How we can help #yolandaph

Sacrifice is an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. Whether big or small, if we give up something that is valuable to us, that is a sacrifice.

Instead of buying a brand new gadget or that latest line of make up or dining at that newly opened restaurant, why don’t we set aside some of our salary for the typhoon victims and let our own selfish desires wait a little longer. Instead of “window shopping” on your spare time, why not volunteer to help pack relief goods. Still keeping that favorite jacket you have not worn in years because you think someday you’ll go back to your “old” size, why not include it in your donation.

It can be your money, your time or simply the effort, what matters is we share something that is valuable to us and help out. For some, this may seem a simple gesture, but for our brothers and sisters who are in dire need, this goes a long way.

Cebu Mini Video

Just browsing my FB albums and I stumbled upon this video. Its been more than 1 year since my awesome trip in Cebu… I want to go back 😀

2013: Year of My Blog

Due to my busy schedule and stress from work, it seems that i haven’t updated my personal blog for almost half a year… (I know I’m full of excuses)

So my number one new year’s resolution is to make sure this blog is up to date! By the end of the year, I will look back at this post and judge myself if I was able to achieve this 🙂 🙂 🙂

P.S. I miss writing and blogging… hopefully procrastination would leave me alone and inspiration would be my constant companion. Cheers to a new year, to more travels and to a better ME ♥

 

 

Concepcion, Iloilo

If you are a certified backpacker, or you do not mind long hours of bus ride and you don’t want large crowds, I highly recommend going to Concepcion Islands. This quaint paradise is not yet commercialized and you can enjoy mother nature at its finest.

Concepcion is located at the northernmost part of Iloilo and has 16 picturesque islands to boot, most have white sand beaches, others are rich in marine life

These islands are Pan de Azucar – the biggest and most popular among the islands because of Mt. Manaphag which is one of the tallest peaks in Panay. Agho – known for its white sand beach area with the magnificent view of the sunrise and sunset. Tago – nearest to the mainland, Bag-o Isi – has a shifting snake-like sandbar that points to Pan de Azucar. Bocot – located at NE of Bag-o Isi. Colebra – located at the northernmost frontier of Concepcion. Sombrero – from the term itself, it looks like a hat if you view it from above. Bag-o Sipol and Chico Island – 2 uninhibited islands found on the further east. Malangabang – the most populated island in Concepcion. Igbon – the best diving spot within the area. Botlog – island which has an eggnog shape. Bag-O Abo – which is perfect for snorkeling. Bulubadiangan – known for its shifting white sandbar. Danao-danao – known for its interesting natural stone formations. Tagubanhan – which shares the border with the adjacent town of Ajuy and Baliguian – the only coral atol in Concepcion and also the farthest island from the mainland.

How to go to Concepcion???
– From the airport you can ride a taxi or shuttle to Tagbak Terminal in Jaro District, Iloilo. Standard fare is Php 500.00 so it is better to opt this route if you are in a group.
– Once in Tagbak Terminal, ride the HPQ bus to Concepcion. Fare is Php 120.00 but beware of the lengthy bus ride (it takes approximately 3 hours)

– The bus would drop you off at the Concepcion Plaza, if you are staying at the mainland then you can either walk or ride a tricycle towards your hotel but if you want to stay in Sandbar Island Resort, then you have to rent a small boat which is usually Php 800.00, you can make the necessary arrangements from the Municipal Tourism Office also located in the Plaza . (see below for details)

Where to stay???
-If you are as adventurous as you say you are, then I recommend Sandbar Island Beach Resort located in Bulubadiangan Island. Room rates usually cost around Php 800.00/night or you can rent out their tents for around Php 300.00/night. But heads up, there is electricity but it only powers the light bulbs so make sure all your gadgets are fully charged. Also, make sure that you buy all your stuff (food, condiments, utensils etc)at the town proper as there no stores or restaurants in the Island. You can also buy fresh seafoods and just have them cooked in the resort.

-If you still want the comforts of a real bed, an airconditioned room, a restroom and you want electricity! 😛 then I suggest Hotel Junbee situated at the town proper. It is only a 5 minute tricycle from Concepcion Plaza and room rates ranges from Php 800-1,500/night. It is the only DOT accredited place in the area and the hotel owners (Mr. Jun Garavilla) is really really nice and accommodating. You can just arrange boat rentals directly form them so you can have a tour of the islands.

