A Rosary (Chaplet) with 12 beads

Two years ago, we visited Prague, Czech Republic, and had the chance to visit the church where the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague (the European version of the Sto. Nino) was housed.

During the visit to the Church of Our Lady of Victorious where the statue is housed, we only had limited time to get souvenirs so I bought this one decade rosary in a rush.

When we got home and we were organizing our purchases, my mom noticed that the rosary had 12 beads + 3 beads, not 10 beads + 3 beads! I thought it was almost impossible for the church to have sold rosaries that were erroneously made. So I tried googling for “12-bead rosary”, “rosary with 12 beads” and other iterations but never got any results related to the Infant Jesus. So for almost 2 years, I never figured out what it was for! Haha…

Finally, during Holy Week, my mom mentioned about using the “Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows”. It’s a rosary with 7 sets of 7 beads each. Chaplet! <Lightbulb moment>  So these prayer beads are called chaplets, not rosaries.

To me, anything that has beads strung together with a religious medal is called a rosary! Haha… Apparently, a rosary is strictly the 5 decade rosary as we know it, and a chaplet is a form of Catholic prayer which also uses prayer beads but not necessarily related to the Virgin Mary. A chaplet can focus on Jesus or saints.

So I googled “Chaplet of the Infant Jesus of Prague” and finally found the relevant results.

Here's how to use the Chaplet of the Infant Jesus of Prague:

When holding the medal, say the ff prayer:

"Divine Infant Jesus,
I adore Thy Cross
and I accept all the cross
Thou wilt be pleased to send me.
Adorable Trinity,
I offer Thee
for the glory of Thy Holy Name of God,
all the adorations of the Sacred Heart
of the Holy Infant Jesus."
Before each of the beads, pray -
"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us."

On each bead of the 3 beads after the medal, say Our Lord's Prayer.  These are said in honor of the Holy Family.

On each bead of the 12 beads, say a Hail Mary.  These are in memory of the 12 years of the Sacred Infancy of Jesus.

At the end of the Chaplet, pray:
"Holy Infant Jesus, bless and protect us."

So the next time you see prayer beads which have 3 beads, 4 beads, 8 beads, 12 beads, 6 decades, or a rosary which has different bead colors, don’t worry, that’s not something an absent-minded rosary-maker erroneously did. It’s called a chaplet. :)

For a list of popular chaplets, you can visit wikipedia's page on Chaplet (prayers).

So what, if we lose everything?

Photo credit:  4am.no

One of the books I discovered through Amazon’s list of recommendations was “The Secret of Quantum Living” by Frank Kinslow.  One of the key takeaways is -

Don’t get attached to things because when you’re unattached, there’s nothing to fear of losing.

Here’s an excerpt from the book: 

We think we need to gather around us more stuff like wealth and friends to feel complete. But as we all know, anything we can gain, we can lose. We all know people who have lost fortunes and friends that they once thought were theirs for life. It is not the losing that causes suffering. It is, instead, the fear of loss and the longing for its return. Things and people are not the problem. It is the mind’s attachment to them that creates the torment. The mind attaches to things because it doesn’t know the value of Nothing. If you have Nothing, you have nothing to lose.

I don’t fear loss - at least loss of material things. We’ve lost our house once due to a volcanic eruption so everything becomes immaterial. For me, material things can always be replaced as long as you work hard and are patient. But even if at worst case, the things you lose cannot be replaced assuming that you lost big time, so what?

So what, if I lose my gadgets? I’ll miss them but I can live without them.  Always remember that we got by even before we owned any of them.

So what, if I lose my car? I can always take the public transportation, or get a bike, or just walk.

So what, if I lose my computer? My files are backed up on cloud.

So what, if I lose my pictures and files including back-ups? I still have memories to cherish.

So what, if I can no longer afford to dine in restaurants? I’m not picky with food anyway, and I can always eat plants that grow from the backyard.

