G-OGRAPHY: a southeast asian lady travels...

So I am indeed a go for the Philippines. My boss said yes and I am only waiting to finalize my travel documents. I am so excited! Aside from getting to spend time with family I'll be beach bumming. You have to understand that a trip back home will not be complete without flying off to one of our awesome islands. Case in point Coron, Palawan below:


Borrowed from aquinokc


For those who are not aware, the Philippines is an archipelago made up of 7100 islands. Each very unique not only in how they look but in their flavor and their culture. This is in fact one of the reasons why it was easy for the Spaniards to divide and conquer us (we were a Spanish colony for 300 years). We were geographically spread out and had independent systems of community established in different parts of the region. Speaking of the Spaniards, I might dare say that this latin influence- for better and for worse- is one of the things that make us unique as an Asian country (Americans we are officially located in southeast asia and not some lost Pacific Island). Moreover, as a hub for trading coupled with various foreign invasions the Philippines has a lot of American, Chinese and some (more like a dash) Japanese influence (add to this a tropical climate). Our temperament, customs, behavior, religion and even from of government (democratic) sets us apart from most Asian nations. To be un-PC we feel less "oriental"than our counterparts.


Now my own photo: Siargao Island, surf capital of the Philippines.

So when I was a lot younger, I could not wait to get out of the country and explore other shores. For some reason, you always think that anywhere else is better than home. As I grow older and become well-traveled, I have no doubt in my mind that the Philippines offers world class landscapes and seascapes that are unparalleled. I always now make it a point to spread the word around when I meet fellow travelers. They most often always skip the Philippines and would rather go off to Thailand for the beaches. I tell them that if they want good food, pristine white beaches and friendly English speaking people that they should go to the Philippines.


Borrowed from Sidious Sid's Aliwan Fiesta 2009 set

On the other hand, I am glad we are not as bombarded by flocks of tourists. Less commercialism the better.

For this trip, I plan to go back to Palawan to visit my friend who I previously mentioned moved to the island to quit city life (bravo to you amigo). He now owns a boutique travel company called Discover Amazing Palawan which focuses on unique and personalized tours without putting a hole in your pocket. His wife is also a yoga teacher and entrepreneur. Together with their son they seek to live a sustainable life. I can't wait to catch up with them.

I also plan to swing by one of the other islands for some diving (they have an excellent marine sanctuary). I'm leaning towards Dumaguete Apo Island which has this cool resort seen below:


Photo already copyrighted

Then there is Apo Reef (I know same name but different places) which is a Unesco World Heritage site. It's one of the top 8 diving spots in the Philippines. I couldn't find a decent underwater photo but I did find this flickr profile with great Philippine photos: http://www.flickr.com/people/landscapist/. Enjoy!

2011 and I am gearing up for my biennial pilgrimage back to the motherland as you can see here and here. Of course a trip back home won't be complete without a true island getaway. I have to say the Philippines has one of the best beaches in the whole world!!! I'm actually glad that not a LOT of tourists know about this because I can have it all to myself! Bwahaha!!

Ahhhh....just reminiscing what I had been doing the past few Christmases. Mostly, I have been traveling or taking trips back to the Philippines where I was born and raised. Most of my family still lives there. I tell you, Christmas in Manila is the best! Filipinos love to have a good time and that means a lot of eating, drinking and karaoke!

So for Christmas 2007, I went on a surf trip to one of our 7,107 islands- solo. Yeah that is how I roll! If you are in a beautiful tropical island the options are limitless. December is also perfect beach weather- not too cold and not too hot. The sun is always out!

The Philippines is a very beautiful country and it's a shame that I had to make the realization only after moving away from it. Warm weather, warmer people, spectacular white sand beaches and world class dive sites! If you ever do a Southeast Asian tour do not skip the Philippines!!!

Below are some of the highlights of my trip which I am reposting off an old blog. Enjoy!


