Dinagyang Official Theme Song

Hala Bira, Iloilo

by Dante Beriong





Sadtong nahauna nga istorya kag panahon
Nakilala ka sa ngalan nga Irong-irong
Puno sang manggad kag sang katahum
Sa idalum ni Datu Paiburong.

Ipabugal ko ang imo ngalan
Ipabugal ko ang mga binuhatan
Sang imong ginikanan kag imong kabataan
Gabuligay pakadto sa kauswagan.



Chorus

Hala Bira ILOILO! Sulong sa pagbag-o!
Hala Bira ILOILO! Matahum nga banwa ko!
Hala Bira ILOILO! Ipabugal ang ngalan mo!
Sa tanan nga panahon ikaw ang palanggaon!



Sa paglakat sang malawig nga tinion
Nakilala ka sa madamong bulohaton
Ang imo nga DINAGYANG kag imo nga KASADYAHAN
Padayon nga ginapasidunggan!



Himuon ko ang tanan nga masarangan
Isinggit ko sa bilog nga kalibutan
Kita mga ILONGGO tunay nga PILIPINO
Mapisan kag dungganon nga mga tawo!



REPEAT CHORUS 2x



Hala Bira ILOILO! Negosyo kag probinsya!
Hala Bira ILOILO! Napun-an ka sang kasadya!
Hala Bira ILOILO! Itib-ong ang kalinungan!
Hala Bira ILOILO! Padayon sa kauswagan!



REPEAT CHORUS 2x



Hala Bira ILOILO! VIVA SENYOR SANTO NINO!
Hala DAGYANG ILOILO! VIVA SENYOR SANTO NINO!
Hala DAGYANG ILOILO! VIVA SENYOR SANTO NINO!
HALA BIRA ILOILO!

2010 Dinagyang Festival Results

Cheer Dance Competition
Champion         Jaro National High School, Jaro, Iloilo
1st runner up     Municipality of Dumangas


Luces In The Sky (Fireworks Competition)
1st place               Bulacan Province
2nd place                    Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
3rd place                     Iloilo City, Iloilo


Drum, Lyre and Marching Band Competition

Drum and Lyre Competition, Elementary Level
1st place      Guimbal Central Elementary School, Municipality of Guimbal
2nd place       Dingle CES, Municipality of Dingle
3rd place       Alibango CES, Municipality of Alimodian


Commendation
Leganes Elementary School

Drum and Lyre Competition, Secondary Level
Champion          Iloilo City National High School, Iloilo City
1st runner up       Guimbal NHS, Municipality of Guimbal
2nd runner up      New Lucena NHS, Municipality of New Lucena

Commendations
Botong Cabanbanan National High School, Municipality of Oton
Calinog Nat'l Comprehensive High School, Municipality of Calinog
Passi National High School, Passi City

Marching Band Competition
Champion                      Alimodian NCHS Band, Municipality of Alimodian
1st runner up                 Sun Yat Sen HS Band, Iloilo City

Kasadyahan Competition

Special Awards
Best in Street Dancing - Tribu Patubas (Harvest), Municipality of Barotac Viejo
Best in Costume                   - Tribu Kasag (Crab), Municipality of Banate
Best in Music          - Tribu Kasag
Best in Choreography      - Tribu Kasag
Best in Performance        - Tribu Kasag
Best Choreographer          - Romel Flogen, Tribu Kasag



Major Awards
Champion                    Tribu Kasag
1st runner up                      Tribu Tubong – tubong, Municipality of Tubungan
2nd runner up                    Tribu Patubas, Municipality of Barotac Viejo
3rd runner up                     Tribu Pantat, Municipality of Zarraga
4th runner up                     Tribu Mandurriaonon, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

Commendation
Tribu Tinuom, Municipality of Cabatuan

Dinagyang Ati Competition

Special Awards
Best in Discipline       - Tribu Pan-ay, Fort San Pedro NHS, Iloilo City
Best in Head dress       - Tribu Paghidaet, Lapaz NHS
Best in Costume          - Tribu Paghidaet, Lapaz NHS
Best in Street Dancing   - Tribu Pan-ay
Best in Music                            - Tribu Paghidaet
Best Musical Director    - Tribu Paghidaet
Best in Choreography     - Tribu Paghidaet
Best in Performance             - Tribu Paghidaet


Major Awards

4th runner up - Tribu Silak, Iloilo City NHS
3rd runner up - Tribu Salognon, Jaro NHS
2nd runner up - Tribu Pan-ay, Fort San Pedro NHS
1st runner up - Tribu Bola-bola, Iloilo NHS
Champion - Tribu Paghidaet

Dinagyang 2010 Livestream

You can watch Dinagyang Festival 2010 Now at www.abs-cbnnow.com....

Catch Dinagyang Festival 2010 Live Online Streaming

For those who can’t come to Iloilo City this year to watch the Dinagyang Festival when it happens, you can watch it LIVE online through ABS-CBN Global and search their live streaming. You can also hear the updates through our local radio stations audio streaming online through Aksyon Radio Iloilo and Bombo Radyo Iloilo Philippines. You won’t miss a thing about Dinagyang Festival 2010! It will happen January 24, 2010 morning Philippine Time starting at 8 am...