So what, if I can no longer afford to travel?  I feel contented the most when I’m home anyway.

So what, if I lose my job and I couldn’t get the same work or pay as my last job?   I can always  explore other options.  As long as one isn’t picky, one can earn a living.  I can be a cashier, a saleslady, housecleaner, gardener....

So what, if I lose everything?  The only material things that we really need anyway are food, a few clothes and a place to stay.

Kinslow is right.  If you're unattached, there's nothing to fear of losing.  :)

Divine Mercy Shrine in Misamis Oriental

If you're in Cagayan De Oro, another place you can visit is the Divine Mercy Shrine in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental. It’s an hour away from CDO and you can ride a bus going to El Salvador City at the Bulua Terminal.

We didn't have a hard time commuting because a group of travelers from Davao who hitched us in Bukidnon the day before, were also going to the Divine Mercy Shrine to hear mass, so we decided to commute together.

If we were luckily spared from riding the habal-habal (motorcycle) in Bukidnon, we weren’t as fortunate in El Salvador. There’s no other means of public transportation from the highway in El Salvador going to the shrine except for habal-habal.  Waaaa…  In my entire life, it's just my second time to ride the motorcycle and I think it's more scary than the zipline. Haha...

Anyway, we were able to hear the 10am mass on Palm Sunday in the temporary chapel.  

The real church is still being constructed but I think it will be opened this coming feast of the Divine Mercy.  The mass was concelebrated by Polish priests  (Poland is after all the place where the devotion to the Divine Mercy originated.)

The statue of the Divine Mercy in Misamis Oriental is considered to be the biggest in the world at 50 feet.

The water that flows through the taps of the Shrine is also believed to be miraculous.  People bring empty bottles to collect some miraculous water.

If you plan to visit, here’s the schedule of masses at the Divine Mercy Shrine in Misamis Oriental:

Monday to Friday – 330pm
Saturday – 8am, 1130am and 4pm
Sunday – 8am, 10am and 3pm

There’s also a schedule going up the Divine Mercy Statue.  Here you go:
Monday to Friday – 130pm, 315pm, 445pm and 6pm
Saturday and Sunday – 130pm, 245pm, 445pm and 6 pm

I also took a snapshot of the schedule for confession, pray-overs, healing and counseling sessions for your reference.  Here you go:

The group from Davao decided to stay longer at the shrine while my friend and I had to go ahead since we had to catch a flight.   From the Shrine to the highway, we were spared from riding the habal-habal because a multicab owner/driver was on his way out of the shrine so he offered to hitch us for free.  And he accommodated everyone who wanted to hitch.  He stopped whenever someone on the road flagged him down.  

When we got off the highway and he found out we were going to CDO, he offered to hitch us all the way to CDO since he was going there anyway.  Then, when we reached CDO and we were supposed to get off Divisoria to ride the jeepney, I think he was worried that we'll get lost so he offered to bring us all the way to our hotel! Haha...  

As a token of gratitude, we offered him money to buy lunch but he didn't want to take it.  So I just threw the folded bill towards his dashboard and walked away.  Haha...  Thank you for being kind to strangers, Kuya!

Day Trip to Bukidnon

If you're in Cagayan De Oro and have a day to spare, you may want to go on a day tour to Bukidnon.

To get to Bukidnon, you can rent a van from Cagayan De Oro (if you’re traveling in a big group), or you can easily commute by riding a colorum van  going to Camp Phillips at the Agora Terminal in Cagayan de Oro.   The colorum vans are near the Save More store at the Agora Terminal.  It’s easy to spot them because there’s a big signage where they are parked.

The fare is Php60 per pax and the van ride going to Camp Phillips is about 2 hours.  You know you’re in Camp Phillips when you reach the Del Monte Plant.

Camp Phillips is similar to Camp John Hay where the houses look very similar – this is where the employees and managers of Del Monte live.  The cool climate is also similar to Baguio’s.

