 and B12, and they play vital roles in metab-

olism; skin health and DNA, hormone and red blood cell formation.

- Bangus also contains amounts of ribolavin,folate Vitamin A, calci -

um, iron, potassium and zinc.

- Bangus contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with de-

creased blood triglyceride levels, reduced blood pressure, enhanced

immune function and an improvement in arthritis symptoms.

 AMPALAYA (BITTER GOURD)

- Ampalaya helps in lowering blood pressure as well as blood sugar

levels.

- Ampalaya has antibacterial, antioxidant and antipyretic properties

that helps in eliminating the onset of infections and diseases.

PEPPER

-Pepper is essential in improving digestion and promote intestinal

health since it acts as a Carminitive, (which helps prevent the forma-

tion of intestinal gas), Diaphoretic (promotes sweating and eliminate

wastes from the body), and Diuretic (promotes urination and ilterthe kidneys)

RED RICE

- Red Rice is rich in iber and zinc, which helps accelerate heal -

ing of wounds and strengthen the body’s immune system as well.

- Ingestion of Red Rice also helps control blood sug-

ar levels and lower the level of bad cholesterol in the body.

SAPPAN WOOD

- Converted into tea, Sappan Wood helps in invigorating blood

low and reduce swelling due to trauma-related injuries.

- Sappan Wood also inhibits the growth of Ovarian Cancer as its

antioxidant properties help greatly in eliminating cancerous cells.

WHEAT GRASS

- Wheat Grass helps stimulate blood circulation, boost 

immunity, improve digestion and revitalize the skin.

HONEY 

- Honey has been proven to be very effective in pre-

venting certain cancers and heart diseases.

- Honey can also reduce cough and throat irritation, and also helps

in improving eyesight and cure urinary tract disorders as well.

DOALNARA YACON ROOT CROP

- Doalnara Yacon Root Crop is a rich source of 

vitamins and nutrients, as it contains Vitamin A, B1, B2, Vi-

tamin C, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Potassium and Sodium.

- The crop is also high in iber which addresses digestive prob -

lems such as constipation and helps in colon cancer prevention.

- Yacon Root Crop also helps in preventing

Alzheimer’s disease and macular degeneration and also

can dissolve kidneys stones and regulates liver function.

It is important to keep in mind that God has given the hu-

man race an abundance of blessings in earth through these

forms of sustenance that contain essential nutrients and

minerals essential for a healthy well-being. By observing

proper approach in eating and irm discipline in daily lifestyle, one can

be assured of a life balanced in good health and spiritual prosperity.

Mary Grace Ramos

7/27/2019 Great Philippines Edition Volume V Issue No. 6

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/great-philippines-edition-volume-v-issue-no-6 8/12

Santa Lucia is a 3rd class munic-

ipality in the province of Ilocos

Sur, Philippines. According to

the latest 2010 census, it has a

population of 24,981people in

4,512 households.

The earliest historical account 

of the Municipality was record-ed in 1572 when Captain Juan

de Salcedo, a Spanish conquis-

tador colonized the region of 

Ilocos Sur and founded Vigan as

capital. During Salcedo’s journey

to Vigan, his leet passed by the

settlement called Dumangague

(former name of Sta. Lucia).

Most of the natives were friendly

except for a chieftain name Silita

as a token of friendship gave the

Spaniards food, gifts and gold.

Its inhabitants - Christians in

the lowlands and various tribes

of non Christians Igorots in the

mountains were farmers who

planted rice, corn, sugar, cot-

ton vegetables and fruits. Due

to irrigation coupled with per-

sistent work under the direction

of Rev. Father Exequiel LanzaForta, they enjoyed two harvest 

of rice every year. Other indus-

tries were ishing, spinning and

weaving cotton, salt manufac-

turing, cattle raising and poultry.

Shaped by physical limitations

of their environment, the inhab-

itants have been industrious,

thrifty and migratory.

Under the Spanish colonial pol-

icy, the Ilocano were ordered to

cultivate tobacco, indigo, coffee

and sugar. Due to the enforce-

ment of unjust taxation and

forced labor, the Ilocanos fought 

the Spaniards during the Philip-

pine Revolution . General Emilio

Aguinaldo proclaimed Philip-

pine Independence on June 12,

1898. The Americans colonizedthe country, military law was en-

forced in 1898 and civilian gov-

ernment in 1901.

In 1941, thousands of Ilocanos

were executed by the Japanese

army. They experienced hunger

and poverty. The people of Santa

Lucia led to the interior parts

of the town to escape execu-

tion. A part of the Poblacion was

burned by the Japanese army.

After the war, the Filipinos start-

ed to build the foundation of the

new Republic. The Sta. Lucians

preoccupied themselves in the

opportunities for development.

They planted sugar, native to-

bacco, rice and other crops and

later Virginia tobacco in 1958.

They tried to hasten the pace of 

development in the municipalitywith its very limited resources,

has been progressing quite well.

