Philippine Travel Notes

This is the most educational butterfly collection or display I have so far seen in this country, though it does not have hundreds or thousands of colorful fluttering insects nor a grand big big screened cage. Fact is Jumalon Butterfly Sanctuary is an open-air garden, has fewer live butterflies that what you would see at Baguio, Palawan, Marikina, Subic, New Washington or Davao. But the history, variety and number of specimens they keep tops all of those, combined! Plus, there is an awe-inspiring collection of artworks made from butterfly wings. Yes, colorful butterfly wings painstakingly laid down on a canvass, one at a time, to become mosaics! Here’s my story… Reaching the gate, there seemed to be no guests inside and I smiled at the opportunity. I pressed the doorbell button on the right (there are two), it’s blue light flickered though I did not hear anything. I pressed the “older” button on the left and it let off a loud ringing school-bell sound that even surprised me to near pani...

That’s pronounced “who-ma-lon” the “ma” as in mama and the “lon” as in gallon. Some months ago, I’ve been meaning to see what this sanctuary looks like and what things I might find there. But the idea fell into the ‘memory-lapse bin’ of my lowly brain. Then yesterday, I saw a local morning TV featuring it, so, what else, I went there. And am happy I did! Going there Its tricky but just the same I found it! First I checked on the web and found that their number is +63 32 261-6884, called the number and the man who answered told me they are located at 20-D Macopa St., Basak-Pardo, Cebu City, just behind Basak Elementary School. Checked on wikimapia and I knew where I was going. From Colon, I took a front seat ride on a multicab going Bulacao along Cebu’s south road. That way, I wouldn’t have missed the place – the school I mean. Also told the driver to drop me off at Basak Elementary School. Where? As the seven-peso ride went, judging from what I earlier saw on wikimapia, I should have b...

Alright alright, its high festival time down south again and I haven't even blogged about my experience last year! Anyway, got info from a friend and here goes... The 2010 Tuna Festival Month of September put together by the Tuna Festival Council headed by Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio and the GenSan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (GSCCCII) started on a high note last week. Guided by the theme "Go Global GenSan: We Are Ready for the World", the jampacked month-long GTx (GenSan Tunafest experience) kicked off on September 2-4, 2010 with the conduct of the 12th National Tuna Congress which broke records in terms of the number of attendees and exhibitors at its Tuna Congress Exhibit held at Family Country Convention Center. On September 3, 2010, former Senator Mar Roxas came in behalf of Keynote Speaker President Noynoy Aquino to inspire the participants consisting of local and international tuna and fishing industry leaders and stakeholders. The annual Kara...

Alright, once and for all, I will say my piece. Hate it or like it, take it or leave it! To those of you asking me about details of the incident: What you saw on TV is what I also did see. There’s no need to tell anything more. I don’t know much as I am busier (and I prefer to be) roaming the beautiful islands. I don’t give any more effort to find out about things I don’t like. I think that’s human nature, right? To those asking about the “thorough investigation” and/or the “good outcome”: They’re still at it (investigating). I saw it on local news noontime, am sure there will be more tonight and I read a lot of tweets from the local newscasters and local news bureaus. You can follow those that I follow on twitter and chances are you’ll get a per minute snippet about it. I wonder, what is a “good outcome” anyway? Isn’t it a preconceived notion in your brains awaiting to be matched if head-on smack or juxtaposed with what the investigators will ultimately say? I think that’s dangerous h...

Silmugi Festival of Borbon came next. Ah first time I’ve seen them. I think they didn’t join last year. Oh the audio-van was also a float depicting a foresty place. Nice. Nice dancing especially that snake formation thing. Unfortunately the group’s routine was more of a walk when they passed where I was so I didn’t see other movements. Ah yes that dude at the very last of the dancers… he looked like he was ready to hop in an ambulance… I hope he went fine. Now I think I have to correct myself on an earlier comment... This group paraded the tiniest image of patron saint, I think hehe! And I am still thinking if there are green crabs in the Silmugi River. Are there? The town of Alegria came next with their Kawayan Festival. Haha, their big truck looked like a cross between an army camouflage tank and a giant bacteria hehe. Am not sure I got the message on that one since their festival is about bamboos. Hey, I really thought those chunks of bamboo the kids carried on their “backpacks” wer...

Kinsan Festival. My side of the street roared into laughter when this group approached. A little boy in the audience suddenly shrieked “hala, mama ang trak gi-lumoy sa isda o”! I looked again and indeed, it seemd so hehe! The audio-van of this group was decorated to be like a big fish with gaping mouth. Thus, the van really looked like it was swallowed by the fish! Though I think it could have been done better, the concept of making their audio-van like the ‘kinsan’ was splendid. Beautiful young and sexy festival queen, but what with that headgear almost already covering her eyes?! Nice fish costume. And very nice of them to have used those light blue fans. Everyone liked it esp when two of those were joined to form like jellyfish. Beautiful! Ah, the woman in the video…? Si ma’am? Looks like she pre-empted everything hehe, and why be loud letting us the audience (and my cam) hear all about it hehe! Then followed Cordova’s Dinagat Festival where representative group just won at that loc...