Riding a motor bike on a rainy afternoon is a no-no recommendation when the destination is that portion of the national road that traverses the area about barangay Sibobo. Quite a coincidence we were right in the vicinity of the gravel-and-sand mining operation on the mountainous part bordering the area.
There was fun- swimming on the beach, sailing by motorized banca, a picnic under the canopy of coconut trees, and visiting former acquaintances. The group also had a good share of fresh buko (tipong) meat and juice on the sprawl of coco plantations.
It was one of those summer and Holy week scheduled vacations when we packed our bags for a short respite from the pressures of office work and daily commute from Antipolo to Makati. Days we looked up to as the only opportune time we connect with relatives in the province.
To her native sons and daughters, Calabanga is a beautiful town even if it seems slow in making progress. Many of its sons and daughters have left her to find their fortunes elsewhere or their particular place in the sun, but it is not a final breakaway.
The town of Siruma boasts of white sand beaches almost equal to that of Caramoan’s. But wait, the beaches of Siruma languishes for attention and development. Camarines Sur has invested, time and resources for Caramoan’s development and Siruma is waiting.
During a portion of the war years the governor of Camarines Sur was Mariano Villafuerte. Together with wife, Soledad, eldest son Manuel, Japanese military officer named Kwasima, Villafuerte took a motorboat from Sabang, Calabanga and landed at the barrio of Vito in Siruma. The fleeing governor was looking for an influential leader named Pedro P to seek aid and become his intermediary, but who left with his own family much earlier before their arrival.
After the May 10, 2010 general elections, the local government of Siruma and its town folks received its first ever and most distinguished visitor of the land, and a surprise yet.
The quaint, little and big town of Siruma lies on the northeastern section of Camarines Sur, much properly on a peninsula jutting out to the sea. Its shores is lapped by the cool waves of the Pacific, while the inland territory is generally of mountainous terrain abundantly sun-basked.
The first ever monument for Filipino teachers in the entire Philippines, and perhaps the only one in the country, was erected and dedicated in the municipality of Calabanga in 1954.
Here and now, the Bicol river’s name was for the second time used in disgrace, shame and shambles. The unfinished dam will remain the tangible evidence to this for people to see in the years to come. As always, failures leave behind some ugly memorials.
Easily, then, Bicol river is both the queen and mother of all rivers in southern Luzon due to its size and influence. It holds sway and impact on the fertile and floodplains of the provinces, dictating the state of economic well-being and status affecting thousands of lives of people- including farmers, fisherfolks, travellers, etc., around its sphere of natural terrain.
The banca operator is so experienced he managed to device a system of not going straight ahead after departing from Balongay but instead maneuvers a sharp curved route to curtail the push and shove of the current. Imagine being in a crib on a rocking motion. Just looking at the transport boat, do not expect amenities of comfort for the seat will be a piece of bamboo pole nailed across its rim.
At the edge of the river bank, a waiting shade serves as the landing-terminal point for arriving and departing passengers. One can let time pass just by sitting on the steps or on the cement seats. I did just that and kept awed and bewildered at how huge and overwhelming the Bicol river is.
Then I heard about the skyway bridges that will span the river, connecting the towns of Libmanan and Canaman. The structure will be built much farther inside and farther from Balongay. The loss of Calabanga and Cabusao became the gain of Libmanan and Canaman. Lucky folks of these towns.
We will attempt to do a live blogging of the Penafrancia fluvial procession here!! This post will continuously get live update!!!
Legazpi city: Summer has long been gone here. It starts just when the school year ends in March. So students connect summer to days without the regular classes, homeworks and tests. No tensions, more of fun, outings (to the beach and movies?) and also malling (now a favorite past time […]
With all these exploration and mining actions in the Bicol region initiated by the national government which contradicts itself, and at times awarded to foreign companies that solely enjoy the benefits and fruits of the national patrimony, whom do we ask for relief?
The recent discovery of the humongous dead sperm whale is another thorny issue that is being blamed and connected to the current mining operations in the island of Rapu-rapu.
The current environment in the area about San Miguel bay may endure some changes in the very near future with the entry of a new player. Bogo Resources and Mining corporation (BRMC) has been granted by the mines and geosciences bureau (MGB) to explore iron-ore sand in approximately one third of the bay’s offshore area.
