A Perfect Place to Chill and Relax

Every time we went to Samal for beach outing with my friends, we usually have our last stop in Hagimit Falls. Yes! You heard it right, Samal Island is not just famous of its white sand beaches, it is also gifted with waterfalls. Hagimit Falls is just a small waterfall in the island that has natural swimming pools and rock formations. It is suitable for those who want to have relaxing moments and quick dip to fresh water since the water is very cold. This waterfall is definitely an excellent site for camping since there are some campsites available. It is well covered with full-grown trees and different varieties of vegetation that grows along the riverbank.

 Photo: Hagimit Falls, Penaplata, IGCS

The experience set by the place was really remarkable. It is not just an excellent spot for tourists but to locals as well, that is why we never missed to visit here every time we are in Samal Island.

The Hagimit falls is two kilometers away from Penaplata proper. It is accessible by car or a motorcycle. To get there you need to hike more or less 5 minutes. The local community collects P20.00 each for developments. Most of the first timers, when they got to see this place got a jaw dropping experience. Just another breath-taking spot to visit when you are spending a vacation in Samal.

Maxima Aqua Fun "Home of the Abyss"

Our class is fast approaching and we don’t get enough of our vacation, so some of my college friends and I planned to have a beach outing in Samal. So we decided to give a try in Maxima Aqua Fun “Home of the Abyss”.

Photo: Maxima Aqua Fun

Maxima Aqua fun is a perfect place for beach lovers. There are varieties of water-fun-filled adventures like swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, fishing and trampoline. Also they have famous giant slide, which makes the resort famous all over the country. They have a number of lifeguards that will watch you and they have “No Life Vest; No Swim” Policy, to assure safety of all the customers.

Photo: The Giant Slide

The Place is located at Penaplata, Island Garden City of Samal. Speed boat transfers from Penaplata pier to Maxima and back can be arranged ahead for pick up and drop –off, and so are van transfers from the airport. There are pump boat transfers from Maryknoll Jetty to Maxima, and from Sta. Ana Pier to Maxima. For more inquiries and boat tour arrangements, you can contact (082) 286-1054 to 56 or email davaowildwater@yahoo.com.

feeling the cool breeze with a good scent of pine trees

I just graduated last March 2010. Together with my 2 friends we decided to have our vacation trip as a bonus for our graduation in Baguio City. We are all excited for it because it would be a great experience for sure. As we arrived in Manila at around 11:30PM, we directly head our way to the Victory liner terminal for our bus ride going to Baguio. As we arrived in the terminal, a large crowd welcomed us. Shoot! We were stranded and have to wait until 5:00 AM. As we start our journey going to Baguio, we were very excited and can’t wait to arrive in the place. Out of exhaustion, I fell asleep and as I woke up we are still in the middle of the road and same phase goes, every time I woke up we are still in the road, it is a pretty long bus ride. We arrived around 3:00 PM, and at last I can now smell the scent of pine trees and feel the cold breeze of the place.

Photo: Marcos Highway to Baguio City

Photo: Marcos Highway

Photo: Pine Trees in the City of Pines

Tourism is one of Baguio's main industries. During the year-end holidays some people from the lowlands would prefer spending their vacation in the city. This is for them to experience the cold temperature they seldom get from their home provinces. Also, during the summer season especially during the Holy Week, tourists from all over the country would flight to the city. During this time, the total number of people in the city would double and still increasing. To accommodate all these people, there are more than 80 hotels and inns available for them to check in at an affordable price. Local festivities such as the Panagbenga Festival also attracts both local and foreign tourists. 

Photo: Lion's Head

Lion's Head, located in Camp 6 Kennon Road, this popular landmark was constructed in 1972 with the contributions of the Lions Club International members in Baguio. This 40-foot head of a lion was carved in a limestone by a local artist. Visitors passing by usually stop for a while to have a break and to take photographs as souvenir. 

