Latest reports said emergency volunteers treated at least 921 people after devotees pushed and shoved to get near the sculpture of the Black Nazarene during the traditional procession.

1000's of people gathered in Feast of the Black Nazarene

The Philippine Red Cross has treated 421 injured devotees, while the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and other rescue and first aid units have treated around 500 people.

big crowd in the Black Nazarene procession

News footage of the procession showed a steel railing being toppled right after the Mass celebrated by newly installed Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle at the Quirino grandstand. An elderly woman and a barefoot man were also seen grimacing in pain before being carried off to get medical treatment.

ABS-CBN reporter Sol Aragones said hundreds of devotees surged forward “like a wave” to get near the relic right after the Mass. She said many devotees sustained leg and head injuries during the mini-stampede.

A man injured his neck after a fellow devotee who was trying to wipe his white cloth on the image fell on him.

Meanwhile, the procession was stalled after the rear tires of the carriage carrying the image of the Black Nazarene broke down. One of the ropes connected to the carriage also broke, causing a delay in the procession in the area of Roxas Boulevard and Padre Burgos Street near Manila Hotel.

The procession also stalled after and tension ensued after devotees refused authorities’ efforts to shorten its route.

Manila police and some of the millions of devotees engaged in a shoving match at around 9 p.m. after authorities tried to implement the decision of Monsignor Clemente Ignacio, rector ng Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, to no longer follow the original route and instead bring the religious icon directly to the Quiapo church.

Devotees of the Black Nazarene became angry when police tried to direct the carriage carrying the image along Palanca Street left toward Villalobos Street in Manila.

People also tried to overturn an L300 van with a speaker system that police tried to address the crowd.

It has been stuck for more than two hours now at Palanca.

At least 2 million devotees from across the country are taking part in the traditional grand annual procession of the Black Nazarene.

The event highlights the 405th celebration of the feast of the traslacion, which commemorates the transfer of the sacred image from the Recollect Church in Intramuros, Manila to the Quiapo Church in 1787.

Check out the video below:

The procession from Rizal Park to Quiapo Church is expected to last from 10 to 12 hours, or until midnight.

President Aquino earlier warned that terrorists could carry out an attack during the procession for the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Manila. With reports from radio DZMM

Banana Island, officially named as Dicalabuan Island, one of the jewels of Calamianes. It is one of the islands, and islet belongs to the Calamianes group of islands. The Calamian Group of Islands, also called the Calamianes, consist of over 80 islands and islets. Some of them are still deserted and unpopulated.

Clear water in the beach

It cost you more or less two hours of travel to Banana island by boat from mainland Coron. The island boasts of fine white-sand beach on clear water, a sandbar that submerges during high tide, a good coral area perfect for snorkeling, a fantastic view of sunrise and sunset, a quiet tropical beach life.

white sand beaches

it's nice to swim in the beach here

Cristal clear beaches in the island

How to get there:

There is no public transportation to the island, going there requires you to hire a boat. Cost varies depending on the capacity of the boat and other itineraries. You can arrange for your ride in the mainland. A 10-seater boat can take and fetch you there for as low as P4000.00.

Swim, relax, play, freeze the time. Witness the sun as it rises and vanishes into the horizon, the moon and the night stars as they glitter in Banana Island. This is the Banana island paradise!

Sabi ni Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigal Valte, pinatutunayan lamang ng nasabing survey na hindi gobyerno ang nagtaas sa bansa bilang ika-8 sa “friendliest country” kundi ‘third party assessment’.

“We’re also happy to note that in one of the surveys conducted by HSBC, the Philippines ranked as one of the… the eighth friendliest country out of most of the countries rated in the world. And this is why we believe na talagang it really is more fun in the Philippines,”sabi ni Valte.

Ang ranggo ng mga bansa ay ibinatay sa mga sumusunod na kategorya: kakayahan na makipagkaibigan sa mga locals o mamamayan; tagumpay sa pag-aaral ng lengguwahe ng mga locals; kakayahan na makisalamuha at pagiging kampante sa bagong kultura.

