M1080: Pagsanjan Falls Postcard

The postcard shows the "Pagsanjan Falls" in Cavinti, Laguna. The real name of the waterfalls is actually "Magdapio Falls." However, the falls has been popularly known as "Pagsanjan Falls" because the trip to the waterfalls starts from Pagsanjan, passes through part of Lumban, then to Cavinti. The Magdapio Falls is a 120 m/393 ft horsetail type of waterfall. The descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.

M1080: Pagsanjan Falls Postcard

The back of the postcard reads:

Pagsanjan Falls, Laguna. A two-hour drive from Manila, and to reach the falls, one has to shoot the rapids which is walled by the serene virgin tropical forest some 300 ft. high.

To reach Magdapio Falls, one has to ride on bancas manned by skilled boatmen (bankeros). The upstream trip to the falls lasts more than one hour. One can shoot 14 roaring rapids during the return trip, which is less than one hour.
Before reaching the falls, one may behold many mini-falls like the Talahib Falls, Kaluykuy Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, and 19 unnamed falls that can only be seen during the rainy months. Behind the curtain of the cascading waters is the mysterious Devil's Cave, so named because its opening looks like the profile of a devil's face.

SOURCES:
Pagsanjan Falls and Shooting the Rapids
Pagsanjan Falls Wikipedia Entry

M1073: Jotabal Postcard

The postcard shows the Philippine dance Jotabal, performed by the Far Eastern University Dance Troupe. Jotabal is a lively festival dance in Camohaguin, Gumaca, Quezon. It is derived from the words Jota and valse (means waltz, a step or a dance in three-four time). The male wears Barong Tagalog and black trousers and female wears Maria Clara dress.

I was not able to find the history of the dance.

M1073: Jotabal Postcard

SOURCE:Jotabal WikiPilipinas Entry

M1067: Las Piñas Bamboo Organ Postcard

The postcard shows the famous Bamboo Organ in the Parish Church of St. Joseph in Las Piñas City. The Las Piñas Bamboo Organ is a 19th century church organ made almost entirely from bamboo: only the trumpet stops are made from metal. The builder of both the church and its organ was Fr. Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen, a priest under the Augustinian Recollects. Fr. Cera began his work on the organ in 1816 and it was completed in 1824.

M1067: Las Piñas Bamboo Organ Postcard

In 1973, the organ was shipped to Bonn, Germany for a total restoration by Johannes Klais Orgelbau KG. The restored organ returned home in March 1975. On November 24, 2003, the National Museum of the Philippines officially declared the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ a "National Cultural Treasure" for its uniqueness and significance.

RELATED ENTRY:
Parish Church of St. Joseph Postcards

SOURCE:
Las Piñas Bamboo Organ Wikipedia Entry

M1064: Bulusan Lake Postcard

The postcard shows the Bulusan Lake in Sorgoson (dubbed as the "Switzerland of the Orient"). Lake Bulusan lies at the heart of Bulusan Volcano National Park. This lake has a circumference of 2,006 meters and has a maximum capacity of water content of 3,472 cubic meters. Its geological age is estimated at 374 years old.
The lake is oftenly mistaken as the Bulusan Volcano’s main crater. It is in fact a body of emerald green water surrounded by a densed gathering of trees and lush tropical plants. There are no streams or rivers that visibly flow into the lake. The major source of water is considered to be seepage from underground water surrounding the lake.

M1064: Bulusan Lake Postcard

The back of the postcard reads:

Bulusan Lake, Sorsogon - Fine scenery with its mild temperature climate, abounding in tropical trees and plants that makes it primeval virgin forest surrounding the cool lake. Altitude, 1800 ft above sea level, no inlet and no outlet.

Bulusan Lake has an interesting legend. It is said that a village once stood where Bulusan Lake is currently located. The legend suggests that a pagan chieftain once managed the land, and one day when he did not honor a promise he made to set his slaves free, waters came from the skies and flooded everything creating the lake. His slaves that were working in the fields survived the floods and are believed to have been the founders of the city of Bulusan.

SOURCES:
Bulusan Lake WikiPilipinas Entry
Lake Bulusan Wikipedia Entry
Bulusan Lake Profile

M1062: University of Santo Tomas Postcard

The postcard shows the monument Arch of the Centuries in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) at Manila. The Arch stands 15 meters away from the University's main entrance along España Boulevard. The side of the arch facing the campus was the main doorway to the university building before it was destroyed by World War II. The stones of that doorway were transferred and reassembled piece by piece in its present site. The side with its Grecian design facing España Street is a reconstruction of the doorway as it originally looked.

M1062: University of Santo Tomas Postcard

The Arch contains Doric columns, but is Baroque in its details. The inscription on the arch says "Gateway to the history of the finest breed of Filipinos." On the left pillar of the facade facing España Boulevard is commemorative plaque honoring national hero José Rizal, and on the right pillar is another plaque honoring President Manuel L. Quezon. Both Rizal and Quezon were UST graduates. On the sides at the top of the Arch are panels depicting the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the patron saint of the University and of all Catholic schools.

All incoming students (freshmen and transferees), as parts of their initiation rites into the University, are required to pass through under the Arch. This is known as the Thomasian Welcome Walk.

RELATED ENTRY:
University of Santo Tomas Postcards

SOURCES:
Arch of the Centuries Wikipedia Entry
UST Homepage: Arch of the Centuries