Entrance to Laiya Coco Grove (San Juan, Batangas)

So we take a dip. Some dip their spoons in cold halo-halo. Others take a dip in swimming pools and go woohoo in water slides, like in Splash Island.

Some choose the beach. For those from Metro Manila, the more accessible beaches are in Subic and Batangas.  What works for one may not work for others. Take, for instance, the beach resort in Laiya, Batangas — the Laiya Coco Grove.

The Coco Grove was not our first choice (see separate article on Summer Getaway to Laiya, Batangas). As in life, we oftentimes don’t get what we originally planned (which happens, in travel terms, if you don’t book in advance during peak season). But it may also happen that the happy coincidence turns out to be a welcome surprise. As Kung Fu Panda’s Master Oogway had said: “There are no accidents.” (Ok, enough rationalizing our failure to book in advance.)

Poolside Room at Laiya Coco Grove (Batangas)

Coco Grove has a 250-guest capacity (which, we were told, could actually balloon to a 900-person limit). This means it’s probably open when smaller resorts are fully booked. This also means that it has lots of space to move around.

With an overnight rate of P5,400+ for a couple, Coco Grove is a bargain. The rate is inclusive of buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, with our kid free of charge. Don’t expect the food to be as mouthwatering as in, say, Golden Sunset. Food in Coco Grove is ordinary.

This beach resort is nestled in a grove of coconuts, complete with bamboo “walkways” at the top of the trees (to enable harvesters to move from one tree to another without climbing the tree every time). In the photo below, you’ll see the coco trees, with the volleyball court in the middle, the dining/function area at the right, and one of the treehouses at the left (with a great view of the beach and the sunset). Beach volleyball would not be as hot (I mean, sun-hot, not swimsuit-hot, if I’m making any sense) with the coco leaves providing some shade.

The room we got is not exactly new, but clean. It’s  conveniently located in front of the swimming pool and a stone’s throw from the beach. No water heater or intercoms, in case you ask. No TVs, either. But you don’t go here to watch TV. You go here to sleep, er, commune with nature and enjoy outdoor fun.

Coco Groves at the Laiya Coco Grove

But it’s ok to sleep because it’s quiet at the Coco Grove. You could lazily lounge at the porch or serenely sunbathe, free from the crowd. The place is huge so there’s no crowding among guests. No drunk patrons belting “My Way” at the karaoke or videoke. All you’ll hear in the morning are the occasional shrieks from the kids enjoying themselves at the swimming pool. At night, you have the geckos and the night birds as background. For parents and for lovers, that’s a nice place.

Swimming Pool at Laiya Coco Grove (Batangas)

The Coco Grove has its downsides, of course, and we’ve already mentioned some.  If you intend to go on swimming at the beach, there are better swimming areas (choose the area between Kabayan Resort and Acuatico). The waters fronting Coco Grove’s beach is not as pristine as the others. But did I mention that there’s a big swimming pool? Good enough for us, especially for our kid.

Should you check the website of Coco Grove, remember that it doesn’t do justice to the place. We chanced upon the owner during dinner and suggested that they revamp the website. He said it’s ok — it’s better, he said, to hear people say the place looks much nicer than what’s depicted at the website. Good point.

The Coco Grove is far from perfect. It has its pros and cons. But it saved our Laiya trip from becoming a disaster. And it delivered more than that.

Entrance arc at Laiya, San Juan, Batangas

First discovery, and I feel like an idiot with this, Laiya is a place in San Juan, Batangas, and not the name of a resort. All this time I thought Laiya is a resort, one with white sand different from the not-so-sandy beaches in Batangas (think Eagle Point or Leisure Dive Resort). Laiya is littered with resorts along a whole stretch of beach. I also discovered that even with the number of resorts dotting the place, overnight check-in accommodations (as opposed to day tour/trip) could go fully booked during peak seasons. Like this time of the year.

Beach at Laiya, Batangas

Day tour guests could rent a cabana for the day, then go home before sunset. That’s less costly. Because not all beaches in Laiya are created equal, survey the scene before picking a spot. Each resort has pros and cons. I took a walk along most part of the Laiya beachfront and found out that some beach fronts have great waters and better sand (Virgin Resort and Kabayan Resort, with the latter more exclusive and less crowded than the first). Some are more expensive. Some won’t allow people to pass through the beachfront.

