Philippine Travel Notes

So you thought am quite an observant frequent traveler, always able to spot anything that is new or something that went a missing? I thought so too hahaha! But come to think of it, I only noticed this today, exactly 12:22PM 31 May 2012. But the guards told me those boxes have been in place as early as “sometime March 2012”. Whoa! How Many flights have I ever flown out of Mactan since then? Honestly, it was only today that I noticed those two boxes! You guessed it! I broke off my check-in queue (I was early anyway) and went to have a closer look at these “ATM”-looking gadgets by the check-in lobby and hoping I could probably use them too! Alas dimalas, its not anymore in use. Awk! Two guards told me that these ‘things’ were only used for about a day and they caused both passengers and crew some trouble instead of convenience. I laughed at their declaration and asked further how these gadgets ever became an issue. According to them, (I mean the two guards), those machines do work until n...

When you are traveling alone alone and not frantic, you get to notice many little things around. Such was my case at the waiting lounge as I awaited to be boarded on my Cebu Pacific flight (as usual hehe, sorry 2P and PR friends). I read that message at the bottom of the boarding pass and something caught my Taglish speaking pea of a brain. Something is not quite right. I think! hehe Am not really good at/in/with? grammar, and many times I let that be as I seldom re-read, much less proof-read whatever I write – lalo na pag galit ako hahaha. But this time, I had nothing better to do, so that second paragraph stuck in my head. There is something wrong. I think! Should that be “boarding gate WILL BE closed” or perhaps “SHALL be closed” or “MUST be closed” or “IS closed”? Ah eh… wala lang, I just felt like writing this one, if only to while away my time. O ayan, boarding na! Ciao folks! Tell me, anyone please, if that is really some grammatical booboo of tech guys or there is really a reas...

How long does it take to edit a digital flight display system? I have been traveling for some months now, to the same destination, almost every week. AND, that thing has never been rectified. What gives? Does this mean the 5J folks do not really bother what are displayed on those monitors? Aw c’mon, that’d be hardly! I think I even once told a Cebu Pacific airport employee about this a fortnight ago! But don’t the whole populace of MCIA’s employees also notice that? Aren’t they supposed to wonder why a certain flight displayed on their system to be departing at 1615H is already boarding at 1350H? Nor wouldn’t they wonder why the same flight’s check-in counters are already open at 1220PM? Oh, btw, I took this picture at 1331H (that’s the time displayed at upper right corner of the TV screen) that’s a few minutes ago, as am on my way to Tacloban (again)! When little insignificant errors accumulate, they could become a ton of a problem. So MCIA and 5J folks, beware!

I hurriedly popped at a barber shop In Mandaue something like 3 hours ago, just as the barbers were getting ready to call it a day. But they of course obliged to do my not so long hair anyway – that after I begged and honestly explained to them I had no more time as I would be flying off to Tacloban tomorrow immediately connecting with a 2-hour land trip to Catbalogan, prepare materials and venue to get me going for another weekend of training sessions. Hah, it worked! Charm and honest to goodness honesty really does it! So there I was, almost snoozing off to the hypnotic whirrr whirrr of that thing they use to trim hair and the good old snip snip snip of the usual scissors barbers use. But the dozing off was cut short as I bowed a bit and my eyes caught the attention of what I thought was a big soduko puzzle. Yep, that thing in the picture. Believe me, I really did summon the little arithmetic knowledge inside the little brain of my big head hehe. But nothing seemed to be summing up c...

I just thought they were cute-looking tricycles due to the color and shape. They look different from tricycles I've seen all over this country. Of course my mind flew back to far areas like Samar or Mindanao where I see many big trikes and wondered why they could not be as beautiful as these cute, colorful AND quiet little cabs roaming around the posh streets of Taguig’s Bonifacio Global City. Never did I think that these are actually already the e-trikes or electric tricycles so much celebrated about some years ago! Waking up alone in the flat one late morning, I discovered there was a lot of anything I wanted to eat except rice. Awrrr! So, to Market Market I had to go, and that got me a bit of excited. Why? Because, it was my chance to ride those beautifully colored trikes I have been observing for quite a while now. Yey! And ride I did. Just asked people on the street as to how/where and there I was, happily riding an E3 (that’s how some folks call it). Its not fast like a light...

