Beautiful seas, ugly basura | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

Beautiful seas, ugly basura | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features.

Filed under: Sorsogon News Updates, Travel Advisory, Travel and Lifestyle, What's Happening Here?

Masacrot spring, Palogtok falls & Bulusan lake in Sorsogon is inviting you!!

There’s no better time to relax &  explore the  Town of  Bulusan in Sorsogon  than right now.  It’s an amazing place with a breathtaking scenery and some of the most hospitable people in the country.  Biyahe na!!

If you are  Foreigners, you may contact the Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Council for further info.

Here’s the video clip for  the heads up..

Filed under: Expat Living in Sorsogon, Promote Tourism, Sorsogon News Updates, Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle, breathtaking scenery, bulusan sorsogon, palogtok falls, sorsogon hospitable people, Sorsogon Whales

Longevity Genes Found; Predict Chances of Reaching 100

By Brian Handwerk

for National Geographic News

There’s still no way to predict whether you’ll live to be a hundred—but scientists are getting closer.

A newly discovered suite of 150 “long life” variants in about 70 genes allows scientists to guess, with 77 percent accuracy, whether a person can live into their late 90s or longer, a new study says.

(Get a genetics overview.)

These long-life gene variants, the authors speculate, may suppress genes associated with ailments often linked to aging, such as dementia and heart problems.

“This is just a genetic predisposition,” cautioned study leader Paola Sebastiani, a biostatistician at the Boston University School of Public Health. “It doesn’t mean that you’re going to live to be a hundred. Many things can happen in life.”

Naturally, lifestyle choices, environment, and plain good luck will always play major roles in determining life span—as they may have for the 23 percent of centenarian test subjects found to lack the telltale gene variants.

Maybe this minority “lived long simply because they had some tricks and avoided risk factors,” Sebastiani said. “Perhaps they didn’t smoke, didn’t eat much red meat, or just lived healthier lives.”

Billed as the world’s largest scientific study of centenarians and their families, the New England Centenarians Study has collected data on more than a thousand Caucasian centenarians since 1995. Further studies will extend the research to other ethnicities, beginning in Japan, home to an inordinate number of centenarians.

In industrialized countries only about 1 in every 6,000 people will reach a hundred years of age. Just one in every seven million becomes a “supercentenarian,” reaching 110. Eighty-five percent of all centenarians are women.

(Pictures: “The Secrets of Longevity.”)

From Centenarian Genes to Personal Fountains of Youth?

The new discovery, which the authors call a first step, may lead to people being able to learn in advance how long their bodies are predisposed to last.

Also, further studies of the 150 gene variants could yield advances toward personalized genomics and predictive medicine—particularly in regard to age-related ailments, the study team said.

The research has already revealed one surprise in this respect.

It’s long been known that exceptional longevity runs in families, so many researchers have supposed that the long-lived might be lacking gene variants associated with age-related diseases.

But the new data show that centenarians have just as many of the disease-associated variants as other people. That means the longevity-related variants may somehow cancel or trump the variants associated with such ailments, according to the new study, to be published Friday in the journal Science.

However they do it, the centenarian gene variants generally appear to hold off disability and disease until the last years of lifes. Ninety percent of people who live to be a hundred remain disability free until about age 93, the researchers said.

(Also see “Yeast Life Extended Ten Times; Offers Hope for Humans.”)

Longevity: More Than Just Genetics

Demographer Dan Buettner has spent years studying the world’s longest-lived people and the places where they live, which he’s dubbed blue zones. (Preview Buettner’s article “The Secrets of Long Life.”)

Buettner praised the new research and said it’s long been known that people who reach a hundred not only live well but also have won the “genetic lottery.”

“But genes and environment are inextricably interwoven,” he said.

For example, environmental factors such as food, water, and air quality can shift rapidly, meaning the set of genes that helped today’s centenarians live longer might not have the same benefit to babies born this year, said Buettner, a grantee of the National Geographic Society’s Expeditions Council. (The Society owns National Geographic News.)