Ayon pa sa survey, ang Pilipinas ay isang bansa ng “friendly wallets” kung saan marami sa mga “expatriates” ang nagkakaroon ng access sa mga luho o luxuries kabilang na ang domestic staff, swimming pools at nagkakaroon pa sila ng properties.

Ang New Zealand naman ang nanguna sa survey kung saan nakakuha ito ng pinakamataas na puntos sa apat na nabanggit na kategorya. Report source

Some said the fish might have fallen from a passing aircraft. Yet some believed the incident was a sign that the world is coming to an end.

But fish falling from the sky is not supernatural nor is it doomsday’s beckoning. It actually has a name: Lluvia de Peces.

Residents of Loreto town in Agusan del Sur experienced this phenomenon Friday morning when dozens of 3-inch-long mudfish rained on them. PAGASA-Butuan Chief Engr. Lolit Binalay told Bombo Radyo a similar incident had happened in Lake Mainit in Agusan del Norte a few years back.

The same thing happened to a village in Powys, Wales in 2004  and to Folsom, California in 2006, among reported others.

How does it happen? Whirlwinds over water develop into waterspouts and become a swirling force that can suck in almost anything of the water’s content: fish, eels, and even frogs.

According to American scientist Nilton Renno, fish can “fly” into the sky along with the waterspout. He told Scienceline.org that “even if the waterspout stops spinning, the fish in the cloud can be carried over land, buffeted up and down and around.”

Loreto residents said they were surprised by the phenomenon because the sea and the river are far from their place. But according to Renno, fish can “swim” in the clouds and reach places until the wind can no longer support its flight, and that’s when they come down.

The fish are sometimes taken so high into the atmosphere that they land dead.

Seventy-two of the fish that fell on Agusan del Sur survived the “journey” and have been placed by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources personnel in an aquarium for experts to study.

The Philippines may not hear of it often as it is an uncommon phenomenon.  But ‘fish rains’ have been reported for centuries.

According to a BBC report, “fish are the most common thing to have rained down on you – other than rain itself, of course.” People have heard of frogs, tomatoes, and lumps of coals falling from the sky in few bizarre instances.

Weather has been inclement in Agusan del Sur since the past week, marked with a downpour on Friday that BFAR believes may have triggered the formation of a waterspout.

Click here to watch a short documentary by the BBC – fish fly into the sky but “what goes up must come down.” — LBG, GMA News

The discovery, previously unknown to the public, is among the largest collection of Philippine archaeological gold in the country as well as in the rest of the world.

Recovered in association with 10th to 13th century Chinese’s ceramics, the gold ornaments show similarities in form and iconography with artifacts of other cultures in the region. Experts believe the discovery will rewrite history.

Nothing of this scale and magnitude and magnificence has ever been seen before, says Dr. Florina Capistrano-Baker, former curator of the Ayala Museum, of the gold find.

Gold specialist Dr. John Miksic of the National University of Singapore describes the Surigao treasure as the single most important tangible heritage of the country.

Experts say jewelers today cannot imitate or even come close to the quality of the workmanship of the intricate designs of our ancestor’s gold.

Part of the Surigao treasure is the Sacred Thread, which is worn during ceremonies and weighs more than four kilos. Baker says the belt-like object is so heavy a mannequin broke because of its sheer weight.

PROBE reporter, Cheche Lazaro, searches for Berto Morales in Surigao. From then on, Lazaro uncovers that Bertos gold discovery takes many twist and turns — involving threats to his life and family.

With the help of historians and experts, Lazaro reveals an amazing story about Philippines forgotten civilization before the Spanish colonization of the archipelago in the 16th century and how the archaeological gold artifacts associated with the pre-colonization period point to a sophisticated civilization — something that will give us a sense of identity and pride as people.

Supported by historical accounts about pre-colonial Philippines, the Surigao gold collection show that we were important players in the region 1,000 years ago and that gold was an important link between our country and the rest of our neighbors.

The title is “Gintong Pamana” literally pointing to the gold jewelry pieces, which were buried in Surigao. Well, I don’t exactly remember the places where it was dug but the person who lucky to find this gold jewelry named Berto Morales. He was the one who first discovered the Surigao gold treasures.

