Mountain View

Last Christmas...

Ohhhh my!!!! hehehehe.... a very very very late christmas post.....

Anyway... just want to share some photos taken last christmas from Koronadal, South Cotabato, my wife's hometown.

"Light A Tree Competition" along Alunan Avenue, Koronadal, South Cotabato.

Stretch of Narra trees that lines Alunan Avenue comes to life with dazzling lights and vibrant colors.
Each trees were adopted by a participating agency or companies to be decorated and lighted up.

A Fruitful Christmas!!!

A very fruitful christmas because my father-in-law have his mango orchard harvested...
and gathered almost 10 tons of green mangoes.





Bell peppers, bitter melon, tomatoes, cucumber, squash, eggplants, okra and.... ohhh... I forgot the others....
just sing "bahay kubo" halos lahat makikita nyo sa garden ng father-in-law ko ;-)

Pasko sa Gensan 2008

Wooot Wooohhh!!! Paskong-pasko na talaga!!!

Nitong nakaraang Biyernes, ika-5 ng Disyembre ay pormal ng binuksan ang "Pasko sa Gensan 2008". Ang Tema sa taong ito ay "Enchanted Gensan: Once upon a Yuletide Season". Nagkataon namang napadaan ako sa Oval Plaza at buti na lang dala-dala ko ang aking maliit na camera... kaya heto ang ilan sa mga eksenang narehistro sa memory card.....

Isang makulay at mala-pantasyang parada na nilahukan ng mga mag-aaral sa Elementarya at High school

Drum and Lyre Competition pagkatapos ng parada.



Bonggang Mother Majorette! Talbog ang lahat!!!


Ang mga bongacious na host.... apir kina sir Glen at Egai!!!



Oval Plaza at night......



Enchanstage


Gensan's Giant Christmas Tree

MunaTo Festival 2008

Even though Alabel, Sarangani Province is just a minute away neighbor of Gensan City, it was my first time to witness their "MunaTo Festival". There were so many activities I missed for a week long celebration, but since the highlight of the festival fell on a Saturday, that was my chance to visit Alabel.

My First destination ...... the Motocross. But I was so early, the race hasn't started yet, but luckily there were riders practicing, and so these are what my camera captured...

Amazing motorbikes flying up the air, it was breath-catching, one's life could be endangered
with the tricks they do, but for a show, they were definitely cool.

You must be a light-rider in order to breeze the wind. Riders were fascinating, and kids were just awed
at the flying riders, but they must be really careful when they try this. With elders on the lookout please!

My Next stop.... "Sayew D'Dalan" or the Street Dancing Competition. There were only three Municipalities who joined the competition, Municipality of Malungon, Alabel and Maitum. The photographs you see are activities from the street dancing. The drums were just beating frantically as the dancers sway their bodies to the beat.

Colorful costumes depicting the creativity and art of the indigenous people of Sarangani Province.

Chanting happily and shouting Hurrahs as the drums and lyres echo wildly in the distance.
Cornhusk dresses these participants, a proof of the agricultural thanksgiving each municipality bestows to the gods.

Walks, skips, runs, all for the easy sway of the arms as they wave them to demonstrate for the crowd
which are all enjoying the show, all cheering for their own bet.

The beauty of Sarangani is not only through these pictures, visit the place and you will see an abode of nature, Glan's Gumasa White Beach, the oysters in Malapatan, corn in Maitum, atis in Maasim, the Little Baguio in Malungon, the fascinating falls in Kiamba, and of course, the White House Capitol in Alabel...

All of them, in one great festival..... MunaTo