(Related: Buettner on the longevity lessons of a small Mediterranean island.)

Buettner believes genetic interventions could someday help slow the aging process—but that remains far in the future, he said. For now each of us must live with the genes we’ve been dealt, which means those hoping to live longer should look at their lifestyles.

“What we know now is that the average American could probably add about ten years of life expectancy and slow the biological clock,” he said.

Eating better, and less, is a big part of the equation, he added. Other aspects are physical activity and mental focus—Buettner believes that people with a strong sense of purpose in their lives can live about seven years longer than those who don’t have one.

“To take advantage of any possible future genetic interventions,” Buettner said, “your best strategy right now is to optimize your lifestyle.”

Read more via: http://preview.tinyurl.com/33bu3vr

Filed under: Health Tips, Healthy Living, Inspiration, New Ideas, Travel and Lifestyle, Longevity Genes Found; Predict Chances of Reaching 100

Explore the beauty of Sorsogon

There’s no better time to relax & explore beautiful places in the philippines than today. Specially if you plan goin to the south, Sorsogon has a lot to offer with its amazing place and breathtaking scenery and some of the most hospitable people in the country.

By the way, The Pili festival will be this coming 28-29 of June & it coinsides with the fiesta of Sorsogon City. Celebrations include street dancing by locals donning pili nut costumes, cooking competitions, fireworks displays, and even a nutcracking session along the road by the locals.

Bulusan Natural Park

Swim with the whaleshark@Donsol

Filed under: Pictures for the future, Promote Tourism, Travel & Adventures, Travel Advisory, Travel and Lifestyle, Bulusan, Bulusan Eco-Park, Bulusan natural park, masakrot, palogtok falls, sorsogon tourism

Sorsogon-Padaraw Festival

Padaraw Festival of Bulan, Sorsogon | Photo Credit: www.bulan.com.ph

When: May 30

Where: Bulan, Sorsogon What is it:

• Town Fiesta celebrated to honor Bulan’s patron saint,  Our Lady of Immaculate Conception.
• The festivities are an expression of this coastal community’s gladness and thanksgiving for God’s bounties and gifts.
• Padaraw also expresses not only the bounties of the sea but of the plains and mountains as well, for which the people of Bulan give thanks to God.

Attractions and Highlights:

• Grand presentation of ethnic music and creative street dancing.
• Showcases colorful costumes fashioned from the abaca fiber.

Origins:

• Padaraw is derived from a purely Bicol term which is commonly used by local fishermen.
• The root word “daraw” refers to the groups or schools of fish which converge at a certain single point in the sea.  This daraw becomes a convergence point for the fishermen to make their catch for the day.
• Padaraw therefore, means unity.

Filed under: Bulan sorsogon, Promote Tourism, Sorsogon News Updates, Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle, Sorsogon-Padaraw Festival

The beauty of the BOTONG TWIN FALLS

Botong Twin Falls

Here’s another recommended attraction for locals and foreign tourists and consider to be one of the best eco-tourism in Sorsogon City today,  the so called  “BOTONG TWIN FALLS” located at Osiao, Bacon District. They called it twin falls because they are closed to each other, but they’re actually  two different falls with two different colours of water. Thats the reason why they called it “BLUE & GREEN FALLS”. Because the water of the first falls is almost green while the the second falls is almost blue. To find out more visit the Botong Twin Falls, with your family and friends and don’t forget to coordinate with the PNOC-BACMAN Geothermal Plant Mgmt.(maintaining the area).

Enjoy your picnic, family bondings and of course your picture-pictures!..

Filed under: Promote Tourism, Sorsogon News Updates, Travel & Adventures, Travel Advisory, Travel and Lifestyle, blue and green falls, Botong twin falls, The beauty of the BOTONG TWIN FALLS

Donsol Sorsogon-Top 10 discoveries of 2009

Washington, December 4 (ANI): In a new article, the National Geographic News has listed the top ten discoveries of the year 2009.

