Get Lost and You Shall Find...McArthur - Visayas Leg Part 3

After that wonderful dinner at Guiseppe's we retired early as we planned to leave Tacloban by daybreak. Peluchi, a childhood friend who is now based in the city, suggested we go see McArthur's Landing, the monument erected to mark his return to the Philippines as was promised. As I moved out the parking slot of our hotel, I thought that we should just head straight for the road so we could catch the ferry to Surigao before lunch. So I plotted my course using Maps from my iPhone, taking the shortest route going back to the Pan-Philippine Highway. The Maps app had been so dependable all the way from Manila to Tacloban that I wouldn't head out without consulting it. Well what do you know! We got lost. We ended up at the coast instead of the highway, exactly where the monument was. McArthur won't be denied. So there we were at 5:30 in the morning wading with the giants!

If ever you're in Tacloban please don't ever miss this spot or at least try to get lost like we did and then end up here. We actually stayed longer than planned because it got Bettina curious about that moment in Philippine History. And if you are a single parent you will take any and all forms of motivation that would get your kids to actually love their history and all other subject lessons at school. And when your kid gets excited finding her schoolmate's great grandfather's name, once president of this nation, inscribed in the memorial then that would be the perfect time to reinforce that history is fact and not some fictional literature meant to torture young students.

I remember that I once sat on an Alumni Board and worked with Jose Rizal's great grand daughter. I had no idea they were related until years after when I read an article about the national hero's house in Calamba that she wrote about. For some reason, growing up I was lulled into thinking that our national heroes are similar to comic book super heroes who lived in a different dimension. I guess the glowing write ups about their exploits during their respective moments in history didn't help, as it made them look like fictional characters with their high ideals and patriotism. Too perfect, surely they don't exist or never existed. I eventually realized they were once flesh and blood. I also once thought of Jesus that way. Back in Grade 4 I demanded from my teacher, Ms. Nocete-Ampong, proof that Jesus once lived on earth. She went to her desk and gave me a bible :-). Could it be just me or are we wired to be cynical about heroes and their exploits?

For sure heroes are five sigma events, a statistical rarity with a 1 in 1,744,278 chance of occurring. There need to be a confluence of events that would allow an opportunity for one to be a hero. Aside from that he/she needs to be there at the right time and the right place. But like all statistical probabilities they do happen and will happen. And at times like how it was 10 years ago today 9-11, they would happen one time big time. I know now heroes do not just belong to the historical past and they all need not be doing one-for-the-books-and-will-surely-be-a-movie kind of act. Heroes and their heroic acts abound us everyday. I was moved by that little girl recently awarded for her patriotic act of saving the Philippine flag in the middle of a storm same way as reading about those passengers who fought the terrorists for control of the plane so it will not wreak more havoc. It is my responsibility to erase any doubt my kids may have about heroes like I had growing up. I have to make them believe that everyday somebody out there is a real hero, actually 3,884 of them at any one time if my 5 sigma estimate is correct. I hope you would make your kids believe too!

I Know Where They Moved The Cheese: Tacloban - Visayas Leg Part 2

I love cheese and I'm so glad my kids share my passion for it. I was pleasantly surprised that at the age of 4 Diego's favorite snack was an open face blue cheese sandwich. He was never bothered by the stinky smell or the strong, biting taste. Bettina on the other hand loves munching on Parmesan. Our usual after dinner snack would be a plate of both varieties, potato chips and cheese dip, and 2 chocolate mallows each. Cheese time is bonding time. More often than not the topic would be vacation or places we would want to visit. I use the time and the globe beside the table for a simple geography lesson. It is no surprise then that top most on our list of places to see would be Italy for the cheese and the cheese pizza. Bettina wants to see a whole uncut Parmegiano Reggiano in the flesh. Apparently we did not have to wait long and travel far. After the scary eye of the storm experience traversing the island of Samar, Peluchi, a childhood friend from my hometown and her daughter invited us for dinner at Guiseppe an Italian restaurant in Tacloban. Guiseppe would shame a good number of Italian restaurants in Manila. The service is great and it has a deli that could rival Santi's or Terry's Deli in Manila. The best part is they actually have a whole uncut Parmegiano Reggiano. Bettina was so excited seeing the thing that she took half a dozen photos. Who would have thought that they moved the cheese in Tacloban and that we would see it during this road trip?

I am not sure how many of you have read the book of Spencer Johnson,Who Moved My Cheese?. In a nutshell it talks about the human tendency to freeze then complain when faced with change or a crisis situation instead of adapting and innovating in an allegory of how mice and men react when the supply of cheese they found together finally ran out. I was quietly chuckling to myself remembering the book when Bettina was taking pictures of the cheese. It's meant to be a business book but I have always thought that it should be required reading material for high school, some sort of life guide. I was told that the owner of Guiseppe is Italian who has opted to migrate and retire in Tacloban. I did not get to know him personally and if the restaurant is actually his namesake (it would be nice to and let us assume it is), but one thing is for sure he has transported the best things he knows about and the best goods and produce of his home country in a far away land near where Magellan first landed and where Gen. McArthur landed when he returned to the Philippines as promised.

