CANDLE SCULPTURE ( Paraffin Wax Figure)

 CANDLE WAX SCULPTURE

Paraffin wax is a basic ingredient in candle making besides from bees wax. Paraffin wax are melted and formed in candle molds for various shapes. These are the candles essential in wax sculpture. 

Philippine historians claim that during the childhood of the Philippine national hero Jose Protacio Alonzo Mercado Rizal Y Rialonda, some of his sculptures was made out of candle wax. 

The advantage of candle wax as a carving material is its texture. Carving a wax is much convenient than wood carving and way easier than stone carving. Chisels and  mallets are not as needed when in sculpting figures out of it. 

None the less, wax figures may develop some deformities when subjected to heat. Even an indirect sunlight alone can soften and melt it until it looses its shape. 

WEAPONRY OF THE WALLED CITY OF MANILA

INTRAMUROS  CANNONS

Intramuros meaning "within the walls" is a walled city in the central part of Manila which was established during the Spanish era in the Philippines.  In preserving it historical view, Intarmuros Administration still display a variety of  cannons that were used during early wars. This is of coarse to serve as accent to the place because it is already a historical tourist site. 

Some of the cannons that are displayed  in Intamuros are intact in its original location, this cannons are aligned in a wall facing outside like what a defense weaponry should be.

aligned long cannon

shorter cannon in a wall

There are also cannons that are massive in sizes and looks very heavy. I guest this cannon is made out of Iron but it has showed no signs of oxidation or rust. I may be wrong!

There are also cannons that are retrieved from the sea, this may be the cannons that are installed in warships. 

There are also hand cannons that are smaller than the other cannons were shown here, it looks not so heavy but it is still made out of metal. It looks portable, however this is just a collectors item and it is being sold, see the price tag on it?

Guardia sibil

This is an image of a Guardia sibil (civil guard) that have been guarding the Walled city of Intramuros ever since. hahaha

Besides from Spanish era cannons, there is also a different cannon that was built and installed in Intramuros. This cannon is either a weapon of the Americans against the Japanese imperial army or vice versa. I'm pretty sure that this cannon was utilized during the World War II and not during the Spanish era.

Salt Production of Pasuquin (Iodized Salt)

Salt Production of Pasuquin 

DASHING THROUGH THE SALT

On our laboratory field trip in the mangrove plantation in Panzian-Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, our group observed the salt making industry along the way going to the main site. 

Their procedure in making salt  is different from the process that I know. I have seen how the people make salt along the highways of Pasuquin. They usually dissolve imported rock salt from Australia with the sea water and then process it to become a fine salt. 

Another way of making salt is drying the sea water under the sun but this process may result to granular salt. 

They usually make salt in this huts.The people gather sand from the beach associated with thick dried salt during low tide and transport it to the huts by the use of a cattle drawn cart,  then they pile it beside this huts.  

In that manner, they can now extract  the salt by washing it out, salt is extracted by pouring sea water in the collected potential sand . The salt is redissolved in an outside basin beside the hut. The outside basin is connected to another basin inside the hut by a pipe where the dissolved salt is dripping, where it is also being collected. 

inside basin with the pipe

According to them, sea water cannot be processed directly in producing salt. The finished product may  have a little bit bitter taste that may degrade the quality of their main product.

After collecting the extracted salt, it is now ready for cooking. The salt making process undergo condensation. The salty water is heated and cooked in a kiln until the fine salt  particles will appear. 

The traditional process in making salt is still practiced in the Municipality of Pasuquin. Despite the modernization and new technology of this era, the old process is still utilized. The traditional salt making process is intact in the culture of the  people in Pasuquin, salt is their main product because their town is situated along the northern coast of the Philippine west sea. Their mass production of salt supplies the whole province of Ilocos Norte.  

finished product (fine salt)

a lot of fuel wood is needed in cooking salt

THIS IS THE MANGROVE PLANTATION IN PASUQUIN

POEM TO THE PHILIPPINE ETHNIC GROUPS (Tagalog)

Diwa Ko Sa Puso

     ni Kenneth John Laureta    

                                   

Dumating sila ilang libong taon na

Lulan ng mga sasakyang Bangka

Para mamuhay dito ng mapayapa

Mga katutubo dito sa ating bansa

Inang kalikasan kanilang sinamba

Minamahal dito ang bawat nalikha

Mga malalaking puno na nasa lupa

Binigyang importasya’t  tinitingala

Nang tayo ay sinakop ng banyaga

Siyang  naghari dito sa ating bansa

 Ilang daan taon sila dito namalagi

 Bansang espanya at iba pang  lahi

                                                                  