Berto Morales was a bulldozer (scraper) operator for flattening a dug ground for an irrigation project of a government agency – NIA (National Irrigation Administration). It was then when he realized that there was a shiny stuff on the ground that he went down from his truck and inspected it. It was a belt that he first saw. At first, he did not know that it was gold but since pinoy have an innovative way to check things, he went to his truck and got some muriatic acid – placed some on a cloth – wiped the belt and wa-lah there it is, GOLD.

He took the rest of the afternoon off while inspecting the perimeter for some more gold. And to no surprise, he could find more. Amazing, fantastic is the first word I thought. After he had gathered everything he can find, he broke his truck so that he won’t go on overtime, and so he can go home cleverly disguising the sack of gold with “saba” (small bananas) on top of it. All the gold pieces that he found were interesting and well crafted. I must say that Mang Berto is a poor fellah and since – the first thing that came into his mind is “wow, since I found all this gold, my family, and I won’t have to suffer this life anymore.”

So being the human that he is, his first instinct was to sell something that is valuable to get money in return. And so he did that, not knowing what the true value of the gold pieces were. After all the conspiracies and the selling that happened all the gold pieces were sold to private individuals, to private collectors and all that; Furthermore, have been passed/sold around, been divided into pieces and all the horrific things that can be done to a gold. Maybe most of the pieces were bought by the Ayala group of companies because they have a lot of it in their museum. Alternatively, maybe most of the private owners and collectors thought that it should be displayed to the public since it is a heritage that our ancestors left for us. The gold pieces were from the 10th to 13th century? Well, it is; proven by scientists and all. It was dated before the Spaniards took over us. Amazing isn’t it? Check the video how Berto Morales got the gold jewelry below:

Wow! Imagine the gold pieces like the 4kg gold sash (commonly known as the “golden thread”) were molded into perfection without using the technology that we have now in shaping gold accessories. I mean it is astonishing to see those gold pieces because they were as if professionally made. And believe it or not, professionals think that one of the gold pieces that’s in the exhibit is actually a Hindu god. It is the Kinnari – a kind of god in the Hindu religion showing that our early religion could have really been Hinduism or Buddhism.

According to the documentary, Antonio Pigafetta, who was the assistant of Magellan during his travel to the Maluku islands and later the Philippines, said in his journal that you can find gold by the size of walnuts and eggs in the region and by the riverbanks. He also described the lifestyle of the Filipinos back in the 1500’s as sophisticated. Putting this into account it means that our lands were very rich then. It is also said that the Boxer codex, (a journal of a Governor General, was bought and renamed as such) described and ILLUSTRATED how Filipinos looked like on their initial contact with the Spaniards. The book also contains more descriptions and illustration about the Spanish contact with various Far East countries. The way I see it, I say, it is a big chunk of our early history which we Filipinos never get to see because it is in the Lilly Library in Indiana University.

It is with these facts that opened questions in my mind. Did the Spaniards colonize us so that they can utilize the gold reserves of our country and were the Yamashita gold originally belonged to the Filipinos? Was it found here and molded into gold bars? There could be possibilities that the answers are YES but there could be no assurance at all since we were deprived of this information from the Spaniards and the Japanese.

The islands are unspoiled because there are no cottages, no entrance fee, no sari-sari stores and the means of transportation in, and out of the island is via schedule or booking only with the tourism or locals.

Thus, the best way you can do is to bring your own foods and enjoy eating your meals sitting down on the sand while enjoying the perfect beauty of the islands. The islets are situated at the Lianga Bay and faces the great Pacific Ocean.

