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Ash from Mount Pinatubo covers Naval Station Subic Bay.
 
June 15, 1991 was a memorable date in Olongapo. Mount Pinatubo, 20 mi (32 km) from the city, violently erupted with a force 8 times greater than the May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Volcanic clouds blocked out the sun. Volcanic earthquakes and heavy muddy rain, as well as thunderstorms from a typhoon passing over Central Luzon made Black Saturday a 36-hour nightmare.This caused widespread damage to all of Zambales municipality including Olongapo City.


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This time of the year is busiest at Philippine schools. It's graduation time, and many a valedictory address would describe it as time for sadness (bye, bye to friends and dear alma mater!), and of joy (all ready to move on!) and thanksgiving (profuse gratitude to parents and teachers for making this day possible!).

These days, we hear of debates on graduation fees, and protests as well, and the Department of Education has repeatedly announced that collection of such fees are not allowed. 

We do not know if graduation was an expensive rite in the early years of the public education system set up by the Americans in the 1900s.  American teachers were all over the place; the first Filipino school principal got to be appointed only in 1915.  The curricula were certainly different then; pupils could even qualify to teach once they finish fourth grade of the elementary school if they were enrolled in the normal curriculum.

How did they hold graduation ceremonies?  Were their programs structured the way we are now familiar with--doxology, national anthems, valedictory and salutatory addresses, presentation of candidates for graduation and their confirmation, awarding of medals/diplomas, pledges of loyalty to alumni association and dear alma mater?  Did distinguished persons and politicians vie to be guest speakers? Were graduates bedecked with leis of ilang-ilang, kamia and sampaguita --even everlasting garlands from Baguio's souvenir market--by friends and relatives after the ceremonies? When did kodakan start to become a must-do?


This picture taken from a book by Mary Helen Fee published in 1912 shows a typical class of Filipino students around that time.

We got hold of an article in the monthly magazine Philippine Education (which later evolved into the Philippine Magazine) on the graduation exercises in Iba in 1915. 

Compared to today's long and sometimes boring graduation rites, the Zambales correspondent was reporting of entertainment and dancing to honor graduates.  He was so faithful in his coverage that he even had to denote where the speaker was interrupted with applause in his brief remarks. 

Here's the full report (you'll be amused how different it was then) --

"The teachers of the Iba primary school gave an entertainment and dance in honor of the graduating class of the Iba central school in the Zambales high school March 31, 1915, 7:00 p. m. The program was of sufficient merit to attract an increasing number of visitors from among the parents. The music under the direction of Misses Anacleta Venzon and Marcelina Miclat; the selection and the recitations of seven small boys and eight small girls greatly added to the excellence of the performance. The success of the entertainment was due to the painstaking efforts of all the teachers and their active supervising teacher. Mr. Adam C. Derkum, the division superintendent of schools for Zambales, after awarding the certificates to the pupils concerned, addressed the graduating class, giving stimulating advice and pointing out to the young graduates the right path to follow. In his remarks, he said, in part: "The clear and distinct singing and speaking of the small boys and girls have won my heart. I believe that Zambales will be the first English speaking division of all the divisions in the Philippine Islands. (Applause.) Thus, it means that the larger part of the future young leaders and assembly men will be from Zambales. (Applause.) When you look at the official roster you will find that the greater number of the younger men working in any departmental office in Manila will be from Zambales. (Applause.) The only province in which all the supervising teachers are Filipinos, is Zambales." (Applause.)

"Mr. and Mrs. Adam C. Derkum, who requested a transfer from the division of Zambales to a more accessible division, have been succeeded by Mr. and Mrs. William S. Fickes, who were teachers of the provincial high school of' Albay. The teachers in Zambales express regret at the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Adam C. Derkum who are now stationed in the province of Tarlac.

"On the 23d of April a social gathering and dance was held in the house of Mr. Maximo Abrigo, under the direction of Mr. Raymundo de Castro, teacher of the provincial high school at Iba and Mr. Luis Ruanto, division chief clerk, in honor of the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Adam C. Derkum. Several prominent officials attended the dance.

