~manila, you're not that ugly

A month ago, a friend introduced me to the concept of the wingsuit (via TED.com). The video shows Ueli Gegenschatz in “his utterly jawdropping flight in a wingsuit, a high-tech flying-squirrel-inspired getup that lets him soar as close as humanly possible to our shared dream of flight.”

Video clip of the wingsuit flight starts at 6:43

Such an amazing feeling to watch someone “fly”, but I never figured I’d be in a position to try it out myself, and so soon after watching that wingsuit joyride! To a lesser (and safer) degree of course, but still, I felt like I was superman just last week doing ziplines in Camp Sabros, Davao del Sur!

I was very lucky to have visited Camp Sabros with my good friend, Maan, who is so proud of her family’s retreathouse in the mountains–hands down one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited in the Philippines. Imagine waking up to Mt. Apo everyday, rappelling down a 100-ft treetop in the middle of a pinetree forest, and ziplining 820ft with only the wind separating you from the clouds and mountains and steep drop below! Definitely the closest I’ve come to flying..and to that wingsuit!

Camp Sabros is a quiet place that has heart, having begun as a private mountain resort for the Sacdalan family (“Sabros” is a play on “Sacdalan brothers”, for the five sons). While exploring the mountains of Davao del Sur in 1994, my friend’s uncle Edwin discovered a beautiful hilltop property with a captivating view of Mt. Apo and convinced the rest of the family to buy it. They built a simple log cabin for themselves, grinding their own coffee and enjoying bonfires while there was still no electricity. A yearly tradition was for each family member to plant pine trees, which eventually filled up the mountaintop (think daffodil principle!). It was only over a year ago that they opened ziplines to the public. Rooms in log cabins are also available for overnight guests.

Since then it has caught the attention of extreme sports enthusiasts, mountain climbers, barkadas, and even families (Maan rode the 380-meter zipline with her four-year-old son on her back!) out to have an adventure. Plans are underway for a mountain trail to the forest grounds, a much longer zipline (3km!) to rival the world’s longest, and even a Zorb ball that rolls down the hill:

Image from wikipedia

Ziplining is safe, NOT SCARY, and quite addicting! Rates at Camp Sabros below:

More pictures at my multiply album.

Camp Sabros is in Barangay Kapatagan, Digos City, Davao del Sur. Other sites/blogs about it:
Pasyalera – June 2009
Travel and Leisures – Feb 2009
Dispatser sa Kanto – Feb 2008
Sunstar – Feb 2008
Blog Catalog

I’ve always wanted to do an extensive Philippine tourism research project, complete with comparative statistics, reviews of popular destinations all over the world and how we can learn from them, tourism trends, and even personal recommendations.. In a sense this blog started off as that–I realized that #1 I love this country deeply, #2 Ang ganda ng Pilipinas, and #3 Tourism is (or should be) our secret weapon.

Baby step for this project: info briefs on destinations in the Philippines and their selling points. Starting off with Anilao, a popular diving and windsurfing destination just a 3-hour drive from Manila.

from “Vivere Azure: Anilao’s Boutique Resort” by Earl D.C. Bracamonte
EDSA-Ortigas Village Voice, May 24-30, 2009
Travel section, page 4

“The Philippines is to scuba divers what Switzerland is to skiers, Hawaii to surfers, and Nepal to mountaineers!” — quoted from Action Asia Adventure-Travel Guide

• The Philippines boasts of a coastline stretching over 35,000 kilometers and includes more than 27,000 sq.km. of coral reefs, supporting a rich and diverse marine environment.
• In Anilao alone can be found 70% of the total coral species found in RP. Around the Balayan Bay area can be found 112 species per dive as compared to Tubbataha’s 95 species. In fact, its least diverse site has more than those found in the Caribbean Sea! And of the 18 new species documented, eight are rare.
• But the better news is its remarkable 60% increase in coral cover since 1993.
• Anilao is 140 kms south of Manila, 2-3 hours travel by land
• There are daily buses from Pasay to Batangas, and a connecting jeepney to Anilao. But private transportation is advisable.
• 24 dive sites between the coasts of Anilao and Maricaban Island
• The most popular dive site is the Cathedral (depth of 60 ft.), which is a roofless cavern with a blessed crucifix flanked by two large seamounts.

Got this forward from my frisbee friends. Venue is the first beach I ever came to know, Bagasbas, in my dad’s hometown, Daet, Camarines Norte. Coast is 7km of soft sand (black but soft!), with big lively waves..very nice!
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The word has been going around… that there’s something goin’ down… down south..

Yup yup and it’s going to be in Bicol, south of Manila.

