¡SupereXtraordinarisimo!

"Porque" (Chavacano Version) by Maldita

2011-12-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

Note: Not all the spelling of the Spanish words that you will see on the video were spelt correctly even in their Chavacano spelling.

Fundacion Centro Flamenco Philippines: Pasion y Fuego

2011-11-22T07:11:00.000-08:00

Fundacion Centro Flamenco Philippines, 'Pasion y Fuego', with Emma Estrada, Angel Gomez, Yerbaguena, Marien Gomez, Cecille de Joya, Antonio Soria.

Fundacion Centro Flamenco

2011-10-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Mayen Gomez de Lizares is the daughter of Guillermo Gomez Rivera from whom he learned to dance. She After marrying her husband, she moved to Bacolod, Negros Occidental. There with Irene Caram, they manage a Spanish flamenco School called Zambra Gitana.

Cariñosa, The National Dance Of The Philippines

2011-09-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Cariñosa, the national dance of the Philippines, is a romantic, flirtatious folk dance set to a waltz-like 3/4 rhythm. A couple expresses their feelings for each other with coy moves, including playing hide-and-seek behind a handkerchief or a fan.

Cariñosa is known throughout the Philippines. Cariñosa ('kah-reehn-YOH-sah') means affectionate, lovable, or amiable. With a fan or handkerchief, the dancers go through hide-and-seek movements and other flirting acts expressing tender feelings for one another. There are many versions of this dance, but the hide-and-seek movements are common in all.

Carinosa was introduced to the country by Spanish colonizers. Panay Island, located in the Visaya island group, is considered the home of the carinosa. Dancers perform carinosa to Spanish-style music played by a string ensemble, in 3/4 time.

Carinosa usually involves two dancers, one male, one female, who dance facing one another. The word "carinosa" means "affectionate" or "lovable" in Spanish, and this is a courtship dance. The dancers don't touch each other, but their dancing indicates their romantic interest: They peek at each other around a handkerchief, exchange coy little waves, and drop to one knee while one partner dances around the other.

The first ever published notation of the Cariñosa dance steps was from the book Philippine Folk Dances and Games by Francisca Reyes-Tolentino (later became an Aquino). Mrs Tolentino's master's thesis which have the same title was revised and was later published in 1927. However, the most common of the many Cariñosa found in the country is the one from the book "Philippine Folk Dances v1" by Francisca Reyes Aquino, published sometime in 1940. The version integrated all the common dance figures among the many versions throughout the land.

Three versions of this courtship-festival dance were found in Panay Island, the "Home of the Carinosa". Three different dance researchers discovered three equally beautiful Cariñosa dances. Petronila Suarez had her Carinosa Binggawan, Jose Balcena's informant , an old dancing virtuoso name Casimiro earned him the identity of Balcena's cariñosa version: Tatay Meroy Cariñosa. Tatay Meroy was an old bachelor from Roxas City who because of old age became aggressive in his courting of a future partner. This version dramatizes Tatay Mero's pursuit of his partner who teases him by flirting.

Prolific Visayan dance researchers Libertad Fajardo and her daughter Joanne discovered a Cariñosa version from San Joaquin, Iloilo. The San Joaquin cariñosa is probably the most flirtatious of all known versions. Here, the couple does not simply do some hide-and-seek in a vertically spread handkerchief but also does the combing of each partner's hair and even putting a powder puff! This version is ended with a ballroom waltz where the couple goes around the dance floor in close ballroom position.

The Cariñosa was also very popular in Samar where it is called Pandanggyado Cariñosa or simply Pandanggyado in' Samar. A cariñosa from Bicol discovered by Ramon Obusan in Rapu-rapu, Albay is a very unique song-dance or sayawit. The hide-and-seek uses a folding fan rather than the common prop: handkerchief. A very unique Bicolnon dance step called binanog is prominent throught the dance where it was originally used as an intermission.

The Cariñosa is believed to have replaced the popular Tinikling as the "National Dance of the Philippines" in 1992. However, according to the Philippine Information Agency, the Tinikling is indeed the "National Dance of the Philippines".

The Steps:

The basic footwork is similar to the steps used in a waltz: You move around the floor by stepping to the side with your left foot, then moving your right foot next to your left. You finish off this series of three movements by tapping your left foot on the floor. Repeat this sequence of steps, this time beginning by stepping to the side with your right foot.