Before her is a future that is both

a promise and a challenge to her

leaders and inhabitants.

Brief Description of the

Municipality

The municipality of Sta. Lucia is

located along the western coast 

of Northern Luzon and lies on

the Southern part of the prov-

ince of Ilocos Sur. It is bounded

on the north by the City of Can-

don, on the East by the Munici-

pality of Salcedo, on the South

by the municipality of Santa

Cruz and on the West by the

China Sea. It is 69.3 kilometers

South of the city of Vigan, the

provincial capital, 70 kilome-

ters from San Fernando City,,

the regional capital, 105 kilome-

ters from Baguio City, the sum-

mer capital and 388 kilometers

north of Manila.

The municipality is classiied

as a 3rd class municipality, it 

consist of thirty-six (36) ba-

rangays with total land area of 

4700.8545 hectares and a pop-

ulation of 28,242 (2010 MBN

Survey). Out of the 4700.8545

SANTA LUCIA, ILOCOS SUR

hectares, 4,055.4237 hectares

are agricultural and agro-forest 

lands, 20 hectares for pasture

lands, 126.8896 hectares are

residential lands, 12.6475 hect-

ares are commercial/industrial

lands, 436.2879 hectares are

public utility lands, and 47.8424

hectares belong to the institu-

tional land 0.1200 for amuse-

ment land and 1.6434 for special

use lands.

Predominantly, Santa Lucia is

an agricultural municipality, its

major crop is rice followed by

tobacco, corn, vegetables, pea-

nuts, watermelon and mangoes.

These crops account the great 

bulk of livelihood and income of 

its populace.

It is also a potential tourist des-

tination. Its church is a histor-

ical landmark usually visited

by foreign and local tourists.

The people’s park located at 

northeastern part of the church

and in front of the municipal

hall where the statue of Anto-

nio Luna, a famous hero and

soldier is situated. Its beaches

are among the potential tourist 

destination especially during

summer time. Santa Lucia has a

Tag Line “RANIAG STA. LUCIA.”

Ragsak ti pagilian, Agnanayon

a panagkaykaysa, Natalna ken

nadalus nga aglawlaw, Iparang-

arang ti napudno a panagserbi,

Ayat ken anus a galad, Gameng

dagiti umili.

Santa Lucia is now aiming to

become more productive with

its vast agricultural area and

marine resources; this will be

the tools for a better living of 

the people and a way to a pro-

gressive town in the province of 

Ilocos Sur. This will be achieving

through the joint effort of the

municipal government and the

people of the community.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Santa_Lucia,_Ilocos_

Sur

saluyot.wordpress.com

8 FEATURE

CANDON BUS LINE

#1141 S Reyes St., Brgy.330

Zone 033 Sta Cruz, Manila

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La Union (literally: The Union),

(Ilokano: Probinsya ti La Union,

Filipino: Lalawigan ng La Union,

Pangasinan: Luyag na La Union),

is a province of the Philippines

located in the Ilocos Region or

Region 1 in Luzon, whose cap-ital is San Fernando City and

borders Ilocos Sur to the north,

Benguet to the east, and Pan-

gasinan to the south. To the west 

of La Union is the South China

Sea.

People and culture

Ninety-three percent of the

population is Ilocano and is

overwhelmingly Roman Cath-

olic. There are communities of 

Pangasinense in the south, Igo-

rots in the Cordillera foothills,

and Tagalog people in the city.

La Union is highly literate, with

San Fernando City as the ad-

ministrative, educational, and

inancial center of the region.

The population of La Union is

789,815, which is predominant-

ly Roman Catholic.History

La Unión, “The Union” in Span-

ish, was formed in 1850 when

the Spanish colonial govern-

ment of Governor-General An-

tonio Maria Blanco merged the

3 southern towns of Ilocos Sur

province, the 9 northern towns

of Pangasinan, and the west-

ern towns of Benguet to the

east (Eastern Pais del Igorotes

in the Cordilleras). On October

29, 1849, Governor General

Claveria issued a “promovido”

THE PROVINCE OF LA UNION

to fuse into one the Pangasin-

an-Ilokos-Cordillera areas “La

Union”. On March 2, 1850, Gov-

ernor General Antonio Maria

Blanco signed the Superior De-

creto of La Union (34th province

from Cebu-1565), with CaptainToribio Ruiz de la Escalera as the

irst Gobernador Military y Po-

litico. Isabella II of Spain decred

its creation on April 18, 1854.

Provincial Government and

Politics

La Union is currently governed

by Manuel C. Ortega, the Chief 

Executive, his Vice-Governor,

Aureo Augusto Nisce and 13

Board Members.

La Union is subdivided into 19

municipalities and 1 city.

Economy

La Union is known for its soft-

broom industry. The economy is

diversiied with service, manu-

facturing, and agricultural in-

dustries spread throughout the

province. The Port of San Fer-

nando operates as an increas-ingly active shipping point, and

the former American airbase

Wallace Air Station, having been

converted into a business and

industrial area, helps to facili-

tate such commercial activity.