Dinagyang Festival 2009 Results

Ati Competition Day 2 Sunday
Champion    Tribu Paghidaet
1st runner up      Tribu Bola-bola
2nd runner up    Tribu Ilonganon
3rd runner up     Tribu Silak
4th runner up     Tribu Himal-us

Kasadyahan Day 1 Saturday

Champion       Tribu Kasag
1st runner up        Tribu Sa-ad
2nd runner up      Tribu Madyaas
3rd runner up      Tribu Baylubay
4th runner up      Tribu Tultugan

Drum and Bugle/ Lyre Competition

Elementary
Champion     Alibango Elementary School
1st runner up        Arevalo Elementary School
2nd runner up      Baluarte Elementary School

Secondary
Champion     Iloilo City National High School
1st runner up       Fort San Pedro NHS
2nd runner up     Calinog Comp. NHS

Dinagyang Festival Circle of Winners, 1970 - 2010

Dagoy, official Dinagyang Festival mascot

1970 – Madjapahit Tribe of Compania Maritima
1971 – Mamau Tribe of Negros Navigation
1972 – Mamau Tribe
1973 – Mamau Tribe
1974 – Last Warriors
1975 – Tribu Hamili
1976 – Tribu Hamili
1977 – No competition
1978 – Tribu Atub-atub
1979 – No specific winner
1980 – Tribu Himaya
1981 – Tribu Molave
1982 – Tribu Atub-atub
1983 – Tribu Binirayan
1984 – Tribu Atub-atub
1985 - Tribu Kongo
1986 – Tribu Kongo
1987 – Tribu Guimbal
1988 – Tribu Kongo
1989 – Tribu Binirayan
1990 – Tribu Sagasa
1991 – Tribu Sagasa
1992 – Tribu Sagasa
1993 – Tribu Panaad
1994 - Tribu Bola-bola
1995 – Tribu Binirayan
1996 – Tribu Bola-bola
1997 – Tribu Bola-bola

Starting in 1998, there were two categories introduced in the competition, the Barangay Category and the Open Category. The Barangay Category is a competition between several districts of the city and is partly subsidized by the city government to participate. On the other hand, the Open Category is a competition between private entities, municipalities, provinces and schools being sponsored by multinational companies and businesses or by their respective local governments. In 2006 all tribes are entered in only one category the Open Category in which partly subsidized by the local government and partly by businesses and corporations.

Barangay Category

1998 – Tribu Hamili
1999 – Tribu Panaad
2000 – Tribu Atub-atub
2001 – Tribu Molave
2002 – Tribu Molave
2003 - Tribu Atub-atub
2004 – Tribu Atub-atub
2005 – Tribu Pag-asa

Open Category

1998 – Tribu Bola-bola
1999 – Tribu Bola-bola
2000 – Tribu Bola-bola
2001 – Tribu Bola-bola
2002 – Tribu Paghidaet
2003 – Tribu Paghidaet
2004 – Tribu Bola-bola
2005 – Tribu Silak
2006 - Tribu Ilonganon
2007 - Tribu Ilonganon
2008 – Tribu Paghidaet
2009 – Tribu Paghidaet
2010 - Tribu Paghidaet


Source: www.dinagyangsailoilo.com

Dinagyang Festival

Competing tribes in the Dinagyang Festival Ati competition

           Dinagyang Festival is a mardi gras type of religious celebration honoring the Holy Child Jesus every fourth weekend of January in the "City of Love" Iloilo City, in west central Philippines. It also has its historical significance due to the dancing warriors depicting the first settlers of the land embracing Christianity which the Spaniards led by Ferdinand Magellan introduced to the natives in 1521 with Reyna Juana as the first Filipino baptized as Christian and as a gift an image of the Holy Child Jesus was given her and the replica of the original Holy Child is now being preserved and venerated by devotees.

