A Flock of Egrets in Makati!

Seeing a flock of migratory egrets who flew thousands of kilometers to the busy streets of Makati is an amusing morning scene. They perch motionless, not minding the crazy street noise and belched smokes of vehicles below them.

Like, who knows that the Philippines has more than 600 species of birds and more than 200 of them are endemic (as in, found nowhere else in the world). Then you will see these long-range flyers who escape the winter months in northern Asia and hopefully spend a more friendly and safe sanctuary in the Philippines.

Then they fly straight to Makati! Wow! Makati could probably turn into a birdwatching destination?..

Ahhhh..... NO!

It's actually a sad indication of the state of our environment. That these birds have fewer and fewer places to rest their tired bodies after flying without stops for several days. They need food, they need homes. The highly urbanized streets of Makati is not home for them. Sooner, when more of these birds come, the people will start noticing them. Unfortunately, not always with glee but with scorn as the salaried people become targets of bird poops that fall down from amazing trajectories. Then the notorious Makati guards will be asked by people in authority to take care of them. Shake the branches bring some cats, shoot them down (okay, the last dramatic one is obviously not an option).

But having no food to sustain them (they don't eat thrown-away biscuits and garbage, mind you), the birds may leave anyway. But where will they go?

Eco Walk in UP Campus

Almost every semester, i bring my Ecotourism class to the greeneries of the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman.

The objective has always been for them to actually see what the heck i've been talking about everything ecotourism. Like, it's really hard to explain biodiversity and environmental conservation in connection with sustainable tourism development when all they see are me trying to get their attention, and witness my pathetic drawing skills on the whiteboard.

This time, the weather cooperated and the ground was not soggy which enabled me to command (okay, request) them  to sit on the ground and try to feel (uhm, communicate) with nature as to how a tourism development should be designed. I can sense your eyes rolling. Believe me, this makes sense when you join the walk.

The walk is largely about ecology, biodiversity, endemic and exotic species, conservation, nature-based design, use of available resources, environmental indicators, visitor flow, and yes, why we have to keep open and green areas like the ones in the campus.

It was a short walk. I just hope that these UP students can bring the lessons and realizations with them as they move on with their professional lives.

The usual end of the ecowalk is by this huge kapok tree which harbors so many lives, from insects, other plants, birds and even bats. That it represents how everything is inter-connected, and that man is part of, and not above and beyond what everything the environment is all about.

Barbed Wire and the Cultural Center

I get a bit sad whenever I pass by the cultural center building. The flagship of Philippine culture, where free ideas and art are highly appreciated. Where one should be able to breathe the air of freedom, of appreciating one's heritage and culture.

And the open space is enclosed by barbed wires.

We want a better Philippines, di ba? We have to start from many fronts. This is one. Just replace those darn symbol of oppression (and tetanus) by effective landscaping and living barriers.

A Travel Selfie with a Story

I usually don't take selfies. But for this one, I knew that there should be some travel story I could share. You see, everyone who goes to the beach will get a nice beach shot. Same thing with a mountain or a drool-worthy food in a nice dining place (or on banana leaves).

But if you want to go deeper into your travel experience and see first-hand how the people live in the communities you visit, one of the best places to go is the market.

But for me, I discovered the local barber shop.

El Hogar ala Paris??

A former student, Angel visited Paris and posted a photo showing a window overlooking an impressive, old building in the city. Then I had an idea.... what if we can show the endangered EL Hogar building in Manila (and all the other heritage buildings in the Philippines!) through this perspective? Yeah.... what if.... Will the people and the authorities (and the private owners!) finally see its real value, aside from just being an old building?

Spruce up the building. My gulay, I can't imagine how grand it would look like and how it could greatly improve Manila not only as a destination but as a place with great history, something we can all be proud of and not sulk in shame.

See for yourself and decide. And maybe help fight for our heritage.

The first photo is the one in Paris (unphotoshopped). And the other one is the photoshopped version using El Hogar as the view from the hotel window.

Photo 1. Paris View

Photo 2. Photoshopped with El Hogar as the view from the window.

Visayas Travel Exhibit in Makati

The Department of Tourism has this new program bringing the regional destinations to its office in Makati. The opening ceremonies are usually very festive with performers traveling all the way from their provinces to Makati (talk about almost major production). to present their events and showcase their handicraft and souvenir items.

And of course, their tourist attractions.

I got to see some of their performers, items for sale and food for everybody (except me, as I had to go work to my "office" with free wifi).

Excuse the quality of the photos as I had to use my phone in a challenging condition (you know, the usual excuse for bad photos...)

These Sinulog performers had to dance on the sidewalk of Buendia Avenue providing some sort of entertainment to passersby.

The panting Masskara dancers in the holding room right after their performance.

The only decently blurred shot I was able to take of the Masskara dancers.