I have great respect for migrants in all their forms. It takes a lot of courage to leave behind what you are familiar with. To let go of one's support system. To strike anew without certainty. I admire these ultimate risk takers. Granted that telecommunications technology and social media has everyone connected to their roots, family, and old friends it is still quite a challenge to build one's sphere or circle of influence in unfamiliar surroundings. It is still easier to just stay where you are then kick back and relax, even if you know the cheese is almost gone or has gone stale. There would always be a thousand and one reasons to justify not moving or doing anything.

However for Guiseppe and a lot of my friends who are out there slowly recreating and expanding their circles, they know that clearly home is where you make it. And now that I have praised your courage and pioneering spirit please, please, please leave me some of that cheese or better yet send them over in a balikbayan box!

In the Eye of the Storm You will be Blind - Visayas Leg Part 1

There's a reason most people take road trips during summer time. The weather will spring no surprises. But where's the thrill in that right? Road trips should equal spontaneity. You make your usual plans of course, like where to stop, accommodations, safety considerations, weather forecast et al, the timing however should always be flexible. The trip somehow always starts right when it is decided on whim and your co-travelers are given just enough time to pack but not enough time to back out. That is the ingredient that turns it from a mere trip to an adventure. Road trips are really stories on wheels and so there's always a plot. Tension is built. First things go right and then things go wrong. Then when they're supposed to go right again that's when all hell breaks loose and things really go way wrong! But since a story will have to be told and retold somehow the character or characters survive not totally unscathed but either just thankful or hopefully better and learned. Visayas provided one of the tension or conflict and then the climax for our road trip from Manila to Southern Mindanao.

It started really well. We caught the 12:30 pm ferry from Matnog in Luzon island, the gateway to the Visayas, for the port of Allen, Samar. We were the last car allowed to board the boat. Had we been late it would have been another 2 hours of waiting time and we would surely be driving at night on the way to Tacloban City our planned pit stop. It was sunny and the sea was calm. The ferry ride was short around an hour and thirty minutes and since we were the last to board we were the first to alight from the ferry. We were on our merry way to Tacloban by 2:21 pm (yes, exactly that time per FB for iPhone Places feature). I estimated that the 250 kilometer drive would take us at least 4 hours. There would be 2 cities along the way Calbayog then Catbalogan both in the island of Samar. It seemed luck was on our side. I expected the road to be the worst in this part of the trip. Years back when I traveled the same route the road could not even be called that. Proof to my theory of the cycle of life of our paved roads in the country, it was very much newly reconstructed and smooth since it has just been over a year since the last National elections. We were at Calbayog by 3:30 and we decided to continue all the way to Catbalogan for some rest and snack. Again the ride was smooth as silk totally uneventful. We were there by 4:30 pm.

We found a restaurant in what seemed to be the chicken inasal (roasted chicken Visayan style) row of the City. The name of the place escapes me now. It was after the owner for sure and unfortunately I did not take any picture. I told everyone we could take our sweet time because we were already more than half way to Tacloban. Meal for 4 was 350 Pesos ( roughly 8US$ ). That was one whole jumbo size roasted chicken, unlimited rice, Nilagang Baka ( similar to Corned Beef in clear stew) and drinks. Things were all going according to plan. But I should have known better! One is always fed well before being guillotined. And when you actually have chicken it gets worse!

We left Calbayog City around 5:15. We were less than two hours away from San Juanico bridge. Fifteen minutes on the road it was suddenly dark and the rain came. We were still within city limits and the first ominous thing happened, we got lost. We followed the road hugging the coast but ended up in a dead end street. We had to travel back around 5 kilometers to find the Maharlika Highway again. By then daylight was gone and the weather has turned for the worst. The road too had turned from well paved and smooth to slippery, twisty, uphill and narrow. Visibility was 2 meters. We welcomed and cursed the fact that it was night time. It was comforting that at least we would know if other vehicles are nearby because of their headlights but then the pounding rain and the dark of night virtually made us blind. Unbeknown to us at that time we were in the middle of a storm. One of the most devastating of the year that eventually ravaged cities, towns, provinces we were just in a few days back. Typhoon Juaning made landfall in Samar and we were in the eye of it. I forgot and let this be a lesson to all travelers out there. The weather forecast time frame is meant for how soon it will hit the National Capital Region and nearby provinces leaving most Eastern areas in the Philippines facing the Pacific caught unaware of the severity of a weather disturbance.

We slowed to a crawl. We averaged 20 kilometers per hour. Stopping was never an option since we could feel the wind rock the car with its strength. We were very quiet. Three grown men and a little lady and only one was courageous enough to say what we all had in mind. "Dad I'm really, really scared...", Bettina's voice was trailing off fearing that the mere admittance will bring us to a worse condition. I could not remember what I replied to comfort her. Maybe because I was not too confident about it. I remember blaming myself though for enjoying the chicken inasal too much and lingering longer than we should have had at Catbalogan City. When Bettina broke the silence it somehow made all of us embrace the fear. And when that happens it's when the mind begins to work again. I was navigating and Roland was driving. I remembered we overtook a bus 10 kilometers prior. I told him to wait for it so we could use it as our guide. I assumed the driver of the bus who has taken this route many times over would help us safely reach our destination. And then I silently prayed. I guess He listened.

