Repost from Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sept. 2, 2011
Napocor getting P1.6B for SPUG
By: Amy R. Remo, Philippine Daily Inquirer
National Power Corp. will receive from the government P1.6 billion to help finance the operations of small power utilities group (SPUG) in off-grid and missionary areas in the country.
At the sidelines of the Renewable Energy Leadership Roundtable on Thursday, Napocor president Froilan A. Tampinco said the power firm received last week the approval for the additional SPUG funding, which would come from the royalties paid for the Malampaya natural gas field.
“We got another shot in the arm, so to speak, from the government,” Tampico said, adding that the amount would be used by Napocor for the SPUG’s operations up to the end of the year.
Of the P1.6 billion, Tampinco said about P1.3 billion would be used for the fuel requirements of the SPUG facilities in various remote areas in the country. The balance will be used to purchase “critical spare parts and other requirements of our generation sets.”
According to Tampinco, the amount was on top of the P2 billion it received earlier from the government, which also came from the Malampaya funds.
Both the P1.6 billion and P2 billion represent reimbursements of the advances made by Napocor for the preservation of the mothballed 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).
Just last week, Napocor filed a petition with the Energy Regulatory Commission for an additional P4.3 billion in fees to enable its SPUG to continue operations, as well as prevent a fuel shortage and the consequent shutdown of power facilities.
Philippine-American War 1900-1901. The Battle of Pulang Lupa is commemorated in Marinduque on Sept. 13 of every year.
Video with historical photos and footages on the commemoration of the Battle of Pulang Lupa in Marinduque. "Awit sa Pulang Lupa" written and composed by this blogger,and performed by the Teatro Balangaw Ensemble and the Marinduque Provincial Capitol Choir, 2007.
Reliving Pulang Lupa Video
First-hand accounts of the battle and other historical documents on Marinduque could be found in www.ulongbeach.com managed by Curt Shepard, that this blogger considers one of the most important sites on Marinduque history.
This blog is a tribute to Curt and his wife Dalia. Our correspondence started in 2006. Excerpts from an earlier email exchange are reproduced below, as well as the lyrics of Awit sa Pulang Lupa:
“Eli,
…I was attracted to your site because of your interest in bringing the history of Marinduque to the people. My interest started when neither my wife nor her family could tell me about your independence day. I thought I had asked a simple question: Do you celebrate your independence from Spain or the United States? I found out it was not a simple question to answer after all. I found several sites here in the states that argue this point as well as the date of June 12 and July 4th. Any way this started my education of the history of Marinduque as well as the Philippines. My hope is that the children don't forget or not have a chance to learn.
"Hopefully you can use some of the information on my website to encourage your new dance drama.
"Curt & Dalia" (Sept. 2, 2006)
“Curt and Dalia,
“… But doing the research then I did see the strong possibility that what transpired in Samar in a town called Balangiga, a much written-about episode on American atrocities (and was made into a movie, "Sunugin ang Samar" in the 70s), during that war must have also happened in Marinduque. I found out about the involvement of Bandholtz in Samar then. But then I had no source, no Internet here then to support this suspicion. Nevertheless I included in my play a dialogue delivered by one American soldier ordering his men "to turn this island into a howling wilderness", a phrase used in the Samar massacre of civilians.
"Locally available historical accounts stopped at Pulang Lupa, you see. And now your website contains detailed information during the two years that followed! The accounts on the Corliss Experiment are most shocking. This must be the newest document that has surfaced here after having been buried for years in U.S. archives! It could definitely be a great subject for a painting, play, film or literary piece... but I must say I was so moved reading that account in your site!...
"Eli” (Sept. 3, 2006)
"AWIT SA PULANG LUPA" Titik at Musika: ELI J. OBLIGACION
May isang kahapong nagdaan Kasaysayang di malilimutan 'Sang kahapong di maiwawaksi Diwang Makabaya'y naisilang.
