That’s the scenario painted for the proposed SKYWAY from Gil Puyat Avenue (formerly Buendia, Makati) to Balintawak (Quezon City). The proposed EDSA Skyway is a 6-lane, 14-kilometer elevated highway on top of EDSA. The proponent is Citra-PNCC (Philippine National Construction Corp).

Here’s the result as of 24 March 2012. The poll question: Want the EDSA Skyway approved? The answers:

Yes, build it ASAP (87%, 80 Votes)
No, find an alternative (8%, 7 Votes)
No, it’s not needed (5%, 5 Votes)

Total Voters: 92

You could still express your opinion through the comment section below.

Balete Drive is usually featured in the list of the Philippines’ scariest places. Top 10 Scary Places. In our case, we pass by Balete Drive every so often. We didn’t encounter, fortunately, any such ghostly apparition. If you have a first-hand experience on the scary apparitions along Balete Drive, do let us know. Please use the comment section below. Let’s see if the number of people who say they’ve seen the ghosts of Balete Drive would be enough to put some plausibility to this urban legend.

Now, about the video. This is not for those with weak heart. The video quality is poor so the white, smoky matter floating on the rocking chair is hardly visible. You have to look closely to see it.

Saw it? We cannot say that the stories about Balete Drive are totally untrue because those who claim to have seen the ghosts are positively sure. Have you experienced something weird at Balete Drive?

Now, before you say anything, remember that this refers only to NAIA I, and does not include NAIA II and NAIA III. The reviews note the following experiences: unfriendly staff, boring, not clean, hard seats, corruption, bribery, scams, overcrowded, chaos, and in bad shape. The good thing about this — it actually “encouraged” the concerned departments to upgrade the airport. With that in mind, maybe it would do some good to rate the airports in the Philippines.

It would be unfair to lump all airports into one ranking, as international airports would definitely outclass community airports. There are three polls below, corresponding to the following airport classifications: International airports (capable of handling international flights); Domestic airports (Class 1) (capable of serving jet aircraft with a capacity of at least 100 seats); and Domestic Airports (Class 2) (capable of serving propeller aircraft with a capacity of at least 19 seats).

Notes: This is obviously an informal poll. Ideally, you should have seen all the airports to make an opinion which one is the worst, but probably only a few has seen all the airports mentioned. Still, even if you’ve seen only a few, but feels strongly that one badly needs renovation, then that’s good enough top vote. You may also want to explain your vote through the comment section below. Thank you.

We are not including community airports in this list. The classification and list is from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) list and Wikipedia (as of April 2011). International airports (capable of handling international flights): Diosdado Macapagal (Clark) International Airport, Francisco Bangoy (Davao) International Airport, General Santos International Airport, Kalibo (Aklan) International Airport, Laoag International Airport (Ilocos Norte), Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Ninoy Aquino (Manila) International Airport, Puerto Princesa International Airport, Subic Bay International Airport, and Zamboanga International Airport. Domestic airports (Class 1) — capable of serving jet aircraft with a capacity of at least 100 seats, including: Bacolod-Silay Airport, Iloilo International (New Iloilo) Airport, Bancasi (Butuan) Airport, Lumbia (Cagayan de Oro) Airport, Awang (Cotabato) Airport, Dipolog Airport, Sibulan (Dumaguete) Airport, Legazpi Airport, Naga (Pili) Airport, Pagadian Airport, Roxas Airport (Capiz), San Jose Airport (Occidental Mindoro), Daniel Z. Romualdez (Tacloban) Airport, Tagbilaran Airport (Bohol), and Tuguegarao Airport (Cagayan). Domestic Airports (Class 2) – capable of serving propeller aircraft with a capacity of at least 19 seats, which includes: Evelio Javier (Antique) Airport, Loakan (Baguio) Airport, Basco Airport (Batanes), Sanga-Sanga (Tawi-Tawi) Airport, Francisco B. Reyes (Busuanga-Coron) Airport, Calbayog Airport (Samar), Camiguin Airport, Catarman National Airport (Norther Samar), Godofredo P. Ramos (Caticlan) Airport, Cuyo Airport (Palawan), Jolo Airport (Sulu), Marinduque Airport, Moises R. Espinosa (Masbate) Airport, Ormoc Airport (Leyte), Tugdan (Romblon) Airport, Sayak (Siargao) Airport, Surigao Airport (Surigao del Norte), Tandag Airport (Surigao del Sur), and Virac Airport (Catanduanes).

