2013 Year Ender Trip (MT. SAMAT BATAAN)

Philippines is rich when it comes to history.  You can visit lots of site here where you can review the past that had been happened hundreds of years ago.  As a traveler i like to visit a historical places and one of my dream is to visit the Mt. Samat in Bataan.  Finally before the year 2013 ends we pushed our plan with my friends to visit the place.

The foggy place which i thought i could not get a chance to witness the beauty of the big cross finally appeared after we went up inside the Mt. Samat cross.
We arrived at the cross around ten in the morning, you'll only have a little chance to witness the cross during those time  but in the afternoon around 1:00 you can see it clearly.

Inside Mt. Samat cross

Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor)

We went up to this cross and found this breathtaking view from above!

Top view of Mt. Samat Memorial Museum

The Museum

Us

This is one of my memorable trip before the year 2013 end because finally i've got a chance to witnessed it and stepped on it.  The place is amazing! It is also good for those couples who want their prenup to be look like old and historic theme.
My list of travels for 2013 has already filled up, Its such a great year indeed! Ive got the chance to visits places that is new for me at the same time be with the people i like.

Year 2014 is waiting for me, i am ready to face a new journey of my life and at the same time i am looking forward to visit another new places and hopefully soon an out of the country adventure.

Thank you 2013! :) it was a great year!!!

THE TRUE MEANING OF UNITED

It's been past a week now since the Typhoon Yolanad (Haiyan) hit the province of Leyte and Samar and some other parts of the Philippines. Hundreds of people lost their lives. Thousands of people lost their houses, starving now to death because of the tragedy.  Left no one but themselves, some were lost almost all their families, all of them fight for their life. Base on NASA typhoon Yolanda or International name Haiyan is a super typhoon or equivalent to 5 hurricane on the U.S  When super typhoon left the Philippines Area of Responsibility on Saturday morning of Nov. 9, he left thousands of people casualties.

  No one expect it will gonna happen knowing that the Tacloban and Samar always hit by the typhoons.  Aside from the typhoon was the storm surge that caused thousands of people died.

This was witnessed all over the world and different countries offer to help the Philippines.

From Germany, Vatican, China, Vietnam, USA, Switzerland, Australia, Russia, UK and a lot more!

Millions of foods, medicines and other different stuff needed of those affected of the super typhoon sent here to the Philippines! Even Soldiers, medical assistance and planes were offered to volunteer too!

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft arrives at Villamor Airbase in Manila, Philippines, 

Me as a Filipino and in behalf of my fellow country men.From the bottom of our hearts I would like to thank you for sharing your blessing to us.  

Thank you for your kindness! May God Bless us all! This tragedy thought the world on how to be united and left a lesson on how we should act in CLIMATE CHANGE!!!

Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) Aftermath

It was one year ago when i first stepped in the province of Leyte. Tacloban Leyte was 5 hours away from my fathers place which is in Calabayog, Samar.  It was November 2012 to be exact when i landed in the Island of Tacloban Leyte.  I was really amazed on what I've seen! the runway of the airport is just a step away from the sea water! :)

Outside Tacloban Airport Nov. 2012
TACLOBAN, LEYTE AIRPORT BEFORE

TACLOBAN, LEYTE AIRPORT AFTER THE TYPHOON YOLANDA, NOV. 2013

BASILICA OF STO. NINO DE TACLOBAN BEFORE THE TYPHOON YOLANDA NOV. 2012

BASILICA OF STO. NINO DE TACLOBAN AFTER THE TYPHOON YOLANDA, NOV. 2013

Those are the photos i've got  when i visited the Tacloban City last year a before and after photos.  This city is nice, people are approachable and friendly.  That's why it really broke my heart when i found out it was ruined by this super typhoon named Yolanda or International name Haiyan.  Many people lost their love ones and their houses and no means of communication for two days. Now survivors from this tragedy were all starving not only in Leyte but also in different parts of the Philippines who were affected by typhoon yolanda such as Samar, Iloilo, Palawan, Cebu, and others.

But thank God the Tacloban airport was partially open to receive goods from different kind of institutions. Help coming out from different countries.  Still Filipino people still manage to smile despite of the tragic happened. I  love the Filipino Spirit, still positive to move forward! 

Time to hold on to each other and help

Please continue to pray for the Philippines, we hope we surpass all this tragedy that happened in our country. Let us unite as one and set aside the personal intentions.




BANGON PILIPINAS!

HOW SPAIN SLOWLY KILL ME

“Life is full of screwups. You're supposed to fail sometimes. It's a required part of the human existance.” 
― Sarah Dessen, Along for the Ride



Spain is one of my biggest dream country to visit i want to explore in their cities and experience life in Europe country only just for a short stay.  That's why when i gave a chance to visit this country i grabbed it immediately.

