HOW DO I KNOW THAT SHE LOVE ME

                                              

                                                     ON MY WAYS

1. They think about you when you’re not around.

They see a billboard that reminds them of you and they text you. They remember you said you needed dish soap and they bring you some because they were running errands. They think about places you guys could go to dinner tonight and then invite you.

2. They’ll take care of you when you’re sick.

And tell you you’re beautiful even when you look mucus-y and nasty.

3. They listen to you. Really listen.

And respond with thoughtful, relevant insights.

4. They get into your interests and want to share their own with you.

They hate comic books but they’ll come with you to Forbidden Planet. They don’t get sports, but they root for the Giants with you. They’re psyched to show you their stamp collection or take you to an antique show.

5. They plan for the future.

Whether it’s a trip or a concert — placing you in their future means they see a future with you.

6. Your thoughts and opinions are treated with respect.

They never push their views on you or laugh at/dismiss yours, even if they’re wildly different. They should love you for your unique brain.

7. They are eager to help you, and gracious about accepting your help.

If they love you, they want to make your life easier. And if they love you, they should be able to accept help from someone who loves them back.

8. They put your needs above their own.

Not in an unhealthy way, but in a selfless way. (Hopefully, you’re both doing this and it even outs.)

9. You know you can trust them.

You feel safe, heard and secure. Similarly…

10. You never want to break the truth you’ve earned from them.

If someone loves you, they’ve been vulnerable with you. Don’t abuse that.

11. They support you.

They come to your art show. They encourage you to practice with your band. They don’t get jealous or upset when you have to work late. They genuinely want you to succeed.

12. You share a sense of humor.

They think you’re funny. You think they’re funny. That’s true love.

13. They give you freedom to grow.

You don’t feel stifled, stuck or in a rut.

14. You are loyal to each other.

You feel like they are on your team. You’re a partnership. You’re a twosome. You’re in this together.

15. They don’t put you down.

Negging might be part of The Game handbook, but it’s no good in a relationship. They shouldn’t be putting you down. They should be building you up. If they’re doing anything else, they’re insecure and can’t truly love you.

16. They don’t hide anything from you.

Trust, communication and honesty become more important than anything else. It’s humbling and scary, but if you’re truly loved, it’ll come naturally.

17. You are comfortable being silent or away from each other.

Someone who needs to keep talking or needs to cling to you in social situations might seem like they love you, but they actually just need you. It’s not the same, and it’s not as good. If they love you, you will both be secure in comfortable silence, and have the ability to be apart — but still catch each other’s eyes across the room and just…know.

18. They don’t let you get away with bad habits.

They want you to be your best you and they won’t take you being depressive or hating on yourself. They want you to love yourself, as much as they love you.

19. They tell you that they love you…

…and in your gut, you truly believe them.



                                                           Can love be measured
                                                                                                                                                                yes, because Love for you is measured by by how YOU define love.  As a human being who believes their self to be separate from others, how you see love is how you will interpret whether or not it exists in others.   How you define love is what you will seek from others.   Your percpetion of love is what you will give to others calling it "loving", whether that is truth of love or not.  

Eventually, as we begin to awaken to our immense potential, love transitions from something experienced by seemingly separate beings, to an actual state of being.  It is a state of heart and mind unified, creating a clear channel for love's flow.   You then realize you cannot truly "give" love to others, but only energetically catalyze love already existent in others.   People think others give whatever love they feel TO them.  You can only feel your OWN love.  But your own love and their own love is one and the same.  We don't give each other love, we jump its battery within each other.  The truest measure of love is within these words:  "We abide in ONE love, and that love is limitless."   We are in love Consciousness, and have all access to endless love.  That access is retrieved via focus within, its a 'backstage pass' if you will, and not accumulated through one or many separate beings in staged experiences throughout life.  

