My 2009 Ilocos Norte Calendar Project

First things first:  Merry Christmas, everybody!

Now on to today's journal entry.  After Christmas dinner and after opening all Christmas presents and gifts, one prepares for the New Year, right?  And we begin the year with replacing our 2008 calendars.

Enter my 2009 Ilocos Norte Calendar Project.  With the help of my niece, Triscia, and her friend Ivan, the photo entries of 2007's Zoom IN Contest, and my high school friend Michael Pesengco, we came out with a calendar.

The project was actually conceptualized many, many years ago when my dad came out with calendars with his face as the main picture (like all politicians with calendar giveaways).  I thought to myself, "What if people didn't want to look at your face every day."  "What if they just wanted to see scenery."

If a politician wants to be "remembered," why doesn't he just put his name at a corner of the calendar and put some worthy pictures instead.

It was only when I was armed with pictures from the Zoom IN contest aided with the help of Triscia and Ivan and sponsored by Michael that this personal dream came true.

Thanks, guys!  I owe you big time!

And here is the final product:

It reads, "Intayon, Ilocos Norte," which translates to, "Let's go, Ilocos Norte."  It means several things.  It can be a battle cry for Ilocanos to be better.  It can be a slogan to entice tourists to come.  So on and so on.

The calendar features 14 tourist spots of the province, namely:

1.  The La Paz Sand Dunes (alternatively, people can visit the Paoay Sand Dunes, which they say is much, much better);

2. Malacan ti Amianan, or Malacanan of the North, and Paoay Lake;

3. Kapurpurawan Rock Formation in Burgos;

4. Saud Beach in Pagudpud;

5. The Sinking Belltower in Laoag City;

6. Currimao;

7. Pasaleng Bay in Pagudpud;

8. Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos;

9. Northwind Windmills in Bangui;

10. The Tobacco Monopoly Monument in Laoag City;

11. Maira-ira Cove in Pagudpud;

12. Museo Ilocos in Laoag City;

13. Paoay Church; and,

14. The Marcos Museum in Sarrat.

Although this is my project, you see no picture of me.  Not even a shadow.  No big KRIS ABLAN name either.  Just a small logo in the upper right corner.  My name is spelled so tiny I don't even think you can read it.

When I showed it to some people here in Laoag, they asked me where my picture was.  I told them, "wala."  "Bakit wala?," tanong nila.  "Eh, wala eh."

I don't think naintindihan nila yung concept ko.

 

Anyway, beginning today I've been distributing these calendars around the area.  I hope people appreciate it and I provoke them into being "tourists" in their own province.  I am sure a lot of Ilocano haven't gone to Kapurpurawan Rock or to the Paoay Sand Dunes.  I hope, even in a small way, this tourist calendar would spur a little interest in my beautiful province of Ilocos Norte.

Here are some other drafts that did not make it to print:

a.

b.

c.