Tour Guiding free essay sample

City of Carcar (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Carcar , Tagalog: Lungsod ng Carcar), is a city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 107,323 people. In 2005, Metro Cebus definition was expanded to include Danao City in the north, and the municipality of San Fernando and the then town of Carcar (made a city in 2007) down south. Carcar is located approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Cebu City. It is bounded on the north by San Fernando; on the south by Sibonga; on the west by Barili and Aloguinsan; and on the east by the Cebu Strait. It has a land area of 11,678 hectares (28,860 acres). The land is generally level with less than 18% slope composing of 78. 7% of the total land area. Areas with slopes ranging from 18 to 50% cover 19. 3% of the total land area and those over 50% slope comprise approximately 1. 9%. The highest recorded elevation is a little over 660 metres (2,170 ft) above sea level, located within the barangay of Napo. We will write a custom essay sample on Tour Guiding or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The wet season occurs during the months of May to October and the dry season, from January to May. Carcar was known as Sialao since before the Spanish colonization. It became a municipality in 1599. St. Catherine of Alexandria Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius. According to her hagiography, she was both a princess and a noted scholar, who became a Christian around the age of fourteen, and herself converted hundreds of people to Christianity. Over 1,100 years following her martyrdom, St. Joan of Arc identified Catherine as one of the Saints who appeared to her and counselled her. The Orthodox Church venerates her as a Great Martyr, and celebrates her feast day on 24 or 25 November (depending on the local tradition). In theCatholic Church she is traditionally revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. In 1969 the Catholic Church removed her feast day from theGeneral Roman Calendar; however, she continued to be commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on November 25. In 2002, her feast was restored to the General Roman Calendar as an optional memorial. SAN FERNANDO San Fernando is a second class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 60,970 people. In 2005, Metro Cebus definition was expanded to include Danao City in the north and the municipalities of San Fernando and Carcar down south. San Vicente Ferrer in Mamatid and Pitalo A friends post reminded me that Cinco de Abril was the feast of San Vicente Ferrer. We honor his memory with naming many towns after him, the exuberant fete during his feast day, but who is this so called â€Å"angel del Apocalipsis† . I started reading about him when I read an article about a strange relic that is deposited in St Vincent Ferrer Church, in ManhattanNueva York. Believe it or not, the relic was a finger belonging to the Spanish Saint. How it was acquired, the people of that Church won’t tell. You see icons and pictures of this man with a bible on his left hand and other hand, raised to the sky, his index finger pointing to the Heavens – well, one of those finger is there in New York, placed inside a reliquary. The elevated pedestal behind the altar of Mamatids church where one can make the mano (touching of the venerated images cloth) In Cabuyao, San Vicente is a popular devotion, partly because parts of Lagunawas Dominicano country before it was ceded to the other Friar orders. They were the ones who spread the devotion to the Dominican preacher, considered by many as one the most influential evangelist of all time. The Saint VincentFerrer Church in Mamatid was recently declared a Diocesan Shrine because of its popularity among the faithful, in and outside the Cabuyao town. When I was there last year, I met some people, dressed in maroon tees; they help keep the place spotless and safe. They call themselves the Caballeros of San Vicente, men who dedicated their lives for their Saint and Parish. I was assisted by one of them to go at the back of the retablo, where there is a small opening, just enough space so you can put your hands in and touch the clothe of the image of San Vicente, which is almost the same size as that of Sto. Nino de Cebu. TheCaballero said that during special holidays people would line up by the hundreds to lay a hand on the old icon. The entry then gets bolted when there’s no one to look after the antique icon. The Times reports on the relic of St. Vincent inside the beautifulManhattan Church of St. Vincent. In Cebu, I came across this charming century old chapel of Pitalo in San Fernando Cebu, dedicated to San Vicente. A local in his blog writes: It houses a late 19th century wooden image, about 2ft tall, that