When you realize no one CAN give to you what you already have, nor take your own love from you, then you are as the ocean, never weeping for any movement of its waves. It is the beliefs of an unawakened humanity that distorts the experience of love.  There is no pain in love.  Pain lies in illusion alone.

mask that speaks shows my hope and dreams in life

                       

poster depicting the message of the poem"to a lost one"

phil.regional culinary festival

January: Longganisa Festival at Vigan, Ilocos Sur

Aside from the Spanish heritage houses lining this northern town’s streets, Vigan is also known for its longganisa. These plump, brown links of spicy meat, distinctly flavored with garlic and Ilokano sugar cane vinegar, are a requisite breakfast item. The Vigan longganisa is so famed that the Ilokanos begin their year by celebrating its existence. And I don’t know about you, but a breakfast of the legendary sausage at Calle Crisologo’s picturesque cobbled streets sounds like it’s worth the 10 hour drive.

February: Suman Festival at Baler, Aurora

Suman is a sticky rice cake cooked in coconut milk, and then wrapped in either banana leaves or buri (Corypha) palm. Since it is known to symbolize shared prosperity, the townspeople of Baler use it as a ritual offering to San Isidro every February. They tie bundles of the rice cake to a piece of bamboo, and throw such from their balconies while the image of San Isidro passes by.
And if you miss the February celebration, you can always catch a similar festival in Antipolo around the month of May.

March: Kesong Puti Festival at Sta. Cruz, Laguna

Kesong Puti (white cheese) is a fresh, non-aged, soft cheese that is made from carabao (water buffalo) milk. It is wrapped and fermented in banana leaves, and is widely produced in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. The native cheese is celebrated as one of the town’s main sources of industry every March, with activities that include fun runs and kesong puti cook-offs.

April: Manggahan Festival at Guimaras, Iloilo

The Guimaras mango is widely known for its sweetness. So, it’s hardly surprising that it takes center stage whenever the province celebrates the anniversary of its independence every April. Heck, the most popular event of their fiesta is the “eat-all-the-mangoes-you-can” event. For only Php 100, locals and tourists alike can eat as much of the yellow, heart-shaped fruit within a certain time limit.

May: Bawang Festival at Sinait, Ilocos Sur

Garlic is a staple in Philippine cuisine. While the French have their sauté, we have our gisa (chopped garlic and onions simmering in a bit of oil), which is pretty much the flavor base for most of our culinary dishes.
So, forget spending Labor Day weekend in Boracay, and instead celebrate garlic in all its breathtaking glory every May 1^st in Ilocos Sur.

June: Lechon Festival at Balayan, Batangas

Animal lovers, look away.

Who doesn’t love lechon? Anthony Bourdain is just one of the recent converts to our widespread appreciation of this roasted suckling pig. The heart-attack-inducing treat is such a local icon that it’s celebrated in several places throughout the year. You can have your fill of this beloved pig in Bacolod in January, in Balayan, Batangas in June, and in Iligan in September.

July: Alimango Festival at Sta. Margarita, Samar

We may be infamous for “crab mentality” but when it comes to a celebration, a little (or a lot of) crab wouldn’t hurt. Alimango (mud crab) is considered as festive food in Filipino households, but for the people in Sta. Margarita, Samar, they are virtually a way of life. Every July, they celebrate their primary source of livelihood through parades, dances, crab-racing, and cooking contests featuring the snappy crustacean.

August: Dinagat-Bakasi at Cordova, Cebu

The Dinagat (anything pertaining to, or fished from the sea) festival is a reinvention of the Bakasi festival. The bakasi is a local eel that is abundant in the town of Cordova, Cebu. The townspeople commemorate the peculiar fish every August with a ritual dance, which is meant to mimic the skating movement of the bakasi. Other activities include a bakasi race and a cooking contest with the exotic eel as the theme ingredient.

September: Tuna Festival at General Santos, South Cotabato

Bet you didn’t know that Gen. San is one of the world’s leading exporters of sashimi-grade tuna. The venerated tuna flesh is responsible for a big portion of the town’s revenues, and is as fêted as Manny Pacquiao, the other celebrity hailing from this district. Tuna Fest activities include a coastal clean-up, a tuna float parade, and a bay cruise. But if that’s still not enough reason for you to visit Gen. San in September, I’ve only got three words for you: WEEKLONG SASHIMI NIGHT!

October: Lanzones Festival at Mambajao, Camiguin

I’m a sucker for the tangy-sweet lanzones. The sweetest ones are said to come from the town of Mambajao, Camiguin. Hence, the town civilians exalt the minuscule tropical fruit during the harvest season in October. The ritual celebration was rumored to have originated when a childless couple asked the lanzones tree fairy for a child. The fairy granted them one, but they failed to thank her so she enchanted the child. Realizing their omission, the child’s parents then performed a thanksgiving ritual that honored the fruit tree, and this set the pattern for the festivals in the years to come.