12/27/07

It was wet and humid at 5am in the morning when I got up. Manila was in a drizzle and I was anxious that the weather was going to ruin my trip to the island of Siargao. I got to the domestic airport with more than enough time to battle thru traffic and the long line outside the building. It had stopped raining. GOOD. However, some people just do not have the discipline to wait for their turn. BAD. My blood pressure skyrocketed as I saw a few people trying to cut through. "Welcome home" was what I could sarcastically think of.

I realized I have been extremely gentrified and domesticated during my almost 3 year stay in the US. But not today because my "third world" survival instincts kicked in. I was suddenly alert and a bit aggressive...no coffee needed. Geesh...I spoke up and stared down those who dare cut in front of me. It seemed to work. Two segregated (meaning there were seperate lines for males and females???!!) security checks later I was IN! My gbff, Rob, happened to also be there and I got to chat him up and his latest fag hag Iris. Of course he was adamant that I follow them to Boracay to party! I said I'll think about it. I'm not in the mood for a hedonistic vacation. I decided to go solo for a lot of reasons- surfing one of them. Honestly, I wanted time to be with myself in the Philippines. The past few days had been hectic with reunions and shopping and eating out! I tried to tell them that going on "crazy pilgrimages" really help to cure my nomadic itch. It was time for another Mt. Fuji.

My family also didn't seem to understand why I wanted to push thru with the trip. They were extremely worried so I was forced to text my mom status updates every other hour. Dude, I'm almost thirty!

It took about a total of 8 hours to get to the hotel. First there was the almost 2 hour flight out of Manila with delay. We landed on a small airstrip beside rice paddies and I was tripping on the sight of it! Then there was the short ride to the ferry dock and a four hour ride in what seemed like a barge. I really didn't mind since we were entertained with 2 new Steven Segal movies (yes I secretly am a fan). Moreover, I was discreetly people watching. There were certainly a lot of Yoko-Johns aboard. I was previously a "Yoko" myself so I am careful not to pass judgement on interracial relationships (is this the proper term for it?). Honestly though some Yoko-Johns were downright shady! I'm just being real when I say that I feel sad for all the impoverished women out there who are willing pawns to the thriving flesh trade in the Philippines. I also feel enraged that some people willingly exploit this!!!

Moving on...

The last leg of my 18 hour journey was a van ride to Ocean 101 http://www.ocean101cloud9.com/ . I thought I would be too tired and hungry to enjoy the scenery but my mind was actually processing the very eclectic scenery. Let me outline how eclectic they were. I saw:

1. children loittering in the middle of the street without a care for their safety

2. an old woman half naked bathing and doing her laundry in the middle of a small river

3. black pigs tied to a tree in front of homes as if they were pet dogs (I'm really starting to like this island)

4. beautiful green rice paddies

When I finally got to where I was staying it was time for the spectacular sunset (pictures soon to follow). I had a rush just by looking at the sky and the waves. I'm really home. This is what feels like to be free. I'm beginning to fall in love with Siargao. I can't wait for tomorrow! Surf's truly up!!!

12/28/07 UPDATE:

Just finished my two hour surf session. It was raining at 7am here but my local guide, Yok, said it was fine to surf. When we went out to the jacking horse (reef break) the water was so deliciously clean and warm (no strong currents despite the very early am earthquake!)! I had a 9 ft board and I was crusin! I friggin turned! I kept turning! I just had the best surf session to date. I may secretly be a longboarder (shhhh don't tell Optimus but he might get traded in for a 9 footer). We will see how I fare tomorrow. Yok is going to take me and my Brazillian neighbors to another island tomorrow for a whole day surf extragavanza! Whopeeeee!!!!!


Sunset


Taken during my first day in the island. It was breathtaking!

Ocean 101


My home away from home. I had a beach front view and it was awesome to just sit on the "patio" and space out.

Daku


Is an island with two surf spots which were mostly for beginners (2-3 ft). One was on the eastern end of the island where most of the inner waves break on a reef which was in front of a rock cliff. That was a good long smooth ride. That other one is the spot behind me which was basically a channel of continuos waves that run parallel to the shore. It makes a final left to the western end of the small island. I must admit that the waves felt pretty strong (carrying you to the left end) and the paddle back to the line up was soooooo longggg. Gawd I sucked at paddling. But it was probably one of my best rides ever.

There was this time when I was watching someone (Khalua- a Filipino Hawaiin ex pro surfer) take off and my guide, Yok, suddenly pushed my board off to an incoming wave that I didn't even notice. Sneaky bastard. I had no choice but to get my wits together and ride it. It was fast and long! I couldn't believe I did it afterwards! It was so cool! I thought that it wouldn't stop and I had to bail on the board because I didn't know how to stop it. There was also something about being in the middle of the ocean without any land in sight (the shore was probably 1 km away) that freaked me out a bit. But yeah it felt really really good. We had so much fun!

Surfer Chicks


Me, Abi (first time surfer from Manila) and Michelle (bad-ass longboarder from Long Beach)...we were together at Daku. Also, fellow guests at Ocean 101. I miss them already!

Surfer Dudes


On the left is Yok my local surf buddy! On the right, Khalua, the chillest person I have ever met. He is a bad ass surfer! I also met a couple of other surfer dudes (some were really hot!) in the island who were a hoot...for some reason they were predominantly Aussies and Kiwis. Of course they were there only to surf the big waves.

Cloud Nine


One of the most famous world class breaks of Siargao. "It is a high quality wave for experienced surfers only. It is predominantly a right-hander but does have a small left as well. The wave itself is hollow and extremely powerful reef break, if you get it wrong you will land on the shallow reef. Cloud Nine can get to over three metres." Basically, where the big boys played. I was scared shit just by looking at it.

Sunrise


Taken during my last day in the island. *sniff*. I wish I could have stayed longer. I love the people and the place. I certainly would go back next year.

Other interesting places (pictures soon to follow)
1. The Disco- located in the middle of the town, they have the latest crunk but its a trip how its made up of basically wooden tables and benches, a dirt floor, no walls (just thick jungle like foliage around the perimeter) and a make shift ceiling from an old parachute.
2. Nine Bar- really cool dive bar where surfers sit down and chill, they even play Johnny Cash and they project surf films on one of their walls. This is where I met Hippie an English girl who decided to camp out in the island for a time. She's been there six years now...married to a local with a child. She speaks tagalog and the local dialect which was so weird to hear. She was crazy cool fun and gave me advice on how I can have more fun on the longboard. Her first time out surfing was in Fiji!!!!! where she allegedly ate it big time!

If you haven't heard the Philippines is in a state of calamity. Typhoon Ondoy or Ketsana caused destructive floods which affected more than 450,000 and killed almost 300 Filipinos. Damages to infrastructure and agriculture are estimated to reach 4.79 Billion pesos!

Oh but wait there is more...another tropical storm is predicted to hit the Philippines by October 2 so the nation needs as much help as soon as possible. At this point, the Philippine government is overwhelmed so it is up to us to mobilize and contribute to the massive relief operations. Please act now and lend us a hand. Help thousands of displaced people by bringing them relief!


Did you know that $10 can get you 10 meals? $1 is equal to 47 Pesos so even if you give a dollar you can already buy one person a good meal. Imagine that...



Click here if you want to start helping right away: http://bayanihanspirit.chipin.com/typhoon-ondoy-victims


Believe me, it is tough to lose your home or have it damaged by a natural disaster. My family was one of those affected (posting photo collage of the home I grew up in the Philippines below). Our whole first floor and fours cars were submerged. Needless to say we lost so much but at least everyone is safe. A lot of other people I know like my uncle and best friend had their own Typhoon Ondoy stories. I am just thankful that everyone I care about made it through. Others are not so lucky and worse they do not have the support nor the resources to get back on their feet.




This is why I have decided to set-up The Bayanihan Spirit Relief Fund for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. Bayanihan is a local term which refers to a spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective. This time the objective to give back. I would love for you to join me in this important cause. Give what you can with a generous heart. Be it $5 $10 $20...you can help make someone's life a little dryer...a little warmer...a little bit better.