"The director of education has approved the establishment of a third year secondary class at the Zambales high school. This class will probably have an attendance of 39 students at the opening on June 14th. The establishment of this class is largely due to the strong recommendation of Mr. Adam C. Derkum.

"On March 27, a farewell dance was given by the Zambales agricultural club in the hall of the high school in honor of the departure of Mr. Donald T. Sayre, principal of the Iba farm school.

"In the final corn report for corn-growing contest No. 2 of the 1914 corn campaign, the judges declared the winners as follows: First place, Demetrio Felix, Iba farm; second, Jacinto Esmele, Iba farm; third, Cesario Villanueva, Iba farm; fourth, Pedro Melchor, Cabangan central school; fifth, Ildefonso Fulgar, San Narciso central school.

"On Monday night, March 29, 1915, the "Excelsior Literary Society of 1915" rendered an unusually gratifying program. The musical portion of the program was a success in every respect. A solo by Miss Juana Felix was pleasing on Tuesday, March 30 a formal dance was given also by the same society in honor of the seventh grade graduating class in the hall of the high school. Prominent officials attended the dance.

"At the commencement exercises of the Iba farm school and the intermediate department of the high school, Wednesday evening, March 31st, an uncommonly pleasing program was rendered. The music under the direction of Mr. Raymundo de Castro was carried out to a high standard of excellence both in the orchstral selections and in the choruses of the graduating classes."

There were winners in the corn growing contest, but how come there were no top ten of the class to be honored? Learn more »

The newly-elected mayor, vice-mayor and seven members of the Sanggunianng Bayan during their proclamation by Comelec on 10 May 2016 . Photo by the author.

In the recent May 2016 elections, a woman was elected mayor, the first in the history of my hometown San Narciso, Zambales.  Dr. La Rainne Abad Sarmiento and her close rival to the post crushed the incumbent's hopes for a third and final term. It was her first try, and she succeeded with an integrated campaign network in all the town's barangays.

Sarmiento joins five other women who will head local government units for the next three years starting 1 July: three re-elected (San Felipe, San Antonio and Botolan towns) and two newly-elected like her (Cabangan and Masinloc towns) .

Sarmiento's victory toppled the 'dynasty' (the town folks' term) of the Lim brothers.  The older one completed three terms, and the younger failed to clinch a third term. The full-blooded Chinese brothers, scions of one of the owners of the local hardware store, are Filipino citizens.

In one way, the Lim brothers upset the long-held prejudice against 'non-locals' by blood or origin in elections for posts in the local government. The first 'non-local' or 'gang-gannaet' (stranger in our Ilocano idiom) was elected town councilor in the 1971 elections. He was from northern Zambales married to a local teacher. Before him, the local photographer attempted but he was rejected even if he had been a long time resident of the town.

The vice mayor and municipal councilors (in polo barong) elected before the declaration of martial law.
From the collection of the author.
The 1971 elections was a historical turning point. It was the last democratic elections before Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law in September 1972, nine months after the winners in the November 1971 elections took their oath  on 31 December 1971 (photo above). 

I was a fresh engineering graduate from the University of the Philippines, and my candidacy was an impulsive decision, unplanned.  I was the youngest of that last batch. Aware that I was elected only for a four-year term, and with no end of martial law in sight, I resigned in 1975. The rest served the Bagong Lipunan regime until the elections on 30 January 1980, the first local and national elections after the declaration of martial law.

The 1980 elections did not bring a change of leadership. The mayor got a renewed mandate, and he would serve until the EDSA revolution of 1986.

EDSA I, in a sense, was a turning point in local history. President Corazon Aquino replaced the 1,550 mayors of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan party and four non-KB, and likewise municipal council members all over the archipelago with officers-in-charge until elections were held under the new Constitution of 1987.  The incumbent, a medical doctor, had already been mayor since January 1963. Cory Aquino replaced him with another medical doctor as officer-in-charge. They would face each other in the elections of 1988. The OIC lost that race to the long-serving doctor mayor. It was in the 1992 elections that the former clinched the title; the latter no longer ran for re-election.