A lot of handicraft and souvenir items are also on sale at the DOT lobby. I....just....hope.....that someday, DOT would totally not include items made from endangered species like this "tambuli" shell which is probably the only predator of "crown of thorns" starfish (sea star) that can destroy large areas of coral reefs in just a few days when it starts infesting a reef. Yup, responsible tourism.... I'm gonna stop here and prevent myself from sounding self-righteous.

You can visit the DOT display this week (that's along Buendia/Gil Puyat Ave, near Makati Ave.).

Will Talk About Tourism

I know I don't deserve these glowing words written by UP students who are organizing an event at the SE auditorium on November 29, 2014.

I will talk about how we formulated the tourism component for the management plan for Mt. Hamiguitan which helped it inscribed as the latest UNESCO World Heritage site.

But maybe thru some serious research to find a photo of me (yup, never gave them any), they found this one which made me go on a throw back Thursday mode! This was taken in one of the lagoons in Siargao Island when we were doing a book on kayaking.

Photo was taken by Jetro Rafael who now owns the famed Van Gogh is Bipoloar restaurant.

Yup, Siargao is a great place to go kayaking! You can do it in General Luna and paddle to the small islands, or the town of Pilar to explore the dense mangrove territories, islands and lagoons.

10 Things You May Not Encounter Anymore When You Travel Around the Philippines

Times have changed. The travelers of some years ago have seen and experienced things that are hardly seen or encountered now. I want to believe that we were the lucky bunch and we have those stories that will linger in our memories.

And for the tanders travelers out there, maybe you can add more to the list. :)

Here they are:

1. Offered betel nut by a local while waiting for a jeepney ride

2. Sleep in lodging houses fit for a traveling salesman or delivery van driver

3. Raced out and made to eat dust by a newspaper delivery van running at insane speed

4. Experience a real gateway to hell!! - AKA toilet along the bus routes

5. No choice but to eat "pangat" food offered in every bus stop - as in "pangatlong luto"

6. See milk cans repurposed as plant pots as the only evidence of modern civilization in rural areas

7. Zero plastic bottles

8. Children playing sipa, piko siato ang tumbang preso

9. Matured, non-LGBT men holding hands while walking

10. Being asked by a wary local in a far-off rural place..... no, whispered to by a local whether you're a communist guerilla or a government spy.

Chocolate Hills of Negros

 On my way to the City of San Carlos via the scenic mountain road that goes thru a reminiscing travel as if one gets transported to the Cordillera mountain range and the lowlands of Luzon island, a glimpse to the right suddenly made me more confused and imbalanced!

Am I seeing the Chocolate Hills of Bohol???

Apparently not.... There were only several of those hills, but they were enough to make one very interesting road trip!

Pintaflores Festival in San Carlos - Me? A Judge?!

What to do?! What to do?! I got invited to be a judge in a major festival in the city of San Carlos in Negros Occidental. My real friends know that I'm shy (lighter version - introvert) type of person who would rather stay in the background than be in front of hundreds of people who worked with all their hearts to make a perfect and winning performance. Many of them were looking at me trying to read my face whether I got their approval.

Already on its 22nd year, the Pintaflores Festival is a unique combination of "Pintados" (painted) and Flowers (guess what) held every November 3-5 and culminating on the 5th with the competitive street dance and a ritual version inside the huge city auditorium. This is their way of celebrating their fiesta in honor of San (ehem! tocayo) Carlos Boromeo.

 I witnessed the Pintabata which means... you guessed it - competing delegations of kids wrapped in colorful costumes (which is actually an understatement!)

My gulay, the enthusiasm!

How can you not be entertained?!

And have you noticed something consistent in the photos? I could not stop giggling while watching and trying my darnest to be an objective judge.

 Each delegation has a "queen" who is the most adorned by several pounds of colorful costume. If you realize the reason for the festival and the amount of effort poured by everybody for this event and their own delegates, you'll have nothing but respect to all of them.

And maidens of the queens

You'll get dizzy if you try to see the details.

 Every element (err... participant) adds to the quality of a performance. See those propsmen? Boy, talk about coordinated and frenzied movements. Oh, and there's also that happy little angel! :)

There are other invited delegations that participated for a different category like this group that came from the town of Kabankalan. 

And Bayawan from the neighboring province of Negros Oriental.

If the Kabankalan delegation gave honor to the Aetas, this Bayawan group had the scarecrow as its central theme. You might wonder how can a scarecrow festival be impressive. I tell you - you should personally witness how they do it!

 The winning group for the Masskara Festival in Bacolod City also provided an exhibition performance.

 Done with my street performance judging, I found out that the best performance of all the groups were reserved for the ritual version in the auditorium! Its a good thing I decided to use my judge's privilege to use the backdoor.

I got a photo of only one of the queens. I leave it up to your imagination what it would probaly look like when you see all the five queens in one floor.

How to get to San Carlos? There are actually 3 ways! From Bacolod City (and you have a choice between a mountain or a seaside road), Dumaguete City, and even Cebu City (bus to Toledo then ferry to San Carlos).