Feeling the Sun in Kopiat

White Sand Beach in Kopiat Island.

The past week has really been very busy and exhausting, so when we had some little opportunity to saunter into the island, we grabbed it. As I’m writing this post, I can feel the muscle pains I got from the very strenuous things I did during our very short trip. To give justice to the pains, here I am chronicling what went well and wrong during this trip.

I have a penchant for little-known or better yet, unexplored territories. And so out of nowhere on a very hot Sunday, me and my officemates ventured into a three-hour island hopping in one of Compostela Valley’s tourism gems: Kopiat Island.

Going Crazy in Governor Generoso

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
                                                              -Apple’s “Think Different” advertisement

Over the past two days, the setting has been so different. The sky was blue. The clouds were fat and were scattered on hills and mountains. There were no papers, news and speeches to write and a flickering computer screen. This is what is left: sky, hills, farms, open sea, lonely roads and a middle-aged man in a red short along the shore.

Our four-hour motorcycle ride led us to a place in what could only be described as a perfect gateway: Governor Generoso in the picturesque province of Davao Oriental. Oozing with its small-town appeal, GovGen (famously known as Sigaboy) boasts of the sight of a lighthouse standing tall and proud on top of an almond-shaped island, crystal clear waters, long stretch of white sand and a good spot to enjoy the splendid views of the sun.

Sigaboy Island in high noon

Weekend Musings at Davao Oriental

Under a deep blue sky and with the sound of the sea breeze, I found myself in one corner of a beach resort in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental. It was a fine afternoon: the sea was gentle and calm, the white sand shimmers as the seawater went ashore and the only thing visible from where I stand are the children enjoying the heat of the sun on their skin and a lonely fisherman navigating through his banca amidst a sea of blue. It’s twenty five minutes past two in the afternoon and I am perfectly lonely.

Davao Oriental speaks of legends and folklore and is brimming with nature's wonder. While many around me enjoyed the beach, here I am standing still on the shore, missing someone from a not-so-distant past. It’s been a while since I last saw the sun kiss the western sky with someone I love, enjoying each time nature paints the sky with yellow and red. This afternoon, I’ll be viewing it alone and with high anticipation someone’s gonna stand beside me someday, hold my hand and cherish the moment that marks the passing of another day. From a distance, I saw couples sweet as lovebirds, flashing those sweet smiles to each other and exhibiting those gentle caresses.

There's no perfect time and there's no perfect place to dream than on the spot where I am standing today. It's fourteen days before Christmas and I know --- more than anybody else --- the true meaning of a Cold Christmas. Soon as the night bites after a very hot day, I'll be shivering in the corner brought by the sweet zephyr. 

The sea is still gentle and calm. The white sand still shimmers each time the seawater go ashore. The kids just quit from swimming and the lonely fisherman is now excited to go home with his catch which will be shared by his family for dinner.

I'm still here. Melancholy strikes. I knew what loneliness meant.

Writing on the Shore,

Monobloc Chair

Danao, You're Really Worth It

There's something in Danao City in Northern Cebu that captured my heart. Its simple yet picturesque scene stole my heart I wanna go back. When high school buddy and our batch's salutatorian Glece Anthony Adlawan told me and Zyzle that Danao is just an hour away from Cebu City, I did not hesitate to decide to explore what's in it.

Cebu Weekend Getaway

A sun-kissed Cebu greeted me and my travel buddy when we landed in her soil. From above, the Queen City of the South looks like a threshold of adventures: beautiful landscapes, some towering edifices and lush green. While peeping in the plane's window, I felt jitters as well as excitement in the sense that it would be my first time to step into the Visayas, particularly in the heart of Metropolitan Cebu. This three-day trip was indeed full of firsts: It would be my first time traveling that is not work-related and it's my travel buddy Zyzle's first time to ride an airplane. It's also our first trip together as best friends. We left Tagum City for Davao at around 4:30 in the morning to catch with our 8:20 AM flight.

When our plane landed twenty minutes ahead of time, we immediately went to Lapu-Lapu Shrine in Mactan. There, we were amazed by the sight of the first Filipino Hero's statue facing the shore of Mactan. Wayback April 1521, Lapu-Lapu became the first Filipino to defeat European Agression by killing Ferdinand Magellan.

Manila by Storm

Typhoon Pedring is ravaging Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon when I visited her this September. Our flight to the nation's gateway capital to the world was delayed two hours because of the weather conditions in Metro. It's actually my nth time to visit Manila but it's my first time to fly at night.

Tagum City River Cruise

 For so many years, the cool and calm waters of Tancuan in Bincungan, Tagum City seems like to be so elusive from the public. Not until recently when the Local Government of Tagum had embarked on a noble project of establishing a wetland reserve in this progressive southern city known for its best governance practices, palms and grand festivals. The once elusive Tancuan as well as the gentle waters of Nabintad River is now Tagum City's newest attraction, serving like a magnet for people who are looking forward to have a date with nature and rediscover its allure.