"NANG DAHIL SA KAHIRAPAN"

KAHIRAPAN,ISA SA MGA PROBLEMANG HINDI NATING MABIGYANG SOLUSYON MULA NOON HANGGANG NGAYON.PERO ANO NGA BA ITO?ANG KAHIRAPAN AY TUMUTUKOY SA KALAGAYAN O KATAYUAN NG ISANG TAO NA WALANG ISANG HALAGA NG MGA PAG-AARING MATERYAL O SALAPI.ANG ABSOLUTONG KAHIRAPAN AY ANG KALAGAYAN O KATAYUAN NG HINDI PAGKAKAROON NG PARAAN O PAMAMARAAN UPANG MAKAYANAN O MAKAPAGDULOT MAGKAROON NG PAYAK O BASIKONG MGA PANGANGAILANGANG PANTAO,KATULAD NG MALINIS NA TUBIG O NAIINOM NA TUBIG,NUTRISYON,PANGANGALAGANG PANGKALUSUGAN,KASUOTAN O TIRAHAN.ANG RELATIBONG KAHIRAPAN AY ANG KALAGAYAN NG PAGKAKAROON NG MAS KAKAUNTING MAPAGKUKUNAN O MAS KAKAUNTING KITANG SALAPI KAYSA IBANG MGA TAO SA LOOB NG ISANG LIPUNAN O BANSA, O KAPAG INIHAHAMBING SA MGA KARANIWANG BILANG SA BUONG MUNDO.ANG SUPLAY NG MGA PAGKAIN NA PANGANGAILANGAN AY MAAARING MALIMITAHAN NG MGA LIMITASYON SA MGA SERBISYO NG PAMAHALAAN GAYA NG KURAPSYON,ILEGAL NA PAGLISAN NG KAPITAL, MGA KONDISYONALIDAD SA UTANG AT SA PAGKAUBOS NG UTAK NG MGA PROPESYONAL NA PANG-EDUKASYON AT PANGKALUSUGAN.SA MGA MAHIHIRAP NAPAANO BA ITO NAGSIMULA?BAKIT TAYO NAGHIHIRAP?ANG MGA ITO AY DAHIL SA OVER POPULATION,CORRUPTION,MALING NAITURO SA NAPILING RELIHIYON,NAKAGAWIANG KULTURA,MABABANG PASAHOD,BAON SA UTABG AT MARAMI PANG IBA.ANG MGA NASABI KO SA ITAAS AY ILAN LAMANG SA DAHILAN KUNG BAKIT TAYO NAGHIHIRAP.DAHIL DITO,PATULOY NA NAGHIHIRAP ANG ATING BANSA LALONG-LALO NA ANG MAMAMAYANG NAMUMUHAY RITO.OO,TAYO RIN AY ISA SA MGA DAHILAN KUNG BAKIT MAY KAHIRAPAN PERO HINDI PA HULI ANG LAHAT.KAYA PA NATIN ITONG MASUGPOAT MASOLUSYUNAN.PERO MAKAKAMIT LANG NATIN ANG  KALAYAAN SA PAGIGING MAHIRAP KAPAG TAYOY MAGSISIKAP AT MAGTUTULUNGAN.SINO PA NGA BA ANG MAGTUTULUNGAN KUNDI TAYO LANG DIN NAMAN.TUMAYO TAYO,HAWAKAN ANG ATING MGA KAMAY AT SABAY NATING SOLUSYUNAN ANG KAHIRAPAN.SA MGA MAHIHIRAP O UMUUNLAD NA BANSA,ANG ILANG MGA TEORYA NG SANHI NG KAHIRAPAN AY NAKTUON SA MGA KATANGIANG PANGKULTURA NG ISANG BANSA BILANG ISANG HADLANG SA KARAGDAGANG PAG-UNLAD.AYON SA ILANG MANANALIKSIK,ANG PAMBANSANG MENTALIDAD AY MISMONG GUMAGAMPAN NG PAPEL SA KAKAYAHAN NG BANSA NA UMUUNLAD AT KAYA AY MABAWASAN ANG KAHIRAPANG ITO.ANG TUNAY NA SISTEMANG PAGPAPAHALAGA AY NAGBABAGO AT BUMABAGSAK SA ISANG LUGAR SA PAGITAN NG DALAWANG MGA PULO NGUNIT ANG MAUNLAD NA MGA BANSA AY NAHIHILIG NA KUMUPOL MALAPIT SA DULO SAMANTALANG ANG MGA HINDI MAUNLAD NA BANSA AY KUMUKUMPOL MALAPIT SA KABILANG DULO.ANG MGA KATANGIAN NG MGA SISTEMANG PAGPAPAHALAGA NG HINDI PAG-UNLAD ANG:PAGSUPIL NG INDIBIDWAL SA PAMAMAGITAN NG PAGKONTROL NG IMPORMASYON AT CENSORSHIP,KASALUKUYAN O NAKARAANG PANAHONG ORYENTASYON NA MAY PAGBIBIGAY DIIN SA KADAKILAAN NG KADALASANG HINDI MAKAKAMITNA MGA LAYUNIN,P[AGLAPIT NG MGA PINUNO NA PUMAPAYAG SA MGA ITO NG MAS MADALI AT MAS MALAKING KORUPSIYO, HINDI PANTAY NA PAMAMAHAGI NG BATAS AT HUSTISYA (ANG PAMILYA AT MG KONEKSIYON ANG PINAKAMAHALAGA)AT ISANG NAGPAPAILALIM SA MENTALIDAD SA LOOB NG MAS MALAKING MUNDO.  

