- Tubbataha 2017: For the Love of the Reef
This is the last installment of a 3-part write-up of my May 2017 trip to Tubbataha Reef Natural Park. My visit wouldn’t have been possible without the help of MY Sakura and Let’s Dive Palawan, as well as the management and team behind the Tubbataha… Read more: Tubbataha 2017: For the Love of the Reef - Tubbataha 2017: Isolation
This is part 2 of a 3-part write-up of my May 2017 trip to Tubbataha Reef Natural Park. I joined MY Sakura and Let’s Dive Palawan’s 11th Tubbataha trip for the 2017 season. Tubbataha Reef Natural Park lies at the center of the Sulu Sea.… Read more: Tubbataha 2017: Isolation - Tubbataha 2017: Getting To Know
Towards the end of May 2017, I set out for Puerto Princesa, Palawan to join the crew of MY Sakura and Let’s Dive Palawan for their 11th Tubbataha trip of the 2017 season. It was my first time at Tubbataha Reef Natural Park. This is… Read more: Tubbataha 2017: Getting To Know - Donsol 2017: On the Trail of Whale Sharks
Like many divers, I have been on the trail of whale sharks. From Malapascua to Ticao Island, Apo Reef (Occidental Mindoro) and Sogod Bay, I took Travel Dive Connect where there was the possibility of a whale shark encounter in the wild. I had imagined… Read more: Donsol 2017: On the Trail of Whale Sharks - Islas De Gigantes, Ilo-Ilo: At The Foot of A Sleeping Giant
I was following a story when I chose Islas de Gigantes and Sicogon Island as this trip’s destinations. I knew about the Ayala development at Sicogon’s Barangay Buaya and I wanted to see the island as it was before high-end resorts, manicured beachfronts and jetskis… Read more: Islas De Gigantes, Ilo-Ilo: At The Foot of A Sleeping Giant - Torn Between Two Mindoros
For my mid-summer trip, I went to Mindoro – to both its Oriental and Occidental sides. It was a logistical decision. I had three trips lined up for the next few months. I chose to do this first because I was unsure of the political… Read more: Torn Between Two Mindoros - Coral Cay Conservation: Volunteer Tourism That Works
For my Southern Leyte trip, the first stop was Coral Cay Conservation‘s base camp. This was right next to Napantao, the province’s oldest MPA (marine protected area). It was an opportunity to check out the MPA and see volunteer tourism in action. Volunteer tourism refers… Read more: Coral Cay Conservation: Volunteer Tourism That Works - On Meeting Reynan and His Tacloban
Tacloban was not the destination during my last trip but I needed to pass through the city. I dreaded to pass through it. It was my first time but it felt otherwise. Popular media had already mapped a Tacloban that suffered tragedies both natural and… Read more: On Meeting Reynan and His Tacloban - Dahican Beach, Mati City: Paradise on the Brink
I know of places like Boracay and Puerto Galera before their massive commercialization through older friends. They talked about doing road trips in pick-up trucks filled with tanks, dive gear, and eager diving friends to get to a mostly empty Sabang, Puerto Galera. Dives were… Read more: Dahican Beach, Mati City: Paradise on the Brink - Roots, Traditions and Remembering: On Meeting Apo Whang Od and Experiencing Buscalan
The trip to Buscalan, Kalinga Apayao meant two things for me. It was a return to the mountains – my rambling roots, having started out as a mountaineer before I took to the ocean. It was also my chance to get tattooed by Apo Whang… Read more: Roots, Traditions and Remembering: On Meeting Apo Whang Od and Experiencing Buscalan - Apo Reef: Awaking Occidental Mindoro’s Marine Gem
Apo (pronounced with a long ‘a’ and a long ‘o’) is a word of respect. It is bequeathed only onto the best in historical Philippines, and even today within communities that retain some of its local traditions. It is an ancient word; as old as… Read more: Apo Reef: Awaking Occidental Mindoro’s Marine Gem - The Journey to Apo Reef: Tale of the Traveling Schlummi
This trip went so far from the plan. It’s not just about staying in Occidental Mindoro longer and postponing the Coron leg as consequence. It’s also about a solo trip that wasn’t. As soon as I stepped into Michael’s 4-wheel drive early Friday morning, it… Read more: The Journey to Apo Reef: Tale of the Traveling Schlummi - Beneath Your Beautiful: Diving Into Bicol’s Marine Ills
It is easy to fall in love with the region of Bicol. Blessed with picturesque islands, the bluest waters, and fiery volcanoes that attract more than repel, you get smitten. Its sordid past does not seep into the haze of perfect beaches, great food, warm… Read more: Beneath Your Beautiful: Diving Into Bicol’s Marine Ills - Bagong Salta Sa Bicol
I can’t believe I took so long to travel to Bicol. The trip I made a week before Holy Week was a first for me. There had been plans but all fell through. The province was just never on my radar. This changed when I… Read more: Bagong Salta Sa Bicol - Pitak Project: Quest For Water
I’m taking a break from scheduled programming to help promote the Pitak Project’s Quest for Water fundraising drive. I’ve talked about the Pitak Project in the past — how its founders are making their dreams come true while inspiring and positively impacting the lives of people in… Read more: Pitak Project: Quest For Water - Danjugan Island: Paradise Endangered
Danjugan Island is an island off Negros Occidental that had been built up in my mind as paradise. Limestone cliffs, lush forests, pristine lagoons, birds, corals, fish, and hardly anyone around – I wanted to be there. The first time I saw a glimpse of… Read more: Danjugan Island: Paradise Endangered - Arigatou Gozaimasu, Daman!