What to do and where to go???
There are 16 islands to choose from for your Island Hopping but it is impossible to visit all in one day. Boat rentals also cost Php 1,500.00/island and you’ll just have to add Php 500.00 per additional island. I highly recommend visiting the following:

Agho – We just fell in love with this place and I wished that we could have spend more time lounging at the beach. You have a great view of Mt. Manaphag and this is a great place to have picnics with your family or friends. There are nipa huts situated throughout the island and you can bring your snorkeling gears since there are nearby corals and reefs. This place is perfect for your photo ops.

Pan de Azucar – This is the largest island in Concepcion although the shoreline is not recommended for swimming since this is where the fishermen park their boats. You can ask a local to give you a tour around the area. Although Mt. Manaphag is only a 3-4 hr climb, it is not advisable for beginners since it is one of the steepest mountain in the Philippines and the locals would only allow you to climb it if you are a professional. Aside from the tour around town, you can ask the local to bring you to Hampangan rock. Once you are on top, you’ll have a 360 degree view of the neighboring islands and you’d be as near as you can be to Mt. Manphag

Bulubadiangan – If you are staying at the town proper, then you’d definitely have to visit Sandbar Beach resort and just like in Agho, you can also lounge at the sprawling white sands and the water is not too deep so you can definitely go for a swim. A lot of locals go here to offer freshly caught sea foods to tourist.

Malangabang Island – If you are staying at Sandbar and missed to buy some stuff, there are a few sari-sari stores and fish vendors on this island.

You can contact Concepcion Municipal Tourism Office for more information.
Contact Person: Mario Lazarito, Municipal Tourism Officer
Mobile: (+63)9194588451, (+63)918311923

And if you want to stay in Hotel Junbee, you can email them at garilvajunbee@gmail.com

Hope this article help you guys. This was based on my recent trip to Concepcion and also from these two websites that helped me a lot in planning my trip 🙂
www.ambot-ah.com
www.exploreiloilo.com

The Hidden Treasure of Concepcion Island

Do you believe in love at first sight? Well I do ♥ While browsing the internet for places to go in Iloilo, I stumbled upon numerous websites featuring the Islands of Concepcion and just like that, I instantly fell in love with the place and I knew this is where I wanted to celebrate our second year anniversary.

We went to Iloilo last March 4,2012. Upon arriving at the airport, we rented a van that would take us to Tagbak Terminal in Jaro District which took 40 minutes and from there we rode HPQ bus to Concepcion which took almost 3 hours.

I was glad that both my boyfriend and I are sleepy heads so we were able to catch a snooze during the bus ride but I still didn’t expect for the travel time to be that LONG! We arrived at Concepcion at around 10 AM and we went straight to Hotel Junbee which is only a 5 minute tricycle drive. The room we were assigned is a bit shabby but who am I to complain? Our room rate was only Php 850.00/night and just to be fair, it is the only DOT accredited place in the whole island and there is an outdoor pool which is a plus for me. We just took a rest for 2 hours and after that we went straight to the bayan to meet our boats men.

The boat we rented for our island hopping is quite big for 2 lovebirds and 3 boatsmen but that was the only one available that time. It was also quite expensive because it is rented per boat and it cost us Php 2,000 for the whole trip (Php 1,500 – 1 island plus P500 for each island).

We first went to Agho island which is almost an hour from the mainland. As soon as we reached the place it already felt like paradise. The island is uninhibited apart from the care takers, the whole beach was covered with pure white sand and the shoreline is ankle to knee deep for at least 10 meters. But what’s extraordinary about Agho is its magnificent view of Mt. Manaphag located at Pan de Azucar Island. The mountain is the highest peak all throughout Concepcion and it appears as though half of its height is submerged in the water. The entrance fee is only Php35.00/pax and we spent almost an hour there. It was almost perfect except for the fact that it was cloudy that day and I was expecting the sun high above us and the blue skies to provide a picturesque view of the surrounding but nevertheless it was still worth.

overlooking pan de azucar

We then went to Pan de Azucar which is the largest and one of the most populous island in Concepcion. Unlike in Agho, you won’t be able to swim because of all fishing boats parked in the shoreline. A nice local welcomed us and became our tour guide all throughout and he even challenged us to climb Hampangan Rock that has greatest view of all the islands as well as Mt. Manaphag (which is the tallest peak in Concepcion) The climb itself is a bit challenge to us because of the steep height and also because both my boyfriend and I are quite hungry already but our weariness vanished as soon as we were on the top because the spectacular and breathtaking view.

