Dakak island "Diving Mecca in Mindanao

The famous Dakak Beach is most known for its strikingly shaped bay and powdery white sand, and as a diving Mecca in Mindanao. Perfect blue waters, tremendous dive sites with great quantity of coral reefs, and a wonderful sunset scope characterize this tropical Eden. Dakak Park and Beach Resort boasts 15 hectares of wooded land, a natural reservoir for native plants and animals, and a 750-meter private white-sand beach.

Nestled on the tip of Northern Zamboanga, Dakak faces the Sulu Sea in the west and is surrounded by mountains on its east side. Conveniently encircled by large island, Dakak tactfully avoids the typhoon belt, making it the ideal all-season destination

Zamboanga del Norte today is equally famous for Dakak Beach, the province's leading natural attraction. The very popular Dakak Beach is most known for its beautifully shaped cove and powdery white sand, and as a diving mecca in Mindanao. Perfect blue waters, tremendous dive sites with an wealth of coral reefs, and a splendid sunset horizon distinguish this tropical Eden. Dakak Park and Beach Resort boasts 15 hectares of wooded land, a natural reservoir for native plants and animals, and a 750-meter private white-sand beach In Dipolog which is about 2 hours by air from Manila, you will enjoy the beauty of Dakak where you can discover coral reefs while you scuba dive in astonishing clear waters. It also boasts of fine white sand and surrounded by glamorous flowers and coconut palms. Diving sites in Dakak Diving in Dakak is best in the months of March until September. Dakak dive sites in the beach resort provide a variety of environment from gradual slopes to coral thickets, vertical walls and caves. Marine life is assorted. Some spots are thick with soft coral growth and huge basket sponges, others with schools of jacks, surgeons, and small reef inhabitant. Liuay Rock A low dive, sloping bottom, and a good selection of invertebrates, especially soft corals. Unusual nudibranchs and several species of starfish. Good for novices for general poking around. Ideal for check-out dives. The Caves Striking walls drop to an average of 60 degrees where there is a sandy bottom and a series of caves occupied by sweepers, soldier fish, puffer fish, and sea plumes. Some nice bushes of black coral are seen here. Night diving is impressive with Spanish dancers, sleeping fish and a wide diversity of nocturnal crustaceans. Mushrom Wall At only 10 ft, the shallow roof area turns to a nice wall with fan corals, encrusting sponges, crevices, small ledges and dramatic undercuts, bottoming out at 60 feet. Huge scraps of hard corals (Stag horn, lettuce leaf) with thousands of reef fish separate Mushroom Wall from "The Caves" on its end and to Snapper Ridge to the West. The Gardens A sequence of coral gardens, small walls, sandy area with coral heads and slopes with soft corals. Plenty of anthias, hawk fish, and invertebrates. Good for snorkeling and for trainee or beginner in diving. Cesar's Reef Tiny reef area with bounded coral covers. Rich with large fish such as napoleon wrasses (Chiefly tropical marine fishes with fleshy lips and powerful teeth; usually brightly colored), tuna and parrot fish. View schools of surgeon fish, barracuda (Any voracious marine fish of the genus Sphyraena having an elongated cylindrical body and large mouth with projecting lower jaw and long strong teeth), snappers, and blue-spotted sting rays. For experienced divers only. The Wreck Seven year old sunken passenger liner with bottom depth of 180 feet, and 130 feet at its highest point. Big schools of fish from deck such as black and white snappers, red snapper, jacks, and groupers. Great visibility. For adventurous, experienced divers. Octopus Wall Small wall with pretty growth, octopuses, scorpion fish, sponges, tubastrea, continuous into a slope to the north with some strange crinoids covered formations provide a very scenic view of rudderfish, groupers, etc. Buchok's Reef A series of large coral mounds with nice selection of marine life: giant reef rays, small white tip sharks, unicorn surgeons, snappers and sweetlips. For experienced divers only. Challenger Reef The reef area is almost half the size of Aligua, its top is about 125 feet deep, with soft coral growth. The northern part of the island has short walls and a long narrow opening and a few juvenile fish. Romy's Reef Plenty of coral mounds, with enormous basket sponges, a fine and nice selection of reef fish and invertebrates. Sightings have been reported of blue spotted rays and a few turtles. Some coral damage and unfruitful areas though; eastern area though has massive coral thickets and extends through to Escuelahan. Eskuelahan Named for the numerous schools of fish (snappers, jacks, rainbow runners, surgeons, etc) and occasional tuna found in the area. It is a center of activity with fish of all sizes feeding. Giant frog fish have been also sighted. Currents may be a problem for novice divers.

