Sinulog Festival 2012 Photos

Over a hundred photos of my first Sinulog experience! One beat. One dance. One vision. One Sinulog in One Cebu!!! To view photos, CLICK MY FLICKR SINULOG SET HERE. Pit Senyor!!!

Sinulog Festival 2012. My first and definitely not the last!

My First Sinulog:

Having a work assignment in the South for the past 1- and a half years has brought me closer to its people and culture. This is my first Sinulog and definitely not the last. I will keep that as a promise to myself. I had plans of attending Sinulog as early as second quarter of last year but as the celebration approaches, I ignored booking for a flight and hotel notwithstanding advises from friends in Cebu that I have to do it as early as possible and never a week prior, just like what I did! You always learn a lesson the hard way anyway. Now I know what to do next year!

Kadayawan Festival 2011 Photos

Twenty-Three Contingents. One Tribe. One Vibe. One-Hundred photos that I captured in One Kadayawan!!! To view the complete set of photos, please see my KADAYAWAN FESTIVAL 2011 PHOTOS IN MY FLICKR HERE.

Kadayawan Festival 2011: In moving colors! My photo that placed second in the Kadayawan Photocontest of Davao Photographer's for Peace for August 2011

 

Being able to secure an “all access pass” in this year’s Kadayawan Festival [no matter how controversial it may have been] made a huge difference for my second year. It took me where the the loud and proud beat of Kadayawan really is!

All Acess Pass

Sto. Nino de Cebu Shrine/Basilica and Magellan’s Cross

I had a quick trip to Cebu couple of days ago. It my second time and for the same purpose – work. Anticipating that I may not have the time walk around the city again, just like the first, I made a commitment that this time, I have to at least see the Sto. Nino Shrine and the Magellan’s Cross, Cebu’s famous landmarks. As they say, you’ve never been to Cebu if you have not gone to these places.

"Facade - a blending of Muslim, Romanesque and Neo-classical features"

The marker says: "this cross of tindalo wood encases the original cross planted by Ferdinand Magellan on this very site, April 21, 1521"

Luckily, they got me accommodation at Hotel La Fortuna located right smack at downtown Cebu. From where I was billeted, the Shrine and the Cross are just 3-blocks away. Before going to work scheduled in the afternoon, I already sneaked to see these places, considering that I have an early flight back to Davao the next day.

Isla Reta Davao: The Charm is in the Talisay Trees

Davao is definitely a beach country! In the city alone, the shoreline of Matina Aplaya at the back of SM Mall has a lot of different beaches from raw to themed, developed or not. [Check my post of a city beach]. However, the best beaches in Davao which can rival the best in the country and the world, like the “rent the whole island for a day” Buenavista Island Resort or the more popular  Pearl Farm are found in Samal Island[a.k.a IGACOS, short for" Island Garden City of Samal" That's long! Why not just Samal!

White Sand Beach of Isla Reta

There are a lot of beach resorts in Samal and more resorts being developed. From high-end to budget beaches, they are all here! [Here's a website of Samal Beaches]. For my first beachy trip outside Davao City, I wanted to have a Samal experience and who doesn’t when in Davao? For quite sometime, I cannot decide which beach to go for two reasons: either the resorts I wanted are expensive, or it may be affordable but either crowded [like Paradise] or severely face-lifted [like Bluejaz] – not my type.

Serene View of Isla Reta

I was looking for beach resort with tranquility and silence. Pure, unassuming, laidback, unpretentious. It took me a while surfing the internet before I came across a resort located in Talicud Island at the back of Samal Island. Talicud from the root word “likod” which means “at the back.” The resort is called Isla Reta.

Isla Reta's Charm - Talisay Trees

Seagull Beach Resort Davao

Surprisingly, a white-sand beach along a greyish to black sand shoreline! That’s Seagull Beach Resort in Davao City, a few minutes drive from downtown-Davao just at the back of SM. Some friends have been referring several beaches just within the city but because I know it be grey/black sand, there is hesitation plus the fact that it’s in the city, it may lack personal preference for serenity and peace, until I got the chance to do a quick photo shoot some two-weeks ago.