Eco-Tourism is really a great way to boost the economy of the locals living within the community and at the same time promotion of environmental awareness. Below are the few photos of Britania Islands.

crystal clear water and white beaches

If you enjoy caving, you visit some caves out there

Britania Islands  Consist Of:

•     Boslon Island – the largest island and it was name after a priest who took shelter on the island during the world war days.
•     Panlangagan Cave Island and Panlangagan Forest Island – can be walked during low tide from Boslon Island.
•     Bonbon Island – has long stretch of sand
•     Hagonoy Island
•     Isla Verde Island
•     Naked Island – a long stretch of sand bar
•     Panas Island
•     Minasingin Island
•     Malingin Island
•     Litik Island – resembles a mushroom shape
•     Kang Jose Island
•     Kanlota Island
•     Taguan Island
•     Panas Island and San Pablo Island – farthest islad
•     Hiyor Hiyoran Island

How To Get To Britania Islands:

Municipality of San Agustin can be reached by air or sea travel from Manila or Cebu via Davao City or Butuan City or Surigao City.

There are several commercial buses or vans for hire available.

Travel time is more or less 3 to 4 hours from Butuan City or 5 to 6 hours from Davao City. Then from San Agustin proper ride a tricycle an informed the driver to drop you at the Salvacion Tourism Office.

From Salvacion ride a habal-habal to Britania port, which are more or less 2. 8Km.  Hire a boat and the travel time is anywhere between 15-25 minutes, depending on the sea condition. Britania Islands is at hand! Enjoy!

Don’t be fooled of thinking a U-shaped lip with thunderous and voluminous waters surging in the thousands of cubic meters per second like the one found in the US but instead, it’s a three-tiered wonder that from a distance, it just takes your breath away. A fourth level is said to be within the same system but is farther into the rugged forests.

The falls is approximately 95 meters wide and 55 metres (180 ft) high, touted as the Niagara Falls of the Philippines. Tinuy-an is a white water curtain that flows in three levels and is said to be one of the widest waterfalls in the Philippines.

Centuries old amazing giant trees, ferns and vines in a thick rainforest envelop your ride through thick forested hills that enclose the falls. Islets are on the swimming ground, with slippery logs where you can cross for a good view, plus multi-layered stones as pathways.

Every morning, the area is blessed with a sprinkle of a rainbow that appears between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Its majestic and unique natural formation makes it one of the best waterfalls in the entire Philippines. Its magnificent scenery had once appeared in the International Travel Magazine.

We are enjoy taking photos inside the running water

with my friends

Taking pictures below the falls

Tinuy-an Falls Exact Location

Tinuy-an Falls is located in Borboanan, Bislig City, a one-hour ride from Mangagoy, center of trade and commerce in Bislig City. The falls plunges 55 metres (180 ft) high from the top of the three tiered cascading waterfalls.

Check out Tinuy-an Falls Video

How To Get There:

Bislig City can be reached by air or sea travel from Manila or Cebu via Davao City or Butuan City or Surigao City. Commercial buses or vans for hire are available: 3 to 4 hours from Butuan City or 5 to 6 hours from Davao City. Within Mangagoy go to the Integrated Terminal and rent a jeep that will bring you to Barangay Borboanan, Bislig, Tinuy-an Falls.  Single motorcycles are also available between 100-150 pesos per head. From national highway to Tinuy-an Falls it was around 14kms.

In modern times, this beach, was credited as “Boracay of Caraga” where the annual “Kaliguan Festival” was held in every 24th of June.

When you take a visit there, your first impression was the scenic horseshoe shape coastline with powdery white sand and crystal clear bright water facing the pacific ocean.  And you, will really appreciate its beach pristine beauty.

I post a few photos of Cagwait Beach below:

Kaliguan Festival

If you are lucky enough, especially after the annual kaliguan festival, you can enjoy the sea with the bamboo raft which cagwait white beach resort always had. Kaliguan Festival is celebrated every 24th day of June in time with the Feast of John the Baptist. It is 4-day celebration with live bands, native sports competitions, skim boarding competition, float contest, native dances, etc.

How To Go To Cagwait White Beach Resorts

Cagwait White Beach Resorts is located 32-kilometers from Tandag City, the capital of Surigao Del Sur. It is a six to seven hours of land travel from davao or from butuan will take 2 to 3 hours to Cagwait. However, if you make a shortcut to Cagwait through los arcos in prosperidad highway, i guess it will be 2 hours only.

