Kanlaon Volcano Eruption on July 9, 2026

Kanlaon Volcano Erupted Today in Negros, Philippines

By Ma. Cristina Lao 7.9.2026

This morning, Kanlaon Volcano erupted at approximately 7:33 AM. Here in Minglanilla, Cebu, we noticed light ashfall at around 9:00 AM.

That got me wondering...

How fast did the volcanic ash travel?

Based on the reported eruption time, the observed ashfall in Minglanilla, Cebu and the approximate straight-line distance, the ash traveled:

🌋 Eruption at 7:33 AM ☁️ Ash plume rising 2–3 km 💨 Upper-level winds carrying the ash eastward 🌊 Crossing the Tañon Strait 🏝️ Ashfall in Minglanilla at 9:00 AM 📏 113 km (70 miles) 🚀 Estimated ash cloud speed: ~77 km/h (48 mph)

It's incredible to think that tiny volcanic ash particles crossed the Tañon Strait and reached Cebu in less than an hour and a half.

This is also a reminder that volcanic ash can affect communities far from the volcano, even across islands.

The Mirror, the Voice, and the School: A Dream Journal

 The Mirror, the Voice, and the School: A Dream Journal

By: Ma Cristina Lao

July 9, 2026

Woman in Distress

March 14, 2026

In my dream, I saw a woman in distress.

It happened at what felt like a house gathering, with many people around.
As she tried to move through the crowd, a man blocked her path and held her back.
She appeared frozen and called out for help, but no one around seemed to respond.

The man was tall and strongly built, wearing a long white robe.
He was accompanied by an older man with a long beard.
Both appeared to be much older, possibly in their 50s or beyond.

There was another scene in the dream, though I’m not sure if it was connected.
I heard that something tragic had happened to someone.

The setting was a small, clean house with several rooms.
One room—possibly a kitchen—had a damaged door that couldn’t be secured.

When I dream, I never see faces.
It feels as if I’m seeing the situation through someone else’s eyes,
as if I momentarily stepped into their experience.

I rarely have dreams like this. 

Volcanic Eruption or Atomic Bomb

Feb 18, 2024, Sunday. I dreamt that I saw this beautiful sky in violet and orange. I was so excited and amazed at how beautiful the sky looks today. I needed to take a picture of its unusual site. I got my camera and zoomed in to see more. On the horizon, I saw a thunder-like ray of very bright light. The ray of light suddenly became an eruption of lava and the earth was moving towards my home. In about a second or two, the lava reached us and I saw my husband trying to run away, as I did. The earth  moved towards us and I said to myself, "I couldn't believe this, this is the day I die."

The sky looks like this, but brighter.

Thunder on the horizon

The earth moved and a sea of fire came straight at us.

Is There Life After Death?

By: Ma. Cristina P. Lao

I dreamt that I was with my husband, and we were riding in a speeding car.

Suddenly the car fell from nowhere, in a very high place.

It's like a second was forever; I can see that we were falling.

I was trying to figure out how to position my body once I reached down.

Do I need to hold my head so that it will not break?

Oops, no more time to think. I wonder if it will hurt...

 

I woke up and realized that I was no longer with my husband.

I was sitting in an open area with a few people.

I was a stranger in a strange land, so I was trying to be friendly.

I introduced myself and said, "Hi, I am Tina."

Then a woman replied, "Hi, I'm Maria."

I said, "Wow, I am also Maria; I am Maria Cristina; nice to meet you". :-)

 

Then I asked the most critical question.

Where is this place, and what is the date? Sorry, I was with my husband, and when I woke up, I was already in here.

Those people were looking at each other, and I heard a whisper that they could not tell where we were.

Then I realized that I had already vanished from the earth, but in another dimension, in a place where I should start anew and survive again.

 

Yes, I dreamt about this place before in another dream.

Somebody helped me find work, and everyone looked sad because nobody was smiling.

They have jobs, and they are busy with their everyday lives.

When they saw me, they were staring at me from a distance.

I'm not sure why, but everyone was very careful with their every move.

