The greatness of GREAT Catigbian

The receiving area for guests and visitors of the Park

Bohol's ecotourism vision has been greatly rewarded since its implementation way back when Bohol had younger generation of politicians leading the province. 

One of the municipalities who ventured into ecotourism is Catigbian. 

Catigbian is a 4th class municipality in the interior part of Bohol, 35 kms north of Tagbilaran City, Bohol's capital city. As an interior town, Catigbian is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and a terrain good for farming and adventure tours. Hence, the GREAT adventure tour. 

NAME-CALLING

The Canopy Walk

The Green Recreational Eco-Adventure Tour (GREAT) is actually a part of the Abatan River Community Life Tour, a project participated in by the municipalities of Cortes, Maribojoc, Antequera, Balilihan and Catigbian and initiated by the PROCESS Foundation with the assistance of several government and international funding agencies. 

Bohol has seen lately a lot of acronyms in the past years. There’s EAT Danao, Loboc’s LEAP, and now the GREAT Catigbian, which is actually an attached activity to the Dagook Adventure Tour Experience (DATE) Park. Dagook is the waterfalls you can see from the Monkey Bridge. Why all these names? 

DATE WITH A PARK 

Upon entrance to the site, you will be fitted in with safety gadgets by eager staff- helmets, ropes, and harness, everything to make you alive from beginning to end of the tour. I asked if it would be that challenging since I looked like a miner going to the depths of the earth sans flashlight.

The staff only smiled, ignoring me, a gesture I made to understand that they want us to experience the adventure without a hint of what would happen next. This is a sort of a blind date? 

HOLDING ON 

The first challenge is the Canopy Walk. 

I passed the test in a breeze. In my life, I have traversed rivers with hanging bridges more challenging than the canopy walk. So, my adventurous spirit was not lifted hence, I told our guides to make the canopy walk more challenging like, if all the participants are in the middle of the wooden bridge, let it swing or drop a few feet down. 

My friends reacted and said I must be high on something. Adik! 

We went uphill to experience the second challenge- the Monkey Bridge. I don't know why they are calling it monkey bridge. I believe they were not referring to the faces of guests whose smiles would transform into an indescribable contortion upon seeing the “bridge.” 

Or the way we would hold hard later on the wires to keep balance. 

The scary Monkey Bridge

The monkey grip we used to avoid falling off from the thin wire of a trail would be taxing as the guides would tell us- Relax. Loosen up. Don't use too much force or we would have muscle cramps.

But when you are afraid you couldn't help but cling to your life or else we would be hanging like macaques of Loon. This caught me off guard. Yes, we had the precious harness with us but the rain and mud from the forest trail way down made my shoes slippery on the wire. 

Despite the beautiful waterfalls droning its power below, I think nobody minded it because everyone was busy minding where our feet should land, or else. 

My shirt got soaked with sweat. But still I joked to make the trail more challenging despite my nervous smile. 

SLIDE TO FINISH 

The final challenge- the Mountain Slide. The zipline, here termed Mountain Slide, is the last of the exciting activities at the DATE Park. 

The line is not as fearsome as Danao or Loboc but the rush towards the final stage is like a slap of fresh air after the adrenaline rush. And I thought, it was bitin. I was left hanging for more! 

And as the staff was detaching the paraphernalia, I suddenly realized I want to go back. Again. 

That would be 700 pesos please. 

Getting ready to be zipped back to our comfort zones

HOW TO GO TO THE CATIGBIAN DATE PARK 

It is advisable to hire a car to go to Catigbian unless you would want to wait for the unreliable bus service plying the Catigbian-Sagbayan route with no fix hours. I heard the name of the bus is the Fatima Bus Line but haven’t tried it yet. Their bus terminal is at Cogon District in Tagbilaran City. The fare from Tagbilaran to Catigbian is about 45-50 pesos one way. 

Going to the DATE Park from Catigbian’s poblacion is about a kilometer or two. You can hire habal-habal from there or walk towards it. I think walking would be more fun. As always, haggle the price before jumping in the habal-habal. 

A private van would usually cost 2,500 to 3,000 for a day tour. Ask first and tell them your destination since this is not the usual day tour most travel agents would recommend. You can call Mawe Gamit at 0917.999.2297 or Lugod Rent-A-Car at 0922.848.7083 or 038.501.8907 for airconditioned transportation (van or car). Lugod is accredited with the Department of Tourism (DOT) so they are a rate higher than most companies, but they are reliable and honest. Negotiate first. They might give you a discount. Just bring my name and RUN! 

