#jbtabuzo

Kadayawan sa Dabaw

As big as Sinulog, as colorful as Masskara - i think thats the best way I can describe Kadaywan sa Dabaw. If you have not heard about this fiesta then you’re definitely missing out. 

Kadayawan festival is a  thanksgiving fiesta for a bountiful harvest - that’s why flowers, fruits, and birds are paraded all around the city every August. During this time, tourists from all over the Philippines flock the streets of Davao to check on the concerts, night bazaar, and ofcourse, my favorite part - FOOD! I can say Davao food (and Gensan’s) is one of the best in the Philippines! Especially seafood! 

Lechon festival is held in a lot of places in the country. But the only town where they parade the Lechons and close down all roads for tourists, villagers, and different companies to flock is the one of Balayan, Batangas. And boy, it is an amazing fiesta indeed!

This palpable gathering of deliciuos pigs dressed to our delight is celebrated every 24th of June, on the feast day of St. John the Baptist. Now you ask me what is the correlation of Lechon to the catholic saint? After researching and asking the locals, they said that Lechons have long been part of our local tradition where Filipinos feast on after a gathering (i.e. Binyags, birthdays, etc.), so this feast is exactly that and more. 

Not only do they dress up and eat the lechons, but they wet everyone in the parade just like St. John the Baptist.

Exhibit A: Mighty pig

Exhibit B:  Water-proof pig

Crazy wet!! 

Exhibit C: Senyor Pig

If you want to witness these dressed up pigs, get wet and be drunk, here are my top tips for Lechon festival goers in 2016:

TIP #1:  Arrive early.

The parade starts between 9 to 10 in the morning every June 24. Since the roads will be closed, it is best to be there by 8 and park before the rotonda and church of Balayan.

How to get there: Just search Balayan, Batangas in Waze. You’ll know you’re there when you see buntings by the streets.

TIP #2: Be waterproof

Wear clothes that you wouldn’t mind getting wet and secure your gadgets with a plastic pouch. I had to learn this the hard way cause my Blackberry got fried after attempting to open it from the splash scene in the festival grounds. lol

After being wet, this kuya is now Chilled to perfection like Coke! Haha!

TIP #3: Make friends.

Fiestas are not for the loners. So grab a friend or make some new ones in Balayan. Everyone’s there for the booze and lechon anyway.

Say “Hi” then be sober together. lol

TIP #4: Get free Lechon from the locals

After the parade, go around and grab some Lechon from locals. They’re more than happy to give you all the Lechon you can eat!

hoho! Some of them are tipsy already and it was just 12nn then! 

Will definitely go back in 2016!

Lechon Festival Rating:

Flow of activties: 2/5

Crowd difficulty: 3/5

Lechon: 2/5 (it was so hard to hop around and grab wet lechon! haha!)

Wetness level: 5/5

Are you hungry for adventure but your current tolerance level is somewhere below Pinatubo or Anawangin? 

If you’re generally not up to the idea of a long mountain hike, but you feel the need to satisfy your adventurous self - I suggest you take the road less traveled (or should I say, less posted on facebook!), by taking a quick hike (or even walk/stroll for some) in Minalungao. 

Minalungao National Park is a vast natural park with caves, rivers and mountains. Located in General Tinio, Neuva Ecija, Minalungao is one of the nearest remaining preserved natural parks near Metro Manila.

Exploring Minalungao

1. How to get there: I recommend to charge your 3g smart phone - you will need it for Waze. This should be a no brainer (haha!). The distance from manila is a good 200km so gas up and take brief breaks, there are gas stations and restos along the road. 

Useful tip: Bring an SUV or 4x4 instead of a small car. For better manoeuvring in the rough roads of the park. Though you can rent a tricycle from the parking area near Minalungao, you will still need it because of the rough terrain.

Learning very late that small cars are really not for rough roads. #nochoice #ipontime

2. When is it best to visit : Morning is always a good idea. Since it’s a 3 to 4 hour drive (depending on your driving skills and traffic), it’s best leave by 6am so you get there between 9 - 10am. Try to visit on a friday (schedule a leave!) when there are less tourists and make sure it’s not raining so you can see the clear waters of the river. Locals suggest to visit between February to May and between November to December.