May isang kahapong nagdaan Kasaysayang di mallimutan May kahapong di maitatanggi Ang kahulugan ay Tagumpay ng Lahi.
Sa Pulang Lupa, kawal na bayani Gubat ay tinahak ng buong sidhi Ang mahal sa buhay, inalo't iniwan Nang ipagtanggol ang ating bayan.
Dito na namuno si Kapitan Abad Kapitang namuno ng buong lakas At naging kasama si Kang Alapaap Siya na mapusok at puso'y marahas.
Isang madaling araw Sa buwan ng Setyembre Sinagupa nila ang kaaway Sa gitna ng kabundukan.
(Mga Hiyaw/Mga putok ng baril/riple/Mga Tambol/Simbal)
(Marahan) At dahan-dahang nagapi ang kaaway Kahit kay lakas pa ng dalang armas Ang dugo sa lupa, na di na rin mahupa Ang nagbigay lakas sa kanilang diwa.
(Mabilis) At pagsapit ng hapon Naganap ang pag-urong 'Merikano'y tuluyang sumuko Sa gerilyang pinuno.
May isang kahapong nagdaan Kasaysayang di mallimutan May kahapong di maitatanggi Ang kahulugan ay Tagumpay ng Lahi.
(Koro) Pulang Lupa ay tuluyan nang di napigil At damdaming makabayan ay nagising Nang di magpatuloy ang likong landas Ng dayuhang mapang-api
(Solo): Di ko na malilimutan sa 'king isip Pulang Lupa ay hindi mawawaglit.
(Uulitin ang Koro hanggang sa "likong landas")
At sa oras na mangailangan ng Lakas ng puso at tapang pa Pulang Lupa'y bubuhayin ko! Bubuhayin ko! Bubuhayin ko!
Marinduque has been identified in recent years as the geodetic center of the Philippines, being the site of Datum Station Balanacan, the origin of Luzon Datum of 1911, mother of all datums in the country. The root of various expressions of Tagalog culture, traditions, indigenous arts, including the language that originated here and evolved into today's modern national forms, could be found in Marinduque.
In its long and colorful history, this island-province that measures 959 sq.km. became part of Batangas, Mindoro, and Tayabas (now Quezon). By the 1920s an act separating Marinduque from Tayabas laid the basis for the island-province's existence as a separate province, celebrated on February 21st as "Araw ng Marinduque".
Marinduque is known for the colorful Lenten pageant, Moriones Festival, and for the fierce patriotism displayed by the revolutionary soldiers during the Philippine-American War in the Battle of Pulang Lupa and Battle of Paye, both commemorated annually.
Coconut production and fishing remain as Marinduque's major industries. Livestock and poultry continue to be raised by local farmers alongside production of rice and crops like bananas, rootcrops and mangoes. In support of its tourism industry new entrepreneurial products like buntal handlooms, arrowroot flour and cookies, diverse softwood items, nito vine wares, virgin coconut-oil, fish paste and butterfly by-products are steadily finding their way into the export market.
Tourism
Today, the development of Marinduque and its outlying islands, as a major tourist destination in south Luzon is being pursued by the local government units and the private sector. CNN International has named Marinduque as a new tourism hotspot in Asia, with the launching of Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa, alongside eco-tourism development efforts undertaken by the local governments. International tourism watchers like The Western Australian and Elle Canada listed Marinduque on the No. 2 spot as "one of world’s top islands” in January this year, 2011.
Airport rehabilitation, ports improvement and better road infrastructure are now being pursued vigorously. Marinduque is classified as a 4th Class province, trailing behind the other MIMAROPA (acronym for Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), regional group of island-provinces in terms of poverty incidence.
Marinduque has a population of 229,636 (as of August 1, 2007), inhabiting six municipalities, namely, Boac, the capital, Buenavista, Gasan, Mogpog, Sta. Cruz and Torrijos.
