MARKET IN ZAMBOANGA

mercado

ZAMBOANGA CITY PUBLIC MARKET

Guiwan Public Market

Aderes Flea Market

Sta Cruz Market

Main Public Market

tourist info about zamboanga city

TOURIST INFO    INTERNATIONAL PORT OF ENTRY

VISA REQUIREMENTS Visitors must hold a valid passport. Except for the stateless persons and those from countries with which the Philippines has no diplomatic relations, all visitors may enter the country without visas and may stay up to 21 days provided they have tickets for onward journey. No visa is required for citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the European Union and the United States for visits of up to 21 days. Holders of Taiwanese Passports and Hong Kong Certificates of Identity will need a special entry permit. Citizens of these and other countries should check with the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate regarding visa requirements. AIRPORT Although Zamboanga City airport is an international airport, there are no direct flights from the city to a foreign countries or vice versa at the present time. There are however a direct flights from Manila and Cebu City  both an international port of entry. On domestic travel, Zamboanga City has a direct flights to Manila and Cebu by Philippine Airline,  Seair & Cebu Pacific with connecting flights to different cities. The following cities has an international airport: Manila, Cebu, Zamboanga, Davao, Laoag,  & Subic City (Olongapo) Zamboanga International Airport Manila, Cebu, Davao, Subic, Clark and Laoag are the international gateways. Manila is the premier gateway and it is served by the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), 7 kms. from the city center; and by the Manila Domestic Airport, 1 km. from the NAIA.  It is served by more that 30 airlines which fly to different cities around the world. Cebu City is served by Mactan International Airport (MIA). Cebu handles regular flights from Japan, Singapore, and Australia as well as chartered flights from Hong Kong, the United States and other major travel markets The airport is actually located on Mactan Island. A 2 mile bridge span the island to the City of Cebu, 45 minutes from the city center. Davao International Airport in Davao handles regular flights from Indonesia and Singapore. Subic, Clark and Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte service regular and chartered flights from Taiwan and Mainland China. This international airports have adequate traveler facilities: duty-free shopping centers, souvenir shops, ATM's, tourist information centers, hotel and travel agency representatives, and car rental services. The NAIA has banks, postal service, a medical clinic, and a baggage deposit area. International Airport Departure Tax P550.  Domestic Airport Departure Tax P100 Ninoy Aquino International Airport SEAPORT The Port of Zamboanga is an international port of entry. It has a schedule passenger trip to Sandakan, Malaysia, a cruise ship destination and  several shipping lines offer regular trips from and to Davao. Cotabato, Dipolog/Dapitan, General Santos, Pagadian, Jolo, Bongao, Isabela, Cebu, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Bacolod, Manila etc. Interisland SuperFerry has decks with beds on first come first serve basis. (check http://www.wgasuperferry.com ) Most interisland ship or ferry boat has a special cabin and a special sleeping and eating areas for first class, 2nd class or 3rd class passenger. You can make this arrangement when you buy your ticket. LAND TRANSPORTATION On the  first  120 days upon  arrival to the country, a non Philippine resident may operate  a  vehicle  using  a valid unexpired  license issued by the any  state  of    the  U.S.A.  or  any   foreign  country  who  reciprocate  the  same requirements  as in  The  Philippines.   If  you  stay  longer   (more  than 120 days)  then you will be required to obtain a Philippine Drivers License.  You can go to any local Land Transportation Commission  office (LTC) to get  a license. The applicant must be a   least 16 years  old.  International  Drivers License is also acceptable Driving in the Philippines is just driving in the  United  States.  Drivers are  on   the Left hand side. All the road signs are in English just like in the U.S.   Distances markers are   in kilometers   and are posted every kilometer.  