Pac Daddy

2008 Coca-Cola International Coastal Cleanup

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:31:00 +0000

If people only knew how much garbage we've already accumulated, maybe (just maybe) people would start reconsidering how they handle their trash every single day. Last September 20, I was lucky to have been part of the Coca-Cola International Coastal Cleanup, organized by The Ocean Conservancy. Coca-Cola Philippines sponsored the event here courtesy of Vic Manlapaz. Ok, so I was not among those who picked up the trash along the coast of Roxas Blvd but I knew and felt the importance of cleaning up our oceans.Ü

It looked like a daunting task to clean up a single stretch of the coast along Roxas Blvd. We were literally walking over garbage when Randy and I were documenting the event but after a couple of hours, we started seeing what can be considered as "real" land.Ü

Here are some of the photos I took during the event.

Before

After

Some of the participants

Gerrylou's Baby Shower

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:02:00 +0000

Baby showers often seen in movies or TV shows usually have the female friends giving gifts to the soon mom to be. Maybe there would some occasional scenes where the partners of those female friends are there but I always thought that it was as simple as that. I guess I'm too naive about life :)

When Karen and I went to Gerrylou's baby shower, it was like a kiddie party. We were given name tags and a couple of kiddie games were played. Good thing I became the designated photographer and didn't have to join the games. hehe

Charades, Pictionary and Baby Names were some of the games that were played

Opening of gifts

Congratulations on your new pride and joy Ge and Joel!Ü

Early Bazaar

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:56:00 +0000

Our village held an early single day bazaar last September. Karen and I went there to see what were being sold and we ended up eating more than shopping. :D

Mostly took candid shots of kids playing and eating since it was held at the villages recreation area (which what I call Tahanan Village's Park Ü).

Some Chillax for the Makati Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:29:00 +0000

Why not spend a day of work on the beach?! How I wish this was done on a regular basis. How about, once a week? hehe

The Makati leaders were back to Laiya, Batangas but this time we stayed at Blue Coral. We didn't do much when we got there because most of us went there after our shifts so we spent most of the time sleeping. I, however, was able to sneak in a few night shots with TL Doods that night. I hoped to have them published in DPP's (Digital Photographers Philippines) Issue#22. It wasn't my time yet.Ü

Beach Volleyball (GO MITZ!Ü)

Feeling Hut! Hut! Hut! (hehe)

A Golden Relationship

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:12:00 +0000

Tita Sonia and Tito Jessie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last August at Jumbo Kingdom restaurant. It was a simple celebration with family and friends which made it a little more special. I really believe that these moments should be celebrated with close friends and family members to make it meaningful. My cousins whom I have yet to meet (maybe I have but I cannot recall. Sorry!) and are living in the US sent a video for Tita Sonia and Tito Jessie to watch since they were unable to go home.

Sharing some of the photos I took. I wanted to be more of a guest that time and was a little too lazy to move because of the food I devoured! :D

The couple

Our table (Check out the left overs!)

Ate Jingle and her daughter Isabel

Happy Anniversary Tito Sonia and Tito Jessie!Ü

Wedding Photography Seminar by Lito Sy

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:28:00 +0000

Last August, I had the chance to join Lito Sy's photography workshop. Sir Lito is one of the Philippines' top weddings and portraiture photographer and has won several photography contests here and abroad. With his type of resume, I was for the most part in awe of his creativity and his skills when he showcased some of his works. Aside from the formal lecture of sharing his techniques, a shoot was part of the seminar to apply what we have learned from Sir Lito's lecture. Our model was Ms. Carlene Aguilar, a former beauty queen, who had such a good mood that day that made the shoot all the more fun and exciting. Here are some of my shots.

I have a somewhat similar post on our business blog at FOCAL Studios. Feel free to also visit that blog. :)

Black Meets White

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:17:00 +0000

I was invited by a fellow photography hobbyist in the office whom I met because of Photography Master Aaron Paggabao. I met Diosa Malabanan (aka Ms. D) during the leadership convention and I think I was not as pleasant as I should be when I first met her. It was because I was wondering who she was and why she knew my name. Sorry Ms. D! hehe

Going back, the event was held at One San Miguel's Roof Deck. I agreed to cover their event for experience as well the hope of getting paid for my shots. Our deal was they will order the prints from us. Unfortunately, it was not to be. It was charged to experience plus a chance to shoot the Ortigas skyline at night. :)

Here are some of the photos I took together with Master Rage Tianero.