Spins are another fundamental element of carinosa. They take up the last two bars of an eight-bar sequence. If you're the male half of the dancing pair, you either fold your hands behind your back or put your hands on your hips. The best way to think of this modified hands-on-hips pose is to make sure your thumbs point inward toward your waist and your knuckles rest on your love handles, even if you don't have them. If you're the female, hold your skirt up a few inches off the floor by taking each side of your skirt between your thumb and forefinger. You can either do two turns, one for each three-beat bar, or one turn on the first three-beat bar. For the latter, you simply stand still for the last three-beat bar. You'll always turn to the right.

The Props:

Female carinosa dancers often use fans. If you're the female dancer, you open your fan by giving it a firm shake. Once it's open, simply fan yourself to the music, matching each downward movement of the fan with one beat in the three-beat bar.

The handkerchief hide-and-seek is a key element of carinosa. Each partner holds two corners of the handkerchief and stand facing each other, holding the handkerchief so it blocks the view of the other partner's face. On the first beat of the three-beat musical bar, both partners lean to the right side and peek at each other around the handkerchief. They hold for a beat, then, on the third and final beat of the bar, they return to an upright position, holding the handkerchief so it is blocking the faces again. On the first beat of the next bar, the partners flip the handkerchief while still holding it, so if one partner had been holding the top two corners, he's now holding the bottom two corners, or vice versa. As they do so, they lean to the side and peek at the other partner around the handkerchief again. This series of movements continues for six bars in total; for the last two bars of the eight-bar section, the partners switch places by waltzing around each other while still holding the handkerchief. This entire sequence repeats. The hide-and-seek sequence can be performed with a fan instead of a handkerchief.

The female dancer of the carinosa pair holds her skirt with one or both hands, pinching the fabric of the skirt with the thumb and forefinger, at the side, at about mid-thigh level.

Source: eHOw

Nueva Valencia, Philippines

2011-09-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

Nueva Valencia is a 4th class municipality in the province of Guimaras, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 30,716 people in 6,043 households. This is the site of Guimaras oil spill since August 2006. The boat named MT Solar 1 sank a few kilometers from Nueva Valencia.

History:

The history of Nueva Valencia, just like that of other towns in the island of Guimaras, dates back to the time when Himal-us (Guimaras) was Christianized by the Spaniards in 1591.

The towns were known as pueblicitos (villages) of Nayup (Buenavista with San Pedro Apostol as patron saint; Nabilhan (Jordan) with San Juan Bautista as its patron saint; and Agang (Valencia) whose patroness was Santa Ana. Although during the Spanish regime there were separate powers between the church and the state, yet the church had much influence in the creation of pueblos (towns) and establishment of parishes.

It was also mentioned in the “History of Panay” by Regalado and Franco, that in Panay, the towns included under the jurisdiction of Ogtong (Oton) were the three towns in the Island of Himal-us, namely Nayup, Nabilhan and Agang.

In 1742, the island fell under the jurisdiction of Dumangas until 1751 when the Jesuits took over from the Augustinian Order. In 1768, the Dominicans had spiritual jurisdiction over Guimaras until 1775 when it was organized into a regular parish with Iloilo.

How Nueva Valencia got it's name:

With the coming of the Spaniards, trade and commerce also flourished as Spain opened markets to foreign countries. There was a “galleon trade” between Manila and Acapulco. Iloilo at that time was known as the “Fort of the Southern Archipelago.”

Just like at present, the sea route from Manila to Panay passed the western portion of Guimaras, through the Iloilo Strait and docked at Fort San Pedro. The Spaniards saw the need of a lighthouse to guide the incoming and outgoing vessels especially during dark nights and when typhoon occurred. The suitable place for a lighthouse was in Himal-us (Guimaras).

The group, with some engineers, landed in Puyu which at that time, the landing point of vessels. They went on foot until they reached a place which is now Sitio Guisi. Such place was ideal for a lighthouse since it could be seen far away from the sea. The Spaniards named the place as Punta Santa Ana in honor of the patroness of typhoon. A lighthouse was const ructed which operates until today.

The Spaniards had come to like the place of Santa Ana which extended from the lighthouse to Sitio Puyu. Eventually, population increased and the Spanish authority created Santa Ana as a town and named it Valencia after a town in Spain which patroness was Santa Ana. The first appointed “alcalde mayor” was Don Manuel Segovia. The municipal building called “Casa Real” was constructed and was located adjacent to the site of now Nueva Valencia National High School. Later, the seat of the municipal government was transferred to Barrio Igang when the Casa Real was razed by fire due to an unknown cause. Igang then became the Poblacion and the whole town was named Nueva Valencia or “New Valencia” after Valencia in Spain.

