Welcome to Sulu Garden’s blogsite and hope you enjoy reading about Sulu Garden. Our range of topics include history, arts, applied sciences, cuisine, flora and fauna and also about our home town, Miag-ao.
About our writer/editor:
Jonathan R. Matias is the founder and chief science officer of Poseidon Sciences. Among his many interests include writing about the convergence of science, history and R&D being conducted at Poseidon. You can follow his writings via www.poseidonsciences.scienceblog.com. He currently resides in Miag-ao, Iloilo (Philippines) while Sulu Garden is being developed as a center for cuisine, arts, sciences and conservation. The series of blog articles here describes his experiences in Miag-ao, about Sulu Garden, about local history and conservation of cultural and biological diversity.
We invite articles from writers who share similar passions to become guest bloggers on this site. Please contact us at poseidonnova@aol.com using Sulu Blog as subject heading. Send us the topic you wish to write about, information about yourself, and a draft version for editorial review.
Timeline: 300 years of Miag-ao history
Posted on December 2, 2015
Michael Crichton’s 1999 sci-fi novel, Timeline, was among the many compelling books I had read in the past and later turned into a movie. Many of his other novels – Andromeda Strain, Eaters of the Dead, Congo, ER, Sphere, Terminal Man, Rising Sun and Jurassic Park, just to name a few, had all been adapted for the cinema. Most of my book reading time was when riding the New York City subway going to and from work back in the days. It was only lately that I learned he had passed away many years ago and how remarkable a writer he was….continue reading
Living in the shadow of the enchanted bubog trees and 7,000+ fruit bats
Posted on November 25, 2015
Bats living inside the church belfry, inside roof of houses and under bridges used to be commonplace. But, with better housing construction, there are less and less places for bats of all kinds to roost. Recently, the town of Monster –Yes, this is the town’s real name– in the Netherlands just finished constructing a bridge over the V lot watering River for both pedestrians to cross and for bats to roost….continue reading
Miag-ao’s barangay names and the science of Etymology
Posted on October 24, 2015
Here is a word one does not see every day. Among the many ’eccentric hobbies’ of my youth was etymology [from Greek etymon meaning “true sense” and logia meaning “the study of”] — the study of the origins of words. Returning to Miag-ao in 2013 after 13 years of being in another continent got me started in etymology once again…. continue reading
MIAG-AO STORIES. Tan Pedro and the day of decision – April 28, 1900
Posted on June 12, 2015
Last Friday, June 12, 2015 President Benigno Aquino, Jr. unfurled the Philippine National Flag in Santa Barbara, Iloilo at a ceremony on the declaration of Philippine Independence. This has not happened outside Luzon since the first flag-raising occurred when Gen. Martin Delgado of the Ilonggo Army unfurled the same flag that Gen Aguinaldo sent in 1898. Much will be said about General Delgado, the more famous Ilonggo revolutionary, and so little about the others who also fought and died in the Visayas….continue reading
Asinderos de Miag-ao: Part III. Searching for the mystery vines of the Aetas in the uplands of Miag-ao.
Posted on May 14, 2015
Parts I and II of this documentary described details of Miag-ao’s salt-making tradition called budbudan [1,2]. The salt is called budbud, meaning to sprinkle in Kinaray-a. And, the salt farmers call themselves for fun as the Asinderos de Miag-ao. The most intriguing part of the budbudan salt-making process is the mixing of a vine extract with the supersaturated salt water they call ‘tuma.’ The vine does not grow in the lowlands, at least not anymore, but can still be found in the mountains. In the olden days, according to the Asinderos, the Aeta pygmies from the mountains come down during the summer season to trade pieces of vines….continue reading.
Asinderos de Miag-ao: Part II. The Art of Farming Budbud Salt.
Posted on April 28, 2015
Immersing one’s self into a culture is never easy. But, there is no other way for an ‘outsider’ to gain knowledge of a different culture without an immersion process.
My earliest recollection of having this discussion on the subject of ‘immersion’ was in the early 1980’s while sitting on the bus with other attendees going to the prestigious Gordon Conference in New Hampshire. I was sitting next to Robert Sapolsky [1], now a famous American neuroendocrinologist at Stanford University. But, back then a post-doctoral student, doing field work in Kenya. He was attempting to collect blood samples from baboons in the middle of the African savannah as part of the study on ape social behavior….continue reading
Asinderos de Miag-ao: Part I. A fisher-folk saltmaking tradition doomed to extinction
Posted on April 17, 2015
The title might seem like a story of impending doom, like global warming. Not quite like that for now, but the vanishing traditions of our coastal communities are tied to global warming and the inexorable advance of modernization. Doom might be a good word to describe the future of the Asinderos de Miag-ao.
I arrived in Miag-ao, a coastal town in the province of southern Iloilo province (Philippines), in the summer of 1995 and always enjoyed the magnificent sunsets by the sea….continue reading
Urban legends, Part 1: Miag-ao Church – a Fortress of the Spanish Empire?
Posted on April 13, 2015
Rumors, if passed along often enough, may turn into urban legends. And, sometimes become accepted as a historical fact. Just give it enough time to circulate around for over a generation or two. Most towns and cities have their own urban legends and the usual ‘mis-encounters’ with historical accuracy. Such is the case even for the seaside town of Miag-ao (Iloilo) which is entering its 300th Foundation Day in February, 2016….continue reading
History and Mysteries of Miag-ao Church: An interview with Msgr. Claudio S. Sale
Posted on April 5, 2015
I have always wanted to know more about Miag-ao Church beyond the often rehashed trivia written in travel blogs and the bland descriptions of the church in Wikipedia and similar type of information sources. I always considered any house of worship like a living being. It has a colorful, complicated past and uncertain future. It has mysteries and legends. Its daily life has a rhythm of its own, a dynamic personality being shaped slowly by the changing times and the people……continue reading
Puentes de España: A tale of two bridges
Posted on October 11, 2014
I read with great interest the recent book by Prof. Manuel Maximo Lopez del Castillo-Noche of the University of Santo Tomas entitled Puentes de Espana en las Filipinas (The Spanish Colonial Bridges of the Philippines) [1]. For those fascinated with Spanish colonial bridges, I highly….continue reading
Origins of the name Sulu Garden
Posted on October 7, 2014