Simply Butterflies Conservation Center

Simply Butterflies Conservation Center is one of the sanctuaries that conserves and raises the butterfly population in Bohol, which is host to approximately 300 butterfly species.  And among the goals of this sanctuary is to protect and strengthen the natural environment of the butterflies through plant research, breeding and releasing.

Simply Butterflies Conservation Center also seeks possibilities to bring money into the local economy by using butterflies and butterfly by-products. Local town folks have been taught a livelihood program on how to breed butterflies and at present, there is now a thriving community of breeders.

The breeding of common butterflies for export plus their by-products help to fund the Center’s host-plant research, development and the breeding of rare butterflies.  Only hand bred sources, not those captured from the wild, are used by the Center to protect the butterfly population. Only the surplus from these hand bred butterflies are used for making by-products for both the local and foreign markets. 

A large number of hand bred butterflies are also released into the wild from time to time thus increasing local population. 

SimplyButterflies Conservation Center in Bilar offers a tour of its sanctuary where visitors can observe and learn the whole life cycle of butterflies – from the courting stage, mating, laying of eggs; from a caterpillar, to a chrysalis, and finally into a wondrous butterfly!

Bilar is reported  to host 200 species of butterflies and the Center is always seeking effective methodologies  in breeding and conservqtion. An enclosure has been built to protect the butterflies from predators which can give them 70% survival rate. Outside, survival rate is only 2%. Several of its kind is enclosed in a 30 x 30 foot net, provided with flowering and host plants and water.

The other butterfly sanctuary in Bohol is at Sagbayan Peak.  It is a mountain resort and recreation center located in the town of Sagbayan, about 45 miles northwest of Tagbilaran City. They have a butterfly dome which houses about 18 species of these wondrous winged creatures. Flowering plants augment the inside of the dome with a very big man-made butterfly gracing the center.

Simply Butterflies Conservation Center

(63) 38 535 9400

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Camera Critters

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Watermelon: Another sex drive booster?

Watermelon may be another fruit that can boost human sex drive when regularly consumed.

According to an article by Science News, researchers at Texas A&M University believe that some of the nutrients contained in watermelon may deliver Viagra-like benefits to blood vessels and may also increase libido.

The research suggests that the beta-carotene, lysine and citrulline in watermelon are responsible for this possible added benefit.  Citrulline is converted to arginine in the body, and arginine boosts nitric acid levels, which in turn relax the blood vessels. This is essentially the same effect that Viagra has.

Other than as sex booster, watermelon is a good source of several vitamins, such as vitamin A, which is important for eye health and also strengthens immunity by helping the white blood cells fight infection.

Another is vitamin B6, which helps the immune system to produce the antibodies needed to fight disease and also plays a role in the metabolism of proteins.

The vitamin C in watermelon helps the immune system fight off infections and viruses and protects the body from free radicals, which can accelerate the aging process. Watermelon also contains a small amount of potassium.

Lycopene is the pigment that gives red color to produce such as tomatoes, pink and red grapefruit and watermelon. It also acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from the oxygen-related damage that is a result of normal cell functioning. Watermelon contains more lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable, reports the Watermelon Promotion Board.

And according to Livestrong.com, watermelon contains 92 percent water to hydrate your body. One cup of raw watermelon contains 170 mg of potassium and only 2 mg of sodium. Potassium and sodium are minerals that help regulate your blood pressure and fluid balance. 

Whereas sodium increases blood pressure, potassium can play a role in lowering blood pressure, according to an American Heart Association Nutrition Committee report published in "Circulation" in August 1998. Reducing your blood pressure lowers your risk of kidney disease.

Moreover, eating watermelon increases your levels of nitric oxide and lowers your risk of kidney disease. Watermelon, particularly the rind, is a rich source of citrulline, according to research from the United States Department of Agriculture in University of Missouri, and published in the "Journal of Chromatography A" in June 2005. Citrulline is an amino acid that your body converts to arginine, which is converted to nitric oxide. 

This gas increases blood flow and reduces blood pressure. A deficiency of nitric oxide is associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease, according to research from the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville and published in the "American Journal of Physiology and Renal Physiology" in January 2008. The scientists report that nitric oxide deficiency occurs due to limitations in arginine availability.

Saffron's breakfast buffet includes watermelon fruit and juice

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Watermelon Juice

Yummy Sunday

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Loboc River Cruise

The Loboc River Cruise has two starting points: by the Loay Bridge located in the neighboring town of Loay, or at the Loboc town proper.  The lunch/dinner buffet cruise usually runs for an hour or so back and forth.

The buffet costs about 300 pesos per person, while the kids below ten years of age are charged half.  There’s also the additional fee of100 pesos before entering the dock. It is for the maintenance of Loboc River in general and the facilities in particular.

The vessel is either a floating raft or two boats secured together (like a catamaran), which is then pushed by a motorboat (banca).

The buffet table offers authentic Filipino/Boholano dishes.  Soups, grilled seafoods, grilled meats, native delicacies, and fresh sweets and delicacies are abundantly served.