The election results of 9 July 1846: San Narciso contra los temblores. From the Ereccion de Pueblos SD-14126 of the National Archives of the Philippines.

The first turning point in the history of San Narciso governance was the election of local officials on 9 July 1846. This was in accordance with the orders of Governor-General Narciso Claveria prior to his approval of a memorandum from the Alcalde Mayor of Zambales dated 11 July 1846  creating a civil town called San Narciso out of the four Ilocano barrios of Cabangan town.  The barrio of San Marcelino was included on 1 October 1846.

In the election results the town was described as "San Narciso contra los temblores" (literally, San Narciso against earthquakes), and the following were elected:   Teniente (absoluto) - Don Fruto Apolinario; Juez de policia (police) - Don Miguel Labrador; Juez de palmas (palm trees) - Don Timoteo Andres; Alguacil primero - Don Patricio Erese; Alguacil segundo - Cosme Agustin; and Alguacil tercero - Vicente Toledo.

Since San Narciso was a civil town still under the jurisdiction of Iba, the capital, and it had no parish yet (it was visita of the Iba church), the town head was called teniente absoluto but was actually discharging the duties and responsibilities of a Gobernadorcillo.

There were subsequent elections for teniente absoluto until the town was emancipated from the civil and ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Iba on 12 May 1849.  On this date also, barrios Bobolon, Sindol, Pamisarauan and San Marcelino were separated from Alasiis, which became solely the town of San Narciso.

Bobolon became San Felipe but Sindol opted to remain its barrio. San Felipe and Sindol were initially visitas of San Narciso. The civil towns of San Marcelino and Pamisarauan as San Antonio were attached to the church in Subic.  Until they obtained independent parishes from their religious matrices, the town heads were addressed as teniente absoluto.

The election of  the first Gobernadorcillo, ministros and subalternos of San Narciso was held on 7 December 1849.  Teniente absoluto Don Fruto Apolinario was re-elected, this time as Gobernadorcillo, for the year 1850.

Ministros elected were:  Teniente primero (first lieutenant; in a way the vice gobernadorcillo) - Don Tito Mariano; Juez de sementera (agricultural lands) - Don Esteban Canonizado; Juez de policia (police) - Don Valentin Mayor; Juez de ganados (cattle/farm animals) - Don Joaquin Velasco.

Subalternos: Teniente segundo - Don Fermin Rivera y Valdez; third to fifth Tenientes - Martin Natividad, Pioquinto Matias and Toribio Bernabe; first to fifth Alguacil (policeman)  - Agustin Villanueva, Agustin Lucas, Julian Guerrero, Juan Vigilia and Faustino Somera.

Of course, through the years, there were other turning points in the history of San Narciso local elections: the last election before end of the Spanish regime, the first election under the Americans, the governance during the Japanese occupation and first one after World War II. Learn more »

*  Gobernadorcillos in 1830:
Sta. Cruz:  Don Juan de San Antonio
Masinloc:  Don Nicolas Sison
Palauig:  Don Andres de San Juan
Iba:  Don Vicente Fernandez
Botolan:  Don Domingo Felix
Cabangan:  Don Miguel Sto. Tomas
Uguit:  Don Theodorico Perez
Subic:  Don Clemente Mendigoren

