The Lights by Penn Larena

When I enter the Room with a heavy heart
I saw the middle lights
Passing by a good brother jamming in a passionate music
The western music culture heard my good soul

Setting in the side
Hearing the sound of a memory lane
Youthful mind appreciated the classic sound
The lights turn Disco

Two young girls and chubby mestizo speaking
Talking about young Love
The lights in a bright 8os feelings
Spice and adventure of life
The light became red and fragile

Pretty morena girl studies line to line
Observing the surroundings
Listening to the classic sound
Sudden entering of a short guy turn handsome, speaking
of renewing a happy friendship
Short guy a look-alike of Patrick de la Rosa appear fresh, sparkling eyes and telling a sad and good stories

Like a vineyard  grow to give a green light to the world
A  candle is always our guiding light
The light of a spotlight  a sunbeam  to sunrise

 

The lights in Nov. 2018

Baisanon Poet Penn Tulabing Larena  some of his works influenced by family ,relatives and friends. Some of his works including Hacienda in 2013, Hometown 2015,Rizal 2016, Katacgahan 2005 , The space between us 2018 ,Spanish Bread of Jose Rafael  2018 and Pretty Girl  2018. He is a nephew of  Literary icons in the Philippines like Fr. Rudy Villanueva aka in literature Renato Madrid, Dr. Elsa Martinez – Coscolluela,Atty .David C. Martinez, Lilius Pinili,Dr. Tichie Saycon E. Baena ,Atty Arturo Valencia Umbac,  Simon Anton Niño Diego Galera Baena and his mother Leonaga Tulabing Larena .

History of Manuel Luis Quezon Park of Dumaguete City

The Public Plaza of Dumaguete City,was constructed in September 16,1916  by American contractor  Clyde V. Powers through a donation  of  the lot by the Patero Family during the time of Mayor Ramon Teves Pastor,Dumaguetiñoes  who wanted  the park named after their  favourite President  Manuel Luis Molina Quezon.In the center of the Park  is the Jose Rizal’s statue is the most prominent fixture in the back to back with the figure Maria Clara .She is the Famous character depicting the typical Filipina in Rizal novels and  said to be the fictionalized Leonor Rivera. Eulogio Garcia Velarde  a famous Filipino  sculptor was commission by the Provincial Governor Enrique Teves Villanueva  designer the monument of Rizal ,Mara Clara, guardian angel top of the monument .A Mi utimo Adios of Rizal  Last Farewell is on side by side in three version of  English, Spanish and Bisaya  given by the Order of the  Knights of Rizal.

The Morita red fire truck on display near a balete tree is an eye catcher .It was used during the World War II AND POST –WAR time by the City’s Fire Department, also inside Quezon Park is the World War II Veterans marker and replica of the map of Negros Oriental and Siquijor Islands.There is also a bust of Don. Deigo de la Viña, unveiled in 1998, marking the 100 years of the Heritage March. De la Viña was  the liberator of the people of Negros Oriental from the Spanish Rule.

A masterpiece in the heart of the park is the colonial fountain made by Italian artist Rafaelo Palucci who design was impression of his visit to Bais in the Hacienda of the Villanueva family where he saw this group of women carrying sugar cane walking in the fields.

  

Event   in   Quezon Park Dumaguete City

The Dumaguete Tourism Office is located on one side of Quezon Park. Local and foreign tourist comes here to ask for assistance when it comes to traveling around the wonderful province. The City Hall is also located just across Quezon Park. This is a great place to see locals. Sometimes, they host a market here. There are also events that would take place here. Other times, they use this place for programs and local events. Feeding programs would also take place here. Other locals would also use this place for their dance practice. Lately, soccer games and practices happen here almost every afternoon. Every Sunday, there is show called Tayada sa Plaza with the performers being local students from different schools here in Dumaguete. They showcase their talents and skills during this event. But nevertheless, this place would always be an interesting place to just walk around and spend a little time. Since this place is just near the Bell Tower and Cathedral Church, a lot of locals would come here in stay for a while with their loved ones.

This place is also very festive during the Charter Day of the City. The City parade would start and end here. There would be some local artists who would perform at the stage. Locals would come to here to watch the programs and their favorite artists or bands. The event would continue until Christmas since the Charter day is November 25. During Christmas, this is a lively place to walk, shop for bargains and watch the locals and tourists alike. Bustling with people from all walks of life especially on Sundays and now all dressed up for Christmas. I can assure you that this place is worth a visit. Don’t forget to bring your cameras and monopods for pictorials.