          Dinagyang Festival first started in 1968 as a simple religious ceremony when a model of the image of Sr. Santo Ni¤o was brought from Cebu City to the San Jose Parish Church by Fr. Suplicio Ebderes, OSA with a delegation of Cofradia del Sto. Niño, Cebu members. The image and party were enthusiastically welcomed at Iloilo City by then parish priest of San Jose Church, Fr. Ambrosio Galindez, OSA, then Mayor Renerio Ticao, and the devotees of the Sto. Niño in Iloilo City. The image was brought to San Jose Parish Church and preserved there up to this time, where a novena in His honor is held every Friday. The climax of the nine-day novena was the Fluvial Procession. Since then, it was already considered a yearly celebration, culminated by a nine-day Novena, an interpretative and theatrical dance competition or Kasadyahan competition on Day One and an Ati-ati contest on Day Two, and a fluvial procession on the last day. After a few years of a simple religious ceremony, organizers of the event want to take it to a festive mood with a dancing competition of different tribes coming from different districts of the city consisting of warrior painted with black soot or paints wearing colorful costumes out of indigenous materials. The warriors are dressed in fashionable and colorful Aeta (reminiscent of African Negro tribes) costumes and dance artistically and rhythmically with complicated formations along with the loud thrashing and sound of drums.
         The first Ati competition of the Dinagyang Festival took place in 1970 with the Madjapahit Tribe of Compania Maritima as the first winner. Since then, the festival is held annually with different tribes outbeat each other with their unique dance choreography, innovative tribal music, and creative costumes out of the local’s ingenuity. They are competing not for the prize but for honor and glory as the winner.
         The word “Dinagyang” came from the Ilonggo root word “dagyang” which means to make happy. Dinagyang is the present progressive word of the Ilonggo word meaning making merry or merry-making. It was coined by an old time, Ilonggo writer and radio broadcaster, the late Pacifico Sumagpao Sudario and the term was first used in 1977 to make it unique from other Ati-atihan celebrations.
         As more and more tribes from the barangays, schools and nearby towns and provinces participate, the contest became more competitive in terms of costumes, choreography and sounds. The tribes compete for the following Special Awards: Best in Discipline, Best in Costume, Best in Performance, Best in Music and Best in Choreography. These are aside from the major awards for the champion, first runner-up, second runner-up, third runner-up and fourth runner-up. Participating tribes learn to design artistically and with originality in making use of Ilonggo native materials like dried anahaw leaves, buri or coconut palm leaves and husks and other barks of Philippine trees. Choreography was studied and practices were kept secret. Sounds were seen as an authentic medium that keeps the tribes going in uniform.
         They also include a brief dramatization of how Christianity was brought to Panay and the arrival of the 10 Bornean Datus telling about the exchange of the Aetas of their land for the Borneans' Golden Salakot (native hat) and a long pearl necklace which is also parallel with the Kasadyahan celebration. During the celebration, people participate with the Kasadyahan. Some dressed in Aeta costumes, some paint their faces with black paint, some put on colored artificial tattoos and wear other Aeta ornaments. At night, there is public dancing on selected areas.

Ati-atihan Festival Images

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Ati-atihan Festival Images

Ati-atihan Festival Images

My Travel to Kalibo, Aklan Ati-atihan Images

I have lots of fun dancing and swaying to the beats of drum while watching the blacksooted tribe warriors wearing colorful costumes honouring the Holy Child Jesus in the feast of Sto. Nino in Kalibo's festival Ati-atihan. The festival is called the mother of all Philippine festival because of its age originated back to 14th century of Negro Ati celebration in the area comemmorating the barter of Panay. These are the pics I've taken for that 2 day fiesta celebration of dancing and merrymaking. Together with my father and officemates

Unbeatable Asia

from "Guinness Book of Records"



Which country is home to the world’s largest restaurant? Where is the world’s tallest building? Find out in our Asian bragging-rights quiz?

