The King of Pop Michael Jackson is dead as confirmed by the LA Times. He was 50 years old. Most of us grew up with him and his music. Who would forget the Jackson5 and their big hits? Michael Jackson was the world’s most influential singer before his career dived due to a series of scandals.

You might think of him as a freak. Look at him during his Thriller days and compare it to his present look. If you haven’t seen him on TV you might not think of them as the same person. His skin has gotten lighter and his nose narrower that he looks more like a Caucasian.

He might be a strange person but he is one damn of an artist. Thank you for the music and may you rest in peace Michael Jackson.

Ever wonder why Japanese women have beautiful skin? Apparently it has something to do with the rice wine or sake. No, they don’t drink it but apply it on their skin.

I accidentally came across an article describing how kojic acid found in Japanese rice wine (sake) reduces the body’s ability to form the type of melanin found in age spots and freckles. Kojic acid inhibits tyrosinase, which regulates production of melanin. It has also antibacterial and anti-fungal properties and is a very good anti-oxidant. It is used on sliced fruits to prevent browning due to oxidation.

Kojic acid was discovered in 1989. It is produced by several species of fungi, especially Aspergillus oryzae, which has the Japanese common name koji. Kojic acid  is a by-product of the fermentation process for the Japanese rice wine since koji is used in the fragmentation process.

Like most Filipinas, I’m sometimes conscious of my morena skin. Our culture usually considers whiter skin as beautiful and having brown skin in this country means you’re ordinary. I’ve been using papaya soap for years and with good results. Besides, I only want my skin to be blemish free and not white or my parents would barely recognize me.

I want to try this kojic acid and see the results. I might have to say goodbye to my papaya soap and say hello to rice wine.

My friend slash officemate May and I were toying with the idea of having a Bacolod/Negros bloggers meet-up for the longest time. I already met some but I believe there are still a lot out of bloggers based in Negros out there. We started contacting Negros bloggers whom we know so that all of us can meet.

Our wish came true last Saturday. It was raining hard but that did not dampen our enthusiasm in meeting fellow bloggers from Bacolod. It was a very fruitful meeting. We talked about motherhood (though I can’t relate), blogging, and making money online. We decided this will just be a start of a series of bloggers meet-up so that we can help each otehr in any way we can.

Another news that we’re so excited about is the opportunity to help organize a big bloggers event this coming July 4, 2009. Ms. Jannette Toral, author of Blogging from Home, has chosen Bacolod City as one of the venue of a series of bloggers networking event in key cities in the Philippines. This will be a good venue to gather bloggers from Bacolod and Negros Island where we can learn more about blogging and making money online.

So, if you are a blogger from Negros and would like to meet fellow bloggers, sign up to NegrosBloggers so we can reserve a slot for you and update you on the next bloggers meet-up in preparation for the event.

You might wonder who are the faces behind the Negros Bloggers core group, well here we are.

The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.  ~G.K. Chesterton

It has been my practice for almost five years now to go somewhere I’ve never been to. That way, I’ll be able to know more about the Philippines and share my experiences in this blog.

This summer, I chose the province of Antique. It’s quite near my home province of Iloilo but I have never been to any of its tourist destinations.

My travel buddy Maia who’s based in Antique prepared the itinerary for us. We originally plan to visit Tibiao for the Bugtong Bato Falls and Kayaking at Tibiao River, Pandan for the Malumpati Cold Spring, and Culasi for Mararison Island. We made it to the first two but Mararison has to wait for another time.

If you plan to go to Bugtong Bato Falls, you might as well try kayaking at Tibiao River since both are located in Brgy. Tuno. It will only take you a 15-minute ride in the Skylab (motorcycle) from the highway via Brgy. Importante.

We’re fortunate that it rained the night before so Tibiao River has strong rapids. During summer, the water tend to be shallow thus whitewater kayaking or rafting is not very challenging.

We rented kayaks at Kayak Inn for P100 per hour. Both of us are newbies in kayaking so we had some tutorials from the Kayak Inn staff. It’s really not that hard since we paddled where the current is not so strong. You see, I have this little problem. I don’t know how to swim.

Nonetheless, with sheer guts (and the kayak tutor nearby), I was able to paddle a few meters. It ’s a nice feeling to be able to ride with the rapids, taking control of the paddle and steering the kayak to where you want to go.

If you think about it, it’s like taking control of your life. You’ll meet big rocks along the way but you have the control to avoid it. If you capsize, then my friend, you either swim or you drown. So much of my life’s lessons.