One Calabangueno stand tall and proud on a pedestal facing what used to be the town plaza (up until the construction of the multi-purpose Octagon edifice) for many decades now. He is Emilio Tible, Sr., or should be rightfully referred to as the monument erected and dedicated in his honor […]
When I was little, I would perch on the verandah of my grandma’s house, check out and admire the cluster of dangling yellow-greenish fruits from the branches of the much popularly referred to as the balimbing tree. A few more years when I was able to grasp on branches and […]
The world has divided into rich and poor as at no time in our history. The richest 2% own more than half the household wealth in the world. The richest 10% hold 85% of total global assets and the bottom half of humanity owns less than 1% of the wealth in the world. The three richest men in the world have more money than the poorest 48 countries.
When I remember my hometown, Calabanga, it is always summer. It is a small town at the foot of the overwhelming Isarog, which is lapped by the San Miguel bay. The town is a lovely place where the skies are bluer than I’ve ever seen them anywhere and the sea is as calm as a still night and overpowering when angry.
Just thinking aloud, did voters opted to elect candidates due to popularity, performance, or otherwise. Voters have a clever way of playing jokes. At times, it hurts.
The election was way past many days now and the remnants of the costliest national exercise already part of the past, and yet we are still confronted with two strong indications that its scepter and shadow still hovers above our heads.
A hero is coming home. Our hero. My brother who works as project engineer in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is coming home before the month ends.
Just three houses from across ours, she lived a full, frugal and celibate life. She spent her most productive years at the Calabanga Central Division Pilot School in barangay San Francisco, on the other side of the twin roads.
On Wednesday, I went early to the market if only to avoid the rush and hustle as many people surely will be a crowd too many, buying and selling food stuff.
I hate goodbyes. It pricks the innermost recesses of my heart and pour tears on my eyes. It makes me sad and switch to a somber mood. I am very sentimental. I hate goodbyes.
Many thanks and photo courtesy of League of Filipino Students and the Arkibong Bayan The great divide, nay, a chasm, between poverty and opulence both obtained in the urban centers like mega Manila and the rural areas is an encouragement for courageous and idealist youths to take up a different […]
A fresh band of white blooms of orchid from my Aunt’s garden. Thank you for hosting Luiz, Denise, Laerte and Valkyrien. See more flowers here at: Today’s Flowers
The story of the Bicol martys began with the discovery of the Katipunan secret society. And the message sent by then Manila-based Governor-General Blanco to all civil governors precipitated mass arrests throughout the country.
This post should be less wordy. We’re churning one for Cbanga360 on Facebook, which should be online much later. And that would be about Mayon volcano update. Thank you for hosting Luiz, Denise, Laerte and Valkyrien. See more flowers here at: Today’s Flowers
On June 11, 1978 the Philippine national historical commission by virtue of presidential decree 1505 declared the baroque-inspired Quipayo church as a national historical landmark.
Flowers are a source of joy and delight. Even if I am not that familiar of one too many, am posting here a specie gathered from my sister’s frontyard. Could this be the New South Wales Christmas bush flowers (Ceratopetallum gummiferum)? It’s a guess though. Will always stand corrected, maybe […]
Our family, and perhaps much of the folks in our place, have that very close family and extended kinship ties. We still know our cousins up to that we might call “fourth cousins,” fourth degree of consanguinity! (Memory and Tongue twisters: 1st cousins are my parent’s niece and nephews on […]
Let’s spend an afternoon, and perhaps wait for the sun set, at the Rompeolas of Sorsogon city.
We were at the town’s only public Catholic cemetery yesterday and visited our dear departed. Here in our place, as in the whole country, November 1st is designated by the church and the government as All Saints day.
With the creation of a new congressional district in the province, our town is now in the third, well, the whole old second district was renamed new third district. It took effect when Republic Act 9716 was signed into law October 12th this year which reapportioned the first district of […]
The rural town of Manito is opening up to the influx of tourists brought about by the eco-tourism drive of the government. While it is home to the 160-megawatt Manito-Bacon geothermal plant, the site is being developed to cater to tourists.
There are arrivals and changes that are welcome but make drastic contrast in memories stored in our mind. Take for example the recent conversion of the Camarines Sur State Agriculltural College (CSSAC) into the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) system last October 12, this year.
Less than two years since its launching last November 24, 2007, the
Bicol Wikipidya, an alternative choice and online reference source now has 4.654 articles and increasing.
This is the lock of the Inarihan dam located in barangay (village) Binaliw of Calabanga constructed many decades ago.