It was already 4 PM and as soon as we got back in the resort, we ordered our lunch/dinner and gobbled our food in a matter of minutes. We planned to swim in the pool but because we were both dead tired, we were already fast asleep before 8 PM. So much for tagging ourselves as an adventurous couple…

learn more about Iloilo through this website. It helped me a lot during the planning of the entire trip 🙂
http://www.exploreiloilo.com/

happy mother’s day

Its better late than never and this holds very true to what I’m about to share. Even though Mother’s Day had already passed, I would still like to give a shout out to my mom whose been in heaven for almost 12 years now.

We were the typical middle class family. My mom was a teacher at a private school where we also attended. My dad is an employee at a multinational company and I’m the eldest of three followed by my sister and my brother. We go to mass every Sunday, we spent weekends at the mall or just plain bonding at our house, we go to summer vacations, my siblings and I have our typical disagreements which oftentimes end up in brawls and fist fights and my mom who is the disciplinarian between my parents would get really mad and would ground us God only knows until when.

My mom is a bit of sugar and spice and everything nice. Being the youngest of 10 siblings and being the certified “nanny” for her nieces and nephews, being a mom is second nature to her. She can be very malambing and at the same time be stern about rules. She is a great cook and even though I am pihikan, my Mom would invent dishes so that her pihikan panganay would still be able to eat healthy foods without throwing a tantrum at her. Despite her busy schedule at school, she still finds time to guide is on our everyday homework and we follow a strict schedule in terms of studies which means no TV on schooldays, well, with the exception of Ghost Fighter and Gundam Wing 😛

We’re not that rich but we have more than enough money for basic necessities and a little bit for any luxury on the side. Everything was smooth sailing for us until my mom was diagnosed with Renal Kidney Failure. This was the start of whirlwind problems from emotional turmoil to financial difficulties to disagreements between my mom and dad and at 9 yrs old the need to grow up fast was evident because my parents especially my mom need all the support she can get. I quickly became more than a daughter to my mom, I was her confidante, her constant companion every time she goes to the hospital, her masseuse every time she gets cramps, her substitute when she can’t cook for us and the list goes on. Despite all of these responsibilities thrown at me at such a young age, I became closer to my mom like never before. She would confide with me her deepest secrets and her fears. I would fight hard not to cry in front of her every time she makes her “habilin” because I want her to know that she can lean on me and get strength from me if she felt like giving up.

She had undergone dialysis treatment for more than 5 years and was even a recipient of a kidney donor and we thought after she had undergone the surgery that it would be back to typical normal family but life has a way of throwing a joke at you. My mom passed away only after 5 months after she received her new kidney. For 2 months she was confined in the ICU and I was fully aware that she fought hard for her life. We were too young to loose a mom. I just turned 14, my sister was 11 at that time and our bunso, my brother is only 8 yrs old. Despite how hard she fought, I prayed to God to let my  Mom rest not because I don’t want to be with her anymore or because I gave up fighting for her. It was because she had suffered so much and its killing her spirit. She told me that she would keep fighting for her life so that she can still see us grow up but I think it was destiny. It was her destiny to give birth and to nurture three pasaway kids, It was her destiny to love my Dad until her last breath. It was her destiny to be with us as long as she could.

On the night of August 20, 2000, my mom became one of the angels in heaven.

I still look back throughout the years that we were together and I reminisce the time I spent with her. I still miss her cooking. I miss her smell which I can still remember up to this day, I miss our heart to heart conversations about boys and anything under the sun, I miss the days wherein she’ll wait for us by the gate to hug us and asked how school was, I miss my home-cooked baon prepared by her, I miss her loud laughter and her warm smile, heck I even miss her scolding and her pinching especially if we were makulit.