Boat in Donsol ready for the Butanding Adventure

We have an itinerary of our trip to Ilocos, discussing directions, routes and places of interest. We also started a planned itinerary of a Bicol trip (go here). We initially thought of dividing the journey into 100-kilometer legs or stretch to make it bearable. The plan, however, is far from what we’ve experienced. The nice roads and easy drive totally blurred the legs of the journey that we’ve planned. For instance, we planned to have crispy pata lunch in Candelaria, Quezon — we were there by 5:20 a.m.

They say a  plan is good only until you start implementing it. Here’s what we found out.

Day 1 of Bicol Trip (Manila to Legaspi, Albay)

The Bicol trip is around 550+ kilometers. We were told that it’s 10-12 hours of travel time, so we set out early, 3:00 a.m., and packed sandwiches for breakfast to save time (besides, we didn’t hear any good suggestion for breakfast in the Bicol route).

We’ve traveled around 104 kms. by the time we reached San Pablo City (1st leg in the plan) at 5 a.m. We reached Pagbilao by 5:50 a.m., stopping at the Pagbilao Church for the first breather. By that time, we’ve already traveled 162 kilometers and have passed Tiaong, Lucena City, Candelaria and Sariaya. We got a glimpse of the golden sun as we left Pagbilao.

• Tip: The Bitukang Manok or Old Zigzag road is not as scary as others say. Absolutely not a problem if you’re an experienced driver, but a problem if your car is not primed for steep climbs. However, I wouldn’t pass here at night. And I’d be extremely careful when its raining. Roads are slippery because of the asphalt overlay (same is true in most of the roads).

We reached Atimonan (leg 2 of the plan) at 6:40 a.m. (that’s a total 192 kilometers), then through Gumaca (7:00 a.m.) and Calauag (7:30 a.m.). The drive was hassle-free we totally forgot to note the 3rd (Tagkawayan) and 4th legs (Sipocot) of our plan. The next thing we knew we were already at the Sipocot junction (end of Andaya Sr. Highway) by 9:10 a.m.

We were supposed to visit the Basilica Minore in Naga City, but we were advised to take the diversion route because of traffic. We didn’t go inside Naga City, but straight to the neighboring town of Pili, where we stopped to check the CamSur Watersports Complex, wakeboarding capital of the Philippines.

Brief stop at the beautiful Nabua Church and by lunch time, we were already at the Cagsawa Ruins, taking a few photos of the beautiful Mayon Volcano, before heading to Daraga for lunch at Bigg’s Diner. The old Daraga Church is only a few blocks up the restaurant. We still had lots of time to spare when we arrived in Legaspi City after lunch.

• Tip: The locals recommend that you visit the Cagsawa Ruins early in the morning, preferably between 6 – 8, as clouds would usually cover the upper portion of the cone. So we dropped by again on the way back to Manila.

The good thing about arriving early is the time to catch some sleep. The bad thing about the early arrival in Legaspi, on the other hand, is the disappointing Lignon Hill Nature Park. We sincerely believe that they should revise the policy (if there’s really such a policy) of making visitors walk up the steep hill. Yes, it’s a nature park, we understand, but if that’s the case, ahem, bring the zipline lower level for the benefit of us weight-challenged guests. Science says light and heavy objects fall to the earth at the rate, removing friction, but we went back down the hill first, making it only 3/4 of the way. And those joggers, dang those joggers, rubbing salt to the injury by lightly going up, then down, then back up again.

We spent the rest of the afternoon looking for a great place to taste authentic Bicolano cuisine. Nothing at the Embarcadero, a mall beside Legazpi’s harbor. It has your usual fastfood chains, but no one there could point us to a good laing and Bicol express tandem (there’s a Bigg’s Diner, but we already had that for lunch). We found ourselves at Waway’s Restaurant for dinner. We were bewildered if this is how laing and Bicol express should taste like.

