to volcano crater... and beyond!

Tagaytay Misadventures of a man waiting for a spectacular sunrise

2011-11-22T11:47:00.001+08:00

It was 12 midnight. I just got off from the bus at Mendez crossing and hurried at the other side of the road. Every establishment is closed except for the convenience store and a fruit stand where a few passengers were trying to catch the last bus to Nasugbu. I was hoping to spend a little time eating congee in a lugawan or sipping hot soup in a bulalohan but the place seems deserted. The only option was the convenience store to find something to warm me up. I decided to pass by Tagaytay route going to Talisay. Although I have been to the city a lot of times, it was an unfamiliar route since the usual route going to Talisay is via Tanauan City. It was my first time to pass by Tagaytay via public travel. Sungay road, a very steep downhill road going down to the lakeside town of Talisay is usually the route used by those with private vehicles.

Misadventure #1 – the ladies sweatshirt

I actually forgot to bring a jacket. It was colder outside the road than inside the bus. The cool breeze of the northeast monsoon is penetrating through my skin, and with my skinny figure it was at that moment that I was wishing I had extra fats to stay warm. My only option was a ladies sweatshirt which was given to me to be given of course to my lady. With no other choice, I had to wear it to avoid the chill. I even had to change my outfit outside the road. The sweatshirt fits exactly that I still had enough space to put back my polo and make my outfit look like a warmer.

Misadventure #2 – the hot coffee

I bought a hot coffee at the convenience store to aid my battle against Tagaytay’s cool breeze. It was the best alternative for missing the bulalohan or lugawan. My problem though was I forgot how hot the hot coffee is. I burned my tongue and insides trying to drink it like cold water.

Misadventure #3 – the wrong bus stop and the deserted road

Except for a few private vehicles from those who are spending their weekends in Tagaytay, the road was also deserted. I was trying to catch a bus back to Tagaytay Junction. I bypassed the Rotonda where some stores were open. I got down at Mendez crossing and when I saw the place deserted, I realized I made a mistake. The mistake turned into discontent as I asked some locals about busses coming and going to Manila and at 12 midnight, the hopes of catching a bus were dim. There were two men who were also stranded and we individually decided to wait and hope for a bus to pass by. We were lucky that after an hour and a half, there was one opportunistic bus with few passengers. I thought I would have to stay there until four in the morning.

Misadventure #4 – fast food, fast nap

At Tagaytay junction, I found myself staying at Mcdonald’s while waiting for the sunrise. I was trying to look for a place to stay for only three hours maximum, but decided not to incur more expenses and just stay awake wherever allowed until sunrise. Bought another cup of coffee, though. The tongue was numb, and the whole body was a little cold so drinking another hot coffee after a burned tongue was never an issue. Unfortunately, both coffees never helped in helping me stay awake the whole night. It was a good thing the place didn’t have a lot of customer so I was able to take short naps at every opportunity I got during my stay. I thank the guard for not taking notice!

Misadventure #5 – the hundred pesos short ride

At 4AM, I left Mcdo to watch out for the coming sunrise. I was too early though so I spent warming myself inside 7/11. The wifi at both Mcdo and 7-11 kept me busy at times. At 6AM, I was being convinced by tricycle drivers at Tagaytay junction to bring me down to Talisay for 250 pesos, which I repeatedly declined. I only asked to be brought to Ligaya Drive, as I was trying to catch a jeepney ride at Sungay . The jeepney fare costs around 40 and up to 80 pesos depending on how many passengers are on board. Since only a few commuters passes by this route, they are sometimes forced to give additional fares to compensate the lack of passengers so that the jeepney can leave even with less people. I was approached by business-minded folks and offered a motorcycle ride for a hundred pesos. At first I was hesitant but the notion of having the best picture-taking opportunity while riding-in-tandem got me interested. I haggled for a lower price as a formality and we agreed on the ride that will take me down with the best back row seat. I wasn’t really expecting to spend as much as that; I think I spent much more than the usual fares doing the regular route going to Talisay. It was chagrin every time I reach for my pocket to pay for the additional and unexpected expenses.

The end result

I was awake at most the whole time, I was a little cold, I was a little bit hungry due to the cold breeze, I was agonizing a little from a burned tongue, the expenses from the trip costs me more, but nothing is more rewarding even with all those misadventures than getting to see what I wanted to see for a very long time.

Unforgettable long weekend in Bolinao

2011-11-03T13:27:00.000+08:00

If it’s hard to start ablog, it might be that the topic is not an interesting one, or in my case, it’shard to tell the things I wanted to say when I am lost for words. It should not have been the case, since Isensed that it’s just another long weekend(longer weekend for us here inAngeles because of a local holiday), and it’s just another trip to the beach. I think I am still having a hangover even 2days after we got back home and having the laptop for myself all the time.

The destination this timewas Bolinao. To think that it was justanother beach was probably an understatement, and a mistake on my part. I guess I have to condition myself that weneed to travel far to experience the best beach destinations. The uncomfortable long travel was transformedinto awe as we stepped inside Punta Rivieraand got a glimpse of its facilities, and surroundings. Depending on each and everyone’s preference,the place has its pros and cons, too. But with the kids as company, I have to say Punta Riviera would be a good choice to stay, sansthe food and some lodging issues. Justbring lots of money though, as Punta Rivierais somewhat categorized as “big-budget” friendly resort along Bolinao.

The beachfront is shallowuntil about a hundred meters and more during low tide, perfect for kids andyoung people like me who are a little bit afraid of the waves. If you are into surfing and/or tackling WestPhilippine Sea’s awesome waves, Punta Rivierais not the place for you, you need to go farther unto Patar. Your kid/s (if you happen to have even justone) will surely enjoy the beachfront, though. Even the infinity pool is a great place to swim even at night, with itslukewarm water allowing our daughter to enjoy night swimming. Hunger and tiredness were probably the reasonsthat convinced her to stop at 8 in the evening and continue swimming the next day.

The adventure did not stopat the infinity pool and the beach. There was kayaking at the river beside the resort, a pool table and abadminton table, a videoke machine beside the bar which has the river and beachview, a Jacuzzi, lots of benches near the pool for some solitude, and evenlimited cable channels in your rooms. Thereare even attractions like the 400 year old St. James Cathedral, the BolinaoLighthouse, and various caves in Patar, the Bolinao Fallsaside from some rock formations on the beaches. Due to time constraints, we only got to visit the lighthouse, Cindy’scave and a quick trip to the town proper to see the cathedral and taste somebinaguey, but still those experiences were enough to make our trip anunforgettable one.

We’ve read some badreviews prior to our trip so we brought food just in case. The bad reviews were, actually bad, consideringthe sumptuous meal served to us. Thefood was a little expensive and the breakfast was almost the same as youraverage meal, but some on the menu was quite a feast for us. I have never tasted fish as fresh and tastyas the ones served. Now, where did I sawthat bad food review? It was total oppositeof what were served to us. Still withkids around, we had to bring comfort foods for them in case they turned theirheads away from the menu. You just have to paythe corresponding corkage fee.

The staffs were veryaccommodating. Even though we opted tochange room because we are not comfortable over our reserved room, theyassisted us every time. We even had ourtoilet bowl fixed as soon as possible. We were assisted when we asked for a barbecue grill (of course we alsohave to pay extra for that). We wereprovided with most of the things we asked immediately, and they were smilingevery time if we’re out of earshot of their customary greetings. Even the guards were friendly andaccommodating in some ways. Except forsome problems in our room which were fixed immediately, our stay at Punta Riviera weresatisfactory.

Bolinao, I would say, isone of the best destinations I have been to so far. Even though I read some different review fromother travelers, it’s the personal experience that counts the most. I could only say this much about our stay inBolinao. I will just let the picturesspeak for itself.

Mark Caguioa is not the MVP. He should have been.

2011-08-15T17:45:00.002+08:00

Mark Caguioa deserves more the award, with an exclamation point. If everyone is saying that the primary reason is that Ginebra is not in the finals, it’s just like saying that Derrick Rose doesn’t deserve the MVP award in the NBA because of the same reason. How do we really define a Most Valuable Player??? Personally, it's all about how valuable to your team when your team is backed against the wall. Did any player, particularly from the grandslam aspirants, ever experienced that this year, with all their lopsided wins??? Did they ever exerted effort of winning games twice even without an import??? Where’s the “individual value” if your team is winning by playing together? How do you define most valuable when everybody has equal shares??? Shouldn’t it be that the whole team deserves the MVP trophy instead???

To lead a talented team is easy. To lead a depleted team for obscurity to splendor is something worth conferring. No amount of lobbying to the media can take away what Mark did the entire season, even to the PBA as a whole. Surely, Ginebra did not have the perfect team, but at least they had the heart to try to win games, even with a depleted line-up. That’s the main reason why they’re only team tagged with a never-say-die attitude. Ginebra didn’t even have the luxury of using the national team as a leverage to trade from other PBA teams to complete their line-up. In 2007, Mark had a chance for Philippine basketball glory in getting a rare semi-grandslam, but together with Eric Menk, Jayjay Helterbrand, and even Rudy Hatfield (who later deferred playing with the National Team due to personal problems), they sacrificed all that for their country.

This was not written to criticize the winner. I congratulate him, but I personally was not impressed with somebody who always lie down on the floor everytime he makes 3-point shots. If “standing up fast after a fall” would be a criterion, Mark Caguioa would have his share of ups and downs in his career, particularly playing excellently this year after recovering from injury and not exploiting the motto literally as on-court strategy.

Mark should have been the MVP, if not Arwind. I rest my case.

No more riding expensive taxis @ Clark

2011-06-01T09:08:00.004+08:00

I heard that Clark is the cheapest gateway if you are planning on travelling to Asia and back. Diosdado Macapagal International Airport inside the former Clark Air Base (now Clark Special Economic Zone) offers cheap airplane fares compared to NAIA. Unfortunately, in the previous years, it was not the same if you are going to Clark via public transport.

Fortunately, for those who are considering flying out of the country through Clark in the future, we can now avoid those expensive taxis. Before, the most convenient public transport available is riding the Philtranco bus (currently, Partas and Genesis bus companies also has Clark routes but you have to check with their terminals) bound straight to the Clark Airport. They have terminal at SM Megamall for pick-up of passengers from Manila and travel time is shorter because of the NLEX and SCTEX and no stopovers compared to provincial buses. But the fare is actually twice more than the prevailing amount of regular buses. Maybe because airport roads are much more expensive and well-maintained, or because this is the Philippines - we charge extremely high for our fellow Filipinos who “could afford” riding on an airplane. Another option is to ride the regular bus to Dau (Mabalacat Bus Terminal), walk with your bag in tow for a couple hundred meters until you see jeepneys with SM Clark signboard, or ask any tricycle from the terminal to bring you to SM Clark Passenger Terminal and ride a taxi to the airport. The taxis are all fixed rate, mind you. No calibrated meters like the ones you see in Metropolitan Manila. Some of them don’t even have taxi names like their imaginative Manila counterparts. The current fixed rate is Php 300.00, the distance is almost like from Makati Central Business District to NAIA… but without the traffic. I still consider it expensive, coming from me who prefers getting snarled in traffic inside an uncomfortable bus rather than paying expensive taxi fares.