1. Which country has the biggest religious structure in the world?
                Indonesia (No. 10);
                Pakistan (No. 23);
                Cambodia (No. 8).
2. Incorrect, though Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court did spend 527 days on a civil case hearing a challenge to Ranasinghe Premadasa’s 1988 election as president by opposition leader Sirimavo Bandaranaike. After considering testimony from 977 witnesses, the court rejected the challenge on September 1, 1992. Over to No. 14 to re-examine the evidence.
3. You can ride the largest currently operating ferris wheel, with a diameter of 328 feet (about the height of a 25-story building), in Yokohama. It has 60 gondolas, each with eight seats. Spin back to No. 9 for another try.
4. To dine in the world’s largest restaurant, you would got to:
               China (No. 21);
               Thailand (No. 11).
5. Yes! The longest human centipede to move 98 feet was created by students from Nanyang Technological University on July 29, 1995. None of the students, who were tied together with cloth strips at their ankles, left foot to right foot, fell over during the short walk. If you haven’t taken any wrong turns, you will have completed this quiz in only 14 steps (1-8-14-24-9-18-4-11-22-16-19-13-17-5).
6. No, but the tallest woman on record is from China Zeng Jinlian (1964-1982) of Hunan Province measured 8 feet, 1 ¾ inches, when she died. In fact, this represents her height with an assumed normal spinal curvature because she could not stand up straight. Return to No. 19.
7. No, though it does hold another cinematic record – the longest series of films. Between 1949 and 1995, 103 feature films have been made in Hong Kong about 19th century martial arts hero Huang Fei Hong. Take a flying leap back to No. 25.
8. Yes. The Angkor Wat, which Khmer king Suryavarman II built to the Hindu god Vishnu between 1113 and 1150, covers 402 acres. Before it was abandoned in 1432, its population was 80,000. Now jump to No. 14.
9. Japan has a lot of bragging rights. Which sky-scraping record doesn’t it hold?
                Tallest ferris wheel (No. 3);
                Tallest building (No. 18);
                Tallest statue (No. 27).
10. Nope. Indonesia does have the biggest Buddhist temple, however. The Borobudur temple near Jogjakarta, which was built in the eight century, is 103 feet tall and covers 162,847 square feet (about 3 ¾ acres). Try again at No. 1.
11. Correct. Bangkok’s Royal Dragon (Mang Gorn Luang) restaurant, which opened in October 1991, can seat 5000 people. The service area cover four acres and the 541 waiters wear roller skates to help them serve 3000 dishes per hour. You can chew over your next question at No. 22.
12. Not Quite. It’s true that the highest mountain, Everest, sits on the Nepal-Tibet border. But the deepest valley? Back to No. 22.
13. Correct! Sultan Kosen stands at 8 feet, 1 ¼ inches. Move on to No. 17.
14. The longest criminal trial on record lasted two years. Where was this marathon legal tussle held?
                 Hong Kong (No. 24);
                 Sri Lanka (No.2).
15. Correct. The screen, located at the Ssangyong Earthscape Pavillion in the Science Park, Taejon, measures 109 feet by 81 feet. Project yourself over to No. 19.
16. Good choice. Nepal can lay partial claim to Mount Everest, but Tibet has the Yarlung Zangbo Valley all to itself. The valley, framed by the Himalayan peaks of Namche Barwa and Jala Peri, is 16,650 feet (just over three miles) deep. Explore more records at No. 19.
17. Where did 1601 people tie themselves together to form the longest human centipede?
                Malaysia (Go to No. 26);
                Japan (Got to No. 20);
                Singapore (Go to No. 5).
18. Correct. Few Asian cities dared to challenge the might of American skyscrapers and now, Dubai can claim that record. The Burj Khalifa once known as Burj Dubai, which was opened last January 4, 2010 in a glittering ceremony, is a rocket-shaped edifice that soars 2,717 feet and has views that reach 60 miles is the current holder of the world's tallest building dwarfing Malaysia's Petronas Towers, opened in 1997, that stretch 1482 feet into the air and Taiwan's Taipei 101 which inaugurated in 2004 with a height of 1524 feet.
19. Where would you find the world’s tallest living man?
                Turkey (Go to No. 13);
                China (Go to No. 6)
                Myanmar (Go to No. 28).
20. No, but it does hold another peculiar record – for the largest omelet. Cooked on March 19, 1994, in Yokohama, it contained 160,000 eggs and covered 1383 square feet (about half the size of a tennis court). Get cracking over to No. 17.
21. No, but if you’re looking for a big night out in China, you can always visit Beijing’s National People’s Congress Building, the world’s largest building used for theatrical purposes. It covers nearly 13 acres and can seat up to 10,000 people. But the biggest restaurant? Look again at the menu at No. 4.
22. You can find both the highest mountain and the deepest valley in Nepal. True or false?
                 True (No. 12);
                 False (No. 16).
23. No, though it’s the place to go if you’re looking for the biggest mosque. The Shah Faisal Mosque near Islamabad covers nearly 47 acres, including a roofed prayer hall that covers about 1 1/5 acres. The complex can house 100,000 worshippers in the prayer hall and courtyard, and another 200,000 in the grounds. Return to No. 1.
24. Yes. The murder trial of 14 South Vietnamese boat people ran from November 30, 1992, to November 29, 1994, a total of 398 days in court. They were accused of killing 24 North Vietnamese during a February 1992 riot in a refugee camp. In the end, the defendants were acquitted, though some were convicted of lesser charges. Move to No. 9 for further questioning.
25. Where would you go to watch a movie on the world’s largest permanently installed cinema screen?
                 Hong Kong (Go to No. 7);
                 South Korea (Go to No. 15).
26. Wrong. However, the longest line of coins on record was created in Kuala Lumpur. The line, consisting of more than two million 20-sen coins, measured more than 34 miles (or eight miles longer than Singapore Island). The coins were laid out on August 6, 1995, by representatives of the World Wide Fund for Nature and pharmaceutical company Dumex. Return to No. 17.
27. The tallest statue, a 394 foot high bronze effigy of Buddha, is located in Tokyo. A joint Japanese-Taiwanese project, it was completed in January 1993 after seven years of work. Return to No. 9.
28. Wrong, though Myanmar holds the record for the longest neck. Women of the Padaung, or Kareni tribe extend their necks by increasing the number of copper coils around them. The longest recorded neck extension using this method is 15 ¾ inches. Back to No. 19.

Dinagyang Festival Once Again!

One of the competing tribes in the Dinagyang competition.

         Just two weeks from now, the famous and grandest of all Philippine festvial will take place in Iloilo City, in west central Philippines. Dinagyang Festival is held every fourth or last week of January for four decades running. It is a tribal dance competition to the beat of drums and other traditional musical instruments made of indigenous materials. Dancing warriors have their whole body painted with black soot and paint depicting the our ancient ancestors and earliest settlers of the country wearing a tribal costume made of different materials depends on the creativity and ingenuity of each tribe's costume designer. There are also lots of merrymaking, food festival, and other competition to add color to the event. The reason why the city is flocked by hundreds of thousands of tourist this time of the year. But weeks prior to the event, hotels and pension houses are fully booked by tourists and visitors who reserved early to avoid the rush of other guests anticipating the event. I will tell more about Dinagyang Festival later in my blogs.