 

It's a place where there is no crime because somebody is always watching, and though you cannot see them, you can just feel it.

I'm not sure what happens if anyone commits a mistake or something.

What do you think?

Is there life after death?

                                      Trapped in a Resort with Prison-like Rooms

It's in a resort with a big pool. She fell into the pool with her floatation device (salbabida). There were lots of people as she was washed to the far end of the pool. She tried to go back but cannot find her family and she lost her phone as well. 

She approached a transwoman and asked for help. She said, "Where can I find the room for Grade 6 section G? Can you help me, please?" 

The transwoman brought her inside a building, in the middle of the resort, and complimented her beautiful necklace. The transwoman went inside a small room and it was obvious that it was her office. I can see a microphone and an office table and she spoke eloquently like a radio broadcaster. Before she went into the room, she was mumbling a telephone number to her and said, "Remember these numbers, and do not forget them." There's no way I can remember them. I'm sure there was a number 9. 

The girl realized that the transwoman is working in that small room, so she cannot help her anymore. She walked away but she got lost again. She got inside some rooms but they kept on getting smaller and smaller. She came into a small room and climb up to escape from that room but there were barbed wires. It really looked like a secret prison. She tried to escape, however, it was very difficult for her. She was very afraid so she cannot speak or shout. She cannot get out, she was trapped.

Another Premonition

I woke up suddenly at 1AM and was calling out for help. A girl is about to be a victim of a possible rape, and the culprits will be 3 men - one dressed like a security guard and the other a foreigner. The place was indoors seems like a hallway with lights. The girl was calling out for help to the security guard but the guard smiled at her instead so he was also one of the perpetrators. Then I sensed that she will die of strangulation as she can no longer shout or speak. I suddenly woke up as I felt the beat of my heart pounding. 

I am writing this today, March 5, and will see if I hear something in the news. I hope this would never happen.

Coronavirus Pandemic - The Premonition

Coronavirus under a microscope

Predicting future events through dreams can be a little scary. 

I remember having a very weird dream last Jan 3, 2018. In fact, I wrote a blog about it the same day so that when something comes up in the future, I can connect it with something and would know what it means.

Jan 3, 2018..

"Dreaming of the sky opening up and a loud sound came out, I assume that it was God speaking. It was too loud but I cannot understand what it was saying, it was not in English. I kneeled down as I felt a Godly presence.

Foreign white men with guns were looking for a chicklet looking entity. I've never seen it before. It's really small, yellow, cute, almost toy-looking. When it eats - it grows, it eats anything, doubling its size and it grows really fast. Right then, I knew it was very dangerous."


China, Dec. 2019


The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China in December 2019.  On Jan. 11, 2020, Chinese state media reported the first known death from an illness caused by the virus.


Manila, Philippines, March 2020

The first case in the Philippines was someone with no travel history abroad was confirmed on March 5. The largest increase in the number of confirmed cases was on March 14, when 47 new cases were announced.


Cebu, Philippines, March 21, 2020

We are now under community quarantine. Social distancing is advised to all Filipinos. All malls are closed except for some establishments where we can buy food and medicine that would be groceries and pharmacies. All schools are closed until further notice. Since I work from home, I and my family do not have to go out much often. We only go out to buy food and medicine if necessary.


Worldwide

As of March 20, 2020, 10:07pm PDT, there are already 307,509‬ cases worldwide. In the Philippines, we have 230 cases confirmed and 18 deaths. Source: WHO, US CDC, CCDC, ECDC, etc.


If you happen to read this blog, please stay safe in your homes. Take this pandemic very seriously. God bless!

The Dream 1-3-2018

DanielReche images

Dreaming of the sky opening up and a loud sound came out, I assume that it was God speaking. It was too loud but I cannot understand what it was saying, it was not in English. I kneeled down as I felt a Godly presence.

Foreign white men with guns was looking for a chicklet looking entity. I've never seen it before. It's really small, yellow, cute, almost toy-looking. When it eats - it grows, it eats anything, doubling its size and it grows really fast. Right then, I knew it was very dangerous.

