When life gives you lemons, make apple juice and watch as they wonder how the hell you did it.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

I Can't Work Buddy - Google Docs

The pains of the old days.


If there is something that Google does not have, it does NOT exist. True Story.


Cloud computing -- a networked computer system that harnesses the resources of several servers to complete tasks and store data -- is shaping up to be the next big trend in the computing industry. Traditionally, only a few people could access the processing power of a supercomputer. With cloud computing, practically anyone could tap into that sort of power.


Since the debut of the personal computer, we've become used to storing information either on an external storage device like a compact disc or on a computer's hard drive. We're also conditioned to buy new machines or upgrade old ones whenever applications require more processing power than our current computers can provide. With cloud computing, the responsibility of storage and processing power falls to the network, not the individual computer owner.


Although it's a relatively young industry, many companies offer cloud computing services. One of those companies is Google. The Internet giant offers a suite of Web-based productivity applications under the name Google Docs. While these applications aren't as complex or comprehensive as the leading desktop counterparts, they have other advantages over traditional software.


The most obvious of these advantages is that the applications aren't tied to a specific computer. There's no need to download and install software on a particular machine. Any computer connected to the Internet can access Google Docs. Because each user saves information to the cloud system, he or she can access the same file from anywhere. Users don't have to worry about which version of a document is the most current -- it will always be saved in the Google cloud.


Another advantage is that multiple users can make edits to the same files at the same time. This is calledonline collaboration, and it could streamline teamwork over the Web. Because Google Docs preserves earlier versions of documents, there's no reason to worry about irrevocably changing a file. Collaborating on files might mean changing the way we think about document management. But it might also mean project managers can save time and effort.


What exactly can Google Docs do?

The perfect companion for everything.




At its heart, Google Docs is a suite of online productivity software. That means it's a collection of applications that make it easier to produce the kinds of files commonly used in corporate environments: documents, spreadsheets andpresentations.


The Google word processing program started out as a product named Writely created by a company called Upstartle. Google acquired Upstartle in 2006 and began the process of converting Writely into a Google-branded product [source: InformationWeek]. The program allows users to create and edit documents online. Multiple users can access the document at the same time, making it easier for teams to collaborate on projects.


Likewise, the spreadsheet function in Google Docs started out as another company's project. A startup company called XL2Web developed a collaboration application called 2Web Technologies. Google acquired XL2Web and gave the team the resources they needed to develop the spreadsheets application [source:Business Review]. Like most spreadsheet programs, Google's application allows users to create tables, charts and graphs. The application has most of the basic functions of desktop spreadsheet programs, including sorting, filtering and formula calculations.


The story is much the same for the presentation application in Google Docs. Google acquired Tonic Systems, a company that developed a suite of Java-based presentation software. Tonic's development team transitioned to Google and modified the software to integrate with the rest of Google's products [source: The Official Google Blog].


The resulting application looks like a basic desktop presentation program. Presentations consist of slides. There are five basic slide layouts users can choose when building a presentation. Google also gives users more than a dozen choices in presentation themes. The application also includes basic functions like image and video support, autoshapes and text boxes.


None of the applications within the Google Docs suite are as robust or versatile as the leading desktop productivity software packages. But Google updates the suite often, adding new features and capabilities. While the applications don't have all the bells and whistles of other software packages, they do meet basic user needs. And while Google Docs might not do everything other products can do, it does have several features that set it apart from the rest of the pack.

******

This is a way of facing those mates with NO TIME making a collaborative work. We have the Internet; We have Google!

Enjoy this innovation of document making fellow 9gaggers and readers.

-this is legit 


Friday, March 23, 2012

Value for Money - The Best Groupons Around



Lost Chances, lost chances...

That moment when you value your money...

Group what?!

Groupon (a portmanteau derived from "group coupon") is a deal-of-the-day website that features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. Groupon was launched in November 2008, and the first market for Groupon was Chicago, followed soon thereafter by Boston, New York City, and Toronto. As of October 2010, Groupon serves more than 150 markets in North America and 100 markets in Europe, Asia and South America and has amassed 35 million registered users.

