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Pampanga - Culinary Center Of The Philippines

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Steeped in history and blessed with natural and man-made scenery, Pampanga offers several sightseeing options for visitors. Pampanga has always enjoyed the title, “The Culinary Center of the Philippines.” It is populated by resourceful hardy folk who are justifiably proud of their famous Kapampangan cuisine.

The capital city of San Fernando is world-famous for its annual Easter re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is also famous for the Pampanga Christmas lanterns.

The province has remnants of a long and colorful history. It houses a booming night life and tourist destinations. It is the site of world-class resorts, casinos, duty free shopping, and golf courses.

Geography
Pampanga is located in the central part of Central Luzon. It is bounded on the north by Tarlac and Nueva Ecija, Bulacan on the east, on the south by Bataan, and on the west by Zambales. The province’s total land area is 218, 068 hectares or 2, 180.68 square kilometers.

Political Subdivision
Pampanga is composed of 20 municipalities and two cities, namely: Angeles City and San Fernando City. It is subdivided into four political districts.

Population
The province has a population of 1, 529.246.

Language/Dialect
Kapampangan, English, and Tagalog are spoken and understood anywhere in the province.

Climate
Pampanga is characterized by a wet season and dry season.

Major Industries
Farming and fishing are the main industries. Rice and sugarcane are the major crops. Others are banana, mango, and eggplant. The rivers and fishponds produce fish, shrimps, and crabs.

Nueva Ecija - Rice Bowl Of The Philippines

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Nueva Ecija is the largest province and the biggest rice producer of Central Luzon, thus, often referred to as the “Rice Bowl of the Philippines.”

Among its main attractions is the Pantabangan River, the country’s first multi-purpose infrastructure, which stands today as a phenomenon in Filipino engineering feats. Another is the Pampanga river, cutting across a rich valley floor, famed for irrigation, the generation of hydroelectric power, and the mitigation of flood damage.

Nueva Ecija is also the agri-tourism pilot site in Central Luzon due to the presence of the Central Luzon State University in the province.

Its other worthwhile attractions include the Minalungao National Park, Rizal Hot Spring, Burburayok Springs and Pajanutic Falls, Barrio Puncan in the town of Carranglan, among others.

Geography
The province is the largest in Central Luzon. Its terrain begins with the southwestern marshes near the Pampanga border. It levels off and then gradually increases in elevation to rolling hills as it approaches the mountains of Sierra Madre in the east, and the Caraballo and Cordillera ranges in the north.

Political Subdivision
The province is divided into four congressional districts, which consists of 28 municipalities and four cities, namely: Cabanatuan, San Jose, Palayan, and Science City of Muñoz. The provincial capital is Palayan City.

Population
According to the NCSO, Nueva Ecija has a population of 1,310,829 of which 13.16% are concentrated in Cabanatuan City. The rural population totals 799,280 while the urban population is 511,549.

Language/Dialect
Tagalog is predominantly spoken by the Novo Ecijanos, comprising 67.7%, followed by the Ilocano dialect at 29.93%. Other dialects are Pampango, Pangasinan, Bicol, and Ilonggo.

Climate
Nueva Ecija has two pronounced seasons: the wet or rainy season from May to November and the dry season during the rest of the year.

Major Industries
Nueva Ecija is one of the top producers of agricultural goods in the country. Its principal crops are rice, corn, and onion. The province is often referred to as the “Rice Bowl of the Philippines.” Other major crops are mango, banana, eggplant, and garlic.

Fishponds are unevenly distributed throughout the province but the largest concentrations are in San Antonio, Sta. Rosa, and Cuyapo.

Several areas have mineral deposits. Copper and manganese have been found in Gen. Tinio, Carranglan, and Patabangan. The upper reaches of Carranglan and Palyan are said to contain gold.

Bulacan - Land Of Heroes

Description
Feel the heart and soul of the Philippines in Bulacan. Its history and tradition, its land, its culture, and its people, live and breathe Filipino. Truly a melting pot of the past and the present, the old and the new, the countryside and the urbane – that is Bulacan.

