The Philippines Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow
Sabuaga Festival: Kapampangan Easter Festival (Santo Tomas, Pampanga) This festival is held on Easter Sunday and comes from the Kapampangan words sabuag “to scatter” and sampaga “flower” as petals and confetti are showered by the estabats, the town’s maidens in their formal gowns, on the image of the Virgin Mary. Petals and Confetti literally rain … Read more
Talapangabus Is that Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue in the background? Nope! It’s just the Risen Christ Statue at Mt. Resurrection, Monasterio de Tarlac in San Jose, Tarlac, Philippines! Happy Easter! TALAPANGÁBUS • (tuh-luh-puh-NGAH-boos)savior, redeemerTagálog (Filipino): tagapagligtás, mánunúbos Root WordKÁBUS • (KAH-boos)(to) save from, deliver from, free fromTagálog (Filipino): ligtás, adyâ, tubós Derived WordPÁNGAKÁBUS • … Read more
The white marble cross (The Dungeons of Fort Santiago) This white marble cross marks the grave of 600 victims found lifeless in the dungeons of Fort Santiago at the end of World War II. In Memory of the Victims at Fort Santiago On this site lie the mortal remains of approximately 600 Filipinos. Their bodies … Read more
TerDua is a ritual dance conceptualized by the Sinukwan Kapampangan dance group which depicts and visualizes the Kapampángan Holy Week (Maléldó) culture. It was coined from the combination of the Kapampángan words térak which means “dance”, and kaladuâ which means “soul”, hence it means “dance of the soul”. It is a form of prayer developed … Read more
The Baroque Churches of the Philippines is a collection of four Spanish Colonial-era baroque churches in the Philippines, which were included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1993. These Augustinian churches are also considered as national cultural treasures of the country – San Agustin Church in Manila, San Agustin Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Nuestra … Read more