Carenna KT Taking a Break from Queen's University, Belfast, North Ireland

Carenna Katague Thompson, my youngest grand daughter send me the following photos from her school break a couple of weeks ago. The photos were taken in Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary.  She has a break from her college studies in Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.  She has a scholarship to study abroad as part of her Master's Degree program in International Studies at Georgetown University, Washington, DC. 

Carenna is my youngest daughter( Ditas) only daughter. For Ditas video on her personal take on America in the Heart in connection with Filipino-American History Month -see  bottom of this page.💥 

Here are some photos from Carenna:

For more photos on Ireland visit this posting: 

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/09/a-mini-photo-tour-of-dublin-ireland-not.html

"Queen's University Belfast is one of the leading universities in the UK and Ireland with a distinguished heritage and history. Founded in 1845 as Queen's College Belfast, we became an independent university in 1908. Today, we are ranked 43 in the world (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021), and a member of the Russell Group of UK research intensive universities, combining excellence in research and education with a student-centred ethos."

Meanwhile, here's Mama Ditas video in connection with the Filipino-American History Month Celebration-Her personal take to America in my Heart. BE VOCAL( Value, Opportunity, Culture, Afraid Not, and Life experiences).   

💥https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/Yrg9D0scC5x7L2eQb6IbiNjLHzO2MBzy7haLRskaS2xYSwANEr2mWeSQYR5uZxA8.O2CGyeI9IzUOtiAn?startTime=1698101700000

Good Bye October!! Happy Halloween to All! and MABUHAY SA INYONG LAHAT( I will give a million friendly hugs to the first person who can give me the correct translation of the above Tagalog phrase either in English or Spanish via the comments section of this blog)

A Sunday Escapade from My Gilded Cage

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-sunday-escapade-from-my-gilded-cage.html

Uma Dobia Special Musical Performance

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-most-special-musical-treat-saturday.html

Filipino Food is Crazy and Lazy- Michael's Barong Filipino

The end of Filipino-American History Month Celebration here at THD will be in 2 days.  Michael( see photo above) at the Concierge Staff informed me he have been to the Philippines and has a Barong. I told him to wear it before the end of the month so we can have a photo shoot. Today is the day. Here are the photos of Michael with his Filipino Barong and me with my Guayabera Mexican Shirt. The Guayabera is identical to the Barong except it has short sleeves. Here are the photos.

**************************************************************************************

This is my last posting celebrating Filipino-American History Month here at THD.

While looking up my previous articles on Filipino food, I found the following "non-serious take" on Filipino food, that only Filipinos will understand and enjoy. So my apology to my numerous non-filipino readers if this article does not ring a bell or tickle your funny bone. Anyway, you will learn a few names of Pinoy comfort dishes very popular to the Filipinos all over the world.

What is Filipino Food? Reprinted from www.myfilipinokitchen.com

Filipino food is not Chinese food. If it is, our Adobo (marinated meat) would be steamed chicken with soy sauce. It is neither Spanish food. If it is, we wouldn’t be eating rice like breathing air. Filipino food is not American food either. If it is, Jollibee would have bigger servings. True? If you don’t agree with me, next time you’re in NY try convincing the hotdog vendor that his dogs are not American hotdogs… in fact it is German because that’s where all the sausages come from. Then brace yourself.

Filipino food is filipino food. Adobo was just named "adobo" by the Spaniards because they can’t name the beast. Kinilaw (raw fish in vinegar and spices) has been with us for thousands of years that when the Japanese witnessed it wiggling on our native bamboo table they attacked Pearl Harbor just to get to us… a pretty smart move I tell you. And Sinigang (fish soup) is definitely a Filipino original because if you ask from what region this fish soup originated, you are definitely promoting a royal rumble, you should have brought a ring with you.

But then what is Filipino food really? I’ll give two points in the meantime.

Firstly, it is food for the crazy.

You can’t just eat the salty-sour Dinuguan (blood and guts stew) by itself, you have to eat it with the majestic – Puto (rice cake). There you go, you became beauty and the beast at the same time. You can’t just cook Kare-Kare (tripes and ox tail in peanut sauce) with enough salt to taste, you have to cook it bland and then eat it with the salty Bagoong (shrimp paste) as a condiment. You crazy, woman?

