Beautiful Philippines

Bagasbas: More Than Just The Surf

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 01:59:25 +0000

Barely two months after my last visit to Camarines Norte, covering the quadricentennial of three town parishes, I was again invited, this time by professional surfer Mr. Joey Cuerdo of Power Up Gym and MOJO Slippers and Sandals, to cover the 4th Bagasbas Summer Surf Festival in Daet, held in line with the province-wide Bantayog Festival (the provincial foundation day). This wasn't the first time I was to cover this event, having done so in 2009. This time, I was joined by fellow Camarines Norte companion (but first timer to this event) and blogger Mark Vincent Nunez and we were both picked up by a van at Starbucks in Magallanes, hitching with co-event organizer and MOJOS Vice-President for Operations Ms.Thea Yusay and other Mojo staff also on their way to Daet. We arrived at the town by 2 AM and we both checked in at Canimog Hotel, the 3-day home of most media men out to cover the festival.

Unspoiled Calaguas

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:05:11 +0000

Part of my itinerary during my first week of February visit to Camarines Norte was to camp overnight at the famed Calaguas Islands, a group of 17 islands northeast of Daet under the jurisdiction of the town of Vinzons. This was not to be as three days of continuous rain prevented us from doing so. Two months later, I was again invited back in the province during the peak of summer, covering the 4th Bagasbas Summer Festival in Daet (held in line with the province-wide Bantayog Festival, the provincial foundation day) with travel blogger and good friend Mark Vincent Nunez. This time the weather was perfect, with bright sunshine, clear skies and calm seas, and Mark and I were again invited by Provincial Tourism Officer Atty. Debbee Francisco to visit these islands famed for their Boracay-like (minus the commercial development) white sand beaches.

Paradise by Any Other Name

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:49:23 +0000

Half of our North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB)/Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC)-sponsored Lakbay Norte 2 Media Tour was to cover Cagayan province (the other half being Ilocos Norte), and one of this province’s major draws is the second-class fishing municipality of Sta. Ana, located 158 kms. from Tuguegarao City (a 2-hr. drive) and 651 kms. (an 11-hr. drive) from Manila. The town is home to the 125-hectare Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport, the fastest-growing industrial, logistics and ecotourism hub in the country. The Cagayan Export Zone Authority (CEZA) manages the free port and attracts new locators into the economic zone. It was already late in the evening when we arrived at the 7-hectare Sun City Holiday and Leisure Resort. Sta. Ana Mayor Darwin A. Tobias and a delicious supper awaited us at the resort’s fine-dining Chinese restaurant. Owned by Hong Kong-based Sun City International, the resort used to cater to just mainland Chinese, Taiwanese and Hong Kong high rollers.

A Paradise Place Called Bolinao

Sun, 05 Jun 2011 18:38:32 +0000

A major destination during our 3-day (April 4-6, 2011) Pangasinan Media Tour (with events organizer Bernard Supetran, travel writers Kara Santos and Vince Lopez, travel blogger Mark Vincent Nuñez and my travel photographer daughter Cheska) was the premier tourism town of Bolinao whose 69,568 people speak the unique Bolinawen dialect. This wasn’t my first visit to this paradise place, having gone there during a 2005 Holy Week break with my son Jandy and two friends at Patar Beach. We arrived in town in the midst of a high school graduation in front of the town hall and first visited its venerable Church of St. James the Great. This solid, stone church, built by the Augustinian Recollects in 1609, used to double as a fortress against attacks by pirates, the English, Japanese and Americans. Today, this church (as well as 25 other churches) is listed by the National Museum as a National Cultural Treasure.

The Marriott Comes to Manila

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:02:31 +0000

Whenever I would head for Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal (Naia) 3, Manila’s newest airport, I couldn’t help but notice the massive hotel edifice being built right across it, wondering what this new kid on the block was all about. Well, I ceased to wonder when I accepted a media invitation from Ms. Michelle “Mitch” Garcia and Mr. Indraneel Benadikar, marketing communications manager and director of sales and marketing, respectively, of Marriott Hotel Manila. Located within the 25-hectare, mixed-use Newport City (which includes the world-class tourism complex of Resorts World Manila) project of property giant Megaworld Corp., this 8-storey hotel is the first in Metro Manila to carry the Marriott name and the second in the Philippines after the 301-room Cebu City Marriott Hotel.

