Some Photos from the Jambalos-Anonical Wedding in Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

Edgar (Nonoy) and Yvette Jambalos Wedding, Boac Cathedral, March 20, 2010. The reception was held at Chateau Du Mer Hall, Boac, Marinduque. Nonoy is Macrine's nephew-son of the Late Edgar Jambalos and Asuncion Panuncialan. It was a grand wedding indeed!







Personal Note: A typical wedding in Marinduque costs between P200,000 to P350,000 depending on the number of guests. Double or triple the costs, if you get married in big cities such as Makati or Quezon City. The above amount was based on the 30 weddings that had the reception at Chateau Du mer Hall, the last two years. Chateau Du Mer in Boac had hosted one Garden Wedding this year and five church wedding(reception) up to this day. Our next wedding reception will be on May 22. For description of the faciliites and amenities of Chateau Du Mer Conference Hall, in Boac, Marinduque visit, http://chateaudumer.blogspot.com

Tales of the Nomad-Moriones of Marinduque

This article with several pictures were published in the web on April 24, 2010 and written by Fung Yu. The title is Tales of the Nomad- Moriones of Marinduque. There were several photos in the article but I did not copy it, since I had no permission to post it in this blog. The above photo is mine taken from my sister-in-law house, just across the Boac Hotel during the Moriones Parade on Holy Thursday, Holy Week, 2010. Here is the article without the photographs for your reading pleasure.

With masks and capes they came,
With axes and spears they walked,
Garbed in armors, one in thought,
for Longinus they seek, his death foretold.

The colorful Moriones Festival of Marinduque, based on the legend of Longinus, the Roman centurion who pierced Jesus in his side with a lance while He was on the Cross; with blood that spurted forth touched his blind eye and fully restored his sight. This miracle he proclaimed "Truly this man was the Son of God."

Longinus converted to Christianity and earned the ire of his fellow centurions. The re-enactment reaches its climax when he is caught and beheaded. Longinus is traditionally venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and several other Christian communions.

The spear used is known as the Holy Lance, more recently, especially in occult circles as the "Spear of Destiny," which figures in the legends of the Holy Grail.

Marinduque's Other AttractionsThe Moriones festival is Marinduque's best tourists' attraction, but the heart shaped island certainly has more to offer.

The first class Bellarocca Resort with its Santorini-inspired architecture caters to tourists that have impeccable taste. Situated entirely on an island just off the southern tip of Marinduque, the resort boasts of "a fantastic experience unlike any other place in the Philippines and across South-East Asia."

Old churches such as the Boac Cathedral with its large intricate wood-carved doors and the still being constructed Saint Joseph's church in Gasan tells of the island's rich history and heritage.

The baywalk in Gasan offers a panoramic view of the Tres Reyes islands - Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar. On a clear day, you can also glimpse the eastern coast of Mindoro and be mesmerized by the majestic sunset.

Waterfalls like the Kabugsakan Falls which lies in the interior of a forested area can be reached by a 30-minute trek; its cool runoffs provided reprieve from the scorching summer heat.

With such an array of tourism potentials, I still felt that Marinduque is vastly under promoted. Its proximity to Manila can easily be an alternative escape for the locals; plus, the existence of the airport can bring in regional tourists as well. Surely with renew efforts and a paradigm shift in online marketing; it can result to catapult Marinduque into one of the country's major tourists' destination.

Marinduque-One of Asia's Tourist Hotspots

Bellarocca Resort and Spa, Buenavista, Marinduque, Philippines
I found this in the web today( CNNGo.com) It is titled:
Forget Phuket, these are the next-gen Asian tourist hotspots

"For better or for worse, Marinduque, Phu Quoc, Hainan and the Ho Tram Strip are being touted by developers and local governments as Asia's next major tourist destinations.

Marinduqueños celebrate the Moriones Festival.The lowdown: Pristine beaches, diving sites, a balmy climate. Marinduque has all the postcard charms of other Filipino hotspots such as Boracay and Tagaytay, but none of their tired tourist crowds.

The volcanic island of Marinduque is just a 45-minute flight from bustling Manila, but manages to elude the capital’s frenetic pace. There’s nary a nightclub or souvenir shack in sight. It has a generous sprinkling of hot springs and white sandy beaches, notably the sulphuric hot springs of Malbog, and Poctoy’s White Beach, which doubles as a community hangout. The uninhabited Tres Reyes Islands off the Gasan coast ranks among Marinduque’s best diving sites with azure waters, profuse corals and an underwater cave.

What are 25 of Asia's most overlooked destinations?

Come Holy Week, which is a week before Easter, Marinduqueños cover up with gaudy masks to make like Roman soldiers during the crucifixion of Christ for the famous Moriones Festival. Here's a short video about Marinduque for your viewing pleasure.

Why it’s next: For years, Marinduque has been under the foreign tripper's radar, but not for long, if politicos and developers have their way. The laid-back island-province is now being touted as the Philippines’ next holiday haven, with the Bellarocca luxury resort set up last year, and new domestic flights on Zest Air and SEAIR connecting it to Manila.

Luzon officials are also on a crusade to raise the area’s public profile.

Ilocos Norte representative Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said earlier this month that “once the Marinduque air and sea ports are modernized, larger volume of local and foreign tourists can be lured to visit its little-known but awesome white sand beaches.” Marcos is also advocating the redevelopment of the abandoned Marcopper mining site into a 18-hole golf course and a hospital complex, to boost medical tourism.

Latest Political News from Marinduque

Sunset from the Balcony of Chateau Du Mer Beach House, Boac,Marinduque, April 1, 2010

This article was published in the May 4 issue of the Manila Bulletin and titled Velasco vows infra projects. Sounds great! Velasco's opponent is former Congressman Edmund Reyes. Reyes is the son of current congresswoman, Carmencita Reyes. C Reyes is running for governor against Bong Carrion, the current governor. Again, I hope may the least corrupt candidate win!

"Creating reliable infrastructure projects in Marinduque and turning the province into a prime tourism destination are the top priorities of congressional candidate Atty. Allan “PA” Velasco once elected member of Congress on May 10.

Velasco said that infrastructure projects like roads and irrigation facilities, improved hospital services, enhanced electric distribution, and rehabilitation of towns damaged by mine tailings will be the keys to create more jobs and economic opportunities in Marinduque.

The former Marinduque provincial administrator and former chairman of the Marinduque Provincial Tourism Council, Velasco vowed to stop corruption by directly alloting P1 million for each barangay in the province to ensure that public funds intended for economic development are spent as budgeted.

He said that during his term as provincial administrator, he initiated several “bayanihan” projects that built a footbridge in barangay Bangwayin in Torrijos town, a causeway project in Suha also in Torrijos, two classrooms at the Makapuyat National School in Sta. Cruz, a covered court also in Sta. Cruz, and five multi-purpose hall and learning centers in Mogpog. He said that while most of the funds for the projects came from Senators Bong Revilla and Migs Zubiri, the labor portion of the projects were contributed by the barangay residents themselves.

He also said that he implemented the participation of Marinduque in the Moriones Float Festival in Baguio City, the Battle of Moriones during the Moriones Festival, the Marinduque Trade Expo and as assistant in the Southern Tagalog Tourism Summit.

Also on top of Velasco's priority projects once elected to Congress are the rebuilding of the province's dilapidated electrical distribution system to end perennial brownouts, upgrading of services in provincial hospitals, and improvement of the transportation system for a more efficient movement of products from the province to the trading centers.

To complete the province's transformation into an agricultural powerhouse, Velasco will also prioritize the construction of irrigation projects and the improvement of the province's farm to market roads.