Zambales Sports Fest slated this March

The Provincial Government of Zambales is getting ready for the summer season with the first Zamba Multi-sports Festival on March 18-20, in the town of Candelaria, Zambales.

"We want the people to see how beautiful Zambales is," said Governor Hermogenes Ebdanue during a press conference at the Dawal Beach Resort in the same town. "We have powdery sands and azure waters and we have probably the cleanest shoreline today."

Zambales waters have powdery magnetite sand and very few rocks or sandy beaches.

The sports festival will include competitions in cycling, open water swim, ultimate frisbee, sprint duathlon, and triathlon. There will also be side events like a body tattoo competition, bikini open and beach party.

The events will kick off on March 18 with the Zamba Cycling Challenge, a 120-km road race from Iba Capitol to Sta. Cruz and back. Some 200 riders are expected to join the race, which has two divisions: Open and Executive. Asian Youth Cycling Championships bronze medalist Rustom Lim and national duathlon team mainstay John Chicano are expected to lead the pack.

The next day will include events like the 2-km Open Water Swim; the National Ultimate Black Sands Frisbee Elimination; Sprint Duathlon (5-km run, 30-km bike, 3 km run); and the body tattoo and bikini open events.

Philippine Ultimate Association representative Antonio Vasquez said the Black Sands Frisbee tourney will serve as a pre-qualifying to the Boracay Open, the most prestigious ultimate competition in the country.

The sports fest will culminate on the 20th with the Zamba Black Sand Triathlon at the Dawal Beach Resort. There will be two divisions: an open and age-group competitions that serves as part of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines’ (TRAP) grassroots programs, according to national coach Melvin Fausto. TRAP also hopes to discover talents they can invite to join major tourneys in the future.

You can read the full article on the Philstar website here. Credit goes to Olmin Leyba who wrote it.

I'm excited for this. I do hope that guests, participants and organizes will come to appreciate our little town as much as I do. Also, please don't forget to clean up as you go! :) Good luck to all the participants!

List of Candidates: Candelaria, Zambales

Source: Know your candidates

Candelaria, Zambales Candidates

For Mayor

• Barrera, Bernard Polido "Dodoy"; (LP )
• Ebbay, Wilbert Español "Weng"; (IND. )
• Ecunar, Pedro Cleto "Pete"; (LM )
• Moraña, Jean Misa "Jean"; (LKS-KAM )

For Vice Mayor

• Ebuen, Jury Hermogino "Toman"; (LM )
• Edejer, Ilirmo Ebilane "Emi"; (LKS-KAM )
• Hermoso, Gilbert Austria "Bert"; (LP )

For Councilors

• Alegre, Jaime Echon "Rudy"; (LP )
• Alop, Roman Eding "Joseph"; (LM )
• Anamos, Nenita Imperial "Nitz"; (LM )
• Atrero, Purificacion Carloy "Podee"; (LKS-KAM )
• Baluran, Miguel Olmo "Mike"; (IND. )
• De Guia, Carlos Eclevia "Caloy"; (LM )
• De La Llana, Honorio Hebron "Onor"; (LP )
• Dominguez, Imelda Tabile "Mely"; (LP )
• Ebalo, Michael Espinosa "Mike"; (LKS-KAM )
• Ebilane, Virginia Encio "Bening"; (LKS-KAM )
• Ecalne, Avelino Echon "Binoy"; (IND. )
• Ecalnir, Isagani Hermoso "Gani"; (LP )
• Ecalnir, Xanzo Beda Acuavera "Juancho"; (NP )
• Echon, Leonides Eclevia "Pico"; (LM )
• Echon, Vicente Jr Villasan "Jun"; (IND. )
• Eclarino, Vicente Sr. Ecal "Vic"; (LKS-KAM )
• Ednave, Penny Ebilane "Penny"; (LP )
• Edquiban, Marcelo II Echaure "Mhar"; (LKS-KAM )
• Edquid, Rolando Ebilane "Rolly"; (LKS-KAM )
• Edquilang, Sergio Adriano Radam "Cros"; (LP )
• Elamparo, Adonis Quines "Don-don"; (LKS-KAM )
• Encina, Romualdo Edquilane "Bading"; (LM )
• Enciso, Teresita Edjan "Tess"; (IND. )
• Fallorina, Romeo Sagun "Rom"; (LM )
• Fontillas, Pastor Ecura "Totoy"; (NP )
• Hermogino, Merlina Ebialne "Andang"; (LP )
• Hipos, Romulo Gloriana "Mulo"; (IND. )
• Molino, Michael Ian Yap "Ian"; (LP )
• Movilla, Dante Edquilane "Dan"; (IND. )
• Sales, Mario, Sr. Dela Llana "Ayo"; (LM )

