JOURNEY CALLED LIFE

After a long hiatus, I am back to where I belong: blogging. An explanation is a must and that is what I owe to myself and to my readers. For at least three months, a lot has transpired especially in my personal life. There was no other quarter that I have travelled more compared to the 2^nd quarter of 2012 but for varying reasons. I went to Calaguas Island in Camarines Norte with my friends, went to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan for a company outing and went to North Cotabato to attend the wake and burial of my beloved father. For a time, I started to doubt myself if I can still pursue writing as an interest. I lost the vitality and vigor of translating the energy of life into my write ups. A death and tragedy in my family was so sudden and disturbing that my life turned 180 degrees. As of the moment, I am still trying to cope with the pain and taking it one day at a time. A day won’t pass by without me thinking of my father and of the memories that we shared and the moments that we must supposed to have. My father, together with my mother and Jafet are my travel buddies. My renewed optimism in writing is a gift and recognition for my father: a PATIENT, CALM and CHEERFUL traveler. 

FORT PIKIT:A LOST TREASURE

Look what I found in the 23^rd Philippine Travel Mart held in MOA SMX last August 10-12, 2012: FORT PIKIT. Not that I am belittling the capacity of my hometown as a tourist spot but I wasn’t just expecting that I could see a picture of it in a big event like this travel expo. Around 100 booths participated in the event from all islands and islets of the Philippines, each as unique as its own cultural heritage and tourist spots. From the usual crowd drawer of Boracay, Bohol and Palawan to the untouched Palaui Island of Cagayan Valley and Fort Pikit of North Cotabato; the expo was such a sight to behold. For a minimal fee of PHP50, one can go booth-shopping and explore the Philippines in just one day.  

I have been to Fort Pikit a countless time and I always equate the spot with my childhood memories. The earliest memory I have with the place was the one together with my siblings and cousins. The place has been through a lot of uplifts and down lifts. It was frequented by visitors and locals in the early 90s but then it was not maintained until it was just a piece of land and rocks smothered by grass and wastes. Then, it was transformed into a military camp at the height of the conflict in Mindanao around 2004. Since then, nothing has changed much for the tourist spot.  

The potential of Fort Pikit as a tourist spot is as bright as the future of Pikit town itself. With the leadership of the local government and the help of local citizens, the spot can be transformed into a park in the sky like the one in Tagaytay. Enjoying dinner in the fort and watching the sun as it settles down in the verdant mountainous range of North Cotabato reflected in the meandering river of Rio Grande de Mindanao is a sure tourist arrival booster. This picture perfect FORT PIKIT could take years of planning and sustainable development but it could be the one that will propel the town’s economy. The trickledown effect of tourism is incalculable as of this time. This is the wakeup call for all Pikitenos and we must unite in protecting and developing the Fort Pikit that we used to know and love. 

SUNBLOCK: BEYOND THE RAYS OF CONSUMERISM

An avid beach bum’s most powerful tool is SUNBLOCK. Without it, one can get skin like a roasted pig, especially in a tropical country like ours. With the advent of hyper-consumerism, a lot of products abound in the market which promises higher SPFs. Yes, it is a given that sunblock is a commodity (with all the UV and other harmful rays). However, these products may seem too good to be true. I can’t imagine the truthfulness of lotions with SPFs higher than 100 are really effective to their last drop. I guess the economic PRINCIPLE OF DIMINISHING MARGINAL UTILITY holds true even for products such as sun rays protector. The best remedy to avoid the scourging heat of the sun is simple: stay away from it. If you can’t beat the summer heat, use hats with brim and other materials that will cover your skin. I am not saying though that we must avoid sun block lotion, which is the last thing on my mind.  In my opinion, sun block is an indispensable tool to a wonderful beach experience. What we must learn though is to discern which sun block products offer realistic protection and which are just big ad BLUFFs. Before applying the lotion to your precious skin, one must ask: IS THIS REALLY WORTH IT?