Escuela Catolica in Boljoon,Cebu

                                            "Escuela Catolica"

Built in 1940, the structure has a rectangular plan with a formal symmetrical façade. The double grand staircase anchors its overall presence, with concrete balustrade terminating towards the veranda the ornate callado design. Wood relief ornamentation accentuates the base of the roof pediment. The building provides the only American era characteristic to a very strong Spanish colonial era church complex setting.

It is used to be a dormitory for children taking their first communion who were required to stay at the Escuela the night before taking the Holy Communion. It was used as a school for religious teachings and for a time was a primary school. It is now serves as meeting place for the Parish's various religious groups.In a spot dominated by edifices of cut coral stones left over from Spanish colonial times, Escuela Catolica is set apart by its wood and concrete construction.

This two-level wooden building with an exterior double staircase set in concrete was influenced by the type of architecture popularized by the Americans during the US colonization of the Philippines in the early to mid 20th century.When the Americans began constructing schools in the years leading to the declaration of Philippine Independence in 1946, the Spanish clergy also decided to put up their own, said Boljoon heritage and tourism officer Ronald Villanueva.Escuela Catolica was built in the 1940s in Boljoon, according to the Cebu Heritage Foundation, which documented and mapped historical structures and sites in this town and four others in southern Cebu.An entry about this structure in the book Boljoon: 

Cebu Heritage Frontier said it served as a dorm for children about to take their first communion.It was a place for religious teachings and had, at one time, served as a school, the book added.Oral accounts claimed the Catholic ministry in Boljoon had, for a certain period, prevented Boljoanons from sending their children to American schools by threatening them with excommunication.It was when the Augustinian priests relaxed this rule that the Escuela Catolica began to be mainly used to house children from the upland barangays taking instructions on their first communion, the accounts added.

Aside from the outside grand staircase, which is made of concrete, Escuela Catolica also used bricks and cement for the ground floor. It utilized wood for the second level.The building is rectangular in design with a symmetrical facade. The double staircase, with concrete balustrades, leads up to the second floor landing and main entrance.Bas reliefs decorate the roof pediment’s base, and still more richly carved designs can be found underneath it.Today, Escuela Catolica serves as meeting place for the various religious groups of the parish.Escuela Catolica forms part of Boljoon’s rich cultural heritage.When the Americans began constructing schools in the Philippines in the years leading to the outbreak of World War II, Spaniards also decided to put up their own.One of these schools, the Escuela Catolica, was built in 1940 in Boljoon.

An entry about this structure in the Boljoon: Cebu Heritage Frontier book said it served as a dorm for children receiving instructions on taking their first communion. It was a place for religious teachings and had, at one time, served as a school, the book added.Escuela Catolica, which now serves as meeting place for the various religious groups of the parish, is not a typical Spanish colonial building, bearing instead American construction influences.Unlike Spanish colonial houses, which are a combination of stone and wood, Escuela Catolica uses wood for both the ground and second floor levels. It follows a rectangular plan and its facade is symmetrical, highlighted by an exterior double grand staircase that leads up to the second floor landing.The veranda has ornate Callado accents and the roof pediment is ornamented with wood reliefs.

