Inside the prison life

Whew! We used to visit Luzon Street until they changed venue, just near the Petron Gas Station.

If I may say this, has been a frequent visitor inside the Magdalo holding area inside the base.

To those who never had the chance to visit an ordinary prisoner's cell, one will wonder what is inside and how people move around while guards outside do rounds.

I guess all of them, those behind bars are living large inside their prison cell, trying to enjoy the little comforts of an extraordinary living condition lest to say a life in an extra ordinary way.

Gee, I miss the food trip and the chit-chat.

Just wishing them the best of life. May you experience a fruitful new endeavor.


The dining area... table for two!




The kitchen







The play area

An eagle has landed

The 23rd blessing for Mindanao and the rest of the world was delivered on Sunday evening. Kudos to the men and women of the Philippine Eagle Foundation for adding another life for the environment.


A new Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) was hatched Sunday at 6:12 p.m. at the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) conservation in Malagos, Calinan District in Davao City.





The eaglet weighs 137.5 grams is the 23rd eaglet bred and born under the PEF conservation breeding program.





The new baby eagle is the offspring of natural eagle pair Tsai and Princess Maasim. The PEF is responsible for producing eagle icon Pag-asa in 1992 and 21 other Philippine Eagles at the Center.





The PEF’s breeding program is intended to supplement eagle populations in the wild by replacing those lost tohunting and by reintroducing captive-bred birds to vacant habitats and habitats occupied by unpaired wild eagles.





PEF Executive Director Dennis Salvador said the hatch ushers in another new chapter in the organization’s history. “The PEF’s first milestone was Pag-asa’s birth in 1992, when we broke through the challenge of breeding these eagles in captivity. Once our breeding techniques stabilized, we were then able to do the first test release of a captive-bred eagle to the wild in 2004, to see how captive-bred birds fare in their forest habitats," Salvador said.





The PEF is looking for partners to support the release program. The partner will have the privilege of naming the eagle chick.





The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is considered an endangered species because of its rapidly declining population. At least 400 pairs remain in the wild according to estimates from both the government and private conservation groups.

Clark! The Pampanga's best!

Air Force City, Pampanga's Best.

Former US Air Force Base is now simply a business hub. Still home to pilots, not the Americans though, but our kababayang Pinoy pilots.

The Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) sits on more than 28,000 hectares.

Clark is a business hub, aviation center, entertainment, gaming and tourism area situated in Central Luzon. Not to forget, it's duty free shops still exists.

When in Clark, dont miss the Lomi House, its on your left if you're coming from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport.

Bangui and the windmills of my mind

Happiness is somewhere between too little and too much ... travel....

We could have missed that magnificent view had I not insisted in going there from Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos , Ilocos Norte.

My travel-escort-bodyguard-boyfriend gave me one task to do: to locate the signs on how to get there.

Sometimes, I am simply a geography-locator-idiot.

But that certain day in April, I found what we’ve been looking for... the Bangui Windmills in the municipality of Bangui , Ilocos Norte, about five to ten minutes away from Burgos town proper.

Looking at the magnificent view was like winning the last two, hahaha, sige na nga lotto, lottery para mas soci.

I have long dreamed of seeing this place after discovering it through features on televisions shows, news articles and even photos online.

The Bangui Windmills is owned by a private company – the NorthWind Bangui Bay Project.

One photojournalist described the 25-megawatt Bangui Bay Wind Farm as “one of the most captivating scenes in Ilocos Norte with 24 turbines arranged in a single row spaced 326 meters apart, towering 70 meters above the ground.”

It’s the first wind power mill constructed in Southeast Asia , the Bangui Windmills was inaugurated in 2005, the country’s largest renewable energy project.

The project started with 15 turbines that catch wind coming from the South China Sea and convert it to electricity for 600,000 populace of Ilocos Norte.

"Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel,
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel,
as the images unwind, like the circles that you find,
in the windmills of your mind!"

That's the windmills of Bangui on my mind.

I say, there's more to the trip to Ilocandia. After a nice scenic Burgos Lighthouse and Bangui Windmills.

Pagudpud is the next town to enjoy.

The ultimate dog sports

THE 3rd National Ultimate Dog Sports dog agility and Mondio Ring (dog protection) competition will be held at the People's Park on August 21 to 23, in celebration of the Kadayawan festival.

About 75 dogs and their respective handlers from Luzon, ...Visayas and Mindanao will see action in the three-day dog agility sports and dog protection competition.

Elmer Edpalina II, acting president of the Davao Canine Sports Club Inc., said the event "will open the eyes of the Davawenyos about dogs and their potentials."