Secondly, it is food for the lazy.

Filipino food is made for Juan Tamad (Lazy)… and has a tendency to just put in any ingredient that is conveniently available. Would you believe me? No? I’ll prove my point. Adobo is a dish where you don’t do any cooking at all. You just throw them all together in a pot, put it on the fire, wait for the fruit to fall on the ground and- Voila! It’s cooked! Did you do any cooking? No. Except for putting vinegar in before the whole blob dries up. Ladies and Gents, Juan Tamad can now eat Adobo. If you are telling yourself that it is just me exaggerating, stop right now thank you very much, here’s another dish. Bulalo (beef shanks and marrow soup) is a dumper’s food like Adobo. Dump all the meat and bones in the pot and after 3 hours, dump the rest of the vegetables, cook for a little bit and Bob’s your uncle. You dumpster.

Crazy and Lazy could have been your cat and dog’s names but when it comes to cooking, those words mean cutting edge while painless. It’s crazy because it’s bursting with flavors. It’s lazy because it is chill out food. That’s me saying I want to live.

Anthony Bourdain on his recent trip to the Philippines was asking the question, ‘What is Filipino food?’ again and again and I felt so bad that no one can describe to him what we are eating! Somehow in the end, it turned out that we have a food identity crisis. And I wouldn’t even start talking about the Filipino identity. I’ll die of hunger before I can stop talking and start shoving food in my mouth. Don’t you just hate it when you’re supposed to eat and you can’t stop talking?

I’ll stop talking now. Let’s get to work and make adobo. *wink wink*.

And Now here's a more serious description of Filipino Food and Cuisine.

Filipino cuisine has developed from the different cultures that shaped its history; it is like other Southeast Asian cuisines but with heavy Spanish influence. Some ingredients of the Mexican cuisine, such as corn, tomato and chili, have also found their way to the Philippines.

Though its cuisine is not as renowned as many of its neighbours, such as that of Thailand and Vietnam, Filipino cooking is nonetheless distinct in that it is possibly the least spicy of all South East Asian cuisines.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that Filipino food is bland, though. It is just that instead of spices, Filipino food depends more on garlic, onions and ginger to add flavor to the dishes. Painstaking preparation and prolonged cooking time is also a characteristic of most Filipino dishes, and when done properly is often what brings out the flavor of the food, as opposed to a healthy dose of spices.

With over 7,500 islands, the cuisine of the Philippines is rather a mish-mash of hundreds of local, regional, and ethnic cuisines, and without any qualifiers, you would often think of ubiquitous dishes such as adobo, sinigang, lechon,and Filipino-Chinese dishes.

Filipinos prepare great-tasting food, especially on special occasions with visitors around. Filipino cuisine is a mesh between Chinese, Mexican, Malay, Spanish, Indian, and American cooking.

It usually consists of six meals per day, including breakfast, snacks, lunch, brunch, dinner, and a final reach toward snacks to end the day on a full stomach. Most Filipino dishes involve rice, which is served alongside other edibles.

Most Filipinos regularly use spoons, forks, and knives to eat their food. But, sometimes hands come into play when seafood is involved.

Some of their most popular dishes include:

• Chorizo, 
• Lumpia, 
• Paksiw (pork or fish in vinegar and other spices),
• Kare-kare (a stew made of ox-tail),
• Sinigang (soup delicacy made of pork, prawns, or fish), and
• Longanisa (sweet sausage).

On the other hand, some popular snacks are bibingka (rice cake made with margarine or butter), polvoron (powder candy), puto (rice cakes), and chocolate.

Visit this website for my favorite pinoy dishes: https://myfavoritepinoydishes.blogspot.com

The Philippines-The Call Center Capital of the World

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/10/understanding-filipino-traits-and.html

High Occupancy in the Fairmount Building Here at THD

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/10/high-occupancy-rate-of-first-floor-of.html

First Impressions of Friends and Relatives of THD

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/10/impressions-of-friends-and-relatives-of.html

The Balance Sheet Of Life- Message from My FaceBook Page Last Month

After my successful talk here at THD last Saturday, I got into an introspective mode so here's my posting for today. I received this message from my FaceBook last month.

