Let's Run: Nike We Run Manila 10K 2012

let's run Manila

December 2, 2012, the Bayshore Ave. and Seaside Blvd. of  SM Mall of Asia, Pasay is a sea of black and green as 13,000 runners come together for the Nike We Run Manila 2012. This is the second year the Nike We Run  race is held in Manila. Manila is one of the 32 cities that will host the race this year. The race started at Prague, Czech Republic last September 1 and will end at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on December 15, 2012. 

There is a feeling of excitement and fear in me as I joined this race. This is my first race, and running for 10 kilometers is really hard for a beginner like me. I came in as a substitute for my brother, who unfortunately had dengue a week before the event and even being discharge from the hospital before the event, doctors advised him not to join the race.  

Together with my brother and sister, we arrived early in the event. So we stroll first the Seaside Blvd. taking a look of the race area before going to the race village. At 4:00 a.m. runners are already filling up the streets going to the corner of Bayshore Ave. and Seaside Blvd. At 5:45 the race started.

the start-off point

the sea of black and green

Since I was a beginner, I started for a slow pace, not minding if other runners came past me. After feeling comfortable with the race I started a jog then a run. There are a lot of things going in my mind for this race. I fear that I will finish  last or that I will stumble while running; fortunately none of these things happened. 

Reaching the U-turn slot marking the 5 km feels like a long way. At the 4 km mark, most of the runners are now walking, but once they saw the U-turn slot for the 5 km, the runners came back to life and began running again. The way back is much  easier and faster compared than reaching the 5 km mark. After 1 hour and 33 minutes from the start time, I reached the finish line.

Runners who  have finished the race can claim their Finisher shirt at the race village while being entertained by local bands like Chicosci, Spongecola and Never the Strangers. Water, Powerade and bananas are also given to the runners after the race to help them recharge.

I am a Finisher - front of the finisher shirt

WE RUN MLA - back of the finisher shirt

This race is Nike's way to unite over 390,000 runners all over the world and Nike sure did it.

Snorkeling at Pamabato Reef

Snorkeling is the activity of underwater swimming, exploration or swimming with a snorkel or scuba equipment. I do not know how to swim, so the thought of me snorkeling is far too behind my head. But snorkeling is one activity that I need to do in my Palawan adventure. I was not the one who did all the planning for the trip, so I really have no idea that we will be having snorkeling.

the Sta Lourdes wharf welcoming sign

We availed of a Honda Bay island tour package in our hotel, so all I thought is we will be having an island hopping. But on our way to the pier, Ms. Marie, the tour guide asks if we have any snorkeling gear because we will need them in our trip. All of us said “no”. So right away, we stop to a rental shop. This shop offers rental for aqua shoes, snorkels, goggles, rash guards, and even camera case that can be use underwater. Ms. Marie told us that we will need this snorkeling gear for we will be visiting the Pambato reef and the aqua shoes is protection against stone fishes which is known to be poisonous.

Ms. Marie, our tour guide giving directions while on the van

rash guards, snorkels, board shorts, swimwear all for rent

Pambato reef is a marine sanctuary along Honda Bay that is known for its giant clams and different types of corals. It is also known as a “mini Tubbataha”. This is our first stop on our Honda Bay Tour. In this tour, the boatman would also serve as the guide in traversing the sea. There is a floating raft in a shape of turtle that serves as diving point for snorkeling. Tourist will need to swim to reach another turtle-shaped raft that serves as a pick-up point once the tour is finished.

on the way to the turtle raft

Our boatman Manong Jun, is nice to teach us on how to use our snorkeling gear, tightening our goggles and life vest, truly ensuring our safety. For those who do not know how to swim, boatmen have a lifebuoy with a rope that tourist can cling into while the boatman pull the string to reach the other raft. Since all of us four are not swimmers (though two of my friends know a little about swimming), we all four cling to the lifebuoy, while Manong Jun slowly pull the rope.  

all geared-up

In this twenty minute journey, Manong Jun will be telling us to look underneath for us to see the giant clams and coral reefs. Once in a while, Manong Jun will dive to look for parrot fish and clown fish. Once he spotted them he will then told us the location and then we will be again looking underneath to see the fishes. Sometimes, there is no need to look down or dive underneath to see the fishes and corals, some fish will actually swim near people and there are huge coral reefs that can be reached by a person’s foot (My foot actually accidentally hit twice or thrice on the coral reefs). When we are already near the other raft Manong Jun left us to enjoy wading at the sea while still clinging on the lifebuoy.

what lies beneath?

