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SAN PABLO City, Jan. 14, 2012—The City of San Pablo is celebrating its 416th Fiesta anniversary January 15 with the launching of the nine-day 17th Coco Festival. The pre-Fiesta events include scores of activities aimed at augmenting tourism, culture and tradition, religion, economy and life of the city. Novena Masses at the Cathedral started January 7 and will culminate on January 15, feast day of St. Paul, the First Hermit, the city’s patron Saint. The 9-day Coco Festival included the much-awaited Coco Street Dancing Competition, Float Parade and Coco Carnival Queen which took place January 13 at the City Plaza. Other activities were the Grand Fashion Show of Munting Lakan at Mutya, Coco Star and Lakan at Mutya, the United Pastoral Council Night, Department of Education Night of dances and songs, and Sanggunian Panlunsod/SK Night. Leading the Church Feastday Sunday celebration is Laguna Bishop Leo M. Drona who will preside the concelebrated 9 am Mass at the Cathedral and will...

Pulong Mindanao At around 8:30 am, we embarked to one of the sitio of Barangay Tungkod. We traveled for 30 minutes in a rough road by the car and started to walk in a stony path passing through seven rivers for almost half an hour to reach the chapel of Pulong Mindanao. The sitio is on the boundary of Sta. Maria Laguna and Tanay Rizal. It has a population of 80 voters. It has two classroms for grade level that houses all the elementary classes. Families who could afford to pay for their children to go for high school education go to Tanay for schooling. Conversing with the people, they told me that they opted for their children to send their children to Tanay instead for Sta. Maria because they need not to traverse the rivers which sometimes too deep to cross with. There is only one river but the path going to the town proper requires them to cross it seven times, There are no existing bridges not even a wooden one or made of bamboo. It is not surprising that many of the populace have ...