Profile:

DATE FOUNDED: January 1, 1941
CLASSIFICATION: 4th Class
AREA: 13,711 Has
NO. OF BARANGAYS: 22
NO. OF SITIOS: 133
POPULATION: 36,515
GROWTH RATE: 2.67%
NO. OF HOUSEHOLDS: 7,234
DIALECT: Kinaray-a, Hiligaynon
RELIGION: Roman Catholic (75.19%) Aglipayan (19.86%) Others (4.95%)
LITERACY RATE: 95.13%
LAND USE: Predominantly Agricultural
SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD: Agriculture, Fishing and Services
MAJOR PRODUCTS: Mango, Rice, Coconut
GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES: 10 31′40.63″ N & 122 32′18.62″ E

Barangays:

POBLACION
CONCORDIA
IGANG ORACON
MAGAMAY
CALAYA
STO. DOMINGO
SAN ANTONIO
PANDARAONAN
IGDARAPDAP
TANDO
CANHAWAN
DOLORES
CABALAGNAN
LUCMAYAN
PANOBOLON
SAN ROQUE
GUIWANON
SALVACION
LANIPE
LAPAZ
NAPANDONG

Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language

2011-08-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

The Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language (Spanish: Academia Filipina de la Lengua Española) is the main Spanish-language regulating body in the Philippines. Its headquarters are located in Makati City. It was established in Manila on July 25, 1924.

Though Spanish ceased to be an official language of the Philippines in 1973, the academy is still considered as a state institution. Former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Foreign Affairs Minister Alberto Romulo, and Cebu Archbishop Cardinal Ricardo Vidal are among its directors.

In December 2007, President Arroyo signed a directive in Spain that would require teaching and learning the Spanish language in the Philippine school system starting in 2008. It belongs to the Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española.

Directors:
Academics In Order Of Seniority

Sr. D. Guillermo Gómez Rivera.
Sr. D. Edmundo Farolán.
Sra. D.ª Lourdes Carballo.
Rvdo. P. D. Fidel Villarroel, O. P.
Rvdo. P. D. Pedro G. Tejero, O. P.
Sr. D. Ramón A. Pedrosa.
Sr. D. José Rodríguez Rodríguez.
Rvdo. P. D. Diosdado Talamayan y Aenlle, D. D.
Sr. D. Alejandro Roces.
Sra. D.ª Rosalinda Orosa.

Rvdo. P. D. José Arcilla, S. J.
Sra. D.ª María Consuelo Puyat-Reyes.
Sr. D. Francisco C. Delgado.
Sra. D.ª Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Rvdo. P. D. Miguel Bernad y Anselmo, S.J.
Sr. D. Benito Legarda.
Sr. D. Salvador B. Malig.
Sr. D. Alberto G. Rómulo.
Sr. D. Wystan de la Peña Salarda.
Sr. D. Hilario Zialcita y Legarda.

Sra. D.ª Lourdes Castrillo de Brillantes.
Sr. D. Regino Paular y Pintal.
Sr. D. Emmanuel Luis A. Romanillos.
Sr. D. José María Cariño y Ancheta.
Sr. D. Macario M. Ofilada, III.
Sr. D. Erwin Thaddeus Bautista Luna.
Sr. D. René Ángelo Prado Singian.
Sr. D. René S. Salvania.
Sra. D.ª Trinidad O. Regala.
Sra. D.ª Daisy López.

Elected Academics

Emmo. y Rvdmo. Sr. Cardenal D. Ricardo Vidal

Association Of The Spanish Language Academies

Website: ASALE

Chabacano del Ciudad de Cavite Sample With Spanish Translation (Video)

2011-07-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

Chavacano or Chabacano, sometimes referred to by linguists as Philippine Creole Spanish, is a Spanish-based creole language spoken in the Philippines. The word "Chavacano" is derived from the Spanish word "chabacano", meaning "poor taste," "vulgar," "common," "of low quality," "tacky," or "coarse" for the chavacano language which was developed in Cavite City, Ternate and Ermita, and also derived from the word chavano which was coined by the people of Zamboanga. Six different dialects have developed: Zamboangueño in Zamboanga City, Davaeño in Davao, Ternateño in Ternate, Caviteño in Cavite City, Cotabateño in Cotabato Cit y and Ermiteño in Ermita in Manila.