Reminiscing in Guiuan

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:06:35 +0000

MY son Jandy and I had just had our fill of fiestas, having just attended the star-studded and colorful Sangyaw Festival of Tacloban City. For a change of pace, we were yearning for some adventurous “rest and recreation,” this time opting to visit the progressive town of Guiuan in Eastern Samar, our first in the province. To get there, we left the city after lunch, on board an air-conditioned Van-Van van at downtown. The trip took all of three hours (the opening, in the late 1990s, of the South Samar Coastal Road cut land travel time to Guiuan by about two hours), crossing the beautiful, S-shaped San Juanico Bridge (the country’s longest) into Samar, traveling along a coastal highway which runs past mountains, steep cliffs, distant rock islands and boat-filled bays, then making a right at a T-junction (the left goes to Borongan) to an occasionally potholed asphalt road all the way to Guiuan.

Sangyaw Redux

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:21:00 +0000

June, better known as the wedding month, is not usually a month for fiestas. Tacloban City in Leyte begs to be different, as it is the month when two simultaneous festivals, the Pinta-dos Kasadyaan and the Sangyaw Festivals, are held, a reflection of the city’s determination, resilience and optimism, especially during these most trying of times. Sangyaw is derived from the Waray word meaning “to herald the news.” This year’s parade promised to be extra special, as it was the 120th celebration of the Fiesta of Sto. Niño de Tacloban (the city’s patron saint), plus Tacloban also just became the first city in the Eastern Visayas region to be classified as a highly urbanized city.

Back to Batad

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:46:11 +0000

My first trip to Banaue, Ifugao, and its showpiece, the stupendous Batad Rice Terraces (the Eighth Wonder of the World), was way back in April 1998 with my then 11-year-old son Jandy. Back then, there were no cell-phone signals (making my cell phone useless) and the camera I brought with me was an instamatic Canon Sureshot Joy that used your standard-issue film. Since then, I have been pining for a return. Well, wishes do come true, and I have returned.

An Island Paradise’s Private Hideaway

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:48:09 +0000

Breathtakingly beautiful Boracay, the No. 1 tourist destination for foreign and local travelers in the Philippines, is noted for its turquoise waters and gradually sloping, sparkling white-sand beach, voted as one of the best in the world by Beach Bum, BMW Tropical Beach Handbook (1990), London’s Harpers & Queen (August 1990) and the British publication TV Quick (December 21, 1996). Through the years, rapid development along its 3.5-km. long, palm-fringed White Beach has left no room for privacy-seekers like myself.

Pearl Farm Beach Resort: The Jewel of Southern Mindanao

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:41:29 +0000

Even for a seasoned traveler like me, Mindanao remains one of my least-visited destinations, having only been to Zamboanga City in 1976 and Camiguin Island (and its gateway Cagayan de Oro City) in 2001. Opportunity beckoned anew when I was invited by Mr. Alfredo Roca and Ms. Mitch Garcia, managing director and marketing communications manager, respectively, of Fuego Hotels and Properties Management Corp., to see for myself Pearl Farm Beach Resort on the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao, the third property managed by Fuego Hotels in the country

Mystical, Mysterious Makiling

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:25:17 +0000

It was field-trip time for my daughter Cheska’s Colegio San Agustin class, and Lakbay Kalikasan, Southeast Asia’s first and premier outbound education outfitter, was tasked to organize it. Mount Makiling was the selected destination. Upon the invitation of Ramon Jocson, Lakbay’s corps director, I decided to tag along. This 1,090-m. high, three-peaked mountain, located 65 kms. southeast of Manila, is, owing to its natural history, the most biologically well-known of the country’s mountains and a favorite for field trips.

A Tiger Safari

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:03:31 +0000

On any overnight visit of mine to Subic Freeport Zone, I usually include a day trip to one of Subic’s many ecotourism attractions. The last time around, it was bonding with the whales and dolphins at Ocean Adventure. This time, it was a land-based encounter with the wild: an authentic “tiger safari” at the cleverly named Zoobic Safari. After an overnight stay at Subic Yacht Club with my son Jandy, we proceeded, after a Chowking lunch and duty-free shopping at the Freeport Exchange, for a short-haul drive to this sprawling 25-hectare theme park and zoo located deep in the old Naval Magazine at the Jungle/Forest Adventure zone.

