500-Peso Backpacking Challenge: OLANGO ISLAND

Travelling has been in the mainstream these days and we Cebuanos love it. There are agencies and airline companies that offer tour packages which are really affordable but can somehow be painful in our pockets for us thrift travelers. My friends and I have formulated an idea of promoting this 500-Peso Travel Challenge to help find solutions for Cebuano Thrift Travellers.

Our first stop is the peaceful island of OLANGO. Olango Island is just one of the populated island which are under the governance of Lapu-Lapu City and the Municipality of Cordova . Olango and its 2 satellite islets the Caohagan and Pangan-an is under the jurisdiction of Lapu-Lapu while Giluntongan and Nalusuan belongs to Cordova. Some geographers call the whole Lapu-Lapu – Cordova Territory as the Mactan Group of Islands.

The island has been known for its stunning wetlands where birds from Japan, China and Siberia migrate and seek refuge from winter. There are approximately 77 loyal migratory bird species that the area serves annually. This is the reason why the Olango Island Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary was established so as the Olango Island Marine Life Sanctuary.

Olango Island Port

So how are you gonna spend that P 500.00 for an Island that has been a tourist attraction? Are you gonna take a package tour for the whole island? By the way, the package tours that the agencies offer for this island goes around 1,000 – 2,000 per 4-5 in a group. That would exceed to our five hundred-peso budget.

Instead of taking those package tours, why not go there by yourselves and dare to take a day-trip with your friends or family. The whole chanllenge will begins from the heart of Visayas – Cebu City. You may start your trip from SM City Cebu for this is the only place which all Cebuanos are very familiar. From there you have two options whether to take a Van for Hire(V-Hire) or a Public Utility Jeepney(PUJ/JEEP).

For the V-hire you must take the one which route is Mepza-Opon or Mepza-Gaisano. Then the V-hire will drop you to Gaisano or sometimes they would really reach to MEPZA. From MEPZA or Gaisano, take another PUJ going to Punta Engaño and then tell the driver to take you to Movenpick or Hilton.

For those who will take the PUJ, you may take one going to MEPZA and follow the instructions from the previous paragraph or in any case that there will be scarcity with the PUJ going there, you may take one with 01K plate and then the driver will take you to the Parkmall Terminal. From Parkmall, you may wait for a jeepney going to Punta Engaño.

Once you have reached Movenpick, beside the resort is a port for pumpboats for Getafe, Bohol which you will recognize for its very long ticket lines and one for Olango Island. Purchase a ticket for Olango-Trans. It will only take 15-20 minutes water travel till you reach the port of the place. It is ok not to plan the whole thing since from the port, there are many people that could assist you with your itineraries especially the tricycle and habal-habal drivers.

From the port, you may take the habal-habal which will carry 2-3 people in one trip or the tricycle which is more comfortable and ideal for those in groups of 5-6 people. Tell the driver to take you to the Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary. Travelling time will only take 10-15 minutes depending on the drivers speed limits. You may also rent a bicycles which is very common in the area.

You will know that you are on track if you will see an arch that states “Welcome to San Vicente” and so you are en route to the Olango Marine Life Sanctuary. Once you have reached the gate of the Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary, from there you have to walk approximately 200 meters for you to get to the sanctuary itself which is a mangrove wetland with concrete platforms that are not visible during high tides and a cottage for site and bird viewing.

The reception will either ask someone to assist you and will provide binoculars but in our case, they just let us go there by ourselves which is fine with us to avoid pressure from the tourist guide. But the sad part is they did not provide binoculars to us but they provided the foreigners and the thing we know is that it is for free. Probably because we are just local tourists, discrimination in this way is tolerable though as we prefer to go there by ourselves.

                When we were there we haven’t seen migratory birds around the place, or they’re just probably behind the mangroves hiding or taking rest since it is low tide and fishes are not available for them.  We are expecting a lot though since it is winter season in the countries I have mentioned earlier. Then we decided to take pictures of the place and had a short funshoot.

                After our visit to the sanctuary, we went back to the holding area and took lunch into one of the tables they provided for the guests. There you can buy beverages preferably coconut which is very affordable. Then we went to the boat-wreck and took few pictures with it. Boat-wrecks are very common in the area but most of them were brought off-shore probably due to Typhoon Yoland(HAIYAN) and Typhoon Seniang.

               

 Then we took a walk going to the Marine Sanctuary which you will just walk approximately 150 meters till you reach the gate of the place. Then when you reach the gate you will take another walk to the boardwalk they have provided for the tourists to reach to the sanctuary. There we swam and snorkeled and saw fishes of different species. We haven’t seen huge breeds since it is low tide.