many people claim to be miraculous, this writer including. St. Vincent Ferrer is feted thrice annualy in this chapel: In February, to commemorate the Miracle of the Blood, when the villagers were spared from sure death brought about by an endemic cholera plague; on his official feast day on April 5 (usually moved to the Second Monday after Easter Sunday, just like in the saint’s hometown of Valencia, Spain); and in July for the Miracle of the Light, when, even without being connected to the generator, and even when the generator was not running, the chapel lights were mysteriously lit for about five hours. This event was witnessed by so many people. The ceiling paintings on tin sheets were executed by the famed Cebuano duo church painters, the self-taught religious painters Raymundo Francia and Canuto Avila. They claim that theirs is a miraculous image that it watches over them at all time. Ironically, a security guard watches over the adored image of San Vicente because of thievery. Cebu has one of the highest number of religious art being stolen. This has prompted the Cardinal to offer all parishes, those who fear that their relics are in danger of being stolen, the safety of the Diocese museum in Cebu City for safe keeping. While the Saint was still alive, there were countless of miracles attributed to him. Does this also explain why images and icons of this Dominican Saint are often reported to possess miraculous healing powers? San Isidro Labrador Church Ever since it became an independent parish in 1858, the only religious structure that existed was made of light materials. It was in 1870 that the current church was started however, probably due to lack of funds, it was only finished in 1886. The Gothic design is meant to give the church a majestic appearance. Life of San Isidro The patron of Madrid was born in the Spanish capital of poor parents, and was christened Isidore after the celebrated archbishop of Seville. As soon as he was old enough to work, Isidore entered the service of John de Vergas, a wealthy resident of Madrid, as a farm labourer on his estate outside the city, and with that one employer he remained all his life. He married a girl as poor and as good as himself, but after the birth of one son, who died young, they agreed to serve God in perfect continence. Isidore’s whole life was a model of Christian perfection lived in the world. He would rise early to go to church, and all day long, whilst his hand guided the plough, he would be communing with God, with his guardian angel or with the holy saints. Public holidays he would spend in visiting the churches of Madrid and the neighbouring districts. The saint’s liberality to the poor was so great that he was wont to share his meals with them, often reserving for himself only the scraps they left over. Amongst the numerous stories told of the holy man is one which illustrates his love for animals. On a snowy winter’s day, as he was carrying a sack of corn to be ground, he saw a number of birds perched disconsolately on the bare branches, obviously unable to find anything to eat. Isidore opened the sack and, in spite of the jeers of a companion, poured out half its contents upon the ground. When however, they reached their destination the sack proved to be still full and the corn, when ground, produced double the usual amount of flour. St Isidore died on May 15, 1130. His wife survived him for several years and, like him, is honoured as a saint. Forty years after the death of St Isidore his body was transferred to a more honourable shrine, and a great impetus was given to his cult by the report of many miracles worked through his intercession. In 1211, he is said to have appeared in a vision to King Alphonsus of Castile, then fighting the Moors in the pass of Navas de Tolosa, and to have shown him an unknown path by means of which he was able to surprise and defeat the enemy. The Spanish royal family had long desired to have St Isidore formally enrolled amongst the saints, and in March 1622 he was duly canonized. NAGA, CEBU Naga is a third class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 101,571 people. [3] The town is home to a large power station, situated on a 30-hectare site, Cemex cement factory at Tinaan, recently a Small Medium Enterprise (SME) industrial park was opened in barangay Cantao-an. The Industrial park is managed by Planters Development Bank. Naga is part of a metropolitan area informally called as Metro Cebu. Naga became a city on July 15, 2007, by virtue of Republic Act No. 9491, which was ratified in a plebiscite on September 02, 2007. [4] In November 2008, Naga lost its cityhood, along with 15 other cities, after the Supreme Court of the Philippines granted a petition filed by the League of Cities of the Philippines, and declared the cityhood