The Geek Travels

Snapshots from the Road (Mindanao Version)

2012-02-29T18:08:00.000+08:00

Road trips may be tiresome to others but for me, it's the opposite. Whenever we have road trips, I always make sure that I don’t fall asleep as I would not want to miss seeing the beautiful landscapes of a particular area whilst listening to my favorite road trip playlists.

These are some of my favorite photos taken from my previous road trips in Mindanao.

1) Kidapawan City, North Cotabato

Welcome to Kidapawan City!

Kidapawan City is a first class city of North Cotabato. It is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes away from Davao City, Mindanao's regional center. The city serves as an entry point of Mount Apo as it is located at the foot of it. More so, Kidapawan embraces the use of geothermal energy, one of the city's main energy sources.

One of the famous resorts of Kidapawan is Lake Agco. Despite being located at a high altitude of 3,500 ft above sea level (ASL), the lake's temperature could reach as high as 80 degrees Celsius. One can also find sulfur vents along the way.

2) Agusan del Sur, Mindanao

Agusan del Sur is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Caraga region in Mindanao. Its capital is Prosperidad and borders, from the north clockwise, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Bukidnon, and Misamis Oriental.

Agri paradise!

3) Butuan City, Agusan del Norte

The City of Butuan is the center of CARAGA Region (Region 13), serving as an administrative region of the country. Butuan is a highly urbanized city located at the northeastern tip of Mindanao in the province of Agusan del Norte, sprawling across the mighty Agusan River. According to the 2007 census, it has a total population of at least 300,000. Butuan City is approximately 4-5 hours away from Davao City.

Downtown Butuan. Taken from Luciana Inn and Restaurant

Butuan City houses the infamous replica of Balangay, an ancient boat that traveled to different parts of Southeast Asia. One can unravel the historical secrets of the city as he pays a visit to Butuan Museum.

4) General Santos City

General Santos City is the Tuna Capital of the Philippines - literally the land of Sashimi, Wasabe and Century Tuna. It is approximately 3 hours away from Davao City and is the country's southernmost port city. Being classified as a highly urbanized first class city of the province of South Cotabato, General Santos City is one of the most populous urban centers in the country with a population of 679,588 as per census data of 2010.

Main highway to General Santos City

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There are lots of choices available when you decide to have a road trip here in Mindanao. You can use your own car, ride a bus or even search the internet and look for cheap car rentals, like in cheap car hire Spain.

One of the things that I consider about taking road trips is safety. These places that I've featured are perfectly safe. But don't forget to double-check your things if you're commuting.

Don't forget to ask the locals if you're lost or if you need assistance. Finally, never forget to put a smile on your face! :)

Traversing the Davao-Bukidnon Border

2012-02-22T21:34:00.000+08:00

Buda is the place to be.

If there's one place in Davao Region that I would want to visit all over again, it's definitely Buda (Bukidnon-Davao). Buda is the favorite destination of travelers who choose to unwind and relax from the bustling metropolis, all thanks to its cool climate and clean environment.

Buda is approximately an hour and a half away from downtown Davao and can be reached via Davao-Bukidnon Road. Situated along the mountain slopes of Mount Talomo, the Davao-Bukidnon highway traverses the districts of Marilog and Marahan, Calinan, and Arakan Valley, North Cotabato. The quarantine checkpoint marks the boundary of Davao City and the province of Bukidnon. This particular road network is the fastest way to reach Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro City of Misamis Oriental.

And because the climate here is relatively cooler (altitude: 4500 ft ASL), conifers are abundant as well as strawberries and other exotic flowers.

Buti walang 10-wheeler truck na dumaan. LOL

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!

Buda offers a lot of mountain resorts such as Seagull Mountain Resort, owned by a prominent politician here in Davao. If you're an adventure seeker, explore the innards of Buda and discover its hidden gem that everyone will surely love.

BUT FIRST, you must finish a challenging task.

The Task

The task involves trekking a muddy and rocky slopes for at least 30-40 minutes, depending on your pace. Sounds simple, but the trail's a bit treacherous. You know, I slid a couple of times and it hurt my butt and back big time! The trail can be difficult most especially if it rained prior the trek. Pero keriboomboompaw lang. As long as you wear proper trekking attire, everything's gonna be fine.

JUNGLE BOOK!

The Hidden Gem Named EPOL

Tadaaaaaaaa! Epol Falls! EPOL stands for Everlasting Power of Love (what a powerful name for a waterfall) and formerly known as Spring Valley Resort. It is a cascading waterfall and one can take a dip along the catch basin of the falls. Although I have to warn you that the water is so cold. As in tubig-na-galing-sa-chiller cold.

But still, it's a best place to bond with your family and friends. But I don't recommend of bringing your asthmatic or yung mga may sakit sa puso/highblood friends. Aside from killing the 'joyous' moments of your trip, it's waywardly dangerous.

Fairyland!

Class picture before leaving Epol Falls

Chilling at the Mountain

We stayed at Kuya Drew's rest house near Lorega, Bukidnon. The place itself is very peaceful, clean and cold.

Abella rest house!

The 2012 Davao Bloggers Officers

I kinda miss the cold weather.

Brrrr.

And oh, we featured this in our travel show, so stay tuned!

Nanay

2012-02-20T16:40:00.000+08:00

As I pulled up my bedding, nanay dimmed the lamp's light and started sharing some bedtime stories. It had been my nightly ritual until I was nine. Nanay had already shared countless stories ranging from fairy tales to local monsters (see also: aswang).

But there was one story that stood up and will be forever etched in my mind.

Her Story: The Big Move

Nanay was born in the mid-30s and grew up in the quiet town of Barogo, Leyte. Life there was simple but slow. She had to walk kilometers just to reach her primary school. Roads weren't paved thus transportation was a big problem. Electricity was scarce, and so as clean water. Her life continued to be like that until in the late 40s when her family decided to seek greener pastures in the beautiful island of Mindanao. The island then was tagged as "The Land of Promise". With high hopes, they migrated to the regional center of the island: Davao City.

Like any other migrants, Nanay's family had to start from scratch. There were lots of opportunities in Davao during that time, thus they didn't have any difficulties of sustaining their needs and wants. Nanay eventually finished her degree in Commerce at a known university in Davao.

How I Met Your Father

Whenever I am with Nanay, she would always tell me the simple lifestyle of Davao before; that the only mall was Gaisano Center and goods can be easily found along Claveria and Ponciano Streets (now CM Recto Avenue and Bangoy Street respectively). Despite its simplicity, Davao long before had already catered the needs of its people. But for Nanay, the most significant thing that happened to her after the big move was meeting the love of her life. The universe had truly conspired for the two of them until several years later, her one and only died and broke everyone's heart.

But inasmuch as the city had promised to its constituents, progress was not really felt during the 70s until the late 80s because of Martial Law. Regardless of the political turmoil during those decades, Nanay still continued to work and provided the basic needs of her family.

From Past to Present

It was only in the 90s when radical changes reshaped Davao as investors kept on pouring investments to the premier city of the south. As Nanay noted, malls have sprouted like mushrooms in the mid-90s such as Victoria Plaza Mall and Gaisano Mall. Population had drastically increased yet, Davao is still capable to answer the people's needs.

The new breed of Davaoeños, including me, would surely love the new developments of the city. One does not need to travel more than three hours in order to reach a certain place; everything you need - be extreme adventure locations, high-end malls or laid-back places - is accessible. Talking about convenience!

For the older generation (in which majority of them are migrants), they will never forget how Davao grew as a city. Reminiscing the past would surely bring smiles to them; how simple their lifestyles were and how Davao offered them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - an opportunity to build their family in a land that was once foreign to them.

A new Davao has recently sprung to life!

Even at 79, Nanay still find joys of buying goods at Bankerohan Public Market. She hears mass at San Pedro Cathedral every Wednesday and Sunday and eat her favorite meal at Jaltan along Magallanes (now Pichon Street). According to her, it's not important if she won't be able to experience ziplining, parasailing and scuba diving because aside from her physical limitations, she had already found her life sixty years ago when she first settled in Davao.

Davao may have its fare share of ups and downs for the past decades but right now, every one is hopeful that the city will be more progressive in the near future.

That story was my fondest memory of Nanay, my grandmother. Even today, whenever I take her to downtown, she is still in awe on how progressive the city is and keeps on telling stories about Davao during her time.

Her stories never fail to amuse me, especially if it's about my beloved hometown.

In ALL aspects, Life is Here in Davao.

Submitted as an entry to the 75th Araw ng Dabaw Blog Competition

One Rainy Day at Samal Island

2012-02-17T04:48:00.000+08:00

The thought of venturing an island tour with your crew on a rainy day wasn't really a great idea. Juy and I were actually hoping that the tour will be called off due to the bad weather. Since everything's settled for the shoot, we had no choice but to brave the cold and the big waves of Davao Gulf... or so we thought.

On my way to Sta. Ana Wharf, I was silently praying that the rain would stop and the ride wouldn't be that rough. Surprisingly, the weather cooperated and everything went well.

It even exceeded our expectations!

The rain had stopped but the weather was still gloomy when we left Sta. Ana Wharf. We then sailed to a secluded part of Talikud Island to scout for some driftwoods which will be collected by the two driftwood artists who were also with us. Driftwood Art sounds new to me and it's quite interesting. One wouldn't expect that a piece of junk would turn into a piece of art.

Decoration!

By 11 o'clock, we made our way to a resort in Talikud Island aptly named Babu Santa. What an interesting name!

Babu is... errr... well, a person's name while Santa, hmmm... Babu is a generous girl from Talikud Island who gives presents to everyone near her, hence the name, Santa... as in, Santa Clause!

Sir Alan was about to serve our lunch when all of the sudden, the dogs from nowhere came and encircled us. It was an uncomfortable sight, I tell you! I mean, seeing those dogs staring right before your eyes while eating? It was awkward. There was this bitch (yes, literally) who kept on poking me, asking for an extra food. Bitch certainly knew what she was doing!

Poke translation: Hey master, you know the drill. Feed me!

The beautiful beach line of Babu Santa Resort...

...and the not-so-beautiful bitch.

We then sailed to the northern part of the island and docked at Isla Reta Resort. One thing that I loved about Isla Reta was its cleanliness. The resort was indeed well maintained. Hurray!

Isla Reta Resort

And we all got 'suit' up! It was my first time to try SCUBA diving and it was an amazing experience. The dive was not that deep (only 20 feet), but at least I tried it for free! Oh, the perks of being a host of a travel show. Loljklangphoez!

But seriously. It. Was. Amazing.

Suit up!

While we were busy exploring the underwater world, the crew caught some interesting ready-to-eat sea cucumbers. I have studied the biology of this marine invertebrate (Lol used to be my thesis) but I haven't had any chances to gobble it. Well, after slicing it, I took a bite and it actually tasted good. It felt like I was eating nata de coco sans the sweetness. Mmmm-mmmm.

Poor Holothuria!

The fun escalated as we sailed to our final destination: Maxima Aquafun Resort!

This is the place where I screamed my heart out after I took a plunge from a 15-foot platform, slid all the way down to the 120-ft deep water, kayaked with Juy for 30 minutes whilst exerting 1,000,000 Newtons worth of force and zoomed 60 kilometers per hour through a jet-ski ride. It was aweeeesooooooome despite the gloomy weather. I never thought that we're going to enjoy that day.

Shut up and drive, drive, drive!

Kayaking has never been this fun... and tiring! (Photo courtesy of Juy)

But due to lack of time, we didn't finish our shoot. We are actually scheduled to go back there soon.

What to expect in our next Samal shoot: Parasailing and banana boat!

Oh, for the love of extreme adventures!

My First Binondo Food Trip Experience

2012-02-10T17:30:00.000+08:00

Ni hao, mga kapamilya!

A day before my awesome Pinatubo trip, my friends and I decided to pig out at Binondo - Manila's Chinatown. It is actually one of the oldest, established around 1594. Today, Binondo is the place where most Filipino-Chinese families reside.

I have never been to Binondo before thus, this Oriental gastronomic adventure was new to me.

Binondo is only two train rides away from Mandaluyong City (MRT and LRT 1 / Boni Ave - Taft Ave - Carriedo Station). We were greeted by the deafening "Mam ser, Mam ser, dito na po kayo sa amin" shouts of store clerks as we made our way to the innards of Binondo. Millions of stores lined up the busy streets of Escolta and Ongpin - jewelry shops, fruit stands, hardwares, Chinese convenience stores and of course, various Chinese restaurants that offer a myriad of Chinese cuisines. Phew.

As a first timer, I was kinda expecting a cute Chinese girl to approach and greet me "Ni hao, welcome to Binondo!". But instead, an irate woman caught our attention as she spat flaming words to everyone near her.

"Mga $)*%$)#*% niyo, ang aga-aga nambibwisit na kayo! $*%*$ niyo!!!"

Translation: WELCOME TO BINONDO F*CKTARDS!

Expectations vs. Reality

Fried Siopao and Wai Ying Fastfood

We first bought fried siopao at Shanghai Fried Siopao before heading to Wai Ying Fast Food. Wai Ying, like any Chinese restaurants here in Davao has this, ye know, Chinese feel (Oh c'mon Renz you can do better than that!). The place was OK except for the food... IT WAS DELICIOUS.

In Wai Ying, we ordered the ff:

Duck Congee:

Curry Beef Siomai:

Shrimp Chong Fan:

I felt like I was in Cloud Nine while munching these Oriental meals. They were so delicious, especially the Duck Congee and Curry Beef Siomai. I highly recommend those two. Even the fried siopao of Shanghai was truly delectable and affordable.

I even tried their Milk Tea. It tasted the same sans the pearls. But it did satisfy me.

And for the final verdict of the two restaurants:

(1) Shanghai Fried Siopao - 4/5 stars

(2) Wai Ying Fastfood - 4.5 / 5.0 stars for the food and 4/5 for the price. Affordable na, delicious pa!

Wai Ying Fastfood is located at Benavidez St., Binondo, Manila.

Dong Bei (beh)

After nomnom-ing a strawberry mochi cake in which I bought from Shin Tai-Shang Foods, we went to Dong Bei and tried their Kuchay Fried Pancake Dumplings.

I liked the texture but the smell of the vegetables was strong enough to ward off people that loathe vegetables. See also: Me. Lol. But if you make sawsaw the dumplings to a special sauce, it will be yummy na. Ansaveh!

Chino and I while waiting for the fried pancake dumpling

But overall, everything was good except for the clumsy cook. Dong Bei is located along Yuchengco Street (formerly known as Nueva Street) near Ongpin Street of Binondo, Manila. 4 out of 5 stars.

Impromptu Shoot and Kalesa Tour

Because it was unbearably hot that time, we refreshed ourselves by eating Melona Ice Cream... and it's not even Chinese! We found an alley near the Buddhist-slash-Christian shrine. We thought that the lighting and the background was perfect. And poof, instant photoshoot!

After our half-hour shoot, we decided to ride a kalesa (Php 250 / 30 minutes). We toured Binondo including the boundaries of The Walled City (Intramuros). We even crossed McArthur Bridge which offered a panoramic view of Pasig River and passed by the majestic Manila Post Office Building!

Next destination: New Po-Heng Lumpia House. For only Php 50, one can enjoy a humongous lumpia filled with assorted vegetables and meat. It comes with a delectable sauce.

We were a bit full during that time that Chino was the only one to finish the remaining half of it.

Before leaving Binondo, we refreshed ourselves by drinking Cogon juice at Shining Star Fastfood located at Salazar St. For only Php 15, feeling ko nawala ang pagod ko. Like, seriously!

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I never enjoy or appreciate Chinese foods. I am not a fan (and will never be a fan) of pansit canton/guisado and chopsuey. Bleugh. But everything had changed, all because of my first Binondo Food Trip Experience.

For food junkies, Binondo is paradise albeit the chance of getting mugged and mulled is high. It is very different to Uyanguren (Davao's Chinatown), where hardwares, ukay-ukay shops and tire/rubber stores dominate. Food establishments along Davao's Chinatown can only be counted by my fingers. But in Binondo, the place has so much to offer!

