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| Les-eng |
Thinking about a
wish list for the coming year, honestly, I can't come up with something
corporeal. Seemingly, most of the
tangible things that I have been longing for many moons ago, are now answered
prayers. 2022 is a great year for me and
there are many things to be thankful for.
This is a year of building new connections, self-growth, and discoveries.
Traveling is now
really back to normal and I’ve been to several wonderful places. My most
enjoyable moment this year happened mostly in Cordillera while doing volunteer work. Having the opportunity to explore the
extremely secluded places of Benguet brought me to a profound realization that Filipino
hospitality is still something to take pride in. We were treated like a family and with
brimming warmness by our hosts in the communities we stayed in. Some of them even did the extra mile of
accompanying us in reaching distant places.
These people are living a simple yet peaceful life.
I happened to
cross-path with new faces this year that later on bring more colors into my
life. Some of them guided me in transforming
into a better version of myself, and some turned out to be close friends who
are also giving me constant annoyance during some trips.
I believe that my
bond with my original outdoor family (DIYers and Team Stranded) who genuinely
love me remains unwavering. I would like to reiterate a quote from the
English writer Alan Alexander Milne in his classical book Winnie the Pooh: “If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your
heart. I'll stay there forever.” I know that you are already very familiar with these
lines since I am always citing them to you, every time I can’t join our group’s
excursion and multi-day climbs.
Starting my Yoga
journey is another highlight of this year.
Going into practice almost every day is a great stress reliever from my
stressful job. I was able to unleash the
hidden potential of my body and discovered its true limitation which I shall continue
to work on improving. The practice also
helped me to be in the present and improve my ability to concentrate.
Next year, perhaps
I will also work on my temperamental nature which is lately becoming
uncontrollable. I’m not in denial that I confronted several
people more than the numbers I did in the previous year. Some of my friends and workmates were
taunting me, saying that my sudden aggravation is due to the lack of a love
life. Hmmm, I don’t think so!
I would like to thank all the people who shared a fragment of their life and carry me over the year 2022. Looking forward to more thrilling and prolific moments with you! All the best and happy new year!
Hiking Logs for the year ended 2022
1. Zambales River. Labney, Zambales (February 12 to 13, 2022)
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| Undeniably, this was one of my best climbs this year. I met new faces who later on turned out to be close friends and gave spice to my other adventures. Zambales River has very clean and refreshing water, it's just quite a challenge reaching it for you need to hike a total distance of 22km. The place is the usual campsite for hikers who wish to climb the longer route of Mt. Tapulao. I would like to thank Noah for organizing this climb and may you have flourishing years ahead! |
2. Mt. Lakay. Carranglan, Nueva Ecija (February 19 to 20, 2022)
3. Mt. Ayaas / Mt. Parawagan / Mt. Balagbag. Rodriguez, Rizal (Various Dates)
b. March 12, 2022
c. March 19, 2022 (Balagbag-Ayaas Traverse)
d. April 17, 2022
e. May 1, 2022
f. May 29, 2022
g. June 25 to 26, 2022 (Mt. Ayaas)
h. October 15, 2022 (Mt. Parawagan)
i. October 23, 2022
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| Mt. Lakay is a newly opened hiking destination in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. |
a. February 27, 2022
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| Mt. Ayaas with the aunties |
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| Mt. Ayaas to Quinao |
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| Heat training in Sierra Madre. Hi, Master Noah! |
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| Easter Sunday Solo Hike at Mt. Parawagan. After the climb, I went home early for a scheduled family gathering which didn't push through |
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| Labor Day Solo twin-climb at Mt. Ayaas and Mt. Parawagan |
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| Hike and run at Mt. Ayaas |