Day 2: Trip to Donsol, Sorsogon

To see the butanding of Donsol is the primary reason of the trip. We left at 6:00 a.m. on the second day, buying drive-through breakfast in the adjacent Daraga (closed roads in Legaspi due to the Magayon Festival), which is along the way. Winding roads to Donsol, Sorsogon. We didn’t mind if we have absolutely no clue where Donsol is, just the general direction. There are billboards and signposts along the way so no sweat. We discovered:

• We should have registered the day before, because by the time we reached the Tourism Office by 7:30 a.m., we were already in boat 25 of the second batch. Only a maximum of 30 boats are allowed at any one time. Better view of the butanding in the early morning.

• Not good to drive here late in the evening. Roads are winding and you’d probably miss the turns. It’s difficult to ask for directions when there’s no people on the road. Not to worry about the two cemeteries along those winding roads . . . just don’t look back at the rear view mirror, there might be one more passenger in the car.

Jump-off point of all boats for the butanding adventure is in barangay Dancalan, where the Tourism Office is found. After the spectacular time with the butanding, lunch at the Kawnkita Restaurant of Amor Farm Beach Resort is recommended. It’s just a few minutes drive from the butanding center and along the drive back to Legaspi anyway. We would have opted for the firefly show, also in Donsol, but our hotel is in Legaspi and we didn’t want to drive at night.

• Tip: Book at least one month in advance if you want to stay in Donsol resorts, as these are usually fully booked, especially at this time of the year. Peak season.

That means we have the afternoon off, perfect time to visit the Sto. Domingo Church, 30 minutes from Legaspi. The welcome bonus is the memorial mausoleum of the composer of Sarung Banggi. Also along the way is the Typhoon Reming Memorial Shrine. We went straight to dinner at a recommended place, Colonial Grill (must try the chili ice cream).

Day 3: Return trip from Bicol to Manila

We didn’t leave early (6:00 a.m.) because we’re already familiar with the route and it’s ok even if we reach Manila at any time of the night. Got a full tank in Legaspi — with spare gas when we reached Manila (7:30 p.m.). That’s one full tank one-way, though there’s no reason to worry because there’s a lot of gas stations along the way.

We dropped by the Cagsawa Ruins for a clearer view of Mayon Volcano on the one-hour trip to Naga City, where we had breakfast at the Red Platter (delicious food) and had our first cup of Starbucks after one day . . . an eternity for coffee junkies like me (this is the only Starbucks in the entire region, so better come warned). The restaurant staff suggested Caramoan if we decide to come back. We visited the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Basilica Minore on our way out of the city.

We passed by St. Anne Shrine, the Leaning Tower of Milaor, reaching the Gumaca Church by lunch time, but we didn’t eat because we’re saving our hungry stomach for the crispy pata of JIJF Lutong Bahay ni Inay (Candelaria, Quezon).

We’ve estimated a total of 4 hours spent for lunch and visits in Cagsawa and various churches in the return trip. That boils down to 11 hours for the return trip, as compared to 9 hours during the Manila to Legaspi trip. On the other hand, we logged 490 kilometers for the return trip, as compared to the 550+ during the Manila-Legaspi trip. Well, doesn’t matter. What’s important is that we saw the beautiful Mayon and the awesome butanding. And we arrived home safe.

Ilocos Trip: Day 1

The first day started early at 3:00 a.m. out of Manila. This is a lonely drive for me through the North Luzon Expressway (NLE) because my companions are trying to catch up on sleep. First stop, 7:00 a.m. for breakfast at Agoo, La Union. The Jollibee is conveniently found beside the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity (Sta. Monica Parish, Agoo, La Union). Ordered food and checked the church while waiting for the food to be served. This is an important comfort room stop because the next leg of the trip is a long one.

A 30-minute stop by 8:00 a.m. at the Church of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion (Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur), a UNESCO World Heritage site. Can’t be less than 30 minutes because going up the stairs alone would take forever, for us weight-challenged at least.