"Carrion said the criticisms against his administration are only caused by politics and he blamed Rep. Carmencita Reyes for them. Her family, who has ruled Marinduque for four decades, does not want anybody else to run the province. But what have they done for the province during all those years? he asked rhetorically. Marinduque is still a fourth-class province.
“Congresswoman Reyes calls herself the ‘Queen of Marinduque,’” he said..." (As I See It, Neal Cruz, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan. 22, 2008)
“…Today, Longinus’ mock-decapitation, the most important feature of the tradition in Boac, no longer takes place on Easter Sunday following the morning mass, but rather in the context of a Saturday-night passion play or sinakulo. This shift places his death chronologically before the risen Christ appears, a somewhat jarring occurrence inasmuch as the other events associated with the passion of Christ are played out in a sequence timed to replicate their actual occurrence in historical time.
"This move was spearheaded by the current Provincial Governor, Carmencita Reyes, who as one of Imelda Marcos’ original inner circle of so-called “Blue Ladies” during the Marcos era, is known for her strong personality and desire to shape the island’s traditions in ways that she feels best serves the island’s long-term strategic, economic, and cultural interests.
"Integrating a mock-execution into the final evening sinakulo may have enhanced its dramatic effectiveness, but it has also contributed to the radical transformation of a folk tradition by knocking it off its moorings." (Beheading Longinus in the ‘Heart of the Philippines’: Spirituality, Theatre, Community, and Politics in Marinduque’s Moriones Festival” By William Peterson , Monash University, 2005).
It was the theme song of Mara Unduk. "Marinduque Akin Ka", first sang as a duet by Ian Venida (he later joined "Miss Saigon"), and a boy soprano from Marinduque National High School whose name escapes me now, was composed by this blogger in 1992.
A couple of years ago, it was made the contest piece for Hapit Himigan, a choral competition organized by the provincial capitol and was participated in by the IFI Vocal Ensemble of the Parish of St. Joseph (Gasan), Reunited Choir of the Marinduque National High School-Boac North District (Boac), Live Echoes Choir of St. Mary's College of Marinduque (Boac), Mogpog Municipal Chorale (Mogpog) and TORMEA Choir (Torijos).
IFI Vocal Ensemble won the said contest. Shown in this video is one of their performances in Gasan after winning the competition. Members of the choir are students, government employees, teachers, stevedores and tambays, according to musical director Mark Del Monte Reginio.
The first song is Marinduque Akin Ka, followed by Reginio's own composition, the happy song, Tayo na sa Marinduque.
Video by markjoebertmark.
"Marinduque Akin Ka" Titik at Musika: Eli J. Obligacion
Isang paraiso sa gitna ng dagat Ay muling nabuhay Sa aking pangarap ngayon Kahapo'y di mawaglit sa aking isip Ngayo'y buhay ka't di na panaginip.
Marinduque akin ka Puso mo'y puso ko Awit mo'y awit ko di ba At ngayo'y magkayakap ang ating damdami'y iisa.
Isang paraiso, ilaw sa karimlan Batis ng pag-asa Bayan ma'y sadlak sa dusa Kahapon mo'y may pait, luha at sakit Ngayo'y nagising diwa'y nagupiling.
Marinduque gising na/akin ka Puso mo'y puso ko Awit mo'y awit ko di ba/di baga At ngayo'y magkayakap Ang ating damdami'y iisa.
By Edu Punay The Philippine Star, Updated September 03, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) has upheld the election last year of Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco of the lone district of Marinduque province.
In a decision issued last Aug. 11, the HRET junked the electoral protest filed by losing congressional candidate Edmundo Reyes II against Velasco after conducting revision and appreciation of the ballots in 25 percent of the pilot protested precincts.
The tribunal, which resolves protests in the congressional polls, ruled that Velasco won over Reyes by 4,146 votes, or 39 more votes from the original margin of votes declared by the Commission on Elections.