Even if the place has too much traffic and people (population density: 18,000 people per square km), I would definitely come back there soon and try other food establishments. See also: Ate Ria's suggestion: Egg Yolk Pao and Salt and Pepper Squid at Fu Yuan Tea House.

One doesn't need a car and/or a LOT of cash to enjoy Binondo. In fact, I only spent less than Php 300!

I would to thank Brenna, Chino and Robbie for accompanying me in Binondo. You guys are fun to be with! Chos. To Dad Dong, thanks for sponsoring my Binondo Food Trip. Yahoo! Rediscovering the historical part of the country's capital has never been this fun!

Hopefully in my second visit, a cute Chinese girl will approach and greet me "Ni hao! Welcome to Binondo!".

No more $%*$)#*% greeting from an irate woman please!

Xie xie, mga kapamilya!

VIEW BINONDO ALBUM HERE

The Beauty of Kapatagan, Davao del Sur

2012-02-07T20:26:00.002+08:00

Summer is just around the corner and as early as February, people are starting to plan their summer trips. If you're getting tired of the beach, head straight to the south and experience the unique adventure that is uniquely Mindanao.

Mount Apo as seen from Barangay Kapatagan, Digos City, Davao del Sur.

Nestled at the foot of the country's highest peak, Mount Apo, Kapatagan is just one of the barangays of Digos City, Davao del Sur that houses at least 8,000 inhabitants. Their primary mode of living includes vegetable cultivation and tourism. It is also the home to a few number of endemic flora and fauna species. Due to its close proximity to Mount Apo, Barangay Kapatagan is one of the major start off points for mountaineers who wish to conquer the dormant volcano.

The Tale of the Two Lakes

Going there was a bit rough. Aside from the occasional sharp curves of the roads, majority of them were unpaved making the trip a challenging one. But everything's worth it once you have reached Barangay Kapatagan. Because of its cool climate, locals always wear jackets and/or long sleeves. Despite the presence of the sun, you won't feel the heat. Cool... literally!

Enjoying the scenic view of Mount Apo from Lake Rosario.

We were greeted by the picturesque view of Lake Mirror upon arriving at Mt. Apo Highland Resort (owned by Sir Sonny Dizon, the man behind Crocodile Park, ZipCity and Maxima). After we did a few shots for our show, our guide, Kuya Lito drove us to Lake Rosario. Fortunately, the weather was clear and had the chance to see the towering glory of Mount Apo. The view from there was truly spectacular.

According to Kuya Lito, Lake Rosario used to be the water source of Kapatagan. Due to the drastic increase of Barangay Kapatagan's population, residents started to look for another source since the lake can no longer suffice their demands. To maximize the lake's potential, locals have bred freshwater fishes, such as Tilapia.

On the other hand, Lake Mirror is a man-made lake inside Mt. Apo Highland Resorts. It was aptly named as such because sometimes when the weather is calm, Mount Apo's reflection can be clearly seen from the lake's surface.

Of Coffee Farms and Cultural Visits

Mt. Apo Highland Resort - Hillside is a must-visit place in Kapatagan. This part of the mountain resort offers a breaktaking view of Mount Apo. Moreover, 72 Asian Palm Civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) or mi-lo in Visayan dialect are kept in the resort. These animals are part of the production of civet coffee, one of the world's most expensive and low-production varieties of coffee (read more about the production and processing of civet coffee).

Civet cat!

We also visited a coffee farm near Hillside and tasted its sweet berries. Coffee has been my favorite drink since college and was really stunned upon seeing the coffee farm. Too bad walang libreng wi-fi doon (LOL corny noh).

For the cultural part of our show, we went to Tibolo House, about 5 kilometers away from Hillside. It is where the Bagobo tribe dwells.

Another noteworthy place to visit is the Agong House. The vast landscape of Korean grass, flowers and conifers is filled with eccentric statues and structures designed by Davao-born artist, Kublai Millan. Despite its oddity, I still loved every bit of it!

Unconditional love. Lol!

The Promise

Some have noted that Kapatagan is the Baguio City of the south. I really can't compare Kapatagan and Baguio City. Despite having common characteristics (i.e., the relatively cooler climate), each of them holds a unique character. Baguio City is Baguio City and it can never be like Kapatagan or vice versa. Because of the cultural and biological diversity that Kapatagan holds, the place had created its own identity. Kapatagan also features adrenaline-filled adventures that everyone can enjoy. One can just simply lie down and savor every beauty of it.

The once sleepy town has slowly awakened. New opportunities and a new hope await Kapatagan. True enough, Kapatagan will always be Kapatagan.

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How to Get There

Brgy. Kapatagan is one of the barangays of Digos City, the provincial capital of Davao del Sur. Digos City is an hour drive from Davao City, the main gateway of Mindanao. From Digos City, travel time to Barangay Kapatagan is approximately one hour, depending on the weather. Vans and habal-habal are the only two main transport systems.

Travel tips:

(1) Always bring a jacket. It's cold there.

(2) When appropriate attire if you wish to hike.

(3) Dispose your trashes properly.

(4) Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but memories. Chos.

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VIEW ALBUM HERE

Food Trip: Ranchero Davao

2012-02-06T21:55:00.001+08:00

Aside from being an outdoor adventure destination, Davao offers a wide array of restaurants to satisfy one's palate. True enough, Davao is a great place for a gastronomic adventure. This is a perfect alternative if you are not into outdoor activities. *wink*

On our first day with Iloilo blogger Mary Jane Cabrera, we ate lunch Ranchero.

Hailing from General Santos City, Philippines, Ranchero is a family restaurant that recreates the spirit of home-grown Filipino Ranch farm cooking.

For lunch, we tried these mouth-watering dishes:

I am not a fan of vegetables but Ranchero's Lumpiang Hubad tasted great! The dish was paired with crushed peanuts and a delectable sauce. Perfect combination.

I have never eaten a Paella until last week. I am actually allergic to seafoods. I even manage to finish half of it and fortunately my allergies didn't act up. For seafood lovers, I highly recommend Ranchero's Paella Negra!

Kare-kare is a Filipino stew made from peanut sauce with a variety of vegetables, stewed oxtail and beef. Paired with bagoong (fish paste), this meal is surely one of the most delectable Filipino dishes.

Baby back ribs is Ranchero's specialty. The meat was tender and delicious, even without the sauce! Don't worry, the serving of their baby back ribs was biiiiiggggg.

And for our dessert, we ate Suman sa Lihiya. It's a one-of-a-kind suman (native rice cake) and a must-try dish here in Ranchero.

Ranchero is one of the most sought steak houses here in Davao City. In fact, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte goes there regularly and order his favorite dish - sizzling kaldereta adobo. Crew members are clad in cowboy attires, creating a Wild Wild West ambience in the restaurant.

Prices range at about Php 250 to 400 ($5.00 to 8.50). Might be a bit pricey to some, but it's really worth it. Families will love the food as well as the place because of its homey feel.

Burrrrrrrp.

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Ranchero is located at 3rd floor Roof Garden, Abreeza Ayala Mall.

Ranchero is just one of the gajillion reasons why Davao is a perfect place for a gastronomic adventure!

FLYING: More Fun in AirPhil Express!

2012-02-04T03:03:00.001+08:00

AirPhil Express (IATA: 2P / Call sign: ORIENT PACIFIC), formerly known as Air Philippines, is the country's third largest airline in the Philippines in terms of passengers flown. From January to September 2011, it had flown at least 3 million passengers.

AirPhil Express Airbus A320 taxiing at Davao International Airport

AirPhil Express is Philippine Airlines' solution to Cebu Pacific Air's dominance on the low cost travel market in the country.

I had my first flying experience with AirPhil Express last November 14, 2010 and it was also my first time to ride a Q400 turboprop plane enroute to Cagayan de Oro City. My first experience with AirPhil Express gave me a good impression since my 20-minute flight was smooth and hassle-free.

Since the company's rebranding last 2010, AirPhil Express had given reliable services to its passengers at a very affordable price.

AirPhil Express with its major competitor, Cebu Pacific Air (Taken at Davao Intenrnational Airport)

Online Booking

Like any other budget airlines, AirPhil Express also gives promo fares periodically. I tried their online booking when they had their piso fare promo several months ago. I booked a round-trip DVO-MNL ticket and it only took me five minutes or less to finish the process. Unlike its major competitors, online booking at AirPhil Express is fast and efficient, even during seat sales. Hassle free! You don't have to worry about losing your seat due to server errors.

Although, AirPhil Express has limited payment options. They only accept major credit cards (Visa and Mastercard only) in their online booking system.

Customer Service

I hate calling the customer service hotline (be a telecommunication or airline company) because it takes time and effort. More so, problems are usually (but not always) left unanswered, leaving us, the customers, clueless of what is really happening.

Since everyone's online, AirPhil Express delivers customer service/support via Facebook 24/7! You can also reach them via Twitter (@airphilexpress). Talking about convenience.

Brothers and Sisters

Check-in at Airport

AirPhil Express, like any other airlines in the country, requires its passengers to check-in two hours before their flight (three hours if it's an international flight). However, if you are not bringing any check-in baggage, you can always try their web check-in service. Through web check-in, you don't have to undergo the usual check-in procedures inside the airport. Even if you arrive 30-45 minutes prior your ETD, they will still allow you to board the plane.

If you happen to book your flight online, AirPhil Express requires you to present your credit card for security reasons. If you happen to use your friend's credit card, present a photocopy of his credit card and his valid ID (just one). To avoid any inconveniences, secure your copies and e-ticket before checking-in.

So far, I didn't experience any inconveniences and delays in the check-in procedures of AirPhil Express.

Aircraft Cabin Interior and Services

I have ridden two of their aircrafts - the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop and the Airbus A320-200. The Q400, albeit small, has a higher performance compared to other turboprop planes. My DVO-CGY flight was supposedly be a 40-minute flight but it was only less than 20 minutes. Wow!

On the other hand, their bigger plane, the Airbus A320-200, is relatively clean and the cabin temperature is cold enough to impress me. The cabin crew were all nice and accommodating.

One can also purchase food and souvenir items at a reasonable price.

Perks and Rewards

One of the reasons why I choose AirPhil Express is their free 15-kg baggage allowance. I don't need to force myself to stuff all my things in just one backpack.

I. HATE. THAT. WITH. FEELINGS. PA.

Students can also avail the 20% discount on all local flights! Just present your valid school ID to any AirPhil Express ticketing office.

They also give one way tickets for free! Ten (10) domestic boarding passes entitle you to one (1) FREE domestic ticket (one way) to any domestic APX destination of your choice. Ten (10) international boarding passes entitle you to one (1) FREE International Ticket (one way) to any International APX destination of your choice. Click here for more details.

Final Verdict

My flying experience with AirPhil Express has been great so far. I haven't had any bad experiences from them, thank God, but should I encounter such inconveniences, I believe that they will address those very quick.

Online booking is hassle-free albeit the presence of seat sales. I haven't had experienced any delays in their online booking system.

Today, AirPhil Express is beefing up for its planned expansion and the delivery of its brand new Airbus A320-200s. This will surely benefit its loyal customers.

I still have a scheduled flight with AirPhil Express to Manila this June and probably to Cebu and Iloilo trip this March and May respectively.

I can't wait to fly again with AirPhil Express. Flying is more FUN in AirPhil Express!

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How's your AirPhil Express experience? I'd love to hear from you! Leave your comments, good or bad, below. :)

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a sponsored post (wish ko lang teh hahaha). This was written base from the author's experiences.

Conquering Mount Pinatubo

2012-01-31T19:15:00.002+08:00

I have never thought of climbing a mountain. EVER. Nase-stress na nga ako every time I think about it. I never liked trekking for three main reasons:

(1) It's tiring. Duh.

(2) Getting lost and stranded in the middle of nowhere is downright scary, which brings me to number 3...

(3) It's dangerous, most especially if the weather's unpredictable.

But I eventually gave in with the idea of trying it, even just for once... or so I thought.

We left Manila at exactly three in the morning. The ride took us three hours before reaching the jump-off point at Capas, Tarlac. Since the trail's heavily guarded by military men, we hurriedly paid the appropriate fees and boarded the 4x4 Isuzu Landcruiser. Civilian vehicles aren't allowed to enter the trail beyond 7AM. Glad we beat the deadline. Phew!

Upon entering the first few kilometers of the 4x4 trail, we were greeted by the majestic rock formations and the seemingly endless horizon of barren land. The vast arid landscape reminded me of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Naks.

Imagine young Anakin Skywalker zooming in this barren landscape with his out-of-this-world plane.

We stopped by and took photos for 10 minutes. Adventure poses of Bagets in 3...2...1!!!

Smile... though your feet are aching...

The Ascent

Our 4x4 vehicle dropped us (literally) at the starting point of the trek. We have no choice since the skyway's already damaged brought about by series of mini-landslides and rain over the past months.

The hike to the crater starts here:

The giant canal

The hike to the crater lake took us at least three hours. Good thing, the weather wasn't that hot.

One will get awed by the amazing landscape and rock formations, all of which were carved by Mother Nature during the 1991 explosion. The trail, filled with giant boulders and streams, used to be the 'canal' of lahar.

On our way to the crater

We finally arrived at the pit-stop and rested for about 10 minutes before we packed up our things again. From the pit-stop, it took us 20 minutes (or more) before reaching the crater lake.

And this signage wasn't accurate I TELL YOU!!!

Kapag 20 minutes, senior citizen na agad? 'Di ba pwedeng nagpapicture muna along the way?!

The Crater Lake

We finally arrived at the crater lake around 12 noon. The view was truly breathtaking. The three-hour hike was really worth it!

The trek made us as hungry as a lion. Lunch was served and boy, the serving was big. Parang pang-foreigner lang ang serving. We got full, thanks to our hearty (and heavy, lol) lunch.

Lunch! Photo courtesy of Mich Borlagdan

After some photo-ops, we went down to the shore of the crater lake. The water was cold but I didn't take a dip since I forgot to bring my towel. Sucks to be me. But hey, I decided to join the others in the boat ride which cost around Php 350 per head.

Rowing the boat - more fun in the Pinatubo!

We went to the other side of the lake where the water temperature's warm. In some parts, one can even see the steam coming from the water. Amazing. Pwede ka nang kumuha ng tubig diyan pang-kape o tea. Lol jazzkeeding!

The other side of the crater lake was filled with sharp stones and pebbles. Despite that, the view from there was really beautiful. I felt like I was in Switzerland, enjoying the view of the Swiss Alps.

And of course, the infamous window shot! We did this in our Cebu trip last December. Photo by Lauren.

Survivor Pinatubo

And I also had an opportunity to have a photo with my internet dad, Dong Ho! So glad that I finally met dad! (Lol, rhyming words!)

The legendary Dong Ho!

We spent almost an hour on this side of the lake. We had fun, really. And I didn't regret of spending an additional Php 350; it wasn't a part of my budget, but nandito na ako eh, so I should make the most out of my trip.

It made me ponder that the crater lake used to be the part of the volcano. When Mount Pinatubo erupted two decades ago, it blew a large portion of its slope, causing the height of the volcano to shrink by almost a thousand feet. I cannot fathom the tremendous force needed to spit out the huge amount of dirt, rock and soil from the volcano.

It was around 2:15 PM when we got back to the shore. Everyone had already vacated the site except for us. Before leaving the crater lake, we had our class picture taken by one of our guides.

Photo courtesy: Ada Lajara

The Quick Descent

Going down was relatively easier since you don't need to fight gravity (naks, parang superhero lang). You just have to literally go with the flow. We even had a contest! I was so happy that I made it to the top (aka tough) ten - the first ten people to finish the descent.

Top Ten!!! Photo courtesy of Marx

We finally left Capas, Tarlac at around 6 PM.

So long, Mount Pinatubo!

