Take a look.
yacht club, manila square harbour Metro Manila has beautiful colors, believe me. While I used to dislike the place because of its impertinence, this 16-city metropolis is actually a breather for my provincial life. For one, it offers an ice cream sandwich and, two, it continues to mystify me looking at the high rise building with fake DVDs being sold at its entrance. guadalupe tulay While God created the greens in Batanes, the blues and blue greens of Boracay or Panglao, and the rushing waterfalls in practically everywhere in Visayas and Mindanao, God also created this National Capital Region where 13% of the Philippine population live. Populously densed? Yes. But also gifted with beautiful reds, oranges, yellows uniquely its own. ayala avenue, makati I have never known any city in the world where crime incidence is absolute zero. Metro Manila is no exception. But why look at a mound when you can see the mountain? Unrealistic, me? You may say that, but my images say otherwise. After all, God gave me two eyes to see better, and only one mouth to say less.
Take a look. Have you been to Agas-Agas Bridge? When passing by the area, stop and look a while. The bridge was constructed to keep every motorist safe from landslides and road slips but eventually became the Philippines’ newest “makikiraan lang po” attraction. It is now well known as Agas Agas Bridge, perhaps the name is derived from the Bisaya word “agas” to mean water flow or “aga-agas”, overflowing. Though I haven’t seen any overflowing water in the area, but the place offers an overflowing view of mountains and trees and sky and, in a given day, fog and cold mountain breeze. Breathtaking. For your information, the height of the bridge is sky-scraping. Agas-Agas Bridge is located in Sogod, Southern Leyte (Mahaplag-Sogod section of the Tacloban-Liloan road), constructed in 2009. With its height of 328 feet and a 581-foot span, this now becomes the Philippines tallest bridge, but of course, not the longest. Since the bridge’s location is scenic, a viewing deck was constructed and presently, a zipline and a “cable car” are available for a joy ride. During the inauguration of the bridge, there was a bungee (or rope) jumping exhibition to show the potential for extreme sports in the area. Maybe someday, a bungee jumping facility will also be available for travelers who love adrenalin rushes. This is only 2 hours (or so) from Tacloban City, and nearer from Maasin City. This is worth a try before the “strong men stoop and the sun and the light grow dark; before the dust returns to the ground it came from…” (taken out of context from Ecclesiastes 12, NIV. The quoted Chapter 12 actually says, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years approach when you will say - I find no pleasure in them - before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark..." so on.) Months ago, I went to Biri – one of 24 local government units in Northern Samar, an island municipality which size is about 5 times that of a football field. Joke. It is actually 2,462 hectares with only 8 barangays. That’s one small place for man but one great creation for mankind! Biri rocks! And the rock formations are truly a photographer’s delight. Ang lugar na walang anggulo, ‘ika nga. The formations are magnificently carved by rain, wind, waves and the thousand years of helpless desolation. Depending on whether you set foot on the rocks after the rain, before sunrise or on clear blue skies, Biri Rocks are absolutely alluring. And there are 5 rock islands, or 6, or more– Magasang, Magsapad, Macadlaw, Bel-at, atbp. – each is as enchanting as the other. I am not sure now which one is which one, but I remember Bel-at being the biggest formation. But who would concern with names, I explored all main rock formations, and I almost forgot who I was. To get to the sites, one wades through a knee-deep water if low tide. By now, the wooden bridge and another already concreted have been constructed to easily access the rock islands. Like a walk in the park thing. But I would still opt for a “walk-thru-the-water” challenge in going to the rocks. The site is only a few meters away from the mainland, anyway. Just prepare sunblock and covers to ease sunburn. This trip I was with a group of young people who knew full well how to thank the Sovereignty of God who created the place. And thank we must, the rocks made us too small a creature against the backdrop of giant stones, too weak a human being to withstand the force of the waves from the Pacific Ocean as it blasts into it. The feeling was exactly that of David when he said the Lord is my rock, my fortress…my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge…my stronghold (Psalm 18:2, NIV). I could have never expressed myself better than David’s. If interested to go, and if your jump off point is Tacloban City, take the Grandtours van to Catarman, terminal near the Post Office. Cutting trip though – Tacloban-Catbalogan-Calbayog-Catarman via Allen, then hop off in Lavezares. We had an advantage when we went there because we were in a group. We hired the whole van, time of departure was upon our call. It is about 6 hours to the town of Lavezares where you take a motorboat ride to Biri island for about 45 minutes. When in Biri, just hire a motorcycle to take you around, and you are now off to your would-be unforgettable experience of your lifetime. But remember to thank God for the place. It is actually enchanting. Hala ka! Enjoy. It’s a case of everybody’s been there, seen that, but in my case I won’t get tire finding this tinago na kayamanan (hidden treasure) in the island of Biliran. Ironic, huh, it is called tinago (hidden) but this natural wonder is now very accessible with its “farm-to-market road”, so to speak, completely concreted from the national highway to the waterfalls vicinity. I surmise though that prior to the unveiling of this waterfalls to the rest of the world via facebook and travel blogs, this was really unknown – and rightly so, hidden – even from Biliranons. Imagine the time when there was no access road yet, who would know that in the middle of these 1,000+ meters boulders (pun intended) of Biliran, there is this waterfalls. cross country road But Tinago falls is tinago no more. We found it in Barangay Cabibihan, Caibiran, Biliran. (I joined my brother and his kids in this trip.) From along the road used to be less travelled - the cross country road, not the coastal road - from east of Biliran island (towns of Caibiran and Culaba) to the western side (Municipality of Naval), vice versa, traversing these imposing Biliran mountains, there is this pathway leading to the waterfalls. A 10-minute walk will do, or your motorcycle will surely do. A 4-wheel can go, but it is a one-way pavement, so be watchful of traffic. Tinago falls will not disappoint anyone who comes, provided that the integrity of this water nature must be at all times respected. (I just felt bad they erected a structure on the river boulders in an attempt to develop the area. The term tourism development is so misunderstood, hence, misused. You don’t develop nature, you adapt. Any creation of a created being is always less grand, less magnificent, less impressive than that of the Creator. Nature in itself, by itself is already “developed” in its natural state, pardon the redundancy. In fact, when God created the earth, He saw that it was good – and sadly I point out that God said that in past tense. So please, don’t say that the mountains and waterfalls and beaches are undeveloped. Construct your infrastructures adaptive to the environment to provide access but not to obscure, ruin, overpower the natural refreshing-effect of these God-given natural resources. Enough said.) I am glad my hometown is just nearby. I no longer wonder why I enjoy being in water, or at least see a body of water. The fact is my body is composed of about 70% water and the earth’s surface is also around 71% water. As to why God made such distribution of the amount and composition of solid and liquid and gas in His creation, I may not know in my lifetime, but I thank Him profusely because with water, my thirst is quenched, my fresh fish tinola is 70% sweet-salted water, my t-shirts are water cleaned, and say it, it might probably have water or have used an amount of water. We have coined “water words” such as watercan, water basin, water vapor, waterworld, iced water, waterloo. And of course, we have white water tubing adventure in Maitum, Saranggani Province. jar burial Maitum is already in the southernmost tip of Mindanao, with Celebes sea crushing its coastline. (To see the “edge” of the Philippines is already an adventure itself!)While this town boasts of rich archaeological finds which date back as early as 5 B.C., recently it managed to turn its own Pangi River in Barangay New La Union into a white water tubing adventure. What an adventure! For one, it is ingenious to utilize these truck wheel interiors into inflated tube rides. And second, to ride the rapids and drop and float and drop – that’s 1.6 km in all – I don’t need to say more. Ahhhhhhh woooooohhhh wooowww splaaaash splaaash woooooohhhh splashhh gulppp ahhhhh! For you who are scared to try but want to try anyway, have no worries, you have someone at your back to maneuver your ride. And by the way, this is an adventure that requires trust and “go-with-the-flow” attitude. Just enjoy the ride and thank God for the river. From the town proper, you may take a motorcycle or a tricycle for a 500-peso round trip. Make sure to enjoy the bumpy ride and the rustic greeneries. For your info, the resort offers overnight cottages and tents. You may contact White Water Tubing New La Union at 09103127772. And please do not ever throw any of your wastes into the water. Protect it, preserve it, and be unselfish enough to let the next generations enjoy this water.