The idea for Groupon was created by now-CEO and Pittsburgh native Andrew Mason. The idea subsequently gained the attention of his former employer, Eric Lefkofsky, who provided $1 million in "seed money" to develop the idea. In April 2010, the company was valued at $1.35 billion. According to a December 2010 report conducted by Groupon's marketing association and reported in Forbes Magazine and the Wall Street Journal, Groupon was "projecting that the company is on pace to make $1 billion in sales faster than any other business, ever". However, a report from Forrester Research in October 2011 suggested that the Groupon business model was a "disaster", and that the firm had become an example of "how fast an Internet darling can fall."

In its first earnings release as a public company, Groupon reported a fourth-quarter 2011 loss of $9.8 million on an adjusted basis, disappointing investors.

What are its markets? 

Groupon breaks into new markets by identifying successful local businesses, first by sending in an advance squadron of employees to research the local market; when it finds a business with outstanding reviews, salespeople approach it and explain the model, and use social marketing sites such as Facebook to further promote the idea.

Groupon serves 500 markets and 44 countries, the many major geographic markets internationally include cites in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Brazil, Germany, Greece, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Puerto Rico, Japan, Turkey, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Sweden, Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, Romania, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Russia and South Africa .

In Australia, development of Groupon has been slow owing to legal disputes between Groupon and an Australian company, Scoopon. Groupon now operates in Australia as "Stardeals" while the legal problems are worked out.

On February 19, 2011 The Wall Street Journal reported that Groupon was preparing to launch in China.

Groupon is also expanding into the MENA region with its launch of Groupon UAE on June 16, 2011.

Groupon New Zealand launched on 10 May 2011.

Even we can't see this image clearly. :) (http://9gag.com/gag/79512 )


Top 10 GROUPON DEALS!

We rounded up a list of 10 Groupon alternatives to help you find the best deals in your city. Check them out:


1. LivingSocial
Massage galore.

Just like Groupon, LivingSocial sends you a deal each day to use at a local business. You purchase the deals, and then receive a link to your voucher within the next business day. After you buy the deal, you'll get a unique link to share. Then, if three people buy the deal using your link, your deal is free. Deals vary widely in category, from restaurant discounts, to spa treatments, to pottery painting. Plus, right now until December 13, you can get buy-one-get-one-free deals on many LivingSocial deals. LivingSocial also has an iPhone app to get deals sent straight to your iPhone.

2. BuyWithMe

BuyWithMe is along the same lines as Groupon or Living Social, but unlike those two sites, BuyWithMe isn't necessarily a one-day-only type of deal. You usually have a few days to buy the deal, which is nice since you don't have to make snap decisions. The site is unique in that each deal requires a minimum number of people to sign up before the deal expires in order for it to go through for everyone. So, if the minimum isn't reached, you're not charged for the deal that you're not getting.

3. Tippr

Another collective buying site is Tippr. The model is the same: subscribe to the e-mails by selecting the daily deal newsletter for your city. Ulike Groupon and LivingSocial, you'll get three deals a day from Tippr instead of just one. The site stands out from other collective buying sites because as more people buy a deal, the discounts get larger for everyone who buys it. So, a deal you think you're getting for $25 can go down to $20 by the time the deal-buying window has closed. Once it has closed, you'll receive a voucher via e-mail. Another of Tippr's unique feature is that it provides a 100 percent price guarantee, so you can feel confident that you're getting the best price when you buy a deal from Tippr.

4. DealOn

DealOn sends you daily e-mails with a deal for you to buy within 24 hours. Like Tippr, DealOn gives you the day's lowest price after the deal window has closed. For example, today's deal started at $35, but is now down to $33. The lowest price it will go to is $31, but the deal has a value of $70, so you're saving over 50 percent already. The goal with both DealOn and Tippr is to share the deal with others to help drive down the price.
Who could resist Kgbdeals with these wines!

5. Kgbdeals

Saving anywhere from 50 percent to 90 percent on activities, clothes, and food is something you can't pass up. Kgbdeals offers a handful of bargains each day. Right now, there are seven deals being offered on the site. Every day brings a new deal, but some expire quickly or are a limited quantity, while other deals are held open for several days. Typically, deals end at midnight.