Sunset as Viewed from the Balcony of the Chateau Du Mer Beach House*, Marinduque, Philippines, 2011 

https://chateaudemer.blogspot.com/2023/09/a-welcome-visit-from-nearby-relative.html

I received this page in my FaceBook Page last month.  I just feel like sharing it with you- All of My Blog Readers all over the World. Have a Wonderful Day or Night Wherever You are on Planet Earth. 

*https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2021/09/joys-and-pains-in-managing-small-beach.html

Me and one of Apartment-Mate ( Batman) just relaxing After Dinner here at THD

Lessons Learned in Life: This is what I learned when I was promoted to the Position of Chemistry Team Leader in the Division Of Anti-Infective Drug Products, Office of New Drugs Chemistry, Food and Drug Administration in 1998.

When you are a leader, you are no longer responsible for doing the job; you are now responsible for inspiring, coaching, mentoring and motivating your team to become the very best version of themselves, which will help them produce their very best work. It’s all about people.

The Story Behind My T-Shirt, " I Love Camiguin"

The Carl Weinberg Family-Susan Gave Me the "I Love Camiquin T-Shirt" from her Brother Alan

The above photo was taken during 2nd Annual Corn Hole Tournament Here at THD to honor the memory of Carl Weinberg-a long time resident here at THD. It was a beautiful & Fun day celebrating and remembering beloved Heritage resident Carl Weinberg with the 2nd Annual Carl Weinberg Memorial Corn Hole Tournament  

My Unexpected Gift from the Weinberg Family Presented by Susan Last Friday Happy Hour. It was a "I Love Camiguin Black T-shirt from her brother Alan, who had visited Camiquin Island in his younger years.

Previously at the recent Corn Hole Tournament in Memory of Carl Weinberg, I have a few minutes of conversations with Susan and her brothers, Kevin, Alan and David. I learned that Alan had visited the Philippines before and I confirmed my Filipino ancestral roots to the Family . I forgot all of that conversation and behold Last Friday, Susan with her Mom on a wheel Chair gave me the T_shirt. -"I love Camiquin"( see photo above).

She said it is a gift from her brother, Alan. I was so surprised of this unexpected gift that I proudly wore it during the Happy Hour Event. Thank You Weinberg Family for the Gift! A gift that is unexpected I will treasure forever.

I have never been to Camiquin Island so I did some search and here's what I learned.

Camiquin Island in Mindanao is a land of friendly people, an island blessed with natural wonders. Majestic volcanoes, lagoons, lakes, cold, hot and soda springs, pristine waterfalls, white sandy beaches at par with the finest in the country, two beautiful islets lost at sea, and a seascape teeming with colorful varieties of marine life.

Camiguin is famous for its tourist spots like White Island, Mantigue Island, Mount Hibok-Hibok, and the recently-declared National Heritage Sites; the Bonbon Church Ruins, and the Sunken Cemetery. Although a booming tourist destination, Camiguin Island maintains its rural charm. It is one of the smallest province in the Philippines.

 Here's some information on Camiquin Island.

https://camiguin.redbearnet.com/philmap.html

Camiguin Island reminds me of my second Home- The Beautiful Island of Marinduque

marinduque

My Retirement Home in Boac, Marinduque, Philippines, Chateau Du Mer

My Talk as Speaker of the Month Here at THD

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/10/short-bio-for-introduction-to-talk-for.html

Filipino Dinner will be in the Menu Tomorrow, Friday, October 13

Pork Sinigang, Chicken Adobo and Puto ( Rice Cake) will be in the Dinner Menu,Tomorrow, Friday October 13, 2023

Chicken Adobo will one of the main Dishes Offering Here at THD, Friday Dinner, Oct 13, 2023

https://panlasangpinoy.com/filipino-chicken-adobo-recipe/

According to the reference below, Chicken Adobo may be considered the National Dish of the Philippines.  A few of you may not agree, but for people who have not tasted a Filipino dish, this choice is very ideal. Filipino Chicken Adobo is savoury and sweet with a hint of tang, with a distinct soy flavour. The garlic and onion creates a savoury base along with the bay leaves, and the peppercorns add little subtle pops of heat. 

