2. RAMPA
3. Galaw-Galaw
4. Youth Day and Youth Night
Formerly the town site was located some two kilometers away south of the present site. Then the people were disturbed by constant depredation of bandits coming from other places.
The present site has been chosen because it was near the sea and the fishermen found it very convenient for their trade, however, being near the sea, it was vulnerable to Moros who always come to get their belongings or even capture some people.
As a defense against such moro raids, the people planted pandan shrubs close to each other to form a formidable defense against invaders. When the Spaniards came they found the plants around the poblacion in great abundance. When asked what the name of the shrubs was, the people told them that they were pandan shrubs. Thus, the Spaniards called the place Pandan.
The municipality lies on the northern tip of the province, 96 kilometers from the capital town of Virac. Bounded on the south by the municipality of Caramoran, on the west by the Maqueda Channel, on the east by the municipality of Bagamanoc and on the north by the Pacific Ocean. It has a total land area of 11,990 hectares. This is a town of 17,096 friendly and hospitable people, to which 99% are Roman Catholic.
Of the 26 barangays that comprise the municipality, four of which actually form the town proper, which are Libod, the biggest barangay in terms of population, Napo, Pandan del Sur and Pandan del Norte. The rest are found usually near the seashore. The rest being an inland barangays.
The municipality does not only boast of the natural beauties, it has which are the Parway, Mangbang, Parola beaches, the Hinik-Hinik falls (Hinik-hinik is a local term for rain shower) and Minaipit falls, but especially of its being a hometown of Senators, Congressman, Governor, Cardinal and Ambassador.
The people of Pandan are generally peace loving, God fearing and are happy people. Everyone in the community is a brother, a sister and a friend where the products of which could be shared even food itself without thought of having it repaid or reciprocated. Visitors are offered the comforts that the family could afford even it means that the owner should lay on the floor just to make the visitor eased at home by using the “papag”. And that is not enough, before going home; products of their yard would be wrapped for you to bring in your family plus a bunch of cockling chickens.
During celebrations, immediate neighbors are invited bringing among the whole members of the family and this seemed to be incomplete without tuba drinking and little dancing. Pantomina is a long cherished dance that never changes with time despite of the current dance and music. Pandananons has a series of collected pantomina songs which are now famous composed locally, of course it is not only the above songs, Pandananons used to compose, for evidence of which that gained popularity was a song composed by the late Mr. Alfredo dela Rosa, former Municipal Secretary of the Sangguniang Bayan of Pandan, entitled “Islang Catandungan”. This song won first place in the regional contest in Sorsogon sometime on the late 60’s.
Time namin ngayon kay Maam Lopez. Late ako ng 20 minutes sa klase niya...nakatulog kasi ako. Pero ngayon, ang bigat ng ulo ko...parang gusto ko nang ihimlay ang antok kong kamalayan. Pero no choice ako...baka kasi pagalitan ako ni Maam. Haaaayyy... holy hour pa naman ngayon...nakakaantok talga. Leadership and Management ang topic namin ngayon...nagbibigay siya ng definition ng management. Nakakainis! Hindi kasi maka-absorb ang utak ko...parang natutulog na mantika. Pero sa kabila ng kaantukan, naaaliw ako sa mga classmates ko. Tamang-tama lang ang upuan ko...sa likod kung saan namamasdan ko silang lahat. Nakakatuwa...iba-iba na kasi mga hitsura nila. Merong nakayuko lang, may nagpapaikot-ikot ng bolpen, may nakadekwatro, may nakahawak sa baba, meron namang kunyari may binabasa pero pasimpleng natutulog, merong kunyaring nagsusulat ng notes pero dinodrowing pala si maam, meron namang tutok na tutok sa pakikinig pero wala namang naiintindihan, merong nagsusulat-sulatan para hindi halatang nagkekwentuhan, may nagkukrusada sa pagbibilang ng "and so on", may pasimpleng lumalabas para mag-CR iyon pala magpapahangin lang kaya'y nag-iisnak na, may naglilista ng "embaryoment", "okserb", "ogey", at iba pa, may pasimpleng lumalabas para bumili ng "mani" hindi para pamatid-gutom kundi para pamatid-antok at ang nakakatawa sa lahat ay iyong mga nasa unahang pilit na tinutukuran ang kanilang mga eyelids para hindi sumara. Iyan ang senaryo ng buong klase tuwing ganitong oras dagdag pa nga rito ang pabalik-balik na pagtingin ng ilan sa kanilang relo na gusto nang hilahin ang oras, pati na rin ang ilang nagmamaktol tuwing nag-oovertime si Maam. Haaay! Kulturang estudyante nga naman. Araw-araw, lagi-lagi ganun ang sitwasyon...nakakasawa pero nakakatuwa. Ayan, naubusan na ng tinta ang bolpen ko, hindi dahil masipag akong magsulat ng lecture notes kundi dahil sa pagsulat ng mga bagay na walang saysay=).#
MANILA (10th UPDATE) - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo officially declared martial law in the province of Maguindanao on Saturday morning.