There are many reasons to visit Siquijor: diving, its coastal and mountain attractions, and maybe to scare yourself a bit with its myths and folktales. Surely, I had mine. American friends raved about the province when they went more than five years ago. I wanted… Read more: Arigatou Gozaimasu, Daman! - A Big Splash and A Big Smile to Welcome 2015
Happy New Year 🙂 Starting it with some musings about my last trip…. I am shifting in my seat right now as I write this. My butt still hurts from jumping into the sea off a 20-foot cliff. According to the forums, this will be… Read more: A Big Splash and A Big Smile to Welcome 2015 - Ready… Giddy… Go!After Ruby and before an LPA becomes a typhoon (hopefully not) that will threaten Visayas and Mindanao, I will be on a plane for Siquijor, via Dumaguete. This is the first stop of this month’s dive and foodie trip. I am so excited! It’s been… Read more: Ready… Giddy… Go!
- Personal Blog: Stop/StartIt took a while to get the last post out. It’s shorter than usual but that’s got my blood and sweat in it. I take writing personally. It’s the one thing of me that I want intact and uncompromised. Not saying I’m some godsend here…… Read more: Personal Blog: Stop/Start
- The Rocky Ecotourism Boat
That’s how it felt like, this boat that I was on. Caught in an afternoon storm, we rocked precariously in open sea. The people inside the passenger shed were shrieking as waves slapped against us. I was on the shed’s roof. The people here were… Read more: The Rocky Ecotourism Boat - The Underwater Pyramids of Calatagan, Batangas
By commercial definition, Calatagan in Batangas is not a dive destination; and its chain of underwater pyramids is not a “dive site.” There are no dive centers nearby. No accessible source of air tanks and gears for rent. No experienced dive guides and boatmen who… Read more: The Underwater Pyramids of Calatagan, Batangas - What’s Up, What’s Next, and Weathering the WeatherJuly’s really for catching up. I went on three successive trips and, with the money-earning projects I also need to do, I am delinquent with TDC posts. Sorry. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do 😉 I have Calatagan underwater pyramids videos and… Read more: What’s Up, What’s Next, and Weathering the Weather
- The Pitak Project: Dreams Under Your FeetThe choice of Pitak Project as one of my destinations is more personal than logical. They don’t exactly fit in with what I focus on. The place is nowhere near water nor fish. And, statistically, the subject isn’t as popular with my Facebook followers as,… Read more: The Pitak Project: Dreams Under Your Feet
- For the Love of the Road
The past four weeks have been busy. I went to 3 destinations (Pideg, La Union, Calatagan, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro) and was on the road for a cumulative of 50 hours. By on the road, I mean “on my butt and being transported to a… Read more: For the Love of the Road - Malapascua Island: The Imaginings of Paradise
On the surface, Malapascua Island, Cebu is paradise. Bounty Beach, or what once was known as the island’s “secret beach,” is an endless strip of fine white sand and coconut trees. The waters are crystalline and inviting. Most of the time, the beach is empty… Read more: Malapascua Island: The Imaginings of Paradise - Leg 2: Malapascua, A Personal Account
Note: This is a personal account of the trip. I will be discussing issues in my next blog. Note 2: This is a long read…. I took time to write this. I went through and came back from my Malapascua trip this year with mixed… Read more: Leg 2: Malapascua, A Personal Account - Kindness on the RoadI am writing this from the domestic airport’s floor. I came 5 hours early for my morning flight and thought to spend time here to work. Supposedly, there’s free wi-fi, care of Globe, and a regular-priced Seattle’s Best. Well, the coffee shop’s closed and they… Read more: Kindness on the Road
- What’s NextTo be honest, I’ve felt iffy after the 1st leg. I say iffy because I can’t think of the best word for it… so iffy. I feel like I haven’t done the most that I could for Galera and its woes. A write-up or two… Read more: What’s Next