At number 10 comes the discovery of an ultra-rare megamouth shark, which at 13-feet long, was caught on March 30 by mackerel fishers off the city of Donsol in Philippines.

But, the 1,102-pound (500-kilogram) shark was butchered for a shark-meat dish called kinuout.

At number 9 comes the finding that sophisticated dentistry allowed Native Americans to add bling to their teeth as far back as 2,500 years ago.

A recent analysis of thousands of teeth examined from collections in Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History has determined that ancient peoples of southern North America went to “dentists”-among the earliest known-to beautify their chompers with notches, grooves, and semiprecious gems.

At number 8 comes the discovery that nine giant snakes could be on the verge of causing ecological catastrophe if they establish themselves in almost one-third of the US.

At number 7 is the finding that the world’s biggest snake was a massive anaconda-like beast that slithered through steamy tropical rain forests about 60 million years ago.

The discovery was confirmed by fossils found in northeastern Colombia’s Cerrejon coal mine, which indicate that the reptile was at least 42 feet (13 meters) long and weighed 2,500 pounds.

At number 6 is the discovery of a “ghost ship” dating back to the gold rush-era.

With boots thrown hastily on deck and cooking utensils scattered, the last moments of the crew aboard the gold rush-era paddleboat A.J. Goddard are preserved in the ship’s recently found wreck.

At number 5 is the discovery of the oldest fossil skeleton of a human ancestor, which reveals that our forebears underwent a previously unknown stage of evolution more than a million years before Lucy, the iconic early human ancestor specimen that walked the Earth 3.2 million years ago.

At number 4 is the discovery of rare quail from the Philippines that was long believed to be extinct.

At number 3 is the finding of a new type of cloud, which is choppy in shape. They were photographed over Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US.

At number 2 is the finding of a fish with transparent head that was seen alive for the first time in the deep water off California’s central coast.

At number 1 is the discovery of a 47-million-year-old, exceptionally preserved primate fossil “Ida”, which bridges the evolutionary split between higher primates such as monkeys, apes, and humans and their more distant relatives such as lemurs. (ANI)

Read more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/top-10-discoveries-of-2009_100284335.html#ixzz0YipWhkJH

Filed under: Promote Tourism, Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle, Donsol Sorsogon-Top 10 discoveries of 2009

Sorsogon-Bulusan Lake I should really go for some swimming lessons

Bulusan Lake I should really go for some swimming lessons … It was a grueling onehour trip traversing over rough roads from Sorsogon city to the municipality of Bulusan Someone like me who enjoy her creature comforts …

Filed under: Promote Tourism, Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle

Philippines-was named as one of the 25 Best new trips for 2010

Source: National Geographic Channel

Text by:  Claire Martin

The 25 Best New Trips for 2010
Now more than ever, travelers want their dollars to do more—for others, for the planet, for themselves. At least that’s what we found while searching for the best trips of 2010. From wolf-tracking in Slovakia to rafting a forbidden river in Bhutan, here are 25 brand-new adventures, all of them just right for right now.

Bhutan || Outfitter: Bio Bio Expeditions
Bolivia || Outfitter: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Botswana || Outfitter: Explore Inc
Canada – B.C. || Outfitter: Monashee Adventure Tours
Canada – Manitoba || Outfitter: Earthwatch Institute
Chile + Argentina || Outfitter: Boojum Expeditions
Costa Rica || Outfitter: Wildland Adventures
France || Outfitter: Discover France
Iceland || Outfitter: Explorers’ Corner
Ireland || Outfitter: Country Walkers
Kenya || Outfitter: Geographic Expeditions
Laos || Outfitter: Asia Transpacific Journeys
Madagascar || Outfitter: Kumuka Worldwide
Montserrat || Outfitter: Green Monkey Dive Shop
Nepal || Outfitter: Journeys International
New Zealand || Outfitter: Active New Zealand
Peru || Outfitter: Adventure Life Journeys
Philippines || Outfitter: Wilderness Travel
Slovakia || Outfitter: Biosphere Expeditions
Sri Lanka || Outfitter: Access Trips
Tanzania + Kenya || Outfitter: Tropical Ice Limited
Tonga || Outfitter: Wilderness Travel
U.S. – California || Outfitter: Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides
U.S. – Colorado || Outfitter: Western Spirit Cycling
U.S. – Idaho + Montana || Outfitter: ROW Adventures

