Firefly360's Blog
A Collection of Published 360VR Articles and Personal Journals148th Birth Anniversary of Gat Andres Bonifacio
Today the nation marks the 148th birth anniversary of Gat Andres Bonifacio (November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897), founder and the supreme leader of the Katipunan.
Bonifacio was born to Santiago Bonifacio and Catalina de Castro in Tondo, Manila and was the eldest of five children.
Bonifacio was married twice. His first wife was a certain Monica who died of leprosy. His second wife, Gregoria de Jesús was of Caloocan, whom he married in 1893. They had one son who died in infancy.
On July 7, 1892, the day after Rizal’s deportation was announced, Bonifacio and others founded the Katipunan, or in full, Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (“Highest and Most Respected Society of the Children of the Country”). The secret society sought independence from Spain through armed revolt.
When Spanish authority ordered an intensive manhunt, Bonifacio called thousands of Katipunan members to a mass gathering in Caloocan, where they decided to start their revolt. The event, marked by the tearing of cedulas (community tax certificates) was later called the “Cry of Balintawak” or “Cry of Pugad Lawin”.
Read the rest of this entry »
2nd Anniversary of the Maguindanao Massacre
November 23rd marks the 2nd anniversary of the Maguindanao Massacre wherein exactly two years ago, 58 people were killed, mostly journalists. It is also the first international commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity as declared such by the International Federation of Journalists and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange to recall the Ampatuan Massacre.
The march started near the University of Santo Thomas, and then proceeded to the heart of the “university belt” in Manila where a brief program was held. Along the way, volunteers traced body outlines on the concrete pavement with chalk and leaders of different student journals toke the stage and delivered their messages. The march ended at the foot of Mendiola Bridge near Malacanang; a dramatic program was again enacted. Relatives of the victims voiced their sentiments using placards and banners while some members of the media lie on the street to have their body traced. The program ended with the lighting of candles in remembrance of the victims, for which justice has yet to be served.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Island of Cuyo
Author’s Note: Palawan has three capitals: Taytay was founded in 1623 and became the capital of the entire territory of the Calamianes; Cuyo became the second capital of Palawan from 1873 to 1903; and the present Puerto Princesa as the seat of the Palawan Provincial Government in 1911 by the New American Administration. This article is the last of three parts about the Palawan capitals.
Literally located in the middle of nowhere, the Cuyo Group of Islands is composed of 45 islets scattered in the Sulu Sea. It lies south of Mindoro and is halfway between Palawan and the island of Panay. Cuyo is divided in three municipalities, namely Cuyo, Agutaya, and Magsaysay. Cuyo is the oldest town in Palawan which has a culture of its own and was preserved for more than 350 years.
From the sea, Cuyo Island’s first visible landmark is a light tower by the pier. Many of the streets leading to the town have already been cemented but the town has preserved the Hispanic plaza-iglesia structures. Dominating the town centre is Cuyo’s 1860 church, convent, and fort built by the Spanish and finished in 1680; nearby stand a schoolhouse, a gymnasium, and a monument of the National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal.
Read the rest of this entry »
Roxas Boulevard after Typhoon Nesat
When Typhoon Pedring (International Code Name: Nesat) roared through Central Luzon, I was in Cebu and only experienced one night and two days of rain there, a far cry from the devastation that befell the Manila Bay area as well as the equally ravaged provinces in the north.
I would have put on my wetsuit, sling a goggle, wrapped the camera and stand atop the pedestrian overpass near the US Embassy and shoot to my heart’s delight! Imagining myself frantically clicking the camera shuttle as waves upon waves hammered the sea wall, sending a cascade of water, stones, fish and trash in my immediate surroundings, while amidst all these chaos, a sense of awe and trepidation encompasses my being as the full fury of mother nature is being unleashed. (sigh!)
So 2 weeks after the storm, I finally had time to survey the damages to Roxas Boulevard’s sea wall, especially the stretch from the US Embassy to Rajah Sulaiman Park. According to the workers I talked with, the clearing/cleaning operations will last until December and the actual redesign/reconstruction will likely take several months thereafter.
Read the rest of this entry »
Calabarzon Heritage Field Trip with the Ford Fiesta
The sun was about to set as we made our way towards Majayjay; one more church remains on the itinerary as we sped down the winding roads somewhere at the boundary of Quezon and Laguna. The gas tank was nearly empty with about 10% of fuel remaining and apparently for over an hour, ours was the only car negotiating this stretch of the roadway; things were finally getting exciting!
2 days ago, Ford Philippines offered the 1.6L Fiesta S with a full tank of gas to go wherever I pleased. Having done advocacy works for both the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the National Museum, I decided to continue my personal project of documenting the Colonial Churches of the Philippines and those sites declared as National Cultural Treasures.
Read the rest of this entry »