6. HomeRun

HomeRun is very similar to Tippr and DealOn in the group buying aesthetic. The more people that buy the deal, the more the discount. HomeRun offers new deals each day, and sends a daily e-mail to inform you of the fresh offers. There are currently three deals for sale on HomeRun's site. It covers all areas, such as spas, salons, restaurants, events, and more.

7. BloomSpot

BloomSpot is slightly different from the previous sites mentioned. BloomSpot offers exclusive deals on luxury restaurants, spas, weekend getaways, and more. You're going to be spending a little bit more money on these deals. For example, you can buy classic European bikes starting at $396, a stay in the Equinox Resort in Vermont -- starting at $117 per night, and going up to $552 a night--, or a New Year's Eve champagne cruise under the Brooklyn Bridge for $599.

8. ScoutMob

And now for something completely different. There are sites like ScoutMob that basically give you the same discount you would get from buying a deal, but you can get the discount for free. Here's how it works: You sign up, get a daily e-mail with a discount to a restaurant in your city (usually 30 percent to 50 percent off), and click the "Get It Free" button. You will then have the option of having the coupon code sent to your e-mail, or to your phone. So, instead of, for example, paying $20 for $40 worth of food via Groupon, you're getting the 50 percent off coupon to spend as much as you want at the restaurant. Kind of a nice change of pace from the style of the previous deals.

Scoutmob is available in select cities, including San Fransisco, New York, and Atlanta, but it will soon be offered for Seattle, Los Angeles, Springfield, Denver, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Nashville, Washington DC, and Boston.

9. Blackboard Eats
The Blackboard you never knew you had.

Similar to ScoutMob, Blackboard Eats delivers exclusive deals for top restaurants and on artisanal culinary products. Restaurants and merchants cannot and do not pay to be featured on BlackoardEats like they do on the other sites mentioned. Instead, according to the site, "Featured restaurants and products are selected by our seasoned food editors and reviewed anonymously by writers from publications including Gourmet, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Saveur, and Zagat. To maintain objectivity and honesty, BlackboardEats pays for all of its writers' meals, and never accepts comps." The site tells you what you must try at each restaurant, a price range, as well as other helpful information. Simply sign up, get the e-mail, click "Get This Special," and the passcode will be sent to your e-mail. Some restrictions apply, so check each deal carefully.

10. Deal Aggregator Sites: The Dealmap / Dealery / Yipit

As you can see, there are a ton of these group-buying sites. It can be a little overwhelming, and your e-mail inbox can look like mine (with 20 different deal e-mails waiting for me each morning). If you want to clear the clutter, there are sites like Dealery, Yipit, and the Dealmap, that round up all those offers flying around your inbox.

******

These are apparently the best and truthful groupons you will ever have! Enjoy dealing with combos and promos!

Have a blast with the summer promos fellow 9gaggers and readers!

-this is legit

Honey, I Changed Our Money - E-Banking



Perhaps everything will have its electronic form two days from now...

Indeed.

Transactions made easier and ergonomic.
Online Banking For The Win...

Online banking (or Internet banking or E-banking) allows customers of a financial institution to conduct financial transactions on a secure website operated by the institution, which can be a retail or virtual bank, credit union or building society.

To access a financial institution's online banking facility, a customer having personal Internet access must register with the institution for the service, and set up some password (under various names) for customer verification. The password for online banking is normally not the same as for telephone banking. Financial institutions now routinely allocate customer numbers (also under various names), whether or not customers intend to access their online banking facility. Customer numbers are normally not the same as account numbers, because a number of accounts can be linked to the one customer number. The customer will link to the customer number any of those accounts which the customer controls, which may be cheque, savings, loan, credit card and other accounts.

To access online banking, the customer would go to the financial institution's website, and enter the online banking facility using the customer number and password. Some financial institutions have set up additional security steps for access, but there is no consistency to the approach adopted.


There goes the tag name.
How did it start? 

