Welcome To My World!

Friendship Promise

You Are My Friend And I Hope
You Know That's True.
No Matter What Happens
I Will Stand Right By You.

In Times Of Grief
I Will Give You Belief.
I'll Be There For You
Whenever You Are In Need.
To Lend You A Hand
To Do A Good Deed.

So Just Call On Me When
You Need Me, My Friend!
I Will Always Be There For You
Right To The End!

Best Friends Forever!

Oriental Mindoro - The Islands' Loveliest Harbor

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
The inverted-J-shaped Oriental Mindoro is endowed with some of the Philippine Islands’ best naturescapes. Choose your own beach among the many that abound, from fawn beige to powdery white. Then match the experience with interesting mountain lairs, lakes, rivers, rain forests, wild animals, rare flora and fauna, and pocket communities of the existing ethnic groups. It has maintained its unspoiled environment, all within a rustic agricultural setting.

The province's foremost asset is Puerto Galera, blessed with one of the world’s most beautiful natural harbors. Known as the Pearl of Mindoro, it is world-famous for splendid beaches, coral reefs, and exquisite dive sites for new and experienced divers alike. There are shallow coral gardens, interesting rock formations, and colorful species to watch, like crabs, shrimps, sea anemones, moray, and trumpet fishes.

Alibatan Island in Baco, noted for its white sand, serves as a breeding place for seagulls and turtles. Corals and oysters can be found all around the area. Also in Baco is Mt. Halcon, the country's third highest peak and a favorite destination for nature tripping and mountain climbing. In Puerto Galera, 423-foot Tamaraw Falls is a series of asymmetrical falls, leading to a grand fall, dropping to the frothy waterbed below. Another attraction within the area is Sabang Beach, a portion of which is tourist-flocked for water sports and a cluster of nightspots popular for evening socials. Beside Sabang Beach is Small La Laguna, with amazingly beautiful coral reefs, and water ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Indulge in a number of special interest tours while in the province, from mountain climbing to trekking, hiking, camping, butterfly watching, game fishing, and adventure trips to the wilderness. Enjoy active water sports such as scuba diving, snorkeling, and swimming. Visit the Mangyan settlement areas, and find it rewarding to engage in natural cave and waterfall exploration and island hopping."

GEOGRAPHY
Oriental Mindoro is located 15 kilometers off the southwest coast of Luzon. It lies on the eastern portion of the island. It is bounded on the north by Verde Island and the Verde Passage, on the east by Maestro de Campo Island and Tablas Strait, on the south by Semirara Island near Pandarodan bay, and on the west by the province of Occidental Mindoro.

It has a total land area of 436,470 hectares. The province has 39 named and 89 unnamed islands and islets, leaving much of its attractions virgin to visitors, and an untrammeled area to explore.

CLIMATE
Oriental Mindoro enjoys a climate favorable to vegetable growth throughout the year. What is remarkable is that there is neither a dry season nor a pronounced maximum rain period. The location and topography of the island on the western side of the great ocean body is another contributing factor in the rainfall pattern of the province. China Sea, fed by warm water from a branch of south equatorial current, passes between Singapore and Borneo thus keeping the water bodies surrounding the island warm year-round and consequently providing excellent sources of moisture.

POPULATION
Based on the May 2001 National Statistics Survey, Oriental Mindoro Island registered a total population of 669,000. The people are mostly of Tagalog stock. The ethnic Mangyan tribe consists of various smaller tribes like the Iraya, Alangan, and Tadwanan.

INDUSTRIES
The lifestyles of Mindoreños are basically simple and rural. 70 percent of the populace engage in land and sea agriculture, with only 30 percent living in urbanized centers. The ethnic tribes, Mangyans, are gentle and withdrawn but many of them have managed to integrate into the cultural mainstream, largely in the municipalities of Mansalay, Baco, Puerto Galera, Roxas, and Bongabong. These Mangyans are skilled weavers and craftsmen, producing intricate tribal finery, including baskets, mats, and other items, both functional and aesthetic.

LANGUAGE / DIALECTS
Visiting Oriental Mindoro does not entail memorizing bits of conventional lines in dialects spoken other than Tagalog, which serves as the predominant dialect. Other dialects spoken are Ilocano and Cebuano. Strains of the Mangyan dialect spoken are Arayan, Alagnan, Buhid, Hunuo, and Tadyawan. The working population can read and speak Filipino and English.

POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
Oriental Mindoro is composed of 15 municipalities, with Calapan City as the capital of the province. The municipalities are Baco, Bansud, Bongabong, Bulalacao, Naujan, Mansalay, Pinamalayan, Pola, Puerto Galera, Roxas, San Teodoro, Socorro, and Victoria Gloria.