The Beautiful and The History of the Boljoon Church

                                       "BOLJOON CHURCH"


                                      

The Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio de Maria Parish Church (Our Lady of Patronage of Mary Parish Church), commonly known as Boljoon Church, is a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the Our Lady of Patrocinio in the municipality of Boljoon, Cebu, Philippines, under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu.It has been declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines and a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. It is also under consideration for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippinesas a member of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension).Boljoon (also spelled Boljo-on) began as a small Christian settlement named Nabulho.It became a visita of Carcar in 1599, and a small chapel was placed under the advocacy of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was elevated to a parish on October 31, 1690, based on the decision of Father Francisco de Zamora, Provincial of the Augustinians, as a result of the increasing number of Christians in the area. 

The decision was implemented upon the appointment of Father Nicolás de la Cuadra as its first parish priest on April 5, 1692. As early as 1732, the Augustinians proposed to leave Boljoon, owing to a shortage of priests they eventually left on September 27, 1737. Administration of Boljoon was later transferred to the Jesuits. The Augustinians returned to Boljoon in 1747 in exchange for Liloan, Cotcot and Maraling from the Jesuits.In 1782, earlier buildings in Boljoon were destroyed by pirates.The present church of Boljoon was built by Augustinian priest Father Ambrosio Otero in 1783.^[6] Construction of the church was continued by Father Manuel Cordero in 1794 and completed by Father Julián Bermejo in 1841.Father Bermejo also built other structures as part of Boljoon's defense network, such as the watchtowers and blockhouse. The church was later restored by Father Leandro Morán, the last Augustinian priest of Boljoon, who served from 1920 to 1948.The following year, the Archdiocese of Cebu took charge of Boljoon.Father Zacarias Suñer was appointed as the first secular parish priest of Boljoon in 1958.

In 2007, restoration work was performed through the Boljoon Heritage Foundation, with funding from the Cebu Provincial Government.The church is a fortress church, built of coral stones and located on a hill near the sea. It originally served as a watchtower for possible Moro raids. The church is known for its original terra cotta roof tiles and its distinct folk art or Filipino Baroque style, predominantly on its choir screen and pulpit.Twenty-eight pillars support the 2-metre (6.6 ft) thick walls made of mortar and lime. Its ceiling paintings are the work of Miguel Villareal, a native of Boljoon. The three gates and the walls of the church are made of coral stones and were constructed from 1802 to 1808 under the auspices of Father Bermejo.The main retablo is in pseudo-baroque rococo with gold leaf highlights and polychrome accents.

Located on the central niche of the main altar is the image of Boljoon's patron, Our Lady of Patrocinio, brought by Father Bartolome de Garcia from Spain in 1599. A side chapel located on the left side of the church is also dedicated to the patron.Also called the fortress or Dakong Balay (Big House), the quandrangular blockhouse was first built by Father Julian Bermejo when he came to Boljoon in 1808.The 120-by-80-metre (390 ft × 260 ft) blockhouse served as an artillery store and as the main fortress in the church complex. It is a two-story structure with a tile-covered parapet, built of coral stone with a tiled roof. Today it serves as a bell tower.The first burials in Boljoon's cemetery probably occurred in the 1760s. It was closed when a public cemetery was opened. Its gates might have been built in the 1700s, or in 1783 when the present church was constructed. Consisting of coral stones, the cemetery has a symmetrical stone arch gateway with a three-layer pediment, finials on both sides of the two-lower layers and a stone relief of a human skeleton on top.

The walls are also adorned with a relief of a human skull and bones. As part of the defense network of the church against pirates, Fr. Bermejo also built structures such as watchtowers and blockhouse.The rectangular bell tower used to have seven bells. The tower’s ground floor was used as a prison cell, probably for pirates as can be assumed from the drawings of ships on the walls.The Blockhouse which measures 120-by-80-metre (390 ft × 260 ft)  has  a two-story structure with a tile-covered parapet, built of coral stone with a tiled roof.

The church plaza is mainly used for large church activities. It is believed to be a former burial ground.Archaeological excavations undertaken by the University of San Carlos revealed several burial sites, antique jars and dishes, a necklace and a gold earring. It was concluded that the site could possibly be an early Hispanic burial site.The gold earring, the first archaeological find of its kind in a Philippine burial site, is believed to have been worn by a person of high status and may have indicated “wealth, influence or great power”.The church building has 28 pillars supported by  the 2-metre (6.6 ft) thick walls made of mortar and lime. Its ceiling paintings are the work of Miguel Villareal, a native of Boljoon. The three gates and the walls of the church are made of coral stones and were constructed from 1802 to 1808 under the auspices of Father Bermejo.