Size :  No information

Location : Barangay 3

North : Gov. Mariano F. Perdices ( Old name Calle Alfonso XIII)

Left Side : Sen. Lorenzo Teves St. ( Old name Calle Colon )

Right Side : Bishop Bishop Epifanio Surban ( Old name Calle Legaspi)

South : Sta .Catalina St. ( Old  name Calle Sta. Catalina )

Parks Facilities :

Rest Room

Waste Water Treatment Facilities

Kiosk

Flag Pole

Play ground

City Tourism Office

Football field

Barangay Hall

Kiwanis Club Stage –TMO

Features of the monument bust

Historical Marker from NHCP

Last Farewell in English, Spanish and Bisaya

Information about Knights of Rizal

Poem of Jose Rizal one the novels

Funding Agency / Maintaining Agency

1.  Provincial Government in 1916 during the time of Gov. Enrique Teves Villanueva

2.   Beautification & stage Rotary Club and Lions Club in 1950 -1960

3.  Kiwanis Club 1970s to 1980s

4.  Play ground in 1999 Philippine Tourism Authority ( PTA)

5.  Beautification –City Tourism Council / City Government of Dumaguete

6.  Present  GSO City Government of Dumaguete 

The NGO /School / Government Agencies helped the beautification 

1.City Government of Dumaguete

2. Department of Tourism

3. St. Paul University Dumaguete

4. Dumaguete Tourism Council

5. Dumaguete City Festival & Arts Society Inc

Park Researcher Committee

Josefino "Penn" T.Larena  Jr.

Jessica D. Layumas

Woodrow Maquiling Jr. 

Historical day Sept 17,2016 Manolo Quezon with Heritage Advocate from Dumaguete City Festival & Arts Society NGO group promoting heritage of the place for the 100 Centennial Celebration of Manuel Quezon Park built in 1916 in Dumaguete City

Josefino " Penn" Tulabing Larena Jr

Josefino Tulabing Larena Jr. (born 1979) Nick name Penn  is a Historian, travel and lifestyle writer,educator, civic leader,Boy Scouter ,farmer, tour guide, cultural worker , consumer leader and Heritage advocate from Bais City Negros Oriental, Philippines. He is known in Dumaguete City for his community involvement  as member of the Dumaguete City Tourism Council from 2001 to 2016. Consumerism activities with CAI –Consumers Advocate Inc with the partnership of the Department of  Trade and Industry .Founding member of the Dumaguete City Festival & Arts Society Inc.

Biography

Josefino Tulabing Larena Jr. fondly called Penn the youngest son of Josefino Villanueva Larena Sr. a Sugar Planter,Softdrink Sales Man and Punong Barangay of Barangay Sra. Acion ,San Jose Negros Oriental ( 20 years ) and Leonaga Hermoso Tulabing a registered nurse ,government school nurse ( 28 years) and after her retirement she was into farming sugar cane ,coconut and rental spaces. He experienced a diverse religious upbringing came from an Ecumenism family the father is Protestant and the Mother is Roman Catholic .

Family Heritage

David Rubio Larena Sr. his grandfather was a famous Vice Mayor and town councillor of Sibulan Negros Oriental youngest son of the first civil Governor of Negros Oriental Demetrio Larena and Josefina Villacampa Rubio  from landed Somoza, Pastrano & Rubio Clan of Bais City,His grandmother Florenda Baena Villanueva is the second daughter of the late Governor Enrique Teves Villanueva and Francisca Gomez Baena of Bais City and member of the  biggest Clan of Dumaguete  Pinili, Teves and Villamil Clan,

Mother side he is  the grand son of  Leoncio  Burquiran Tulabing a Public school Teacher, School Principal ,District Supervisor and Social Sciences Professor after his retirement ,a native of Sta. Cruz “Old Palanas “ Tanjay City  .His grandfather is the son of Simplicio Tulabing of  Palanas ,Ginatilan Cebu married to Chinese-Spanish mestizo Francisca Torres Burquiran  a budbud maker a town popular native delicacy they called it ” budbud de Tanjay”  .  His grandmother Agapita J. Hermoso Tulabing of Puan in the  historic town of  Vallehermoso and  a descendants of famous Negrense Heroes Don Deigo de la Viña, Pantaleon ” Leon Kilat” Villegas and  Don Ciriaco Ollades .