DMIA has introduced their public transport system just this summer - the King of the Road, slightly modified. Now, they have air-conditioned jeepneys that can fetch you from Dau Bus Terminal to Clark Airport, and back. I have tried this last weekend, and they have better air-conditioning system than most taxis. The jeepneys are clean inside and outside, although they look like your typical SUV stretched at the middle part. The drivers are all wearing shoes and are in uniform, although slightly patterned after Lito Atienza’s famous outfit. They are parked near the arrival area of Clark, in line with the buses and taxis.

If you are coming from Manila, you can ride any provincial bus which is stopping over at Dau Bus Terminal. From there you can ask where the FX/Van terminal is and you can see those Clark Jeepneys after the Bocaue and Olongapo/Bataan bound vans. Do not believe what the tricycle drivers are telling you. There is a jeepney to Clark. You just have to look for it beside Mister Donut at the back of the public vans. The tricycle drivers will tell you otherwise and will suggest that they bring you to the nearest taxi stand. In DMIA’s website, it says that the jeepney fare to Dau Terminal is Php 45.00 while Php 30.00 to SM Clark. I was charged Php 50.00 pesos up to SM Clark when I rode the jeepney but still, that is dirt cheap if you compare that to the Php 300.00 taxi fare and Php 70.00 tricycle fare that was charged to me earlier.

Bottled Up

2011-05-15T01:11:00.003+08:00

an unscheduled meet-up
of two people on a cloudless night
an unexpected talk long overdue
casual conversations with no end in sight

it felt like cloud nine
the hours seems like forever
silently I wish it wouldn’t end
seems my happiness made me unaware

I couldn’t help but notice
the distraction, the uneasy feeling
you were as cold as the beer
as I can’t stop staring

I can’t remember how many bottles
I had a hard time counting
as I choke on what you said
when you told me that you’re leaving

and then, everything was a blur
the lights, the time, and the place
the only thing I can remember
I was begging for you to stay...

The Lighthouse

2011-05-14T11:38:00.001+08:00

There was this story when I was still connected to the NGO. We were facilitating a seminar in Zambales on Turtle Conservation and some relevant issues like the restoration of Capones Island Lighthouse. Somebody who's name and face I cannot remember brought out this story while we were resting at the beach. Although the storyteller has vouched for it's authenticity, I still believe this one is to good to be true.

The following is believed to be a transcript of the actual radio conversation of a US Naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland:

CANADIANS: Please divert your course 15 degree to the South to avoid a collision...

AMERICANS: Recommend you divert your course 15 degree to the North to avoid a collision...

CANADIANS: You will have to divert your course 15 degree to the South to avoid a collision...

AMERICANS: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship... I say again... divert YOUR course...

CANADIANS: No... I say again... divert YOUR course...

AMERICANS: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, I SAY AGAIN, THAT'S ONE-FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP...

CANADIANS: This is a LIGHTHOUSE, over...

Dormant and Disappointed

2011-05-05T12:13:00.003+08:00

I dream of paradise most of the time. Unfortunately, I was having a hard timelooking for it nowadays. I have not beentravelling to places I wanted to see so I wasn’t sure what to write. I have been roaming around my city with mybike every weekend, since I cannot contain my feet from itching to travel.

It has been frustrating not to see Mt. Pinatubo, Hundredislands, and even my mother’s hometown attraction, Taal Volcano ( even now that it is showing signs ofvolcanic activity and might lead to an eruption). I even had planned on biking to Subic butthere is something wrong with my bike so the plan fell apart. I am going to do some minor upgrades and seeif I can revive my botched plan.

The only solace so far was going back to Pundakit andAnawangin Cove this year. The familywent there last Holy Week to relax. Ihave been to Pundakit a lot of times, the first in 2004 when I was “savingturtles”. This is actually the firsttime the four of us went there – me, wifey, and the two kids with only the fourof us to enjoy and experience travelling together.

Pundakit is not the same sleepy town anymore, especially duringHoly Week. Even Anawangin looks like asecond version of galera with boats filled with people coming and going everycouple of minutes. I missed the dayswhere it only costs 40 pesos on special trip to Pundakit and there are fewrevelers on the beach that you can actually find a secluded spot and swim evenon your underwear.

The cove was filled, and perhaps overfilled was a moreaccurate term. The seclusion was a greatattraction for people who want to get away from their busy city life but nowthe discovery of a beautiful getaway spot near Manila has made everythingpossible, even bringing young kids. It usedto be a challenge sleeping overnight without any electronic aid at Anawangin,but now it’s like it was just on theother side of the river, where everything is almost available, even trash. We’ve enjoyed our Holy Week trip but I was alittle disappointed at some people I saw. It could be the next Puerto Galera in a few years, I do hope not.

Wet and happy

I love sunsets @ Pundakit Bay

It probably fell from the sky like Coca Cola

25 years and worst than ever...

2011-02-26T11:52:00.001+08:00

I was already 10 years old in 1986. I was a bumming grade-schooler when the chaos started at exactly the 7th of February during that year. It was Election Day and majority who exercised their right of suffrage complained the whole day. Days had passed and a lot of surprising events led to what we generally call People Power Revolution or EDSA Revolution.

Before 1986 I was contented even with a mere peso in my pocket. Would you believe you could spend that with gulaman, a piece of monay, and a couple of candies? They say that life was hard but jeepney fare was below 1 peso.

In 1965, the president then was a visionary. He built roads and bridges throughout the country including a generator with an electric power capacity of one million kilowatts (1,000,000 kW), and water services to eight regions and 38 localities. Twenty years after, the man was merely reduced to a decrepit, corrupt, and power-hungry dictator, struggling to keep a failing economy and besieged by the opposition group for his numerous atrocities and human right violations.

If there was a legacy to remember in 1986, it should be the resilience of the people to have a united front fighting for hope, sovereignty, and nationalism. Everyone was proud to be a Filipino, irregardless of class and distinction. The rich were rubbing elbows with the poor at that grand celebration in EDSA because we have shown to the world how to lead a revolution without even firing a single gun.

And 25 years after that fateful day, we are worst than ever. We simply do not have anything to celebrate anymore. There is another economic crisis intentionally hidden by the government itself to deceive people that our country remains strong. Our network of roads are either dilapidated or leads nowhere except to the lands of the oligarchs. Our one and only railroad network became at one time a dumping place for unnecessary trash and human shits inside plastic bags. Our tollways, power lines, water lines, and basic services are owned by big private corporations. Instead of the government providing basic services to the people, the people are at the mercy of those scrupulous corporations, who have indirectly influenced and dictated the country’s policies after 1986. After EDSA, our military personnel became great businessmen, our businessmen became influential autocrats, our showbiz entertainers became adequate politicians, our politicians became great entertainers, and our leaders are procrastinating and just waiting for their Return of Investments hidden on some secret deals somewhere with some investors.

When Fidel Castro and company won the Cuban Revolution, one certain revolutionary shouted “We won the revolution! Let’s go home!” to El Commandante Che Guevara. Che then answered with a straightforward reply: “No, you idiot! The revolution begins now…”

25 years after EDSA, where are we right now? What is there to celebrate in EDSA? Do we still hope for the better for this country even while doing nothing? Or do we still hope that we experience another EDSA Revolution-like scenario? I believe it is too late.

Today we are celebrating EDSA day. We are reminded of the spirit of EDSA 1986. Yet, since 1986, EDSA is the most pissed main thoroughfare in the whole world, one of the dirtiest street, and one of the most smoke-belched street in the world. What is there to celebrate for???

War of the Slogans: Something in Awe versus Something Beautiful

2010-11-18T20:27:00.003+08:00

A new administration represents a new outlook. Unfortunately here in the Philippines, a new outlook doesn’t necessarily mean a better one. When the Department of Tourism announced a new slogan, expectations were high since the tourism business is where the government is itching to gain success in positively promoting the country, and of course, revenues.

“Pilipinas Kay Ganda” is the new(interim?) slogan of the DOT, replacing the successful “Wow Philippines” of the previous administration. Certainly with this decision, P-Noy was the epitome of his late mother, who at the very first few months of being catapulted as the new leader of the newly installed “democratic” government born out of a street revolution in 1986, “probably neglected” some project of the previous government, perhaps because of personal vendetta or the credit would not go to the new government. It was the same case here, since the old slogan was the brainchild of the previous administration, whom he publicly denounces but privately support, intuitively. He was probably irked by Senator Richard Gordon’s criticisms against him during the last election that changing the tourism logo was one of the government’s priorities. Perhaps it was that reason, or not… we will never know. One thing for sure, the change was not beneficial, as critics pun all over the new slogan, making it one of the worst and unaccepted proposals derived from his “straight road” political rallying call.

Anyways, the new slogan, aside from sounding like a morning show in a local channel, does not really present any advantages, particularly in bringing in foreign tourists, as major reaction of the critics. Indeed, for other countries have invested in their international promotions by using the universal language so that foreign tourists can relate to every tourist places and events they are heavily promoting. “Pilipinas Kay Ganda”, however vibrant the colors and the logo are, will be disadvantageous to countries like Thailand and Malaysia who promote their tourism in the English language. Even fellow bloggers pointed out unimaginable mistakes with the current slogan, wasting the efforts of those DOT people involved in the “four month study” before coming up with an abysmal concept. This is actually the best P-Noy’s appointments’ could offer, plagiarizing a television show title just to show off.

Whatever was wrong with the Department of Tourism, and the entire government in particular, it was not about changing slogans or doing things differently. Everything was about legacy, and outdoing their predecessors was giving these government officials sleepless nights until their last day of serving their “boss”, the Filipino people. New people in government service wanted to be credited by their own projects, and it creates a mess especially when a previous plan is working properly, just like what is happening right now.

It is now Wow Philippines versus Pilipinas Kay Ganda, the old against the new, the better versus the worse. Because of politics, tourism reveals its ugly facade every now and then. The entire country suffers at the folly of some.

My New Biking Companion

2010-11-15T20:24:00.005+08:00

My biking days will never be the same again. I have a new biking companion. She was introduced to me by fellow biker friends. Meet Madonna Del Ghisallo. She will be my constant companion whenever I go places with my old reliable bike.

