I recently launched a new photo gallery site.

It’s my photo portfolio meant to complement this photo blog and it contains my choice photos with an arty twist.

I know I still need to add more albums but right now you can view several of my select images.

It’s managed and hosted by the reputable Zenfolio photo & web hosting firm.

If you simply want to view photo slideshows of my choice albums, head on and bookmark this site:

http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com

I hope you like the new site.

COWMOTION

Here are photo samples taken from the album, “Cowmotion“

View the slideshow: http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com/p701762289/slideshow

The Tacloban Fiesta celebration is finally over.

Do I hear a collective sigh? Whew!

Anyway, here are some photos taken of the Tacloban Sangyaw Festival, June 29, 2009.

View more photos >>> http://callezaragosa.com/Sangyaw09LRGallery/index.html

Despite attempts by the city government to prevent the festival from being staged, eleven Pintados tribes, eight Kasadyaan contingents, five mardigras groups and more merrymakers participated in the Grand Parade of the Leyte Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals held June 27, 2009.

It was the 14th year of the joint celebration of the Kasadyaan Festival and the 23rd year for the Pintados Festival which is the oldest festival in Region 8. Now known as the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals, it used to be celebrated every 29th of June, the Vesper’s Day of the Feast of the Senor Santo Nino de Leyte, until last year when with the coming in of a new mayor, the Festival was relegated to June 27 in favor of a new festival, Sangyaw, organized by the mayor and his wife.

The grand parade around the city’s major thoroughfares started at 9AM and ended at 5PM at the Leyte Sports Development Center.

Declared champion for this year was the Pasaka Festival of Tanauan, followed by the Karatong Festival of Dulag, and third was the Batobalani Festival of Bato.

View more photos: http://callezaragosa.com/PintadosKasadyaan09/index.html

With additional photos by Ludette Ruiz.

Source: PIA Reg 8

Read more: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p090628.htm&no=01

Fiestas in the Philippines are never complete without a beauty contest or some kind of search or competition along similar lines. And Tacloban Fiesta is not wanting of this.

In fact, there are three… oops …five (gasp! let me count them again…) such competitions: Miss Pintados, Miss Tacloban, Bitu-on han Leyte Kasadyaan, Ginoong Leyte Kasadyaan and, last but not the least, Little Miss Tacloban.

The Search for the Bitu-on han Leyte Kasadyaan, however, is not a beauty contest. Organizers dub it as “The Search for the Best Female Lead Dancer” of the participating contingents in the Leyte Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival set for June 27, 2009.

The pageant for the Bitu-on han Leyte Kasadyaan happens tonight at the Kasadyaan Festival Park at 7PM.

Here are this year’s candidates… watch out for them during the grand parade of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival tomorrow, June 27.

Candidate No. 1: Ms. Alyssa Myrr Cursame Bertulfo – Pintados Festival (Leyte Normal University)

Candidate No. 2: Ms. Nicole Alessandra Lopez Restituto – Tribu Manangui (Eastern Visayas State University)

Candidate No. 3: Ms. Arlene Vergara Pulga – Lingganay Festival (Alangalang, Leyte)

Candidate No. 4: Ms. Geralyn Romo Maurillo – Sinulog Festival (Isabel, Leyte)

Candidate No. 5: Ms. Nerissa Lopera Modesto – Pasaka Festival (Tanauan, Leyte)

Candidate No. 6: Ms. Metallica Lyh Octaviano Paciencia – Karatong Festival (Dulag, Leyte)

Candidate No. 7: Ms. Gelli Anne Salvino Alcuino – Batobalani Festival (Bato, Leyte)

View slideshow/gallery: http://callezaragosa.com/Bitu-on09candidates/index.html

With additional photos by Dr. JB Añover for calle Z Productions.

A photo exhibit featuring works of Tacloban photographers was formally opened yesterday at the Hapi Talk Cafe at the Kasadyaan Festival Park in Tacloban City.

Former governor-congresswoman Remedios “Matin” Petilla and Vice-Governor Mimiette Bagulaya led guests in formally opening the exhibit showcasing photos on local scenes and landmarks, cultural icons and candids taken around Tacloban City and suburbs.

Photos featured are the works of Rommel Cabrera, Cris Adona, Orland Uy, Dr. Benedict Añover, Ludette Ruiz, Hazel Caballero, Katrina Ruiz and yours truly.

If  you happen to be at the Kasadyaan Festival Park (RTR Plaza) in Tacloban City this fiesta season, take a peek at the exhibit, at Hapi Talk Cafe at the gazebo beside the stage.

23RD PINTADOS FESTIVAL & 14TH KASADYAAN FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JUNE 2009

Venues: All at Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival Park (RTR Plaza) unless otherwise indicated below

JUNE 10
GRAND OPENING
CACO/81D BAND

JUNE 11
7PM LEYT SECTION BAND

JUNE 12
7PM AMBASSADOR ORCHESTRA OF PALO

JUNE 13
7PM LEYT SECTION BAND
9PM CALBAYOG CITY ARTS CULTURE

JUNE 14
7PM MEN IN STRIPES

JUNE 15 – 18
7PM LEYT SECTION BAND

JUNE 19
7PM DEPED NIGHT

JUNE 20
7PM GOVERNOR’S NIGHT
Featuring: I D O L

JUNE 21
7PM 5th WARAY MUSIC FESTIVAL

JUNE 22
7PM ODON SABARRE & DANCE SCHOLARS
9PM LIBANAN CONCERT

JUNE 23
7PM PAGCOR NIGHT
Featuring: MAGIC SHOW AND UNICYCLIST

JUNE 24
4PM OPENING OF AGRI, TRADE, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY & PHOTO EXHIBIT

STAGE CREW

JUNE 25

9AM COCO-FIBER FESTIVAL
7PM HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
9PM LNU ZARZUELA