The event: Bagasbas Summer Surf Festival, Bagasbas Beach, Daet, Camarines Norte

The date: April 4-5, 2009. registration starts 8am

What it is:

Surf Clinics

Have your first taste of surfing, that incomparable feel of walking on
water, and it will get you stoked! You’ll be clamoring for more after
this… one session will never be enough J

Upon registration, you will be given a time slot for your session.
Hold on to it, check-in at your hotel, change and head to the beach.
While waiting for your slot, the beach activities are guaranteed to
keep you pumped with beach adrenaline!

Sport Climbing

Check out the National Climbing Competition or go face to face with
the climbing wall! The country’s best climbers are flocking from all
over the Philippines to join the Sport Climbing Association of the
Philippines’ National Selections. If you want to be inspired, then
this is it. If you want to check out how inspired you are, then go
over to the interactive side of the climbing wall and try the wall for
yourself!

Beach Ultimate Frisbee

Dive into the sand or watch the pro’s do it. The Philippine Ultimate
Association will be holding a special invitational tournament for the
top teams in Ultimate Frisbee. Catch high flying action on the beach,
and better yet, learn the skills as the pros hold clinics on the
beach… FOR YOU. It’s not hard to learn, and before the week end is
over, you’ll be joined up with other newbies for a special starter’s
game J

Beach Volleyball

Dig and dig as the spikes force you to get down and dirty! Beach
volleyball needs no intro, as one of the classic beach sports since
the 80’s. My suggestion, form a team while it’s early, call the
assigned coordinator from Progressive Volleyball Center below and
assure yourselves of a slot before they run out! Clinics to learn the
sport? Yes we will hold them if the 2 courts won’t be filled with
competitive games J

How much to join?

Ok be ready for this… it’s P500. What you get:

One surf session, inclusive of board rental and instructor
One event shirt
The right to officially enter your competition of choice
The right to officially enter the other competitions
The right to join the clinics offered
One pair of MOJO slippers
A great beach party with Coffee Break Island pumping reggae and ska
beats into the summer night
All in all, a GREAT DEAL!

So who do you contact?

For the surf session, just come to the beach and sign up on the spot (
details on getting there below )

For official entry into the tournaments:
Sport Climbing : Crissie Malay 0915-9949004, Mackie Makinano 0927-7385492
Beach Ultimate : Ipe Borja 0917-8832223/ 0922-8666232
Beach Volleyball : Ariel Joaquin 0917-5315849/ 0922-2342982

For help on directions, places to stay at the beach or in town:
Camarines Norte Tourism Council: 054-7213087
Edgardo “Boy” R. Reyes, Prov Tourism Officer: 0916-5783096

For general Email inquiries, contact bagasbas.summer.festival@gmail.com

FAQ’s on Bagasbas Beach:

How do we get there? Which is better, to take a public transporation
or take our own cars? Frankly, we feel it’s too long for a drive and
we’d rather sit back and relax. Is there a public transpo that we can
take from Manila? If so, where and how much would this cost? Other
suggestions for transportation?

The best way to Daet, Camarines Norte is by bus.

I always take Superlines, with the terminal at Cubao along EDSA,
southbound between Times and Aurora Boulevard. The trip is 6 hours
minimum, but the bus ride of Superlines has A LOT OF STOPS. The buses
aren’t new, but the fare is cheaper (P490 aircon) than the posh
Philtranco, with terminals in Pasay and Cubao newer buses with the
highest fares at P650 (Gold Service, check out the toilet facilities
on board the bus)

For Superlines, there are only 2 trips 9:00pm and 9:30pm. Both trips
reach Daet at around 6am. ( this is best for the event, so you get to
check in and reg early on Day 1 ). TRAVEL TIP: reserve and purchase
seats a day before or in the morning of your trip to avoid running out
of seats.

Call Philtranco for their scheds for more details. They leave at 9pm
as well, and don’t stop much, thus arriving in Daet at 4am. So I
usually don’t take them so i don’t have to check in < yeah, call me a
cheapskate! >

PHILTRANCO – cubao (02)722-7567, pasay (02) 851-5420,daet (054)721-4350
SUPERLINES – daet (054) 571-2225, cubao(02)414-3319

When you get to Daet, tell the tricycle drivers to take you to
Bagasbas Beach. That should be P50 for the trike, special trip, you
can load the trike up to 3 pax

If you want to drive, prepare for a 370km road trip

> print out the map from google map
> Compute your gas. the crucial gas station is in Gumaca Quezon, before the zig zags
> I strongly suggest a diving buddy, or 3 of you to split the drive

I need a list of places where we can book accommodations.
Canimog Hotel

Picture from Hello Kitty Hell

Yesterday a friend told me he just bought a bike. As in a bicycle.

My immediate reaction was, “Wow, joining the bandwagon.” But thinking about it now, it does make sense, and is actually very laudable– committing to a bicycle (he said he’ll use it when he goes on quick errands, plays tennis, visits friends nearby).

