Cadiz City, Part 2

Below are photos not from my camera, or more accurately, from my camera phone. These are from our facebook group, "Cadizmycitymyhome". Many of these were posted particularly by Nhenn Satur Tabanda.

Fishing villages in the city proper, in Barangay Banquerohan, others.

The new city port, still not fully used.

Beach resorts in Banquerohan.

Cadiz got talent 2012. Crabs, crabs, crabs....

The following photos from various sources in the web. The dried fish photos particularly from The Sweet Smell of Cadiz City.

Lacawon Beach, a small white beach island west of the city proper. Photos from Everybody's Free in Lacawon Island.

A new resort, photos from Little Jungle, Barangay Cabahug, Cadiz.

I  haven't visited this resort yet. Will see when I go home again this coming December.

Chicago, USA

My 2nd and last visit to Chicago was middle of May 2010 when I attended the 4th International Conference on Climate Change (4th ICCC) sponsored by the Heartland Institute. Heartland gave me a travel scholarship because our think tank was one of the international co-sponsors of the event.

My first visit to Chicago was April 2004, when I attended the Atlas Liberty Forum, sponsored by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. I was an international fellow of Atlas then for a month, visited many conferences and meetings in Michigan, Chicago, Virginia and Washington DC.

I did not post these photos before because I was swamped how to put so many photos in one posting. Now I found a way by combining four photos in one plate, problem solved.

Although it was my second visit to Chicago, I was still amazed at the city's huge and tall towers.

Some old buildings remain magnificent looking though.

A stroll at the Chicago River Walk. The river is sandwiched by huge skyscrapers, the water is clean.

Neat structures overlooking the river. Should be relaxing to look out the windows of those buildings.

The Trump Tower, Chicago's and perhaps the US' tallest building. As of October 2009, it was the 6th tallest building in the world.

A huge rainbow logo of McDo. And a huge electric guitar of Hard Rock Cafe. Yeah, rock n roll!

Assorted photos 1: A river taxi, inside a mall, the Rock & Roll shop.

Assorted photos 2: A tunnel, inside McDo.

Assorted photos 3: An Apple shop. Intro price of IPad then was $500, and was about $1,000+ peso equivalent in Manila at that time. A bus, possibly on a clean natural gas.

Assorted photos 4: Michigan Avenue at night. This is about one block from my hotel, Marriott Magnificent Mile Hotel.

I took these photos on my last night there. The next day I checked out of the hotel and went to Detroit to visit a Filipino friend who hosted me for two days there.

Cadiz City, Negros Occidental

Last Friday afternoon, I went home to my hometown, Cadiz City, in Negros Occidental. I brought my daughter, we came from Iloilo City. Here are some photos I got, taken May 25, 2012, around 5:30pm. These photos of course do not capture the other scenes of the city -- beach resorts, white beach island, waterfalls, etc.

Cadiz City Hall, then the city park in front of it. Lower photos are streets near the city hall.

Then I went to the city public market, below. Cadiz has lots of tricycles, and many of them are roaming around the market.

Lower photos below, the bridge going to the eastern parts of Cadiz (going to Fabrica, Escalante,...).

Nice and spacious view of a river coming from Cadiz' mountainous barangays.

Then I visited my elementary school, Villacin Elementary School, about three kilometers from the city proper. All five of us siblings graduated from this school. A feeling of "deja vu" engulfed me as I entered the school, something which I haven't done in so many years. Am sure many of my former teachers here have already rested. Thank you, my former teachers.

Below, upper photos still part of Villacin Elementary School. Lower photos, the gate of Villacin National High School, just across the elementary school fence. I did not attend this high school though, I went to Cadiz City High School at the city proper.

Just outside the gates of both the elementary and high schools is a sugarcane farm.

Sugarcane. We've had lots of them in my younger years. Our house wa just about 15 meters away from a sugarcane farm. We would play hide and seek there, or look for spiders, or cut a cane and munch it.