Club Balai Isabel: Dive Into Lovely Lakeside Living

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:48:20 +0000

One special summer weekend worth looking back to was my visit to 10-hectare Club Balay Isabel in Brgy. Banga in Talisay, Batangas. This spur-of-the-moment day trip, with events organizer Mr. Bernard Supetran, his son and his niece, again brought me face-to-face with Taal Volcano, the world’s smallest and deadliest volcano, and Club Balai Isabel, opened in 2007, was to be our jump-off point. We left Manila early in the morning, got tied up in South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) traffic. We took the Sta. Rosa Exit, drove along the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road, turned left along Aguinaldo Highway and drove down Ligaya Drive. We still managed to get to the resort in time for a Filipino breakfast at its full-service restaurant within the clubhouse, with its magnificent view of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. It also has a business center and a novelty shop.

Experiencing the Divine in Davao

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:40:58 +0000

Davao City, the fastest-growing city in the country after Manila, is the undisputed center for trade, convention and tourism in Mindanao, and is a prime destination for tourism and investments in the Philippines, the BIMP-Eaga (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area) and the Asia-Pacific region. This 2,443.61-sq. km. city, 7.8 times the size of Metro Cebu and three times that of the entire Metro Manila, is the largest city in the Philippines (in terms of land area) and is said to be the second largest in the world (after Mexico City). Davao is also one of several cities in the Philippines that are independent of any province (though it is usually grouped with Davao del Sur for statistical purposes). It is divided into three congressional districts, which are further divided into 11 administrative districts containing a total of 184 barangays.

Carabao Island: The Boracay Alternative

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:00:59 +0000

Since 1990, I have been a frequent visitor to Boracay, my father-in-law being a native of Malay (where Boracay belongs), dividing my time staying in his renovated ancestral house in the town proper or in different resorts on the island. I have also tried to experience what lies beyond Boracay, savoring other white sand beaches (Tuburan Beach in Buruanga and Union Beach in Nabas), hiked to waterfalls (Agnaga Falls in Malay), explored caves (Pangihan Cave in Malay), dipped in icy-cold springs (Hurom-Hurom Springs in Nabas) and hopped over to nearby Tigwati-an Island (site of Crystal Cove Resort).

I still had this mindset during my last visit, this time opting to visit Romblon’s Carabao Island, touted as the “Next Boracay.” The 28.9 sq. km. island, so named because of its carabao shape, is commonly called, by its natives, as Hambil. Three times bigger than Boracay, it, however, has a population of only 8,226. Fishing and farming remain the main source of livelihood.

Still Tantalized by Taal

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:55:48 +0000

A lot of my childhood memories include family visits to Tagaytay City, one of the country’s favorite summer vacation spots where we would enjoy the cool and crisp (average temperature is 22.7°Celsius) mountain air and a picture-pretty view of Taal Volcano from its original grand viewdeck: the Taal Vista Hotel.

A generation later and now with my own family, I would still make the 60-km (one-and-a-half hour) drive to this city and its notable landmark to seek respite from the daily pressures of life in Metro Manila’s crowded, polluted, garbage-infested and noisy environment. Yes, the hotel is a city landmark, its history intertwined with Tagaytay. The hotel has its beginnings way back in 1935, when the Zamoras of The Manila Hotel bought 6 hectares of flatland perched atop an incline along Ilong Kastila (people say it resembles a nose, or ilong) from American Hammon H. Buck, the superintendent of schools in Batangas. Two years later, the English Tudor Mansion-style hotel was built. Its architect was probably Andres Luna de San Pedro, who, just a few years earlier, renovated another landmark, The Manila Hotel, to accommodate a suite for Gen. Douglas McArthur. Its contractor was probably the well-known Pedro Soichi, who built the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. Both were favored by Commonwealth Pres. Manuel Quezon, who was then, as I still am now, equally fascinated with Tagaytay. Upon completion, Quezon frequently held Cabinet meetings in the lodge’s premises and, on June 21, 1938, he converted Tagaytay into a chartered city by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 338.

Livin’ La Vida at Hotel Vida

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:50:15 +0000

It was again “Flavors of Spain” season and I received an invitation from Ms. Mitch Garcia, marketing communications manager of Fuego Hotels and Properties, to attend the second edition (the first was at Rockwell Center) of this yearly culinary event at the new Hotel Vida at the Clark Economic Zone in Pampanga.

The fourth in an array of top-rate hotels managed by Fuego Hotels (the others are Club Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas; Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City, Cavite; and Pearl Farm Resort in the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao), this upscale, five-story, three-cluster and 125-room (50 de luxe, 56 junior suites, 18 one-bedroom suites and one presidential suite) de luxe hotel, sitting on 1.9 hectares of land, just had its soft opening last July.