Late lunch (bagnet and poqui-poqui at La Preciosa) at the designated first-day stop, Laoag City. Quick checkin at Balay da Blas to have enough time for tour at the Museo Ilocos Norte (Laoag City). We parked at the museum, then went on foot to the surrounding places of interest — Tobacco Monopoly, Provincial Capitol and the St. William Cathedral. Off to the Golden Sand Dunes (La Paz, Ilocos Norte) by around 4 p.m.

Dinner at the hotel, Balay de Blas, which allows guests to bring and cook food (we made sure to book in advance because hotels in Ilocos, during Holy Week are heavily booked). We brought adobo, bought some rice. Early rest because the next day requires more travel.

Estimated time of travel: 13 hours. Actual travel time: 9 hours, with stop-overs.

Ilocos Trip: Day 2

As the designated driver, I was the last to be waken up. They had to shower — all 7 of them — before they end my slumber. Last one to shower, first one to enter the car. Need to catch up on rest. I thought, wow, I’d do well as a long distance bus driver for an alternative career.

By 7:00 a.m., after breakfast at the hotel and checking out, we were off to the next leg of the trip, Pagudpud. All pit stops for places of interest were planned for the return trip, to enable us to enjoy the beach of Pagudpud before the sun is merciless at noontime.

We arrived in Pagudpud at 10:00 a.m. and therafter enjoyed the sun, sand and sea at the Blue Lagoon. An hour is enough. Quick shower in the makeshift shower room and we were off by 11:00 a.m. This leg definitely spills over lunch so better bring enough pantawid-gutom food. The return trip involved stops at the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse (Burgos, Ilocos Norte) and the Bangui Windmills (Bangui, Ilocos Norte).

Late lunch at 3:00 p.m. at Saramsam Restaurant in Laoag, then continue the travel towards the second designated night stop at the Philippine Heritage City: Vigan. That leaves enough time and sunlight for stops at the Marcos Museum (Bagac), San Agustin Church (Paoay, Ilocos Norte) and the Malacanang of the North (Paoay, Ilocos Norte).

By 6:30 p.m. we were in Vigan, checking in at the GranPa’s Inn. After dinner and short rest, we capped the second day with a night stroll at the famous Crisologo Street, with its cobblestones and Spanish-era buildings and structures.

Ilocos Trip: Day 3

This is the long drive home with more stops along the way. It started with a 7:00 a.m. breakfast at the Granpa’s Inn. Vigan longanisa, tapa and tocino are perfect for breakfast.

A one-hour breakfast is enough. Off to the karetela tour in Vigan. You can ask the hotel to contact a karetela tour: through Crisologo Street, to the Crisologo Museum, the Syquia Mansion, the burnayan, the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity and the St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral. Quick snacks at Cafe Leona and a bite of Vigan empanada prepared fresh around Burgos Plaza, then back to the hotel for check-out. We left Vigan at 3:00 p.m., after dropping by Chavit Singson’s Baluarte Zoo.

[Let us know if you need assistance in planning your trip]

We arrived in Manila at around 11:00 p.m. My passengers have been sleeping along the way but I don’t envy them. That’s the longest non-stop driving in my life. And I like it. Off to the next trip.

[Read also Itinerary from Manila to Bicol (Legaspi and Donsol)]

First Leg: Manila to San Pablo City

This is the easy part as we’ve traversed this road before as far as Villa Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon Province, right after San Pablo City. From Manila (or Quezon City, Makati or other areas of Metro Manila) we’ll take the SLE/South Luzon Expressway (upper-left of map) until its end, getting off at Sto. Tomas (Batangas) exit, passing by Alaminos before hitting San Pablo City (lower-right of map).

The plan is to leave Manila at 3:00 a.m., reaching San Pablo City by 6:00 a.m. This 3-hour window rules out breakfast at the SLE mega gas stations , though coffee in one of the Starbucks would take around 10 minutes of pit stop. Packed sandwiched for breakfast would do the trick in saving time. That means foregoing Seven Lakes in San Pablo City or revisiting Villa Escudero in Tiaong, as this would require getting off the car and taking a hike. Besides, these destinations deserve at least a night to fully experience and enjoy. Perhaps next time.

