Canigao Island Bust Out!

Holy Week is the time when we’re supposedly listening to Homilies and Lenten reflections (which I always follow and never forgotten), but somehow I see it as an opportunity to have a vacation from work. For the first time, I spent my Holy Week vacation away from our house. I decided to spend it on somewhere I can relax and at the same time to enjoy!

On Good Friday and Black Saturday, I was far away from our house; I’ve spend it with my friends at Canigao Island.

Canigao Island is a little island situated in Matalom, Leyte. It is famous for its great beach and beautiful view, and of course the crystal clear water and white sand bar. It’s a great place for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and, yes, camping! The island is pretty a great deal! It's an inexpensive weekend get away for everyone!

How to get Canigao Island if you're from Ormoc City? You have to take 2 hours of travel by van which travels daily down to Maasin City. You have to drop off at Brgy. Itom in Matalom, Leyte instead of going direct to Maasin City (better ask the drivers because they know where you to drop). You're now in the port, you’ll have to take a ride in a pump boats or motorized banca to finally bring you to the island. Fare is Php45 which good for a round trip fare and travel time will only take 15-20 minutes. A Php15 entrance fee will be collected as you get their. Different amenities are  to be offer such as nipa huts for Php400 per day with an additional Php200 charge if you plan to stay overnight, and a tent from Php200-300. The island has a little market which sells rice, canned goods, drinks, fresh fish. shells etc.

Some people call Canigao Island the other Boracay but Canigao gets more of a local crowd. A walk around the entire island takes about 30 minutes. Let me show you what’s in Canigao Island.

I Shall Return

Where did General Douglas McArthur land when he returned to the Philippines to set free the country from the Japanese invaders? It’s in the Imeldific island of Leyte! Where a park, formerly called the McArthur Park and now called the Leyte Landing Memorial, located at the Red Beach, Palo, Leyte.

After being exists in the province for more than 22 years, I just have been in the park on the 25th of March; this was my first ever meet-up with Gen. McArthur (my bad lol)

If you’re quite curious why it is called Red Beach, the beach’s color went brown to black — not red. The “red” in Red Beach doesn’t refer to the natural color of the sand, but its color after being drenched in blood.

Viva Pit Senior! A Sinulog Festival Experience.

It’s all FIRST!

• First blog post of the year
• First time to travel without my parent’s accompany
• First time to land in the city of Cebu
• And first time to experience Sinulog Mardi Gras. Yay!

From Wiki, the Sinulog festival is one of the grandest and most colorful festivals in the Philippines with a very rich history. The main festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Niño, or the child Jesus, who used to be the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu (since in the Catholic faith Jesus is not a saint, but God). It is essentially a dance ritual which remembers the Filipino people’s pagan past and their acceptance of Christianity.

The festival features some the country’s most colorful displays of pomp and pageantry: participants garbed in bright-colored costumes dance to the rhythm of drums, trumpets, and native gongs. The streets are usually lined with vendors and pedestrians all wanting to witness the street-dancing.

“Sinulog, isyagit ug kusog. Pit Senior! Pit Senior! Tanan magsaulog!” this is the beat we can hear practically everywhere in Cebu and other neighboring provinces just after New Year. I decided to join in the fun as the Grand Mardi Gras is fast approaching!

Yay! I have my comfy slippers and shoes already! I am now prepared to experience Sinulog and ready for a looooooooooong walk around the city. This is great!

The Christmas House And The Flickering Town of Albuera

Vivid lights in every corner of the road, houses filled with Santas, trees and poinsettias and the whole town was snowed with the essence of Christmas; that’s the usual scenes we will witness when December fall at the town of Albuera, really goes all out when it comes to Christmas decorations. It was a Christmas display competition participated by every barangay that started years ago and still ongoing up to this date. They push it through so they’ll be renowned as the Christmas capital of Leyte.

Summer 2011

I remember when I was a child/student; summertime fun in the sun began with the ringing of the last bell of the day. It signified that it was time to throw away old home work assignments and to forget about anything to do with school-for three months at least. Summer time is a time of simple pleasures and exciting times of the year. Three months of sleeping at late night, long lazy afternoon TV marathon, hanging out, just being kids and not having to worry about homework had been lingering in the mind since classes began in June.

When summer vacation finally rolls around, I can never make up my mind-on what to do first. Shall it playing around with friends or swimming at the pool or beach? One thing was for certain though, the family vacation. For some it was a dreadful thing but not for my close knit family and me. Every year, my family members gathered together and spent time at the beach while enjoying the heat of the sun, delicious foods, breeze of air and the splash of water.