Portion of Beach in Laiya, Batangas

The beach in Laiya is really good, but to manage expectations, let me say that it’s not as spectacular as Pagudpud, Boracay, Panglao or Palawan; the sand not as white and the waters not as clear. The sand in Laiya ranges from a mix of black-gray to white. Not much water activities like banana boat or parasailing. But the problem with Palawan, Bohol and Boracay is the distance from Metro Manila. Batangas is just a three-hour drive through open tollways and smooth highways. Laiya is a good place to go for people who want simple summer beach fun.

Coming from Manila, take the South Luzon Expressway (SLE) and drive until the end, the Sto. Tomas exit. Just go straight towards the direction of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, and, before reaching Sto. Tomas, turn right at the entrance of Star Tollway (the least congested tollway, I must say). Take the Ibaan/San Jose exit. Don’t make the mistake, like I did, of driving all the way to the end of Star Tollway (but with practically no traffic, you’ll forget to take off your foot from the gas pedal). From there you’ll pass by Ibaan, then Rosario, finally San Juan. That’s where Laiya is found. You could also check the maps conveniently provided in the resort websites (like here). Or simply ask the friendly Batangas folks along the way.

Fishing boats on white sand at Laiya (San Juan, Batangas)

Our original choice was either Acuatico or La Luz, both of which looked good on their respective websites (and actually looked good when we checked them). Our backup plan was to scour Laiya if these resorts are fully booked, which we fear they would be (Acuatico weekends turned out to be fully booked until May, wow!). Worst-case scenario is just have a day tour, enjoy the day on the beach, then take the 170-kilometer drive back to Manila. I don’t mind the drive — the winding roads, the golden leaves and the smell of crisp, smog-free Batangas air provide some level of comfort to the city-charred nerves.

Sand-coated Ford Escape in Laiya, Batangas

The search turned out well, not because we found a good  alternative to stay in, but because it was the closest thing to offroad driving I could have (I know, it’s nothing compared to what hard-core offroaders do, but it’s the nearest thing my wife would allow me to make the vehicle suffer). Speeding through stretches of dirt roads off the highway. Potholes around the corners. Tight turns, between coconut trees and what have you, alternating with rocky open fields. Plumes of white smoke as the wheels grind on segments of loose cement-like white sand. I could go on searching the whole day and I wouldn’t mind. Except that our kid is with us.

And so after an hour of having offroad fun (at least for me), we found a vacant place — the Laiya Coco Grove (the website doesn’t do justice to the place, something we told the owner when we met him by chance during dinner). Now, before going any further, let me say that what works for one may not work for others. Let’s have a separate post for Coco Grove (click here).

Sunset at Laiya Coco Grove Batangas

Then there’s the sunset. We know that Batangas offers great sunsets, just like in Calatagan. We’ve featured the Golden Sunset Resort in Calatagan which offers much more than a thought-provoking vista of a golden sun: the food is great and the landscape is immaculately manicured (or shall I say pedicured?). Too bad I missed the sunset in Laiya by just a few minutes, so all I have is this photo. Now, try to imagine that view 5 minutes earlier. Can’t? Go here and look at the Golden Sunset.

We didn’t get to enjoy Laiya as much as we wanted to. There was a tsunami warning that made us think twice about going to deeper waters (I know Batangas is not covered by the Tsunami Bulletin issued by Phivolcs, but it’s better to be safe than sorry). While we’re at it, let me say that I didn’t notice any tsunami evacuation path prominently marked in the area. Maybe I just missed it. Or maybe they have to get serious and put something there.

Still, Laiya is a place I’d willingly go back for more. We simply didn’t have enough time to explore it. We didn’t have enough information on what to look for. We really have to back.

Then I met Mary Grace. My wife introduced me to her, actually. I don’t need a conversation to keep me awake on the wheel in long drives. All I need is my music and enough food to last the trip. Chichirya and easy snack foods best serve the purpose. So as we were about to depart for Laiya, Batangas, I got my first bite of Mary Grace Cheese Roll.