Bohol CoraL Reefs

Bohol's Coral Reefs

Bohol is surrounded by a large number of coral reefs, which are very rich in life, and a delight to observe, and a prime tourist attraction. Although for many of the reefs, you will need a boat to get there, and scuba equipment to see them, some of them are also easily accessible for snorkelers, and at swimming distance from the beach.

Coral Reef

Coral Reef

Coral Reef

Coral Reef

Coral Reef

Sponge

Coral Reef

Coral Ree

The Biggest and The Best (Nuggets of Gold) Found

Using correct terminology and understanding larger pieces of gold may have been unearthed thousands of years ago but not recorded, the following is what we do know.

The "Welcome Nugget"

Records for the "Welcome Nugget" seem by all sources to be clear cut agreeing on all particulars.

Detailed sketches of the claim and underground location of the find with many photographs existing, for at the time it was by far the world's largest piece of gold unearthed.

The "Welcome Nugget" was found on 9th June, 1858 at Bakery Hill, Ballarat, Victoria.

A party of 24 worked the claim and therefore all claimed part of the fame involved in unearthing a nugget weighing 2,217 ounces and 16 dwts.of gold. After refining it yielded 2,195 ozs. of fine gold. Comparatively its fame was short lived.

The "Welcome Stranger Nugget"

The world's largest recorded nugget is "The Welcome Stranger". The find occurred at Black Lead (or Black Reef), Bull-dog Gully, Moliagul and was broken up on an anvil at nearby Dunolly in Victoria, Australia, to be weighed in that towns bank. The finders were John Deason and Richard Oats, the find occurred on 5th February, 1869.

Different variations of the find location and ounce quantity exist. For many years the most popular ounce rating was 2,284 ounces (71.01 kilos).

However the publication "Gold Nuggets of Victoria" from the Department of mines, Melbourne, Victoria lists the price of gold at the time as four pounds, one shilling and sixpence, noting that the cheque for the nugget amounted to nine thousand, five hundred and eighty three pounds, which equals 2,380 ounces.

A reason for the discrepancy may come from the admittance by Deason and Oats that pieces were broken off the main piece. It is possible that the main entire nugget weighed 2,284 ounces and additions from the original find but not still attached accounted for the total presented to the bank. At least that's our theory. If anyone can add light to this please contact the author.

The main point is that (without splitting hairs) Deason and Oats in 1869, in Victoria found about two and a quarter thousand ounces of gold in one piece which became known as "THE WELCOME STRANGER NUGGET" and this is, as far as we know, the world's largest nugget.

The "Beyers and Holtermann Specimen"

The world's largest single mass of gold is correctly not a nugget it is a specimen also known as a matrix. However, gold is gold whatever the name tag and an estimated 3,000 ounces of gold makes "THE BEYERS AND HOLTERMANN SPECIMEN" the world's largest single mass of gold.

Beyers and Holtermann were partners in setting up the Star of Hope Mine like many others on the side of Hawkins Hill, Hill End. Later a company was formed and listed on the stock exchange, at this point Beyers and Holtermann remained major shareholders with one sixth each. Beyers had no physical attachment to the mine while Holtermann became above ground mine manager. At this point in time, 2 a.m. on 19th October, 1872 and after the midnight firing a "veritable wall of gold was revealed".

On 26th October, 1872 The Town and Country Journal reported in its telegram section under the heading Hill End, Saturday, "Holtermann's landed a specimen last night weighing between 6 and 7 cwt., supposed to contain 2 cwt. of gold. More in the bottom. Great excitement."