The main livelihood of the peo-

ple are: hand-woven blankets

(Inabel), softbrooms, baskets,

pottery, rice wine (tapuey), sug-

arcane wine (basi), sugarcane

vinegar, wood craft, bamboo

craft, native rice cakes, an-

tique-inish furniture, dried ish,

FEATURE 9

Mac Arthur Highway, 2501 Bauang, La Union Contact Nos. 072-6072741 and 072-

6079023, 0947-7935807

PAGDARAOAN, SAN FERNANDO CITY, LA UNION, PHILIPPINES

(072) 607-5579 TO 81 FAX (072) 242-5582

National Highway

Pagdalagan,

Bauang, La Union

+63(72)7050150

Mr. Jerry S. Romero

General Manager, COCONUT

GROOVE BEACH RESORT,

Brgy. Paringao, Bauang, La

Union 072-6076604 and

072-6076621

honey, and mushroom.

Tourism

La Union is the suring capi-

tal of Northern Luzon.Tourists

often lock to the beaches of 

Bauang, or to the more seclud-

ed ones further north for snor-keling, suring or other water

sports; the more northerly

beaches near San Juan specii-

cally cater to both local surfers

as well as portions of the world

suring circuit.

Tourist destinations include:

La Union Provincial Capitol,

Baluarte Watch Tower, Pindan-

gan Ruins, Centennial Tunnel,

World War II Vintage Canon,

Ma Cho Temple, Basilica of Our

Lady of Charity, Our Lady of 

Namacpacan, Cathedral of St.

William the Hermit, St. Christo-

pher Parish, St. John the Baptist 

Parish, Sts. Peter & Paul Parish

and St. Michael, the Archangel

Parish, inter alia. Museo de Iloko,

Museo de San Juan, La Union Bo-

tanical Garden, La Union Cen-tennial Tree, Beaches, Falls &

Spring, Bolikewkew Rice Terrac-

es, Amburayan River, Bambana

Natural Cove Formation, Tapua-

can River, Thunderbird Resort 

and Arosip Ecotrail, Freedom

Park / Heroes Hill, Poro Point 

Boardwalk, La Union Medical

Center, Eagle of the North Park,

Imelda Garden, Tomb of the Un-

known Soldiers, Hanging Bridge

and Bacsil Ridge.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/La_Union

San Juan, La Union 0917-5709993SEA NYMPH CAFE

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Manila Booking Ofice:

Batanes Cultural Travel Agency

Unit 201 Parc Chateau Condo Onyx St. Sapphire Road

Ortigas Center Pasig City, Philippines 1600

Tel. Nos.: (+63 2) 635-4810

Fax No.: (+63 2) 633-2655

Mobile Nos.: 0917 811-2282

0908 230-9419

0922 821-3717

0999 889-4106

BCTA Basco Ofice:

Castillejos Street Barangay Kaychanarianan Basco, Batanes

Tel. Nos.: 5461197 / 4755260 / 4755267

Brgy. Chanarian

3901 Basco, Batanes,Philippines

+63 920 910 3492

+63 917 871 7633

For those seeking a quiet re-

spite from the busy humdrum

of city life, Batanes is the perfect 

getaway. For travelers who want 

to commune with nature, the un-

polluted air and serenity of theplace is ideal for soul-searching

and nature tripping.

With its unparalleled beauty,

Batanes can make you feel like

you’re actually enjoying a vaca-

tion in other parts of the world

such as Europe. One can ind the

same exciting and unique scen-

eries in the province; with less

expensive travel costs, minus

the hassle of getting the neces-

sary documents, of course.

Great Philippines Expedition

Travel and Lifestyle Newspa-

per lists down the reasons why

Batanes is one of the country’s

most popular tourist destina-

tions:

The Ivatans

Brave and robust, the wonder-

ful people of Batanes also pride

themselves for being gentle,

honest, and polite. They have

developed a far more unique

culture: they don’t lock the

doors of their houses (they trust 

their neighbors and visitors),

their houses are made of stone

and are typhoon-resistant, and

they value honesty so much

that they have a self-service

policy implemented in stores

and shops throughout the prov-

ince (customers are required to

write down their purchases in a

provided logbook or list). Proud

of their heritage, they have a

unique and charming way of welcoming tourists, with their

sincere smiles and warm greet-

ings.

Basco

In the vast waters of the Pacif-

ic Ocean, where it merges with

the rough waters of the South

China Sea, lies Basco, Batanes;

280 kilometers north of Aparri,

Cagayan and only 190 kilome-

ters south of Taiwan.

The capital of Batanes province,

Basco has a documented pop-

ulation of about 18,000 people.