The province is noted as the land of heroes. Bulacan is the home province of some of the nation’s celebrated heroes: Francisco Baltazar (Balagtas), “The Prince of Filipino Poets,” Marcelo H. Del Pilar, “The Great Propagandist,” and Gregorio del Pilar, “The Hero of Tirad Pass.” It is reputed for beautiful women, progressive cooperatives, small and medium scale industries. It is known for excellent craftsmanship as in its jewelries, leather crafts, and garments.

The province has emerged into a reputable resort haven of Luzon. Just a few minutes north of Manila by car, Bulacan resorts provide an accessible and welcome respite from the pressures of city life.

Geography
Bulacan is in the southwestern part of Central Luzon. It is bounded on the north by Nueva Ecija, on the east by Aurora and Quezon, on the west by Pampanga, and on the south by Rizal, Metro Manila, and the Manila Bay.

Political Subdivision
Bulacan consists of 24 towns, with Malolos City as the provincial capital.

Population
Bulacan’s population is 1,502,343 and still growing.

Language/Dialects
The language used in the province is predominantly Tagalog. Other dialects used by the townfolks are Waray, Ilocano, Bicolano, and Kapampangan.

Climate
Like the rest of Central Luzon, Bulacan’s climate consists of two pronounced seasons: dry from November to April and wet for the rest of the year.

Major Industries
The province of Bulacan is veering away from being an agricultural area and becoming an industrialized one. Its proximity to Manila gives it the advantage of being a favored site of industrial establishments, including leather tanning, cement bag making, ceramic textiles, food processing, shoe making, and many others.

The majority of the rural areas, however, are still dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Rice is the principal crop, followed by corn, vegetables, and fruits.

Batanes - Land Of The True Insulars

Brief Description
The island-province of Batanes was created by a series of volcanic activities and other geologic forces millions of years ago.

The province is home to the famous Ivatans who are nationally acclaimed as the “True Insulares.” The Ivatans are of Malay stock, tracing their roots to early immigrants from Formosa, Taiwan as well as Spaniards who came to the island in the 16th century. Being an insular people, the Ivatans have kept the purity of their gene pool through time.

Batanes lies at the northernmost tip of the Philippines, where the Pacific Ocean merges with the South China Sea. It is composed of three major islands, namely: Batan which contains the capital town of Basco, Sabtang, and Itbayat. Close by are seven islets including Amianan, which is the closest to Formosa. Thus, Batanes has been identified as the country’s potential gateway to East China.

Geography
"The island-province is strewn on a 4,500 square kilometer expanse of territorial waters, the Luzon Strait and Balintang Channel, where the Pacific Ocean merges with the South China Sea, a sealane between the Philippines and the southern parts of Japan, China, Hongkong, and Taiwan. It is bounded on the north by the Bashi Channel, on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the west by the South China Sea, and on the south by the Balintang Channel. It is characterized by gently rolling hills, cliffs, and black and white sand beaches.

Batanes is about 860 kilometers (approx. 525 miles) from Manila. Basco, the capital town, is about 280 kilometers north of Aparri and about 190 kilometers south of Taiwan.

Political Subdivision
Batanes has six municipalities, 29 barangays, and one congressional district. The six municipalities are Ivana, Uyugan, Mahatao, Basco (the capital), and the island municipalities of Sabtang and Itbayat.

Climate
The Batanes weather is rather pleasant. Compared to the rest of the country, Batanes is blessed with a cooler, balmier climate. It enjoys practically four seasons, the best one being summer which is from March to June. Average monthly rainfall is 450 mm.

Population
The 2002 census of population for Batanes registered a population total of 16,467 distributed over a land area of 230 square kilometers.

Language / Dialect
The mother tongue of Batanes is Ivatan, spoken by 93.94 percent of all households. The Ilocano dialect is also spoken while Filipino and English are generally spoken and understood.

Major Industries
The province has a total agricultural land area of 5,438 hectares and has a wide area open for agricultural expansion. Due to its terrain, it is a major livestock producer with cattle as its main stock. Carabaos and goats are also popularly raised. Another major industry is fishing which reaches its peak during the summer months, from March to June, when the seawater is relatively calm.

Quirino - Forest Heartland Of Cagayan

Brief Description
Long before its formal creation as an independent province, Quirino was the forest region of the province of Nueva Vizcaya, inhabited by tribal groups known as the Negritos. They roamed the hinterlands and built their huts at the heart of the jungle.