It was photographed, measured and displayed. It is believed to have contained 3,000 ozs. of gold. This is the largest single mass of gold ever known to be recorded and it wasn't a one off. The quote, "monster specimen" was crushed with 272 tons of other ore from the mine at the Pullen and Rawsthorne Stamper Battery yielding 15,488 ozs, and 11 dwts, of gold. A few months later a larger one was found and recorded in the day book from the mine.

The record stated estimated gold content 5,000 ozs. with a total weight estimated at 7 cwt., the miners broke it up underground not wanting the arduous task of man handling another large piece to the surface just to see it eventually broken up and smelted. Holtermann resigned. History Hill purchased from Holtermann's great grandson, Harry Holtermann much of the said Holtermann's personal artifacts. Day books from the mine, collectibles and most important a treasured souvenir. Holtermann chipped the tip off the World's Largest piece of gold. All that remains is now in The Holtermann Room, History Hill, with much more.

Other Gold Facts The World's Richest Mile is at Kalgoolie. The World's Richest Quarter Mile is the Rose of England zone, Hill End. The greatest amount of gold from the smallest amount of quartz was from Paxton's Mine, Hawkins Hill, 1872. Two tons of quartz was officially crushed at the Vickery Stamper Battery with the recorded yield being 4,200 ozs. Nuggety Gully on the side of Hawkins Hill, Hill End, is a 200 metre blind gully which reputedly yielded more gold in a shorter time than anywhere else. As for goldfields the world's richest was discovered by an Australian digger, George Harrison, who in 1886 crushed and panned some odd looking rock from the land of Witwatersrand. He had discovered the main reef at the future site of Johannesburg which became the world's richest goldfield and the largest mining city with a population of 2,000,000 people. To date South Africa has produced one third of all the world's known gold mined since the Middle Ages, from depths of over four kilometres below the surface of the earth. For the world's richest singular gold mine we move back to the last of the three eastern states of Australia to join the goldrushes. An area known as Ironstone Mountain in Queensland was prospected by the Morgan brothers in 1882, and every ton of ironstone crushes yielded gold. Re-named Mount Morgan by the brothers, it became the richest single gold mine in the world, producing payable quantities of gold longer than any other mine in Australia.

Mysterious Gleaming Gold

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BY MARLENE AFFELD ON JANUARY 18, 2009
POSTED UNDER: GOLD PROSPECTING

Since prehistoric man first stumbled upon a nugget, raw gold with its radiant sun yellow coloration and metallic luster has captivated and fascinated mankind. The unique gleam of gold attracts the eye, enabling the seeker to detect the smallest of grains in an aggregate of many other materials. The tiniest flakes are easily detected.

Anthropological excavations of Stone Age burial sites indicate that gold was the first element collected and prized by man. This unique metal, gathered in the form of nuggets, seems to have been highly prized but was not used in practical applications. Rating 2.5 – 3 on Mohs scale of hardness, gold was much too pliable to be hammered into workable tools or weapons. Gold carried little value for prehistoric man except to be admired and treasured for its rare, intrinsic beauty.

World's Largest Gold Nugget

Gold nuggets are naturally occurring pieces of native gold. Water and erosion concentrate the deposit of nuggets which are recovered by placer or lode mining methods. Nuggets are also often found in residual deposits where gold-bearing veins or lodes have decayed. Today nuggets can also be found in the tailing piles of previous mining operations, especially the tailings of old dredging operations.

Nuggets are never totally pure or 24K in composition. Most nuggets are about 20 to 22K or 83 – 92 percent pure. Nuggets are noted for their purity by their “fineness”. As an example “865 fine” means the nugget is 865 parts gold per thousand. Copper and silver are the common impurities found in gold nuggets.

Can you imagine a 2,332 ounce nugget of solid gold? Considered the largest gold nugget ever found, the Welcome Stranger Nugget was discovered buried just inches below the surface in Moliagul, Victoria, Australia on February 5th, 1869. Unbelievable!