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| DIYers General Meeting at Mt. Ayaas. This was my first time staying a night at Mt. Ayaas; we camped at the newly established Sinfuego Campsite. Carmelie and Darwin hosted the night of music and drama, while Che and Cristel had an excellent stage performance, too! Keywords of the night: Looooord, 2k, and UGAT |
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| Tune-up Climb Side Trip to Bugis Restaurant with the Metro King |
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| For our final tune-up before the grand trek, we did Mt. Ayaas traverse Wawa Dam via Tuay Falls. I am very much familiar with Puray Falls, but it was only this time that I learned about the existence of this other waterfall located near the junction going to Mt. Campananan. We finished the course at around 2pm, and when we reached Manila the 3 of us dined at Rou Bourbon. |
4. Mt. Arayat (South Peak). Arayat, Pampanga (March 6, 2022)
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| Revisited the Kingdom of Mariang Sinukuan. Afterward, we had a sumptuous lunch at Mila's Tokwa't Baboy Restaurant. This eatery is a pride of Pampanga's Pork Sisig and their customer service is great too! I will never forget our experience dining in this place; as if I was watching then a live soap opera starring Jheng. Peace! |
5. Mt. Manabu Traverse to Mt. Malipunyo. Sto. Tomas, Batangas (March 20, 2022)
12. The 4 Mystical Lakes. Kabayan, Benguet (May 6, 2022)
13. Mt. Ugo Dayhike (West Ugo via Ambasa/Marikit). Itogon, Benguet (May 7, 2022)
14. Camp John Hay Yellow Trail. Baguio City (May 8, 2022)
15. Mt. Bulusan. Bulusan, Sorsogon (June 4 to 5, 2022)
16. Santo Tomas Forest Reserve. Tuba, Benguet (June 11 to 12, 2022)
My first attempt doing the Malipunyo Travers (MalTrav) organized by Rhea Batac in 2018 was a failure because we didn't reach the summit of Malipunyo. The group didn't engage a guide (the usual guide in Malinpunyo is Sir Mario) then eventually, we got lost along the way.
When Gibo initiated this climb last March, I gave it another try. Gibo is very familiar with the trail since this is his training ground. You will not be misguided by a local of Batangas. However, you will only need to spend a higher price on eating "quality foods" after the climb.
6. Mt. Kalisungan. Calauan, Laguna (March 21, 2022)
7. Tarak Ridge. Mariveles, Bataan (April 10, 2022)
8. Mt. Napulauan. Hungduan, Ifugao (April 23 to 24, 2022)
9. Batad Rice Terraces and Bangaan Rice Terraces. Batad, Ifugao (April 25, 2022)
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| At the summit of Mt. Manabu and Mt. Malipunyo |
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| Gibo brought us to his childhood favorite and iconic Aling Nene's Mami and Siopao located in Lipa City Public Market. We also experienced the authentic Batangueños dishes of Kapusod, while enjoying the scenic view of Taal Lake. |
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| This was really a spontaneous trip! Whilst descending back to the jump-off from the summit of Mt. Malipunyo, I jokingly said that a hike to Mt. Kalisungan would be a great recovery climb. It was a huge mistake on my part to say those words; don't dare Gibo! After our dinner at Kapusod, we went to his house (Barredo's Mansion) in Batangas so that he can get some hiking gear. We stayed at the home of Gideon in Laguna, and the following day I found myself heading to the summit of Kalisungan. We got lost along the way! Good thing I have no work on Monday and there was no work-related issue happening in my other work during that time! I arrived in Manila around 3pm very exhausted after the 3-day hike! (Balagbag-Ayaas, Malipunyo-Manabu, and Kalisungan) |
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| A day hike in Tarak Ridge |
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| Mt. Napulauan is one of my favorite mountains in Cordillera. It unreservedly leaves a distinct mark both in my heart and mind from the first time I climbed it in 2017. Finally, after several visits, I had a sweet reward - clearing! |
After our climb at Mt. Napulauan, we visited some of the world's UNESCO Heritage sites of Ifugao in the municipalities of Banaue and Kiangan.
10. Mt. Kapugan - Mt. Puluy Twin Hike / Nagacadan Rice Terraces. Kiangan, Ifugao (April 26, 2022)
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| Batad Rice Terraces |
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| Bangaan Rice Terraces |
The peaceful and simple town of Kiangan is said to be the oldest one in the province of Ifugao. There are many things that can be done in this place from hiking, cultural awareness tour, or just a simple staycation. According to our tour guide Domingo, the people are exerting extraordinary effort in the preservation of their culture and tradition.