a giant clam

where's Nemo?

brain coral

staghorn corals with fishes

The twenty minutes of traversing the Pambato reef, is one of the longest twenty minutes of my life. This is one of the unforgettable experiences in my life, though I regret the fact that I do not know how to swim, I am still happy to see through my eyes the beauty of nature.

reaching the other turtle raft

Exotic Palawan: Crocodile Sisig

One of the exciting things to do when travelling around the Philippines is discovering the richness of the Filipino cuisines. Though the food in Palawan is the same as almost any other Filipino cuisines, Palawenos are proud that the seafood that they offer is always fresh. Palawan is also proud of its exotic dishes of Crocodile Sisig and tamilok. In this trip we opted to try the Crocodile Sisig.

sizzling crocodile sisig with calamansi

Most of the pork sisig that I have tasted in the restaurants in Manila are crunchy and have that chicharon. The crocodile sisig on the other hand, is not crunchy and don’t have those chicharon, nor is it made from ears, head or snout.

To try this exotic dish, we went to Tiki Resto Bar in Puerto Princesa. When asked by the waiters what we like, we immediately said Crocodile Sisig. It took a while before our order was served, good thing Tiki Resto Bar had a live band performance every night, and so you would not get bored waiting for the food.

Like any other sisig, the crocodile sisig is also served on a sizzling plate with calamansi on the side. After mixing the calamansi and soy sauce we instantly tasted this exotic dish. Unlike my expectation of the meat of having some weird taste or smell, the crocodile sisig is actually tender. It has no fishy taste or smell. And it also looks like any ordinary sisig, that you cannot tell that it is crocodile meat. Paired with beer, the Crocodile Sisig makes up a perfect pulutan.

what's on the menu

let's take a shot

Aside from Tiki Resto Bar, Kinabuch is another popular restaurant that offers crocodile sisig. You can also visit the Palawan Wildlife Resource and Conservation Center wherein they also have small stores that offers Crocodile Sisig.

Crocodile Sisig and Pork Sinigang

Meeting the Princess of Palawan

After 9 months of waiting and preparation, at long last, we set foot at Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It was since January 20, 2012 that we booked our trip to Palawan and from then on the planning never stops as our enthusiasm to see this paradise heightens. On October 18, 2012 I and my friends embarked to discover the hidden paradise of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. 

arriving at Puerto Princesa airport

Me and two of my friends arrived at 5:15 pm at Puerto Princesa while some of our friends are already waiting for us in our hotel. We did not have to wait long to be picked-up by the hotel van as the driver is already waiting for us since 5:00pm. After the warm greetings and welcoming of the hotel personnel of Casa fuerte Bed and Breakfast, we went straight to our rooms to unpack our things and take a quick rest. 

Casa fuerte Bed and Breakfast is located along Rizal Avenue Puerto Princesa Palawan. The place is just ten minutes away from the airport and the pier going to Honda Bay. It is also near BPI, so we have no worries in withdrawing cash.

Bali inspired "Casa fuerte Bed nad Breakfast"

Our Palawan tour is only for 3 days and 2 nights, so we need to make the most of our time, especially that we arrived late in the afternoon and we will also be leaving Palawan early on October 20, 2012. 

Cybercrime Law in the Philippines

October 2, 2012, when I opened my facebook account, I saw all these posts relating to “Cybercrime Law” being passed by our lawmakers. As to my surprised, all posts contain negative feedbacks. These forced me to search the content of the said law. It took me a while to find a complete copy of Republic Act No. 10175, also known as “Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012″. For some unknown reason, the website of the Philippine government, www.gov.ph, where I planned to get a copy, cannot be accessed.

After successfully finding a copy of the law, I quickly browsed the content and searched for the list  of punishable act or offenses against it. Chapter II Section 4 enumerates the punishable acts. From my own understanding, the punishable acts can be summarized to 1.) hacking, 2.) cyber pornography, and 3.) cyber fraud. 

From the article of Jasmine Solivas-Dayacap on The Cybercrime Prevention Act last September 20, 2012, that was posted in www.iplaw.ph, cybercrime is defined as follows:

“The heart of the new law is its second chapter enumerating thirteen (13) acts constituting the offense of “cybercrime” which are classified into three categories of offenses:

(1) Offenses against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems, i.e., Illegal Access, Illegal Interception, Data Interference, System Interference, Misuse of Devices, and Cyber-squatting;
(2) Computer-related Offenses, i.e., Computer-related Forgery, Computer-related Fraud, and Computer-related Identity Theft.
(3) Content-related Offenses, i.e., Cybersex, Child Pornography, Unsolicited Commercial Communications (otherwise known as spamming), and Libel.”

