Bicol: Region of Fire

As the plane descended I noticed the green rugged conical hills similar to those in Osmena Peak in Cebu. Coconuts are very noticeable as well as the greenery that covers most of the landscape. I was expecting to be greeted by the sight of the majestic Mayon but it was mostly hidden by thick clouds and fog when we landed. The airport is newly constructed with modern international standard. It is situated a bit distant from the town proper and away from the old airport. The huge glass walls allow a panoramic view of Mayon volcano on a clear day.

Bicol region is popularly known as the Region of Fire because of its active volcanoes, particularly Mayon Volcano which is a very famous landmark said to have a perfect cone. Indeed it is such a marvelous sight in spite of the destruction it brings when it erupts.

Before exiting the terminal we first had the obligatory group photo at the lobby of the airport.

We arrived in Legazpi City in the afternoon so we had enough time to savour the delicacies because our trip to different tourist destinations start early the following day. 1st Colonial is a well-known restaurant serving the award-winning sili ice cream. We decided to try the sili ice cream as well as the pili ice cream and the tinutong na bigas ice cream. The pili ice cream is great with the sili ice cream because it is very creamy in contrast to the spiciness of the sili. Tinutong na bigas ice cream really does taste like tutong or the burnt part of rice that sticks at the bottom of the pot. The dishes are very creamy with the rich coconut milk. I also tasted the ginataang santol. I got confused because it did not taste like santol at all but almost like the flaked canned tuna. Instead of batchoy, they have a soup with noodles that tastes like pares which they call kinalas. We also had the tinapa rice with salted eggs, toasted garlic and strips of scrambled egg. They do serve a bowl of chili on the side.

Being a region of fire may also be applied to their delicacies which are really hot and spicy owing to their penchant for using a lot of chili in their food. The chili ice cream is a sure winner among chili lovers. It is served in varying levels of spiciness, the highest of which is the volcano classified as Level 4. We did try the level 1 at first and decided that it was very mild so we upgraded to volcano level and the three of us together were not able to finish even one scoop.

Taro is abundant in Bicol and some are planted in combination with rice in the field that’s why the most popular dishes consist of taro stalk and leaves such as pinangat and laing. Likewise coconuts are ubiquitous, hence Bicolanos are very fond of using coconut milk in their dishes. Bicolanos are really proud of their traditional dishes and these are served in famous restaurants as well as carinderias and modern foodstalls. The frozen pinangat is also available at the airport which visitors can take home as pasalubong.

When we had our lunch, we explored a bit. There was an area where people can take photos with colorful artificial blossoms. We took turns taking photos for colorful profile pics.

Early the next morning our first stop was the ATV outdoor adventure crossing rivers to get a spectacular photo with Mayon at the background. At first I was reluctant because the guides said that we might get wet and dirty as the trail is really challenging for newbies. But we’re already there and I brought extra clothes for the adventure. We had a brief orientation and practice driving then off we went wearing our hardhats. That was an exhilerating adventure indeed with a spectacular view for souvenir photos!

Our next stop was Daraga Church. It is just one of the old churches in Bicol. Despite its age, the architecture and relief sculptures on the walls outside are still intact although somewhat eroded. Mayon can also be viewed outside the church, unfortunately thick clouds tend to cover the volcano by mid-day until late afternoon. Early morning up to about 9:00Am would be the best time for viewing Mayon when there are no clouds yet.

Islas de Gigantes, Carles, Iloilo

Back when Islas de Gigantes were not yet well known as a tourist destination, we were able to go around the islands and stayed in the rest house of one resident. We certainly had a great time exploring the islands and food was not yet too expensive. There were no stalls in the islands so we had to bring our own food which we bought early from fishers then have them grilled on the boat. Another notable thing, there were no photobombers yet.

We went to the same islands included in tours at present the main difference though was the absence of crowds which characterize tours later. There were just too many people that guests become uneasy they might bump into others while swimming or just taking photos or doing a pose.

At the other side of the island, it was more populated because it is where the boats dock and haul the scallops where the community work together to process the meat and just throw away the shells. The shells just accumulate into mountains of colorful scallops that eventually fade in color but remain on the shore beside the houses.

The following day we just walked to the sand bar not too far from the house and had our jump shots then I explored the cave a bit while the others went swimming.

When I came back to the island after a couple of years, there were already many tourists and we have to stay a while and wait until there are no more photobombers when we take photos.

One time while at the wharf in Bancal, Carles there was a guest boarding a chopper, we just had a photo nearby. Bancal Wharf is where most of the boats going to Islas de Gigantes may be hired because the islands are under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Carles. Although some may take off from the port in Estancia, the Carles Municipality Tourism Office charge them a higher fee.