My choice of chicken adobo is based on the fact that of the more than 100 senior residents here at THD only 5 residents have previous Philippine connections during their younger years and have tasted Filipino dishes.  I am hoping that the rest of the senior residents here that have not tasted Filipino dishes in their lifetime will have a positive gastronomic experience so that they will not forget the taste of Chicken Adobo, Baby Pork Ribs Sinigang and Puto.   

Pork Ribs Sinigang with Vegetables ( botchoy, string beans and cabbage)will also be in the Menu

Puto with Cheese topping for our dessert with mango ice cream will also be in the Oct 13 Dinner Menu here at THD

Part of Our October Calendar Here at THD on October 13 at 4PM and on October 14 at 11AM

If you are reading my blogs, I posted recently that here at THD (www.theheritagedowntown.com) my new home since last June, our activity Director with the approval of THD management has approved my suggestion to feature a Filipino Menu for just one day- a soup, main dish and dessert during the month of October.  This is in connection with the Filipino-American History Month. I will also be the  Resident Speaker for the Month( October 14 at 11AM-THD Cinema).  My talk will be on the  brief history of the Philippine-American connection, Filipino food, culture, traditions and the Philippines as a tourist destination.   

The activity Director, THD Chef and I discussed on the menu the other day and decided that for soup, it will be pork sinigang with vegetables, the main dish will be chicken adobo either paired with steam or garlic rice. However we have not decided on the vegetable dish. 

So I did some google search as well as suggestion from my Pinoy Facebook Friends. I received several suggestions as of this writing date, The top 3 suggestions are:   

1. Okra-sauteed with Visalia Onions with a Trace of shrimp paste ( Baggoong) and trace of vinegar. 

 

2, Sweet Green Papaya Pickle- Acharra-This can easily be purchased. Will save time on cooking

 

3. Filipino Spinach ( dried taro leaves- laing) -sauteed in coconut milk

However our  Chef decided on French green beans ( sitao) (Haricot Verts).  

For other Filipino dishes that is served with chicken adobo read this site: 

https://pantryandlarder.com/what-to-serve-with-chicken-adobo/

Meanwhile let me repost again the answer to the question, What is Filipino Food and Cuisine. 

Filipino cuisine has developed from the different cultures that shaped its history; it is like other Southeast Asian cuisines but with heavy Spanish influence. Some ingredients of the Mexican cuisine, such as corn, tomato and chili, have also found their way to the Philippines.

Though its cuisine is not as renowned as many of its neighbours, such as that of Thailand and Vietnam, Filipino cooking is nonetheless distinct in that it is possibly the least spicy of all South East Asian cuisines.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that Filipino food is bland, though. It is just that instead of spices, Filipino food depends more on garlic, onions and ginger to add flavor to the dishes. Painstaking preparation and prolonged cooking time is also a characteristic of most Filipino dishes, and when done properly is often what brings out the flavor of the food, as opposed to a healthy dose of spices.

With over 7,500 islands, the cuisine of the Philippines is rather a mish-mash of hundreds of local, regional, and ethnic cuisines, and without any qualifiers, you would often think of ubiquitous dishes such as adobo, sinigang, lechon,and Filipino-Chinese dishes.

General McArthur Departure from the Philippines to Australia in March, 1942

This is a continuing blog series in connection with the celebration of Filipino-American History Month for October, 2023, I am 

reposting some of my previous articles about the Japanese-American War in the Philippines, 1941-1945. 

This posting describes the re-enactment of General McArthur departure from the Philippines to Australia via Mindanao Island in Macabalan, Cagayan de Oro. This event is not well publicized compared to his return to the Philippines in Leyte to liberate the Philippines( October 20, 1944) from the Japanese forces with his famous phrase "I Shall Return"    It is with pride and honor that my boys scout uniform and me*  was used by the Mindanao Daily News as follows:  

Macabalan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines ( in the Mindanao Island)

Footnotes: From McArthur's Biography in Wikipedia:

"In February 1942, as Japanese forces tightened their grip on the Philippines, MacArthur was ordered by President Roosevelt to relocate to Australia. MacArthur discussed the idea with his staff that he resign his commission and fight on as a private soldier in the Philippine resistance but Sutherland talked him out of it.