The early birds

A Flasher distracting the guest for the Thief! :)

Just a few of the beautiful ladies of Voyager taken during the program proper
Master Rage was able to rent a strobe so we were able to setup a "mini-studio". Ü

Some fun shots

The hair flip (courtesy of Master Rage)

2008 eTelecare Leadership Convention

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 01:48:00 +0000

eTelecare's annual leadership convention was held at The Arena, San Juan City. I was one of the volunteers to cover the company event together with my photographer friend Barry. It was one of the leadership conventions I attended that had a good impact on me. Besides the fact that I enjoyed taking pictures of the people, our guest speaker Coach Chot Reyes, aligned his speech with the company's core values. Talking about the importance of coaching and talking with your team, coupled with real-life experiences, I was able to understand the message Coach Chot wanted to convey because of the similarities (theoretically) of coaching a basketball team and coaching/mentoring a person in your team. Really made an impact on me as a team leader.

Anyway, sharing some of my shots. A few of my photos were used by our company to inform the rest of the company about the leadership convention. I have to remember to get a copy of that poster one of these days. :)

Inside The Arena

Outstanding Contributor Awards

The awardees

Barry taking a snipe at someone

Coach Chot Reyes
Until the next leadership convention!Ü

AIG-BPSI Family Day

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:10:00 +0000

I was invited by Karen to join her office's family day and I happily obliged thinking that it was a good opportunity for a photo-op.Ü

Sadly, it was one hot day and I had a hard time moving around the place. I think almost everyone in their Alabang offices were present that day so I just picked my spots (mostly where there's shade and enough air to keep me cool hehe) and took mostly pictures of kids.Ü

Kiddos

Part of the family

Forced to get married in a marriage booth Ü
It was a fun that and it was nice to meet Karen's office friends.

Basic Food Photography Seminar by Ricky Ladia

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:17:00 +0000

I attended another photographer seminar last June. This time its a Basic Food Lighting Photography Seminar by Ricky Ladia. Luckily it was schedule in between another basic photography seminar by Jo Avila so I was able to attend and apply some of the lessons I already learned from Sir Jo. Here are some of the shots I took. Hope you like these, too!Ü

Appetizer: Pinaupong dilis on Fita Ü (Not really sure what to call it. hehe)

Entree #1: Tinolang Manok

Entree #2: Sinalbaheng Tilapia (Name c/o Karen. Didn't know fish can bend that way.Ü)

Entree #3: Seafood Platter

Dessert: Sapin-sapin

Drinks: Calamansi Juice

Manila Breakwater

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:31:00 +0000

Sharing a photo I took when Randy and I went to the breakwater near Jumbo Restaurant in Manila.

I lost my mood to shoot when one of the security guards called our attention while we were setting up our gear because we had no permit to shoot. Why would we need a permit to shoot the Manila Bay?! Is it now privately owned?!

Just avoid getting into an argument with the guard who appears to be one of those ignorant to photography types, we went to the admin office to inquire if we really need to have a permit to shoot. When the guard on duty their asked a supervisor, she said that as long as no building of PICC or CCP are included in the shot, then it is ok to shoot without a permit.

I know that a privately owned place reserves the right to deny having pictures of their building taken, especially if its inside the building. Deny photography in public places? It's not like the place has something to hide because its open to the public. That's why its called a public place. Anyone and everyone can see what is and what is going on. Another funny thing is, they deny a photographer of taking pictures only if he is using a dSLR. It would not be an issue if he/she is using a point-and-shoot camera. It would also not be a problem if the person holding a dSLR is a foreigner. Can you say discrimination? In my own country by my countrymen?! Sad..

Anyway, this post is turning into a ranting post so I might as well end it here. My apologies for the rant.Ü

Light and Shade Photography Workshop by Wesley Villarica

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:51:00 +0000

Last June, I attended Wesley Villarica's basic lighting photography workshop. It was my first time to join a photography workshop after almost 2 years of doing self-study and just reading forums, online tutorials and a couple photography books. Learned a lot of good stuff with lighting and taking glamour shots! Already shared some of my shots at bitemarkstudios.multiply.com. Just doing the same here. Hope you like them.

