The 1st Philippine International River Summit that Iloilo City is hosting May 29-June 1 has caught the interest of an Indian columnist.
“The International River Summit will be the platform where Iloilo will proclaim its success to the world and some 1,000 participants from around the world are expected to be around to applaud,” stressed Barun Roy, columnist of India’s leading newspaper Business Standard.
Gosh, I felt terrible that my bandwidth for my photos exceeded. I’m opting for upgrade yet they are still unavailable as of the moment.
I will do update the links as soon as possible. 
In my first post about Manggahan, I have shared come facts about Guimaras, the world’s sweetest mango, and of the festival. While I have attended the opening program of the festival, it wasn’t enough to enjoy the festival.
It would be an awesome experience if I will be able to return on Sunday which is the highlight of the festival. I advise all of you to experience it. Yet for me, I will not be able to do so. To compensate this, I decided that I will take part in the most sought-for event in the festival, the MANGO EAT-ALL-YOU-CAN!
On Monday, after the opening activities, there was a Technology Forum brought by the The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), a sectoral council of the Department of Science and Technology, with their FIESTA or the Farms-Industry Encounter through Science and Technology Agenda where mango farmers and scientists discussed the mango technologies.
I went back to Guimaras on Wednesday, April 18th, to accompany my colleagues in their On-the-spot Essay Writing Contest and Photojournalism Contest. i brought my girlfriend with me to enjoy the event.
On that day, PCAARRD sponsored three events, two of which I have already mentioned, and the Cookfest which is a contest on cooking food using mango as a major ingredient. It was divided into two categories, the School Category and Open Category.
With one of my colleague writing her essay for the contest, my other companion roamed the area to look for images suited for her entry in the photojournalism contest. We and my girlfriend went to a nearby mango plantation to take some images of the world-class mango production facility of our Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
We went back to the capitol grounds to take more pictures for her entry.
These are the entries submitted to a contest for the heaviest mango. I think I saw that the heaviest one is 500 grams.
We returned to the activity area for my colleague to submit her entry. With much ado, me and my girlfriend proceeded to the Mango Eat-All-You-Can for a mind-whopping experience!
In this event, participants pay for their desired mango. 40 Philippines pesos for green mangoes and bagoong. 70 Philippines pesos for ripe mangoes, and 85 Philippines pesos for ripe mangoes and ibos.
Me eating my mangoes. And look, the girl at the background serving another round of mangoes for us.
My girlfriend helping herself with her supply.haha
We were included in the seventh and last batch for the day. This event will continue on April 21 and 22. I finished four kilograms of mangoes and I thought I will not eat anymore, forever! The experience was very fun and every one should do it if you will attend this festival.
We were just in time to return and wait for the results of the contests they have attended. Both of them were winners! Above is the winning entry of my photographer colleague while the essay is currently owned by PCAARRD and will be published in their FIESTA magazines soon. I’ll sure blog about it when it comes out!
I may have not been to all the events of this year’s Manggahan Festival but I am already happy and impressed. I have seen a friendship and acquaintance improving. My eating skills were improved! Lastly, I have enjoyed another festival with the one I love.
I hope that you have liked this post series and that you will consider in visiting Guimaras for Manggahan next year. But if you are near Guimaras, here are the remaining activities of the festival:
April 21, 2012
April 22, 2012
This is so much fun! haha
I have been quite busy this week because of this year’s 19th Manggahan Festival in the province of Guimaras. I was invited, together with a colleague, to witness the opening program and several activities of the said festival.
Guimaras is an island province here in the Philippines in the Visayas region. It is closely related to the Province of Iloilo being once its sub-province until May 22, 1992 when it acquired its province status by virtue of a Presidential Decree from former President Fidel V. Ramos.
Since then, Guimaras was known to be the home of the best tasting mangoes and cashew in the region. While I do not really know the exact reason behind this, through years of going there, I think it is because of the nature of their soil. Their soil is reddish and this might be rich in minerals important for plant nutrition. But because of this, Guimaras was declared as a special quarantine area against mango seedlings, pulp, and other parts that came from other areas to ensure the health and good state of its mangoes.