We reached San Juanico bridge at 8:30 pm. 2 hours behind our schedule. We were too tired to even stop and admire the bridge that was once the longest and most grand in Asia. Designed longer than necessary and most probably cost taxpayers many times more than actually needed. We only have this measly picture to prove we passed through it. But we had an experience of a lifetime that may not be too easy and comforting to share. However I think all answered prayers need to be because answered prayers are miracles no matter how small or insignificant hence this blog. For us getting out of that storm was Himala (Filipino word for miracle). Minor events all conniving for a good story to tell about the power of prayer. And it is also a good segue for me to leave you with another music video from a favorite Filipino band of mine, Rivermaya. The title though may be the only thing appropriate for this blog :-).

The Paved Road Connoisseur - Luzon Leg Part 6

Cement or asphalt? Mixed? Before or after election? Administration or Opposition? When you travel close to 1,800 kilometers of the Maharlika Highway or the Pan-Philippine Highway you will be an expert on what would be the best material for paving roads. and if you have traveled from the Northern Philippines all the way down South many times over you would also know when the best time to travel is so that your brain remains intact at the end of the trip and your vehicle is still road worthy! If you follow Philippine politics and are very observant then you also would know who is close to the current administration and who is not!

I would go for asphalt anytime though I have to qualify that. It would make for the smoothest travel if and only if they follow the required thickness for the expected load of vehicles traveling. Unfortunately most of our asphalt paved roads seem to have an expiry date! And they all seem to deteriorate at exactly the same time all over the country. Around 1 year before election date which is every 3 years. And cement which is supposed to be more durable actually has the same expiration date. The Philippines is situated in the ring of fire and the Maharlika or Pan-Philippine Highway is in the Eastern coast facing the Pacific. Using cement is not practical at all. Sections would detach from each other and cracks would dot the pavement due to the earth's movement. The National Government has been repaving this highway for decades and we are supposed to have the best engineers in the world yet we still have one of the worst Main Artery road in Asia!

During this trip I was expecting that the section of the Highway in the Province of Samar would be the worst. It always held that distinction for me based on my previous road trips. I was so surprised to find out, that was no longer the case.The section from Lucena to Naga now holds that distinction, a total surprise considering this connects two very progressive cities.

The best and most well maintained would be from Legaspi all the way to Sorsogon and the port of Matnog the gateway to the Visayas. I remember two straight stretches at least 5 kilometers long sandwiched between rice fields. You have to be wide awake at these parts though or else you just might doze off as the drive would be too relaxing.

If you plan to make this road trip you won't need a 4X4. A small car would still do but if you are in a bit of a hurry a vehicle with bigger tires would be a necessity. A pick-up truck would be perfect for hauling various knick-knacks, fruits, and souvenirs along the way and the smell of which won't bother the passengers inside. I still feel bad not being able to buy the tasty Vinegar in Quezon Province.

Depending on your car's fuel efficiency it is safe to assume you would utilize One and a half full tank of gas by the time you board the Ferry from Matnog to Allen, Samar. Matnog is 650 kilometers away from the city center of Manila. Refill for a full tank at Naga or Legaspi City and you would be assured to reach Tacloban City with enough to spare. Cash is still king in the province, your plastic may in fact stay in your wallet as soon as you leave the island of Luzon. Gasoline prices though will be very expensive in Samar and Leyte compared to Luzon. Expect to pay 10% to 20% more! The ferry will charge you roughly Php 2,000 (46US$) for the transport of your vehicle and 4 passengers. It will be a short trip across, around one and a half hours only. If you left early from Naga like I suggested you would be able to take the 12:30 pm ferry even with the Mt. Mayon pictorial and a comfortable breakfast in Legaspi City. The ferry would leave the Matnog port every 2 hours. If you want to reach Tacloban City early in the evening you have to take this 12:30 boat ride.

Like I previously mentioned in my past blogs the road signs are very visible and clear. The metric system is in use and the language is in English. Beware though in the City of Iriga. The right turn sign in the middle of the city that says "To Legaspi" is actually placed after the street that you are supposed to take! I actually ended up in a one way street opposite 2 huge trucks and a cabal of police officers very much ready to issue me a traffic citation. An apologetic smile and clear explanation of why I ended up there got me off the hook. If you are a foreigner, then good English with an accent will even get you an escort back to the right way. If you look Filipino however please don't even try using that slang it will just get you into more trouble, they're used to family members or relatives who work for call centers speaking that way :-).

It took me 6 articles to finally leave the island of Luzon but in fact it will take just 12 to 14 hours drive. It is highly suggested that in a road trip like this, one should take his/her own sweet time. Take as many stops as you can. Stretch as many times as possible. Open your car windows because this is one of those rare moments.

Mt. Mayon "Sadok of Luzon" - Luzon Leg Part 5

I don't want to confuse my readers. I am back in Manila now. In fact it's been more than a week since I got home. In between though some articles had to be prioritized and my kids recently started their new school year. Though the sequence of my blog has been altered I intend to post the full version of the snippets I have kept throughout my road trip at that time and hopefully get you all back in the time line I originally wanted to set.

Salakot Photo courtesy of Ninh Nguyen's blog

Sadok - is the Sorsogon Province's term for the Filipino word Salacot. Neither “hat” in English nor "sombrero" in Spanish will ever translate to Salacot. Much would be lost in the translation if these two words were used. Salacot is never an English cap or a Spanish gorra. Salacot refers to the peculiar broad-brimmed headgear, mostly conical in shape, worn by Filipinos as they work in the fields and the sea. Lacking words for it, Salacot is already in Spanish and English dictionaries as filipinism, or words they borrowed from us ( Source Elmer I. Nocheseda - avid Salacot collector ); Sadok is also one of the most popular restaurants serving batchoy ( hot noodle soup popular in Ilo-Ilo City ) in my Hometown "Cannery" in South Cotabato, Philippines.