Filed under: Promote Tourism, Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle, Philippines-Belongs to the 25 Best new trips for 2010

Never give up, Never Backdown, Never lose faith – Face the GIANT

Its a great movie with inspirational message that made me think of my point of view as well. Am i facing that GIANT right now?

When your back is AGAINST the WALL…

When it seems there is NO WAY OUT….

You have to face your fears…..FACE THE GIANTS

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PART-2

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PART-12

Filed under: Arts and Literature, Baratilyo Updates, Buhay Sorsoganon, Campus Talk, Churches, Community Service Group, Concerned Sorsoganon, Encouragement, Expat Living in Sorsogon, Family, Friends and Society, Food and Drinks, Get Involved, Government, History, Hobbies and Recreation, Inspiration, Jokes & Humor, Kasangayahan 2009, Kumustahan, Kwentong OFW, Livelihood, Love, Courtship and Marriage, Mountaineering Groups, Promote Tourism, Public Service, Religion, Senior Citizen Assoc., Sorsoganon Everywhere, Sorsogon Expat's, sorsogon riders association, Sorsogon Student Awardee, Sports Center, Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle, What's Happening Here?, Face that giant in Sorsogon, Never breakdown Sorsogon, Never give up Sorsogon

Sorsogon – Kasanggayahan 2009 Fireworks & historico-cultural parade(SNHS Dance Troupe)

Kasanggayahan 2009 – amazing fireworks display & historico-cultural parade(SNHS Dance Troupe) ….watch it!

Filed under: Kasangayahan 2009, Sorsogon News Updates, Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle, What's Happening Here?, Kasanggayahan 2009 Fireworks Display, Kasanggayahan Song, Sorsogon Kasanggayahan fireworks

Your Ticket to Donsol Whale Shark Spotting Experience

Pan Asia Travelways: Your Ticket to Donsol Whale Shark Spotting Experience | LIMED – World News, Video, Blog.

Filed under: Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle

Sorsogon-Kasanggayahan 2009 Photos

According to Msgr. Francisco P. Monje, Kasanggayahan Foundation, Inc. president, this year’s theme “Pangangalaga sa Kalikasan, Buhay ng Susunod na Salinlahi Tungo sa Tunay na Kasanggayahan” (Care for Environment, Life of the Next Generation Way to the True Kasanggayahan) will serve as an awakening for the present generation that the best legacy we can leave for the future generation is but a healthy and rich environment.

Special thanks to Alissa Sheila L. Relativo for sharing these photos!!.. Dios mabalos! mabuhay ka!

Filed under: Kasangayahan 2009, Sorsogon News Updates, Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle, What's Happening Here?, Kasanggayahan 2009 photos, kasanggayahan 2009 pictures, kasanggayahan on the streets, kasanggayahan parades

Sorsogon City – Kasanggayahan Festival Opening Parade

Sorsogon celebrates ‘Kasanggayahan’ | ABS-CBN News Online Beta.

