The author of this website is a devotee of Sñr. Sto. Niño (Holy Child Jesus). Every month he wish to feature in his website www.yellow-whiskers.com the various images of Sñr. Sto. Niño in this way he can give thanks to GOD.
Sto. Niño, The Captain General of the Philippines
In the Recollect church of San Sebastian (now Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) in Quiapo, Manila, there was a strong devotion for the Holy Child Jesus during the Spanish Colonial times. The image shows a boy in a 17th century governor general attire, complete with Napoleonic hat, royal sash and saber. The image was brought by the Recollect Missionaries in the early part of the 17th century, and enshrined in their newly built church, in what was then Barrio Calumbpang in Quiapo District.
In the ensuing years, the image acquired the sobriquest of Catain General of the Philippines, the military title of the Spanish governor general, and by royal Spanish decree, an amount equivalent to the pay of the governor general was granted to the Recollects for the upkeep of the image, and for celebration of its feast day in January.
The image enjoyed a 21 gun military salute the Spanish Royal army fired when the procession of the image goes out of the San Sebastian patio, the only Catholic icon accorded with such military honors in the country.
With the coming of the American colonizers at the turn of the 19th century, the very Hispanic title and cult of the Santo Niño Capitan General de Filipinas slowly faded until it was ultimately stopped.
Fortunately, the original image is still kept by the Recollects in their museum at Mira Nila Subdivision, Quezon City, a rather anti-climatic ending for what was once at the most civilly celebrated icon of the Holy Child Jesus in the Philippines.
Credits to Fr. Dodong Desuyo and Louie Nacorda.
I am really critical about Operating System (OS) since I am a computer hobbyist. I spend lot of hours on my PC everyday. My day is not complete without using my computer. I firmly believe that the software installed in a PC has a big impact to the machine’s performance. The PC’s hardware might be the latest in the market but it might perform as hardware bought a decade’s ago. This is true especially when the operating system does the user or system tasks badly.
I used to have a Windows XP and Vista but both didn’t exceed my expectations. For instance, these operating systems take time to display images in a folder. The security is not so good, etc. After learning that Microsoft will release Windows 7 this October at first I am so hesitant. But after hearing feedback from my friends saying that this OS is really good and fast, I was convinced to give it a try. And wow! I was astounded. This time Microsoft came up with an OS that is almost perfect. Windows 7 is fast and graphically superior to other operating systems. I am also a user of Linux Fedora 10 and Mac OS X and based on my experience Windows 7 really stands out.
Windows 7 32-bit is suitable for PCs installed with Pentium 4 or Celeron. If your PC is installed with dual core or quad core CPU’s might as well install the 64-bit Windows 7 so the machine could be utilized to its maximum power.
Windows 7 hype continues!!!
I started playing chess at the age of 10. My father taught me this game. A chess player should at least be familiar with two openings. He should survive during the middle game, this is when players start to exchange pieces. And, he should know how to checkmate his opponent at the end game.
Playing chess enhances the memory, analytical skills, and decision making of a player. It is not enough that a player only knows how to move pieces. Chess is an example of strategy game. It takes some brain and analysis to win. In my opinion, to be able to checkmate an opponent a player must prepare his pieces in advance and attack consistently giving the opponent no chance to counterattack. Keeping in mind a zero percent tolerance for blunder. Once a player lost consistency and momentum then 80 percent of game will be in favor of the opponent. Correct computation and consistency is the key to execute checkmate.
In this month feature of Yellow-whiskers.com is the Cross of Magellan in Cebu City.
Magellan’s Cross is a Christian cross planted by Portuguese and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on April 21, 1521. The cross is housed in a chapel next to the Basilica del Santo Niño. The original cross is encased inside the wooden cross that is found in the center of the chapel as inscribed in a plaque below the cross.
The Philippine Historical Committee has written: From time immemorial this spot has been set aside to commemorate the erection of a cross in Cebu by the expedition of Magellan, When King HUmabon of Cebu and his Queen, son and daughters, together with some 800 of their subjects were baptized by Father Pedro Valderama. This hallowed site was improved in 1735 by Rev. Juan Albarran, Prior of San Agustin and in 1834 by Rt. Rev. Santos Gomez Marañon, Bishop of Cebu. The image of Santo Niño found by the expedition of Legaspi in a house near the present site of Cathedral of Cebu is venerated by the faithful in the nearby Church of San Agustin (now known as Basilica del Santo Niño).