In Retrospect

Another view of Mount Pinatubo

I didn't have any plans of climbing a mountain this year. I even didn't write it in my travel bucket list for one reason: I am not yet ready, both physically and mentally. My dad had already climbed Mount Apo twice when he was still in college and he said that climbing isn't easy at all. It was just a spur-of-a-moment decision when I decided to join the Bagets trip last month. I think the trip was meant for me since AirPhil Express had a promo fare to MNL last December. Woohoo!

Mountain climbing had made me realized a few things: (1) once you reach the summit, you'll crave for more; (2) it's addicting and; (3) it's actually rewarding in the end. I have never climbed a mountain EVER in my entire life until last week. I thought it was tiring and is only limited to professionals. But I was wrong. I put my game face on right after I started our 3-hour hike to the crater lake.

Unlike any other mountains that I've seen from National Geographic and Discovery Channel, Mount Pinatubo has this unique landscape. Instead of trees, it is filled with sand, lahar and other majestic rock formation brought about by the cataclysmic explosion two decades ago.

One cannot really imagine that the most destructive and powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century will, after two decades, become one of the country's most beautiful tourist destinations. Although, the present landscape of Mount Pinatubo is currently on its transitional phase. Trees and shrubs are already starting to grow along the newly formed streams and rivers and the once arid land will soon become a forest again. Hence, I highly encourage you to visit Mount Pinatubo while it lasts! Maybe in a few years, the landscape will no longer be the same.

Here's our itinerary.

0300 - ETD Manila
0430 - Breakfast at Jollibee along NLEX (Bagets and bagets!)
0630 - ETA Capas, Tarlac
0655 - Aboard 4x4 Landcruiser
0900 - ETA jump-off point for trekking
1200 - ETA Crater Lake
1500 - Descent to the jump-off point
1700 - 4x4 ride back to Capas, Tarlac
2000 - ETA Isdaan at Gerona, Tarlac. Dinner time!
2200 - ETD Gerona, Tarlac. En-route to MNL via SCTEX
0030 - ETA Home sweet home.

Some helpful tips when climbing Mount Pinatubo:

1) Thou shall not climb Pinatubo when the weather is bad.

2) Pack light.

3) Wear trekking shoes. Don't forget to bring your slippers or sandals just in case (I should've done this last week!)

4) It is safe to swim in the crater lake but do not go in the middle. The current might drown you or pull you down, down, down in merry-go-'round.

5) Bring extra shirt!

6) Don't litter your trash everywhere!

7) It's advisable to trek with your friends. It's a bit tiring and difficult if you do it alone. Teh, mahirap mag-emo sa Pinatubo. Baka kung ano pa ang mangyari sa 'yo!

8) Wear sunblock!!!

Who would have thought that I would conquer a mountain this year? I got teary-eyed after seeing Pinatubo's crater lake. Sounds OA, but true. I came all the way from Davao and every cent I spent and every mile I trekked was all worth it.

REALLY. WORTH. IT.

One thing is certain: This ain't gonna be my first and last mountain climbing experience.

There's more to come!

*Wink*

Animal and Fire Show

2012-01-24T19:52:00.003+08:00

Spending your weekend with your family and friends at Davao Crocodile Park is more fun and exciting!

And I will tell you three reasons why.

One - Davao Butterfly House.

This house domiciles a few number of butterfly species. I had the chance to interview one of the caretakers of this butterfly house. Kuya Toto is an Agriculturist and has been here for at least a year. They now have plans in the near future to increase the population and to introduce more butterfly species to make the butterfly house more attractive and colorful. Although there are some butterfly species that are plant specific, ergo the need of conducting more research studies about the plant-specific butterfly species.

Beautiful butterfly! :3

I also had the chance to visit the breeding area of the butterfly house. So cool and colorful!!!

Caterpillar! You can actually hold it. This particular species is not itchy.

Two - Animal show

Bagets and bagets-at-heart will definitely enjoy the interactive animal show of Davao Crocodile Park. Like Kuya Kim, the host of the interactive animal show gave a lot of interesting facts and information about crocodiles, eagles and other wildlife animals of the park. They even presented Carlo, the Crocodile Park's star-for-all-seasons! He's an Orangutan, by the way.

Rawrrrrrrrrr - Pangil

The more interesting part of the show was Pangil's. Pangil is a saltwater crocodile and he's almost 20 feet (his cousin, Lolong, is still longer) long. The host showed Pangil's snapping power, causing the murky water to splash all over the four corners of Pangil's pen. Some viewers even got wet right after Pangil showed his might! Lol!

And oh! While some of the animals were in high spirit, this parrot seemed lonely and low in energy.

This parrot's imitating Pangil. LOL!

Three - The Fire Dance

We decided to stay longer at Crocodile Park to witness the amazing fire show at Tribu K'Mindanawan. It showcased the different houses and culture of Mindanao.

Flower fire!

Reminds me a volcanic eruption

Moi and the pretty performer

It was pretty amazing! The dance moves were aesthetically pleasing albeit dangerous. True enough, the performers showed their best and left the audience in awe.

Davao Crocodile Park is located in Davao Crocodile Park Complex in Diversion Road, Maa, Davao City.

How to get there:

From the city center take a Buhangin Route Jeepney (P7 fare) and inform the driver to drop you in the “Habal-habal” (motorcycle for hire) area in the corner of the Diversion Road. A habal-habal can take you directly to the park for P20-P40 depending on how good you are in haggling.

Sounds complicated and scary? Ride a cab instead. Teehee. :-P

Updates: Laguindingan Airport Project

2012-01-19T04:45:00.000+08:00

The latest statistical data report of CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) has shown a steady increase of passengers for the past five years, all thanks to the rise of low-cost airlines which makes flying to different points of the country possible to every Juan.

The small terminal building of Lumbia Airport, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental (Photo credit)

But despite this development, some airports are in dire need of expansion; they can no longer handle the huge influx of passengers. A perfect example for this predicament is Cagayan de Oro City's Lumbia Airport.

A quick overview about Lumbia Airport:

Airport: Cagayan de Oro Airport (IATA: CGY | ICAO: RPML)
Location: Brgy. Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Philippines
Elevation: 183 m / 601 ft above sea level
Runway: (Asphalt) 2,454 meters (8,050 feet).
Runway Direction: 1/19

Aboard AirPhil 2P 253 (DVO-CGY) flight. Preparing for final approach. Photo by yours truly.

Lumbia Airport is the busiest airport of Misamis Oriental and serves as the primary gateway of the region. Several airlines serve flights from Manila, Cebu, Davao and most recently, Iloilo, Tagbilaran and Zamboanga.

Believe it or not, this seemingly small airport had already served 1.35 million passengers last 2010. I have been to Lumbia Airport last year and I can truly say that the airport's really small. The baggage carousel that time wasn't working at all! Last April, my friend, Dan had an early morning flight to Manila via Philippine Airlines. There were so many people that time that the x-ray machines had gone berserk. X-ray personnel had resorted to manual checking of the baggage. With that, security has been compensated.

Official name of the Airport: Laguindingan Airport

Passenger Terminal Building

Airport complex

For the past decade, the local government of Region 10 has been eyeing for a possible expansion of Lumbia Airport. But due to its location (the airport is located on a hilly part of the city, which is an unideal location for an airport), expanding Lumbia seemed futile.

Thus, they resorted of buliding an airport on a vast flatland in the municipality of Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental located approximately 50 kilometers away from Cagayan de Oro City and approximately 50 kilometers from Iligan City, Lanao del Norte.

Laguindingan was considered to be the perfect location of the new airport which was funded by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Laguindingan Airport Development Project cost approximately Php 7 Billion in which a portion of it was loaned from an international bank.

The planning started way back in Triassic Period, when the supercontinent Pangaea was still intact, but the construction of it commenced five years ago. There were so many issues back then.

The new airport comes with a single 2,000 m x 45 m meter concrete runway, a new terminal building with two jet bridges, a new control tower, a fire department building and two taxiways. Its apron can handle five Airbus A320s at the same time. The predeparture area of the airport offers a splendid view of Macajalar Bay.

Taxiway and runway

Runway 08 approach

Pilots will be happy as the approach procedures of Laguindingan Airport will be a million times easier than Lumbia. Lumbia is surrounded by Bukidnon's towering mountains, specifically near Runway 01. More so, due to its location, Lumbia is prone to fog and windshear causing delays. Laguindingan Airport has no physical obstructions and sits only a few meters above sea level.

As of today, civil works of the airport are almost complete. They are currently installing runway and taxiway lights and other navigational instruments essential to the airport.

Laguindingan Airport is expected to open in late 2012 or early 2013.

Well, as for Lumbia, it will serve as a military airbase of Region 10, similar to what happened to the old ramp of Davao International Airport.

Disclaimer: All Laguindingan Airport photos belong to GV Cagampang

This Is How We Flew and Rolled

2012-01-18T04:01:00.000+08:00

Just last Saturday, we had our shoot for the teaser of our travel show which will soon be aired on Mindanao Travel Channel and on YouTube as well. The night before the shoot, I was so busy of thinking some concepts and the things that might happen to us in the next few hours. I was pretty much excited for our shoot.

Adrenaline rush!

The weather was pretty bad that time. The morning sky was gray and depressing. But despite the bad weather, it didn't hamper our mood and decided to push through with our shooting. Rain or shine, tuloy pa rin!

And little did I know that we were actually going to fly in mid-air and literally roll in the 'deep'. Ha!

It was still raining when we arrived at Davao Crocodile Park. Armed with nothing but a Canon EOS 600D, we took a LOT of video stills and did some narrations. Good thing, Kuya Drew, our creative director suggested a few things significant to our teaser shoot.

Bagong ligo look of an eagle!

We even had close encounters with birds and reptiles during the shoot!

Up close and personal with the Australian Bald Eagle and a baby saltwater crocodile.

Considered as one of the finest tourist attractions in Davao City, Philippines, Davao Crocodile Park boasts thousands of its self-nurtured Crocodiles as well as a wide variety of flora and fauna. It is a home to the tamed wildlife beasts which are nourished and given world-class care. Davao Crocodile Park boasts its one of a kind zoo which housed different animals such as crocodiles, birds, snakes, monkeys among many others.

After we did a few successful shots, we got extremely hungry... so hungry that we can eat five adult saltwater crocodiles in just one sitting!!! Time for lunnnnch!

And for lunch, we tried one exotic dish: Crocodile Sisig!!!

Reptilian sisig!

Other dishes like Bihod (can anyone here provide an English translation for Bihod?), homemade Melon Ice cream and chicken barbeque satisfied our gastronomic needs.

Foodporn overload!

The next part was pretty much exciting. Brace yourself with these two heart-stopping and adrenaline-filled activities!!!

We decided to include the infamous double Zs in our shoot - Zorb and Zipline. We were so excited because it was our first time to try the former, except for Kuy.

Installing an improvised camera

Rollin' in the deeeeeeeeeeeep!

The activity SEEMED simple and easy: strap yourself inside the giant, transparent beach ball AKA the Zorb and let it roll down the hill while you're inside. There were two girls ahead of us and were the first one to try it. They were shouting as the Zorb rolled down. I was like, "Meh those bitches are so maarte, they're aren't used to that kind of activity".

It was easy to make that kind of statement. When it was our turn to ride the Zorb ball, I started to feel nervous and excited at the same time. Okay scratch that. I was freakin' nervous the moment I got inside the Zorb! After securing our straps, the Zorb was released and we started rolling... rolling... rolling in the deep! You had my heart inside you haaaand! And you played it, to the beaaat!

The roll lasted for a minute... and it was the LONGEST ONE MINUTE THAT I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED! It was crazy as hell, rolling down a hill inside a giant ball. Ugh. Feeling ko nga eh sasabog na yung utak ko!!! I was shouting "$%$@%$@%!!! $%^)#%)! Jesus Christ! %^)%^)(!%$^ God! Holy )$%*$)%*!!!" the whole time!

And yes, I ate what I said earlier. LOL!

Ladies and gentlemen, this is how we roll!

Zip and Zorb - Davao City from RM Bulseco on Vimeo.

After rolling down the steep hill, we drove our way to Zip City, located at Brgy. Langub and still owned by Davao Crocodile Park. The place offers a panoramic view of Downtown Davao and to the other side, the southern side of the city and the towering peaks of Mount Talomo and Mount Apo.

Downtown Davao

Southern Davao

My ziplining experience at Zip City wasn't really scary at all. In fact it has been tagged as the friendliest zip line in the whole city! The length of the zipline's 310 meters and the ride was neither too fast nor too slow; just the right speed (though I wish it could've been faster. Heh).

Davao Crocodile Park is not your ordinary zoo. Aside from keeping and nurturing wild animals (some of them are endemic to the island of Mindanao), they also have exotic meals to offer and tribal showdown to showcase which includes fire dance. And oh, don't forget the adrenaline-filled activities like the Zorb Ball and Zipline at Zip City.

If you're up for an adventure, visit Davao Crocodile Park and Zip City. I highly recommend you to visit these places. You will definitely have the most memorable nature, animal and adventure trip.

UP NEXT: Kapatagan, Davao del Sur and Maxima Resort of Samal Island!

Sencha Milk Tea Place

2012-01-16T16:25:00.000+08:00

Whenever I'm in Chowking, I'd always order Nai Cha, their milk tea. I don't know but I really love the blend of milk and tea and I'm the only one in the family who has a penchant for it! Over the years, Chowking has been my one and only source of milk tea. There were no milk tea places in Davao until two (or three) years ago.

Just this month, another milk tea place opened its doors to the public. Of course, I didn't have any second thoughts of trying Davao's newest milk tea place.

A milk tea place usually has this oriental vibe. But Sencha Milk Tea Place is different, in a good way. Aside from the store's friendly and approachable crew, its unique interior design generates positive energy which guarantees guests to experience comfort at maximum level.

Sencha Milk Tea Place offers not just a variety of teas; they also serve Takoyaki (Japanese dumpling) and hot and cold coffee. Talking about versatility!

Last weekend, after our tiring but fun shooting at Crocodile Park and ZipCity, Kuya Drew, Juy, Mark and yours truly went straight to Sencha to have our milk tea fix. Aside from ordering their signature tea, one of their best-sellers, we also tried Bits of Wisdom, Rose Special, Dancing Coffee and Durian Espresso Frappuccino.

Rose Special - Citrus bits with a mild aroma of rose.

Durian Espresso Frappuccino. The best!

Dancing Coffee - it really dances. Bits of Wisdom - blueberry tea!

I highly recommend Durian Espresso Frappuccino and Bits of Wisdom!

And oh, Sencha offers a free wi-fi connection which enables guests to update their tweets instantly, like this one: Hey I'm here at Sencha, u shud try der milk tea. D best in town! *76 characters left*. Now that's awesome!

Chillin' at Sencha Milk Tea Place

Sencha Milk Tea Place is located along Ramon Magsaysay Avenue (Uyanguren), Davao City, in front of Shanghai Restaurant.

And for the price? Surprisingly affordable!

Where to Stay: Metropolis Suites

2012-01-13T00:19:00.003+08:00

Hotels are sprouting like mushrooms in some major cities of the country, including Davao. But most of them do not cater the needs of the travelers; even the basic needs such as tissue papers, toothpastes and towels!

Cafe Aurora

But there's a particular hotel in Davao which offers the basic needs of a traveler. What's more? This charming new hotel offers luxurious services at a reasonable price!

Upon entering the hotel, I was amazed by its ambiance. The warm and earth colors of its interior was really delightful. It had a homey feel! One wouldn't resist of just staying there at the lobby for a very long time. The same color scheme was applied in their rooms. It had five types of it namely Executive Suite, Deluxe Suite, Matrimonial Suite, Standard Trio Suite and the Standard Duo Suite - all of which are air-conditioned.

LOL. Executive Suite's kitchen!