 

Filed under: Buhay Sorsoganon, Family, Friends and Society, Government, Kasangayahan 2009, Promote Tourism, Sorsogon News Updates, Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle, What's Happening Here?, Kasanggayahan Festival Opening Parade, Sorsogon kasanggayahan updates

Sorsogon-Bisita Museo sa Kasanggayahan, a glimpse of Sorsogon’s past

By: Mike dela Rama

SORSOGON CITY,Oct. 11 -Vital in every province or community is the promotion of its historical and cultural heritage among its peoples to foster cultural identity, nationalism, patriotism and sense of pride among them.

‘Bisita Museo sa Kasanggayahan’ realizes this ensuring awareness and promotion of Sorsogon’s historical and cultural heritage, through a month-long guided tour being held at the Sorsogon Museum and Heritage Center, Inc. (SMHCI) in time for the Kasanggayahan Festival 2009.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Bicol regional director Maria Ong-Ravanilla said proponent of the activity, the ‘Bisita Museo sa Kasanggayahan,’ which started on Oct. 1 and to last until Oct. 30 this year, is open for tour-visitation from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays giving priority to elementary and high school students, teachers and visitors from other places who want to have a glimpse of Sorsogon’s past.

The general public, however, is also encouraged to visit the museum especially during Saturdays since it is closed on Sundays.

Trained volunteer-students from tertiary schools in the province facilitate the guided museum tour.

“These volunteers underwent the Museum Tour Guiding Training Workshop on September 18, 2009 facilitated by personnel with tourism orientation and tour guiding expertise from various organizations and government agencies here,” Ravanilla said.

Guidelines provided during the Tour Guiding Workshop will be adopted by the SHMC as its official tour guidelines.

Sorsogon governor Sally Lee said that the’Bisita sa Museo’ highlights the pre-history information, like the significance of burial jars and stones, the Chinese wares during the Ming Dynasty as part of barter trade with China, the Galleon Trade with Donsol’s Astillero and Magallanes’ shipyard, the Fil-Am war and abaca industry during the American Era and the important personages/structures in Sorsogon’s history.

Visitors will also find in the museum Sorsogon’s breathtaking eco-tourism destinations based on dioramas, Philippine Daily Inquirer’s collection/library and other informative and multicolored presentations.

‘Bisita Museo sa Kasanggayahan’, the first formal guided tour at the SMHC, is realized through the Kasanggayahan Foundation, Inc. (KFI) in cooperation with the Sorsogon Museum and Heritage Center, Inc. (SMHCI), Sorsogon Arts Council (SAC), Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Department of Education (DepEd) Sorsogon City Schools Division.(PNA)

Filed under: Promote Tourism, Sorsogon News Updates, Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle, Upcoming Events, What's Happening Here?, Bisita Museo sa Kasanggayahan