This one has a huge hollow middle, the space where the cheese was lodged before it was melted. A huge hole means that they probably used a bigger chunk of cheese. That means a really full cheesy flavor, perfect for those who love cheese. I would prefer tasting the ensaymada first, so I could compare its taste with that of Must be Mom’s, Razon’s or Muhlach’s. But we don’t get to choose when we are the recipient of others’ generosity. Cheese Roll, it is.

Mary Grace Cheese Roll

I surmise that the dough in this Cheese Roll is like the ensaymada – the consistency and taste is like ensaymada, except that it has a real cheesy core. But until I sink my teeth on the real thing, this is just a guess.

Mary Grace Cheese Roll, with individual wrap

And the only way to find out is to taste it. I was told there are outlets in Trinoma and The Block (SM City North EDSA). Maybe one of these days I could convince myself to go visit the mall. Or you could tell us if you’ve already tasted it.

Saturday, 27 February 2010: We had a nice, leisurely drive towards the place  and after scouring the area for a place to stay (which reminds me to remind you that you should get a reservation before heading to wherever you want to go), we unpacked our bags and attacked the beach. The resort has no TV in the rooms, which is just right, I thought, because one comes to the beach to soak the sun’s rays or simply catch the salty breeze. We didn’t come here to watch TV.

Except that if we had TV, we would have known earlier that at around the same time we checked-in, a 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Chile, which resulted to tsunami warnings in Pacific countries, including Hawaii, Japan and, of course, the Philippines. Good thing bloggers have laptops even on vacation.

Tsunami travel time from Chile earthquake (courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Hawaii already issued evacuation orders. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has issued an advisory for areas at the eastern side of the Archipelago to prepare, but no evacuation order just yet.

The estimated tsunami travel time chart indicates that a tsunami MAY hit the Philippines after around 22 hours from the time of the earthquake. Hopefully it would reach this part (or any other parts for that matter). But even assuming the work case scenario that it will have some effect here, there’s still enough time to take a last dip when the sun rises three hours from now. The estimated arrival time of the first tsunami waves, according to Phivolcs, is between 1:00 p.m. to 2:30PM (Philippine Time) on 28 February 2010 (Sunday afternoon).

Or maybe we should pack up and go home first thing in the morning. Just to be safe.

The Tsunami Bulletin reads in full:

27 February 2010, 3:10 PM

TSUNAMI ALERT LEVEL 1

Standby for Possible Evacuation

A strong distant earthquake occurred NEAR COAST OF CHILE at 02:34 PM (PhilippineTime), located at 36.1 ºS, 72.6 ºW with depth of 55 km and a preliminary magnitude of 8.5. An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that canstrike coastlines in the region near the epicenter within minutes to hours. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii will monitor sea level gauges nearest the region and report if any tsunami wave activity is observed.

PHIVOLCS Tsunami ALERT Level is 1. NO EVACUATION ORDER is in effect but communities along the east coast of the country (listed below) are advised to wait for further information and to prepare for possible evacuation.

Coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean of the following provinces should keep watch:

Batanes Group of Islands

Cagayan

Ilocos Norte

Isabela

Quezon

Aurora

Camarines Norte

Camarines Sur

Albay

Catanduanes

Sorsogon

Northern Samar

Eastern Samar

Leyte

Southern Leyte

Surigao del Norte

Surigao del Sur

Davao Oriental

Davao del Sur

Be safe, everyone.

It’s not a crime to sing. This is true even in the Philippines, where singing is taken seriously. It’s a national hobby. You ever wondered why Wow! Magic Sing microphones are selling like pancakes (or shall I say, fishball)? Everybody loves to sing, except, perhaps, me. Although I love singing, it’s a one-way relationship.

Anyway, I recall someone was stabbed in a Malabon City karaoke bar and another shot dead in San Mateo. Both victims were singing the all-time favorite karaoke song – Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”. It’s not known as the “killer song” for nothing. Apparently, the other patrons disliked the victim’s rendition of the song. Everyone knows (if you don’t know it yet, try singing “My Way” in a karaoke bar) that many have been stabbed or killed because of that song.