Quirino lies in the southeastern portion of Cagayan Valley. It is situated within the upper portion of the Cagayan River basin and bounded by Isabela on the north, Aurora on the east and southeast, and Nueva Vizcaya on the west and southwest.

The Ilocano dialect is used widely in the lowlands of the province’s various municipalities while Ifugao is predominant in the uplands.

Geography
The Sierra Madre Mountain Range provides a natural barrier on the eastern and southern border of the province and the Mamparang Range on the western part. The province is generally mountainous, with about 80 percent of the total land area covered by mountains and highlands. A part of the province’s comparative advantage is its accessibility to the town of Aurora.

Political Subdivision
Quirino has six municipalities: Cabarroguis, the capital town, Saguday, Diffun, Maddela, Nagtipunan, and Aglipay. The province has one congressional district and 110 barangays.

Population
The population of the province as of the year 2000 census of population was 148,575, with a density of roughly 49 persons per square kilometer of land.

Language/ Dialect
The major dialect is Ilocano, spoken by 71.46 percent of the total populace. Other dialects are Ifugao, Bugkalot, Pangasinense, and Kankanai.

Climate
The province has a mean annual temperature of 26.6 degree Celsius. Warmest month is May and the least dry months are March to August while the rest of the year is neither too dry nor too wet. Rainy days occur from September to November.

Industries
Agriculture is the main industry with rice and corn as major crops. These supply the demand of neighboring provinces and the metropolis. Banana as well as banana chips are major products sold in Metro Manila and Pampanga. Small scale industries like furniture making, basketry, rattan craft, and dried flower production are prevalent.

Daily Reading & Meditation

Thursday (6/22): “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him”

Scripture: Matthew 6:7-15

7 "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread; 12 And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; 13 And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Meditation: Do you pray with joy and confidence? The Jews were noted for their devotion to prayer. Formal prayer was prescribed for three set times a day. And the rabbis had a prayer for every occasion. Jesus warns his disciples against formalism, making prayer something mechanical and devoid of meaning, with little thought for God. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he gave them the disciple’s prayer, what we call the Our Father or Lord’s Prayer. This prayer dares to call God “our Father” and boldly asks for the things we need to live as his sons and daughters. It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that we can know God personally and call him “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15). We can approach God our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection. When we ask God for help, he fortunately does not give us what we deserve. Instead, he responds with grace and mercy. He is kind and forgiving towards us and he expects us to treat our neighbor the same. Do you treat others as they deserve, or do you treat them as the Lord would with grace and mercy? Jesus’ prayer includes an injunction that we must ask God to forgive us in proportion as we forgive those who have wronged us. Ask the Lord to fill you with the fire of his love and mercy.

“Father in heaven, you have given me a mind to know you, a will to serve you, and a heart to love you. Give me today the grace and strength to embrace your holy will and fill my heart with your love that all my intentions and actions may be pleasing to you. Give me the grace to be charitable in thought, kind in deed, and forgiving towards my neighbor as you have been towards me”.

JUNE 22

The current Roman calendar lists three saints on June 22. Their stories are briefly presented here one after another.

ST. PAULINUS OF NOLA

St. Paulinus was born around 353 in Bordeaux, France. His father was a governor and a wealthy landowner. Paulinus received a good education. He became a lawyer and poet. He traveled in France, Spain and Italy, wherever work or pleasure took him. In 381, at the age of twenty-eight, he became the governor of Campania, Italy.

When he was thirty-six, Paulinus became a Catholic. He and his wife, Theresia, had one child, a son. After their son died, the couple gave away their wealth and property to the poor. They kept only what they needed to live on. Paulinus and Theresia agreed that they wanted to live simply. The couple prayed, made sacrifices and did without unnecessary things. They also chose to take a vow of chastity to witness to their love for Jesus. Paulinus and his wife were greatly admired by the Christian community. They were very pleased when Paulinus became a priest in 394. Then he and Theresia started a small community of monks in Nola, Italy. They opened a hospice for poor people and travelers, too.
Paulinus and Theresia decided to remain in Nola. Paulinus wanted to be near the shrine of one of his favorite saints, St. Felix of Nola. St. Felix had been a priest and bishop who had died in 260. He had been a defender of his people during the cruel persecution by Emperor Decius. Bishop Felix had been known for his prayerfulness, his love for the people, and his poor lifestyle. Over a century later, Paulinus prayed to him and wrote about him. He felt great confidence in the power of St. Felix. What could this former Roman governor have in common with St. Felix? More than St. Paulinus could have guessed. In 409, he was chosen to be bishop of Nola. The people were so happy. He was a wise, gentle bishop, just as St. Felix had been. He was praised by many great saints who lived at that time, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Martin of Tours and others. Although some of his wonderful writings have been lost, thirty-two poems and fifty-one letters remain.
St. Paulinus was bishop of Nola until his death in 431.

