North Luzon Expressway

The North Luzon Expressway (NLE or NLEx), formerly called North Diversion Road, is a 4 to 8-lane limited-access toll expressway that connects Metro Manila to the provinces of the Central Luzon region in the Philippines. It is one of the two branches of the Radial Road 8 (R-8) of Metro Manila (Quirino Highway is the other).

Ibalong Epic

A long, long time ago, there was a rich land called Ibalong. The hero Baltog, who came from Botavora of the brave clan of Lipod, came to this land when many monsters were still roaming in its very dark forests. He decided to stay and was the first to cultivate its field and to plant them with gabi.

Then one night, a monstrous, wild boar known as Tandayag saw these field and destroyed the crops. Upon knowing this, Baltog decided to look for this boar with all his courage and patience. At last, as soon as he saw it, he fearlessly wrestled with it, with all his might. Baltog was unafraied. He was strong and brave. Though the Tandayag had very long fangs, he was able to pin down the monstrous, wild boar and break apart its very big jawbones. With this, Tandayag fell and died.

After this fight, Baltog went to his house in Tondol, carrying the Tandayag’s broken jawbones. Then, he hung it on a talisay tree in front of his house. Upon learning of the victory of their Chief Baltog, the people prepared a feast and celebrated. The very big jawbones of the dead boar became an attraction for everyone. Thus, came the tribes of Panikwason and Asog to marvel at it.

The second hero who came to the land of Ibalong was Handyong. Together with his men, he had to fight thousands of battles, and face many dangers to defeat the monsters. As warriors, they first fought the one-eyed monster with three necks in the land of Ponong. For ten months, they fought without rest. And they never stopped fighting until all these monsters were killed.

Handyong and his men made their next attack against the giant flying sharks called Triburon which had hardy flesh and sawlike teeth that could crush rocks. They continued fighting until the defeat of the last Triburon.

They tamed the wild carabaos. They even drove away the giant and very fierce Sarimao which had very sharp fingernails. And using their spears and arrows, they killed all the crocodiles which were as big as boats. With all these killings, the rivers and swamps of Ibalong turned red with blood. It was at this time that the savage monkeys became frightened and hid themselves.

Among the enemies of Handyong and his men, the serpent Oryol was the hardest to kill. Having a beautiful voice, Oryol could change its image to deceive its enemies. To capture it, Handyong tried different ways. But Oryol escaped every one of it and disappeared.

So, alone and unafraid, Handyong decided to look for Oryol in the heart of the forest. He followed the beautiful voice and was almost enchanted by it in his pursuit. Days and nights passed until Oryol came to admire Handyong’s bravery and gallantry. Then, the serpent helped the hero to conquer the monsters, thus restoring peace to the entire Ibalong.

In one of the areas of Ibalong called Ligmanan, Handyong built a town. Under his leadership and his laws, slaves and masters were treated equally. The people planted rice and because of their high regard of him, they named this rice after him. He built the first boat to ride the waves of Ibalong’s seas. Through his good example, his people became inspired and came up with their own inventions. There was Kimantong who made the plow, harrow, and other farming tools; Hablom who invented the first loom for weaving abaca clothes; Dinahong, an Agta, who created the stove, cooking pot, earthen jar, and other kitchen utensils; and Sural who brilliantly thought of the syllabary and started to write on a marble rock. This was a golden period in Ibalong.

Then suddenly, there came a big flood caused by Unos, with terrifying earthquakes. The volcanoes of Hantik, Kulasi and Isarog erupted. Rivers changed their direction and the sea waves rolled high. Destruction was everywhere. Soon, the earth parted, mountains sank, a lake was formed, and many towns in Ibalong were ruined.

Then, appeared the giant Rabot, half-man and half-beast, with awesome and terrifying powers.

People were asking who will fight against Rabot. So, Bantong, the third hero was called. He was a good friend of Handyong. He was ordered to kill the new monster in Ibalong. To do this, he took with him a thousand warriors to attack Rabot’s den. But using his wisdom against Rabot, he did not attack the giant right away. He first observed Rabot’s ways. Looking around the giant’s den, he discovered that there were many rocks surrounding it, and these were the people who were turned into rocks by Rabot.

Bantong also learned that Rabot loved to sleep during the day and stayed awake at night. So, he waited. When Rabot was already sleeping very soundly, Bantong came hear him. He cut the giant into two with his very sharp bolo and without any struggle, Rabot died, So, Ibalong was at peace once more.

SLEX

Snake Island in Puerto Princesa City

Pandan Island in Puerto Princesa City

Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus
Newport Boulevard, Pasay City

Pio Duran: Land of the Setting Sun

Brief History

Pio Duran was formerly called Panganiran (a Muslim word which means “Land of No Return” or the “Land of the Setting Sun”

It later became Sitio Malacbalac of Malidong, then a barrio of Guinobatan.

On June 22, 1963, Panganiran became a separate municipality by virtue of House Bill No. 5355.

It was renamed after late Cong. Pio Duran, husband of the late Cong. Josefina Duran, and was inaugurated as such on March 13, 1964.

Pio Duran, Albay

The Municipality of Pio Duran, a 4th class city in the province of Albay , Philippines

History of Tarlac City

The town of Tarlac has had a colorful and significant history. Its story may very well be story of Tarlac province itself, which came into being only in 1873-74, eighty six years after Tarlac town was formally founded in 1788.

From Bacolor, Pampanga came intrepid leaders, namely Don Carlos Miguel and Don Narciso Castaneda who, years before 1788, with their families and followers trekked through the forests and hills of Porac and Bamban before finally settling down in what is now known as the town of Tarlac. They cleared the forest and tilled the fertile soil until a settlement emerged along the bank of the river which flowed across the township.