Magellan's Cross, Cebu City, Philippines
“I close my eyes, feel, and savour every spices”, this is how I discovered my favourite New York’s Finest pizza at Yellow Cab. Its aroma makes me feel awake and enthusiastic. I love the mushroom, both the green and red bell pepper, the ham, the sesame seeds and black olive toppings. Pouring a little chili oil and hot sauce on the pizza slice makes a perfect combination of the taste I want. I really like eating pizza with chili oil. A little spicy enhances the flavor of the pizza. In addition, black olive toppings and sesame seeds give a unique taste of New York’s Finest pizza. This is how I became an avid customer of Yellow Cab. Every now and then I crave of the New York’s Finest pizza. It is one of a kind that you must taste too.
Once a month or every special occasion I usually take my family to Yellow Cab Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City branch. This is how we celebrate. This is how I reward myself for hard work. And so, I was not hesitant to take some pictures of the staff personnel and crew of the establishment.
I give thumbs up to all of them. They are friendly, courteous, and attentive to their customers. I see that they enjoy their work and are joyful people.
Kudos! I salute all of you for accommodating us very nicely. I feel at home every time we dine there.
Please help me tag you in the picture posted. Kindly drop some comments or email me at yellowwhiskers@gmail.com. Thanks.
Since childhood I really enjoy the rides and shows in a carnival. During my teenage years I always hear about exciting stories of Enchanted Kingdom and from then on, I was looking forward to go there even just for one day. Enchanted Kingdom is tagged as the Disneyland or Universal Studio in the Philippines. June of 2008, I had a short vacation in Manila and one of my destinations is this theme park.
Enchanted Kingdom is located in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, about 26 kilometers from Metro Manila. Usually, it would take 2 hours of bus ride from Makati City to this park. I was so amazed that the park has a big land area of 17 hectares. The various park zones inside Enchanted Kingdom were so spacious. It is so relaxing, a good place of recreation, perfect place for family’s get together.
I was in awe and my eyes went wide open in amazement seeing the elegant Victoria Park in the entrance. Their mascot named “Eldar, the wizard” welcomes every visitor with warm invitation at the entrance gate. The entrance fee is affordable and it includes all rides.
Together with my wife, we enjoyed a number of rides. The first ride we took was the Ferris wheel or the “Wheel of Fate”. I couldn’t forget this ride since I had to force her because she has fear of heights. She was crying throughout the ride. Then we rode Anchors Away, my wife quoted that “Nauyog akong utok da!” (I felt my brain was shaken in a blender!). We were not able to ride the roller coaster (Space Shuttle) because it was under maintenance that time. The only ride I hate was the “Up, up and Away” it really made me dizzy and vomit.
By the way, “Jungle Log Jam” is very enjoyable; in a log there must be four persons in order to maintain balance. At first, the log will be taken to a high ground about 3-storey high and then fall abruptly from the top with 70 – 80 degrees angle. It seemed like for one quick moment I stopped breathing.
If given another chance to go there I would take a thousand rides of the “Rio Grande Rapids” but by that time I will already have prepared extra clothes. “Rapids” is the best, it is my favorite! This ride would really get you wet, take it from me.
For lovers, riding a swan in Swan Lake could be so romantic. You navigate the lake by paddling the swan like a bicycle. Take note, paddling the swan could be very tricky.
Aside from rides, they have the 2D and 4D theaters, shows like “Oliver’s Water show”, Carousel, and many more. One day is not enough to take all rides and watch all shows.
Many months had passed by since I had gone to Enchanted Kingdom but until now its magic stays with me. And I treasure that unforgettable moment in my life forever.
Boracay is an internationally well-known Philippine tourist spot. It is one of the major destinations during summer vacation. It is the favorite hangout of foreigners, TV personalities, and of course local tourists. It is famous for its white sand, long stretched shoreline probably more than 1.5 kilometers, and crystal waters. Truly it is a paradise located in the northwest of Panay Island, part of Antique province, Philippines.
