The Birthplace

My lifelong partner is turning 50 this year so I urged him to visit his place of birth in Bohol during our vacation in Mindanao. He left the place when he was only six years old and returned for the wake of his mother in 1976 and another visit in 1984. Good thing, that three of his sisters and two nieces joined us because he might not be recognized by long-time-no-see relatives. After 26 years... From Balingoan, Misamis Oriental we took a fast craft to Jagna, Bohol. The three-hour trip was rough even if the area was spared from Typhoon Chedeng. We were determined to be ready with the byahilo experience on our return voyage the following day. I loved the view of the sea as we rode the bus from Jagna to Dimiao, Bohol. From the town proper, we took the habal-habal. It was my first experience riding on an extended motorcycle that could accommodate as many as three passengers. Our first stop was the cemetery then we dropped by the house of a relative and finally, we drove the 7-km stretch to Baguhan. The old house is gone but I could imagine what the place looked like during the early 60s. I guess childhood memories flooded Bobby as he stepped on the grounds where he grew up.

Promenade by the Bay, Gingoog City

The old pier has improved from our last visit. In addition to the park benches, lamp posts have been erected and the area is well lit even after dusk. I also noticed that the sea and the vicinity are much cleaner. No more floating wastes and undesirable smells. It feels good just to sit back and relax while the sun sets.

Badiangon, Gingoog City

We usually have our family vacation in Mindanao every four years. This time we made it after two years (minus Ate again :( ). As early as January this year, we were already booked for our May trip. Thanks to the promo of Cebu Pacific.

I'm back to my favorite spot. The beach. Sea breeze... Cool spring waters mixing with sea water... Uniquely Badiangon.



The following day it was the city fiesta but we went back to the beach to enjoy the day with the family.

Cavite Farms

For the first time, I became a tour guide and enjoyed it because I visited some of the farms in Cavite. It was the Lakbay Aral of WESMARRDEC. On the first day, the group visited STARRDEC, the Research and Extension Units of Cavite State University, and the National Coffee Research, Development, and Extension Center. On the second day, we visited the dragon fruit farm of FITS CvSU's Magsasaka Siyentista Mr. Eddie Silan. Then we proceeded to Yoki's Farm in Mendez where we were guided to their greenhouses full of hydroponically grown lettuce. There are herbs and orchids too. We were surprised to see the owner's collections of antiques and other treasures in the museum. There is an aviary for colorful bird collections.  

Our next stop was at The Flower Farm in Guinhawa, Mendez, Cavite. Greenhouses were full of drip-irrigated gerberas and mums from Holland, foliage plants, herbs, and many more.  

The last farm we visited was Gourmet's Farm in Silang, Cavite. There are different kinds of lettuces grown on soil beds. We also saw the herb plantations and learned that their herbs are being endorsed by Sharon Cuneta. I got to meet and taste ashitaba (a medicinal herb, good for hypertension according to our tour guide). The sanctuary is a quiet place for meditation and relaxation, and for simply appreciating mother nature.

Caliraya, Laguna

The next stop was the Caliraya Re-creation Center and Resort. After exploring the various sites and "kodak" spots in the area to enjoy the scenery, the group engaged in the team building activities like the Earth ball (soccer and volleyball using a "monster" ball), an all-female obstacle course (because the guys did not join us) and other adventure games like Slide Pinoy (mini version of zipline), Fly Pinoy (my first zipline experience), mudslide (I super loved it!), water ball and Zorb ball (another first-time experiences, and I think I won't do it again.) ;-) It was fun, fun, fun!