Bayanihan in Ayoke Island (May 28 – June 2, 2012) is one of those things that should make every traveler feel good about themselves. Just writing about this one makes me feel good already. I’ve heard so much about Ayoke Island from friends that I’ve been raring to go there for some time and spend a couple of days exploring the island. Unfortunately, my weekends have either been booked for roadtrips that this one has really been left in my travel-shelf gathering dust, just like the many, many books I’ve bought and have yet to read.

When my brother showed me a poster of an event in Ayoke Island spearheaded by Gawad Kalinga (GK) and sponsored by Cantilan Bank Foundation Inc. (CBFI), that was the writing on the wall for me. It’s like the universe has conspired to give me the necessary nudge I needed to finally go there. And go there I shall. The even however is for one week and since I’m a working stiff, I’ll only be able to lend my assistance for the weekend. Better than nothing I suppose.

The great thing about this is that I get to visit the island for a couple of days and contribute a few hours of my life making some other folks’ lives a little bit more comfortable. This is like having your cake and eating it too.

Here are some of the things I’ve heard about Ayoke Island. Mind you, these were just things I was told, I haven’t had the time nor the desire to verify if what I’ve been told were true. So if you’re reading this and you know some of the things here aren’t true, do me a favor, leave a comment and keep me honest.

- Ayoke Island doesn’t have electricity. There used to be a generator on the island but the locals had to shell out a few bucks they don’t have for the privilege so that went out the window. These days, they’re into alternative energy which is solar power. Imagine that. The energy generated however is not of the magnitude that folks will be able to charge their mobile phones. So folks, if you go there and you must have a living, breathing cellphone, keep this in mind.

- Fish in the island is plentiful and disgustingly cheap. My brother told me that when they were there (with the GK crew I think) and they shared food with the locals, the latter went for the Bangsi (flying fish) instead of the Lapu-lapu (grouper). Apparently, Lapulapu is much more common than Bangsi.

- Ayoke is corraled in with only one passage way (a gap in the corrals surrounding the island) that can be used to enter and leave the island. You guys need to keep me honest on this one.

- Ayoke has big enough waves for people to surf.

Hope some readers of this blog will be able to join me for this event. See you there!

For more information about this event, you can call 086-2125489 or email the organizers at cantilanbankfoundationinc@gmail.com. Featured photo from www.journeyingjames.com

Last Good Friday, I went from San Francisco to Brittania in half a day.  I wish I could say that it’s from North America to Europe like what my title says but it isn’t.  I’m actually referring to San Francisco, Agusan Del Sur and Brittania, San Agustin, Surigao Del Sur.  The beach however is neither North American nor European; it’s 100% tropical Philippines.

Brittania is gaining popularity among local tourists because of its accessibility.  It can easily be reached by public transportation though having your own private ride would be much more comfortable.  It also helps that the roads going there are already paved which makes commuting fast and stress free.

Going There

Public Commute

There are buses that ply the San Agustin route so having your own transportation is not a necessity if you’re adventurous enough.  If your jump off point is Butuan City, there’s a Bachelor Express bus that goes to Tandag, so you can take that.  If you’re from Davao, there’s also a Davao Bachelor Express bus going to Tandag.  You’ll have to get off at San Agustin, Surigao De Sur, specifically Brgy. Brittania.  The conductor should be familiar with that area.  If you want to make sure, here’s a link to a google map.

http://bit.ly/I3kjja

If you’re from Manila, you can just take the plane to Butuan City, rent a multi-cab to the  bus terminal and take the Tandag bound buses.

Driving

From San Francisco, it’s just another 30-45 minute drive to Lianga.  The main thing to remember when going to Lianga is that when you reach Barobo from San Franz, you need to take a left when you reach the Barobo market junction.  Going right will take you to Mangagoy, Surigao Del Sur.

Another 10-20 minutes after taking the left turn Barobo will take you to Lianga.  There will plenty of signs so you won’t get lost but the thing to remember is the name of the place, Brittania, San Agustin, Surigao Del Sur.    The landmark for you to take the right turn for the Brittania jump off is a chapel, so watch out for that one.   Check out the link to the San Agustin map as well to be sure.

The Brittania Experience

Brittania boasts of a cluster of islands (24 to be exact) that’s realy good for island hopping.  The islands are close to each other so you don’t spend a lot of time in motorized bancas.  Here are a few pictures I’ve taken of the beaches and the waters that are really inviting.  These are taken from Naked Island (a sandbar) and Hagonoy Island.