November: Itik Festival at Victoria, Laguna

The itik (native duck) is the star of many of our “exotic” dishes—the balut being the most popular. The duck-farming culture is particularly prominent in Victoria, Laguna, hence its status as the itik capital of the country. So, every November, they pay tribute to the humble bird by having the Itik Festival as part of their festivities for the town’s founding anniversary.

speech

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I Have a Dream

delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

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Off-Site audio mp3 of Address

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[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio. (2)]

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. *We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only."* We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

                Free at last! Free at last!

                Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!³

like the molave I 1940

LIKE THE MOLAVE I 1940)

By: Rafael Zulueta da Costa

Not yet, Rizal, not yet. Sleep not in peace;

There are a thousand waters to be spanned;

There are a thousand mountains to be crossed;

There are a thousand cross to be borne.

Our shoulders are not strong; our sinews are

Grown flaccid with dependence, smug with ease

Under another‘s wing. Rest not in peace;

Not yet, Rizal, not yet. The land has need

Of young blood and, what younger than your own,

Forever spilled in the great name of freedom.

Forever oblate on the altar of

The free? Not you alone, Rizal. O souls

And spirits of the martyred brave - arise!

Arise and scour the land! Shed once again

Your willing blood! Infuse the vibrant red

Into our thin anemic veins; until

We pick up your Promethean tools and strong,

Out of the depthless matrix of your faith

In us, and on the silent cliffs of freedom,

We carve, for all time your marmoreal dream!

Until our people, seeing, are become

Like the Molave, firm, resilient, staunch

Rising on the hillside, unafraid,

Strong in its own fiber; yes, like the Molave!

Not yet,Rizal,not yet. The glory hour will come 

Out of the silent dreaming 

from the seven thousand fold silence 

We shall emerge, saying WE ARE FILIPINOS! 

and no longer be ashamed

 sleep not in peace 

the dream is not yet fully carved

 hard the wood but harder the woods 

yet the molave will stand 

yet the molave monument will rise

and god's walk on brown legs

reaction

   Like The Molave also talks about heroes and

    how they inspire regular Filipinos to be great

        themselves and join them on the quest to make 

the Philippines a more prosperous place. 

The poem

states that whilst many Filipinos are achieving great

things for their country, there is still much

more to be done and more resident

s must contribute to the efforts.

In short, Like The Molave is

about inspiring the Filipino na

tion to improve their country

and make it self-sufficient. 

why/ love my philippines

I love Philippines because this country is my nation and my location i well not authorize other people who are not Filipino to make underestimate on us,look down, other terms being sprinkle from different country.

my future

When i can finish my school and i can pass the board exam and accept to the AFP, i well do my best to protect and maintain peace and order to serve smoothly and beneficial to our country.

short story of my life

Since i am a working student until today when i look, i can see the arrow that i always remember my direction because before the darkness is always cover my eyes to look my direction..before my parent said to me airy i don't want you to sent at school because i want you to be like me as a virus pusher of our family. But i, myself never go what they want on me i find my own life to build not  like with them, now i am a working student of Rev.Fr. Ranulfo Colina,now i feel i have light to follow my arrow.

whwt i expect from the new president of the phil.

For me, i expect him being new elected as president of  the Phil.,i hope he can manage very well in this country . Specially of implementing the rules and regulation in this country. I hope the crises,corruption,illegal drugs,child abuses, injustices well turn to solve very well. So that we can maintain peace and order.

wonders in my province neg. or.