The solemn drama and pageantry at the Vatican City came to a jubilant culmination on St. Joseph’s feast day with the installation of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church.  All the events that led to this celebration were brought to all corners of the world, Catholic and non-, through the digital eyes and ears of instant media on real time. 
Sound and image bytes from live media coverage brought the electoral process in the Sistine Chapel to public viewing globally.  Catholics were somehow participating in the making of their church history as they held prayer vigils for the election of the 266th Supreme Pontiff from among the 115 multi-racial cardinals gathered under the canopy of Michaelangelo paintings of the Sistine Chapel; waited in front of their television screens for the white smoke, the clangour of the St. Peter’s Basilica bells, the Habeamus Papam announcement, and the appearance of the Pope-elect at the balcony.   In synch, the faithful worldwide cheered with those gathered at the Square when Pope Francis, first Jesuit and first non-European head of the church, emerged for his greetings, message and prayer for the city and the world, urbi et orbi.
This real time jubilation was impossible before telegraphy and the Morse Code.  Submarine communication cables linked America and Europe for the first time in 1867.  That same year, the Spanish authorities laid down the telegraph lines in the country.  However, the submarine cables to Hongkong, our link to the outside world, were completed only in 1880.
There were no direct news feed from the Vatican during all those years that the Philippines was a Spanish colony.  In the ecclesiastical timeline, those were under the papacy of Pius IV to Leo XIII, the 225th and 256th pope, respectively.  News came stamped with the royal seal from Madrid to the Governor Superior or Capitan-General, who was also Vice-Patron of the country when it came to church matters.  Whether these seeped down to the faithful in the towns depended on him, the Archbishop, the Corregidor or  Alcalde Mayor (provincial governor) and the parish priests.   The Filipinos then had only the Doctrina Christiana, the Scriptures in the words of the priests and customary religious rituals to moor their Christian faith.   Their church was the visible priest and religious structures and the audible bells signifying births, weddings, deaths and divine rites of Sundays and other days of obligation.   They could have known of an archbishop above their cura parocco; but the deaths and succession of popes could have been odd intrusions into their comfortable understanding of church affairs.
Strangely, there was a late celebration of the installation of Cardinal Francesco Xaverio Castiglione as Pius VIII, the 253rd in the papacy, on 31 March 1829, upon the death of his predecessor Leo XII in February.
It was already history when the royal order of King Ferdinand VII dated 16 May 1829 reached the Capitan-General in Manila either by the end of that year or in early January 1830.  The Archbishopric of Manila, the See of the dioceses of Cebu, Nueva Caceres (Naga) and Nueva Segovia (Vigan), was vacant ever since Hilarion Diez, OSA, died on 07 May 1829, and a cabildo or cathedral chapter was in charge of ecclesiastical matters.
The king called for the exaltation of the new pope.  Capitan-General Mariano Ricafort issued a superior decree to the local governments on 18 January 1830 echoing the royal instructions, and asking for the submission of compliance reports from the gobernadorcillos. 
We saw the compliance reports from several towns of Zambales at the National Archives. We suppose that similar documents might have been submitted from other provinces esp. those under the archdiocese of Manila. 
The gobernadorcillos* first cited in their ‘certified and true testimony’ the regulatory bases of their reports: the royal order from Madrid and the superior decree from Manila, copy of the latter coming into their hands from the Corregidor on 17 February, stemming from the ‘pontification of Cardinal Castiglione who chose the name Pius VIII’, which they disseminated to their people through the usual bandillo or town crier for three days in the last week of that month.
The report of Don Nicolas Sison, gobernadorcillo of Masinloc.
Finally, from the short compliance reports, we gather that all the streets and windows of houses in the towns of Cabangan, Masinloc, Sta. Cruz, Subic and Uguit (now Castillejos) were illuminated for three consecutive nights, from the first to the third day of March. On the last day, the solemn Te Deum was sung in the church with the principalia and the common people in attendance.   In the capital town of Iba, the Corregidor attended the church service together with his minor officials of justice.  In Uguit, being a visita of Subic, there was no priest to say the mass; hence, the people prayed the rosary.
One line said that they have stopped mourning, which could have meant for Leo XII.    The lights and the Te Deum were for Pius VIII, but his was a short reign; he died at the end of the year on 31 December 1830.
We have not seen any documented jubilation event afterwards.  If ever the Filipino catholic was ordered to celebrate the installation of Pope Gregory XVI on 06 February 1831, that could not have happened until late in the year or in early 1832.
It would be very interesting to see how the Filipino catholics got their news of a papal election when this was first carried by submarine cables and then the radio waves.
Reference:
Ereccion de Pueblos, Zambales (1826-1862).  National Archives of the Philippines Learn more »

It might have been in the news around this time last year, but we don't know really if there was a grand fiesta at the Zambales National High School (ZNHS) in the capital town of Iba.  As far as we know, 2008 was the school's one hundredth year.  And like any other centennial event, there would have gathered a huge crowd of homecoming alumni with a considerable number of seniors comprising silver, gold and diamond jubilarian classes.  