Photographer: ME!Ü (Francis Pacunayen)
Model:Daiana Menezes
Make-up Artist: Omar Ermita
Workshop Instructor: Wesley Villarica

I would like to show that the last photo was picked by the organizers of the photography workshop for their flyers/advertising for the next photography workshop. I wish I got paid for it but for now, I'll settle for bragging rights since this was my first. Here it is.Ü

Boracay with eTel friends

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:40:00 +0000

This year was my first time to visit the island of Boracay and what did I do afterwards? Wait for a month to go back!Ü This time, I went there with some of my office friends, namely, Ice, Joems, Doods with his girlfriend Shey, Jun-Jun, Berns, Lew, Boss Gholda and Boss Amel. We stayed at Fat Jimmy's Resort. Feedback regarding this resort: The place is clean and nice (Speaking from my experience with our room. Not sure about the other room the others occupied.). The staff were accommodating enough. My only negative feedback is its location. The resort is far from the beach, even farther than Club Ten plus its entrance is near a garbage bin. Before you reach the beach you'll go through the a wet market then through D'Mall. We were just pressed for time to reserve a resort on a very short time that most of the resorts closer to the beach were already full. All these can be ignored just because I had fun with my friends.Ü

Some photos during our first day
Our second day was spent taking a boat ride tour of Boracay. As usual, we went to Crystal Cove, went snorkelling near Crocodile Island but this time, we went to Puka Beach. Wasn't able to take pictures of the place. I was busy accompanying Karen while she was shopping for Puka shells. Thought she might need a "shopping conscience".Ü

At the entrance to Cave #1 of Crystal Cove

Kodak-an on the boat!

Group hug back at the resort

Some sunset and sky shots

The usual tourist shot by a sand castle
With the recent troubles going on with the Boracay resort owners and the goverment, I hope by next year the place would be much better and the island be well kept. Just in time for our return.Ü

2008 Summer with Karen, Arbi and Kay

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:06:00 +0000

This year's summer was my busiest so far! Hey, I'm not complaining. It was a summer that I had so much fun that I was only held back by my obligations in the office and my budget (I wasn't born with a silver spoon you know!Ü).

Destination #1: Batangas
Batangas is becoming my own province since I've been going here more often.Ü Although this is Karen's province (mother-side), I have never gone to a province so frequently than Batangas whether its to visit Karen's relatives or to go to the beach. Quite frankly, I am enjoying the frequent road trips here. Maybe some day I can have a tour of Batangas!

We stayed at the Blue Coral Beach Resort. The sand is nice and the cottages are very close to the beach. Even though we got the pool side room, the beach is just a few steps away so it does not really matter to me if we got the pool side room. The only downside we experienced was the jellyfish. It was like migration time for the jellyfishes that you wouldn't be able to swim. It was even hard to just wade because a jellyfish will be right next to you in practically all directions.

Karen and Arbi figuring out how they can enjoy swimming in the beach

A couple of the jellyfishes that were already washed ashore

Taken by the beach

Pool shots
Before retiring to bed, I went around the resort to do practice some night photography.Ü

The following day, the jellyfish were no longer in sight. Not sure what happened or what the resort people did but Karen and Arbi were happy to be back in the water.Ü

Group Hugs!Ü
Destination #2: Cavite
After a week, all for of us again headed south for another road trip. This time its somewhere a little more relaxing and cold, where else but in Tagaytay! Of course, a visit to Tagaytay is not complete without eating at Leslie's Restaurant. I really think that their Bulalo tastes better in Tagaytay. Mas masarap higupin ang sabaw kapag malamig ang paligid (Warm soup is suited when in cold places).

The balikbayan Kay with Arbi taking a "kabataan" shot

Halo-halo in Tagaytay

My favorite! Sizzling bulalo!Ü

Karen and Kay listening intently to the singing group

A big round of applause from Kay and Arbi for the singing group Ü
After our delicious lunch, we went to Sonya's Bed and Breakfast for a little more RnR. It was my first time there and unfortunately, it was drizzling when we got there so I was not able to take much pictures of the place. I just enjoyed the massage and to be honest, I would come back for another massage! I really felt relaxed afterwards. Here are some of the pictures I took there.