How to go to Boracay:
A. You can ride a plane to Caticlan Airport, Antique, Panay.
Or
B. You can ride a ferry from Cebu City to Ilo-ilo City, from there ride a bus to Caticlan. The travel from Ilo-ilo to Caticlan is approximately 4-5 hours. Then, from Caticlan ride a motorboat to Boracay Island for 10-20 minutes, from Boracay wharf you have to ride a tricycle to go to Station 1, Station 2, or Station 3.
You don’t have to worry where to stay since there are a lot of hotels you can choose from. Class A hotels are in Station 1, Class B in Station 2, and Class C in Station 3. You can rent a room per night for P800.00 – P1500.00 in Station 3.
We went there last May of 2008. So, if you are planning to have a vacation in Boracay you should have at least P6,000.00 per pax for 2 days. Cebu City to Ilo-ilo City is P700.00, Ilo-ilo to Caticlan is P200.00, Caticlan to Boracay is P150.00, and tricycle to a station is P100.00. The back and forth fare will cost P2,000.00. P4,000.00 will be for room rent and food.
There are a lot of barbeque stations and affordable restaurants for dining. To be honest, I thought I have to save P20,000.00 plus just to have a vacation in Boracay but now I realized that I was wrong.
Truly Boracay is a world class beach. The sand is so fine, the breeze is so cool, and the beach glitters like diamond. It has crystal waters, so relaxing and refreshing. The sunrise is really beautiful wherein you can meditate and thank God for everything you have. The sunset is so fantastic. How I wish I work and live there.
During nighttime the locals make sand castles each with unique design. This sand castle really amazed me.
Boracay has a number of club houses in which various music bands perform every night. In addition, you don’t have to worry about banking since there are a number of banks there. Most of the shops accept VISA and Master cards. It is really very convenient for the shoppers. There is also a mall where you can shop and buy souvenirs.
We also went island hopping. One of the islands that caught my attention is the Crocodile Island, see it yourself. There is also an island which has two caves. And most of all, I enjoyed feeding fishes in their fish sanctuary.
If you want an unforgettable vacation then Boracay is the right spot. It is really worth your money and time.
If you are not familiar with the islands of Cebu, then you might think that Camotes Island is not part of Cebu province. Most of the publicly displayed map of Cebu seldom includes Camotes Islands. Am I right? Have you observed banners, streamers, or logos that feature Cebu’s map? You will always notice Mactan Island but not Camotes Island (though I am not saying that Camotes is not as important as Mactan or vice versa). This is probably because Camotes is not one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. I had heard Camotes Island has nice white sand beaches, a number of caves, and famous for its lake Lanao. And so, we decided to take a short vacation there last March of last year.
You can reach the island by a fastcraft stationed in Pier 1, Cebu City. It will just take you about 2 hours to reach the island. You can also ride a bus from Cebu North bus terminal to Danao city’s wharf. From there you will ride a motorboat to the island. It usually takes one and a half to two hours of travel. The Camotes locals are very friendly, warm and helpful. We were so fortunate that we got help from them to find a beach resort where we can stay for two days. You can choose resorts like Masamayor and White Beach Resort.
We stayed in White Beach Resort where we enjoyed a discounted room rate. The next day, I was amazed to witness the long-stretched white sand on this island. The shoreline could be 1 kilometer in length. The shore is very wide probably around 200-300 meters during low tide. Its sand is so fine and white. It is really impressive.
Around 10 am, we had our tour. We went to Dorenea cave and then to San Francisco to eat our lunch. San Francisco is the capital municipality of the island. Before we went to Lake Lanao, we dropped by at Bukilat cave and Buloc cave. I guess we had toured the whole island in just one day. That is one of my unforgettable vacations!
I observed that there were plenty of public schools both in elementary and high schools. I am not really sure if they also have for college students. In terms of IT (Information Technology) they also have Internet cafes and WiFi in some beach resorts. Aside from that, they have convenient stores so you don’t have to worry where to buy food or snacks. They also have their “tabu” (a gathering of both vendors and customers to negotiate on prices on various goods) once a week.
I asked one of the locals there why the island is named Camotes and he gave me no answer. Probably, this island is named Camotes because they have plenty of cassava plantations (“camoteng kahoy”) and I was quick enough to document that during our tour. By the way, the island has wide plains which is good for constructing an airport. I hope they will be able to have one.
