Over a cup of coffee

Coffee and lovers often mix. But each coffee shop I've been to exuded a different atmosphere, a different love affair. I can always feel the ambiance and the pulse of the people there. Different folks, different strokes. People converge here to talk, to see and to be seen and sometimes to be left alone. Or to heal a broken heart. The mocha-colored environment seemed an endless rainbow to me.

I’ve met my lover in a coffee shop.

And many others that followed. Maybe they sensed my love for coffee long before they knew me, a common denominator among us. We drank our coffee; we fell in love with each other. I was sure then that both our cups overflowed with love and joy as we talked about our future.

And it was here, over a cup of course, that I cried myself, over the pain of break-ups later. A close friend shared my dissent for "that person", as we drank our cupful. Desperation, too, seated at my side.

Coffee allowed me to meet different personalities. I've discussed contrasting views, haggle like a businessman, and carried away with the different trips of life. Over a cup, I've traveled to distant shores in different times. I've bid my farewells and goodbyes in coffee shops. Cup after cups of coffee have sent me to bed and awaken me in the middle of the night. My dealings with coffee have been as mysterious as a cappuccino or a latte, even more inexplicable than my shadowy affairs.

I was forced to stop drinking coffee for a short while when my doctor advised me not to, but it has not stopped me from visiting coffee shops. The scent and smell of coffee were as tempting as the fruit of life offered by Eve to Adam, making my medical fasting for coffee to last only for a while. With or without my doctor’s consent I splurged myself cup after cup. As if my very life itself depended on coffee.

And I haven’t stopped since then. When death shall have overcome me, I would still want my cup. And like death, each cup is worth a delightful wait.

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I have a bias for Bo's Coffee. They are not just owned by a Filipino but their coffee is much better than other counterparts. Bo's Coffee has branches all over the Philippines.

Bacolod, Always on My Mind

There are places you want to go back. The people, the culture, their food, are more than enough reasons to return. Bacolod is one of them and has been on my places-to-visit-before-I-die-list for so long and one visit made me long to go back even if the plane has not departed yet. 

Bacolod City is located in the northern part of the Negros island in the Visayas part of the Philippines, and very near Cebu, the hub of central Philippines. I have always known Bacolod as the sugar capital of the Philippines because books from the elementary years taught me that Bacolod has vast plains of sugar plantations, so vast you can see sugarcane to no end.

But when I went there I could hardly see plantations of sugarcane. 

Bacolod means a hilly place, a stonehill or as the Boholanos called it, bakilid. But far from its original meaning, it has become a modern city in a wide and sprawling space. The City of Smiles, as the city is fondly called, is known for its Masskara Festival and would not only offer smiles and a masked hospitality but a real down-to-earth joviality never found elsewhere. 

FIRST TIME KO 

My first taste of Bacolod was at Aboy’s (Liroville Subd., Singcang, Bacolod City; Phone: +63 34 435 0760; Resto Hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 9:00 am–11:00 pm), an impressive restaurant with a lot of my favorite decorative pieces- masks. I felt at home right away at Aboy’s. 

From the tales of our guide, Aboy’s used to be a small eatery but with good food and good service, the eatery became a full restaurant equipped with function rooms. A bigger place for bigger groups of hungry patrons means their business is doing well. 

They offer an authentic array of Negrense cuisine combined with the fierce Ilocano recipe giving way to a new and different Aboy’s experience. 

Having a hard time choosing our food at Aboy's

We feasted on squid fat adobo (a must at Aboy’s), ginataang pague (stingray in coconut milk), grilled manumbok (blue marlin), mushrooms, Bicol express and grilled squid. We capped our lunch with a complimentary tarragon tea and a little chitchat with the owner, yes, the guy called Aboy, who used to be a medical representative. 

The man himself, Aboy

After our lunch has settled in a more comfortable position, my host, Lee Santiago, brought us to the old capitol building to visit a non-government organization he has been helping to promote their products, a real NGO that needed assistance, that has likewise been helping SMEs in the province. We actually bought some coffee and other goodies from them. 

We then walked around Bacolod’s mini zoo ending at Bacolod’s Organic Market and the Museum Café nearby. 