Curtain beads

Walk this way..

Arbi in limbo
Destination #3: Bohol
Another first for me and Karen. It took us quite some time in planning for this trip because we arlready running low on resources. If you want to save your money on fares to go to Bohol, then the best option is to get a plane from Manila to Cebu then ride a ferry from Cebu to Bohol. It's a lot cheaper compared to taking a direct flight to Bohol. It can be compared to Boracay's Manila-Kalibo-Caticlan-Boracay Island trip which takes about 3-4 hours but the travel time is way shorter. The ferry ride is about 1hr and 45mins, give or take a few minutes. That's not bad if you really are on a tight budget and want to save some money to be able to spend while you're on your vacation. I would also suggest you allot a day or two in Cebu since you're already there. It can make the ferry ride a lot less stressful plus you got to enjoy Cebu! We'll do this next time.Ü

We got our reservation at Lost Horizon Resort thanks to Joems who suggested the place. Its a nice cozy place to stay if you're on a budget. The food they served was awesome but be prepared to pay for what you ate. The food is quite expensive but I still would recommend the place to friends. I guess we are just unlucky during this summer. This time, it was so hard to swim in the beach because of the strong waves. We were not able to go snorkling and see the dolphins because of the strong waves. We still managed to have fun when we took a tour of Bohol.Ü (Note: Some facts about Bohol were taken here.)

Kampai! (At the blood compact site)

Baclayon Church (one of the oldest churches in the Philippines a.k.a. The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception)

Inside Baclayon Church

Bohol's Longest and Biggest Python in Captivity

With the owner

Cute little tarsiers!

Loboc Church (The second oldest church in Bohol a.k.a. The Church of San Pedro)

Loboc River ride entertainment

Kay, Karen and Arbi enjoying the boat ride after a hearty lunch

A tour of Bohol is not complete without seeing the Chocolate Hills
It was really fun being with Karen, Kay and Arbi. My only regret was we were not able to join you on your Ilocos trip.Ü

2008 Transport Show

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:11:00 +0000

Another transport show, another chance to shoot beautiful cars modelled by beautiful women!Ü

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X (I WANT!!!)

Colossus

Beautiful ladies

Beam-ing smile

Harley

Vic's first ride before his Battle-Feroza

Herbie got pimped!Ü

More beautiful ladies

Caliraya Planning Session

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:07:00 +0000

I have never been to Lake Caliraya Resort. My family and I were supposed to go there when I was still in high school on summer vacation but due to some mechanical problems we settled for Pansol, Laguna. When I learned that Site Makati was to hold its Q2 planning session there, I was excited! I've heard a lot of good things about the place. Besides the activities we could do, I was more interested on the possibility of another photo-op for me.

(Incomplete) Makati Leaders. Taken during one of our breaks.

Jun-Jun Livin' large!

Multiple Choice: a) Stressed b) Insane c) All of the above

Lew's Best Friend

F-"I.T." Team Bataan
The place was so cool that I went back there after a few days. This time around the resort. I was with Karen, Photography Master Aaron Paggabao (a.k.a. PMAP) and Ultimate Master and Lord Drin Collantes (a.k.a. UMLDC). Our first stop, a water tower along the road to Lake Caliraya.

The Road Trip (L-R): Karen, Pacs, PMAP and UMLDC
After satisfying the Master's photography cravings when then went to the Japanese Garden where PMAP showed off his IR prowess.

Bitten by the Korean bug :)

Playing around with my camera's settings

Thought this was a shrine until I got closer and saw that it was a grave.

My successful attempt at photostitching!Ü
Our last stop was supposed to be one of the falls found in Cavinti, Laguna but when we asked around how to get there we got discouraged. According to one of the people there, we had to walk down 700 steps to get to the bottom of the falls. 700 steps?!? I don't mind the going down part but think about going up 700 steps?! While carrying my gear?! Next stop, please!Ü

It was still early and we still have not satisfied our hunger to shoot. I suggested going to Laiya, Batangas for some rocks and waters shots with a sunset. I forgot that on that side of Batangas, the sun sets behind a mountain. :( We still had some good shots and Karen even met one of her old classmates staying in La Luz.

