Hazel Ann

     The Binatbatan Festival here in Vigan City was started in year 2002. This festival is connected to Vigan’s abel Iloco craft. It comes from the word batbat, a pair of bamboo stick used to separate cotton pods that come from a tall tree called kapas sanglay. Kapas sanglay tree bears fruits that dries up at the branches of the tree itself then just falls off after the fruit splits by itself exposing the seed-filled cottons inside. The playful movements of this dance were created for specifically for children and represent the actions of cotton farmers as they separate the seeds from the fibers using sticks. This is to showcase this traditional weaving craft that is said to predate the arrival of the Spaniards. Viva Vigan Binatbatan Festival of the Arts is celebrated yearly from the last week of April to the first week of May. The catholic faithful also remembers on this day St. Joseph, patron saint of workers. The first-day commemoration is followed by the Binatbatan Fe...

“DO YOU JUANA…? Women represent the cornerstone of a family’s overall health, ensuring they have access to quality care also can lead to improved health for children and families. The health of families and communities are no doubt, tied to the health of women. Women’s lives have been impacted during the pandemic and how women are playing a central role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and keeping their families and communities safe and resilient. “The pandemic situation and school closures have increased an already high burden of care and domestic work for women. These are impacting women’s physical and mental health. Equal share of domestic and care work is especially important during this time,” said Rahmawati Yayu Ningsih, a freelance illustrator and the winner in the category 25 years old and above all.  The COVID‑19 pandemic is harming health, social and economic well-being worldwide, with women at the centre. First and foremost, women are leading the health response: wom...

The COVID-19 vaccine has been safely administered to millions of children ages 5-17 and shows good protection against infection and severe disease. These are very important especially to children and teens. They must be vaccinated for their own sake. This is not just to ensure their safety but also to prevent the spread of the virus. This is an opportunity for the country to catch up to vaccination goals and is a crucial step toward beating the pandemic. Vaccinating your children can help protect them and your family and bring the pandemic to an end faster.  COVID-19 vaccines can help prevent your children from getting COVID-19. It can help your family get back to a more normal life. It protects your family, friends and teachers. Vaccinating your children reduces their risk of being infected with COVID-19, which can help keep them from being sick. Vaccination not only reduces the risk of your child becoming infected, but it also slows the spread of the disease by preventing it from...

The Day of Valor, officially known as Araw ng Kagitingan, is a national observance in the Philippines which commemorates the fall of Bataan to Japanese troops during World War II. It falls every April 9, although in 2009, its celebration was moved to April 6 to avoid it from coinciding with Maundy Thursday. Officials in command of Bataan—where Filipino and American forces maintained the main resistance in the war against the Japanese—formally surrendered. Through the Voice of Freedom radio broadcast, Third Lieutenant Normando Ildefonso Reyes—reading a message prepared by Captain Salvador P. Lopez—informed the Philippines and the world from Malinta Tunnel in Corregidor: “Bataan has fallen.” The Philippine-American troops on this war-ravaged and bloodstained peninsula have laid down their arms. With heads bloody but unbowed, they have yielded to the superior force and numbers of the enemy. The siege and defense of Bataan lasted 93 days—or just four months after the United States Army For...

 Lenten Season During This Pandemic      The Lenten season is a time of fasting and preparation for Easter. It is a time to reflect on Jesus's sacrifice and to prepare our hearts for Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days. The season wherein Filipino people recall Christ's passion, his suffering, death and resurrection. The preparation of the believer for Easter through prayer, mortifying the flesh, repentance of sins, almsgiving, simple living, and self-denial. The Philippines is battling a renewed surge in infections, including those of the new and more transmissible variants, prompting the government to tighten existing curbs in the capital and nearby provinces. Dozens of Catholics in the Philippines braved the threat of coronavirus on Sunday to attend a mass outside the Baclaran Church in Manila to celebrate Palm Sunday, marking the beginning of the Holy Week. Wearing face masks and observing physical distancing to protect themselves from COVI...

     KANNAWIDAN FESTIVAL Kannawidan Ylocos festival is the commemoration of the foundation of the province of Ilocos Sur. Kannawidan is a variant of the  Ilocano word "tawid" meaning heritage or  inheritance.ItIt is a celebration that lasts from the last week of January and ends on the first week of February. This festival is a showcase of indigenous performances, religious rituals, as well cooking demos featuring the best of Ilocano dishes. It is a celebration that lasts from the last week of January and ends on the first week of February. It is the Ilocanos’ way of giving thanks to the Almighty not only for the bountiful blessings but also for the rich heritage of the province, including the close family ties among the Ilocanos. It is a tradition that during the opening of the festival, there is usually a mass held at the St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral. It is followed by a procession of the Patron Saints of the 40 parishes and images of Jesus Christ and Virgi...

Filipinos are indeed the world's most Christmas-oriented people. We start recognizing the Christmas season as early as September with radio stations playing Christmas songs on the first day of September. In every city or town in the Philippines, each has its own way to celebrate the season. In the World Heritage City of Vigan, its citizens gather as crowd to participate in the unveiling of the Christmas tree, a yearly tradition. Bigueños gathered in number to participate in this annual tradition.The Christmas tree was designed with mannequins dressed with colorful and very detailed (up close) costumes from head to foot. The unveiling happened after the Raniag Street Dancing showdown, also held in front of the city hall. The Heritage City of Vigan officially marks the start of the Christmas season in the City Government conducted the simultaneous lighting of this year's colorful thirty-seven foot Christmas Tree in front of Vigan City Hall and the Christmas Village at Vigan Conse...