Marbuena Island, Ajuy, Iloilo

If this place is not so well-known it’s probably because it’s actually more of a quiet retreat than a summer get-away for fun-loving Filipinos. Since it is privately-owned and not very accessible plus the rather not so cheap entrance fee (P100/pax), the owners have kept the island in this state. The owners have erected a grotto and some religious icons behind the island in a way of the cross and hosts religious retreats.

They have floating cottages, swimming pool and rental boats for boating activity. The owner also allows other guests to stay in their accommodation overnight. Food, however is not prepared so guests have to bring their own, there is no corkage fee. For overnight guests, though, food may be pre-ordered with the staff since there are no stores in the island.

There’s actually a jungle behind the resort area and that was what really caught my attention. Unfortunately I didn’t have a zoom camera back then, but it would be great to go back and do some birding at Marbuena Island.

Guimaras

Guimaras used to be a sub-province of Iloilo but has since become an Independent province with four municipalities which include: Buenavista, Sibunag, Valencia and San Lorenzo. It is only a 20min boatride from Iloilo City and fare is only P15. Boats dock at the Buenavista pier and from there tricycles, and jeepneys can take passengers to their destination. Guimaras is well-known as the producer of the best mangoes. Mangoes, however are seasonal products so the trappist monks found a way of utilizing mangoes in various food products such as cookies, tarts, brownies, and many kinds of preserves such as jams, jellies, chutneys.

The Municipality of Buenavista Guimaras was awarded as a child-friendly municipality and Guimaras is also a tourist-friendly area with their tourism office right at the wharf.

Guimaras is likewise known for its island-hopping tours. Included in the tour is the heritage house built on a rocky hill known as Roca Encantada owned by the Lopez family. It was built in honor of Dona Presentacion Holifena Lopez back in 1910. It is situated by the sea and used to be their summer getaway. At present, with out anyone living in the mansion, it could get eerily quiet and ghostly at night.

Other attractions that were added lately are the windmills in San Lorenzo. On the way back, you may also stop by the church, and before boarding the boat back to the city, you may drop by the pasalubong center near the wharf to buy some yummy goodies to take home.

The best time to go to Guimaras is April when mangoes abound and they celebrate the Manggahan Festival. Another reason is during April, the sea is mostly calm, and island-hopping in a boat would be more pleasant and enjoyable.

Fishworld @ SEAFDEC-AQD, Tigbauan, Iloilo

Fishworld is the museum Facility of SEAFDEC-AQD basically for educational purposes. The curator envisioned this facility to provide lay people with basic knowledge about aquatic organisms. Although SEAFDEC is generally a training and research center focused on fisheries and aquatic sciences, it dwells more on the highly technical aspect while the museum tackles the aspect of how to make aquatic ecology, diversity, and aquaculture easy to understand, especially to children. It opened in July 2000. It has a collection of more than 4,000 species of preserved aquatic organisms, live fishes in tanks, as well as artworks featuring fishes and invertebrates. The museum facade is designed to look like a stylized image of a fish.

Souvenirs such as T-shirts, postcards, handicrafts, keychains, ref magnets and pebbles for aquarium may also be purchased at the souvenir shop.

Miagao, Iloilo

Miagao is less than 50km away from Iloilo City and takes about an hour and a half or just over an hour to get there. You may take either a jeepney going to Miagao, or a bus going to Antique which passes by Miagao. This town is next to San Joaquin which is the southernmost municipality forming the boundary of Iloilo with Antique. Miagao is famous for its baroque church which was declared as an International Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is located in the center of the town. Just a few strides from the church are the Municipal Hall, gym, plaza and the public market.

Miagao also hosts one campus of the University of the Philippines in vast elevated areas, plains and coast. Upon entrance to the campus, it is easy to see the Administration building with its imposing structure and the iconic oblation present in all campuses of UP. It has several colleges, dormitories, laboratories, infirmary, canteen/food court, sports/recreation and other facilities. The university is a community in itself. Its flagship course is B.S. Fisheries under the college of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.

There are also privately owned businesses nearby such as restaurants, boarding houses and private dormitories catering to the needs of students who came from all over the country mostly on government scholarship.

Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

December 2018

We boarded the ferry from Dumangas to Bacolod which took about an hour and a half, then took a bus from Bacolod to Dumaguete for about 6hours. Dumaguete City is a 3rd class city in Negros Oriental which is already part of Region VII. It is a charming somewhat old-fashioned town. Silliman University, one of the well-known universities in the country was established back in 1901 by Presbyterian Missionaries in Dumaguete. It is located in Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete City facing the sea not so far from the port.

Transport is mostly by tricycle and many of the locals and transients use scooters to get around.