Organic halo-halo at Bacolod's Organic Market

GOING ITALIAN 

Somewhere in B.S. Aquino Drive, if I remembered it right, there is this little restaurant called Carmine Cucina that is owned by an Italian chef, Carmine Pece. 

Chef Carmine Pece

Not minding the tacky décor for an Italian resto, the food at the Cucina was my first taste of an authentic Italian cuisine, as the owner claimed, and they were actually good! My firsts- Gnocchi, Trippa, Salsiccia Padella, Linguini Pescatora, Pizza Caprecciosa, Zuppa Inglese. Godetevi il vostro cibo! Buon appetito!

Pizza Caprecciosa

(Update: Carmine Cucina is now closed and I felt sad.)

TASTE OF NEGROS 

You can never really claim you have been to Bacolod if you have not tasted cansi. Cansi is actually a soup made from bony parts of beef slowly cooked with batuan (Garcinia binucao) and other spices. The prized part is the bone where the marrow is invitingly tucked inside making the cansi not just a heart warmer but also a heart stopper, literally. 

Waiting for cansi to be served

We went to Sharyn’s (Capitol Shopping Center, Bacolod City, Phone: +63 34 433 1374), a no-nonsense restaurant that reminded me of downtown Cebu. Only this one was cleaner. The staff might have wondered who we were because we arrived late, rowdy and curiously taking pictures of the bone marrow and nobody dared smile to us. 

I cansi clearly now

Sharyn’s cansi and all other cansi around town is a sour bulalo version, the hours of cooking and heating the beef bones made the meat and tendons soft and easy to chew. The batuan may have made a difference of this stew. They seemed to have an abundant supply of cansi soup. 

Then we made it to the Manokan Country in Rizal Street for our dinner. 

At Manokan was where the famous Aida’s Chicken is located. Aida’s owner may have been a fan of Miss Bacolod since I saw pictures of the candidates in one of the walls. Intricate masks fit for beauty pageants also were displayed at their stall. 

Pass Aida please. Yes, the chicken.

We ordered different parts of the chicken and have them grilled. I did not find them extra-ordinary though. But I admire the enthusiasm and the vivacity of the place. It was like a big market place of grilled-something waiting for guests to bite on. Manokan Country is a must-visit. 

CAPPING THE EXPERIENCE

A day tour around Bacolod and the nearby towns made me feel like I have visited the whole of Negros Occidental. Tasting food on our way to Mambukal Springs was an experience I could not have done anywhere else in the country. 

But on our last night, a royal experience in the house of Millie Kilayko set my travel to Bacolod beyond imagination and at par with the show of Anthony Bourdain. 

Millie Kilayko, the lady in red

Millie Kilayko is one of the most gracious hosts in the whole of Bacolod. She welcomed us to her lanai and let us have a tropical fruit punch with Negros rhum while we witness how a good binacol should be cooked. Binacol is one way of cooking soup inside young bamboo tubes that were surrounded by a generous amount of fiery charcoal. She let us opened the bamboo tubes and we were engulfed in the aromatic stew of lemon grass, spices, mushrooms, slices of chicken and smoke. 

In the table upstairs, a different setting awaited for us. The fare included Bangus Spanish Style, Mamaita's Crackling Noodles, Adobong Pitaw, Lola Sayong's Mechado and Brown Rice. Pitaw, which were actually ricefield birds, was my favorite in the menu. That, besides the binacol. 

Getting the binacol out of the bamboo tube

Millie explaining her menu of the night

Beautiful setting at Millie's table

 Good coffee after the meal and some Casa Carmela piayitos smeared with Dulce Gatas sang Silay made me thought I have died and gone to heaven. It was an exhausting, filling and remarkable trip I would surely be coming back. 

HULING HIRIT

As my ride waited for me, I rushed to Calea, perhaps Bacolod's most famous coffee and cake house, to taste their cakes before leaving the city. At the last minute. It was a cool morning and drizzling and the best time to gorge on sugar and coffee. I sinfully ordered their bestsellers, Blueberry Cheesecake and the specialty Chocolate Cake and a mugful of coffee.

It was like saving the best for last!