Sadok is what came to my mind the first time I saw Mt. Mayon suddenly bursting into view as we were headed to Legaspi from Naga. Maybe because I was headed home hence the restaurant's logo which is this headgear, popped in my head. I have no idea if the Salacot or Sadok was patterned after this perfectly shaped Volcano because you would see workers by the roadside planting rice wearing Salacot. 

 

Bettina: "Most Unforgettable!"

Ever reliable Roland

The symmetry of Mayon, rather (risking reverberation and cliché here), the perfection will surely take your breath away! The road ahead of me suddenly had numerous vehicles parked on the side of the road with passengers taking countless photos. The smiles were of genuine awe. In my daughter's words even if we weren't even half way of our journey, "Dad, this is the most unforgettable part of this trip!". I have seen this Volcano many times, even at night with flowing lava aglow but every time I can't help but feel so proud that this stands on Philippine soil. The Cagsawa Ruins will be a few kilometers before you reach the city of Legaspi. This is the perfect spot for taking pictures. There's even a river just before you reach the ruins that adds more beauty to the natural setting. The road leading to the ruins is narrow and could easily be missed despite the numerous signs before it. Best to be here early before the souvenir stores open or else you will be pulled in all directions except the view of the ruins itself. Don't bring a drunk friend or a war monger because they sell bolos, balisongs or batangas (butterfly blade popular in the Philippines), and itaks here. These are all variations of knives that are actually sold sharp! A bit of trivia on the etymology of balisong: "While the meaning of the term balisong is not entirely clear, a popular belief is that it is derived from the Tagalog words baling sungay (literally, "broken/folding horn") as they were originally made from carved carabao and stag horn. These knives are also referred to as "fan knives", "click clacks" and "butterfly knives". (Source: Ever reliable Wikipedia - the blogger's best friend).

The Cagsawa ruins is what is left of a Franciscan church destroyed in an 1814 eruption of Mt. Mayon. Yes this beauty is an active volcano and can be very destructive. Contrary to popular belief it did not bury the whole church nor is this a really tall bell tower. See an attached photo again from our reliable source Wikipedia. The facade is clearly shown with the church entrance still both very visible. 

This is a place to visit at least once in your lifetime especially if you are Filipino. Showing this to your kids early on will also instill in them appreciation for our own natural wonders and that God did not only bless the countries that National Geographic, Discovery and History Channel keep on featuring.There is something about natural wonders that stimulates the soul and refreshes the weary. Couple it with viewing the ruins and you will surely get the message that you are not gonna be here for long. So better get started with that bucket list.


Back to Sadok my favorite restaurant growing up, I also remembered my good friend Kimo the eldest son of the owners Nonoy and Lucy Pido, who was one of my childhood best friends. On the road I kept on chuckling with the thought that he would would have enjoyed FaceBook and all new social media the most. He died pre-ipad, pre-iphone and pre-facebook. But he was most active during the VHF radio days. He would drag me late at night to meet new found friends on what used to be called eyeball sessions. I was really easy to convince because his Dad's batchoy was really delicious and getting it for free doubly so! He was deft in coordinating/operating communication traffic on a fairly limiting technology of PTT (Press-To-Talk) and two-way communication. Surely he would have been an early adapter of new social media. 

I then realized that indeed in any trip, it is the journey not the destination. Driving on a long stretch of road with natural wonders around you, you also travel down memory lane further enriching the experience and the pictures can't even tell half of the story!

Lost in Translation

- Why I would vote for Sebuano as the common language if the confusion of tongues were to be taken back.

I have never laughed so much in my life unceasingly over days. My daughter was wondering aloud, “Why are you so happy nowadays?”. You see I am a recent member of a FaceBook group whose members all come from the same Hometown. I have been glued to my seat in front of my desktop ever since the group was created. My kids have noticed me laugh and nearly roll on the floor at times (ROFL is not just hyperbole you know). I would make them read the comments and posts but they would just look at me silly on why I find it so amusing. Firstly they hardly understood it and then most of them were contextual or anecdotal in nature. The Language we use in the group is a mix of English, Tagalog, Sebuano (Cebu’s dialect) and Ilonggo (dialect of Ilo-Ilo and Bacolod) called Saksak-Sinagol, literally meaning thrown and mixed together.

Saksak-Sinagol though would mostly be Sebuano. My hometown is a mix of different migrants from various Philippine provinces brought together by the Food Company Dole Philippines in a Southern Mindanao province called South Cotabato and majority speak that dialect. It wouldn’t sound pleasing to the ear for a non-native speaker. It is a hard language and may sound too harsh or disrespectful at times. Surprisingly though I find the native speakers of the dialect the most humorous lot! I am no linguist but compared to 3 local dialects I know plus English both Brit and American, Sebuano would make you laugh or smile within 2 to 3 sentences.

It is not slapstick for sure. Sarcastic at times but right away paired with self-deprecation. Witty yes, but it doesn’t over reach looking for only the smart and in-the-know audience who nod at each other laughing, both glad and smug that only they understood the joke. Sebuano somehow always reminds the speaker that his aim is to reach out to as many and not alienate anyone. It would be too long if you don’t get a Sebuano joke in 3 seconds!