If you pass by this arc, it just means you’re in going the right direction and you are already near the site! I welcome you to Papaya town! How big kaya are their Papayas here? 

Upon getting to the entrance of the park, there will be a parking area for tourists. For a minimum fare, you can ride tricycle to get you down the steep slope, especially if your car is not powerful enough like mine.

3. What to wear: Keep it light, sporty and amphibious for a hot and wet day trip. What I’m wearing: cap, shirt and shoes from Addidas / Socks from Vamos / Shades and swim shorts from SM Store. 

Quick tip: if you’re a little bit carefree on adventures and don’t mind your shades falling, getting lost, or scratched, buy disposable and trendy shades from SM store (stress free for your wallet too!)

Love these socks from Vamos! They don’t easily stretch after so many washes. Will buy a new pair for my next adventure!

4. What to do there: There are three things you can do in Minalungao. Swim, climb, or hike. 

A. SWIM -  When finding your perfect spot to swim, ride a raft to take you in between the two mountains for Php 200 - Php 500. The cost depends and how the waiting time. It’s common courtesy to give them a little bit higher if you’re going to let them wait for you beyond the agreed time. Let’s support local tourism and give them their hard earned money!

Once you found a nice spot, then it’s time to Swim! The water should be clear during summer.

Unfortunately, there were just a lot of tourists who were swimming so the water is a little less clear. Water level is somewhere between 4 to 10 ft (or probably more) depending on the area.

B. CLIMB. Another option is to climb the mountain top cross. You need to climb 1,000 steps going there - so stay hydrated and bring food for the extra boost you will need.

Taking a break from the hike!

C. HIKE - Lastly, you can hike the mountains and explore the caves. Locals said there are a lot of caves here, but I’m okay with just checking out 1 cave! haha!

5. How much to budget

Toll fee (going there) - Php 133

Entrance fee - Php 30

Raft - Php 450

Gas (for a small car like mine) - Php 400 

Toll fee (going back) - Php 133

Total Spending is just Php 1,146!

Overall I can say the trip was pretty fine and easy. Don’t forget when driving back, it’s good that you can get a friend to switch drives with you especially if you’re legs become sore from all the hiking and climbing! 

Now, file your leaves and get adventures down your sleeves (pinilit yung rhyme!). Visit Minalungao this year before this becomes the next #wherebrokenheartsgo in your facebook feed (lol).

Drive terrain difficulty: 3/5

Hike and climb difficulty: 2/5

What I’m wearing: Polo from Flying Dutchman | Sweater from Massimo Dutti | Pants and Belt from Uniqlo | Watch from Emporio Armani

I’m wearing neutral colors today - with a little layering for the post-summer and pre-rainy season!

Shiseido, one of the pioneers in Japanese cosmetics and skin care, held an exclusive event for VIPs, Press and Bloggers a few weeks back. They launched their AW2015 collection at the Penthouse of St. Francis - Shangri-la Place.

I was fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to work with them as as engraver. 

Here’s one of the names of the attendees engraved in an exclusive Shiseido mirror shipped all the way from Japan! You cannot imagine how honoured I am to have been chosen for this project!

PS. the engraving double reflects in the mirror when I take the photo. 

The food served during the event were definitely scene stealers! 

Who would want to eat something as adorable as these? I know I’d ogle at them for minutes before taking my first bite!

If you’re wondering who’s behind the amazing food styling -- you can check out Periwinkle and Lace on Facebook.

Leave it to Periwinkle and Lace to make red velvet goodies look even more appetizing!

Elegance Elixer -- even the drinks at the event are guaranteed to make you look elegant. 

Eyes too full from looking at all the yummy food.

You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates. 

If you have a Monday to Friday, 9am - 6pm day job like me; I’m sure you’re well acquainted with the feeling of “is this going to be forever?”. Times like this calls for a quick-fix to break the continuity of a boring routine. I’m sure everyone agrees that a change in scenery and schedule is good every now and then, yes? 