For those unfamiliar with her, she is the patron saint of cycling. According to the legend, Colle Del Ghisallo is a mountain pass in the region of Lombardia in Italy. In medieval times, the count Ghisallo saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary at a shrine when he was attacked by bandits. He defended the shrine and saved it from the robbers. The apparition later became known as the Madonna del Ghisallo. She became patroness of local travelers then. A little later, the hill climb of Ghisallo was regularly included in the route of Giro di Lombardia (Tour of Lombardy). And then in 1949, a local priest managed to persuade Pope Pius XII to proclaim her as patroness of cyclists.

Special thanks to Mr. Balete of Sampaloc who sent the sticker through snail mail. Even if it took two weeks because the mailman distributes mail here once every month, it was worth the wait. I requested for a copy of the sticker when he posted at the PMTB forum that he is giving away stickers free of charge.

I received the sticker a few days ago. Placed it in front of the head tube and sprayed with some clear gloss spray paint. She will be my regular Sunday companion from now on, aside from Lady Gaga and her emotionally captivating music about a relationship gone bad and some face lacking any interpretable expression. She will be my protector every time I ride my bike, whether it’s my typical Sunday stroll inside Clark or one of those epic rides I will join in the future. And I guess it’s time to map out some long rides soon!

Star Strucked! How the showbiz industry is slowly killing Filipino Nationalism

2010-10-26T23:12:00.005+08:00

I went to the mall one afternoon to attend to some errands, going to an establishment to print some business cards and then buy some things needed at the house. The mall was packed at the entrance, which was the usual sight on a lazy Sunday, but I was still surprised to see more people drawn towards the event center where they usually hold programs and mall happenings. As I drew closer to the center of the mall where the event center is located, I could hear some loud shrieks coming from... who else but the crowd inside. What the f*ck? What is going on here?

I glanced at the stage and saw the culprit. Richard Gutierrez. The handsome boy most girls would love to drool, even just the mere mention of his name.

Now I understand. This is a case where people are allowed a little gratification on their part, and yet, when we talk about nationalistic issues, the answer in unison would sound like “we don't care”. It’s a pathetic excuse for a country that was the only one who has demonstrated to the whole world how to lead a successful bloodless revolution. Instead, they would rather know more about their “beloved” superstar in glossy posters rather than stare at old, worn-out, and faded portraits of national heroes and their achievements. Ask some of our young generations about Philippine history and they would cram for answers, and yet when you ask about Britney, Hanna, or the brothers named Jonas, they could probably tell you stories of those people's lives. Ask about JPEPA, BJE, ZTE, and they would probably reply to you that they don't care because it is the responsibility of the government. They sold their Filipino souls in exchanges for the PSP', DS's, N Series, Xboxes, Wii's, IXUS's and the iPods.

This is the generation wherein people do not stand straight at the sound of the National Anthem at the cinema's last full shows. This is the period where we witnessed a celebrity singer forgetting four lines of the national anthem in front of the television cameras. This is the time where the revised Panatang Makabayan wasn't even memorized at heart by students. This is the era where “Pilipinas Kong Mahal” means everything has an expensive price, including standing up for your political beliefs.

Unfortunately, people would rather talk showbiz rather than get involved with politics. And it is only here in the Philippines where the actors run for public office, and the politicians showboat in front of the camera. As much as idealistic Filipinos would want to see a united country working towards progress with a sense of nationalism within each and everyone, most of these visionaries have long been gone to the graves.

So, where does the future of this country stands? Probably it will gonna end up in the magazine covers and centerfolds...

One-Zero-Zero-Plus! my first century ride...

2010-10-23T01:27:00.006+08:00

One of my dreams (more of a personal ambition) is to bike up to Manaoag sometime in the next two years (2011 to 2012). I would have enough energy from my weekend exercise by then and probably a geared bike to help conserve strength along the way.

I didn’t expect this to happen sooner, and sooner was last Saturday, October 16.

I was invited by new friends in Pinoy Mountain Bikers’ Forum and at first I was hesitant not because I am barely new with the forum but I am overly concerned with the distance to be covered. Initial estimation was 109 kilometers of mostly flat roads, from Manaoag, Pangasinan to Bacolor, Pampanga, passing by McArthur Highway – the dreaded hunting ground of the country’s fastest and most vicious animal – the Philippine rabbit!

Kidding aside, 100 kilometers is no joke for an amateur like me, but still I decided to join the event dubbed as “Bike for Mama Mary and Mother Earth”. The terrain might be easy, the pacing might be moderate, and the length might be gruelling. There are stopovers in the towns of Moncada, Tarlac City, Mabalacat, and San Fernando in Pampanga to eat and rest before the final destination which is ‘Santino’s lair’, the famous San Guillermo Church in Bacolor, Pampanga.

I left the house and biked to the bus terminal at 10PM Friday night. I actually caught a Manaoag trip of Dagupan Bus but the bus conductor was very snobbish upon seeing my extra baggage, my bike. As a last resort, I caught a bus ride to Dagupan and got down at Urdaneta junction since it won’t pass by Manaoag. I went for some goto at the back of the market to warm myself while planning how to catch a ride to Manaoag at 1 in the morning. Half an hour later I sent a message to my friends, and luckily, they replied they just arrived at Urdaneta. We met and stayed while waiting for another batch of newly-met friends to arrive and then we decided to ride to Manaoag at 3AM. After an hour we arrived at Manaoag and had our short rest at the front of the church. We were greeted by Bishop Utleg of Laoag, hot coffee, and breakfast while having our rest. The other cyclists have started to gather within the front of the church and a few minutes after 5, the bike pilgrimage started with the first mystery of the rosary, fitting for October is the month of the rosary. The ride started after the initial prayer with Bishop Utleg and his bike leading the way to the subsequent stops followed by the rosary, and the con-celebrated mass at the end of the bike pilgrimage.

L-R: Doc Mel, Sir Gary,Bishop Utleg, Sir Gene, Sir Anthony, me, Sir Vic, Sir Alex (partly cut off) and Sir Eric (sitting)... the PMTB entourage

starting point at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Manaoag, Pangasinan

The long and arduous journey on a single speed mountain bike was made harder by the scorching heat and the blistering pace set by the bishop and after the second stop, some of us in our group got separated and decided to regroup at the next stop. I had a minor stomach ache in Capas so I flagged a SAG (Support And Gear) vehicle up to Mabalacat. We decided to stay and wait for the others in our group while Bishop Utleg, together with the rest of the pack, left us behind. When the whole gang was completed we discussed collectively if we will still continue or we can just quit and I’ll accompany them to the bus terminal which is a few kilometres away, and then all of us will be on our way home. At the end, we decided to finish the bike pilgrimage at a slower pace to preserve energy. We skipped the San Fernando stop and took a detour straight to the final destination. Thankfully, we arrived at Bacolor just when the mass is about to start.

Overall, I could not believe what I went through in that event. One cyclometer from a friend registered 120+ kilometres while the other registered 140+. Add the Urdaneta to Manaoag ride and subtract the 20 kilometers I used the SAG vehicle, it still totalled more than a hundred kilometres, although the typical century ride according to experts should be in miles (100 miles is approximately equal to 160 kilometers). This is something to be pleased about since we were on the road for almost 10 hours without any sleep. Perhaps Baguio is attainable as I ponder while biking home, but with my legs feeling pedal-heavy already, I think not anytime soon.

I dont give a shift! (the madneSS of Single Speeding)

regrouping at Mabalacat

the Final stop at San Guillermo Church, Bacolor, Pampanga

10 things you don't normally do at SCTEX

2010-09-19T23:01:00.003+08:00

1. Roam around the SCTEX interchange

2. Watch the sun rise

3. Ride your bike inside SCTEX

4. Admire the scenery

5. Park your bike inside the expressway

6. Cheer for the 7-Eleven Professional Racing team and eat their dust afterwards

7. Have cramps after 30 kilometers of biking

8. Walk the cramps (and more importantly the uphill ride)

9. Stop and take pictures

10. Support the fight for Lung Cancer!

Special thanks to Engr. Val Aquino and the organizers and sponsors of Free to Breathe Bikeathon against Lung Cancer

Clarkfield: Near yet so far, easy yet so hard...

2010-09-13T09:53:00.011+08:00

Clarkfield in Pampanga is onlya seven peso ride in the jeepney. It isso near where we currently reside that we could constantly see airplanes whichmy daughter delights in admiring them in the open skies. So when I planned to have my leisure ride, I thoughtit would be just another walk in the park, or in this case, a ride in thefield. I was dead wrong.

I started early this time. It was already bright outside but majestic Arayatand her lone deity, Mariang Sinukuan, are the ones probably blocking the sunfrom directly harming my partially sunburned skin from last week. Another great day outdoors, I whispered.

After entering Clark’s Mabalacatgate, the road imaginably stretched directly into the Zambales mountain rangeswhich includes Mt. Pinatubo, although it’s hard to guess which is the volcanofrom all those peaks towering from afar. I thought it was chicken feed (major major slang for sisiw lang), but justbarely a kilometer’s pedal, my legs were already feeling tired. Clarkfield, as I now discovered, was a slowascending road with the highest elevation of approximately 500 meters. After being overtaken by kids as young as 10 (Ithink) in their Haros, Cannondales, and other high end bikes, I decided to slowit down, for I am saving up a lot of energy for next week’s ride for a cause.

I just decided to explore Clarkand try to see any hidden paths, trails, and even unchartered roads. Even though most are paved, Clarkfield is aperfect training ground for newbie bikers, with lots of twists and turnsdepending on the level of difficulty you want to tackle. Although mostly are paved roads, the onesthat are heavy in vehicle traffic are those near the duty free shops and theairport. Most of the other roads areperfect for bike training and even just simple strolling with less vehicle interferencemost of the time.

I was also looking for AirForce City’s famous bulalo. Although I foundit, there were a lot of changes over the last few years, flavour excluded. Then I took a rest at the Nayong PilipinoComplex in Clark Expo (now Clark Education City, for those who have plans “DownUnder”). I was only planning to rest atNayong Pilipino. I chose the place for thehigh security, and in case of emergency, the rest rooms. While inside, the public speaker announcesthat the Sunday Mass will start in a short while. I stayed longer to hear mass, and wassurprised that I bumped into Father Ed - a long time friend - he was the masscelebrant at the Barasoain Church Replica. After a while back in biking, my mobile phone broke. Some keypads are malfunctioning so I decidedto cut short my ride and hit the road home after bringing my phone to a friend’sshop to let him fix it. My onlydisappointed with my whole ride was when I saw the old Expo Filipino turned into an educationalcity under foreign management. Thiscould have been UP or another state university if only our government would notbe too busy getting themselves rich with their corrupt practices. But in all, it was a great ride and I am seriously considering Clark as my weekend training ground before I decide myself to betrail-worthy.

