The Legend of the MangoAklan is a province in the island of Panay in central Philippines. One of its major fruit produce is the sweetly delicious mango, or mangga in Filipino. And so it goes that the Aklanons have a story about the first mango. In times gone by, there lived a couple named Daeogdog and Mabuot. They had a beautiful daughter called Aganhon. Aganhon, whose name means morning, was so much loved for she had a golden heart. She was very helpful to allher parents, the old, the sick, and the children.In the olden days, parents chose the person that their child would marry. And so, Daeogdog had picked Maeopig, the most eligible young man in the village, to be Aganhon!s husband. But Aganhon did not want to marry Maeopig, or any other manjust yet. All she wanted to do was carry on with helping her parents and the village people. And she begged her father to let her do this. Mabuot also pleaded with her husband not to marry their daughter to Maeopig. Daeogdog would not listen to them. He went on preparing for the wedding of Aganhon and Maeopig.The night before the wedding, Aganhon ran away. The following day, Daeogdog and Mabuot, with the help of their neighbors, went to look for Aganhon. Alas, they found her in the forestlying in the mossy floor, lifeless. A tiny bite-like wound at the back of her left heel that was swollen indicated that a snake had bit her and its poisonous venom caused her death. Aganhon was buried in the riverbank.When her parents visited her grave the following morning, they found a huge tree laden with golden heart-shaped fruits. Aganhon!s golden heart, Daeogdog softly said. They tasted the fruit and it was delectable. Sweet, Mabuot told her husband, just like our daughter. Daeogdog and Mabuot visited their daughters grave every morning. Each day that they came, they would greet Aganhon. Mayad- ayad nga agahon. Good morning. So the tasty golden heart-shaped fruit was called Mayad-ayad nga agahon.In time, the name was shortened to mangga.

Who Swallowed the Moon? The bilao-sized moon shines brightly. It then slowly gets to be darker and darker that it seems to disappear in the night sky. After a few minutes, it becomes lighter and lighter until it goes back to being bright and full. This is the eclipse of the moon, or laho, as Filipinos call it. In the olden days, Filipinos came up with stories to explain the disappearance (laho) of the moon. Three mythical creatures, they say, would cause the lunar eclipse. One is the Bakunawa, a giant sea serpent with a mouth the size of a lake. The laho happens when the Bakunawa eats up the moon. People have to shout and shout to make the monster spit out the moon back into the sky. Another huge creature, this time a bird as large as an island, would fly from its home outside the sky to try and devour the moon. Minokawathat is how it is calledwould manage to swallow it. And so, people make a lot of noise to distract Minokawa so that the moon can jump out. The Arimoanga is a very big lion. Enamoured by the beauty of the moon, the Arimoanga would embrace the moon, bringing darkness on the face of the earth. Scared, the people would chant at the top of the lungs: Arimoanga, Arimoanga, bitawan mo ang buwan. Arimoanga, Arimoanga, let go of the moon. Distracted by this racket, Arimoanga would loosen its embrace, allowing the moon to run away. Of course, all three creatures would fail in their attempts to take in the moon. And so, up to this day, as the story goes, the Bakunawa, Minokawa, or Arimoanga continues to lurk the night sky and pursues the moon.

FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORYIn 1763 Filipino Seamen established a settlement in what is now known as Louisiana. The Spanish American War made American national of Filipinos and from the early 1900 s through 1935 they were free to enter the United States as long as they had the price of a boat ticket. Waiting to be told are the stories of the descendants of those Spanish colonial seamen, early workers in sugar plantations of Hawaii, men who served in the U.S. Navy since World War I, women who came in the 1920 s and 1930 s ambitious and aspiring college students, eager young workers who toiled in Alaska canneries, farms in California, Arizona, Washington and Montana, the railroads, kitchens and restaurants, as postal workers or houseboys, the American-born second generation of pre-World War II days, war brides, and countless others who constitute the subsequent groups of immigrants from the Philippines. Stories of Depression, riots and discrimination, vignettes of dance halls, gambling and the other leisure time activities, the lodges, churches and organized Filipino communities, the process of acculturation, and the value of family are some of the information