(Maitum is one of the 7 municipalities in Saranggani Province. While I thought that Eastern Visayas’ provinces are more popular and better off, wait til I had googled Saranggani province and revealed that 3 of 7 LGUs are first class municipalities, Maitum is 2nd class, and the rest are 3rd class. If not for Manny Pacquiao, we wouldn’t have heard of this place. And for me, if not for the Ardena family, I wouldn’t have been here for free. Thanks for the opportunity and a lifetime of memories. Some pictures in this post were taken by Twinkee’s dad.) When I thought that most creatures on earth - or at least in Region 8 - have unscrupulously disregarded the integrity of our environment, I was brought to Macrohon Community-Based Marine Park , not once but thrice, to prove me wrong. This fish sanctuary is located in Barangays Molopolo and Sta. Cruz, Macrohon, Southern Leyte (thus it is officially called Molopolo-Sta. Cruz Marine Park), 15 minutes away from Maasin City, the provincial commercial center. I went there once as off itinerary when our office had this team building activity in Kuting Reef, also in Macrohon. That first time I was there, I was rekindled in my belief that in this part of the world, there are still people who care for clean seas. The second time I visited was when we validated this community-based fish sanctuary for Gawad Pamana ng Lahi: An Award for Exemplary Performance in Local Governance (this is an award system of the Department of the Interior and Local Government) as innovation introduced by the local government unit that contributed to better employment opportunities, improved participation of the civil society, and the preservation and protection of the ecosystems. And recently, I went back to assist the Commission on Population in the documentation of what and how this marine park came to be as one of the best practices in the Philippines in integrating population and development. And I promise, I shall be back to this place again. This is a sanctuary for fish of different species and some migratory birds, protected and rehabilitated. The area is now off limit for fishing activities. This is also a park where you and I can feed the fish with bread you have to buy exclusively from the Park’s Canteen – bread baked by an accredited local bakeshop. You can also do the SAKYAW (in the vernacular, Sakayanong Lulinghayaw) – I really can’t literally translate it but can be loosely interpreted as strolling by a paddled boat. SAKYAW is an organized group of fishermen, trained and accredited, so that for only 50 pesos and in about 30 minutes, you can stroll the area comprising 10 stations where you see table corals, giant twin clams, sea urchins, without necessarily diving but aided by an open box with a see-through glass bottom. If you opt to swim, snorkel and flippers are available for a fee. You will also be provided with a life jacket made of flour sack (sourced from the local bakeshop) and empty 1.5L cola bottles hand tailored by a group of women in the community. The marine sanctuary has just been recently awarded first place in the search for 2012 Champion of the Seas (Best Marine Protected Areas and Fish Sanctuaries and Best Fisheries Aquatic Resource Management Council) by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office. It almost got the 2012 Regional Gawad Pamana ng Lahi Award Municipal Category had it been that their award on governance qualified for this competition (GAWAD requires that the award on governance conferred to LGU must be in 2011). When God said let the water teem with living creatures according to their kinds, God saw that it was good. He blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas…” Isn’t just that exactly what we have to do? I wish Macrohon’s fish sanctuary be multiplied a hundredfold, not just in Region 8, but in the whole homeland called The Philippines. After all, this is our homeland for the rest of our lives and the homeland of our generations to come. (with special acknowledgement to maureen b., a friend from macrohon and a selfless public servant) underground river entrance The rest of the Philippines calls that PPUR. I heard the tour guide referred it as UR. But for the world, it is one of the new 7 wonders of nature. And I mean the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan. Remarkable in so many ways. It is an 8.2-kilometer long underground river and will take about 3 hours to explore by paddle boat. When I went there, we only toured a portion of its length and for only about 45 minutes. Awesome interior. Wonderful chambers. There must be a God who gifted us with these limestone, forests, cave-scape, sea ecosystems – a world heritage, yes. Landing in the underground river costs about PhP1,300 inclusive of van transportation, boat, cave entry permit, tour guide and food. PPUR or UR is approximately 2 hours from Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. From the City, the van took us to Barangay Sabang, which in itself is already a beach attraction, where we took a 20-minute boat ride to the Underground River. While on our way, our eyes were treated to beautiful karst mountain landscape, majestic as God has made it to be. Be advised though of the local government unit’s travel advisory: “The declaration of the Puerto Princesa Underground River as one of the Official NEW 7 WONDERS OF NATURE has resulted to the sharp increase in influx of visitors to the Park. To conserve it in its natural state, a carrying capacity of Nine Hundred (900) Visitors a day is currently in effect and a NO PERMIT, NO ENTRY POLICY is strictly enforced. Management highly advises that a Visitor Entry Permit (VEP) be secured in advance before proceeding to the Park.” to underground river boat in sabang I suggest that you find accredited travel and tour operators in the City to take charge of your transportation and secure your permit months before you land yourself in the Underground River. You will be joined by other interested individuals in this group tour. Otherwise, you pay 10 times more for an exclusive tour. It was indeed breathtaking. And for this, I have returned to my home with a resolved that for all the wonders of nature, God must be honored, praised and glorified.