Found near Wedderburn, Australia in October 1980, the magnificent Hand of Faith gold nugget was found using a metal detector. This incredible treasure was discovered in a vertical position, laying just six inches below the surface. The Hand of Faith nugget weighs a massive 875 troy ounces (61 pounds, 11 ounces). Kevin Hiller and his family were prospecting behind their modest trailer home when they made this incredible discovery. It is impossible to imagine their excitement and joy; what an amazing find! The Hand of Faith is presently on display at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Nuggets are usually considered to be pieces that have broken off of the original gold vein and have been carried by water or erosion to a new location. Applying this definition, the largest mass of gold ever found, the Holtermann Nugget is not really a nugget. Found in October 1872, the Holtermann Nugget is “reef gold” rather than a nugget of gold. Regardless, the Holtermann Nugget, found at Hill End, New South Wales, Australia, was an awesome discovery. Reef gold appears as a “vein” included in rock, normally quartz. This nugget was a quartz reef. By removing the rock around the vein, the gold was recovered in one giant piece that weighed 286 kilograms (about 630 pounds). The true weight of this gold mass is unknown as several pieces are believed to have been broken away in the excavation and mining process.

Throughout history several magnificent nuggets have been discovered:

In Montana, near the famous Alder Gulch, three huge nuggets were recovered, the most sizable weighing in at 42 pounds. Discovered in January 1902 by Thomas Ramon and Joseph Lefebre, the nugget was the size of a man’s fist and very pure, having only 5% impurities.

Early prospectors didn’t find all the gold in Montana. A gold nugget weighing about 2 pounds (27.5 ounces) is the largest gold nugget found in Montana during the last 80 years. The Highland Centennial Gold Nugget was recovered in September 1989 by the Stratton family while working a placer claim in the Highland Mountains south of Butte. The nugget is currently on display at the Mineral Museum at the University of Montana in Butte, Montana.

Alaska is famous for the gold found there including the Centennial Nugget found on Swift Creek near Ruby, Alaska. Reportedly the biggest nugget ever found in Alaska, this trophy find weighs 294.1 troy ounces. About the size of a softball, this impressive nugget was discovered by Barry Clay in 1998. It was sold and is currently in a private collection.

Another Alaskan nugget of note was found on Anvil Creek near Nome, Alaska on September 29th, 1901, the Anvil Nugget weighed 108 troy ounces.

California and gold go hand-in-hand. The largest nugget ever discovered in California was located in 1854 at Carson Hill above the Stanislaus River. The nugget weighed 195 pounds.

World's Largest Gold Nugget

World's Largest Gold Nugget 

The world's largest gold nugget and the largest gold nugget ever found are two different animals...err...nuggets, and they're also different than the worlds largest single mass of gold ever found. The Holtermann Nugget found at Hill End, New South Whales, Australia in 1872, at 290 kg. was huge, and indeed remains the largest single mass of gold ever discovered, but it can't really be called a "nugget" in my book. We could go into hard rock vs placer, but the essence is that a gold nugget has left the lode at some point and is no longer in the host rock. The Holtermann was what the Aussies call "reef gold" after the quartz reefs sought after by the hard rock miners. The largest gold nugget ever found was called the "Welcome Stranger" weighing in at 2316 troy ounces (72.04 kg). It was found by John Deason and Richard Oates (pictured below with miners and wives) at Moliagul, Victoria, Australia on February 5th, 1869. While the gold from the Welcome Stranger is still out there, the nugget itself no longer exists. Smelting produced 2268 ozt, 10 dwt 14 grains of gold. Just below the nugget in the photo you can see "210 lbs." written by hand, but the nugget had to be broken into three pieces in order to weigh it and it's also said some of the miners broke pieces off before it made it to the smelters, so who knows how big it really was... The largest gold nugget currently in existance is the Hand of Faith on display at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Found in 1980 by a man named Kevin Hillier with a metal detector outside his trailer near near Wedderburn, Victoria, Australia. I don't know what model of detector he was swinging, but the story goes he got a signal, but thought his detector was acting up, so almost didn't dig! My guess is he was pretty happy he did when pulled out the 876 troy ounce (27.2 kilograms, 61 pounds 11 ounces) Hand of Faith at about 6 inches. He later sold to the Golden Nugget Casino for a cool million dollars. There was another biggie nugget over 2,200 troy ounces back in 1858 called the "Welcome Nugget" (similar, but minus the stranger) and many other huge masses and hard rock deposits, but the Welcome Stranger is still the biggest nugget ever found, and the Hand of Faith the biggest still around today. Of course, I'm still digging, so neither record is safe! Then again, I don't live in Australia... Eathan

