Philippine Society and Culture

Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal became famous not only in his beloved country but also in other countries around the world for his intellectual brilliance, patriotism, and for leading a revolution against the colonizers.  It has already been more than a century since his untimely death, yet his martyrdom and heroism are still alive in the hearts and minds of the Filipinos. To them, Dr. Jose Rizal was a great hero and a patriot for leading a revolution against the Spaniards that led to his execution at the very young age of 35 (1861-1896).  Dr. Jose Rizal exemplified that revolutions aren't only fought and won by deadly weapons but also by pen and paper. Being a literary writer himself, Dr. Jose Rizal fought the colonizers with his literary pieces, particularly his two famous novels, The Social Cancer (Noli Me Tangere), The Reign of Greed (El Filibusterismo), where he expressed his frustration and strong resistance against the colonizers.  His Popularity  Dr....

Many people may not know that Filipinos are food lovers and love to cook. They love to try and discover new food recipes and share these with others on their food vlogging channels and websites.  In the Philippines “carenderias” or micro-stores popularly known in the Philippines as "Sari-Sari Stores. These stores are found all over the country whether in the city, town, or barrios. Carenderias sell a variety of foods like vegetables, fish, meat, and processed foods.  These carenderias are patronized by jeepney, bus, and taxi drivers, street vendors, ordinary workers, and even office workers for their affordable, tasty foods. In these “carenderias” one can already have a hearty meal consisting of a cup of rice or two, one or two serving of viand, and a bottle of soft drink for just less than P100 pesos or $ 2.  Generally, when it comes to foods, the Filipinos are not choosy; they cook and eat different kinds of foods as long as these foods do not cause them abdominal disco...

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 espec...

The Philippines is blessed not only with natural beauty like stunning scenery, white sand beaches, hospitable people, but the country is also home to tasty tropical fruits and one of which is the fruit favorite by many, the mango fruit.  Different Varieties  There are different varieties of mango in the Philippines like Indian mango, carabao mango, senorita mango, and many others. Among the varieties, the Carabao is the most favorite for its sweet, fleshy, and aromatic. In fact, this variety is exported to different countries around the world like Japan.  Different Recipes  Among the tropical fruits in the Philippines, there are several recipes that can be made from mango either ripe or raw.  Eaten Raw  Raw, green mango is perfect if eaten with table salt, fermented small fish (bagoong in Filipino), or fermented small shrimp (hipon in Filipino)  Raw mango fruits are favorite not only by Filipino women but also by men. Raw mangoes are sold at P20 to P50...

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....