Famous Personality Deaths In The Year Of My Birth

January – March

January 1 – Alexis Korner, British blues musician and broadcaster (b. 1928)
January 6 – Ernest Laszlo, Hungarian-American cinematographer (b. 1898)
January 7 – Alfred Kastler, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
January 11 – Jack La Rue, American actor (b. 1902)
January 14 – Ray Kroc, American entrepreneur (b. 1902)
January 20 – Johnny Weissmuller, Austrian-born swimmer and actor (b. 1904)
January 22 – Sir Count Michael Gonzi, Archbishop of Malta and past politician (b. 1885)
February 9 – Yuri Andropov, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (b. 1914)
February 10 – David Von Erich, American professional wrestler (b. 1958)
February 13 – Naomi Uemura, Japanese adventurer (b. 1941)
March 1 – Jackie Coogan, American actor (b. 1914)
March 5 – William Powell, American actor (b. 1892)
March 10 – June Marlowe, American actress (b. 1903)
March 24 – Sam Jaffe, American actor (b. 1891)
March 26 – Ahmed Sékou Touré, president of Guinea (b. 1922)

April – June

April 1 – Marvin Gaye, American singer (b. 1939)
April 8 – Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1894)
April 11 – Edgar V. Saks, Estonian statesman and historian (b. 1910)
April 15 – Tommy Cooper, Welsh comedian and magician (b. 1921)
April 17 – Mark Wayne Clark, American World War II General (b. 1896)
April 20 – Hristo Prodanov, Bulgarian mountaineer (b. 1943)
May 6 – Mary Cain, Mississippi newspaper editor and politician (b. 1904)
May 8 – Lila Wallace, American publisher (b. 1889)
May 16 – Andy Kaufman, American comedian (b. 1949)
May 24 – Vincent J. McMahon, professional wrestling promoter WWF (b. 1914)
June 25 – Michel Foucault, French philosopher (b. 1926)
June 26 – Carl Foreman, American screenwriter (b. 1914)
June 28 – Yigael Yadin, Israeli archeologist, politician and Military Chief of Staff (b. 1917)
June 30 – Henri Fabre, pioneer French aviator & inventor (b. 1882)
June 30 – Lillian Hellman, American playwright (b. 1905)

July – September

July 1 – Moshé Feldenkrais, Ukrainian founder of the Feldenkrais Method (b. 1904)
July 7 – Flora Robson, English actress (b. 1902)
July 8 – Brassaï, Hungarian-born photographer (b. 1899)
July 17 – Karl Wolff, German Nazi SS Officer (b. 1900)
July 24 – Armando Morales Barillas, Nicaraguan guitarist (b. 1936)
July 25 – Big Mama Thornton, American singer (b. 1926)
July 26 – George Gallup, American statistician and opinion pollster (b. 1901)
July 26 – Ed Gein, American serial killer (b. 1906)
August 2 – Quirino Cristiani, Argentine animated film director (b. 1896)
August 5 – Richard Burton, Welsh actor (b. 1925)
August 25 – Truman Capote, American writer (b. 1924)
August 25 – Viktor Chukarin, Russian Olympic gymnast (b. 1921)
August 29 – Mohammed Naguib, 1st President of Egypt (b. 1901)
September 3 – Arthur Schwartz, American composer (b. 1900)
September 14 – Janet Gaynor, American Academy Award-winning actress (b. 1906)
September 24 – Neil Hamilton, American actor (b. 1899)
September 25 – Walter Pidgeon, Canadian actor (b. 1897)

October – December

October 5 – Leonard Rossiter, British actor (b. 1926)
October 14 – Martin Ryle, English radio astronomer, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics (b. 1918)
October 20 – Carl Ferdinand Cori, Austrian-born biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1896)
October 20 – Paul Dirac, English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
October 21 – François Truffaut, French film director (b. 1932)
October 23 – Oskar Werner, Austrian actor (b. 1922)
October 24 – Walter Woolf King, American singer and actor (b. 1899)
October 31 – Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India (assassinated) (b. 1917)
November 6 – Gastón Suárez, Bolivian novelist and dramatist (b. 1929)
November 14 – Cesar Climaco, Filipino politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
November 18 – Mary Hamman, American writer and editor, modern living editor LIFE and editor in chief Bride & Home (b. 1907)
December 11 – Oskar Seidlin, Silesian-born Jewish-American literary scholar (b. 1911)
December 11 – George Waggner, American film director (b. 1894)
December 14 – Vicente Aleixandre, Spanish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1898)
December 16 – J. Roderick MacArthur, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1920)
December 20 – Gonzalo Márquez, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player (b. 1946)
December 28 – Sam Peckinpah, American film director (b. 1925)
December 29 – Leo Robin, American composer (b. 1900)

Fabulous Rain Quiz

       As the summer monsoon season squelches to a close in most of the region, try this quiz to find out how much you know about the wet substance that falls from the sky.

1. What is the wettest place in the world?

          Mawsynram in Meghalaya State, India. Go to 8.
          Legaspi, Bicol Region, in the Philippines. Go to 4.