Gas are sold in liters. If you follow the U.S.  driving rules and regulations you'll be okay. Zamboanga  City is the southern terminus of the Philippine-Japan Friendship highway. The Pan Philippine Highway most commonly known as the "Maharlika Highway," extend from the northern tip of the country in Aparri/Claveria, Cagayan Province to the southernmost point in Mindanao at Zamboanga City. Covering the three major island group of the Philippines, a 2500 km road network. Philtranco connects Manila to Bicol in Southern Luzon to Samar and Leyte in the Visayas and Davao in Mindanao. Lilian Transportation busses - Has scheduled trip to Dipolog, Pagadian, Cagayan de Oro and connection to Davao City   A motorcab and LTV  (light transport vehicle) serves as a local taxi for going around the city For long distance  there  are  several  scheduled  public  transportation that goes from one city to another. Map of the Philippines showing the extend of the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway better known as MAHARLIKA HIGHWAY (click to enlarge) HEALTH DOCUMENTS A certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is required for those coming from infected areas. Children less than one year old are exempted but may be subject to isolation when necessary. Visitors must check with their travel agents before departure as regulations may change without notice. CUSTOMS To facilitate customs examination, visitors are advised to fill in the Baggage and Currency Declaration Form before disembarking. Visitors are allowed to bring in the following articles duty free: reasonable quantity of clothes, jewelry and toiletries, 400 sticks of cigarettes or two tins of tabacco and two bottles of wine or spirits of not more than one liter each. Visitors carrying more than US$ 3,000 are to declare the amount at the Central Bank of the Philippines counter situated at the custom area. Foreign currency taken out upon departure must not exceed the amount brought in. Departing passengers are not allowed to bring out more than PhP 1,000 in local currency. Penalties for carrying or trafficking illegal drugs are extremely severe, ranging from long prison sentences to the death penalty.                                                            TIPPING Tipping is an accepted practice and 10% is usual if service has not been added. There should be a list of rates posted at the airport for porter charges and hotel porters should receive about P5 - 10 per bag. BANKING HOURS Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 3.00 pm                                                         LANGUAGE Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, although many other regional dialects are also spoken - Tagalog is one of the most widely used. English is commonly spoken and is often used in business transactions.                                                        TELEPHONE The international dialing code for the Philippines is 63 When making international telephone calls from the Philippines first dial 00 +country code + area code + telephone number                                                            WATER Water from the tap is not safe to drink and ice cubes should be avoided. Stick to bottled water, which is widely available. MEASURING SYSTEM The Philippines use the Metric System in most of trade and legal transactions, ELECTRICITY Most residents and business centers in the Philippines are using 220 volts a/c. However, a number of major hotels also have 110 volt a/c outlets. ECONOMY The Philippines is basically light industry and agriculture, the chief products being rice, corn, coconut, pineapple and sugar. It is also rich in copper, cobalt, nickel, silver, iron and gold deposits. A number of food processing, textiles, clothing and home appliance industries are available, with a fast growing aquaculture, microcircuits and furniture sectors. The significant structural reforms, initiated by the present leadership, which liberalize almost all sectors of the economy, have pushed the Philippines into the mainstream of economic development in the heart of the fastest-growing region in the world. - the Asia-Pacific. Further enhance by its strategic location as a gateway to the most economically dynamic part of the world, the Philippines development pathways for the future are clear...a newly industrializing country (NIC) status by the year 2002. CURRENCY Currency converter The Philippines' monetary unit is the peso, divided into 100 centavos. Foreign currency may be exchanged at any hotels, most large department stores, banks and authorized money changing shops accredited by the Central Bank of the Philippines. International credit cards such as Visa, Diners Club, Bank Americard, Master Charge and American Express are accepted in major establishments.   PHILIPPINE HOLIDAYS      January 1 New Years Day      February 24 EDSA Revolution Day,      March/April (Movable) Holy Thursday, Good Friday                   & Easter      April 9 Araw ng Kagitingan