Out of the numerous islands

that surrounds the land, Batan,

Sabtang, Itbayat, Mavudis,

Siayan, Diogo, North Island, and

Y’ami, only the irst three are in-

habited.The weather in Basco is usual-

ly cool and windy with constant 

rainfall during any month of the

year. With the land’s unsaturat-

ed beauty, majestic mountain

ranges, lush green pastures,

rolling hills, and pristine waters,

Basco has become a very popu-

lar tourist destination for both

local and foreign visitors.

House of Dakay

One of the most visited tour-

ist spots in Batanes, the House

of Dakay was built in 1887 and

is the oldest known surviving

house in the province. Located in

San Jose de Ivana, Batan Island,

the house is a UNESCO-nominat-

ed World Heritage Site.

BATANES: A GLIMPSE OF PARADISE

Batanes Lighthouse

A well known tourist desti-

nation in Naidi Hills, Barangay

San Antonio in Basco town, the

six-story structure features a

gallery or viewing deck where

one could admire the magnif-

icent view of the surrounding

areas from above.

Mount Iraya

Mount Iraya is a 1009 meter

volcano situated in Batan Island.

According to Phivolcs, it is con-

sidered as one of the most active

volcanoes here in the Philip-

pines. Its last recorded eruption

was in 1454.

Manhatao View Deck 

Situated in Manhatao, Batan Is-

land, the view deck provides a

scenic view of grandiose moun-

tains and the vast South China

Sea.

Burial Cave

A pre-historic burial cave in the

town of Itbayat, the cavern high-

lights human remains of the ear-

ly ancestors of the inhabitants.

The bodies were placed in clay

jars left inside the cave.

Sumhao Wind Power Plant 

Sumhao is the irst commercial

wind-diesel power generating

project in Batanes.

Nakaboang Beach, Arc and

Cave

Here, one will be able to view

the Arch - a rock formation

sculpted by nature. At the same

time, one can enjoy a refresh-

ing swim in Nakaboang’s pris-

tine waters or just frolic in the

beach’s powdery white sand.

Songsong Ruins

Here, you will ind the remainsof a seaside town tragically

struck by a tsunami during the

1950s.

Payaman

Also known as “Marlboro Coun-

try,” Payaman is a verdant pas-

ture overlooking farm ields and

the Paciic Ocean; the place also

provides a scenic view of Man-

hatao Lighthouse and Mount 

Iraya.

Beaches (Chadpidan & White

Beach)

Batanes is famous for its mes-

merizing white sand beaches,

beautiful sunset view and natu-

rally huge stone boulders.

Sabtang Islands

Located southwest of Batan Is-

land, Sabtang categorically re-

mains perfectly undisturbed. In

1994, the place was declared as

one of the 12 best destinations

in the Philippines by the Depart-

ment of Tourism.

Itbayat Island

North of Batan Island is Itbayat 

Island; a place surrounded by gi-

gantic cliffs and rocks rising 20

to 70 feet above sea level with

no shoreline. Itbayat also has a

dirt landing ield for small air-

crafts.

Batan Island 

Known as the most populated

island of the province, Batan is

the commercial and industrial

center of the Batanes. The pro-

vincial government ofice is also

located in the island.

Mavudis Island

Mavudis is the northernmost 

Island of Batanes where rich

marine life abounds.

Di-Atay Beach

A beautiful inlet with colorful

rocks and white sands, Di-Atay

Beach is perfect for picnics and

swimming. It is located along

the national highway between

Manhatao and Ivana.

Chawa Cave

Accessible through the boul-

ders of Chawa Point in Manha-

tao, the local inhabitants believe

that the cave is enchanted.

Cuyab Bird Watching

Every October, Cuyab is the best 

place to observe migratory birds

from China as they pass by the

area.

San Jose de Ivana Church

Built in 1814, San Jose Church

offers an enthralling view of the

sea and surrounding country-

side due to its elevation.

San Carlos Borromeo Church 

and Convent 

Built in 1873, the church’s

façade was inspired by the Bas-

co Cathedral. The church has

maintained its century-old fea-

tures throughout the years.

Sto. Domingo de Basco

Cathedral

Regarded as the most import-

ant church in Batanes, Sto. Do-

mingo de Basco Cathedral is

also known as the oldest houseof worship in the province. The

church was built in 1783 and

was dedicated to the Immacu-

late Concepcion, the patroness

of Batanes.

San Vicente Ferrer Church

Situated in Sabtang Island, the

church was also modeled after

the Basco Cathedral.

Kanyuyan Beach and Port 

Also known as Baluarte Bay,

this is where cargo ships from

Manila dock.

Sitio Jura at Racujaide

Also known as Fishermen’s

Village, Sitio Jura at Racujaide

is located at Mananoy Bay. The

area highlights the legendary“Spring of Youth” and a dazzling

cave with crystal and limestone

formations.

Radiwan Point 

Situated at Ivana Seaport, Rad-

iwan Point is also known as the

landing site of the Katipuneros

in 1898.