The Chavacano language is the only Spanish-based creole in Asia. It has survived for more than 400 years, making it one of the oldest creole languages in the world. It is the only language to have developed in the Philippines (a member of Philippine languages) which does not belong to the family of Austronesian languages, although it shows a characteristic common to the sub-classification of Malayo-Polynesian languages, the reduplication.

This creole has six dialects. Their classification is based on their substrate languages and the regions where they are commonly spoken. The three known dialects of Chavacano which have Tagalog as their substrate language are the Luzón-based creoles of which are Caviteño (spoken in Cavite City), Ternateño (spoken in Ternate, Cavite) and Ermiteño (once spoken in the old district of Ermita in Manila and is now extinct). Zamboangueño Chavacano emanated from Caviteño Chavacano as evidenced by prominent Zamboangueño families who descended from Spanish Army officers, primarily Caviteño mestizos, stationed at Fort Pilar in the 19th century. When these Caviteño officers recruited workers and technicians from Iloilo to man their sugar plantations and ricefields to reduce the local population's dependence on the Donativo de Zamboanga, taxes levied by the Spanish colonial government on the islands'inhabitants to support the fort's operations, and with the subsequent migration of Ilonggo traders to Zamboanga, the Zamboangueño Chavacano was infused with Ilonggo words as the previous migrant community was assimilated. Most of what appears to be Cebuano words in Zamboangueño Chavacano are actually Ilonggo. Although Zamboangueño Chavacano's contact with Cebuano began much earlier when Cebuano soldiers were stationed at Fort Pilar during the Spanish colonial period, however, it wasn't until closer to the middle of the 20th century that borrowings from Cebuano accelerated as a result of more migration from the Visayas as well as the current migration from other Visayan-speaking areas of the Zamboanga Peninsula. Zamboangueño is spoken in Zamboanga City, Basilan Province, parts of Sulu Province and Tawi-Tawi Province, and in Semporna-Sabah, Malaysia and the rest of the Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte. The other dialects of Chavacano which have, primarily, Cebuano as their substrate language are the Mindanao-based creoles of which are Castellano Abakay (spoken in some areas of Davao), this dialect has an influence from Chinese and Japanese, also divided into two sub-dialects namelyCastellano Abakay Chino and Castellano Abakay Japon, and Cotabateño (spoken in Cotabato city).

Much of the words in the Chavacano vocabulary are mostly derived from the Spanish language, which almost to its entirety is made up of Andalucian Spanish spoken in the coastal and insular areas of the Americas, while its grammar is mostly based on other Philippine languages primarily, Ilonggo, Tagalog and Cebuano. Its vocabulary, especially the Zamboangueño dialect, has some minor influences from the Italian language, Portuguese and several Native American languages. The vocabulary of the Ternateño dialect, in particular, has a major influence from the Portuguese language and the language of Ternate in Indonesia since the speakers of the said dialect are the descendants of the Indonesian soldiers brought by the Spaniards in the area.

In contrast with the Luzon-based creoles, the Zamboangueño dialect has the most borrowings and/or influence from other Philippine Austronesian languages including Hiligaynon,Subanen/Subanon, Sama-Banguingui, Sama-lauan, Tausug, Yakan, Tagalog and Ilocano origin are present in Zamboangueño dialect.

The highest number of Chavacano speakers are found in Zamboanga City and in the island province of Basilan. A significant number of Chavacano speakers are found in Cavite City and Ternate. There are also speakers in some areas in the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Davao, and in Cotabato City. According to the official 2000 Philippine census, there were altogether 607,200 Chavacano speakers in the Philippines in that same year. The exact figure could be higher as the 2000 population of Zamboanga City, whose main language is Chavacano, far exceeded that census figure. Also, the figure does not include Chavacano speakers of the Filipino diaspora. Notwithstanding, Zamboangueño is the dialect with the most number of speakers, being the official language of Zamboanga City whose population is now believed to be over a million.

Speakers can also be found in the town of Semporna in the eastern coast of Sabah, Malaysia—not surprisingly—because this northern part of Borneo is close to the Sulu islands and the Zamboanga Peninsula. This region was once part of Spanish Philippines until the late 19th century.

A small number of Zamboanga's indigenous peoples, such as the Tausugs, the Samals, and of Basilan such as the Yakans also speak the language. In the close provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi areas, there are Muslim speakers of the Chavacano de Zamboanga.