Leg 2: San Pablo City to Atimonan, through Lucena City

Lucena City would be the next major place of interest, but it’s only approximately 34 kilometers from San Pablo City, so we’ll skip it and add another 31 kms. from Lucena to Atimonan to complete the second leg. Why classify this is as a separate leg when there’s no plan to visit a significant place? That’s around 70 kilometers of driving. It calls for a bit of leg stretching. That’s why we call this a “leg” rather than a “phase”.

(A few suggestions later, we’re almost convinced by friends to drop by JIFJ (Candelaria) for lunch, with its reportedly great crispy pata and sinigang, and the Quezon National Park between Pagbilao and Atimonan. This leg is not as boring after all.)

Leg 3: Atimonan to Tagkawayan, through Calauag

By this time we should have gone from Metro Manila through the provinces of Laguna, Batangas and Quezon. Atimonan, Tagkayawan (approximately 81 kms. apart) and Calauag are all part of Quezon Province.

We’ve heard that traveling from Atimonan (leftmost of map) through Tagkawayan (middle of map), instead of Daet, Camarines Norte (upper side), would save around 2 hours.

Leg 4: Tagkayawan to Sipocot

The map shows Tagkayawan, Quezon (middle) and Sipocot, Camarines Sur (rightmost, though the towns of Del Castillo and Ragay). We’ve heard this is approximately 94 kms. That should require another leg stretching.

Leg 5: Sipocot to Naga City and Pili, through Masbate

Sipocot to Naga City (both within Camarines Sur), though Masbate, is merely 43 kms but we’ll consider this a leg because we’ll have to drop by the Basilica Minore in Naga City and the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) in the next town of Pili (the CWC site has useful information on bus and airline schedule). Besides, Naga to Legaspi City is approximately 86 kms so it’s better to take a break before the long drive.

Leg 6: Naga to Legaspi City

The 86-kilometer Naga (Camarines Sur) to Legaspi (Albay) leg would be interrupted by a detour a from Legaspi — for the Cagsawa Ruins.

Leg 7: Legaspi City to Donsol (Sorsogon)

It will be dark by the time we hit Legaspi. No problem because the butanding tour starts early morning the next day.

There you go, the plan. They say a plan is good only until executed. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Buckle Up

DON’T bring a gun (unless you’re an officer on duty). Remember the lawyer who recently shot two people dead? It wasn’t me, but a gun in the car messes with your head (and the lives of others). This is a holiday to remember the dead, not to add one in the list.

ALWAYS wear your seatbelt. It saves lives. Why is it necessary to pass a law to FORCE people to do something that can save their lives? Yes, If you’re not aware that there is such a thing as the “seat belt law” (the Seat Belts Use Act of 1999), now you know. =)

Make sure your vehicle is well maintained and in roadworthy condition, to avoid breakdowns and accidents.

Observe road courtesy and don’t be a careless driver. Remember to use all your signals (and remember that the middle finger is not one of them).

Follow traffic rules and signs. Follow speed limit. No parking. No overtaking. Left lane only for overtaking. SLOW VEHICLES MUST STAY AT THE RIGHT SIDE. There’s a reason why the innermost lane is clear, and that reason is not for you to crawl there.

Don’t be a juggler inside your car. Texting or talking on the cellphone, eating or reading while driving is flirting with disaster.

NEVER drink and drive. If you’ve had one too many, don’t take the risk — call a taxi or ask a friend to drive for you. Or, find a place to rest and get sober before getting behind the wheels.

Ahh, vacation. Everyone is leaving the city. This is good. I’m staying behind. I’d rather enjoy the city without traffic and congestion.

Then she looked at me again. This time only with a slight smile. Still sweet though, but with a clear sense of purpose in her eyes. It’s obvious she wants to walk towards me. Then she took the first step towards my direction. And for a second or two that felt like eternity, she was in front of me. She was still smiling. She opened her lips. Then she softly whispered: “Sir, please pull up the window shade as the plane is about to take off“.

Tsk. Tsk Tsk. And you thought it’s something else.

