Firefly360's Blog
A Collection of Published VR Articles and Personal JournalsFeast of the Black Nazarene
Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Click the image to view the 360-degree VR. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required. VR size is 2.0Mb.
Celebrated every 9th of January, the Feast of the Black Nazarene is a wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ held to be miraculous by many Filipino devotees. Its original carver is an anonymous Mexican carpenter, and the image was transported by a galleon from Acapulco, Mexico by the Augustinian Recollect Missionaries on May 31, 1606. The image is currently enshrined in the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila.
Roman Catholic tradition holds that the Black Nazarene came from a boat that caught fire, turning it from its original white into black or charred complexion.
During the annual public procession, only the body of the Black Nazarene is displayed in procession to the public, while the original head portion of the statue is retained in the Basilica of the Black Nazarene within the high altars of the church. The Black Nazarene is also famously noted for its devotees who walk the procession streets barefoot, without shoes or sandals as to imitate Jesus Christ on his way to Mount Calvary.
The VR was taken atop the cover of the underpass in Lawton after an excruciating wait of 7 hours. With the crowd estimated to be over 2 million, this is the only spot along the route where you can closely shoot and observe safely away from the highly charged emotional crowd. With only corns and ice creams for sustenance, and little water, least one runs with frequent urination, we waited on the rooftop from 7AM until the procession arrived at around 2PM.
Even from our height, you can feel the lack of breathable air below, the parched sweats, the fury of cries, and almost the smell of fallen dead skins as bare feet scraped against hot pavement.
The sight of the sea of devotees as they scampered, jousted, and struggled for a chance to pull the caroza or to touch the Black Nazarene can only be describe as one of “religious frenzy.”
VR taken on January 9, 2010. With thanks to the guys at Manila Bulletin for using their ladder. Source: wikipedia.org. The author can be reached at: fung@firefly.ph
Historic Butuan
Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Click the images to view the 360-degree VRs. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required. Average VR size is 2.5Mb each.
“In the beginning, there was no Philippines but there was BUTUAN”
Such is the claim to fame of Butuan, a province located in the Caraga region in Northeastern Mindanao; a place known for its rich history and colorful culture.
Butuan is a term believed to have originated from the sour fruit “Batuan”. Others opined, it came from a certain “Datu Buntuan”, a chieftain who once ruled Butuan. Scholars believed, it came from the word “But-an”, which literally means a person who has sound and discerning disposition.
As early as the 10th century, according to the Chinese Song Shi (history), people from Butuan had already established trading relations with the kingdom of Champa in what is now South Vietnam. By the 11th century, Butuan was the center of trade and commerce in the Philippines. The best evidence to prove this fact is the discovery of 9 balangays (The Butuan Boats) and other archeological finds in the vicinities of Butuan City, particularly in Ambangan, Libertad near the old El Rio de Butuan and Masao River.
With almost 1,700 years of recorded history, Butuan’s past may very well serve as testaments of our people’s pride as future generations of Filipinos look back into our proud heritage.
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Kasalang Mar at Korina
Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Click the images to view the 360-degree VRs. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required. Average VR size is 2.2Mb each.
Scenes from yesterday’s Senator Mar Roxas and broadcaster Korina Sanchez wedding at the Sto. Domingo church in Quezon City. The event started around 4:00 in the afternoon and lasted for almost three hours. Attended by mostly prominent guests and public officials, this can easily be the wedding of the year for 2009.
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Winning the Philippine Blog Awards 2009
Author’s Note: No VRs in this post. Average VR size is 0.0Mb.
I joined the Philippine Blog Awards 2009 (PBA) without any expectations. To be named one of the finalists under the ‘News and Media’ category, least of all declared as the winner, was rewarding enough. I believe my other co-finalists are equally deserving of this award, I humbly share it with them.
To my co-winners, let us not rest on our laurels, winning is not the end of our work, but a beginning to work harder. We must continually challenge ourselves if we are to make a difference. Change starts from the heart, it permeates the soul and radiates the spirit. Only when we can achieve transformation within ourselves can we hope to influence others for the betterment of our nation.
So what did I get for winning the award? There’s of course the very nice and colorful ‘king of the road’ Philippine jeepney trophy, the envelope containing the winning entry of my category (yup, it says virtualjournals.net alright), a Nokia 6700 Classic courtesy of Nokia Philippines, a medal of sort that the organizers will be sending, and bragging rights for the next 365 days!
My heartfelt gratitude goes to the organizers, judges, and sponsors of this event.
Oh, and I almost forgot… Yey!!! 