Sino ang iboboto ninyo? Comment kayo! :)

Through the eyes of another: Potipot

Mark Wiens of Migrationology.com writes about his first night in the Philippines.

My first night in the Philippines was spent on the tiny island. There was no electricity or development on the island and one could circumference the island in a matter of minutes. The water was wonderful, the air was clean, the sunset was beautiful, and all was calm and quiet.

What a welcome, eh?



Read more about his stay in Potipot Island, as well as his other adventures, in his blog at Migrationology.

We love Candelaria. We love Zambales.

Bhen Cervantes talks about his first trip to Zambales many years ago when his friend Mac del Fierro invited a group of his Upsilon brothers to visit San Antonio, Zambales for the Holy Week after their college graduation.

He goes on to say how it one of his most memorable weeks, recalling it with much relish.

His most recent visit was on the invitation of Jun Fain to Iba. Mr. Cervantes goes on to say how he loved the shoreline of Zambales, and says "It is beautiful indeed."

But what I like best about his missive is this:

"As a re-introduction, I am happy I can still catch semblances of the naturally beautiful Philippines before these parts look like everything else: traffic-laden, polluted -- ecologically and noise-wise, with posters, tarpaulin and buntings as well.

Why do we overdo? Let Nature be. The Philippines is fine. There is no need for malls and Manila franchises that make erstwhile naturally pretty towns into loud ugly cities.

I think this need to look and sound like Manila stems from the fact that most Filipinos have no regional pride." Source

I believe this. Not just for Zambales but for any town that isn't Manila. As much as I have affection for the busy metropolis, I cannot help but love more the quiet and peace, the less hectic pace of the provinces.

We as Candelarians should be proud of what we are. As much as we'd like to bring progress to our little town, we should not obliterate the heritage and richness of our past. I myself would love to see the remaining old houses restored, same goes for the Gabaldon schools, not just in our town, but in the entire province.

It would be nice if each town had a museum about its history, especially while we still have our grandparents and parents to tell us the stories.

We should take on projects that preserve and take care of not just the history, but also of the beauty of nature around us. It should also be a continuing project that leaders of Candelaria should take on once the previous term has passed.


Let's love Candelaria the way it should be.

Candlemas

A friend asked if churches here celebrate Candlemas. Curious, I did a search and guess what I found?

Candlemas is the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. It's celebrated in most of Mexico on February 2. The date is directly related to Christmas, but in Mexico, it is seen as the end of the Epiphany season that began on January 6, known as the "day of the Three Kings."

In Spanish, it is Candelária. (Source: Wikipedia)

Maligayang Pasko cu mo yo halban!

Hope I said that right. God bless!

May kasiyahan dito sa may 7H. Meron din ba sa plaza? :)

Hello visitors!

I just want to send a shout-out to the folks who are visiting and posting message at our little chatboard here :) Pasensya na kayo kung hindi ako maka-reply, o kaya kung wala masyadong balita tungkol sa ating bayan. Susubukan ko mag-update ng mas madalas, kaso madalang din ang aking pag uwi kaya hindi rin ako nakaka-sagip ng balita.

Hello!

Resa
Michael Bulanday
M. Escalante
Rhenz
tedsr
cutelady eye

Sana po mabasa niyo to. Nagiisip ako na mag-start ng online forum for Candelarians, maybe somewhere where it would be easier for everyone to post their shout-outs, greetings, questions and the like. Please let me know if you're agreeable. Rhenz is also willing to host a site for us. Comment lang po kayo!