Food Trip - Bocas Modern Patisserie - Cebu, Philippines

                    Best dessert I've had so far in Cebu, Philippines
                                           Taste - 4.5 Stars
                                      Presentation - 5 Stars

It tastes as good as it looks!

Scientific syrups

lentils (aka tauge)

Supermoon 2016

On November 14 & 15, 2016, the moon was the biggest and brightest it has been in more than 60 years. At around 7 and 9PM on Nov. 14, Monday, in Talisay Cebu, Philippines, the clouds were so thick then, it was almost impossible to see it, and t'was nowhere in sight.

However, on November 15, Tuesday, no more thick clouds engulfed the skies so it was the perfect time to take photographs of the moon using my Nikon D5200 camera. 

I had been searching online on how to photograph just the moon and found these very useful tips by Nasim Mansurov.

1. Camera Mode: Set your camera mode to full Manual Mode.
2. ISO: Set your ISO to 100 if you have a Canon DSLR and to 200 if you have a Nikon DSLR (basically, whatever base ISO you have in your camera). For most other brands, the base ISO is also 100. If you have a point and shoot camera, see if you can find a menu setting to set your ISO to 100. Make sure “Auto ISO” is turned Off.
3. Aperture: Set your aperture to f/11.
4. Shutter Speed: Set your shutter speed to 1/125 on cameras with base ISO 100, and to 1/250 on Nikon DSLRs with base ISO 200.
5. Lens Focus: Set your lens to manual focus (either through a switch on the lens or on the camera) and set your focus to infinity. Be careful while setting the focus to infinity, as some lenses allow focusing beyond infinity. On more advanced DSLRs such as Nikon D300, there is a handy feature called “live-view with contrast detect”, which can accurately acquire focus on distant objects. I have used it many times for my moon photography and it works great! If you do not have such a feature in your camera, then try setting your lens to the center of the infinity sign, then take a picture and see if it came out sharp by zooming in the rear LCD of the camera.

So I set my camera settings at: ISO 200, Aperture f/11, Shutter Speed 1/250. 

Supermoon 2016, Cebu Philippines

Supermoon 2016, Cebu, Philipines

Supermoon 2016, close up view, using NikonD500 camera.

PLDT Should Rebate on Bills Due to Internet Service Interruptions

I can't count how many times I dialed 171 to report a problem concerning my PLDT Internet connection. At first a customer service representative would say that the connection will be fixed within 3 days and for the meantime will report the problem to their technical team.

Everyday, I call to follow up and they would say "We have reported this matter to our technicians and they are currently testing your connection." They would say these words over and over again, every day of my follow up, until it has reached the 5th day, which have caused delays in my online work.

According to DTI, we are entitled to a rebate when a company fails to deliver the service we’re paying for. We all need to speak out as we had been good customers by paying our bills without delay. Why is the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company taking our money for failed service?

Each one of PLDT customers should also report this matter to DTI as it would only take a moment of our time. If we, as Filipinos do this, there would be thousands of DTI cases against them.

Please share this message so we can make a difference.

Tim Reed Wins Cobra Ironman 70.3 in Cebu, Philippines

By: Ma Cristina P. Lao

On August 2, 2015, about 2,600 triathletes from 52 countries joined Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines 2015, in Cebu, Philippines. The event consists of a 1.9-kilometer swim, a 90-kilometer bike ride, and a 21.1-kilometer run.

SRP Road

The race started at 6AM at the Shangri-La Mactan and expected to finish by noontime. As early as 6AM there were already people lining up and waiting at the San Isidro Road crossing, near the SRP road, which is just a walking distance to where I live.

Under the heat of the piercing sun, everyone was so eager to see who the first triathletes and a few Filipino celebrities to arrive, then at around 7:30 A.M. we can hear the sound of sirens, then come along 5 triathletes on their speeding bikes. The first that I saw has the number 04 on his arms, followed by the other triathletes. I later learned that No. 4 is Peter Jacobs, whose overall rank is the 8th.

Peter Jacobs, 8th Place.