I saw this group of 7 beautiful cute-looking baby creatures being sold at the fish section of the Catbalogan City Public Market. The manong vendor told me those were what remained of 18 heads he had for sale. True or not (18 heads), it was probably in his effort to entice me to buy. His descriptions included explanations/descriptions that “pagi” (as they are called in the local dialect) are very delectable especially when still young and tender. In my mind I could only agree since I have had the chance to taste this kind of food years before. I wondered though, do these creatures grow that easily so that anyone is fine hauling them at say 18 a day? Even when that young? Are they still abundant? If not, these types I think, I have seen on TV that there are species considered to be endangered. So I asked the manong if catching these was not against the law. His re-assuring reply was “diri gad” – with further explanation that if it was, then he should have already been caught or reprimand...

Ah, that is a double good morning greeting! First good morning was when I arrived at this city which was shortly after midnight. Next good morning was when I woke up for breakfast to hurry and run fast to the CWC for my 8AM to 12NN day tour! Hectic! But fun, really! As told in the previous stories, the long trip form Calbayog took me some 10 hours on the road, departing on a drizzly 2PM and there I was in Naga just shortly after midnight. Whoa! So my first “good morning Naga” was a groggy one, but not in any way grumpy. Of course I startled the Villa Caceres guard who was already on some kind of “prayer” (a.k.a. sleeping on the job) when the tricycle I took from the highway brought me in! But the front desk lady was up and all smiles. I knew she was expecting me since I called earlier in the day from Allen. Another sleepy dude was asked to help me with my luggage up to room 314. I was sure they also roused him up for my arrival. Not only did his eyes show it, but his heavy breathing as...

Allen is on the northwesternern tip of Northern Samar and Matnog is southern tip of Luzon. And this RORO ride is the sole direct connection between the two islands. Takes just about an hour and a half of actual sea travel, but the waiting time at either of the ports before and after arrival makes the whole thing look like its a 3-hour gig or even more! I heard friends who drove passing this way and tell something like it took them 5 or even 6 hours. Maybe it was due to documentation needs. Other friends who rode buses this way tell us the same. Maybe I was lucky? I usually am, actually hehe! My bus arrived at the Allen port at 3;44PM and at exactly 6;45PM, I was already boarding my bus again in Matnog after it emerged from inside the RORO! How is this ride? Generally uneventful, but if it is an afternoon run on a summer day, you probably will call it one of the best. RORO departs from the Allen port at 5PM, just before the sun slowly inches down beyond the islands. Fantastic view of Sa...

Next time I bothered to look outside, our bus was already approaching the RORO Terminal. Its signage say BALWHARTECO but I hear most people say Balicuatro. Looking around I saw postings that BALWHARTECO actually means “Balicuatro Wharfage and Terminal Corporation”. Hmm, private entity? Looks like. I think the place is named Balicuatro though one of the posters said this is Barangay Lo-oc, Allen, Northern Samar. Confusing hehe! I wondered if this was/is the very same wharf I passed by years ago. It looks like it is not. Maybe there is another wharf in this town or nearby. At least I know, they all serve the traveling public going to Matnog! We were let off the bus and allowed to roam around. So I went around! There was a RORO waiting but a porter told me it was not the one that our bus would ride on going to Matnog – which meant our RORO was not yet around. Hmm. Cant describe a singular process in this port. Looks like depending on how you came in on what type or kind of vehicle, there ...

Wonderful ride! Even with sporadic rain along the way. And oh boy, did I salivate to get off my bus quite a number of times. Then again, I already paid my fare. And I was lugging a pesky almost empty “maleta” aside from my usual backpack. Thus I contented my self with ticking off places with “next time”! My Fellow Passengers I knew the almost-two-hours ride from Calbayog to the RORO wharf in Allen would have been via scenic parts of the Maharlika HIghway, but it was raining on and off so I busied myself scribbling things about my previous days’ activities – many of which you have already read in the previous posts. Other times, I amused my self listening to the conversations and lively banter amongst my co-passengers, many of them having come from Guiuan, some from Borongan and other towns in that area, all on their way to the metropolis. I mused at the distinctive language variations – even if all of these are considered Waray-waray. I was either smiling or grinning at the tonal diff...