Educational Background

Larena studied Elementary education at Negros Oriental State University  former CVPC ( 1986-1992 ,secondary education at Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria ( COSCA) Batch 1996.Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science  2000-2001 in Silliman University (Dumaguete City,Philippines) where he graduated with a Certificate in Philippine Studies.Masters of Arts in History 30 unites earned from Negros Oriental State University and Master in Public Administration degree in 2011 from at St. Paul University in Dumaguete  and Certificate in Professonial Education  2015 in the same University.Post Graduate studies in Public Administration on going

Academic

Larena  also does philatelic stamp collecting, and teaching Tourism, Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, History, Entrepreneurship,Humanities, Rizal,Economics, Literature, Ethics, and Social Sciences at St. Paul University in Dumaguete City, where he was the founding  Lecture coordinator of the Prof. Ambrosio Pinili Somoza Lecture Series in Social Sciences since 2015, and a member of the editorial  of the Art, History and Heritage committee for Confluence Journal is the official research publication of faculty researches which cater to all research based scholarly works and articles of the teaching workforce. It contains variety of themes and topics such as health, education, humanities, business, information technology and spirituality. In 2017 he received the Service Award from SPUD. Director for External Affairs & Protocol Officer of St. Paul University for School Year 2018-2019.

Research and Publication

In the Field of Research Larena did a studies in Agricultural technique of farmers in Negros Oriental as a college research under the late Dr. Imelda Y. Flores in 1998 and The Political life of Gov. Demetrio Larena “ Man of Faith and Service “ in 2000.In 2006 Culinary traditions in Negros Oriental for the coffee tablebook  “Buglas” ( unpublished) ,the History of Miss Dumaguete  in 2007 with Jessica D. Layumas.St. Paul University Dumaguete gave Larena a landmark in Historical Research such The History of Streets in Dumaguete its development in 2009 a  financial grant  of 35,000 pesos from Sr.Ma. Nilda Masirag,SPC and the SPUD Research and Publication Office .Serafin Lajato Teves : Old Houses research in 2010 and part of 2017 Confluence Journal Vol. 8.issue. Political History of Vallehermoso  a social sciences faculty  research 2015-2017.

In 2017 Larena had prevailed to work with Central  Azucarera de Bais  on its 100 years as their official Historian for the CAB 100years 1917- 2018. Research adviser and  winner in the Paper Presentation during the First University Research Fair 2018 paper title THE PERCEPTION OF GRADE TWELVE PIONEERING BATCH OF ACADEMIC YEAR 2017-2018 OF SAINT PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE IN HAVING THE K12 CURRICULUM.

In 2010 He met Miss Vilma Bravo the sister of the owner of Dayon Magazine Atty Ediberto Bravo after the time on he begun to wrote article for the magazine.

Tourism

Larena is one of the first accredited Tour Guide in Negros Island by the Department of Tourism 2001-2012, because of his busy schedule 2013 to the present he is known as heritage and adventure Tour guide .In 2015 he was one of the national  finalist coming  from Central Visayas for the Tourism Star Philippines (TSP) in Tourism Education & Cultural Heritage.

Tourism Educator for 10 years in St. Paul University Dumaguete and pioneering organizing committee in the First Annual Provincial Tourism Month and Tourism Congress  in 2008

Tourism Organization

Dumaguete City Tourism Council from 2001 to 2016.

Negros Island Tour Guide Association in the Philippines 2001 to 2006

Negros Oriental Tour Guide Association 2007 to the present

Negros Tour Guide Club 2008 to the Present

Tourism Achievement

Miss Dumaguete Committee 2002 to 2009 Reception Committee & Executive Committee

Dumaguete City Santa Cruzan Festival 2002 to 2006 Executive Committee

Kabulakan Festival 2007 to 2011 Executive Committee

Charter Day Celebration Mass, Anniversary  Dinner ,Arts & Crafts Bazaar Committee 2002 to 2015

Beautification Committee of the Jose Rizal Boulevard 2002 to 2015

Wow Philippines Dumaguete & Negros  Oriental in Intramuros Manila Executive Committee member 2003

Liason Officer of the Alameda- Dumaguete Sisterhood  City Visited 2015

Facilitators :

