Peeping through the grills of the fence that separates the sea and the hotel, I noticed some people gleaning (it was a lowtide). Again, another dramatic scene I always wanted to capture through my lenses.
Negrenses are known for their culinary prowess, not mentioning their time-honored hospitality. They love to eat home-cooked and cheap meals, but not necessarily bad in taste, which is very typical of SU-TU-KILs or locally known as tulahan.
Indeed, seeing the vast valleys and mountain ranges all over Bukidnon offered a natural high. The cold breeze in mid-afternoon and the sun starting its descent gave that wonderful sense of freedom and tranquillity.
dining at OMG is an altogether unique experience, as one is able to appreciate Cordillera art and culture and at the same time able to relish the good food it serves.
Also known as the House of Dakay, it is believed that this is the oldest house in Batanes. This was was built in 1887 and the only stone house that was left after a strong earthquake that hit Batanes in September 13, 1918.
If you are just there as a transient before you need to go to another destination, and you' have some time to waste in Vigan, this itinerary might be good for you.
It is that moment when you want to look at realities, waiting for them to unfold right before your eyes, and be careful enough not to sugar-coat them just so I can make picturesque shots of people with dirty faces.
Mark Lapid, Philippine Tourism Authority General Manager
I had to inch my way through the crowd and I had to do all means to get a good vantage point of float parade. Changed from 150 mm which I prepared earlier, to my 300 mm. It was just too impossible to get through the thick crowd. Good thing I found a spot on an inclined road infront of the mall that allowed me to get better shots.
Missing the street dance competition on the first day almost dampened my mood, that is why I promised myself I had to photograph it by all means. It was my first day to attend the Panagbenga Festival, and I have to enjoy the big event.
Attending the Panagbenga had it's good and bad points, highs and lows, but overall, I am happy I have been part of it, at last! I thought photographing Aliwan Fiesta was already challenging, but Panagbenga is far more difficult to shoot.
I am just glad to share with you some of the photos I took.
Contingent from Taal, Batanagas, featuring their Batangas knife.
Having seen many photos of the church of the Monastery of Transfiguration in Flickr, I secretly wished to explore and spend at least a day in this place sometime in my lifetime. Out of the blue, it came like an answered prayer. God must have granted this secret wish to visit His Church, and perhaps, He knows that I have a penchant for photographing churches wherever I go. In fact, it just dawned over me while I write this article, and I thank God for that opportunity.
We did not have much time to spare though. It was just a quick stop, and I had to act a la guerilla—quick and suave. Of course, I did not put prayer on the side. After my prayer, admiring the place came next.
With a little time allotted, the whole complex was too big and wide to be explored, so I focused on the entire church itself—leaving out the architectural details like the altar, which I found out later to be actually a boulder that was specially chosen and transported from the river near the church. They polished rough edges to be usable as an altar. Now I regret having missed the details.
Be that as it may, the short jaunt was not short at all, for it gave me that lasting memory for having visited a holy place.While researching on this place for this blog, I noted some interesting facts:
It was designed by our National Artist for Architecture, Leandro Locsin;
Its pyramid-like structure represents religious symbols: the triangular roof means The Triune God, and its square base represents mankind’s equality in the eyes of God;
The Monastery was inaugurated on August 6, 1983, and is now on its 29th year;
The new complex that we see now was built 10 years later, that started during the laying of its cornerstone on August 6, 1993; The new complex was blessed on March 21, 2002;
It is a home to one of the most loved “Monks’ Blend” coffee;
Sitting on the top of the hill, where one can enjoy profound serenity in the midst of nature’s beauty, the church complex is perfect for living a monastic life, or spending several days for spiritual retreats by both the religious and the lay people—where human nature meets God—where Jesus acts as channel between temporal and eternal existence.
This reminds me of an essay by the eminent, former UN Secretary General, Carlos P. Romulo, "I am a Filipino", where he said:
"I sprung from a hardy race – child of many generations removed of ancient Malayan pioneers."
Indeed, Bahasa Malaysia and some Philippine dialects have a lot in common particularly Kapampangan, Ilocano, and Visayan dialects, and these words "tolak" and "tulak" which mean "push" is just one among the many. One just needs to listen carefully at the root words, and take note of the conjugation and spelling.
Cool! Isn't it?
Anyway, I am sharing with you the essay of Carlos P. Romulo, which, I remember, we have recited in high school in our speech class.
I AM A FILIPINO by Carlos P. Romulo, former Secretary-General of the United Nations
I am a Filipino – inheritor of a glorious past, hostage to the uncertain future. As such I must prove equal to a two-fold task- the task of meeting my responsibility to the past, and the task of performing my obligation to the future. I sprung from a hardy race – child of many generations removed of ancient Malayan pioneers. Across the centuries, the memory comes rushing back to me: of brown-skinned men putting out to sea in ships that were as frail as their hearts were stout. Over the sea I see them come, borne upon the billowing wave and the whistling wind, carried upon the mighty swell of hope- hope in the free abundance of new land that was to be their home and their children’s forever.
This is the land they sought and found. Every inch of shore that their eyes first set upon, every hill and mountain that beckoned to them with a green and purple invitation, every mile of rolling plain that their view encompassed, every river and lake that promise a plentiful living and the fruitfulness of commerce, is a hallowed spot to me.
By the strength of their hearts and hands, by every right of law, human and divine, this land and all the appurtenances thereof – the black and fertile soil, the seas and lakes and rivers teeming with fish, the forests with their inexhaustible wealth in wild life and timber, the mountains with their bowels swollen with minerals – the whole of this rich and happy land has been, for centuries without number, the land of my fathers. This land I received in trust from them and in trust will pass it to my children, and so on until the world is no more.
I am a Filipino. In my blood runs the immortal seed of heroes – seed that flowered down the centuries in deeds of courage and defiance. In my veins yet pulses the same hot blood that sent Lapulapu to battle against the alien foe that drove Diego Silang and Dagohoy into rebellion against the foreign oppressor.
That seed is immortal. It is the self-same seed that flowered in the heart of Jose Rizal that morning in Bagumbayan when a volley of shots put an end to all that was mortal of him and made his spirit deathless forever; the same that flowered in the hearts of Bonifacio in Balintawak, of Gergorio del Pilar at Tirad Pass, of Antonio Luna at Calumpit; that bloomed in flowers of frustration in the sad heart of Emilio Aguinaldo at Palanan, and yet burst fourth royally again in the proud heart of Manuel L. Quezon when he stood at last on the threshold of ancient Malacañang Palace, in the symbolic act of possession and racial vindication.
The seed I bear within me is an immortal seed. It is the mark of my manhood, the symbol of dignity as a human being. Like the seeds that were once buried in the tomb of Tutankhamen many thousand years ago, it shall grow and flower and bear fruit again. It is the insigne of my race, and my generation is but a stage in the unending search of my people for freedom and happiness.
I am a Filipino, child of the marriage of the East and the West. The East, with its languor and mysticism, its passivity and endurance, was my mother, and my sire was the West that came thundering across the seas with the Cross and Sword and the Machine. I am of the East, an eager participant in its struggles for liberation from the imperialist yoke. But I also know that the East must awake from its centuried sleep, shape of the lethargy that has bound his limbs, and start moving where destiny awaits.
For, I, too, am of the West, and the vigorous peoples of the West have destroyed forever the peace and quiet that once were ours. I can no longer live, being apart from those whose world now trembles to the roar of bomb and cannon shot. For no man and no nation is an island, but a part of the main, there is no longer any East and West – only individuals and nations making those momentous choices that are hinges upon which history resolves.
At the vanguard of progress in this part of the world I stand – a forlorn figure in the eyes of some, but not one defeated and lost. For through the thick, interlacing branches of habit and custom above me I have seen the light of the sun, and I know that it is good. I have seen the light of justice and equality and freedom and my heart has been lifted by the vision of democracy, and I shall not rest until my land and my people shall have been blessed by these, beyond the power of any man or nation to subvert or destroy.
I am a Filipino, and this is my inheritance. What pledge shall I give that I may prove worthy of my inheritance? I shall give the pledge that has come ringing down the corridors of the centuries, and it shall be compounded of the joyous cries of my Malayan forebears when they first saw the contours of this land loom before their eyes, of the battle cries that have resounded in every field of combat from Mactan to Tirad pass, of the voices of my people when they sing:
Land of the Morning,Child of the sun returning…Ne’er shall invaders, trample thy sacred shore.
Out of the lush green of these seven thousand isles, out of the heartstrings of sixteen million* people all vibrating to one song, I shall weave the mighty fabric of my pledge. Out of the songs of the farmers at sunrise when they go to labor in the fields; out of the sweat of the hard-bitten pioneers in Mal-ig and Koronadal; out of the silent endurance of stevedores at the piers and the ominous grumbling of peasants in Pampanga; out of the first cries of babies newly born and the lullabies that mothers sing; out of the crashing of gears and the whine of turbines in the factories; out of the crunch of ploughs upturning the earth; out of the limitless patience of teachers in the classrooms and doctors in the clinics; out of the tramp of soldiers marching, I shall make the pattern of my pledge:
“I am a Filipino born of freedom and I shall not rest until freedom shall have been added unto my inheritance – for myself and my children’s children – forever.
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The travel from Valencia, Bukidnon to Butuan City was quite long. A road construction along the Malaybalay area further delayed the travel by at least an hour. Save for the good roads from Cagayan de Oro to Butuan City. It has been past lunchtime and the bayside eateries along the beaches of Talisayan, Misamis Oriental were just perfect to replenish our growling tummies!
On the way, we dropped by Nita’s Restaurant that had“floating” dining areas. Not only was the fresh seafood great but the place had more than the usual ambiance. Why not? It offers a good view of the Bohol Sea and Gingoog Bay.
The food was simple but tasty. I just love the freshly made fish kinilaw. I forgot to ask what the name of the fish was, and it was too late when I remembered taking a photo again! You see, feasting on the food comes in first for me before taking photos, ergo the badly composed and arranged subject. It may look plain and drab in photos, but they do really taste good not just in photos! Well it’s better to taste it first then brag it, than brag a well-composed photo then be disappointed about the taste.
What struck me about the place is you get to be intimate with nature—the sun, sea, verdant hills and mountains and refreshing air —perfectly assembled right before your eyes to feast on. It is not just the food, but the natural beauty that is more than enough for a travel and photo junkie like me.
However, the downside of it—they are keeping a sea turtle in captivity. I have blogged about the pawikan of Bataan and from that brief encounter with the Pakiwan Center, I learned it is against the law to put sea turtles in captivity. Sure it is an added attraction that would entice and entertain customers, but not for someone like me who knows it is wrong.
The whole dining experience would have been awesome, had it not for the pawikan in captivity I saw. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt. For all we know, they might be holding a special permit to do it. However, I am not taking any chances. I have to do what I ought to do.
I took photos not for posterity but for documentation. I do not want to be a kill-joy, but I am a development worker, before I am a travel blogger. This blogger has already notified the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) about this concern and here is hoping they can free this turtle.
If you care about sea turtles and free those held in captivity, Please feel free to share this blog article. Thanks!
We were heading to Marawi City for a meeting with our program partner from Mindanao State University, when my lady boss spotted this rider and called my attention. Immediately, I grabbed my camera and took several shots. Good thing my camera was in a "P" mode that time so I wasted no time in the manual settings.
It was a sight to behold! Indeed, his physical disability did not hinder him to travel and move around! Aptly, the quote I put in my flickr album says:
The trick is not how much pain you feel - but how much joy you feel. Any idiot can feel pain. Life is full of excuses to feel pain, excuses not to live, excuses, excuses, excuses. - Erica Jong
With all the tasks at hand, there is no reason for me to say any excuses, in whatever manner that is applicable to me--especially in my backlogs in blogging. Time for me to set a more workable blogging and work schedule this time!
And for those who do not like to travel...Tara na! Byahe tayo!
Just a quick post to say I am missing more blogging and blog-hopping...and say hello to everyone!
Methinks, this is one for the books!
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Ver Overview seems like just is one of those stopovers along the Davao-Davao highway. Located at Kipolot, Barangay Palaopao, Quezon, Ver Overview and Nature Park renders a panoramic vista of the expansive rolling hills, plains and valleys of Bukidnon—and a 15-minute stop gave that lasting impression of the Bukidnon’s majestic charm.