The Legend of the MangoAklan is a province in the island of Panay in central Philippines. One of its major fruit produce is the sweetly delicious mango, or mangga in Filipino. And so it goes that the Aklanons have a story about the first mango. In times gone by, there lived a couple named Daeogdog and Mabuot. They had a beautiful daughter called Aganhon. Aganhon, whose name means morning, was so much loved for she had a golden heart. She was very helpful to allher parents, the old, the sick, and the children.In the olden days, parents chose the person that their child would marry. And so, Daeogdog had picked Maeopig, the most eligible young man in the village, to be Aganhon!s husband. But Aganhon did not want to marry Maeopig, or any other manjust yet. All she wanted to do was carry on with helping her parents and the village people. And she begged her father to let her do this. Mabuot also pleaded with her husband not to marry their daughter to Maeopig. Daeogdog would not listen to them. He went on preparing for the wedding of Aganhon and Maeopig.The night before the wedding, Aganhon ran away. The following day, Daeogdog and Mabuot, with the help of their neighbors, went to look for Aganhon. Alas, they found her in the forestlying in the mossy floor, lifeless. A tiny bite-like wound at the back of her left heel that was swollen indicated that a snake had bit her and its poisonous venom caused her death. Aganhon was buried in the riverbank.When her parents visited her grave the following morning, they found a huge tree laden with golden heart-shaped fruits. Aganhon!s golden heart, Daeogdog softly said. They tasted the fruit and it was delectable. Sweet, Mabuot told her husband, just like our daughter. Daeogdog and Mabuot visited their daughters grave every morning. Each day that they came, they would greet Aganhon. Mayad- ayad nga agahon. Good morning. So the tasty golden heart-shaped fruit was called Mayad-ayad nga agahon.In time, the name was shortened to mangga.

Who Swallowed the Moon? The bilao-sized moon shines brightly. It then slowly gets to be darker and darker that it seems to disappear in the night sky. After a few minutes, it becomes lighter and lighter until it goes back to being bright and full. This is the eclipse of the moon, or laho, as Filipinos call it. In the olden days, Filipinos came up with stories to explain the disappearance (laho) of the moon. Three mythical creatures, they say, would cause the lunar eclipse. One is the Bakunawa, a giant sea serpent with a mouth the size of a lake. The laho happens when the Bakunawa eats up the moon. People have to shout and shout to make the monster spit out the moon back into the sky. Another huge creature, this time a bird as large as an island, would fly from its home outside the sky to try and devour the moon. Minokawathat is how it is calledwould manage to swallow it. And so, people make a lot of noise to distract Minokawa so that the moon can jump out. The Arimoanga is a very big lion. Enamoured by the beauty of the moon, the Arimoanga would embrace the moon, bringing darkness on the face of the earth. Scared, the people would chant at the top of the lungs: Arimoanga, Arimoanga, bitawan mo ang buwan. Arimoanga, Arimoanga, let go of the moon. Distracted by this racket, Arimoanga would loosen its embrace, allowing the moon to run away. Of course, all three creatures would fail in their attempts to take in the moon. And so, up to this day, as the story goes, the Bakunawa, Minokawa, or Arimoanga continues to lurk the night sky and pursues the moon.

FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORYIn 1763 Filipino Seamen established a settlement in what is now known as Louisiana. The Spanish American War made American national of Filipinos and from the early 1900 s through 1935 they were free to enter the United States as long as they had the price of a boat ticket. Waiting to be told are the stories of the descendants of those Spanish colonial seamen, early workers in sugar plantations of Hawaii, men who served in the U.S. Navy since World War I, women who came in the 1920 s and 1930 s ambitious and aspiring college students, eager young workers who toiled in Alaska canneries, farms in California, Arizona, Washington and Montana, the railroads, kitchens and restaurants, as postal workers or houseboys, the American-born second generation of pre-World War II days, war brides, and countless others who constitute the subsequent groups of immigrants from the Philippines. Stories of Depression, riots and discrimination, vignettes of dance halls, gambling and the other leisure time activities, the lodges, churches and organized Filipino communities, the process of acculturation, and the value of family are some of the information