During our stay, we climbed Mt. Puluy and Mt. Kappugan. We also had a walk on the rice terraces of Nagacadan.
11. Mt. Ayung. Bakun, Benguet (May 4 to 5, 2022)
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| Mt. Puluy and Mt. Kapugan Twin Hike |
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| Nagacadan Rice Terraces |
Not as prominent as the other mountains of Bakun but Mt. Ayung is not something to trivialize. Its trail has many things to offer, from the picturesque view of nearby ranges on the summit, down to the pristine waterfalls within its vast and overgrown woodland.
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| A non-mainstream adventure |
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| The 4 mystical lakes of Kabayan: Lake Tabeo, Lake Bulalacao, Lake Letep-ngepos, and Lake Incolos. Among them, Lake Incolos is the most unique for its water can be found beneath the grassland. That lake gave me an eerie vibe. |
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| Revisited the long and winding trail of Mt. Ugo. This time, we did it for only a day. |
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| Gibo was still planning to have a day hike in Mt. Purgatory after our 32km arduous climb in Mt. Ugo but thankfully, it didn't materialize! We dined at Hatch Coffee and walked on the yellow trail of Camp John Hay during the afternoon. In the evening, Maritha prepared a candlelight dinner for the celebration of mother's day. She told us some stories about her youth which we enjoyed hearing..."I can now play again my music" |
Mt. Bulusan in the province of Sorsogon is
listed among the most active volcanoes in the Philippines. It is a dream mountain for many hikers, and
there are some who will illegally climb it in pursuit of their goals of
crossing the bucket list.
After months
of being dormant, our team managed to secure a go signal from the LGU of
Barcelona, Sorsogon to explore this elusive volcano. The entire team triumphantly reached its summit. Janer and Gibo were rewarded with a
magnificent clearing when they went the extra mile of climbing the peak and
even moved down the crater a day before the "summit day".
On
the way back to jump off, while savoring the trail of the pristine forest, a
piece of frightening news came to us. The volcano has reawakened from slumber
and there was an ongoing phreatic explosion.
Fortunately, all of us
reached the jump-off safely and no one got harmed. The ashfall covered the
other side of the mountain, sparing us.
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| Pictures were taken before the sudden eruption |
Mt. Santo Tomas situated in Tuba, Benguet is a protected landscape under the restriction of the Writ of Kalikasan, prohibiting several activities in the mountain which include tourism-related (DENR, 2019).
17. Mt. Tenglawan Extreme. Ilocos Traverse to Benguet (June 17 to 19, 2022)
18. Mt. Tabayoc - Mt. Timbak Twin Hike. Kabayan and Atok, Benguet (August 13 to 14, 2022)
We would like to thank Jerome Damortis and Nando for accommodating the 3 of us in their home in Liblibo, and for guiding us on the 2nd day of exploration. Thanks also to the family of Sir Facundo for the warm welcome and sumptuous meal during our stay in Lamew!
Our team was given an opportunity to explore its pristine pine forest, when we went there last weekend on a humanitarian mission, to assess a privately-owned property (from Camp 6) as an alternative route for the communication towers, tourism-related, and housing.
The literature about this mountain is limited. All of them made an affirmation describing the trail as easy and established with a rating of 2/9 difficulty (Lasco, 2008); non-technical (Fernandez, 2012); and rocky and cold (Cecilia, 2022). I believe everyone was expecting a walk-in-a-park climb with a similar experience we had to that of Camp John Hay's Yellow Trail last May. But during the hike, it turned out otherwise.
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| At the summit |
A part of the so-called Bakun Trilogy along with Mt. Lobo and Mt. Kabunian is the dubbed devils' mountain of the north. Mt. Tenglawan is said to be the kingdom of God Insaking and prominent for its carrot-shaped peak. It is normally done for a day hike, but our team chose a different path. We traversed the trail from Apang in the municipality of Alilem, Ilocos Sur going to Sinacbat, Bakun. It took us 3 days of forest bathing to reach the pinnacle of Mt. Tenglawan. Extreme!