Nazi Gold > Yamashita's Gold - The Treasure of the 'The Tiger of Malaya'

Yamashita's Gold, Hidden Treasure in the Philippines? The Treasure of the 'The Tiger of Malaya'

Above left: General Tomoyuki Yamashita, 'The Tiger of Malaya' (November 8, 1885 - February 23, 1946)

Yamashita's gold is the collective name given to the gold, platinum, jewellery and other precious items stolen by the forces of Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita. Many treasure hunters believe Yamashita's loot is still concealed somewhere in the Philippines.

General Tomoyuki Yamashita, is said to have ordered the concealment of the treasure as he retreated from US forces, breaking the treasure, said to have been carried on several trucks, into many smaller stashes that were hidden along the line of his retreat on the island Luzon. The bulk of the stashes are said to be concentrated in the mountainous area where Yamashita made his last stand against the invading US troops, before his eventual surrender on September 2nd, 1945.

The gold and other valuables were stolen from East and Southeast Asia by Japanese forces during World War II and supposedly hidden in the Philippines. Many people believe the reports of hidden treasure to be an urban legend, but the treasure stories do have supporters among some respected researchers and historians. There are still many treasure hunters who comb the Philippine countryside in search of the treasure.

Above: General Tomoyuki Yamashita, 'The Tiger of Malaya,' at his trial for war crimes. He was executed at Los Banos Prison Camp in Manila on February 23, 1946.

The 'gold' is believed to have been anything from gold bullion to religious statues. The theory is that the treasure from Asia was to finance Japan's war effort. The treasure had to be transported from the continent back to Japan, via the sea. Most of the stolen treasure from South East Asia was first shipped to the port of Singapore, where it was then relayed to the Philippines. From the Philippines, it was intended, the treasure would be shipped to the Japanese home islands.

However, as the Pacific War progressed, Allied submarines and aircraft took a heavy toll on Japan's shipping. The Japanese then took the treasure and hid it in caves and underground complexes throughout the Philippines, hoping to recover it after the war was over. However, many of those who knew of the locations of the loot were either executed or incarcerated for war crimes, including Yamashita. Thus, the whereabouts of the treasure were lost. Many years later, Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos claimed to have discovered the location of the treasure, and to have deposited it in secret bank accounts. These hoards are known collectively as the 'Marcos gold'. There is, however, a counter-allegation that Marcos invented the story, as a cover for his thefts from the Filipino national treasury.

Beware the Philippines 'Treasure Industry'

A large and profitable 'treasure industry' exists in many areas of the Philippines, these scams range from the selling of bogus 'Treasure Maps' to gullible tourists, to elaborate confidence tricks, 'long cons', that can relieve would be investors of large sums of money.

Another scam relates to 'treasure symbols'. The soldiers who concealed Yamashita's treasure supposedly marked trees and rocks with symbols, directions or indicators to a hoard's location, so that they could recover the treasure at a later date. Be very skeptical of anyone claiming to be able to interpret these 'treasure symbols', or anyone selling information about them.

American tourists and business people visiting the Philippines seem to be the primary target of the scammers.

Be very wary of anyone approaching you with offers of an 'investment opportunity' in treasure hunting operations anywhere in the world, but be doubly careful when it relates to the Philippines, if it sounds to good to be true, then it almost certainly is.

ILOCANDIA TREASURES AND THE WORLD

The Panagwawagi Festival of Dumalneg

It was my fourth time to visit the town of Dumalneg in Ilocos Norte and still being fascinated by the mountains surrounding her. Besides that, it was so colorful to see the indigenous peoples clad in their native costumes and the men wore the g-string.