Nakabangon na tayo sa pananakop

Buhay sibilisado na ang naaangkop

Pamahalaan na ang mayroon tayo

Namuno ang maduming gobyerno

Nasan na ba ang tunay na may-ari

Sa Pilipinas sila’y pinagkaitang puri

Mga kulurang ating pagmamayari

Kahalagahan nito bakit tinatanggi

Mga badjao, katutubong musmos

Sa mga lansangan namamalimos

 Dating yaman hindi na makakamit

Bakit bansa nila, sa kanila ipinagkait 

POEM TO THE MMSU AGOHO TREES (Tagalog)

SA PUNONG AGOHO

by Kenneth John Laureta

Sa  puno ng Agoho,

Salamat sa iyong anino

Silong naming sa pagtungo

Sa ibat ibang mga kolehiyo

Sanga moy tila sumasamba

Nakatingala sa ating May likha,

Mga dahon ay kulay luntian

Kay gandang pagmasdan

Mga linya ng koryente

Na ginamitan ng alambre

Dahilan ng iyong paglumbay

At sa amin, dusang tunay

Alambre, madaling mapatid

Bunga nitoy init na di mabatid

Sikat ng araw ,matindi ang init

Sa aming balat ito’y kumakapit

O ibong gumagawa ng pugad,

O punong Agoho ,ipagpatawad

Ang sanga moy puputulin

Di nila alam, ika’y dapat mahalin

PASAGAD ( ride in the fields)

CARABAO DRAWN SLED

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SLED

The Pasagad or Ulnas is a sled usually drawn by cattle or carabao. It is being used as a way of transporting  rice grains, sugarcane, and corn out of the field. It does not have any wheels but farmers usually ride on it.

UNDERSTANDING TURTLES (Wildlife and Responsilble Ownership)

FRESHWATER TURTLES

 There are two types of turtles, the saltwater turtle and the freshwater turtle. I will focus my discussion on freshwater turtles.

Fresh water turtle lives in the forest, lakes, swamps or in fresh waters.  They can be found near the bodies of water like falls and creeks. They spend their lives on hunting  prey like small fish, worms, snails...Besides from these, they also eat plant leaves but it depends on their species.

During summer, they hide under the leaves of bushy plants and even to the buttresses of trees to hide from predators.  

The town of Pagudpud in the northern part of  Ilocos Norte Philippines, freshwater turtles still exist in the deep part of their rainforest. Due to the laws that  is protecting the forest, these creatures can still live freely in their own habitat. Although policies are strictly implemented, the law officers cannot monitor and penetrate easily into the deep areas of the town, so there are still threats in their lives.

The number one threat in the lives of turtles are human. Human hunt them for food and medicine, local people believe that the flesh of turtle can cure respiratory deceases and will let a baby talk better words than to anyone who didn't..

In Batac City - Ilocos Norte, their river was once a place for the turtles to live. But after they constructed dikes along the edges of the Quiaoit river, the turtles found their lives as pet to the settlers.

 One of my classmate- Leonel found a turtle near the waterways (canal ) in their house hiding under a taro plant (Aba-Iloco).  Their house is beside the Quiaoit river, maybe this is one of the surviving turtles left in the river. He told me that he do not know how to take care of it so he rendered  the turtle to me.

CARE:

Turtles need exercise and sunlight but not too much. They need both land and water to stay on.
Fresh water is their basic need, I discovered that my turtles will not poo unless they drink water and they are in water.

 Food:
 Turtles are omnivorous, meaning they eat vegetables and meat like humans do.
Turtles eat small fish, earthworms, super worms, insect, they love it when it is alive
beef, chicken meat, pork can be but not always, these should be tenderly cooked and serve in tidbits,
actually, in the wild they eat dead fish and other flesh of dead animals.

Turtles also eat vegetables, they even eat cooked rice,
they love to eat fresh leaves of sweet potato and "kangkong"

Deceases:
 Rotting of  shell - This occurs when they stay in unsafe water, their shell may be infected by bad microorganisms, the outer layer of the shell will peel.
The wound will penetrate and infect the whole shell if not cured.
Rotting of shell will not stop unless the wound will dry.

Applying  pounded leaves of "makahiya" (Mimosa pudica) and antibiotics can be a remedy. 

The white part of the shell is the scar of shell rotting.

Adopted little Philippine box turtle from Pagudpud.

Philippine box turtle given by GJ and Hilario family.

 

Soft shelled turtle..............................................Red eared slider  

Alligator snapping turtle

 Pig-nose turtle..........................................................................Leaf turtle

Diamondback Terrapin