I can only show a few pictures because I kinda messed up with the other pictures I’ve taken.  I still have to master that ISO setting so what can I say?

Nevertheless, there are a lot of things that Brittania can compare with the top beaches in the country.  There are islands there where the sand is as white and as fine as Boracay (I kid you not) and the water is as clear and as warm as the best of them.  If there’s ever a best time to go to this place, it’s now.  There’s few people that go there for now so if you’re still in your summer break, this is a must visit destination.

Must Try Things

Apart from the pleasure of the beach, there’s a thing or two that Brittania visitors need to try to complete the experience.  Both are related to food.

1. Sea Urchin – if you haven’t tried it yet, you have to try it there because it’s cheap and well, it has an interesting taste.  Just ask for the locals or wherever you’re staying if they’re serving it.  They most likely have it in their menu.  This one is taken raw.  The taste is like tasting a non-salty sea, a little bit yummy and at the same time it feels like you’re eating something yucky.  It’s an acquired taste so pair it with rice and just savor the aftertaste.
2. Aninikad – this one are small seashells.  You know those little crawly things that you see during low tide.  The locals pick these things up and serve it to visitors.  Cooked of course.  The interesting thing about this dish is how it’s cooked.  The locals clean the shells up with the fish net (I think) to remove all the sand and grime.  This is while the shells are still alive.  Then they take a huge cauldron, fill it up with sea water and then pour all the shells in it.  Since the shells are in their element, they sort of peek out of their shells.  Once they’re legs or appendages are showing.  The cauldron is then placed on top of a fire, and left there.  Effectively boiling those hard shelled little things to death.  It’s then easy picking for the eaters once the Aninikads are served as they’re already half out of their shell.  This one’s yummy and really good paired with ice cold beer.

Lodging

In the Brittania jump off point there are already establishments that offer board and lodging like the La Entrada Resorts and Restaurant, the Mac Arthur’s Place, La Isla Gloria de Britania and Joan’s Resort.

So what are you waiting for?  Brittania, still untouched by commercialization is waiting to be explored.

The problem with having seen and experienced some of the best beaches the Philippines has to offer is that when you go to a typical beach, you can’t help but compare it to the better beaches that you’ve been to. These days, I’ve been fortunate enough to have work that allows me enough time to go beach hopping whenever I want to– provided of course that the beach is nearby and won’t take centuries to go to. Since I’m now based in the province (mostly), and my province, Agusan Del Norte is practically a coastal province, there are a lot of beaches that I can easily go to. Unfortunately whatever beach I go to, I keep thinking about the fine white sand in Boracay or the azure blue waters of Palawan. It’s not helping I know but I can’t pretend that the beaches in ADN that I frequent are anywhere near the quality of the beaches I’ve been to.

That is until I ventured towards the far end of ADN, which is Vinapor. I remembered a few years back when I went there with my family and had a blast renting a banca and swimming in the patches of blue waters that the deeper part of Jurassic Beach offered. There wasn’t much beach to speak of because Jurassic Beach (now called Blue Waters) is set on a cliff with its cottages strategically erected on limestone boulders without needlessly destroying the natural formations. It makes for a very good nature trip.

The best beach in ADN, according to me, however is not Jurassic Beach. It has it’s charms, more than the average ADN beach I believe, but going into the water can be challenging especially if you’re a bit on the clumsy side and has serious reservations about jumping into the water even from an insignificant height (think of a 3 feet fall). I’ll have to write about Jurassic Beach some other time as this article is about the best beach in ADN which is (drum roll please) Bolihon Beach.

Now Bolihon Beach can’t be compared to Boracay. It can be compared to Puerto Galera with it’s ochre colored sand, however because of its location (hello ADN), it is not a place where lots of tourists go to. It has however become popular for pre-nuptial photoshoots and videos. Now why is Bolihon Beach the best beach in ADN? Well let me count the ways.

1. It’s clean. I’m not saying it’s immaculately clean. Every beach will always have its share of riffraff, but because Bolihon is far clustered communities, it hasn’t gone the way of most ADN beaches. Unfortunately if the current insensitive Bolihon Beach goers do not mend their ways (leaving plastic trash near the beach!!) this beach is going to end up like a trash heap. Ok, I’m being overly dramatic here but really folks, if you go to the beach, please bring your garbage with you or at least dispose of them properly.

