On A Clear Day: Tacloban to Cebu

On a clear day, yey! I like flying on clear (maaliwalas) mornings. We get to see the whole world below, as a plane glides by. Admittedly, that is one of my favorite things to do during a flight - look down! So on this sunny April morning, I anticipated being able to clearly see towns and cities from up in the air!

Whoa, but even down on ground I already started 'clearly seeing' things I did not quite notice before!

Yep, I pass by this airport every week (sometimes even twice in a week), but I wondered why I seem to have not really seen that big sign yet, ever! Maybe I was pre-occupied with other things while I passed by this place in those many times. Or, even if mukhang luma na, maybe that thing was newly installed!

Really?

Anyway, I like what it says, if only to remind people about littering. I know it really is an advertisement, but at least, it has a dual purpose. I think that's a better way of making your company or brand 'visible' to consumers - especially if you are a big polluter, aw I mean an oil or gas producing corporation hehe!

Oh hey look, the other side of that billboard facing the parking area, also has another reminder..,

A good reminder to drivers, who not only waste their employers' fuel money, but unnecessarily adding more pollutants to our one and only mother earth! Isama na yung walang ginagawa, tambay = "idling"!

Oops, oh okay, the real topic.., I was on my way to Cebu this morning, connecting on another flight to Singapore, where I would connect to another flight to Penang Malaysia, as said in the previous story.

I was on the 9AM PAL flight, and I forgot to reserve any of my favorite seats, so I sat on the last row!

Other passengers were fast to grab my preferred 2A or 2D on this small turboprop plane (Bombardier Q300). Good that the check-in agent was kind enough to heed my request - not to assign a passenger beside me - so 16A&B were 'mine'! Oh look at the edge of the collage, that's already the rear exit door!

Note, that last row seats 16A and 16B in this case, have a limited recline. But okay na yun to me for a mere 20-minute flight, as long as I could stretch my legs to the side or unto the aisle! Oks lang, go ra!

Now now.., this is PAL, not the yellow plane, therefore, the windows are not (yet) so gasgas, therefore I expected clear pictures, and I did, especially that the morning sky was unusually cooperatively bright!

Ah, with clean windows and clear skies, I saw that the Yolanda-damaged embankment is not fixed yet.

I wonder how it now looks like from the sea side. Aren't the waves eating too much of the soil yet? We might just all be surprised one day, eh baka nandyan na ang tubig sa tabi ng runway pavement. Hiyay!

Actually, during incliment weather (which is not seldom), I have seen waves splashing at those broken portions, so I think water does enter that enclosed perimeter. Hmm, that could start erosion! We know water, it will crash or even silently seep-through when and where it can. Kahit lagyan mo pa ng "NO ID NO ENTRY" signage yan! Hala sige kayo, pag bumaha ang runway, ililipat yan. Ta, wagi hi Mana Matin!

I am no expert nor do I even know the science of water incursion or earth subsidance, but the point is, there must have been good reason why that embankment was made. Nasira, so dapat ayusin na yan.

While looking at this 'edge' as our plane taxied to the 'starting point' of Runway 36, I noticed na medyo mataas naman ang runway at this southern end, so maybe malaki pa ang 'allowance' bago lumubog?!

I still say... "if it broke, it needs a fixin"! Although, I think they are just waiting for that big post-Yolanda embankment project (since it includes this area anyway), right? It already started somewhere in Palo!

Okay, u-turn time prior to takeoff, since our heading is Runway 36. This is the end of Runway 18..,

Oh, those four 'pegs' outside the white horizontal line are called Runway End Lights (REL). If you zoom that picture, they are actually lighted and colored red because this shot was from inside the runway. If you were approaching this runway on landing, they're colored green! Ok ah, sana me ganyan sa bahay!

Those RELs are required by industry regulation, and there should always be four of them at the end of a runway. Just saying! I just learned about that when I was playing with a flight simulator game hehe!

Oh, at the left edge of that green hedge (outside the runway perimeter), are already the beach resorts of Costa Brava. Little family-owned resorts but nice place for plane-spotting. Maingay lang syempre!

I have a video clip of this takeoff, I'll put it in this space pag naluto na! So, let's fly na!

Immediately after takeoff, over Basey, this plane banked to the right going southwards to Palo area.

That big river up there is the mouth of Basey River. Though infrequent, there are commuter boats that go upstream to Brgy. Mabini, passing by Sohoton Cave. But the usual way now is via the visitor center.