On the night of March 12, 1942, MacArthur and a select group (that included his wife Jean and son Arthur, as well as Sutherland, Akin, Casey, Marshall, Willoughby, Diller, and George) left Corregidor in four PT boats. MacArthur, his family and Sutherland traveled in PT 41, commanded by Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley. The others followed in PT 34, PT 35 and PT 32.( The PT's disembarked in Macabalan Pier in Cagayan de Oro, then proceeded via military vehicles to the Airfield in Bukidnon).  

MacArthur and his party reached Del Monte Airfield in Bukidnon province on the island of Mindanao two days later. General George Marshall sent three U.S. Navy B-17s to pick them up. Two of them arrived, and brought the entire group to Australia".

Source: http://www.mindanaodailynews.com/general-douglas-macarthur-week-bsp-council-to-honor-scout-who-met-macarthur-in-macabalan/

.My Boys Scout Picture Featured in the Mindanao Daily News

Dr. David B.Katague of Iloilo wears the BSP uniform circa 1943-1945, similar to the one worn by Scout Loloy Queppet when he met MacArthur in 1942.

While surfing on the Internet the other day, I was surprise to see the following article with my boys scout uniform picture. I did not have a copyright to my photograph so I was not aware that the Mindanao Daily News had used my picture in the following article of historical significance- regarding the reenactment of General McArthur's arrival in Macabalan Pier, Cagayan De Oro in 1942 from Corregidor on his way to Australia. 

The departure of General McArthur from Corregidor to Australia was not well publicized in comparison to his return to Leyte from Australia in October, 1944 almost at the end of the war. ( see footnotes on bottom of this page),  

Here's a reprint of the whole article as published in the Mindanao Daily News dated March 15, 2017.

General Douglas MacArthur Week: BSP Council to honor scout who met MacArthur in Macabalan
Mar 15, 2017 Clifford Santillan , Mindanao Daily News. 

The Boy Scouts of the Philippines Cagayan de Oro Council will honor one of its scouters for the role he played in a footnote in history on March 13, 1942.

As recounted by Ann Gorra in her anthology “City of Gold: People Who Made Their Home and History in Cagayan de Oro”, Abelardo Neri Queppet was one of the scouts of Baden-Powell Troop (named after the founder of the Scouting movement Lord Baden-Powell) in charge of enforcing the mandatory blackout.

His Dad encouraged him to join the Boy Scouts and he was a member of Troop 1 at the City Central School. There were at least 20 scouts in the troop among them Jaime Tiano, Victor Roa, Terencio Gadrinab, Hugo Balase, Antonio Zacharies, Vic Itchon, Jose Apolinario and Cristobal Nagac.

These were dark days in Philippine history when the country was tottering on the brink of defeat with US and Filipino forces boxed in Bataan and Corregidor by the all-conquering Japanese Imperial Army. So it was strictly lights out after 5PM for everyone lest they be subjected to Japanese attack.

Cagayan de Oro’s Macabalan Pier during the Japanese Occupation

“As soon as dusk gave way to night, I rode my bike (bought from a Japanese Bazaar) and rode around Del Mar, Mindanao and to the pier, blowing my whistle to warn residents that it was time to shut their lights off.” Loloy was assigned to do the task by his Scout Master Epifanio Balase since he was a native-born Kagay-anon and knew his way around. Even if he was just 14 years old at the time, Loloy went about his routine like a professional: waking up at 6AM, clean the house, eat breakfast, and report to HQ in his Boy Scout Uniform: shorts, knee socks, red and blue neckerchief, brown shirt and Boy Scout cap.

Another of Loloy’s responsibilities was to direct traffic at Plaza Divisoria to expedite the passage of US military convoys to avoid strafings by Japanese planes.

His friend, one Sergeant Hunter, charged with the security of Macabalan port in those days, often kidded him about making sure he stops the tartanillas since they had no brakes.

On the evening of Thursday, March 12, 1942, Sgt. Hunter asked Loloy to be at the parola (lighthouse) in Macabalan at 7PM. Upon his arrival, Sgt. Hunter told him they were expecting General Douglas MacArthur to arrive between midnight and dawn. Sure enough, at 7AM of Friday, March 13, 1942, MacArthur and his party disembarked from two PT Boats at Macabalan Pier and rode a convoy of military vehicles to the Del Monte airfield in nearby Tankulan, Bukidnon.