With all these marvelous plac-

es just waiting for you, there

will always be plenty of exciting

things for you to do in the prov-

ince. Discover now the beauty

of Batanes and relax. Enjoy the

company of its people, savor its

good food, and have exhilarating

memories of your adventures

that would surely last a lifetime.

8 FEATURE

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It can be said that for each

country sprawled across the

four corners of the globe, cul-

ture embeds an important role

in molding the basic essence of 

society. From the different ideol-

ogies, beliefs and practices that 

served as guidance to peopleand their respective communi-

ties, the inluence of culture has

vastly shaped the way the pres-

ent time has been living by.

It is also by this thought that one

should not disregard the con-

tributions made in the past by

the different branches that are

representative of cultural ideas,

such as music. Over the years,

the power of music has been a

symbol of a particular gener-

ation in channeling their mes-

sages to the rest of the world. It 

has bridged differences, kindled

hope and entertained mankind

through soothing tunes and in-

spiring lyrics.

As a country that has more than

7,000 islands with almost a hun-

dred million inhabitants dividedacross several ethnic groups and

indigenous tribes, the Philip-

pines is considered as a melting

pot of vast cultural principles

and traditional beliefs that has

spanned for several decades

running.

One of moving forces that has

thoroughly inluenced and in-

spired the Filipino identity is

the progression of music from

the yesteryears until the present 

time. Before the emergence of 

known musical genres from the

west such as dance, electronic,

jazz, rhythm and blues, pop and

rock and roll amongst the Filipi-

no folk, there was the tradition

of ancient and ethnic music that 

represented the gradient of lifeamong the earlier groups of Fili-

pinos, our ancestors.

Even if these native Pinoys did

not have the privilege of play-

ing the electronic guitar or

synthesizing their lyrical mas-

terpieces through digital appa-

ratuses, what they have were

instruments that although crude

in nature, have nevertheless

produced well-crafted melo-

dious opuses that distinctively

marked the essence of being a

Filipino.

The Forefather of Original

Pilipino Music (OPM): Indige-

nous Filipino Music

From the northern provinces

of the Philippines, among the

frequently played musical in-

struments include lat gongs,bamboo buzzers, clappers, quill-

shaped percussion tubes, and

brass Jew’s harps. In the south-

ern portion of the country that 

covers the Visayas and Mindan-

ao region, the locals’ equipment 

of choice are bossed gongs, ring

lutes, log drums, xylophones,

single-stringed violins, and sus-

pended beams.

As diverse and colorful as the

different groups and tribes that 

have been scattered across the

nation’s communal landscape,

distinct kind of music that these

indigenous people have pro-

duced also marked a signiicant 

contribution to the nation’s cul-

tural character.

During those times, music

marked important events in a

community. Among these occa-

sions included rites of life pas-

sage which are birth, courtship,

marriage and death, as well as

the seasonal activities of plant-

ing and harvesting of food pro-

duce. Music has also swayed

the men of these ages during

special activities such as during

times of war and inspired the

same during anniversaries and

thanksgiving festivities.

One of the examples in which

music is used to commemorate a

life event is the Kalinga dopdo-

pit, which is sung the irst time a

child is bathed outside the fam-

ily’s house; and the dinnayan,

dawak, and paliwat, also of the

Kalinga, which are sung during a

 TUNOG TRIBO: EXPERIENCING

ETHNIC FILIPINO MUSIC

ritual celebrating the rite of pas-

sage from boyhood to manhood.

In affairs wherein a large group

or the whole community is en-

joined to partake in, musicians

often play in groups as they de-

liver selected songs and hymns

in accordance to the celebration

at hand, such as poetry, ballads,

laments, epics, dancing and wel-

come chants.

On the other hand, solo instru-

mental playing is observed

when one is observing courtship

or as a form of self-entertain-

ment, such as taking a break from doing errands or during in-

formal gatherings among peers.

The musical instruments

of choice during those days

stemmed from similar instru-

ments in the nearby regions

such as in China and Southeast 

Asia. Among those used by the

early Filipinos in expressing

their musical artistry are gong

chimes, bamboo aerophones

(blown instruments), drums,

zithers, bamboo xylophones

,harp guitar and other plucked

strings simulated brass band

instruments like the musikong

bumbong; transverse lutes, and

violin-type instruments that 

were patterned after similar in-

struments from the West.

In terms of vocalization, these

are either played in response

such as the leader and the cor-

responding chorus, or solo. The

purpose for utilizing these per-

formances usually observe a

series of activities, ranging from

personal, social, political, eco-

nomic and spiritual aspects. In

weddings, epic songs, are chant-

ed to entertain guests or villag-

ers. An example of responsorial

singing is that of the Ibaloy’s ba-

diw, in which the song is used in

ceremonies for the dead called

du-udyeng or ta-tamiya.

Pinoy Ethnic Music In Modern

Times

With the world’s view on music

changing at a fast pace due to

the progression of time, great-

ly in part to the evolving mo-

dernity of sound and quality of 

musical instruments captivating

audiences and societies globally,

it is fortunate that here in the

country the indigenous musical

traditions still live to this day.