Joaquín Xaudaró (J. O'Radvax) 1872-1933

2011-06-29T05:09:00.000-07:00

Joaquín Xaudaró y Echau (August 17, 1872–1933) was a Spanish cartoonist, illustrator, and caricaturist. His humorous depictions of the new technologies of his time –he published a volume of cartoons called The Perils of Flight (Les péripéties de l'aviation, Garnier Frères, Paris, 1911)- serve as an important link between the worlds of nineteenth-century illustration and twentieth-century cartooning. Xaudaró's observations on contemporary culture and technology, as well as his gentle but insightful sense of humor, are apparent in such cartoons as "El telégrafo sin hilos," "Un retrato futurista," "El auto que pasa," "Despertar en Biarritz," "El leopardo inglés en Spyon-Kop."

Born in Vigan in the Philippines (at the time still a Spanish possession), Xaudaró's family, of Aragonese origin, settled in Barcelona in 1883. Xaudaró was educated in Paris and London. He began his career drawing for Madrid Cómico, La Saeta, Gedeón, and Barcelona Cómica, a Barcelona-based humor magazine of the 1890s, occasionally utilizing the pseudonym J. O'Raduax ("Xaudaró" spelled backwards). Between 1907 and 1914, he also drew for the Paris-based periodical Le Rire.

Xaudaró subsequently worked for the Madrid-based periodicals Blanco y Negro and ABC. His daily vignettes for ABC brought him fame, with each one containing a trademark little dog that soon became known as "el perrito de Xaudaró."

His book illustrations include those commissioned by the Paris publisher Ollendorff (Les conteurs joyeux), and famously, those utilized for Juan Pérez Zúñiga's Los viajes morrocotudos ("The Fantastic Voyages"). Xaudaró's works of collected cartoons include Los Sports, an album of sports-related vignettes published by Editorial Luis Tasso in the 1920s and Xaudaró: Tomos de Chistes (ca. 1932), a collection of his work that had been published inBlanco y Negro at the end of the nineteenth century.

Xaudaró also did scenographical work for a production of Madame Butterfly. At the end of his life, he founded, with Antonio Got and K-Hito, theSociedad Española de Dibujos Animados (SEDA) in 1932. He collaborated on an animated film with K-Hito. Xaudaró died in Madrid.

Source: Wikipedia/ Caricatures from Lambiek.Net

In Focus: Gary Valenciano

2011-06-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

Edgardo Jose Martin Santiago Valenciano (born August 6, 1964) , better known as Gary Valenciano or Gary V., is a Filipino musician. He is also dubbed as Mr. Pure Energy. He has released 26 albums, and won the Awit Awards for "Best Male Performer" 11 times. In 1998, he became UNICEF Philippines first national Ambassador.

He is currently part of ABS-CBN contract actors, and is frequently tapped to sing the theme songs for the network's soap operas and Star Cinema movies.

Gary Valenciano was born in Santa Mesa, Manila on August 6, 1964. He is the sixth of Vicente Valenciano and Grimilda Santiago Ortiz's seven children. His parents met in New York, married, and settled in Manila. His father is from Bicol, Philippines. His mother is a Puerto Rican woman of Italian descent, who sang opera in Manila during the 1960s. Valenciano took his primary and secondary studies in La Salle Green Hills.

Valenciano started performing in 1982 and launched his career in singing and show business on May 13, 1983. He first appeared as a solo in a television show called The Pilita and Jackie Show in 1982, and later in Germspesyal and Penthouse Live. He had his first solo concert, in April 1984 at the Araneta Coliseum. That would be followed a number of albums, three of them released internationally, including a Christian inspired album called Out of the Dark.

He is married to Maria Anna Elizabeth "Angeli" Pangilinan, with whom he has three children: Juan Paolo Martin, Jose Angelo Gabriel and Kristiana Maria Mikaela. Valenciano has released multiple albums. He has won the Awit Award for "Best Male Performer" 11 of the past 21 times.

In 1998, he became UNICEF Philippines first national Ambassador. In 2008, he marked his tenth year as a UNICEF Ambassador with a visit to Sitio Avocado, a former war zone in Negros Oriental.

In 2008, Valenciano returned to acting by appearing in "Maalaala Mo Kaya" which he plays a prisoner who turns his life to Jesus and becomes a changed man as a Christian. The same year, he was nominated as "Best Single Performance By An Actor" in the 22nd PMPC Star Awards for TV. In 2009, Valenciano released a collaborative album with Martin Nievera called "As 1", with their carrier single, "As 1".

