Planning to Visit the Philippines Soon?

There are hundreds of tourists attractions in the Philippines. But as a lover of the Island of Marinduque (Home of the Morions and Heart of the Philippines), I am indeed partial to its beauty, charm and its friendly and hospitable residents. Therefore, help me achieve my dream of seeing this island becomes a world tourist destination, by telling all your friends and relatives about this site. Welcome, to you all, new readers and faithful followers of this site! The photo above is Poctoy White Beach in Torrijos, Marinduque with beautiful and majestic Mt Malindig in the background. Some of the photos and videos on this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention on infringing your copyrights.

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Grand Daughter Carenna Katague Thompson Spotlighted in School Newsletter

Carenna is freshman at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the University of Washington in DC. She a Student staff member and spotlighted on the current issue of their school newspaper-The Elliott Insider. This is a monthly newsletter for the Elliott Staff. In this November issue there is a list of the 2022-2023 Religious Holidays Calendar observed by Christians, Jews, Muslims and other religions of the World. A very informative calendar if you are interested of other cultures in the world besides your own.

I am so proud of her accomplishments. Note that she mentioned in the interview two favorite filipino food- Lumpia and Pancit . I am indeed s very, very proud LOLO Here's the article.

Meet Carenna Thompson
Public Affairs Work Study Student

Favorite Halloween candy?

Reese's, any Reese's product, but the original is the best.

Your best ever Halloween costume and how old were you?

In preschool, I dressed up as Mavis from Thomas the Train.

Favorite Holiday and why?

Thanksgiving. It's the food. We love traditional Thanksgiving food at my house and Filipino food like Lumpia and Pancit, so it's like my two favorite cultures coming together.

What's your opinion on dressing up pets on holidays?

As long as they're comfortable. I have a border collie corgi and sometimes I dress him up.

Now more serious topics. What are you studying?

International Affairs and Geography

What do you hope to do in the future?

Hopefully work for an NGO focused on climate change.

You went to an IB high school in the Netherlands. What was that like compared to your typical American peers?

What I really enjoyed was that I got to pursue my passions early, like Global Politics. It was an international boarding school so I got to live with and grow up with people from all over the world, so I think it broadened my horizons in terms of culture and experiences.

What's the best thing about living in the DMV?

The Mall and Rock Creek Park. I love just walking along the Mall, it's just a few blocks away and it's so spacious and open. Rock Creek is great because it seems like you're deep in the heart of nature even while you are in the middle of the city.

Meanwhile enjoy this photo from my collection.

Where is Carenna in this photo?

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ABOUT ME

I am a retired (Chemistry Team Leader from USFDA) Filipino-American who loves writing, gardening and photography. My wife (of 58 years) and I enjoy the snowbird lifestyle between the US and the Philippines. We have a small but very private beach resort( see above video) in the beautiful island of Marinduque, Philippines. I have several blog sites(ten), a personal blog, blogs about retiring in Marinduque and our beach resort and conference center-CHATEAU DU MER. I also write for www.squidoo.com now owned by HubPages.com

Marinduque: A Photogenic Province and Tourists Destination

Marinduque is a photoblogger dream. The province is endowed with unspoiled white sand beaches, pristine blue waters, fringing reefs, virgin coral reefs, coves, limestone caves, meandering rivers, mountain peaks, cascading waterfalls and streams, fabled sulfur and hot mineral springs,old churches and of course beautiful sunsets. The Internet is filled with photographs of the scenic beauty of this island not only from the local professional photographers but also from amateur photographers all over the world. The province has more than six big islands popular to beach lovers, scuba divers and snorkeling enthusiasts. It has Mt Malindig known to mountain climbers and hikers. It has Bathala and Tarug Caves popular to spelunkers and just curious seekers. In one of the eight caves of Bathala, there is a resident python, believed to be enchanted. If he shows himself when you visit the caves, it is suppose to bring you good luck.

Sunset over Tres Reyes Islands- Photo from panoramnio.com The nearest and most accessible islands from the capital town of Boac are the Tres Reyes Islands ( Islands of the Three Kings), Gaspar, Melchor and Baltazar in the town of Gasan. The local names are Laki, Pangkog and Man-nga ( see map above). These islands are located southwest of the mainland. The other three group of islands bigger in area and more populated are Polo, Maniwaya and Mongpong Islands. These are located in the Northeast part of the mainland in the town of Santa Cruz. Maniwaya's Polo Maria White Beach is being develop as an alternative to Boracay. There is a bigger island, Salamongue Island which is not as well known to the tourists and residents.. I really do not know the reason, but I believe it is not as accessible from the mainland . Moreover, it is not as developed( no electricity or running water) compared to the other islands.

One of the most popular white beach located in the mainland in the town of Torrijos is Poctoy White Beach. It is about a 70 minutes drive from downtown Boac. Poctoy White beach with Mt, Malindig as the background is the most photogenic and the most photographed scenery in the island.

Just late last year, the former Elephant Island in Lipata, Buenavista, owned privately, was renamed Bellarocca Resort Island and Spa. It has been converted to look like Santorini Island, Greece with buildings all painted in white sticking in the cliffs. From what I heard, this resort is one of the most expensive and luxurious resort in Southeast Asia. The cheapest room charges $300 per night excluding meals and other amenities. When I was in Marinduque last year, I met a few rich and famous Filipinos( businessmen, actors and actresses, TV personalities)) from Manila as well as Korean and Japanese tourists at Masiga Airport in Gasan on their way to the resort. From the resort advertisement, I know that the most expensive accommodation is a 3-bedroom villa with its own pool and jacussi charging about $ 800 per night without meals. Dong Ho, Oggie Ramos, Ferdz Decena, Allan Barredo, Sydney Snoeck and Dennis Villegas are some of the photographers that I know who have photo blogs about Marinduque. Their pictures are beautiful, unique and mesmerizing. It is worth your time to visit their photo blogs sites. Looking at their photographs of Marinduque, its Tradition and Culture will surely make you proud of the beauty of our island paradise.