This brings me to my theory. It was really Lapu-Lapu’s intention to only bring wooden weapons at the Battle of Mactan. Most probably Magellan and his men were rolling on the beach laughing at the sight. And Lapu-Lapu and his men approached them laughing along with everyone. They were disarmed by the humor of it all. The Spaniards were made comfortable enough to allow them to come nearer until the long arms of the Spaniards were of no use in hand to hand combat.

You see if you have a friend who is Sebuano you would undoubtedly fall for their charm. Their ability to find humor in everything and point to their weaknesses as sources of laughter will surely bring your defenses down. Sebuanos and the Saksak-Sinagols of Dole Cannery are made of sterner stuff because of this. Bring them anywhere and they will persevere and prosper. Their language has wired them to take everything in stride and that there will always be something to laugh about. They have wooden swords hidden in invisible scabbards that always goes along with them where ever they go. That is why if God would give us a chance again to have a common tongue I would choose Sebuano because a wooden sword will surely not kill me and I would rather die from too much laughing :-).

I Built It and They All Came: The Piñahan of Our Dreams

- Forget about the seemingly egotistical title that would be the only time it will be about this author.

It was not an original idea at all. Fresh, yes, but still more of a creative adaptation. FaceBook, rather one of its members, has sprouted a new fad for social interaction. The seemingly harmless and unobtrusive “You know you are an (insert your group here)...” group invitation that asks you to complete the sentence based on anecdotal experience. It was almost always open and non-restrictive but purely bounded by respect, self-discipline, and a lot of self-deprecation. The facts will surely out the impostor or at the very least correct a long-held, protected or otherwise created reality of a member. It was totally unwise not to join the bandwagon and I wanted to be in the front outer seat so that before it overturned it would be easy to jump! Thus “Taga-Cannery ka kung...” (You are from Cannery if...) was born. It was a perfect complement to my recently created blog about traveling to my Hometown. Purely coincidental and yes highly opportunistic.

For the uninitiated Cannery is the Dole Philippines Cannery (The Pineapple and now more other food Company) at Polomolok, South Cotabato in the island of Southern Mindanao in the Philippines. Say where? Yup even up to now with Google Maps and Google Earth it would be quite difficult to explain the geographical location of what I and apparently many more fanatically claim as our “Hometown Paradise”. Thanks to Manny Pacquiao it would be much easier to explain that it is a 20-minute hour drive from his two mansions in General Santos City.

The first post which I now believe was sheer luck on my part to have written because I actually fired off almost 20 in a row was about Badin or Baden pronounced and spelled according to your tongue’s dexterity but never ever with the American twang for “a” as in ey-pol (apple) rather “a” for Achtung (I swear many would claim Hitler was “BisDak” Bisayang Dako). Badin was our one and only beloved homeless man. Well homeless is not even the right term because he would actually live in 3 different houses of very nice and welcoming families. His movement is dependent on the amount of housework available for him to do in either of them. He was an amiable guy, harmless. He had a thousand and one personalities though depending on one’s perspective. Young kids feared him mostly due to the parents making him look like the boogie man. He was a drinking buddy for some. He wasn’t perfect, he had his flaws but our community accepted him. It was frowned upon when kids or even adults would try to harm him. I could not say it before but I know it now we all loved him! There and then talking about this guy the community grew exponentially. My mailbox was filled with requests for membership from friends, acquaintances, and a lot of people I could not remember. I added friends even with just an inkling of connection to Cannery. It was spectacular. It was sweet. I felt like Mark Zuckerberg in the early days of Facebook, really!

202 members in 24 hours and 235 unique posts. Not much you say but imagine that 80% of this people have never seen or talked to each in more than 2 decades! It was comparable to amoeba fed with sour milk. I added more Admins. My notifications went crazy. I egged it on. I knew of friends online who were there still, even from the very beginning just like me. We were crazily competing for the most memorable posts! The most number of comments! All agreeing that if we tell an outsider about how the company would use a truck to wet the dirt road going to the city with pineapple juice to get rid of the dust that they would all think we were not just crazy but has the tallest tale of all!

We would all have looked stupid laughing on our own in the wee hours of the morning. Some were online on the dot during lunch break, coffe break, dismissal time, in between rests from doing laundry and taking care of the kids. I wonder how many children were surprised they were sent to bed 2 hours earlier than usual! Members from different time zones would suddenly pop up during their day time. It was like a perpetual machine. And then I had to sleep and I had the most amazing dreams about my childhood!

And when I woke up it was already a world of its own. A Wikipedia of our wonder years. A Wikipedia of our Soul! We rebuilt the Piñahan of our Dreams on the web. And now it will forever be immortalized. Honed and refined but most importantly revisited and cherished. Three generations linked to a community of less than a hundred houses who I’m sure would have all said a prayer or two for Badin :-).

If you know Bisaya (both Illonggo and Sebuano) visit our open group Taga Cannery ka kung... If you have a picture of Badin please PM them to me.

Naga/Pili's Field of Dreams - Luzon Leg Part 4

The first time I went to CWC (CamSur Water Sports Complex) was two weeks before the First Philippine Wakeboard Nationals. It was such an exhilarating experience I made sure I went back to witness the historic event. That was almost 5 years to the day. The 6th Nationals to be held soon will now be in a new complex much nearer to the Capital at Nuvali in Santa Rosa Laguna managed and develop by the same people namely Governor of CamSur Lray Villafuerte and team. The CWC though will always remain a testament to the Governor's vision and unwavering belief. He single-handedly built Naga or technically Pili's, Field of Dreams. It was exactly that but not in film but in flesh. Who would have thought that people would endure 8-10 hours drive or bus ride to visit the complex? Granted that there were flights from Manila but at that time the servicing airlines never thought it wise to reduce their horrendously high fares. But people came in droves. Apparently many wanted to try walking on water and some even manage to walk then fly in style over a man-made lake. And the complex was not just a me-too design. It was and is world class. The most modern in the world at that time. Imagine most modern in the world and Philippines in one sentence! Boy did it make dreams come true. Rockstar boarders flying over to show their stuff, MTV marketing, top-notch service and quality accommodations. Now the once sleepy agriculture based city is no longer just known for its Pili nut delicacies and proximity to Mayon volcano but a top-draw tourist attraction. I could go on and on talking about CWC but I think a full paragraph would be enough to convince you that if you plan to take a road trip from Manila to Mindanao you better make sure you stay a night. I wouldn't be surprised if you just opt to stay in the complex instead because at the very least it will invigorate you for the remaining endless hours of driving ahead of you.

That's me on the right and Bettina beside her Uncle Noel

It is the perfect pit stop. There is the pool that would surely relax you right away. The beer is always cold. The waiters are dying to serve you like royalty. The food choices are diverse. And the best part about this place is it won't cost you an arm and a leg. Unlike other self-contained resorts this place will not make you feel like an exploited detainee. World class amenities and service with Provincial pricing, perfect formula for those with champagne tastes but beer budget.

If you still have energy after the long drive you could wakeboard, wakeskate, ski, bike, run, swim and more. Check in after sunset and the cable park would still accommodate you. Embarrassed that you're a newbie? They have a separate area for training beginners.

Roland our family driver was so tired sitting as my passenger for almost 8 hours he needed a massage. He got one for 300 Pesos roughly 7US$ by the lakeside where you could watch the intermediate boarders strut their stuff.

We chose two tiki huts for our accommodations. 1,100 Pesos per unit/night around 24US$. Each air-conditioned unit could accommodate two adults. It's not their premium room. In fact I think it is the most basic. But it faces the main pool and the cable park. All the other accommodations they have can't beat the view. Downside is you have to share a common bath/comfort room. You'd be lucky like we were if it is off season. You would end up with a comfort room 4 times the size of your own tiki hut. Be warned though that they close the lights around 2 a.m. and if you get the urge to go take a leak after that time better not be afraid of the dark. Better yet bring your own arinola (that's Filipino for portable potty) and pray you or your roommate will only need it for peeing and not for #2. If you're interested to know what an arinola looks like check out the Parokya ni Edgar video that follows. Chito Miranda the lead singer is holding on to it the whole time in the video. If you're reading this with your kids the Music Video is rated PG.

Me and my pretty blogging sidekick

Ok enough of portable potties and back to the trip. Wake up early on day two of your road trip. Try to leave CWC before 6:30 a.m. If you need to blog and catch up on your email, facebook or G+ get up at 5 a.m. The rest of the guests will still be snoring or nursing massive muscle pains from boarding the previous day. You won't be hearing chirping birds or crowing roosters here but the enveloping silence and the site of a huge body of water while the sun gently rises will have more kick than a dozen cups of coffee. I assure you the place will be clean. No leftover dishes or beer bottles here. It's like, the night before, the personnel prepared the place for the inauguration of the complex. Leaving by 6:30 am or earlier will assure that you would be in the Cagsawa Ruins near Legaspi City by 8 a.m. That would give you enough time to appreciate one of the best geographical wonders of the earth the Mayon Volcano and ample time to look for McDonald's in a city that would be fully awake by then. However, the beauty of Mayon deserves its own blog so tata for now!

Billboards Work But Marketing Jacks Up Pricing- Luzon Leg Part 3

No I'm not talking about the "controversial" EDSA billboards of scantily clad men and women. Instead I'm talking about the lowly commercial/private mile/kilometer markers that dot the country's Maharlika Highway. The Maharlika Highway or the Pan-Philippine Highway (AH26) is a 3517 km network of roads, bridges, and ferry services that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao in the Philippines, serving as the country's principal transport backbone (Sourced from Wikipedia as always :-) ). When you drive an average of 10 hours a day for 4 days they become a source of entertainment and at times desolation or hope.

After bypassing the bitukang manok (Zigzag route at the Quezon Province National Park. Please see previous post) which would have surely regurgitated our breakfast from Tiaong via the new diversion road we were looking forward to a good lunch. Googling for a good lunch venue did not yield any good lead. So from Atimonan onward we were looking at all the mile/kilometer markers of various establishments in search of good food. My favorite spotter, Bettina, which I'm sure I would not have been able to say no to fortunately did not find any McDonald's marker. Instead we found this.