May 1 Labor Day      June 12 Independence Day from Spain      July 4  Philippine US Friendship Day      Last Saturday of August National Heroes’ Day      November 1 All Saints’ Day      November 30 Andres Bonifacio Day      December 25 Christmas Day      December 30 Rizal Day

the products

INDUSTRIES: PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT Zamboanga Universal Fishing Corporation

Zamboanga Universal Fishing Corporation Calle San Isidro, Ayala Zamboanga City Tel. No.: (63-62) 991 3320 ; 991 3561 Engr. Rogelio V. de Sosa Plant Manager Product Line: Processed Fish Manufacturer and Exporter of Canned Sardines Product Brands: Family Brand Sardines Market: Nationwide (Philippines)

Main Gate

Buthering Section

Nobbling Section

Filling

Seaming

Labelling

Warehousing

PRODUCTS

Spanish Style Sardines Regular Pack Sardines in Tomato sauce Regular pack Sardines in chili and tomato sauce   Premium quality sardines in tomato sauce Premium quality Mackerel   Premium quality Sardines in barbeque sauce   Bonus pack Sardines in tomato sauce Bonus pack Sardines in chili and tomato sauce

All about zamboanga city

POLITICAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY

Cultural HIstory

The era before the Spaniards found their way into the Philippines, Zamboanga City then was a vast track of land and nameless. However, due to its proximity with the other islands in Southeast Asia, Zamboanga became a barter trading post among the Chinese-Malays, the native Tausugs, Subanons, Samals and the Badjaos. This barter trading took place as early as the 13th and 14th centuries. Archeological findings of pottery proves of the Chinese presence in the region. The inhabitants then were the Subanons along the river banks in the hinterlands, the Samals and Badjaos living in the coastal areas. The origin of the word Zamboanga came from the early Malays who came to settle at the tip of Zamboanga peninsula. These Malays discovered the place to be profusely blooming with flowers and called it “Jambangan”  meaning “land or pot of flowers.” These Malays who built their settlements by the riverbanks were Subanons, meaning “people of the river.” Their chief, Sarangan lived with his family atop the legendary rock Mt. Pulumbato that lords over the city.   Mount Palumbato However, the early Badjaos and Samals who settled on and off the shorelines confused with the name “Jambangan” and called the place “Samboangan” instead. The name “Samboangan” appeared in the 16th Century Map of the Philippine Archipelago, was said to have derived from the native word “Sabuan” meaning a wood paddle. Zamboanga City was founded by a Spanish Mission who sailed into the southern part of the Philippines Archipelago in 1655. The group landed at Caldera Bay, a fishing village along the west coast, now known as Recodo. The Spanish settlement at Caldera later moved to the tip of the peninsula which they found to be strategically located, and a Fort was built to warned off invading natives. The Spanish-American War in the Philippines which ended at the turn of the century took a sharp change. In Zamboanga, the Federal Government of the United States built City Hall in 1905 and was completed in 1907. It became the official residence of the Military Governor of Mindanao which included Generals like Leonard O. Wood, Tasker H. Bliss, Ralph W. Hoyt and John “Black Jack” Pershing of world war 1 fame. Today, this serves as City Hall of Zamboanga City.