  

ST. JOHN FISHER

John Fisher was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1469. He was educated at Cambridge University and became a priest. Father Fisher taught at Cambridge, too. He was a wonderful teacher and helped the students grow in their knowledge of the faith. He was a theologian. Father Fisher was especially helpful in pointing out religious errors of the times that confused some people.

In 1504, he became the bishop of Rochester, England. It was a poor diocese and Bishop Fisher was to remain its shepherd for thirty years. So, Bishop Fisher performed two important duties. He was a bishop of a diocese and the head of Cambridge University. In 1514, he was appointed the head of the university for life. Bishop Fisher was also the priest who heard the confessions of King Henry VIII's mother. Her name was Elizabeth of York.

Bishop Fisher had many friends, including the famous scholar, Erasmus, and the great St. Thomas More. Little did Bishop Fisher and Thomas More know that they would be sharing a feast day on the calendar of saints.

It certainly was not a celebration when Bishop Fisher was put in prison in 1533. He was arrested for insisting that the marriage of the king and Queen Catherine was true. Then Henry VIII divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn in a civil ceremony. He demanded that people sign an oath of loyalty to him. He made himself the head of the Church in England. Bishop Fisher would not sign the oath. He was sent to the Tower of London. The tower was damp and the treatment was harsh. Bishop Fisher suffered very much, but he would not betray his faith. Even though there were no televisions and radios, people found out about what Bishop Fisher, Sir Thomas More and the others were going through. They were shocked and saddened. On June 12, 1535, Pope Paul III named Bishop Fisher a cardinal. He hoped this would make Henry free him. But the king only became more angry and mean. He demanded Cardinal Fisher's death. John Fisher was killed on June 22, 1535.

Along with his friend, St. Thomas More, Cardinal John Fisher was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935.

ST. THOMAS MORE

Thomas More was a famous lawyer and writer. He was born in London in 1477. His father had been a lawyer, too, and a judge. Thomas was always grateful to his father for being so loving and for not spoiling him.

Thomas' first wife, Jane Colt, died very young. More was left with four small children. He was married again, to a widow, a simple woman who could not even read or write. Her husband tried to teach her. Thomas made home life enjoyable for his family because he was so pleasant to be with. During meals, one of the children would read from the Bible. Then they would have fun and tell jokes. St. Thomas often asked poorer neighbors in to dinner, too. He always helped the poor as much as he could. He loved to delight his guests with surprises. He even kept some playful monkeys as pets. Yet few could have imagined how deeply spiritual St. Thomas really was. He prayed long hours into the night and performed penances, too. He was very much aware that being a true Christian took the grace and help of God.
Thomas held important government positions. For three years he was lord chancellor, another name for prime minister. Henry VIII used to put his arm affectionately around Thomas' shoulder. Yet although the saint was a most loyal subject, he was loyal to God first of all. In fact, when the king tried to make him disobey God's law, Thomas refused. Henry wanted to obtain a divorce from his wife to marry another woman. However, the pope could not give permission, since that is against God's law. Henry was stubborn and at last he left the Church. He wanted everyone to recognize him as the head of the Church in England. Thomas could not do that. He chose to remain faithful to the Catholic faith and to God. He was condemned to death for that, yet he forgave his judges. He even said he hoped he would see them in heaven. He really meant it, too.

At the scaffold, where he was to die, St. Thomas kissed his executioner on the cheek. Then he joked, saying that his beard should not be cut off because it had not done anything wrong. He was martyred on Tuesday, July 6, 1535, at the age of fifty-seven.

Along with his friend, Bishop John Fisher, Sir Thomas More was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935.