Monthly Archives: April 2023

Religion, Social Media

A New Holy Week Tradition Is Born: Bisita Kay Marites!

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MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – One of the most revered Filipino traditions during Holy Week is “Bisita Iglesia,” where Catholic devotees visit as many churches as they can on Maundy Thursday.

But that tradition is slowly losing traction, especially with many Filipinos skipping church in favor of beach and other vacations during the Holy Week long weekend.

A new tradition seems to have been born, particularly among the so-called “Marites,” men and women who resort to rumor and fake news-mongering to help promote their chosen political orientation or affiliation.

The Adobo Chronicles learned that instead of men and women visiting churches, they go from one house to another, within and outside of their neighborhood, to hook up with fellow Marites to gather more gossip to beef up their social media posts.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has expressed grave concern over this new “Bisita ng mga Marites” which is fast catching fire in many parts of the country.

Tourism, Travel

BAGUIO: Kennon Road, Marcos Highway To Shut Down April 9 & 10

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BAGUIO CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Baguio Bureau) – Year in and year out, at the end of Holy Week, the major expressways leading to the National Capital Region become virtual parking lots because vacationers, mostly from the summer capital, Baguio City, are all rushing to get back in time for work on the Monday after Easter Sunday.

To avoid yet another repeat of nightmarish traffic along TPLEX and NLEX, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has announced that the two main thoroughfares to and from the city — Kennon Road and Marcos Highway — will be completely shut down on Sunday, April 9, and Monday, April 10. Vacationers in Baguio for the Holy Week will not be allowed to leave the city during those two days.

In an interview with The Adobo Chronicles, Magalong said that this is his city’s contribution to help with the congestion along expressways going southward during those two critical days.

So as not to burden stranded vacationers, Magalong said hotels and restaurants will offer a 50% discount for customers who can show that they have been affected by the shutdown.

Local businesses immediately praised Magalong’s initiative.

Law Enforcement, Technology, Travel

NAIA X-Ray Machines The Only Kind In The World!

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MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) may have earned notoriety due to airport hassles like “laglag bala” (implanted bullets), thievery by airport personnel and obnoxious required documentation for departing Filipino passengers, but it has one thing it is very proud of: its x-ray machines are the only kind in the world!

No other international airport can boast of screening machines that can detect contrabands that don’t exist while missing out on actual banned items in passenger luggages.

Case in point: airport authorities detected some contraband hidden inside a toy plane brought in by a returning overseas worker. It was a gift for her child in the Ilocos. Thanks to the unique x-ray machine and sniffing dog.

The box was opened in the presence of the passenger, but no contraband was found. As if that wasn’t enough, a customs officer used a hammer to break open the toy plane. Still, there was no contraband found.

So the next time you actually hide a banned item in your luggage, do not worry — it won’t be detected by the NAIA x-rays machines. They can only detect what doesn’t exist.

Very unique, eh?