Time to Hit the Road

2010-09-06T15:18:00.006+08:00

Ihave finished restoring up my old bike. From a piece of junk that only required an arm’s throw into the garbage dump,I decided to spend some time into it. Ihave been criticized by some people in the neighborhood because at the start,it was really a piece of junk if you have seen it. Most of those people have been encouraging meto junk the crap I called bike, buy a motorcycle, sounding just like everymotorcycle salesperson. They think thatwhat I am doing is just a waste of time. A motorcycle can be easily maintained, as they continuously persuade mewith all their flattering remarks on the wonders of motorcycling. They thought I don’t really know to ride amotorcycle. It’s just that I don’treally like to ride one. I am adheringto most people’s belief that “riding a bike is like having sex, once you learn,you’ll never forget”. Even though you don’t use your tongue in biking, it is still okay with me.

Aftera year (yes, it took me a year because of budget constraints), I finallyrestored the bike to my preferred setup, and what’s lacking onwards is what todo with it. I really did not intend itas an errand bike (‘pambili ng suka’ in common terms), I wanted it to help meto be fit and at the same time to use it to explore the places around me.

Thefirst step was last Sunday, when I initially decided to stroll aroundClark. Unfortunately, the day before, Iforgot to buy two of the most important accessories I need. I have my helmet already but I was not ableto get some tools used for emergencies. I decided at the last minute to scrap the Clark plan and do something Ithought was easier, destination Luisita Mall. Clark was just minutes away, but without having a spare tube, it will belikely isolated when an emergency happens. I decided to hit McArthur Highway in case something happens I can easilyask for help or I could ride a jeep back easily.

Iwas late and left at seven in the morning, after the sun has been up andshining. I was planning to start at 5AMbut I woke up late. It was a perfectday, so I thought, since the previous days were spoiled by an array of typhoonsthreatening to flood almost the entire country. Even the day before the ride, there were still some occasional rainswhich could have ruined my weekend plan.

Istopped at the Death March Memorial in Capas for a short rest and also to enjoythe scenery. It was going to be a greatday, and not even having a spare tube won’t spoil my trip. Besides, I chose this path because I knowthere are a lot of vulcanizing shops along the way. The only drawback though is the struggle between me and my bike against the trucks, buses, and other vehicles in thehighway. It’s a dangerous world out inthe highway for me so I did everything to have a safe ride, even if it takes methe whole morning to get to my destination.

Ireached my destination in approximately a couple of hours and more (I wasn’ttiming it). After a quick meal and ashort rest, I decided to return back since there was nothing to do in Luisitaanymore after eating. I was on solo rideso there was nobody to talk about anything under the sun, literallyspeaking. The ride back was a littleslower as fatigue and heat are slowly creeping within me. I had cramps and rested in a waiting shed atBamban junction and another one at Mabalacat-Bamban bridge overlooking thegrotto. I was passed by other riderswhile resting near the bridge, but I was easily passed by every riders I met onthe road ever since the start of my road trip because most of them have gearedbikes while my bike was on single speed sprocket and no other gears to rely onroad climbs, this setup is every masochists’ dream. Iwas back at home by 1PM with my legs trembling because of exhaustion,excitement and the thrill. I am already lookingforward for my next trip even now.

It's the season for Pawikan...

2010-08-10T21:48:00.003+08:00

The start of August officially means Pawikan Season. But no, it’s not about hunting down marine turtles with your long rifles or crossbows and displaying them as personal trophies. In fact, Pawikan season is the opposite; it is actually Turtle Conservation Season since marine turtles are considered endangered species. Five of the seven known species of marine turtles are confirmed to have considered some of the Philippines’ coastlines as migratory route and even critical habitats. They are the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the loggerhead (Caretta caretta), the Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), the hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). Most marine turtles have been hunted down, for their shell houses are beautiful decorations, and even their eggs are being poached and sold at local public markets because of their so-called medicinal benefits, according to traditional customs persistent within the country.

As the fight to preserve marine turtles begins, attentive measures are necessary and even careful and constant study. Continuous research by biologists and gathering of information will greatly help in the advocacy.

INFORMING THE COMMUNITY

The coastal barangays of Pundakit and San Miguel in San Antonio, Zambales are natural marine turtle habitat, including the whole coastline of Zambales province. But San Antonio has plenty of secluded coves in Agusuhin point, and including beaches of Capones and Camara Islands, they are perfect nesting grounds for marine turtles since scarce population exist in these locations, which are hard to reach areas because there is no network of roads in these places; they can be only reached by boat. Unfortunately, sometimes, fishermen act as poachers, one of the predators that are slowly endangering the lives of turtles into extinction.

Together with Environmental Protection of Asia Foundation, DENR, and local officials, we set foot to both barangays hoping to inform, introduce, and help them in the saving marine turtles. The community was eager to learn facts about turtles and was amazed because of the misperceptions about these animal creatures. Freshly laid eggs were openly pilfered and sold to the public market as alternative medicine to asthma symptoms, as was widely believed by locals through the years. The proper forum has encouraged most folks not to get and eat turtle eggs, avoid harming turtles, and inform their local barangay officials if ever they see one. Also, through the efforts of barangay leaders, people were positively persuaded to care not only the turtles but the whole environment as a whole. Fisher folks and even young kids have changed their attitude towards their habitat which they share with one of the most important creatures that helps in maintaining balance to the ecological system which is on the brink of being extinct in the future, if abuses were not prevented.

PATROLLING THE BEACH

Saving marine turtles is a difficult task. Marine turtles only come ashore when laying eggs. They stay most of their life at the sea, and some contacts are when they are caught in between fishermen’s nest, which is life threatening to most of them. One activity to do is to patrol the beach at night, particularly during high tides and/or when the moon is full, looking for turtles laying their eggs, hopefully before any opportunistic poacher could claim them. One theory about turtles is that they come back to the exact location where they were born to lay eggs of their future hatchlings. This hasn’t been proven but there are references and materials that can likely substantiate this claim. So, a beach that has previous turtle hatchings will also have the possibility of being a future hatching site.

Over a period of more than a month, our group was unlucky to see actual turtle hatchings. We only settled for finding a hatching site in an open beach. This continues the task of preserving marine turtles, even the baby ones. Careful transfer of the eggs into a more secure place was considered so that those eggs, the future of their endangered generation, would survive. With the help of the community, we had a place in the beach that was transformed into a hatchery for majority of the eggs that will be gathered, whether by our group or those who are willing to help. All eggs found from hatching sites around various places are being taken from their original hatching site carefully, avoiding rotation of each egg as it is being transferred, so as not to shake the embryo inside which could result in mortality. Placed on a basin or any spacious pail or container with damp sand, it is transferred to the hatchery site and buried under the sand with the same care avoiding shaking each egg. To be naturally incubated for a certain period, the hatchery is maintained by local volunteers for safety from known turtle predators, including ants and even sea water. Data are gathered from the eggs and even the turtle that laid them by the group who had witnessed a turtle’s actual laying the eggs. The turtle is measured and checked for tags, and if there are no metal tags on the flippers or any of them, they are tagged and recorded by experts for monitoring.

A PERIOD OF WAITING

Depending on the specie of the turtle, the eggs are incubated for certain days, by natural light of the sun and heat from the sand. The most common specie in Zambales, the olive ridley’s eggs, is hatched for at least 45 days. On the 4oth day, the hatchery is closely monitored for some digging activities – baby turtles dig their way up to the surface when they are hatched. Every live hatchling will try to go to the surface, so proper procedures are then undertaken to collect data like number of baby turtles that are alive compared to the number of turtle eggs, checking for deformities, spoiled eggs and even dead hatchlings. And after collecting data, the baby turtles are then sent off to the sea, to come back to lay eggs probably after 50 years and so. Depending on the conditions of the hatchlings, they can be kept until their food sap (a small container of food attached to each baby turtle’s belly, wherever that is) are almost empty.

A program was added when the baby turtles are being sent to the sea. Selected students of Pundaquit Elementary School were each asked to “adopt” a baby hatchling, allowing the student to name their baby turtles, and then encouraging the turtles to slowly crawl to the sea. Even though it was ceremonially insignificant, it was a very moving scene, and it helped create awareness between the little children about the environment and its surroundings. One child was overheard promising that he will stop his parents, relative, or any neighbor from eating or selling turtle eggs if ever he heard or catch them doing so. One was trying to cheer his turtle, hoping to see it back again in maybe a couple of decades or so, probably to introduce his adopted turtle to his son in the future, the succeeding generation of caretakers. And even though only one percent of the baby hatchlings will survive on the sea, there is still a glimmer of hope and determination, as they swim to their fate, hoping to come back to the very same beach to lay eggs.

THE HORIZON AHEAD

According to data, marine turtles help control the balance of cycle of the marine ecosystem. The less turtles out on the sea, the more chance marine life would be endangered. There would be less small fishes, the food chain of bigger fishes. Other fishes will also become extinct, so coastal towns and even other people depending on marine life as staple food will experience scarcity of fishes and sea foods in the future. Even those surviving one percent are vital to promote a balanced marine ecosystem. The only tool we have is to inform the people who are confused and illiterate on the subject of conserving our planet in particular. At present, majority of the population in San Antonio, Zambales had changed their gastronomical viewpoint on pawikans. They don’t see them as food anymore. Instead they look at them as bringer of foods.

With their beaches clean and sparsely populated, the town has shifted from poaching turtle eggs into promoting its natural beaches. Pundakit beach is also the gateway to the famous Capones Lighthouse in Capones Island, white beaches in Camara Island, Anawangin, Nagsasa, Talisain, and Aganaem coves, all within an hour’s ride by boat. Those places are also marine turtle habitats that tourists and campers might probably be surprised if there is a turtle near their pitched tent in the middle of the night.

Turtle hatching season ends in February, but up until March there still might be baby turtles to be released from the hatchery. When released, the turtle spends all of its life in the sea, never looking back to the place they were born. Even when the hatchlings are released, whether they will survive the cruel world they are living in, we are not sure.

As the sun sets while releasing the last of the baby turtles in each of our hands, and as they swim towards the horizon as we wait for the next season to approach, we pray and hope for the survival of these vital marine creatures until they come back to lay their eggs, completing their circle of life.

P-Noy's first SONA

2010-07-28T13:08:00.005+08:00

The Filipinos had mixed reactions last Monday when they heard President Noynoy Aquino’s first public address after his Inauguration. What was reported to be a surprise turned out to be, a real surprise, from the customary public speech that was the barometer for all heads of state, or republic, in this matter.

P-Noy’s first State Of the Nation Address, personally, is tolerable. After all, that is why it is called STATE of the NATION, not some chimera of hope and promise of fulfillment as a response to concerning issues coming from a letter full of grievances from the underprivileged Filipinos.