Camp Phillips is a community on its own – it has its own school, post office and other facilities like tennis courts and a soccer field.

They say that there’s a steak place in Camp Phillips where you can enjoy sweet-tasting steak because the cows are fed with pineapples but too bad, we didn’t have time to explore the area because a group of travelers offered to hitch us going to the Dahilayan Adventure Park.  We readily accepted the offer because the only way to get to Dahilayan, Manolo Fortrich is via the habal-habal (motorcycle ride).  It's a 30-minute ride under the heat of the sun and through a rough and dusty road.  We figured out the steak can wait another time.  Haha…

Here’s the road going to Dahilayan, Manolo Fortrich passing through the pineapple plantation.  It was a beautiful day.  

From what I gathered, the Del Monte plantation is one of the biggest in the world!  It exports canned pineapples to the US, Japan, Europe and Middle East. 

Once we reached Dahilayan, Manolo Fortrich the climate was even cooler and the place reminded me of Tagaytay and Baguio.  Check out these flowers and pine trees.

We had lunch first at the Dahilayan Forest Park before exploring the place. The entrance fee was Php100/head (weekend rate) but on weekdays, it goes down to Php50. 

We ordered Sizzling Roast beef thinking it was closest to the steak we missed! Haha…

For dessert, we had their popular Mango Square. So good!  Unfortunately, they didn’t have any fresh pineapples.  I would have wanted to taste Bukidnon’s pineapples – said to be the sweetest.  But  while in Bukidnon, I didn’t see even one fresh pineapple.  Maybe they’re not in season.  Not really sure.

At the Dahilayan Forest Park, there are so many places to have photo-ops and activities to do for both kids and kids at heart.  

A few meters away from the Dahilayan Forest Park is the Dahilayan Adventure Park which boasts of having Asia’s longest zipline.   

There are actually 3 ziplines.  The first 2 are 150m and 340m respectively, and the longest is 840 meters long and you’re positioned face-down like Superman like in the photo below. Haha...  

We couldn’t make up our minds which one to try until we bumped into a kid we met in Camiguin who said the longest one was not scary.  So we decided to go for Asia’s longest zipline and survived!  Whew…

BTW, while in Bukidnon, I spotted these Super Lolo Crackers inspired by Super Lolo firecrackers.  Haha…  But mind you, they are  crispy and delicious.

If you plan to stay overnight in Bukidnon, Dahilayan Adventure and Forest Park also offers accommodation.  

Going back to CDO was easy for us because the same travelers who offered us a ride to Dahilayan Park also offered to hitch us all the way to CDO. :)

CDO's Divisoria's Night Cafe and where to stay in CDO

Cagayan De Oro is accessible by land and sea to a lot of interesting cities and provinces like Camiguin, Iligan, Bohol, Davao, Pagadian, Dipolog and Bukidnon, among many others. 

We stayed for 2 nights in Cagayan De Oro planning to visit some nearby places.  We stayed at the Pearlmont Inn along Limketkai Drive (it’s walking distance to Limketkai, CDO’s biggest mall) and it’s so easy to commute from the hotel to almost anywhere because there are jeepneys that pass right in front of the hotel.

I wasn’t able to take photos of the hotel but it’s an old inn that’s well maintained and  clean.  The staff are very friendly and the ala carte food is really good.  We tried ordering calamares, chicken mami, barbecued spare ribs, seafood soup with century egg and everything was so yummy!   No wonder, it’s popular for special events like weddings and debuts (everytime, we would go back to the hotel, we see people in Barong Tagalog and gowns!).  

The only downside staying at Pearlmont Inn is that it doesn’t really offer tour packages to guests.  Maybe because it caters more to special events and business people than tourists.  So if you plan to stay there, make sure you make travel arrangements with a tour operator in advance or like us, just ask around how to get around since it’s really very easy to commute. 