The precursor for the modern home online banking services were the distance banking services over electronic media from the early 1980s. The term online became popular in the late '80s and referred to the use of a terminal, keyboard and TV (or monitor) to access the banking system using a phone line. ‘Home banking’ can also refer to the use of a numeric keypad to send tones down a phone line with instructions to the bank. Online services started in New York in 1981 when four of the city’s major banks (Citibank, Chase Manhattan, Chemical and Manufacturers Hanover) offered home banking services using the videotext system. Because of the commercial failure of videotext these banking services never became popular except in France where the use of videotext (Minitel) was subsidized by the telecom provider and the UK, where the Prestel system was used.

The UK's first home online banking services were set up by Bank of Scotland for customers of the Nottingham Building Society (NBS) in 1983. The system used was based on the UK's Prestel system and used a computer, such as the BBC Micro, or keyboard (Tandata Td1400) connected to the telephone system and television set. The system (known as 'Homelink') allowed on-line viewing of statements, bank transfers and bill payments. In order to make bank transfers and bill payments, a written instruction giving details of the intended recipient had to be sent to the NBS who set the details up on the Homelink system. Typical recipients were gas, electricity and telephone companies and accounts with other banks. Details of payments to be made were input into the NBS system by the account holder via Prestel. A cheque was then sent by NBS to the payee and an advice giving details of the payment was sent to the account holder. BACS was later used to transfer the payment directly.

Stanford Federal Credit Union was the first financial institution to offer online internet banking services to all of its members in October 1994.

Today, many banks are internet only banks. Unlike their predecessors, these internet only banks do not maintain brick and mortar bank branches. Instead, they typically differentiate themselves by offering better interest rates and online banking features. 

Yey, verily.

What are its features?

Online banking facilities offered by various financial institutions have many features and capabilities in common, but also have some that are application specific.

The common features fall broadly into several categories
  • A bank customer can perform some non-transactional tasks through online banking, including -
    • viewing account balances
    • viewing recent transactions
    • downloading bank statements, for example in PDF format
    • viewing images of paid cheques
    • ordering cheque books
  • Bank customers can transact banking tasks through online banking, including -
    • Funds transfers between the customer's linked accounts
    • Paying third parties, including bill payments (see, eg., BPAY) and telegraphic/wire transfers
    • Investment purchase or sale
    • Loan applications and transactions, such as repayments of enrollments
  • Financial institution administration
  • Management of multiple users having varying levels of authority
  • Transaction approval process
Some financial institutions offer unique Internet banking services, for example
§  Personal financial management support, such as importing data into personal accounting software. Some online banking platforms support account aggregation to allow the customers to monitor all of their accounts in one place whether they are with their main bank or with other institutions.

Security of people who are in to E-banking

Security of a customer's financial information is very important, without which, online banking could not operate. Financial institutions have set up various security processes to reduce the risk of unauthorized online access to a customer's records, but there is no consistency to the various approaches adopted.
The use of a secure website has become almost universally adopted.
Though single password authentication is still in use, it by itself is not considered secure enough for online banking in some countries. Basically there are two different security methods in use for online banking.
  • The PIN/TAN system where the PIN represents a password, used for the login and TANs representing one-time passwords to authenticate transactions. TANs can be distributed in different ways; the most popular one is to send a list of TANs to the online banking user by postal letter. The most secure way of using TANs is to generate them by need using a security token. These token generated TANs depend on the time and a unique secret, stored in the security token (two-factor authentication or 2FA). Usually online banking with PIN/TAN is done via a web browser using SSL secured connections, so that there is no additional encryption needed.
  • Another way to provide TANs to an online banking user is to send the TAN of the current bank transaction to the user's (GSM) mobile phone via SMS. The SMS text usually quotes the transaction amount and details, the TAN is only valid for a short period of time. Especially in Germany, Austria and The Netherlands, many banks have adopted this "SMS TAN" service as it is considered very secure.
  • Signature based online banking where all transactions are signed and encrypted digitally. The Keys for the signature generation and encryption can be stored on smartcards or any memory medium, depending on the concrete implementation.