P-Noy positively identified the problems that the entire Filipino faced coming from a 9-year administration presided over false conditions of economic development, governance, and political stability. The problems that beset the entire Filipino were not written on a piece of paper and sent as a miraculous “paper boat”. The problem is the government itself, and this time, there is actually no paper to hold as evidence from all those problems created by P-Noy’s predecessor.

Sometimes, in solving a problem, one must properly identify the problem first. P-Noy’s SONA is the first that I know of that made an admission that there were traces of mis-governance, although in a very low-security risk of manner by keeping the names of the involved confidential. P-Noy may have omitted names, but he certainly did enumerate some of the reasons why there was a low perception of public trust in the previous government. He certainly did not have a definite plan to correct those problems, but he at least did not make empty promises. There was no concrete development plan for the country in his SONA since he probably believes that finding a solution to all the problems he inherited would have his hands full.

So what if his SONA lacks substance? It is outright better than the entire fictional novel blurted over the past nine years, which when compiled, could perhaps rival the Harry Potter or Twilight series in terms of fantastical embellishments.

I too, was disappointed with the over-all content of his first SONA but I admire his ingenuity for eliminating the Filipino people’s extremely high dependence for the government to do all the work. Less promises, less expectations. Therefore, there would be minimal disappointments on the point in time when the entire country will judge P-Noy on his failures and achievements.

It’s about time that the people should not rely too much on the government to work for them. That’s what the previous administration did. Now, who’s got the majority of the pie’s share – the taxpayers’ money? One province received 105 million calamity budget allocations for 3 million worth of damage from a typhoon that did not directly hit it, while the other province which was hardest hit was allocated 5 million for 6 million worth of estimated damages.

Perhaps P-Noy knows that putting concrete proposals at this moment might not be a good idea. After all, those problems he enumerated might just be the tip of the iceberg. He never mentioned any 6-year economic agenda or something like a Millennium Development Plan or a 2015 goal. At least he was honest enough not to reach for the moon, the stars, and the sky. Perhaps he wants us to think that before we can fly, we need to fix our wings.

Notice of Power Interruption

2010-07-20T19:21:00.004+08:00

Dear Citizens of this beloved city,

Due to the ongoing rotating brownouts implemented in the country, we regret to inform you that we are scheduling city-wide power interruption tomorrow from 8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In order for everyone to cope up with the inconvenience of feeling the scorching heat during the scheduled brownout, may we suggest that you put on your best clothes and stay at the nearest mall for the duration of the power outage?

Instead of feeling uncomfortable and lapsing into hysteria while enduring the heat within your cramped dwelling, any mall within the vicinity of our beloved city will be sufficient enough to cool your heads down. You can enjoy yourselves within the air-conditioned enclosure that the mall can offer aside from the usual boutiques, food establishments, arcade games and watching that over-hyped teen vampire movie shown in the cinemas.

All jejemons must be in full jejemon gear including their jejecap.

All emos should be in full black gear including their creative eyebrow make-up.

All shopaholics must have at least two paper bags/plastic bags (equivalent to two separate purchases) of the things they desire most, for this particular day only.

All gorgeous ladies can wear their sexiest outfits so that the men can drool and look back afterwards.

All students are excused to skip their classes and waste their precious study time at the mall.

We strongly advise that you make the most of your time inside your favorite hangout place so as to forget that we have been screwing you with the horrible services we offer while deliberately trying the raise the amount that we are charging you.

Yours truly,

Your only Electric Company

The quick ALA EH, YEAH! getaway...

2010-05-28T01:28:00.005+08:00

I was in the middle of an election-related event when I received a message from a friend asking for a favor. It was not an easy one but very tempting, indeed. And so, midway through the afternoon I found myself packing some stuffs and hopping on the first bus I saw on the terminal to go South, specifically to San Juan, Batangas.

I arrived at a few minutes past five in the afternoon in Lipa to meet my friend, who, just like me, is very much excited on our first trip to Laiya. Both of us are first timers and have no clear idea about going there. Relying only on bloggers’ experiences we have read from the internet, we embarked on our adventure to see that far and very famous getaway at the edge of Batangas province. We rode for more than an hour’s jeepney ride from Lipa to San Juan town proper with the mood between excitement and anticipation, and as the yellow sky turns to dark, our eagerness turned into slight fear since we’ll be entering into an unexplored territory - in personal terms. It was a good thing that the jeepney driver was gracious enough to help ease our anxiety, assuring us that we won’t get lost since San Juan is also the end of the route for him.

We reached San Juan town proper at around seven in the evening and we were almost dispirited that there was no more jeepney bound for Laiya at that time of the night. After waiting for almost an eternity, we decided to haggle for a reasonable tricycle fare and we cruised on that long stretch of mostly empty highway. After about an hour, we reached our initial and preferred destination, which was Aquatico Resort. I said ‘WAS’ since we didn’t get what we wanted. The resort was fully booked even on a weekday, including the other nearby resorts. We also tried Virgin Islands but I think they were skeptical about our ability to pay for their luxurious accommodations when they saw us alight from our country’s distinctive three-wheeled transport.

We settled for the cozy Kabayan Resort in Aplaya, and after settling in our room, we had a quick, late dinner and immediately went to what we were really after, the beach. We immersed ourselves under the clear night sky with the moon and some stars to gaze while floating from the waters at the beach, staying comfortably for more than an hour. We slept well and woke up at dawn, ate breakfast and exploited the beach early. We rented a kayak and planned to try rowing up to Aquatico Resort. A big task indeed, since we weren’t able to reach our destination. The searing heat, adding the limitless muscle power needed to row - which I do not really have (both muscles and power) - contributed to our failure in reaching our targeted destination. We consoled ourselves midway through the wide bay by meeting local fishermen diving for their daily food supply although we weren’t able to determine whether it is intended for lunch or for dinner. They were very good divers and very friendly that we were engaged in conversation with them while they were staying afloat and resting in between dives. We sunbathed and rested on the kayak for a short while and went back at the beach.

We went out of the vicinity of the resort to look for food and we found a nice little native eatery. The food at Kabayan was satisfactory but we were looking for something local, and cheap. The eatery near Laiya main road served the purpose. We wandered around the neighborhood and even played billiards at the adjacent resort while munching on buko salad packed on plastic ice candy bags sold by locals. We were planning to go island hopping and snorkeling, we were able to convince two sexy strangers to share the expenses but they were discouraged by their other companions, so we decided to forego at the last minute since the fee was expensive for two persons. We went back to dip in the shallow waters of the beach front of Kabayan Resort that we were enjoying every moment of our wet, unplanned adventure. We rested at high noon by tasting their Halo Halo specialty. Then after an hour, we went back to our room and start preparing to leave Laiya.

We waited at the roadside since we were assured that there are jeepneys going to town. We were accompanied by two taho vendors and another lady stranger who was also waiting for the ride to San Juan. It was still two hours past noon so it is still too early to panic about being stranded. A few minutes and the jeepney arrived with only a passenger inside so we felt all right although a little uncomfortable, since one of the taho vendor was probably too tired from his daily job that he fell asleep and was not aware of his head hitting my shoulders on occasions during the ride. We reached the town proper and rode a public van up to Lipa terminal were me and my friend separated ways and I, once again, got on the bus going to Manila still daydreaming about our unplanned, unforgettable, and exciting Laiya getaway.

The less paved road leads to paradise

2010-03-31T23:22:00.006+08:00

I’ve always thought that it would take some time before our planned trip to Dasol Bay would push through. The remoteness of the place and the hours of long travel to a less familiar place is discouraging a lot of visitors but the feedback from those who have been there has been very positive.

Actually, a week before the Holy Week, we were scrambling to look for a decent resort to stay in Zambales when some people recommended Dasol in Pangasinan although the drawback is the rough road leading to the place. In addition, there were lots of pictures uploaded to prove the beauty of the place so we decided it was Dasol for the ultimate trip this vacation. We contacted the only beach resort in the stretch of Tambobong beach and unfortunately, it is fully booked this coming Holy Week. Instead they gave us the weekend before the Holy Week so we confirmed our reservations and prepared everything we needed.

We left at 6 in the morning from Pampanga and stopped for a rest in Camiling and in Alaminos. We were in Burgos by noontime, anticipating the less traveled road to Tambobong while looking closely at the map we printed. The map was a big help even though there were other landmarks that could give additional help in finding the place. As the road gets rougher, it indicates that you are entering the less populated plains of Dasol and into a semi-hidden paradise only a few have experienced.

To say that the road is rough can be treated as an exaggeration or an understatement, depending whether you are an optimist or a pessimist. The road to Tambobong from Burgos is almost 70% paved, and the remaining is filled with rocks and at some point bumpy. It is passable though, but when you see yourself imagining a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, that is when all sorts of anxiousness creep into your already troubled mind with no signs of life in the plains in front of you. Even the very long distance is making you think that you are lost in some secluded place far from any civilization with no idea on where to go.

After an hour of conquering the long, winding, and partly rough road, we arrived at our destination: Matabang Beach Resort in Caiman Cove, Brgy, Osmeña in Dasol, Pangasinan. The beach resort is located at the end of the stretch of Tambobong Beach if you are coming from Ilio Ilio road and from Burgos. It is at the start of Caiman Cove coming from the road from Dasol which is an alternate road but much rougher from what we have heard from locals. Matabang Beach Resort is the only resort in that stretch, but the entire Tambobong beach is open to the public.

Our restlessness inside a crowded, oversized vehicle under the scorching sun turned into awe as we finally reached the beach road. The almost halfday trip was worth it as we marveled on the beauty of the long stretch of white beach, crystal clear waters, and the calm waves within the cove which is enjoyable even for kids who are very much afraid of the unpredictable seas.

As much as I wanted to tell more about our stay in Dasol, I would leave it up to your imagination on whatever we did during our three days’ stay in this faraway, secluded, but accessible paradise North of Manila. As far as I can tell, there is little to say about Dasol except the word ‘paradise’ screaming loudly in my head.

The dusty foot to the crater (Calauit trail, Taal Volcano)

2010-03-27T01:21:00.004+08:00

I have been to Taal Volcano a lot of times, and every trek up the ridge of the crater is a different experience. There was a time that we went to the volcano ridge with my cousin wearing leather boots and he was experiencing sores midway. So we exchanged footwear, I wore the boots and I let him use my slippers. Another was when we were asked to translate with foreign tourists but since the guide was not really that well versed in English so it was up to us to make the guests understand what the guide was trying to tell about the place. It was really adventurous although it was a major nosebleed.

Today we are back in Talisay again for another trek. What made it different this time? The trek will take us to the crater itself. We were bypassing the regular trail in front of Talisay for an alternate trail and that would lead us to a closer volcano experience. The other trail is found on the East side of Taal Volcano Island. Fronting the Calauit trail is probably the town of Mataas na Kahoy or Cuenca, but the most distinguishing landmark is Mt. Maculot, which looks like the shape of a dog’s head from afar. Traveling by boat to Calauit trail will take much longer than the regular trail, and also, more expensive than the regular boat price.