Some of you may even know, that in the past, the only way to the Sohoton Caves and Natural Bridge Park was mismo via that river from Basey town proper. Nowadays, you can already conveniently drive up to Brgy. Guirang, where that visitor center is located. It is now easier, and twice faster than before!

Ah, that island that looks like an aircraft carrier is "Jinamoc Island" [pronounced hi-na-mok]. But if you find it hard to pronounce, just say "Barangay Salvacion, Basey, Samar" because it is one and the same!

By the way, "namok" is the Waray-waray term for mosquito (Tagalog: lamok), so at first I thought 'why would they name an island honoring a pesky insect'? But someone at mainland Basey told me, those little blood-sucking (and sometimes disease-carrying pests) had nothing to do with the island's name!

JINAMOC actually means Joint Intelligence Naval Air and Military Operations Center. They built their sea-plane base on this very island during World War II. Yes, the US Navy 'seabees' circa 1944 to 1945.

It is said they even constructed a big hospital on this island, and that a squadron of the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) also operated from this island in 1945 while laying mines against the Japanese, from Taiwan all the way to Celebes Sea, Brunei Bay in Borneo, even far down to Surabaya in East Java!

Wow history! Di ba? I once wanted to visit that island, but was told there are no more remnants of that military installation. Sayang. But I think they should commemorate that. Ilagay man lang sana sa libro.

I am starting to discover that all around this region are worthwhile memories of WWII!

So okay, my PAL flight climbed higher up, and started to make another right turn, so it could cross the Leyte main island, going west in order to approach Cebu. Look, we flew over the 'Government Center'!

I'm now familiar with that circular road since I pass through it almost everyday! The blue-colored roofs below that perfect circle are buildings of COA. I do wonder why they have many buildings, do you not?

Well, walang basagan ng trip! That is what they like, so be it. Besides, 'Commission on Audit' kaya yan! You attempt to question them and they will tell you "sige a-awditin-kita"! Who audits an auditor? Wala!

Oh, to the left of the COA-8 is the DOH-8 compound. I like eating at their canteen - it is like a turo-turo but very clean! Generally for employees, but visitors like me have no problem going inside to eat. You just have to deal with the NO ID NO ENTRY thing at the entrance guards! I say "makaon la ha canteen"!

Above DOH-8, the compound with white (silver) roofs at the end of the street crossing the circle, is the famous "K-Pop Barracks" of the "K-Pop Army", that they bequeathed to Philippine Army when they left.

Then, above the barracks, rimming the circle (but not too clear on that photo) is even the wider DepEd compound. It is very wide as they have both their 'Leyte Provincial' and 'Region 8' Offices there (beside each other). There's a canteen behind the DepEd Leyte Provincial Office. You also have to use "charm" so the guards can let you in. BUT, "damo langaw" and... and... ah basta, I like the one at DOH-8 more!

Why the concern about canteens? Ah, you'll notice, this wide area of offices has no real restaurants.

Do you see that big compound of red roofs above everything we just described? That is the expansive domain of DPWH-8. How can't it be wide with a plethora of big buildings, right? Kung ikaw ba maging kausap ng lahat ng construction companies and building contractors of the whole region? Alams na!

Yes oi, you need a lot of buildings, including a conference center that is used for wedding receptions! I was once told there's a canteen (or restaurant?) in there. But, masungit unwelcoming ang guards nila!

There are so many national agencies caught in that picture. Government Center eh!

I can see many more institutions, but it's hard to describe and point at them in that picture. Like I see PSHS, yep PhiSci as in Philippine Science High School, DOST-8, Leyte Provincial Hospital, BIR-8, Civil Service Commission, DTI-8, Leyte Academic Center, Philippine Coconut Authority 8, NEDA-8, PENRO (provincial environment - yung me maraming donated boats na di pinamigay, remember?!), and so on.

But, I think the most worthy to mention is at the tip of that vertical road bisecting the big circle. Yeah, doon sa me dagat, yun me puting clouds. That is the Leyte Landing Memorial. Ayun si MacArthur oh!

Hah, para akong bata.., but I love doing just that.., describing what I see from up above!

Here is another shot, which, is rare, for me at least - since it is cloudy in this area, most of the time..,

I can even see the seminary - that incidentally, sits in a barangay also named Salvacion! Oh salvation!

I could also see St. Mary's Academy, Palo Central School, Palo National High School and all of Cavite! Ha, really? Paano nangyari yon? Well, Palo has two barangays named Cavite! One is Cavite East where the elementary school is, and the other is Cavite West where the national high school is. Ayun sila oh!