How about Online Payments?

EFT – Electronic Fund Transfer: The easiest way to pay!

Electronic funds transfer (EFT) is the electronic exchange or transfer of money from one account to another, either within a single financial institution or across multiple institutions, through computer-based systems.

The term covers a number of different concepts:
·         Cardholder-initiated transactions, where a cardholder makes use of a payment card
·         Direct deposit payroll payments for a business to its employees, possibly via a payroll service bureau
·         Direct debit payments, sometimes called electronic checks, for which a business debits the consumer's bank accounts for payment for goods or services
·         Electronic bill payment in online banking, which may be delivered by EFT or paper check
·         Transactions involving stored value of electronic money, possibly in a private currency
·         Wire transfer via an international banking network (carries a higher fee in North America)
·         Electronic Benefit Transfer

In 1978 the U.S. Congress passed the Electronic Funds Transfer Act to establish the rights and liabilities of consumers as well as the responsibilities of all participants in EFT activities in the United States.

******

Start banking and experience the joy of saving! Earning money like a boss.

Go check your piggy banks fellow 9gaggers and readers.

-seems legit to me

To Clear Things Out...



Because this is an authentic piece of the lives of the writers...

 Going bananas over blogging. :)

Apparently, this blog is nearing its 30th post. Well, at this rate, the dudes will be getting this number of posts before the week expires.It has been a pleasurable service having been able to write for the public. The continued support overwhelms and inspires the dudes to create ORIGINAL and INTERESTING articles.

You heard that right, the posts that we make are tweaked up by the dudes themselves and consequently, attributions are given should we be unable to write that beautifully. Forgive us, the dudes are still practicing students and will therefore achieve grandeur in writing in a year's time. Just give it a time to grow, the dudes will be flowers soon.

From the five thousandth hit of this blog to our five hundred followers and likers on facebook: Seems Legit, the dudes would like to thank each and everyone who has taken time to read, check on the box list of short assessments, visiting our blog and above all, commenting to our varied posts. The dudes could not have done this without your help.

9gag has our souls from then on until now.
The dudes would also like to mention this wonderful site of which we owe majority of our pictures and grand ideas : 9gag and Google. Thanks guys!
Watch our race to our aim. 30 posts, the dudes are coming! And yes, this is legit. :) Happy reading.

******


As long a you read, it is ok. Reading every little piece of things like a sir!

Thanks for the support fellow 9gaggers and readers. Enjoy and discover us!

-seems legit to me

Festivities Galore : Celebrations in the Philippines

We have always been a festive country.

Just keep smiling dudes. :D


Here are the festivals celebrated from January to May. The hotspots for tourists like many of us. Festivals that will be taking you to a whole new level of fun. And transform Philippines into something you won’t ever forget.


The Black Nazarene Festival


The statue's original Mexican sculptor is unknown but the image arrived in Manila via a galleon ship from AcapulcoMexico. Folk tradition attributes the dark color of the statue to a fire on the ship carrying it, charring the white image to its present dark complexion.

Church records in Intramuros district note that there were two identical images of Black Nazarene brought to Manila. The first was kept in San Nicolas de Tolentino church in Bagumbayan and later transferred to Intramuros when the old edifice was demolished. This Black Nazarene was bombed and destroyed in the 1945 Battle of Manila.

The other statue was given by the Recollect Priests to the Quiapo church, and it has been often mistaken by many to be the first destroyed statue during the war.
To protect the image, the Quiapo Basilica commissioned a replica. The head and hands of the original image are now placed on the copy of the body while the old torso holds the new head and hands. Both images are used for processions, alternating every other year except in 2007, when the entire statue was put back as a whole for its 400th anniversary.

He was black for a reason.
The religious veneration of the Black Nazarene is rooted among Filipinos who identify themselves with the Passion of Jesus Christ. Many devotees of the Black Nazarene relate their poverty and daily struggles to the wounds and tribulations experienced by Jesus, as represented by the image. Although the patron saint of the basilica itself is Saint John the Baptist, the Black Nazarene overwhelms it due to mass appeal. Devotees also pay homage by clapping their hands at the end of each mass offered at the shrine.