Trails are provided at DATE Park. Some easy. Some challenging.

The activities at Catigbian DATE Park cost about 700 pesos. However, discounts for locals, students and senior citizens are available. Please ask before engaging in the activities. They usually give you a bottle of mineral water for free after undergoing the activities. 

Rooms are available at the site for 1,500 pesos a night with free breakfast. But with its location, I wonder what would you be doing there during the night. 

Unless you are on honeymoon.

The Dagook Falls from the Monkey Bridge

Peace and serenity at Catigbian's DATE Park

Swimming with plastic in Liloan

I really hate to write about this but it should be known.

We were in Liloan, Cebu for a birthday celebration of two good friends. The resort we were in has this misplaced money making agenda for its clients and visitors.

The CR looks terrible

From the time you get in the premises, they would ask for 30 pesos entrance fee. Even if you would be staying in one of their rooms overnight. That's another 1,200 pesos charge for an old crumbling facility with an air-conditioning unit that snored louder than cooling the room. The walls were only good for grunge-type photoshoot. The comfort rooms not comfortable. 

If you would like to use the swimming pool that looked like it was never cleaned despite of the pool strainers you see scattered around the area, you pay another 20 pesos or so.

Another pesos if you use the beach area.

And the beach area is disgusting. 

It was not because the sand was brown and warm but because of the dead sea grass brought up by the waves AND plastic from people who did not even care. Yes, plastic. Even baby diapers were washed out in the beachfront.

Not a good sight.

Did you see the diaper?

The termites are making their own design in the walls

As the day prospered, the environment also deteriorated. A lot of videokes (karaokes) competed each other. I mean, who would have thought that a small resort in this part of Cebu would put up a videoke machine ten meters apart? So the singer wannabes would shout at each other to be heard. Not to be left alone, the resort we were staying in put their sound system on full blast and the disco lights crazily revolving colored lights as far as it can. I believe this area and the whole populace were on drugs.

And yes, we were given a discount after checking out. No, we will not come back.

No helpful tips either.

Exploring Medellin’s unknown parts

Somewhere in the northern part of Cebu, lies a town that has enjoyed pastoral peace; idyllic, as some travelers would describe it, for so long so that the rush of tourists to the town sometimes makes people wonder why they come.

Tricycles are the common means of transportation in Medellin

With a population of more than 50 thousand in a 73-square kilometre area, the municipality is basically open and wide and surely not crowded.

Medellin’s main product is sugar as evidenced by the hectares upon hectares of sugarcane when you arrive at the place. But since the sugar industry in the Philippines suffered a slow and devastating crunch, the town has to make up for what has been its main industry.

They opted for ecotourism, now a visible alternative that actually propel the municipality to fame.

Some fishermen also collected washed out seaweed/sea grass to be sold to the city as a plasticware ingredient, an unorthodox way to have extra money but very viable especially in an island like Gibitngil.

FUNTASTIC!

One very popular destination in Medellin is the barangay (village) Kawit where the white sands of its beaches glaringly stare back at you while the blue-green sea cools you down.

Kawit is also the starting point to the very famous tourism-related activity in the municipality- the Funtastic Gibitngil Island, as they call it.

Funtastic Gibitngil Island

From Kawit, going to the nearby Gibitngil Island is never a problem. In fact hordes of barkers would shout PANTASTIK SIR? PANTASTIK MAM? upon your arrival. You have options for 2 persons or a group of 10. Be sure to haggle around instead of hopping on a boat without asking. For safety reasons, I would like to recommend the pumpboats operated by the municipality/LGU. They are reasonably priced and have life vests for passengers.

The way to a funtastic island is a bit rough even during normal days. Normal days mean no strong winds, no monsoons.

Stories of shrewd tourists who chose a small craft for lesser rentals send them swimming in the rough seas just a few meters from the beaches of Kawit. It is an unfortunate event that should not happen to you. Prioritize safety above a small sum of money.

Funtastic Gibitngil is an outcrop of isles that is connected by concrete foot bridges. The water around the area is unbelievable blue and green with some parts several meters deep. Activities are introduced for the tourists’ enjoyment, among them kayaking, swimming, ziplining or just relaxing in the tiered huts around the isles that makes it a popular destination.