Anyway, we didn’t really have plans to explore CDO and do the usual whitewater rafting experience; we just made CDO our base station. 

But in between our daytours, we were able to go to CDO’s Night Café and Market at Divisoria.  Night Café and Market is held every Friday and Sarturday from 6 pm to 2 am.   We went there to try the grilled seafood and barbecue.  Yum-yum!

While in CDO, we were also able to drop by Limketkai Mall, the biggest mall in the city. (CDO also has an SM Mall and currently being built, an Ayala Mall.)  At Limketkai, we discovered this toy store at the ground floor - officially it’s Toys for the Big Boys but from outside, all I can see in the signage is “Barbie”. 

Anyway, the store has lots of branded and imported toys not available in Toy Kingdom or Hobbes & Landes, including collector’s items of dolls and action figures.   But what I splurged on are games.  I got Boggle Slam Card Game, Clue Card Game (they’re out of stock in Manila), Yahtzee Hands Down Card Game and the Battleship Game.  Educational, fun games I can play with my pamangkins this summer.:)

Exploring the beautiful island of Camiguin in 3 days

Camiguin island is shaped like a pear and it’s the second smallest province in the country (next to Batanes).

To go to Camiguin, you need to take a flight going to Cagayan de Oro (CDO).  From the CDO airport, you can take a cab going to the Agora terminal.  The taxi fare is about Php350 (USD8) for the 30-minute trip.  From the Agora Terminal, just hop on a bus going to Balingoan Port.  The fare is Php143 (USD3) for the 2-hour bus ride.  Then from the bus stop in Balingoan, take a trike going to the Port for only Php10 (USD0.23).  If you’re travelling with a group of 5 or 6, it would be more practical to hire a van going to Balingoan Port.  But if not, it’s really so easy to commute.   

Here’s the ferry going to Camiguin, or more appropriately, it’s called a “roro” (roll on roll off).

Here's how the "roro" looks like inside.  This is at the second level because the first level is usually for vehicles.

The boat fare is Php170 (USD4) and it’s about a 1-hour trip.  

Once we reached the Benoni Port, the multicab driver we hired was waiting for us already.  The cost is Php2,000 (USD47) for 2 days and covers the usual points of interest of Camiguin.  BTW, the multicab is their version of the jeep.

My first impression as we hit the road – Camiguin has really nice roads, crystal clear water ....

and lots of greenery.  

We were wondering what the colorful buntings are for and Kuya Danny (our multicab driver) said they’re to shoo away Maya birds from eating the palay by shaking the strings.  

We stayed at the Bahay Bakasyunan.  Very nice place and friendly staff.  And the food is really good!  I think overnight rate is between Php3,000-Php4,000 (USD70-90).

Bahay Bakasyunan

The first place we visited after checking in at the resort and grabbing a late lunch was the Katibawasan Falls.  Entrance fee is only Php15 (USD0.35).   It’s good that they keep the entrance fees low so everyone can afford - both locals and tourists.   It was so tempting to swim but the water was so cold so we passed on the opportunity. Haha… 

Katibawasan Falls

Outside the Katibawasan Falls, we saw these round crispy round stuff being sold at the stores and we asked what they were.  They are Camiguin’s version of kipping – made out of ground camote (sweet potato), dried under the sun and deep-fried.    It is served with latik (sweet sauce made from coconut).  The kipping is so crispy and yummy, and it’s only 10 bucks (USD0.23)!  

Kipping

From Katibawasan Falls, we headed to White Island.  You have to hire a boat to bring you there and pay minimal entrance fee (Php20 if I’m not mistaken).  The boat rental is Php400 (USD 9).  Spotted this family enjoying a quiet afternoon looking out to the sea.  What a beautiful sight!

Prior to our trip, I really didn’t have time to research about Camiguin.  Surprise, surprise as we were approaching White Island.  It’s an island with no trees – like a sandbar in the middle of the sea.  It did have 2 Coca-Cola booths!  Very clever advertising…

White Island

Camiguin's White Island is so beautiful and its sand is powdery white!