2. Congratulations! Those 150 days deliver an annual rainfall of more than 78 inches. For rain forests that’s ideal growing weather. If you’ve kept your powder dry, you’ll have followed the fastest route through our quiz – only 18 steps (1-8-15-10-11-19-7-16-13-6-20-12-25-27-21-26-28-2)

3. Wrong. Back to 13 once more.

4. Sorry, wrong answer. But, when it comes to rain, Legaspi does have one to claim to fame – on August 13, 1963, Legaspi weather station recorded rainfall of 17.01 inches in a deluge that lasted for 15 minutes. Try again at 1.

5. Down the tubes! The rain forests of Southeast Asia just aren’t as rainy as you thought. Track back through the jungle to 28.

6. Bingo! This is the expert’s assessment, and between them these 1500 to 2000 thunderstorms generate about 6000 flashes of lightning every minute. Now put on your galoshes and head for 20.

7. What animal life caused alarm by escaping from riverside pens when exceptional rainfall led to widespread flooding in Thailand late in 1995?

        Crocodiles. Go to 16.
        Piranha fish. Go to 24.
        Otters. Go to 30.

8. Fine beginning. Mawsynram on average receives a soaking of 467 ½ inches a year, making it the wettest place in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records. All this rain is due to Mawsynram’s high elevation (4623 feet) and its location on the crest of one of the southern ranges of the Khasi Hills, where it is perfectly placed to be on the receiving end during the Southwest monsoon season. Next to 15 – you won’t need your raingear.

9. You ran into a puddle. Back to 13.

10. Hurrah! Right answer. The annual mean rainfall on the Pacific coast of Chile between Arica and Antofagasta is less than 0.004 inches, making it the driest place in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records. This is because high pressure is an almost permanent feature in the area. Now rain-dance your way to 11.

11. What is the most rain that has fallen in any one place during a 24-hour period?

          74 inches. Go to 19.
          40 inches. Go to 23.

12. Very knowledgeable. Throughout Asia our ancestors wove raincoats of materials readily available. Now take the plunge at 25.

13. At any given moment, approximately how many thunderstorms are occurring around the world?

          50 to 60. Go to 3.
          1500 to 2000. Go to 6.
          Over 5000. Go to 9.

14. Sorry. With the Himalayas acting as a barrier against the monsoons, this region receive less than 20 inches of rain a year, but other places are even more parched. Go back to 15.

15. Where is the driest place in the world?

           Southeast region of Tibet. Go to 14.
           Chile. Go to 10.
           Arizona, U.S.A. Go to 17.

16. You got it right. Hundreds of crocodiles – some as long as 13 feet – used the flooding to escape from the riverside pens. Crocodiles are farmed in Thailand for their meat – it has a unique sweet taste – and their skin, which is used to make luxury leather goods. Wade on to 13.

17. No. But the Guinness Book of Records says Yuma in Arizona is the sunniest place in the world, with an annual average of 91 percent of the possible hours of sunshine – a mean of 4055 hours out of 4456. Go back to 15.

18. Missed! Backtrack to 21.

19. Excellent! To be precise, the record amount of rain was 73.62 inches and it fell on Cilaos, Reunion Islands, Indian Ocean, in 24 hours on March 15 and 16, 1952. This is equal to over 7550 metric tons of rain per acre. Paddle to 7.

20. Who, in days of old, used to protect themselves against the wet by wearing “raincoats” made of rice straw or reeds?

            Asians. Go to 12.
            Eskimos. Go to 22.
            South American Indians. Go to 31.

21. Some scientists speculate that a continuous downpour helped to form the Earht. For about how many years do they believe it rained?

            One million. Go to 18.
            60,000. Go to 26.

22. No, no. Eskimos put their trust in rainwear they made by stitching together seal intestines, feathers and fur. Dodge the showers as you go back to 20.

23. Unfortunately, you’ve got it wrong. Go back to 11.

24. No, sorry. These voracious little killers can plead not guilty this time. Splash back to 7.

25. What are people in Japan talking about when they refer to the “divine wind?”

            Typhoons. Go to 27.
            The wind that brings early summer rain. Go to 29.

26. Yippee! You got it right. According to some scientists it took 60,000 years of continuous rainfall to fill the oceans and scour the land. Others debate the exact figure but agree it did rain for tens of thousands of years. Now on to 28.

27. Bull’s-eye! The Japanese have the destructive seasonal typhoons to thank for their historic independence from China. Twice the 13th century emperor Kublai Khan sent ships and troops against the Japanese islands and twice the typhoon’s onslaught wrecked the invader’s fleet. Now head for 21.

28. How often does it rain each year in the tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia?

             About 150 days. Go to 2.
             About 310 days. Go to 5.

29. Sorry, no. Return to 25.

30. Oh, no. These cute creatures wouldn’t frighten anybody. Back to 7.

31. You guessed wrongly. The South American Indian waterproofed his clothes with liquid latex from rubber trees. Back to 20.