kid enjoying a swim in spillway river Heard of a story about a farmer who sold his farm in search of diamonds miles away from home only to realize that back home the man who bought his farm and tilled it, came across the largest diamonds ever known right in the farm? Story is also told of a child who caught a bird in his hand and asked his mother whether the bird was dead or alive. The mother said, if I say it is alive, you will grip the bird and it will eventually die; if I say it is dead, you will let it go and fly. Two important lessons here: one, your hometown has treasures in it. Two, the becoming or unbecoming of a hometown is actually within our grip. This is exactly the story I want to share about my hometown, Culaba, a small town in a small province of Biliran. The town is only about 7.4 hectares with a population of 13,000. Total LGU income is only about PhP31M in 2011, PhP355,000 of which is locally-sourced. Much of the livelihood is sourced from agriculture and fishery. State of Local Development Report of Culaba in 2009 would show that income per capita in this town is way below the national average of PhP34,600 (NSO, 2006), unemployment rate is almost 7% but this is not to consider its own labor force who migrated to Manila and elsewhere and have been contributing productively in the economy of the rest of the world but not in their very own hometown (except for those who are sending money home). They left town because they could not find employment opportunities in their own backyard. State of Local Governance Performance Report in 2011 shows that while Culaba is basically agriculture and fishery, in the scale of 1 to 5 with 5 as excellent performance, my hometown only rates its support to fishery services as 2.17 and to agriculture sector as 3.71. The report also discloses that LGU-assessed rating on entrepreneurship, business and industry promotion is 2.13. Fair enough but it is actually a weak performance. Infrastructure and production support is inadequate. LGU is not business-friendly. serene river, spillway Since this is my hometown, so I ponder of the resources this town has. Our water supply is never-ever-consumed. It is sweet water from mountain spring and 24 hours available. We have crystal clear rivers. Our seas are clear and fishes abound. In Sitio Tanghas, part of Barangay Pinamihagan, fresh water and sea water meet at the beachfront, you only dig a hole to find fresh water springing right in the seashore. Our electricity is directly distributed by our own electric cooperative, BILECO. Our mountain resource is superbly awesome. From Culaba viewpoint, abot-tanaw ang Mt. Suiro in Caibiran, highest peak in the province with an elevation of 1,300 meters. Culaba has a wharf but not utilized though; it could be an ideal port location for fishing industry and commercial seaport. Rice farming is very desirable as irrigation has abundant water supply, only that irrigation system is not fully developed. We used to have a hospital, but downgraded to a health center. We have quality educators serving public elementary and high schools. Crime rate is very negligible. We have fresh air. spillway bridge Since this is my hometown, so I wonder. The stories told above are classic, but I wonder if the lessons had sunk in. If you want to realize it yourself and enjoy the scenery and the fresh water and the mountains and the seas, you may reach Culaba via the capital town, Naval. From the regional capital, Tacloban, you may take the van in VanVans or Duptours to Naval, pay about PhP130.00 and for 2.5 hours, you have the mountainside and winding roads with you. Take the 7am van from Tacloban or earlier to get into the KJhems bus bound for Culaba at 11am, fare is only PhP55.00. You have 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to enjoy Mt. Suiro and other mountains along cross country. An alternate route is via Almeria and Kawayan with picture perfect coastal sceneries to boast. Or you may take the Wins Van or Ryan’s from Tacloban Bus Terminal to Culaba, non-stop; fare is 180 pesos. life as i see it, in pinamihagan, culaba In this hometown, God has given natural resources ready for man’s stewardship. But of course, the business-minded God only lays down the foundation for a good investment. It is like a story told in Mathew 25 (Holy Bible, NIV) of a wealthy master who left home and entrusted 5 talents (bags of gold), 2 talents and 1 talent to his servants, each according to his ability. The story unfolds that the one who was given 5 and 2 talents put that money to work and doubled it, while the one given with the least wealth dug a ground hole and hid the money in it. When the master returned, he commended the two servants who made good of the investment, and rewarded them more. The one with one talent the master also summoned and called him lazy slave and took all he had and threw him to God-knows-where. With all its undiscovered potentials, Culaba is waiting for anyone who would choose the place as his or her next destination. Make it your home for a day, or your hometown for a lifetime. “People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God…” October 20, 1944, shore of Palo, province of Leyte, Gen. Douglas MacArthur proclaimed when he landed on Leyte to liberate the Philippines from World War II. (Although liberate may not exactly be appropriate a word to describe the happenings in 1945, but nonetheless, let the history speak for itself.) Leyte is popularly known for this part of Philippine History – the Leyte Landing or the MacArthur Park located in the vicinity of the Government Center, in Baras, Palo, and can be reached by a public utility vehicle for about 30 minutes from downtown Tacloban, the entry point when you come from Manila or Cebu by plane. san juanico bridge, tacloban city (and sta. rita, samar) Associated with Leyte is another landmark, the San Juanico Bridge, that 2.16 kilometers stretch of steel and concrete that used to be known as the longest bridge in Asia, but with China’s Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge spanning 164.8 kilometers opened for commuters in 2011 - and who knows how many long or large bridges more China has constructed - the San Juanico Bridge was reduced to be the longest bridge only in the Philippines, and the most beautiful, bar none. This bridge connects the main islands of Leyte and Samar, prompting its design to be in the form of letters L and S. Tacloban City on one side, and Sta. Rita, Samar on the other, San Juanico Bridge is very much accessible by any vehicle, about 10 minutes away from downtown Tacloban. The Bridge also offers a picturesque view of a thousand whirlpools of San Juanico Strait and islets of both Samar and Leyte provinces, not to mention the magnificent sunset colors at a given season. Leyte, as a political subdivision, is composed of 40 municipalities and 1 City - the newly proclaimed City of Baybay. Geographically, the island of Leyte, not to include the province of Southern Leyte, is also composed of one highly urbanized city, Tacloban and one independent component city, Ormoc.
