At around 12:26pm earlier today, Tutubi, while having lunch, felt the tables and chairs move and plants swaying due to an earthquake. He just "enjoyed" the dizzying sensation and soon after, his officemates narrated how the elevator shook during the temblor.

Earthquakes are nauseating when you're working in one of the tallest buildings of Manila.

The Inquirer issued a flash report of the incident as a magnitude 6 earthquake with epicenter of 195 kilometers northwest of Manila. It was felt more in the cities of Pasig, Makati and Manila particularly tenants of tall buildings. Operations of LRT and MRT halted momentarily due to the temblor.

Regarding the subject of superstitions, a pregnant officemate of Tutubi went to the shower to have a bath simply because of the earthquake might affect her unborn child. This is similar to the claim of many people that many eggs will get spoiled (bugok) during an earthquake.

How superstitious can Filipinos get!


Tags: Earthquakes, 菲律賓, 菲律宾, 필리핀, フィリピン, Filippine, Philippinen, Filipinas, Filippijnen, Paradise Philippines

Labels: Philippines, Superstitions

Malabon's famous Rufina Patis factory was also visited during the "Halina, Lusungin Natin ang Malabon" tour where one of the organizers was the affable COO (child of the owner) of Rufina Patis Factory.

Patis, called Nuoc Nam in Vietnam and Nam Pla in Thailand, is a pungent condiment made from fish in brine solution left to ferment outdoors. Patis is a major ingredient in Filipino cuisine though westerners sometimes call it "stinking" fish sauce.

At the Rufina Factory Patis factory, it was pointed out that the green colored bottles are dipping fish sauce while the orange bottles contain Rufina seasoning for cooking.

For those adventurous enough to invade Malabon, they may find patis manufacturers and vendors selling home-brewed patis at the city market while a recommended short visit to Pescadores Restaurant (at the corner of Letre Road and Dagat-Dagatan Avenue) for the patis-flavored beef adobo.


several bottles of Rufina Patis at the end of the bottling plant. Didn't get to see the bottling operation since it was already shut down for that day
"Know Thy Enemy and Know Thyself," a collection of fish sauce samples and bottles of of Rufina's competitors on display
The heir apparent to the patis "Empire" holding a photo of Aling Rufina in traditional Filipino dress (picture blurred to protect identity of the "heir" since Tutubi doesn't have permission to post his picture

Labels: Filipino Food, Malabon, Philippines

During the "Halina Lusungin natin ang Malabon," a visit to the house cum art gallery of Angel Cacnio, a new house with a bahay na bato look and filled with the artist's work of arts, paintings and scultures, including those of his son Ferdinand Cacnio.

Angel Cacnio has won coin design contests of the Central Bank of the Philippines in 1967 where his designs won first prizes for the Lapu-Lapu one centavo coin and the Marcelo H. Del Pilar 50 centavo coin. His designs commissioned by the Central Bank for the P100 and P20 bills are still in circulation.



Angel Cacnio's work featuring Sabong (cockfight)



The last stop of the Malabon tour was a visit to Bahay Parokyano, an art gallery with exhibits from Malabon's budding artists


A wall clock made from everyday materials

Ballerina brass sculpture by Ferdinand "Ferdie" Cacnio at Bahay Parokyano

Ferdie Cacnio, in 2005, won 2nd place in Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) Annual Art Competition. He also listed large mixed-metal sculpture “Pasasalamat (Thanksgiving)” which stands prominently in Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Bahay Parokyano is similar to Paete's Kape Kesada where young, promising artists can hone and display their works of art

How to get there:

Bahay Parokyano is located at 62 Bautista Blvd., Malabon City
Tel. No. +63.2.282.5112

Ferdinand Cacnio's gallery address (posted here with permission)
11 Hercules St., Tivoli Greens Village,
Quezon City, Philippines

For other details, please drop a comment

Labels: Art, Malabon, Philippines

The Quezon Memorial Shrine, a monument built in honor of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon, located inside the rotunda at the heart of the city named after the former president with "edifice complex," is a tallest landmark of Metro Manila's biggest city.

The shrine is inside a circle that also hosts a bicycle rental, picnic ground, skating rink, various pocket parks, shopping stalls, various restaurants (Tropical Hut, Max's), food stalls and the World Peace Bell.



Many health buffs jog around the monument in the morning, others prefer to play badminton while a group dance their flabs away. During Eid al-Fitr, many Muslims congregate here to celebrate end of Ramadan.

Trivia:

Designed by architect Federico Ilustre
Height is 66 meters representing the age of Quezon when he died (of tuberculosis while in exile in the US during the 2nd World War)
3 pylons represent the Philippines' 3 island groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao
3 Angels at the top of the pylons holding sampaguita garlands designed by Francesco Riccardo Monti (who also has works in Far Eastern University (FEU), University of Santo Tomas (UST), Metropolitan Theater, Don Bosco Technical Institute, Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and Sto. Domingo Church)

Inside the monument is a museum with old photos and memorabilias of the former president and his catafalque. His remains were transfered to the shrine from Manila North Cemetery.

Three angels sculpture by Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti
night picture of the monument

the circle is near Quezon City Hall



Quezon Memorial Museum is open to the public free of charge, Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8:30am to 5pm

How to get to Quezon Memorial Circle:

Commute:

Jeepneys plying Fairview or Philcoa in Manila will pass by the place. Drop off in front of Quezon City hall and cross the circle going there (the pedestrian underpass will soon be completed) Buses on EDSA going to Fairview. The nearest MRT station is Quezon Avenue.

Labels: Monuments, Philippines, Quezon City

About two weeks ago, Tutubi visited his brother-in-law (husband of his elder sister) confined at Manila Doctors Hospital on United Nations Avenue in Manila, where his parents and sister also dropped by to deliver to Tutubi his annual supply of sweet lanzones Paete.

After the brief visit and a tiklis of lanzones in tow, they headed off to Malabon to deliver again lanzones to another brother living there. The driver decided to traverse Roxas Blvd up to Bonifacio Drive
and Delpan bridge and came face-to-face with a familiar, once infamous site known as Smokey Mountain that currently has a new face and offer a ray of hope to Manila's poorest of the poor...


About 8 yearsa go, Tutubi always passed by Smokey Mountain when it was still a mountain of burnt garbage. He never saw the notorious mountain in its heyday.

This video from YouTube, shot by Romeo Candido, is a timely one to remind us of the struggle of the poor to escape the tight embrace of poverty.




How to go to Smokey Mountain, Tondo, Manila:

By car from Roxas Blvd, traverse Bonifacio drive passing through Delpan Bridge until you reach the site.



Tags: Smokey Mountain, 菲律賓, 菲律宾, 필리핀, フィリピン, Filippine, Philippinen, Filipinas, Filippijnen

Labels: Manila, Philippines