The longevity of the art serves

as testament to the Filipino

personality of adapting and im-

provising when change seems

imminent.

More so, it is of utmost impor-

tance to safe keep and preserve

the legacy of Filipino ethnic mu-

sic, as it has greatly shaped andsigniicantly contributed to the

progression of Filipino culture

and the present success that the

local musical scene is enjoying

today.

Among two of the well-known

protagonists who managed to

keep the ire of local ethnic mu -

sic burning in the Pinoy’s musi-

cal midst are Joey Ayala and the

Baguio-based band Pinikpikan

(now known as Kalayo).

Joey Ayala

Born in the southern cradle of 

Bukidnon in Mindanao, Joey

Ayala made his name as a musi-

cian by producing a unique style

of combining pop music that 

utilizes the sounds of different 

ethnic instruments such as the

8-piece gong set which is the

Kulintang, the jaw harp made

of bamboo wood which is the

Kubing and the Hegalong which

originated from the T’Boli peo-

ple of Mindanao.

This hybrid form of music has

been embraced by many and

has made Ayala and his band,

Bagong Lumad which means

“New Native”, ambassadors of 

promoting native arts and pre-

serving ethnic culture around

the country. With 14 albums

released under his belt, Ayala

has also served as Chairman and

Vice-Chairman of the National

Committee on Music under the

National Commission for Cul-

ture and the Arts.

Pinikpikan (Kalayo)

Crediting its formation to the Ig-

orot culture that enveloped the

whole of Baguio City, the band’s

birthplace, Pinikpikan irst 

gained roots in the music scene

during the irst Baguio Arts Fes-

tival. With the participants cir-

cling around a traditional stone

installation that is commonly

seen in tribal villages in the Cor-

dilleras in which elders hold the

council meetings and rituals,

there were some who lailed

sticks and pounded rocks while

others used pots and bottles to

form a special kind of rhythm,

which is very Igorot in naturewhile being accompanied by the

modern equipments of electric

and bass guitars.

Soon thereafter the impromp-

tu jamming session, the band

Pinikpikan was formed, named

after a chicken dish of Mountain

Province which is essentially

cooked in Igorot tradition. Trav-

elling from a myriad of places

around the archipelago, Pinik-

pikan has mesmerized all with

their brand of music which is

ethnical in sound and rhythm

but with a different twist that 

is accustomed to these present 

times.

Now known as Kalayo which

means ire, the group continues

to perform before communities

across the Philippines whilestill promoting the beauty of 

traditional ethnic music through

their musical works.

 Alexander B. Estoesta II

References:

Ethnic Tradition in Philippine

Music (http://philippineculture.

ph/Music-Songs.htm)

Philippine Ethnic Music (http://

w w w . h i m i g . c o m . p h / f e a -

tures/18-philippine-ethnic-mu-

sic)

Joey Ayala Biography on Wiki-

pedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Joey_Ayala)

Feature on Philippines’ Pinik-

pikan Band (http://worldmu-

siccentral.org/artists/artist_

page.php?id=593)

www.pep.ph

ENTERTAINMENT 11

For orders and Reservations:

Tel no. 077-6701917

Mobile Nos. 0917-9888989/

0932-7392402 and 0928-

4830656

SIKAT-TUNA

RESTAURANTBatac City

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8 GLOBAL CONNECT

Each year, the irst of July con-

notes a special meaning for all

of Canada and its citizens. It is

on this date where Canada Day

,the National Day of the coun-

try, is being observed. Together,

millions of Canadians residingin the nation’s provinces which

are Ontario, Quebec, Nova Sco-

tia, New Brunswick, British

Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatch-

ewan, Prince Edward Island,

Newfoundland and Labrador

and Prince Edward Island as

well as territories Yukon, North-

west Territories and Nunavut all

unite in jovial commemoration

of this signiicant event in Can-

ada’s rich history.

The History of Canada Day

Originally called Dominion Day

before it was renamed in 1982

with the passing of the Canada

Act, Canada Day is being held

in celebration of the anniversa-

ry of the British North America

Act which was enacted on July 1,

1867. Recognized later on as theConstitution Act of 1867, this act 

united three colonies within the

British Empire which are Nova

Scotia, New Brunswick and the

Province of Canada, into a single

country which was to be called

Canada. In the process, the

Province of Canada was divided

into two during the uniication,

which later on became the prov-

inces of Ontario and Quebec.

Based on historical accounts, the

irst staging of Canada Day was

on July 1, 1867 following the en-

actment of the the British North

America Act. The historic sign-

ing was greeted with a series of 

ireworks, illumination, musical

and other forms of entertain-ment as well as military marches

and displays. It was also marked

by the ringing of bells at the Ca-

thedral of St. James in Toronto,

Ontario.

 An Astonishing Festivity Li ke

No Other

Fondly referred to as “Canada’s

Birthday”, the affair is classiied

as a federal statuatory/ public

holiday throughout the country.