If you are in a group, you can rent a raft at Kayak Inn and start upriver where the current is stronger and more challenging. You can also stay overnight as long as you have reserved beforehand so the staff can prepare for you. Accommodation is rustic and there are no bars or restaurants nearby. The place is really for the adventurous soul who wants to commune with nature.

Tibiao River rapids is both for the beginner and the seasoned sportsman. In fact, it was the venue of the International Kayaking Competition in 1997. If you’re into extreme sports, the rainy season brings in more challenging rapids.

And of course I couldn’t pass up the chance to have my jump shot at the Brgy. Tuno hanging bridge.

If you’re interested to discover Tibiao’s tourist destinations and tour packages, you can coordinate with Richie Germia, Tibiao Tourism Officer at cellphone number 0916946284.

The Deparmten of Health has confirmed the first case of A(H1N1) influenza, most commonly known as the Swine Flu,  in the Philippines. She was a 10-year old girl who arrived in the country last May 18 from the United States.

Let’s hope the country is better equip to deal and let’s hope this will be the first and last case. In order to minimize chances of acquiring the A(H1N1) influenza, DOH advises to “observe proper hygiene, strengthen resistance and do social distancing”.

Those who are arriving from abroad are likewise advised to submit themselves to quarantine screening and continuously monitor their health.

For more information on the A(H1N1), please visit the site of the World Health Organization. Prevention may be our best defense against A(H1N1) so we need all the information we can get about it.

I am not a person who would back down from a challenge. When I heard that one has to climb a wall of rock in order to get to the third falls of Bugtong Bato Falls in Tibiao, Antique, I was challenged. I am not good in wall climbing but I am willing to try my luck in Bugtong Bato.

Bugtong Bato Falls is located in Brgy. Tuno, Tibiao, Antique. To get there, just take a V-Hire or Ceres bus from Iloilo. The town is also accessible from Aklan and RORO buses from Metro Manila going to San Jose, Antique and Iloilo pass by Tibiao.

Our drop off point was Brgy. Importante which is along the highway. Form there, my travel buddy Maia and I hired a single motorcycle which the locals call Skylab.

I hardly noticed the bumpy road during the 15-minute ride since I was busy enjoying the scenery as we traveled under a canopy of bamboos with Tibiao River on the left. Besides, our driver was the best in his league.

We reached Tuno proper after 15 minutes. We registered with the Barangay Tourism Council, paid the P15 registration and arranged for a guide to take us to Bugtong Bato Falls. From Tuno proper, the falls  is another kilometer away that will usually take 35 minutes to hike. We made it in 45 munites in our leisurely pace. The view was  so nice that we took a lot of pictures along the way.

Our efforts were rewarded when we reached the falls. Bugtong Bato is a seven-tiered falls but only three are accessible. In order to get to the second falls, you have to climb a steep ladder. If you’re like me who is daring enough, you can reach the third falls by scaling a rock wall without harness, and with only a rope to hold on to.

I was a little scared while I was hanging on the rope, holding for dear life. It’s not everyday that I get to get away from my office chair and do something as exciting. Conquering fear has never felt better.

We couldn’t resist the cold water so we took a dip at the second falls. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring extra clothes so we just let the sun dry our clothes on the hike back to Brgy. Tuno proper.

If you’d like to experience hiking to Bugtong Bato, you can coordinate with Richie Germia, Tibiao Tourism Officer at cellphone number 0916946284.

So, who wants to go with me in my next Antique adventure? Trek to Mt. Madia-as, anyone?

Malumpati Health Spring and Tourist Resort is located in Sitio Malumpati, Brgy. Guia, Pandan, Antique. You can access this resort through Brgy. Sto. Rosario and Brgy. Candari.

The water comes from the Malumpati Cold Spring Headwater located about 35 minutes walk from the resort. A man-made pool was created from the river by constructing a concrete embankment so the water is kept at a certain level and allows it to overflow during heavy rains. It was a Sunday when we visited so the resort was full of people enjoying the long weekend with their families and friends.

To the delight of the onlookers, local teenagers climbed up a tree leaning over the pool and jumped, as if they’ve done it all their lives.

When I saw the same teenagers back-dived on the bridge used to cross to the other side, I asked them to pose and dive for me so I can record it in my camera. They couldn’t refuse when I told them I’m going to post their pictures and video in the Internet.