The Zambales High School (it was provincial until a few years ago) was in the most festive mood more than a century ago on December 20, 1908.  Earlier in July, Zambales governor Gabriel Alba  reported to the Secretary of War via the Governor-General and the Philippine Commission that the Iba high school, "a magnificent building, solid and modern," and the repair and alteration of the old provincial jail into offices of the provincial government were nearing completion.  Alba was saying too that a large quantity of "first-group timber, such as molave, vacal, narra, acle, etc." has been taken from the Zambales forests for construction of houses in the province, and "a greater part of the timber employed ... in the construction of the Zambales high school was cut in the mountains of the province."



We have no idea how the original ZHS was funded. While the Gabaldon law was enacted in 1907, the allocation of P1,000,000 was intended for barrio schools (elementary). It might have come from the 1904 provision of P350,000 for intermediate and high school building construction.

When it was set for inauguration, could it have looked like the one in the picture that we found in Carl Crow's America and the Philippines (1914)?

There's a written voice that tells us exactly what happened on that December day one hundred and one years ago.  He's a nameless "A Correspondent" of The Filipino Teacher, a two-year old tri-lingual monthly magazine of the Philippine Teachers' Association that year.  The excitement was in English, a language newly learned by one whose thoughts were previously expressed in his dialect and probably, Spanish.

Here is the very detailed account as it appeared in the January 1909 issue of the magazine --

"The scene of the 20th of December, 1908 on which the provincial high school building of Zambales is inaugurated, marks the golden era upon which the "Juventud Zambalena" is entering.  The event is historical considering the coming of the Governor General to Zambales, which is to set the foundation of the history of the building where the education of the youth is to be cherished and nourished in its cradle. Thus while overlooking the scenery of the day, let the writer ride in the vehicle of narration and display to the readers the festival of the inauguration.

"Boom! The cannon is fired at the signal of welcome.  The Governor General, Honorable Barretto, Dr Barrows, General Bandholtz, and many other distinguished guests are on the shore of Panibuatan.  After being greeted by the provincial authorities they get in the carriages and start for the town.  The parade movements of the municipal police, company of workmen, visitors, and constabulary are commanded and directed by the constabulary officers, and the High School cadets by their own officers. The land parade makes a long procession commencing at the beach and terminating at the pagoda near the government building.  The columns being maneuvered sa as to front simultaneously facing the Speaker's Stand, then halted under the almond trees along the shady street.

"The people are assembled in the plaza Taft to witness the solemn occasion and to listen to the speeches of the honorable visitors.  Mr. Juan Gonzalez, President of Iba cordially welcomes the Governor General and his party as they ascend the ladder of the Speaker's Stand, telling them that regarded from the point of view, not only three municipalities have come to the capital to meet them, but the respective representatives of the whole province are present to exchange greetings with the first executive officer of the islands, by whose presence the Zambales people are signally honored. Governor Alba steps forward introducing Hon. J.F. Smith to the public. Then he (Smith) bows to all the spectators and begins to utter his much appreciated address, "Alocusion al Pueblo," expressing his sincere wishes and thanks to the people of Zambales for the honor they confered upon him.  He, first of all, congratulates the people of Iba for having chosen the right kind of a man for their president, who he doubts not, has worked for the preparation of the inauguration in order to make it a success. Secondly, he felicitates the provincial governor upon his activities and energies, for making the celebration coincide with his arrival at the capital.  He says that the presidents are the right arms of the provincial governors, who are likewise the right arms of the Governor General; and if all work together, being the tools of the Insular Government work in harmony they may lift the burden of responsibilities on their shoulders and thus contribute to the interest and success of the islands.  He, having been repeatedly requested by the authorities of Zambales to work for its welfare, promises to come to the province in company with the Director of Public Works to see to the construction of the provincial roads to facilitate the land transportation through the old geographical territories of Zambales so as to have the northern towns now annexed to Pangasinan come back to Zambales whereby the province will preserve its former financial status.  Hon. Barretto begins to deliver his eloquent speech congratulating his countrymen upon their achievement, and task accomplished as is the pushing the high school building to its completion.  He, in conclusion, speaks of his work in the Philippine Assembly for his native province.