In 2010, Gary V. returns to acting again via a Holy Week drama special, Gulong, a CBN Asia Production was recently shown on GMA 7, this was his 3rd GMA 7 holy week special since 2006. The same year, Gary V. releases his brand new 25th full-length album and his 4th compilation album, "Replay" was recently released, with his carrier single, "Did It Ever". He is currently living with diabetes.

Gary V. Official Website

Source: Wikipedia

Hispanidad

2011-05-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Hispanic flag

The Hispanidad (Spanish: Hispanidad) is the community formed by all the people and countries that share a common Hispanic heritage and cultural pattern.

The 20 nations that are included are all Spanish-speaking countries. The community can be classified into three geographic areas:Hispanic Europe (Spain), Hispanic America (Spanish-speaking America), Hispanic Africa (Spanish-African territories, Equatorial Guinea). A few countries in the Asia-Pacific region also have historical Spanish influence, although they no longer have Spanish as their official language.

Various countries celebrate October 12 as the Día de la Hispanidad ("Day of Hispanicity" or "Hispanic Day") is celebrated as a national holiday. Since 1987 Spain has celebrated this holiday as its Fiesta Nacional de España. In the other nations of the community, the day is also celebrated as a commemoration of the date in 1492 when Christopher Columbus discovered America, marking the beginning of the diffusion of Spanish language and culture as well as its lasting impact on the New world.

Hispanidad or Spanish linguistic and cultural diffusion began on 12 October 1492 when Christopher Columbus initiated its European colonization of the Americas in the name of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. The kingdom of Castile (Castilla) built a global empire, spreading its culture and language in the Americas and biologically and culturally mixing with the Indigenous peoples and ultimately, the African slaves, altering the composition of the hemisphere. The penetration and reach of Spain at this time also extended into other European nations.

n 1713, the Real Academia Española was established to regulate written and spoken Spanish language throughout the empire so that it could be understood by all Hispanics. At the beginning of the 19th century, the American colonies' dissatisfaction with the Spanish government and Napoleon's invasion of Spain created an opportunity for revolution in America. All of the Spanish colonies obtained independence at this time, except Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. These three countries then became colonies of the United States after the Spanish-American War.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Hispanicity was moribund. Zacarías de Vizarra, Faustino Rodríguez-San Pedro and Ramiro de Maeztu revived interest in the concept in Spain and the Americas, changing its name to Dia de la Raza or "Day of the [New] Race". This was already a national celebration in many Hispanic countries, in honor of the meeting of Europeans and Amerindians, their mixing and the emergence of the mestizo race. Shortly thereafter, the first pan-Hispanic organizations such as the Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española began. With the restoration of democracy in Spain, all the Hispanic nations began to converge with, for example, the creation of the Cumbre Iberoamericana in 1991. Since then, the number of Hispano-American, Ibero-American, Pan-Latin American organizations has increased.

Currently, Hispanicity is a cooperative venture. Spain has created a base of support for Hispanic America and the Philippines due to heavy investments in these zones. Latinos or Hispanic choose to immigrate to Spain, because of its cultural, linguistic and ancestral affinity.

Hispanics In The World

Spanish, as a mother tongue, is spoken by more than 333 million people (second only to Chinese). The total number of Spanish speakers is more than 500 million people. Mexico contains the largest number of Spanish speakers.

Europe

In Europe, Hispanics reside primarily in Spain as it is the origin of Hispanicity, although there are small communities spread throughout Europe. The native-born population is more than 44 million, plus a large immigrant Hispanic community from Hispanic America and Equatorial Guinea.

Americas

The majority of Hispanics live in Hispanic America, coinciding with recognized international borders. The number surpasses 300 million. Countries with great majority Hispanic population include Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The United States and Belize, while not officially counted as Hispanic nations, do each have a large Hispanic population. The United States has more than 50 million Hispanic residents or about 16% of its total population. 43% of Belizeans commonly speak Spanish at home.

Africa

Hispanics in the African continent are concentrated in overseas territories of Spain, which are Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla and Plazas de Soberanía). Moreover, Equatorial Guinea has Spanish as its official government language, although the people speak their respective native languages. In Morocco and Western Sahara, some people maintain Hispanic characteristics, although these countries are more so influenced by Arab and/or Berber languages and cultures. Altogether in Africa, two million speak Spanish.