From 10 kilometers out they dotted the road with their billboard every 2 kilometers or so and every 200 meters after the last kilometer mark. Now when you're hungry and you see a colorful and catchy billboard like this that tells you exactly how close you are as you speed up at the speed of your grumbling stomach you have unfortunately become a captive market. Don't get me wrong Hapag Kainan has the freshest food. We were served freshly caught squid stewed in its own ink, grilled tilapia and a massive fish head that was also stewed in a sour broth and never ending serving of rice. Inclusive of all the ingredients it was as organic as any food can get. But just like any organic food out there which are also well advertised and marketed they cost a lot. Maybe it was Fiesta at Tiaong that made the meal relatively expensive but at three at times the cost of our breakfast fiesta (500 Pesos or 11US$) and considering we were in the province and miles away from the city center paying Pesos 1,500 or 33US$ did not sit well with me. Note to self putting up the billboard cost money and they have to recoup it somehow, sucker!  


While we are at the topic may I add another reason why you should own Jollibee shares and why it trounces McDonald's in this country. Every Jollibee marker you see simply states the distance of their establishment from your location along the road. As you approach their establishment it would have directional arrows together with the distance. McDonald's on the other hand does not have any marker along the National road. It is when you approach the town center that you would begin to see the McDonald's emblem. The funny thing though is it marks the town center's major landmarks like the church, a school, the public market and the like but never the location or distance of the establishment itself! Bettina was so disappointed that it took us a long time to locate the McDonald's in Legaspi City even though we have seen tons of their emblem all over the city. We had to stop and ask the locals for direction. Note for the McDonald's marketing manager billboards are meant to convey information about your store's location to drive more sales! The marketing manager of Hapag Kainan in Plaridel, Quezon Province could teach you a thing or two about effective marketing tools.

The SkyLab, HabalHabal and the like, Filipino Ingenuity at its Best

The Skylab according to Wikipedia "was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched, initially unmanned, by a modified Saturn V rocket, and weighed about 77 metric tons in orbit by itself.^[1] Three manned missions to the station, conducted between 1973 and 1974 by an Apollo Command/Service Module (CSM) atop the smaller Saturn IB, each delivered a three-astronaut crew. During that time, an additional Saturn IB was on standby for rescuing those in orbit.
Numerous scientific experiments were conducted aboard Skylab during its operational life, and crews were able to confirm the existence of coronal holes in the Sun. Thousands of photographs of Earth were taken, and records for human time spent in orbit were extended. Plans were drawn up to refurbish and reuse Skylab, using the Space Shuttle to boost its orbit and repair it; however, in 1979, before the shuttle was ready, Skylab reentered Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated, with debris striking portions of Western Australia."

The reentry was a big media event in 1979. In the Philippines people were scared that the debris would cause massive damage and death. I remember as kids we were told to stay indoors all day everyday even a month after the reentry. I think in other parts of the world most people would no longer remember this event some may never even know it happened. In the Philippines however it made such a big impression we named a people transporter after it. Behold the Philippine SkyLab.

It definitely takes skill to drive one but it also takes skill and lots of guts to ride one! Imagine your feet hovering just inches above the pavement or a rough road or worse over nothing when you traverse a small bridge! The one you see here is a small version. There are "models" that seat 2 each side and 2 more at the back.

Crazy you would say but economical is how most view this transport. And aside from that no one need to compete for riding shotgun. You can have all five facing front. In the Philippines you don't need to go to a show to watch daredevils perform. Just take a road trip south of Manila. 

I really think this invention should be as well acclaimed as the karaoke among the ingenious Filipino creations.

While in the subject of modified motorcycle powered transport there is another one called Habal-Habal which you would find servicing towns in Southern Mindanao. It simply extends a 3-seater into an 8-seater motorcycle. One would seat on the gas tank and then 6 others would seat behind the driver where the seat has been extended to accommodate all of them. I leave you with a Visayas version of a modified Motorcycle. I hope someday someone would send me pics of the convertible/topdown motorcycles of Davao which I failed to capture. In the meantime imagine a huge Starbucks outdoor umbrella atop a tricycle that could be removed anytime. 

Of Urban Tarzan, Barf Bags, and Unforgettable Meals. - Luzon Leg Part 2

After our Fiesta breakfast in Tiaong back to the road we went. We chanced upon this Urban Tarzan. I guess it's the sign of the times. We were ironically headed to Quezon Province, one of the country's most forested region and here we have an Urban Tarzan having to make do with plastic junk food wrappers instead of tree leaves and bark. He looked healthy so I guess one can assume he does not dine on the junk food that covers his junk, pardon the pun can't help it :-).


Quezon Province is huge and is so geographically diverse. First thing in mind for some people would be surfing because of the popular Baler. For some it would be deforestation caused by illegal logging. Others would talk about its beaches. Whereas for me it's the bituka ng manok ( chicken entrails ). No not the food. But that zigzag road traversing the Quezon National Park. The thing made me so sick once. It is aptly named bituka because the turns are so tight, numerous and ridiculously angled. I rode a bus once and parents with their kids and some adults simultaneously held out their barf bags when we were near the area. I was totally unprepared like these guys. I will spare you that story because I'm sure you get what I mean.

If you decided to check out the beaches of San Juan then I suggest you stay overnight in Pagbilao. Just make sure you get there by 5 pm. During my last trip I read an article about the house of the mayor being rented out in the area, so we did. Just before sunset I brought the kids down to the beach where we noticed a lot of people gathering shells from the beach. They were humongous shells. I approached one man who had a huge bucket that was almost filled to the brim. I asked him if he was selling his "collection". He hesitated a bit and said yes for 40 Pesos. I could hardly hide my delight because I was ready to fork a 100 for it. I gave him 50 and told him to keep the change. That was what we had for dinner. The caretaker of the house cooked it for us. I won't ever forget that meal and I hope one of you could have the same experience soon. Do tell me about it.

