Travel: The beauty of Banton Island, Romblon

Dr. Francisco Datar,Deogs Faminiano (ASCCA) Giovanne Fabro, (Uswag Banto-on chapter), Dr. Ric Nolasco, Ish Fabicon,Jezia Talavera, UP LAYAP

Traveling and research have always been number one in my bucket list of things I want to do. I have traveled to Baguio, Tagaytay, Tarlac, Quezon and Mindoro not so much for fun and tourist purposes; I have basically gone to these places for research when I was in high school. I had gone to Baguio for a national press conference in third year and Mindoro with my twin sister for a national Science Investigatory Project. Two weeks ago I was able to travel further to explore the country in Banton Island, Romblon for my field work in documenting and researching their language called Asi. I went with my professor Dr. Ricardo Nolasco, Dr. Francisco Datar of the Department of Anthropology UP Diliman and one of the founders of ASCCA Sir Ismael Fabicon for four days and proceeded to research about their language to make a dictionary of Asi for the upcoming International SANROKAN Conference in May 2015. 

We had a series of meetings and elicitation field work and we also toured the place, which is famous for its spirit of sharing symbolized by sanrokan (the practice of sharing food with neighboring households), hence the name of the international conference. I have experienced eating their famous dish called Singapore, which is made of camote and their version of rice cake or kalamay. I also had my first time drinking coconut juice from the fruit itself, which they call butong and using a spoon to scrape the coconut meat from the fruit. We also went hiking to their famous cave which houses several fossils and other archaeological pieces of bones and articles which are preserved in the area. 

We also visited their elementary and high schools, which are surrounded by forests and mountains. I was amazed at how the mountains are still full of greenery and trees which are preserved and still untouched over the years. The residents said they used to gather firewood from the top of the mountains when they were kids. The place is also famous for their wells which still date back from many years ago. 

What I admired the most was the sea that is overlooking the place where we stayed. I enjoyed looking at the sea, and especially our travel going to place. From Odiongan we rode a small boat going to Banton Island which took two and a half hours and from there we could enjoy looking a the sea and the small islands that we passed by. I equally enjoyed our trip back to Odiongan where we rode a bigger boat. It was also my first time riding big ships of the 2Go and Montenegro Lines where I could look at the sea.

Boat-shaped altar

Going back to Odiongan in a boat

I really had a blast in Banton Island and I would never forget my experience with the place which is so rich with culture and tradition. 

Sunrise at Banton Island

Caribbean Footwear: Experience a wild summer adventure with the Urban Safari Collection!

Travel is the ultimate get-away from everyday stress and the monotonous life we suffer from--may it be school, work or both. We go to the beach and take vacation trips to rejuvenate and refresh ourselves, and that comes with considering comfort and ease in what we wear for our summer ventures. Comfort always comes first with our clothes, especially our flip flops. We must have all experienced those flimsy and uncomfortable pair of flip flops that didn't even last a month, designs that grew pale and pasty and even stuck on our feet. Worry no more--Caribbean Footwear, the ultimate novel brand that infused art and science into our flip flops--has finally granted our wishes.

A proudly local brand that first bloomed in 1995, Caribbean Footwear spells travel, beach and adventure. It formerly manufactured products for big footwear companies and started their flip flop designs in 2010. This year Caribbean Footwear launched its newest Urban Safari Collection with media and bloggers last April 3 at Red Mango, Greenbelt 3.

Comfort, Durability and Fashion--these are the three tenets of Caribbean Footwear. It ultimately believes that comfort and style can be stringed together by art and science and can eventually achieve a durable and long-lasting pair of flip flops perfect not just for our summer escapades but also for our everyday use.

Here are the concepts behind the perfect blending of fashion and technology that make Caribbean Footwear unique from other flip flop brands:

1. The science is in the strap. Caribbean's flip flop straps are molded perfectly to achieve comfort, durability and elegance using its own avant-garde technology.

2. The technique is in the toe. Revisiting and reconsidering the science of balance in our feet, Caribbean specially designed its flip flop's arched structure that supports the balancing act maintained by our toes.

3. The core is in the curve. Counting durability as one its main principles, Caribbean offers the model of the mid-foot curve, which serves as our aide that maintains our posture and proper foot formation. Such perfectly and practically designed structure enhances our endurance while walking or running.

4. The secret is in the sole. Caribbean footwear is scientifically-designed to shape our sole that provides comfort in mobility and protection against harsh elements that usually leave our feet injured or calloused.

5. The absolute transformation is in the Anti-slip technology. If there's anything especially extraordinary and revolutionary in Caribbean compared to other well-known footwear brands, it is the anti-slip foot bed technology that can make us finally say goodbye to that uneasy and unpleasant feeling when we walk our flip flops for too long.

Caribbean's flip flop combines art and science in one--its classy and elegant designs that range from its basics collection, design prints to the stripes revolution available for men and women, and its cutting-edge technology that lives up to its promise of durability and long-lasting comfort.

Caribbean Footwear is now available in leading department stores and supermarkets nationwide. You can never go wrong with Caribbean Footwear with its Urban Safari Collection design and its affordable prices ranging from P180-P300. You may also visit their website at http://www.caribbean.com.ph/ and like their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CaribbeanFootwear.

My Urban Safari flip flops!

Finding Nemo's lair at Lian, Batangas!

 

It may not be a gift in a box, but it was by far the best gift ever.

My parents know very well how much I and my twin sister Jillian love to travel  and how much we hate parties, and so they decided we go out of town instead as a celebration for our 18th birthday. Along with our good  and long-time friend Brine, we all went to Lian, Batangas last APril 15-16.

We first stopped at Tagaytay to have lunch. We ate at an open eatery overlooking the Taal Volcano and tried their famous bulalo and special dilis. By noon we arrived at Lian and we kids immediately popped our shoes off, dashed to the beach, enjoyed the warm sand while Jill looked out for small crabs, built (miniature) sand castles and admired the big ocean waves.

The day was long and truly peaceful that made me feel alive in a new and different way. The clear blue ocean untouched by human civilization, the strong, cool wind and the sand that slowly turned cold and comforting to the feet all made me shed all the stress and boredom of the city away. It was fun enough that we--Jill, Brine and I spent the rest of the day talking and chatting about a wide range of topics--from Brine's fun moments back at UP Los Baños, movies, current issues, strategies in the Games of the General to constellations.

We also went boating that afternoon and I was amazed at the strong ocean waves that seemed to be Poseidon breathing heavily. We explored the ocean more the next day at around 6am when the ocean was calmer. We were able to go as far as the next island with pure white sand along the shores, to a mountainous rock with a unique carving where the waters were shallow enough for us to catch a good glimpse of the coral reefs below. It was a breath-taking sight and a truly life-changing experience as we spotted small colorful fishes and small and big corals with different shapes. We also saw small flying fishes along the way. The kuya who toured us said it was a good thing that no one dares to destroy the corals and sell it because it is prohibited in the place. He also mentioned that pawikans lurk near the shores every December.

Witnessing the beautiful coral reefs and how they are preserved in Lian made me reflect about the national condition of these Philippine gems as of today. May we all help in any way possible to preserve our coral reefs, not only for the sake of its cultural and environmental importance, but also for a number of factors they are intricately and critically webbed into.