Local folks believed the Malumpati Cold Spring has healing properties. Healing or not, dipping in the cold water has a relaxing effect on the body. People who go there came as far as neighboring province of Iloilo and nearby Aklan.

The water from the Malumpati Cold Spring feeds the Bugang River, considered as the Cleanest In-land Body of Water in the Philippines. If you happen to visit Antique, don’t leave without visiting Malumpati Cold Spring. It’s a natural treasure that should be kept in its unspoiled state.

How to get there:

Pandan, Antique can be reached via Aklan and Iloilo. Ceres bus line has regular schedules to-and-fro Pandan. Buses from Metro Manila going San Jose, Antique via the Roll-On-Roll-Off (RORO) also pass by Pandan. From Pandan town proper, you can rent a tricycle going to Malumpati Health Spring and Tourist Resort.

Rates

Malumpati Health Spring and Tourist Resort is still cheap considering its popularity. Persoally, I’m willing to pay a little more if that means the facilities and surroundings are maintained very well.

Entrance: P10
Cottage: P25
Jeepney: P30
Truck: P30
Tricycle: P15
Motorcycle: P5

Piña weaving in Aklan is an age-old tradition handed down from generations. In fact,  Aklan is known as the Piña Fiber capital of the Philippines. Kalibo’s Piña cloth was said to be traded during the Pre-Hispanic times and reached as far as Greece and Egypt during it’s heyday.

There’s no finer and more elegant fiber for the Barong Tagalog than piña fabric. Known as the Queen of Philippine Fabric, the piña fiber is  extracted by hand from the leaves of the native pineapple (piña). Each strand is painstakingly knotted by hand and loom woven manually to produce piña cloth that is soft, and usually in white or ivory color.

In addition to piña fiber, Aklan is also known to produce other natural fibers such as abaca and raffia.

In the past decade, the Provincial Government of Aklan in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry and other stakeholders has implemented various programs and projects to modernize the natural fibers industry. Through product development, new product designs came out in the market, using a mix of the different natural fibers.

As a testament of the private-public sector partnership in support of the natural fibers industry, the 10th Aklan Piña & Fiber Festival was held last 20-26 April 2009. A trade exhibit was held at The Trade Hall in the Provincial Capitol Grounds showcasing Aklan’s best products.

Aninag, Aklan’s Indigenous Fibers Fashion Show was held last 23 April at the ABL Sports Complex, showcasing the creativity of local designers and couturiers. No less than Honorable Governor Carlito Marquez and the rest of the provincial division heads and heads of national agencies were the models.

Aklan’s Piña and other natural fibers have already woven their place in Aklan’s and the Philippines’ history. These fibers were silent witnesses in numerous weddings, special occasions and national events.

The industry was not spared from the onslaught of Typhoon Frank, but as strong and resilient as the piña fiber, the people of Aklan survived and kept the industry alive. With the continued support from the private and public sector, the old traditions of piña weaving will continue to be nurtured and handed down for more generations to come.

I know I’ve been a little biased when I say that Lea Salonga should sing the National Anthem in the Pacquiao Vs. Hatton fight. I still think she would be good at it and I hope Team Pacquiao would consider her in his future fights.

But I must admit, Martin Nievera’s version was better than the others before him. Apparently, it was approved by the National Historial Institute which means it adheres, to an acceptable degree, to the original Lupang Hinirang. His was a new version of the Lupang  Hinirang which started out slow and with a dramatic instrumental background. It then adhered to the fast and marching tempo of the National Anthem and ended with a dramatic high note.

But if you ask me, I still prefer the original. Everytime somebody sings the Lupang Hinirang, it’s another version.  How many versions of a National Anthem do we need? The British and American anthems were sang without so much fuss and even a Capella. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these days you’ll hear the Lupang Hinirang in the Pop Charts.

Oh well! That’s just me. Who knows, Lea Salonga may have a version of her own.

This is funny if not downright hilarious from where I’m sitting.  Google posted on its blog that the company rents goats to replace the lawnmower in cutting grass from the fields around its headquarters.

It’s their way of reducing carbon emission since mowers run on gasoline that produce pollutants. Google rents 200 goats from a company named California Grazing. The goats spend a week in eating the grass and fertilizing the field  at the same time. I guess nobody had picnics on their lawn.

photo credit: flippinyank

They said it costs the same as using lawnmowers. In this time of crisis, why don’t they just hire people to cut the grass manually? That way there will be no pollutants and they’d be providing jobs.

Who knows what Google would think of next.