2. It’s not the usual black sand beach that’s prevalent in most ADN beaches. Don’t get me wrong, black can also be beautiful but somehow, a lot of the black sand beach I’ve been to are silted and have lots of clay in the seabed when you go into the water. This is not a pleasant feeling when you’re standing in between swimming.

3. It offers a beach front for casual swimmers, and a natural jumping spot for the more adventurous. To go to the jumping spots (you can call it diving spots if you want but I’ll leave that for later) you just have to go to the natural formations where the sea meets a bed of limestone (not sure if its coral but definitely part of the cliffs there) and just jump into the soft azure waters. The water there is very deep so it’s perfect for practicing your divebombs.

4. It’s a haven for divers. Bolihon beach is home to the Butuan Bay Divers. I have never ventured into diving as I feel that it will be the death of me so I just sort of experience diving precariously through these guys awesome underwater pictures. You can check out their facebook page or website if you want.

5. It’s cheap! Entrance is only P25, and the cottage is only P150!

6. It’s remote. And thanks to this remoteness, you don’t get a battalion of beach combers going there everytime. If you happen to go on a weekday, you can practically have the beach to yourself.

How to go there.

1. You need to have your own transportation. Public transportation can only take you as far as the Carmen, ADN highway. You need to rent your transport if you want to go there.

2. Carmen is around 25Km from Butuan City. If you’re coming from Butuan, watch out for the Bolihon Beach sign to the right. You need to take that right and travel for another 1.5KM before you reach Bolihon. Again, you need to watch out for the Bolihon sign when you’re coming down that unpaved road decline. Unpaved is an understatement. Do not bring a lowered Ferrari to that place. You’ll wreck it.

3. There’s a limited number of cottages. If you want a hassle free getaway, be there early; especially if its a weekend. There are areas where you can grill your own fish/meat but you need to bring your own charcoal. Theres a store inside the resort that sells beer/softdrinks/hard liquor but you need to bring your own food. Not sure if they have a restaurant though.

I’ve been to Bolihon twice in March alone and I figured I’ll be going there at least twice a month.

So if you’re planning on having a rocking good beach adventure in ADN, don’t sell yourself short. Go to Bolihon Beach.  Don’t be fooled by those huge billboards proclaiming that their beach resort is the sh*t in ADN.

For months I’ve been dreaming of travelling to Sohoton Cove and swim with its non-sting jellyfishes. I’ve seen some videos on youtube of these creatures and I was amazed by the sheer number of these creatures swimming in Sohoton’s emerald waters. The blue-green waters didn’t make matters easier on me as well. I kept searching for pictures and blogs and videos of this place on the internet and wondered when I will be able to go there.

A couple of weeks ago however I was finally able to go to Sohoton courtesy of the significant other who, out of the blue, decided to call up her friends and organize the adventure. I was so excited and raring to go that the day before we depart, I wasn’t able to sleep! I was so out of it when we started our trip that I asked the SO to drive so I can get some sleep.

We were coming from Butuan City and we were advised that the best jump off point would be Claver, Surigao Del Norte specifically in Huyanggabon town. For those who would be travelling the same route and who are used to going to Surigao City, instead of making that left turn towards Surigao City in Placer, you just go straight and you will not miss Claver.

Because of the excited buzz inside the car, I really wasn’t able to get much sleep which was just as well because the scenery and the road going to Claver was simply beautiful. You have verdant green hills and rice paddies to your right, and the beckoning sea to the left. I was mindful that our driver don’t get too carried away by the scenery that we’d find ourselves on a ditch somewhere but I guess my apprehension was unfounded as our driver focused all her energies in her driving.

Nearing Claver, we passed by a very green semi-forested area with hundreds of migratory birds floating above a lush hill. I just took a mental picture because I wasn’t able to grab my camera in time. Its views like that that city dwellers only get to see on the Discovery Channel or the National Geographic. Pretty sad really when you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars just to be able to see such views in our country.

On our way to Claver we also passed by Taganito town where the Taganito Mining Company has its mining operations. It’s really sad to see the mountains turn brown because of all the mining activities. Although we would like to keep everything around us green and beautiful to look at, mining is an indispensable part of a growing economy. I can only hope that certain measures are being taken to ensure that mining operations don’t cause too much damage to the environment.

One of the wonderful things to see going to Claver is the water that gushes out of the mountains. These are not waterfalls, more of stored water inside the mountains gushing out of the cracks in its sides. Those who are experiencing water shortage in Metro Manila will cry when they see such a site. Speaking of gushing water, here’s a picture I took in Cabadbaran City in Agusan Del Norte. This is what they call flowing water. Nope, it’s not from the water district, and there’s no mechanism to pump the water out of the ground. It’s just a pipe stuck on the ground giving way for the water to come out naturally, or something like that. Yes, there’s no faucet there. It just flows water unceasingly. That’s mineral water right there for the taking.

From our jump-off point in Huyanggabon town, we were met by the tourist guides that the SO thoughtfully contacted before hand. They have already secured a boat that will take us to Club Tara, our temporary home in Sohoton. For this boat, we paid P8,500 including the tour which was good for an entire day. They would also bring us back to Huyanggabon the following day. For those who will be bringing in their own transport, the local tourism office provides a gated parking area just behind their building for P100/day so you don’t have to worry about your car getting stolen.

From the pier in Huyanggabon, I could already see the effects of mining in Taganito town. Their beach has turned brown. Maybe it’s because of the mud coming from the mined mountains which flows into the sea whenever it rains. Since almost all the trees covering the mountains have been removed so they can be mined, there’s nothing that prevents mud from getting washed out. It’s a sad sight really.

The boat trip to Club Tara in Sohoton was only 30 minutes long. This is very short compared to the 2-hour plus boat ride when you’re coming from Siargao. I was afraid that our trip would get rained on when I saw huge rainclouds hovering near the Bucas Grande Islands which houses the Sohoton Cove, but fortunately after only a couple of minutes of drizzle, the rain clouds went away and spared us the misery.

Club Tara has seen better days, I must say. Although one can imagine the resort in its glory days, when I went there, it wasn’t as beautiful as the brochures would like me to believe. However, there’s no denying its charms. It’s patterned after all those Dos Palmas like resorts where the rooms or the cottages are standing on water. The great thing about Club Tara though is that it’s standing on water surrounded by some 6 or 8 islets. That the water is clear and green is an understatement. You really have to be there to see it for yourself. And this is not limited to the Club Tara area, all around the clusters of islets, the water is really, really clear and beautiful and OMFG if you’re a sea lover, you wont be able to stop drooling at the emerald water all around you.

Some things about Club Tara though, the rooms are not that inexpensive. Our cottage cost P2500, airconditioned, standing on water, with a veranda overlooking the sea. Also, they don’t have food there. lol. Which means while you are at Huyanggabon, you really have to buy a lot of food for your meals if you don’t want to go hungry. Bring lots of drinks as well, unless you fancy beer which costs P150/bottle. They don’t charge corkage which is good but boy do they charge a lot for their cooking. P500/meal is their rate.

The great thing about our stay in Club Tara though is that we were the only visitors. Which means we have the resort all to ourselves. For staying there as well, we were able to fully utilize their kayaks for free which is very nice since there are portions of Sohoton Cove that mechanized bancas (or boats) aren’t allowed to go to, including the habitat of the non-sting jellyfish. The sad thing is that there’s not much cellular signal there which rendered the WeRoam broadband kit I brought utterly useless. Club Tara is a viable option for honeymooners though, with all the waters surrounding you, the lack of visitors, and the natural beauty everywhere, newlyweds can go at it like rabbits and to hell with the RH Bill. lol. I support the RH Bill though so don’t take it the wrong way.

Part II Our Sohoton Cove Adventure Starts

After depositing our luggage at Club Tara and hitching a couple of kayaks in our boat, our tour guide took us to directly to the heart of the Bucas Grande Islands which is the Sohoton Cove. The main attraction there as the tour guide would like us to believe is that rocky arch that the boat has to navigate under. They have to time the visit at low tide though because when the water comes in, well you can’t pass under. These islets however remind me of the hundred islands at alaminos and those little islands in caramoan rolled into one. The difference is that the islets in Sohoton are much closer to each other which makes for a very interesting tour. After a few minutes however for those folks with ADHD such as myself, things start to become monotonous. Oh look another islet, big whoop.

The guide then took us to this little structure where you’re supposed to register and pay a little amount for the privilege of getting sunburned and overwhelmed by nature at its best. I don’t have any problem paying because well, the surrounding water was really, really clean and if a few bucks would help to maintain that cleanliness then more power. I sure hope they charge foreigners a higher fee though which is only natural I think.

