Sunday, October 25, 2026

On the history of Ricoh Watches

I found this very informative article on the Ricoh watch brand. I have several Ricoh watches in my collection so it got my attention. Here is the article on Medium:

https://alankrantas.medium.com/servicing-ricoh-crystal-9-ricoh-61-the-forgotten-japanese-watch-brand-with-an-intriguing-past-676a4facab59

Sharing here my favorite Ricoh watches I retained for my collection. I decided to part with a few ones as I continuously curate my collection. 

Ricoh World Time Diver

 
Ricoh Dynamic Wide with split day and date displays

A rare Ricoh World Timer. This is among the most faked watch models as collectors prize this model. It is difficult to get the legit watch especially in the condition that I got mine. 

-

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

A familiar brand name for refrigerators

We saw the ad along our regular commuting route to the office. It is a familiar brand for our and older generations. I am not sure if the younger generations realize that this is the brand that in its peak of popularity led to it being synonymous to the refrigerator. We and those before us commonly called refrigerators Frigidaires, the same way as others generally referred to toothpaste brands as Colgate or softdrinks as Coke (or coks as I learned as a child vacationing in Iloilo).

Ad for a refrigerator brand along C5 in Quezon City

Typical conversation may  

Anong frigidaire niyo? Sa amin Westinghouse. Sa kanila Panasonic. Sa kapitbahay Samsung.

Pabili po ng colgate; yung Close-up.

Bili ka nga ng dalawang coks. Yung isa Pepsi. Yung isa Royal.

What other brands do you remember becoming common word to represent food, drink, appliances or others? 

- 

Friday, October 16, 2026

Tuguegarao Cathedral - St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral

Our hosts took us on a technical and cultural tour on the last day of the conference last week. The technical tour was on the Cagayan State University Carig Campus where they have the Electric Mobility Center. The cultural part of the tour took us to the Tuguegarao Cathedral and Cagayan Museum. Here are some photos of the cathedral.

The cathedral formally known as St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral was host to the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The plaza in front of the cathedral is spacious and has a monument dedicated to the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The cathedral feature the red bricks known as ladrillos. These represent local craftsmanship and industrial history or heritage of the Cagayan Valley.

Historical marker in front of the cathedral

The original church was completed in 1767. The current building was constructed after World War 2.

Interior of the cathedral featuring a long main aisle leading to a relatively simple retablo. Note the ornate ceiling that now also includes large fans to help in ventilation. Tuguegarao, after all, can be very hot during the dry season.

Another view of the cathedral interior with the piligrim image of Our Lady of Guadalupe featured on the right. There was a novena when we arrived at the cathedral.

Details on one of the main doors of the cathedral

 

I wasn't able to get more photos of the interior as there was a service ongoing and we were led by our guide to the Cagayan Museum, which already awaited us (we were already running late at the time we arrived at the cathedral).

-