Since I felt like I needed a well deserved break, I filed for a vacation leave and went to the surfing capital of the north -- La Union!

No itineraries, no time constraints -- just book and go!

For those planning to visit La Union (or ElYu as some locals fondly call it) , there are two ways to get there. The (1) first option is by car or you may opt to take (2) a bus. 

I chose to ride the bus for this trip because I needed to get some shut-eye since we planned on leaving Manila really, REALLY late. 

Normally, I would be the assigned driver (yep, the whole trip) since my friends trust my driving skills so much and refuse to let anyone else drive /Lol, can you feel the sarcasm? 

Anyway, once you get to San Juan, La Union, make sure to stop by Midway Grill. It’s a 10 minute tricycle ride from the city hall (where you can ask the bus driver to drop you off). They have a big, red signage so you would’t miss it!

If you’re a heavy eater (or just really hungry), you can order the ribs which is their best seller. It cost lower than P300 and it tasted pretty damn good. Money well spent.

We checked in at Sebay Surf Central which is very good for travellers who are on a budget but are looking for a ‘surf-feel environment. 

This majestic view will welcome you upon entering the beach area. 

Stoked!!!-- my shirt and my face says it! Can you feel my excitement radiating through you computer screen? :))

I highly recommend you hire instructors from the Talakitok Surf School because they are very pleasant, patient, and know what they are taking about!

They’re also pretty awesome at the whole -- boosting your clients self-confidence -- department because they kept saying “Sir, siguradong makakatayo ka sa alon. Naku sir, tiyak yan.” 

Eng: ”Sir, I’m sure you can stand on your board and surf on the waves. It’s a sure thing sir!”

Definitely a must try and it’s just for Php 350 an hour! And yes, I did stand and surf. 

Tip: Even if it’s your 3rd, 4th, or 5th time to surf, get an instructor ! You need one until you’re 100% sure you know how to spot when you can ride a wave. 

PS: Spotting when you can ride a wave is harder than riding the wave itself.

1. Houses are pretty - edible!

You literally can eat off the fruits and kipings in the house! But ofcourse you shouldn’t! Not until the judging would take place on the evening of May 15.

This little cute dragonfly-patola-kiping stole the show!

2. The 10-peso pancit Habhab.

10 pesos for a full meal! Need i say more? 10 pesos. Only in Pahiyas.

3. Free Concert.

Hale was one of the main acts.  So much hugot from their songs. Reminds me so much of gradeschool(?) loljk. Listen to their new single See you.

KA Antonio and the red letters band. I’m still on LSS at their new song Siopao!

Pahiyas festivities normally build up on the 14th of may where there’s a free concert. Coca-cola plays concerts yearly here and brings big artists. This year, the line up was Gloc 9, Spongecola, KA Antonio, Hale and Red Letters! 

Thanks so much Coca-cola! Everyone seemed to have fun!!

Coca-Cola also co-presented the concert on May 15, the main Fiesta day together with Smart. They brought Callalily on stage, and I must say the crowd went crazy! 

If you go to smaller roads by Patio rizal, other companies are also doing fun activtities.

4. Cheap Pasalubong

The whole town becomes like a big Divi during Pahiyas. Keep your eye open for good finds! 

Bracelets, trinkets, pouches, and nice wall mounts are everywhere!! They’re haunting me even until now. lol

5. Good places to stay

I honestly didn’t expect to find really good resorts in Quezon. Since I have been to a lot of provinces - my standards for hotels are not as high. But I must say Graceland Country Club isn’t bad. It’s like Pico! It’s the paradise of Quezon!! I wanna go back.

Stay in Graceland Country club in Tayabas when you visit Pahiyas. It’s a good 10-20mins (depends on the traffic) from Lucban. I must say it’s affordable for families and groups of friends.

You guys can try their swimming pools, do wall climbing, boating, horseback riding and a lot more!

Mom, dad, take me back to Pahiyas please. I wanna see more dragonfly patolas. :(