Leading the Race

On the other side of the road, I saw another triathlete in orange, whose number is 08, later became the overall Champion. He is Tim Reed from Australia who finished this triathlon race at 3:46:03 hrs. He is followed by Tim Van Verkel (2nd placer) and Brent McMahon (3rd placer).

Tim Reed, Tim Van Verkel and Brent McMahon won 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Every participant is eyeing to beat Brent McMahon who was the Champion in 2014. This tough triathlete finished at 3rd place this time, at 3:50:23 hrs. 

“Oh man, you’ll bleed from the ears,” said McMahon, who stayed right behind the two bestfriends Tim Reed (1st) and Tim Van Berkel (2nd) in the bike segment only to slow down late in the run leg. “It’s so hot here. Those Tim guys, they’re fast,” according to a report from the Inquirer.net.

Brent McMahon, 3rd Placer

Everyone was also very excited  to see the Filipino hearthrob and actor, Piolo Pascua.

Piolo Pascual

Piercing Sun and Minor Accidents

The weather may look peaceful and sunny in these pictures but in reality it's really piercing hot! I cannot imagine how these triathletes withstood the heat of the sun that day. I saw that a few had some minor injuries, scrapes on the legs and arms. At some point during the race, there were rumors of minor accidents at the Cebu SRP tunnel and somewhere in San Roque, Talisay. I've heard that one participant was brought to Talisay District Hospital. Overall, local newspapers reported the next day that the race was still successful with no major injuries brought by major accidents. 

 

Check out other bicyclists here:

Congratulations to the top 10 triathletes as follows:

OVERALL RANK: 1

Tim Reed, No. 8

Country: Australia

Swim: 22:57

Bike   2:03:21

Run    1:16:35

Overall  3:46:03

OVERALL RANK: 2

Tim Van Berkel, No. 6

Country: Australia

Tim Van Berkel

Swim: 22:58

Bike   2:03:15

Run    1:16:42

Overall  3:46:05

OVERALL RANK: 3

Country: Canada

Brent McMahon, No. 1

Swim: 22:51

Bike   2:03:17

Run    1:21:01

Overall 3:50:23

OVERALL RANK: 4

Mitch Robins, No. 16

Country: Australia

Swim: 22:58

Bike   2:08:05

Run    1:21:00

Overall  3:55:20

OVERALL RANK: 5

Craig Alexander, No. 3

Country: Australia

Swim: 23:01

Bike   2:07:53

Run    1:22:50

Overall  3:57:11

OVERALL RANK: 6

Luke McKenzie, No. 5

Country: Australia

Swim: 23:00

Bike   2:05:47

Run    1:25:26

Overall  3:57:45

OVERALL RANK: 7

Team, Rdak-C, No. 3117

Country: Philippines

Swim: 25:58

Bike   2:15:22

Run    1:12:40

Overall  3:58:20

OVERALL RANK: 8

Peter Jacobs, No. 4

Country: Australia

Swim: 22:56

Bike   2:08:04

Run    1:24:11

Overall  3:58:51

OVERALL RANK: 9

Sam Betten, No. 2

Swim: 21:51

Bike   2:08:58

Run    1:27:10

Overall  4:01:23

OVERALL RANK: 10

TEAM LA EUROPA: No. 3128

Swim: 25:50

Bike   2:16:00

Run    1:24:31

Overall  4:10:29

Now Ranked 29 on Elance Under Admin Support

As of June 2015, my rank jumped to 29 under Admin Support category out of 11,339 companies worldwide. 

Thank you Elance for given me the opportunity to help clients worldwide and offer them my expertise in data entry, email list building/marketing and web research. This only shows that I work with passion and dedication in every project that I undertake. 

I thank my clients from different parts of this world, for given me the opportunity to work with them, it's always a pleasure working for each one of you no matter how small or big the project is. With almost 50% repeat rate, I'll will try my best to make you happy with my work.

Vanessa Jay's Inspirational Quotes..