There’s also live music on board in the background performed by local bands.  But the riverside scenery remains to take center stage.

From the boat, the nipa palm plantation along the river are in view, and at times, wild ducks are reportedly seen feeding and swimming in the river.  And during the weekends and summer vacations, kids climb the top of coconut trees along the river bank and show off their diving skills.

The Busay Falls, which is about one and a half meter at most, mark the point where the floating restaurant cannot go any further.  The boat lingers in the area for a while to allow the guests to appreciate and take photographs of the scenery, and then it heads back.

On the return trip, instead of caged tarsiers that they once displayed in the past, a local performance group now showcases native traditional songs and dances.  These cultural performances have become a livelihood program as this one presented by the folks of Barangay Gotozon.

The cruise itself is relatively safe.  However, about a year ago, disaster officials closely monitored the Loboc River following the opening of the floodgates of the hydroelectric plant upstream.  Operators of the power plant decided to open the gates due to incessant rains resulting in rising water levels of the river.  Everything turned out all right, though.

This is indeed a very satisfying food and scenic tour attraction.  No wonder there are those who come back frequently -- both foreign and domestic tourists.  The inviting breezy cruise is a spiritual delight, while the lush greenery and the various nipa huts along the river banks provide a soothing backdrop. 

Other attractions in the area include the Loboc Church, the remarkable unfinished bridge built during Marcos’ era, and the Krus Dako (big cross) on top of the mountain. 
 
There are also the cable car and zipline that traverse a distance of 420 meters that provide tourists the best view from a height of between 100 to 120 meters of the landscape below.  Of course, there is also the Loboc tarsier sanctuary located at the town of Loboc.  

And on Saturdays at 1pm, The Loboc Children’s Choir performs at the convent.

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Rural Journal 

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Osang's Broas

Osang’s broas (ladyfingers) are made from the simplest ingredients: eggs, sugar and flour. The mixed ingredients are placed into a piping bag, and then piped in a strip onto a thin metal sheet, with the perfect length and width from each finger.

The sheet of10 fingers are placed in a stone oven with controlled heat coming from the charcoals below where the broas hardens and forms its shape. They are then cooled and packed into brown paper bags for delivery.

Osang is Rosa Clarion, after whom these awesome baked goodies are named.  The recipe for her special broas was originally developed in the 1800s by Osang’s aunt and was passed on to her. Osang then used it to start her small backyard business.

They hand mix all of their batters.  The slow mixing motion is the key to the consistency of their baked goods.  They mix very small batches of dough, using a maximum of only 6 eggs at a time. They can make up to 30 batches or so of dough on a given morning and only bake up until mid-day, after wards they are packed by the 100′s in paper bags and wrapped by thin plastic.

D’ Original Osang’s Homemade Pastries

Baclayon, Bohol, Philippines.

Telephone: (38)540-9072

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Food Trip Friday

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Alchemy

It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. 

Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.

                                                                Joseph Campbell

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With Me as a Mother

Weekly Top Shot

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Most Holy Trinity Parish - Loay, Bohol

The Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Loay, Bohol, locally referred to as Santissima Trinidad Parish was established by the Recollects in 1799.  The church was built in 1822, the convent in 1838, and the bell tower in 1865. 

The church complex is built on a plateau facing the sea and near the mouth of the Loboc River. A flight of stairs connects the church complex to the rest of the town located below the hill. The vehicular entrance to the complex is via the road to Loboc.

The church has two facades; the older is decorated with low relief, while the newer was reinforced in concrete and completed in the 20th century. The whole is surmounted by cement statues depicting the virtues.  The bell tower is a separate structure built at a short distance from the church. 

Like many Bohol churches the interior is painted with trompe o'eil and with Biblical scenes. The altars are in the Neoclassical style.  But since these photos were taken on Good Friday, the altar of the church was completely obscured by curtains.

It should be noted that during the Spanish colonial times, the Church and State were regarded as one; thus, the churches not only promoted Christianity, they also exercised political power that enforced complete Spanish rule over the land.

Moreover, the unique architecture of the churches were not simply reflections of Spanish/Latin American architecture, these churches were designed to withstand rebellious attacks; giving them the appearances of formidable fortresses.

The parish organ was built by Diego Cera Organ in 1841.   It was restored in 1999 by Diego Cera Organbuilders of Las Pinas

    Address: Loay, 6303 Bohol, Philippines

    Phone: +63 38 538-9158; +63 38 501-1145

    Population: 10,337; Catholics: 10,161

    Titular: Blessed Trinity, Feast Day: Trinity Sunday;

    2nd Patron: St. Francis Xavier, Feast Day: Dec. 3

Skywatch

Our World Tuesday

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Ten most inspiring travel quotes

Summer marks the heaviest travelling season worldwide; thus, herewith ten of the most inspiring quotes on this popular activity by humankind:

1. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

2. “Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

3.  “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman

4. “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson 

5. “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

6. “People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” – Dagobert  D. Runes

7. “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

8. “All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” – Samuel Johnson

9.  “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

10. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

Read 40 more inspiring travel quotes here.

Weekly Top Shot

Our World Tuesday

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