Le Cirque Restaurant Bill of President Gloria Arroyo

Mga kababayan silipin nga natin kung ano itong pinag iinitang mga kinain daw ni Pangulong Gloria sa Le Cirque New York at ang kanyang mga kasamahan. Since na may ambag naman tayo (as a taxpayer ) dapat lng sigurong makita natin kahit sa picture man lang ang mga pagkaing nararapat daw para sa ating mga honorable public servants. Ang bill ng entourage ni Gloria sa Le Cirque image002 image003 Golden Osetra Caviar . Sa Tagalog, kumpol-kumpol na itlog ng isda. Rare daw ito. Malansa at lasang bagoong, sabi ng iba. Kulay itim lang to pero ang lasa siguro nito ay kagaya din ng itlog ng galunggong, di kaya? Php13,720/order California Osetra Caviar . Kumpol-kumpol na itlog ng isda na mula sa California . Mas mura kesa sa Golden Osetra Caviar. P4,900/order Le Cirque Salad . Pinaghalo-halong mga gulay tulad ng lettuce (wag kayong jologs, hindi [let-us] ang pronunciation nyan, kundi [let-is] , okay?) …sige na nga litsugas nalang… ano pa ba yan? er…sibuyas, balat ng sibuyas, sitaw, mayana, dahon ng gumamela, etc… P1,078 lang yan Le Cirque Lobster Salad . Merong lobster meat, pipino, avocado, kamatis, okra saka dahon ng sibuyas. P2,842 isang plato nyan Le Cirque Tuna . Syempre merong tuna dyan (na posibleng galing sa GenSan), orange, sesame seeds, wasabe ata yung green paste sa ilalim, anim na pirasong halamang ligaw (dami dito samin nyang dahon na yan!) saka ilang patak na orange sauce. P1,029 naba yang apat na hiwang yan? Le Cirque Soft Shell Crab Tempura . Ngayon ko lang nalaman na meron palang crab na soft ang shell nya…ahihihihi…So ang ingredients dyan ay crab saka harina tapos may kamote at ang paborito ni Popeye na spinach P1,078 /platter Le Cirque Spring Pea Soup . Mga pataning pinaikot at pinalamutak sa blender para maging soup. A.k.a. Etchas ng baby P1,176 isang bowl? Le Cirque Wild Burgundy Escargot . Pronounced as [es-kahr-goh] . Tandaan nyo yan para hindi kayo magmukhang enggot pag kumain kayo sa Le Cirque in the future, okay? Ang escargot ay kuhol. Madami nyan sa palayan kapag tag-ulan. Hmmm…sarap ng ginataang escargot! Kasama ng escargot dyan ay 2 munchkin donuts, makapuno, itlog ng isda saka ferns. Ito daw ang nagustuhan ni Senator Lapid dahil favorite nya ang kuhol. P1,421 grabeng mahal naman ng kuhol na yan! Le Cirque Torchon of Foie Gras . Ang foie gras ay atay ng bibe or gansa. Ang pagbigkas nito ay [fwah-grah] . Ang torchon naman ay isang paraan ng pagluto ng foei gras na kung saan ibinabalot ito sa isang tuwalya at niluluto sa mainit na likido tulad ng alak o tubig. P1,715 lang naman yan Paupiette of Black Cod . Ito’y manipis na piraso ng isda (black cod) na nirolyong parang shawarma at merong mga gulay sa gitna. Paupiette is pronounced as [poh-pyet] . P2,401.00 Le Cirque Halibut Poached in Cocunut Milk. Halibut is pronounced as [hal-uh-buht] . Ito ay isang uri ng isda. Ang price P1,960 Dover Sole . Isa rin itong uri ng isda at ito rin ang pinakamahal sa main course na inorder ng ating mga public servant P3,675 wow na wow. Ano kaya ang lasa nyan, noh? Le Cirque Saddle of Lamb . Ano ba ang saddle sa Tagalog. Hmmm…part daw ng backbone and loins. Eh ano yung loins sa Tagalog? Tadyang o pigi? Ay basta tupa lang yan! P2,548 naman yan Krug Champagne . Sa sobrang sarap ng Krug, umorder sina Gloria ng labing-isang bote nito. Kulang-kulang Php 249,000 lang naman iyang 11 bottles na yan. Ilang ginbulag kaya ang mabibili sa Php 235k? Teka, downpayment na yan para sa isang kotse o bahay ah! Tsk…tsk…tsk… Sorry wala yung pix ng ibang entrees. image010 image017 Philip Castro Valdez

Filed under: Food and Drinks, Jokes & Humor, Travel and Lifestyle

Donsol, Sorsogon-an Invitation to all tourists from around the Globe!

This is an Invitation to all tourists from around the Globe! Come and visit  Donsol, Sorsogon the Whaleshark or Butanding capital of the world. Our place was dubbed as the  “BEST ANIMAL ENCOUNTER in ASIA”.  A experience the once in lifetime interaction with the GENTLE GIANT.

For more information, you may visit the following websites:

• wowbicol.com
• Sorsogon Tourism Council

Filed under: Travel & Adventures, Travel and Lifestyle, butanding, Donsol Sorsogon, sorsogon tourism, Whaleshark capital