Banana Island
Saturday, November 7, 2009,3:55 PM
Our final stop was Banana Island Resort, just a few minutes away from Malcapuya. This small island beach is called as such because it’s shaped like a banana. Entrance fee costs 200php.
We did nothing but relax and rest in the hammocks. Come lunch time, we had a sumptuous feast of grilled tuna and liempo,
itlog na maalat, tomatoes and onions, ice cold softdrinks, and bananas for desert. Thanks to Kuya Allan who prepared everything!
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Malcapuya Beach
Saturday, October 10, 2009,11:56 AM
For the second part of our island hopping adventure, we headed off to the island of Malcapuya, a secluded white sand beach about an hour and a half away from Coron pier. But before departure, Kuya Allan dropped us off at the market to eat breakfast and buy all the needed rekados for our lunch. With a budget of 400php, we were able to purchase half a kilo of liempo, a large tuna, a kilo of banana, softdrinks, ice, charcoal, and eating utensils.
There were no other people except us and the caretakers when we arrived in Malcapuya Beach at 9:30am. From the long stretch of white sand beach to the crystal blue water with shells and corals in abundance in the shallows, it’s a slice of paradise.
We spent our time there sunbathing, swimming and walking around the scenic island, before going to the nearby Banana Island.
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Maquinit Hot Spring
Wednesday, October 7, 2009,11:15 AM
After a tiring island hopping adventure, we headed straight to Maquinit Hot Spring to relax our aching muscles. Entrance fee costs P100.
Situated on the mangrove forests of Coron about 20 minutes away from the town proper, it is the only known saltwater hot spring in the country with temperature ranging from 38-40 degrees Celsius, so just imagine how hot that is!
The first dip into the pool was unbearable, but after a while, I felt the soothing effects of the hot salty water and the slippery algae underneath. It felt really good!
Next stops: Malcapuya Beach and Banana Island
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Coron Island Hopping Adventure (Part 1)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009,10:32 AM
No vacation to Coron, Palawan is ever complete without taking in all the awe-inspiring sights it has to offer. There are picturesque island beaches with crystal clear water, beautiful coral reefs and fascinating rock formation.
We had a fun-filled vacation last October 2-5, 2009 exploring the popular destinations in Coron Island such as Skeleton Wreck, Twin Lagoon, Atuwayan Beach, Kayangan Lake, Siete Pecados, Maquinit Hot Spring, Malcapuya Beach, Banana Island and many others.
Day 1:We left Manila at 1:30pm and reached Busuanga airport after an hour. Upon arrival, we met Kuya Richard, a friendly van driver who provides transportation (P150/pax) to Coron town. We didn’t make any hotel reservation, so we just relied on the list of hotels I printed out from Wikitravel and asked him to drop us off at Coron Village Lodge. The standard twin rooms on the second floor are pretty cheap. Each room only costs P750 per night, with aircon, cable TV, even wifi! It’s probably the cheapest aircon room you can ever find in town. The lodge even provides free distilled water, coffee and tea. Jackpot!
It’s still drizzling that day so we didn’t do much except rest and walk around town. We had our dinner at the famous Kawayanan Grill, a local restaurant known for their grilled chicken, liempo, ensalada, and squid Bicol Express.
After that, we decided to look for the shop of Al Linsangan, which, according to Kuya Richard, offers cheap island tour packages for tourists, but we’re unable to find it. On our way back to the hotel, we met by chance a local couple, Kuya Allan and Ate Vangie, and asked us if we already have hired a boat for island hopping. They said they could arrange a tour for us at a low cost. After some negotiations, we opted for their services (5,000php for two days of island hopping) and exchanged numbers.
Day 2:The next day, we woke up early and had our breakfast in Coron Village restaurant. Accompanied by Kuya Allan, our trike driver-slash-tour guide, we set off to the market to buy our packed lunch (
binalot), some snacks and
pandesal for feeding the fish, before going to the Market Pier.