 Photo: Philippine Military Academy

Philippine Military Academy is situated in the southern part of the city within Fort Del Pilar, Loakan, this military academy was created to train future officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. 

Photo: The Mansion 

Mansion House is an official residence of the President of the Republic of the Philippines, entry to the compound is prohibited unless you have a letter signed by RP President allowing to enter the house. The public can view the Mansion through its gate that is patterned after that of London's Buckingham Palace.

 Photo: Camp John Hay

Camp John Hay is former American leisure facility, and now it was changed into a world-class resort. It features a golf course, a skating rink, picnic area, a zipline, a butterfly sanctuary and a mini golf course at the Scout Hill area. Several cottages and hotels were also built to accommodate visitors. 

Photo: Teachers Camp

Teachers Camp is a facility presently run by the Department of Education. It features several function halls, a museum, cottages, and a racetrack. 

Photo: Wright Park

Wright Park, some tourists that identify this pine tree park reserve for horse rides sometimes mistakenly call it “Ride Park”. A long stairway leads to the "Pool of the Pines", a 100 meter long pool of water lined on both sides by the famous Baguio towering pine. 

 

Photo: Mines View Park

Mines View Park, named for its view of Benguet's mountain ranges where gold, silver and other ores were once quarried. 

Photo: Baguio Botanical Garden

Botanical Garden, it is also called the Igorot village, which features native huts typical of the Cordillera architecture. The garden is also a site of cultural presentations and other tribal meetings. 

Photo: Burnham Park

Burnham Park, the oldest of all Baguio parks, it provides facilities for sporting activities such as biking, skating and basketball, as well as picnics and concerts. They also have the famous boat riding. 

Photo: Lourdes Grotto

Lourdes Grotto, this is a religious shrine housing the image of the Lady of Lourdes. About 252 steps lead to this shrine where pilgrims brave the steep climb to offer sacrifices, devotion and prayers.

Our stay in Baguio City was really great and an unforgettable one. As our stay in the place is about to end we always wish that every place in the Philippines would be as cool as Baguio City. And once you're here please don't forget to have a photo taken in Session Road the famous street in the city. It is the main thoroughfare of Baguio City and is the main hub of what is called the Baguio Central Business District, located at the city center.

Photo: Session Road

The city is home to many immigrants from other parts of the country. A significant population of foreigners such as Chinese and Americans, and now Koreans; also contributed to the diversity of the city's colorful culture. If you are planning to have summer vacation, Baguio is the right place for you and it offers a lot world of experiences for you.

Be Amaze in a Theme Park like this!

My 2 friends and I are having a vacation in Baguio City, when we noticed a booth of Enchanted Kingdom with a Php250 ride-all-you-can offer. We are not interested of the offer since we don't know how to go there in the first place and it was not part of our vacation plan since. But during our last stay in Baguio we decided to avail the promo.

 Photo: Enchanted Kingdom

On the said date of our visit in Enchanted kingdom, we are very apprehensive since we don't have any idea where that place is, we only know that it is located in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. We ride a bus for our transportation in Laguna, and from the terminal a tricycle ride going to EK. As we have seen the place, we have nothing on our minds but only excitement. We were like little kids craving for the rides. 

The place has so many attractions, rest assure people from different walks of life would find it very amazing and a fun-filled experience, just enough to relax our minds from the busy works and stuffs that we are used to. As first-timers of the place, we really spend the whole day without failing to experience all the attractions there. They have the Space Shuttle Max (Vekoma Boomerang Roller Coaster), that would surely makes you feel dizzy and euphoric at the same time; the amazing Wheel of Fate (Ferris Wheel), which gives you a good scene of the amusement park above; the Jungle Log Jam and the Rio Grande Rapids that made us all very wet, that was really fun. These are just some of its attractions inside the park because there's a lot more of it when you got there.