Why the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) will always be a strong voting block, why you should own SM and Jollibee and why these topics belong to this road trip blog.

Don't worry this is going to be apolitical as much as possible. I just wanted to share a distinct pattern that I observed traveling from Manila all the way to Polomolok, South Cotabato.

The minute you exit the South Luzon Express Way every major city, town and barangay ( village ) will always have a well kept and maintained INC church. During my first road trip on the same route way back in 1992 this was already the case and the churches have kept their shine and luster ever since. Last Sunday while driving from Naga to Tacloban I also observed how well dressed in their Sunday Best the INC faithfuls are. They would all be seen from town to town trooping in groups on their way to church. No jeans, no shorts. Men in slacks and polo, women in dresses. The kids are similarly smartly dressed. The church doors are closed during the service and there would be no one loitering outside of the church. We often stereotype them for voting as a block during election but we hardly talk about their discipline and decency. Maybe Filipinos are not undisciplined like we are wont to comment. Maybe there's just not many of us who belong to the INC.

Two decades after that trip and Jollibee, SM, Mercury Drug have blanketed the countryside. In fact I would determine how far I am from my destination based on the Jollibee markers on the roadside. For sure that Jollibee would be in the city center. SM on the other hand makes traveling easier since most would be situated in newly created diversion roads that allow you to sidestep the busy, narrow, and crowded old town roads. I swear it has become the new town center creating new businesses around it including having mass schedule just before the mall opens. Genius! These shares will always be a buy in my books on a dollar averaging strategy. Nothing can be more Pinoy than Chicken Joy bought from an SM Mall. Ditto for Mercury Drug should they plan to list :-). Oh I'd buy me some SMB shares too. I lost count of the number of SMB delivery trucks we have seen on the road :-).

A Goat Feast - Luzon Leg Part 1

The plan was to leave at 5 in the morning but that was just a plan anyway :-). We wheeled off at 7 instead. Fortunately the weekend traffic was light and we were blessed with good weather. Breakfast at Tagaytay was scratched and we thought of having it at Villa Escudero instead. It was a non-eventful two hour drive going there.

My 3 passengers clearly were hungry when we alighted. Bad news, we were required to pay the full day resort fee even if all we wanted to have was breakfast. So Villa Escudero was scratched too. That was just a plan anyway :-). A few minutes drive though led us to Fiesta in Tiaong, Quezon Province.

The name did not disappoint we had a feast for breakfast. Goat feast that is. Kilawing Kambing ( Goat Ceviche ), Calderetang Kambing ( Goat Stewed in Tomatoes ), Papaitang Kambing and Sinigang na Hipon. Best part was it only cost us 500 Pesos (roughly 11US$) with drinks and bottled water for such an unusual breakfast feast.

Aside from Villa Escudero another popular spot near Tiaong would be the beaches of San Juan. I suggest when you take this road trip throw away a fixed schedule. It's fun to find out what is at the end of the intriguing fork in the road for those of you who are adventurous or at least search google maps with your handheld for those of you who are a bit more cautious. We opted to skip the beach because we are looking forward to a better one near the end of this journey, Gumasa Beach in Glan Saranggani Province.

Hometown Bound

I love long drives. Maybe because I got so used to commuting growing up. We never had a family car. Well at least since I was 4 years old ( My Dad died when he totaled our Beetle in 1978 ) until I got to buy my own when I was already 23. That's almost two decades of pedicab, bus, jeepney, taxi, and tricycle travel.

So when I got my own car I always had a reason or two to go out of town. Even when I'm abroad I would include scenic drives in my itinerary if possible. But no experience is comparable to driving in the Philippines. I vaguely remember an F1 driver visiting the Philippines make a comment about our crazy driving culture. Since I always see things half full my perspective is that learning to drive in the Philippines would pretty much prepare you for driving anywhere in the world be that the left or the right side of the road, since the line in the middle is just a suggestion anyway.

Anyway I am digressing. My long drives have taken me to the Northern most point of the Luzon Island and the Southern most tip of the Mindanao Island. I am eligible to carry a sticker in my car that says "From Polomolok to any point in the Philippines". Check the cargo trucks on the road and they always have that quoted in their bumper or sides.

Polomolok, South Cotabato is my hometown. That is where the Dole Pineapple Company has their plantation and cannery in the Philippines. I grew up there and left the place when I went to college. I have since been based in Manila but I would always let people know my roots whenever I have the chance. I would visit at least once a year.

This partly explains the main title of this blog site "Polomolok Flyer". And I found it fitting to base my first few articles on a purely spontaneous decision to drive starting tomorrow morning from Greenhills, Mandaluyong Metro Manila all the way to my hometown Polomolok, South Cotabato. I have done this 4 times before albeit in the pre-Facebook, pre-Blogging and pre-iPhone/iPad era.

So join me over the next few days as I document this trip with my daughter Bettina, Noel my Cousin and Roland our ever-reliable family driver ( I need someone to swap with when I get tired, or when I write and take photos :-) ).

Over time I would love to blog about short plane hops and itinerary for those who fly small planes like I do. In the meantime this will be about four wheel travel.