                                   

The Difference Of Ili Rock Before And After

                   "ILI ROCK TRANSFORMATION"

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"Spot the difference of Ili Rock
Before And It's Transformation"


Look at the old version of Ili Rock and the Transformation of this wonderful tourist spot.Isn't it amazing?




This spot is located in the Boljoon,Cebu.This was made before the Election.There is no entrance fee anymore, but if you visit it you have a time limit.Starting 5:00 am to 6:00 pm only.In the top you can see the island of Bohol and Siquijor and the town of Poblacion.

Even is the top is flat,this will be developed soon.Before many people complained about this,but now they are taking selfies because of the beautiful view.It is 50 meters from the curved highway below.Ili Rock has been part of Boljoon's history.This tourist spot is a natural rock formation that was onced used as a watchtower in the 1800's,overlooking the Bohol Sea.After the strong earthquake that hits Bohol and Cebu on October 2013,the project started in 2014,but is still only partially finished.When you want to go there you can see the stairs and the hand rails and at the top of the mountain looks like a dessert.Before the feast of their Patron Saint Nuestra Sra. Patrocinio de Maria last Nov. 12, Ili Rock was filled with viewers from neighboring towns. Boljoon tourism officer Ronald Villanueva recalled that Boljoon once vied to be declared a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco) because of its church structure, its Baroque design, landscape and seascape, and the people’s lifestyle. But the town failed to earn this international recognition as some groups complained about the carving of Ili Rock. DPWH Undersecretary Romeo Momo issued a memorandum suspending the slope benching of Ili Rock on November 2014. One of those who opposed the carving of Ili Rock, Edmund Villanueva, in his letter to 4th District Engineer James Dellosa, noted that the slope benching was limited only to critical sections of the rock. Villanueva complained in his letter that the excavation caused severe alteration of Ili Rock’s features and caused pollution problem on neighboring seas.Boljoon tourism officer Ronald Villanueva recalled that development of the mountain rock started after a meeting at Club Fort Med last March 16, 2016. 

The meeting was attended by DPWH officials, QM Builders, the private contractor, town officials and residents critical to the project. Dellosa explained during the meeting that they will stop the “carving” of the mountain “considering that the rock at the top of Ili Rock is already very stable. It was agreed that a concrete stairway and a drainage system will be built. Dellosa also explained to the group that plants and trees will be placed in the area as part of beautification and development. All those present in the meeting agreed with Dellosa’s proposal. Towards the end, Dellosa requested for a Sangguniang Bayan resolution requesting all these development and beautification projects on Ili Rock. Eventually, his requests were granted and thus the development of the mountain rock continued, said Villanueva.According to a news report I read online, the ‘transformation’ was necessary. There were threats of landslide and the only way to go was basically to level the rock (on top, most especially) to make it less dangerous.

So, here we go. Let’s check out the Ili Rock Viewing Deck.The development is made up of several levels. Obviously because the rock is too steep and it’s impossible to carve out a road given the limited amount of space.The first level is a small park space. I’m guessing it’s a park space because it is big enough for several vans and motorbikes. Plus it has a hole on the ground which obviously looks like it’s going to be a rest room.View of the first viewing deck from the park space. That thing near the top is a rappelling platform for those who want a little extreme adventure.Now, the fun begins as you slowly make your way to the foot of the concrete stairs. Yes, those stairs.Now imagine doing this at 11:30 in the morning. I swear I almost collapsed. Haha.But check out the view of the the town church and the plaza from the first viewing deck. Spine-chillingly gorgeous.To take this photo, I had to stand on the actual rappelling platform.Behind the viewing deck and platform is another set of concrete stairs. Let’s see what is up there!

Now check out the view from the second viewing deck. Wow!This is the flat area on top of the rock. If I’m not mistaken, the activity was stopped because the rock was already deemed stable at this level.Basically this is the main viewing deck and currently, it is empty. But I read in the dailies that a coffee shop will soon rise here. The local government also has other plans for this spot like adventure zips, telescopes, and more!View of the concrete stairs and the town center of Boljoon.Smiling from exhaustion.Now if only there’s a much quicker way to get off this thing. I need some shade!!!!It was already past noon when I finally returned to the town plaza. I immediately drove straight toward the Oslob for lunch! I miss Oslob!!!It’s great to be back in Oslob. I’d spent a good deal of my summers in the past couple of years here in Oslob and I really miss the feeling of being in this quiet, lovely town.