                

It was a spontaneous day-trip with my girls and is really worth-it for we have spent less than the budget we have set. So here is the breakdown of the amount we have spent given that the packed lunch is from our homes so we did not spend any for our consumption and brought our own snorkeling kit:

-          Jeepney (SM-Engaño)                                P 26.00

-          Olango-Trans ticket(round trip)                 P 30.00

-          Terminal Fee(round trip)                            P 6.00

-        Marine Sanctuary Entry                           P 75.00 (if you will snorkel) P 35.00 (for site viewing only)

-          Tricycle (going to bird sanctuary)              P 24.00 (P 120.00 for 5)

-          Bird Sanctuary Entry                                  P 30.00

-          Coconut                                                   P 25.00

-          Habal-Habal (back to the port)                P 30.00

-          Jeepney back to SM City Cebu                P 26.00

                                    TOTAL                   P 272.00

                                    DIFFERENCE       P 228.00              

Since we still have extra from our budget, we took sidetrip to the Cebu Yacht Club to see the beauty that mactan channel offers and had our dinner there in  the Bucket Shrimps and ordered buttered shrimps and spicy chicken wings in small buckets.

The view from the Cebu Yacht Club

Cebu Yacht Club

Concrete platforms going to the viewing deck

From the left my girlefriends Jackie, Janine, Myca of Alyssanity.com and Abbie

The boardwalk going to the Marine Life Sanctuary

Blanc et Noir : OLANGO ISLAND

Images in grayscale makes the subject more interesting than in full color. 

Many have been into this island but only few have taken its jaw-dropping landscapes in monochrome. 

The reason lies behind the idea of showcasing raw beauty, the attraction for the naked eye.

But how would you showcase the island to those who cannot perceive color difference?

That thought inspired me to post-process these pictures in monochrome.

This also encourages people to visit the place and have a real experience.

Monochrome is Uniqueness

Monochrome is Sophistication

500-Peso Backpacking Challenge : SIRAO PEAK AND FLOWER FARM

“Year by year, the earth changes – natural or manmade there is no assurance until when this place remains untouched.”

Why would you go to Austria if you can just have an Austria-alike here in Cebu? Known by most as Sirao Peak and Pedro Calungsod Peak, Mt. Kan-Irag stands approximately 700 meters above sea level. Its specific location is in Sitio Tawagan, Barangay Sirao which is the reason why most people call it Sirao Peak. The name Pedro Calungsod Peak was then introduced to new trekkers to commemorate the first Cebuano Catholic Saint Pedro Calungsod. This is one of the most accessible trekking destination for it is only located few kilometers from the IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City.

There are two ways on how to get to the area of Sirao, the first one was the hardest which is very ideal for true blood trekkers and mountaineers where the trail starts in Barangay Budlaan, Talamaban. This trail will give you tiring but real adventure where you may pass rivers and falls and take a dip in one of those.  The second one was the easiest for the traveler wannabes especially to those who wants to bring their car with them, roadtrip will start at the Salinas drive going to Ayala Heights and Kan-Irag Nature Park which are nearby landmarks of the Peak.

Mt. Kan-Irag was once part of Kan-Irag project, an ambitious(as said by most critics) recreational project by the Marcos Administration way back in the early 80’s. This was the time that the administration forcibly bought the farmlands from the farmers at a very cheap price. The plan was to transform the place into a tourist destination with golf course, track and field arena, basketball and tennis courts, horseback riding course and nature park. The project was never realized except the golf course which was not completed after the people power revolution.

(read the complete article:http://archive.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2014/02/18/wenceslao-kang-irag-project-revisited-328925)

Whatever the type of trip you will choose, it is good not to remain focused on the Peak, instead, try to look around and you will see good places to take pictures and videos for your blogs and Instagram accounts – take sidetrips. Of course, my friend Alfe and I chose the easier trail since our jobs do not give us the luxury time to spend the whole day for a trip. We got lost since we are not familiar with the place so it is good to ask the some locals(ideally teenagers) for they are really familiar with the name Sirao Peak. Also we are into thrift travelling so we should not also budget our money but also our time.

Well it is still fine that we got lost for our foolishness brought us into a mini falls somewhere near the TOPS, Busay and a flower farm near the boundary of Barangay Sirao where you can take pictures, post them on Instagram and tell everyone you’re in Austria. The keeper of the farm will ask twenty pesos (P 20.00) per head for you to take picture and two hundred pesos (P 200.00) for video shoots.

