Once bets are placed, all is in a hush as the battle ensues, all eyes are at the center as the cocks fight it out to the death. Within a minute or two, its over. Another death at the arena.

A-ma Temple is one of the popular religious sites located at the southwestern tip of Macau dedicated to the goddess Mazu or Matsu, the patron of fishermen and seafarers and protector of the sea. It is also one of the oldest, built in 1488, predating the Portuguese arrival.

It was my first time to watch Chinese opera and I had the fortunate advantage of also going backstage during a performance at a local festival. The colors, the costumes, makeup and sounds were something memorable.

An alternative travel from Naga City to CWC. Interesting with beautiful sceneries along the way. It was an experience worth taking: a trip from Naga City to CWC, world class wakeboarding and water sports facilities via skates, a wooden and motorized contraption that transports people and goods using extant rails.

My Busuanga aerials that I featured before will be in a unique exhibition. Entitled Earth & Art, this is Net 25′s Tribe offering for the environment. As one of the featured artist/photographer, I will be showing my work, “Busuanga: From Forests to Farmlands.”

Jai alai is still being played in the country. In fact, it is not only in Cebu but there is an established amateur group in Metro Manila, specifically in Project 8, Quezon City, home of the Manila Amateur Jai-alai Association (MAJA).

I went back to Infanta, Quezon last April to do my major photo story as a requirement of my diploma course. This time, I spent several days documenting the preparation and actual activity that culminated on Good Friday.

The Sinulog Mardi Gras in Cebu is considered one of the biggest and grandest of festivals in the month of January. It is one of three that is marked with street dancing coinciding with the feast of the Holy Child that occurs in the Visayas.

If you’re looking for religious significance, you can’t find it here. But enjoy the colors and the festive atmosphere.

One God, two different ways of honoring the Christ. The devotion to the Sto. Niño is done in honor of the child Jesus while the Black Nazarene is of the suffering adult. Both is said to be two of the three biggest religious devotions in the Philippines, the third is the Virgin of Antipolo.

It was a Friday and for devout pilgrims of the Sto. Niño, the Basilica is the place to be, just like in the Black Nazarene Basilica in Manila. I had to squeeze through the throng and gaze at the sea of people just outside the church participating at one of the hourly masses. After the masses are done, the number of devotees dimish and one could see some interesting rituals and practices come alive.

I hate it when commuting on both sides of Cebu and Mactan and stuck in the rush hour traffic on both sides of the bridges. The slow tedium of the flow is infuriating. Couple that with the long travel time and the frequent stops of boarding and alighting passengers just adds up to the frustration. Well, I haven’t paid much attention about the ferry plying the Mactan Channel thinking that it’s old and dilapated until I was forced by necessity when I visited Cordova doing research. And oh boy, I was in for a surprise. Why didn’t I try this before?!

Cordova in Mactan Island is not only a good vantage point for scenic views of Cebu City but, foremost of all, it is the acknowledged pabuto or firecracker center of the province. The firecracker industry here has been running for around three decades already and every December, small scale makers start this seasonal endeavor.

During the holiday season, the best place to go for cheap and affordable products is no other than Divisoria in Manila. Think of this as one giant marketplace for such goods like original or bootleg, local and imported items from food, clothes to decors and other bric-a-brac that overwhelms in terms of variety. All at almost rock bottom prices. Shops and stalls can be found inside the malls like the popular 168, sidestreets, and just every space available overtaken by vendors and shoppers alike. This is MULTIMEDIA post.

Every October, the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City is filled with pilgrims and devotees for the feast of the Nuestra Senora del Rosario, La Naval de Manila. For more than three centuries this event has been celebrated by the faithful as, like most Filipino Catholics, thanksgiving, a plea for divine intervention or affirmation of faith.