White Island

After White Island, we ended our first day in Camiguin at the Ardent Hot Springs.  The hottest among the pools is 39 degrees Centigrade.   

Ardent Hot Springs

While in Camiguin, we also passed by some of the island’s Centennial houses.

On our second and last day, we went to this old house where soda water flows. Soda because the water which comes from the mountains tastes like carbonated water.  

Soda water

Kuya Danny said that they have an abundance of water especially in barrios. Water is practically free, he said, and they only need to pay Php10 (USDo.23) every month.


He shared that life is simple and easy in Camiguin (this is coming from someone who used to live in Manila).  He told us that they plant their own crops and veggies and it’s easy to fish.  All they actually need to worry about is how to earn money to buy rice.  What a good reminder for us when we start worrying about non-essential things.

We also went to the Walkway going to the Old Volcano.  It’s a popular place this Holy Week since along the pathway are the Stations of the Cross.  We went up to the 300th step which is only up to the 4th station! I know, what a shame.  Haha…

Spotted this praying mantis in one of the stations.  Unfortunately, it’s also its last official portrait.  When my friend came back to take its photo, it was squashed to the ground already.  A passerby must have accidentally stepped on it.  

Praying Mantis

Across the Stations of the Cross, there are souvenir stores selling these beach dresses for Php330 and souvenir shirts for Php120.

Then we headed to the Sunken Cemetery. Yes, this area used to be a cemetery but after several volcanic eruptions starting in the 1800s until 1953, the tombs are now buried about 20 feet deep.  They say it’s a popular diving site but if I knew how to dive, I'm not so sure it's a place I want to explore.  Haha...

Sunken Cemetery

While at the Sunken Cemetery, ask the manongs to take your photos using their camera tricks.  They have a lot of tricks up their sleeves and they do it for free.   

Here are some souvenirs being sold at the Sunken Cemetery. 

Camiguin is known for their hot chocolate.  It’s yummy!  Got packs of their tableas.  They sell for Php50 (USD1.20) per pack.

While my friend and I were buying  some tableas, there was this cute kid who kept following me. I took it as a cue that she wanted to have her photo taken so I took some snapshots of her.  Got Baby Lindsay’s address from her lola (grandmom) and I’ll be sending some of her photos via courier when I have them developed.

From the Sunken Cemetery, we visited the Old Church Ruins of Catarman, Camiguin which was destroyed during the volcanic eruption in 1871.

Old Church ruins of Catarman

This tree must be more than 200 years old.  It has withstood several volcanic eruptions! 

Centennial Tree

The people have now built a small chapel within the church ruins.

For lunch and for a quick swim, we stopped over the the Soda Water Swimming Pool.  

Some amazing action at the Soda Water Swimming Pool.  

Again, soda because the water that comes from the mountain tastes like carbonated water.  Not that I drank from the pool.  Haha… But I did taste the water from the tap. :)  For lunch, we had Adobong Native Chicken which was recommended by the locals.

While at the Soda Water Swimming Pool, we met this group of kids from Catarman, Camiguin.  They are a group of cousins enjoying a summer outing. Their age range from 6 to 12 years old.

When I asked them what they wanted to be when they grow up, 5 of them wanted to be a teachers, one a vendor, another a nurse and the last one, wanted to pursue a career in CompSci.  

One of them raved that three cousins in the group are honor students. In this day and age when kids are generally competitive, it was so refreshing to see someone (who didn't get any award) brag about the achievements of others.  And that's how it should be - we should be happy for others when great things happen to them. :)


These kids live a simple life.  So simple that they just walk to and from school everyday and their parents stay at home growing ampalaya (bitter gourd), kalabasa (squash), beans, malunggay and talong (eggplant) which also serve as their daily food supply.  They are  happy, contented and full of laughter.  And they had so much fun playing 1-2-3 Jump in the pool!  I'll also be sending copies of their photos once I get them developed so they'll have something to remember about the Summer of 2012. 