Overcrowding however is a problem. If you go there to have peace and enjoy the serenity of the srroundings, you are out of place. The beach area is covered with tarpaulin shades to shelter tourists who would like to sit and eat at the beach. Some irresponsible tourists have thrown a plastic in the sea and it’s an ugly sight. The people staying at the cottages way up were washing their fish from above and water flows along the concrete steps. Yuck. Not counting those who are throwing a barbecue and the smoke creates an artificial fog.

With a 10-peso entrance fee, I didn’t stay for more than 30 minutes in that condition. Sayang. What a waste.

BAR, SAND BAR

Always ask the boat operator to bring you to the sandbar! I did and was truly mesmerized.

For people who are used to the toxic city life, an isolated sand bar is heaven on earth. No amenities except a few docked fishermen’s boats and a drying area for salted fish, the sand bar give me peace and comfort.

Sand bar all for ourselves

We stayed there for several hours swimming and snorkelling and remained there all to ourselves like we have claimed stake to it.

NICE SUNSET WITH THE KIDS

We stayed at Manreza Beach House, an exclusive rest house in Kawit. Built to cater to the owner’s guests, the whole resort came out cheap and cheerful and as if we own the place.

The beachfront is an amazing presentation of life in the seaside towns.

During sundown, the village folks, especially children, come to converge at the beach and play. Several families also came and had their snacks, and perhaps, dinner there, waiting for the setting of the sun.

It was a joyful confusion of children shrieking with joy and drunken laughs of men and women sitting by the beach. Lovely!

I would surely come back.

HELPFUL TIPS:

Hitch a Ceres Liner at Cebu North Bus Terminal when you want to go to Medellin. It’s about 130 kilometres from Cebu City and would take about 3 hours in going there. But don’t worry if it will take that long. A stopover at Carmen town gives you time to stretch, go to the comfort rooms and eat a good barbecue. The fare is about 150 pesos going straight to Kawit, or 130 pesos if you stop in the poblacion.

Resorts in Kawit tend to be full during the month of April due to the approaching fiesta of the town. Price ranges from 1,500 to 5,000 pesos depending on the choice of room and location of the resort.

We stayed at Manreza Beach House, known in the area as Ligaya Beach Resort (unbelievably just a 1,000 pesos a night) with four of us sharing an airconditioned room with a bathroom that occupied almost one-third of the room space. This is a private rest house so pray they do not have guests when you are going there. We actually send one of us to the poblacion to request for rooms (the gates of the beach house are always closed). If the owner trusts you, you are asked to pay in advance at the Manreza Store. And stay trusted in return.

We brought our own food and drinks and let the caretaker cook for us for just a reasonable pay.

When in Cebu: Basic Etiquette for Jeepney Passengers

Whether you like it or not, the most common transport is still the old reliable jeepney here in Cebu. They are inexpensive, readily available and exciting means to move around the city.

If you are the squeamish type and would always ask for personal space, go hail a cab.

But when you are in a jeepney (jeep, for short), there are still basic etiquette to follow. Especially in Cebu! I believe that if you follow these rules you would not encounter some problems with Cebuanos.

1. Waving to a passing jeep to signal the driver that you want to board is okay. Shouting for it to stop is basically rude but not when you are running to catch up.

Ary's first jeepney ride in Cebu

2. Sit properly. Be seated properly means you are perpendicular to the seat and not awkwardly facing the driver’s seat. Sitting this way will guarantee just enough space when the barkers will call for more passengers. This will also eliminate embarrassment when the barkers/conductors will bang your backseat and tell you to move closer to others. Sitting perpendicular to the seat will also give others the chance to sit properly.

3. Always pay your fare 5-10 minutes after boarding and NEVER when you are about to disembark. Cebuanos (or worst, criminals) would know you are not familiar with the city if you are paying when you are already disembarking. Some would refer you as coming from the province (probinsyano). But actually, this will ensure smooth transactions especially if your payment needs change.

4. Say PALIHOG (Please) or BAYAD PALIHOG (My fare please) when you pay. And always with a SALAMAT (Thank you) when someone receives and pass your fare to the driver.

5. If you happen to board last and you are near the driver, it is understood that you will be acting as the jeepney conductor. Unless there is a designated conductor in the jeep, which is rare, you accept that fact without fanfare. That means you should have the patience to receive and pass all fares to the driver and give their change to the passengers. Some would even pass their fares without saying a word. Don’t get mad.