Political History   The Voyage of Exploration by the Portuguese explorer, Fernando de Magallanes (Ferdinand Magellan) under the flag of Spain sailed out of Seville, Spain on August 10, 1519. With a total of 237 men and 5 ships: Trinidad, its flag ship, San Antonio, Santiago, Conception and Victoria the Magellan Expedition almost took two years to complete its voyage bound to the Spice Islands.  On March 6, 1521, they first sighted land, the Ladron Island in the Marianas Islands On March 28, 1521 the Expedition reached Mazzawa or Massana (Limasawa) in Leyte.  Here the Spaniards  celebrated the First Mass in the Philippines.  Magellan's devoted Sumatran slave, Enrique de Molucca, was able to understand the Malay dialect of the natives, and for the first time, Magellan knew that he had reached his goal-and circumnavigated the world and discovered the Philippines. On April 7, 1521 Magellan and his three remaining galleons: the Trinidad, the Victoria, and the Concepcion entered Zugbu (Cebu). The Spanish Era in the Philippines began on that day, Zugbu's Rajah Humabon was baptized as Christians along with his wife and 400 of their followers. 40 years later, on April 28, 1565, the expedition of Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Fray Andres de Urdaneta  arrived in Zubu and marked the Christianization and colonialization of the Philippines by the Spaniards.  It was not until 1593 when the Spaniards made their first appearance in Jambangan with a small Catholic mission established  at La Caldera, now known as Recodo. After that there were several missions sent by the Spanish Governor General but it was easily wiped out by the Sultan of Sulu army. One of the mission was headed by Padre Juan Batista Vilancio and was abducted by the Sultan's Army and taken to Jolo. After years of capitivity he was able to escape to Manila.  Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, Governor-General of the Philippines, received reports relative to the Sultan's Army power concentrated about the site of the present city of Zamboanga. After intensive preparation on April 6, 1635 an expeditionary force under the command of Captain Juan de Chaves landed at Zamboanga . There de Chaves founded the town of Bagumbayan, which was the first name by the Spaniards for Zamboanga, and from this station he soon reduced the towns of Caldera and Balvagan. After Captain de Chaves' force of 300 well armed Spaniards and 1000 Visayans had cleared the peninsula temporarily of hostile Muslims, the construction of one of the finest forts in the East was put into execution. On June 23, 1635, the foundations of the grand fortress of  “Real Fuerza de San Jose,” was laid by Father Melchor de Vera, a Jesuit priest-engineer of the Spanish army. Fort Pilar The erection of this fortress was accompanied by serious interruptions in the way of Sultan's Army attacks. With only a portion of the massive walls in place, the Spaniards awoke one morning to meet the attack of 5,000 men army of the Sultanate of Sulu, who entered Rio Hondo and hurled themselves upon the fortification. Upon the completion of the fortress,  Zamboanga was fortified and protected. The fortress was attacked, besides the Sultan of Sulu but also by the Portuguese, the French and the Dutch, The fort was demolished in 1663 and rebuilt in 1719 by the military engineer Juan de Ciscara.   it was renamed “Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragosa.”   In order to strengthen the Spanish position in Zamboanga and the neighboring regions, three companies of Zamboanga volunteers were organized in 1832. These natives together with the Spanish troopers defended the town and the province from the sporadic attack by the Moros.  (The Spaniards call the Sultan of Sulu army as Moros, a spanish of Moors. The word Moor was  derived from the word Morocco a country of darker skinned people thus the word Moro - a darker skinned people. A lighter skin variety the Spaniards called as Indio or Indian and the very dark as negro)) Half of the peninsula was made into  a corregimiento (district) de Zamboanga with its boundary reaches as far as Sindangan while half of the peninsula belong to the District of Misamis. In 1837, the government was changed to a gobierno militar. And Zamboanga was the capital of Mindanao throughout the Spanish regime, except the period between 1872 and 1875, when the government was at Cottabato. (now Cotabato) When the American forces came in December 1899, they established a civil government in Zamboanga and also on the island of Basilan  and on  July 1, 1901, together with Basilan inaugurated  the Municipality of Zamboanga under Public Act No. 135. Inauguration of Municipality of Zamboanga July 1, 1901   Sultan Maguindanao and Zamboanga Governor Finley at the inauguration In 1903, during the Philippine Revolution, General Vicente Alvarez led the revolutionary forces in Zamboanga . And created part of Zamboanga peninsula as one of the seven districts into which Mindanao and Sulu were divided,. The district was called Provincia Mora and the Municipality of Zamboanga as the capital of Department of M indanao and Sulu, On September 15,1911, the governing body of the Provincia Mora, the legislative council passed Act. No.272 converting the Municipality of Zamboanga into a city with a commissioned form of government. The ceremony  was held on January 1, 1912 with  the  appointment of American Christopher F. Bader as the first City Mayor. With the island of Basilan as part of Zamboanga thus made the City of Zamboanga the biggest city in the world in area. Two years later he was  succeeded by Victoriano Tarrosas the first Filipino Zamboangueño Mayor of the city when Bader resigned. The Department of Mindanao and Sulu replaced the Provincia Mora in 1914, to  Zamboanga Province ,  the city stature was abolished and it was reverted to its original status of municipality administered by a municipal president and several councilors. It remained as the capital of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, with a civil government under an American civil governor, from 1913 up to 1920. After the Department of Mindanao and Sulu was abolished in 1920, the region was placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Interior, through the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes, and made the capital of the Zamboanga Province On September 23, 1936, Commonwealth Act No. 39 converted the municipality of Zamboanga into a chartered city. It was inaugurated on February 26, 1937 with Nicasio Valderroza as the first city mayor. In 1948 the island of Basilan was taken out of the City of Zamboanga to become a chartered city ( Basilan was later made into a province in 1973) by virtue of Republic Act No. 288 , and City of Zamboanga lost the status of being the biggest city  in area in the world.   Zamboanga City scene in the 1900 Zamboanga City remained the capital of the the province of Zamboanga. In 1942 during  the  Second  World War, Acting Governor Felipe B. Azcuna transferred the seat of the provincial government from Zamboanga to Dipolog. Thus making Dipolog the capital-in-fact of the Zamboanga  Province and later to the Municipality of Molave. On  June  5, 1952,  a  bill  fathered  by  Roseller  Lim  became the  republic act 711. It created the Province of Zamboanga  del  Sur with Pagadian as its capital and Province of Zamboanga del Norte  and with Dipolog as the capital town.  Thus relieving the City of Zamboanga as the capital of the province and allowed to govern on its own just like its a separate province, The City of Zamboanga does not belong to either Zamboanga del Sur or Zamboanga del Norte.   A long way from a settlement to a  metropolis and a barter center to a  major trading  hub of southern Philippines and southeast asia. In  November 22, 1983, the City of Zamboanga was declared a highly urbanized city in the Philippines in  accordance with the provision of the Local Government Code of 1983. Zamboanga has an international airport and a port that can handle container ships. Total land area of 1,421 square  kilometers (548.6 sq. miles) and a population of 511,139 (c. 1995)