Despite what happened, I would never trade my mom for anyone or anything in the world. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if not for her. I’m proud to say that despite lacking the mother figure, I was able to hold my feet on the ground and never waiver from principles and beliefs. I hope that when I become a mom myself, I would be just like her.

From your best friend and most especially your eldest daughter…

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MOM.

Misadventures in Pagsanjan

7 things that made our Pagsanjan Trip one crazy ride!

1.       Sleep deprived friends on their way to Pagsanjan Falls, most of them already taking a nap when the bus had a flat tire in the middle of SLEX. Instead of being irritated, they took pictures of everyone waiting under the heat, running around like toddlers on the loose and making the “para” sign to all vehicles passing by.

2.       Almost got lost upon arriving at Laguna because no one bothered to print or draw the map but since our inquisitive skills got the best of us, we just asked the jeepney driver and we scored a private ride to one of the banca rents.

3.       Our group composed  of 1 average built gay, 2 “voluptuous” ladies, 1 skinny bitch, 1 big boned lass and 1 Ms. Minchin. Maybe we were just excited but we didn’t thought about our ratio so just imagine the hardship that the manongs have to go through maneuvering a banca with the average built gay and the “voluptuous” ladies and the laughter and shrieks echoing from the other group and bantering remarks from the skinny bitch.

4.       Singing Pocahontas’ “Just around the river bend” all throughout the banca ride —-> you would get the joke once you experience the ride

5.       (Disclaimer: I’m not dissing any Koreans and I was once a certified KPOP fan girl so please don’t take this offensively) We all know that Koreans have porcelain white skin, have a strict regimen about skin care and they have the cutest sense of style when it comes to clothing. But imagine this, 2 cute Korean girls, wearing red stilettos and are fully covered with matching umbrella riding the canoe, fear of the sun is evident in their eyes. Or 2 middle aged men in their office uniforms (khaki pants, leather shoes and polo shirts) also riding the canoe and before we even realize what’s happening, almost everyone on that day were Koreans in their stylish and even work outfits. With our flip flops, swim suits, board shorts and t-shirts, we felt we were the one out of place. (I still wonder if they were just enforced or if the travel agency just forgot to tell them the proper attire or what not :P) —> Sorry I wasn’t able to take any picture but I found this one in google 😛

6.       Upon arriving at the Pagsanjan Falls, the raft was full of Japanese and Koreans, we felt like we are in an actual Takeshi’s Castle set-up (hahahahaha!!! I really laughed hard on this one because one of my friends kept commenting, “Para tayong nasa Takeshi’s castle.” Even though they don’t understand tagalog, I’m sure they are fully aware of our side comments)

7.       We ate our dinner at “Kamayan sa Palaisdaan” somewhere in Laguna and because we were so hungry and the ambience was really nice, we didn’t take note of the time. It was already past 8PM when we finished our dinner and we just realized that the restaurant is the only establishment in the middle of a vast rice field, there were no street lights and only a couple of vehicles past by. We were scaring ourselves with images of sukob, texas chainsaw massacre and other scary movies. We waited for more than 30 minutes before a bus to Alabang had arrived and the driver told us that it was the last trip for that day and no other buses goes along that route 😛

Despite all the mishaps, this was still one of the memorable trips I had because this was the start of how I became a “travel bug” 🙂

Some pictures were taken from google images and flicker. Please feel free to email me if you are the owner of the pictures and want them removed from my website

26 months

26 months and still going strong 🙂

Been Here, Done That. Filipino Style

So these are the places I’ve been to… It seems like I still have A LOT to cover before I go International ♥

My Lakbayan grade is C+!

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

Created by Eugene Villar.

The Paradise which is Lake Pinatubo

I have always dreamed of climbing Mt. Pinatubo. Despite the catastrophic eruption in the early 90’s, it has since tagged as dormant and the once deadly volcano now became a world renowned tourist destination. I first stumbled upon the existence of this place back in 2008 when one of my FB friends posted their pictures of their then recent family trip and I was immediately awed by its beauty.

