In Pinay's "Ciudad": vinta

Sunday, October 27, 2013

ZAMBOANGA CITY AT NIGHT @ OCTOBER 2012

I just want to share with you one night when we went around Zamboanga City with friends from Agusan del Norte.

Lantaka Hotel.

We fetched them from Lantaka Hotel, the historical "golden" hotel of the City, with the ambience of Zamboanga complete with the Lantaka or cannon and the vinta sails.

from Wikipedia: Lantaka (rentaka in Malay) is a type of bronze cannon mounted on merchant vessels travelling the waterways of Malay Archipelago. Its use was greatest in precolonial South East Asia especially in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The guns were used to defend against pirates demanding tribute for the local chief, or potentate.

vinta sail in our background

Astoria Regency Convention Center. As of the moment, this Convention Center located in Pasonanca is the largest in the City, where grand weddings, debuts and seminars are held. There is a small hotel at the back of the center.

Pasonanca Tree House. A few meters away is Zamboanga's icon, the Pasonanca Tree House. I remember during our Social Studies class that this place mentioned in the textbook. For a large version of the Tree House, one can go to La Vista Del Mar.

Freedom Park in Abong-Abong. Here are links about this place: http://www.promdingchamimay.com/2009/09/freedom-park-abong-abong.html http://inpinaysfootsteps.blogspot.com/2011/11/zamboanga-city-run-for-childhood-cancer.html Guns of Aggression were previously located at the Cawa-Cawa Boulevard or R.T. Lim Boulevard. However, the Guns of Aggression are now seen adjacent to the Helmet at the Cesar Climaco Freedom Park in Abong-Abong.

Paseo Del Mar. Here's a link: http://inpinaysfootsteps.blogspot.com/2012/10/paseo-del-mar-fountain-in-zamboanga-city.html We passed by the Paseo Del Mar but the Fountain show did not yet start, so I advised to find the time to watch the musically gyrating fountain and laser show.

Zamboanga City has its own charm which we hope many Filipinos would be able to appreciate!

FIESTA PILAR: REGATTA DE ZAMBOANGA SCENES @ OCTOBER 2012

I again picked this up from the Wikipedia just for more information about the Fiesta Pilar, but it is more formally called the Zamboanga La Hermosa Festival:

The Hermosa Festival also known as Zamboanga La Hermosa Festival or popularly known as Fiesta Pilar a month-long festival held each year in the city of Zamboanga, the city center of Zamboanga Peninsula Region in the Philippines. It is one of the Oldest Festival in the Country and the most awaited Event in the Region.

The Festival is being held in honor of the miraculous image of Our Lady of the Pillar (Spanish and Chavacano:Nuestra Señora del Pilar), the patroness of Zamboanga City which is held in every 12 October. It is also the patroness of Zaragoza in Spain, the sister city of Zamboanga in Philippines.

In fact, if I check out Fiesta Pilar in Wikipedia but this also points to the Fiestas Del Pilar:

Fiestas del Pilar are an annual festival celebrated in the city of Zaragoza (Spain) in honour of the patron saint of the city, the Virgen del Pilar (Virgin Mary of the Pilar). They take place the week of the 12th of October. Usually, the festival starts the weekend before the 12th, and lasts until the following Sunday, so they last about ten days.

To kick-off the Fiesta Pilar is the Regatta de Vinta or the Regatta de Zamboanga, the race of the vintas.

From Wikipedia, here are some information about Vintas:

The vinta (locally known as lepa-lepa or sakayan) is a traditional boat found in the Philippine island of Mindanao. These boats are made by Bajau and Moros living in the Sulu Archipelago, Zamboanga peninsula, and southern Mindanao. It has a sail with assorted vertical colors that represents the colorful culture and history of the Muslim community. These boats are used for inter-island transport of people and goods. Zamboanga City is known for these vessels.