This place is very nice, and I think this could be, in the future, another hot spot destination in Caraga for local and international tourists.

The local government unit of cagwait proudly calls it ”The Unseen Paradise.”

What is coconut water, exactly?

Coconut water is the clear liquid inside young coconuts (fruits of the coconut palm or tree). As the fruit matures, the coconut water is gradually replaced by the coconut meat and air. A very young coconut has very little meat; the meat that it has is very tender, almost a gel.

Coconut water has long been a popular drink in the tropics, especially in Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, Africa, and the Caribbean, where it is available fresh, canned, or bottled.

Coconuts for drinking are carefully packaged and sold in many places. These are typically Asian coconuts whose outer green husk has been removed, and the remainder wrapped in plastic. Throughout the tropics, they can be found sold by street vendors, often cut in front of customers to ensure the coconut water’s freshness. Coconut water can also be found in ordinary cans, tetra parks, or plastic bottles (sometimes with coconut pulp or coconut jelly included). It is also being marketed as a natural sports drink because of its high potassium and mineral content. Normally bottled coconut water has a shelf life of 24 months.

Are there any health benefits?

Unless the coconut has been damaged, it is likely sterile. There have been cases where coconut water has been used as an intravenous hydration fluid in some developing countries where medical saline was unavailable.

Coconut water has a high potassium content and contains antioxidants linked to a variety of health benefits. Cytokinins in coconut water may be among its most beneficial components.

Coconut water is naturally a carbohydrate and protein; coconut water also contains a micro-mineral element needed by the body. Minerals, including potassium (K), natrium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), ferum (Fe), cuprum (Cu), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S).

When examined again, in coconut water also contained a variety of vitamins. A course of vitamin C, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, folic acid, biotin, riboflavin, and so forth. So clearly coconut water contains elements of macro, and micro are fairly complete.

Fresh coconut water for drinking is typically harvested from the coconut tree while they are green. A hole may be bored into the coconut to provide access to the liquid and meat. In young coconuts the liquid and air may be under some pressure and may spray slightly when the inner husk is first penetrated. Coconuts that have fallen to the ground are susceptible to rot and damage from insects or animals.

Other health benefits of coconut water

Coconut water contains organic compounds which merit for body health, among others:

•     1. Maintain body temperature
•     2. Restore body fluids lost through activity
•     3. Carry nutrients and oxygen to the cells.
•     4. Increase metabolism.
•     5. Increase the weight.
•     6. Boost the immune system.
•     7. Detoxify and fight viruses.
•     8. Clean your digestive tract.
•     9. Control diabetes.
•     10. Assisting the body in fighting viruses that cause flu, herpes, and AIDS.
•     11. Balancing the pH of the blood and reduce the risk of cancer.
•     12. Treat kidney and urethral stones.
•     13. Improving the process of circulation.

8 Wonders of drinking coconut water

•     1. Coconut milk is more nutritious than whole milk (whole milk) because it contains no cholesterol and low fat.
•     2. Coconut water can improve blood circulation and is known to cleanse the digestive tract.
•     3. Coconut water will not only make your immune system is better, but also helps the body fight some jenisvirus cause disease.
•     4. If you suffer from kidney stones, make it a habit to drink coconut water regularly. Drinking coconut water will help to break the kidney stones and facilitate their exit from the body.
•     5. Coconut water is also known since long ago to cure a urinary tract disorder? A glass of coconut water will relieve pain due to difficulty urinating.
•     6. If you’re still feeling a hangover, no one can recover quickly in addition to consuming coconut water.
•     7. Tender coconut water that tastes very rich in electrolytes and potassium. Potassium can help the body regulate blood pressure and cardiac function
•     8. Coconut water can accelerate the increase trombosite for patients with DHF and reduce fever. Platelets down as it is used to prevent bleeding, because of high fever resulting in blood coagulation, and the pores enlarged blood vessels

Young coconut water as a remedy for the treatment of various types of diseases.

Article reference: wikipedia

So, the coconut water from fresh coconut have many uses and health benefits. That’s the reasons why coconut tree is called “the tree of life”.