Calbayog Diocese Centennial

The Diocese of Calbayog City, Samar, turned 100 years old today. The Diocese was created in 1910 by Pope Pius X, making it the oldest Diocese in Samar Province.

Papal Ambassador, Archbishop Joseph Edward Adams, the Papal Nuncio, led the Centennial Thanksgiving Mass at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. The Mass, which was closed to the public, was attended by Archbishops, Bishops, and Priests from Cebu and Bicol, as well as the 31 parishes of the Diocese of Calbayog. Several important politicians, and military personnel were also on hand. I personally saw Congressman Reynaldo Uy, Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento, 8th ID Commander Major General Arthur I Tabaquero, and Lieutenant General Hilario Atendido of the AFP Joint Staff. At the end of the Mass, messages were read from Pope Benedict XVI and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who were unable to attend.

Immigration Forums Moved

As we continue to develop the larger Expat2Phils.com site, we have decided to move the immigration forums to Expat2Phils.com/Forum. This is a more logical place for them, as immigration is national. Please join our discussion forums there.

New Look

Samar.Expat2Phils.com is getting a new look!

The new design is just the next step in a series of changes coming to Expat2Phils.com. As the software we use, WordPress, evolves, so will our opportunity to make this a true social network of expats living in the Philippines.

In addition to the new look, some of our pages are changing location. The Samar News and Weather pages are now located under the Samar tab on the menu. The Calbayog Airlines page is now under Samar > Airports. Our Contact Form has also moved. It is now under the About Us menu.

We are excited about these new changes, and hope you, our viewers, will be equally happy.

Manila Trip

We just returned from a trip to Manila, to file my annual report with the Bureau Of Immigration.

While we were in Manila, we stayed at the Swagman Hotel in Ermita. Their location is easy walking distance from the U.S. Embassy, and a short taxi ride from Intermurals. The Swagman will pick you up at the airport for free, and bring you back there for your return flight. I find the workers to be very friendly and helpful, but the building is rather old. Sometimes, when taking a shower, the water keeps changing tempurature, and the towels are rather old and dingy looking. My favorite part of staying at the Swagman is their Outback Bar/Restaurant. They have good Australian and Philipino foods, ranging from real steaks to crispy pata. What I like the least about this location are the many street hawkers outside the door! It seems like everytime I walk outside, someone is trying to sell me a cheap immitation rolex,  belt made in Italy (street in Marikina), or expired viagra. Also watch out for the guys with regular cars, claiming to be taxi drivers. Their prices are much higher than what you will pay with a meter.

One day I went out to Pizza Hut, and I saw this child bathing in a tub along the sidewalk. While I wouldn’t find this surprising in Samar, I was surprised to see that in a major city. Here is a picture:

Child-Bathing-On-Manila-Sidewalk