Anyway, this is the first and only time, so far, that we traveled with ZestAir. I’ve long heard of this airline, which used to be Asian Spirit before the purchase by its new boss, Zesto‘s Alfredo Yao. I’ve tried Asian Spirit in one of our trips to Boracay.

Once upon a time Philippine Airlines ruled the Philippine skies. Cebu Pacific gave PAL a run for its money, with Cebu Pacific’s low-fare offerings, fresh approach to service and, MOST importanly, commitment to be on-time 95% of the time. It was a great commitment, great until it lasted. I used to fly CebuPac exclusively during that time, but now I’m back to PAL.

ZestAir offers really low prices. But the biggest cause of my hesitation is the thought of this airline being untested. We fear the unknown, I’ve said here so many times. Because we were a big group on the trip to Bohol, it was only logical that we take the cheapest airline — ZestAir.

And boy was I wrong about my preconceived notions about this airline. Our trip to Bohol, serviced by Zestair’s Airbus A320, was full. Service was ok. I never had the experience of a Flight Attendant opening the lavatory door while I was heading towards it, holding a spilled milk bottle with my two hands (yes, I was with my wife and kid). At least they offer free juice (Zesto, of course), unlike CebuPac.

In my morning drive towards work, I always listen to Mo, Mojo and Grace Lee’s radio show over at 89.9 (hey Mo, will this qualify for the 500 grand?). They once spoke about ZestAir, about the clouds getting inside the plane. I thought this is just normal for propeller-type planes that go straight to Caticlan, very near Boracay (I prefer the low-altitude planes, rather than take the jet planes that pass through other airports, with a few hours drive before reaching Caticlan). If I remember it correctly somebody said something about never again riding in ZestAir.

Then lo and behold, as we were waiting at the Manila Domestic Airport‘s passenger’s lounge, we saw Mo, with a beautiful lady beside him, waiting for their flight. There are only two options — ZestAir or SEAir. Most probably they took ZestAir, on the way to Boracay. I could be wrong, of course.

We don’t know anyone in ZestAir and we aren’t paid to write this, but we thought we consumers should give ZestAir a full fighting chance to spread its wings. Forget the minor inconveniences, not that there was any that we encountered. I figure a stronger ZestAir could keep PAL and CebuPac on their toes. We consumers deserve the best service. That means a robust competition. (Read also NAIA and Manila Domestic Airports and Rate the Philippine Airports.)

Airfare, however, may be comparably the same, if not cheaper in certain instances, with that of the other modes of transportation between the 7,107 islands of the Philippines. Here are some tips.

Book in advance. We’ve already said that, but we’re making sure you remember it. Low-fare airlines offer promos in various times of the year (but don’t expect generous promos during peak seasons, like Christmas). Promos booked in advance are much, much cheaper than tickets you buy a day or two before your flight. A P1 round-trip promo will easily become a P4,000-plus purchase, one way, if you buy the ticket one day before the planned departure.

Stick to your promo flight schedule. You’re ecstatic that you’ve availed of a good promo. Then, as the day of the travel wheels (or flies?) nearer, you decide, for whatever reason, to re-schedule. This is the time when you’re going to wish to have read the fine print. Many promo fares are non-refundable and non-transferable. Which means you might end up paying more at the airline counter. It happened to me once. It could happen to you.

Take the first or last flight. Not all time slots are created equal. The first flight (which is usually before dawn) or the last flight (when half the world is already asleep) is usually cheaper than other flights. Of course, we can’t do anything if you hate to wake up early.

Take the Tuesday or Wednesday flight. Days furthest from the weekend are usually less expensive. Would you normally take a vacation in the middle of the week? Most probably you’ll say “No”. And that’s the reason why it’s less expensive.

Choose off season travel. Airlines and other carriers make a killing during peak season, including Christmas. Also, there are usually no promos during peak seasons. Worse, the sea of humanity makes the travel more, how shall I say it, challenging. So, to get away from all these, choose off-peak travel. In the Philippines, that’s June to mid-December.

If you have other tips to share, please use the comment section below. (Thanks to our friends from GoTravelBliss Travel and Tours for sharing these tips.)