Fun in Iligan

Every city has its own characteristic and qualities that makes them unique among the others. Iligan City, located in the northern part of Mindanao has a lot to offer. First, is the 23 majestic waterfalls found in the jurisdiction of Iligan. The most famous among these is the Maria Cristina Falls. Well known for its natural beauty and grandeur, the 320-feet high waterfall is also the primary source of electric power in Mindanao. It is located in the NPC Nature's Park. There also other beautiful waterfalls like the Mimabalut Falls, Tinago Falls and etc..

Second is the Timoga Springs which is also the pride of the city. It is well known for icy-cool, crystal-clear springs that flow freely to swimming pools of different sizes. There are approximately five spring resorts along the highway, which is easily accessible by land to all locals and tourists.

Iligan is not only a good tourist destination but it also a highly industrialized city. It is home to many industries like cement factories, food mills and etc.. 

The City of Iligan has one state university and 7 private colleges specialized in Engineering and Information Technology, Health Services, Maritime Science, Business and Administration, Primary and Secondary Education, and Arts and Social Sciences. Among these educational institutions is the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology, one of the few autonomous external campuses of the Mindanao State University and "the light-bearer of the several campuses of the MSU System. It is not only one of the best universities in the Visayas and Mindanao regions but considered as well as one of the best universities in Philippines with a standing of being within the top ten (10) best universities in the country with excellence in Science and Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Information Technology, and Natural Sciences. \



Other well-established technical schools include:

• Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology Integrated Developmental School 
• La Salle Academy (Iligan City) 
• ICTI Polytechnic College, Inc. formerly Iligan City Technical Institute (ICTI) 
• Iligan Capitol College (ICC) 
• Iligan Computer Institute 
• ICTSI 
• Lanao Chung Hua School (LCHS) 
• STI 
• AMA Education System 
• Picardal Institute of Technology (PIST) 
• Saint Lawrence Institute of Technology 
• Masters Technological Institute of Mindanao 
• St. Peter's College 
• Sta. Monica Institute Of Technology (SMIT) 

With a total of 181 schools (106 public; 75 private; 17 madrasah) including vocational and technical schools, Iligan City has an average literacy rate of 94.71, one of the highest in the whole Philippines.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iligan)

Iligan is predominantly Christian, with Catholics constitutes the majority of the Christians. St. Michael the Archangel is the patron of the city. Even though it is a christian city there also many Muslim settlers here and it is the best example of a place where Muslims and Christians can live and interact with each other harmoniously.

Having said all these things, I can finally say that Iligan City is indeed a place to visit and a place to stay. It's more fun in ILIGAN! And I'm proud to be an Iliganon.

#4 Attitude is everything.

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, 'Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jerry said.
Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combinations. The robbers panicked and shot him.
Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.
Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I said. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.