Philippine Travel Notes

The Legazpi airport is still the same as it has been that I remember from long ago. If there’s anything new, conveyor belt (yes there is hehe) is now laced with a lot of pictures inviting people that its an available ad space. And arrival was pretty straightforward with just a few men outside arrival area and virtually none of those that would mob you for a colorum “taxi” or such things. Not even people meeting their passengers! Hmm, maybe because this was a hot midday. But the parking area teemed with a lot of vehicles! So I merrily just walked outside of the gate and hailed a trike going to the “FX/Van Terminal for Naga City”. Wow! Just about a year since I last happened to be in this place and some significant improvement is already in place – at least as far as land transport staions are concerned. Hey, “GT Express, I already know” but “FILCAB” is new to my ears! And what a big and clean terminal! There are separate buildings for buses, jeeps and the vans. Now I think “FILCAB” is...

Who takes that flight anyway? Well, if Cebu Pacific operates that daily flight, then there is a market between Cebu and Legazpi. Am sure they could easily stop that if the route is not earning well. And good for me who is a trying hard Cebuano (am resident for almost a year now), I was able to grab a one-way zero-fare from Cebu to Legazpi, so I did not have to go home to Manila again just to come back down via another flight to Naga or Legazpi. Yey! VisMin folks, take note of that, there is a direct flight from Cebu to Legazpi. And it’s a wonderful flight! Why? It also uses the ATR (propeller aircraft that does not fly way high above the clouds), so we could see the places below as the plane cruises along! Just like flights from Cebu to Tacloban, Surigao, Siargao, Ozmais, and many other islands. What is there to see during such a flight? Ah, at the start, its like flying to Tacloban where you see the Cebu environs, the Camotes Islands, then the northern Leyte area with Biliran a haze...

This topic started with this article There are three of these towns. However, two are officially ‘tagged’ with the abbreviated “Sto.” while one takes its name with the full “Santo” Domingo. Santo Domingo is a resort town in the province of Albay (Region 5) located at the southeastern foot of Mayon Volcano. Thus, the volcanic black sand on its beaches along the Albay Gulf. There is another town named Sto. Domingo located up north in the province of Ilocos Sur (Region 1) just below the town of Magsingal where both lie along the national highway if you were going north from Vigan. Amusing story about how this town got its name! The other Sto. Domingo is a town in the heart of the province of Nueva Ecija (Region 3). Like most of the province, this Sto. Domingo is a farming community. There we have them, while all 3 towns named Santo Domingo are in Luzon, 2 are north of the metropolis and 1 is south. Careful not to get lost! Lets go to Sto. Tomas next!

This topic started with this article Malinao generally means "clear" but in southern provinces it means calm (waters). We have two towns named Malinao, and they’re on opposite sides of the country. On the eastern part, there is the town of Malinao in Albay Province (Region 5) that teems with mountain springs and waterfalls. There is even the Danao Lake on top of Mt. Malinao. But it also has undeveloped beaches and a reef for divers and snorkelers. This is on the northeastern side of Mayon Volcano and in the province's border with Camarines Sur. Nice place The other Malinao is on the western side of the country and that is in the province of Aklan (Region 6). Ah this town is home to small-time handicraft makers whose products are exported to nearby Kalibo which is just about 15mins away. Other than that, there’s nothing to see. They are proud that two-thirds of the families in this town have one or two or more members working abroad. As what, I did not anymore ask!

I am sooo late at writing and posting many of my sojourns in the Philippines that many times, world events and calamities catch-up or overtake me to the extent that I have to revise what I wrote. Well, it is because something always gets in the way at my being able to finish my logs – and that is this thing called, WORK! This visit to Legaspi happened about 4 months before the area was struck with that calamity of overflowing volcanic mud that submerged many things into oblivion. Anyway… How did I know about this place? The news got me curious! First it was Mt. Bulusan. Every news source said it blew its top and was spewing lava and volcanic ash all over the place. Next came the news about Mt. Kanlaon also displaying some fiery activity. Then Mt. Mayon… slowly mildly erupting. Nothing violent but people were being evacuated. Ah, I just needed to satisfy my curiosity to see a volcano spewing lava or ashes or smoke! With all the media hype, the more I itched to go see how Mayon was doing...

There is that ubiquitous letter “S” again… this time (see item 3) attaching to an already plural world, aw word pala – ‘children’! Yun lang! I got more amused on item number two. Do you know how to do it? Well, I do now hehe. On that raft, anyone going for the john had to properly declare and excuse themselves – so the remaining folks could balance the thing. Yep, this was at the “Tago-Tago Food Garden” in the outskirts of Legaspi City. Ah, the complications of our times hehe!

This is the WET & HOT Region of the Philippines! Region 5 (sometimes written with the roman numeral as REGION V) or Bicol Region can be mostly “wet” as it is on the eastern corridor of the country facing the Pacific Ocean where typhoons usually come from or pass by. Bicol is a perennial recipient of greater amounts of rain! Many times during the year, majority of the area is blessed with rain – and we may of course also sometimes call that “cursed” with rain. When I go to Bicol for some sunny side activities, I skim through a lot of references just to ensure the clouds won’t rain on me! Many times, they still do! But hey, being wet does not necessarily mean cold! For me, this region is “hot”. What with 3 active volcanoes and another 3 being potentially active! That should be enough to get them really hot on the seismic map, right? How much more if we count 25 others that are considered inactive volcanoes! Yes, you guessed it right, as of this writing, the latest recorded volc...