How I Got Started as a Freelancer

Written By: Ma Cristina Lao an Elancer

Do you think you have the qualities of becoming a freelancer? Well… let me rephrase, Do you think you have the qualities of becoming a successful freelancer? Are you patient, fast, accurate, detail oriented and a good communicator? Do you have basic computer skills? Do you have good research skills? Do you have any writing experience?

In freelancing, the greatest challenge is how to manage your time. Expect to work longer hours as long as 10-20 hrs or more per day.  Can a freelancer manage 4 tasks or more at the same time? Yes, that is possible. If the work load is too much to handle then hire team members who are capable of the job. Never send files without reviewing your team's work. Remember, speed, quality and good communication is the secret to successful freelancing.

Before getting started, here’s what you need to do:

1. Do your research and find out the best freelance sites you can find online.  Once you have the list, choose a freelance site that suits you. There are freelance sites that need registration and monthly fees while a few of them are free.

2. You should have a visa card, ATM or bank account in order to get paid. You can register your account details after you have registered in any of the freelance sites.

* For Filipino’s, it's best to apply for the EON CyberAccount, which is an Unionbank’s internet-based deposit account. It would only cost 300 pesos and only takes one week to get your new card.

 2. Build a complete profile. If you have any related computer experience and good at it, focus on that skill. Think harder. Write as many skills as you can in order to catch potential clients.

 3. Show a clean and impressive sample portfolio of your previous projects. It can be from your previous jobs.

4. Once you are done with the above steps, then you are set to bid for jobs. Remember the first 1-2 months are the most difficult time to get hired. The first client is the most difficult one to win because you are just starting and there are so many freelancers who have already proved their potentials, so be patient.

5. Some freelance sites require as many as 20 job bids/applications per week. Bid for 20 jobs per week. Some clients give chances to beginners as long as a bidding freelancer can prove that they deserve the job. So send a unique job application. Be clear, specific and tell clients what they should expect of you and the project that you are applying for.

6. Don’t bid too low or too high. Check the average rates for your skill (ex. Programming, admin support, Writing, data entry, researcher, etc.) and always offer reasonable rates.

7. Some clients may pay you and other freelancers for a trial job. Read their instruction clearly and do exactly as told. However, if something is not clear with you, always ask questions.

8. For your first project, finish it as soon as possible, as accurately as you can, in order to get your first perfect 5 Star rating and a continuous working relationship with your client.

So are you set to go? Good luck J

Now ranked #34 on Elance!

Posted by Ma. Cristina Lao on May 2, 2015

I had been active on Elance.com since February 2013 and am thrilled to know that my rank has jumped from 55th in 2014 to 34th in May of 2015, out of 11,289 worldwide companies in the Admin Support category. I was not expecting this as there are really many tough freelancers from the Philippines and other countries.

Screen capture from Elance.com shows Ma Cristina Lao #34 ranking in Admin Support category.

Elance states:

Freelancers earn points based on their activity, Client satisfaction and achievements on Elance. Points from My Stats are used to determine a Freelancer's Level on Elance and position in default search results.

Elance Levels represent achievements and activity as a Freelancer on Elance. Higher levels indicate greater activity, earnings and customer satisfaction. All Freelancers start at Level 1 and move up to higher Levels as they gain experience and deliver positive outcomes on their jobs.

Thanks, Elance! My main goal is to offer quick and quality service to all clients worldwide and becoming one of the top companies under Admin Support is very inspiring and a big bonus.

Client Feedbacks:

“Tina is one of the most efficient workers I've ever worked with on Elance. She was given a fairly tedious task and was able to meet a fairly tight deadline with AWESOME communication throughout the entire project. She's reliable, honest and comes with a great work ethic. Hire with confidence.”

— bbambao, Canada

“Tinlao came and cleaned up a messy job. Fast. Neat. Smart. Highly recommend!”

— medicalpublishing, USA

“Tina is very meticulous, follows directions, and does fantastic work. I highly recommend hiring her for any kind of research and information based project. ”

— elefevre72, USA

“Great to work with. I'd hire her again in a second.”

— tunzatoto, United Kingdom

For Hire:

If you are in need of Admin Support, please view my Elance Profile and list of services at https://www.elance.com/s/tinlao/.