It is marked by a bevy of differ-

ent activities and events which

include parades, ireworks dis-

plays , musical parades, carni-

vals, festivals as well as air and

maritime shows among com-

munities across the nation that 

uniquely display the multicul-

tural nature of Canada and its

people. At the previous CanadaDay rites held last July1, 2013,

the nation celebrated the 146th

CANADA DAY: A GRAND

CELEBRATION IN THE GREAT

WHITE NORTH

Commonly acknowledged as

one of the more, if not the most,

famous historical celebrations

in the United States of America,

Independence Day is when the

whole country and its citizens

commemorate the Declaration

of Independence enacted on July

4, 1776. Through this act, it en-

abled the United States to gain

independence from its colonial

ruler, the Kingdom of Great Brit-

ain.

Also popularly known as the

Fourth of July as well as being

the National Day of the United

States, it is marked by a series

of festivities, both big and small

spanning from counties and cit-

ies from the East Coast to the

West Coast of the USA. Inde-

pendence Day celebrations are

usually associated with commu-

nal barbeque parties, town fairs

and carnivals, musical concerts,

sporting events and family re-

unions. The federal holiday is

also a time wherein political

ceremonies and speeches are

held by the country’s top nation-

al and local oficials, addressing

THE FOURTH OF JULY: THE UNITED STATES OF

 AMERICA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY 

Binabati po namin ang aming mga kamag-anak, familya, kai-

bigan sa buong Pilipinas. Lalong lalo na ang mga kamaganak 

namin sa Limmansangan and Abour, Narvacan Ilocos Sur, at sa

Novalichez and Project 8,Quezon City&Fort Bonifacio Sana po

at darating ang panahon na tayo ay magkitakita ulit. God Bless

to all of Us. -Michael, Cynthia and Miguel Caducio and Family

from Richmond Hill and Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Regards to all my kababayans,especially Narvacaneos.Hope to see all my relatives soon.-Zenaida Cabanilla, rom Portland,Oregon

To all my relatives and friends in Bantay, Ilocos Sur.

Regards.

-Milo & Celine Rabara Belarmino, from Las Vegas,

Nevada

Kumusta kayo amin dita, nanguna kadagiti nangruna kaka-

baggian ken gagayyem dita An-annam Bantay, Ilocos Sur.

-Eddie & Melodie Pagaoa from Las Vegas,Nevada

anniversary of its founding.

The heart of all celebrations

centering around Canada Day

is at the country’s seat of power

in Ottawa, Ontario. Usually held

at the nation’s capital during

this day are large-scale concerts

and cultural displays at Parlia-

ment Hill which are attended by

thousands of Canadians while

being overseen by the country’sPrime Minister and the Gover-

nor General. On some ocassions,

the queen or members of the

British Royal Family pay a visit 

in adding a colorful vibe to the

celebrations. In July 1, 2011,

the then newly married Duke of 

Cambridge Prince William and

his wife, Catherine, Duchess of 

Cambridge led the celebration

of Canada Day in Ottawa.

Also, as perfect stage to wel-

come new Canadians to the

country’s citizenry, it is during

Canada Day where most citizen-

ship ceremonies for new citizens

are being held. Being the anni-

versary of the Confederation of 

the country that merged Canada

as one, July 1 has became an im-

portant date for other historical

events in the nation’s history as

well, such as the inauguration

of the Order of Canada in 1967,

the irst national radio network 

hookup by the Canadian Na-

tional Railway in 1927 and the

establishment of “O Canada” as

the country’s national anthem in

1980, among others.

Filipino-Canadians and Cele-

bration of Canada Day 2013

As a country known for its

multiculturarsim and diversi-

ty among its people, Canada is

home to 35.20 Million citizens as

of 2012. From this igure, there

is a large number of citizens who

have foreign lineages in part due

to Canada’s liberal immigration

laws that seek to address thenation’s low population growth.

One of the more distinct groups

under this category are Filipi-

no-Canadians.

Numbering 619, 310 in total

based on Canada’s 2011 Na-

tional Household Survey, Filipi-

no-Canadians account for 1.9%

of the Canadian Population also

in 2011. They are the third-larg-

est Asian-Canadian group after

the Indians and Chinese. Ontario

has the largest number of Filipi-no-Canadians with 275, 380 re-

siding in the area which includes

the city of Toronto.

During the recent Canada Day

celebrations, many Filipino-Ca-

nadian Associations across the

country partook in the festivities

by organizing various events for

fellow Filipino-Canadians in

their respective areas. One such

group is the Filipino-Canadian

Community of Chatham-Kent 

in Ontario which staged a Fili-

pino Community Potluck Picnic

at Tecumseh Park, Ontario last 

July 1, 2013. Also, the Philip-

pine-Canadian Charitable Foun-

dation (PCCF) took part in the

2013 Canada Day celebrations

in Toronto as well through the

participation of representatives

from the Miss Philippines Cana-

da, Little Miss Philippines Cana-

da and Mrs. Philippines Canada

Pageants, all of whom are es-

tablished and sponsored by the

PCCF.