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| 14 thrill-seekers; 3 days of spectacular adventure |
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| Mt. Tabayoc |
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| Mt. Timbak. May all our prayers be answered. |
19. Mt. Tuking and Mt. Ubod Twin Hike. Bakun, Benguet. (August 27 to 29, 2022)
In this climb, our mission was to track the so-called Grand Father Peaks of Liblibo: Mt. Liblibo, Mt. Ubod, and Mt. Tuking. Suddenly, our guide didn't show up at the meet-up then, it was Gibo who led the exploration that started from Brgy. Apang ("Mr. I Can't recall"). We lost several times along the way, and we were not sure if we could make it to Lam-ew where the rest of the team was on another volunteer work. Fortunately, Jerome showed up on the second day and guided us. We managed to reach the summit of Mt. Ubod and Mt. Tuking, but due to time constraints and uncertainties of the trail, we didn't able to track the way to Mt. Liblibo. We will go back some other time!
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| Crossing the Rice Field of Apang, a successful assault on Mt. Tuking and Mt. Ubod |
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| Home of Jerome, Abandoned school, houses, and chapel situated in Central Liblibo |
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| The way from Liblibo to Lamew, and Dinner at the home of Sir Facundo |
20. Mt. Tapulao. Mayantoc, Zambales (October 8, 2022)
21. Kibungan Circuit Halloween Climb. Kibungan, Benguet (October 29 to November 3, 2022)
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| The KM 18 marker is not the real summit of Mt. Tapulao |
This was the culmination of our hike this year and my current longest-recorded multi-day climb. It was volunteer work where we were assigned to conduct road and school assessments in some of the secluded places of Kibungan and Bakun.
I was already exhausted and quite irritated by the time we reached the so-called Pool of God. There was this instance when the rowdy side of Gibo showed up at a very untimely moment. While recovering and washing up on the riverbank, I heard the commanding voice of Gibo saying to me his usual request "bro, papicture". At that point, my irritation grew up and it persisted until we reached Bakbakan. I just handed to him my phone and let him do the work. From the Pool of God, we ascended for 2 hours to reach Bakbakan where we stayed for the night.
Kibungan mountains remain closed to tourists as of this writing.
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| Day 1 - Registration at the police station. The police officers were very accommodating. They let us use their kitchen where we had our lunch and provided us a ride in going to the jump-off. We stayed at Bwelta's store for the night |
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| Day 2 - Signal no. 2 was raised in Cordillera. We continued the road assessment after we gave thanks to our host and asked for the guidance of heaven. We stayed at Dalipey Church for the night. |
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| Day 3 - It was a windy morning as we woke up the following day. Typhoon Paeng was almost outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) during this time, but its tail can still be felt in Cordillera. We needed to go to Kayapa to start the assessment of their schools’ toilets. Initially, we planned to descend via Taktak but were discouraged by the locals, informing us that the trail is now precarious to walk. Instead of descending via Taktak, we traversed Mt. Oten in moving to Kayapa. Along the way, while tramping the pine trail of Mt. Oten, it started to rain. A thick layer of fog engulfed the surroundings and it became colder. On our part, we already anticipated this kind of weather and came prepared for it. We had a stopover at a worker’s camp situated in Geday. The weather got better during the afternoon and the sun once again showed up. We didn’t reach Legab, but we had a very great and comfortable night at Bulisay Elementary School where we enjoyed the warm hospitality of the teacher and her family. They let us stay in the classroom and provided us with pillows and mattresses. I’m pretty sure that everyone had a sound sleep that night! The following day our host in Bulisay served us one of the popular delicacies of Cordillera: Pinikpikan! |
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| Day 4 - After we gave thanks and bid farewell to our host in Bulisay, we proceeded to Legab Elementary School. Our target was to reach Dalipey Chapel at night after the school assessment. We’re still unsure if it was feasible to reach it via Taktak. Otherwise, it would be a very exhausting walk in going back. The teacher told us that there is a road going to Legab which will only take us an hour, but we walked on an old trail. We reached the school at around 10 am. There at Legab Elementary School, we learned that it is feasible to ascend Dalipey via Taktak. Everyone was occupied by the holiday, and there was an ongoing gimong (gathering of community church leaders) at that time. We waited for 3 hours at the home of a local who gave us Kini-ing, which is another delicacy of Cordillera. Later on, we decided to rent a van in going to Kayapa High School. We didn’t reach the chapel of Dalipey as planned due to time constraints. At nighttime, we camped at Lanipew Barrio School. This was the only time in this 6-day hike when we needed to pitch our tent. Ed made a kini-ing stew and the rest enjoyed it for the dinner. Me? I went inside the tent and just decided to rest. The next day would be the most exhausting one! |