HDR

La Luz's cottages at night

Candy and Karen
It was a long day for all of us but it was all good. Thank you Photography Master Aaron Paggabao and Ultimate Master and Lord Drin Collantes for the lessons and for sharing some of your tips to me.

M.I.A.S. and a reunion

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:17:00 +0000

The Manila International Auto Show held last April at the World Trade Center was what I consider one of the biggest automotive shows I have ever been to since I started going to these events. It was my first time to watch world renowned precision driver Russ Swift show off his incredible driving skills! I was so amazed that I even watched it twice. I can't share any photos of his show because I was so in awe of his precision driving.Ü What I can share though are some of the shots I took of the cars and models while waiting for Mr. Swift's show.

With Mr. Russ Swift

It was also during this weekend that I was going to meet up with some old office frieds. It has been more than 2 years since I last saw these guys. They were the first team I handled when I became a supervisor. This group of people have a strong bond between them not because most of them were teammates since training but because their characters compliment each other. Which was why when I was invited by Joanne to join their reunion, I was surprised and happy that even after such a long time they considered inviting me even with the rough times I have given them being their team lead.

Lloyd, Erwin, Ced, Angel, Joanne and Aaron
Maybe we can do this again when the new Singapore residents get back to the Philippines.Ü

R.O.T.C! (Return of the Comeback!)

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:10:00 +0000

I am so sorry blogger. I have neglected you for months. I've haven't been updating my blog for months! I've been busy with a lot of stuff lately and I totally forgot to post some updates.

Now that I am seeing a little bit of space in my schedule (as if I had control over my schedule Ü) plus I need to get some electrons out of my system, I should (not sure, again) be able to update my blog at least once a week. I know it's incredibly late but I'll be posting updates going back to my summer this year. I'm praying that this post starts the proverbial ball rolling. :)

I guess, I can start with birthday greetings. I will take this opportunity to greet some office friends of mine. Belated happy birthday to your Ice-ness, Joe-Maldita, and to the good tree who bears good fruits, Chippy! Also, belated happy 60th birthday to my dad! :)

Family Lunch to celebrate my dad's 60th Birthday, last July 19 (Very recent, right?Ü)

Maldita, Ate Plow and Good Tree Chippy lurking at the back.

Something I made for Ice (a.k.a. Ate Plow) on her birthday (Sorry, I was not able to make something for Joems and GP)

Macro and DIY Light Box

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:01:00 +0000

I borrowed Randy's close-up filter and try out some macro shots using my DIY "light box". It's not a complete light box yet because I still lack the proper lighting equipment. I was just lucky that when I took these, there was enough light coming in to my room that the box was still well lit. C&C are very much welcome.

Note: Forgot to clean the Ferrari cars and only noticed the dirt after I took the photos. (Need to pay attention to detail.)

Tropa Tup's Reunion

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:33:00 +0000

Sunday is considered to be family day. This past Sunday was similar to it when Karena and I went out with our friends Dave and Anne with Baby Via, Barry and Kathy with Selle and Resty. All of whom were married. As usual, we were often asked as to when we would be married. We'll get to that soon enough guys. Just sit tight. :)

It's always fun to be with these guys and I hope even with our busy schedules, we can get to see each other more often. Maybe in Bohol? :)

On a side note, Baby Via is getting bigger and I had fun taking photos of her during Hector's (Karen and Ian's baby) 1st birthday. Check out some of the photos I took.

Boracay 2008 (Day 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:21:00 +0000

We woke up early for our wonderful breakfast of tapa and tocino courtesy of Club Ten. It was a good way to start our second day. Our second day was what I would call our adventure day in Boracay. For Php1300, we went on a boat ride going to Crystal Cove. A nice, small island with a nice view of the open sea and two underwater caves. On our way there, Karen got scared because of the waves. I even told her that the boat ride was a little similar to what I experienced the last time I went to Corregidor. The difference was, the waves in Boracay were less rough compared to Corregidor. :) I was not able to get inside the first cave because the way down was a little narrow considering my size and my camera gear. According to Karen, the first cave was a little scary because it was dark and the waves were really splashing hard that they were not allowed to swim even with a life saver on. We walked around the island to get to the second cave. Inside the second cave, there was an even smaller one that you would have to crouch to get inside but we were not that adventurous so we just stayed near the mouth of the cave.Ü