 According to Senator Chiz Escudero, the provision regarding libel slipped from their scrutiny. The libel provision in the said bill is now the centre of protest of the online community. There are also moves from Senator Teofisto Guingona III to file a petition with the Supreme Court to review the said bill.

Another issue with regards this new law is the weight of punishment for the offenders. A fine of Php 50,000 – 1,000,000 or more and a prison term of 1 month – twelve years, or both depending on the cybercrime committed.

It is nice to know that our lawmakers finally passed a law against cybercrime, but hopefully, this will not also violates the rights the freedom of expression of the Filipinos. It is also disappointing that there are pending bills in the senate that needs much immediate attention than the Cybercrime Law. 

(Note: I tried searching for a list of pending legislation/laws in the senate to no avail. Again to some unknown reason, my browser cannot connect to www. Senate.gov.ph)

Dinner at Icebergs

Icebergs, whenever I saw this store at Robinson’s Galleria, the first thing that comes to my mind is an ice cream and yogurt parlor. But I was mistaken. Last September 30, Saturday after attending mass at EDSA Shrine, me and my sister decided to have dinner at Robinson’s Galleria. After roaming the whole mall, we saw that our preferred restaurants are already full of people. So while walking near the cinema area, we passed by Icebergs and their menu caught my attention. There in their menu stand is a picture of hamburger and sisig.

the welcoming smile of Icebergs

Upon entering the store, you will be welcomed by a young at heart feeling. Upon seeing the whole menu, we were even more surprised to see choices for soups, appetizers, sandwiches, pasta and rice with viands dishes. After having a hard time choosing, I ordered for beef lasagna and my sister sisig rice.

Though, Icebergs is known for their ice cream and cold desserts, we were not disappointed with the beef lasagna and sisig rice. The beef lasagna is cheesy and has a hefty serving of meat. The sisig rice is crunchy because of the chicharon. I also enjoyed drinking my freshly squeezed lemonade. Aside from the wonderful taste of their menu, I also liked their fast service. We did not wait long to have our food served. We did not also need to ask for a glass of water, for it is served together with your ordered drink.

the crunchy sisig

my cheesy and beefy lasagna

Of course, our Icebergs experience will not be complete, if we did not order for a dessert. We both order for a sundae; a cappuccino sundae and kahlua choco. Their sundae is composed of two scoops of ice cream with whip cream and topped by cherry. It is also drizzled with choco syrup and sprinkled with nuts. Aside from the sundaes and parfaits, Icebergs also offers the all-time Filipino favorite halo-halo and con hielo.

Cappucino Sundae and Kahlua Choco Sundae

The next time we will be eating at Robinson’s Galleria, Icebergs will never be an option but will be a destination.

Ilocos - Discovering our Heritage Part III: Getting Around

Things to do in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte:

F Go museum hopping; visit the Syquia Mansion, Crisologo and Burgos Museum

F Take some pictures with the animals at the Baluarte.

F Make your own burnay.

F Ride a calesa along the Vigan Heritage Village.

F Eat the local dishes of empanada, bagnet, Vigan Longganisa, poqui-poqui, dinengndeng, etc.

F Visit the churches.

F Eat at restaurants along the seashore of the beaches in Pagudpud.

the Pinakbet of the Ilocanos

Poqui-Poqui, is an eggplant omelette of the Ilocanos

our colorful shakes

pasalubong time

Paoay Church in the inside

beach bumming at Blue Lagoon, Pagudpud

Tips on your travel at Ilocos

F Always wake up early. There are lots of places to visit in this province that you would not want to miss the opportunity to go there. Some of the places are far from each other, so there are lots of time travelling on the road.

F Bring along a sun block. There is a long road going to Kapurpurawan Rock Formation that is open to the scorching sun, plus you will also go beach bumming.

F Charge your camera's battery and if you can bring any extra battery or camera, the better. You don’t want to miss to capture any moment.

F Bring extra bags for your pasalubongs. You will surely be tempted to buy the different delicacies, and souvenirs.

photoholic in Ilocos

my henna tattoo

Transportation in Ilocos

For commuters, like us, you can ride a bus bound to Laoag or Vigan at a Florida  or Partas bus station. Both bus have terminals along EDSA. The Florida bus is known for it's sleeper bus, but are available only in their Sampaloc bus terminal. You can reserve your seats at Florida while there is no reservation in Partas. Last bus trip for Florida is 10:30 in the evening, while in Partas a bus leaves every hour.

