Basketball Star game

We were at the star basketball game last Saturday, November 14 at the Astrodome – a fund raising activity of the Sacred Heart College.

The main attraction was the All Star Selection team composed of – you guessed it – national TV’s current showbiz teen stars pitted against the SHC Varsity Team.

You could hear the scream of the fans a mile away.

View the full gallery: SHC vs All Star Selection Basketball

View: CCLS at the SHC-All Star Basketball Game

Members of the Camera Club of Leyte & Samar take 5 after the game.

Joey Reyna’s (non) secret hideaway

Joey Reyna – yes, the famed photographer of Tacloban City – last week showed us his weekend hideaway at their farm located in Brgy. Tigbao, one of the northern barangays of Tacloban City.

It’s near the approach to San Juanico Bridge on the left side of the highway with a big white signage that screams. “Fresh Buko!” A motorist wouldn’t notice it but perched high up in the hills at the back is a simple yet homey cottage offering a fantastic view of the San Juanico Strait and its famous bridge.

The occasion was the baptismal reception for Jillian Lexy – the latest addition to the budding family of Joey & Lilibeth Reyna. Naturally, members of the Camera Club of Leyte & Samar were there to welcome Jillian Lexy to the Christian world.

Like I said, the place provides one a fresh, fantastic view of San Juanico Bridge!

View the full gallery and slideshow >>> http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com/p753624115

6:55 AM Saturday, Nov 7 in Tacloban City

Sent off the wifey at the airport this morning and on my way back, I decided to go pass by Brgy San Jose at the area by the bay.

Snapped a few too at the Sagkahan boulevard.

My photos’ exif info say the first shot was taken at 6:55AM Saturday, November 7.

6:55 AM Sat in Tacloban…
12:55 AM Sat in Cairo
1:55AM Sat in Moscow
2:55 AM Sat in Dubai
5:55 AM Sat in Bangkok
6:55 AM Sat in Hong Kong
7:55 AM Sat in Tokyo
9:55 AM Sat in Sydney

2:55 PM Fri in Tijuana, Mexico
2:55 PM Fri in Los Angeles
4:55 PM Fri in Chicago
5:55 PM Fri in Toronto & Montreal
5:55 PM Fri in New York
10:55 PM Fri London
11:55 PM Fri in Paris
12:55 PM Fri in Honolulu

Lovely day ahead!

All Saints’ Day & All Souls’ Day 2009

Here’s the scene at the Tacloban Public Cemetery on All Saints’ Day & All Souls’ Day – November 1 & 2 respectively.

From all accounts the public cemetery had been declared full and closed to new burials, and yet, each year we find new tombs sprouting all over, even on what has been considered for years as public passage ways. As such, visiting the dearly departed nowadays is not for the elderly ones, as the old pathways have been turned into obstacle courses – one has to climb over new tombs just to get through to the family graveyard.

This public cemetery’s time has come to an end. It’s full to the brim, literally overflowing. It deserves a proper finis and burial, the proper maintenance and the respect due of a sacred burial ground.

Not the kind one sees today.

View the full gallery and slideshow: http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com/p5175950

View the full gallery and slideshow: http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com/p5175950

Scene at a remote cemetery…

Awoooooo!!!

Winners of the CCLS Leyte Landings Photo Contest

Here are the winners of the recent 65th Leyte Landings Photo Contest organized by the Camera Club of Leyte and Samar (CCLS), the Department of Tourism (DOT) Reg Ofc 8, and the Leyte Provincial Government.

Three winners were chosen under three categories, namely: War Memorabilia, Engagement Site and Uniquely Leyte.

From hundreds of entries submitted by 49 participants (a participant was allowed to submit a maximum of two entries per category), the top 10 photos per category were selected and finally the top 3 per catagery.

First prize was P10,000, 2nd was P6,000 and 3rd prize was P4,000. Each of the other 7 of the top 10 chosen got a P1,000 consolation prize.

The winning photos were exhibited Oct 16-22, 2009 at the main entrance of Robinson’s Place Tacloban.

The winners:

Category: War Memorabilia

1st Place: WWII Telephone EE-8-B by Jessica Mayo

2nd place: Fight for your Life by Lary Abria

3rd place: Rewarded Valor by Allan Arcallana

Category: Engagement Site

1st Place: The Two Towers by Oliver Norman Yee

2nd Place: A Gleam of Hope by Riann Bañez

3rd Place: Shoot Through by Paul Opiniano

Category: Uniquely Leyte

1st Place: Leyte Provincial Capitol by Jovino Cuayzon

2nd Place: Great Taste by Melchor Tagana

3rd Place: Malaguicay Falls by Erwin Lanante

The other runner-up entries were submitted by:

• Christian Vincent Alcazaren
• Richellieu Rouchelle Tuliao
• Jerome Tuazon
• Joel Opiniano
• Paul Opiniano
• Jerby Santo
• Eva Hingpis
• Mark Carlo Singh
• Janwill Pades
• Joel Manadong
• Alex Arcallana
• Ernesto Guarino

View the full gallery of 30 photos (Top 10 of 3 categories) at:

http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com/p580326711

View other galleries on the 65th Leyte Landing Photo Contest Exhibit held at Robinson’s Place Tacloban:

• Opening of Exhibit: http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com/p821550383
• Pinning of Winners: http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com/p540612337
• Awarding of Prizes (at the Bethel International School): http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com/p851831295

We broke the record!!!

We did it!

The Warays made history Sunday by breaking the Guinness World Records (GWR) on the largest wine tasting event.

The official figure: 7,187 participants.

Prior to Sunday’s event, the Guinness World Records wrote An Waray Party-List – Octubafest Tagay’s organizers:

“The current record for ‘Largest wine tasting event’ is:

The largest wine tasting event involved 5,095 participants at the Plaza de Toros in Aranda de Duero, Spain on September 15, 2006.“

That changed Sunday, October 18, 2009 when over 10,000 Waray-warays trekked to the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park at the Government Center in Pawing, Palo to participate in the world breaking attempt and also to raise relief aid for the victims of the recent typhoons that devastated Luzon.

After validating registration records, the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) certified that 7,187 actually participated in the wine tasting event of our native coconut wine – tuba. There were at least 3,000 more who were there to witness the event.

Before the record can be officially changed, organizers have to submit to GWR all evidence – registration records, official certifications and documentary evidence to back up the formal claim.

Once done, we hope it would put the Warays on the world map!

Official photographic and video documentation was done by the calle Zaragosa Productions group.

Visit the full gallery: http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com/p1060428914

Registration

Donations for typhoon victims pile up

Tagay for a cause!

Preparations for the holding  of the 2nd Octubafest shift to high gear this week as organizers buckle up to accomplish two major objectives in this year’s tuba-tasting feat: that of establishing a new world record of having the most number of participants tasting wine together; and raising relief aid for typhoon victims of Ondoy and Pepeng in Luzon.

Octubafest’s “Tagay,” to be held Sunday, October 18, 2009 at the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park, aims to assemble over 7,107 participants (symbolizing the country’s number of islands) and all together taste the native wine, tuba in an attempt to break the current Guinness World Record of  5,000+ wine tasters being held by Spain.

At the same time, the event aims to raise relief aid donations – rice, canned goods, clothing, toiletries, etc. – for the thousands of victims of the recent typhoons which hit Luzon.

calle Zaragosa Productions has been commissioned to document (stills photography and video) the world record breaking attempt.

Read more >>> http://callezaragosa.com/czproductions/2009/10/13/octubafest-09-world-record-attempt-aid-for-typhoon-victims/

Update >>> Tagay! We broke the record!