As of now, Camotes Island is classified as timberland. Hope this island will be developed to cater more tourists. We really enjoyed our stay there. If you are looking for a place where you can relax, a place that is far from work, from the busy urban city, then I strongly recommend this island for your next vacation escapade because Camotes is serene.
Camotes Island is like a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered!
I was so excited to take a vacation in Bohol. I just couldn’t wait to see the Chocolate hills and dine in a floating restaurant in Loboc River. These were my thoughts before we went to Bohol, thoughts that thrilled me until we got there and until now. Bohol is located in Central Visayas. It is famous for its Chocolate Hills especially during summer (March – May) and Loboc River. For your information, Chocolate Hills is nominated as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. These are just one of the reasons why you must visit Bohol like we did.
At first, I thought it was difficult to go to Bohol but through the Internet and reading newspapers I learned that there are ferries and fastcrafts from Cebu City to Tagbilaran, Bohol daily. By the way, Tagbilaran is the capital city of Bohol. We rode in Weesam fastcraft around 6:00 pm and arrived around 8:30 pm. By the time we arrived, we were assisted by some locals there. They accommodated us very well and helped us find a hotel to stay. And we were fortunate that we found a very affordable hotel there. We stayed in East Coast hotel located just at downtown of Bohol.
On the following day we had our tour. Our first destination was the Chocolate Hills but before that we dropped by at Island City mall. It is a big mall and very impressive.
Before we reached the Chocolate Hills we passed by the man-made forest. It is cool and cold. The temperature probably is around 10 degrees Celsius. It is very refreshing and relaxing. Few minutes after, we finally arrived at our first destination, the Chocolate Hills. Now, to get to the top of the highest Chocolate hill we needed to climb the 200+ steps stairs. Then we had our picture taking to the maximum level. There is a bell there in which you have to sound and make a wish. At the top of the hill you can see the other hills around. They said that it is good to visit the hills during summer because it usually turns brown which would make it look like chocolate cookies. We went there around October last year which is a rainy season in the Philippines. The hills were not as brown as I expected.
We proceeded to the floating restaurant in Loboc River where we rested and had our lunch. There were a lot of locals and as well as foreign tourists dining together with us. It took an hour for the floating restaurant to tour around the river. At the end of the river is a falls.
After that, we had a short interaction with the tarsiers. What I learned about them was that they are afraid of light. Then we went to Hinagdanan cave and I along with our tour guide went swimming for an hour. Though it was very tiring, the experience we had was unforgettable. Aside from the Chocolate Hills and Loboc River there are still very good places to visit there such as the Aloha beach and the big python.
I really recommend Bohol as one of your vacation destinations. Surely, you will not be disappointed.
Dumaguete City is not so well known in the Philippines. For your information it is the capital city of Negros Oriental. Negros Oriental is part of Central Visayas. We have really a hard time deciding whether to take a short vacation or not. So I decided to surf the Internet and found only little information. Dumaguete is famous for its boulevard and Siliman University. Taking the risk, my wife and I decided to take a short vacation there.
We rode Ceres bus from South Bus terminal in Cebu City to Bato, Santander wharf. The travel is around 4 – 5 hours. Then we rode a ferry to Tampi, Amlan, Negros Oriental for 45 mins – 1 hour. After that we took another ride from Tampi to Dumaguete City for an hour. We are doubtful if we could find a place to stay there. As we were approaching the city I noticed that there are hotels and so my worries were gone. We stayed in Palmeras Hotel. It is just a few meters to their markets and Siliman University.
The city was just small but very fascinating. Indeed, the boulevard is really beautiful. Its length is approximately 1.5 kilometers long. It is a good place to reminiscence the past, to talk with your loved ones, and most of all a good place for picnics. It is a peaceful place. There are plenty of trees and you can feel the cool breeze.
We also went and tour its famous Siliman University. I think that is one of the largest universities in the Philippines. Siliman University is not only one block but probably more than three blocks. Please correct me if I am wrong. We also went to their church and plaza.
I come to think and realize how nice it would be to live in Dumaguete. I suggest that you choose Dumaguete City for your next vacation. There are other places there that we have not visited like Apo Island and more. This is something I am looking forward to on our next visit.
