Philippine Travel Notes

Weird, even eerie title, right? Well, at least for me. There are just many things around us that we take for granted. And I'm proud to say, I owe it to my travels that I learned (and keep learning) new things about our country. Take the case of our catholic ceremony or ritual (howsoever it is really called), before burying the dead. *Update A friend educated me: it's called "mass celebration". Whatever! Yep, whatever it's called, I don't like associating the word "celebration" with the dead! I don't think calling it a "ceremony" or "ritual" is offensive anyway. Basta yes, I mean that church activity just before the “kabaong” is delivered to the “huling hantungan”. I thought all along those are done individually . I mean an 'exclusive' mass service for an individual patay before the next. That's what I've known in the decades of my life. Teka, disclaimer: it's not as if I witness many o...

I was riding a jeep from Lacion (Consolacion, Cebu) to the city center (Cebu City). The jeep happened to have stopped (due to traffic) at this corner under the Maguikay flyover, and I saw this... What initially drew my curiosity was that the Manang was selling jewelry and trinkets where her wares were laid out in what looked like what is supposed to be a grill (barbekyuhan ba). During the evenings,  there is supposed to be some folks on that very corner (and table?) grilling/selling barbecues. I took a snap with my phone, and, OMG she saw me do that! I really thought she would protest and reprimand me for doing so, and I was ready to delete the photo the moment she said anything. But... she instead said something for that cute little angel to face the camera as she waved showing off her necklace (what she sells). And the kid obliged, showing me that ever sweet hearty smile... Ahhh! I will find it very hard to forget that smile. Innocently sweet and real! All I could do was ...

Mauwaw man ta ani, oi! Sori na, I didn't know. Ang edad hehe. Past noon, on my way to the city for some errands, I stumbled upon a parade about to pass along the national road. Let us say that again, "along" not "across" the hiway! Paktaylo! My initial reaction was ' o sh** nabuang na ', for that meant a long delay. On second thought, my little alert brain said 'hmm, who knows, it could be nice to watch'! But the practical side of my royal highness said "nice or not nice, wala jud ta mahimo ani, the national road is technically closed both ways, therefore watch nalang"! So, I did! Na! A very important day for Consolacion and I forgot all about it? Bad citizen haha! Maybe those things do not sink in my head yet because I'm still a 'dual citizen' - taga Mandaue, at the same time taga Lacion - but frequently in Tacloban due to Yolanda. Haruy, not only dual citizen, triple pa! Anyway.., trapped na, wala na'...

Hoy, I didn't know I was going to Bohol. Pramis hahaha! This was the 2 nd and last of my ' two-island tour ' from Mactan. Pandanon Island : is part of Getafe , Bohol na diay! All I knew was I went on an island-hopping tour from Punta Engaño Lapu-lapu City on Mactan Island, Cebu Province. I just presumed (sige assumed) the hops would be to islands belonging to the city of Lapu-lapu , like Olango Island , as this is one vast area. I didn't know, for I didn't check that my 1 st island destination was/is part of Cordova, Cebu; and this 2 nd island on my itinerary belongs to the province of Bohol. Level up? The administrative affiliations of the islands alone got me excited. So, let's go! [ Maryusep, baka next time, ang island-hopping ko eh mapunta na ng Koror o Miangas! ] Anyway... The ride from Nalusuan to this island took about 1 hour. It's not near. Nakakainip pa nga actually - since I was alone with no one to talk to hehe! But, I enjoy...