The community grew rapidly with settlers coming from Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Pangasinan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and elsewhere. The Pampanga dialect became the lingua franca in the community, as it was part of Pampanga province in those days. The two leaders, Miguel and Castaneda succeeded in carrying out their pioneering venture through benevolent leadership, which elicited the cooperation of their followers. Thus roads were built, barrios were established without monetary expenditure, only through the common efforts of everyone. It also marked the beginnings of Tarlac as a melting pot of Central Luzon, with a mixture of divergent people working mightily for the common good.

Peace, happiness and self-sufficiency reigned during those early days. Enough agricultural and fish products were supplied by a rich soil and a flowing river, waiting for the hands of its hardworking settlers.

Later, it was unanimously agreed by the growing populace to request the authorities in Manila to convert the community into a town. Don Carlos Miguel prepared the needed resolution and forwarded it to the Spanish authorities. In 1788, a decree was issued by Captain General Don Felix Berenguer de Marquina, proclaiming Tarlac as a town under territorial jurisdiction of Pampanga, whose capital then was Bacolor.

The first governadorcillo (later called municipal) was Don Carlos Miguel in 1788 who, together with Don Narciso Castaneda, established the foundation of Tarlac town. He was followed by Don Luis Briones 1789. It was during his term as the second governadorcillo that the legend of San Sebastian started. It is said that sometime that year, an armed band of tulisanes were stopped from marauding the town by a young boy who turned out to be no less than San Sebastian himself.

Tarlac is represented prominently in the eight rays of the Philippine flag because it was among the first provinces to join the revolution in 1896. The K.K.K. of Andres Bonifacio found early adherents among Tarlaquenos, headed by Don Francisco Tanedo, after whom the town's principal thoroughfare is named. Don Francisco Tanedo was killed in an encounter with the Spanish guardia civil at the outset of the revolution. His early death inflamed the citizenry and his relatives and followers were bent on capturing the town by any means, but were dissuaded by Don Eusebio Tanedo Iro, who volunteered to see his friend, General Monet, former politico-military, governor of Tarlac and at the time the highest military official in Pampanga. Denying that Tarlaquenos were involved in the revolution, Don Eusebio was able to obtain orders from General Monet to stop military operations in Tarlac. However, peace did not reign long in Tarlac because Generals Francisco Macabulos and Jose Alejandrino already started their offensive against the Spanish forces. On June 25 1898, Spanish soldiers surrendered in Tarlac.

The Miguels, descendants of one of the pioneers of the town, Don Carlos Miguel, changed their family name to Tanedo in 1872 upon the promulgation of the Claveria decree on surnames. It is said that the Miguels preferred the masculine version of Castaneda, and Tanedo was also in compliance with the designated starting letter for all Tarlac surnames- it is therefore, not surprising that many Tarlaquenos to this day bear such surnames as Taala, Taar, Tabamo, Taban, Tabaquero, Tabasondra, Tamayo, Tamondong, to name a few.

President Emilio Aguinaldo proudly proclaimed the Philippine Republic on January 23, 1899 in Malolos, Bulacan. Assemblance of an independent government was formed, with a lawmaking body, the Malolos Congress, a cabinet headed by Apolinario Mabini ( who was foreign affairs minister), a judiciary, and of course, an army led by General Antonio Luna. A State University, the Universidad Literaria de Filipinas, was also opened.

By July 1899, however, with the tides of war turning against Aguinaldo, Tarlac became the last capital of the short-lived republic then on the run. Among the deputies who were in Tarlac to attend sessions of Congress were Fernando Ma. Guerrero of Manila, representing Leyte; Daniel Tirona of Cavite, representing Batanes; Tomas Mascarado of Batangas, representing Sorsogon; Servillano Aquino of Tarlac, representing Samar and Francisco Macabulos of Tarlac, representing Cebu.

The Aquinos, forebears of the late Benigno Aquino, Jr., came from lower Pampanga like most Tarlac settlers. The family of General Servillano Aquino settled in the town of Concepcion, still then a part of Pampanga. Present day Aquinos trace their Tarlac, Tarlac connections to one of the original families of this capital town, the Tanedo's General Aquino married Dona Lorensa Tanedo Quiambao and later, when he lost his wife in one of the tragic episodes of the revolution, married his wife's widowed elder sister Dona Saturnina Tanedo-Quiambao de Estrada, grandmother of former Senator Eva Estrada-Kalaw. The latter's bloodline is therefore not Aquino but Tanedo Quiambao, which she shares with the late Ninoy Aquino, her second cousin.

It is said, the past is a prologue to the future. This brief account of the town's colorful history is by no means complete. Since 1788, the town has progressed significantly, leading to its becoming the nucleus of Tarlac province. It has encountered countless hardships in the course of its existence, including those precipitated by earthquakes, cholera and other epidemics, great fires, devastating floods and similar calamities. Through the years, Tarlac's ability to survive wars, economic difficulties and political turmoil among others, has been proven by its consistent re-emergence as a stronger and better town, eager to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Tarlac upgrade to cityhood started way back in 1996, with the filing of a bill in Congress to convert the town into a component city. House Bill No. 6863 was passed on November 17, 1997, subsequently; Senate Bill No. 2340 was approved on February 23, 1998. Then, on April 18, 1998, through a plebiscite the citizenry overwhelmingly supported the conversion of Tarlac town into a component city with affirmative votes of 21,378 out of 26,020 votes. It was proclaimed as a component city on April 19, 1998 by virtue of Republic Act No. 8593 to be known as the City of Tarlac.

more pictures here

Source: www.tarlaccity.gov.ph