       Mt. Talinis/Bediao-Apolong Traverse to Casaroro Falls (1,903+)

June 5, 2009 Gideon Lasco 66 Comments Bicol Region, casaroro falls, Difficulty 6/9, Lakes, mossy forest, talinis, Waterfalls

MT. TALINIS (BEDIAO-APOLONG TRAVERSE)
Dauin and Valencia City, Negros Oriental
Entry point: Brgy. Bediao, Dauin
Exit point: Brgy. Apolong, Valencia City
LLA: 1903 MASL
Days required / Hours to summit: 2-3 days / 10-11 hours
Specs: Major climb, Difficulty 6/9, Trail class 2-4
Features: Lakes, waterfalls, mossy forest
BACKGROUND
A longtime favorite Visayan destination of mountaineers is Mt. Talinis in Southern Negros, otherwise known as “Cuernos de Negros” for the horn-like peaks that highlight the mountain. It holds its position as the second highest mountain in Negros, next only to the lofty Kanlaon.
It is not surprising that Talinis is the only mountain other than Mt. Apo to have become twice the venue of the annual MFPI Federation climbs, among other activities. Its only impediment is the perennial rumor of NPA presence, but as of 2009, it is perfectly safe to climb Talinis.
There are several trails but the most typical, and comprehensive enough, route is a traverse from the Bediao trail in Dauin, Negros Oriental, to Apolong. The roster of places to see is formidable: first is Lake Yagumyum with the optional ascent to Yagumyum Peak; then, passing by the mystical maribuhok forests, one reaches the higher and grander Lake Nailig. From this lagoon there is again the option to scale Nailig Peak, otherwise known as Talinis Dako i.e. the highest point in the mountain. Finally, on the way down via the Apolong Route, pass by the sulphuric river and the Twin Falls of Talinis before ending in the grand cascade of Casaroro Falls, the highest in Negros at over 90 meters. A destination by itself, Casaroro Falls is a fitting conclusion to the Talinis experience.
ITINERARY
Bediao-Apolong route from Dumaguete City
Day 1
0600 From Dumaguete, take Ceres minibus to Dauin
0700 Get off at plaza; arrange habal-habal to Geothermal Site, Bediao
0730 ETA jumpoff. Start trek
1200 ETA Lake Yagumgyum. 30-minute assault to Yagumyum Peak
1330 Back at Lake Yagumyum, proceed to Lake Nailig
1700 ETA Lake Nailig; set up camp
1800 Dinner / socials
Day 2
0500 Talinis summit assault
0700 ETA summit
0730 Head back to Nailig campsite
0900 Start descent
1200 ETA Sulfuric River
1500 ETA Casaroro Falls; sidetrip
1900 Back in Dumaguete
NOTE: the two peaks can be discarded for a lighter itinerary. Also, this same itinerary can be spread over three days.
SPECIAL CONCERNS
Mt. Talinis is one of the remaining mountains under the care of a local mountaineering club, in keeping with old mountaineering tradition. The Cuernos de Negros Mountaineers, Inc. (CNMCI) based in Siliman University, Dumaguete, has maintained a close and fruitful relationship with the mountain and they are the best contact when planning a Talinis climb.
Transportation. To go to Talinis, the staging-off point is Dumaguete City. There are at least a few flights daily. Fares range from 3000-6000 roundtrip. Or, take the six-hour trip from Bacolod to Dumaguete (~P180). From Dumaguete take a tricycle to the Ceres bus terminal and take the minibus to Dauin. From Dauin municipality take a habal-habal up the mountain to the jumpoff in Bediao Geothermal Site. At the other end – you can take a habal-habal from the Casaroro Falls junction to Valencia town proper, where jeepneys will take you back to Dumaguete. Here don’t fail to appreciate a nice view of Talinis.
Climbing notes. It is safe to swim on both lakes Yagumyum and Nailig although the latter is cleaner albeit colder. You can also swim in the pools of Casaroro Falls. Cellphone signal is sporadic on the trail but it is present in the Maribuhok-Nailig leg of the trail. Water sources are available in the two lakes as well.
PICTURES OF MT. TALINIS AND CASARORO FALLS

The start of the trail is an exposed slope, lending an expansive view of the southern Visayan seas.

Behold the tranquility of Lake Yagumyum, the first ancient crater lake to be encountered in the trek.

Between the two lakes stands a ridge of grand, mossy, ancient maribuhok trees.

Lake Nailig is the setting of one of the most scenic and cold campsites in the Visayas.