Our first stop was the Skeleton Wreck. Too bad, the beachfront wasn’t too visible at that time due to high tide, but we did enjoy snorkeling and watching a school of colorful fish while we feed them with pandesal. Because the wreck has been underwater for many years, it’s now covered with coral reefs and houses a wide variety of marine life. Lots of sea urchins too.
Next, we headed off to Atuwayan Beach to unwind and take some photos. We initially planned to have our lunch in this island, but it’s still early. Kuya Allan said it’s one of the beaches where Dyesebel was shot. Among the neighboring Coron island beaches, Atuwayan has the longest beachfront. The water is also calm and very ideal for snorkeling and kayaking.
It’s almost 12 noon when we reached the dock area of Kayangan Lake. We took our lunch there before taking a 10-minute trek to the lake. There’s a small cave at the hilltop which gives a good panoramic view of the entire Bay.
The 200php entrance fee is a bit steep, but it’s definitely worth it. We were not disappointed! Kayangan Lake really lives up to its reputation as the cleanest lake in the country, thanks to the Tagbanuas who protect this natural wonder. The clear turquoise lake is surrounded by towering lime stones and lush greenery. Swimming in the lake is also invigorating.
After that, we went to the Twin Lagoon. Like the Kayangan Lake, it’s also surrounded by towering rocks. The place is picture perfect.
Our last stop was Siete Pecados. The area was named such because it’s surrounded by seven islands.
To be continued...
Next stop: Maquinit Hot Spring
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Pahayag ng mga Nagmamalasakit sa Sining Pilipino
Thursday, August 6, 2009,10:35 PM
Nasaan ang Dangal sa Proseso ng Pagpili sa Gawad Pambansang Alagad ng Sining?
CAL Statement
Nakagugulat at nakakabahala ang listahan ng mga bagong hinirang ng Malakanyang na mga bagong Pambansang Alagad ng Sining o National Artists: Cecile-Guidote Alvarez, Manuel Urbano (aka Manuel Conde), Carlo Caparas, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Lazaro Francisco, Francisco Mañosa at Jose “Pitoy” Moreno. Linagdaan ni Presidente Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ang mga indibidwal na proklamasyon noong Hulyo 6, 2009 na sinasabing nagmula sa listahan ng mga nominado mula Cultural Center of the Philippines at National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Sa pagbabalik tanaw sa mga pangyayari, inilabas sa mga pahayagan noong nakaraang buwan ng Hunyo 2009 ang apat na pangalan na isinumite ng CCP at NCCA na dumaan sa tamang proseso – si Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Manuel Conde, Lazaro Francisco at Ramon Santos. Isang buwan ang lumipas, apat na pangalan pa ang dumagdag sa listahan ng Malakanyang at may nawala sa orihinal na listahan - ang kompositor at musikolohista na si Dr. Santos. Sa madaling sabi, madaming nadagdag at may nabawas. Hindi lamang si Dr. Santos ang nabastos sa pangyayaring ito kundi ang buong proseso ng pagpili ng National Artist.
Sa isang iglap ay nabahiran na naman ng pulitika ng pakikialam ang proseso ng pagpili ng National Artist. Kahit na ikatwirang karapat-dapat ang mga bagong hirang na National Artist dahil sa lawak at kahalagahan ng kanilang ambag sa sining na Pilipino, lahat ng ito ay mawawalan ng saysay dahil sa wala sa lugar na pagpupumilit na paghihirang ng ilang nominado.
Sa simpleng mundo na namamayani ang delikadesa, mahirap tanggapin na si Cecile Guidote-Alvarez ay mabigyan ng parangal habang siya mismo ang namumuno sa NCCA at umuupong Presidential Adviser on Culture. Ang paghirang sa kanya habang nasa posisyon ng kapangyarihan ay isang imoral na sitwasyon, at labag sa panuntunan ng tamang proseso ng pagpili ng National Artist. Ang isang taong nanunungkulan sa ahensya ng gobyernong mismong kalahok sa proseso ng seleksyon ay inaasahang magpapamalas ng tunay na paggalang sa prosesong ito. Lalong hindi ito dapat ipagkaloob ng nasa Malakanyang na gantimpala sa mga kapanalig sa pulitika. Sino pa ang magtitiwala sa Gawad Pambansang Alagad ng Sining kung tuluyang mababahiran ito ng pagdududa dahil sa lantaran at walang habas na palakasan at koneksyon sa lideratura?
