Philippine Travel Notes

Just five days after my Eastern and Southern Leyte Joyride , here I was again on the Tacloban to Baybay 'South Road'. I was on an early morning run to VSU (Visayas State University), to attend the regional business conference. Start time 9AM, so we left 7AM. That would normally be enough travel time, especially passing via the Mahaplag route. Remember this corner? Mayorga poblacion. We came from La Paz (that road on the right) five days ago, right? This was just about 7:40AM and we were already far from Tacloban. So far so good, we were zooming on the highway... until here. Only hehehe! There were slowdowns that we never expected. Parades! What is with July 31st? Why do all schools have parades during this day? Well, good thing we passed this way (via Mahaplag), as there are more schools along the road on the Capoocan-Ormoc way! These are kids of MacArthur National High School emerging from beside the church... They have fruit or vegetable mascots. That one is a "...

I need to do this. Not only for you, but also for me - a review and summary of the myriad of places and things (even people) I have seen, encountered, done, not done, heard, etc.! Including Tacloban, on this trip I visited or just passed by 43 localities in one big island. That's 39 towns and 4 cities in 2 provinces (3 cities and 25 towns in the province of Leyte; 1 city and 14 towns in the province of Southern Leyte). My driver says that was about 550kms from departure at, until arrival back in Tacloban. The route was: Tacloban => Palo => Tanauan => Tolosa => Dulag => Julita => Burauen => La Paz => Mayorga => MacArthur => Javier => Abuyog => Silago => Hinunangan => Hinundayan => Anahawan => San Juan => Saint Bernard => Liloan => Libagon => Sogod => Bontoc => Tomas Oppus => Malitbog => Padre Burgos => Macrohon => Maasin => Matalom => Bato => Hilongos => Hindang => Inopacan =...

Exiting Ichon (the northern-most barangay) of Macrohon, I was immediately in Maasin City. My driver asked what in this city would I like to see, and he glanced at his wristwatch. Hmm, I knew he was worried I won't make the 4:30PM mass in Tacloban. So I said let us just go instead straight to Matalom, and after that, you can zoom your way all the way to Tacloban - your choice if you want to pass via Baybay-Mahaplag or via Ormoc. Thus, make the long story short (shh, don't tell, we "flew" on the road for more than 30kms and) here we were in the town center of Matalom, Leyte. Not Southern Leyte, but just Leyte. How is that? Well, as you would have known in your fourth grade geography "the big island of Leyte is composed of 2 provinces which are Leyte and Southern Leyte". Their "welcome" signage is rather small and questionably sits on the highway... Why do I say questionable? Because it was built on the very highway shoulder - which should not be,...

Macrohon town proper is about 7kms on a northward run from Kuting Reef Resort which sits in one of its barrios. Though still gloomy, the ride was good with views left and right. Most of the road here is lined on both sides by trees that (I guess) were purposely planted to make their highway look beautiful. I also saw a couple of old wooden houses. A portion of this road runs along a nice clean river. My driver says the mouth of that river empties at the beach near Kuting. Hmm, this could be an interesting future tourist draw. Other parts run along white sandy beaches that, I think, are even better than the sand at Kuting. I noted the villages of Villa Jacinta and Sto Nino. Nice views from the highway! I wasn't able to snap a photo, but passing this way was also first time for me to see a "Multi-grade School" - whatever that means. The signage was "Aguinaldo Elementary Multi-grade School". What I only know is that elementary schools have multiple grades like...

A wonderful place! This is the entrance façade, also the 'default' photo-op area! The driveway circles to that foyer so you have a grand entrance at the door, under a roof. Parang Manila Hotel ba! The 'Baybayon Restaurant' is behind this building out on the waterfront... This is a big and breezy place. Not only good for a meal, I can sleep anywhere here hehe! Look: my driver talking to the young (OJT) waitress. Haagii nga pag parayaw... Surprising - we were the only ones in this place on a Sunday noontime. Well, a rainy July. I cannot complain... all the more that I liked this place... real peace and quiet... With good food in a well appointed place, I said I can live here. That tinola (fish) is good! From our table, I looked out front to the sea, and this is what I saw... The beach may not be white, its not even fine sand, but the views are fantastic just the same. Ehem, not to mention I composed that pic well! Imagine, if it wasn't a gloomy day. I looked...