Philippine Travel Notes

Here is the long story I promised in the previous post ! I won’t do this again! Not because I do not like the destination, but I intend to be wiser next time! There is, and there will be a better way. I know that now, and lucky you, am already telling you! Yes you! Where on earth is this Lulugayan Falls anyway? It’s in some remote barangay in the town of Calbiga, Samar. Some 14 kilometers off the Maharlika Highway amidst hills, valleys, plains… on a dirt-road good for just a single four wheeled vehicle to pass, with nothing but views of beautiful mountains as far as your eyes can see. We hear that some locals actually walk the distance if and when they have a need to travel to town and back. You can do that too of course, but the usual way in and out now is via motorbikes called habal-habal. 14 kilometers? This is the first tricky thing! It’s just like traveling from Monumento in Caloocan down to Shaw Blvd. in Mandaluyong. Plus the 739 meter walking trail which is just like w...

I do not have many words to say. Its just an amazing natural work of art – if I may call it that! "Wow" is an understatement. "OMG" is not enough! Once there, you seem to suddenly transform into some kind of other being. At least that’s how I felt. Probably in awe why I was so lucky to see such a wondrous thing on earth. It’s not your usual tall waterfall. It’s form, size and shape makes you feel something else… I can’t really put that into words right now :) Maybe it was because this was the first time I saw something like this. It is just beautiful I sat silently watching it for a time… dreaming… hallucinating… of things beautiful that this planet has to offer! Then I dove in for a cool and rejuvenating (shivering hehe) feel of its waters This is one natural endowment where you can really say, I love this country! I had to coerce that friend to stand-in so my pic will help describe how big (small) this thing is compared to other 'usual' waterfalls all over...

Now THAT is fantastic! I asked what the building might be since it stood just beside the St. Bartholomew Church in Catbalogan City. People told me it’s a parish office. Wow ha?! The brethren must be generous in this city! It looks like a palace, and would probably shame the church itself on aesthetics! There are ample spaces in this parish office, obviously, right? It is just so big! In the evening while visiting friends at a residence nearby, I heard some party noise coming from this building. Whoa, aside from the building’s insides, the roof deck is also a wide function hall. And that noise came from a birthday party being celebrated there! Well, the modernistic signs of our times. Even religion does keep up! Bilib ako!

Even this lowly #philippines sidewalk refreshment has evolved. And I had to be in Catbalogan City to realize that! I was across the church entrance, by the fence of the “Pieta Park”, waiting for the Manaragat Parade to pass by. This mobile store caught my attention as the activities were a little different from what I know. So I watched with the lowly F200EXR on video mode. Okay folks, watch the video first… What was different? I asked myself “why was the lady in blue (start of video) scooping crushed eyes into plastic bags? What were those for? So I watched them do their thing and realized the newer way to serve these drinks! Am not sure if the nose-rubbing and wiping hands on the sides (by lady in pink) is a requisite part of the “ceremony” hehe, but the process is: 1) get plastic bag with crushed ice, 2) put some red thing in (gulaman?) 3) add milk 4) add brown water, 5) insert straw, 6) press the plastic a few times (since that would be ridiculous to shake it), then 7) give to thir...

I don’t know how in English is this “pabunot” thing called. Am sure many Pinoys out there know what it is. You pay the manong some coin, you pick a tiny square piece of paper on a sheet, split the little thing open and see what number you got. If you’re lucky, that number may correspond to something as prize. I know this thing, hindi ako ganun katanda! But during my childhood years, this “game of chance” was to be had only at sari-sari stores AND the winnings would either be a plastic toy, a coloring sheet, a pencil, pen, balloons or even candies. Never did it enter my “hinaga” that live pigeons would replace the toys! I asked the manong (actually still youngish man probably in his early 20s) how a number can correspond to winning a bird since the birds were not numbered. He said that if there is a zero “0” then the number wins. Though he clarified that others in this kind of ‘business’ can dictate other digits as winning numbers. Hmm, at 500 numbers multiplied by 5 pesos, that would b...

Those tanks and other combat vehicles lined one street in Catbalogan City. And there was no event or anything in the area. So I went closer to ask around. Sus, those war things, including mortars and army in combat gear were awaiting for their queue to join the parade (fiesta). One of them soldiers told me they couldn't anymore start from the grandstand where the parade was officially taking off due to heavy traffic (with many ukay-ukay lined at the street from Samar State University to this corner where they opted to wait). Oh well, nice having a closer look at those things they use!

I have seen this many times before, and it did not really quite had any changes the way it looks from the outside. Thankfully, the many governors who occupy this edifice seem to at least respect the look and make of the building – which we all are sure must be sturdy as this was made during the American era. The upper portion is inscribed with MCMXXX, so I guess that means 1930. Those days when there was probably no “building code” yet, yet building makers knew the exact and right amount of materials to use! Hey, the building looks good (to me) accented by those multitudes of tricycles on the foreground. They are there waiting for passengers to take their 5-peso ride to anywhere in the city center. Oh, a friend insists it should only be 3-peso, but I vehemently disagree. Try looking at one of those trike driver huff and puff while driving, then tell me you’ll be happy giving them just 3 pesos hehe. Anyway, I went inside just to take a look, but I made sure my camera was in my pocket. I...

I liked the printed thing on this shirt for sale at that little building called the "Showcase Center" beside the Samar Provincial Capitol. You can change the word "Samar" into "Philippines" and the meaning is still as dramatic nostalgic nationalistic patriotic, and yes, proud! I wanted to have one but there was no other color than pink. So, I told them I’ll just wait for their new stocks to arrive so I could choose other colors. Maybe in two weeks said the lady in charge. Because they kept talking to me in Tagalog, pinanindigan ko na hehe. I asked what the words actually meant in English. The reply was a giggly “it’s very hard sir, puydi Tagalog na la?” I said okay hehehe! But no I’m not telling here! Trip lang!

Ah #philippines! Really, #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines! Never have I imagined this was possible. And it looks like coolest fun to go riding along! I asked those men if it was possible to ride on top. The reply was a chuckle: the Manong said yes if I can keep my balance on top of them coconuts that keep rolling on water. The man up front did say that if I place a flat object like plywood on top, it would be nice and easy. Hmm, now we have a new word… if there is a bamboo raft or banana raft, then there is (after all) a coconut raft! Oh well, it’s really more fun in the islands, isn’t it?!

The dancing inmates, that is! And we know that their ‘every last Saturday of the month’ performances for the public has yet to be revived, right? So, it is now seldom that we, the public, get a glimpse at their entertaining dance routines. This afternoon was a surprise chance however. I accidentally stumbled upon a handful of them performing right at the very front of the capitol building where the governor stood watching! And she congratulated each one of them with a handshake! I was running some errands around the city when I saw a gathering of people at that famous tiled frontage of the capitol where many an event occurs. Just back of the flagpole facing that road towards the fuente. I easily remembered today was 443rd Founding Anniversary of Cebu Province – this was all over the tri-media news the past days. But I did not know what this crowd was all about. I haven’t heard if there was going to be any big event here-arounds. People were too few for a big event ayway, yet too many t...