It was goodbye Calbayog for me and the rains thwarted some of my plans. Part of me actually expected that. Its almost always like so in the eastern corrdidor of this country. It can suddenly rain even on a hot summer day or night. Take this case as an example. It was still April. Argh! I told myself, I’d rather go see the western portions of Northern Samar next time. So, to Naga City, I decided to hop. Yep, that is in Camarines Sur, the Bicolandia. A very long bus ride from Calbayog. This had to be so. The self-confessed “son of a beach” that I am does not like the combination of sea and rain. No no, not me! Not even mountains, caves nor falls when it rains. Never for me! Thus, Naga City became my next target telling myself that at least I can wallow in its urbanities even under the rain. And probably even enjoy rain at the CamSur Watersports Complex. Go go go! I was touched at the reminders from Marju Krisel’s manager over lunch. Together with his wife, they told me dinnertime will be...

I liked looking at this kind of entertainment, conveyance or whatever category of a thing it might fall into! I did not even try it, but still, I liked the idea. Combining a boat joyride on a river with a thing most Filipinos love – videoke while eating and drinking! A unique experience, I must say. There are floating restaurants all over the world, alright, there are even the Loboc River Cruises yes, but these ones in Calbayog take a different twist. The thing is called Lagkaw (log-cow). There are no fantastic buffets nor casinos and high class paid entertainment. There is even no destination at all! These are just like little eateries for the locals of a community. Only that, they are on boats floating along the mouth of that big river in Calbayog City. The main gadget on board? That ubiquitous videoke box where you drop coins for each song you want to sing. The main fare? Finger foods and beer! That’s it, and your croaking is a bit away from residential houses so you are not likel...

Lets scrutinize this photo that I took at the Calbayog public market. Tricycle, right? Yep, its a motorbike at center so its a tricycle. But that's just it, about this thing’s being a trike! Actually, if you count, there are four wheels, so it is technically already a quadcycle hehe. And for all intents and purposes, it acts and serves the public like a jeep! Notice the rear tires, those are of the jeep or car types! Its not also a tuktuk, since it has no reverse gear – and it does not, can not fly on the road! Its the Calbayog version of long-haul tricycles for trips to distant barangays. Ironically (to me at least), this thing is called the "Center Cab" because, driver says, the motorbike is at center if the caja (cab)! No, they don't use it for transport within the city center since they have another vehicle for that – the real tricycle that is pedal-powered! Plus they even also have the normal “motorized” tricycles where the motorbike is on the side. Drawn to the ...

Are there night places in Calbayog? Well there are a number of choices as would be in any city. Just don't think of Calbayog as your other highly-urbanized cities that do not anymore have time for sleep. But there are! One that I liked best was RFM. Ah, not your hotdog producer there! RFM means Rawis Fair Market. Its a fairly new little bit upmarket type of market – not the usual palengke or mercado that we see in every town. RFM is actually a square built on some off-city-center area, away from everything bustling – though I can bet my 20-peso bill that developments will mushroom in this vicinity like the speed of lightning! Thanks to RFM! There's even an access road that looks like and is as big as the highway! RFM has stalls of course. They line almost the entire perimeter of this rectangular square (me ganun?) plus more. I say plus more since at one end, stalls are lined in parallel rows, not just literally on the side. What kinds of stores? Ah, this is where it departs fro...

Done with the City Hall, the Apology Monument and the Handumanan or Museo De Calbayog, the natural next place to see for me was this old cathedral. It is commonly referred to by locals as the Calbayog Cathedral or just cathedral, though its formal, complete name is such a long one as the title above. This is just across the road from the museum, so after that heavy but quick drizzle, I took the few steps towards it. Mighty detailed exterior embellishments. Like that furnace-like or chimney-like thing above the facade and roof. I wondered and I still wodner, could it have been a steeple or bell tower of some kind in its original state? Or could it have been just made as a later addition through the years and under various parish priests? Add to that those attic-like protrusions from the roof! Do you see them in the picture? I also wondered what those were/are for, and today I still wonder. There must have been a reason for those things to have been installed up there, whether for aesthe...