Every Friday of the year is locally known as Quiapo Day, and is dedicated to the Black Nazarene, with the novena being held not only in the basilica but in other churches nationwide. Similar to Baclaran Day, many public transportation associate this term with an increase of traffic due to visiting devotees.

Each year, the procession of the Black Nazarene makes its way along the streets of the Quiapo district, with attendees reaching up to 6 to 8 million. In recent years, the processional route was altered due to a rise in vehicular and stampede accidents, and to afford other neighborhoods a chance to participate in the festivities. Classes are also suspended in all levels.

As is custom, the statue of the Nazarene leaves the Quiapo church (publicly or secretly the night before) and returns to the church on the same day. Many participants either follow the route, or simply wait inside the church to greet the statue. The task of pulling the ropes is traditionally exclusive to male devotees and is now participated also by female devotees too, while all devotees present wear the image's color of maroon. Noli de Castro, a renowned television journalist and former Vice-President is known to be a life-long devotee and has been seen in the past pulling the ropes.

******

The Panagbengga Festival

It's flower season at the City of Pines -- perfect timing for an all-out fiesta in the streets. The Baguio folks take a break on these days to revel in the cool climate and the unique culture of their city. Multi-hued costumes are worn, mimicking the various blooms of the highland region (or any of its 11 ethnic tribes). There's also the half-dozen or so flower beds-- disguised, of course, as the Panagbenga parade floats. 

Trust me, I'm a Tiger.
It all began in 1995 when lawyer; Damaso E. Bangaoet, Jr., John Hay Poro Point Development Corporation (JPDC) Managing Director for Camp John Hay, presented to the Board of Directors of JPDC the idea of spearheading the holding of a flower festival in Baguio City. The Board, then led by the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) Chairman Victor A. Lim and JPDC President Rogelio L. Singson, approved the project immediately. It was also decided that the Festival be held every February. From the very start, JPDC saw itself as the initiator, not the producer of the Festival. 

Consequently, its strategy was to present the idea to the various sectors of the community: government, education, business, media and civic organizations. This was not only to solicit their support, but also to gather their suggestions and ideas. Their response was generally warm and immediate, except for a few doubting Thomases. Nevertheless, the idea had fallen on fertile ground. It grew as a wellspring of community support fed resources into the project. The Baguio Flower Festival was an idea on its way to becoming a reality. 

Making the idea a reality fell into the hands of the BFF Secretariat which was chaired by Attorney Bangaoet and manned by JPDC staff and volunteers led by Eric Jonathan Picart. In Addition, an advisory group of flower enthusiasts like Rebecca Domogan, Gloria Vergara, Julie Cabato, Willie Magtibay and Efren Chat was formed. They began by creating an identity for the Festival, one that would reflect the history, traditions and values of Baguio and the Cordilleras. In October 1995, the Baguio Flower Festival acquired face. Its official logo was chosen from entries to the Annual Camp John Hay Art Contest. The competition was open to elementary, high school and college students of Baguio. Its theme revolved around preserving the environment with a special emphasis on the flowers of the Cordillera. 

The 18th Kadayawan Festival was well participated, particularly the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan participated in by local government units, including those outside the Davao region. A huge crowd trooped to city thoroughfares Saturday to witness the street dancing competition. 

Instead of a complete painting, the distinguished board of judges led by well-known artist BenCab chose a spray of sunflowers on the corner of the entry submitted by Trisha Tabangin, a student of the Baguio City National High School. 

Shortly thereafter, a Festival hymn was composed by Professor Macario Fronda of Saint Louis University. To this music was added the rhythm and movements of the Bendian dance, an Ibaloi dance of celebration. The Bendian dance's circular movements speak of unity and harmony among members of the tribe - themes that foreshadowed the coming toogether of the various sectors of the community to bring the Baguio Flower Festival to life. 
Perhaps the cheapest and the EVERLASTING.