"Here is a short intermission allowing the visitors to go to the new building where Governor Alba after assuming his position in the platform of the assembly hall delivers his address on the history of Zambales, trying to draw a lesson from the visit of the Spanish Governor General Wyler to the province in 1888,--the work of Zambales during the past revolution and the status quo of the province.  Mr. O. Atkin, formerly Division Superintendent of the province, and now Division Superintendent of Benguet, follows with a very interesting history of the Zambales high school and the memory of the building that is being inaugurated.  Dr. Barrows speaks of the constant and patient efforts of the government authorities (of Zambales) in having the building erected; the work of the Bureau of Education that has been accomplished, and that the Philippines is now showing the best results in her educational work, but this result is common among the civilized nations, however, it will uphold the Philippines in the concert of oriental countries.  Then Mr. Bandholtz speaks of the peaceful condition of Zambales and says that his purpose is not to inspect the province but to attend the inauguration of the building. Governor General Smith, the last speaker in the program now begins his able address and says in part -- that the true meaning of patriotism is not only for a man to be ready to shed his blood and to throw some "pesetas" for his mother-land, but to sacrifice himself and be willing to perform lowly service for the liberty and prosperity of his country.  Patriotism and self-sacrifice explain themselves by the pyramids of Egypt and the monumental works of Greece in the past Centuries and before the era of Christ.  This high school building is the monumental work of the people, it is the temple of learning where the knowledge from the exhaustless fountain is poured into the Filipino youth.  He can not but commend the most noble work of mankind which is teaching, the work of millions of well-equiped soldiers can not be compared in nobility and worth with the labor performed by the American and Filipino teachers.

"Just after Hon. Smith's speech the chorus sings "America" accompanied by the orchestra.  Then the high school girls with the stars and stripes lead the whole audience downstairs.  While the flag was being raised up, the bands of music played the American national hymn.  All day the bands and the orchestra rendered music, playing the reproduction of Wagner's works in the plaza.

"The guests in the waiting room of the high school are offered refreshments and at one o'clock the official banquet begins. All enjoy the hearty meal.  The banquet closes with "brindis de homenage y gratitud."  The Governor General speaks again, that he will do all in his power to recommend the Philippine Assembly to appropriate certain amount of money for the construction of the provincial roads, and to enact laws by which the province may regain the former extension of her territories.

"At nine o'clock the inaugural dance in the new building takes place.  The Zambalenian ladies honor the visitors by their personal presence, and on account of their ideal of youthful strength and beauty the fete tends to be the most beautiful scene in Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor."

Doesn't the "A Correspondent" sound like any of today's TV broadcasters doing a real-time annotation of an ongoing event?  If there were pictures to accompany the story, we would be thinking of today's on-cam coverage too.

The English is quaint by today's standards but we can bet that the "A Correspondent" who was probably a Zambales teacher knows the language much better than most of today's high school tutors. And we're thrilled of the insight we get of the culture the high school kids were getting then; they had an orchestra that played Wagner and they were familiar with Shakespeare.

By the way, elsewhere in the province, the most important public works done in 1908 were "completion of 5 culverts with double openings ... 2 concrete culverts ...[and] 3 concrete bridges."   The promised roads were built, but Zambales never got back the towns that were ceded to Pangasinan.

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Quake was also felt in neighboring island of Bali and comes two weeks after earthquakes killed 460.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked the Indonesian island of Lombok on Sunday, sending people fleeing into the streets just two weeks after a quake which killed more than 460 people.

The quake was centered west-southwest of Belanting town in East Lombok, the US Geological Survey said, at a relatively shallow depth of 7 km.

Residents said the earthquake was felt strongly in east Lombok.