But not before the General noticed the Boy Scout and his bike (who saluted him with the three fingered Boy Scout salute), standing by the gangplank where they were disembarking (now the site of the flagpole for the Cagayan de Oro Port Management Office of the Philippine Ports Authority).

Asked what the Boy Scout was doing there, one of the soldiers replied he was a community volunteer.

“Send him home,” MacArthur said. “The war is inevitable.” (Gorra, 2010)

On Monday, March 13, 2017, the City of Cagayan de Oro through the City Historical and Cultural Commission (Hiscom) leads the 75th Diamond Jubilee of General MacArthur’s Breakout from Corregidor to Australia, via Cagayan, Misamis and Dicklum, Tankulan (Manolo Fortich).

Among the salient moments of the week –long celebration from March 13-17, 2017, is the reenactment of MacArthur’s arrival at Macabalan.

To be included among the cast of reenactors, (and unknown to world history save for the local yarn as told by Loloy to Ms. Gorra), is Boy Scout Abelardo “Loloy” Neri Queppet, who will be played by his 9-year old grand nephew Clark Dexter M. Prudente of the Baden-Powell Troop of Xavier University High School, the same troop of by his late grand uncle when he met MacArthur.

According to Boys Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) Cagayan de Oro Council Chair Roy Hilario P. Raagas, they will be awarding the late Scout Queppet a posthumous award for his valiant deeds as a Boy Scout in enforcing the blackout and directing traffic under dangerous circumstances in Plaza Divisoria in 1942.

BSP Cagayan de Oro Council Scout Executive Rudy Guligado added the local council will also present the family of Genevieve Josefa Queppet Ramonal, his only child, with a BSP Centennial Medallion and plaque during the 75th Commemorative Dinner and Program on March 17 which closes the curtains on General Douglas MacArthur Week.

Scout Loloy Queppet passed on in September 2008. But his date with one of the titans of the 20th Century will now forever stay entwined with the saga of General Douglas MacArthur, “The Liberator of the Philippines.”

Source: http://www.mindanaodailynews.com/general-douglas-macarthur-week-bsp-council-to-honor-scout-who-met-macarthur-in-macabalan/

My Talk- All About the Philippines ( Speaker of the Month) Here at THD

Periods in Philippine History

• Early Philippines Period, 22,000 BC-1521 AD.
• Spanish Colonialism Period, 1521-1898.
• Period of Filipino Nationalism, 1872-1913.
• American Colonialism Period, 1898-1946.
• Japanese Occupation Period, 1941-1945.
• 
  
• Period of the Philippine Republic, 1946-present.

The red arrow is where Marinduque is- my second home- Heart and Geographical Center of the Philippines.  It is the location of Chateau Du Mer-our retirement home in the Philippines.

Brief History of the Philippines:  Spain first settled in the Philippines in the 16th century. It would go on to colonize the country for more than 330 years, although the British briefly occupied Manila for 18 months from 1762 to 1764. This British occupation of Manila is not emphasize in Philippines History for reasons, I do not know.

In 1898, Spain was forced to sell the Philippines for $20 Million to the US following its defeat in the Spanish-American War.  Americans who advocated annexation evinced a variety of motivations: desire for commercial opportunities in Asia, concern that the Filipinos were incapable of self-rule, and fear that if the United States did not take control of the islands, another power (such as Germany or Japan) might do so.

The US remained in power until Japan invaded during World War II. The Japanese were forced to leave after their defeat in 1945. Colonial remnants can still be felt today. From Spanish architecture to the widespread use of English, the Philippines is not unlike most other countries still reeling from centuries of colonial subjugation. 

The Philippines is much more than a sprawling archipelago of pristine white-sand beaches and lush tropical flora, although those are undeniably attractive features of this Southeast Asian nation. From the rugged mountains and high rolling plateaus of Mindanao to the grand malls and orderly chaos of Metro Manila, the Philippines is one of the most diverse and fastest-growing countries in the region.