Asia-Pacific

Some countries in the Asia-Pacific region received influence from the Hispanic world while they were governed by the Spanish Crown via Mexico City and Madrid. The Philippines, Guam, and the Caroline Islands are among those in this region that received some influence from Spain and Mexico.

In the Philippines, there is a small but important Hispanic population. They are mostly concentrated in Cebu, Metro Manila, Zamboanga, Iloilo, and Davao. Spanish was one of the official languages of the Philippines until 1973 when the dictator Ferdinand Marcos had it removed. However the language is currently being reinstated in the country and it is considered as an optional language on the Philippine Constitution. Spanish in the Philippines is natively spoken by 5,000 people but around 500,000 to 2,500,000 people speak it as their second or third language alongside English and Filipino. In addition, Chavacano, a Spanish-based creole language in the Philippines has approximately 600,000 native speakers. In contrast with people from the Hispanic world, the prevalence of Hispanic given names and surnames among the majority of Filipinos does not indicate Spanish ancestry. It was implemented due to a decree by the Spanish crown for the systematic distribution of family names and the imposition of the Spanish naming system on the inhabitants of the Philippines for proper recording and to help ease the collection of taxes (see Alphabetical Catalog of Surnames).

Europe

Spain

Americas

Africa

Asia and Oceania

Philippines

Source: Wikipedia

Cheche Lazaro Presents: Isang Kakaibang Kwento ng Pag-ibig (A Unique Story of Love - Part 1-8 Video)

2011-04-23T09:03:00.005-07:00

A strenuous journey to the mountains of Mindoro. An accidental meeting that changed the course of history for a tribe in need. They are the Irayas, one of the seven tribes of the peace-loving Mangyans, that captured the heart of one woman (Doña Bea Zobel de Ayala). This is the love story of a people who have been shunned by the outside world but was embraced by the person who would move mountains for them.

For centuries, the tribe prospered along the coastal areas of Oriental Mindoro until migrant settlers drove them from their land and forced them to live in the mountains. From then on, they lived a nomadic life, moving from place to place, sleeping in makeshift huts, living on what little and whatever they can get their hands on.

Like other indigenous people in the world, they have been treated as second class citizens-- often exploited, neglected, and discriminated against by lowlanders. Denied of basic services for decades, the tribe struggled with their daily life. Uneducated and uncivilized, they lived in mortal fear of the Tagalogs. With the threat of being forced out of the land they live in always a possibility, they are praying for someone who could somehow end their plight. Time is running out.

Witness a different kind of love story which will spell the beginning of a new and better life for the Iraya Mangyans.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Profile: Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Jaime Zobel de Ayala & Family

Source: PROBE TV

The National Museum of The Philippines

2011-04-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

The National Museum of the Philippines is the official repository established in 1901 as a natural history and ethnography museum of the Philippines. It is located next to Rizal Park and near Intramuros in Manila. Its main building was designed in 1918 by an American architect Daniel Burnham. Today, that building, the former home of the Congress of the Philippines, holds the National Art Gallery, natural sciences and other support divisions.

The adjacent building in the Agrifina Circle of Rizal Park, formerly housing the Department of Finance, houses the Anthropology and Archaeology Divisions and is known as the Museum of the Filipino People.

History

The National Museum was established in Manila on October 29, 1901 as the 'Insular Museum of Ethnology, Natural History and Commerce under the Department of Public Instruction by Virtue of Act No. 284 passed by the Philippine Commission. Since then, it has changed names and location, placed under various departments and offices, merged, abolished, transferred and re-created to become the 'National Musuem.'

On February 12, 1998, Republic Act 8492, also known as the 'National Museum Act of 1998', finally established the National Museum as an independent institution with a permanent and exclusive site known as the National Museum Complex. This consists of the National Museum Main(former Old Congress Building), which houses the National Art Gallery, the Museum of the Filipino People (former Finance Building), and the Department of the Tourism Building which shall become the Museum of Natural History. As per P.D. 804-A, the Planetarium is also administered and maintained by the National Museum.

The National Museum at present is composed of 12 disciplines in the areas of anthropology, archaeology, arts, geology, museum education, cultural properties, planetarium, zoology, botany, restoration and engineering, chemistry and conservation, and archaeological sites and branch museums. It has 19 branches and sites nationwide.

Website: The National Museum Of The Philippines