law (RA 9491) which allowed the town to acquire its city status, unconstitutional. The said cities, the court ruled, did not meet the requirements for cityhood. [5] On December 10, 2008, Naga and the other 15 cities affected filed a motion for reconsideration with the Supreme Court. More than a year later, on December 22, 2009, acting on said appeal, the Court reversed its earlier ruling as it ruled that at the end of the day, the passage of the amendatory law (regarding the criteria for cityhood as set by Congress) is no different from the enactment of a law, i. e. , the cityhood laws specifically exempting a particular political subdivision from the criteria earlier mentioned. Congress, in enacting the exempting law/s, effectively decreased the already codified indicators. [6] As such, the cityhood status of Naga was effectively restored. On August 27, 2010, Naga City reverted to a municipality again. It shared its fate with 15 other cities, after the Supreme Court reinstated a 2008 decision declaring as â€Å"unconstitutional the cityhood laws converting 16 municipalities into cities. [7] A previous law required towns aspiring to become cities to earn at least P100 million annually, which none of the 16 did. Voting 7-6, with two justices not taking part, the SC reinstated its Nov. 18, 2008, decision declaring as unconstitutional the Republic Acts (RAs) converting 16 municipalities into cities. On September 5, 2010, despite of the demotion, the city still celebrated its 3rd Charter day. On February 15, 2011, the supreme court upheld for the 3rd time the cityhood of Naga and 15 other towns in the Philippines. St. Francis of Assisi Church (Naga, Cebu) St. Francis of Assisi Church was made of coral and limestone by Fr. Simon Aguirre in 1839 patterned after the designs done by Bishop Santos Gomez Maranon. The convent was constructed in 1864. Both bell tower and convent were demolished in 1942 and reconstructed in 1974. St. Francis of Assisi Born in Italy circa 1181, St. Francis of Assisi was renown for drinking and partying in his youth. After fighting in a battle between Assisi and Perugia, Francis was captured and imprisoned at ransom. He spent nearly a year in prison—awaiting his fathers ransom—and, during this time, reportedly began receiving visions from God. After his release from prison, Francis reportedly heard the voice of Christ, who told him to repair the Christian Church and live a life of poverty. Thusly, He abandoned his life of luxuryand devoted his life to Christianity, and became known all over the Christian world. Later in life, Francis reportedly received a vision that left him with the stigmata of Christ—marks resembling the wounds Jesus Christ suffered when he was crucified—making Francis the first person to receive the holy wounds of the stigmata. He was canonized as a saint on July 16, 1228. Today, St. Francis of Assisi has had a lasting resonance, with millions of followers across the globe. MINGLANILLA, CEBU Minglanilla is a first income class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 113,178 people. [3] Minglanilla is part of a metropolitan area known as Metro Cebu. It is known as the Sugat Capital of the south. The Kabanhawan (Cebuano for Resurrection) Festival is held annually on Easter Sunday in honor of the Risen Christ. Most Pure Heart of Mary Churchs first structure was established by the Augustinians in 1878. The present church was established two years later, with light materials. Its stone convent was constructed from 1877 to 1886. The church measures 18m long, 13m wide and 15m high. It has an impressive transept. Its High Renaissance facade has asharp aisle roof. arches, semicircular arched main entrance and windows. The bell towers have pinnacles on the corners of the lower roof. The oldest bell was installed in 1863m the remaining was installed 18 years later. Immaculate Heart of Mary The month of August is given the special honor of being devoted to the devotion of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. While we have been unable to find a definitive statement explaining this, a couple of guesses can be made. First, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary occurs on the 15th of August. Dont forget to go to Mass! Second, the Feast of St. John Eudes, considered to be the father of thedevotion of the Immaculate Heart by Pope Pius X, is celebrated on August 19th. Third, before Vatican II the Feast of the Immaculate Heart used to becelebrated on August 22nd. Before looking closely at the actual devotion it is good to look back at where the focus on the heart of Mary we should take a look at where Marys heart is mentioned in Scripture. There are two mentions of Marys heart in the Gospel of Luke. First, But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) Second, And he went