To die for- Calea's Blueberry Cheesecake

HELPFUL HINTS

There are a lot of affordable accommodations in Bacolod. For this travel, I stayed at Saltimboca Tourist Inn along 15th-Lacson Sts.; Tel.No. (034) 432-3617, 433-3179. The place is clean and offers free WiFi connections. Your room accommodation has a free breakfast of your choice. Saltimboca is located in the center of Bacolod where a lot of restos and cafes are just a walking distance away. 

We hire an air-conditioned van to get us to places. A van usually costs 2,500 pesos per day. You can have your travel agency contact and reserve one for you. Or if you have friends in Bacolod, ask them to do it for you. 

The Bacolod airport is actually in Silay City, a good 30-min ride by private car. So if you are taking the public bus or jeep, be sure to estimate your travel time. 

A nice combo: Piayitos and Dulce Gatas

Bacolod’s piaya (or piyaya) is actually very good when eaten fresh. There are home-baked versions in Silay as compared to heavily commercialized versions in souvenir stalls in Bacolod and at Silay airport. The Casa Carmela piayitos, small and crispy version of the piaya, is recommended. They are really good, especially the ones with mangoes in them.

Cebu Pacific flies to Bacolod from Cebu three times daily and six times from Manila.

To Amay, a dear friend

There will always be a part of you that misses her. You'll see something that reminds you of her and want to tell her about it, only to realize she's not there anymore. Then you'll feel her loss all over again.

~ Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dark Side of the Moon

I know you are in a better place
But I miss looking at your face
You were so young to die
Every night I sit and cry
Wondering why does it have to be this way
It hurts so much because there’s nothing I can do or say
That can make you come back to me
There is one thing that’s plain to see
That one day we will be together again
And now until then you will always remain my best friend.

@Tsambika Angelidakis

Bohol celebrates 2013 Sandugo Festival

Welcome to Bohol and welcome to Sandugo Festival!

Photo grabbed from Soc Garcia

Sandugo (Blood Compact) Festival is a commemoration of the friendship between chieftain Sikatuna of Bohol and conquistador Miguel Lopes de Legazpi of Spain. Both agreed to shed blood on a cup of wine and drank them to forge that friendship. This historic event made Tagbilaran City the City of Friendship.

To commemorate that event, the province celebrated Sandugo Festival, a month-long festivities of culture, heritage and arts. Sandugo started on July 1, also the Charter Day of Tagbilaran City. Main events, however, are celebrated after the Charter Day celebrations of the province of Bohol on the 22nd of July.

If you are interested to come and join in the celebrations, here are the program of activities for the 2013 Sandugo Festival.

July 1

47th Tagbilaran City Charter Day. Expect parades and musical events on this day.

July 1-31

Nightly activities at the City port with different nightly sponsors. Usually bands and cultural presentations.

July 13

Miss Bohol Sandugo 2013 Swimsuit Competition

July 17

Miss Bohol Sandugo 2013 Talent Competition

July 20

Miss Bohol Sandugo Pageant and Coronation Night

July 22

Bohol Day Celebrations (159th Charter Day of the province)

July 24-28

Sandugo Trade Expo 2013 at ICM's The Block. This year's them is Go Green, Buy Local. The Sandugo Trade Expo will feature locally made products focusing on heritage, culture and environment protection by using eco-friendly and indigenous materials. Surely, you will love to go shopping for furnishings, fashion accessories as well as fresh and processed food. 

July 26

Sandugo 2013 Street Party at Tagbilaran's main street CPG Avenue. This is going to be the fun part of the Sandugo Festival. The Bohol Sounddugo Street Party boasts of the biggest, baddest and loudest sound system, perhaps, a first in Bohol party scenes. I am sure you won't want to be left out.

July 28

Sandugo 2013 Streetdancing Competition. I hope there's going to be a big bunch of competitors this year. Last year was quite a disappointment among photo enthusiasts who came in to join the street dancing photo competition.

Don't forget to wear a smile. Boholanos are known to be hospitable and may welcome you to their homes. But be careful and be wary of scammers and other bad elements. Tagbilaran is recently experiencing major crimes done even in broad daylight and the police seems not able to solve them.

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.