Filipinos love to sing and that’s regardless of one’s singing prowess. Singing is in the same league with “texting” when it comes to popularity in the Philippines. “My Way,” on the other hand, is easy enough to sing and it’s not surprising that it’s a popular choice. Heck, I could even sing that song, but, of course, I won’t. It could be irritating to hear someone singing it worse than you do. It could be irritating to hear so many persons belting it, badly, after you and so many others have sang it, probably also badly. That, and the alcohol served in karaoke bars, are the perfect ingredients for disaster.

I heard “My Way” had been removed from karaoke machines in certain bars, but this may not be enough to solve the problems because there are other “killer songs.” If you know such songs, let us know. Let’s start with the following:

My Love Will See You Through
One in a Million

To be sure, the stabbing or shooting incident was not the first. And it’s not going to be the last. The moral of the story? Sing at your own risk.

Sounds really deep, huh? These are the words of a wise tortoise, named Master Oogway in the animated movie Kung Fu Panda (kids seem to have this tendency of watching the flavor-of-the-month cartoon over and over again, wait till you have your own).

15th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

That line doesn’t squarely apply to what we’re about to discuss, but it somehow is related. Besides, it’s more impressive to start an article with a nice quote.

Anyway, what I’m trying to drive at is this – we sometimes discover things that we won’t have discovered if we didn’t get lost. Doesn’t make any sense? Let’s put it another way. I’m sure we all experienced a time when we keep on looking for something, but we can’t find it. We spend the whole day looking for it, but we still can’t find what we’re looking for (I guess this is common, even U2 titled a song from this). Then the moment we stop looking for it, we find it.

Have that kind of experience? Good. It’s a bit like that, except that in this case, it’s about something that you weren’t looking for in the first place. Still doesn’t make any sense? Let me just describe it.

Clark Cemetery in Clarkfield, Pampanga

It was a sunny morning, a leisurely drive into the labyrinth of roads within Clarkfield (Pampanga) after a hearty breakfast at the South Luzon Expressway (SLE). We were looking for the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), a task which should be easy considering that we’ve been here a couple of times. That includes visits to Montevista/Mimosa, Clearwater Country Club and, of course, the fun experience at the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. Incidentally, the 15th International Hot Air Balloon Festival, scheduled from 11-14 February 2010, is fast approaching. You should go there.

That time was the first we’re actually going inside DMIA. We made it a point to leave early from Metro Manila, even if the DMIA is just an hour’s drive away, to make allowance for the possibility that we’ll get lost. And got lost, we did, which is not really a bad thing because, one, we had plenty of time to kill, and, two, we stumbled on something interesting.

Death March Marker in Clark, Pampanga

But let’s backtrack a bit. As noted in a previous article, it’s easy to know that Mt. Samat is near — you’ll see the Dambana ng Kagitingan even from a distance and you’ll see the Death March markers along the way.

When Bataan fell on April 9, 1942, it was just a matter of time that the last Filipino-American stronghold in Corregidor would fall. The Philippines would commemorate April 9 as an annual holiday – Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor, also known as the Bataan and Corregidor Day. On May 6, 1942, after months of heavy bombing, the little island of Corregidor surrendered.

Around 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers surrendered. Only around 54,000 reached the destination after what is now infamously known as the Death March.

Many more died in the prison camps. The more than 100-kilometer walk was characterized by inhumane physical abuse and murder (click here for more story).

Today, the path of suffering is marked by white markers, designating the kilometer number. The intersection that leads to Mt. Samat is Kilometer 19.

Unknown Dead at Clark Cemetery

Kilometer 100 is in Clark, marking the entrance of the Clark Cemetery. This cemetery is the final resting place of around 7,559 individuals (World War II casualties were relocated in Fort McKinley, which lies between Makati City and Taguig City) — those who died from the Philippine-American War, Spanish-American War, their civilian family members, some remains of non-WWII Japanese civilians, Philippine Scouts, Chinese/Vietnamese refugees.