Near the registration structure there’s another bigger structure that’s being built. I think it’s going to be a restaurant. A little uh-oh for me because I only knew full well what happened to the Enchanted River after I went there the first time. When I returned a couple of months after to that awesome place there were already cement structures and while everything was managed well by the Hinatuan folks, I can’t help but miss the serenity I experienced there in my initial visit. I don’t think I can call it Enchanted anymore, the number of people going there every weekend has driven the enchantment of that place to hell. It’s still very clean though, and the river is still blue.

Back to Sohoton, our guide next took us to another area where the non-sting jellyfish are. I was excited because it’s what I’ve been dreaming about for months. When we reached the area, my heart sank. Although there were jellyfishes in the water, I only counted six. And yes, the jellyfishes were orange. You could mistake them for ponkan if you’re not careful.

But I was reassured when the guide told us that the water where we docked is not exactly the jellyfishes’ hangout, and he proceeded to unhitch the three kayaks that we brought. My companions hopped on the two kayaks, two to each, and I was left to maneuver a kayak on my own. Since I was wearing a vest, I proudly mentioned that I know how to use it. Heh. Machismo to the max. Fortunately I did not make a fool of myself when I boarded my kayak unlike one of my ‘heavier’ companions who had all sorts of trouble trying to maintain her balance. At one point she had her weight equally divided between the kayak and the boat and she had a really hard time maintaining that position. Everyone had a good time at her expense. lol.

The reason that we had to use the kayak was because use of any motorized banca is prohibited from entering the jellyfish area. I think it’s because there’s so many of them and they could easily be caught in the motor’s propeller. When the guide declared that there are millions of jellyfishes in the area where we are kayaking towards, I couldn’t help but express my disbelief. I think the guide was a little bit hurt when he said that I should just see it with my own eyes.

Paddling towards the jellyfish area was easy. We were going with the current so it’s just a matter of guiding the kayak and we’re there. When we reached the area where the jellyfish are, I was totally amazed! Hundreds and hundreds of these little creatures were in the water swimming silently. It’s really a sight to behold. Although they are non-sting jellyfish, I still couldn’t muster the courage to grab one and examine it closely. But since I was very close to the water, there wasn’t a need for me to do so. If you’ve been to El Nido and was able to go to the small and big lagoon, that’s exactly how the jellyfishes’ habitat looked like. Except in this area, the attraction is not the place but the creatures.

But wait, there’s more! lol. The guide said that round the bend there be more jellyfishes. With the number of jellyfishes I’ve seen in the area I couldn’t imagine that there’d be more. I mean there are already hundreds if not thousands of jellyfish there, what could be more than that? The guide wasn’t exaggerating though, when I rounded the bend there were actually more of the creatures there, more concentrated, more voluminous that I think if I just had the courage to go under the water I’d be seeing orange instead of blue. I couldn’t blame him when he said that there’s millions of jellyfishes there. He could be right because there I had to be very careful where I put my paddle for fear of hitting one of those lovely creatures. It even seemed like I was no longer paddling in a sea of water but of jellyfishes. One could even say that you have to part these creatures to be able to see the sea. That’s how many of these orange creatures there are. It’s really unbelievable. One of the guides even dove under the water to scoop an aberation and show it to us. It was a coconut sized transparrent jellyfish. Pure gulaman in his hands if you ask me.

The only sad thing while looking at the jellyfishes was that I couldn’t bring my camera with me. I was afraid that my kayak would capsize and my camera would get wet. Such a shame really.

After we’ve had our fill of watching the jellyfishes, we headed back to our boat. Going back to the boat however was a struggle. My companions had no problems paddling back as they had guides in their kayak who were doing the paddling while I had to fend for myself, and the thing is, I am now paddling against the current. It took me minutes to get back to the boat as I paddled for my life and my pride as the significant other watched how I was doing. It was rough and it took every inch of my muscle and fat (mostly fat) to master the current.

I was relieved when I was finally able to get on the boat and all the kayaks were tied securely. We went back to Club Tara for lunch and to download all the pictures we took to our laptops. As it was only midday, the guide said there are still a lot of sites to discover including a cave and some lagoons. Not for me though. I was out of it. The lack of sleep and all the excitement got to me that I could barely keep an eye open. So much to my regret, while my companions readied for another Sohoton assault, I hit the sack and was snoring midway towards getting undressed.

