The Freudian Slip Of A Bacolodnon

    For those visiting Siargao Island, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is Surfing. Many would then go to Cloud Nine in General Luna, Siargao and catch a wave or learn how to surf. However, Siargao is not just about surfing. When I visited the island for the first time, I was brought to Pilar, a few minutes away from Del Carmen where the airport of Siargao is located. I was told that we would be going to Magpupungko Beach and that we should hurry so we could catch the low tide. My curiosity was peaked. I asked what we could find in the place and I was told to expect rock formations.      Minutes later, we found ourselves walking along the sandy beach of Magpupungko. The low tide revealed the corals lining up the shoreline. Walking further out of the intertidal zone, I was then introduced to this amazing sight. The low tide revealed a geological formation which the beach is famous for. A huge rock sitting almost precariously on top of another. In ...

Perhaps one of the best white sand beaches the Philippines has is Dakak. It is a much smaller strip compared to Boracay and definitely less commercialized but I feel that Dakak Beach Resort in Dapitan is something that we can also be proud of. Dakak is more than just a beach resort. It is basically a hotel and park nestled in the coast of Zamboanga del Norte. It is around 20-30 minutes away from Dipolog City. You can arrange a van from the hotel to pick you up at Dipolog airport. Once arriving in Dakak, I remember having received a complimentary welcome drink. After checking in, I was brought to my room which looked like a native hut but with the modern amenities anyone can find in a 3-star hotel. The Resort has two swimming pools meandering in the center of the place with man-made falls and coconut trees surrounding the area. Wi-fi is available at the bar and reception area. Every night a spectacular show would be staged during dinner for guests to enjoy. There was one nigh...

There are many places where you can stay if you are in Zamboanga City but if you are in a tight budget, Cecille's Pension House is a place you might want to consider. Located in Tumaga Porcentro, it is basically 10-minutes away from the International Airport. If you haven't arranged a free transportation ahead of time, you can ride a tricycle and it will only cost you 30-50 pesos. Owned by an Ilonggo family, Cecille's Catering and Pension House is more like a resort than just a pension house. It is a complex with at least 30 rooms, including dorms, and twin-bed rooms. Cheapest rooms are of course the dorm types. The more expensive ones are those by the poolside. The place is also good for receptions and other dining events. It has two huge conference rooms and a good-sized parking lot. It also has a coffee shop and a bar by the poolside. Rooms can be modest in appearance but all are airconditioned and with private toilets and a hot and cold shower. It is quite far f...

It was my first time to travel to Zamboanga City last Monday together with fellow project associates. We spent a week in Zambo City training mayors, municipal health officers, municipal social welfare and development officers and community leaders at Cecille's Catering and Pension House in Tumaga Porcentro. During our last night in Zamboanga City, we decided to roam around and visit the popular and historical places in the city. First stop was the Paseo Del Mar and its main attraction is the Gyrating and Dancing Musical Fountain. People would come to the park and wait for the fountain to just light up and change colors and heights choreographed with some contemporary music. Paseo del Mar is a night spot for Zamboangueños. If you would like to try some local food and listen to local bands, Paseo del Mar is the place to be in Zamboanga. Of course, there is the nearby Paseo del Pilar, a much smaller park but close to the historic Fort Pilar where the miraculous shrine of our ...

Typhoon Sendong might have spared most of the Visayas a few days ago but not Mindanao which is usually not used to being hit by strong typhoons. Typhoon Sendong, perhaps the last typhoon to hit the country this year, has created so much havoc and loss of lives especially in the city of Cagayan de Oro. More than 300 are expected to be dead, most are entire families and villages washed away into the sea. The picture shown here is perhaps the most heart-breaking picture I have ever seen in relation to the latest news about the storm. No one was prepared for this storm which is actually very surprising since the storm was already announced a few hours before it even entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). The original pathway though was forecasted to hit Easter Visayas, then crossing over the central Visayas and supposed to exit West of Palawan. However, when it entered the PAR (last Friday)it suddenly changed course and went straight across northern parts of Mindanao. ND...

Today I arrived from Dipolog on what technically became my official travel-work with my new job. For what seemed to be only 1 day and a half, I traveled together with the President of the Zuellig Family Foundation to two municipalities which are "under the care" of the ZFF. These towns are the municipality of Mutya and the municipality of Siayan in ZamNorte. My role was basically to help gather insights from the experience of these two towns after they received some training and coaching from the foundation through the Zamboanga Health Alliance program. It wasn't my first time in Dipolog. The first time was actually almost one year ago when I was invited by ZFF to be one of their resource speakers for a training held in Dakak. I touched down in Dipolog and traveled to Dapitan. This time, it was my first to go outside of Dipolog and visit two towns and really go down the barangay level to visit and observe their own local health systems. While on the way, the President (fo...