More than 1,600 individuals are still unidentified, their graves simply marked as “Unknown”. It’s no surprise that many of us wouldn’t know this place exists, except by accident. (Or, ahem, when you’re subscribed to this blog.)

And they’re all found in Cebu because they have no choice but to stick in one place — they are prisoners in a maximum security prison better known as CPDRC — the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center. Here’s their latest group production, Michael Jackson’s’s They Don’t Really Care About Us.

We first noticed them, of course, when their dance video of Michael Jackson’s Thriller exploded in the internet. While we don’t know what they’ll come up next, at least we know that they have other productive things to work on. So, should you visit the Philippines and, for some reason, get thrown in jail, perhaps you could request that it be in CPDRC. Who knows we’ll see you in YouTube one of these days? Just kidding.

Added: Some say it’s ok for the inmates to have this kind of activity, consistent with the rehabilitation thrust of the penal system. Some say this is insensitive to the victims/families of the victims of crimes committed by these people. What do you think?

Jollibee!!!!

Jollibee visiting kids in hospital during a birthday party

That would be the answer of my 4-year old son, delivered with a shout, a jump, a raised hand, a huge smile and a twinkle in his eyes.

The mascot of Jollibee, the largest fastfood company in the Philippines, is a livewire bee. Yes, McDonald’s seems to be the preferred fast food for the members of the upper socio-economic bracket, but Jollibee is bigger than McDonalds in the Philippines.

More importantly, my kid – and many other kids for that matter – love the round bee than Ronald. I’ve read an article about babies and kids having a preference for round-shaped objects and it’s no wonder that Mickey Mouse is, well, round and plump.

I’ve seen the Jollibee mascot countless of times in the countless children’s parties I’ve attended, four of which are for my son. The mascot, even if from different stores, seems to have the same level of energy and the same capacity make kids love them. I must say that the training for the mascot seems to be great (I must also say that I’m not paid for saying all these things).

Jollibee comforting kid in hospital

But it doesn’t end there (my first choice of words is this – “But wait, there’s more”). What I admire about the mascot is its willingness to go through hoops and obstacles to spread smiles on the faces of children, even those in pain.

The last two birthdays of our son, with Jollibee as the usual guest, were held in the same children’s ward of a hospital. There’s more to spaghetti, chicken, hamburger or french fries. The jolly bee would not only go through his usual dance routine, it would also go and interact with the kids – each and every one in the entire children’s ward.

Now, mind you, this is not an easy task. Tubes, cables and steel beams are everywhere. There are more than 50 kids to go to. There is no break. Yet the jolly bee continued on its task of making each kid smile.

I don’t really know if the people under the mascots are compensated enough. I don’t really know if these people hear “thank you” often enough. I do know that I want to say thank you to them and to the jolly old bee that makes the children happy.

Agas-agas Bridge (Southern Leyte) covered in fog

It was raining when we landed in Tacloban City, the capital of Leyte province. Dizziness is expected with a 4 a.m. flight, especially after a night of drinking in a belated Christmas party, but that was not enough to stop me from seeing the Agas-Agas Bridge, a good 2-hour drive from Tacloban City (though I must say that it’s unfair for these airlines to make us wake up in unholy hours for early flights, yet consistently taking off very delayed).

We were fortunate that the rain stopped about thirty minutes from the bridge, at around 8 o’clock in the morning. With the sun already up, I thought it would be a perfect time to have a great view of the bridge and the whole view. Green mountains with sheer drops. Perhaps a glimpse of the little water cascades (“Agas” means “flow” in the Visayan dialect. The concrete road in this area was constantly destroyed by the mini-waterfalls that flow here, carrying with it boulders and sand. A detour would add around 2 hours of travel time, which is why bypassing the most destructive part, even if the project costs around a billion pesos, makes perfect sense).

I was mistaken. When we reached the bridge before 9 a.m., it was still blanketed with heavy fog. Visibility was down to a minimum.

Support of Agas-Agas Bridge in Southern Leyte

Some places are easy to remember – Cebu, Manila, Quezon City, Boracay, Davao, among others. You probably haven’t heard of Southern Leyte, although this is quite ironic since you most probably heard of Limasawa Island, the site of the First Mass in the Philippines. Limasawa Island is found in Southern Leyte.