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| Day 5 - This was the most tiring day of the climb; it was also the most memorable for me. Our initial target was to reach Polis. We started the day ascending the steep trail of Taktak in moving to Dalipey. I'm Grateful that we did it this way, otherwise, I don't know how long would it take me to descend that trail. There was an ongoing community gathering inside the chapel when we reached Dalipey, so we waited for them to finish. As we continued the trek to Les-eng, we descended a very steep stairway and passed through several magnificent landscapes that are truly rewarding to see. It was already past lunch when we arrived at Les-eng and just stayed there shortly. We decided to have our late lunch at the Pool of the God which is still an hour away from the community of Les-eng. |
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| The Pool of God. |
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| Our Host at Bakbakan |
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| Day 6 - Last Push back to the Kibungan Police Station. |
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| Finally, after 6 days of exploration and surpassing the final challenge of climbing the more than 3800 concrete stairways we are back! |
Biking Logs for the year ended 2022
2. Rizal Mini Loop. Angono, Binangonan and Antipolo, Rizal (January 2, 2022)
3. Boso-Boso Chill Ride (January 9, 2022)
4. Solo Ride. Pasig City (February 1, 2022)
5. Tanay Parola and Beren Residence. Tanay and Binangonan, Rizal (February 5 to 6, 2022)
6. Mangantilla. Baras, Rizal (February 25, 2022)
7. Antipolo Ride (April 3, 2022)
8. Good Friday Ride. Pasig City (April 15, 2022)
9. Bike with Ariel. Pasig City (May 15, 2022)
10. Birthday Ride (May 19 to 22, 2022)
12. Solo Ride (July 16, 2022)
14. King of Revpal (KOR) Loop. Tagaytay, Cavite (August 7, 2022)
15. Pililia Loop with a Twist. Pililia, Rizal (August 21, 2022)
16. Century Ride. San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan (October 2, 2022)
17. Greenfield Ride. Mandaluyong City (October 10, 2022)
18. Riverbank Ride. Marikina City (November 6, 2022)
19. Arcovia Ride. Pasig City (November 20, 2022)
19. Year Closing Short Ride (December 31, 2022)
Travel Logs for the year ended 2022
2. Cabongaoan Beach. Burgos, Pangasinan (March 26 to 27, 2022)
3. National Museum and Food Trip. Manila (April 9-10, 2022)
4. Daraga Church. Daraga, Albay (June 6, 2022)
5. A day in La Union (August 29, 2022)
6. Adventure in South (September 23 to 28, 2022)
Dinagat Island (September 24 to 27, 2022)
Mt. Cabalian. Southern Leyte (September 27 to 28, 2022)
2. ACE Partner's Meeting (January 29, 2022)
3. HOD Night Out. Mandaluyong City (February 26, 2022)
4. Invitation Giving of Thadeus and Cheryl for their Wedding (April 2, 2022)
5. Visiting Topskill. Sta. Cruz Manila (April 11, 2022)
6. Thadeus and Cheryl's Wedding. Antipolo, Rizal (May 14, 2022)
7. Robert and Kae's Wedding. Parañaque City (May 21, 2022)
8. Family Gathering at San Andres Residence (Birthday Celebration). Marikina City (May 22, 2022)
9. My Birthday Treat to HOD (May 24, 2022)
10. Meet-up with Master Tessa at DOH - Manila (June 3, 2022)
11. HOD Lunch out (June 27, 2022)
12. Jojo Birthday Celebration. Pililia, Rizal (July 2, 2022)
13. Weekend Get Together at Celadon Park, Sta. Cruz Manila (July 10 to 11, 2022)
14. Cheers at Celadon Park. Sta. Cruz, Manila (July 30, 2022)
15. Spontaneous meet-up with Ate Marie. Mandaluyong, City (August 3, 2022)
16. Catch-up Meeting with Memz. Mandaluyong, City (August 11, 2022)
17. Signing up for CTS with JOJO. Teresa, Rizal (September 3, 2022)
18. Yris Birthday Party. Batangas (September 10 to 11, 2022)
19. Eat and Drink at Circulo Verde (September 18, 2022)
20. Dinner at COA'S Office. RMC - Pasig City (October 28, 2022)
21. Cedrick's 4th Birthday Celebration (November 13, 2022)
22. Memz Birthday Celebration (November 30, 2022)
23. A weekend in Batangas and Laguna (December 3 to 4, 2022)
24. Team Tapulao Christmas Gathering (December 7, 2022)
25. HOD Christmas Lunch and RMC Christmas Celebration. Pasig City (December 8, 2022)
27. San Beda University Accounting Alumni Association Christmas Gathering. Nautilus Bar, Quezon City (Decemberr 14, 2022)
28. Accounting Department Christmas Party (December 16 to 17, 2022)
29. Year-end gathering. Shangri-La, Mandaluyong City (December 20, 2022)
A newfound hobby
Namaste!