“I was driving to deliver aid to evacuees when suddenly the electricity pole was swaying. I realized it was an earthquake.

“People started to scream and cry. They all ran to the street,” East Lombok resident Agus Salim said.
The tremor was also felt in the island’s capital Mataram and on the neighbouring resort island of Bali.
It comes two weeks after a shallow 6.9-magnitude quake on 5 August leveled tens of thousands of homes, mosques and businesses across Lombok.

Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, sits on the so-called Pacific “ring of fire”, where tectonic plates collide and many of the world’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

In 2004, a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, in western Indonesia, killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

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Road accident na naman po sa Iba. 😔😭@Marangla, Brgy. San Agustin. Isang pampasaherong jeep po at army truck ang nadisgrasya. Ipagpray po natin ang kaligtasan nila esp. driver at mga pasahero ng jeep. Isinugod na po sila sa hospital. Mag-iingat po tayo sa pagmamaneho mga kababayan esp.dito sa Iba na prone accident area.

📷cto

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Let us hear the opinions of Zambaleños regarding this matter.

#RejectFerroNickelPlant

#kiloszambalenos

Alam ba ninyo na lahat ng bayan ng Zambales kasama ang lungsod ng Olongapo maliban sa bayan ng San Antonio ay may mga aplikasyon ng pagmimina ng nickel?
Alam din ninyo na ang operasyon ng apat na nickel mining companies sa SC Zambales ay kanselado noon pang Pebrero 2017 dahil ang kanilang minina ay watershed ng bayan na nagpapatubig sa 2K ektaryang sakahan na nagsusupply ng 16,000 metric tons na palay taon-taon.
Kung itatayo ang perwisiyong planta sa bayan ng Candelaria, kailangan nito ang raw materials at ang pinakamalapit na source ay ang mga bundok ng Zambales.
Halos kalahati ng lupain ng Zambales ay may aplikasyon ng pagmimina.
Ngayon pa lang ay winasak na ng 4 na kumpaniya ng nickel ang Sta Cruz Zambales, kaya malamang na ang itatayong planta at ang pagmimina ng nickel sa buong probinsiya ang tuluyan ng wawasak sa kapaligiran ng buong probinsiya.
Katapusan na ng mga batayang hanap buhay - pagsasaka at pangingisda - sa buong Zambales.
Mga kababayan, papayagan ba natin na tuluyan ng mawasak ang ating lalawigan?

Kaya habang may oras pa kumilos na.. Magkaisa.

Credit to Mr.Benito E. Molino Learn more »

History

Iba was founded by the order of Augustinian Recollect priest in 1611 as the village
of Paynauen. The early inhabitants of the town are called Zambales. They were
later joined by the Ilocanos who migrated to the town which resulted in
intermingling of customs and traditions. The Aeta people settled in the hinterlands
and the majority of them dwelled in the Mount Pinatubo area. In 1860, the
administration of the town was turned over to the Dominican priests until the civil
government came to power. There are no available records as to when Paynauen was
renamed to Iba.The municipality was named after the sour fruit "Iba", commonly known as kamias.

The permanent capital of Zambales was moved from Masinloc to Iba because of its
strategic location being on the central part of Zambales. On August 28, 1901,
American Civil Governor William Howard Taft held the historic session of the second
Philippine Commission establishing the Province of Zambales under the American rule
held at Roman Catholic Church of Iba.


Geography

The municipality of Iba is bounded by the municipalities of Botolan to the south,
Palauig to the north, the province of Tarlac to the east, and the South China Sea to
the west. Like most of the municipalities in the province, Iba is geographically
bound by the coast in the west with the Zambales Mountains in the eastern portion of
the municipality. Iba is about 200 kilometres (120 mi) north-west of Manila.

Religion

The majority of the people in Iba, Zambales are Roman Catholics Born Again Christian. The largest
minority religion is Iglesia Ni Cristo followed by various Protestant denominations.

Ecclesiastical District

The seat of the Ecclesiastical District of Zambales North of the Iglesia Ni Cristo
is located in Iba. The INC district administration and district office oversees
several locales and extensions from different municipalities in the northern part of
Zambales province.