How to Get There

                                                                                                                                Car

Assembly Area:

JY Square Mall

Start of Trip:

Salinas Drive

You know you're on track if you'll gonna pass Mountain View, Chateau De Busay, Jardin de Busay Malubog Signage and when you reach Ayala Heights

                               Flower Farm:

Few meters away from the boundary of Barangay Sirao and Ayala Heights and foot of Sirao Peak

Habal-Habal

Fare:

Around 100 – 200 (depends on the negotiation)

Habal-Habal Area:

Salinas Drive or JY Square Mall

What to say:

Tell the driver to bring you to Pedro Calungsod Peak or Sirao Peak

Sidetrips

Temple of Leah

Mountain View Nature Park

The Tops

Chateau de Busay

Landmarks Nearby

Ayala Heights and Kan-Irag Nature Park

Open Space space before the concrete signage                                                                                (Right)

Structure to Look For

Concrete Signage of Barangay Sirao (Left Side)

NOTE: the flower farm will not be always as scenic as what the photos suggest for they are gonna harvest these flowers to sell it in the capitol market. You still have to wait for another blooming season (every 2 months after the harvest).

Random: PHILIPPINES AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE

REASONS WHY  PHILIPPINES CANNOT HAVE SAME SEX MARRIAGE

When the United States of America announced the legalization of same sex marriage in all states, this made the social media a battle ground between anti and pro with the matrimonial type. Well, This has served as the light in a dark tunnel to the LGBT community in conservative countries like the Philippines. Philippines is one of the few surviving catholic countries in Asia and for that it is not a wonder to have over 50% of the Filipinos do not like the idea of same sex matrimony. So, here are the possible reasons on why Filipino LGBT community cannot acquire such equality currently enjoyed by some in the States.

RELIGION

Catholicism dominated the Philippines since the Spanish conquistadors came on the early 1500s. Aside from Catholicism, Christianism and Islam are also booming in the country. Sadly, these religions will never agree on same sex relationships and even consider this as sodomy. Sodomy is a very lethal sin, during the early times in the west. If people will happen to know “odd” sexual preference or even just accused of being such, you will be tortured or executed. That is how dangerous being labelled as sodomite before. The word sodomy and sodomite was rooted from Sodom and Gomorrah, a story in the bible and Qur’an(according to some sources) that talks about two cities consumed by fire and brimstone for their people already have incontrollable sins. The Bible, Qur’an and other religious sources had been guides to salvation for centuries and so whatever is written in these sources are believed to be true for they contain the word of God. Yes the Law of the State and the Law of the Church must be separate, oh well, what can you expect from a conservative country? People seem to do the other way.

ECONOMY

Yes this may also cause the delay, our law makers have more important things to do than same sex marriage approval. This does not mean that the equality that the LGBTs has been fighting for is not important but if you will try to weigh things, our economy really needs intensive recovery. A first world country like US no longer needs any economic recovery; they will just worry on how to maintain it. So we cannot really compare our law makers from the US. Let us just be patient. Imagine, would you want your marriage to be a mess-up for the reason of not having good jobs and not earning well for your daily consumption? Or would you rather wait for the right time?

BANGSAMORO AND TERRITORIAL FIGHTS

One of the noisiest issues this 2015 is the Bangsamoro Basic Law. On July 27,2013, Nur Misuare the chairperson of MNLF(Moro National Liberation Front) issued the Bangsamoro  Independence and considered Davao City as the center of trade. Many people say that this has been the narcissistic proclamation of independence had ever done by a leader. Bangsamoro is a proof that Filipinos are not really united. How can we fight for equality if our fellow men are not even cooperating? But we cannot blame them for asking such independence for we have to admit that most people in our government are corrupts that the funds will no longer reach to their proper designation and Mindanao has been a constant victim for quite some time now.

Another is the never ending "Spratley Islands" issue. This issue must be considered a ticking bomb, one wrong move from the Philippines, and China will be preparing for war. Yes, this territorial argument has a great potential to create a war knowing that China is a very powerful country compared to ours especially with the military resources. And would you still consider Legalization of same sex marriage more important than this?

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

This time you might agree on this article for saying 90% of our government leaders ran for their positions for personal gain. Becoming a public servant is not an easy task and does not offer high salary. But you might be wondering on why there are still many people who want to acquire any political position. There are even families who have established a dynasty in the government and most of these families are not really genetically rich. The bottomline is, some law makers are very busy stealing from our treasury that they could not even stand on their job description. As most have observed, congressmen are too focused on building infrastructures where their real job is to propose, study and approve laws.