The trail is very hot and dusty at most times of the year, but it is a little bit easier than the regular trail. When I said easier it doesn’t mean that there are no steep parts here, because believe me, there is. Trekking up to the crater ridge and the trek down to the crater are both easy. The ridge serves as a midway point and resting place before going down the crater. You can conserve more energy because the start of the descent to the crater is under the shade during the morning, although it is a little steep. You need to watch your step since the trail is full of dust during hot conditions. You can try holding some branches to prevent yourself slipping and falling down fast.

The lake in the crater is safe to swim. Even though is it acidic according to volcanologists’ study, it does not really harm your skin. They say that the lake has sulphur, and so is Dr. Kaufmann’s soap which I regularly use. Just don’t try to drink it, though.

The trek would be incomplete if you do not experience any volcanic activity, and volcanic activity does not mean an imminent eruption while you are enjoying your dip in the lake in the crater. There are steam vents nearby that you can observe as close as you possibly can. There is a mud pot near the shores of the crater and it is smoking hot. You can see the boiling mud from the hole which is wide and deep enough for an SUV to fit.

The trek back up from the crater up to the ridge would require some leg power since there are portions of trails that are very steep and also very dusty, and as I have said before. It is slippery if you do not pay close attention to the ground you are walking, and planting a steady feet on the loose ground on occasions can help you avoid any accidental slips. Using a pair of shoes for trekking can also help in getting a firm grip with the challenging trail, sometimes even an ordinary pair of sandals like your favorite and fashionable Havaianas can help you get through, but the hot dust can slightly burn your bare feet during the hottest times of the day.

After the midway point, the trail back to the boat is the easiest part of your crater adventure except that there is absolutely no shade to take cover from the heat of the sun. It is important that you bring enough water or anything you can drink to hydrate your body. They do sell bottled water, soda, buko juice in tropical style (with the whole coconut fruit itself just removing a portion of the nut shell so that a drinking straw can be stuck in to sip the fresh cold juice inside), and sometimes even beer at the ridge but at a price higher than what you expect even at the supermarket.

The volcano island is open to all tourists during the day all the time except when the Philippine Institute of Volcanology (Philvolcs) raises an emergency warning to all the towns around Taal Volcano. Calauit trail is partly inaccessible during windy seasons and when strong waves are prevalent in Taal Lake. You need first to ask the person in-charge of the boat about the conditions going to Calauit trail and agree with the corresponding additional fees before you decide to go there, otherwise you’ll just be allowed to traverse the regular trail where most tourists have been.

The trek to the crater would take at most two hours from your boat to the crater and back, depending on the pace of your trek. You can reach the crater faster if you can afford riding on horseback or spending less time in between rests particularly at the midway point but you’ll be catching your breath all the way to your destination. Trekking to the crater would be best in the morning and the adventure can be done in just half a day, including the boat travel, and in the afternoon, you would probably be back in your comfortable bed in the urban world resting your aching body or you could spend a short stop in Tagaytay looking at the majestic view of the volcano you have conquered by foot a short time ago.

The Taal Volcano photoblog...

2010-03-11T12:59:00.003+08:00

There are places that we would always return to.

Experiences we could never forget.

Whether it's hot.

Dusty.

Tiring.

It's fun, though...

You don't even mind the pain in your feet.

It makes you wanna smile.

And, you'll always cherish the memories from the pictures.

Living on a prayer - The Taizé Prayer Experience

2010-03-11T12:42:00.003+08:00

For those who are not familiar with Taizé, it is an ecumenical Christian monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. Founded in 1940 by Frère Roger (Brother Roger), it is a community that is made up of more than a hundred men from many nations representing Protestant and Catholic branches of Christianity, uniting the majority of religions by focusing on prayer and meditation. The community has never wanted to create a“movement” or organization centered on itself, but instead focusing to send the young back from the youth meetings to their local Church, to their parish, group or community, to undertake, with many others, a “pilgrimage of trust on earth.”
There is also a unique method of praying with the Taizé experience, using simple and short phrases and chants, intended to be repeated again and again in aid of meditation and prayer.

The Taizé Prayer event in the Novaliches Diocese was attended by lots of people, majority of it were youth, as what Rizal had said, “The hope of this nation”. Truly they are, for I haven’t seen enthusiasm like this, although it might be because I don’t even know what to expect and they already know what would happen onwards. The program started with the enthronement of the Taizé cross to the altar, chanting Veni, Sancte, Espiritu, reminding me of Gregorian chants the way they were sung, melody and rhythm to the ears. It was followed by short opening chants, one of them in Tagalog, but the most enticing feature was the way the lyrics are created in simple words and repeated again and again, which helps people participate actively since they would not even be troubled by memorizing every line.

It was then followed by a short message from the parish priest, and then by two Taizé Brothers from their community in France who were visiting the Philippines, perhaps as part of their pilgrimage. There were also another set of speakers giving testimonials, two active youth leaders of the Diocese who were sent to Taizé and have experienced the life inside the community. And then there was gospel reading in Catholic way, attesting to Taizé’s intent of cooperation with the church, for they were not here to create a new religion, but to help us get closer to ours and to Christ. One of the important parts followed, a period of long silence for each and everyone’s reflection and prayer, and then the intercessory prayers, again borrowing from Catholic manner, accompanied by the choir singing the short phrases of response. The last most important part is where you are allowed to get closer to the Taizé cross and meditate and pray, kneeling down on the cross that was laid on the floor at the foot of the altar in the middle of the aisle. For those who opted to stay on their place of seating, prayer is also done, even with the choir singing short but meaningful phrases in Latin, English and even Tagalog. Plenty of lighted candles from the altar and lining up at the aisle served as the only light of the event, adding the solemn atmosphere that is excellently required in praying. It kind of reminded me again of our class retreat during my High School years in Don Bosco, one of the few moments that I had the opportunity to talk with the Lord without feeling any distraction from the surroundings.

It was unexpected. I have never had numerous goose bumps, not even when I watched horror films in cinema and from DVDs had I remembered experiencing this. It was some event that I got to get close to Him again, even for a short time. An informal invitation about a meaningful event led to an experience I will always remember. Even if I was invited probably because my friend couldn't get rid of me (was it?), I guess it was worth staying and delaying my trip back home even if I felt almost dead tired. My body is telling me that I am supposed to rest as soon as possible, but I felt like there was a certain awareness that constantly tells me to stay and observe, somehow giving me an idea that it was worth the wait.

Subic on top of a tree...

2010-03-11T12:40:00.004+08:00

When the Americans left Subic devastated by Mt. Pinatubo in the 90’s, then Mayor Richard Gordon had a daunting task on how will Olongapo survive with its bread and butter away for good. It took unselfish dedication from Olongapeños until Subic was reinvented as a mix industrial and recreational location for people in nearby provinces, including Manila. Unlike in Clark Air Base were major looting happened perpetrated by people from adjacent towns, Subic has somewhat retained some of its natural beauty and is now known as one of the premiere leisure hubs in the country. So when people are actually looking for quick adventures, Subic usually comes into mind.

There are a lot of activities to do in Subic. You can try them all, or if you are budget conscious, you could at least try one. Whether looking at wild animals, learning jungle survival tips, or just merely taking a dip in its calm waters on the bay, each adventure is unique. You can even stroll at the boardwalk without any cost if you suddenly feel a little romantic and share the moment with somebody special.

With our limited budget and other plans lined up for us in the weekend, we decided to experience hanging on a tree top. While there are other greater activities to explore, we chose this because of the following reasons:

EL KABAYO – been there, have done horseriding already in Baguio and much better in Taal Volcano… it’s almost the same;

OCEAN ADVENTURE – getting wet by the dolphins is not enjoyable… we used to have an open invitation from its former marine biologist but since he’s gone, there’s no point visiting now;

ZOOBIC SAFARI – I had enough seeing wild animals every time the Congressional proceedings from Batasan were televised;

JEST(Jungle Environment Survival Training) – what I want is to be able to survive the urban jungle where greed and envy has encouraged corruption and moral degradation;

And the reason why we chose TREE TOP ADVENTURE?

Because we were all monkeys a long long time ago…

February is also Hot Air Balloon month...

2010-02-26T11:47:00.004+08:00

I have always looked forward to February not because it is the month of love but for something much hotter than hundreds of intimate lovers on a romantic evening. I hate PDA's, and I prefer to be affectionate and romantic in private. So frankly, I am not anticipating a romantic February, but instead the feeling of excitement goes for the Hot Air Balloon festival.

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival is the country’s biggest aviation event that started around 14 years ago and is held annually during the second week of February. I remember around 5 to 8 years ago, we would always see those hot air balloons in the sky early in the morning while I was bringing my son to school. We weren’t attending the event then, we were just admiring them fly near my son’s school which is just a short distance from where those balloons take off. It was exciting to see those colorful balloons racing to the sky as high and as far away as they can. Seeing one might just be as ordinary as it can be, but seeing almost 25 of them lined up early in the morning sky is altogether a different experience. And seeing them up close is a once in a lifetime chance.

And so three years ago, I went to see the Hot Air Balloon Festival officially. I paid for the entrance fee, and I went inside the festival grounds. I was not just admiring them from outside the Clark perimeter which I usually do, but that time I attempted to get as close to the balloons as I possibly can. It is a four day-whole day event, and the main attraction are the colorful hot air balloons, which unfortunately, you can only see during their early morning flight at 5 to 7 in the morning and at the afternoon which is the day’s culminating event. But in between the time where the hot air balloons are in flight, the whole festival in busy with other activities like the numerous exhibits, games, photo-ops, flying exhibitions, paragliding, skydiving and even kite flying for kids and enthusiasts. The event was used to be held at OMNI Aviation grounds, but with the influx of increasing spectators, they transferred to the nearby and bigger Air Force Grounds right at the edge of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport runway.

I have been attending the festival for the past 3 years. This year may not be altogether different from the previous years, but still it is something to look forward again. Perhaps there may be a different sets of balloons coming from different parts of the world (I miss the square Whiskas, by the way), or they may be the same sets from last year. Nevertheless, I am still looking forward to this year’s event, and a nice green grass to picnic while watching the colorful balloons up in the sky.

Oh… by the way, have I told you that they glow in the dark?

Starting the year right

2010-01-13T14:36:00.003+08:00

How do I start the New Year right? There are those who devote themselves into making the endless resolutions. I already had mine, and my new year’s resolution is not to make one from now on. What’s the point of making a resolution that there might be no possibility of fulfilling it? I can set my goals at the start, but sometimes things or events happen that I falter midway into reaching those goals, and then it goes away swiftly as days go by. It’s not that I am personally discouraging each and every one of you to do the same but sometimes these tired old formulas are just like what our math lessons are: most of them are hypothetical and at times cannot be applied into reality. Just like there are infinite solutions, there are also infinite realities.