Last year, biking became the new “in” thing among a group of boys I know, and I sat in amazement at their dedication to it. What started off as weekend trails in the mountains has now grown into weekday love affairs with pavement, pollution, and those stick horses on wheels (think 6-hour “expeditions” from Ortigas to the Antipolo mountains from 5pm-11pm on a workday!).

First heard about biking as an actual sport (fitness-social lifestyle) in late 2006 when I met extreme sports fanatics (note: I find wall climbing “extreme”, i.e. non-traditional, and in some real sense, dangerous) who biked in the Bicol mountains for fun. Asked if it was safe, they plainly answered, “You can die if you fall off a cliff.” Hmmmm…

In Madrid, I had a French classmate who biked almost everyday. I asked him if Madrid was a bicycle-friendly city, and if I remember right, he said it was not, at least not as much as Paris was (or was it the other way around?). In my third-world eyes, it was waaaaaaaaaaaay friendlier than Manila could ever be.

Can biking be integrated into daily life in Manila?

Back in 2004, I made plans to meet up with another good friend, Noelle, for after-dinner coffee. Her main requirement was for the venue to have something she could chain her bike to (she’s an athlete by lifestyle and was one of the three Pinays who climbed Everest). I found that endearing then, quite an unusual request, but it never occurred to me to even entertain having the “everyday biker” mindset as my own.

The last time I vividly remember riding a bike outdoors (i.e. not in the gym) was when I was 14 and eager to canvas the boys in my neighborhood. Fifteen hit and along with it that magical “student permit” to drive, so naturally, byebye bike.

I’d trust Urbano dela Cruz to come up with a real answer to the biking feasibility question. I have yet to read his take on this properly, I’m pretty sure he’s already gotten comprehensive about biking in Manila. In any case, did a quick search on his blog for “bicycle” just now. You can read his bike-related posts here.

My thoughts: We all can do our share in having “greener” lifestyles… biking is a possibility, and as my friends have shown, it’s already a possibility NOW. Personally, I can see myself biking in the greater area around my community, as long as I don’t have to cross major streets (Ortigas Ave., C-5, Katipunan). Without designated bike lanes, I’d probably just stare at cars passing by, fearing for my life on the sidewalk.

Interesting links I found on google:
- Recreational Bike route in the Philippines from bikely.com
- Manila Times editorial by Ernesto Herrera, “The not-so-lowly bicycle” (Jan. 16, 2008): with little info on Marikina’s successful bike campaign
- Philippine bicycle hunt written by a Canadian writer and art history major as instructions on how to buy a used bike in Manila (July 2007)
- Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities’ ADB Forum on Improving Pedestrian Facilities and Bikeways in Metro Manila (Sept. 2005), with issues raised/discussed and PDF files of lectures/position papers
- 11 Most bike-friendly cities in the world found through trinainmanila, who says Japanese cities should’ve made the list.

THE HARIBON FORUM:MOUNTAINEERING AND BEYOND
September 21, 2006; 6:00pm
Meralco Mini-Theater, Lopez Building, Meralco Center
Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City

Entrance fees are P20 for students and P50 for professionals/non-students.

Mountaineering is more than just climbing peaks, blazing trails, and discovering new horizons. It is more than a hobby or plain recreation.

It is a WAY OF LIFE.

Once a person officially becomes a mountaineer, he signs a pact with Mother Nature, because a True Mountaineer is a sentinel of the Environment.

Mountaineering is not just about conquering the mountains. It is a commitment to the LNT (Leave-No-Trace) ethics. It is taking that EXTRA Step to become an Environmental Advocate.

Join us as we share with you the spirit of mountaineering and beyond through the words of mountaineers who took the EXTRA STEP to become true-blue environmentalists.

Let us share with you what it is we love Beyond Mountaineering.

Be one of us and you’ll know How our Recreation Can save the Environment.

BE THERE!

We request that you confirm your attendance by contacting Vyxz Vasquez at 434-4642 or 0927-3994997 or email advocacy@haribon.org.ph

Last December I had the pleasure of working with a few of the members of Team Everest, when they joined the DOT’s Island Paradise Adventure Race or IPAR. Leo and Pastour are big celebrities now, but back then I had no idea how elite their status was in the adventure racing world.

Back then I even had no idea that such a world as adventure racing existed, and that, all aspects considered, it demanded more from athletes than triathlons did.

First heard about Team Everest in June 2005 from a good friend from gradeschool, Noelle, who is one of the three women on the team:

A prized member of the Dragonboat team, she (along with teammate Janet Belarmino) was also a winning fixture in the AXN races here and in Hong Kong. Noelle is also an expert biker and extreme adventure athlete and mountaineer while attending class as a Physical Education student.