“There was no testimony from any member of the Board of Election Inspectors of the clustered precincts nor from any watcher or voter to prop up the claim of fraud and irregularities,” the HRET said.
Velasco was proclaimed winner in Marinduque’s lone congressional seat during the May 10, 2010 elections after he garnered a total of 52,407 votes as against Reyes’ 48,300 votes.
Under HRET rules, if there is no reasonable recovery from the pilot protested precincts in favor of the protestant (Reyes), the tribunal can already dismiss the protest.
The tribunal said Reyes failed to show that the officially proclaimed election results in favor of Velasco would be substantially affected if the proceedings on the remaining contested precincts were to be continued.
It ruled out allegations of fraud, terrorism, vote buying and other irregularities alleged by Reyes in his protest.
The HRET said Reyes relied solely on the certificate of canvass and the statement of votes and the ballots to assail the integrity of the election returns.
It added that the revision of ballots failed to show any irregularity or discrepancy that would alter the results of the congressional election.
The Scott Kelby Annual Worldwide Photowalk comes to the Heart of the Philippines!!!
Marinduque photographers, from amateurs to professionals, now have a chance to get together and shoot the scenes in the capital town of Boac, as part of the global photofest that started four years ago.
Bring any digital camera, any brand, any type. No age limit, no gender preference.
A route for the photo walk with a starting point and ending point will be planned which will last about two hours. A Flickr group shall be set up for the walkers to share their photos with one another. Photos uploaded to Flickr aren’t entered into the Photo Walk contest, but it’s a good way for everyone to share what they captured during the Photo Walk.
After the walkers who want to enter the contest have submitted their single best image from your local Walk, the winning image shall be chosen! The winner will receive Scott Kelby’s latest bestselling book — Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It — and will also be in the running for the Grand Prize!
The signup will close on September 16. There are 40 more slots, so feel free to invite friends and family! Walk Organizer is Dan Pagulayan who may be contacted at the same link above.
There are close to 700 photowalks worldwide and 35 are located in the Philippines.
2010 Best in Show & Grand Prize Winner Photo By Rhys
South Wharf, VIC Australia – July 24, 2010
Photo Walk Contest Prizes
Local Walk Winners:
Each local Photo Walk winner will receive a copy of Scott Kelby’s "Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It" Book.
Grand Prize:
Full Adobe CS5 Suite
Epson R3000 Printer
PhotoshopWorld Ticket
Full Library of Kelby Books
iPad (32GB)
$500 B&H Photo Gift Card
2 Light Kit w/Box Stands, Clamps & Case from Westcott
Nik Software Suite
OnOne Software Suite
One Year NAPP Membership
One Year Kelby Training Subscription
10 Finalists:
Nik Software Suite
OnOne Software Suite
One Year NAPP Membership
One Year Kelby Training Subscription
Scott Kelby’s Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It Book
$100 B&H Photo Gift Card
Prizes continue to mount, so visit the prize page for more updates: http://worldwidephotowalk.com/prizes/
City of Malolos, Central Luzon Philippines, by Minella Rivera
Here’s the tentative Boac itinerary.
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2011 (12:00 pm to 4:00 pm)
Venue: Kusina sa Plaza, Boac, Marinduque
12:00 Noon – 12:30 PM – 2PM : Meet up
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM: Basic Photography Talks (to be conducted by DAN PAGULAYAN) and some tips
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM : Photowalk proper
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM : Photo submission
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM : Photo judging and declaration of winners.
http://worldwidephotowalk.com/
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO SEE HOW IT'S DONE!
Malindig volcano and Tres Reyes Islands in Marinduque
A burial scene from Mara Unduk
Article from Business World with Teatro Balangaw photo
"...villages were submerged in mud and sand, bringing havoc and destruction once again."