The Executive Suite is the biggest of the five and has two rooms in it - the master's bedroom and the kiddie's bedroom. A kitchen and a comfy lounge separate the two rooms. The Deluxe Suite offers a queen-sized bed and one solo bed along with a coffee table. The Matrimonial Suite is recommended for couples for it had one queen-sized bed and a coffee table. The Standard Trio and Duo Suite offer three solo and two solo beds respectively, perfect for budget travelers who wish to save money whilst experiencing the comfort comparable to a five-star hotel.

Deluxe Suite

Standard Duo

What's more? All rooms are equipped with a flat screen 32" LCD TV with cable and a hot and cold shower with tub. Guests could also avail their free breakfast and drinks of their choice. Internet connection is accessible through Cafe Aurora located near the lobby of the hotel. More so, you can avail their laundry services if you have dirty clothes with you.

Davao Bloggers!

Metropolis Suites also have two function rooms, perfect for business meetings, parties and other occasions. It has two 32" LCD TV with a state-of-the-art sound system. The Davao Bloggers' Black and White Christmas Party was held there and we all had fun!

The hotel is located at Cabaguio Avenue cor. Macopa Street (right in front of Merco). It's a minute away from Southern Philippines Medical Center, 10 minutes away from Davao International Airport and 15 minutes away from downtown Davao.

For inquiries and reservations, please contact the following numbers: (082) 282-8000 or (082) 321-2874.

The next time you visit Davao, check-in at Metropolis Suites!

INSIDER'S TIP: Try their coffee with sili. Tastes so great!

It's More Fun in Davao!

2012-01-09T21:28:00.000+08:00

DOT's latest campaign, It's More Fun In The Philippines, has gone viral.

It's More Fun In Davao! (Photo credit)

In this post, I'm gonna share ten photos why it is more fun in Davao City, Philippines!

(Disclaimer: All photos are mine, otherwise stated.)

Photo credit

Mana Davao. JP Laurel Avenue, Davao City.

Kadayawan Festival

Monfort Bat Cave: Home of the largest colony of fruit bats in the whole world.

Vanishing Island, Samal. Photo by Lyle Malubay

Marilog District, Calinan, Davao City

Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi). Photo credit

Pangubatan Beach Resort, Samal Island

Abreeza Ayala Mall. Photo by Sinjin Pineda

Maxima Resort, Samal. Photo by Dong Ho

Feel free to share this! :)

Davao: Life Is Here!

Duaw Dabaw: A 3D/2N Itinerary

2012-01-08T02:18:00.000+08:00

Davao City: From highlands to islands. Top photo courtesy of willchin

Thinking about hitting the beach and enjoying the cool climate of the mountains at the same time? Well here in Davao City, you can do that without wasting your time on the road. If you're planning to visit Davao, this one-of-a-kind 3D/2N itinerary will truly help you in your adventure.

Welcome to Davao City, famous for its green landscape and disciplined citizens. As one of the fastest growing cities in the Philippines, Davao offers a vast array of choices that one can really enjoy - food, shopping, adventure - you name it. Here is my itinerary to all the things quintessentially Davaoeño without spending more than three to four hours on the road just to reach pristine white sand beaches or mountain resorts.

Day 1 (Friday) - Nature Trippin'

Taking the first flight to Davao is the best choice. Flights from Manila, Cebu and Iloilo usually arrive at around 5:30 AM to 6:30 AM. Upon arrival, take a cab to your preferred hotel. Feeling adventurous? You can opt to ride the jeep to the downtown area.

After checking-in at your desired hotel, head straight to Entrée, located inside the Apo View Hotel wherein you can enjoy sumptuous and unlimited breakfast meals. Mind you, every cents and calories count at Entrée!

Now, you're full. Walk for like 10 to 20 minutes around the hotel's lobby. Don't worry, the hotel personnel won't bother you... unless you're Anne Curtis or Manny Pacquiao. Then, take a cab and visit Davao Crocodile Park, our first destination.

Scary crocosaurus at Crocodile Park (Photo credit: Sinjin Pineda)

Aside from these crocs, you can also have close encounters with monkeys, wild cats, tigers, ostriches and a whole lot of fauna. For lunch, try their specialty - crocodile meat. It's very delicious! I ain't joking here!

Next stop: Philippine Eagle Nature Park located at Malagos, Calinan, Davao City. And you have no choice but to take a cab. It's an hour away from downtown. But if you have friends in Davao who own a car and know how to drive, then solb na problema mo te!

Fast forward... tada! Welcome to the Philippine Eagle Nature Park, home to a number of endangered species endemic to Mindanao! The Philippine Monkey-eating Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) has been a symbolic icon for Davao. Known to be an endemic species of Mindanao, this carnivorous bird is on the verge of extinction. That's why, Ornithologists and some NGOs (Non Government Organizations) decided to put up this park in the late 80s to protect them from illegal loggers and poachers. Researchers have already been successful in breeding these endangered birds and had already released a number of eagles in the wild.

Birds of Paradise. Photo credit: ~MVI~

Enough with the birds and other wild animals! Fly (LOL fly talaga) to Eden Nature Park and enjoy its cool climate. Spend at least two hours there before you go back to downtown Davao. And oh, why not try their fresh vegetable salad bar! Eden Nature Park grows their own vegetables and yes, they're all juicy and yummy. BTW, I don't vegetables but I love Eden's homegrown veggies. And oh, don't forget to ride their zipline and Indiana Jones ride!

Davao City: View from Jack's Ridge

Dinner time! Now you're back at downtown area. Dine at Taklobo Restaurant of Jack's Ridge located at Shrine Hills, Matina. The restaurant offers a panoramic view of the whole city, as well as Samal Island. Plus, they serve delicious food too! Nomnomnom to death! Now, hail a cab, go back to your hotel and have a good night's rest... 'COZ TOMORROW WE'LL HIT THE BEACH!

Day 2 (Saturday) - Bitchin' at the Beach

Seven a.m., waking up in the morning. Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs. Gotta have my bowl, gotta have durian pies. Seein' everything, the time is goin'. Tickin' on and on, everybody's rushin' Gotta get down to the boat stop. Gotta catch my boat. I see my friends!

After eating your bowl of cereal, Drive yourself to Sta. Ana Wharf and visit Paradise Beach Resort of Samal Island. The good thing here is that, Samal is only 20 minutes away from Metro Davao. It's a Saturday, thus it's naturally filled with local and foreign tourists. Take a dip for at least 2 hours and stay there 'til lunch time. Enjoy the view. Relax. Unwind. And EAT, of course.

Feeling adventurous? Ride a habal-habal (you'll definitely love this unique way of transportation) and visit the Monfort Bat Caves, the largest colony of fruit bats in the whole world! Entrance fee - Php 40. Not bad!

Batman! Tenenenenen Batman!

Did you know that an islet off Samal Island disappears during high tide? Visit Samal's Vanishing Island. From the Monfort Bat Cave, you can rent a small boat to that beautiful island at a reasonable price! Or better yet, brave the strong current of Davao Gulf! Lol, jazkeeding!

Vanishing Island at high tide!

The tides are starting to get high again, and we're holding on! ~~I'm gonna be your number one!~~ It's time to go back to the main island. Ride a barge from Babak Port; it will take you back to the city. Upon arrival, visit the Statue of David at Matina Aplaya which is five minutes away from SM City Davao. It's a replica of Italy's David! Oops, I almost forgot. Your stomach's grumbling na pala! Why not try eating at Colasas, Davao's first and still the undisputed number one barbecue house of the city. After stuffing your stomach with unlimited rice and juicy chicken, pork and seafood barbecue, head straight to Matina Town Square and party all night long!

Mini concert at Matina Town Square. Photo credit

Just remember that selling alcoholic beverages beyond 2AM is prohibited, as well as smoking in public places. Kapag nayoyosi ka na, better ask the store owner first before you light up your cigarette. Violating a city ordinance is punishable by law and fines can reach as high as Php 10,000.

Day 3 - So long, farewell.

After eating your breakfast, freshen up, pack your things and leave the hotel. BUT BEFORE THAT, we'll visit a few notable places in the city.

Visit People's Park and be amazed with the statues made by Davao-based artist, Kublai Milan. By the way, he's the same person who made and designed the durian-with-kids statue in front of the airport terminal.

Walking. It's more fun [and colorful] in Davao! Photo credit

And oh, if you are planning to buy pasalubong for your family and friends, Aldevinco Souvenir Shop is the place to be. It's located in front of Ateneo de Davao University along Roxas Avenue. You can buy various stuff from this shop - sarong, shirts, malong, and a whole lot more!

To summarize your 3D/2N Davao trip:

Day 1: You conquered Davao.

Day 2: You swam all day and partied all night.

Day 3: You bid farewell and shed a tear.

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Davao is indeed one of the best destinations of Philippines. Three days and two nights seemed short but you can actually visit and experience all kinds of adventures within that span of time!

True enough, life is indeed HERE in DAVAO!

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This is my entry to the Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival for the month of January 2012 on the theme “3 Days/ 2 Nights” hosted by Eileen Campos of Possibly Pinay.

Why Amazing Race is Amazing

2012-01-02T22:36:00.002+08:00

I have been an avid fan of this fastest reality TV show for almost a decade.

I started watching The Amazing Race back in 2003. During that time, the third season was still running. Flo and Zach won that particular season and I didn't expect it. I was expecting the model twins to win but, oh well.

And the fun doesn't stop there! Every year, I always look forward to the new teams to love... and to loath. With feelings pa!

One thing that I loved about this show is its spontaneity. It's already given that you'll have to expect the unexpected. One would have his early favorites but as the show progresses, he will have the tendency to switch his favorite team because either his former favorite team has already started bitchin' around or has got eliminated earlier in the show.

The amazing part of The Amazing Race is not the race per se; it's the contestants!

Producers carefully choose the teams to be included on the final list. As much as possible, the set of teams should be diverse in terms of personalities and social status. There are instances however, wherein a deaf was allowed to join the race with his mom! Through this, the audience will be able to experience different kinds of interactions between the teams.

Goths, cheerful father-daughter, cowboys and mother-son tandem

Before the show starts, twelve or thirteen teams will race around the world and whoever finishes the race first will win one million dollars. It sounds fairly easy but once the stress level escalates, it would be a disaster. Each teams has their own fair share of stories and experiences about how their emotional breakdown caused their untimely demise.

Even a watermelon can be life-threatening! Take a look at this video clip (Amazing Race 17). Fruit Ninja 2: Revenge of the Watermelon!

I almost forgot. Teams from different seasons utter the same expressions! Here are some:

(During a task) Oh, you shut the f*ck up! I'm trying!
TAXI!
Just shut up!!!
Holy crap!
Oh my... GOD!
Where is it? WHERE'S THE CLUE BOX?!
(During the very start of the race; Phil Keoghan): Are you guys ready? The world is waiting for you. Travel safe... GO!
Can you book us to the fastest (FASTEST!!! LOL) flight to *insert country here*?
Let's go ask her!
Are you serious?
(Winner of the pit stop; Phil Keoghan) As the winner of this leg of the race, you won a trip for two from Travelocity to *insert place here*.
Fast, fast, fast! We're on a race!
Oh, shoot! There's another team coming!
Read that DAMN clue again!
What the?!
This is freakin' awesome!
(Phil Keoghan)... and I have some good news for you. You're still on the race. Congratulations.
Stop whining! Just help me!

I have been dreaming of becoming one of the contestants of this show. However, it seemed impossible since only American citizens with an American passport are eligible to join the show.

Fortunately in 2006, AXN Asia launched the Asian version of TAR. Dreaming of becoming one of the contestants of this show is now possible. And with regards to that, I am seriously looking for a race partner. Don't worry, I have a very good sense of directions, I'm good at reading maps, I am very competitive but I easily lose patience whenever things do not go on the right track. Pero keri pa rin 'yan for sure. Hahaha! It's one of my lifelong dreams kasi, to become part of Amazing Race!

Jess and Lani (Team PH) thought they won the pitstop... until Allan Wu gave them their next clue!

The show is indeed addicting. You can't really predict the outcome of the show. Some teams win and others have to say goodbye. The show has been an inspiration to me. It had taught me that age and physique don't really matter at all. You just have to be determined and focused to the tasks given to you.

Richard Herrera and Richard Hardin - first Filipino team to win Amazing Race Asia!

Bill and Cathi, the oldest couple to join Amazing Race Season 19 finished 5th place.
Such an inspiration especially to the young ones! (Photo courtesy: CBS)

True enough, Amazing Race will surely test the teams physically, mentally and socially. Now, it is up to them how to cope with stress brought about by language barrier, harassment from the locals, and sleep deprivation. Needless to say, the show has indeed been very successful and has already drawn millions of audiences worldwide because of its amazing twists and actions! No wonder that the show's still running up to this date. It even encourages everyone to explore the world!

Everyone wants to win the top prize. But in the end, the experience of racing around the world with your teammate is surely a moment worth remembering.

Travel safe. The world is waiting for you. GO!

The Beginning

2011-12-31T02:59:00.000+08:00

2011 will finally end in a couple of hours.

2011 has been a great year for me!

The year has been truly amazing and I am very grateful for that.

This is the year when I finally completed my degree at University of the Philippines. This is the year when I finally decided on what I REALLY want to do with my life.

And, this is the year when I experienced myriad of emotions which made me wiser and stronger.

A lot of my college friends keep on convincing me to pursue a medical career. That was actually my original plan - to become a licensed physician specializing in orthopedic surgery. But for me, that idea alone would eat up at least ten (10) precious years of my life. Well it's just... I don't see myself working in the medical field anymore and I always feel uneasy whenever I think about that.

That's probably one of the main reasons why I put up this travel blog last June and started writing about my adventures (and misadventures) for the last three years. Writing has been my passion since grade school and I'd always wanted to continue doing this. More so, the field works that I've had back in college drove me to continue exploring the world after finishing my degree last April.

For some, traveling is simply defined as shopping to various places and taking photos of you on a particular landmark. They were wrong. Traveling is more than that, I tell you. When you start talking to the locals, live with them and even experience their way of life, you will definitely see the real purpose of traveling. The whole point of it allowed me to experience what it felt like to be outside my comfort zone, my home.

Nevertheless, traveling had allowed me to experience life to a whole new level.

Because of traveling, I met new people on the road and became friends instantly! We actually don't mind of our cultural, religious and linguistic differences; we were already aware of that. These are actually the people whom I always wanted to be with whenever I travel. Earning friends who have a penchant for traveling is one of the best perks that a traveler could get! Priceless.

Friends who have itchy feet!

This year, I had the chance to witness and experience Kadayawan Festival. Believe it or not, I have NEVER experienced watching the street dance and floral float parades LIVE until last August. Seeing those kids dancing under the scorching heat of the sun in their colorful costumes and props was definitely a moment worth remembering.

First Kadayawan sa Dabaw experience!

It also came to a point when traveling taught me how to become frugal, like for instance my Php 1,500 Manila backpacking challenge. Until now, I still cannot believe that I nailed that challenge, knowing that I have a tendency to become an impulsive buyer.

And oh, I will never forget the day when I had to sit and wait for more than eight (8) hours inside the predeparture area of Zamboanga International Airport! It really stretched and tested my patience as a traveler.

This is how I look whenever I get impatient.

Finally, I've learned to find my way out without the help of Google Maps. My cousin and I got lost in Iloilo City and we don't have any idea how to get to our final destination (SM City Iloilo). We chose not to ride a taxi because it's a bit expensive. Thus, we started asking the locals. They were actually better and more reliable than Google Maps! That particular moment taught me how to become independent. I realized that my family will not be always be there for me and I have to trust my own decisions and instincts. Getting lost is actually not a bad thing, after all!

---

It has been a tough year for me. I have been reevaluating my interests and goals, reorganizing my never-ending bucket lists and reconnecting with my old self.

For years, I have been acting like a puppet. Well, I don't mean that someone's controlling my life... It's just I have been always dependent to the decisions of others. It's about time to make my own and try if it works or not.

So far, I am happy with every decisions I make. It actually felt liberating!