Loitering Around Calbayog: Handumanan This is that big old house just a few steps from the apology monument. I knew the few times I passed-by, that this structure must be something important to Calbayog. Ogling at it from the street, I saw a dusty marble slab on the external wall with inscriptions telling what the building is called, when was it made, and who were the personalities that saw to its completion. So the place is called “Handumanan”, “Museo De Calbayog”. I checked out all those doors, everything was closed and they looked they have been closed for sometime now, which is why the only prominent thing is dust. And then it rained! Awrrrr! Like some folks who were caught by the downpour in this area, I stayed put on the side of the building to take cover. I asked one of the old men standing near me what time or day this museum opens. I was surprised by his reply saying “looks like this thing has been closed for some time now”. Nge! Just exactly as I thought! Oh w...

While I said I have been to Calbayog City a number of times, this was the very first time I was setting foot at their city hall grounds, for I had no business being there. After the city hall building itself, I walked towards that nearby big and old-looking house that's similar to a 'bahay-na-bato' of the past. And I saw something unique! A monument/marker of an apology , if I may call it that. It has no faces nor human figures in and around it, which is why I think of it as a 'marker' than a 'monument'. There are writings on the lower portion, and the message is OMG touching. In fact, I felt a lump in my throat while reading the message that comes in three languages – English, Japanese and Waray-waray. It is an apology from the people of Kyoto City to the people of Samar for the invasion by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. Whoa, this was the first time I saw any such an apology. Have you? I looked around for someone who might be a...

Nothing in particular that I wanted to see in this city. Just a closer look. Been to this place a few times, but all were either just passing by or I was to do something that I haven't actually gotten to loitering around city center! And here was my chance! I embarked on a long land trip from Catbalogan all the way to Naga, with Calbayog, of course, as a first stop. Yey! So there I was, and now what? hehe! After dropping my bag at the bit of distant Marju Krisel Hotel, I went back to center of the city for a go-see of whatever might interest me. And of course, as I always do when visiting places, I told the trike driver “please bring me to the city hall”! This city hall is old and I like it! Like almost everywhere else in this country, due to increasing need for more space, this city hall is not anymore just a single building. It is already composed of a group of structures. But the one central building is as it has been standing proud and loud. I have a bias towards old structures...

Its a beach in a cove. Not even half as lovely if compared to the popular beach strips all over this country. Black sand, no resorts, just a public beach with huts called “cottages” to let for day use. But there was something, there is something that I always want to go back to in Malahog… the sunset! I was already in Calbayog, so I told myself, why not go and see Malahog? Timing could not have been any better – weekday, sunny just after a rain. I knew I would find the peace and quiet that I always want it to be and I knew the sun would have been painting beautiful colors off the afternoon sky again. So I went for it. Thanks to the manager (owner) of Marju Krisel who asked one of his boys to look for a habal habal driver who would take me there and back! Malahog is not really near the city center. Its probably more than 10 kilometers or so to the north, but yes, still Calbayog City. And going there is not that easy too! There are few jeeps going to the area (towards San Isidro and ...

Its a resort. Something we can probably call an inland resort. How on earth did I get to be in this one? Well, I was on a fun trip from Samar to Manila, hopping by places I thought were worth my time for at least a peek. I needed a place to stay in Calbayog City as I roamed the area. Marju Krisel was suggested by a fellow traveler I met in Catbalogan who says he often stays at this hotel in Calbayog. So that was it, I went for it! Hey, looking for Marju Krisel will make you realize how big Calbayog City is. I know the total land area of this city is bigger than Singapore, but I did not realize the city center itself, though not (yet) really that urbanized, is that big. Like from the heart of the city to Marju Krisel was still such a trip via tricycle. Everyone I asked said its just “somewhere there” – but I estimate that should be about 4 kilometers on the Maharlika Highway from cit center! Well, its still some 2 kilometers before the airport, so it is really within the main hub th...