I’m so proud of her for really running after what makes her heart sing. “Visit www.philippine-everest.com and sign the guestbook,” she says–let’s show our support by flooding the team with emails! After all, they are driven by a grand vision, that which my own heart sings for–”oneness” among Filipinos:

There is an old piece of wisdom that claims that people climb mountains “because it’s there”. That is the simplified statement for a very compound truth. “Because it’s there” refers to a lofty point on earth that is closest to the heavens- and scaling its apex generally rewards the climber with a profound spiritual experience. That rush, the spiritual “oneness” with the universe is universally felt, and craved for, by mountaineers- as such, they are driven to endure, and overcome even extreme physical adversity to prevail.

The First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition will spearhead the drive to aspire for, and eventually achieve, the coveted “oneness” for the Filipino people. Conquering the world’s tallest peak poses extreme demands; to triumph, desire, focus, determination, perseverance and energy are mandatory- to these, further add singularity and unity of purpose.

Filipinos already routinely display most of these traits during the course of their daily lives. His indomitable spirit prevails even during the most trying times. Adversity is no stranger; his remarkable resiliency and dogged determination admired worldwide. The aggressive rekindling of the touted Bayanihan spirit of the Filipino will stoke the fires of cooperation and unity- a “oneness” as well.

Sir Edmund Hillary could never have climbed Mt. Everest on his own. Tenzing Norgay and his band of intrepid Sherpas collectively provided the crucial support for the nobleman to achieve the difficult feat. So it is with the Philippine Expedition- Mt. Everest can only be conquered when Filipinos collectively become unto Sherpas.

The future fluttering of the Philippine flag on Mt. Everest will symbolize the Filipinos collective effort at scaling the imposing mountain. That day will mark a rebirth of national pride and with it, a worldwide understanding of the word Bayanihan.

Football and chocolates, what more can you ask for?

World Cup fever is sweeping the globe, how is Manila riding the wave? Football, or soccer, is not as popular as basketball in the Philippines, but there are still a lot of fans willing to pay good money for seats to a good show…if live isn’t possible, via satellite with a rowdy crowd is good enough. Find your hotel or restaurant of choice here. Tickets range from P200-800.

My old project in the DOT is now being shown on television, every Wednesday, 530pm, Studio 23. I know it went through countless revisions since post prod started in January (there are many to please in government), and the final output is a far cry from the original vision of the production team, but it’s still lovely to finally see it alive on screen.

Old posts on IPAR:

Island hop in the Visayas and win 1M!
And the race begins
IPAR on my mind

On New Year’s Day 2005, I toasted to all the new people I would meet, the new friends I would make and the new worlds I would explore. And I got exactly what I asked for: by December last year, I had at least seven new circles of friends, each completely different from the next. Curious bonds were formed from shared interests in religion, volunteer work, travel, history and culture, writing, sports, and government. The best part? All these new friends were complete strangers to me before last year.

In Madrid I learned that one can actually find home anywhere on the planet–she just needs real human moments to go by. So in the hope of making more “homes” in Manila, I claimed 2006 to be another year of new faces and friendships. There’s simply no replacing the rush that comes with entering a roomful of strangers, wide-eyed with anticipation for what to say and who to mark as my “first friend” in the group.

What New World have I explored lately?

Flag football.

A ridiculously fun sport that relies heavily on teamwork, it started here as far back as 1995 (I think). Simply put, it is American Football without the rough contact, as pulling flags worn from the waist takes the place of actual tackling. The crowd is a healthy mix of players, ranging from high school kids to young moms and dads in their post-Varsity glory.

It amazes me how much of a following flag football has. Actually, it amazes me even more to imagine all the thriving non-professional sports in Manila today, each with its own horde of worshippers. Off the top of my head I can think of disc (Ultimate Frisbee), badminton, boxing, basketball, futsal, and of course soccer! Would be fun (but crazy) to explore these worlds one by one…

In any case, I’m slowly beginning to appreciate the animal that is American football–such a complex game with complex rules and equally complex levels of enjoyment. A league started just last month, with at least 10 competing men and women’s teams. For those who are curious, games are held every Saturday at Xavier School, Greenhills.

Now with two months gone by since my great 2005 adventure, I wax nostalgic and long for the action of the Island Paradise Adventure Race 2 (Visayas Leg). TV special will be out on Studio 23 late Feb or early March, every Saturday at 5:30 pm.

I literally went island hopping in the Visayas last December. Have never ever ridden in so many boats in such a short time.

Gave me a peep of the different lifestyles in the Philippines— got to see firsthand that really, Manila is NOT the Philippines. I actually grew up thinking that life everywhere in the Philippines was like life in Manila. How naïve and/or very self-absorbed. Shame on me indeed. Maybe precisely for this mindset, cebuanos have good reason to begrudge manilenos.

More on IPAR once the TV show is over.