Foot and Fire

Writing Home: 19 Writers Remember Thier Hometowns Edited by Ruel S. De Vera Anvil Publishing 191 pages, An anthology of essays, poems and short stories As of writing this review, I am yet to finish four more entries: The Bacon vendetta by Eileen R. Tabios (Santo Tomas, Candon, Ilocos Sur), The Adopted Hometown by Alfred Yuson (Dumaguete), Habit of Space by Karina Africa Bolasco (Lipa) and Outward Journey by Jaime An Lim (Cagayan De Oro). Just immediately before I sat down to write this review, I read one which is closer to home: EBJ Freedom Park by Alex de los Santos (Antique) which is a poem that remembers how the park came to be when "we heard the volley of gunfire that made this park a tomb. " EBJ stands for Evelio B. Javier who was a much-beloved Antique Assemblyman and governor who was assassinated in 1986. In the poem's opening lines, the park for Antiquenos is "here is where we rise, here we bury victories." And as closing lines, the...

Cinco de Noviembre or Negros Day is a commemoration of the Negros Revolution in 1898. It is now observed every November 5 as a special non-working holiday in the province through the enactment of Republic Act No. 6709 signed on February 10, 1989 during the incumbency of President Corazon Aquino. Wikipedia entries narrate that: " The Negros Revolution, now commemorated and popularly known as Al Cinco de Noviembre or Negros Day, was a political movement that in 1898 created a government in Negros Island in the Philippines, informally ending Spanish control of the island and resulting in a government run by the Negrense natives, at least for that part of the archipelago and for a relatively short period. The newly established Negros Republic would last for approximately three months. American forces landed on the island unopposed on February 2, 1899, ending the island's independence." "  It has been stipulated that the Spanish civil and religious authoritie...

I Searched for the Hidden Ocean IT FEELS GREAT TO BE INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ONCE IN A WHILE. It tests your capacity to survive in almost all aspects of life – spiritually, physically, and intellectually. Nature trekking reminds you to remember God and His pristine creation, to commune with nature, to be one with nature as you take in the chilly air of the fog, embrace the coolness of the breeze and feel the tiny drops of rain as they slowly and steadily touch your skin. I have had the honour to be part of the recent nature trekking of BAMC personnel. It was my first time to join a pack of trekkers and I even have no idea of what to expect. Since I was already there, I decided to conquer my fear of the unknown. I have always been a planner but this time, I just went on without any idea. But that did not make me any braver, in fact, that made me doubt myself especially looking at how the other trekkers look so prepared – see the outfit and the backpacks of SHEILA and compan...