I wanted to climb it as soon as possible but I didn’t have the time back then. Fast forward to April 2012. Another friend of mine also climbed Mt. Pinatubo and she gave me the contact number of the travel agent who arranged their trip, Tripinas (visit their Facebook page ) so I contacted them and asked for their itinerary, I invited all my friends and before our travel date of April 22, 2012, 12 already confirmed. (My college buddy finess brought 5 of her work friends while I brought 5 of my CVG friends).

One of the “things to bring” is your happy self and we made damned sure we brought it. All of us can’t contained our excitement and as early as the meet up point at 3:00 am in Mcdo Quezon Avenue, we were so hyped up and “trek ready”.

All smiles during our 4×4 ride towards Mt. Pinatubo

Upon arriving at the base camp at around 6:00 am, we were assigned 3 4×4 vehicles and once we rode it, I knew it was the start of an uber tiring but uber fun adventure. The 1 hr ride was bumpy, there were no seat belts and the road we took was once a river but was now covered with lahar and stones which made the ride very dusty (fyi: make sure to bring a dust mask or cover your entire face).

Once we were at the start of the trek, I felt excited and scared at the same time. I was in no shape to walk an almost 10 km trek and I was soooo hungry (it was already 7am and I always eat 4-5 hr interval). It was one of the hardest and physically enduring 3 hrs of my life. It wasn’t a simple mountain climbing but it was a “death walk” full of stones, lahar and creeks. The only consolation that I felt was I would lose weight big time, I was in the company of close friends and I would finally see Mt. Pinatubo 🙂

We also found out that the climb to Mt. Pinatubo usually takes 30 minutes only. There was once a short cut called “Skyway” that would allow the 4×4 to reach up until the foot of the mountain then it would be the start of the hike. However since the Ondoy storm hit Tarlac and Pampanga, the skyway was destroyed so the trek was now almost 3 hrs long. (So it was Ondoy that made every ones’ life yet miserable—again!)

Don’t be fooled by the signage, I asked everyone and they timed themselves that it also took them 30 minutes just to reach the crater. (maybe because we were already tired)

They say that at the end of the rainbow there is a pot of gold or at the end of every suffering there is happiness.My take on this is that at the end of this 10 kilometer death walk, there is paradise. And Lake Pinatubo is indeed paradise.

No amount of words or no photoshopped images can give justice to this breath taking and picturesque view of the Lake Pinatubo. It surpassed all my expectations and it made me humbled myself to our Lord to create such heavenly wonder after a catastrophe.

I would love to take pictures as soon as possible but my stomach was grumbling like a volcano ready to erupt so I asked, actually I plead to everyone that we eat our lunch first!

After gobbling the food within 10 minutes I was back to my happy and hyper self and because of the heat, I just wanted to dip in the water and take a swim. I thought the water would be like a hot spring but of course it was an inactive volcano *facepalm* and to my surprise the water was refreshingly cold. I honestly believe that I was a mermaid in my past life because I see to it that every destination I go, there would be a body of water that I can swim. May it be the ocean, river or even a swimming pool and Mt. Pinatubo is no exception! I immediately jumped in the water and it took me 15 minutes to convinced everyone to swim. I was like a kid on her newly purchased kiddie pool, but mine was bigger.

Our stay at Lake Pinatubo was extended from 12:30 to 2:00 PM because there was an ongoing Balikatan Exercise and no one is allowed to cross Crow Valley until 5:00 PM. As much as I would like to have my stay extended and maybe camped for the night, it was time to go and so I bid Lake Pinatubo goodbye and even though I already know what to expect during the trek back, I was nervous yet again because I was already dead tired. Even though the route back was faster, it still wasn’t that easy and all of us were already exhausted and just wanted to drink a glass of Coke to quench our thirst. Just imagine our excitement when after 2 hours of walking, we saw our 4×4 and the drivers patiently waiting for us. I literally jumped for joy because I know we are about to go home.

True enough, as soon as we arrived at the base camp, we bought ourselves coke in cans and it was like our mini prize for a job well done *pats myself at the back*

I would never forget this experience. It made me love nature more and be thankful of this wonderful world that I live in. As tiring as it was, “maybe” I’d go back here someday. (Hopefully the skyway would be fixed at that time.) I can’t wait for my next summer getaway 🙂

And as the new Philippine tourism slogan goes…