I woke up before sunset and just sat on the balcony of our cottage, dangling my feet which could almost hit the water. It’s a really nice place for thinking about stuff that you wouldn’t normally think when you’re in the city. Perhaps its the refreshing sea air, or the water, or just the sight of horizon slowly becoming orange.

It is lent in the Philippines and it’s one of those holidays that I really, really like. I say this with a guilty conscience though. I am born and raised a catholic but lately I couldn’t really call myself one if following the catechisms and the dogmas of the catholic church were to be the basis for calling oneself a catholic. But that’s fodder for another story. It is the holy week and during Biyernes Santo or Good Friday, everything in this little country of ours shuts down. Yes, malls are closed which gives me the perfect opportunity to haul my very entrepreneurial significant other to destinations that can be reached in just a few hours of travel.

Holy Week Destination

This year the destination I had in mind was Duka Bay Resort. This is a little resort in Medina, Misamis Oriental that some folks have been raving about, which to me seems unnatural given that this part of Mindanao isn’t exactly known to have white sand beaches. Still, even the significant other spoke about it, and even mentioned that one of her dealers from Medina has invited her countless times to visit Duka Bay promising free accommodations and what have you. Freebies however do not tempt the SO, nor does any form of relaxation. If it doesn’t bring in money, fuggeddaboudit, it ain’t hapenning. Especially when her stores are open.

Anyway, earlier today I finally got the SO to take a drive with me to Duka Bay. At a relaxed driving pace, Duka Bay can be reached from Butuan City in approximately 90 minutes. I think it can be reached faster if only the government officials of Carmen and Magsaysay towns bothered to fix their roads. I wonder where all those pork barrel funds went to? Really mysterious (or not). Gingoog and Medina however have excellent roads so it’s easy to lose yourself in your driving and not notice that you’re already hitting 100kph. That’s a luxury you’re not able to do in Carmen and Magsaysay, the potholes in the middle of the road will always remind you of the maximum driving speed. I think in this part of the Philippines, the speed limit is imposed so the drivers don’t wreck their cars in the numerous potholes. Elsewhere it’s for the pedestrian’s benefit. Oh well.

Duka Bay Resort

My idea of a Good Friday as being hot and humid and dusty was quashed by the torrential rain that pounded us heavily on our way to Duka. The sky was overcast with granite clouds that the closer we were to our destination, the heavier my heart sank. I was hoping that there would be a lot of sunlight so I can take a lot of photos for this blog. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.

It was still raining a little bit when we arrived at Duka Bay. Regardless of the little rain however, there were still a few people swimming in the beach. I noticed that Duka’s beach has a concrete barrier that reined in the water, and looking a little closer I noted that the water was very clear eventhough the sand wasn’t necessarily white. I guess the word of mouth about Duka being very clean wasn’t just hype after all.

I went over to the front desk and asked for their room rates. The front desk lady explained that they have special rates for the holy week. And their rates were very special indeed. Their P2.8K regular junior suite rates suddenly jumped to P7K++. It’s holy week alright, even the resorts will force you to share the pain of Christ.

Duka Bay Resort Facilities

Duka’s accomodations boast of around 9 villas (very private, very nice view), a picnic area, and aqua sports amenities for those who want to frolic in the water. They also have function rooms that can cater to birthday parties, weddings, and seminars.

But what differentiates Duka Bay from the run of the mill beaches dotting the Misamis Oriental shoreline is that they’ve managed to preserve their reefs and its surrounding ecosystem. This means that for avid divers and snorkellers, Duka has a compelling proposition. I really wanted to do a bit of snorkelling myself but I was turned off by the winds and the rain. It’s summer and a Good Friday to boot but it seems the world was conspiring to make it a miserable day. And understandably so, after all our Lord Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross today. If that doesn’t make the world miserable, nothing ever will.

Some of the more precious things in life come in small packages. The smaller or rarer things are, the more precious they become. Add temporary to the equation and that rare valuable thing becomes Gollum’s my precioussssss.

And this is what I imagine Magpupungko to be. I don’t want to go into the etymology of Magpupungko although I am itching all over to ask somebody why this little speck of water was named as such. I do know the literal translation being from Mindanao myself but somehow as a closet grammar police, this one has my knickers in a bunch.