Seagull's umbrella picnic table fronting Davao Gulf. Suprisingly white sand!

Due to time constraints, a city beach was the best choice and I was led to Seagull. Paid the entrance fee [P100, I think], rented an “umbrella shade” for Php 200 for our things [instead of a cottage]. Upon entry, I noticed some kids along the shore making sand castles in white sand! Yes, it is white sand! We walked further because we wanted the farthest place for our photo shoot and it’s really white sand! Even along the shore and into the water, it is white sand!

Breathtaking view of Seagull waters from the shore!

I wondered for a while until the coconut trees provided the answer! Big thanks coconut trees! The next question was, how much load of white sand was dumped to cover-up the original grey/black sand, extending to the shore and into the water!

And then there was Eden!

Eden Nature Park and Resort ["Eden"] is Davao’s man-made nature park. Located 45-minutes off downtown Davao and going up some 3,ooo-feet above see level, it is accessible only by private transport.

Eden Nature Park & Resort. Davao.

“Discovered sometime in 1971, the resort used to be a logged-over area covered by wild grass. Its potential was, readily seen by the owners as the property provided an imposing view of Davao City and the Davao Gulf.”

Just one of several flower collection in Eden

“Terraces were carved out of the mountain slope, and pine tree seedlings were planted. Pine trees provided canopies allowing other trees and plants to grow creating a secondary forest. Today, there are over 100,000 pine trees spread throughout 80 hectares” [text lifted and modified from: Source]

FEU vs. Ateneo: UAAP Season 73 Finals!

Redemption or Threepeat?

Here are some interesting facts about FEU Tamaraws and Ateneo Blue Eagles basketball history against each other in the UAAP. They don’t have much having met only twice in the semis and once in the finals [this is only the second time] since introduction of the Final-4 in 1994. [Results per game see below]

It was only in 2000 when the two teams met in the semis when FEU made history in the UAAP by being only the third team in the league to beat a higher-seeded team [Ateneo], 61-60 and 75-67, only to be swept by La Salle in the finals.

In 2001, FEU and Ateneo, met again, same seeding, but this time Ateneo made sure the 2000-semis will not happen again and went on to the finals by beating FEU 67-63 but lost to La Salle in the finals. In 2003, the two teams met again, this time in the finals, when FEU swept Ateneo in the best-of-three finals. [Source]

Shove of a Tamaraw or Soar of an Eagle?

Kadayawan Festival 2010

Kadayawan 2010 photos: click links below to view my photos on Flickr.

Kadayan Streetdance Competition!

1-Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan: Streetdance Competition I

2-Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan: Streetdance Competition II

3-Pamulak Festival: Float Parade I

4-Pamulak Festival: Float Parade II

Kadayawan 2010 Participant

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My previous post in anticipation of Kadayawan 2010:

In less than a month from now, I will be having my first Kadayawan experience! The festival is Davao’s most anticipated event every year. What makes me more excited is that participanting tribes all over Mindanao for the street dance-parade will converge right in front of where I am staying here in Davao, along Roxas Avenue, as the starting point of the parade. Camera, check!

Here’s the promotional video of Kadayawan 2010 – “K10:”

In the meantime, here’s the KADAYAWAN FESTIVAL 2010 EVENTS
(As of July 19, 2010)

Noynoy Tops Online Polls [this Blog]

This blog conducted an online poll for the next Philippine President which ran for few months and officially ends today. Of the 355 online pollers, Noynoy Aquino topped with 121 votes or 34%, followed by the following candidates in the top-four: Joseph Estrada [110 votes or 31%], Manny Villar [54 votes or 15%], Gibo Teodoro [45 votes or 13%].

Other candidates have not been included by reason of insignificant number of votes.

Aliwan Fiesta 2010 Winners and Photos

Aliwan Fiesta 2010 is over and here are the results:

Aliwan Fiesta 2010!

In the Streetdance Competition, the contingent from Iloilo came out  the big winner with two of its entries[out of three] in the Top Three! Here are the results: