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Archival photo from the early 20th century.
MUSEUM QUALITY INKS AND PAPER: Printed on thick 192gsm heavyweight matte paper with archival giclee inks, this historic fine art will decorate your wall for years to come. VINTAGE MAP REPRODUCTION: Add style to any room's decor with this beautiful print. Whether your interior design is modern or classic, a map is never out of fashion. ATTENTION TO DETAIL: We edit every antique map for image quality, color and vibrance, so it can look its best while retaining historical character. Makes a great gift! FRAME READY: Your unframed poster will arrive crease-free, rolled in a sturdy mailing tube. Many maps fit easy-to-find standard size frames 16x20, 16x24, 18x24, 24x30, 24x36, saving on custom framing. Watermarks will not appear in the printed picture. Some blemishes, tears, or stamps may be removed from the final print.
OFWS: Overseas Filipino Workers Filipinos have been a major source of human resources for countries in every continent for over 50 years. In fact at any given time up to 15% of the Filipino population are abroad on a work visa and more than a million leave yearly for this specific purpose. This number do not include the undocumented ones. Most people would think this brain drain is a recent phenomenon, but history tells us this is not so. The very first OFWs were probably the Manila men -- a band of sailors who jumped ship during the Spanish Galleon Trade Era (1500s to 1800s) and found a safe haven in the marshlands of Louisiana, USA. Though these men weren't the first Filipinos who set foot in the US Mainland, they were the first "documented" who permanently settled in the New World. The first Filipinos who set foot in the US were Captain Unamuno and his Filipino crew , the "Luzones Indios". They landed and did some expeditions some where in the coasts of California on October 18, 1587. They left a few days later. Filipinos In Louisiana (circa 1760s) For close to 300 years, nothing had been written about these early globe trotting Filipinos. Not until the 1800s when word about a secret and isolated people finally piqued the interests of the media. Noted Greek-Irish journalist Lafcadio Hearn was commissioned by New Orleans to check up on the existence of a secluded community of Filipinos living in the remote swamp lands of the area. Hearn went there with an artist who drew several sketches of scenes of everyday life and fantastic houses sticking out of the water on wooden stilts. These unique houses have covered balconies in the front and open-air gardens to the rear, very similar to the houses of the Badjao tribes of Southern Philippines. Manila Men On March 31,1883, Harper Weekly published their eyewitness account. In “St. Malo: A Lacustrine Village in Louisiana”, Hearn wrote of an unusual Filipino village of 100 or so "cinnamon-colored" Manila Men (or Manilamen, no women) who lived by fishing and catching alligators. They spoke Spanish and a Philippine language and he referred to them as “Tagalas” from the Philippine Islands. These men sent money back to their families in the Philippines whenever possible, with the profits they made from their fishing. Thus making them the very first OFWS. The Manila Men of Saint Malo were also credited with starting the dried shrimp industry in Louisiana, employing methods commonly used in the Philippines. St. Malo When Hearn interviewed Padre Carpio in 1882, the oldest Manilaman of Saint Malo at that time, he learned that his village had been in existence for a little more than 50 years (about the 1820s). In case if you are wondering, Saint Malo was only one of seven Filipino settlements in that region. The other communities were the Manila Village (on Barataria Bay in the Mississippi Delta by the Gulf of Mexico); Alombro Canal and Camp Dewey (in Plaquemines Parish); and Leon Rojas, Bayou Cholas, and Bassa Bassa (in Jefferson Parish), all in Louisiana. Saint Malo was destroyed by the New Orleans Hurricane of 1915, while Manila Village, the last of seven Filipino villages, was washed away by Hurricane Betsy, which is still one of the deadliest and costliest storms in United States history, in 1965. Manila Village Manila Village was considered to be the largest and most popular, Saint Malo, however, was the oldest. Saint Malo: Oldest Continuous Asian American Settler Community in North America Saint Malo used to be situated on a waterway 5 miles east of the fishing village of Shell Beach. Some accounts state that the Saint Malo settlement was established as early as the 1700s by Filipinos who deserted Spanish ships during the Manila Galleon Trade (1565-1815). Filipino sailors sailed on galleons plying the Manila-Acapulco trade route routinely jumped ship in the New World. Eventually they made their way across the Gulf into the Louisiana’s bayou, as far away as possible from the Spaniards and settled in a remote area. This community in essence with at least eight generations should be the oldest continuous Asian American settler community in North America. Other accounts do suggest that the community was established sometime after 1812 (or sometime towards the end of the trade, just as the old man Padre Carpio have said). Tagalas Whatever year they did arrive, they settled in the bayous and we're referred to Manilamen. Later on they were called the Tagalas. People from Manila speak Spanish and their local dialect, Tagalog. They governed themselves and kept their existence a secret from mainstream society for at least over a hundred years until the arrival of Hearn, whose article is the first known written piece about Filipinos in the United States. Hearn and his companion were able to visit the village, and their account provided a very detailed account about the Manilamen. This isolated community lived in houses made from wooden planks which would have been shipped from other places as these kind of wood do not grow in the swamp lands. There was no furniture and no bed in any of the dwellings. Instead the fishermen slept among barrels of flour, folded sails and smoked fish. Their diet was mainly fish and surprisingly they rarely ate rice, which was a staple of Filipinos for centuries. Like in the Philippines, the Manilamen were predominantly Roman Catholics. They have no specific address, no mail and didn't appear on the census records. They paid no taxes and had no policemen. They had their own set of laws much like they have back home. In case of disputes, the oldest man living in the settlement will mediate between the contending parties. There were no females in the village when Hearn visited it and it was understandable as no sane woman would want to live in such harsh conditions. And since there were no Filipino women, the Manila men intermarried with Cajun, Indian and other native women. Their descendants still survive until this day. Selected Sources: The Other Spirit of St. Louis A Century of Filipinos in America Global Filipinos
One would think that history and technology don't make a perfect match. But with the advent of advanced photo editing tools, and all the stunning colorized
Saychid 'Peace' in the Ivatan language spoken in the Philippines as a native dialect c.1920 Today I am typing on a new keyboard. This one has larger keys, and is curved slightly. It's very thin! So, I have found I am making many typing mistakes - sorry. I am trying to catch them all. The reason we are trying out this new computer keyboard is that it has no numbers on the side, like for a calculator. Neither of us ever used that feature, and all the keyboards with that feature are too long to fit on our computer desk, along with the mouse. I have to keep my mouse down on the same level as the keyboard. Any of you with shoulder or neck pain - try it! Lower you mouse so your shoulder is not hiked up. It has helped me tremendously. Yeah arthritis. Not. dancers in the Bacolod Masskara Festival www.lakbaypilipinas.com Apparently our internet connection today is extremely SLOW. I am not taking 4 - 6 hours to type one blog again. We can't figure it out if it is yahoo or blogspot or the local connection. WHATEVER it is, it is darn frustrating. AAAAAHHHHHH........ My apologies for not finishing The Philippines yesterday, as promised. Michael thinks it is our server connection. and yes... it's being a big SLOW pain today also. sigh. At least I don't have to hand write everything and illustrate with inks! :0) Taal Volcano Batangas, Philippines www.infoph.com We finished up 2 days ago with just a start about all the volcanoes in the Philippines. 18, remember? SIDE NOTE: since the server is so slow, and it takes forever (seems like) to do any changes, like font color or size I will probably do just black, in the 'normal' setting. :0( courtesy http://www.twistynoodle.com/ (funny name!) The most active volcano is an 8,000 foot peak! news.bbc.co.uk Some of the current active volcanoes are Mount Pinatubo, Taal Volcano in Btangas, Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin. Mount Mayon in Alblay Jolo Didicas Camiguin de Babuyanes Iraya Kanlaon Makaturing.....and more!! Ash from a 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo http://www.uwe.edu/ Mount Pinatubo's June 12,1991 eruption plume vuclan.wr.usgs.gov The Taal volcano in Batangas is one of the most acive in the Phlippines. It is partially submerged in Taal Lake, with several centers that lie submerged, bringing more danger to the place. Taal Crater Lake is high in sulfur content. Many people swim in it and many divers explore beneath. Hmmm... and this volcano will erupt again.... hmmm.... c.1916 Crater Lake, Taal Lake Taal Volcano In 2009 Mount Mayon erupted, forcing more than 33,000 people to be evacuated. The last volcano we will talk about is Mount Hibok-Hibok, in Camiguin. This hottie erupted in 1827, and then again in 1862. over 329 people were killed in that one. Then a 3rd volcanic explosion occured in 1871. Earthquakes, smoke, ashes, dust, rocks and magma covered a 3 kilometer area. The eruption lasted FOR 7 DAYS!!! running from ash clouds in 2006 news.bbc.co.uk I bet alot of people thought this was the end of the world. With all the eruptions, etc. a new volcanic dome was formed, called 'Vulcan'. Mount Hibok-Hibok TRIVIA: 82% if Filipino people are Catholic (80.9% Roman, 2% Aglipayan) There are 5% Muslim 2.8% Evangelical 2.3% Iglesia ni Kristo 4.5% other Christian, then the rest are unspecifiedm according to a 2000 census. The Philippines is the only Christian country in Asia. the Philippines flag vintage Betsy McCall at the Unicef Fair note the Philippines woman at the top I found some international flag designs for many different countries to bead as safety pin pins. No Philippines, so I thought I would try to make my own. VERY CRUDE DRAWING, but perhaps you can use it: Remember, you can always refresh your memory on how to safety pin bead by writing in my search box, at the top of the blog inthe upper left hand corner. Just type in 'Safety pin tutorial' or 'safety pin pattern'. I found this GREAT web site with the beginnings of an ABC book in Filipino. Here are some pages I found. I think the artwork is terrific, and the idea is great! http://fil-am-fam.blogspot.com/2008/06/filipino-alphabet-coloring-pages.html A Ba Ka Da (the traditional Philipipne Alphabet) That's a great way to learn a new alphabet! Next up: The Philippine Eagle It is officially calssified as 'critically endangered. There are probably less than 500 alive in the whole world. Their last remaining place to live is the Mount Apo region. They have had to retreat their because of humans. We have cut down the trees (deforestation) we turned wilderness into farmland and used harmful chemicals/pesticides and poached the eagle to it's soon-to-be demise. Plain language - that means we have killed them all. How stupid stupid stupid we humans can be. As if nothing matters except our own little circle. Well, don't get me started on that subject, or I will write a book!!! Yeah, you heard that Michael... http://www.free-for-kids.com/ I really don'/t want to bore you with too much Philippines, so I will try to shorten things up! There are these fantastic rice terraces - The Benaue Rice Terraces described as one of the Hidden Wonders Of The World according to http://www.jitourism.com/ The Rice Terraces are over 200 years old, and are a tribute to the innovative design needed to grow rice on steep hills. http://www.frank151.com/ I know I haven't said much about the history of The Philippines. And you know I find history fascinating... but I will try to be brief!! vintage photo of a Tobacco Plantation Most of the informatioin about the Tobacco Industry in the Philippines is courtesy Pinoy Kollektor, 2011. Pinoy Kollektor is a collector of cigar and tobacco ephemera. Good word to know - it means 'paper stuff'. I also found a fine article written by Dan Mickelson. http://swigar.net/2011/10/25/tobacco-industry-in-the-philippines/ The vintage photos are all from Pinoy Kollector Collections. Ilicano women smoking In all these vintage photos, the cigars are size HUMONGOUS!!! labeled as "Smoking Loloa" As in many Spanish Colonies of the 16th - 19th centuries, tobacco was introduced in the Philippines from the New World early on. It was Magellan in fact who first brought tobacco to the islands, while exploring the Caribbean. 'Spud Murphy' The Filipinos made it a success, and the tobacco cultivation business is one of the Philippines oldest, continuous industries. vintage Filipino cigar factories The tobacco leaf quickly became the best thing since sliced bread (as my Grandma McDowell used to say). The local people really liked cigar smoking, which gave the Spaniards entrance into many places that they would normally be persona non gratis . That means 'get out of here, you!', roughly translated!!! 