Everything happen was a truly blissful event.  Last October i gathered all the documents i needed to send it for my Schengen Visa Application.  Everything were in a hurry but i thank God i finally completed it all.
I enclosed in the envelope the copy of my Application Form,  round trip ticket, my Travel Insurance, the hotel were i would stay, Certificate of Employment, Bank Certificate, Invitation coming from my host sponsor, and Passport.

After my very short stay in Samar to visit my father i immediately scheduled my visit to the Spanish Consulate for my interview .  I have in hand all the original documents just in case they ask for it.  The interview last for 10 minutes i think.  After that i went out in their office with lots of questions in my mind.  But i know i did all the best that i can. I sent all the important documents they needed for them to study my application. After 2 days i received a notification stating that my application is ready for deliver by the next day but since i don't have an office work during Saturday i got it after two days because i addressed it in my office where i work.

I was really hesitant to open the plastic but i should.  I knew it already that i got a refused visa, why? because as i remember when i read one article she also got a refusal paper.  You will notice it if you feel something inside together with your passport. It was a bond paper stating that they refuse your visa application. The reason why they refused my visa are

       " Justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not provided."

" Your intention to leave the territory of the member states before the expiry of the Visa could not be ascertained".

 When i felt it my tears started to fell. I immediately called my sponsor to inform him about it.  We were both shocked and saddened.  Both depress and upset because we attached all the important documents inside the envelope.  I didn't want to wasted time because my flight schedule is on Dec. 25, 2013.  I wrote an appeal letter stating my purpose of travel and to convince them that i have no plan to stay long in there country and my sponsor also made an explanation why he invited me.

On the next day i went again in the Spanish Consulate and file my appeal. I attached another documents as a proof of my employment and some identifications of my sponsor.  I put my contact number in my letter and my passport number then after they received it i decided to go home.

I felt really disappointed, i really cried a lot when my application got refused knowing that i enclosed all the required documents but still they refused it.

My dream to step in Spain has been crash! They are killing me slowly, they killing my dreams and my rights to travel. Is it fair!?

Grabbed from Google

Sweet Samal trip!

Our second day stay in Davao was really a great deal! We spent our second day in the beautiful island of Samal! We stayed in Blue Jaz with my family due to the time constrain. We stayed there for daytour only.

Receiving Area of Blue Jazz

Look! A pirate boat! This the boat who brought us to BlueJaz in Samal Island.  I got dizzy after i rode on this boat due to the current.

Pirate Boat!

Glad to see my family happy as well, its priceless whenever i see them smiling.  The reason why i went  also to Davao was to visit my brother and his family who moved there two years ago and since then i haven't seen them.  Of course spend time with someone special and tour him around.  My Samal experience was great and memorable indeed!  Thanks for the wonderful memories!!! :)

Those priceless smiles <3

First Davao Experience!

My first Davao experience was a mix of emotions coz i experienced bad service in Tiger airways (Airasia) airline. I supposed to fly to Davao with my family to visit my brother and his family who now live there but unfortunately it didn't happened and  I booked for another flight on the same day which cost me a lot! I flew to Davao with full of disappointment because i expected that it will be a happy travel with my family.

I arrived Davao International Airport around 2pm the weather was cloudy with a bit rain showers.  I was inside the airport and i knew that i was really in Davao because of the smell of their famous Durian fruit.

Davao International Airport

I went outside and looked for my brother and his wife and i saw them immediately.  I was really amazed on what i noticed in Davao.  People there are well disciplined.  Kudos to the government officials of Davao because of their strict policy of Smoke Free City and they maintain a very clean city!

China Town Davao City

I really enjoyed my stay in Davao together with my beau. Your travel in Davao is not complete without experiencing the beautiful and scenic island of Samal!

THE POOR SERVICE OF TIGER AIRWAYS (SEAIR)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

August 24, 2013 It was supposed to be a happy trip with my family bound to Davao but unfortunately it turns into a bad experienced! 

We were in Domestic Airport and waiting for the counter of  TIGER AIRWAYS (SEAIR) to open. Our flight was 10:00 am  and we were there as early as 7:30 am to make things easy for us. Lots of people are on queue specially people bound to Tacloban and Puerto Princesa take note! those flights are delayed! 5 hours for bound to Tacloban and 8 hours bound to Puerto Princesa! What the heck!! Plus the cancelled flight bound to CEBU!