Famous Personalities Birth In The Same Year I Was Born

January

January 1 – Michael Witt, Australian rugby league player
January 12 – Scott Olsen, American baseball player
January 15 – Megan Quann, American swimmer
January 16 – Craig Beattie, Scottish footballer
January 18 – Seung-hui Cho, Korean-born American Virginia Tech massacre gunman (d. 2007)
January 18 – Kristy Lee Cook, American Idol finalist
January 18 – Benji Schwimmer, Winner of So You Think You Can Dance 2006
January 19 – Zakia Mrisho Mohamed, Tanzanian long distance runner
January 20 – Toni Gonzaga, Filipina Actress and Singer
January 25 – Robinho, Brazilian footballer
January 29 – Nuno Morais, Portuguese footballer


February

February 1 – Darren Fletcher, Scottish football player
February 5 – Nate Salley, American football player
February 6 – Darren Bent, English footballer
February 10 – Brent Everett, Canadian gay pornographic actor
February 10 – Kim Hyo Jin, Korean actress
February 16 – Oussama Mellouli, Tunisian swimmer
February 20 – Ben Lovejoy, American hockey player
February 25 – Filip Šebo, Slovak footballer


March

March 1 – Naima Mora, winner of America's Next Top Model cycle 4
March 4 – Tamir Cohen, Israeli footballer
March 4 – Zak Whitbread, American soccer player
March 20 – Justine Ezarik, American Internet personality
March 20 – Fernando Torres, Spanish football player
March 25 – Katharine McPhee, American Idol finalist
March 28 – Nikki Sanderson, English actress
March 30 – Anna Nalick, American singer


April
April 4 – Sean May, American basketball player
April 7 – Alex Smith, American football player
April 10 – Mandy Moore, American singer and actress
April 17 – Rosanna Davison, Irish model
April 18 – America Ferrera, American actress
April 19 – Lee Da Hae, South Korean actress
April 22 – Amelle Berrabah, British singer (Sugababes)
April 27 – Patrick Stump, American singer (Fall Out Boy)
April 29 – Taylor Cole, American actress and model


May

May 3 – Cheryl Burke (Dancer)
May 11 – Andrés Iniesta, Spanish footballer
May 14 – Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook
May 29 – Carmelo Anthony, American basketball player
May 31 – Jason Smith, Australian actor
May 31 – Milorad Cavic, Serbian swimmer


June

June 8 – Todd Boeckman, College quarterback
June 8 – Andrea Casiraghi, Prince of Monaco
June 8 – Javier Mascherano, Argentinian footballer
June 9 – Wesley Sneijder, Dutch footballer
June 11 – Vágner Love, Brazilian footballer
June 13 – Berangere Schuh, French archer
June 14 – Siobhán Donaghy, British singer
June 25 – Lauren Bush, American model
June 30 – Fantasia Barrino, American Idol winner and singer


July

July 4 – Gina Glocksen, American Idol finalist
July 9 – Jacob Hoggard,Canadian singer/lead singer of Hedley
July 12 – Gareth Gates, English singer
July 21 – Blake Lewis, American Idol runner- up


August

August 6 – Marco Airosa, Angolan footballer
August 12 – Marian Rivera, Filipino Actress
August 12 – Sherone Simpson, Jamaican athlete
August 21 – Alizée Jacotey, French singer
August 24 – Kyle Schmid, Canadian actor
August 22 – Lee Camp, English footballer


September

September 5 – Trey Hill, Grammy-nominated musician
September 14 – Adam Lamberg, American actor
September 15 – Prince Harry of Wales
September 26 – Keisha Buchanan, British Singer (Sugababes)
September 27 – Avril Lavigne, Canadian singer
September 28 – Melody Thornton, American singer (Pussycat Dolls)


October

October 3 – Ashlee Simpson, American singer and actress
October 3 – Yoon Eun Hye, Korean singer, model, actress and entertainer
October 7 – Ikuta Toma, Japanese drama actor
October 10 – Chiaki Kuriyama, Japanese actress
October 10 – Steve Turner, Australian rugby league player
October 14 – Santino Quaranta, American soccer player
October 16 – Shayne Ward, British singer and winner of reality TV show The X Factor
October 23 – Meghan McCain, Author and Daughter of Senator John McCain
October 25 – Sara Lumholdt, Swedish singer
October 25 – Katy Perry, American singer and actress
October 26 – Sasha Cohen, American figure skater
October 27 – Kelly Osbourne, English singer


November

November 7 – Amelia Vega, Miss Universe 2003, from the Dominican Republic
November 12 – Sandara Park, Member of South Korean girl group 2NE1 and former Filipino Actress
November 22 – Scarlett Johansson, American actress
November 23 – Lucas Grabeel, American actor
November 29 – Sitti Navarro, Philippine bossa nova artist


December

December 4 – Lindsay Felton, American actress
December 4 – Lauren London, American actress and model
December 22 – Jonas Erik Altberg, Swedish singer
December 25 – The Veronicas, Lisa and Jess Origliasso, Australian Singers
December 28 – Festus, American professional wrestler
December 30 – LeBron James, American basketball player

Year End Review: 2009 In My Life

The year 2009 or the year of the ox has been a vibrant yet dramatic turning point in the quarter of a century of my life. It has lots of surprises and tribulations that build up the character in me. The events that transpired in the year can shape up the events that will unfold in the future. Here’s the rundown of events that happened in 2009 that has a significant impact in my life.