Last week, when I joined the press staff of the provincial government, I was lucky to witness the celebration of the town’s fiesta called Panagwawagi Festival. The term means brotherhood. Its an annual celebration to preserve and promote the indigenous culture.

I saw again some familiar faces. I greeted Mayor and Mrs Francis Espiritu when we arrived at the auditorium. I have seen the elders busy playing the indigenous musical instruments.

A little later, they started their ethnic dances. The men that sport long hair are members of the lamplighters. They too participated in the dancing. I saw also a toddler who wears a g-string but with a diaper underneath. So cute to see and watch him as he went at the middle of the auditorium.

Governor Imee Marcos was the guest speaker for the event. She mentioned that Dumalneg came to be an independent town during her father’s regime. She watched the competition for the Sayaw Kalikasan. There were three groups competed and they depicted nature and environment. Their dances imparted a message to protect and preserve Mother Earth.

The Magdadaran Talip Festival of Carasi

I had the opportunity to go to the town of Carasi through the kindness of my colleague Alaric. He had to cover the governor for her visit as guest speaker for the festival event so I hitched with their vehicle.

The town of Carasi in Ilocos Norte is a 5th class municipality. It has only three barangays namely; Angset, Barbaqueso and Virbira. It is headed by Mayor Joy Bannaqui Fernandez. This is one of the towns in Ilocos Norte which is inhabited by indigenous peoples. Most of the IPs here are Isnag.

They call their celebration as Magdadaran Talip Festival. It means they get together and dance. It was 14 years ago when I first went to this town. I remember that you have to pass an unpaved road. Still same as today. Rocky and dusty in midnoon when we went there. Upon alighting from the vehicle we used, I saw people clad in their festival costumes. It’s a dance parade and showdown for the the three competing barangays.

What fascinated me most are the colorful costumes and dances of the Isnag people. I met young people in the group as well as the old alike. They were so welcoming and actively strike a pose when asked to be photographed.

Even under the scorching heat, each contingent showed their skills in dancing as they paraded to the town hall up to the amphitheather. Locals have really watched the different groups.

Bankathon and Fishing Competition in Mindoro Beach

In celebration of the Binatbatan Festival of the Arts in the Heritage City of Vigan, a bankathon and a fishing competition was held in Mindoro Beach on the fourth day of the festival.

This competition was participated in by fishermen and owners of fishing boats from the coastal areas of Vigan. They competed for the prize of 5 thousand pesos as the grand prize and runners up of 4 thousand and 3 thousand pesos.

It was a long distance trip on a tricycle going to Mindoro Beach. The road was rocky and dusty but its worth it because its enjoyable to watch the contest. Many people watched this competition, young and old alike.

There were four batches and the winners for each batch competed for the final round. Some of the boats were disqualified because they used plywood that makes the boat run faster.

Right after the bankathon, we went infront of the Playa de Oro resort where fishing competition was ongoing. There were people fixing their fishing rods and some had already their catch. Only small kinds of fish were caught such as osoos and tudingan. I have seen some children enjoying the beach water and playing with the sand.

An Evening of Abel Fashion

Last month, I was asked by my colleagues in photography to help them cover the national convention of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). Several events were conducted. One of which was the fellowship night entitled Gameng Iloko.

It was held at the Malacanang ti Amianan. There was a showcase of Ilocano cultural performances, an awarding ceremony, a performance by violinist Jay Cayuca and of course the abel fashion show.

The abel fashion show was participated by no less than the members of the Ilocos Norte Medical Society and some from the ACCP. These doctors took off their scrub suits and sthetoscopes for the meantime and looked glamorous with their beautifully designed abel gowns and suits as they sashayed down the ramp.

I was surprised to see some of my friends who participated in this event. It was such a feast for the eyes when everyone was glued to the event as the models came out one by one with the abel suits from casual to evening gowns of varied designs.

