Category: Philippines

11th Christmas Ed Kapangan: Five Years Later…

So tell me, how has the new year been treating you? Doing fantabulous already? Or still too early to tell? Personally, I’m still trying to get used to writing 2020 instead of 2019, as is always the case when a new year rolls in. But we’ll get there. But that doesn’t mean that 2019 is completely out of the radar, because it has been quite the year of adventure and new experiences, for me, for you, and for everyone. And this is another experience, albeit no longer a new one, that will never get old: my round two with Christmas Ed Kapangan.

Continue reading “11th Christmas Ed Kapangan: Five Years Later…” →

1

Badi Falls in Kapangan, Benguet (with IgoAdventure)

It’s that time of the year again. The so-called Adivay Festival of my province, Benguet. The month-long celebration ends in about a week, and before that happens, I thought it fitting to post about this now, that time I went on a dayhike-slash-climb of Badi Falls in Kapangan, as organized by IgoAdventurePH, a Cordillera-based group bound by their love for the great outdoors and adventure while doing good on the side. Incidentally, IgoAdventures is a recipient of this year’s Everlasting Award at the Adivay, for its contributions to various schools and individuals in the province. Well-deserved, ka-IGO! (Warning: A bit image-heavy, but that should no longer come as a surprise, should it?)

Continue reading “Badi Falls in Kapangan, Benguet (with IgoAdventure)” →

0

Beyond Bacolod: Ancestral Homes, The Ruins and… Sugarcanes?

“When it rains, it pours” couldn’t have been more apt to describe the past several days. It’s been raining nonstop for almost a week now, and if Accuweather is to be trusted, this state of things will continue for yet another week. It sure discourages one to step out of their doorsteps, me included. And it also makes me wish I had made travel plans earlier. I could have been somewhere dry and sunny, anywhere but here, really, I’m not picky.

Continue reading “Beyond Bacolod: Ancestral Homes, The Ruins and… Sugarcanes?” →

0

Beyond Bacolod: The Campuestohan Highland Resort in Talisay City, Negros Occidental

Hoping to get this post out before the Brrrrrr months set in. I’m not really sure why. I just feel the need to do so. Looking at my calendar (naks! Calendar talaga!), my next adventure won’t be in 7 weeks, at least. Unless something good comes up to shake things up a bit. But before that, when you’re in Bacolod, have you ever heard of this place called Campuestohan Highland Resort?

Continue reading “Beyond Bacolod: The Campuestohan Highland Resort in Talisay City, Negros Occidental” →

0

Hidden Gems of Morong, Bataan (and that time we witnessed a pawikan lay eggs)

Sometimes, it is good to not have to be in control, to just go with the flow, see where the tide takes you, and what the waves wash to shore to bring you. Personally, when it comes to travelling, I am the type to want to at least be in the know, have a modicum degree of awareness, on what to expect and what to look forward to. But, sometimes, that, too, can get exhausting. Too much information to hold in at a time when you just want to have fun. And it is at times like these that I appreciate being unaware, and be surprised.

Continue reading “Hidden Gems of Morong, Bataan (and that time we witnessed a pawikan lay eggs)” →

0

Bahay-na-Bato in Luna, La Union: Stone Art Gallery, Noble Home, and Pebble Beach

I kept hearing about Bahay-na-Bato from friends and acquaintances, but I suppose they were never enough to pique my interest to make the effort to personally go there. It wasn’t until the parentals made a spontaneous decision to go on a day trip out to Luna, La Union to check out Bahay-na-Bato that I *kinda* looked into it. When I realized there’s a 3D art gallery featuring stone art, as well as a pebble beach nearby, then I went, I’M IN.
Continue reading “Bahay-na-Bato in Luna, La Union: Stone Art Gallery, Noble Home, and Pebble Beach” →

0

The Binanga Falls in Shilan, La Trinidad, Benguet

Confession time: I’ve lived all my life in La Trinidad (give or take a couple of years), and I never even knew there are waterfalls located within a 6-kilometer radius. Like, it takes less than half an hour to get there. And here I thought my level of awareness was relatively, well, respectable. But still, it’s good to be surprised at times, and this is one type of surprise I wouldn’t mind getting. Continue reading “The Binanga Falls in Shilan, La Trinidad, Benguet” →

0

High Up The Mt. Samat National Shrine (Dambana ng Kagitingan) in Bataan, Philippines

Heroism has taken on numerous definitions, and a lot of faces have been assigned to the word “heroes”. So much that, in my opinion, most of us have lost sight of what it truly means. Worse, most of us have ceased to care about what it really meant, and just throw the word “hero” around lightly. But there is a little bit of relief to be had in knowing that there are still some places – albeit too few already – that serve as reminders of the “heroism” that served as one of the main catalysts of building the national identity that we have today. One of those places that endure to this day is the Dambana ng Kagitingan situated at the Mt. Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan.

Continue reading “High Up The Mt. Samat National Shrine (Dambana ng Kagitingan) in Bataan, Philippines” →

0

First Climb for 2019: Mt. Ugo Traverse (From Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya to Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet) Pt. 2

Normally, when you’re exhausted, it takes no effort at all to fall into sleep. But I doubt that any of us got a decent shut-eye that night because, despite the blankets, it was hella cold. Especially towards the dawn, I think the temperature dropped somewhere between 6 and 8 degrees Celsius. And the wind was so strong, too, that I thought a storm was coming. When the lights turned on at 3:00 am, everyone just roused easily, mayhap because they have been awake all along.

For my part, I woke up countless times through the night, checking the time on my phone and feeling frustrated, thinking “WHY ISN’T IT 3 AM YET!”
Continue reading “First Climb for 2019: Mt. Ugo Traverse (From Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya to Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet) Pt. 2” →

2

First Climb for 2019: Mt. Ugo Traverse (From Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya to Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet) Pt. 1

Like everyone else, I have high hopes for 2019, and it goes without saying that I also look for ways to start the year “right”, and by “right”, I mean by doing something I love and enjoy. My first climb for 2019 (and I say that with certainty, because this sure as hell ain’t going to be my last and only one for this year!) involved traversing through the much-climbed Mt. Ugo, starting from the municipality of Kayapa in Nueva Vizcaya on the first day, and ending at Brgy. Tinongdan in Itogon, Benguet the following day.

Continue reading “First Climb for 2019: Mt. Ugo Traverse (From Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya to Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet) Pt. 1” →

0

A Taste of Kawasan Falls in Badian, Cebu

When the name “Kawasan” comes up in conversations, in adventure-seekers and nature-lovers’ circles, in particular, “canyoneering” would be the logical thing to come to mind. After all, the place has become famous for its canyoneering activities. Which I’d also love to do. And we were already there. Too bad we didn’t have enough time, because you’d need at least more than half a day for it. Which we didn’t have. So we just settled for checking out the waterfalls instead.

Continue reading “A Taste of Kawasan Falls in Badian, Cebu” →

1

Island-hopping & Sardine Run in the Waters of Moalboal, Cebu

In a way, I think climbing mountains is kinda akin to going island-hopping. Just as no mountain climbing or hiking experience is the same, each island-hopping experience has something unique to offer. So don’t go out there and be like “oh, I think I’ll pass on going out into the water today, because it’s pretty much the same as that time I went island-hopping in so-and-so” because that’s. just. rubbish. (I know someone who has that mentality and I seriously pity him.) Continue reading “Island-hopping & Sardine Run in the Waters of Moalboal, Cebu” →

3

Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren.

Up ↑