Since we availed a tour group, we had our own ride and tourist guide in going to the different tourist destinations. If you did not availed of any, hire or rent a vehicle, rather than commuting, which will take up most of your time. You can inquire from the hotel that you will be staying if they offer any van transfer.

The main mode of transportation if you are travelling inside the town is the tricycle and calesa, but if you are travelling from town to town, the jeepney is your ride. There are also buses that will take you from Vigan to Laoag.

a friendly signage along the road

a calesa ride at the Heritage Village

Ilocos - Discovering our Heritage Part II: Ilocos Norte

After exploring Vigan, we headed to Laoag, the capital of Ilocos Norte. Travel time from Vigan to Laoag is more or less two hours.

If Ilocos Sur is the home of Chavit Singson, Ilocos Norte is the home of the Marcos. The rich history, architecture and tourism of the province mainly revolved around the Marcos.

Here are the places we visited in Ilocos Norte:

1. Fort Ilocandia Resort and Casino – the only five-star hotel in the northern Philippines was said to be build during the Marcos regime for sixty days for the wedding of the late President’s daughter.

the Fort Ilacandia Resort and Casino entrance

inside Fort Ilocandia

2. Malacañang of the North – known also as Malacanang ti Amianan, serves as a home of the late Pres. Marcos during his stay in Ilocos Norte. This mansion turned museum oversees the beautiful Paoay Lake. One can explore the two-storey mansion, from the grand staircase, to the expansive dining rooms, fully furnished living room and bedrooms.

visiting Malacanang ti Amianan with friends

furniture inside the mansion

a view of the Paoay lake at the back of the mansion

3. Paoay Church - is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines which were completed in 1710.  Known for its Baroque architecture and enormous buttresses, the church was declared as UNESCO heritage sight in 1993. The church's bell tower serves as a perfect watch tower for Filipino soldier during the Filipino-Spanish war.

the Paoay Church

the gigantic buttresses

the bell tower

4. Marcos Musuem – learn history in a museum that showcase the life of the late president and came in close contact with the preserved remains of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

replica of the late President

looking back at the life of Pres. Marcos

few of the many dresses of Imelda Marcos

5. Cape Bojeador – the lighthouse was first lit in 1892 and served as a welcoming beacon that illuminates the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. The lighthouse is still functioning, but unfortunately tourists are no longer allowed to enter the lighthouse tower. Tourists are only allowed until the pavilion and veranda.

climbing the stairs to the lighthouse

the lighthouse tower

a view of the sea from the veranda of the lighthouse

6. Kapurpurawan Rock Formation – the land was previously owned by a rich doctor but was later sold to Imee Marcos, who later turned the wonderful rock formation to a tourist destination. Tourists need to walk some mile to reach the rock formation, or you can also ride a horse. Unfortunately, tourists are no longer allowed to climb at the rock formation itself, for safety purposes and also to preserve the rock formation. Be careful getting near the rock formation, the rocks are covered by algae and is very slippery.

the white rock formation

the road to the white rock formations

the clear sky and sea at Kapurpurawan

7. Bangui Windmills – this is my most anticipated place to visit in Ilocos. The Bangui Windmills also known as Northwind Bangui Bay Project is a project of the Marcos to improve the electricity resources of the province. You can hear the movements of the wind that the gigantic propeller are making, include the waves from the sea equals to a perfect orchestra.

the line of windmills

8. Patapat Viaduct – the viaduct is a long winding road on a mountainside that connects the Cagayan Valley Region to Ilocos Norte. So literally, a person can be in two places at one time. Others may say that this is just a road, but this road offers a serene feeling as you breathe in the fresh air coming from the sea.

the waterfalls along the viaduct

the long and winding road

9. Blue Lagoon, Pagudpud - a trip to Ilocos Norte would not be complete if you have not visited one its beaches. The Blue Lagoon is one of the famous beaches in Pagudpud with white sands and clear blue waters. 

enjoying a swim at the Blue lagoon

relaxing along the shores 

The three days and two nights stay at Ilocos was not enough to visit the whole province; there are still places that we have not visited among them are the Kabigan waterfalls, La Paz Sand Dunes, Tabacco Monopoly, Ilocos Museum, Saint Williams Cathedral and Santa Monica Church, and Crisologo Museum. We were able to see the Abot Kamay Cave but we were not able to go down the cave due to time constraint. And even if we miss these places, we still enjoy the trip, Ilocos is a place worthy of a visit.