Northern Luzon needs help

Northern Luzon is being hit hard by Typhoon Pepeng. Reports are trickling in from people who have families or contacts in various provinces all over the region.

Here's a list of essential links that you can use to help our kababayans in Northern Luzon. I will continue to update this with the info I can get from friends and contacts.

Stay safe folks!

Typhoon Ondoy

Hello everyone. I hope you're all doing well after all that's being on with Typhoon Ondoy. I haven't had a chance to update, as I lost my Internet service last Saturday and could only use the Internet at work.

Anyway, I'm sure you've read and head a lot about what has happened over the weekend. The greater Manila area, and nearby provinces, experienced the worst rainfall ever last Saturday, about six months worth of water in about six to twelve hours. Many families lost their homes and belongings, some were unfortunate to lose their lives. Those who made it safely to the evacuation centers were all just thankful that they still have their families together.

For those who wish to help, here's three sites that might prove helpful (via MLQ3's Twitter).

List of Places to Donate
Map Update Form (places that still need rescuing, etc)
Ondoy Victim Directory

Also,let's not forget the people in the provinces who were affected by previous storms and were still having trouble recovering. They could also greatly use your help.

Stay safe everyone.

Another place to share stuff

We're at Tumblr too.

I'll be posting pictures, videos, comments and what not over there. If you have a Tumblr account, add it up and let me know if you'd like to be a contributor too. :)

News: Senator wants raps filed vs DENR, local execs abusing seashores

Senator wants raps filed vs DENR, local execs abusing seashores
via GMAnews.tv

MANILA, Philippines - Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr on Monday called for the filing of cases against environment and local officials who have failed to implement the statutory ban on quarrying and mining along seashores.

Pimentel said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources should go after its field officials and local chief executives who have abused their authority by issuing permits to individuals and firms for the extraction of black sands and other minerals in areas that are off limits to mining and quarrying under existing laws.

"DENR and local government officials who have recklessly allowed these illegal and reprehensible activities should be held liable and criminally charged for flagrant violation of environment and mining laws," Pimentel said in a press statement.

He said the DENR should strictly implement the ban and impose sanctions on individuals and companies engaged in the activity.

He said the extraction of black sands on beach areas within a radius of 200 meters from the shores – known as salvage zone – destroys the natural protective barrier that prevents seawater from overflowing and causing floods in coastal villages.

"All mining and quarrying activities on seashore areas should be completely discontinued and banned because of the damage to the environment they are causing. Not only do they render the coastal communities vulnerable to natural disasters, they also cause degradation of adjoining agricultural lands because of the resulting intrusion of sea water," Pimentel said.

The senator made the statement after residents in coastal communities in Candelaria, Zambales and Isabela complained of black sand mining going on with impunity in their seashore areas.

He said in Zambales, a mining outfit, called Prime Picks Company, operated by a certain Roberto Go, has managed to engage in black sand mining despite strong opposition from the people.

The municipal council of Candelaria has sent a resolution to DENR Secretary Lito Atienza requesting him to stop the mining operation of Prime Picks.

Pimentel said mining malpractices like this justify the intervention of the DENR even if the issuance of small mining permits and certain environment protection functions have already been devolved to the local government units.

He made this observation in the face of the objections of provincial governors to a DENR order issued by Atienza requiring both big and small mining companies to secure permit from his office for exporting mineral ore to other countries.

Pimentel agreed with Atienza that there should be a mechanism by which the DENR should check and monitor compliance of mining firms with environment laws, the terms and conditions of their mining licenses and their tax obligations.

The new DENR order prescribes the guidelines for filing, processing and issuance of Mineral Ore Export Permit for transport and shipment of minerals outside the country. It aims to eliminate the undervaluation and misdeclaration in the exportation of mineral ores, like copper, iron and nickel, and to plug the loopholes in the collection of taxes from these materials.