1. Year-opening Ride. NCR (January 1, 2022)
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| Riverbank |
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| Ride to Antenna Hills, Eastridge, and Mahabang Parang with Noah and Aaron |
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| Ride with Nath and Marty |
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| Arcovia |
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| One Saturday afternoon, Noah and I went for a bike ride to the lighthouse situated at San Isidro in Tanay. The best time to visit that place is during the golden hours while enjoying the scenic landscape of Laguna de Bay. We also visited the centuries-old church of Tanay known as the Sant Ildefonsus of Toledo Parish and spent the night at the home of the Beren Family in Binangonan. |
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| A short ride with Kakarot at Mangatila. This is a newly opened restaurant in Baras, Rizal which is gaining popularity in the cycling community |
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| Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage |
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| Sta. Clara de Montefalco Parish |
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| After my ride at Riverbank, I visited my long-time friend Ariel to catch up and to see his newly acquired bike. We roamed around the nearby places and later on went to the house of Paul Jeffrey “PJ” Rodriguez. He was a classmate of mine from high school in PCC and one of Ariel's closest friends; we had a pizza party. |
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| Visited some of the places in Manila, Pasig, Marikina |
11. Solo Ride. Marikina City (July 4, 2022)
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| Riverbank |
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| Roaming around Pasig and Mandaluyong |
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| We did the challenging Reverse Palace Loop |
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| Windmill of Pililia |
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| Padre Pio Mountain of Healing Solo Ride |
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| Dined at the Beer Factory |
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| Christmas fair at Riverbank |
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| There's a newly opened vegan food stall at Arcovia. I love the taste of their shawarma wrap, and they have vegan burgers too! When I posted the price on my Facebook account, Marie said that they are pricey, and there are cheaper vegan restaurants in Baguio. Alright! I will try them next year! |
19. Year Closing Short Ride (December 31, 2022)
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| Amen! |
1. Balay De Cuyambay Staycation. Cuyambay, Rizal (January 22 to 23, 2022)
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| DIYers New Year Get Together |
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| Dave celebrated his birthday at one of the farthest places in Pangasinan. Cabongaoan beach is well-known for its death pool (Tidal Pool). The group stayed there for 3 days but, I went back to Manila on the 2nd day due to a work-related matter. 3 days is an ideal allotment to fully enjoy the place since it will take around 7 hours of travel time to reach it. |
A day before our scheduled day hike at Tarak Ridge, Team 133 went back into History and visited the National Museum. The National Museum of the Philippines is comprised of 3 buildings: The National Museum of Fine Arts, The National Museum of Natural History, and The National Museum of Anthropology. Due to time constraints, we only visited the Fine Arts.
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| Tour inside the National Museum of Fine Arts |
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| Dined at Shawarma Snack Center, Mann Hann, Kapetolyo, and Meat Plus |
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| Daraga church and a view of the majestic Mt. Mayon |
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| Baluarte Watch Tower and Immuki Island |
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| By the beach |
Eina invited Team 133 to the 3rd birthday celebration of Yanna, in their hometown in Southern Leyte. We had a week-long trip in some parts of Leyte Province, Southern Leyte, and Dinagat Island.