Wandering to other places actually allowed me to know and understand myself better. I'll promise you that this 2012, I will bring The Geek Travels to the next level. I am actually expecting for more exciting adventures and misadventures in the first few months of 2012!

"Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them. Life is short. Live your dream and share your passion."

Cheers for an awesome 2011! I am hoping that 2012 would be a better and brighter year for everyone!

Day 6: The 2011 Ligligan Parul Experience

2011-12-30T13:04:00.000+08:00

Holiday rush.

Highways and avenues were filled with cars, buses and jeeps even at twelve midnight. People were still rushing to the nearest malls for their last minute Christmas shopping. Streets were illuminated with bright and colorful lights as children sung to the tune of classical Christmas songs. Christmas in the Philippines has never been this colorful and unique!

In line with that, the last day of my 6-day backpacking trip was spent at the Christmas Capital of the Philippines - San Fernando, Pampanga to celebrate the 103rd Ligligan Parul Festival!

But before that, let's have a quick glimpse of Balanga City, Bataan. Photos were taken before we left this young city.

Your typical pueblo: City Hall, Town Center and a Cathedral (St. Joseph)

Jay and I arrived at SM Pampanga thirty minutes after six and walked a million miles to Robinsons Starmills. And boy, we were greeted by millions of people the moment we entered the festival premises. We tried to squeeze our way in but luck wasn't on our side. Worse, it was drizzling at that time.

We had no choice but to trust the power of our lens. Jay's D5000 was armed with a versatile 18-200 while my weapon had a 55-250 on it.

Beautiful giant lanterns of San Fernando, Pampanga

Some tidbits about the festival:

It is an annual event held in December (Saturday before Christmas Eve) in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines. It features a competition of giant lanterns, at least 20 feet in diameter. That's HOW big the lanterns were.

The tradition started back in 1904 and slowly evolved into what I have seen this year - lanterns became bigger and more intricate. It was in the year 1931 that electricity was introduced to the San Fernando lantern, thus sparking the birth of the first Giant Lantern Festival. The added illusion of dancing lights highlighted the bright colors and intricate designs of these Giant Lanterns. At this time, the lights were controlled by individual switches that were turned on and off following the beat of the music.

This year, ten barangays showed of their skills as they battled for the top price of Php 103,000. And for the second time, Brgy. Sta. Lucia brought home the bacon!

Brgy. Sta. Lucia outshone other entries!

Audience

And to those who missed the event, the Giant Lantern Exhibit will be on display from December 25 to January 3, 2012 with performances every 7PM at Robinsons Starmills Mall, San Fernando, Pampanga.

Robinsons lit the night sky to culminate the annual yuletide event of the city... and it made my backpacking trip complete. :,)

I have finally seen fireworks! I kinda miss watching this.

---

My year-end backpacking trip was a brand new experience for me. I was almost a week away from my home, my comfort zone.

Touchdown Davao! Home sweet home! :,)

It made me realize that there is indeed more to life if you experience the most uncomfortable things like in my case, running with bajillions of people with my camera bag and backpack along Pasay Rotunda to catch up the last trip of MRT to North Avenue and the constant worry that I might be held up in the middle of my adventure.

But along the way, I met great people with great dreams. It motivated me of not to give up and continue this journey. Hands down to these people: Mica, Edcel, Ivan, Brenna, Robbie, Andrew, Edwin, Doi, Chino and Jay - you guys are awesome!

2011 has been great a great year for me. Looking forward to more travels, adventures AND misadventures this 2012!

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2011 Year-end Trip Series

Day 1: Start the Year-end Trip at Malapascua Island
Day 2: Island Hopping at Malapascua
Day 3: Sojourn in Bantayan Island
Day 4: Where to Eat at IT Park, Cebu City
Day 5: Conquering Mount Samat of Bataan
Day 6: The 2011 Ligligan Parul Experience

Day 5: Conquering Mount Samat, Bataan

2011-12-28T22:07:00.002+08:00

I have had enough with beaches (and bitches).

Memorial Cross of Mount Samat

That's the reason why on the fifth day of my backpacking trip, I flew north and climbed one of the country's most prominent landmarks which commemorates a particular part of Philippine history.

Jay and I left Manila around 7AM and headed straight to Pilar, Bataan where his aunt and his other relatives live. From my personal viewpoint, life in Bataan seemed simple and straightforward, far from the stressful and complicated environment of Imperial Manila.

But little did I know that sixty years ago, this seemingly quiet province experienced the worst and Bataan has a story to tell to every first-time travelers like me.

On our way to the beautiful province of Bataan!

After eating our breakfast (which was truly delicious), we hired a tricycle that would take us to the Shrine of Valour (Dambana ng Kagitingan). The round trip fare from Pilar to Mount Samat cost around Php 300 or 500. Oh by the way, before I forget, there are no taxis in Bataan and tricycles are the main transport system of the province. ;-)

Manong driver drove his tricycle at top speed; going to the summit felt like I was riding a roller coaster! Lorjeesaas help me!

Manong driver drove so fast that I can't even take a decent shot on our way to the summit!

We finally reached the summit. Of course, picture-picture muna!

Finally, Mount Samat!

Located in an area approximately 73,665 hectares, construction of the memorial shrine complex started on April 16, 1966 with the laying of the cornerstone by then President Ferdinand Marcos. Originally planned to be inaugurated in 1967, the memorial shrine complex was completed and inaugurated in 1970 in line with the 25th Anniversary of the end of World War II.

The park consists of a colonnade and at the peak of the mountain, the Memorial Cross. The shrine was designed by Lorenzo del Castillo and landscaped by Dolly Quimbo-Perez.

We first explored the Memorial Cross. An elevator will take you to the viewing deck.

The Memorial Cross

The Memorial Cross is the most prominent structure of the park and is located at the highest point of Mount Samat, 555 meters (1,821 ft) above sea level. Made of steel and reinforced concrete and stands at 92 meters (302 meters) from the base, the Memorial Cross offers a breathtaking view of the whole province of Bataan.

West Philippine Sea

Mount Mariveles

Oil refinery, facing Manila Bay

FUN FACT: The elevator inside the Memorial Cross is almost half-century old and is believed to be one of the first ten elevators installed in the Philippines. The other ones had already retired a few years back, of which can be found inside UP Diliman and UP Los Baños.

One can even see the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant at Morong, which is approximately an hour drive from Pilar.

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Morong, Bataan. View from the Memorial Cross, Mount Samat

The Colonnade

The Colonnade is a marble-covered structure surrounded by esplanade (Wiki, 2011). The esplanade is surrounded by marble covered parapets with the outer side covered with 19 high relief sculptures by National Artist Napoleon Abueva depicting images of the war alternating with 18 bronze insignias of USAFFE Division units made by Talleres de Maximo Vicente, Leonides Valdez, and Angel Sampra and Sons. Each bronze insignias has a flagpole for the flags of each division. There were even four large chandeliers made of bronze that hung from the ceiling of the building!

The Colonnade, with Jay as my trusty tour guide!

We visited the underground museum and finally had a grasp of what really happened during the Fall of Bataan. Like any other museums, picture taking is not allowed inside. There were so many relics, photos and even vintage stuff inside the museum. Entrance fee by the way is only Php 20.

A narrative about the Battle of Bataan was inscribed in marble on two lateral walls of the Colonnade.

The Fall of Bataan

Reading those inscribed narratives gave me goosebumps. I salute those brave soldiers of ours who fought for our country during World War II. They have made a lot of sacrifices and endured a lot of things - from the infamous Death March to the most brutal forms of torture given by the Japanese soldiers.

A few snapshots of Mount Samat - Shrine of Valor (Bataan, PH)

Even though I don't belong to their generation, I would still (and always) pay homage to them by not forgetting this particular part of the Philippine history.

The great men of valor fought for our country.

They did not give up.

They did not.

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2011 Year-end Backpacking Trip

Day 1: Start the Year-end Trip at Malapascua Island
Day 2: Island Hopping at Malapascua
Day 3: Sojourn in Bantayan Island
Day 4: Where to Eat at IT Park, Cebu City
Day 5: Conquering Mount Samat of Bataan
Day 6: The Giant Lanterns of Pampanga

Day 4: Where to Eat at IT Park, Cebu City

2011-12-27T04:12:00.000+08:00

Eating is my favorite hobby. Okay scratch that. Eating is everyone's favorite hobby. I wouldn't mind spending that MUCH on food, as long as it is worth it. There are only a few restaurants here in the Philippines that offer delicious food with big servings at a reasonable price.

Nomnomnom adventure

In Cebu City, two restaurants at Asiatown IT Park surely answered my gastronomic demands (yes, demands talaga) for a reasonable price!

At around 2PM, we ate late lunch before we left Bantayan Island. Because my appetite is notoriously big, that particular meal didn't really satisfy me.

We spent almost an hour traveling to mainland Cebu and another four grueling hours (via bus) to Cebu City. Around 6PM, we were still on the road and from that moment I started to become impatient. At that time, I was so hungry that I can eat three people in just one sitting. Like, seriously.

Stressed, hungry yet naka-smile pa 'rin!

I have no choice but to sleep, even though I am not that sleepy, and make my own dream. Oh diba. What a perfect way to waste your time inside the bus.

Fast forward...

Yehey, finally arrived at The Walk, Asiatown IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City, Philipppppppppinnnnnes!

Loved this place so much.

We decided to eat at Casa Verde because everyone's recommending it. They even told me that Ian's eyes and jaw dropped the moment he saw the surprisingly BIG serving of baby back ribs. I was like, "Ngyeeeeh, atik uy" - Cebuano counterpart of "Weh, di nga" (Oh, really? Are you kidding me?). Yeah, something like that.

Of course, I ordered their famous baby back ribs. It took them 15-20 minutes before the waiter served my order. And guess what? My eyes and jaw literally fell and even rolled on the grimy floor of the restaurant. They weren't lying (or at least, not exaggerating) about the serving size of Casa Verde's baby back ribs!

Obviously, I gobbled the whole thing, minus the bones.

Casa Verde's famous baby back ribs

The picture cannot justify the actual size of it, but I tell you, it's REALLY BIG. Spending Php 208 for this meal alone was really worth it.

We even tried their famous dessert aptly named Death by Chocolate. You will literally die because of its mouthwatering taste. Death by Chocolate is a rocky road ice cream sprinkled with nuts and chocolate bits with cookies and poured with molten chocolate syrup.

WHAT. A. SINFUL. TREAT.

Eat this - it's the sweetest way to die!

Now presenting: The "Busog-Na-Kaayo-Mi-Mga-Higala" (Busog na po kami mga friends) group photo:

(L-R) Brenna aka Trudis Liit, Sinjin, Diyosang Robbie, Doi and yours truly after eating dinner

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The following day, we went back to The Walk and ate at East West for lunch. I love the 'homey' feel of East West! The restaurant, by the way, is famous for its delicious crepes. Nomnomnom.com!

East meets West

Here are some of our orders:

ORDER TAKEEEERRRRR!

And for our desert: Banana-Peanut Butter Crepe and Mango Crepe!

And the fun part was this: It took us only two minutes to finish the whole plate of Mango crepe. No, actually Chino was the one who finished it alone in just one bite!

Crepe monster on the loose!

Finding a good place to eat in Cebu City isn't really hard. One has a wide array of choices - from the pang-masa but delicious eateries (aka Larsian and D'original Siomai sa Tisa) to mid-range restaurants like Casa Verde and East West.

Cebu City is actually a perfect place for food trips!

The next time I visit Cebu, I shall try Larsian and Siomai sa Tisa. Ugghh, did I mention Siomai?! God, I'm craving for some since last week. I need to gobble a few hundred pieces of siomai ASAP.

But yeah, thanks Cebu for satisfying my gastronomic demands.

Inpernes nagutom ako habang ginagawa ko ang post na 'to. >:(

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2011 Year-end Trip Series:

Day 1: Start the Year-end Trip at Malapascua Island

Day 2: Island Hopping at Malapascua

Day 3: Sojourn in Bantayan Island

Day 4: Where to Eat at IT Park, Cebu City

Day 5: Conquering Mount Samat of Bataan

Day 6: The Giant Lanterns of Pampanga

Day 3: Sojourn in Bantayan Island

2011-12-25T04:12:00.001+08:00

Slip away from the seemingly crowded city streets of Metro Cebu for a leisurely day tour at Bantayan Island where life is much simpler than the bustling regional center of the island.

Sugar Beach, Bantayan Island

Bantayan Island is located west off the northern tip of the island of Cebu and is politically part of the Province of Cebu. It is roughly 16 kilometers long and 11 kilometers wide, much bigger compared to its counterpart, Malapascua Island. It is also the main and largest island of the Bantayan Island Group that is roughly the geographical center of the Philippines.

To get there, one must ride a bus to Hagnaya Port, which is approximately three to four hours away from Cebu City depending on the traffic. And from the port, one will ride a barge to Santa Fe port of Bantayan Island. It would take at least 45 minutes to 1 hour before reaching the Municipality of Sante Fe.

But in our case, we rode a pump boat from Malapascua to Bantayan Island. It took us two and a half hours before reaching our destination.

Halfway to our final destination, the rain cloud started to chase us. Run Forrest, run!

The weather was fine when we left Malapascua Island!

And this is how the weather greeted us in Bantayan Island. RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

After we settled our things in our small yet clean rented cottage at Sugar Beach, the rain started to pour. Plus there was lightning. And the wind got stronger. And the coconuts started to fall from the sky. Shet lang.

When the storm slowly subsided, Edcel, Mica, Andrew and I decided to swim. The rain was still moderately strong but we didn't care and braved the cold. We were shivering while swimming! Wwwweee wwweere lllll-ike t-t-t-ttalking lll-like thhhi-ssss. Aaaandd weee weereeeebrrrghhh la-la-laugh-fffff-ing llll-ike thhhis: Bu-hhhhuwaaa-hhhaaaahhhaaa! Sssshhettt hanng lamig!

The following morning was even more exciting. The fine weather forced us to do our favorite activity - photoshoot!

Robbie taught us the principles of jump shots. Brenna failed the test, apparently. LOL!

Borrowed Robbie's uber cute hat!

I applied sunblock to my face, stomach and chest area but didn't give extra attention to my back before hitting the beach. The result? Two hours after swimming under the scorching heat of the sun, my back hurt and was so red. I looked like a skinny lechon biik!!!

Right after the swim, Mica and I were craving for a BJ.

Yes, BJ.

As in Buko Juice! :-p

Yummy coconut!

For only Php 20, one can enjoy the juice and the meat straight from the coconut fruit. It was my first time to do such and I was a bit overwhelmed with the volume of the juice and meat. Everyone was full after that healthy snack.

Before we left the island, we had our group shots taken. Fun overload!

Crazy people!

Like our Malapascua experience, our overnight stay at Bantayan Island was soooo bitin. It felt like we were always in a hurry, as if we were contestants of The Amazing Race. Don't get me wrong, though. We DID enjoy our overnight stay at the island although should we stayed longer, we might have explored some underrated places in the island and our friendship would have grown stronger.

Yuck ang cheesy ko lang.

Bantayan Island is a must-visit place in the island of Cebu. Clean and picturesque white sand beaches surround the island.

Leaving Bantayan was really sad. Like Hachiko-died-while-waiting-for-his-master sad.

Riding a trisikad to the port. Love the scenery.

Haggard level one million. Happiness level infinity.

Fishermen.

Like, seriously.

"What was your favorite part of the trip?", Dora once asked me while her big bulging eyes blinked at me.

I answered, "Bitch, you better asked Mica or Robbie for an answer."

"Oh, I like that too!"

And her reply caught me off guard.

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2011 Year-end Trip Series:

Day 1: Start the Year-end Trip at Malapascua Island
Day 2: Island Hopping at Malapascua
Day 3: Sojourn in Bantayan Island
Day 4: Where to Eat at IT Park, Cebu City
Day 5: Conquering Mount Samat of Bataan
Day 6: The Giant Lanterns of Pampanga

Day 2: Island Hopping at Malapascua

2011-12-21T03:55:00.000+08:00

I was feeling a bit groggy when my friends woke me up at around 6:30 in the morning. Yesterday, we had arranged an island tour along with our transportation to Bantayan Island later that day.