6. Almost always, jeepney drivers will move their jeep even if you are not yet seated properly. That’s normal in a city that moves fast. Don’t be angry at the driver. Just maintain your composure and hold on tight. That's what grab bars are for.

7. If you are with your lover/wife/husband/partner/querida it is almost always frowned at when you show public displays of affection. Wait until you are in a private place before smooching with your partner.

8. If you do not want people staring at you, dress decently. But if you really feel that miniskirts and short shorts are the in thing, don’t pull them down every second to cover your legs. Being modest will not invite bad elements.

9. Keep your valuables at home when you are planning to go around the city and ride a jeepney. If it is necessary to wear your tiara, go ride a taxi. But keeping your wallets and cellphones in your front pockets and your bags safely on your lap will not catch the attention of snatchers and swindlers. Be wary.

10. Jeepney drivers are law abiding citizens especially when a traffic enforcer (CITOM) is present. So disembark on designated jeepney stops. If you are not certain which one is, just say LUGAR LANG NYA 'NOY (Pullover please), or PWEDE MANAUG? (Can I disembark here?), or PARA (Stop please). Whatever you say, say it in a nice way. Banging the grab bar with a piso or make whistling/kissing sounds are also acceptable.

Don't be the crazy passenger that you are

11. So the driver will know you are about to disembark, say nicely, MO-NAUG KO 'NONG HA (I will disembark now Sir Driver), or if you have children or baggage, say, NAAY BATA HA/ NAA KOY BITBIT HA. This will ensure that the driver will move his jeepney only after you have fully landed on the sidewalk with your feet and not with your face.

12. It is overacting to say goodbye to the driver or fellow passengers.

Otherwise, the following instructional video applies even in Cebu.

Even the whale sharks stay in Oslob

The whale sharks have stayed in the shallow waters of Oslob, a sleepy municipality in the southern tip of Cebu province. The warm hospitality of the people combined with their generosity and change of heart to feed instead of hunt these sharks, in contrast to the snobbish people of the city, have forced them to stay. So I think.

Oslob came into the limelight when they started feeding whale sharks (or butandings by the Tagalogs and tuki by the locals). People have different views (sometimes violent reactions) to their practice of feeding them that even caught international headlines.

So publicity has been done. And tourists come and go to the place.

But I did not go to Oslob for the whale sharks. I went there to relax and chill out. Just like the whale sharks. Everyone is welcome anywhere here. Just behave, the tricycle driver told us. The difference between me and the whale sharks is I paid to be fed.

A beach in Lagunde, Oslob. Empty even on a Sunday.

The municipality of Oslob is a good 3-hour drive from Cebu City going to the south or approximately 135 kilometers from the city proper. With less than 30,000 population, the place is quiet even during holidays. One can obviously notice the cleanliness of the place, a good sight to behold when you are from Cebu City. 

The beaches in Oslob are white but the sand is visibly not fine but smooth white stones. It feels good to sleep on them and dream of long lost loves. But if you want the heavenly touch of fine white sand, you should hire a pumboat (around 2,500 pesos roundtrip) to Sumilon Island, a nearby island that is part of the municipality. There is an expensive resort there, the Sumilon Bluewater Resort. But only if you have more money to spend or else just pay the entrance fee of 20 (or 40?) pesos to enjoy that special spot there where the waters are so clean and so clear you think it is just knee-deep.

The watchtower made out of coral stones

Must visit also are the remnants of the Spanish colonization in the town- buildings and watchtowers made of blocks of coral stones. You can actually find them in their plaza which has been improved and beautified with the eGwen project of the suspended governor of Cebu province- Gwen Garcia. The cuartel, the baluarte and the Immaculate  Conception church are all photo-worthy especially during sunset.

And then there's the Tumalog Falls. But you have to hire a habal-habal (motorcycles that can carry more than 5 passengers at a time) to get to the falls. According to the drivers, the falls used to have a heavy volume of water coming down but the municipality diverted some of the fresh water for the water supply of the town. What you see at the site are the extra water from their reservoir, creating a rain-like deluge from above several meters up.

Tumalog Falls featuring several drops

Kudos to the municipal officials who have a good tourism foresight. The falls is very accessible, roads going there are cemented. But all vehicles are not allowed inside the area. You have to make a 15-minute hike to the falls. That's after paying the entrance fee of 20 pesos.