A couple shots of the view above Cave 1

View from the stairwell going down to Cave 1 (The closest I could get Ü)

On our way to Cave 2 (Prepare for a long walk under the sun)

Cave 2 (Click on the picture to see the note on the entrance to the smaller cave)

On our way back to the boat
We then headed to the snorkelling site and it was like a small port when we got there. I guess the other tourists also thought that it was a good time to go snorkelling. :)

Karen having fun swimming with the fishes

Ice cream sold in the middle of the sea for Php40
We got back just in time for lunch and we ate at Big Mamas Pinoy Hot Pot and Grill. Unfortunately for Karen, they were serving grilled food only during dinner. After lunch and a short break, we then went on a buggy ride heading to Mount Luho for a view of Boracay from above. We were supposed to ride an ATV but Karen was not up to driving so we settled for a buggy. We were supposed to go a butterfly farm as well but we opted to stay longer in Mount Luho and forego the butterfly farm. I was hoping to get some sunset shots there but since it was still early, the sun was still too high for sunset shots.

Sunset at Mount Luho

The other side of Boracay

Some of our photos

Love this quote

Nice little bugger, I mean, buggies :) (Cost: Php2300)
How else would we cap our day but with a dinner at Jonah's with the fruit shake! We knew we made the right choice to have dinner as soon as we tasted the pasta and the pizza. :)

Yummy Pizza from Jonah's
I was not going home without getting a henna tattoo. I think I got bit by the henna bug way too much, though. :)

On our third day, we did not do much since we would be leaving Boracay by noon. We just spent the day with another Jonah's fruit shake. Karen went swimming for a few minutes while I had my henna tattoo retouched.Ü

We had a wonderful time in Boracay. It really is different when you are out on a trip and enjoying the beautiful scenery. My only regret was that Boracay has become too commercialized. The stores/stands found near the beach is quite alright. They do provide some sort of accessibility when it comes to the needs of the tourists. What I do not like are the people who keep on appraching you selling stuff like sunglasses or souvenir wood carvings. These people made me feel like I was walking around in Greenhills where a guy just walks towards me asking me if I would like to buy some DVDs. It is a little difficult to enjoy the beach atmosphere when these "entrepreneur" keep on interrupting your relaxing beach moments. :(

If you are after going out and having fun at night on a beach setting, then Boracay is one of the places you are looking for. However, if you would like to have a relaxing time on the beach, you might be better off going to some other beach/island/province.

Boracay 2008 (Day 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:18:00 +0000

Aaahhh.... Cool sea breeze, powder-like white sand beach, (not so) clear waters...My expectations of Boracay were met, including the high priced activities and number of tourists.Ü (I was a bit disappointed with the algae, though.)

We left Manila at around 8:20AM via Cebu Pacific Airlines and got to Kalibo Airport after 45 minutes. I guess I was so excited that I did not notice the time. We were lucky to have been able to get a room at The Club Ten because their price was so affordable (Php3,700 for 3D/2N) and it already includes transfer to and from the Kalibo Airport. Not bad for those who are on a tight budget and do not mind walking a few feet along a side street to get to the beach. The only trouble we had along the way was the bus ride going to the Caticlan port from the airport. The air conditioning inside the bus was not able to compensate for the heat that day. We got to Club Ten around 12 noon and had very little time for rest. Karen and I were already hungry and after we were done figuring out how we were going to unpack and spend the rest of the day, we went to D'Mall for our lunch. We ate at Mang Inasal because we were so hungry that we no longer tried to look for other places to eat. Besides, we were both getting cranky because of hunger and the heat.Ü

To cool our heads a bit, we went over to Jonah's where I got to taste their famous fruit shakes! I ordered banana mocha shake and Karen had vanilla milkshake.

It was so good that I almost finished the glass before I remember to take a photo of it!Ü

Karen enjoying her vanilla milkshake
Afterwards, we continued went for a leisurely wlak along Station 1 of Boracay and since it was also sunset, I was also scouting for a good place to take sunset photos. It was hard to find a spot with the least number of people because there were already a lot of tourists in Boracay that weekend. Luckily, as the sun went down the crowd was also getting smaller and I was able to setup near the grotto. It was also in front of Nigi Nigi Too where Jerome, Sol and Velvet stayed.