The THIRIS covers the watershed areas of Tigman, in the towns of Calabanga and Tinambac, Hinagyanan and Inarihan, both in Calabanga, with a total land service area of 3,542 hectares (8,752.47 acres.)
Where in some advanced countries Krill fishing is so elaborate, modern, organized and well-funded to fill the appetite of factories that churn the tiny, minuscule organism into pet food, or extract its oil content for commercial purposes, our town fishers do it simple and still environmentally friendly, and most of all not saturating its population.
Lucky for us to still find and appreciate flowers so ordinary and common in our place. But for the people ravaged by the typhoons and floods in metro Manila, and still in the flooded area around Laguna de Bay and outlying provinces, and again in northern and part of central […]
Very moody. The horizon is always adorned with thick clouds this side of the town.
Much of the krills harvested in San Miguel bay are destined for human consumption. Depending on the volume, a fisherman would either bring his catch home or sell to a middleman.
Calabanga is one of the major rice producers in the province. With the looming unwelcome downpour coming, farmers are in deep trouble.
The series of frames here shows the deplorable and severe aftermath of tropical storm Ketsana, local name Ondoy, which caused flooding to a vast area in the national capital region and neighboring provinces due to the unabated torrential rain and wind.
The typhoon entered the eastern side of the big island of Luzon and made landfall between the provinces of Aurora and Quezon, even as rain started pouring earlier on Friday evening.
With its towering height of 8,077 feet (2,462 meters), the almost perfect-coned volcano is the main tourist attraction of the province and the regions’ natural wonder.
But don’t be guiled with its beauty and charm, for it has erupted times too many since its first recorded activity in 1776. The most destructive was in 1814 when the town of Cagsawa was buried under its mudflows and only the church belfry was left standing. The town was later relocated into what is now the bustling trade center of Daraga.
Just a few meters from the rocky shoreline by the breakwater, this Sabang fisherman is making the most out of his early morning hours, scouring the shallow waters catching for the tiny, tiny shrimp-like marine orgnisms which thrives in San Miguel bay.
Bougainvillea I want to share this one specie of bougainvillea flowers fresh from our Mother’s potted greens by the front porch. She still have time to care for these plants very popular in our place. My brother who is also green-thumbed helps in nurturing them. Mother just love the color […]
This is Mt. Isarog, a dead volcano nestled at the heart of Camarines Sur province, the highest forested peak in the southern portion of the island of Luzon with a height of 1,966 meters (6,450.13 feet) above sea level.
Courtesy of our next-house neighbor and also Aunt Lolit, these orchids are blooms in her garden, a source of joy and delight even as she worries about the rainy season this time of the year. When asked permission for the frames, she obligingly lead the way. On a sad note, […]
Sometimes can only wish for a good view of the sky clear and far from the electrical post with its tangled wires. We have to sacrifice a little in exchange for some convenience or I won’t be posting this skyview.
Maogmang aldaw! is the Bicol phrase greeting one a good happy day, encompassing every Bicolano’s spirit of hospitality and friendship. Bicol is a distinct, complete language by itself, spoken by the majority of people in the region.
What’s in a name?A flower will still be a flower, though growing wild and uncared for. Dainty and frail, they thrive well and good outside the backyard fence basking at the sunshine, facing the vast, wide expanse of almost endless ricefields. Ano an yaon sa ngaran?An burak fermi nang burak, […]
Very popular among the folks on small towns is this means of transport where gas is not required to make it go the distance. It feeds on pedal power, endurance and foot strength of the trike operator. The three wheeled pedal trike’s popularity is all over that from the town […]
Calabanga is a small speck of dot as seen on the map of the province of Camarines Sur, down the region and peninsula of Bicol in southern Luzon, the Philippines.
The once white, thick puffy clouds hovering above turned darker in due time, cool air sweep the area and then tiny droplets of crystal water began to pour from above.
One way we can learn about the the town is by wandering at the market. And on this our particular stroll, we came upon this makeshift-stall selling new and second hand clothes.
San Pablo is a small village of Calabanga town, one of the few that comprises its poblacion or urban center. Actually, it is just a one-street affair with both sides cramped with residential structures of varying designs defined by the financial well-being of the residents.
Calabanga marks its 260th year of townhood July 15th since it was created into a municipality in 1749. As a community of over seventy three thousand people, however, the town traces its history from the earliest days of Bicol when natives crossed rivers and seas and climbed mountains to settle in places where the soil looked rich, and nature kind.