January – I woke up early in the first day of the year to work. I never went out of house usually in the first day yet I need to work. The month is a busy month working to earn. There is nothing much special or unusual in this month except that I spent most of the time at work.

February – The month of love. I am always dreaming of that special someone who is still faceless yet I can imagine his touch, actions and the way he speak. I somehow enjoy my time with my co-workers, chatting inside the workplace and spend meal time outdoors.

March – Still time for work. I enjoy spending the great outdoors with our team building, the first time since the other year. I enjoy the nature, the rugged mountains, the spectacular sceneries most especially the vast ocean facing the last frontier and also the waterfalls. Though team building consists of only five of us, I still have fun enduring the long trip.

April - Summer begins and time for reflections. It is extremely hot during this month, and I feel uncomfortable with occasional fever and diarrhea yet I recover. Sad news came this month. Due to global recession, there is a massive layoff in the company. The company executives handpicked workers based on their poor performance and weak work ethics to be put on red list and instantly be fired disguised as forced resignation cleverly to avoid implications by the Philippine labor law because it is illegal to fire a worker unjustly. About half of my co-agents in our team was removed from the office leaving us with more work and lonelier days.

May – I undergone retraining and reassessment to see if I am still worthy of working in the company. Few days later, I decided to resign due to the fact of uncertainty and tiresome, stressful job. Would you imagine yourself sleeping for only 4 hours, working 9 hours straight, go home travelling for a distance of _ miles for about 50 minutes. I will sleep for 3 hours again before returning back to work. That is my schedule for nine months and I think it is just the right time to leave. This month is also the birth of this blog. I created the blog inspired by a youth oriented show on television with a few pieces about the blog and all about myself, how I feel and what I look into the future.

June – I spend my time at home helping with the household chores and relaxing in front of TV, read book or write some blogs. Then came the tragic news of the sudden death of my ill and bedridden uncle who just came out of the hospital due to his worsening tuberculosis. He died suddenly last June 19 while recuperating from his illness and was buried more than a week later on a Sunday, July 5.

July – I am happy because I receive a gift from a friend consists of a DVD – RW for my pc, tv antenna and the newly-released Sims 3 games. I tried and played the game but unfortunately I was frustrated because it was so slow due to the current computer specifications that was installed so I plan to upgrade the pc in the coming months.

August – not much activities due to deep slumber and inactivity at home

September - I am busy preparing for the town’s annual festivities. The house is cleaned and decorated and mouth watering native delicacies were prepared but only a few visitors pay a visit. We have lots of food remaining that we share the leftovers with guests to bring home to their families as is the customs and traditions in this town.

October – I spend my time in and out of the house to relive boredom. I sent write the pc to be repaired and upgraded so I updated my blogs in an internet café near the plaza or in the market place. This month saw tremendous page hits on my blogs, being recognized and appreciated by readers all over the world.

November – The month of the saints and the dead. We honor the holy servants of the church as well as pay respect to our departed loved ones. I registered my blogs to different blog directories generating more page views. This month I bought several peripheral devices needed for the pc to be upgraded. When the pc was done, I played the Sims 3 for the first time since July. If I enjoyed the last two Sims much more with the 3rd edition with more revisions, lots of additions and also more new features.

December – The happiest month of the year since Christmas is all about love, food and merrymaking but I haven’t enjoyed it because I want to be in a far place outside the country to experience snow, the warmth of the people in cold places and the blast of celebrations in a different country. Hopefully, in 2010 or the year of the tiger will make it into fruition and turn my dreams into reality. I am sick and tired of unforgiving and cold hearted people that I want to experience the real joy brought by the kindness of people in a different place. This blog is not intended to depress and make the readers feel lonely but to open their eyes and minds to reality. But I am a positive minded person that these things are happening for greater and better reasons.

Classic Filipino Movie

His Darkest Hour Poster

Lebran: One of the Big Four in the 50s,

Of the Big Four in the '50s, Lebran was the newest film outfit, having been established only in 1949 by Rafael Anton and business associates. The three others were set up earlier: Sampaguita, LVN and Premiere.

Aside from the local audience, Lebran also targeted the Asian market, producing films with Tagalog and English versions.

It's more important movies were He Promised to Return, His Darkest Hour, The Spell, Song of Santo Tomas, Romeo at Julieta, Sigfredo, Kalbaryo ni Hesus, Pagsilang ng Mesiyas, Buhay Alamang, No Place To Hide, Saigon, Aklat ng Pag-Ibig, The Pirates Go To Town.

The stars of Lebran included Neil Young, Leopoldo Salcedo, Erlinda Cortes, Oscar Moreno, Jennings Sturgeon, Manuel Conde, Anita Linda, Fred Castro, Cris de Vera, Fernando Royo, Rosa Aguirre, Pedro Faustino, Berting Labra, Fara Lizardo, Ricardo Montes (Ric Rodrigo), Fred Montilla, Lirio del Valle, Rosa del Rosario, David Brian, Marsha Hunt.