 Alexander B. Estoesta II

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Canada_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Filipino_Canadian

http://i l-canchatham-kent.

webs.com (Filipino-Canadian

Community of Chatham-Kent in

Ontario website)

http://www.philippinecanadi-

anfoundation.com (the Philip-

pine-Canadian Charitable Foun-dation (PCCF) website)

present generation of American

people.

Historical Accounts

It was during the onset of the

American Revolution wherein

the movement for indepen-

dence from the British empire

started to bore fruition. By July

2, 1776, the Second Continen-

tal Congress voted to approve a

proposal by Richard Henry Lee.

Under Lee’s proposition, the

United States is declared inde-

pendent from Great Britain. This

action has led to the legal sepa-

ration of the Thirteen Colonies

from British rule, which later on

would become what is the Unit-

ed States of America today.

The Continental Congress later

on crafted the Declaration of 

Independence which explains

the decision of proclaiming in-

dependence from the colonists.

This was prepared by a Com-

mittee of Five appointed by the

Congress to work on drafting

the contents and details of the

Declaration. This committee is

composed of statesmen John

Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert 

and headed by Thomas Jeffer-

son. After a thorough debate

and revision of the wording of 

the Declaration, it was inally

approved on July 4, 1776 this

formalized the independence of 

the country from British rule.

Also, both Adams and Jefferson

later on served as Presidents of 

the United States.

Observance of Independence

Day

With the United States of 

America honoring the 237th

anniversary of being freed from

colonial rule last July 4, 2013, In-

dependence Day is greeted with

a myriad of displays that portray

patriotism among American citi-

zens. Since it is held during sum-

mertime, outdoor activities and

events usually take place during

National Day celebrations.

Parades and Fireworks display

are two of the main attractions

of festivities that occur on In-

dependence Day. Held in the

morning, parades are composed

of colorful loats with lavish

designs and people decked

in red, white and blue attires

Kadagiti kakabagyan ken gagayyem nangruna ti ili ti Narva-can,kumusta kayo amin dita! -Alex Carrancho,from U.S.

To all DWCV Batch ‘83, my Mom and

Sis. Como Esteis.Todos

-Virgie Pinto from Spain

Regards to all relatives and friends in An-annam

Bantay, Ilocos Sur.

-Jose Pinto from Barcelona Spain

the American lag. On the other

hand, ireworks are lit up in the

evening at common locations

such as parks and town squares

with hundreds in attendance

while the national anthem Star

Spangled Banner and other pa-

triotic songs such as God Bless

America and America the Beau-

tiful are played simultaneously

in the background.

The United States Armed Forc-

es has also its own special way

of honoring the nation’s inde-

pendence. Called the “salute to

the union”, this happens every

Fourth of July at noon at all mili-tary bases, in which a gun salute

is ired for each state that is part 

of the United States of America.

Filipino-Americans and their

Celebration of Independence

Day 2013

As one of the largest Asian

ancestry groups in the United

States with a 3.4 Million popu-

lation, Filipino-Americans com-

prise 1.1% of the total US pop-

ulation which is 313.9 Million as

of 2012.

Mostly living in the West Coast 

area such as the state of Califor-

nia which has the highest num-

ber of Filipino-American resi-

dents at 1.47 Million followed

by Hawaii with 342,095 Fil-Ams

no-Americans have etched their

mark into American conscious-

ness thru their erstwhile partic-

ipation in the United States’ po-

litical, cultural and social affairs.

These notable personalities

include fashion designer Mo-

nique Lhuillier whose clothes

are worn by famous Hollywood

artists, California state Chief 

Justice Tani Cantil- Sakauye

and politicians Steve Austria,

a Republican Senator from Bea-

vercreek, Ohio, Rob Bonta, who

was the irst Filipino-American

State Legislator from California

and Benjamin Cayetano, who is

the irst Filipino-American gov-

ernor in a US state when he ran

and won as governor of Hawaii,

among others

During the Independence Day

celebrations last July 4, 2013,

which is also observed in the

Philippines as Philippine-Amer-

ican Friendship Day, the Filipi-

involved in different festivities

across the nation. The Filipino

American Community of Los

Angeles (FACLA) held a com-

munal activity and gathering

in their vicinity of Los Angeles

to celebrate the date, while the

Filipino American National His-

torical Society Oregon Chapter

observed Independence Day

through a Fil-Am Community

Picnic in Blue Lake Regional

Park in Oregon.

 Alexander B. Estoesta II

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Independence_Day_United_

States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Filipino_American

http://newfacla.org (The Filipi-

no American Community of Los

Angeles (FACLA) website)

http://fanhsoregon.org (The

Filipino American National His-

torical Society Oregon Chapter

PINOY GREETINGS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE