Back from Bora!
I just got back from a 4-day getaway in Boracay! We had a great time! The weather was kind enough to let us experience the island in it’s best form – partly cloudy but still bright and sunny sky, calm sea, white sand without the agitating weeds, and not too crowded beach. I can only think of two low points in this trip:
- We went there on a slightly peak season. The rates for water activities were relatively higher compared to the rates that we were expecting, so we were not able to try all the activities that we were rooting for.
- On our last day, I can hardly look my sun-kissed self in the mirror! My skin got darker by perhaps 2-3 degrees, which is actually also a good thing, because it is an indication that we really enjoyed and made the most out of our trip! =)
Just as how online reviews and forums helped me in planning this trip (and other trips in the past), I really hope I can also come up with helpful reviews based on our experience in this vacation. In my next post, I’ll try my best to share my takes on the following:
- PALakbayan package
- La Carmela de Boracay Resort & Hotel
- Places to eat in Boracay (those that we’ve tried)
- Boracay Activities
So there, I hope the 4-day hiatus is enough to keep the writing juices flowing. =P
Labels: back, Boracay, happy, i likeS, thankful, travels, vacation
NEWs
New Year! =) Nikki and I just turned 3. We decided to celebrate our anniv at home and invited relatives over to celebrate with us. It was my first time (and probably Nikki's too) to cook for my family! I've long dreaded to cook for them because they are really great cooks
(palagi lang ako taga-tikim! =P)!
Buti na lang nagustuhan nila! =D We had Tuna Pasta Melt (
simot! =D), tacos, Peach Almond jelly (
palpak ng konti pero sarap pa din =P), and some fish balls and kikiam. It was tiring but when we hear their comments on how good the food is, it's all worth the effort! =) Another unique and fun celebration! ^_^ I look forward to the coming years and anniversaries! ^_^
New lappy! =) Around 2 weeks ago, we bought our own laptop -
Acer Aspire 4935G. =) This may not be THE dream laptop, but I don't regret choosing this. The dream laptop is too far-fetched from what really need/can afford right now. I'm glad we settled with the practical choice. So far we're satisfied with the performance of this gadget, plus it's really nice to have a personal device that we can use when we're not at home. (but I still wish the dream lappy will go on 50% Sale on December =P)
New house! =) Last week, our family transferred to OUR OWN HOME! Almost 28 years after their marriage, my parents finally have a house to call their own. =) Quite a long wait, but better late than never. The house is not yet fully constructed. Believe it or not, up until now, we still have no roof. =P We're staying at the two rooms in the first floor. The cement division between the 1st and 2nd floor (they call it "slab") serves as our roof. The rest of the house in the first floor is exposed. Haha! It's like we're camping out, only the tent has canopy but once you step out, everything else around has the sky as roof. Hehehe. Some relatives call us refugees, but I call us a family. =) It feels like we're just starting out as a new family. I can feel our closeness now more than ever maybe because we're all in this "sacrifice" of living in an unfinished structure. We have the choice of staying at my lolo's house, but my mom was too excited to move in, and we all supported her. Besides, it's not a house we're trying to build, but a home. =)
Open house man tirahan namin, close family naman kami. =PLabels: family, gadgets, happy, new stuff, thankful
Mantigue Island -- now an I-Witness documentary
Last June, Nikki and I were able to visit Cagayan de Oro and Camiguin along with some friends. One of the highlights of our trip was a half-day visit to
Mantigue Island, a small but amazing island a quarter of an hour away on motorboat. Our camiguin tour guide Kuya Roger Saturos was born and grew up in the island, as did most of the other residents. They were the ones who took care of the island. At the time of our visit, they were facing a big problem, because the local government wanted to relocate them into the mountainside and restore Mantigue back to its natural state (uninhabited) for day tourists to enjoy.
Kuya Roger and his family alone cannot counter the mandates of the government. It even came to a point that the
Mantigue Elementary School (which was established through the sole effort of Kuya Roger) did not receive support from the government. The only thing they could do is share their story to the visitors of their
Island with the hope that their story will be publicized. By making the story public, they might attract help from some organizations or even law firms that can help them defend their case.
We did what we can only do – help publicize the story. Nikki was able to send an email to GMA-7 journalist Howie Severino. To our delight,
Howie and his team spent time looking into the story and he told Nikki yesterday that they will be airing the Mantigue Story tonight on I-Witness. ^_^
Hope you guys can watch and share this with other friends. This is the least that we can do to help. Also, if any of you plans to go to Camiguin and visit
Mantigue Island personally, I highly recommend that you get Kuya Roger’s service as personal tour guide. He charges a reasonable price, and I assure you that he will take care of everything that you need while in Camiguin, and make sure that your trip is as enjoyable and worthwhile as it can be. =)
Kuya
Roger Saturos contact details:
Email:
roger.mantigue@yahoo.comMobile: 0920 230 6407
Mantigue Island at a glance
If you’re interested, here’s the detailed correspondence of Nikki and Howie:
On Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 1:56 AM, Nikki Erwin C. Ramirez wrote:
Good day, Sir Howie!
My friends and I had a vacation this past June in CDO and Camiguin. Part of our Camiguin tour was to see Mantigue, a very small island a quarter of an hour away on motorboat. Our tour guide, Kuya Roger Rogelio) Saturos, was born and grew up in that island, as did most of the other residents. He told us their story.
Mantigue Island used to be uninhabited. According to Kuya Roger, his grandparents were among the first settlers of the island. The first settlers made a living out of fishing. Up to Kuya Roger's generation, life in the island was very primitive. There was no infrastructure for basic utilities at all. The children had to go to Camiguin for their schooling. To go to the main island meant a hand-paddled boat ride that took 2 hours, one-way. There was no source of fresh water in the island, so they also had to ferry water from Camiguin as well, everyday.
They eventually got a power generator but, until the time of our visit, they still went back and forth for fresh water, luckily, on motorboats.
Another big improvement was the addition of an elementary school. Kuya Roger was the lone teacher for Grades 1 to 6. When we went there, he said that they currently had 17 students for all grade levels.
The problem was: the Camiguin local government wanted to evacuate Mantigue Island.
Kuya Roger says that the local government's reason was that they wanted to restore Mantigue Island back to its condition when it was uninhabited, in order to make it a premier tourist destination, which could boost the island province's income. They were told that the arrival of people in the island scared away lots of wildlife. They also brought in with them their garbage, which needed proper disposal. The local government promised to handle their relocation to a vacant mountain-side area.
Kuya Roger says that he understood the ecological reasons. However, he said that relocating hundreds of people off the island was not a simple matter. One of his primary reasons was the issue of their livelihood. They were raised and have grown up as fisherfolk, and they would not know how to survive in the mountains.
He asked us for help in trying to spread information about their issues. He said that they had no one to go to and ask for help in lobbying on their behalf, since the primary local government officials belonged to one political family.
I regret having put this off for too long. I did a little research on the Internet about this matter, starting with a simple Google search: http://www.google.com.ph/search?q=mantigue+island+relocation&btnG=Search&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&sa=2
Here is the top search result, an article which gives a much more detailed and impartial view of the issue: http://www.bulatlat.com/2008/09/mantigue-island-residents-charged-illegal-occupancy
Here's a blog of Eco Tourism students from Camiguin that contain several interviews with residents: http://cpscecotours.blogspot.com/
These next two are identical articles in government websites: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&sec=reader&rp=7&fi=p080425.htm&no=69&date=04/25/2008 [UPDATE: now I regret putting this off more -- I just checked: some of these links are dead!]
http://cagayan-de-oro-city.com/latest/local-execs-push-mantigue-s-rehab-press-settlers-to-relocate.html
Here's one, after a lot more searching/surfing, that was written by another tourist. She's Filipina and her blog's protected, but I was able to get a cached copy of her entry:http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:hFj47N1_fckJ:acornerofmymind.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/helpless-in-paradise/+http://acornerofmymind.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/helpless-in-paradise/&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ph&client=firefox-a
[UPDATE: this was a wonderful blog entry! I regret not making a backup! Here's the original URL: http://acornerofmymind.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/helpless-in-paradise/ -- maybe you can contact the author and still be able to access the post.. I feel really, really sorry about this..]
Kuya Roger agreed to have a video-recorded interview and I posted it in YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=roger%20saturos&search_type=search_videos&search_sort=relevance
Kuya Roger Saturos, Camiguin Tour Guide (with English subs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPeAWO8iSIA
You can find a lot of recommendations for Kuya Roger's services as tour guide: http://www.google.com.ph/search?q=roger+saturos&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Here are our groups' pictures in Mantigue:
CDO-Camiguin - Mantigue Island (don't mind our vanity shots =p) http://picasaweb.google.com/necramirez/CDOCamiguinMantigueIsland
I don't expect you to take the time to explore this issue right away (though I'd be glad if you did), and I would appreciate it if you would forward this to fellow journalists who might be able to bring this issue some light.
Thank you very much,
Nikki Erwin Ramirez
---
P.S. I sent this to you, since yours was the first name I thought of when thinking of journalists who would be able to help, and yours was the only email address I could find.
--Howie’s response—
On Sun, Nov 23, 2008 at 10:18 AM, Howie Severino wrote:
Hi Nikki,
You may be pleased to know we are airing our episode on Mantigue Island this Monday. Thank you for the suggestion!
NO MAN'S LAND
An I-Witness documentary (GMA7)
Airing Monday midnight: November 24, 2008, after Saksi
(Delayed by a day or two on Pinoy TV overseas: click here for schedules: http://www.gmapinoytv.com/program_guide - we're prime time overseas!)
For three generations, a close-knit clan of fisherfolk have claimed the tiny, white-fringed islet of Mantigue in Camiguin province as their home -- a prized piece of real estate in the tourism economy.
Now the government wants it back and return the island to its natural state for day visitors to enjoy.
The effort of local officials to relocate the residents, including amass arrest of the entire island population, has bitterly divided the community. Eerily evoking the group dynamics of the popular TV program Survivor, but with much higher stakes, family members threaten and back-stab each other over the wrenching decision to leave or fight for a slice of paradise.
At the center of the conflict is the tormented Romulo, who has finally decided to accept the government's resettlement offer and urge his neighbors to do the same. The rest of the clan, including his cousins and siblings, accuse him of treachery and try to discredit him.
Howie Severino and his team camp out on the islet and explore its hidden natural treasures, even scuba diving at night to accompany spear fishermen hunting precious food fish. They also see how the intensifying planetary choices between people and nature play out in a very small space.
Director: Jazel Kristen Villamarin
Executive Producer: Noi Cuanang
Writer/host: Howie Severino
Videographer: Egay Navarro
Underwater Videographer: Ding Cabreira
Dive master: Fra QuimpoLabels: reaching out, thankful, vacation
Resurrection!
'Weblog' speaking, I've been offline for quite a while now but no post, does not mean no life. On the contrary, I've been having so much life, having so much fun. :) Just some random happenings to share...
F A M I L YMy youngest sister graduated last March.
Whew!Graduate na din ang nanay at tatay ko! Yey! ^_^
Now that all of us have already finished college, my mother finally decided to quit her job in Hongkong and stay with us for good. ^_^ Finally, our family is physically complete again. =)
As ever, maganda at sexy pa din si mother. Nakaka-pressure dahil mas maganda at sexy pa siya sa aming tatlong magkakapatid...And the most recent family news: Last Thursday, we just got the initial funding for the construction of OUR OWN HOUSE. Yipeee! ^_^
C A R E E RI have officially tendered my resignation last September 10! This is something that I have considered for so long. Now that it is already final, I'm feeling both wary and excited. How long will it take for me to adjust? What will my new office mates be like? Will I like the project that will be assigned to me? How big will my new post be? How soon will I be able to travel, if ever I will be given the chance? Is business travel really what I want? These are just
some of the questions bugging me lately. I am really praying that I've made the right decision. Explaining to people why I'm giving up a promising career in a locally recognized company is something that I have to get used to. To some this transfer is a bad move, but I personally think that I'm making a strategic career move. Oh well, let's wait and see... in barely a month, I'm going to know the answer. Though scared, I look forward to this new challenge. :)
F R I E N D STwo weeks ago, Nikki and I stayed up late to have fun with his friends, who I now consider as my friends too. :) Last week, I went to LB to meet with my college friends where we did so much eating and had so much fun! A few hours ago, I just met with my high school friends. Tomorrow, as usual, I will get to see my community / church friends. With the decision that I've made with my career, my list of ex-officemates will have a lot of new entries, but ex-officemates do not become ex-friends. I will surely miss the precious friends I found in SMART, but I anticipate the new friends that I will discover in my soon to be new company. My social network is getting bigger and happier. ^_^
ELBI Comeback with college friends :)
L O V E L I F E (WARNING: Not for the anti-mush especially Joane :P)
Nothing but good news. Nikki and I are going stronger. ^_^ It's nice to observe how our relationship had evolved from boyfriend-girlfriend thingy to partnership. =) I'm proud to say that we are getting deeper and more serious about keeping this relationship for as long as we can. In the past few months, I have witnessed a lot of whirlwind affairs, and I have realized how only few couples can keep a real and committed relationship. Not all people can declare that they are sure about their partners so I'm happy to hear Nikki's confident 'YES' when asked if he's sure about me. :) To reciprocate this natural high, let me borrow one line from my recent favorite novel (Twilight Saga) --
"I Love You. The rest I can live through." :)
L E I S U R EI had two great getaways this year! ^_^ My Cagayan de Oro - Camiguin trip with friends was an adventure to remember for life! My DAKAK escapade with officemates was a relaxing experience worth repeating! ;) I'll make another post for these wonderful getaways. :) Unfortunately, my family's supposed Singapore visit this December was canceled due to the need to prioritize house-construction funds. :( Hopefully, we will find the right moment to travel as a family soon. :)
CDO-Camiguin Getaway
DAKAK Escapade Labels: back, happy, thankful
At last...
... a post! :P
Sorry po, I've been really busy with a lot of stuff lately, work mostly. Poor me. But well, after tonight, hopefully things will change. The past few months / weeks here in the office have been really hellish... and to my surprise, the "uppers" noticed how grumpy I am with the hellish environment. Sa totoo lang, natuwa ako na napansin nila, at natuwa ako that they cared to inform me na napapansin nila. Yes! :P
I've fret too many times on the chances of leaving or the prices of staying. Too many times, I ended up saying to myself na "sayang", "saka na lang, masyado pang maaga", "paano ang mga maiiwanan kong alaga (tao at project)?", pero pag anjan na ulit ang pressure, ang politika, ang nakakainis na sistema, napapaisip na naman. Walang katapuuuusaaan! But after tonight, at least I can say na it's worth trying out some more.
I really hope things will turn our okay after tonight. Kung sabagay, trabaho lang to, dapat hindi masyado dinidibdib, but still, I will try to be better, lalo with this adjustment / transition period. Say to myself, this is all part of "career growing up". Learning curves are always there, what matters is how fast and how smooth I was able to drift the curve.
God, thank you for the realization. :)
Labels: thankful, work
ALGORISME 2005 - Finally! ^_^
Finally, our yearbook --
ALGORISME 2005 is finished! ^_^ It's so cute and handy! =) Compared to other annuals, this one's so personalized. Yeah, two years in the making! But finally, it will be released tomorrow afternoon at LB square. Little reunion na din for our batch. =)
Thanks to all who supported and participated. And many many many thanks to the core ALGORISME team:
Agee, Herlin, Tina, Sarah and Niknik! Eto na, tapos na! ^_^ I'm so proud of what we've accomplished! Galing-galing! ^_^
Take a quick peek:
front cover
back cover
Labels: happy, thankful, yearbook
so lovin'
I love it that I'm now staying in Makati.
- I can get more rest and more sleep.
- I now have more time for after-work recreation like badminton, gym and movies
- I can wake up a few minutes before my work shift and still not be late (but I have to rush of course :P)
- I get more exercise by walking to apartment from office (and vice versa)
- I am finally free from the hassle of everyday traffic/pollution/noise. Commuting from Cavite to Manila during rush hour is a very stressful activity, mind you.
... best of all, now that I'm away from home every weekdays, I appreciate my family more (and I think, they appreciate me more, too! Ü)
- Now, they have more reason to tell me that they miss me. Now they have more reason to ask how I am doing. I have more reasons to tell them that too! Ü
- Whenever I go home during weekends, I get this feeling that every meal with my family is special (whether it be daing, itlog na pula, or special kare-kare). Home-made foods are still the best! ^_^
- Before I go home, I make sure that I have pasalubong for my cousins (and recently, for my grown-up sisters too!). MEIJI chocolates are their favorites! :D
- When I am home, I am very eager to listen to their stories and news, however trivial the item may be. Unlike before that whenever I come home every night, my mind and body seems so tired to pay attention to their stories (before I stayed in Makati, all I can do when I go home is to lay my back in the sofa, take a nap, and wait til my father wakes me up come midnight).
- Now, I am NOT the grumpy me that tends to yell at my sister or cousin when I'm being asked about something. Yeah, I used to be like that before, when I'm already so tired of commuting and so stressed out with work.
To adjust financially so I can shoulder the cost of living in Makati is very difficult, but those above are good enough reasons to say that my moving in to Makati has done more good than harm for me as an employee and most importantly as a member of my wonderful family! ^_^
Labels: back, happy, thankful
Much needed rain
The rain turned my 10-minute walk to a 15-minute jeepney ride (from office to apartment). The rain hindered a friend from visiting us and sleeping over in the apartment. The rain caused flood in some parts of Manila. The rain caused heavy traffic last night and this morning.
But I am still thankful for the rain.
This is the much needed rain by our country. Based on news clippings, for the period of January – July, only 2 typhoons hit the Philippines, this is only 25% as compared to the statistics from the same period last year. Although, PAG-ASA said that rains are expected to normalize in September, some people can’t help but fret about the big drop in statistics. On the average, 20 tropical cyclones hit the Philippines in a year. There are still around 4 ½ months left for this year, I wonder what can happen.
I pray for more moderate rain to hit the affected areas in the country – the prime agricultural provinces, the water sheds and other provinces that are indirectly affected by the dry spell.
Instead of uttering rants about the rains, let’s look at the positive side – thank God for the rain and pray for more. Ü
Labels: prayer, rain, thankful
Whatta Vacation!
Had a blast a Galera! Grabe, super saya! Wooohoo! I went there with some of my college classmates-turned-officemates, college classmates-turned-ex-officemates, college classmates-turned-"to be" officemate (@agee: :->), officemates-turned-friends and officemate-turned-boyfriend-turned-ex-officemate. :P Magulo, pero the best ang combination ng mga to. Palagi ko nga sinasabi: nag-click talaga yung grupo. Ngayon lang ulit kami nagkasama-sama pero walang moment na hindi nagtatawanan at nagbibiruan. Tsaka hindi naging problema na hindi magkakakilala, nag-gel talaga yung group. Saya! :)
Tama ang desisyon namin na i-schedule ang leave ng May 2-4-- kasi bakasyon din ang May 1 so may oras pa kami mag-prepare at mamili ng mga kulang na gamit. Sobrang tama ang desisyon namin na magpunta dun ng weekdays-- hindi pa masyadong crowded ang ports at ang public beach. Tama din ang desisyon namin na mag-stay sa isang private resort, instead na sa White Beach-- nasolo namin ang sand at beach, na-enjoy namin ang mga free facilities (although konti lang :P), at na-avail din namin ng mura ang facilities ng katabing resort! Tama ang desisyon namin na magsama-sama at mag-break sandali. Saya! :)
Eto yung flow ng araw namin habang nasa Galera- gising ng hindi sobrang maaga, picture, kain ng noodles, picture,swim sa dagat (na solo nga namin!), picture, text sa loyal driver ng trike para magpahatid sa White Beach, picture, punta sa palengke, picture, balik sa private resort, picture, ihaw ng dinner, picture, more activities-- videoke/swim sa pool/duyan, picture! Saksakan ng daming pictures na hanggang ngayon ay di pa namin nabuburn at napapagsama-sama. :P Sobrang saya at sobrang sarap - worry-free, light, peace and quiet! Saya! :)
Lahat ng choices tama, kaya sobrang saya. Kung may panghihinayangan man ako dito, yun ay dahil hindi nakasama sa trip sina Joane at Inee. Sayang dahil nag-conflict sa sked nila yung trip. Pero next time, sama na sila! :D Diba Jo? Diba Inee? :D Para masaya! :)
Namimiss ko na agad ang dagat at ang mga kasama kong nagbakasyon sa dagat! Kakamiss yung tunog ng alon. Nakakamiss yung serene na lugar. Nakakamiss yung relaxing environment. At nakakamiss na ang inaalala mo lang ay kung ano ang iihawin ulit sa gabi. :P Ngayon pa lang, nag-iisip na kami ng susunod na puntahan. Hopefully, magkatotoo yung punch line ko sa Galera na: "We'll go places together!". Wooohoooo! Saya! :)
P.S.