In a press conference past 7 a.m, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced Proclamation No. 1959 declaring a state of martial law and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the province of Maguindanao, except for certain areas identified as bailiwicks of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) separatists.
The declaration of martial law will lead to the arrests without warrants of other members of the Ampatuan family who have been linked to the November 23 massacre of 57 innocent civilians. The carnage drew both local and international condemnation.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado announced that joint police and military teams have taken into custody Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his son, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan.
Ibrado said Ampatuan Sr. was brought to a hospital in Davao City, while the ARMM governor was brought to General Santos City.
As of posting, Maguindanao Vice Governor Akmad Ampatuan Sr. and Shariff Aguak Anwar Ampatuan have also been taken into custody.
Abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak reported early Friday evening that President Arroyo had ordered a state of martial law in Maguindanao, which would take effect on Saturday.
Military, police take control
Security forces on Saturday took full control of the province of Maguindanao following President Arroyo's order placing the province under martial law.
"Based on Proclamation 1959, we are here to formally take over the provincial capitol. By this time, all municipal halls have been secured by the armed forces and police forces in order to ensure that these facilities will be secure," Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command, announced at a press conference hours after the martial law declaration.
Ferrer said he has been ordered to temporarily take charge of the whole province until Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno and government agencies "come up with a new set up for the local government."
He said local government functions have also been suspended indefinitely.
Ferrer said military and police forces have started conducting warrantless arrests of personalities involved in the massacre of 57 innocent civilians, including 30 journalists, in Ampatuan town last November 23.
He said warrantless searches were also being conducted in residences of politicians, mostly members of the powerful political clan of the Ampatuans.#
Nakakataba ng puso na nagmula sa sarili kong bayan (Cavite City) at produkto ng luma kong paaralan (San Sebastian College-Recoletos) ang kasulukuyang tinanghal na CNN Hero of the Year. Si Efren Peñaflorida o mas kilala sa tawag na Kuya Ef.Sa bawat pagsubok ng buhay, ikinintal ni Kuya Ef sa ating mga puso at isipan na hindi sagabal ang kahirapan upang makamit ang edukasyon. Naging produkto ng diskriminasyon at pangungutya, hindi siya nawalan ng pag-asa upang makamit ang kanyang pangarap. At sa kabila ng pagsubok na ito, nabuo sa kanyang damdamin ang nahimbing na ambisyong tumulong sa mga kagaya niya. Inilunsad niya ang Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) na naglalayong tumulong sa mga kabataang hindi nabigyan ng oportunidad na makatungtong ng paaralan sa pamamagitan ng kariton at pagtuturo sa kalye. At sa bawat pag-usad ng kariton ni Kuya Ef, maraming kabataan ang natutulungan. Katangi-tangi ka Kuya Ef. Pinatunayan mo na determinasyon, tatag ng loob at tuwid na prinsipyo ang solusyon.
Tunay ngang nararapat kang tanghalin na isa ng bagong BAYANI.