There’s a controversy, of course, stemming from Butuan’s claim that Limasawa is not really the site of the First Mass, attended by no less than Ferdinand Magellan, the man who “discovered” the Philippines.

Fog at Agas-Agas Bridge

No matter what’s the outcome of that controversy, it’s beyond dispute that the Agas-Agas Bridge, with a height of 90 meters, is the tallest bridge in the country. It’s located in Brgy. Kahupian, Sogod, Southern Leyte. Our travel was like hitting two birds with one stone, or two bridges with one travel, because when you land in Tacloban airport, the San Juanico Bridge — the longest bridge in the Philippines — is just around 10 minutes away. Agas-Agas Bridge is 350 meters in length.

It’s a perfect location (and it’s intended by the local leaders) to be a tourism magnet, as a place for extreme sports such as bungee jumping, zip-line rappelling, paramotor, downhill skateboarding. I was, in fact, expecting to see at least bungee jumping when we get to the bridge, but I learned that the sports infrastructure is still in the process of being finalized (though you could see the platform for bungee jumping, protruding at both sides of the bridge).

Non-rigid steel connection between main bridge and approach

After more than a 2-hour drive from the airport, what do you get? A full bladder. We were happy (the women in the group were much happier) to learn that there are clean restrooms at the southern end of the bridge. There’s also a structure for a restaurant, with wide parking areas and viewing decks. It should really be a great site once it’s fully operational.

I would definitely go back here, but just to see the place. I can’t imagine myself doing bungee jumping, going off the side of the bridge with nothing but a special rope and lots of guts. That would be insane. But wouldn’t that be extremely fun? Let’s see (if I change my mind about trying out bungee jumping).

Anyway, it wasn’t all that bad even if the fog partly covered the view. Looking at the other side of the bridge gives you an eerie feeling that some unknown underworld creature would suddenly jump out of the mist and devour you (sorry for an active imagination, perhaps the Lord of the Rings has something to do with that). That, in my opinion, is only fitting because a lot of unknown potential (tourism-related or otherwise) lies in this bridge, and the entire province in general. We’ll see you in the bridge one of these days, perhaps in an international competition or something. Let’s see (if that happens).

Children in ghost costumes on Halloween celebrations

We didn’t have Halloween parties in the province, back when I was young. We didn’t go for trick-or-treat. We observed undas, though. Either we had a very out of touch province or this is a western concept, more accepted in centers like Metro Manila. This doesn’t mean, however, that we had a short supply of ghost and horror stories.

In the Philippines, we have the usual aswang (witch), bampira (vampire), tikbalang (a centaur, they say, but it’s not the same), manananggal, maligno, engkanto, duwende (dwarf or elf) and a host of other out-of-this-world creatures. People love to hear stories about these creatures. Ghost stories, for short.

The problem with ghost stories, is that it’s usually told by someone who heard it from someone. I bet that if we systematically trace the “someone”, it will end up nowhere.

Many, however, have personally experienced supernatural phenomena. The closest encounter I had, for instance, is seeing with my own eyes a lady possessed, allegedly by demons. She was a silent lady back in high school (I wonder why all persons I’ve heard to have been possessed are the silent ones), living in a dormitory around ten meters from our house. Six men were holding her down on her bed. One for each limb. One holding the head. One holding the body. It’s easy to see that the collective strength of these six huge men is equal to the strength of that little lady, who by then was already shouting at the top of her lungs — er, “his” lungs.

It was a male voice. I was there. The priest came and in the process of exorcism, the voice alternated between male and female. He said he would take her. She said she’s tired and she would just go. The priest said no and read some passage from a black  book. I said to my classmates, “enough, let’s go home now.” Me and my cousin shared the same bed for a month after that.

I know there are many skeptics of exorcism and evil possession. Yes, there are scientific explanations. But, as I said, that’s the closest experience I had. Not that I want any experience other than that one.

Perhaps you have a PERSONAL experience with the third kind, I mean, those from the supernatural world. Tell us through the comment section below.