Diocese of Iba

The Cathedral of Iba, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Augustine, is the seat of
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba. The church of the diocese is a 17th-century
Baroque church built by the Augustinian Recollects. It is located adjacent to the
Provincial Capitol Building. The current bishop of the diocese is Most Reverend
Florentino G. Lavarias, D.D..

Conversion to Cityhood

The League of Cities of the Philippines has the expanding disagreement in opinion
against the conversion of sixteen municipalities into constituent cities. The LCP
had tried to influence President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to certify as call for
immediate attention a draft of a law imposing a suspension on the conversion of
additional towns into cities.

Local Government Code states that before a town could be classified as a city, it
must have an annual income of at least Php100 million and a land area of at minimum
100 square kilometres (39 square miles) or a population of 150,000.

Senator Angara advocates House Bill 24 filed by Zamboanga Sibugay Representative ANN
Hofer giving automatic cityhood to capitals of provinces without cities by freeing
the capital towns of provinces from the income needs of the cityhood.

Tourism

Tourism is one of the major economic activity in Iba during the summer period. It
has become a popular destination for summer vacationists and tourists due to the
pristine and beautiful beaches that line the shorelines of Iba, and adventure
trekking to the unique 3-series of Iba waterfalls. Its pollution-free beaches due to
the absence of industrial-polluting activities in the locality, make it one of the
best places in the Philippines.
In response to the growing number of both local and foreign visitors, investments in
beach resorts have increased in the last fifteen years. Today there are about 50
beach resorts in Iba.

Festivals 

Zambales Mango Festival
The festival is a celebration of a bountiful harvest of mangoes and other
agricultural products which the province is known for. It is also aimed to highlight
the attractions and places of interest in all of its towns. As a way of promoting
and giving thanks for a good harvest, the people of Zambales annually celebrate the
six-day Mango Festival in March or April in Iba.

Paynauen Festival
A summer festival in Iba featuring local traditional arts and culture first
celebrated in the 1980s, Paynauen Festival (also spelled as Paynawen) has become a
yearly tradition and a tourist attraction lasting for about seven days. Paynauen's
festivities include street dancing, singing competition, boxing events, sports
events, sand castle building, carabao race, kite flying contests, Miss Paynauen
competition, cooking contest, barangay booth displays, products display and sales,
ballroom dancing, traditional parade, concerts and many others.

The festival is held late April, during the summer season where thousands of
visitors flock to Iba for beach activities. Led by the Iba Tourism Council, Paynauen
is supported by the local government, different civic organizations, volunteers and
the private business sector. Learn more »

Olongapo is a community of contrasts.  Behind the modern lifestyle brought by the American military, its core remains predominantly provincial.  Along its main highways new commercial establishments–strategically deployed to take in as much trade as possible–stand side by side with residential houses, which seem to ignore all the business and the town’s traffic.  In spite of the thriving bars and nightclubs, Olongapo remains, relatively, a quiet town.

The Reservation is also perhaps the most unique community in the country as it is the only place where the American and Philippine flags are flown in front of public buildings. It is also the only place where a driver needs two and in some cases, three driver’s licenses. Learn more »

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God's Not Dead- A Light in Darkness: A church destroyed. A congregation silenced. A relationship shattered. Yet even in life's darkest valleys, a small flame can light the way toward healing and hope. After a deadly fire rips through St. James Church, Hadleigh University leaders use the tragedy to push the congregation off campus, forcing the church to defend its rights and bringing together estranged brothers for a reunion that opens old wounds and forces them to address the issues that pulled them apart.

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“The Hows Of Us” follows the story of couple Primo (Daniel Padilla) and George (Kathryn Bernardo) who are in a long-term relationship and are already building and planning their future together. Their love will be put to the test as their relationship faces hurdles – from misunderstandings to different career paths, among others. How will they save their “us”?Find out this August 29 in cinemas nationwide!

Daniel Padilla as Primo
Kathryn Bernardo as George

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