Here are some surprising things about the Philippines:

 IT HAS 7,641 ISLANDS, BUT ONLY AROUND 2,000 ARE INHABITED.

Shutterstock / Ekaterina Pokrovsky- One of the Hundreds of  White Beaches Attracting Tourists all over the World in the Philippines.

For decades, Filipinos thought their country was made up of 7,107 islands. But in 2013, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), which is part of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources, obtained new technology that allowed them to better assess land formations. As a result, NAMRIA discovered more than 500 previously unknown islands. 

After the discovery, controversy ensued. Some critics alleged that the newfound "islands" were in fact just large rocks, islets, reefs, or sandbars, and that they did not meet the legal definition for an island. 

Either way, most of the new islands won't be habitable. Currently, people live on just a quarter of the country's islands. 

ROUGHLY 80% OF THE POPULATION IS CATHOLIC, MAKING THE PHILIPPINES THE COUNTRY WITH THE THIRD MOST CATHOLICS IN THE WORLD AFTER BRAZIL AND MEXICO.

A Catholic devotee nailed to a cross is hoisted by participants during a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday in 2014 in the Philippines. 

Dondi Tawatao/Getty

A majority of Filipinos are Catholic, although some portions of the southern island of Mindanao are majority Muslim. Filipinos tend to be extremely devout. For example, every year on Good Friday, some Catholics reenact the crucifixion of Jesus and flagellate themselves in his honor, although these practices are not endorsed by the official Catholic Church.  These religious performances can be be quite bloody, drawing tourists from around the world to the Philippines to bear witness. 

The island of Marinduque -my second Home is Famous for its Moriones Festival- A Week of Celebration during Easter- reenactment of the Crucificion of Jesus attracts nation wide tourism. 

In 1999 Macrine and I built a retirement home and Beach house we called Chateau Du Mer.  The beach house was burned last year, perhaps due to an electrical malfunction.  However, the main house and the Conference Center are still in good condition. 

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/02/good-bye-chateau-du-mer-beach-house.html

THE PHILIPPINES WON A LANDMARK CASE AGAINST CHINA IN THE DISPUTE OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.

Anti-China protestors in the Philippines mount a protest rally in Manila. 

Dondi Tawatao/Getty

The US isn't the only country with a major stake in the South China Sea debacle.  In July 2016, an international tribunal at the Hague made a landmark ruling in favor of the Philippines in the ongoing territorial dispute in the South China Sea. 

The case was brought on by the Philippine government in response to China's claims of sovereignty over most of the area. The Hague rejected China's arguments and blamed Beijing for causing "irreparable harm" to the marine environment, endangering Philippine ships and interfering with Philippine fishing and oil exploration, according to The New York Times". 

In My October 14 talk, I plan on talking on Filipino food, My employment with the FDA and last but not least is how to age gracefully. 

I am looking forward for your attendance and participation in this planned open Forum On "All you Want to Know about the Philippines, But were Afraid to Ask" and "My Life at FDA and After Retirement".   Put in your calendar _October 14, 2023, Saturday at 11 AM- THD Cinema

The Main House- Chateau Du Mer,  Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

The Lechon- Roasted Suckling Pig- The Main Headliner Dish  in the Philippines Fiesta/Celebrations and other Popular Filipino Dishes.

Friendship Ends when You stop Sharing

Reference: https://www.businessinsider.com/facts-about-the-philippines-that-you-may-not-have-known-2018-1#it-has-7641-islands-but-only-around-2000-are-inhabited-1

Cloyne Court by Dodie Katague-Available at Amazon and My Book -Life Memories of David B and Macrine J. Katague 

Photo Credit: THD FaceBook Page: Looks like the beach in front of our beach house, Chateau Du Mer, Marinduque, Philippines

My Quote of the Day: Success is often defined as the ability to reach your goals in life, whatever those goals may be. In some ways, a better word for success might be attainment, accomplishment, or progress. 

Waiting for the Start of Alix and Brendan Wedding  Ceremony, Berkeley City Club, Berkeley, CA  September 2, 2023. I looked patriachal and was part of the wedding entourage.  

For summary of the Philippine Profile Read: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-15521300

Philippines voted anew ( 12/2022) as best world Tourist Destination

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1189864#