So please take a little more time to find more info about our cause here: http://bayanihanspirit.chipin.com/typhoon-ondoy-victims. I hope that you can repost this widget or link to your own network so we can start spreading some hope around =)

Over the course of the next few days I will be posting updates on our efforts. I know a lot of bogus sites are floating around. As a Filipino abroad with family and friends affected back home, one of the main reasons for building the site is to effectively and efficiently consolidate funds for the victims. I am currently in contact with various organizations and institutions so I will be posting specifically where your contributions will go. I want to make sure that funds will be used properly and get to those who are really in need. If you have any questions or inquiries please feel free to email me directly at bayanihanspirit@gmail.com. Also, follow us at www.twitter.com/bayanhihanspirit for quick updates.

UPDATE:
This is the alumni group that I will be partnering up with http://www.thewomenofateneo.org/ TWA is an all women alumni group from Ateneo de Manila University which I am a part of. TWA is working closely with the University to help Flood Victims in the Philippines. Depending on how much money we are able to raise the funds will go directly to existing efforts to help Ondoy Victims. Since I come from this university and I know most of the people in TWA I trust that they will do a good job with the funds. Also, Ateneo is located near the places where the flood hit the worse which is Markina and Rizal.

Here is what Ateneo has done so far:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=152051264336
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/youth/09/29/09/pinoys-flock-ateneo-help-ondoy-victims
http://www.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=2274

That's her...Former President Corazon Aquino the way I remember her back in 1986. In her signature symbolic yellow outfit, thick glasses, a no non-sense bob cut and that hand flashing her signature L for Laban...which meant Fight!

During a tumultuous time in Philippine history she inspired a nation to fight back against tyranny. She was a widow, a mother and a housewife, yet, by some unstoppable force Cory became the defender of democracy. She united Filipinos and led the historic People Power movement.

I was eight back then but I knew the importance of this woman's work. Growing up she continued to inspire me...to always fight for what is right. We fondly called her Tita (Aunt) Cory because she was a mother figure to us young Filipinos. Looking back if I had been in her shoes I would not have known what to do. Imagine she led a revolution, ousted a dictator, re-established democracy and fought off 7 coup attempts during her tenure as First Philippine Female President!

To say that Corazon Aquino was a strong woman is an understatement. Her faith and belief in what is good propelled her to constantly fight for our nation's freedom. For that I am in gratitude for I still reap the benefits of her legacy. May her soul rest in peace.

Tita Cory...para sa iyo ito. Salamat!



She was Time's Woman of the Year 1986 by the way...



Related articles:

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1914125,00.html


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963185,00.html


http://www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/aquino1.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-aquino1-2009aug01,0,4766988.story

A long delayed post, I know, but Manny Pacquiao is my man of the month. Did any of you see the fight last week? Pacquaio TKO'd Hatton during last few seconds of round 2 (not so great video here)! I have to be honest he has become a sort of national hero back in the Philippines. In fact, if he ever decides to run for President he WILL win. I kid you not. Of course, if I were Manny I would just stick to boxing and avoid the headache of Philippine politics. Although it would be awesome to see him TKO a few corrupt officials as part of his new judicial policy =). I'm sure with all his earnings the Pacman won't have a hard time funding his own campaign. According to this article Pacquiao's earnings is just $4-M shy of the Philippines' foreign investments in February.

The picture above was taken with my iphone some time early last year before his rise to true international stardom. Manny and I go to the same church (yes I am a practicing Catholic) in Hollywood where he gets blessed before any of his fights in the US. You gotta love the man. He was is so chill and humble. He patiently takes photos with grandmothers and autographs church misalettes. Do you know that he gives away a lot of money to help people in need in the Philippines? When recently asked by a reporter why he was so overly generous to his countrymen and countrywomen, Pacquiao replied and said, "You know what? Our mission in this world is not only to make money. We also have a big responsibility. If we receive blessings from God, we are to give some back to the people-especially the poor people." There is nothing further from the truth to describe Manny Pacquiao than a man that is simply, 'The People's People'.