Most local government units mistook the word "development" to concreting everything in sight. The Tumalog Falls retains its original surroundings with improvements that do not clash with nature. Trails were made out of stones and bamboo.

But one of the reasons why I kept coming back to Oslob is the people. Warm, helpful and always smiling. They are the epitome of the real Filipino hospitality. Maybe the whale sharks like them, too.

HELPFUL TIPS:

Ceres Liner  has an hourly trip from Cebu City to Santander passing through the town of Oslob. Go to the South Bus Terminal near Elizabeth Mall (Natalio Bacalso Avenue) and take the Ceres from there. Airconditioned buses and non-aircon trips are available. The fare from the city to Tan-awan, Oslob is about 155 pesos (aircon) and less for non-aircon. The travel is about 3 hours. Other bus companies also ply the route.

Accommodation abound the area catering from the "social" types to backpackers' delight.

Basking in the sun at South Sea Breeze.
In the background is Sumilon Island.

I recommend South Sea Breeze in Tanawan, Oslob (Telephones: [032] 415-5313; 09129-252-4046) because it is just a few meters from the whale sharks, if you like watching them. But the place is simple and homey. An airconditioned nipa hut costs 1,500 a day. You can bring your own food and let their kitchen staff cook them for you. They usually charge 200 pesos a day.

Also the Oslob Garden Stay in Lagunde, Oslob (Telephones: [032] 481-8072; 0922-811-1575) offers the whole house with 2 airconditioned rooms that can accommodate 3-4 pax. Towels, hot and cold shower are part of the package. Privacy is their mantra. They also charge 200 pesos if you let their staff cook for you. Or if you are feeling like Anthony Bourdain, you can do your own cooking.

Habal-habal fares range from 20 pesos to a hundred depending on where you want them to go. But they are the easiest way to move around. Haggle first before hopping in.

Go to the town's public market to see the whole town unfolding before you. Fresh produce are cheap and affordable, of course. The people there are extra helpful.

We all get lost once in a while

Somewhere in the municipality of Batuan in Bohol, Philippines

We all get lost once in a while, sometimes by choice, sometimes due to forces beyond our control. When we learn what it is our soul needs to learn, the path presents itself. Sometimes we see the way out but wander further and deeper despite ourselves; the fear, the anger or the sadness preventing us returning. Sometimes we prefer to be lost and wandering, sometimes it’s easier. Sometimes we find our own way out. But regardless, always, we are found. - Cecelia Ahern, Thanks For The Memories

Snapshots of Silay City (Instagram)

All pictures were processed via the photo app Instagram for iPhones. You can follow me at my Instagram account: edikdolotina. I would be more than happy to share with you my favorite shots there.

FIRST TIME TO VISIT: SILAY AND ITS SECRETS

Negros Occidental is like an enchanted place. So near yet so far. I heard so many stories about the place. Some tall tales. Some, grandpa promised, real and true. Grandpa would tell us of sugarcane views as far as one can see and haciendas and hacienderos and the joke, I would like to believe, about uncut men of Negros. These childhood stories made me long to visit that place and kept a promised to myself to kiss the ground when I go there like it’s the holiest of places.

That dream was realized just recently.

First stop- Silay

Everything has a story in Silay. Stories of lovelorn couples. Stories of forbidden love because of social disparity. Stories of why that house was built, or that cafe. Some were whispered, some were whispered loudly and some remained an open secret. From the decrepit house in a corner to the dulce gatas being stirred in the kitchen, Silay never ran out of stories.

My story will become a part of the huge library Silay already has.

Silay City is like an old, quaint town in Negros Occidental. Despite the addition of a new airport (the old one is located in Bacolod, Negros Occidental’s capital), the city’s aura of progressive development was drowned by the old houses and buildings. The heritage houses were actually a contrast to a new city life.

Unlike most cities, Silay has kept its culture (including her heritage) intact.

Kapehan sa Silay

Our tour organizers-cum-hosts Lee Santiago and Lynell Gaston brought us to this old building to have coffee and some breakfast goodies, my first taste of Negros. The Kapehan sa Silay was a good example of well-kept heritage site and reminded me of Cuban movies where folks while the time away, drinking dark coffee, talking about cockfights. The old musty smell of the place combined with good coffee wanted me to linger and know the place more. Personally.