down with them, and came toNazareth, and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart. (Luke 2:51) In his Encyclical, Redemtor hominis, Blessed John Paul II says that We can say that the mystery of the Redemption took shape beneath the heart of the Virgin of Nazareth when she pronounced her fiat. St. Faustina saw Marys heart as a channel of graces: I saw, betweenheaven and earth, the Mother of God, clothed in a bright robe. She was praying with her hands folded over her bosom, her eyes fixed on heaven. From her heart issued forth fiery rays, some of which were turned towards heaven while others covered our country. Diary of St. Faustina. So Marys heart is seen in these examples as the source of her original Yes to God and the graces for mankind that come from her Son. Devotion to her Immaculate Heart seems to have begun in the twelfth century based on the writings of the saints. From the Catholic Encyclopedia: It is only in the twelfth, or towards the end of the eleventh century, that slightindications of a regular devotion are perceived in a sermon by St. Bernard (Deduodecim stellis), from which an extract has been taken by the Church and used in the Offices of the Compassion and of the Seven Dolours. Stronger evidences are discernible in the pious meditations on the Ave Maria and the Salve Regina, usually attributed either to St. Anselm of Lucca (d. 1080) or St. Bernard; and also in the large book De laudibus B. Mariae Virginis (Douai, 1625) by Richard de Saint-Laurent. Penitentiary of Rouen in the thirteenth century. In St. Mechtilde (d. 1298) and St. Gertrude (d. 1302) the devotion had two earnest adherents. A little earlier it had been included by St. Thomas Becket in the devotion to the joys and sorrows of Mary, by Blessed Hermann (d. 1245), one of the first spiritual children of St. Dominic, in his other devotions to Mary, and somewhat later it appeared in St. Bridgets Book of Revelations. Tauler (d. 1361) beholds in Mary the model of a mystical, just as St. Ambrose perceived in her the model of a virginal soul. St. Bernardine of Siena (d. 1444) was more absorbed in the contemplation of the virginal heart, and it is from him that the Church has borrowed the lessons of the Second Nocturn for the feast of the Heart of Mary. St. Francis de Sales speaks of the perfections of this heart, the model of love for God, and dedicated to it his Theotimus. Even though there are many earlier references to the devotion, the devotion to the Immaculate Heart wasnt regularized and promoted enough to later become a practice throughout the Church until the 1600s by St. John Eudes in France. His book The Admirable Heart of Mary is an in-depth explanation of the devotion. During his beatification Pope Pius X declared him the Father of Devotion to the Immaculate Heart. In the visions of Fatima on July 13th, 1917, Mary told the children to save poor sinners, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. In a series of visions in 1925 and 1926, the oldest of the visionaries, Lucia Dos Santos, received a further message from Mary asking that the five first Saturdays be devoted to help make amends for the offenses committed against her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. In 1942, as the war Mary prophesied raged through Europe and the Church celebrated the 25th anniversary of the original visions at Fatima, Pope Pius XII consecrated the Church and the whole world to Marys Immaculate Heart. Also in 1942 he established the Feast of the Immaculate Heart to fall on August 22 during the Octave of the Assumption. On May 4th, 1944 Pope Pius XII extended the celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the universal Church. Following Vatican II the feast day was moved to the Saturday following the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. TALISAY CITY, CEBU Talisay is a second class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 200,772 people. [3] Talisay is known for its Inasal Baboy (Roasted pig). Its name is taken from the Magtalisay tree which is abundant in the city. It is primarily a residential and trading center. Talisay City is part of a metropolitan area known as Metro Cebu. Talisay was founded in 1648 as an estate owned by the Augustinians. In 1849, it was converted into a municipality with Silverio Fernandez as its first gobernadorcillo and Pedro Labuca as captain. Some accounts claim that Talisay got its name from the Magtalisay trees which are endemic in certain areas of the municipality, while others claim that Talisay got its name from a town in Spain. During both the American colonial period and World War II, Talisay served as a haven of colonial military forces. The municipality served as the center of guerrilla intelligence operations for the Philippine resistance movement in Cebu during World