Mara Unduk performance for the Southern Tagalog Kundiman Fiesta
Mara Unduk performance at Daupan Festival for the Centennial of Philippine Revolution
“Teatro Balangaw, Marinduque’s community-based theater group, will present “Mara Unduk”, a dance-drama based on the island’s mythical history as gathered from folklore. The play, first presented by the group three years ago, delivers a clear message: Nature’s violent and deadly acts are brought about by man himself. The theme is considered very timely, in the wake of the mine tailings spillage in Boac river recently, a problem which Marinduque is still recovering from at present.” (Marinduque Cultural Show Today, Manila Bulletin, May 5, 1996)
“The highlight of the program for the first day, The Story of Mara Unduk, was such a success. If the thundering round of applause could not compensate for the stress and pressure brought about by late night rehearsals, I cannot think of anything else that could. Tatlong bagsak para sa Teatro Balangaw!” (Daupan Festival Newsletter, Sept. 17, 1996)
Culminating performance at the Children and Youth Theater Festival, Rajah Sulaiman Theater, Fort Santiago
Bahaghari
Jubilation after a performance
A workshop with this blogger, 2008.
“Akala raw ni Benjie hindi magsisimula ng 7 p.m. ang show kaya almost 9 p.m. na when he decided to bring us back to the town plaza. Only to discover na nagsimula na pala ang Mara Unduk at matatapos na halos. Kaya hindi na nakasama si Jeffrey Santos as the supreme god “Bathala Meikapal”! (Star Nga Ba?, Alfie Lorenzo, People’s Journal, Dec. 11, 1992)
Myths and legends are told, retold and re-interpreted. Events, characters and symbols intrinsic to such mythical stories are said to contain certain truths, sparks from the subconscious, some call it, that find manifestation somewhere in time.
This 1992 material was presented by the Teatro Balangaw group as a dance-drama from Marinduque villages to audiences at Nayong Pilipino and Fort Santiago. It appears to be coming in full circle now, as the episodes and characters in the story have all rendezvoused with their own destinies somehow. Others just refer to this seeming phenomenon now and then as simply life imitating art.
Above photo: Men carrying Marinduque's incumbent leader. A real life deconstruction?
Baylana and Alon
The Legend of "Mara Unduk" by Eli J. Obligacion
In the days of Bathala, when two moons still sailed the sky the earth was inhabited by highly-gifted spirit-people who lived in harmony with all existence. Such immense powers they possessed, for they controlled the four elements of Fire, Air, Water and Earth.
Over time, however, they became too proud to the point that "Mayana", the Goddess of the Lower Moon, was angered, smashing her lunar abode onto the Earth. This was known as the First Upheaval - that which caused an island to spring from the bottom of the sea. The few survivors named it "Mara Unduk", sea mountain.
The Earth was left under the care of the gentle Goddess of the Higher moon, "Buwana". A new order was established under the rule of the sorcerer, "Katalona", who dominated the people's lives. But the survivors who have learned to hunt for food have forgotten who they were or where they came from. They had no notion of their destiny.
Strange dreams haunted the people for a long time and, to understand those dreams, a ritual was held one day. The young maiden, "Baylana" was bathed in incense and flower extracts and was put to sleep. In a trance, she spoke with the voice of the spirit protector, "Marindik"."Alon", a hunter who served as the sorcerer Katalona's apprentice falls in love with Baylana. The relationship ended in a tragedy for the young maiden and for Katalona. For the sorcerer Katalona, Alon's mission to chart his people's destiny was loftier and more important than Alon's love for Baylana.
Delubyo
Marcopper mine spill, one of the worst
environmental disasters
Such lawlessness and disorder descended upon the village that the people lost their sense of hope and direction. Marindik was displeased that she caused her dwelling on the mountaintop to emit burning rocks, and heaven to weep.
The villages were submerged in mud and sand, bringing havoc and destruction once again.In the midst of it all, Alon finds union with his primeval past, experiences unity with the elemental spirits and with all existence.
The enlightened Alon thus becomes whole again - the new TAO - the one to lead his people to their rightful and glorious place under the sun.
Repost from Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sept. 2, 2011