* See also Sugarcane Farms of Negros Island, March 23, 2012

Lapaz, Iloilo Santacruzan

Here in Lapaz, Iloilo City, with my first daughter, Elle Marie. We arrived here last night at my in-laws' house. Elle would be joining the Santacruzan or mini-fiesta here in Lapaz, in commemoration of its patron, Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buenviaje.

Most Santacruzan are done in the evening but here, it's good they do it in the morning. Well they invited many young girls to participate and many did come. The girls came in beautiful dresses and gowns.

This morning, her Lola Moyette or "Lola Music" woke her up at 5:30am as the assembly at the church will be at 6:30am. Not used to waking up that early, Elle protested, but we prevailed :-) She grudgingly went to the bathroom still with her eyes closed. Here are the photos at the parade this morning which started around 7:15am.

Elle wore her gown which she used during her 5th bday party at her kinder school last October. Not used to walking in the street on a gown, perhaps she was alienated, she could not smile :-)

There were also teenager ladies in the parade, also in elaborate and beautiful gowns, they represented the various "Miss ____" representing each barangay or village in Lapaz district of this big city.

The parade started and ended at the church. Done in about 40 minutes.

When we got home, her Lolo Leo is waiting. Lolo is very happy that Elle flew from Manila just for this occasion, he butchered one pig from his piggery and prepared many food, invited his officemates at the Office of Civil Defense, and other friends. Lots of food.

Tomorrow Elle and I will go to Bacolod, then to my hometown, Cadiz City. My parents are old and weak, my father just got out of the hospital while my mother complains that she's in pain for a long time now. She has Alzheimers' and has kidney problems.

After posting this, I will join Papa Leo and his friends to a few bottles of beer outside.

UP ETC

The University of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE) is my alma mater. I belonged to 1984 Haraya Yearbook because I was supposed to graduate that year, but I gSot an Incomplete in my Econ 199 (undergrad thesis) under Prof. Winnie Monsod, plus a bad grade in Econ 131 (Econometrics). I worked at UPSE as a research assistant to Dr. Florian Alburo while completing my thesis, finally graduated in 1985. Thus, I belonged to two graduating batches of UPSE :-) It's a good thing too because I have friends in both batches, we still meet from time to time.

My student organization in UPSE was the UP Economics Towards Consciousness (ETC), formed in 1979 by now UPSE faculty member, Dr. Orville Solon and his buddies. But while I was in UPSE, I was also active in my UP Sapul group (see below) at the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) then.

Upper right photo, I was at the right, with curly hair, I looked like a rebel then, haha. The three other photos were some of our reunions here in Manila about four years ago maybe. Lower right is clearer, from left: Jim Villar, RJay Garcia, Noel Ostrea, Jojo Desiderio, Roger Ynzon, Winnie Adorador, me, Ajie Papa.

In April 2004, I went to the US for the first time, was an international fellow of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. Went to several free market seminars, conferences and meetings there for a month -- Michigan, Chicago, Washington DC. Before I flew back to Manila, I went to NYC. Two ETCers there (upper left  photo), Erlyn Barza and Esther Habana, beside me, toured me to some places there, had nice lunch. 

Next three photos, in some of the UPSE Annual reunions. Upper right, 2009 UPSE Homecoming; to my right is Popo Suanes, he's not an ETCer, he's from EcoSoc, but he was our batch valedictorian then, he finished Summa Cum Laude, the first summa alumni of the school, really bright guy. Lower right, 2010 UPSE Homecoming, having fun as "trying hard activists" at least in photo. g, the 

In April 2009, I went to Los Angeles, California, to attend the Atlas Libety Forum. After the conference, another ETCer, Joey Dayao, picked me up from my hotel the next day and toured me around LA. By afternoon, we visited Jim Villar in his place. Before that, Joey brought me to Hooters bar in LA, nice place. It was also my first time to visit a Hooters bar. The waitress who attended to us was friendly and wacky, I think Joey gave him a good tip.

Meanwhile, it is Jim's birthday this coming May 23, advance happy birthday Jim.