In the evening the Rizal Boulevard is being closed to traffic and street food vendors set up their makeshift stalls as crowds gather and settle among the chairs set up on the street. There were acoustic performers belting popular songs to entertain the crowd. Some people however are not really interested in the performances. Most just want to have bonding time together near the sea where they can enjoy the breeze while munching on cheap street food and talk about mundane things to relax after a stressful day. Tourists particularly enjoy the atmosphere and are grateful for having affordable food to eat.

There are also good restaurants for a better dining experience if guests don’t mind the expense. And having been to Dumaguete, taking home silvanas, the sweetest treat from San Rival Cakes and Pastries is just a must!

Subic Bay

April 2018

When we left Pangasinan, we dropped by Subic before we proceeded back to Manila. We were just curious what Subic is, being a special economic and freeport zone. Indeed there were a lot of huge bulk carriers anchored around the port, and massive commercial storage areas. It used to be a US Navy Facility thus the port can accommodate gigantic military carrier vessels and now it is being utilized for economic purposes accommodating commercial cargo vessels delivering goods for import and export.

It has also evolved into a tourist destination with its numerous waterparks, beach resorts as well as forest/nature park and the zoobik. We didn’t have time to really visit the waterparks or go on nature trip in its widerness. We just had several photos near the port where there is a huge Subic sign and in a nearby beach resort.

VSU, Pangasugan, Baybay, Leyte

April 2019

From Bohol we had to catch the last ferry going to Leyte so the taxi took us straight right to the plank which was about to be drawn since the ship was about to depart; we didn’t even have time to purchase tickets before boarding. I didn’t remember exactly which port we departed from; there was just no time to document. As soon as we arrived at the next port we also rushed to catch the van that would take us to Baybay. We’re just lucky fellows, we managed to catch the last van which was almost full and can barely accommodate us all.

Finally we got to our destination and we were obviously famished. Fortunately it was the last day of the Foundation celebration of VSU so there were a lot of foodstalls that catered to the guests and students who attended the festivities. We had a sumptuous dinner with friends and new acquaintances beneath the stars that evening.

Early the following day, we went around the campus and had breakfast then proceeded to the flower & garden show/exhibit. We had a great time admiring the dainty flowers. We would have wanted to bring home some plants but it wasn’t the best time to carry a lot since we’re travelling on promo tickets which doesn’t allow checked-in luggage. We just took a lot of photos that we can take home with us without any hassle. Then it was time to say goodbye and look forward to another adventure with colleagues next time.

Lat-asan Island, Perth Paradise Resort and Nataasan Island, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental

Sipalay is located at the Southwestern part of Negros Occidental facing Sulu Sea. Naturally it’s common features include picturesque beaches and islands amidst crystal-clear azure waters. Some areas are considered as divers’ paradise not only because of its numerous natural coral reefs but also because of several wrecks that offer adventure dives from the WWII shipwrecks to modern day cargo ships that sunk in the area. There are also canyons and sunken islands to explore.

Our colleagues, however, are not divers nor even swimmers so we just decided to visit the most well-known among the beach resorts, one of which is the Lat-asan Island which can be accessed through a hanging footbridge from the mainland. It has a view deck and also offers accommodation, dining area, salt water pool as well as freshwater pool. It has a great view of the islets in the Tinagong Dagat. Lat-asan Island is situated in Sitio Matlag in Barangay 4, Silay City.

Since many of our friends were not prepared to go swimming, we just decided to proceed to another attraction in the same barangay at Sitio Sambulawan. It has a more breathtaking view at an elevation of 43ft of the surrounding Tinagong Dagat with its hundred island-like formation of islets scattered all around. It also has an infinity pool at the hilltop viewdeck where you can relax in its cool water after a tiring climb. There are refreshments that can be bought either at the viewdeck area or in the restaurant below. Presumably it is owned by somebody married to an Australian considering the name Perth and the sculpture of a kangaroo at the viewdeck. Usually we expect a modern resort to be owned by a foreigner married to a Filipina because foreigners have the financial resources to put up the infrastructure and other facilities.

We dropped by the old copper pit mine that looked like a lake and had a photo taken in front of their City Hall. We also visited a beach resort (Nataasan Beach Resort). They have swimming pools, restaurant and dive center. They also have rooms to accommodate guests. More than swimming in the huge pool, guests always prefer going either island-hopping or diving.

Your visit in Sipalay seems incomplete if you have not actually gone to the sea. Indeed, you can see the corals as you pass by shallow areas. We did not only go island-hopping but we also had lunch at the beach, after a bit of swimming and then explored the rock formations in one island we visited. It’s great to learn that the islets remain pristine and protected by the government.