But there were so many things to discover in Silay that lounging in the Kapehan is not a good start.

photo by Lynell Gaston

Next stop- 1925 Cafe

Mayor Montelibano of Silay

The smell at 1925 was intoxicating! Whatever the kitchen was cooking wafted back inside with a delicious guess of what the next plate would be when it comes in. No! I was not in the year 1925! The aroma of food was never this old but I believed all that has been cooked here stayed in the tiniest crevices of the walls of 1925, the café.

The smallness of the place made dining there really intimate and personalized. We chanced on the mayor of Silay, Mayor Montelibano, eating there and we were introduced like we used to be friends with him.

The Locsin ancestral home

The Locsin house was a home, that I am very sure. Despite its antiquity, the Locsin Home was still functional and without doubt being lived upon. The special edition literature pieces written in Spanish were intact. So were the gynaecology books, still in Spanish, in good condition. The old-style toilet, the handed-down china, kitchen paraphernalia, the lamps, the well-polished floors, the luggage bags in the attic, everything in the Lacson household were well-preserved and well-kept.

This was where I tasted my first Dulce Gatas sang Silay.

photo by Lynell Gaston

Emma Lacson’s

Emma Lacson’s house was like a fortress to those who were not familiar with Silay. But if you were privileged enough to get in the premises early in the morning, a gustatory wealth awaited for every welcomed visitor upstairs. Lacson makes the best of Silay’s delicacies involving pili nuts, the rest being lumpia and hopia.

It was here I saw a real pili individually pounded by hand just to get the nut. Sure it was nuts cracking them like that.

Mambag-id, Silay

One of the most exciting part of my Silay travel was the trip to Mambag-id. This place used to be a big sugarcane plantation with special railroads for transporting harvested sugarcane to waiting ships at the Mambag-id dock. Nowadays, with the decline of the sugar industry in the country and the imposition of the Agrarian Reform Law, the railroads have become obsolete.

But some enterprising residents made innovative ways of transportation to make use of the tracks. It was then that the Bagoneta came (some called it Karito), an improvised version of a kariton, pedal-powered ride using train wheels and slabs of wood formed like a platform where commuters 10 persons up hopped in and ride towards the now non-existent docks.

photo by Lynell Gaston

At the end of the ride where a community lived there, we were treated to a confusing array of Silay’s favorite kakanin: baye-baye, puto lanson, ibos mais, lumpia, siomai, and fresh piaya of Silay.

I dozed off in an airy nipa hut beside the river.

Balaring, Silay

As if the gustatory offering in Mambag-id were not enough, our hosts brought us to barangay Balaring and stuffed us again with fresh seafood the city can offer. It was at Ken’s, a cozy nipa hut close to the sea where the lapping waves would remind you that you were in the territory of the things you were eating. 

Being a person born in the hinterlands of Bohol, I am ignorant of the names of the seafood species. But my host said we were eating: tinola nga lison, fried tilapia, grilled pork chops, grilled squid, alimusan with gata, kinilaw nga tangigue, talaba, with ripe mango slices as dessert.

THE Charlie Co

My stay in Silay was made complete when we were invited by Ann Legaspi-Co to taste her frozen brazos and sans rival in their residence. The brazos and sans rival were honestly without rival until we met Ann’s husband, my idol artist from Negros - Charlie Co!

photo by Lee Santiago

The Negrense’s way of saying goodbye

Each moment of my stay in Silay was worth the trip. Our goodbyes were made more memorable when one of our hosts, Lynell Gaston, made a sendoff lunch for all of us.

Maybe this was the Negrense way of saying goodbye - stuffing guests until they could no longer move with ecstatic joy.

How about coffee to top it off?

photo by Lynell Gaston

 Addendum

We were actually the guinea pigs of Lee Santiago when he thought of a Negros Food Tour. With the help of Lynell Gaston, they cooked up an interesting combo of food tasting and having a beautiful experience in Silay, Bacolod and nearby towns of Negros Occidental.

There are no specific rates to the tour. Wherever we go, we share the van rentals. Whatever we decide to eat, we share them with the group and divide the payments per person. We pay our own accommodation.

Since Lee is outside of the country as of this time, I could not be sure if this kind of trip is still going on.

I fly in and out of Silay City with free tickets courtesy of my sister who works for Cebu Pacific. Cebu Pacific flies from Cebu to Silay City/Bacolod twice a day.