Photo: The Ticket

The place don't just offer merely rides for you to enjoy, it has cafeterias inside, 4D Theaters and souvenir shops. It is located in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, about 29 kilometers from Manila and it has a land area of 17 hectares.

AMERICAN PIZZA HOUSE IN DAVAO CITY

It was on a saturday noon at around 12:15pm, when my friends and I are looking for a place to spend our lunch. We are all starving to death as our way leads us to Boyd's Pizza House - "The Garlic Bread House".

Photo: Boyd's Pizza house

As a pizza lovers we immediately get inside the pizza parlor, and luckily a table-for-four is available and there's only few people who where there so we thought of our orders will be immediately served. We really find hard time to choose our orders since everything sounds delicious. I tried Isaac's Pasta with Garlic Bread. It was definitely delicious and my stomach was really satisfied. The white sauce and parmesan cheese are very tasteful and indeed a winner.

Photo: Isaac's Pasta by Mavie

My friend James ordered Oven Roasted Porkloin with Mushroom Sauce. Taste wise it is the best, the satiety value is worth the price and you would surely miss it after you consume the whole large serving meal.

Photo: Oven Roasted Porkloin with Mushroom Sauce by Mavie

It was really rewarding after we had our lunch in the place, actually while doing this i am craving for it again coz it is definitely yummy.

Boyd's Pizza house is located at Door 1 Josie Apartment, E. Palma Gil Street, Bo. Obrero, Davao City. They are open on Mondays to Thursdays 10AM to 10PM; Fridays and Saturdays 10AM to 11PM. So if you feel to have some taste of american cuisines, try Doyd's Pizza House!

A GAS THAT WILL SURELY MAKE YOU LAUGH AND FEEL HIGH...

WariActiv Spray courtesy of Vanessa B.

Do you want to feel high?..Try this WariActiv Spray, it was bought by my friend Vanessa in Hongkong. It was really a high feeling of euphoria when i tried it. It gets into my nerves directly. My head is getting numb as i sniff the scent then eventually my whole body is feeling the same way too and i feel very light but it is just for a short period of time. Because we're not satisfied for our first try, we consume the remaining volume of the spray and the feeling was totally freaking high. Actually the spray is used for cold therapy for relief of local pains.

DIRECTION TO USE: Spray a small amount in to a small towel. Immediately press towel to mouth/nose and inhale deeply. Use as displayed in cryptographic instructions found on cigarette box! Do not inhale for narcoses.

WATER...HOW TO CONSERVE?

I was in 3rd year college when i wrote an article about water conservation, i just want to share it to everyone and hope you like it. So here it is.

HOW TO CONSERVE WATER

Water as it is described, a colorless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms. Water is one of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology, and is vital for the survival of the living organisms because it is typically used for bathing in or drinking. Scientifically speaking, water is a compound of oxygen and hydrogen (chemical formula: H₂O) with highly distinctive physical and chemical properties. The quality of transparency and brilliance shown by a diamond or other gem is the same as shown by water; this just shows how important water is in every creature’s lives. Water value is more than to a finance capital stock that represents a book value greater than the true assets of a company.

One of my dilemmas about water is when will water be gone. It is really a no-joke-notion for me since I, myself is relying to such and I believe it should be given much attention to everyone. So as early as now, being a responsible creature depending to water I must take part in conserving the water. So I have here simple tips in conserving such.

Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning; through this we are able to conserve a big amount of water. Verify that your home is leak-free, because many homes have hidden water leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.  Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the cost of water and sewer utilities, or strain your septic system. Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose off tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet because it requires water in flushing such materials if you’ll place them in a toilet bowl.  Take shorter showers or you may use a dipper in taking a bath; through following this procedure we can lessen the use of large amount of water. Don't let water run while shaving brushing or washing your face. Brush your teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling the basin. When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Quickly rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet rather washing dishes with water still flowing for us to conserve water. Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.  Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or fill basin with water and place the meat on it for defrosting. If the toilet flush handle frequently sticks in the flush position, letting water run constantly, replace or adjust it. It really happened in our house, because of it our bill was lift into higher amount.