My mind, or perhaps myself has been somehow stagnant at the onset of the last quarter of last year. I cannot give any reason because I don’t have any. There are a lot of factors to consider, but it’s not about lacking in interests anymore. There has been a new fad, Facebook, but it is not one of the reasons why the mind hasn’t been creative lately that my Multiply has been in a dormant stage.

Last year was sort of a fulfillment, and I was lucky because I never expected those things to happen: the first birthday of the “princess”, some minor reunion from college friends, Boracay and other meaningful trips. Thanks also to No Pigeon Hole and his contest for recognizing a little of my talent, and even though I never won the distinctive award, I was happy enough to be rubbing elbows with some of the best bloggers this past year.

Things were looking good from last year. And so how do I start the year right? A week after the New Year had begun and I still do not have any answer to that question, until I found myself in front of the altar of Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario de Manaoag. And what the priest said stuck in my mind for a while: being the son of God is a privilege that cannot be compared to being a son of a politician, an actor, or even a hero. In this modern day and age, we have been blinded by the opportunities and privileges of being a son of somebody influential in our society, and yet we forget the most important fact in our lives, and not just mine.

I admit I have forgotten Him a little bit in the past and this was His way of reminding how lucky I am, aside from all the things that I have right now. And as Dan Burgess’ song was being sung by the choir during communion rites, everything fell into place for me. I forgot to thank Him despite of the things He has done for me, whether I am aware or not.

So how do I start the New Year right?

With a lot of hope that everything will be much more fantastic than before…

With resolve that I have to put my mind into the goals that I want…

With a promise of seeking Him more than the usual for guidance…

With consideration to thank every one who made my life more meaningful as I expect it to be…

With thanks to everyone who made a difference in my life…

And lastly, with confidence that I am privileged enough to outclass even Mikey Arroyo because I am God’s son created in His image and likeness…

I don’t know about Mikey…

Serene Boracay at its finest...

2009-09-08T08:13:00.004+08:00

When we talk about Boracay, we can generally agree that every wonderful article, blog and comments had already been said about this beautiful island in Aklan. What could somebody like me add that hasn’t been said?

Boracay is an island paradise and one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The island’s beauty transcends above the 7000 wonders the Philippines has to offer and is probably the most visited place, both foreign and domestic tourists alike. Any travel-frenzy Pinoy have been to Boracay once or twice in their life. Majority of Pinoys on social networking sites do have an album about their Boracay escapades. Those who has been to Boracay has probably been to one of its famous hang-outs (Station 1 to 3), they have bought some souvenirs in d’Mall, they have taken pictures in Willy’s Rock and the sand castles.

So what more can I tell about Boracay from my experience that is different? It is experiencing it first class. Truthfully, I was always imagining going to Boracay, let alone stay in posh room accommodations and meals. Well, my imagination turned into reality this year. Except with some rain and monsoon winds, our trip and stay was really relaxing. We decided to choose Cebu Pacific because of their promos, but it didn’t really made a big difference with the other airlines’ fare when you add the surcharges. Too late after we heard that PAL Express might still be the best trip to look forward to.

Excitement was teeming almost the whole night before the trip. Everybody was tense, nobody was sleeping early even the kids, and everyone was anticipating the 2AM arrival of the service van we hired to bring us to NAIA 3 from Angeles City. We decided to forego the possibility of flying through Clark since there is no direct flight to Caticlan - only to Cebu - and it will probably take longer than Manila.

Fast Forward and skipping the details of the airplane ride, we found ourselves stuck for a short time in Caticlan Airport. Due to the unpredictable weather, the airlines decided to delay our baggage until the next flight. But this is where we started to experience first class accommodations right from the airport. Our resort guide assured us that he will be bringing our baggage right to our room as soon as it arrives. In short, we didn’t have to wait for our things, he brought us to the jetty port in Tabon and accompanied us up to the hotel reception. He then excused himself to go back to Caticlan to wait for our baggage. Imagine if we decided to wait for our bags – we arrived in Caticlan at 8AM: our bags arrived at 1PM.

Fridays’ Resort is located at the white beach area just beside Discovery Suites, popular for its talcum-like sand you could mistake for your regular baby powder, or probably masses of cement powder from a building construction. We considered Discovery at first but I guess we made the right choice in staying at Fridays. We were welcomed at the front with complimentary drinks and a souvenir already consisting of shell necklace for each of us. Our names are written outside the reception, together with other guests. We were assured that our rooms were ready, even if check-in time is still at 12 noon.

Boracay’s tropical setting was complemented by Fridays’ ambiance. As someone who grew up in Manila, for some reason I have this distaste for concrete buildings for aesthetic reasons. Tropical and concrete does not really mix well, except if you are Francisco Mañosa. Fridays’ native setting was perfect for me: its Nipa Hut style using bamboo, wood, and pawid roofs as major materials made it a paradise within a paradise. A terrace with a hammock and overlooking the beach and also the pool at the side, this is almost my dream house. And if it isn’t enough, the rooms were elegantly awesome. Even without the television and the ref, it is almost a honeymoon suite – except that it has 2 additional beds – probably perfect for an orgy. The bathroom is magnificent that would sometimes set the tone for a romantic night. With the ambiance as perfect as I have imagined it would be, I am saving my excitement until dinner.

Fridays’ is famous for its restaurant, if you have the right budget. Nightly buffet are expensive even though they have specialties each night. Their best buffet is served at Friday nights, including cultural shows for guests, and even voluntary participation with the dreaded tinikling dance. As a token, they are giving certificates to those who are brave enough to dance through those bamboo poles. The last time I was involved in tinikling was in grade 2 where my feet would always get hit by the poles, so I decided to just be a spectator for the night. The restaurant offers a regional Asian, European, Fusion, American and Filipino cuisine, and daily special breakfast set, lunch and dinner menu in addition to its ala carte specialties.

Aside from what we have tasted at Fridays', there is this not-so-expensive restaurant in Ilig-Iligan that serves fresh seafoods where we ate after snorkeling. I forgot the name of the place but as far as I can remember they have served the most tasting Sinigang na Lapu-Lapu that I have ever tasted. We bought this big fish, they cooked the head and tail in Sinigang and the middle part were only steam fried, and we also had those spicy crabs and shrimps. My diet plans just crashed after seeing those foods on the table. If these are expensive for your taste, you can always fall back on Andok’s in d’Mall, for there is no Jollibee out there yet as far as I know. Oh one more thing, don’t ever try those fly infested breads at Julie’s. I’ve seen them. Disgusting in a sort of way, especially if you see the flies squeezed between the glass containers and the bread. They might look like raisins from a far but they don’t taste like one. Don’t forget to buy a souvenir shirt, its buy 1 take 1 for a hundred and fifty, sounds cheap but some of them doesn’t look cheap. There are designs that are classy when you wear them.

Wherever you want to stay in Boracay, you will never run out of things to do. There are lots of activities for the adventurous, for nature lovers, for the party animals, for those who wanted to relax, and even for the hopeless romantics, though it could come at a price, an expensive one, to be frank about it. We were there to relax, to getaway from the busy city life. Angeles is a chartered city full of exoticity but we wanted to experience the kind of relaxation only found in an island paradise – serenity. And serenity in Boracay is synonymous to Fridays'!

The dimming light of Capones Island

2009-05-19T22:06:00.007+08:00

I decided to create a separate entry for my Capones Island adventure since the lighthouse was special to me in some ways. It was the site of my first outdoor exploration when I was still with Environmental Protection of Asia Foundation, an environmental non-governmental organization. Around 5 years ago, they sort of needed an errand boy - that is - taking pictures, doing research, and a little image or graphic optimization for the website. I have never seen a lighthouse at close, so there was a lot of excitement back then.

If my previous trips (yes, I have been there a couple of times) were pure work, this year was the first time that I went there to really enjoy the scenery.

From our camp in Anawangin (see separate blog), we were fetched at around 7AM. We decided to go to the lighthouse as early as possible since most of the time, the waters of the South China Sea are rough and there are waves that could scare the hell out of you. In my previous experiences, if you don’t want to get nervous with the waves in front of you, go to Capones as early as possible. Pundakit Bay is much calmer during the morning. Apparently, it was too calm during that day that we could risk taking photographs in the middle of the sea and still not get the cameras wet.

We reached the rocky shores of Capones shortly since the boat ride was smooth but we had to deal with getting ourselves soaked from waist down. The boat cannot get near the dry land since rocks and corals have filled the beach down to the seabed, some are large enough to make you swim back to Pundakit if the boat gets cracked in its bottom. We were struggling in the water with all those slippery rocks and corals and trying to balance our way to the beach so as not to get our cameras wet. I still remember they used to call it Slippers Island since there are a lot of lost slippers trapped in the beaches, and sure enough, the beach is still packed by a lot of them. I was searching, trying to get lucky and find a Havaianas but there wasn’t any.

The hike up was easy since there is a concrete plight of stairs midway to help ease up climbing the rocky hill. After that, there is a short walk as we entered a pathway with lush vegetations of trees and plants that enclosed the path as if you are entering a cave.

We reached the gate of the lighthouse compound and I was a little disappointed to see how the surroundings have gone from bad into worst. The only thing the government can do with a measly budget on maintaining the lighthouse was to let it rot.

Capones and Bojeador lighthouse in Ilocos Norte are - should we say - twins. The design used were typical with both lighthouses, with a little bit of revisions that was mostly dependent on each of the lighthouses’ location. Although I might be wrong, I believe both places was commissioned by the Spanish government to a single surveyor, Antonio de la Camara (whom Camara Island was named) and the very same Engineers that designed and built the two lighthouses, so they almost look a lot like each other. Capones lighthouse is unique since the island is sometimes inaccessible during stormy seasons. The tower was designed to include a living quarter, an office, and a yard for the keeper, sometimes including his family, to survive those days that the island is inaccessible from the mainland of Zambales. The roofs and the drains inside the compound are directly collected to the cistern under the ground and served as potable water from the well inside the compound. Ingenious, since water supply was scarce on that rocky island, they had to improvise when it is hard to navigate by boat from Pundakit to the lighthouse and supplies aren’t coming in.

The only other remaining traces of the Spanish era were the red bricks that were believed to be made within the island itself. The original clay roof was replaced by galvanized iron sheets. The helicoidally made iron stair still stands but is rotting at some joints at the wall, which tends to shake while you climb up the tower. Even the lighthouse tower was renovated so that it can function through the changing times. The old lantern which uses vegetable oils and minerals was replaced by the solar-powered light installed and donated by the Japanese government. It has a radio transmission system which notifies the Philippine Coast Guard when the light is not working in order. The Coast Guard are the ones managing (or mismanaging, whatever you may call it) all the lighthouses within the country. All the improvements have restored the lighthouse tower into full operational capacity, while the building and the yard remain in a highly denuded state.