Cliff diving at Malapascua Island

It was almost 8:30 in the morning (an hour and half behind schedule) when we finally sailed to Malapascua Strait.

Because Malapascua Island lies a million miles away from Metro Cebu, the water was exceptionally clean and clear (parang facial wash lang, LOL). The whole island tour package includes three snorkeling spots, the infamous cliff diving and the transportation to Bantayan Island. It cost us 950 per head, which according to Edwin was a bit pricey.

Sighness.

We first dove at the first snorkeling spot. I tried to swim with a life jacket but it seemed more difficult to move!

Here are some photos prior sailing to the first snorkeling spot:

When I was still a mestizo. Sigh.

Werq it, Robbie... WERQ IT!

Malapascua Lighthouse

The next snorkeling site was even more interesting, that is if you have a penchant for shipwrecks. Yes, you read it right! SHIPWRECKS! Arrrrgghhh matey! One can find a lonely shipwreck near the coast of the island. Today, the remains of the ship is slowly becoming a breeding ground for corals and a home to some marine creatures. Andrew and Ivan opted to swim near the shipwreck...

Floating Andrew.

I think Ivan found something in the shipwreck... and he will never tell us about it!

...while me, Chino, Brenna and Robbie chose to strike a pose!

Jump and splash!

The third destination of our island tour was the most exhilarating one, well for Andrew and Brenna. Both of them swam and climbed to the summit of a 50-foot cliff. Here's a sequence shot of Andrew's dramatic dive!

Deep impact!

And oh, we stopped by near the protected marine sanctuary of Malapascua Island and fed the fishes! They were so colorful and looked lovely! But when Brenna swam near them, the fishes started to hide underneath the colorful coral reefs. Akala kasi ng mga isda, kakainin sila ng buhay ni Brenna. Lol!

Fishy! FISHY FISHY FISHY!

Traveling to Malapascua wasn't easy I tell you. I wasn't used of traveling 3-4 hours just to visit and explore a beach. Despite the difficulties that we had experienced, it was ALL WORTH IT. *10 thumbs up!* The whole island itself was perpetually clean, the water was free of debris (except for floating Sargasum) and the underwater life was vibrant and full of life! I shouldn't forget that the weather was perfect on that particular day.

Northern tip of Malapascua Island

I wouldn't mind of spending too much just to get there. Malapascua Island is indeed a must-visit place in Cebu!

And there's only one thing that I could say about my Malapascua experience: I shall return.

Cliff diving, humanda ka!

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2011 Year-end Trip Series:

Day 1: Start the Year-end Trip at Malapascua Island
Day 2: Island Hopping at Malapascua
Day 3: Sojourn in Bantayan Island
Day 4: Where to Eat at IT Park, Cebu City
Day 5: Conquering Mount Samat of Bataan
Day 6: The Giant Lanterns of Pampanga

Day 1: Start the Year-end Trip at Malapascua Island

2011-12-19T23:05:00.000+08:00

As the plane started to gain altitude, I looked at the window for a while and took some photos of the clouds before going to sleep. It was rather a smooth flight, thanks to the sunny weather. An hour later, I was awakened by the loud thump of the plane. Touchdown Cebu. I honestly do not know what was in store for us in the next four days, knowing that the places that we were about to visit were at least three and a half hours away from Metro Cebu.

But nonetheless, we remained optimistic in the entire trip, hoping that we will enjoy and have a great time.

Beautiful sunset at Malapascua Island, Cebu

Cebu has been blessed with wide ranges of beaches, Spanish fortresses and historical landmarks. On our first day, we drove our way north to Malapascua Island.

As a diving destination, Malapascua was "discovered" fairly recently, only in the early 90s. The island was first known for its wide white sand beach, known as Bounty Beach; it has also become known for its beautiful coral gardens and excellent local dive spots, as well as further-out sites including Gato Island, Monad Shoal, and Kemod Shoal. Monad Shoal is an underwater plateau where thresher sharks and manta rays can be sighted on a regular basis.

We decided to ride a van instead of bus, believing that the former is faster than the latter. But actually, it wasn't. Groggy from last night's party, I decided to sleep. I woke up and noticed that we were still on the road, so I went back to sleep. Repeat the process five times. In short, the trip took forever before reaching Maya Port!

Upon reaching Maya Port, we rode a boat to Malapascua Island and the estimated duration of the trip was one hour. But no, it took two hours before reaching the island because THE BOAT BROKE DOWN HALFWAY TO THE ISLAND! We were stranded right in the middle of the deep blue sea. And oh, I should add the fact that the Malapascua strait is infested with thresher sharks! Damn it! The boatmen tried to find solutions as we drifted further away from our destination. The weather was sunny and that was already a BIG BLESSING for us, thank God.

Fortunately the boatmen successfully revived the dying boat. As we neared the island, we were greeted by the natural rock formations of the island, as if they were just floating in the sea. I call them tropical icebergs, by the way.

As we set foot on the sandy shore of the island, a local named Mark greeted us and offered us a cheap accommodation. We were so exhausted because we haven't had eaten lunch yet and it's almost 5PM. We just need to settle our things, freshen up and eat somewhere. It was a short walk to our small cottage aptly named K1.

The sunset was really beautiful and dramatic and I was able to capture it as the sun sunk below the western horizon.

Beach + sunset = perfection.

We decided to try Kokay's Maldito restaurant. It wasn't that bad.

Dinner: PART 1

We tried the Pineapple Beignet, Thai chicken ginger, the complementary food, Bruschetta and spaghetti marinara (which tasted like carbonara). Because we weren't satisfied with our meals (yes, we were THAT hungry), we strolled along the quaint beach line of Malapascua and found a restaurant with comfy bean bags and throw pillows scattered along the beach.

According to Andrew, Malapascua looked pretty much like Boracay thirty years ago, when foreign and local tourists haven't started to flock the island and long before high end hotels and restaurants sprung to life. The place was quiet (but not eerily quiet). There were lots of foreigners strolling along the beach line and the whole island had this laid-back night life.

Dinner PART 2.

Surprisingly, the place has a strong wi-fi signal! Amazing and ironic at the same time.

Gibbous moon over Malapascua Island.

The night life at Malapascua Island wasn't really stressful and noisy. It's indeed a perfect place to hang out with your family and friends. Basically, we just enjoyed the rest of the night.

But wait, the fun doesn't end here! The next day's more exciting!

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2011 Year-end Trip Series:

Day 1: Start the Year-end Trip at Malapascua Island
Day 2: Island Hopping at Malapascua
Day 3: Sojourn in Bantayan Island
Day 4: Where to Eat at IT Park, Cebu City
Day 5: Conquering Mount Samat of Bataan
Day 6: The Giant Lanterns of Pampanga

How to Get a Philippine Passport

2011-12-09T18:55:00.001+08:00

If you are planning to have an Asian Cruise in Singapore or to have a great time with some Disney characters at Hongkong Disneyland, you need to secure a valid Philippine passport first!

Finally got my passport today!

Here are the requirements and ways on how to apply for a legit Philippine passport or renew an old one.

1) Prepare the necessary documents

You need to have at least two documents to support your identity! You should have an NSO Birth Certificate on security paper (true copy). You can obtain it by going to the National Statistics Office in person (if you are in the country) or order online via eCensus website. Next is your Transcript of Records (if you are a college graduate). Other supporting IDs and documents that are accepted are the following: College or high school yearbook, driver's license, PRC, and voters ID/certificate.

If you are unable to provide at least two valid documents or IDs, get a criminal record clearance. Obtain this from the NBI or National Bureau of Investigation. For first-time applicants, you must apply in person at an NBI office with valid ID cards. If you've gotten an NBI clearance before, you can get a new one by mailing back the personal copy of your last clearance. If you are outside the Philippines, you can also apply for a renewal by filling out a form at the nearest Philippine consulate. They will give you the form in an envelope which you must mail to the NBI in the Philippines.

Don't forget to photocopy your documents and IDs!

2) Fill out your application form

Once you enter the DFA office, you will be given an application form. Fill it out, follow the line and wait for your turn. In my own experience, the DFA office here in Davao City was pretty much easy and stress-free. The room was air-conditioned, guards were courteous and kind and everything was organized.

And oh, before I forget, you should come in smart casual attire. The guards won't allow you to enter the office if you wear flipflops, sexy shorts or sleeveless.

Once the teller calls your name, you should give him all your documents. Once you're cleared, proceed to the next station.

3) ID Pictures and Verification

There's no need to bring ID pictures. You'll have your photos taken inside the office.

4) Payment

You're almost there! After signing and reviewing your application form, proceed to the next station and pay for the application fee. Rush passport costs Php 1200 while the regular fee costs Php 950. Rush passport will be claimed 15 days after the date of your application (excluding weekends) whilst the latter one takes up to 45 days.

Don't forget to secure your receipt because you will use that for claiming your passport. Your passport receipt should show the date you paid and the release date.

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Voila! Applying for a Philippine passport is as easy as 1-2-3!

And oh, drop some comments if you have questions regarding this matter.

Lost in Iloilo

2011-12-07T12:34:00.000+08:00

Actually, the primary objective why I went to Iloilo last April was to study medicine at West Visayas State University (WVSU), but I didn't make it to the final cut... which was actually a good thing!

Jaro Church, Iloilo City, Philippines

But despite that, I was able to tour Iloilo with my cousin. A DIY tour, actually. In our first day, we went to the beautiful island of Guimaras and it was an awesome trip. But the succeeding days were more epic.

Day 2 - From Robinsons to NFA Mill Factory

On the second day of our trip, my cousin and I decided to visit WVSU. Tita gave us instructions on how to get there. From here to there, from there to here, and from here to anywhere. Basically, the jeepney routes of Iloilo were a bit confusing, most especially for first timers.

Luckily we made our way to WVSU. Such a beautiful university!

West Visayas State University

Now the fun started when we left WVSU and decided to head straight to Robinsons to eat lunch.

We were arguing whether to just take the jeep along the highway or to cross the street and take the OTHER way. We decided to take the latter.

"'Pag nawala tayo rito sa Iloilo, eh di mas mabuti! Adventure yun!", my cousin quipped.

Indeed, it was a one heck of an adventure! Feeling confident and all that jazz, we rode a jeep and NEVER asked Manong Driver if he would take us to Robinsons because like I said, WE WERE VERY CONFIDENT. All went well until we both felt something was wrong. The buildings became scarce and the road started to get wider. It only meant one thing - we were on a major highway and we were about to cross another municipality! So, we paid our fare (only 7 pesos) and got off the jeep. We were somewhere near an NFA Mill factory and we do not have any idea where we were!!! Anyway, we even heard Manong Driver grumbling as he sped off. Pasensya na kuya! I know kulang pa po bayad namin. :(

We alighted a jeep that plied the route to Robinsons. By the time we arrived at Robinsons, we looked for a good place to eat, and poof, we spotted Sbarro.

"Tara, dito nalang tayo kakain, wala kasing Sbarro sa Davao eh", he said.

We ordered Chicago White pizza and dang, it was the best tasting pizza that I've eaten so far! Nomnomnom!

Nomnomnom!

Rob!

Day 3 - Lost Season 5 to the nth Power

I woke up early to catch up my scheduled interview at WVSU which was around seven in the morning. It was intense whilst the panelists spoke in Iewrhjiwweifwfiwof language.

"Rgrretiwepdedioewpdwgid 'to?", one of the panelists asked.

I just smiled.

"Ay taga Davao ka pala, pasensya na gid!"

Anyway, I got stressed out after the interview. I decided to meet up with my cousin at SM City (Manduriao) and eat lunch there. So, I took a jeep and this time, I was on the right direction... or so I thought.

Again, I didn't ask the driver if he will take me to SM. Basically, I just took a random jeep and guess what? The jeep took me to a random place too! Wow, I never thought that there's a place in Iloilo named Brgy. Random. Anyway, the last thing I remembered about this particular jeepney ride was this: I was still in the downtown area when all of the sudden, I saw big ships and a lot of people selling palengke goods along the street! Shoot!

What I did was, I got off the jeep after it made its way back to the downtown area and hailed a taxi to SM. Sucks to be me.

Ledesma Street, Iloilo City, Philippines

Anyway, we ate at Green Mango and surprisingly the food was very great and so as the ambiance! Did I mention that the food there is affordable too?

Definitely Not the Last Time

Our last day at Iloilo was pretty much dramatic. We cried buckets before we left the house. Chos joke lang! We bid farewell to our aunt and called a taxi that would take us to the airport which was located in a far, far away kingdom.

Our flight to Davao was a bit early thus we have to be at the airport around six in the morning.

Here are some photos I took before we left Iloilo:

Mikko!

Small yet über clean predeparture area of Iloilo Airport

Bought this book at SM.

Aerial view of Iloilo Airport

Good bye, Iloilo! :,)

My first Iloilo experience may be filled with strings of epic fail moments but I guess it's worth remembering! *WINK* And oh, makainstindi kag makahambal na gid ko sang Hiligaynon. Indi bala budlay ang Hiligaynon, hapus lang man ah! Kon indi nimo ni mainstindihan, hipos nalang ka.

Bleh! In your face! :P

This Is How We Celebrate Christmas in Davao!

2011-12-05T23:08:00.001+08:00

Christmas in the Philippines is pretty much different compared to other countries. While some countries celebrate it with only three dominant colors namely, red, gold and green, Philippines celebrates Pasko with a myriad of colors!

Pasko Fiesta at People's Park

Just recently in People's Park, Davao City, the local government officially launched the Pasko Fiesta sa Dabaw where Davaoeños, as well as visitors, can enjoy several Christmas events that will happen in the city for the whole month of December.

Pasko Fiesta sa Davao is an integration of festive and competitive Christmas activities showcasing colorful lightings and array of decorations in barangays, public parks, roads and buildings and a series of competitive performances showcasing the community’s creativity and talents while keeping alive Christmas traditions. It also features a series of competitive performances in various communities showcasing their creativity and artistic skills. During this season, the city pulsates with exciting sights and sounds, barraged with mall sales, bazaars, food festivals, and night markets filled with wholesome entertainment day and night for the entire month of December.

City councilors and officials

Mutya ng Dabaw ladies

Officials

The grand opening of Pasko Fiesta was led by the Duaw Davao Festival Foundation, Inc. President, Gene Bangayan. She stressed that being good and helpful to others should not just exist during Yuletide season but also to the rest of the year. Christmas is also a time when people should give thanks to the Lord for the bountiful blessings that we have received for the past months.

Gene Bangayan, President of Duaw Davao Festival Foundation, Inc.

Viewers were also entertained by the performances of several dance groups which portrayed how Davaoeños celebrate Christmas.

The voice behind "Haya-haaaaaaay"

After the entertaining presentation, Mayor Inday Sara Duterte formally launched Pasko Fiesta sa Dabaw!

Click here to view the Calendar of Pasko Fiesta Events.

What a great way to celebrate Christmas here in Davao!

My Travel Wishlist

2011-12-03T18:50:00.001+08:00

Since December has already begun a few days back, I'm going to join the bandwagon and create my own travel wishlist!

I won't be wishing simple things like "world peace" or "good vibes all over planet Earth" though because haler Hitler! If I am going to make a wish, it has to be big!

Ika nga, Dream Big, Kapamilya!

One. Every traveler needs this basic stuff - MONEY. From purchasing tickets to and from different destinations to booking accommodations at a cozy hotel, money is really an important thing. So to my ninangs and ninongs who constantly read my blog (chos), you know the drill. AND YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME THIS YEAR, I'M TELLING YA! Or better yet, you just have to click my ads. Make it a daily habit. Jazzzkeeding!

Two. Round trip tickets to Batanes. Because round trip tickets to Basco, Batanes (from Manila) costs more than round trip tickets to Bangkok. Yes, it's THAT expensive. But there's more to see in Batanes - houses made of rocks, the Ivatans and the beautiful landscapes.