INEXPERIENCED POLITICAL LEADERS

In the Philippines, the only requirement for you to run a position is to certify yourself that you are a true Filipino citizen; there is no educational attainment requirement or experience. And we have already reached to the point that we have these inexperienced political leaders which surely you are already starting to make a list in your mind. Unfortunately, we have a few number of experienced leaders but most of them had already been part of our previous agendum. The inexperienced politicians are causing troubles in the government and some of these troubles are as follows:

·         Proposing silly house bills

·         Proposing nonsensical projects

·         Delays on Projects and Law approvals

·         INTENSE ABSENTEEISM <they’re not doing their job>

Now, are you still hoping to get any  marriage approval with your partner with all these issues? Well probably yes but soon, probably not now, probably after few decades, centuries, millennia? We can still fix this. Election is fast approaching so please use your right to vote wisely. And let us just be patient for when we get that legalization of same sex marriage, we will all be happy and you cannot appreciate happiness without a struggle. For the meantime, let us just enjoy what we have.

500-Peso Backpacking Challenge: PAWUD - Maltreated Cave and Spring

 #savePAWUD           #preservePAWUD

The mouth of Pawud Cave

Lapu-Lapu is a first class highly urbanized city in the province of Cebu. Populated by more than 300,000 people, who would have thought that this busy urban still has a hidden precious natural resource. Well it is not really hidden since the place is just lying on the side of a national highway. This natural resource has a cave, a spring and an underwater cave system ideal for cave divers known by the locals as PAWUD.

kids enjoying the cold spring

PAWUD can be found in Sitio Malinao, Agus, Lapu-Lapu City. The sitio’s name itself is inspired from PAWUD Cave’s crystal clear blue water. Occasionally, cave divers visit this place for some cave diving adventure. The underwater cave is just right deep under the “PAWUD spring” in which the trail will bring you to a deep well far from where the PAWUD is.

Crocodile Ceiling
 Unusual rock formations of the cave

The sad part is that the place is starting to deteriorate. Yes, you can still appreciate the beauty of PAWUD you can even take a long dip inside the cave and on the spring but the pollution is also there. We do not know if the government is doing something to preserve the magnificence of PAWUD but with its situation when we went there, we can judge that it was never taken good care with all the plastics and styro foams floating everywhere. The worst part is, the cave smells like human piss and dung, not surprisingly, we saw human dungs in some parts of the place.

The pollution in PAWUD can still be controlled knowing that it has not yet affected the quality of the water that much. Seeing all schools of fish, fresh/salt water crabs, fresh water shells, sea cockroaches indicating that the water is still alive. The water of PAWUD is combined with fresh water from the ground and sea water from the sea few meters across with it. But if you will try to taste the water, the cave's water is saltier compared to the spring which has more of almost neutral taste. We have also observed that the cave’s water is clearer and blue compared to the spring which is blue green. The color may differ because of the deepness of the water since the spring has a deeper depth, but nevertheless, pollution is starting to affect the water’s quality and will kill the whole place one day if preservation will never be made.

It is believed that there are several  springs in Lapu-Lapu way back the old times but PAWUD is the only spring that have survived the infrastructural advancements of Lapu-Lapu. It is also believed that some springs got ran out of water when the springs and deep wells can no longer supply the water needs of over hundreds of thousands of Oponganons.

HOW TO GET THERE?

From Central Cebu,

Public Utility Jeepneys

Ayala Terminal

 Take a jeepney going to the HI-WAY, when you have reached the HI-WAY, there are two places where you can stop. You may tell the driver to take you to CALTEX/SAN MIGUEL or to CHOWKING/THREE SIXTY. Both places offers you another route going to SO-ONG/MEPZA, take that multicab and tell the driver to take you to AGUS,MALINAO.

SM CEBU

Across SM CEBU is SUNGOLD, go to there and take 01K going to Parkmall/CDU. Multicabs with SO-ONG/MEPZA routes will pass thru Parkmall Terminal and Cebu Doctors University.

Public Utility Vans

Both Ayala and SM Cebu offers Van for Hire, take the one going to GAISANO ISLAND MALL, fare is only around 25-30 pesos. When you get to GAISANO, take a multicab going to SO-ONG/MEPZA and inform the driver that you’ll go to AGUS/MALINAO.

 Note:

-          You do not need to worry getting lost since the spring is just at the right side of the national high way.

-          Not all So-ong/MEPZA multicabs will go to AGUS/MALINAO so make sure to ask the driver if he will go there.

-          If you happen to take a ride that will not reach to AGUS, you may wait for another multicab across MACTAN NEWTOWN.

Project #savePAWUD and #preservePAWUD

                The main reason why I wrote this blog is not just to promote the place but also to encourage everyone to help our group with our aim of preserving and saving PAWUD from extinction. If you have plans to go there and take photos. Please do include hashtags #savePAWUD and #preservePAWUD in your photos, whether it is a watermark, a whiteboard/bondpaper fansign, a facebook album title, photo description or facebook/Instagram status.

LET US SAVE AND PRESERVE PAWUD FROM EXTINCTION.

photos by: Alfe Marie Latras and Sexie Chan