Bais-Pamilacan Dolphin & Whale Watching Tour for boat operator & fishermen 2004-2005

Resource Person of the Basley Farmer Community tour guiding Seminar June 2018 -DOT Central Visayas

Resource Person of the Balanan & Twin Lakes Sibulan Farmer Community tour guiding Seminar Sept. 2017 -DOT Central Visayas

Arts and Culture

Larena was part of so many endeavours in the field of Arts and Culture such as Historical Marker committee with Jessica Layumas and Imelda Jaybee Flores Aquino Campañario ,City Hall and Jose Rizal Boulevard . One of the few delegates to the Instituto Cervantes de Manila in 2005 summer school .As a cultural Worker he was  chairman of the first-ever Handumanan sa Dumaguete photo exhibit to launch the celebration of the National Heritage Month in 2012. According to Penn Larena, chairperson of the Heritage Exhibit Committee, it is hoped that through the photos on exhibit until next week, people will learn to appreciate the glories of the past, as well as emulate the historical figures and personages who have helped develop Dumaguete to become what it is today, making a mark in public service, arts and culture,

good governance, civic involvement, religiosity, academe, tourism and hospitality, entertainment, business, and community endeavors.

Adapted from the Visayan word handumanan which means sweet remembrance, the vintage photos in the exhibit also include a commemoration of 25 years of the Salesian Fathers of Don Bosco who run the St. Louis School-Don Bosco in Dumaguete, the Negros Revolution of 1898, past mayors of Dumaguete, and the centennial anniversary of the History and Political Science Department of Silliman University this year.

Heritage, Arts and Culture Achievements

Heritage Exhibit LGU Booth Committee  Buglasan Festival 2006 to 2014

Reception Committee 2^nd International Rondalla Festival

Delegate to the 2017 West Visayas Regional Museum Congress

Delegate to the 10th International Conference on Philippine Studies  in 2016

Delegate to the CCP Regional Dance Worshop in 2003 Dumaguete & Bacolod in 2005

Provincial Coordinator for Negros Oriental National Indigenous People Month 2005

Lifetime member of Cebu Stamp Club Inc.

Delegate to the Festival Management Training and Workshop 2011 & 2014

Organizing Committee  and Lecture to the Second History of Dumaguete Seminar 2015

Assistant Treasurer Dumaguete Festival & Arts Festival Inc 2017 to the Present

Organizing Committee National Heritage Month Celebration in Dumaguete in 2011 to 2015

Heritage Clean Up drive  for Monument,Historical sites and Public Plaza a projects with DUFAS, St. Paul University Dumaguete &  History Class Sir Penn Larena since 2014 to the Present.

Cultural Mapping of Bais City in 2017

CAB Centennial Committee 2017-2018

SPUD High School Centennial Celebration in 2017

History & Political Science Department Centennial Executive Committee in 2012

Delegate to the National Heritage Summit 2016.

 Family Heritage Achievements

Secretary of the Pinili Clan & Pinili  Cultural Educational Heritage Society 2014 to the Present

Pinili Clan Family Tree Committee 2009 to the Present

Youth Representative of the Villanueva Clan Bais City from 1999 to 2005

Teves Clan Family Tree Book contributor 

Boy Scouting Achievements

Boy Scout History of Mr. Penn T.Larena Jr. started as Kab and Junior Scout @ C.V.P.C now Negros Oriental State University 1987-1992 ,Senior Scout @ Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria 1992-1996, Rover Scout of Silliman University Batch 1999, full member from 1999- 2001.Merit Badge Counsellor in 2018 ,he wrote several article about Boy Scout events,activities and first person to write a short History of Boy Scouts in Negros Oriental from 1920s to 2014. BSP member for the fiscal year 2018 to 2020.

Literature

A Baisanon Poet  some of his works influenced by family ,relatives and friends.Some of his works including Hacienda in 2013, Hometown 2015,Rizal 2016, The space between us 2018 Spanish Bread of Jose Rafael  2018 and Pretty Girl  2018. He is a nephew of  Literary icons in the Philippines like Fr. Rudy Villanueva aka in literature Renato Madrid, Dr. Elsa Martinez – Coscolluela,Atty .David C. Martinez, Lilius Pinili,Dr. Tichie Saycon E. Baena ,Atty Arturo Valencia Umbac, and Simon Anton Niño Diego Galera Baena .