Cows freely roaming in the green hills in Batanes

Three. Tripod. For obvious reasons, taking long exposure shots will be easier and my photos will have better quality. Also, taking self-portraits from my travels won't be that hard!

Four. An authentic RayBan Aviator Shades. I have bought a LOT of RayFakers and WayFakers... and ALL of them didn't last for more than three months! Ugh. Sad part is, I can't yet afford the authentic RayBan Aviator Shades (costs around Php 8,000). But yeah, I hope that the fat man in red would give me this. I've been nice since the first day of 2011! 0:)

Five. iPad 2 3G. I travel a lot and I need to get the latest updates from Facebook and Twitter, emails and news coming from both local and international media. It wouldn't be that hard to communicate with my family and friends whenever I'm out of town (or out of the country). Too bad I didn't win an iPad 2 3G during Globe's Christmas Party! I ain't that lucky when it comes to raffle draws!

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But yeah, I still have to be thankful for the unexpected blessings that I have received this year. Firstly, my Canon EOS 1000D along with the Sigma f/2.8 105mm Macro lens, Canon Zoom Lens (f/4 55-250mm), Speedlite 430EX II external flash and Canon telephoto lens L-series (f/5.4 70-200mm) which were ALL generously given by my uncle! Woohoo!

Also this travel blog of mine got nominated in the Philippine Blog Awards Mindanao!

And to my parents for their never-ending support! :)

How about you? What are your travel-related wishes this Christmas?

Blogfest 2.0 and Philippine Blog Awards Experience

2011-12-01T17:25:00.001+08:00

I do not know what was in store for us in the Blogfest 2.0 and the prestigious awards night of the Philippine Blog Awards which was held at the Tuna Capital of the Philippines, General Santos City. But anyway, I still signed up and paid $5.00 via PayPal last September (or was it early October?) and hoped that it would be an awesome experience.

The excitement escalated when I learned that I was one of the finalists for the Philippine Blog Awards Mindanao (Travel Blog Category).

But wait, there's MORE!

Magandang Gensan!

The whole-day affair was jam-packed with bloggers and writers coming from different points of Mindanao (some delegates came from as far as Iligan City, Lanao del Norte!). I really had fun listening to the speakers who were all insightful and inspiring albeit the lack of sleep. Teehee!

Bob Martin and Orman Manansala

Manolo Quezon and the Fab brothers!

Jack Madrid!

The beautiful, witty and techie mayor of GenSan, Mayor Darlene Magnolia Antonino-Custodio

Mae Paner aka Juana Change!!!

I have learned a LOT from Blogfest 2.0 most especially Mae Paner's video blogs (equally hilarious and an eye opener to everyone) and Raffy Tima's "Think before you click" campaign. Also, I was pretty much amazed by Mayor Darlene's educational program - almost all public schools have their own websites, powered by Wordpress, and students were also encouraged to blog! Kudos Mayor Darlene for that innovative program!

Awards Night

And of course, the highlight of the event! Everyone was all dressed up for the prestigious awards night held at East Asia Royale Hotel, just a few stone throws away from SunCity Suites.

Being one of the finalists felt REALLY great (thanks Lloyd for nominating me, btw), knowing that my travel blog is only 5 months old. I can't help it, it's my first time! I believe it's a great opportunity to become a finalist!

Anyway, I am so happy that two Davao Bloggers members won! For the second time in a row, Kuya Faust won the Best Tech Blog award and Kuya Olan bagged the Best Travel Blog award. Yahoo! I'm so proud of you, guys!

And of course, di talaga mawawala ang group photos!

Pinoy Travel Bloggers invades GenSan w/ Kuya Avel!

With Mae Paner aka Juana Change

My Vlog Idol!

With Madam President-slash-schoolmate!

I would like to commend the Manansala brothers, Orman and Avel and the Sox Bloggers for the successful events - Blogfest 2.0 and Philippine Blog Awards Mindanao!

I really had fun! REALLY!

AS IN SUPER!

Chillin' at Guada's Villa

2011-11-28T21:17:00.001+08:00

The thought of staying at a pension house seemed ordinary and blah - limited space, shared bathrooms and haunted.

Hey, it's Kuya Faust!

But everything changed when I opened the doors of Guada's Villa.

The interior of Guada's Villa was beautiful and awesome! All of which were personally designed by the villa's owner, Guada Gallimore.

It was originally a house but became a bed and breakfast inn after she left the city and migrated to Hawaii.

The villa offers 3 rooms with rates ranging from Php 2,000 to Php 3,200 good for two to three persons. Each room has its own bathroom.

Master's Bedroom

And if you want to rent the whole house, it will cost Php 8,000 per night. This is a perfect place for friends and families who are seeking for a great place to stay near downtown GenSan.

And oh, the whole place is secured! Gates are always checked and locked by the caretakers and every corner of the house (except the rooms and comfort rooms) has CCTV cameras! Ala Big Brother house lang ang dating!

Dining area

Kitchen

Guada's Villa is located at 019 Blk. 3, Bughaw Street, Dadiangas Heights, General Santos City 9500.

For inquries and reservations, please contact +639495617664. You can send your queries online through email! Email them at alohablacksandbeach@yahoo.com

Journey to Ilonggoville: Guimaras Island

2011-11-23T02:49:00.001+08:00

I must admit that I really, REALLY hate taking first flights.

You know, waking up at three thirty in the morning is not really my thing for I have to endure the ice-cold water from the shower and fight drowsiness. Oh, the laziness inside me.

Sunrise at Davao International Airport

It was around 4:15 AM when I finally arrived at the airport. I met up with my cousin and kaboom, a very long queue greeted us at the airport. But anyway we managed to squeeze our way to the check-in counter and waited for our 6:20 AM flight to Iloilo.

The sun was barely shining when we boarded the aircraft. One thing's for sure, I did not know what was in store for us . And oh, did I mention that my stomach constantly grumbled during the flight? Yeah, t'was a torture.

Stomach was still grumbling when the plane touched down at the new Iloilo Airport.

New Iloilo Airport, Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan, Iloilo

The new airport of Iloilo was pretty much decent compared to the old one located at Manduriao (near SM City Iloilo). Although the drawback of it is its location. It is very far from downtown Iloilo. Kapoy baya mag commute ug layo! But yeah, good thing was our aunt fetched us and had a hearty breakfast at Ted's.

OH YES. TED'S LA PAZ BATCHOY WAS THE BEST BREAKFAST I HAVE EVER HAD. Unang araw pa lang sa Iloilo, winner na gid!

Ted's La Paz Batchoy. Photo courtesy of efrenefren

Guimaras Island

"Egjiewfjorwfuohuhfroeofregfeorre? Rafieofuwneorgid! Pekamdbaraojtioet?" my other aunt asked.

Of course I was still struggling with Hiligaynon, so I 'blindly' replied, "Opo". I did NOT have any idea what she was talking about, or so I thought. Ta ta ta ta? Ta ta ta ta!

Anyway, Guimaras Island reminds me of Samal Island! It is only 20 minutes away from downtown Iloilo and the beaches (and bitches, lol) there are so beautiful.

Me and my cousin

We ate our lunch at Raymen Beach Resort at Alubihod, Nueva Valencia (naks sosyal naman ng name!). And immediately after lunch came the biggest surprise of the trip - island hopping! Wow, we totally didn't expect that!

Waves crashin'

Beautiful view

The hare and the tortoise LOL

It was my first time to hold a live Pawikan! Yey!

Underwater cave at Guimaras!

Striking a pose at an uninhabited island

We toured around Guimaras and even ventured inside an underwater cave. But, I decided not to swim inside the cave because, ughhh, I forgot to bring my shorts! Sucks to be me. Kademet.

Well, despite the language difficulty I still enjoyed our Guimaras Island Hopping.

By the way, the island hopping tour costs Php 500 per hour.

Eewrpioewjprijewfw? Yoygrnjvioriovssgid!

I like that too!

Well, in my next post, I shall write about my misadventures in downtown Iloilo. Super fail to the highest level but I guess it's a memory that's worth reminiscing. Chos!

Goin' Italian at The Peak

2011-11-21T17:36:00.001+08:00

Just after our meeting we headed straight to Gaisano Mall and holy gwakamowli, was I surprised after seeing the almost finished The Peak! It felt like I wasn't in Gaisano Mall!

The Peak

Anyway, we strolled our way around The Peak. While walking, Juy mentioned that Don Beppe offers delicious Italian food but comes with a price. We stopped by near Don Beppe and was a bit hesitant to go inside to dine there.

We were about to leave when Don Beppe himself chased us. Oh-oh, we're in big trouble.

"Where are you going? Come, join us inside!", Don Beppe said in a heavy Italian accent.

Of course we really can't say NO in front of the restaurant's owner! Nakakahiya plus he was so gentle and nice to us. So we entered the restaurant and tried some of their dishes.

Don Angelo Pizza

We first ate Don Angelo Pizza. Very delicious. Like any other pizzas, it was filled with onions, bell peppers, salami and mushrooms. The difference was the tomato sauce itself - it was not too sweet.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!

We even tried Pizza Pesto Lover and it was also delicious... actually, it was more delicious than Don Angelo Pizza! Toppings in the Pizza Pesto Lover include a generous amount of sea foods, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.

And for pasta, we ordered two: Spaghetti Alla Marinara and Spaghetti Vongole.

Spaghetti Alla Marinara

Spaghetti Vongole

Spaghetti Alla Marinara is a mix of rich and thick tomato sauce, assorted sea foods and olive oil while Spaghetti Vongole comes with a mix of clams and white wine sauce.

If you love tomatoes, try Bruschetta - slices of French bread topped with a generous amount of diced tomato and olive oil.

Oh, Don Beppo even had a mini raffle in our table! The lucky winner shall win an 8-oz champagne. And the winner was no other than Princess!

Don Beppe and friends

And for the bill? Surprisingly I only paid 180 pesos. It would have gone cheaper (Php 130) if I didn't order coke.

Gastronimically satisfied. CHECK. Nom nom nom, delicioso!

Surprisingly affordable.

Don Beppe Ristorante Italiano is located at The Peak, Gaisano Mall of Davao, JP Laurel Ave., Davao City.

Road Trip: Kidapawan, North Cotabato

2011-11-20T14:08:00.001+08:00

Waking up is always the hardest thing to do. For me, it's a TORTURE!

These were the first few words I've heard when I woke up from my deep slumber (man it was the best sleep I've ever had) last Friday:

"Oh ano? Iwan ka nalang dito o sasama ka sa amin sa Kidapawan?"

What an awesome 'good morning' greeting. Yeah, and because I don't want to get stuck in our home together with our three noisy and forever hungry dogs, I groggily replied, "Opooooo sasaaamaaaa akoooo." I felt like a zombie that had gone back to life... back, back to life!

Kidapawan, the city hailed as “A Spring in the Highland”, comes from the words “TIDA” which means spring and “PAWAN” meaning highland. The city is found at the bottom of the majestic Mt. Apo, the country’s tallest mountain making it a great spot and first-rate tourist attraction. Kidapawan is situated at the southeastern section of Cotabato province, placed in the middle of three other major cities of Davao, Cotabato, General Santos, Koronadal, and Cagayan de Oro. Its first settlers were predominantly Manobos. The influx of Christian settlers from Luzon and the Visayas has resulted in the evolution of the word Tidapawan to Kidapawan.

Strategically located at the foot of Mount Apo, the Philippines' tallest peak at 10,311 feet above sea level, Kidapawan City bustles with renewed energy as it opens its doors to the world. Mount Apo and its other scenic attractions make the province of Cotabato a potential world-class tourist destination (Wiki, 2011).

From Davao, we traveled to different municipalities of Davao del Sur whilst enduring the pothole infested highway. Agay, akong lubot! Here are some photos:

Sports Stadium of Digos City, Davao del Sur. Kailan kaya magka-sports stadium ang Davao City?

Now entering the rubber capital of the country - Makilala, North Cotabato!

I wonder if they also manufacture tons of protective 'rubbers'. Jazzkeeding!

Smells like rubber spirit.

We ate late *lol rhyming* breakfast at Makilala.

Goat meat!

Finally, Kidapawan, North Cotabato!

Their city hall reminds me of Vatican. Cool architecture.

Say hello to my tita's dog!

I have been to Kidapawan a few times already; the most recent was last 2010. We went to Lake Agco and it was one of the steamiest adventures that I've had with my batch mates.

We stayed at our tita's house for lunch. We left Kidapawan around 3.30 PM.

Giant trees along the national highway.

Picturesque landscape somewhere in Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

The typical probinsiya photo.

Sunset.

Singapore - Merlion. Digos City - The Lion. LOL!

We stopped by at Mers. Bought a lot of rice cakes (bibingka) and other homemade pastries. Yaaammmy!

Expect more road trip stories soon! We might invade Cagayan de Oro City! :)

Road Trip to Dadiangas

2011-11-16T21:39:00.001+08:00

Because a blogging event got cancelled due to personal reasons, I decided to tag along with mom and dad.

Destination: General Santos City.

The road leading to General Santos was quite rough, and it has always been like that. Despite the numerous potholes that we've encountered, we reached the Tuna capital safely.

Anyway, we stopped by at Tubak and took some photos.

What a breathtaking view.

The City of General Santos is the southernmost port city of the Philippines. Being a highly urbanized first class city, GenSan is one of the most populous urban centers in the country with a population of 679,588 as per census data of 2010. The city is bounded by municipalities of Sarangani Province namely Alabel in the East of the city, and Maasim in the South. The city is likewise bounded by South Cotabato municipality of Polomolok and Sarangani Province municipality of Malungon in the north, and the municipality of T'boli in the west of the city.

General Santos City is the center of commerce, trade, and logistics of Region XII and the South Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani Province and General Santos City (SOCCSKSARGEN) growth area (Wiki, 2011).

We passed by the construction site of SM City GenSan along San Miguel street. It was really big!

I have been to the downtown area GenSan when I was young. When I went there yesterday, everything had changed. Like Davao, business is booming in General Santos.

Here are some photos I took from the balcony of my ninong's house who lived somewhere in Sarangani Heights.

I will be returning to GenSan this 26 to attend the Mindanao Blogfest and the awarding night of Philippine Blog Awards.

I am so excited to meet the Sox bloggers! Heard they're awesome!

Oh, before I forget, say hello to Tootsie the Pug! Fat Tootsie is fat!

A Promised Land

2011-11-05T05:02:00.000+08:00

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to persons living or dead (unless explicitly noted) is merely coincidental.

It has been two years since I've relocated here in Davao City for good. Like any other people who live outside Mindanao, the idea of living in an island filled with negative news is downright scary.

Manila Bay Sunset. Photo courtesy of jhaycalimbo

Leaving my hometown was truly heartbreaking but nonetheless, I regret nothing. It seemed like relocating to the island of Mindanao was truly a blessing in disguise because I learned a LOT of good things not just about the island but about me as a person.

And with that, I will share the most crucial moment of my life.

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"Seriously sir? Me? Moving out from Manila and relocate to Davao next week? But, but, it's in Mindanao! I have heard it's dangerous to live there!"

"Alright, you only have two choices, Mr. Serafico. Either you resign or continue being a journalist."

"But... but..."

"No buts Luis. You haven't been to Davao, right? You better visit the place before judging it."

Okay, I have always dreamed of becoming a journalist since seven. I got inspired after watching Kabayan's lahar episode. Journalists know the real stories. Journalists touch the lives of the people. And journalists tell remarkable stories to the whole world. But soon after my boss gave me this long-term assignment, fear started to shroud my mind.

I don't want to die early (repeat three times) was my daily mantra.

Seriously, I don't want to die early; I am still a virgin.

FAST FORWARD - we were on our final approach to Davao.

Aerial view of Davao City. Photo courtesy of Bernard Agulo.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just landed at Francisco Bangoy International Airport. We welcome you to Davao..."