War II. The returning U. S. liberation forces landed on the beaches of Talisay on March 28, 1945, and were helped together with the Philippine Commonwealth forces and the Cebuano guerrillas, an event that marked the eventual surrender of Japanese forces on Cebu. That day is now an official holiday in the province of Cebu. In 2000, the municipality of Talisay was converted into a city. [4] The municipality is now linked to Cebu City via the new South Coastal Highway from Lawaan, opened in 2004. This has brought some recent inward investment in the form of sub-divisions, some hastily planned and plagued by problems. Conflict has occurred between the residents of the mountain barangay of Maghaway and those of Crown Asias Azienda Milan and Venezia sub-divisions. According to the National Statistics Office in its 2000 report, some 70 percent of the population of Talisay belongs to the urban poor. Talisay remains an important center for the production of blasting caps used in dynamite. The City of Talisay used to be an Agustinian estate in 1648 but only became a municipality in 1849 with Silverio Fernandez as its first gobernadorcillo and Pedro Labuca as capitan. Some accounts trace the origin of its name from Magtalisay trees abounding in areas while others claim origin of the name from a town in Spain. In both the American and Japanese occupations, Talisay served as haven of colonial forces. During World War II, the city served as the center of guerilla intelligence operations for the Philippine residence movement in Cebu. The returning American forces made their historic landing in the beach of Talisay on March 26, 1945 an event that marked the eventual surrender of the Japanese forces in Cebu. The event is now annually commemorated by the provincial government of Cebu. On December 30 2000, Talisay became a component city by virtue of Republic Act 8979. SAN PEDRO CALUNGSOD Saint Pedro Calungsod (Latin: Petrus Calungsod, Italian: Pietro Calungsod; (July 21, 1654[4] – April 2, 1672), also known as Saint Peter Calungsod or Pedro Calonsor, is a Roman Catholic young Filipino saint and was a migrant, sacristan and missionary catechist, who along with theSpanish Jesuit missionary, Diego Luis de San Vitores, suffered religious persecution and martyrdom in Guam for their missionary work in 1672. While in Guam, Calungsod preached Christianity to the Chamorro people through catechism, while baptizing infants, children and adults at the risk and expense of being persecuted and eventually murdered. Through Calungsod and San Vitores missionary efforts, many native Chamorros convertedto Roman Catholicism. Calungsod was formally beatified on 5 March 2000 by Pope John Paul II. Calungsod was officially canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peters Basilica in Vatican City on 21 October 2012. Plaza Independencia Plaza Independencia is one of Cebu’s historical remains from the Spanish Era. As part of Philippine history, it witnessed several events of the country’s oldest city and one of the most visited spot for tourists, both foreign and local visitors. This plaza is situated in M. J. Cuenco Avenue and Legaspi Extension and is part of Barangay San Roque Cebu City. Its strategic location captures Cebuanos and tourists since it is near the Port of Cebu. Surrounding the Plaza are also most visited such as Fort San Pedro, Cebu City Central Post Office, Malacanang sa Sugbo (Customs Office), Department of Tourism, TransAsia Building and the former office of Department of Foreign Affairs. After Mayor Michael Rama took office as the City Mayor, the public park was totally renovated as he considers this place a big part of his childhood years. The plaza, known before as the nesting place of robbers and pickpockets is transformed into a green and peaceful playground good for families to hangout and friends to meet. I, for one, witnessed the big changes of Plaza compared to what it was 5 years ago. Every week I pass by it, going to my sister’s house and seeing the more improved landscape, I opted to write this article to compare then and now and to give an overview also for tourist who will visit Cebu and also for my fellow Cebuanos abroad. Cleanliness Unlike before, where garbage was visible everywhere, Plaza Independencia today has a strict proper waste disposal and garbage bins are installed all over the place. City Park and Amusement personnel maintain the cleanliness in the area and it is considered a no smoking Security A tighter security is imposed within the Plaza. Security Guards patrol its perimeter and local policemen check the area every now and then. It also helps to lessen crimes and robbery in the place since the Precinct 5 near the Pier 1 can easily view the area and trees are trimmed down where they can easily look out in its more panoramic view.