I can even see the public market! Pati balay ni Doc Lea' ngan Doc Mayet' adto man uho! Adto ngani hi Mana Matin magka-holding-hands ngan hi Ate Lulu o nagkakalakat ha may simbahan! Hahah miracle!

Hey joking aside, did you know that that UP Campus in Palo has nothing to do with UP Tacloban or UP in the Visayas? Yep, that belongs to UP Manila (UP PGH). It is like their extension campus for medical courses. Rural venue, same-quality education. The campus produces medical board topnotchers too!

Anyway, 18 minutes into the flight, we were over the many islands and islets between Cebu and Bohol.

I could not identify many of them.., but I was certain, that bigger island at the back is mainland Bohol. The two little islands on foreground must be the Caubian Islands (a barangay of Lapu-lapu City). I just know, as i've lately been asking around about them. The bigger island (left) is promisingly interesting! The smaller one at right (I saw on a friend's video), is so full with residential houses. As in overloaded!

Interesting and exciting (for me)! From the way this plane circled around, it was obvious were going to approach the runway from the south. This meant more opportunity to see the small islands and islets!

I could see Boholano islands - Mahanay (of Talibon), Banacon, Jandayan and Nasingin (all of Getafe)! Oh, at the very right edge of the picture, I still caught part of the white sand beach of Pandanon Island!

And the plane was banking to the right.., here we were above the Olango Island Sanctuary..,

Still part of the sanctuary, that is (part of) the very wide white sand areas amid the mangroves. At the end is Pangan-an Island, although all of these places are actually one contiguous area during low tide!

Here below, is Pangan-an Island which is a usual inclusion in the island-hopping tours from Mactan..,

The white sandbar in the middle is still called Pangan-an as it only becomes a 'separate island' during high tide. Locals ride motorbikes to that area during low tide. Ah at right edge of photo is a real island!

Here is that 'right-edge' of the above picture.., the now getting famous Caohagan Island!

Also a usual inclusion in the island hopping tours - sometimes tourists even choose this island as the only destination of their tour. That said, beware if you plan to buy snacks or lunch at the island. Mahal!

Oh, that other island on the top portion of the picture above.., Cabul-an Island.., here it is again..,

I didn't really want to catch it in these pictures on purpose, but it appears anyway, so there it is hehe. It is a bigger island, also visited by the island hopping tours (although not as often as the others above), it has a real thriving community almost like a town, there are many streets, there's an elementary and a national high school, and, the beach is not so fine white for me! Kids kept following me everywhere!

For curiosity's sake, you can go visit, but what Cabul-an offers can be had at the other nearer islands.

Here are more islets and islands as my plane started banking another right, going westward..,

Those are also interesting islands, some even with very wide mangrove plantations - yes, planted! But they are already a bit distant from Mactan, thus, better approached from their respective Bohol towns.

Anyway, flight made a final right turn aligning with Mactan Cebu International Airport's Runway 04..,

And I could identify all those places by just looking at those white areas that are their hills/mountains being quarried/mined. I'm not very sure if those have negative impact on people or their surroundings.

First arrow points to San Fernando, Cebu. The white area above it is Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Inc. (TCPI) - "a subsidiary of, and wholly owned by Japan’s biggest cement manufacturer, Taiheiyo Cement Corporation (TCC)". They produce those cement named "Grand" (eg. Grand Portland, Grand Premium).

Well the second arrow points to some housing project. I saw some ads when I passed the area weeks ago. They are building a plethora of townhouses! Third arrow is of course, the biggest and oldest Apo Cement complex. The fourth arrow points to center of Naga City extending all the way to Minglanilla.

And this below should be Talisay City. I can even see the mouth of Manangga River!

Hey let me just say.., human eyes are still better than camera lenses, right? I could properly see those coastal areas with my eyes, but that picture is dark and blurred. It must be the brand and/or model. :(

Palitan ang cellphone!

Okay, seconds from touch down, I could already see the southern part of Cebu City!

Red arrow points to Kawit Island (that is not anymore so), and blue arrow points to SM Seaside. This area is already part of what's called the "Mactan Channel", one of the busiest sea lanes in the country.

So, in a few seconds my flight touched down, and I was back in Cebu - but just passing-by!

I think I also got a video clip of that landing. I'll post it here soon!

But let us fly to Singapore after this. Again? Yes again, but just passing by - transit!