Pimentel, principal author of the Small Scale Mining Act, said that with the issuance and implementation of the DENR order, the government will be able to effectively keep track of the movements of gold and other precious minerals especially from the Mount Diwalwal gold rush areas in Compostela Valley. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV

I had heard about the black sand mining during a recent trip home, but I don't know the details. It saddens me that people are willing to sacrifice the environment for their own financial gain. I hope this matter will be looked into and positive action be taken

Sen. Pimentel, FYI, is married to Bing Pimentel nee De La Llana of Candelaria, Zambales.

Conquer Zambales: The Sidetrip Travel Magazine Adventure Race

Sidetrip, a free quarterly travel magazine featuring new and exciting places to visit in the philippines, is hosting “Conquer Zambales: A Sidetrip Travel Magazine Adventure Race” this October 24 & 25. One hundred teams of two will complete various tasks in selected tourist attractions around Zambales. Each team must have their own car as a means of transportation around the province and must finish each task before moving on to the next.

Pre-registration is a must, and will end on October 20. For more deatails, please visit Sidetrip Magazine’s Multiply page. or check out www.conquerphilippines.com

This is a great opportunity for the province of Zambales to showcase its beauty to the rest of the country. I won't be able to join the contest, but I'm thrilled that Candelaria will also play a part in the race.

Crossposted: http://zambalesph.blogspot.com

Candelaria's Reefs

Just updated some of the codes in the site and while I was testing it, I came across this article about the recovering reefs of Candelaria, Zambales. It’s a very interesting read, mostly because I am not aware that our reefs were this extensive, nor was I aware that they were in that much danger.

Recovering Reefs Make a Splash: Candelaria Marine Sanctuary, Philippines

by Daisy Flores-Salgado and Toni Parras

Patrol boat on the shore of Candelaria Marine Sanctuary. Photo by Toni Parras

Introduction
Three young men were caught fishing illegally in the municipal waters of Candelaria. Their violation? It wasn’t their gear; the mesh size on their gill net was sufficiently large. Rather, they were fishing without registration, a mandatory and simple task that helps the town keep track of who and how many are fishing in their waters. In fact, they were not even from Candelaria, but from a neighboring town a few kilometers away. Imploringly, they asked the apprehending officer if they could register in Candelaria so that they could fish here.

"Why don’t you just fish in your own waters?" asked Pablito Echipare, the Bantay Dagat, or Fish Warden who had caught them fishing in clearly marked waters in plain site during the daytime.

"Because the fishing is much better here," replied the youths. "There are no fish in our waters."

"Well, then, why don’t you take care of your waters," posed the fish warden. "Why don’t you do what we are doing here?"

And what exactly are they doing in Candelaria that would entice fishers from other municipalities to risk arrest by openly partaking of Candelaria’s marine bounty? Residents have embarked on an initiative to save their waters and associated resources that has thus far proven successful.

Continue reading the article

As you can see, the article was written way back 2005. It would be interesting to find out what is the status of these reefs today. Candelaria is slowing coming into people’s awareness as a place to visit, and these reefs would be an additional tourist attraction.

It would also be great for the local government of Candelaria and its citizens to work together to help improve the town’s tourism industry and give its visitors a more memorable and worthwhile experience. We’re still trying to gain our feet from the recent devastation of the storm Cosme. Hopefully, we can take it from there.

Discovering Putipot by Rheyda Hinlo and Medel Silvosa

Discovering Putipot
By Rheyda Hinlo and Medel Silvosa
Pinoycentric.com

Our quest for Putipot began when we started looking for a beach that was nice enough and near enough Manila for a weekend getaway. We also wanted it to fit our budget of P2,000 per person for the whole weekend and preferably somewhere we haven’t been to before. We were not just looking for any beach: we wanted one that was clean and uncluttered, preferably with white sand and clear water so we can check out the marine life.

We veered off from the usual choices such as Puerto Galera and the beaches of Batangas because we’ve been there a number of times. Pagudpud in Ilocos was far and the fare to and from Manila would already cost a sizeable portion of our budget.

Fortunately, a friend of ours suggested we go to an island off the coast of Zambales called Putipot. He asked, “Do you watch the local version of Marimar? Well, even if you don’t watch it, they shot the beach scenes in Putipot.” That got me curious. Well, if the TV crew thought it was a good place to shoot the teledrama, it was probably worth a weekend to check it out.