Exploring the area in such a limited pee break is such a challenging yet exciting task. Wasting no time, I immediately grabbed my camera bag and went downhill to see what it has to offer—and I was not disappointed with what I saw.
Indeed, seeing the vast valleys and mountain ranges all over Bukidnon offered a natural high. The cold breeze in mid-afternoon and the sun starting its descent gave that wonderful sense of freedom and tranquillity.
But it is not just a highway stop.
More than just a viewpoint to Bukidnon’s charm and beauty, it also offers a valuable cultural experience. Adorned by the works of Davao-based and eminent artist, Kublai Millan, the park also features sculptures of indigenous peoples purposefully arranged in tableaus and positioned in many parts of the park. I would say it was a remarkable fusion of architecture, nature and culture.
However, it would prove useless coming to this place without knowing exactly what these sculptures meant. Knowing Kublai’s affinity to indigenous art or the rendition of anything indigenous, I thought that there must be some meaning to it. So three years later, when I decided to blog about it, I tried to research on this one.
First, I learned that the sculptures pay homage to the seven (7) major tribes inhabiting Bukidnon that include:
Matigsalugs (people along the Salug River)
Bukidnons (people from the lowlands),
Tigwahanuns (people along the Tigwa river),
Umayamnuns (the inhabitants along the Umayam river amidst the Pantaran mountains),
Talaandigs (people from Talakag, Songco, Kibangay and Basak),
Higaonons (people who come from Agusan), and the
Manobos (people whose spread has been noted to be great in Kalilangan, Pangantucan, Kitaotao, Kibawe, Kadingilan, Don Carlos and Quezon).
It is interesting to know that most of the tribes are associated with a certain ecosystem. This brings me to a reflection that destroying an ecosystem or pulling them out of their communities would be tantamount to killing or uprooting their culture, traditions and heritage.
Their rich cultural heritage is being celebrated through the annual Kaamulan Festival, which I have learned the first time when I was covering the Aliwan Fiesta in Manila. Bukidnon’s website describes the festival as:
“Kaamulan” is from the Binukid word “amul” which means “to gather”. It is a gathering of Bukidnon tribal people for a purpose. It can mean a datu-ship ritual, a wedding ceremony, a thanksgiving festival during harvest time, a peace pact, or all of these put together.”
Kaamulan Festival starts every second half of February to March 10. March 10 is the culminating day which marks the anniversary of the founding of Bukidnon as a province in 1917.
It was not enough to know that they are the tribes of Bukidnon. Further into my research, I came to know better what these sculptures were doing:
This figure greeted me as I stepped onto the stairway down to the viewpoint. A boy is playing agong. Agong is used as a gong during gatherings to call the attention of the tribe members. It is also used for ethnic dancing. It is made up of copper and usually has a shaped like a hat. It is played by beating it with a wooden stick.
It appears that there are two women pounding rice. Later, I learned that it is also associated with an ethnic dance called bubudsil, which is an ethnic dance using a wooden pole simulating the pounding of rice harvest.
I thought that perhaps, this sculpture of a girl was playing a mouth instrument. Indeed, it is called kubing, which is a thin slat of bamboo with a small hole in the middle that gives variation of various tones. The vibration is initiated by blowing wind using the mouth.
What is more interesting is the tableau that features a bangkakaw. Bangkakaw is a percussion instrument made of wood. It is played during festivities to thank Magbabaya through dancing and paddling it with a long wooden stick.
I already know how a kubing and agong sounds like, but I never heard the sound of bangkakaw. A Youtube video was helpful and it only proves that it has an interesting ethnic sound that only seasoned players and with a knowledge of indigenous rhythm can make:
That explains why this group of men is above the men and women playing bangkakaw, because they appear to be praying and praising their Magbabaya (God).
Putting all these information together, it must have been a Kaamulan festival in art form!
Interesting, isn’t it? I wish all other view decks are like Ver Overview, which features not only the natural beauty of the place but it’s culture, tradition and heritage, as well.
_______ Note: Most of the information on indigenous knowledge in this article was taken from Bukidnon Official Website, and further qualified these based on the experience and some cultural exposure. The author further researched on how the indigenous musical instruments look like, and associated the photos he took with the description provided in the website. If the author missed out something or needs to be corrected on the indigenous knowledge presented, please feel free to comment or send him an email.