I was joined, together with Mitch and her assistant Ms. Victoria “Tori” Teves-Vicente, by a media group which included fellow Business Mirror columnist Ms. Ethel Timbol and Ms. Norma Chikiamco (Filipino Homestyle Dishes author). The trip from Ayala Center to the hotel took all of two hours and, upon arrival, we were welcomed by Korean owner Mr. Daesik Han and general manager Mr. Juan Roca.

Tacloban City: Gateway to the Eastern Visayas

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:35:14 +0000

My introduction to Tacloban City in Leyte, and to this region for that matter, it being the gateway to the Eastern Visayas, came when my brother-in-law married a Waray and decided to live there. Since then I have become a regular visitor, using the city as a stepping stone to exploring the wonders of the region.

Through the years this 108.56-sq km. city of 178,639 Taclobanons has also grown by leaps and bounds to become the commercial, educational, cultural and social center of Leyte and the premier city in the region. The city’s name was derived from the panaklub, a woven rattan or split bamboo contraption used to catch crabs, shrimps or fish. Tacoban is worth a longer stay, it being steep with World War II history.

Unknown to many, the Provincial Capitol (built in 1907), along Sen. Enage Street, became the seat of the Commonwealth government when Pres. Sergio Osmeña came in 1944 with the liberation forces of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The Redoña Residence, along T. Claudio Street, was the official residence of Osmeña and his staff until the reestablishment of the Commonwealth in Manila. MacArthur, on the other hand, stayed for three months at the more spacious Price Mansion (now the College Assurance Plan Building), along Justice Romualdez Street, an American colonial house built in 1910 by American businessman Walter Price. Here, the general escaped injury when a Japanese bomb penetrated the roof over his room but failed to explode. The hole left by that attack can still be seen. The story of the liberation is best seen, in pictures, during a stay or visit to Hotel Alejandro, along P. Paterno Street. Formerly the residence of Dr. Alejandro Montejo, built in 1932, it was occupied by the Japanese Imperial Army and later, during the liberation, by American war correspondents. Displays of original photographs of the Leyte Landing and Gen. MacArthur are everywhere within its halls.

Surfin' Camnorte

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:27:29 +0000

Surf festivals, the most successful of adventure sports events, combines the fun of sun, sand and big lively waves. In Daet it’s all that plus more, as I found out when I was invited to cover its 2nd Bagasbas Summer Surf Festival in early April, an event put together to help promote tourism in Camarines Norte in the Bicol Region.

The festival was held along the 7-km. long gray-sand Bagasbas Beach in Brgy. Bagasbas, 4 kms. from the town. The beach, known for its consistent waves, ranging from two to five feet tall, is one of the best sites for beginners to learn surfing (with its incomparable feel of walking on water), unlike the more challenging surf spots in Baler (Aurora) or Siargao (Surigao del Norte). According to provincial tourism officer designate Mr. Edgardo “Boy” Reyes, “This means less risks of injury for those still learning how to surf.”

Marinduque: Beyond the Moriones

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:45:33 +0000

Holy Week was around the corner, and I was again browsing my list of must-see places to visit. Tired of mainland Luzon, I opted for some island-hopping and decided on Marinduque, a Holy Week destination due to its Moriones Festival. Joining me were my kids Jandy and Cheska, plus teacher-friends Mr. Joel Fatlaunag and Ms. Veneriza Trillo (with son Yor). We left Manila by 4:30 pm and arrived at Lucena City’s Dalahican Port by 9 pm. Instead of staying overnight in the city, we opted to take the 10 pm Blue Waters fast ferry to Balanacan Port (Mompog), arriving there, after a rough, wave-tossed crossing, by 12:30 am. Once on dry land, we took a jeepney to Boac, all the while hoping that there would be accommodations available at this unholy hour. Our jeepney driver suggested a beach resort and dropped us off at Villa Carlos, where its Good Samaritan owner, Ms. Emily Ignacio-Alaan, allowed us to pitch tents by the beach, as well as use a picnic shed. Fortune further smiled at us that early morning as Alaan allowed us to use, after a canceled booking, an air-conditioned suite with six beds, compartmentalized bathroom and, best of all, a private balcony overlooking the sea (perfect for sunset viewing). With our accommodation worries out of the way, we could now explore, using the resort as our base, this beautiful-island province in detail.