The doctors that I saw in the fashion were Dr and Mrs Francis Ranada III, Dr and Mrs Robert Bueno, Dr. Liza Marie Paz Tan, Dr. Baluran, Dr and Mrs Formoso, Dr Isaias Alipio, Dr and Mrs Nonilone Corpuz and Dr. Rey Mamaclay with their gowns and suits designed by various local designers.

The highlight of the show was the presentation of a wedding gown made of abel and other indigenous materials. The bouquet had a twist, at first glance it may look like flowers but it’s actually a bundle of garlic bulbs. It was indeed a creative design.

I am so proud of this Ilocos handicraft abel which is truly a world class and uniquely Ilocano. It is a product of Ilocano ingenuity.

The Cutud Lenten Rites of Pampanga

It has been a long time that I wanted to cover this annual event in Pampanga. It is only now that I had that chance to go and see. It was fulfilling to witness the Cutud Lenten Rites. It was like going also on penitence since I went to San Fernando City and took a walk for a kilometer under the scorching heat of the sun to the village of San Pedro. This event created traffic towards the direction of the venue since a lot people local and foreign alike went to see this event.

San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites is world-famous for the re-enactment of the Christ's Passion and Death. It usually takes place on Good Friday. It is a passion play that culminates in the nailing of the three penitents on the wooden cross. This year there were eleven who submitted themselves for nailing. Mostly men who are being nailed on the cross but there were occasions women do. They are being nailed with the use of two-inch stainless steel soaked in a bottle of alcohol to disinfect them.

From the city, I walked with some people then later I saw some young men going on flagellation. They were lined up with the first one carrying the big cross and the rest whipped their backs with a bundle of sticks. Their heads were covered with black cloth and torns were placed on their heads. Their backs were bleeding as they constantly whip.

Streaks of blood got into my white shirt and cannot avoid since they just suddenly appear on your side or back. I have seen that they really have to cut the skin with blades and whip it to continue on bleeding. These group had to stop at a church they passed by. They lied in prone position and they are being whipped by somebody else and turned their bodies in four quarters.

The passion play started at the barangay hall of the San Pedro. It started at 12 noon. People were waiting for the capture of the character Jesus Christ. His hands were tied while he was presented and was sentenced by Pontius Pilate at the stage. It was Boy Padilla who represented as Pontius Pilate. I was able to have him for a short interview. There were horses and a chariot who took Jesus Christ. Later he was taken around for the different stations of the cross. It was another kilometer that I walked under the sun and dust. Then Jesus Christ character carried his cross to the calvary. Along the stations, three women in his life appeared, cried and prayed for him.

A 50 year old Kapampangan carpenter Boy Inange is the character of Jesus Christ. He was nailed on a wooden cross for the 25th time after his first in 1985. He was taken to the top of the hill in Cutud and was crucified there. All guests were restricted to get close to the hill as it was fenced for the final ceremony. After two batches of penitents nailed, the public went up the hill and got to see up close the nailing of the hands and feet of penitents on the crosses. They shout loud as they were being nailed. It was too painful I can say. After getting some close up photos of the penitents on the hill, I was so exhausted because of the heat.But I had a meaningful Good Friday. Learning much more of the love of God to all people.

One of the popular landmarks of Laoag City is the sinking bell tower. It is one of the top tourist attractions in the province of Ilocos Norte.

They say that it is sinking because a person on horseback ride is able to enter doors of the tower in the old days but now a person has to stoop to get through the entrance. The structure is so heavy and it was built on a soft sandy foundations.

This massive structure of 45-meter high (150 feet) was built in 1612 by the Augustinians. This belfry is far separated from St. William’s Cathedral with a distance of approximately 85 meters.

This belfry is still functional. They rang the bells in special occasions. It is lighted at every night. Tourists are allowed to enter it upon request. I have tried once to go inside and get to its top. One can see the picturesque and lovely view of the city especially the bridge and the river.

I am worried because demolition of buildings on its periphery was on going. What could be its future in the midst of these demolitions and putting up new business establishments. I hope they would protect and preserve it. I have seen its back view and it’s much more beautiful with its exposed old red bricks sans the cables. It is more exposed now so I hope they could just set up a park around it to give it a breathing space.