*****

The Passion of the Christ - Philippine Version
The Moriones Festival


The Moriones is an annual festival held on Holy Week on the island of Marinduque, Philippines. The "Moriones" are men and women in costumes and masks replicating the garb of biblical Roman soldiers as interpreted by local folks. The Moriones or Moryonan tradition has inspired the creation of other festivals in the Philippines where cultural practices or folk history is turned into street festivals.

Colorful festivals celebrated on the island of Marinduque and the Philippines. Morion means "mask" or "visor," a part of the medieval Roman armor which covers the face. Moriones, on the other hand, refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus. Morions roam the streets in town from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday scaring the kids, or engaging in antics or surprises to draw attention. This is a folk-religious festival that re-enacts the story of Saint Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one eye. The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics. The towns of Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz, Buenavista and Mogpog in the island of Marinduque become one gigantic stage. The observances form part of the Lenten celebrations of Marinduque. The various towns also hold the unique tradition of the pabasa or the recitation of Christ's passion in verse. Then at three o'clock on Good Friday afternoon, the Santo Sepulcro is observed, whereby old women exchange verses based on the Bible as they stand in wake of the dead Christ. One of the highlights of this festival is the Via Crucis.

A re-enactment of the suffering of Christ on his way to the calvary. Men inflict suffering upon them by whipping their backs, carrying a wooden cross and sometimes even crucifixion. They see this act as their form of atonement for their sins. This weeklong celebration starts on Holy Monday and ends on Easter Sunday.

The term "Moriones" was concocted by the media in the 60s, but local inhabitants have kept the original term, "Moryonan". Many practitioners are farmers and fishermen who engage in this age-old tradition as a vow of penance or thanksgiving. Legend has it that Longinus pierced the side of the crucified Christ. The blood that spurted forth touched his blind eye and fully restored his sight. This miracle converted Longinus to Christianity and earned the ire of his fellow centurions. The re-enactment reaches its climax when Longinus is caught and beheaded.


******

The Flores de Mayo

Filipinos likes fiestas. They are celebrated all-year round. All over the country, especially in the summer months, May is the merriest and the most beautiful month of the year. It is the season of colorful festivals and Flores de Mayo or Santacruzan is one such festival. Stop and smell the roses. During the month of May, in the tropical islands of the Philippines, we don't have to stop -- the fragrance of flowers floats in the air. When the rains begin to pour after a long dry spell, flowers magically bloom overnight. And being predominantly Catholic, the Filipinos celebrate the beneficial rains by giving praise to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The townfolk gather the colorful flowers to decorate the Parish Church altars and aisles. They bundle the blooms in exotic arrangements for the many different festivities all together referred to as the "Flores De Mayo" (Flowers of May). Many towns celebrate Flores De Mayo with the community congregating in the afternoons to pray the rosary, offer flowers to the Virgin Mary, and share homemade delicacies and snacks. Children and adults wearing their Sunday best sing and dance to welcome the rains that will water the new crops.

Santacruzan is held annually in the warm month of May and is considered to be the "Queen of Filipino Festivals". Beautiful town belles are selected to participate in this colorful pageant parade. The stars are selected not for their looks alone, but for their embodiment of traditional feminine qualities. It is a week-long street pageant in almost every town; from the dirt road barrio to the metropolis honoring beautiful Philippine maidens and their handsome escorts under the hand-carried bamboo arc’s decorated by fragrant native flowers. 
I'm too fabulous for this.

May is also the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Christ. Filipinos turn each of the 31 days in May into a charming honor to the virginal virtues in Flores de Mayo, the flowers of May fiesta. Spiritual virtue searches to reach even the young. Every day in May, children, with cut flowers and baskets of petals in hand, march down the church center aisle. As the children march down the aisle they sprinkle the fragrantpetals for Mama Mary. This custom is called alay sa Birhen. In Filipino, because it is an offering (alay) to the virgin (birhen), at the main altar, the youngsters sing hymns to Lady Immaculate, and leave their bouquet of flowers loose and dethroned.

******

Celebrating everything and celebrating life per se like a boss!

Enjoy these events all year round fellow 9gaggers and readers!

-seems legit to me