Paradise Philippines

It’s the start of ber month and as the old saying goes, “Christmas is around the corner.”

Soon you will hear Christmas songs playing on the radio, shops selling Christmas trees, belen, parol, star lanterns and other decors which symbolize Christmas in Philippines. It will not be too long from today, carolers will start standing in front of your gates and windows singing the inevitable holiday carols. Then friends will say, “Oh it’s Christmas time again, I want this and that for Christmas,” all the happy and sad clichés of the holiday.

Finally, September means one big thing towards December — the countdown! In Paradise Philippines, September is the first day when Filipinos start counting the days to Christmas.

Paradise Philippines has earned the distinction of celebrating the world’s longest Christmas season. Although it begins from early September, Christmas Day by tradition is ushered in by the nine-day masses, which commence on the morning of December 16.

The mass is originally known as Misas de Aguinaldo (Gift Masses) or Misa de Gallo (Rooster’s Mass), which the nation inherited from Spanish custom. These masses have evolved in the Tagalog language as Simbang Gabi.

Christmas Eve on December 24 is the much-anticipated “noche buena” — the traditional Christmas feast after the midnight mass.

Pasko (Christmas) in Paradise Philippines is a time for family, for sharing, for giving, time for food, fun, and friendship and in welcoming the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. It is the time when you will have the taste of Philippine delicacies like puto bumbong, queso de bola, jamon and many more.

Christmas in Paradise Philippines is indeed the happiest season you will ever experience. So let the countdown begin!

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A celebration paying homage to people who fought for freedom usually held with a cultural program and flower offering at the foot of the Unknown Soldier Monument.

In any human society there is a universal tendency to seek among its members a person of especially desirable qualities. These qualities such as bravery, fortitude in times of adversity, and willingness to sacrifice their lives for the benefit of the greater good are considered highly laudable. Individuals who have demonstrated these qualities are considered very special and are sometimes considered as heroes. As heroes, they are remembered by their community and to some extent, by the entire country, giving birth to the term, national hero.

Paradise Philippines history has witnessed countless heroes who in one way or another figured in its formation. They range from the more popular, like Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, to the nameless and faceless ones like the Unknown Soldier entombed at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the Katipunero who perished in the Battle of San Juan del Monte and the followers of leaders who fought for freedom like Apolinario de la Cruz, Diego Silang, Francisco Dagohoy, Tamblot, Magat Salamat, Soliman and Lapu-Lapu.

And then there are the lesser-known heroes. Ordinary schoolchildren have probably not heard of Aman Dangat of Batanes who resisted the Spaniards in the 18th century; Datu Akadir who resisted the Spaniards in Lanao in the late 19th century; or Diego de la Viña who formed his own force of revolutionaries to fight the Spaniards in Negroes Oriental. These heroes should also be remembered and honored by a grateful nation.

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The Sandugo Festival is a yearly historical event that takes place every year in the island province of Bohol. It is a month-long celebration distinctly and traditionally Boholano to give meaning to the local Philippines leader Datu Sikatuna's blood compact and association or treaty of friendship with the Spanish king conquistador, Captain General Miguel López de Legazpi in March 16, 1565.
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