Tricycle fare: 0.75 centavos. Ice water: 0.25 centavos. Circa 1987. I set foot in Tacloban City for my high school a year after EDSA revolution. That was then the local economy. Barely 13 years old when I was introduced to the different high schools in this City. Next thing I knew I was already on my own for interviews and exams til I was accepted in Leyte National High School where population in late 80’s already reached around 4,000. Leyte High was actually a school of convergence – rich, poor, bright, bulakbol, mabango, mabaho; name it, probably my school had it. But I am proud, my Alma Mater produced mathematicians, writers, speakers, scientists par excellence. While in high school, I stayed in Siren District, known then for notorious tambays and informal settlers and considered to be the Tondo of Tacloban. For four years, I literally rubbed elbows with snatchers, drug addicts, drunkards, basagulero. I didn’t wonder why Calvary Hill is located in the area. people's center and library, real st. Entering College, I stayed in Independencia Street but was shortlived because the owner of the house died after my first semester. The place brought me closer to the People’s Center and Library, my hang out venue during high school where it housed around 66,000 books (if my memory serves me right). Independencia is known today for Calle Zaragosa, a café-resto-bar which serves yummy bulalo. There used to be ancient acacia trees canopying the streets of Independencia and Juan Luna but one was uprooted by force majeure in 2005. UP tacloban, cor. magsaysay and sto. nino From Independencia, the never before known Jones Street at the back of UP campus became my student address. When I got my first job as marketing boy in an electronic company, I transferred to another boarding house in Salazar Street, Quarry District, joining 8 other student-boarders in one room. Quarry could actually be considered a university belt - and that is with basis - since most schools in Tacloban are accessed through this District. There is Eastern Visayas State University where engineers are honed. There used to be Divine Word University (now operating as Liceo de Verbo) occupying one block along the streets of Avenida, Paterno, Sta. Cruz and Salazar. Leyte Normal University, known for producing educators, is near Quarry District. Leyte Sports Complex or Tacloban Grandstand where Palarong Pambansa was held in 1983 and 2009 is also within the area. Like Manong Pawikan who has "tahanan na pasan-pasan, wala lang mapaglagyan," I have no permanent address. After Quarry District, I had stayed in many other boarding houses before I settled the longest in Cancabato Ville, San Jose. Peaceful, quiet, suburb. Walking distance to the airport, near the beaches, 24-hour jeepney transportation. tacloban city hall, kanhuraw hill Tacloban is a city by the bay, regarded as the regional center of Eastern Visayas, proclaimed as one of the most promising Cities of the Philippines in 2009 (AIM Policy Center, 2010), home of 217,000 people, with a total land area of 20 hectares, and has an income of PhP717M (SLGR 2011). If there’s something I have paid forward for what home I have in my last 25 years in this City, it is that I took part as facilitator in defining the dream for this now Highly Urbanized City (series of planning workshops, 2010). The City now envisions itself to be “an agri-industrial center and strategic hub for educational excellence in Eastern Visayas with a dynamic economy, competent human capital in a secured, well balanced environment and preserved cultural heritage with God-loving, healthy and empowered citizenry through a transparent, participatory, gender-responsive and inspiring governance.” bangko sentral ng pilipinas, airport road I was born in Tacloban, and though I have no relatives in this place, I am making this City my home. I have homed Tacloban since then, I am homing Tacloban til now, and even if my stars would bring me away from this place, I will home Tacloban til time comes. |
boris p pascubillohe writes to affirm desiderata's with all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. he makes photographs to shoutout that when God created this homeland, He saw that it was good. Archives
March 2016
Categories
All
|