The finale of the traverse is swimming and sightseeing in the realm of Casaroro Falls, the tallest waterfalls in the Visayas.
TRIVIA
Beside Lake Nailig is another lake called Lake Mabilog. It has a pecuiliar rounded shape and is said to be the hideout of snakes.
Mt. Talinis is the third mountain in the Visayan Voyage. A narrative of the blogger’s trip to Talinis will be published in Manila Bulletin on July 25, 2009.
PinoyMountaineer thanks the Cuernos de Negros Mountaineering Club, Inc. for hosting the blogger and the Visayan Voyage Team in Mt. Talinis on April 9-10, 2009. Images courtesy of Lalaine Hablado, Julian Canero, and Jacob Sarreal.

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ake in Dumaguete, Philippines

Balanan Lake Photo © Travelling the Philippines

• 
  

 Balanan Lake

Wikipedia | Google | Google Images | Flickr

Lake Balanan is a freshwater lake surrounded by lush tropical rainforest with the mountain ranges of Balanan in the East, and Nasig-id in the West. This placid lake is located in Sitio Balanan, Barangay Sandulot in the municipality of Siaton, Negros Oriental , about 55 kilometers south of Dumaguete City. Lodged deep in the mountains, the lake is primarily fed by the Lamarao Creek, Balanan Creek, and Nasig-id Creek, and flows out to Balanan River.

History

Lake Balanan was formed in 1925 when an earthquake with a 6.8 magnitude on the Richter scale caused massive landslides in both mountain ranges. The landslide created a natural dam right across the southern end of the Balanan River and the water rose to become a figure 8-shaped lake.
People then started living along its banks. The local government developed the area as a tourist attraction in the early 1990s which generated jobs for these villagers. In 2007, the Balanan Lake Development Authority was created to oversee the development and management of the lake and watershed area.

Visiting the Lake

The magnificent views of the mountains, forest, and lake is worth the long drive to Lake Balanan. The drive is a 10-kilometer uphill route that is exciting as well as scary for some because certain parts of the journey passes by the edge of the cliff which are not protected by railings. However, you will see beautiful, natural scenery along the way that will keep you occupied.

The whole lake covers a total surface area of 24 hectares. The size of the lake makes it a great playground for activities like boating and kayaking. Swimming is prohibited in the lake itself but if you insist, the staff will let you sign a waiver stating that you take full responsibility for swimming despite the warnings.

With an elevation of 285 meters above sea level, its cool mountain air and the serene ambiance where only the sounds of nature dominate makes this an ideal retreat to unwind and rejuvenate. The lush rainforest is home to different plant species including more than 100 old Giant Balete trees. A variety of waterfowl have been sighted in the lush tropical rainforest that surrounds the lake including Egrets, Ducks, Herons, Gallinules, and Rails. There are colonies of bats and other wildlife that must be preserved and there is a proposal to protect the area as a Game Refuge and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Mountain Resort

In recent years, Lake Balanan was developed into a mountain resort that offers different accommodations and a variety of outdoor activities. Some of the amenities in the resort include the Balanan Hillside Pools, a set of four natural swimming pools carved out from the hills. Just imagine the excitement of sitting on the pool’s edge that is situated at the edge of a cliff overlooking lush vegetation. Other amenities include a gourmet restaurant, a treehouse, rooms, and cottages that are available for overnight stays.

While it is extremely relaxing to just sit down, relax, and stare at the lake’s placid waters, the more adventurous guests can opt to go to the zip-line, kayaking, fishing, trekking, and hiking on concrete pathways that wind around the lake. Taking a dip in Balanan Waterfalls is refreshing and invigorating at the same time. During the weekends, the place host many families who come here to have picnics in the cottages and swim in the pools.

Entrance to the lake and resort is ₱ 50 for adults and ₱ 30 for kids 12 years old and below. Entrance is free on Tuesday and for those staying overnight in the resort's cottages. These are the rates for the use of the different facilities and amenities:

• 3 Swimming Pools – Free of charge
• Kayak – ₱ 150 per hour for 2 persons
• Triak – ₱ 200 per hour for 3 persons
• Pedal Boat – ₱ 100 per hour
• Banca (Small Boat) Tour – ₱ 50 per hour for 2 persons; ₱ 100 per hour for big groups
• Zip Line – ₱ 150 for sitting position and ₱ 200 for superman position
• Floating Cottage – ₱ 100 per day
• Picnic Table – ₱ 30 per day
• Camping fee – ₱ 150

