Catanduanes, Is and Isn't

I was thinking what should I write for my next blog this morning. I really can't decide what to write. So to be able to make something out of nothing, I went to facebook and search for Catanduanes, Islang Kayganda. This is my source of the pictures which I put here. As I was browsing the result of the search I saw a link which featured Catanduanes. The title was Catanduanes: Beyond the howling wind. I got intrigue of the title so I visited the link and read the article. Before I started reading, my eyes were caught by the beautiful pictures taken from the province. Then I said to myself, "This is what I've been looking for." So without any hesitation I started writing this article for today. I got inspired by what I saw and I want to share it to you guys.

 

This is the beautiful Puraran Beach in Baras, Catanduanes which is also the best surfing area in the province. White sand and crystal clear, blue water is waiting for you there.

 

 The "Majestic Waves" of Puraran Beach which have been stumbled upon by the Europeans who have visited the place.This was taken at Tilod, a few coves away from the beach.

Batag Beach with its natural archway. This is a coral-strewn beach.

 

Wall climbing has been a popular activity in Twin Rocks Beach Resort in Igang, Virac, Catanduanes.

 

The Spanish-era Bato Church in Bato, Catanduanes. The oldest church in the province. You can also look at it in my other post named Bato. I put some pictures there taken from Catanduanes, Islang Kayganda. 

Some of the local handicrafts in the province.

 

The PAG-ASA weather observatory located at the top of a mountain in Bato, Catanduanes. This made the province a reference point for typhoons. I guess the name  "Land of the Howling Winds" could originated from this since the province is always hit by strong typhoons.

Source: Philippines Star

 

Photo credits: Philippine Star

Island at Night

The view is beautiful indeed and very neat. This picture is taken somewhere in the beach where the opposite side has different night lights which created the colorful picturesque of the place. Plus the factor of the camera used optimize the result. Nature is also beautiful at night not just in the day. More of the photos to come in the coming days. Stay tuned in my blog.

The ISO setting (taken from the greek word "iso" which means equal) is an artificial spin-off of film photography when it used to be an indicator of just how much AgBr (Silver Bromide, the yellow compound that turns black upon exposure to light) has been incorporated into the film. The higher the ISO, the more AgBr, the more sensitive to light. With today's digital cameras, the ISO setting has been retained. But this time, instead of a chemical emulsion, the rating is a measure of the degree of sensitivity of the light sensors. So, if you're taking a picture of a darkly lit subject, you increase the ISO setting. But in so doing, specks of non-existent pixels will emerge in your finished product. Hence, the grainy (film) or pixelated (digital) appearance. (Word of advice: always use the lowest possible ISO rating for best results.)

Source: Catanduanes, Islang Kayganda

Photo Credits: Catanduanes, Islang Kayganda

Heavily Loaded

Here a jeepney is fully loaded by abaca fibers and is on its way to the capital town of Virac to be sold to an abaca exporter. This amount of abaca is worth the blood and sweat of the farmers. This scene is only in the province. You can never see these in other places. Only in Catanduanes!

Abaca is a primary source of income for some of the farmers in the province. The plant is the source of the abaca fiber which fuels the province economy. Abaca industry in the province is critical because it usually depends on the weather if there will be a good harvest. That's why every time there is a storm coming, their livelihood is greatly affected. It takes months for the abaca to recover and another few months before the farmers could harvest the fiber from the stem of the plant.

Photo Credits: Catanduanes, Islang Kayganda