SEMANA SANTA in GALERA

Spending the Holy Week in Puerto Galera should be included in every Filipino’s to-do list. It was an experience entirely on its own league. It was holy yet fun, spiritual yet physical, inward yet outward. One can be a hedonist and evangelist at almost the same time. There were parties on the eve of Thursday but came Friday, people meditated and reflected on life and the suffering of Jesus Christ (which I really did, I hope others did it too!). The only major glitch was that finding a decent yet cheap accommodation was close to impossible. The rates went as high as quadruple of the off-peak charges.

Escaping the Pricey Accommodation? Why not try renting or bringing your own tent to the beach? For a minimal fee, one can really say GOOD MORNING to the cool beach of Galera. One can also set up the tent near the mangroves (free of charge) but finding a toilet will be the challenge.

Wanting to eat affordable yet uncompromised meal? Enjoy the Platto di Pasta Italian resto. For just Php 145.00, one can enjoy authentic Italian pizza or spaghetti. The pasta was cooked al dente and ingredients were fresh.

Looking for something to watch in the beach? The barkers (the ones holding the megaphones) were pleasurable to look for. Their comic antics and punch lines will surely put a smile in your tanned face.

Batangas Port: A port like no other

Drag me to hell. I really thought hell came to Earth when we arrived at the Batangas Port last Holy Thursday, April 5 2012. We arrived at Batangas port at around 6am and the first thing we saw was an ocean of human beings plopping and making their ways to the ticket booths scattered all over the port. Following the way of the Cross is an understatement in securing one’s ticket. First, one needed to fall in line to secure the ferry ticket. Next, you need to wait for the queue to pay for the terminal fee (Php 20.00 I guess). A separate booth was also hurdled to pay for the environmental fee (Php 50.00). Can they just include everything in a single transaction to avoid the hussle? I mean if this happens every year, why is the administration of the port not doing anything to improve its services? What made the matters worse was that there wasn’t any system to follow. People were just desperately making their way regardless of basic ethical consideration for others who diligently waited for their turns.  Others really leave their morals at the doorsteps of their houses. I said to myself: this is anarchy at its finest. When one is alive after these series of unfortunate circumstances, the queue to enter the waiting area seems to be the final test of endurance and stamina. Lucky for me, we hired a fixer to do all of the above for some petty cash. A big pat on the back to the unnamed fixer who helped us carried the crosses of long queue, bulky baggage and humid surroundings. 

To SEE and to be SEEN- BORACAY

Truly, Boracay never ceases to amaze me. One can visit the place and come back here with an experience entirely different from the first. First time I ate in a BUFFET resto-by-the-beach, walked the whole stretch from Stations 1 to 3, enjoyed the delicious KALAMANSI MUFFIN at Real Coffee and went to PUKA Beach. There are some firsts thought I will just keep to myself. I was a bit sad because the shoreline is algae-infested. Nevertheless, everything was perfect: the sand feels great, the food is sumptuous and the people are cool.

What to eat: REAL COFFEE KALAMANSI MUFFIN is a must try. The café serves oven-fresh cookies and muffins at a very affordable price. Just be early coz the store closes exactly at 7 pm.

A HERCULEAN TASK- CLIMBING KAMAY NI HESUS

There is no other place closer to God than this pilgrimage site. The “stairways to heaven” will rightly lead you to where you want to be- one with God. The steps leading to Kamay ni Hesus prove to be difficult yet fulfilling, daunting yet astounding and thorny yet liberating. On the way up, one will pass and meditate on the Stations of the Cross with larger-than-life statues. I must admit the climb was tricky especially when the weather seesawed from rain to heat in a matter of minutes. Since my devout Catholic parents can’t make the climb due to age, I realized how difficult it has been for them to stay behind and watch us climb. I can’t imagine how exhausting it was for Jesus to walk the Way of the Cross and yet accepted the fate as if it was a natural course of nature.

How to get there: the place is a bit out of way and a private car is a big ease to visit the place. It is located in Lucban, Quezon: a place famous for longganisa. It is roughly 3 straight hours from Manila

What to eat: try the famous Lucban Longganisa, a garlic-enriched processed meat. A dozen can go as low as Php 70, enough for a big appetite.