A Place Special for Me

Bongabon National High School

It’s so good to reminisce the past because it lets you remember the good memories and even the not-so-good things though. Good or not, whenever you remember those, you can’t help but smile or feel embarrassed about it because right now, you never thought that you had done something like that. Every time I think about the past, I sometimes compare what I was then with the current me now, making me realize how much I’ve changed.

I can say that my days at Bongabon National High School were some of my most special because these were the days that I became active in school. Active in the sense that, compared to my elementary days where my only route was school and home, I was able to participate in almost all of the activities of the school when I was in secondary; essay writing, slogan making, joining quiz bees and the like. High school days became special to me because I had classmates who became my friends ever since the start of my day as a high-school student and even after we graduated. I also gain friends along the way whom I met by joining Scouting, Dance Troupe etc.

Maybe my most memorable part of my stay in Bongabon National High School was when my classmates and I were in our senior years where we had our first successful performance on stage for the past four years, when I won 3rd place in a Filipino essay contest for the first time (because most contestants preferred to join the English category) after joining the same contest since first year, but got no luck to won the slogan making contest ever since my stay in school.

Sibuyasan Festival at Bongabon

Sibuyasan Festival is celebrated in town annually, in the month of April. This festival aims to celebrate the prosperous harvest of the farmers through the year though many disasters come in their way.  Even before the festival, different stores build their small business which will stand even after the Festival. Different rides like Ferris Wheel will also be noticed as the big day comes.

The people celebrate the festival for the entire week. There are series of events that happens during the week such as Farmer's Day and Trade Fair including some fun activities like Onion Eating and Carabao Racing which all occur few days before the main event.

A pageant also takes place in town, one of the highlights of the Festival, where you can see the beautiful and stunning faces of Bongabon. Every year, different pageant takes place like Bb. Bongabon, Mrs. Bongabon, Ms. Gay Bongabon, and currently, the Mr. and Ms. Bongabon.

Street Dancing Competition, another highlight of Sibuyasan Festival, is also participated by different schools in the municipality either primary or secondary. Different elementary school competes for the number one spot in the primary category while different high schools in the municipality compete in the secondary category. After the Street Dancing Competition, Street Party will be next where people will party until dawn.

On the day of the festival, people goes to church to pray for their harvest, prosperity and family. After the mass, religious events take place like mass wedding or mass christening and the like. Every year, Sibuyasan festival has always been colorful and peaceful for the enjoyment of the people.

These are some events during Sibuyasan Festival at Bongabon.

Red Onions from Bongabon

Mr. and Ms. Bongabon Candidates at Bongabon Town Plaza

Farmer's Day at Bongabon Town Plaza

Drum and Lyre Competition at Bongabon National High School

Trade Fair at Bongabon

Onion Eating at Bongabon

Street Dancing Competition at Bongabon

Street Dancing Competition at the Streets of Bongabon

Street Dancing Participants of Bongabon

Evening Party at the Streets of Bongabon

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.facebook.com/bongabon.nuevaecija

http://www.facebook.com/neneth.flores.71

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-and-Miss-Bongabon-2012/211935178902090

Me From My Hometown: Bongabon

Welcome Arch of Bongabon

Bongabon, located near the boundary of Nueva Ecija and Aurora province, the place where I grew and experienced many first times; my first walk, run, play and everything! I still remember whenever I will go out and see my friends, we always play in the field and tumble over the haystacks and afterwards we’ll go travel farther until late afternoon.

It’s really fun being young and it’s more fun when you had experienced and enjoyed a lot while you’re young. As I grow, I’ve met many generous people and have known more about our hometown. How beautiful and wonderful it is cause it has so much to offer to its people. Its reach grounds that give the people their primary source of livelihood and making it as the leading producer of onion in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia gaining its title “Onion Basket of the Philippines”.

Bongabon is not just an Onion Basket, it also produces corn, more often rice and vegetables. Aside from agriculture related businesses, there are also many resorts operating in the area that offers good services not only for the people of Bongabon but for tourists as well. For me, resorts in Bongabon offer one of the cheapest services in the province with an entrance of not more than 35 pesos.

Beautiful sceneries can also be found in Bongabon such as the Ilog Jordan in Barangay Olivete and the mountain range found in Barangay Labi. You can see the sun set and rise in the horizon through the vast expanse of fields as if it is intended to raise the people residing there. In my place where I earned numerous things about my existence, I committed many mistakes and came up with realizations that serve as my foundation in facing my present life now. I learned to remain humble and simple because just like my hometown, glorious moments and things come from those who are simple and yet very promising. Indeed, simplicity discourages complications.

The Labi Bridge

Thus, Bongabon as a small and simple city served as my shelter for so many times up to now, my dearest family still lives there. This is the place where countless moments are so much worthy to treasure and buried even at the deepest part of heart. Bongabon is my hometown, my shelter and my life. Wherever I go in the future, Bongabon will still be the best place I ever been and already left a very special spot in my heart.