- Puerto Galera, At The Heels of Boracay
The similarities between Puerto Galera and Boracay are not limited to aesthetics and the sun/sand/sea gratification they offer. The rise of these prime Philippine tourist destinations is practically the same, with Puerto Galera at the heels of Boracay. Both are paradise discovered, developed and overdeveloped,… Read more: Puerto Galera, At The Heels of Boracay - Leg 1: Puerto Galera, A Personal AccountAs in any journey, there are bumps on the road that can shake things up and knock you off your seat. Mine happened early on, with plans that went awry because of bad weather. I went to Sabang, Puerto Galera as scheduled on a maybe.… Read more: Leg 1: Puerto Galera, A Personal Account
- Wait and See/SeaYou can say that nothing is going right for TDC’s first leg. I come into Sabang when weather’s pretty bad. The water is restless. Cloudy skies. No one goes beyond the house reef to dive. I have sashimi as my late lunch and it is… Read more: Wait and See/Sea
- Getting There: After the Anilao PrepI never really considered the physical aspect of this project, even in its original 2-month straight travel format. At close to the big 4-0, I still take those things for granted. When you spend as much time at the gym as I do — even… Read more: Getting There: After the Anilao Prep
- Anilao Batangas: The Verde Island PrepAnilao is home for many Manila-based divers. It’s what we miss when we’ve been away from the sea too long. It’s where we go when we want a dose of compressed air and salt water. I’m heading there tomorrow for a day of diving. Wilson,… Read more: Anilao Batangas: The Verde Island Prep
- To The Young TravelerTo the young traveler. Oi! Kamusta? I have friends — mostly on Facebook — who are about your age. They like posting pictures of weekend trips to mountains (usually) and beaches (sometimes.). I get it. I was once like that. I was once brimming with… Read more: To The Young Traveler
- Saving Sea TurtlesMy favorite turtle encounter happened just last year, around December. I was assisting in a checkout dive in Anilao, Batangas, documenting it and standing by as rescue diver. When you’re a rescue diver, you’re always at the back and further out away from the reef… Read more: Saving Sea Turtles
- Packing LightYesterday, circumstances made me take a look around, at my stuff, to see what I can pack inside my backpack. My mind wandered to a life lived on the road. Jumping from beachside to beachside, that’s the dream. I look at my backpack and the… Read more: Packing Light
- Let Your Feet Follow Where Your Heart and Mind LeadThere is no sustainable tourism bible. No guidelines given out to everyday travelers that we’re supposed to memorize and follow each time we get the itch to go…. But we have our hearts and our minds. As long as we remain aware of how we… Read more: Let Your Feet Follow Where Your Heart and Mind Lead
- Ground UpNo water posts yet… working on it 🙂 1st leg will likely be on the road by late-March. Right now, I’m thinking of Cebu: a visit to Malapascua, one of the severely hit areas by Yolanda, where we’ll glimpse the progress of their recovery and… Read more: Ground Up
- Personal Blog: Coming CleanI am second guessing myself as I write this… because it is personal, and has nothing to do with conservation and travel. But it has something to do with this project, this blog and the campaign. I think I received my first vitriol for putting… Read more: Personal Blog: Coming Clean
- Finding NemoI’m fairly new to underwater videography and photography but I am enjoying it so far. I like the challenge. On one hand, you’re trying to dive carefully — have your gears intact and away from corals and such, remain neutrally buoyant, remain safe and enjoy… Read more: Finding Nemo
- The Why in All of ThisBefore I go all intellectual about why I want to do this campaign, let me tell you where it started from — and it’s all mushy stuff. I first began to see the country post college. I had no opportunities before that. No money, no… Read more: The Why in All of This
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