Philippine Travel Notes

For now, maybe. But it looks like that's the new normal our planet is headed towards. Here's the story: I went early to Tacloban's Save More (near the pier) for some urgent errands. As in I was there before it opened. Done at 9:37AM, I was out to ride a jeep, and saw this: That scene could look normal to the unfamiliar or unconcerned. But having been in and out of this city for 11 years now, I just knew something was not quite the usual. At first I thought "parang lumiit ang kalsada" . Then it quickly turned into a bit of alarm and amusement. I told myself "ata, bakit umakyat na ang dagat, sasakay din ng jeep"? Anupangaba! Sugod Pinoy Traveler! Osyosohin alamin bakit kay-ano nasugad! Da! Total puzzler (to me at least). On a hot sunny morning, why would there be a 'flood'? It was not like that years ago. Well, things change - for the worst, very unfortunately! That's no ordinary flooding. Look at the water, it is clear clean gree...

This was not really in my itinerary, although somewhere in the recesses of my brain was saying, I'd love to drop by, even for just a while. And it happened... Opportunity! Let's start from the very beginning... From the previous story , I hopped on a van at Gamay with Oras as my destination. It went well, with just one little caveat , that I would give up my Seats 1 & 2 at Arteche. Arteche Arrival Van stopped at the side of Arteche Covered Court ( Multi-Purpose Building ), to let off some of its Arteche-bound passengers. Here. This was the last pic in my earlier story . I learned, not all Arteche-bound passengers have-to or need-to alight here, although I saw people get-off or wait-for their rides here. The 3 ladies with 5 'big suitcases' did! Those of us not getting off, sat tight waiting (due to offloading of bags and boxes). Tricycles strategically wait for passengers also at this corner (babaan at sakayan nga naman ng vans & buses) , alth...

This was it pusit! My roam of Gamay's central area - with no itinerary! I like doing this kind of walk, where I don't know which way to go, what to see, what to expect. Come what may or where my feet lead me to . Here I said: "which way now" ! Natawa ako sa sarili ko, as if I was asking St. Michael for directions! Eh on that shot I was standing at the church door , facing outside. That, is where I came from earlier. That big building is their municipal gym (or whatever it's called nowadays). I started my walk there going leftwards as I earlier saw a row of big houses both old and new. Ancestral Houses I was certain some would still be made of wood and old-era-style. Like this one: Still big and beautiful, right? But as we said in many past stories, they are difficult to maintain, mainly because wood is expensive and even by-and-by already prohibited. I went closer. Oh, the big doors are still made of wood, but the walls are 'corrugated galvanized...

I can say that this topic may be one for the nostalgia - at least to those who've been living on planet earth for 3 decades now. Yet this can also be additional learning , to the young and modern, with no actual farm exposure other than reels, shorts or tiktok! Umayos kayo, baka ang iba sa inyo eh, gawa sa lon-an ! Further to what I earlier told you, let's talk more about the LO-ON and LON-AN. This arduous task is an important if not crucial part of the copra production process. This pag-lo-lo-on activity is just a little past-halfway of many backbreaking activities, that farmers must endure, to complete their copra production cycle, to earn a living. Many farmers are by-and-by getting disinterested, slowing down or outright turning to other sources of livelihood, due to the amount of physical work, compared to the meager incomes that they derive from copra production. Baka maglaho na ito soon! Therefore, before this industry dissipates, let's document the...

I am not really sure if what I heard was "kayap" or "kayab" or "kayag", but I know this activity - WINNOWING in English. PAGTATAHIP in Tagalog? Not sure about that too! The act: separating the rice hull or husk (chaff and other impurities) from the 'usable grains' by making them fly away, when poured from a "nigo" (big bilao) at head level ! Ang hirap pala i-describe nyan mapa-english o tagalog! Good that I have that photo! But many Pinoys know 'winnowing', for I recall that word was in a gradeschool song! If you're Pinoy, I'm sure you will agree, what many of us remember, is the very same "activity" in the picture without those electric fans, right? Only with wind and gravity. Well, farming methods have apparently (or is it obviously?) been upgraded! At akala natin mga cellphone lang ang nagle-level up? Meron din pala sa palay harvest time! And it can now be done just in front of your very own house...

On a rainy Wednesday afternoon commute, from Tacloban to Catbalogan, we were about 5 minutes into the trip when this thing on the dashboard caught my attention: I smiled at the grammar. Oh yes, drivers are fun 'when they English themselves' haha! But, my atrevida brain needed to ask the driver what it meant, in case I haven't heard of the latest marites and/or driver jokes circulating everywhere on social media. Da! So I asked, and OMG, as in oh my gino-o ko! It caused the dear driver into a serious story-telling for most of the two hour trip, as if his life was threatened to end. In a cracking voice, he even asked if I was a lawyer. The story goes something like this... Few days ago, a woman passenger ("Misis" as the driver refers to her) took this ride on Seat Number 2 (my seat). Without confrontation and without his knowledge, this woman allegedly made a complaint to his bosses at VS Grandtours. And the issue?! That this driver, allegedly kept ...

This signage is prominently posted by the elevator door of a hotel I stayed at, in Pusok, Lapulapu City, Mactan Island. This wasn't first time I stayed with them. They are a convenient accommodation place when I am transiting at "unholy hours" via MCIA, and when Waterfront Airport Hotel is out of rooms! But this was the only time I dared taka picture of that signage (hindi na mapigilan, hehehe)! What is "free smoke"? Therefore what is a "free smoke zone"? hahaha libre yosi? ganun?! Well, anyone not philosophizing can tell, that the owner, or whoever posted that sign, meant "this is a SMOKE-FREE zone". But look at the red-colored letters. Now that's not acceptable. What does 'strickly' mean anyway! Ah, Tagalog nalang kasi, or maypa Bisaya-a lang gud! Don't English me, I'm not school! True. It's more fun in the Philippines! Don't me! Disclaimer: This blogger is not an English Language Expert. In fact, yo...

Dandering ? Aw, let me use that as a synonym of ' drifting ', ' gallivanting ', ' wandering '! Roaming without an itinerary - all left to 'chances', by breaking away from my group! For that is what happened here hehe! Yep, I didn't really come to this place to tour-around, as I usually do. I joined a group of friends for a benevolent Christmas Day Program - but, with an itch to look beyond ! Shhh, huwag na maingay. Silip-silip lang naman ang ginawa ko! Not a bad idea, right? Aw, I stuck with our scheduled activities 100%. But there were chances - like during lunch breaks, I'd sneak away to look around and/or shoot pics! That said, everything I will tell you, were most likely unplanned or unintended. As we say in Tagalog: kung ano lang ang nakita, natagpuan, naranasan. In short: whatever! This gave me a different kind of thrill. So let me tell you about some of them! First, a briefer on the not so obvious things (to many Pinoys) ...