For our last stop, we visited the beautiful Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Sagay, Camiguin.

Check out the church chandeliers, they're made from big tree roots. How creative!

Outside the church, I spotted these 2 kids picking up their slippers from the canal using sticks.  Initially, I thought they must have accidentally dropped their slippers into the canal.  But after they got the slippers, they ran uphill, then dropped their slippers into the canal and chased them downstream!  It was actually a game they're playing!  Whoever said that kids nowadays need toys to have fun should learn from these two boys. :)

While waiting for our ferry ride to CDO via the Ocean Jet Liner, we  stopped over at the Lagoon Café to have snacks.  The girl at the counter recommended its fried snappers which they breed.  While waiting for our orders, I took a photo of their aquarium.

Then shortly after, the manong dipped a small net into the aquarium and got some fishes.  Uh-oh…

That’s the only time I realized they are the snappers that will be fried!  Guilt.  But I’ve to admit, they are so yummy and crispy. You wouldn’t even feel any fish bone. 

We also ordered Crispy Banana and they served them with langka sauce.  So delicious! 

Anyway, here’s my last view of Camiguin before we finally boarded the Ocean Jet liner going to CDO.  The fare via the Ocean Jet Liner is Php600 (USD14).

While waiting for the Ocean Jet Liner from Camiguin going to Cagayan De Oro, two English-speaking Pinoy boys, age 8 and 10, asked me “Are you Filipino?” and struck a conversation with me.  Apparently, they are from Cagayan De Oro and when they found out that we were going to Bukidnon and CDO, they started giving me travel tips!  Really good tips on where to go and what to see! :)  They even introduced me to their parents.  Very smart and good-mannered kids!  When they grow up, they would surely charm a lot of girls.  Haha…

While in the boat, I started reading Catching Fire (the second book of The Hunger Games) and in the last 20 minutes before reaching CDO, the same boys spotted me.  They were with another group of kids from Manila (whom they met in Camiguin).  They transferred to the seats in front of us and entertained us with their stories about taekwondo (they are blue and yellow belters),  Tekken, Assassin’s Creed, karate and crushes – you know, boy talk!  Haha…  

And dig this, one of them has this crush who happens to also have a crush on him and you know what the girl crush gave to him as a gift? A real horse!  Wow. They assured me they weren't pulling my leg. Haha… It was refreshing to see these boys engage in conversation with us instead of playing with their PSPs and smartphones because as we all know, it's not easy to get boy tweens get unplugged from their gadgets.

Beautiful island, friendly people and lots of happy memories to cherish. :)

If ever you plan to visit Camiguin, you can contact Kuya Danny Villar to tour you around.  Here’s his number - +639161071977.  The multicab rental rates and tourist packages are regulated by the government so you don’t have to worry about being overcharged.  If you dive or like to snorkel, there's an island called Mantigue Island which you may consider visiting because it's not part of the standard itinerary.

P.S.  I bumped into the kids from Manila (introduced by the kids from CDO whom I met at the Camiguin ferry) at the zipline place in Bukidnon.   One of them (Win-Win) was the one who convinced me to try the longest zipline course in Bukidnon.  He said it wasn't scary at all.  Haha.... 

I bumped into the same kids again at the CDO airport while waiting for our flights back to Manila.   They entertained me with their whitewater rafting adventure and even asked for my Facebook account!  Haha...  And here’s a souvenir which Win-Win drew on my notebook.  :)

P.P.S.  All of  the kids I've met during this trip come from very diverse socio-economic classes.  Some are privileged, some are not.  But it doesn’t matter what one’s status is.   When kids tell their stories, their eyes and voice are filled with the same awe, delight, enthusiasm and excitement.   Every story is a wow story.  :)