Celebrating 500th Years of the Arrival of Christianity in the Philippines

Tomorrow April 14, 2021, Filipinos, the Cebuanos in particular will celebrate one of the biggest religious events in the history of Philippine Christianity, the Quincentennial Celebration with a theme “ Victory and Humanity.” Several religious activities have been prepared for tomorrow’s historic religious event. Tomorrow's celebration will be very big that the Archdiocese of Cebu, together with the officials of Cebu City has been preparing for this momentous event as early as last year.

Symbolic Visit

The Spanish Navy training ship, Juan Sebastian Elcano visited some places in the Philippines and recently in the port of Cebu on March 20, 2021. Aboard the ship were the beautiful and handsome Spanish Navy crew.

The ship was named after the first person who circumnavigated the world, Juan Sebastian Elcano along with Ferdinand Magellan and his men who, unfortunately, met their tragic deaths at the hands of a local chieftain, Lapu-Lapu, and his men on the island of Mactan.

The Spanish Navy ship reportedly followed the original route followed by Juan Sebastian Elcano, Ferdinand Magellan, and his men.

First Baptism

The highlight for tomorrow's religious activities will be the first baptism in the country. On March 14, 1521, the Spanish priests baptized the local Chieftain, Rajah Humabon, his wife, and Humabon's men that took place in Cebu City.

Holiday in Cebu

To give people more time to celebrate this momentous event, local officials of Cebu City filed a resolution declaring April 14, 2021, as Non-working Holiday in Cebu City which was approved by Malacañang.

Unfortunately, with the continuing threat of the covid-19 virus, and in adherence to the government's health protocols, these events will be off-limit to the public. But Filipinos can celebrate and watch this event online.

Big Religious Events

In line with the celebration, the Cebu City government and the Archdiocese of Cebu have four religious events for tomorrow's celebration such as:

● A concelebrated mass to be presided by Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown,

● The reenactment of the first baptism,

● And the giving of the image of the Sto. Niño to the first Christians in Cebu, 500 years ago.

The main venue for tomorrow’s religious activities will be the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño. These historic events will be aired live via social media platforms in compliance with the government’s basic health protocols.

This event is very significant to the lives of the Filipinos that as early as last year, the Archdiocese of Cebu together with local officials of Cebu City has already been preparing for this historic celebration.

Lomboy (Black Plums) Leaves: The Poor Man's Cigarettes

In today's blog, we'll talk about the Lomboy tree and its many uses from its fruits, wood, and leaves. These trees grow not only in the Philippines but also in other tropical countries in Asia. In the Philippines, Lomboy trees grow well with any type of soil be it in rural or urban areas. Wood The Lomboy tree wood is used as reliable materials for building houses, furniture such as tables, chairs, and other house furniture. Lomboy Fruits Lomboy fruits are sweet, purple in color, and oblong in shape. Unfortunately, children cannot easily get their fruits as these trees grow bigger and taller. Aside from its tasty fruits, black plums fruits also have health benefits. Black plums fruits are packed with vitamin c, iron, and magnesium, and other nutrients. In the Philippines, some fully-grown trees grow as high as 30-40 meters in height. With its size it would be hard for children to get its fruits. Lomboy Leaves The Lomboy leaves have been used by the Filipinos especially those

Paninilbihan (Servitude): A Traditional Filipino Courtship Custom

Another traditional courtship custom that used to be popular among Filipino men for its unique, marriage-like setup is ‘ Paninilbihan’ or servitude in the English language. Paninilbihan is just one of the many traditional Filipino courtship customs which used to be observed and practiced by Filipino suitors to help them win Filipina women’s hearts and at the same time to prove their sincerity and patience to the women they are trying to woo. In this particular courtship tradition, the suitor stays in the house of a woman he is courting for a particular period of time. Throughout the Paninilbihan period, the man would do various farm and household chores while being observed by both the woman he is courting and her parents. The duration of Paninilbihan (Servitude) may vary depending on the suitor and the parents of the woman. The Paninilbihan is a perfect opportunity for both the woman’s family and her suitor if they could get along with one another based on the relationship establish

Knowing the 4 wild fruits in the Philippines

Not too many people know that the Philippines are abundant not only with tasty, tropical fruit trees but also with wild fruit trees. Ironically, most of these wild fruits are not found in the wild but are found and grown in densely populated residential areas such as in the backyard and even along the roads. And contrary to the popular belief, most of these fruits can be eaten without having to worry about fruit poisoning. These wild fruits are favorite among Filipino children because aside from the excitement of racing to get these fruits, they are also good to satisfy a hungry stomach. Below are just some of the wild fruits found in the Philippines: Aratiles/cherry trees Aratiles are fruit-bearing wild trees found mostly in residential areas. Its fruits are favorite for birds and children alike. Its fruits’ color differs depending on the ripeness of the fruits. Aratiles fruits are very small, soft, and sweet. Ripe fruits are colored pink and turn red when very ripe. Childr

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