Below, a small group reunion here, sometime in 2005. Upper left, from left, with my girlfriend then (now my wife) Ella, Roger Ynzon, Fermin "Tarcs" Taruc, Arn Abundo, husband of another ETCer Debbie Flores, and Larry Lara.

Fermin died last year, heart attack. He is a big guy with a big heart, big humor. Three nights before he died, I attended a hurriedly-organized ETC reunion because Esther Habana-Matioli came home from NYC and Fermin is a very close friend of her, she wanted  a quickie reunion. It was fun, that Thursday night. By Monday morning or barely three days after that, Fermin died. One reason why as much as possible, I attend all reunions by friends 10, 20, 28 years ago, especially my friends, former classmates, schoolmates, dorm mates, org mates, from UP.

Larry Lara and Debbie are close to me. In "retaliation" for their friendliness to me, I made them among the godparents of my second child, Bien Mary, who will turn two years old this coming October. When I went to Sydney, Australia two years ago to attend the 4th Pacific Rim Policy Exchange mainly sponsored by the Americans for Tax Reforms (they gave me a travel scholarship as I was one of the panel speakers), Debbie and Larry (he happened to be there too) hosted me when I got out of my hotel. Lots of food and wine and tour. Larry brought me to Manly Wharf so I was able to see Sydney City proper from the sea.

Super thanks again Larry, Debbie.

More photos later as I dig the photos from our ETC yahoogroups.

Filipino Shop Signs, Part 2

Here are more funny signs in Filipino shops, a few jokes added.

Full, not pull... minimum fear, not fare... Billaton Bord... and a porno school.

Ate neyo, not a university... a stoned village (Barangay Basag)... and another porno refreshment house...

Facebool (and squidbool?), construction and erection, barber shop for the handsome, and a porno restaurant...

A fake duck...  a cursing drink... and a gross name for a septic tank cleaner...

Finally, working is not allowed during good time... a yellow pedicab... and a washing maching...

Happy weekend.

UP Sapul

In my undergrad life at the University of the Philippines in the early 80s, I spent my first three semesters in UP Cebu, then I transferred to UP Diliman. I joined three organizations in Diliman campus, the UP Sapul (Samahan sa Pulitika, or Pol. Science Club), the UP ETC (Economics Towards Consciousness), and SURGE (Student  Union for the Realization of Genuine Emancipation).

By now, Sapul (formed in the 50s I think) and ETC (formed in 1979 by older batches) are still there while SURGE is not around anymore.

Some of our photos in UP Sapul in the 80s, we looked funny :-) Upper left, boys standing, from left: Ding de Jesus, Kiko Magno, me, Mil Millora (he died in a car accident in 1986), Gary Auxilian, Nonoy Fajardo, Jim Asuncion.

Top right photos: Jim "Bond" Asuncion and his angels: sister L, Kris Asinas, Percy Sabio, Da Alejandrino (sitting).

And some reunion in the 90s. At one time, I was a gung-ho streaker swimmer, after several bottles of beer. Top right, me, tokayo Nonoy Fajardo, Jim.

And more reunions, mix of late 90s and early 2000s. Upper left, from left: Kiko Magno, me, Ding, Sebastian Stormorken (Lalaine's son) and Abet Sales. Lower left, Boye Quiambao joined us.

These are definitely early 2000s photos.

And more.... I am close to the Sapul guys. Three of them are godparents of my second child, Bien Mary -- Boye Quiambao, Kris Asinas-Cabrera, and Monching Romano. Kiko Magno is also one of our wedding godparents. My wife used to work under him at DLSU. Lalaine attended our wedding in Iloilo City in 2005.

We hold frequent reunions in Sapul, something like twice a year on average. Someone arriving from Canada or Norway or the US, or from Cagayan de Oro, is enough reason to have another reunion and get-together.

I passed by UPD yesterday, the 2nd floor of Palma Hall Annex (PHAN) building used to be our "tambayan" or hang out place in the 80s. The building is still there, but it's newly painted now, and there is a new building attached to it, the new faculty center for faculty members of social sciences.

Will post more photos in the coming weeks...