The heart called Marinduque

 Marinduque, the heart of the Philippines...

Marinduque is most famous for its Moriones Fstival which happens every Holy week. Othen than that, this-hearrt-shaped island province still has a lot of things to offer to visitors like me. 

The crown and the bouquet

One is the putong, a local tradition in which guests are serenaded (called harana), crowned with a tiara made of rattan and adorned with a Longinus face (associated with the Moriones Festival) and flowers or feathers, handed a bouquet made of local leaf with flowers, and showered with petals and coins for good luck :-) 

Provincial government employees
welcomed us with putong

Marinduque State College faculty and staff
also made us royalty for the night!

With a pack of Longinuses, the star of the
Moriones Festival every Holy Week

royalties for a day!

Arrowroot cookies, native bag,
 Longinus ref magnets and pen

Marinduque is a mine of some more goodies, like the arrowroot cookies, bibingka, puto (my favorite), saludsod, and tourist spots like caves for spelunkers; Mt Malindig for mountaineers; springs and falls; beaches for swimming, diving, and picture-taking; butterfly gardens; resorts; churches; and old houses for nostalgic pictorials. It is so blessed with natural, picture-perfect views!

Saludsod, native cake made of coconut meat
and juice, and  arrowroot flour

At the Bella Rocca Island Resort,
with rates starting at US$420 per night per pax!

These are the TRUE MINES of this province which, some years back, was threatened with mine tailings (it is still recovering...). 

In the two times I went to this province, I mined it for its treasures..... and now I call it MINE ♥

Below are my original videos. The first video was taken during the Putungan where MSC faculty and staff serenaded us, crowned us, threw coins and petals at us, then asked us to dance the waltz (so I had to stop the video, LOL). The second video was our rocky, bumpy speedboat ride to Bella Roca Island Resort. (Both videos were taken using my ever loyal and reliable Nokia E71) 

Enjoy!