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| Agas-Agas Bridge, San Juanico Bridge, Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum, and McArthur Landing Memorial Park |
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| The Celebration at Kissbone Cove (Mr. Kim) |
During my stranded days in Southern Leyte at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, I heard something interesting from the locals - "Dinagat Island is only hours away from here". Then, I felt a bit frustrated since this is one of the provinces of the country that I really wanted to visit. Only if the quarantine protocol of the LGU was not strict at that time, I would encourage Team Stranded to come with me. It is not easy to go there. As of now, there's no available airport and the only accessible means of transportation is via sea, wherein the port of Surigao is the widely-known entry point for travelers. I came back to Manila with unfinished business.
This time opportunity knocked once again!
Our adventure began after the celebration of Yanna in a non-mainstream way. We sailed from the shoreline of Cabalian and reached Dinagat Island after 2 hours. It was a dream come true!
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| Luta's Beach Resort and Jelmar's Resort & View deck |
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| Blue Lagoon |
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| Miracle Pool |
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| Kinilaw, sea flowers, and sea grapes |
There was a super typhoon in Luzon during this time, where some parts of Rizal Province were raised to signal no. 5. Although there was no storm signal in Mindanao, we were affected by the impact of the South West Monsoon. We weren't able to go to the other tourist sites in the province like the enchanted Lake Bababu and the rest of the beaches. There's a reason to go back!
Our plan was to leave Dinagat Island on September 26 but on our way back to Cabalian, raging waves started to form. The Captain decided to return back to the island for safety since there would be more violent waves and strong wind ahead if we push through.
We got stranded for a day on Dinagat Island causing us to drop the planned Limasawa trip. We managed to reach Cabalian the following day when the sea got calmer. In the home of the Mantilla Family at Cabalian, we had a small celebration of Gibo's birthday.
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| Happy Birthday, Don Gibo! You deserve all the eggs! Don't worry, they are organic! |
Mt. Cabalian. Southern Leyte (September 27 to 28, 2022)
In the afternoon we climbed Mt. Cabalian. Mt. Cabalian is an active volcano and its crater where the campsite is located is known as Lake Danao. According to Eina, a sandbar is emerging on the lake during low tide. At this moment, it is said that a God is visiting the place.
The trail to the summit is straightforward and there's an option to take a habal-habal ride to shorten the distance on climbing, which we did. It was already night when we reached the campsite and most were already exhausted. The campsite is quite small and can only accommodate a very limited number of tents. I decided to sleep early while others were still taking hold of the night.
The following day we were met by a foggy morning. This day was special, and most of us who already knew what would transpire were really excited about this. It was during our climb at Mt. Tenglawan that I heard about Ed's plan of proposing to Jane. Ed originally planned to propose in Limasawa, but because of what happened in Dinagat Island, the plan was realigned at Mt. Cabalian. At lake Danao, Jane wholeheartedly gave her Yes!