But still, the view from the tower is magnificent, facing probably Vietnam, or Thailand, or maybe China, depending on which direction you look at. The sea in front is an important shipping route, and Capones lighthouse serves as a main navigational point for ships bound to China. Some parts of the lighthouse have withstood the test of times, but unfortunately, only those who have been to Capones can vouch for its historical legacy, as the government and its greedy officials continue to ignore its cries of decay for decades.

A camper's paradise in Anawangin

2009-05-18T17:39:00.004+08:00

With the new Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, it’s hard not to think about Subic if you wanted to temporarily escape from your hectic chores or on your busy work. So when I decided to plan for a quick getaway, the area of Subic popped first in my list of places. And since travel time to Subic Bay, even for those coming to Manila, has been shortened by the newly-built SCTEX (it’s famous acronym), my friends and I decided to make the trip a little bit farther, to Anawangin cove.

Anawangin is a secluded cove in San Antonio, Zambales. The best way to reach it is to ride by boat from Brgy. Pundakit, the same jump-off place going to Capones Island Lighthouse. From Cubao, you can ride the bus going to Iba or Sta. Cruz Zambales and get off in front of San Antonio Municipal Building and then ask the tricycle driver to bring you to Pundakit.

I wanted to pass the SCTEX on the way to Zambales since I can catch a ride from Dau Terminal in Mabalacat, but my friends are coming from Bulacan and Manila so we decided to meet in San Fernando instead, since that was the most convenient place to meet by public commute. We then took a ride on one of those PUV’s, or public vans, to Olongapo and then caught a mini bus going to San Antonio. We bought some of the stuffs we needed at the market in San Antonio and hopped a ride in a tricycle to Pundakit.

In Pundakit, you can negotiate for the boat ride that will take you to Anawangin or depending on where you want to go. Our package costs 1,500 pesos – they will be bringing us to Anawangin, leave us there to camp overnight, fetch us the following morning and bring us to Capones Island, and back to Pundakit. Not bad considering we got a new boat and a courteous owner. The last time we were there 2 years ago was traumatic since we overpaid and the one navigating the boat was rude and threatened to leave us in Camara Island and never come back for us.

I was worried about the trip since about a week ago there was a typhoon that passed north of Iba, but the weather was cooperating - actually it was perfect! The sky was clear and blue, telling us that there won’t be rain spoiling the rest of the day, and night. The waters of Pundakit bay was calm even at five o’clock in the afternoon, considering this is one of the practice areas of those who want to learn surfing.

We arrived at the cove with still a lot of time to setup the tent, prepare the foods, frolic in the water, and enjoy the sunset even though the sun was blocked by a cliff at the edge of the cove. The cove was full of campers, but luckily we were provided with a place to camp - a few meters away from the makeshift toilets and the fresh water pump, a small table, plus we were just a few meters away from a kiosk selling important stuffs managed by locals from Pundakit. With a great location to camp, we didn’t even complain for the 100 pesos per head payment for staying there.

The campsite was divided in two, just as the cove is divided by a rock cliff in the middle. Only one side of the cove has the store so the campers were all concentrated on that part. We humorously thought that the store in the middle was the only thing that separates the campsites of La Salle and Ateneo, since we saw a couple of campers wearing shirts resembling of those coming from the two arch rival schools.

The nicest thing about Anawangin is that it makes you feel separated from civilization with its seclusion and serene surroundings, yet it is not that far to reach. There is no electricity in the cove, so you have to provide your own means of light, whether bringing something rechargeable or collecting wood for your momentous bonfire sessions. The warm waters at the cove were the ultimate climax of our stay, there was not a cold breeze that might spoil our dip in the beach even during the night. We were able to see the bright stars of the sky even with the bonfires and lights around the beaches. It was every moment enjoyable, that is why Anawangin is a byword for campers, trekkers(around 6 hour trek over the mountains from Pundakit), would-be’s, and even those show offs. Even though some groups were noisy and there were killjoys who brought their music players and spoiled the quiet ambiance, the overnight stay was worth repeating over and over again, depending on my budget, of course. I guess if I needed to be as close to nature as I want it to be, Anawangin would be the first place that will come in my mind.

Talisay and the Volcano Ridge

2009-04-14T20:48:00.004+08:00

I am packed. I am bringing my biggest bag and I have put lots of stuffs even though I would only stay overnight in Talisay, Batangas. I have planned to visit - again - this former sleepy town with a closer view of the famous Taal Volcano, where my grandparents and majority of relatives reside. Although I grew up in the city, I still reminisce my childhood summers spent near the lake with my cousins.

Travel time to Talisay took almost 4 hours coming from Pampanga. The bus ride from Dau Terminal to Cubao, where most bus terminals going to Batangas are located, was a little bit quick since the North Luzon Expressway was renovated and widened at the Bulacan part where most traffic congestions occur because of its proximity to Manila. It only took an hour bus ride, getting off almost exactly in front of the bus terminal going to Batangas. Luckily I caught the bus going to Batangas Pier that passes to Tanauan City just as it leaves the terminal for another long journey south of Manila.

The ride to Batangas is shorter in distance but longer in time. It passes at EDSA, the main thoroughfare in Manila, were most public transporters ply their route and private cars alike passes going to home and work, and even delivery trucks are abound. The snail pace at EDSA makes you want to close your eyes and take a quick nap. After that would be the South Superhighway with bottleneck traffic at Bicutan and Sucat Exits and the ongoing construction areas of the Skyway. South Luzon Expressway is a smooth ride, but the national highway passing by Barangay Turbina in Calamba and the town of Santo Tomas in Batangas, is a bottle neck at times particularly during rush hours.

I alighted at the Tanauan bus stop and walked my way up to the public market which is a few hundred meters away and can be easily reached even if you ask for directions among the locals. I needed to buy the famous kapeng barako (ground Batangas coffee grains) at the market and hop for my next ride, a jeepney ride going to Barrio Sampaloc in Talisay. The public market is a big market and if you are not familiar, you might get yourself lost, as I have done a couple of times. Crowded stores, stalls, and sidewalks awashed with vegetables and products to be sold might confuse your sense of direction sometimes.

The jeepney ride was short, but the waiting might increase your boredom. The jeep only leaves when it is full or when it is full enough that no one can sit anymore. On slow days they sometimes leave when it is 1 or 2 passenger seats vacant. This time there was this lady on a hurry, paid a couple of those vacant seats so that the jeep can leave as soon as possible. She was trying to catch a wedding celebration, which as you all know, is a very important family gathering.

Talisay offers a majestic and closer view of the famous Taal Volcano. If you have visited Tagaytay, the volcano island is the one that you always see in the middle of the lake. It was said to be the world’s smallest volcano but some facts have indicated that the entire Tagaytay ridge was believed to be part of the volcano itself. Life is very simple in Talisay, except when the volcano is showing signs of a possible eruption, in which, everything becomes exciting and heart-pounding, especially to all those who are living in the volcano island itself, at the foot of the main crater.

There are a lot of jump-off points to go to the crater. Most resorts have bancas, those small boats that can take you to the island. Any resort would be good since most of them knew each other, but I would prefer Villa Amparo, they have a couple of affordable rooms to stay if ever you try to plan to extend and stay for the night. Although banca fares do not come cheap, the best way is to organize your tour into groups since the boats can carry up to 6 or 8 passengers, thereby making it affordable by sharing the boat expenses.

At the island, you need to register first and pay the appropriate fee, and you can start hiking up to the crater ridge. There are horses if you would prefer a horseback ride, but it is not really that tiring to trek by foot, although there are a couple of places where the hike up is difficult and dust are a handful, actually buckets full, hehe...

The view from the ridge of the crater is magnificent, as you can see closer what an active volcano looks like when it is hibernating. There is nothing to worry since volcanologists always issue corresponding alerts whenever there are abnormal signs coming from the volcano. In the last 20 years, there hasn’t been any signs of eruption in the works, and the island would be off limits by then if the volcano shows danger signs. The lake itself gives a hint if things would be happening for the worst.

While in Talisay, you can also try, along with the local Batangas brew, the Tawilis and Maliputo which are fishes that are only found on Taal lake. They also have one of the tastiest and freshest Tilapia that can be easily steamed in minutes. Taliseños are very accommodating and hospitable people, so you wouldn’t have to worry about a lot of things, - well, except for an internet connection - which is limited to some places near the national road.

Going back to Manila is just waiting for the jeep to pass by in front of Villa Amparo Resort, but up to 3:30 in the afternoon only. You can catch a ride until 9:00 PM from Talisay town proper which is a tricycle’s ride from the resort. If you are early, you can ride the jeep that goes to Tagaytay for another scenic route, just ask the local tricycle to take you to the jeep terminal. And from the Tagaytay Rotonda, there are buses going to Pasay via Aguinaldo Highway in Cavite.

The journey to Taal Volcano can be done in half a day if you have your own ride which will make travel time shorter than the bus ride, although I did prefer to stay overnight to catch up with my cousins while drinking beer beside the lake and telling each other stories, adventures and misadventures and setting up the videoke machine out on a cool starry night.

Cheers!

We don’t blog just to be famous

2009-03-25T14:03:00.004+08:00

Blogging is an art. It is sometimes a passion for the poet beneath the skin. It is harsh when the truth is at stake in the battle for pride and reputation. It is education for those who are willing to learn. It is also emulation for those who are willing to lead by example.

It is also a responsibility. Blogging is not just about everyday journals or ramblings, it is also a way to understand and feel around you. It is sometimes filled with emotion, sometimes dealt with compassion, and sometimes foster relations. It may not be a way of life but it might be a defining moment on things you decide in your years of existence.

So, why do we blog? This is not something to show off to everyone so that we can have our fifteen minutes of fame. This is not to show you our prowess in constructive English. And this is not to let you know we are wise and an “advisory channel” when counsel is needed most.

We let out our angst in the hopes of understanding what was misunderstood before. We write some of our secrets, opened a little bit of our closets, so that people would have a little bit of idea on who we are. We tell you stories, because we wanted you to know that there are places beyond the reaches of the four corners of your room, or cubicle for some, and your eighteen inch monitor. We are like your old but wise granddad mesmerizing you with his decade-old stories of wonder during our younger days.

Lastly, we blog to create social awareness. It is not just to get attention even though sometimes we get more attention than we deserve. It is not to get famous but to enlighten some of us on important things that escape us as we thread on to the future, as we devise ways to achieve our dreams. We don’t blog just to be famous, we write things because we want you to get the point. And if you didn’t get it, at least we did our part in orienting you into this world full of pretenses.