Those planning to stay overnight can stay at the resort hotel and cottages:

• Small Room – ₱ 1,500 per day for 3 persons; ₱ 200 per extra person
• Large Room – ₱ 4,000 per day for 4 persons; ₱ 200 per extra person
• Staff House – ₱ 2,000 per day for 10 persons; ₱ 100 per extra person up to 5
• Tree House – ₱ 2,000 per day for 6 persons

How to Get There

Public Transportation

Take a Ceres bus for Siaton or Bayawan City at the Ceres bus terminal located in Calindagan, Dumaguete City near Robinson’s Place Dumaguete. The municipality of Siaton is 55 kilometers or 1.5 hours away from Dumaguete, and the bus fare is ₱ 60 . But get off at the highway junction at the end of Siaton Bridge or at Kilometer 51 where there are motorcycles and habal-habals for hire, or get off right at the Siaton Church where the habal-habal terminal for Balanan is situated. They charge ₱ 50 to ₱ 100 for the 30-minute ride to the lake, depending on your negotiating skills.

Private Vehicle for Hire

The most comfortable and convenient, albeit more expensive way to go to Lake Balanan is to hire a private van or pick-up to take you all the way from Dumaguete City to the lake. You just need to inform them that you want to go to Lake Balanan and let them take care of the rest. Rates start at ₱ 3,000 for 1 day depending on the vehicle to be used.

Safety

For your own safety, it is best to obey the rules which state that there is no swimming at the lake. There have been incidents of drowning in the past.

Travel Tips

If you are taking a habal-habal to the resort, negotiate with the driver for a round-trip fare. Ask for his mobile number so you can call or text him when you are ready to be picked up. There is signal at the resort although it is weak at only 1 to 2 bar reception.

Try to schedule your trip during summer or on non-rainy days so you can go kayaking or boating to the Balanan Waterfalls. However, if you seek peace and quiet, the weekdays and rainy days are the perfect time to go.

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Author: janblim. Last updated: Nov 14, 2014

Pictures of Balanan Lake

Lake Balanan - Balanan Lake. Photo by rocker_jkb

Swimming Pool 1 - Balanan Lake. Photo by Travelling the Philippines

Floating Cottage - Balanan Lake. Photo by Travelling the Philippines

Lake Balanan - Balanan Lake. Photo by Travelling the Philippines

Swimming Pool 2 - Balanan Lake. Photo by Reid Magbanua

The Lake - Balanan Lake. Photo by Reid Magbanua

Restaurant - Balanan Lake. Photo by Reid Magbanua

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My favorate filipino delicacy

                   
                          Bibingkang Galapong

Ingredients:

4 eggs, well beaten

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup melted margarine

2 cups rice flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coco cream,

1/4 cup sugar for topping

Procedure:

1. Add sugar to beaten eggs.

2. Combine salt and flour; add to egg mixture.

3. Add melted margarine, coconut milk, and baking powder.

4. Pour into banana leaf-lined mold.

5. Bake in 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven.

6. When half-done, take it out from the oven and brush top with coconut cream and sugar and bake until golden crust is formed.




                                                                                                                                                                     Reason:                                                                                                                                                                 In my first taste this food,i felt, its my like food compare to other foods that i was tasted.And i was found that this food it almost natural  ingredients being used to made. so i feel that i could not doubt some allergy well happen.

reaction of bituin at pangaorin [isa sa napili]

In any failure of love we were always thinking na tayo ay maka paghiganti because of what we had felt of so hurt of heart feelings done by him/her.

We need to emphasize our patient to aware of some emotional products to control and maintain good relationships to each other. The most important thing when you hurt is to accept the reality or fact that we are a human we are not perfect one,so we considered that every one of us is surely can commit sins.

PILIPINO POEM

                                           

TAGALOG POEMS BY JOSE CORAZON DE JESUS

Kalupi ng Puso

Manggagawa

Puso, Ano Ka?

