During the Pahiyas Festival, I was with a couple of bloggers and some members of media to test Samsung cameras during the said event. As you know, Pahiyas Festival is a haven for photographers both amateur and professional because of the vibrant colors.

We were supposed to explore San Pablo, Laguna and Sariaya Quezon but unfortunately due to time constraints, we couldn’t anymore. The group went straight to Lucban to get see the Pahiyas Festival.

I got to test one of Samsung’s Point and Shoot Digital Camera which is the PL150. Here are some of the photos I took during Pahiyas:

]]> http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/photos/shooting-pahiyas-festival-with-samsung-pl150/feed/ 1 http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/photos/last-sunset-before-the-elections/ http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/photos/last-sunset-before-the-elections/#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 12:54:04 +0000 Sharlyne Ang http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/?p=96

May 9, 2010, Manila Bay

This was the last sunset before the elections. I am hoping that as our leaders change, we’ll also change as Filipino people. The Manila Bay sunset is one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world an looking at it brings us hope for a brighter tomorrow. All of us Filipinos are hoping that tomorrow will be a perfect day.

I’ve been living in Manila for almost 27 years of my life but I have never experienced Luneta Park the way I experienced it before. The most obvious thing in Luneta Park, the Rizal Monument, is already given when you think about Luneta Park but I never realized that one can rediscover  Jose Rizal by going to Luneta Park.

Holy Saturday, was a usual day for us bloggers who wanted to explore culture and history around the metro. Aside from satisfying our gastronomic desires, we also satisfy our thirst to capture a glimpse of Philippine culture. And so we went to Luneta Park after feasting on must-eat restaurants in Binondo.

New discovery for me (probably not for some). There is a place in Luneta which is about Rizal’s last few days before his execution. These more than life size brass sculptures give the audience of what happened during the last days of Jose Rizal. At night, there is a light and sound show wherein tourists can learn about the life of Jose Rizal. The show costs Php 50 per adult and a lower price for children. Schedule of the evening Light and Sound Shows are: Wednesday to Sunday at 7-7:30 p.m. for the Tagalog version and 8-8:30 p.m. for the English version.

]]> http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/photos/rediscovering-jose-rizal-in-luneta-park/feed/ 0 http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/photos/calesas-in-the-city/ http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/photos/calesas-in-the-city/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:10:25 +0000 Sharlyne Ang http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/?p=90

Calesa in Luneta Park, Manila

Calesas or Karitelas were the means of transportation during Spanish era in the Philippines. This was introduced to us by the Spaniards during the 18th century. Calesa (or Kalesa) is a horse-drawn carriage in the Philippines. The person who directs the horse where to go is called a “kutsyero”. Because of modernization, there are only a few left. We can usually see this transportation in the Old Manila and Binondo (Chinatown) area. Tourists are delighted to try and ride this and there are some locals that still use this as a means of transportation. A calesa ride is more expensive than the usual jeepney ride. If I’m not mistaken, it costs around 100 Pesos.

Palawan’s Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, commonly known as the Crocodile Farm, is located in Barangay Irawan, Puerto Princesa. This is being managed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and has become one of the major tourist spots in the city. Aside from Crocodiles, there are also other animals such as bear cats, monkeys, serpent eagle and many others. Entrance Fee is only 25 pesos.

Catholicism is one of the influences of the Spaniards that still remains up to this day and this is the reason why are a lot of old churches in the Philippines. One of the cathedrals which were built in the 1800’s is still existing today, and this is the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. This is already more than a century old located in Rizal Street, Barangay Liwanag, Puerto Princesa. Its current location is called “Old Puerto Princesa” and the church itself was not this  big before.

The Church was built in 1871, during the time of the Spaniards in the Philippines, and it was named as such because Immaculate Conception became the patroness of Palawan. The very first mass in that cathedral was held in 1872 and the feast day of Immaculate Conception is being celebrated there every December 8th.It was in 1961 when it was developed into a cathedral.

The cathedral is popular and is treated not as a historical place but also an architectural site because of the angular structures inside it. As you can see the pictures inside, it seems simple but the angular structures are simply amazing.

I will feature the different sites that we visited for half a day here. The details of the places we been to will be featured in Pinoytraver.com/blog.

One of our destinations is the Butterfly Garden in Sta. Monica, Puerto Princesa. From the name pretty much explains what to expect inside. Obviously, the place was filled with butterflies. Going there would make you appreciate the wonders of nature. Puerto Princesa is fortunate to be one of the most species of butterflies in South East Asia.

When I was there, all of the participants were using their DSLRs while a newbie like me, is only using a Canon SX 110 IS point and shoot camera. I have not bought a DSLR for myself yet and is planning to gain more experience in my point and shoot camera before buying a DSLR. I don’t want to become one of the people who buy DSLRs without proper knowledge in photography.

Jay taught us the basics of landscape photography then afterwards, he made us roam around Pico de Loro Cove to apply some of the things he taught us.

Pico de Loro Cove is one of the 13 coves of Hamilo Coast. By the way, Hamilo Coast is located in Nasugbu, Batangas and is owned by SM. There are condominiums being built in Pico de Loro cove and the beach is just a walk away. Hamilo Coast, as a whole, can only be used (I believe as of this moment) by members and shareholders. You can be a member by either buying a unit or by buying shares worth P 500,000 (that does not include the monthly fee).

SM plans to have different features per cove. There is one cove that will be exclusively for adventure sports.

They have a club house for their guests. It has swimming pools for adults and children. They also have a massage area and restaurant which guests can use.

]]> http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/photos/pico-de-loro-cove-at-hamilo-coast/feed/ 1 http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/photos/manila-bay-on-a-sunday-morning/ http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/photos/manila-bay-on-a-sunday-morning/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:28:29 +0000 Sharlyne Ang http://www.kaladkaringpaa.com/?p=51

This is how Manila Bay looks like on a Sunday morning. The skies are clear and the bay looks calm. There are lots of people who exercise and jog here in the morning. The yachts there are docked at the Manila Yacht Club.