7PM MS. PINTADOS 2009
Leyte National High School Gymnasium

JUNE 26
4PM ADLAW HAN KABATAAN
5PM BANGUS FESTIVAL

7PM BITU-ON HAN LEYTE KASADYAAN 2009

JUNE 27
9AM PINTADOS KASADYAAN FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS GRAND PARADE & STREET DANCE
Main streets of Tacloban City

130pm PINTADOS KASADYAAN FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS RITUAL PRESENTATION
Leyte Sports Development Center

7PM LOBOC YOUTH AMBASSADOR
9PM GUARANA BAND

JUNE 28
7PM GINOONG LEYTE 2009

JUNE 29
6PM PHILIPPINE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
7PM DANCE SPORT EXHIBITION
8PM FIREWORKS DISPLAY
830PM FOXY LADIES

JUNE 30
7PM SPONSOR’S NIGHT
9PM HIPHOP (Municipal Level)
Special Guest: ALL STAR HIP-HOP

JULY 1
9AM HARVEST FESTIVAL

9PM CLOSING PROGRAM
(Agri-Aqua Fair)

This time, here’s a preview of the candidates – also twelve of them, coming from all over Eastern Visayas – in the Search for Ms Pintados ‘09…

Candidate No. 1: Ms. Marilyn Clemencio of Carigara, Leyte

Candidate No. 2: Ms Hyacienth Diva Montalaba of Calubian, Leyte

Candidate No. 3: Ms Laarni Almeda of Lawaan, E. Samar

Candidate No. 4: Ms Cindy Torreon of Tacloban City

Candidate No. 5: Ms Franz Erika Torres of Tacloban City

Candidate No. 6: Ms Eve Gerlyn May Cristobal of La Paz, Leyte

Candidate No. 7: Ms Laurence Comandao of Javier, Leyte

Candidate No. 8: Ms Barbette Joanne Badocdoc of Guiuan, E. Samar

Candidate No. 9: Ms Joy Winstel Briones of Abuyog, Leyte

Candidate No. 10: Ms Ria Sevilla of Palo, Leyte

Candidate no. 11: Ms. Lydwina Denson of Isabel, Leyte

Candidate No. 12: Ms Maria Fatima Ragrag of Jaro, Leyte

View more photos (53 pix): http://callezaragosa.com/MsPintados09candidates/index.html

With the fiesta fever of Tacloban City fast creeping upon everybody, we have to take care of some of the usual, mundane chores…

Like dealing with beauty contests…

Saturday, June 13 we were fortunate (again) to have been chosen as one of the judges in the pre-pageant judging for Ms Photogenic for the upcoming Search for Miss Tacloban ‘09.  Venue was at Rafael’s Farm where the Best in Swimwear award was likewise selected.

Here they are, Ladies and Gentlemen, the 12 candidates for this year’s Search for Ms. Tacloban…

Candidate No. 1: Angelica Joy P. Verunque; Candidate No. 2: Noemi Claire V. Lee

Candidate No. 3: Rachelle Erica C. Piñeda; Candidate No. 4: Maybelle P. Holanda

Candidate No. 5: Ruselle B. Reyes; Candidate No. 6: Kristel Shayne H. Villanueva

Candidate No. 7: Rose Jane A. Tiunayan; Candidate No. 8: Shira A. Israel

Candidate No. 9: Santaniña N. Dagami; Candidate No. 10: Niña Sherra A. Tagalog

Candidate No. 11: Beverly P. Abarracoso; Candidate No. 12: Kathrena L. Demillo

(left to right) Rose Jane Tiunayan, Angelica Joy Verunque and Niña Sherra Tagalog

Kristel Shayne Villanueva, Kathrena Demillo and Beverly Abarracoso

More photos>>> http://callezaragosa.com/MsTacloban09candidates/index.html

It’s fiesta season once again for Tacloban City!

Although nothing much has changed compared to the frenzy of last year’s fiesta preparations, the mood has begun to set in amidst a backdrop of political undercurrents and bickerings and somehow managed to pick up the momentum of the otherwise laid back lifestyle in sleepy Tacloban.

And, yes, the opening of Eastern Visayas’ first-ever “real” mall no doubt has helped a lot in this noticeable mood change.

Fiesta venues for nightly concerts and cultural events are still spread at the three major points – at the Tacloban Convention Centre or Astrodome Grounds, the Balyuan Park along Magsaysay Ave., and at the RTR Plaza dubbed as the Pintados Kasadyaan Festival Park.

We were at the opening of this year’s Pintados Kasadyaan Festival Park last Wednesday, June 10, 2009…

View more photos: http://callezaragosa.com/PintadosKasadyaanParkLRGallery/index.html

View slideshow: http://gerryruiz.callezaragosa.com/p667194481/slideshow

From time to time I make a slideshow of my photos with audio accompaniment and post them as a video file at YouTube. While it’s all composed of still photos, I play with it around to produce some motion effects. Some of my videos can be seen at the column bar on the right side of my photoblog page, specifically under the vodpod videos.

I just posted one at YouTube last night – it’s the Buyogan sa Aliwan ‘09, a slideshow of our photo documentation shots of the Buyogan’s participation at the recent Aliwan Fiesta Festival where they emerged champion.

Photos in the slideshow were taken from the time the contingent received blessing in a special mass held for them, May 19, 2009 in Abuyog, Leyte; during their bus trip to Manila; rehearsals at the Philippine Normal University, at the Aliwan Center and Quirino Grandstand; preparations made; and the actual performances during the Aliwan Festival on May 25, 2009.

Just click on the video thumbnail on the right and you can view the slideshow without leaving this page.