Isang Punungkahoy

Sa Pamilihan ng Puso

Sa Bilangguan ng Pag-ibig

Kamay ng Birhen

May Mga Tugtuging Hindi Ko Malimot

Ang Tren (The Train)
a Tagalog poem by Jose Corazon de Jesus

Ang Posporo Ng Diyos (The Matchstick of God)
a metaphorical Tagalog poem by Jose Corazon de Jesus

Bayan Ko (My Country)
a patriotic Tagalog poem by Jose Corazon de Jesus

Kahit Saan (Wherever)
a Tagalog love poem by Jose Corazon de Jesus

Agaw-Dilim (Twilight)
a Tagalog poem by Jose Corazon de Jesus

Itanong mo Sa Bituin (Ask the Stars)
a Tagalog love poem by Jose Corazon de Jesus

Ang Magandang Parol (The Beautiful Christmas Lantern)

AWA SA PAG-IBIG

                                                   Oh! Kaawa-awang buhay ko sa iba
                                                    Mula at sapol ay gumiliw-giliw na,
                                                     Nguni’t magpangayon ang wakas ay di pa
                                                     Nagkamit ng tungkol pangalang ginhawa.
                                                     Ano’t ang ganti mong pagbayad sa akin,
                                                     Ang ako’y umasa’t panasa-nasain,
                                                     At inilagak mong sabing nahabilin,
                                                      Sa langit ang awa saka ko na hintin!
                                                     Ang awa ng langit at awa mo naman
                                                      Nagkakaisa na kaya kung sa bagay?                                                                                                        ko’y hindi rin; sa awa mong tunay,
                                                     Iba ang sa langit na maibibigay.

 

 

SA PAMILIHAN NG PUSO

Huwag kang iibig nang dahil sa pilak
pilak ay may pakpak
dagling lumilipad
pag iniwan ka na, ikaw’y maghihirap. Huwag kang iibig nang dahil sa ganda
ganda’y nagbabawa
kapag tumanda na
ang lahat sa mundo’y sadyang nag-iiba.
Huwag kang iibig sa dangal ng irog
kung ano ang tayog
siya ring kalabog
walang taong hindi sa hukay nahulog.
Huwag kang iibig dahilan sa nasang
maging masagana
sa aliw at tuwa
pagkat ang pag-ibig ay di nadadaya…
Kung ikaw’y iibig ay yaong gusto mo
at mahal sa iyo
kahit siya’y ano,
pusong-puso lainang ang gawin mong dulo.
Kung ikàw’y masawi’y sawi kang talaga
ikaw na suminta
ang siyang magbata;
kung maging mapalad, higit ka sa iba.
Sa itong pag-ibig ay lako ng puso
di upang magtubo
kaya sumusuyo
pag-ibig ay hukay ng pagkasiphayo.

ANG HALIK NI  INA

                                                         Ang mata ni ina’y bukalan ng̃ luha
                                                          Kung may dala-dalang damdamin at awa,
                                                          Ang lahi ni ina’y sampagang sariwa
                                                           Na may laging laang halik at kaling̃a.
                                                           Sa halik ni Ina ay doon nalagas
                                                           Ang tinik at bulo ng̃ musmos kong palad,
                                                          Sa halik ni ina’y aking napagmalas
                                                          Na ako’y tao na’t dapat makilamas.
                                                          Ang bibig ni inang bibig ng̃ sampaga’y
                                                           Bibig na sinipi kina Clara’t Sisa
                                                            Kaya’t mayrong bisang kahalihalina.
                                                            Ang halik ng̃ ina’y apoy sa pagsuyo,
                                                           Hamog sa bulaklak, Pag-asa sa puso’t
 

BITUIN AT PANGANORIN

                                     
                                        Ako’y nagsapanganorin upang ikaw’y makausap
                                       At sa pisngi niyong langit ang dilim ko’y inilatag;
                                       Ang nais ko’y matapakan ka ng sapot kong mga ulap
                                       At nang yaong pagsikat mo’y ako lang ang makamalas:
                                        Bituin kang sakdal gandang hatinggabi kung sumilang
                                        Na Buwan ang iyong ina at ang ama’y yaong Araw,
                                        Ang Araw na iyong ama nang malubog sa kanluran
                                      Ay nagsabi sa palad kong huwag kitang lalapitan.
                                     Ako nama’y sumang-ayon dapwat ako’y Panganorin
                                      Na talagang hatinggabi kung lumapit sa Bituin,
                                        Kaya ikaw, Bituin ko’y nasuyo ko’t naging akin.