Philippine Travel Notes

Aha, I got you! If you were thinking of some kinky topic with that title, no there is none! But, what do trike driving kids in Tacloban do when bored waiting for passengers? Play. But not the usual kids' play. They do antics to amuse themselves or anyone who may care. Using their big tricycles! No no no no, these are not your regular trikes or pedicabs in Metro Manila or other urban centers using BMX bikes fitted with equally small sidecars. These are the big old bikes circa 1930s (I think). I was (still) at Happy Landing near the Tacloban Airport and was puffing a smoke after my hefty lunch when I saw some of these kids doing their antics. Grabbed the camera to shoot and all the more that they kept doing the "exhibition"! They were as amused as I was. They liked being 'videod' and even asked me to shoot more. I almost forgot I had yet to check-in for my 330PM flight hahaha! I tried it myself and the trike is so heavy! Whoah! And, as per advise of these exh...

Let's go back to the Tacloban Airport for an interesting "phenomenon" hehe. Have you had a chance to hear how airplane pilots and those control tower folks talk to each other? In the movies, right? The radio communications system, right? With all those "roger roger, over  over" terminologies, right? Well, if you want to hear that, not in the movies but live, head to the Happy Landing Canteen at the DZR Airport in Tacloban! Happy Landing is the middle of three eateries over at the far end of the airport's parking area vicinity near the communications tower. Yep, towards the entrance of that military (police?) camp. Their FM Radio is always on, and merrily blaring out the usual FM songs and jokes and... interference from the Tacloban Airport's communication tower. Many folks eating there and the eatery's crews do not at all mind, for they probably don't even know what the "phenomenon" is! How did I know? Well, I was at the canteen, t...

I once saw on TV a young man who was hounded (a.k.a. harassed) by his barangay captain for having taken a photo and shared to the world the sordid state of the Philippine Flag at their barangay hall. Of course I thought that woman (barangay captain) was wicked, even stupida to the nth degree. Kababaeng tao eh di marunung tumingin kung ano ang maganda sa kanyang kapaligiran! Nagalit pa :( How much is one flag anyway? Is it expensive? Can a barangay not afford one? I suspect they all can. Even at one new flag every 6 months, right? Well, if indeed that barangay is soooo dirt poor they can't afford to purchase a respectable looking flag for their barangay hall, here is one rural place where they probably can beg for one hahaha. This is somewhere in Samar, along the Maharlika Highway, by the side of a forest, also on the side of a town called Paranas. Passed by this place many times in many years, and those flags lining the portion of the highway are always crisp colored and beau...

No camera tricks, no digital manipulation. That picture is as it was taken. But can you guess what that man is doing? Do you see a broom? Do you see a rope or scaffolding? Why is he up there seemingly above the trees and the houses? Scroll down to discover! Hehe, this below, is actually the original picture. I just zoomed the portion where that young man was caught in mid-air jumping from the bridge unto the river. But do you know where on earth this place is? Oh yes, Catarman, Liloan, Cebu! Probably the cleanest body of water in a populous community I have so far seen in this country. And Liloan is a first class municipality at that - meaning "urbanized". And this place is even only a walk away from the Market, Municipal Hall, Church and gymnasium of the town. Yet, there are even resorts on both sides of the river, one with a very long zip line crossing to an islet! Yep, I already jumped from that bridge in...

I have been meaning to drop by this place in Cebu for more than a year now. This is along Echavez St.. just a few steps from its corner with Mango Avenue (aka Gen Maxilom). I sometimes pass by the area and have been itching to get a closer look and learn any bit of information about the fresh buko juice being served in glass (and lately even plastic) jars instead of drinking glasses. Finally did so yesterday! And oh boy was I happy I did so! Why the "garapon"? That naturally was my first question and the husband-and-wife team selling these, gamely educated me. They told me that most commercially available drinking glasses are rather too small that each serving of the buko juice (and meat) would be "not enough" to many patrons. Okay fine, I loved that explanation. But the wife added that it is also an advantage using jars since these have lids/covers to protect the "concoction" from flies and other insects. PLUS, they can just cover and tighten the lids ...

This man smiled, even grinned when he caught me taking that picture from a jeep! He probably thought I was taking his photo hahaha! But my attention was on that wall. No no, not the political ad. Mary Ann is already well-known as she is, right? That sign on the post struck me on two counts. 1) "is not A accident" sounds weird to me. I think I still remember something I learned in elementary school grammar – the use of "a" and "an" in a sentence – it's got something to do with the letters/syllables that follow, right? and 2) why the message? who is it for, who is it from? By the manner it was printed, it does not seem this is just another of those (vandalism) expressions of young idiots who will soon grow to become adult idiots! Y'know, those 'cannot-do-anything-good' spray-paint-can-wielding boys? This does not look like their doing. I think this means something else. And what is police violence in this place anyway? Maybe there had b...

Don't get me wrong, I love them beetles. But only if I have to look at them like at a garage show or some museum (if ever there will be). Beautiful toy cars, really! Just please don't use these oldies to parade beautiful lasses where there will be a lot of 'crawling' at probably just 10 to even 5kph or even less. Its a parade for heaven's sake! Ayun! The damn 'lovely vehicle' conked out! Buti na lang, Mr. Charm himself had the presence of mind. So instead of the girls feeling awkward being ogled at by the public as they perched there, helpless atop a car probably made when their mothers were still being born, he invited the three to go walk with him in the parade. So they did! But, Mayor naman! Naka-high-heels ang mga yan pabaklayin mo ng ganyan kalayo?! Oh well, girls, at least that was a test of your rampa skills, stamina and poise hahaha! How far did you 3 girls walk with your heels on? I estimate that to be more or less 2 kilometers! Well...

Okay now folks, you have UP Diliman, Manila, LB, Baguio, Miag-ao, Iloilo, Cebu, Tacloban, Mindanao, right? You also have Ateneo at Loyola, Rockwell, Naga, Davao, Zamboanga, Cebu, etc etc! And you have La Salle Taft, La Salle Tapat, EAC, etc., right?! Now see these! O ha?! What can you say?! Sosyal the schools of Cebu 'no?! Hahaha, Portugal? Mexico? Guam?! Now the real topic... These pics were some of my shots at the opening parade of Sinulog 2013. At first, I did not even mind those places written below each school's name, for I knew what they meant. However, I got to stand beside 2 foreign ladies who were also taking pics and vids of the parade, and they were exclaiming ooohs and aahs, when they would read those places written below the school names. I got bothered, and felt I needed to barge in when I heard one of them say "wow, they even have a campus in Portugal"! Like hello?! Cebu Doctors as in CDU?! In Portugal?! So I smilingly meddled in their oohs a...