Occidental Mindoro - Marine Wonderland Of Luzon

Description
Dubbed as "Marine Wonderland," the fantastic land that is Occidental Mindoro is endowed with marine beauty from its virgin forests, beautiful white sand beaches, islands and islets rich in marine life, coral gardens, mysterious caves, and cascading waterfalls.

It has one of the country's wondrous secret hideaways, the Apo Reef, which is regarded as the second largest in the world. This 34-kilometer reef in Sablayan, which is located in Apo Island, is acclaimed as the best in Asia and as the diving mecca of the Philippines. The Apo Reef Marine Park includes the fascinating bird-populated islands of Binangaan and Cajos del Bajo, which are surrounded by waters with over 500 species of marine life and luxuriant coral growth represented by approximately 400 to 500 kaleidoscopic coral species.

Mt. Iglit in San Jose is a game sanctuary for the tamaraw, a wild animal found nowhere else in the world, bearing a resemblance to the Philippine buffalo, commonly known as carabao. Mamburao boasts of an elongated strip of beach with natural and rustic surroundings. In Lumang Bayan, Sablayan, a five-hectare park overlooking the sea, known as Presing Park, is frequented by promenaders.

Occidental Mindoro is a diving paradise with so much to offer divers out to discover several unexplored shoals and atolls. The areas around Ambulong Island, Ilin Island, White Island, and Pandan Grande offer a fertile diving ground surrounded by exquisite coral reefs and colorful marine life, ranging from exotic fish to exquisite seashells.

Every 25th to 27th of April, residents of San Jose celebrate the Saknungan, a 3-day thanksgiving festival highlighted by streetdances and parades. Saknungan is a Mangyan term which means ""bayanihan"" or the spirit of cooperation, brotherhood, and unity at work - the spirit portrayed by the Mindoreños day-to-day, especially during the planting and the harvesting seasons.

GEOGRAPHY
The entire island of Mindoro, which is separated from the Southern Luzon mainland, is composed of Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro. These two provinces are separated by a mountain range, running through the entire length of the island, which serves as a natural and political boundary.

Occidental Mindoro is situated along the western part of the island, located south of the province of Batangas in Southern Luzon. On the north, it is bounded by Verde Island Passage, on the west and the south by Mindoro Strait, and on the east by Oriental Mindoro.

The topography of Occidental Mindoro is generally rugged, with narrow strips of coastal lowlands. Its terrain is characterized by successive mountain ranges, valleys, and elongated plateaus, with rolling lands along the coastal region.

CLIMATE
The province has two pronounced seasons: the dry season from November to April, and the wet season during the rest of the year. It is shielded from the northeast monsoon and tradewinds by mountain ranges but is vulnerable to the southeast monsoon and cyclonic storms. The average annual volume of rainfall is 2,000 mm. Temperature ranges from 30.7 to 16.4 degrees Celsius.

POPULATION
The island of Occidental Mindoro registers a total population of 380,250 based on the 2000 National Statistics Office Survey. It ranked eight in population/size in the Southern Tagalog Region, accounting for 4.5 percent of Mindoro's total number of inhabitants.

Language/Dialects
Tagalog is spoken by 69.78 percent of the people. Other dialects are Ilokano (10.63 percent), Hiligaynon (6.47 percent), and Kinaray-a (5.84 percent). The working population can read and speak Filipino and English.

POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
Occidental Mindoro is politically governed by a Provincial Governor, as in other provinces and municipal mayors. It is divided into eleven municipalities: Abra de Ilog, Calintaan, Looc, Lubang, Magsaysay, Mamburao, Paluan, Rizal, Sablayan, San Jose, and Sta.Cruz.

Marinduque - Lenten Mecca Of Southern Tagalog

Known as the smallest province in the Southern Tagalog region, Marinduque has the shape of a human heart floating on a clear blue sea.

The island province is characterized by undulating hills, picturesque valleys, sheer seaside cliffs, interspersed with patches of flatland on different parts of the island. The soil is fertile but marked in certain spots by large stony areas, making wide continuous farming difficult. Deposits of iron, copper, and lead are found and mined in the province.

During the yearly Lenten season, a myriad of tourists, from the ardent devotee to a mere observer, flock to Marinduque to witness the very popular Moriones Festival. A biblical character in the person of the Roman centurion, Longinus, comes alive as the towns of Boac, Mogpog, and Gasan celebrate Moriones. It is a religious festival, which links the story of Longinus with Christ’s Passion and Death. It is celebrated during the observance of Holy Week, or the week before Easter, which also happens to be in the middle of the Philippine summer.

