A Fine Year for Travel

The end of 2010 is almost here, and this recap bids adieu to another year of safe and happy travelling.


January: Corregidor Island & San Juan, La Union

February: Clark

March: Hongkong, Malaysian F1 Grand Prix and Singapore

April: Cagayan de Oro, Camiguin, Lake Caliraya, and St. Louis, Missouri

May: New York

August: Manila

September: Shanghai & the 2010 World Expo

November: San Juan, La Union

December: Zamboanga

And, although I did not land there, I saw parts of Japan, Detroit, Cincinatti and Alaska from the air

Hopefully, 2011 will be another great year for exploring the world.

Fort Pilar Museum

The National Museum housed in Fort Pilar in Zamboanga City has several collections related to the history of the city. Currently  the two main exhibits feature the Sama, Yakan and Subanen tribes that reside in the peninsula. The Sama and Yakans are sea-dwelling, while the Subanen are river people (the rootword of the tribe's name, suba, means river).

The exhibit includes several full-scale boats used by the two sea-faring cultures, several tools, weapons, fishing and farming implements, clothes, as well as dioramas that depict the dwellings of the three indigenous peoples. 

The museum, located in N.S. Valderoza Street, is open from Monday to Saturday, 8:30am to 5pm. Entrance is free.

Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza

Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza, or known more popularly as Fort Pilar, is a 17th-century fortification built by the Spanish government in Zamboanga City. It was originally called Real Fuerza de San José.

Built in as a star-shaped fortification, the first cornerstone was laid in 1635, the date that also marks the founding of the city.

In its almost 400-year history the fort has endured numerous attacks from pirates, insurgents and the enemies of Spain, including the Dutch attack in 1646, the 1721 attack by 3,000-strong force of Moro pirates, a mutiny in 1792, the British bombardment in 1798, the American colonizers in 1899, and the Japanese troops in 1942.

In 1720 it was renamed in honor of the patron virgin of Spain, Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The virgin was said to have appeared in an apparition in 1897, to save the stationed troops from a surging tsunami.

Today Fort Pilar houses a shrine and a museum.

How to Get There: Fort Pilar is located along Valderozza St. You may take a tricycle to get there. The entrance to the shrine and the museum is free.

pics, from top: entrance to the fort (and museum); the bastion of the fort; the courtyard inside the fort; one of the ruins inside; a scale model shows how the fort would look like if viewed from above

[some info from Wikipedia]

Paseo

It has become a tradition of sorts for my family to take a stroll around the city on Christmas day. The first stop is always the shrine in Fort Pilar, a 17th-century military fort, also known as Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza, now converted to a religious landmark. We go here to pray and light candles as an offering.

Adjacent to the shrine is the Paseo del Mar, a seaside park. It was full of people; many came to gawk at and throw coins to Badjao kids waiting on boats lined along the seawall. After a short walk along the shop-lined boulevard, we went to Lantaka by the Sea, a seaside hotel and a Zamboanga landmark, to get refreshments. Lantaka has undergone a revival of sorts lately, now getting a spruced up facade and facilities.

Now well rested, we walked along the historic Valderozza Street to reach the City Hall to see the brightly-lit building, richly decorated with Christmas-y stuff, and has now added a "snow" machine (a large machine that spew soap bubbles among the throng) to its attractions. Like in Fort Pilar and Paseo, the street in front of the city hall is full of onlookers, both Christians and Muslims alike, enjoying the view.

pics, from top: the shrine in Fort Pilar, the seaside facade of Lantaka hotel, the neon-lit City Hall

Belen

A Belen is the Filipino version of the Nativity Scene, which depicts the birth of Jesus Christ in the manger, usually showing Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Magi. It may also include farm animals, angels and the star.


The Filipino version is usually made with local materials, such as using rice straws to make the thatch roof of the manger.


The belen above is found in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3

Noche Buena

Noche Buena (literally, good night, in Spanish) is a Filipino tradition during Christmas. It is a feast partaken on Christmas eve, usually after going to the simbang gabi (night mass, on the 24th is celebrated in the late evening, culminating around midnight).

The feast is usually served with traditional Filipino food, such as lechon (roast whole pig), leche flan (a custard-like dessert), hamon (ham) and other pastries and drinks. It is usually partaken by family members, relatives and close friends after exchanging gifts.

The picture above is the noche buena that I had with my family here in Zamboanga City.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christmas Rush

Passengers rushing to get home before Christmas crowd the check-in counters of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 

Cebu Pac's Web Check-in

The low-cost airline Cebu Pacific now has a web check-in feature. It is available if you chose Seat Selector when booking, and you can check in from 48 hours to 4 hours prior to your flight.

If you checked in via web, you only need to be in the terminal at least 45 mins before the flight, if you have checked luggage. If you only have hand-carried luggage, you can go straight to the pre-departure area (they close the boarding gate 15 mins before the flight, so allow more time than that).

You can also print the boarding pass from the web site.

2011 Public Holidays

The Philippine government proclaimed the following dates as regular and special non-working holidays in the country for 2011:

A. Regular Holidays

• New Year’s Day – January 1 (Saturday)
• Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9 (Saturday)
• Maundy Thursday – April 21
• Good Friday – April 22
• Labor Day – May 1 (Sunday)
• Independence Day – June 12 (Sunday)
• National Heroes Day – August 29 (Last Monday of August)
• Bonifacio Day – November 30 (Wednesday)
• Christmas Day – December 25 (Sunday)
• Rizal Day – December 30 (Friday)

B. Special (Non-Working) Days

• Ninoy Aquino Day – August 21 (Sunday)
• All Saints Day – November 1 (Tuesday)
• Last Day of the Year – December 31 (Saturday)

C. Special Holiday (for all schools)

• EDSA Revolution Anniversary – February 25 (Friday)

[source]

Holidays for December

December is the holiday month, and it shows on the number of public and non-working holidays that are slated for it. According to the Malacanang Palace, the following dates are declared legal and special holidays in the Philippines:

December 24 - special non-working holiday

December 25 - Christmas day

December 26 - Sunday

December 27 - Rizal Day (originally on the 30th but moved to closest Monday)

December 31 - last day of the year, special non-working holiday

January 1 - New Year's Day

January 2 - Sunday

To get a full 10-day uninterrupted holiday you may just have to file vacation leaves for 28th, 29th and 30th, and go back to the office on January 3rd.