message for the victims of human traficking

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue. 

Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. 




If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another. 

I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another. 






Bodily decay is gloomy in prospect, but of all human contemplations the most abhorrent is body without mind. 

We should meet abuse by forbearance. Human nature is so constituted that if we take absolutely no notice of anger or abuse, the person indulging in it will soon weary of it and stop. 




I claim that human mind or human society is not divided into watertight compartments called social, political and religious. All act and react upon one another. 

Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life. 


As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves. 

Man's nature is not essentially evil. Brute nature has been know to yield to the influence of love. You must never despair of human nature. 




As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves. 








Everything human is pathetic. The secret source of humor itself is not joy but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven.

There are times when one would like to hang the whole human race, and finish the farce. 








Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. 

SINULOG FESTIVAL

The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival honors the child Jesus, known as the Santo Niño (Holy Child), patron of the city of Cebu. It is a dance ritual that commemorates the Cebuano people’s pagan origin, and their acceptance of Christianity.

The festival features a street parade with participants in bright-colored costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets, and native gongs. Smaller versions of the festival are held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate, and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a “Sinulog sa Kabataan”, performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the grand parade.


 

 The Sinulog festival is one of the grandest, most distinguished and most colorful festivals in the Philippines. The major festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Niño, or the child Jesus, who used to be the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu (since in the Catholic faith Jesus is not a saint, but God). It is fundamentally a dance ritual which remembers the Filipino people's pagan past and their recognition of Christianity.

