Welcome to HADANG 2007

HADANG Festival 2007 officially opens tomorrow. It's a two-part affair with the first part intended to pay tribute to the late Boy Isidro whom everyone at the City Arts and Culture Office fondly called Inay. There will be an audio-video presentation, some moments of silent prayer, speech by the City Mayor and a plaque to be handed to the Isidro Family.

The second part is the Opening Ceremony. Jonas Lim and Sally Roleda will deliver the rationale and other details about the festival. Mayor Mel Sarmiento, Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino and Councilor Julius Mancol will deliver speeches. And of course there will be dance exhibition / ritual performances by the Sarakiki-Hadang Dancers.

I have attached pictures I took during our final rehearsal last Monday. For other details about the Festival, please check the poster I have attached at the bottom page of this blog.

Nuestra Señora De La Natividad

The Novena-Masses in preparation for the Feast Our Lady's Nativity began today.

Last week, I was at the Cathedral to take pictures of the image of the patrona for the Fiesta Souvenir Program. I have attached two pictures. Below is the image of the visitadora. It's the one that goes around various institutions in the city during the novena masses; and it's also the same image that goes around in the procession on the eve of the City Fiesta.


The image below is the one that many generations of Calbayongons should be familiar with. It's the image at the retablo or main altar of the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. Please note that the face and hands of St. Anne and the Niña (or the baby Mary) are no longer of the original Ivory. These parts were stolen at the height of a typhoon on August 12, 1987. These would later on be recovered and were enclosed in a glass container and stashed away for safekeeping.

Calbayog markers (4)

do you remember coming across this marker? It's one of the Calbayog markers many of us prefer to ignore . . .

That marker can be found here . . . at the Rizal Monument in Nijaga Park

a new commercial area

I was at the Magsaysay Boulevard Extension last Sunday (on purpose) to take pictures of the new commercial center soon to open in the area. It's the Rawis Fair Market (RFM).

Magsaysay Boulevard Extension spans from Brgy. West Awang to Brgy. Rawis and Brgy. Carayman. It is dubbed as the new growth area for Calbayog. A few years ago, there was only St. Ignatius Memorial Park (near Pido Street). Today further south one gets to see RFM and other establishments in addition to the new houses built at the Narcisa Subdivision. Of course much still needs to be done on the area, but this is certainly a good start.

the changing face of Magsaysay Boulevard

Thanks to OLPHI and the Crown Building, the face of Magsaysay Boulevard is changing. For those who have been out of Calbayog for so long, OLPHI is within the Christ the King College Campus on the ground where old-timers used to play soccer (or is it football?).

Also worth noting is the Crown building where its biggest tenant is GLOBE Telecom. On the corner of Magsaysay Boulevard and Rueda Street is Mercury Drug (yup, one of the only two establishment in the city that accepts credit cards. But sorry, no American Express please)


It's truly nice to see business establishments make the area busy. But then, there are old habits that do not go off just easily. Some Calbayognons still dry shirts on the "center island" like this one (in this case, a shirt printing establishment):

want lechon on a Sunday?

I went around the city this morning. I was amused to discover that many are now into selling lechon in Calbayog. In addition to the lechon stands in Brgy. Balud and the Alfia area, there are lechon vendors between the Nijaga Park and the Public Market.


Move a little further and you get to see the fruit stands like this one

And yes, in front of the Nijaga Park, the baratillos have this shop with flipflops galore! though these are no Havianas or billabong, these can be just as colorful

a friendly reminder

This billboard was installed near the main entrance of the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral a few years ago by the BCBP. A friendly reminder for us to be conscious of, well honesty, something that seems to be fast becoming a rare and precious commodity.

Another billboard or signage like this one was installed at the Christ the King College perimeter wall.

the pink house

There is this structure which I believe not so many Calbayognons have taken notice of. It's what the former bishop fondly referred to as the pink house.

The structure located beside the Parish Rectory along Sen. Pres. J. D. Avelino Avenue is actually the renovated (or is it restored?) kauswagan center which is intended to serve as a retirement house for the members of the Calbayog Clergy.

Happy Birthday Mayor MEL SENEN SARMIENTO

This blogsite takes time to greet Mayor MEL SENEN SARMIENTO many happy returns as he turns 45 years old today!

Ad Multos Años!

Isabel Eman

If one is to take a close look at one of the pillars at the City Hall entrance, one will see a poster from the Civil Service Commission asking all concerend to forward any relevant information about a certain ISABEL EMAN.

Ms. Eman, an English teacher from the San Policarpo National High School is a semi-finalist in this years search for the Civil Service Commission's PAG-ASA Awards.

She gained fame last year after she made it as one of Metrobank Foundation's Ten Outstanding Teachers of the Philippines.

She received a cash prize of 250,000 pesos, a gold medallion and a photo op with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

For more details of the Pag-Asa Award do check this link: CSC Pag-Asa 2007

And for the 2006 Ten Outstanding Teachers Award, check this link: 2006 MBF SOT