Lubos nang nawala ang kredibilidad ng prosesong ito. Para sa mga nagmamalasakit sa katayuan ng sining sa Pilipinas, hindi ito dapat ipagwalang-bahala. Ang titulong National Artist ay ang pinakamataas na karangalan na maibibigay ng bansa sa mga artista ng bayan. Dapat dumaan ang pagpili sa tamang proseso na lantad at patas na hindi kayang manipulahin ng maykapangyarihan. Kung kaya’t napapanahon nang baguhin ang batas at proseso sa pagpili ng National Artist at alisin sa kapangyarihan ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas ang pakikialam dito. Sa ganitong paraan lamang magkakaroon ng halaga at dangal ang titulong Pambansang Alagad ng Sining.
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There were no other people except us and the caretakers when we arrived in Malcapuya Beach at 9:30am. From the long stretch of white sand beach to the crystal blue water with shells and corals in abundance in the shallows, it’s a slice of paradise.
We spent our time there sunbathing, swimming and walking around the scenic island, before going to the nearby Banana Island.
Situated on the mangrove forests of Coron about 20 minutes away from the town proper, it is the only known saltwater hot spring in the country with temperature ranging from 38-40 degrees Celsius, so just imagine how hot that is!
The first dip into the pool was unbearable, but after a while, I felt the soothing effects of the hot salty water and the slippery algae underneath. It felt really good!
Next stops: Malcapuya Beach and Banana Island
Day 1:
It’s still drizzling that day so we didn’t do much except rest and walk around town. We had our dinner at the famous Kawayanan Grill, a local restaurant known for their grilled chicken, liempo, ensalada, and squid Bicol Express.
After that, we decided to look for the shop of Al Linsangan, which, according to Kuya Richard, offers cheap island tour packages for tourists, but we’re unable to find it. On our way back to the hotel, we met by chance a local couple, Kuya Allan and Ate Vangie, and asked us if we already have hired a boat for island hopping. They said they could arrange a tour for us at a low cost. After some negotiations, we opted for their services (5,000php for two days of island hopping) and exchanged numbers.
Our first stop was the Skeleton Wreck. Too bad, the beachfront wasn’t too visible at that time due to high tide, but we did enjoy snorkeling and watching a school of colorful fish while we feed them with pandesal. Because the wreck has been underwater for many years, it’s now covered with coral reefs and houses a wide variety of marine life. Lots of sea urchins too.
Next, we headed off to Atuwayan Beach to unwind and take some photos. We initially planned to have our lunch in this island, but it’s still early. Kuya Allan said it’s one of the beaches where Dyesebel was shot. Among the neighboring Coron island beaches, Atuwayan has the longest beachfront. The water is also calm and very ideal for snorkeling and kayaking.
It’s almost 12 noon when we reached the dock area of Kayangan Lake. We took our lunch there before taking a 10-minute trek to the lake. There’s a small cave at the hilltop which gives a good panoramic view of the entire Bay.
The 200php entrance fee is a bit steep, but it’s definitely worth it. We were not disappointed! Kayangan Lake really lives up to its reputation as the cleanest lake in the country, thanks to the Tagbanuas who protect this natural wonder. The clear turquoise lake is surrounded by towering lime stones and lush greenery. Swimming in the lake is also invigorating.
After that, we went to the Twin Lagoon. Like the Kayangan Lake, it’s also surrounded by towering rocks. The place is picture perfect.
Our last stop was Siete Pecados. The area was named such because it’s surrounded by seven islands.