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| You are now officially, engaged! |
Casual meet-ups / Special Occasions
1. HOD New Year Gathering (January 16, 2022)
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| Maura's Place in Antipolo and Vine Patio in Manila |
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| Ecology Village |
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| Gerry's Grill |
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| At our usual spot at North Park - Greenfield. The love birds will finally tie the knot |
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| Picture taking with Tita Cynthia after signing the AFS |
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| The wedding celebration at La Huerta Estate. If ever there was a competition that grand night in beer drinking, I have no doubt that our team would obtain a landslide victory! Our table was overfull with empty cans of beer; the servers were already avoiding us! |
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| Team stranded attended the wedding celebration of Robert and Kae |
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| Birthday celebration of the celebrants for the month of May |
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| Vikings - Megamall |
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| Tessa was my classmate and constant groupmate (both major and minor subjects) during my college days in San Beda. Currently, she is working as a State Auditor II of the Commission on Audit (COA) assigned at DOH-San Lazaro, and already garnered several other accounting-related certifications. Good job! |
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| Lunch at Kenny Rodger after renewing our passports. Looking forward to traveling overseas with them once again! |
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| Happy Birthday! |
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| Word of the night: "Carpe Diem!" |
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| The weather was not inviting. What was supposed to be a bike ride to Antipolo turned out to be another drinking session at Celadon Park. (Gibo: Bros, wag na tayong magride... here I will make a yogurt smoothie for you guys from Landers) |
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| Rod Dee Ded |
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| Habib - Greenfield. When we looked for Marjan who was the previous manager of this store, the staff informed us that she passed away 2 weeks ago. There was a change in management and the new owner decided to undergo a major business makeover. The increase in prices of bottled beers is quite unreasonable to me. 120 PHP for a bottle in greenfield? I hope that the new owner did an external scanning of its competitors before making that change. |
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| Future drinking site |
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| Team Stranded |
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| What is this, Rona???? |
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| Lunch treat of Olence, the current COA lead auditor of RMC and my previous enemy. |
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| We celebrated the 4th birthday of Cedrick at Teakha situated near Capitol Commons in Pasig City |
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| Cheers from Crocodile Stone |
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| We attended the pre-wedding celebration of Patrick Estacio in Batangas. |
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| Birthday celebration in Laguna |
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| The Alley - BGC |
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| Lunch at Pepper Lunch |
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| Dessert at Mary Grace |
26. Padyak ng Pinas Gathering. Mandaluyong City (December 11, 2022)
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| North Park - Greenfield |
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| "Herald the Bedans coming, may their fellowship never cease." Ang Chua Enriquez and Company represent at the first get-together party of the San Beda University Accountancy Alumni Association. It was great to see once again some of our former professors, and now colleagues in the practice of the accounting profession. Go San Beda fight! |
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| We held our departmental Christmas party at Baltazar Farm and Resort in Antipolo. I will not recommend that place to anyone! |
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| We had another gathering at Shangri-la, after the homecoming of Koya Gid from his 2 weeks work-related trip in Africa. I believe Gibo was brimming with joy after obtaining a group's approval to dine at Cyma, where we enjoyed great greek dishes, at a very great price too! Our gastronomical experience didn't end there, afterward, we had a drinking session at Brotzeit located ground floor. Oh well, I enjoyed their cocktails and beers! |
30. Family Christmas Gathering (December 24, 2022)
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| Family Picture |
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| Cousins |
31. Tagopin Christmas Gathering (December 25, 2022)
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| Shot at North Park. The Original. Insert Jerico and Trix |
32. New Year Christmas Gathering (December 31, 2022)
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| Closing the year in Tita Leila's home |
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| Practicing the Scorpion Pose |
I was already planning to enroll in a yoga class since the start of the pandemic, but it was only this year that I discovered a yoga studio near my home. Yoga is a great integration with hiking and other outdoor activities, as it provides better stability, flexibility, and endurance. Community Fitness helped me in achieving a better version of myself. There's no doubt that I have progressed at a great speed from the moment I entered this whole new world, but it will still be a long road ahead. Someday I'm planning to specialize in pure ashtanga practice and introduce it to others.
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| The wonderful souls within the community |
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| My 2022 Yoga Journey. |
Community Fitness (CF) is a non-profit yoga studio located in the heart of Pasig City. Aside from yoga, it is also offering Zumba and martial arts. It is armed with highly qualified yoga teachers, and very friendly students making the studio an ideal place for beginners. There's also the cozy Yani Cafe located beside the studio which is a great place to hang out. Their signature carrot cake is something every visitor should try.
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| This is Richie who loves drinking wine. He's one of the founders of this studio, and a graceful dancer too! |
For more information about the practice, you may send an inquiry to these links:
Facebook: Community Fitness
Instagram: Community Fitness
Come and join the growing community, explore the limitation of your body, and unleash the potential within you!
As we embark on the coming year of the water rabbit, may we take things slowly while pondering the myriad of new opportunities ahead of us. May we HOPEFULLY (👺👺👺) be kind and compassionate (Romero, 2022), and turns our weaknesses into our life's greatest and most valuable strength (Sotto, 2022). Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!
END
-JSC
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