Google the words “Putipot + island + Zambales” and you get at least 442 hits. The Website ClicktheCity tells you all you need to know on how to get to the island. It’s good to read all the comments as it gives you the best tips on what route to take, what to bring, and how much things cost.

Read more

my Potipot experience

A small island located off the coast of Barangay Uacon, Candelaria, Zambales, Potipot is fast gaining popularity among the beach loving crowd. Back when I was a little girl, we always loved looking at the little white sanded island whenever we're swimming or just hanging out at the beach. Ironically, though I've known the existence of that island for most of my lifetime, it was only in 2005 that I was able to visit the island.

I had invited my friends to spend a few days at home, and with my parents and my sister, we went to Potipot. It was exciting for me, being my first visit. It was like finally meeting someone you admired from afar for so long, haha.

Potipot island is very small. We were able to go around it in 30 to 40 minutes. Some parts of the shore were hard to cross, sometimes climbing over a fallen tree or having to wade out into the water. Still, it's a lovely spot to spend the day in and just get in touch with nature. The water was brilliantly blue, the sand pristine and white. We spent an hour or so just relaxing, chatting with the fishermen who made the island their rest stop.

Please note that there are no structures (except ones that were abandoned) and electricity in the island, so you have to bring your own food, tents if you want to stay overnight, flashlights, etc. Oh, and please bring back to the mainland your trash to be disposed of properly. It would help in keeping the island clean.

How to get there

Commuting
Getting to Candelaria via bus is fairly easy. As of now, there's only one major bus line that travels from Manila to Zambales, and that's the Victory Liner. Most of the trips are from their Caloocan station.

Here's the schedule of trips, and the cost. I would, however, suggest that you call them to confirm. From experience, the schedule can be re-arranged, especially if you'll be travelling during peak season (summer, Holy Week, Christmas, New Year, All Saints Day, etc.)

Please note: When buying your ticket, say that you'll be going up to Candelaria only. It will cost less, of course (Php335, I think). The conductor will ask you where you'll be getting off, but you can just say "Bayan". The bus will stop in front of the munisipio (town hall), where tricycle that can take you around town are available.

From Caloocan to Zambales(Sta. Cruz)

* 5:30AM -------------- Php384.00 (one-way only)
* 7:30AM
* 8:30AM
* 9:30AM
* 10:30AM
* 12:30NN
* 3:00PM
* 8:00PM
* 12:00MN

On that note, I would also recommend that you get detailed instructions from the resort/place you'll be staying. Again, I'm used to traveling by car or by bus... and my stop is usually along the road.

Edit: As of October 31, 2007, trips to Candelaria via Victory Liner is Php335 plus Php5 insurance per person.

Driving
As I mostly commute, or someone else does the driving (while I'm asleep, hehe), I'll refer you to this article on Waypoints.ph for instructions on how to get to Candelaria, Zamables, if you're bringing your own vehicle.

From Manila, take the North Expressway and exit at San Fernando. From San Fernando, head southwestward all the way toward Olongapo City. Right before the city boundary of Olongapo, there is a bypass way via the Subic Base Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) which you may want to take to avoid passing through the city. Take this bypass road through SBMA and exit at its Kalaklan gate then head northwestward to Subic town, Castillejos, Sn Marcelino, up to the T-junction near San Narciso.

At the T-junction near San Narciso, turn right and head north through the towns of San Narciso, San Felipe, Cabangan, Botolan, up to Iba. From Iba, head for Masinloc then towards Candelaria.

Source: Waypoints.ph

Guestbook

Hello everyone! This will serve as our guestbook. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback, stories/testimonials about Candelaria, Zambales. We'd love to hear from you!gu

Welcome

Many people often say that no place called Candelaria exists in Zambales. They would argue, "It's in Quezon." I grew up thinking the opposite.

I didn't exactly grow up in Candelaria, but as far as I could remember, my summers and every vacation was spent with my grandparents here. It's a small, sleepy town that I call my home.

Updates soon.