August 29 & 30 declared holiday by Malacanang

There will be a 4-day weekend declared by Malacanang - August 29 (Monday) and August 30 (Tuesday). August 29, 2011, will be holiday for National Heroes' Day and August 30, 2011, is for Ramadan celebration.

GMA will not attend PNoy's SONA

Philippine's former President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), will not be attending President Benigno C. Aquino's second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25, 2011. It is being acticipated that Aquino's speech will still include criticisms on Arroyo's governance. On July 22, 2011, Arroyo filed for counter affidavit on plunder charges filed against her on the alleged misuse of Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA) fund.


source and photo: ABS CBN

List of Foreign Embassy in the Philippines

US Embassy in Manila
http://manila.usembassy.gov/
contact us link http://manila.usembassy.gov/contact.html


Embassy of Canada in Manila
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/philippines/index.aspx
contact us link http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/philippines/contact-contactez.aspx?lang=eng


Australian Embassy in Manila
http://www.australia.com.ph/mnla/home.html
Embassy address: Level 23-Tower 2 RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, 1200 - Telephone: 757 8100 - Fax: 757 8268


Malaysian Embassy in Manila
http://www.kln.gov.my/web/phl_manila/home


Japanese Embassy in Manila
http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/


Indonesian Embassy in Manila
http://www.kbrimanila.org.ph/
contact us link http://www.kbrimanila.org.ph/contactus.html


Chinese Embassy in Manila
http://ph.china-embassy.org/eng/
contact us link http://ph.china-embassy.org/eng/sgxx/lxfs/


French Embassy in Manila
http://www.ambafrance-ph.org/


German Embassy in Manila
http://www.manila.diplo.de/


Singapore Embassy in Manila
http://www.mfa.gov.sg/manila/


British Embassy in Manila
http://ukinthephilippines.fco.gov.uk/en/
contact us link http://ukinthephilippines.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-embassy/contact-us

For a complete address and contact numbers of embassies in the Philippines, please visit the official website of the Department of Foreign Affairs (http://dfa.gov.ph). Please confirm/validate the website before doing any transaction as I'm not liable to any transaction between any private individual/corporation with any embassy/consular office.

The art of riding jeepney in the Philippines

Let me introduce to you the most famous public utility vehicle (PUV) in the Philippines - jeepney (commonly known as 'jip').

image credit http://uiucinternationalstudent.blogspot.com



The minimum jeepney fare is Php 8.00 per person (as of April 2011).
Below is a picture of a jip roaming around the city. Warning: Don't ever try to text with two hands when it is traveling fast. Learn from the pro - hold the steel bar for your own safety!

image credit www.jonathanigharas.com



In the province, due to long distance travel, people are maximizing the use of jeepneys (like the overloaded vehicle below). Warning: You'll pay the same fare even if you're seated on the 'top load' of the jip. Oh yes, sometimes they will put on the top load small animals, such as goats.

image credit www.wheninmanila.com/

Traditional celebration of the Holy Week in the Philippines

Holy week is one of the most celebrated activities in the Philippines, being identified as a Catholic country. This is the time when some people will fast or abstain from eating meat.

On Palm Sunday, priests will bless the palaspas (palms) and the believers will bring them back to their houses to protect them from evil spirits.

People will put a grotto or altar on every street corner for the pabasa or the reading of Christ's death and resurrection. Sometimes they call it pasyon for Christ's passion.

Pasyon usually starts on Maundy Thursday, where old people will lead the prayers in the form of singing or chanting.


source www.wowbatangas.com