"The competition is about making Davao people aware of their dogs and their relationship. The competition will be an eye-opener for dog lovers to understand more their dogs and to strengthen their bond," Edpalina said.

He said dog enthusiasts like former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chair Eric Buhain and renowned dog handler Eugene Reyes will be competing with veteran handlers from the three Davao-based dog academies namely: Davao K-9 ASG Agility Sports Group, Mt. Apo Davao K-9 Training School and Black Mask K-9 Training Camp.

Iris Remund and Alain Defilippis from Switzerland will the judges for Mondio Ring and Mondio Ring decoy, respectively.

The event is presented by Purina Pro Plan and the City Government of Davao and sponsored by RC Cola, Vetmate, Kakimkris Lechon and Catering, NCCC, Rep. Manuel Zamora, Carville Auto Supply, Farma Auto Supply, Wonderland and The Ark Animal Clinic. \

The clock stops in Coron, Palawan

If you want to have a quiet getaway, try exploring Coron or the Calamian Islands Group on a weekend.Super Ferry 19 (Our Lady of Good Voyage) goes to Coron every Friday afternoon.


It departs from Manila Pier 15 around 4 p.m. and arrives at 5.30 in the morning the next day, just an overnight trip.


When you’re there, enjoy whole day island hopping, take a banca and go around Coron Island and discover its coves, lakes and lagoons.



The best one is the Kayangan Lake, a picturesque postcard perfect with its limestone cliff and very clear waters. Kayangan Lake is considered the cleanest lake in the Philippines.


Then take a dive at the Twin Lagoon. Twin Lagoon’s separated by limestone cliffs with a small
underwater tunnel. Snorkel around Siete Pecados, according to travel books most of corals around Coron Island are dead except for the Siete Picados. There’s one huge corals in Siete Picados, our bankero-cum-tour guide calls it The Last Supper.


End your island hopping by taking a dip at the Maquinit Hot Springs.Before you depart for Coron Pier for your trip back to Manila, end your visit by climbing up the 775-step Mt. Tapyas.



When you visit Coron, don’t forget to bring your camera then grab a very reliable backpack, slippers, plenty of sun block, shades, towel and extra shirts.


I forgot the name of this bankero-cum-tour guide na mura ang bayad. We hired his boat whole Saturday afternoon. Usually, people are tired to explore the place after arriving from the port of Coron.



So just rest in the morning, enjoy your bed till noon time and tour the place in the afternoon.And if you are not a beach addict you can tour and enjoy Coron in one afternoon.If you want to be free from the traffic and pollution, away from a challenging life, try to spend one weekend in Coron.


No matter how far, Coron is simply the best weekend getaway you can get.

Opol Aviary

Rupert Domingo and friends introduced wild water rafting in Cagayan de Oro City in June 1995.

Locals embraced the new sports adventure and it spread by word of mouth among locals and tourists.

In 1999, four years after being touted as pioneers in the wild water rafting business, Domingo, 44, ventured into collecting lovebirds.

"My parents have a 2,000-sq.m. lot in Taboc in Opol. The place hasn't been industrially maximized so we put up a nipa hut there and that was where I placed the birds. It became our place to unwind," he says.

He says it was just experimental, with "bird cages made of used billboards then."

Then the word spread out, close friends and rafting buddies became eager to see his bird collection.

"From one group of friends to another, they visit the place in Opol, especially after a few runs from water rafting," he adds.

This helped him come up with an idea of developing the area for public viewing.

With the creation of an aviary, he hoped that birds and its environs would be appreciated by people.

Today, Opol Aviary, the only one in Misamis Oriental, welcomes children and adults from nearby towns."

Visitors in the aviary are mostly students and guided by their teachers. Dropping by at the aviary becomes an activity during out-of-school exposures. Some visitors are backpackers and travelers going to Iligan City," he says.

The aviary, which houses more than 200 species of animals like birds, rabbits, fish and deer. It does not get any financial support from the government.

In October 2005, the family poured out P800,000 to put up a high beam for its 25-feet aviary."

This is entirely at our own expense and providing for the maintenance including sanitation. Birds and other animals are once a month inspected by the city's veterinarian. Other than that, we also pay the personnel manning the aviary," Domingo says.

Opol Aviary collects P30 entrance fee for adults and P20 for kids."

And I think this is the only aviary in the Philippines where senior citizens get a free tour," he says.

How to get there:

The aviary is about 9 kilometers from Cagayan de Oro City.

Take a jeepney that plies the route El Salvador or Opol from Bulua terminal.

Tell the driver you're going to the Opol Aviary.

Roundtrip jeepney fare would cost about P30.

If you want an air-conditioned ride, take a taxi from the city.

One-way fare would cost you around P100. For reservations, call (088) 8571270.

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