In 1993, the province celebrated the very first Manggahan Festival. This is a celebration of the Guimaras mango (mangga) and of its offerings to the province. All five municipalities of Guimaras benefit from these mangoes and they showcase these in the said festival.
Even though this festival has been there for years, it was my first time in attending this festival. Guimaras is located just one motor banca away from us but there is little chance of going there even for a festival.
The easiest way to travel to the Manggahan Festival is to ride a motor banca at the Ortiz Wharf to the Municipality of Jordan. After that, travelling to the festival center would require you to get either a jeepney, multicab, or tricycle to the Capitol grounds.
We were blessed enough to witness the opening program of the said festival last April 16, 2012. Here are some pictures of the event:
The Opening Program was commenced through a parade that resulted to a heavy traffic in the area. Guimaras has only one circumferential road and we had to take a shortcut to arrive on time.
The Manggahan Festival also offers a competition to its constituents which had to do a street dance. Its culmination will be this Sunday.
Manggahan Festival.
This is the performance area and the site of the activities of Manggahan Festival.
One of the competing hubon (groups) of the dance competition.
The Governor of Guimaras, Hon. Felipe Hilan Nava opening the Agro-Trade Fair of the festival.
Mangoes. They make salivate.
Guests were offered this meal after the opening program. Sweet mangoes and eaten together with ibos (or suman sa ibos) which is “sticky” rice cooked and wrapped in ibos (coconut leaves?). Also, sweets and drinks made of mango were also offered.
Here is the schedule of the 19th Manggahan Festival:
April 10-14, 2012 – Manggahan sa Robinson’s (Robinson’s Place – Iloilo)
April 11, 2012 (1:30 PM) – Disco Derby Elimination (Robinson’s Place – Iloilo)
April 13, 2012 (5:00 PM) – Mutya ng Guimaras Fashion Show (Robinson’s Place – Iloilo)
April 15, 2012
April 16, 2012
April 17, 2012
April 17, 2012
April 19, 2012
April 20, 2012
April 21, 2012
April 22, 2012
As you can see, you still have time to visit Guimaras. So, if you’re near Guimaras, take the next motor banca and enjoy this year’s Manggahan Festival!
In an enlightened move okayed by Donald Trump himself, transgender women will be able to compete in the Miss Universe competition beginning next year. The Miss Universe Organization, which is co-owned by Trump and NBC, announced on April 10 that it will be officially changing the house rules to allow transgender contestants to compete in their pageants, which include Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.
Buy Diet Pills
Buy Diet Pills
When dieting and working out aren’t giving you the weight loss results that you want, it may be time to buy diet pills. If you’ve reached the point where you are considering adding prescription-based weight loss medications to your life, you might want to consider another option. Dietrine Carb Blocker is a great new supplement that is available without a prescription.
You may be familiar with Phase 2, which was very popular among those finding it difficult to lose weight with diet and exercise alone. Derived from the white kidney bean, Phase 2 neutralizes the enzyme alpha amylase produced in the pancreas, normally used to break down carbs. Starches are then able to pass through your digestive system without being broken down into glucose and fat, decreasing your net caloric intake, even with foods such as bread, pasta, and cereal.
By simply clicking around our website, you can safely and securely order Dietrine Carb Blocker from the comfort of your own home. And, because this is a 100 percent stimulant-free, botanical supplement, you don’t have to worry about harmful side effects or drug interactions. And, as if that wasn’t enough, when you order Dietrine Carb Blocker, we add in some great bonus material that will help you lose the weight even faster!
Free with any purchase of Dietrine Carb Blocker is a lifetime membership in our online weight loss program, which will keep you posted on new developments in the industry and provide great tips on exercise and diet programs you might want to try. We also include a weight loss hypnosis download and an e-book with 71 weight loss tips that contains all the tricks you need to promote real fat loss! With such a great supplement and a fantastic package of extras, you’ll be on your way to the body you want in no time!
For more information visit: http://mhlnk.com/F2D1239F
See yah folks. I think I’ll try to finish all my pending posts here in my drafts.
Nah, I just want to say, THIS IS HEAVEN and that BOND and SAFRI DUO should do this kind of things AGAIN!
Okay. This post is one of the hardest.