Geography
The heart-shaped island of Marinduque rests on the Sibuyan Sea and is located south of Manila between the Bondoc Peninsula at the southeastern portion of Luzon and Mindoro Island. It is bounded on the north-northeast by Quezon, south by the island of Romblon, west-southwest by Oriental Mindoro, and west by Batangas. The island province has an aggregate land area of 95,920 hectares, including four major islets and eight minor ones.

Political Subdivisions
Marinduque consists of the municipalities of Boac, Buenavista, Gasan, Mogpog, Sta. Cruz, and Torrijos.

Population
The population of the province totals about 217,000, as of the May 1, 2000 National Statistic Survey.

Languages/Dialects
The Marinduqueños speak a unique blend of Tagalog and Visayan dialects, with traces of Bicolano. The working population can read and speak Filipino and English.

Climate
Marinduque has two pronounced seasons: dry form December to May, and wet from June to October. The average monthly rainfall is highest in October, and lowest in April.

Daily Reading & Meditation

Sunday (6/25): "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?"

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" 41 And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?"

Meditation: How can we fight fear with faith? Jesus' sleeping presence on the storm-tossed sea reveals the sleeping faith of his disciples. They feared for their lives even though their Lord and Master was with them in the boat. They were asleep to Christ while he was present to them in their hour of need. The Lord is ever present to us. And in our time of testing he asks the same question: Why are you afraid? Have you no faith? Do you recognize the Lord's presence with you, especially when you meet the storms of adversity, sorrow, and temptation? Whenever we encounter trouble, the Lord is there with the same reassuring message: "It is I, do not be afraid."

What are the characteristics of faith and how can we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. Believing is only possible by grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and who opens the eyes of the mind to understand and accept the truth which God has revealed to us. Faith enables us to relate to God rightly and confidently, with trust and reliance, by believing and adhering to his word, because he is utterly reliable and trustworthy. If we want to live, grow, and persevere in faith, then it must be nourished with the word of God. Fear does not need to cripple us from taking right action or rob us of our trust and reliance on God. Courage working with faith enables us to embrace God's word of truth and love with confidence and to act on it with firm hope in God's promises. The love of God strengthens us in our faith and trust in him and enables us to act with justice and kindness towards our neighbor even in the face of opposition or harm. Do you allow the love of Christ to rule in your heart and mind, and to move your will to choose what is good in accordance with his will?

"Lord, increase my faith in your redeeming love and power that I may always recognize your abiding presence with me. And give me courage to do your will in all circumstances."

CFC 25th Year Anniversary

Today, we celebrate the 25th Year Anniversary of Couples for Christ in the Philippines. It is being held at the Luneta Park, Manila attended by thousands of its members nationwide.

Unfortunately, rains spoiled the celebration and resulted to the cancellation of some of its outdoor programs and activities. However, rains did not prevented the influx of CFC members from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. We were also glad to meet some CFC members in other parts of the world.

My wife and her fellow members from the Handmaids of the Lord (HOLD) performed some cultural dance numbers in the amusement of the crowd, both local and foreign delegates.

We congratulate the Couples for Christ in the Philippines for this very important ocassion and for their continued efforts in serving the community through their various community projects such as the "Gawad Kalinga" which provides housing benefits to the homeless and poorest of the poor.

JUNE 26
ST. PELAGIUS

This boy martyr of Spain lived in the days when the Moors ruled part of his homeland. The Moors were fighting the Spanish Christians. Pelagius was only ten when his uncle had to leave him as a hostage with the Moors in the city of Cordova. He would not be allowed to go free until his uncle sent him what the Moors demanded.

Three years passed and still the young Christian remained a prisoner. By this time, he was a handsome, lively boy of thirteen. Although many of his fellow prisoners were men who had acquired evil habits, Pelagius would not imitate their example. Even though he was young, he had a strong will and knew how to keep himself good.

The ruler of the Moors heard good reports about Pelagius. He sent for the boy. Pelagius was handsome and well-behaved. The ruler felt generous and wanted to get him out of prison. After all, he was only a boy. Pelagius was offered his freedom, plus fine clothes to wear. Not only that, he would receive beautiful horses and money. All of these would be his if he would give up his faith and become a Muslim like his captors.

"All those things you named mean nothing to me," answered the boy firmly. "I have been a Christian. I am a Christian now. I shall continue to be a Christian." The ruler was surprised. He changed his approach. Instead of promises came threats, but none had any effect.

Thirteen-year-old Pelagius died a martyr in the year 925.