Some sky shots

Karen as Mari Mar Ü

Boracay Sunset

With Jerome, Velvet, and Sol

Grotto
After one bottle of beer with Jerome, Velvet and Sol, we had to call it a night because Karen has not had any sleep since she came from her shift.

That's it for today. I'll continue this tomorrow.Ü

LAKBAYAN Grade Updated

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:20:00 +0000

My Lakbayan grade is C-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

I am now a C- Traveler! Woohoo! :)

"I.T." Bonding at Bataan and Corregidor

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:06:00 +0000

Another road trip right after the Panagbenga was something my co-team leads planned spontaneously. Before I went to Baguio, my "I.T." (I.T. - Iwas Trabaho) friends wanted to go out while they still had the same days off. It was only I who had a different schedule but I didn't want to pass up the chance to go to Bataan and Corregidor because I haven't been to Bataan and the last time I went to Corregidor was MANY years ago on one of our high school field trips. Luckily, my application for leave was approved. :)

We first went to Mount Samat where the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) can be seen. It was cloudy when we got there so I was not able to get good shots of the cross but we still managed to have some fun while we were there.

The towering cross atop Mount Samat and some scultures found at its base.
We went up the cross and had a glimpse of what the view was at that altitude.

Moment factor

F."I.T. Five (Fabulous "I.T." Five)
The following day, we woke up early and prepared for our trip to Corregidor via a banca (small fisherman's boat). I had to borrow Master Aaron's dry bag so I can ride the banca at ease knowing that my camera is safe from getting wet.Ü

Here are some the photos I took in Corregidor.

Cannon-ICE-d

Master Doods taking a photo of our top super model, Shen-Shen

F."I.T." Trio - TL Ice, TL Jun-Jun and TL Joems

Malinta Tunnel

Thanks to our "I.T." head Doods "Rick" Nario and his parents for allowing us to stay at their home in Mariveles, Bataan. Doods' parents were so accommodating during our stay that Senyora Ice was already begging to be adopted!Ü Tita Zeny cooked us hearty meals with her famous adobo! Yummy! It was also there that I discovered a very delicious dessert made by Tita Zeny. Sliced banana with caramle syrup! It was just a simple dish of sliced banana covered with caramel. The caramel had the right consistency that it did not make the banana slices crunchy to the bite. TL Jun-Jun fell in love with the dessert so much that he did not even share it with us when we took some home with us. Thank you guys! I had such a blast! Until the next time!

Panagbenga 2008 (Day 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Pacs Pacunayen) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:10:00 +0000

The main event! Sunday, Feb 24, was the parade of the flowers. Although, there was a little rain, the parade will still go on. The rain gave us a hard time because we didn't want to get our gear get wet and we were just standing under the overpass when the parade began. As soon as some of the floats with tons of flowers came down session road, even though it was still drizzling, we went closer to the float and clicked away! Master Aaron and Master Randy showed once again their ingenuity by improvising on covering their lenses. I really didn't fear much for my lens because I trusted Canon when they said that their 70-200mm f/4L IS lens was weather sealed but I knew that my camera wasn't so I had no choice but to just pray that the rain won't get inside my camera. I just had to constantly wipe off the water on my lens and camera..while silently praying.Ü

Master Randy and Master Aaron showing off their supreme ingenuity.Ü

Chowking and their models

GMA Network with some of their stars, Ms. Iza Calsado, Ms. Iwa Moto and Ms. Jewel Mische. (Mr. Alfred Vargas and Mr. Richard Gutierrez were also on the float)

SM

Nescafe's flower float

The winner: SMC's flower float

Here are some more celebrities who joined the parade.From Top-Bottom/Left-Right, Ms. Angelica Panganiban, Mrs. Jodie Santamaria-Lacson, Ms. Kim Chiu, Mr. Jomari Yllana, Ms. Melanie Marquez and Mr. Gerald Anderson.

I had such a blast while I was in Baguio. Hopefully, next year would be better since it's Baguio's centennial as a city. Karen should be with me by then.