These are the "Boys from Bagong Silang".  They serve in the biggest barangay in the Philippines.  A barangay is a community/ neighbourhood/ small town within a city.  Bagong Silang is the biggest one in the Philippines and has a half a million prospective investigators. The church has two units there - Bagong Silang 1st Ward and Bagong Silang 2nd Branch.

Sunday March 25 was Palm Sunday, which is as notable as Easter Sunday.  On that day all the Catholics take a palm frond to church and then they wave it in the air after mass.  The priest then blesses the palm leaves.  These are some pictures we took yesterday.  There is a Catholic church that we drive past to get to our stake center and many of the people were holding a "palaspas" which is made from palm leaves.  They are cut and woven to make them interesting and then a flower is placed on them.  I think they're pretty so we bought a couple.  They were about 40 cents each.

We participated in the Fairview Stake, Don Antonio & Mapayapa Wards blitz on March 17.  It was a Member Referral Blitz.

This is us putting pins on the ward map afterwards with the Zone Leaders and Sisters Morris and Cole.

School graduation ceremonies are often held in the local malls because they have big spaces that can be used for gatherings.  We saw this graduation of a kindergarten class this week. The ceremonies were complete with pink and white hates and gowns.

We met some people on Sunday in Sampaguita ward who are from Calgary and visiting relatives for a few days.  They are also in the same stake as we are - Fish Creek Stake -  and live in Queensland Ward.  Their names are Herman and Cynthia Cells.  They are friends with Vangie and Anthony Bautista from our ward in Calgary.  She's wearing a mask because she had a cold.

We had our 30th wedding anniversary on Mar 12.  Looking back from this perspective, the years have sped by.  We own a home, have a 27-year old son and Ken's job and his retirement are behind him.  To commemorate the occasion Leslie gave Ken a "barong" (traditional shirt) and Ken gave Leslie a necklace from the pearl mart.  We went to the mission office for a meeting with President Hughes and then had dinner at TGI Friday's.  Big day!

On March 10 we attended the Kaypian Ward blitz in San Jose del Monte Stake.  Ken went out with Elder Dela Cruz and Leslie stayed at the church and added pins to the ward map. 

This photo shows Ken and Elder Dela Cruz with a less active member - Sister Rosales and her son.

This shows Ken and Elder Dela Cruz with Sister Justine - the only member in her family.

Every Friday evening we go out to dinner with the other couples who live in our building.  We usually go to Terraces Mall.  Last Friday (Mar 9) we saw this on the way home through the mall.  A boy was proposing to his girlfriend and she said she'd marry him.  He had really prepared well.  Before the actual proposal, his group of friends danced in unison to a song which was played through speakers.

The Bremners, Ed and Melanie, have finished their mission and flew home this morning (Mar 5).  We'll certainly miss them.  They've been our partners in crime for many of our adventures here on Luzon.  They've taken us to the temple, to the Carabao Man, woodcarver and the Barasonian Church, to mention a few.  They'll be living in Cardston, at their daughter's house, and they'll be in 5th ward.

There is a Tagalog word, "tambay", which means  sitting, chilling and hanging out.  The Philippines' homes are not used for nesting and relaxing.  Instead people hang out on the street, maybe in front of their home.  We've noticed this a lot.  Most people squat, some use a piece of cardboard and sit on it and often they're looking at their cell phones, which almost everyone has.

 

On Wednesday Feb 28. 2018 all the Senior Couples in the mission took a trip to Corregidor.  It's an island in Manila Bay which has served a military purpose for thousands of years.  In 1942 it was occupied by the U.S. military as well as the Filipino military and was subsequently captured by the Japanese.  The U.S. surrendered all of the Philippines and withdrew to Australia.  Then in 1945 it was retaken by the U.S. military. There were also long and bloody battles for Guam, Iwo Jima and all the Pacific Islands in the area.  Thousands of Japanese, instead of surrendering, enclosed themselves in the Malinta Tunnel and blew themselves up. The batteries and barracks are still there on the island although they're deteriorated by time and by the aerial bombardment which happened twice. We stayed overnight in a hotel adjacent to the ferry as we had to  be there at 6:30 am.  Then we took the ferry to Corregidor Island, took the tour, ate lunch, shopped, and took the ferry back to Manila.  Then we made the excrucriating drive home, which took longer than the ferry ride to the island.

As you approach Corregidor island you can see the tunnels which were dug by the Japanese and hooked up to the Malinta Tunnel hospital facility.  That way a boat could make a beach landing and the wounded and injured were taken through the tunnels to the hospital.

     We were driven around the island in trams which had a guide on board and he explained each site.

There is a sound and light show inside the Malinta tunnel, which also served as a hospital during the war.  It also had the offices for General MacArthur and was the source of radio broadcasts for U.S. military communication and the Voice of Freedom radio broadcasts.

We stopped at several batteries which still exist, although one of them was destroyed by bombs and there's a crater and the big guns are scattered in the area. One 10 ton mortar barrel was catapulted into the air and landed on the golf course which was 150 yards away. 

 They could fire more than 16 km. and were considered a big deterrent to the enemy who tried to enter Manila Bay.

There were many buildings still standing although we were asked not to enter them as they were dangerous.  There was a barracks for the U.S. soldiers, one for the Filipino soldiers, one for the officers, a movie theater, golf course, swimming pool and ball diamond, as well as more soldierly activities like shooting ranges and target practice.

These are the Senior Couples and in the background is the Mile-Long Barracks.

It was a very interesting and educational trip and it was nice to get away from the smog and see some clear skies without a grey tinge.