Moving on, Magpupungko is actually part of a beach in Pilar in the Island of Siargao. It is one of those rare things that if you were to describe Magpupungko as a period of time rather than a physical place, I wouldn’t disagree with you. Others would, but I won’t. See Magpupungko only appears whenever it’s low tide in Pilar. It’s like a secret hidden underneath a young girls’ long skirt which she shows only in regular intervals.

Magpupungko as you can see is quite small, it is temporal (only lasting a couple of hours), and it is absolutely fantastic! It’s like some magnificent being created this place for those creatures who only have a couple of hours to live– mayflies for example. You can never say that the water is dirty or tepid, nature does the cleaning here so everything is sparkling and clear and freaking awesome. Ok, I’ve said enough. Let these pictures tell their story.

Can you imagine hosting an exclusive party here? Guests will be compelled to come on time and leave on time. Oh well, me and my hyperactive imagination.

A couple of months back, the usual crew went back to Siargao Island to watch the First Siargao International Surfing Festival. Unfortunately, a major disaster hit the competition that practically beat the crap out of it. Nah, there were no typhoons or storms or any natural calamity during the competition. Whatever disaster there was though took the form of people and politics.

First there was the decision to politicize the event. No longer would there be any Billabong participation whatsoever, everything was taken care of by the tourism boys and girls. Then there’s the scheduling. From the usual October schedule it was moved up to September to coincide with the fiesta celebrations of General Luna town. It’s a fiesta right, and the big waves should do the saint’s bidding right? Wrong.

Putting Billabong out of the picture was a sure fire way to ensure that the world’s top surfers won’t grace the event. And why would they? The company that puts money in their board shorts aren’t exactly strangling them to attend the event so good luck with that. Despite the sponsorship of big local companies like San Miguel wasn’t enough to drag them out of their beds.

The September schedule also was all wrong. I was there when the finals of the National Surfing was held and it was painful to see very small waves offering little if no resistance to the finalists. In fact the first runner-up lost because he wasn’t able to ride any wave at all. The organizers might as well have declared the finals a no contest. That’s how bad it was. By the way, the finals ended well into 7pm and the contestants were only visible because of moonshine. Not sure if something like this happened before but for sure, surfing competition is NOT a nocturnal event. Attendance on the day of the National Finals was also abysmal. There must have been less than 50 people watching it including the surfers. Epic fail.

The opening of the international surfing competition was also pretty funny. When it was time to do the traditional breaking of the surfboard (intended to signal the start of the competition), the organizers brought in a makeshift styro board heavily wrapped in packing tape. It took the VIPs (local politicians) at least five minutes to break it even with the generous assistance of some folks who proceeded to tear it apart. We didn’t stay long enough to see if there were any big waves during the actual international competition as we’ve seen quite enough and we’re not sure if the big waves will come.

Looking at the pictures of the finals of the international competition however, the big waves did come towards the day of the finals. Too bad we didn’t have enough time to wait for them waves, instead, we visited one of the more unusual products of nature that lay hidden in Pilar– the natural swimming pools in Pilar called Magpopongko. More of this in the next post.

I’m going back to my home province again in Agusan Del Norte after almost six months here in Manila. Not that I will be going back there permanently, I just need to recharge my energy so I can take on a new phase in my corporate career. It’s strange how one place can really grow on you despite spending the majority of your life elsewhere. I guess I’m one example of this.

I grew up in pineapple country in South Cotabato. Specifically Polomolok, South Cotabato where the Dole Plantation has landscaped the flat area with hectares and hectares of pineapple. I had a lot of fond memories doing my own pineapple harvesting and looking for spiders within the huge plantation. Pineapple juice for me back then wasn’t something that came in a can, or even in a glass for that matter. Pineapple juice came from an actual pineapple crushed until it’s insides are gooey and then sticking a straw in it. The pineapple of course needs to be picked fresh. The fact that Dole’s plantation is right behind my house makes this easily possible. But this is something that’s best told in another story.

This post is all about Caraga, that region composed of the provinces of Agusan Del Norte, Agusan Del Sur, Surigao Del Norte, Surigao Del Sur and the Dinagat Islands and the many wonders that these provinces hide.

I started my mission of discovering these hidden jewels of Caraga last year after tiring of the usual tourism fare that one often sees on TV. I thought that with the vast number of islands that the Philippines has, surely not all of them have been covered by mainstream TV. True enough I found some tourist spots that hidden just below the radar of the usual tourists and adventurers.