I've waited for more than an hour and noticed that it was already 9 am and only 1 hour to go and we are going. So i approached one of the staff of Tiger Airways, when i asked what time the counter will open for the Davao flight the girl told me that my flight has been cancelled since last MAY. I was so shocked they didn't advice me about it. 
They did not  inform me about my cancelled flight but the girl insisted that they emailed me twice but i told her that if i received their notification about my cancelled flight i wont waste my time and effort to go to the airport! So devastating!  i got angry to them because of their poor service!  It was supposed to be a family trip but unfortunately not. 

So ashamed that even foreigner also experienced that kind of bad service.  Their manager didn't make any effort to go outside to check their passengers or to check what's happening outside their counter.  They didn't even know how much cost the damages made on their passengers due to the delayed and cancelled flights.  Foreigners also got mad and disappointed and i even heard them saying "what kind of poor service is this"?  

They didn't even realized that those cancelled and delayed flights also has a domino effect such as reservation in the hotels and even the itinerary.  

I am calling the attention of the TIGER AIRWAYS (SEAIR) airline! can you please explain to me why it was happened!? I've experienced a good service when i went to Tacloban that's why i trusted your company and booked again my flight going to DAVAO but why you didn't advice me or even texted me about my cancelled flight? You have my complete details when i made a ticket reservation in your airline!? 

Another thing i didn't like was when i called in your office you told me to call the agency which is the TRIPLE STAR agency handling those reservation, but when i called them they told me to call to TIGER AIRWAYS (SEAIR) because you are in the position to explain what happened!? 

Is this how you promote tourism in the Philippines? Is this how you give service to your clients? 

Glimpse of Borawan Island

Our weekend madness starts here!!

If you are in Coastal Grill (formerly Vista Playa) you can see on the other side the island of  Borawan.

This is the most accessible island coming from Coastral Grill in Brgy. Marao.  Only 10 to 15 minutes travel time and viola! :)

Locals here called this island "Borawan" because it has a mix of a beautiful rock formation like the limestone  in Palawan plus the crystal clear water and white sand of Boracay that's why its called BORAWAN! :)

Photo credit to Kris Eusebio

We paid P80.00 for entrance fee here in Borawan but we didn't rent a cottage because we stayed here for only an hour.  After here we head to Dampalitan Island and it takes 15 to 20 mins. travel time before you reach the island.

**Remember if you are planning to stay overnight bear in mind that there is no electricity here but there is mobile signal.  So don't forget to bring extra battery for your phone and Flash light that you're going to use at night.**

Dampalitan From Dusk till Dawn

Our last stop! Dampalitan Island, after dipping our body in the island of Borawan we headed here and stayed overnight.

Photo credit to Krisoffer Eusebio :)

Since we don't have a tent we asked our boatman mang Orong if we could rent a cottage in Dampalitan then
he was the one who looked for our cottage were we stayed.  The first cottage that the caretaker offered to us was P800.00 good for 6 to 10 persons.  Then we also looked the other which is smaller than the first cottage that we checked.  We decided to get the smaller one since were only five and its worth P600.00.

Photo credit to Kristoffer Eusebio
Early morning Chitchat!
This is where we spent our night in Dampalitan Island

Dampalitan at Dusk

Photo credit to Kris Eusebio

Happy us! =)

The Dawn! 
Welcoming the Sun to rise at Dampalitan Island

We decided to leave the island early to arrive early in Manila as well so we have time to rest because we have to go to work the following day.

At 9:00 am we fetched by our boatman and left the island with full of smiles on our faces, another unexpected journey and memorable experience and at the same time thankful for having a good weather in Quezon Province while heavy rains poured around different parts of Metro Manila.

We look forward for another adventure in the future..Till then....... :)

thanks also to our new found friends thanks for the great weekend madness :) 

Weekend Madness.......

Three days before the PAGASA announced that summer is officially started me and my colleagues planned to go to somewhere in Quezon Province and aside from that we only have 2 weeks left before our Saturday work start on April.   Since we've been to some places in north we choose Quezon province in the South Luzon for a change.

From Manila an estimated more than 3 hours before you reach the town of Padre Burgos, Quezon.

From the entrance of Padre Burgos it takes another more than 30 minutes before you reach the Brgy. Marao.

We stopped at Coastal Gill (formerly Vista Playa)  in Padre Burgos before heading our way to Borawan and Dampalitan Island.  Since it we came around 1pm in coastal grill and haven't eaten our lunch we decided to take our lunch here. 

Coastal Grill formerly Vista Playa

Before you go island hopping you also have to pay for the environmental fee worth P20.00. Then

We visited two islands. Our first stop was Borawan Island, and followed by Dampalitan Island.

Kuya Orong "bangkero"

Meet our very accommodating boatman Kuya "Orong" he's our contact in Brgy. Marao when we went there. He's the one who brought us in the two islands. You can contact him @ +639206274107.  You can also ask him to cook food for you but you have to pay him extra for his cooking service :)