 The festival features some the country's most colorful displays of ceremony and pageantry: participants clothe in bright-colored costumes dance to the rhythm of drums and native gongs. The streets are generally lined with vendors and pedestrians all wanting to witness the street-dancing. Smaller versions of the festival are also held in different parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a Sinulog sa Kabataan, which is performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the Grand Parade.

Recently, the cultural event has been commercialized as a tourist attraction and instead of traditional street-dancing from locals, Sinulog also came to mean a contest highlighting groups from various parts of the country. The Sinulog Contest is traditionally held in the Cebu City Sports Complex, where most of Cebu's major provincial events are held.

The Festival

The celebration traditionally lasts for nine days, ending on the ninth day when the Sinulog Grand Parade reveals. The day before the parade, the Fluvial Procession, a water-parade, held at dawn from the Mandaue City wharf to Cebu City wharf with the Santo Niño carried on a pump boat decorated with hundreds of flowers and candles. The procession ends at the Basilica where a re-enactment of the Christianizing of Cebu follows. In the afternoon, a more formal procession takes place along the major streets of the city, which last for hours due to large crowd participating in the religious event.

 Background

'Sinulog' comes from the Cebuano adverb sulog which is "like water current movement," which proficiently describes the forward-backward movement of the Sinulog dance. Traditionally, the dance consists of two steps forward and one step backward, done to the sound of the drums. The dance is classified into Sinulog-base, Free-Interpretation, and recently a Latin Category, which most people have argued that it had nothing to do with Sinulog tradition. Candle vendors at the Basilica continue to perform the traditional version of the dance when lighting a candle for the customer, usually accompanied by songs in the native language.

 Historians have renowned that before the first Spaniards came to Cebu, the Sinulog was already danced by the natives in respect of their wooden god called anitos. Then, on April 7, 1521, the Portuguese navigator, Fernando de Magallanes arrived and planted the cross on the shores of Cebu, claiming the territory in the name of the King of Spain. He then offered the image of the child Jesus, the Santo Niño, as baptismal gift to Hara Amihan, wife of Cebu's Rajah Humabon. Hara Amihan was later named, Queen Juana in honor of Juana, Carlos I's mother. Along with the rulers of the island, some 800 natives were also baptized to the Christian faith.

  This event is often used as foundation for most Sinulog dances, which presents the coming of the Spaniards and the presentation of the Santo Niño to the Queen. A famous theme among Sinulog dances is Queen Juana holding the Santo Niño in her arms and using it to bless her people who are often worried by sickness caused by demons and other evil spirits.

The idea caught and thus, under the direction of the Cebu City Mayor Florentino S. Solon with the help of several influential Cebuanos, Odilao turned over the Sinulog project to the Cebu City Historical Committee under Kagawad Jesus B. Garcia, Jr.. It was the task of the Committee to conceptualize the Sinulog festival and make it into a yearly event from then on.
In 1981 the following year, the concept of the Sinulog Parade was actualized, involving practically every sector in the Cebuano community. Marking its difference from another popular festival, the Ati-Atihan in Aklan, the Sinulog focuses not on the ritual itself but on the historical aspects of the dance, which, as it has been said, represents the link between the country's pagan past and Christian present.

The committee (Cebu City Historical Committee), which was responsible for the conceptualization of the Sinulog as a provincial event, decided to accept a logo for the Sinulog to identify it as an institutionalized yearly event. They turned to the coat of arms of the Santo Niño which consisted of a two-headed hawk that was the mark of the ruling House of Habsburg in Europe. The symbol stand for the twin purpose of the Habsburg dynasty as "Champion of Catholicism and Defender of the Faith." At the time when Spain sent expeditions to the Philippines, they were under the Habsburg dynasty.
The Sinulog committee then included the two-headed eagle to a native warrior's shield. The native shield is thought to symbolize the country's struggle to colonization while the Santo Niño's coat of arms printed on its face represented the country's recognition of Christianity.