I’ve documented my adventures here in posts pertaining to the enchanted river of Hinatuan, the many levels of Tinuy-an Falls, the secret beaches of Siargao, and of course the placid lake that is Lake Mainit. Even the hidden cove of Cagwait White Beach didn’t escape my attention. I have yet to venture to the jelly fish paradise of Bukas Grande where the Sohoton Cove lies, but for sure I will go there one of these days.

I thought I’ve already covered all the interesting sites of CARAGA until I saw this video that was shared in Facebook. This video opened up a whole can of adventure possibilities for me. Seeing the Sugba lagoon in this video makes me want to just jump on a plane and go there immediately and then there’s the mysterious Agusan Marsh. How can I call CARAGA my home and not see these things?

And this is why I’m counting the days when I’ll be back in my home province steal my girlfriend’s car and just race to as many of these locations as I can bringing with me my newly upgraded DSLR camera. Man what fun I’m sure going to have next week, and the week after that.

Be sure to subscribe to my feed to check out what I’ve been up to! You can also follow me in Twitter via @pinoytraveller. Cheers!

I’ve gone back to Lake Mainit bearing with me a better camera. And this time, I hope the pictures will be much much better. I still see a lot of potential for this place. The province only has to spend a little more time developing this area as a tourist destination and it should be a good source of livelihood for the people in this area.

One model that the local government can look at is the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex that was created by Governor LJ Villafuerte. Perhaps even the good governor can serve as some sort of a consultant for this endeavor.

One thing going for Lake Mainit is it’s accessibility. It’s along the National Highway so people should not have any problem going to the area. There’s also the Airport at Butuan City so even folks from outside Mindanao can easily go there. I can already see a lot of pension houses, bars, and commercial establishments being created along the Lake Mainit water front. The commercial potential is really huge.

The only thing that scares people away from this place I guess is Schistosomiasis. Now that’s a scary thing. Here’s what I researched about this disease:

Health issue: Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is found in Lake Mainit and in the Tolosa-TabonTabon area. For those volunteers working or going to these areas the following information is important. If you have any questions you can contact the VSOP office or the VSO Medical section in London

Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a disease caused by parasitic worms.

How can I get schistosomiasis?

Infection occurs when your skin comes in contact with contaminated fresh water in which certain types of snails that carry schistosomes are living.

Fresh water becomes contaminated by Schistosoma eggs when infected people urinate or defecate in the water. The eggs hatch, and if certain types of snails (here’s the link to this type of snail)are present in the water, the parasites grow and develop inside the snails. The parasite leaves the snail and enters the water where it can survive for about 48 hours. Schistosoma parasites can penetrate the skin of persons who are wading, swimming, bathing, or washing in contaminated water. Within several weeks, worms grow inside the blood vessels of the body and produce eggs. Some of these eggs travel to the bladder or intestines and are passed into the urine or stool.

What are the symptoms of schistosomiasis?

Within days after becoming infected, you may develop a rash or itchy skin. Fever, chills, cough, and muscle aches can begin within 1-2 months of infection. Most people have no symptoms at this early phase of infection.

Eggs travel to the liver or pass into the intestine or bladder. Rarely, eggs are found in the brain or spinal cord and can cause seizures, paralysis, or spinal cord inflammation. For people who are repeatedly infected for many years, the parasite can damage the liver, intestines, lungs, and bladder.
Symptoms of schistosomiasis are caused by the body’s reaction to the eggs produced by worms, not by the worms themselves.
What should I do if I think I have schistosomiasis?

See your health care provider. If you have traveled to areas where schistosomiasis is found and had contact with fresh water, describe in detail where and for how long you traveled. Explain that you may have been exposed to contaminated water.

How is schistosomiasis diagnosed?

Your health care provider may ask you to provide stool or urine samples to see if you have the parasite. A blood test has been developed and is available at CDC. For accurate results, you must wait 6-8 weeks after your last exposure to contaminated water before the blood sample is taken.

What is the treatment for schistosomiasis?

Safe and effective drugs are available for the treatment of schistosomiasis. You will be given pills to take for 1-2 days

Not really sure if this is still prevalent in the area, but I’ve read some past publications saying that was the case then.  I’m not sure if such is the case until now.  If it is, then that would be a really sad thing. Who would want to dip in Lake Mainit if this parasite is around.

But before I totally sound like the harbinger of doom here, let’s go back to Lake Mainit’s pictures.