Very important thing in conserving water is to create an awareness of the need for water conservation among your family member and even to your friends. Avoid the purchase of recreational water toys, which require a constant stream of water such as water gun and the like.   Be aware of and follow all water conservation and water shortage rules and restrictions, which may be in effect in your house or area. Report all significant water losses (broken pipes, open hydrants, errant sprinklers, abandoned free-flowing wells, etc.) to the property owner, local authorities or your Water Management District.

            On my part as an 18-year-old guy, I could really say with confidence that my ways in conserving water is really effective and will be effective if it will be put into actions. Besides, age does not matter, it is not a hindrance in taking step in conserving our water, because each and every one of us can conserve water in their own little ways.

         Discipline starts from within, so conserve water because it is the right thing to do. Don't waste water just because someone else is footing the bill such as when you are staying at a hotel or staying at other’s house.  Try to do one thing each day that will result in a savings of water. Don't worry if the savings is minimal. Every drop counts. And every person can make a difference. So tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers to "Turn it Off" and "Keep it Off".

I hope you were disturbed and at the same time inspired by my article. I just want to quote my aunt with  her statement in conserving water "You're taking a bath? Don't take it so long, don't take it forever coz you're wasting water!".

QUEEN CITY OF THE SOUTH

“ Queen City of the South” and the Seat of Christianity in the Philippines ,  the country's oldest city. Do you know what place I am referring to? It is Cebu, Philippines. Discovering Cebu is like encountering a rich historic past of the country especially the evolution of Christianity.

photo: Basilical del Sto. Nino

My visit in Cebu was really a historical one. I was able to explore the old churches like the Basilica de Sto. Nino where the miraculous Child Jesus is the patron, also inside the church are pictures depicting the history of Christianity in Cebu. 

photo: Magellan's Cross

Magellan's Cross is a Christian cross planted by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on April 21, 1521. This cross is housed in a chapel next to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on Magallanes Street, just in front of the city hall of Cebu City. A mark below the cross expresses the original cross is covered inside the wooden cross that is found in the center of the chapel. According to the tour-guide whom I asked, this is to protect the original cross from people who break off away parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that the cross possesses miraculous powers. Magellan's Cross is a symbol of Cebu, and the chapel's image can be found in its city seal. It is also seen as the symbol of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines.

These are just some because Cebu really offers a lot of wonderful experiences that awaits you. Aside being historic, Cebu also has wide variety of beaches and resorts that would surely relax and soothes your vacation. Like all other cities, Cebu has perfect malls for shopping and very active party houses for party goers. These are proofs why Cebu is the fastest growing economic place in the country because a lot of tourists chose Cebu as one of the great destination for vacation in the country.

Amazing Life Under Water

location: Samal Coral Garden and Marine Park, IGCS, Philippines

This is my first experience in scuba diving during our Ecotour in College, honestly i am not part of the class i just want to join because of the scuba diving. When i was a kid, i remember every time there is an underwater scene in a TV series or movie, i really promise myself that someday i will try scuba diving, and i just did it. It is really a one of a kind experience in my life to try scuba diving. In my 30 minute experience scuba diving I feels like i stayed almost half a day under water. I was able to see different species of fish and coral of different forms and sizes and dont forget the clownfish or commonly knows as Nemo in a bunch of sea anemone. By the way the place was so amazing and it is abundant of marine resources, if you're wondering where in heaven is this place, the 150-hectare Coral Garden and Marine Reservation Park is located in Talikud Island, Samal. It provides great adventure and extreme challenges with nature. It's exceptional diving sites is considered as one of the best in the world, so professional and amateur divers like me must see this place. It gives more enthusiasm and sizzling summer to its visitors. Scuba diving is one of the best activity every summer, swimming underwater while using the breathing equipment. =)