Ahh great, finally. I just hate flying.

"...for your information, smoking is prohibited in all public places of the city including the terminal building. Thank you!"

Ugghh! What a great way to greet my arrival!

I met up with my two Davao based colleagues, namely Amy and Mario. They were warm and friendly, but something caught me off guard - it's the way they speak. We were inside the van and the two of them were so noisy and excited.

Mario asked me, "Huy, ano nga ngalan mo? Taga saan ka gani?"

I was annoyed by his question because I can't decipher whether if he's speaking in Tagalog or Bisaya, but I still politely replied, "Hey, I'm Luis Serafico, reporter po ako from Manila."

Then Amy said, "Hala, taga Manila pala siya, akala ko Cebu! Ikaw jud uy (poking Mario), dapat mag Tagalog ka dapat sa kanya ba!"

Okay, that made me more confused. I thought my male colleague's name was Mario. Why does Amy keeps on calling him Jude Uy? Mario doesn't even look like a Chinese, for crying out loud.

Anyway, after arriving at the main office of the network, we met up with the chief correspondent and gave us a task for the next several days, a task that forever changed my views about Mindanao.

The Mindanao Tour

The next day, we went to a coastal barangay in Samal Island where we documented the lives of the fishermen and resort owners. I noticed that a lot of people flock the pristine white sand beaches of this island. I can't blame it. It's only a stone throw away from downtown Davao.

Pangubatan Beach Resort, Island Garden City of Samal

We decided to hit the beach before going home and I had the chance to witness the beautiful sunset in Samal Island.

---

Next stop was Iligan City in Lanao del Norte. I was about to book a flight for the three of us to Cagayan de Oro but my two other colleagues told me that going there by land is more fun and exciting. But the thought of being kidnapped by the rebels in the middle of nowhere seemed to haunt me every minute or two. Are these two trying to scare the shit out of me? Or so I thought. I was just being paranoid.

We ate lunch at Seagull Mountain Resort and I can't believe that this place is still a part of Davao City! Anyway, their baby back ribs was the best. I even bought two handmade bracelets from a lumad. It was really beautiful.

Beautiful.

We traversed the plateaus of Bukidnon and visited the Transfiguration Church at Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. It was designed by Leandro Locsin, a Philippine National Artist. The moment I entered the church, I felt peace inside God's refuge. I know that He will guide me throughout this journey.

Well, talking about reviving my spirituality.

Transfiguration Chapel, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon

It was 3.30 PM when we left the church and I decided to doze off inside the van. The next thing I knew, it was already dark and we were already at Puerto, Cagayan de Oro City.

Yes, at long last! Civilization!

We checked in at our hotel and decided to taste the night life of Cagayan de Oro. And yes, I got happy when we entered Divisoria located just in front of Xavier University. This place reminded me of my beloved hometown, Manila. Of course, I bought a lot of stuff from the night market.

Night market in Cagayan de Oro City

---

After eating a hearty breakfast at our hotel, we immediately left Cagayan de Oro at seven in the morning. The trip to Iligan City would take an hour.

We went straight to the barangay hall and interviewed a local official; it was part of our documentary show wherein we feature the true situation regarding the ARMM elections. And boy, the official was so warm and hospitable that he gave us food for lunch!

Since we finished our jobs early, we decided to visit two of Iligan's famous waterfalls - Tinago and Mimbalot. Although Maria Cristina was part of our original plan, we thought that it's already late thus we didn't include it in our itinerary. Sucker. But nevertheless my jaw dropped (yes, literally) after seeing these two magnificent falls. I have never seen a waterfall in my entire life until that very moment!

The City of Majestic Waterfalls, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte

---

On our next assignment, we were tasked to interview two prominent leaders of two different groups of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region - one is the leader of the Rizalista group of Dapitan (a group of people who revered Rizal as the holy one) and the other one's the leader of a Tausug tribe residing at Rio Hondo, Zamboanga City.

We drove north of Iligan, crossed Iligan Bay and passed by different towns of Misamis Occidental. We finally arrived at Dapitan by noon.

The country's national hero, Jose Rizal was exiled in Dapitan and spent a part of his life in this place. Dapitan is a relatively small city. We were greeted by the warm smiles of the locals as we entered the Rizal Shrine. After we interviewed the leader of Rizalitas, my perception about Rizal had changed for good. I used to think that Rizal's just a playboy, a coward and not worthy to be revered as the national hero of our country. But after seeing all the things he contributed in this humble city, I've realized that he truly deserved to be called as our national hero.

Jose Rizal at Dapitan. Photo courtesy of Neil Ramos

Crazy rides at Gloria's Fantasyland. Photo courtesy of Neil Ramos.

And oh, did I mention that I almost puke after riding an insane ride at Gloria's Fantasyland?

Ugghh! But it was still a fun experience despite that.

---

Hola, hola mi amigo y amiga! Bienvenidos Zamboanga!

The next morning, we drove for the next four to five hours before reaching the pueblo (town center) of Zamboanga. Since it's already late in the afternoon, we decided to conduct our interview-slash-research at Rio Hondo tomorrow morning. In the mean time, the three of us chilled at Paseo del Mar and had a breathtaking view of the sunset. The place reminded me of Manila Bay.

Beautiful sunset at Paseo del Mar, Zamboanga City.

Prior to our Rio Hondo trip, I did some research about it, and guess what, I got paranoid again. According to what I've read, Rio Hondo's one of the most notorious places in Zamboanga City. I was thinking of pretending to be sick the following day and let Amy and Mario do the rest of the job.

But no, I have gone this far and I have to face my fears.

The following morning, we met our local guide, a former barangay leader at the gates of Fort Pilar. Then we made our way to Rio Hondo.

Rio Hondo, photographed by EAZY Traveler

Instead of gunshots and chaos (okay that was exaggerated), I was greeted with warm smiles and nods from the locals. Kids enthusiastically called me to have their photographs taken. It was an exciting and shaky experience as we crossed the dilapidated catwalks and narrow street planks.

And as always, the Tausug leader showed hospitality to us. He even shared tips about traveling, Rio Hondo's history and the cultures of their tribes. After interviewing the Tausug leader, I have realized several things about this particular trip:

Mindanao, like any other place in the world, has its own share of wonderful stories. It would be unfair to say that Mindanao's forever in chaos. And as a journalist, I would love to tell the whole world that there's more to witness in Mindanao. Good things outweigh the bad things.
Mindanao is one diverse island. I've met different people - from those who have the ability to speak three languages in one sentence, to the creative lumads, the devout Rizalistas and to the peace loving Tausug people of Rio Hondo. Indeed, Mindanao is an island draped with different colors. It was really a nice experience to encounter people with different beliefs and cultures. And from that point, I've learned the value of respect. We all need it these days.
I have wrongly judged Mindanao, and I regret it.

After long days at work, we decided to chill at a local coffee shop here in Zamboanga City. We compiled everything before heading back to Davao the next day.

Fort Pilar sunset.

As the sun sank the western horizon, things became clearer. The people of Mindanao have told me beautiful stories about their island. They have shared a part of their lives to us, and it was a great opportunity.

Two years have passed and I'm still here in Davao. You know, once you enter Mindanao, it's very difficult to leave the island... when you've instantly fallen in love with the genuine hospitality of Mindanaons.

And yes, I'm starting to learn the ability to speak three languages in one sentence. Kayo jud ba! Pataka lang mga sinasabi niyo about Mindanao! Ka-nice talaga dito uy!

And this is Luis Serafico, now signing... oh wait, I almost forgot. I am not a virgin anymore... well Mindanao virgin to be precise!

And this is Luis Serafico, now signing off.

---

Note: Although this is just a work of fiction, the author would like to point out that the experiences of Luis Serafico are collections of my travel stories (except for Rio Hondo; just adapted the experience of EAZY Traveler last September) in the island of Mindanao.

There are so many underrated places in Mindanao, waiting to be discovered.

---

This is my entry to the Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival for the month of November 2011 on the theme “Mindanao Bliss” hosted by Olan Emboscado of The Travel Teller.

Seven Travel Tips for Philippines

2011-10-31T20:24:00.002+08:00

Somewhere near mainland Asia lies an archipelago that consists of 7,107 islands, scattered like pearls on the deep blue sea. There's so much to see in the Philippines - picturesque white sand beaches, majestic underwater rivers, the towering mountains, volcanoes and plateaus and the lush green vegetation of rainforests.

Philippines is indeed one of the premier destinations in Asia. And because seven is my favorite number, I will share seven travel tips to have a worthwhile experience here in this tropical paradise.

1) Cheap Air Travel. Within the past few years, low-cost carriers have sprouted like mushrooms across Asia. Here in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific Air and AirPhil Express are the top two airline companies that offer rock-bottom fares and take you to some of the country's premier destinations. Thus, there's no need to take premium (and expensive) airlines!

Personally, I have availed piso fare flights, courtesy of Cebu Pacific Air. Roundtrip tickets (DVO-MNL) roughly costs Php 800 (More or less $19). It’s easy to book these flights online, and you get to save money too!

2) Lite fashion. If you're in the Philippines, wear light clothes. The weather is always hot and humid here in the Philippines, well except in some mountainous regions where temperatures can drop as low as 10 degrees. More so, I suggest you wear flip-flops instead of shoes. Flip-flops are lightweight and simple. And because the country experiences sudden rain showers, flip-flops are more comfortable to wear than shoes. You don't want to walk with your soggy shoes, do you?

3) Your choice of adventures. Contrary to popular belief, Philippines is not just limited to beaches. If you're not beachy, you can always opt to climb mountains. Mt. Apo (the tallest peak of the country) and Mt. Pulag are just one of the most frequently climbed mountains of the country. You can also try white-water rafting at Cagayan de Oro City or Davao City, or take a deep plunge at the Enchanted River in Surigao, or meditate at Katibawasan, Pagsanjan and Tinago Falls.

Truly, Philippines has a LOT to offer.

Mount Apo | Photo credit: willchin

4) Shop 'til you drop. Love shopping? Well, Philippines is the perfect place for you. Filipinos really love to shop and because of that, out of ten largest malls in the world, two of them are located in the Philippines. If you're skilled in haggling then your money would definitely go places.

5) Experience the different colors of the Philippines. One of the unique features of the country is its people and culture. It is home to several hundreds of tribes with different cultures, traditions and languages and dialects. Almost every month, Philippines celebrates several festivals - Sinulog Festival of Cebu, Pahiyas Festival of Quezon, Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo, Kadayawan Festival of Davao, Hermosa Festival of Zamboanga, Ati-atihan of Aklan and MassKara of Bacolod are just one of the most famous festivals of the country.

Kadayawan Festival - Davao City

It just shows that Philippines is a very diverse country in terms of culture.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

6) Eat your heart out, literally. If you're looking to some exotic gastronomic adventure, then you have come to the right place, my friend. A balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell. Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack, balut is mostly sold by street vendors in the regions where they are available. It may seemed barbaric but most Filipinos really do love eating it. It tastes good, too!

One should not also miss Durian. It's more commonly found in the southern part of the country, particularly in the Davao Region.

Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odor, and formidable thorn-covered husk.

Durian smells like hell, but tastes like heaven. Really worth it, if I must say.

7) Just ask! If you're lost, don't hesitate to ask the locals. And no, you won't get lost in translation because Filipinos do speak and understand English. Filipinos (or Pinoys) are generally hospitable and helpful. Sometimes you might come across something extra, even.

So, what are you waiting for? Come to the Philippines and have a wonderful and memorable experience here!

You can also find Best Flight deals of Philippine Airlines on CheapOair.

Oh, if you like this link, don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@renzybenzy)!

CARAGA Series: Balangay's Journey

2011-10-30T21:22:00.002+08:00

Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Philippines

1976

Sir,

While excavating the site in search of the Golden Tara, we have found something extraordinary. Believe it or not, our team had unearthed the remains of the historical balangay boat. Not just one, but three of them! Since these artifacts were all fragile, we carefully excavated them.

You won't believe that these boats have traveled as far as China!

History

Located at the northeastern coast of the island of Mindanao, Butuan used to be the country's major port before the Spaniards came. It had a good relations with the Srivijayan Empire. The balanghais were often seen docking at Butuan Bay, exchanging goods between the local people and traders. The statue of Avalokiteśvara and the Golden Tara of Butuan were just one of the items traded.

The mighty Agusan River

In 1976, nine specimens were discovered in Butuan City and three of which were excavated. Radiocarbon tests were conducted and revealed that the extant boats found in the excavation site date back to 320, 990 and 1250 AD.

The Balangay Voyage

Around 2009, the Kaya ng Pinoy, Inc. announced plans to re-construct the Balangay boat, with the help of Badjao and other tribal members. The tribes used traditional methods in constructing the replica of Balangay boat. The replicas were constructed at Manila Bay, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex.

The Masawa Hong Butuan was docked at Butuan City while the other one at CCP Harbor Manila.

Without the aide of modern navigational systems, the boat navigated through old methods used by ancient mariners - steering by the sun, the stars, the wind, cloud formations, wave patterns and bird migrations. The group relied on the natural navigational instincts of the Badjao. The journey around the Philippine islands covered a distance of 2,108 nautical miles or 3,908 kilometers. The second leg of the Balangay navigated throughout South East Asia through to 2010, then Micronesia and Madagascar the following year.

The Balangay will then venture across the Pacific onward to the Atlantic and all the way around the world and back to the Philippines from 2012 to 2013. At February 4, 2011, the team arrived at Butuan City.

And here's the video compilation I made from our Caraga trip, hosted by my talented friend and co-volunteer, Katrina Gurro.

Hope you enjoy my CARAGA Series!!!

CARAGA Series: Cruisin' at Agusan River

2011-10-27T19:40:00.003+08:00

After the two-day regional camp of VYLH, the organizers invited us to have a 30-minute river cruise at the mighty Agusan River (emphasize of the adjective mighty). It was my first time to experience such and I had learned so many things about the river - a story on how it served the lives of Butuanons for generations.

Water hyacinths

Sit back, relax and enjoy this virtual tour to the mighty Agusan River!

Quoted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Agusan River is a river located in the eastern part of Mindanao island in the Philippines, draining majority of the Caraga Region and some parts of Compostela Valley province. It is the third largest river basin of the Philippines with a total drainage area of 10,921 km² and an estimated length of 350 kilometers from its origin. The headwaters of the river is found in the mountains of Compostela Valley, near its border with Davao Oriental and east of Tagum City. It flows through the wide Agusan River valley which measures 177 kilometers (110 mi) from south to north and varies from 32-48 kilometers (20–30 miles) in width. It finally drains into the Butuan Bay at its mouth in Butuan City. The river is also the third longest river in the Philippines.

As we channeled our way through the river, I have noticed big trees along the river banks. One of the locals told us that a long time ago, the river wasn't that wide, until series of deforestation activities in the Caraga region caused the widening of the river.

Speaking of deforestation, the city of Butuan had its worst flooding experience back in the early 80s. Before the great flood, there were kalesas which served as the main transportation system of the city. After a few days of heavy rain, the Agusan River overflowed and flooded the city for more than three months. Little by little, several horses died due to lack of food. Illegal logging activities were blamed on that particular disaster. Dikes were constructed after the flood.

The old port of Butuan is located alongside the river bank. But because the river got shallower due to siltation, the port of Butuan was transferred to a safer and deeper place.

The old port of Butuan.

There are two bridges that cross the Agusan River, the Magsaysay Bridge and the new Diosdado Macapagal Bridge. The latter is Mindanao's longest bridge and its design is synonymous to Mactan's Marcelo Fernan Bridge. The bridge cost around Php 2.2 billion and it surely decongested the outgoing and incoming traffic of Butuan City.

The old Magsaysay Bridge

Macapagal Bridge.

And there were lots of water hyacinths floating in the river.

Rivers do have the power to shape civilizations and influence the lives of people.

Always.

The mighty Agusan River had surely brought a LOT to the Butuanons, both important and devastating things.