Alam ko, madami na akong utang na pics. I plan to organize my pics and broadcast via picasa web soon. :) Kaya, hintay na lang muna. Hopefully, magawa ko na this weekend. :)
Labels: break, happy, thankful, vacation
One year!
PMS + 1st minor frustration + ... + nth minor frustration = previous post
But everything's ok now. Better. :)
---
Nikki and I celebrated our first anniversary last Wednesday! ^_^ We both took a day off from work to celebrate together. :) We went to
Sonya's garden in Tagaytay! (their site is currently under construction, but I'm posting it anyway for future reference ;)) The place was really amazing! For those who want to be in a serene place, and those who love nature tripping, I highly recommend this place! :D We arrived there a few minutes before 12 noon. Just enough time for us to have a quick tour of the garden before lunch is served. For lunch, we were led to a dining area that can accomodate approximately 100 people. It was so cozy. We were amazed with the meals that they served - all organic ingredients, specially cultured in the garden. Here's a description of the meals served in the garden (from someone who's also been a visitor at Sonya's):
As to the food, you start with the salad, my personal favorite. The leafy greens are grown in the garden itself. The rich and tasty dressing is perfect with the delicious toppings of varied textures and tastes. Toppings served are: finely chopped hardboiled egg, sliced chico (a small, brown fruit) with just about the right firmness and ripeness, sweet mangoes, crunchy nuts and cucumbers, cheese, and corn. The salad is followed by bread served with several different dips: sundried tomatoes, white cheese, mushroom, and chili, followed by pasta with two sauces. The pasta sauces are: tomato-based and white cream sauce. These can be mixed with shrimps, anchovies, and olives which are also provided separately.
For dessert, there is sweet banana thinly coated with caramelized sugar, and sprinked with sesame seeds all over. There is also sweet carioca. To end the meal, hot water with mint tea leaves is served. (full article here)
They also serve a special chocolate cake, baked from the garden's Panaderia. :D The food was really great and worth the price! ;)
After lunch, we relaxed for a while in one of the mini-huts framed with flowing lace curtains and layered with a soft mat and matched with small pillows. It's an open area where visitors can sit or lie down, and "tambay". Once your back touches the mat, you'll want to just stay in the hut and spend the rest of the day sleeping in that relaxing area. But of course, we can't afford to spend the entire day sleeping there. :P After a few minutes, we headed to the spa area! :D Nikki and I availed of the "Sonya's Signature full body massage"! :D My first-ever full body massage! After the 1 hour massage, the masseurs gave us a relaxing drink -- calamansi juice mixed with mint tea? I really don't know how to call it but it was good. :)
The place is really relaxing, and Sonya Experience is amazing. It was a day well-spent at Sonya's Garden. I am really glad that we spent our first anniversary there. I look forward to going back! We will definitely visit there again, and I plan to book a reservation for my parents. ;)
Labels: break, happy, thankful, vacation
