No To Shark Finning!

Shark




Shark finning is a huge problem that will effect the health of our ocean ecosystems, sharks have a critical role to play in keeping the marine  ecosystems in balance. The only way to save sharks from extinction and protect the future health of our seas is to support initiatives that drive governmental policy change.  

Shark Finning

 


Every day over 200,000 sharks are killed because of their fins.  Once the fin has been cut of  the carcass is then discarded back to the sea.  At this stage the shark is still alive and will either drown or be eaten alive by other fish.  

The Shark Fin Soup


The shark fin is used as a main incredient in a shark fin soup, which is a chinese delicacy.  The actual shark fin is tasteless, which is why the fin is boiled in a chicken broth to absorb taste.  The shark fin soup used to be only consumed by the rich.  However, now that the chinese economy is strong and more people come to wealth, the demand for shark fins has increased.  At the same time the shark population has dramatically decreased due to shark finning.  This wasteful act with lasting consequences must be stopped now!!!

Bibingka

Bibingka!

Preparation

Bibingka is made with rice flour and coconut milk or water. Other ingredients can vary greatly, but the most common secondary ingredients are eggs and milk. The traditional preparation is very time-consuming. A specially made terra cotta container is lined with a single large section of a banana leaf. It is placed over preheated coals and the rice flour and water mixture is poured into it, taking care not to spill it into the container itself. Another piece of banana leaf is added to the top and covered with more preheated coals.




The end result is a soft and spongy large flat cake that is slightly charred on both surfaces and infused with the unique aroma of toasted banana leaves. Toppings are then added, usually consisting of butter/margarine, sugar, cheese, or grated coconut. Other more uncommon toppings include pinipig (pounded immature rice grains), pineapple, and salted duck eggs.[1] A mixture of two or more of these toppings on a single bibingka are also common. Bibingka with sumptuous amounts of toppings (and ingredients) are sometimes called Bibingka Especial.

More modern methods involve bibingka being baked in an actual oven inside a caldero or ordinary cake pans. The result lacks the distinctive smoky smell of charcoal but is otherwise the same, especially if banana leaves are also used to line it. Mass-produced bibingka in Philippine bakeries are also made using characteristic tin molds that give them a crenelated

Puto Bumbong (recipe)

Puto Bumbong, Traditionally made from a special variety of heirloom sticky or glutinous rice called Pirurutong which has a distinctly purple color, soaked in salted water and dried overnight and then poured into bumbong or bamboo tubes and then steamed until done or steam rises out of the bamboo tubes. It is served topped with butter or margarine and shredded coconut mixed with sugar.



Puto bumbong is the most sought after delicacies at Christmas time. During the simbang gabi or the Christmas Eve mass, people would line up to their favorite stalls outside the church just to have a taste of this favorite Pinoy delicacies.



This recipe is good for 6-8 pieces of puto bumbong.

Read more: http://www.pinoyrecipe.net/filipino-puto-bumbong-recipe/#ixzz1gzBm6X5B

Marikina The Shoe Capital

Marikina is not the shoe capital of the Philippines for nothing. For the greater part of the 20th century, Marikina was the biggest manufacturer of quality shoes. There was a time, between 1978 and 1982, when Marikina’s women’s shoes and handbags made of snakeskin were the rave on Fifth Avenue, New York City. As early as 1935, Marikina already had 139 shops producing 260,078 pairs of ladies shoes and 86,692 pairs of men shoes worth P762,896.00. And as may as 2,450 inhabitants were directly engaged in the industry either as shoemakers or uppermakers. By 1983, Marikina produced 70 percent of the shoe production of the Philippines which was estimated at 30 million pairs.



The Largest Shoes in the World are located in Marikina City !

Officially recognized and certified by the Guinness Book Of World Records, the pair of shoes measurre 529 centimeter(5.29 meters)long measures 237 centimeters(2.37 meters)width and is made of genuine leather. The upper lining it took 77 days to finish(August 5, 2002 to October 21,2002). Due to its sheer size, it was built at the Marikina Sports Center. Upcon completion, the shoes were displayed at the entrance of the Sports Center, then later transferred to the Marikina Riverbanks where it is located until present.



The shoes can be worn by a person with a height of 125 feet can fit 30 people inside the shoes can produce 250 pairs of regular shoes from the materials used.

You can see the shoes for yourselves by visiting the Marikina Riverbanks Center. It's at the far end of the mall and beside several shoes on display for sale. There are also some souvenirs you can buy like t-shirts and keychains.

San Juanico Bridge

The San Juanico Bridge, part of the Pan-Philippine Highway, stretches from Samar toLeyte across the San Juanico Strait in the Philippines. Its longest length is a steel girder viaduct built on reinforced concrete piers, and its main span is of an arch-shaped truss design. With a total length of 2.16 kilometers (1.34 mi),[1] it is the longest bridge in the Philippines spanning a body of seawater. It is considered one of the most beautifully-designed bridges in Philippines[2]. The bridge has 43 spans and medium size boats can pass beneath its large main arch the top of which rises 41 meters above the sea.[1]Construction commenced in 1969 over San Juanico Strait from Cabalawan, Tacloban City to the municipality of Santa Rita, Samar, with completion in 1973.[3]

The bridge was then named as Marcos Bridge after the era that was built upon. It was said to have been presented as a Gift and "Testimonial of Love" by the Philippine PresidentFerdinand Marcos to the first lady, Imelda, a native of Leyte.




The Candaba Viaduct of Pampanga which forms part of the North Luzon Expressway is longer, but being a land bridge crossing a few streams, ponds, and a swamp which usually fills in rainy weather, is less impressive.

Connecting Tacloban City on the Leyte side and Santa Rita town on the Samar side, it offers many picturesque views, especially of the San Juanico Strait with its thousand whirlpools as well as the islets of the province. It is approximately 10 minutes from downtown Tacloban City and is accessible by passenger jeepney, bus, motorcab or private vehicle.

Construction of the 21.9 million-dollar bridge was contracted to the Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines (now the Philippine National Construction Corporation), which together with Japanese engineers conducted studies and designed the actual project.[4]