'Granny enjoying her cigar' The Spanish were able to gain access to the largely Islamic island of Mindanao through the tobacco industry. The leader at the time - Lapu-Lapu - expressed his thoughts about the Spanish on his island by removing the famous explorer Magellan's head. Not a friendly type action. But tobacco was the 'in'. Like in other Spanish colonies, tobacco knowledge and skill passed easily through the Philippines by interntaional trade routes. http://www.kentbaby.co.uk/ TRIVIA: The Philippines were actually named after the Spanish king of the time King Philip The Chocolate Hills of the Philippines Some more quick history: We already know the Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony in the 16th century. In the late 1700's a booming business became severely restricted by the Spanish Crown. The near demise of the tobacco industry is blamed actually on two families: the Hapsburgs and the Bourbons, both ruling families in Spain. Makes me think of Romeo and Juliet bit! The 2 ruling families made a monopoly on the tobacco business. This monopoly (because of taxes, strict rules, etc.) made the Filipinos really mad. Everyone had become 'addicted' to cigars in one way or another, and now the demand from Europe was so great for high-quality cigars that they became too expensive for the locals. In some places, cigars were used in place of currency! Smuggling became commonplace. Even the Catholic Church stepped into the fray, and tried to exert influence and obediance on the natives to respect the Spanish Crown. This did not go over well with the nicotine starved populace. a bead patter of hibiscus, a tropical flower to make as an amulet A new Spanish company entered into the tobacco business the same year that the Hapsburg/Bourbon monopoly was officially abolished 1881. La Compania General de Tobaccos de Filipinas opened its' first factory and is still the leader of cigar production on the Philippines. Spain held sway, perhaps even after it was a sound financial enterprise, until after the Spanish/American War of 1898. c.1898 In 1898 The Philippines was ceded to the USA. C.1895 In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonweath, with Manuel Quexon elected president. He had the task of preparing his country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese Occupation, during World War II. The USA forces and the the Filipinoes fought together during 1944- 1945 to regain control. On July 4, 1946 The Republic of the Philippines attained its' independence. Filipino kids http://www.jennahartkopf.theworldrace.org/ A 20-year rule by Ferdinand Marcos ended in 1986, when a 'People Power" movement in Manila forced him and his wife Imelda into exhile. They installed Corazon Aquino as president. Yes, that is the Imelda Marcos famous for her shoe collection. from 1000 B.C Photo, found at http://www.missosology.info.com/ In 1992 the United States closed its' last military base on the islands. Benizno Aquino III was elected to a 6-year term as president in 2010. The Philippine government faces threats from several groups. Manila has waged a decades-long struggle against ethnic Moro rebels in the southern islands. This has let to peace talks - on/again and off/again. These peace talks also include the Moro Islamic Libertions Front. The Maoist-inspired New People's Army based through much of the country, a growing Islam population in the island of Mindinao, and increased tension with China over disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea continue to add to the unsettlement of the nation. It continues its' struggle to cross the threshold between 3rd world and 1st world. President Benigno C. Aquino III, http://www.noypi.ph/ All in all, the Philippines is rich in native culture, Spanish colonial culture,volcano sight seeing, a variety of landscapes including beaches, mountains, volcanic lakes and superb scuba diving. Manila Ocean Park, the Philippines photo cred: Pat Roque http://www.yahoonews.com/ June, 2012 The Philippines is the third largest English speaking country, after the United States and the United Kingdom. fishing boats, http://www.thewindsweptsky.com/ TRIVIA: after the United States, the Philippines is the country with the most Boy Scouts! With that, I will close this little bio about the Philippines. I would love to visit there some day! but maybe not to swim in an active volcano's lake..... :0) inkspired www.inkspired.etsy.com
Jollibee may be the nation's favorite fast-food chain but the humble bee we've always known is more than meets the eye. From urban legends to stories of
Vintage photos are pieces of history that provide an honest depiction of our ancestor's life and times. If they only had Facebook profiles and advanced
"It's in our blood to adorn ourselves with tattoos and embroidery, beads and gold."
Kalinga people, Philippines