So I’m stuck here in front of the computer, finishing my lab sheets in Biology. Then it came to me that I’ll check my Facebook for anything that may be new. Nah, I read things that aren’t new. But they are somewhat painful.
I was reprimanded for thinking about the things that I am about to write here but I beg you, if ever you read this, I just want to express my feelings. Yep, I’m turning 20 years old very soon and this particular topic is very important for me.
I finished my high school education with nothing to brag about except passing the University of the Philippines College Aptitude Test (UPCAT) for BSBA Marketing. Yeah, the thought that I will be entering UP depleted all the cares and thoughts I had towards graduating with no honors. Honestly, when many people look upon you like someone that they can be proud of, graduating as a nuisance is kinda disgraceful, discouraging, and funny.
Now, back in 2008, I entered the portals of my country’s National University in its Visayas “branch”. My upper class men taught mo to take pride of being a UP student. My teacher taught me to look up to myself because I passed a rather unfair and dreaded entrance examination.
I was very confident ever since on the last year of my high school education that I will become a business man because I will take BSBA. I had plans and goals to finish and become successful to show to the people who failed me that I can do anything. Yet, as I started on to become a business student, I realized that I do not really love business as a career. I want to become a teacher or a medical doctor. So I asked my parents about their opinion to my plan. They agreed and considered the idea a better one.
But, since that pride of being a UP student went directly to my head, (I don’t know. I was not that showy but the fact that I did not concentrate on my studies is an evidence that my head was getting soaked.) I failed my Trigonometry. I have two courses where I had an INC grade. Gosh, I felt so useless. My plan to transfer was not successful.
Then, during my second year, the provisions of the Standardized Tuition Fee Assistance Program (STFAP) of the University changed. I am not ashamed to admit it. My family was rather suffering from financial constraint. My parents wanted me to continue. But I would not let them suffer just to keep me in school, paying Php 600/unit which was very heavy for us. So I stopped for a semester.
For the next semester, I was determined to go back to school but as a Biology student. But I still need to recover my grades in my BSBA so I went back to my college, the College of Management, and “managed” to finish the semester with no failures.
I applied for transfer to the Miag-ao campus where the College of Arts and Science is located. I passed the screening (haha, I’m not sure if there is such a thing) and was very proud and happy that I will be pursuing Biology in UP. Now, my classmates are entering their third year in college while I tried hard to convince the persons at CAS to give me a higher status. All they can give me was a second year status. But everything that I dreamed of never happened.
I failed two retention courses because of the absences I committed during the course of the class. I had no constant companion while I was away so I opted to go home everyday just to refrain from feeling so alone. I pleaded to the council of teachers that I should be allowed to continue. I was given a conditional status and they made me continue my Biology dream but more hindrances arrived.
I was attacked by severe asthma. I needed to go back and forth the City just to be treated with my nebulizer. I had many absences. And I will have to pay a greater amount of tuition fee in the coming semesters.
Gosh, things were getting so depressing. I needed to stop for a while to watch out for my health. While doing this, I decided to transfer. Yeah. I was willing to give up a dream of a lifetime. I can pass those courses, I know I could. Yet the asthma was killing me. The tuition, board, and lodging is killing me. I needed to be free.
I chose to transfer at West Visayas State University and the rest of the story is yet to be told. But my point is this: What if I only decided to take BS Biology in First Year! We were given the opportunity to switch courses but I did not listen.
Of course there is also an idea that, what if I just continued my BSBA Marketing course? Maybe, this month, I’ll have my sablay as a birthday gift. I’ll be getting letters from companies for them to hire me. I could be the breadwinner of my family.
Then, what if I just continued my studies as a UPV Biology student? I may graduate faster plus with great distinction because of graduating from the National University. I may have earned friends and several colleagues in the future.
After that last paragraph, I realized I still have the feeling of regret towards all the actions I did before. But you know what, I’m happy right now. I can’t help writing about this happiness.
Me and my girlfriend are getting well with my school and never in my life did I have this kind of connection with someone I love. Surprises hide between us and I love it!
I have the best opportunities in my whole life.
I have the best classmates/younger siblings that I truly love and cherish.
I have found a new family where people understand me like how I understand myself.
So, I should be one of the graduates being congratulated this month. But here are some thoughts that I formulated:
Regret
haha
