Surfing at Club Manila East

Club Manila East is a resort located at Km. 24 Manila East Road Taytay, Rizal. The resort opened in 1999 with an attraction dubbed as the "Funtasy Lagoon". The Lagoon features a falls, kayaking, a 30 ft. high water slide and a kiddie pool. The attractions was in fact such a success that the management gradually added more and more attractions to the resort.

In 2007, Club Manila East, also known as CME, introduced "Beach Waves". It mimicked the waves of the ocean generating just enough for one to surf. The pool however was not huge enough to accommodate the growing number of surfers in the city.

Thus, in 2009 CME broke records with the launching of "Ocean Waves", which is currently the biggest wave pool in the country. On top of having a pool area of more than 10 basketball courts combined, Ocean Waves has also made its mark being the first surfing pool in the country with the most powerful waves of up to 1.5 meters high.

After a number of fruitful years of CME in Taytay, the resort has apparently been plagued with management issues which has greatly affected the resort's standing as a premiere attraction. Today Some amenities are poorly maintained such as broken kayak paddles and rusted knobs and locks for their cabanas. I would even have to say that from the time, the resort started, CME Taytay has already cut a good deal of employees since the entrance to the main office building has since been closed off, and only about half of the office building is now being utilized for resort management, customer service and payments. The old cashier windows has been closed and unused, same with some other amenities.

Surfing at Club Manila East

The surfing attraction is co-managed by PSA (Philippine Surfing Academy) and it is one of the most visited attractions in the resort. The trainers, apart from being a professional surfer of PSA are surprisingly well-trained as well in dealing with people of different ages, skill and, of nationality (I was with an American citizen at the time of my visit). They were very friendly and accommodating all through out.

The Ocean Wave, the pool area for surfing was huge enough to accommodate a large number of surfers. It is a very good place for people who would like to learn how to surf, and even for advanced surfers who are looking to hone their skills. As the pool is in a controlled environment, you get to have consistent waves and get to surf as much as you can within the 2 hour period.

One thing to consider is the cost of surfing at CME. Surfing with an instructor costs P1500 for 2 hours which is already inclusive of the entrance fee, while surfing without one is for P1000. However, if you are going to look at it, it is still a cost effective investment in learning how to surf since you will not have to drive out of the city for a minimum of 3 hours, check in at a hostel, and pay for meals at different intervals of the day all for just learning how to surf. In 2 hours at CME, that's enough to get you exhausted simply by just paddling out! After that, you simply get to go home and eat at your own place at your convenience.

Surfing Hours are split into two sessions:

10 AM to 12 NN and 2 PM to 4PM

A panoramic view of CME Taytay

How To Get There

Private Transport:

• From Ortigas extension ride on until Tikling. This is the junction that goes to either Antipolo or Taytay.
• From Tikling, turn right going to Taytay which is the Taytay Diversion Rd.
• Go all the way past SM City Taytay, and you should be about 2 km. away to Don Hilario Cruz St.
• Continuing on Taytay Diversion Rd., Don Hilario Cruz St. is on the right. The entrance to the street has an arc with the signage of Club Manila East written boldly.
• Now plying Don Hilario Cruz, simply drive all the way past the Rizal municipal hall. Club Manila East is to your left.

Via Commute:

Disclaimer: I drove my way from San Juan City to CME, hence I am not a hundred percent sure of how one can get there to the venue itself. The information for this commute may have lapses, but never the less, will get you close to Club Manila East.

• From Edsa-Ortigas, take the G-liner or RRCG bus lines going to Taytay. Ask the driver to drop you off at Club Manila East.
• If the bus will not reach the entrance to CME compound, get off at SM Taytay or at any point along the Taytay Diversion Rd.
• From here take the jeepney that goes to Binangonan or Angono
• Get off at the compound entrance of CME
• Going inside the compound of CME maybe tricky as I do not remember seeing any public vehicles plying Don Hilario Cruz St.
• From here take a cab.
• Take the trike if there's one plying this route.

Note that the Municipal hall is along Don Hilario Cruz St. so there should be some means of public transport going into the resort.

Club Manila East's Address is stated in their website as "Km. 24 Manila East Road Taytay, Rizal", however I found out that the address gets pinned at a different location therefore I have uploaded the exact coordinates of the the resort's location below:

View Larger Map

Expenses

Surfing: P1500 with Instructor inclusive of entrance fee / P1000 without Instructor exclusive of entrance fee.

*Optional Cabana: P1500 (Gives you a private place to stay, leave your belongings and a personal shower for you to wash up. Otherwise, you can just use the public shower.)
*For non surfers: Entrance is P375

Special Concerns

• With a approximately 7 hectares of land area, there are only a handful of employees around to assist.
• All attractions that are exclusive of the entrance fee are paid at the visitor's area so if you already have plans on what to do inside the resort (e.g.: hut rentals, surfing and zip line) you should go pay for them since it's going to be a long walk back to the entrance for these paid features.
• Bringing in food is not allowed.
• Theft and supposed inside job thievery (Particularly for locked huts) have been reported in the recent years, therefore keep an eye of your belongings at all times.
• Do not expect first class service in the area.
• If you are commuting, public transportation is a bit scarce in the area.
• Due to Lack of security, I personally do not recommend an overnight stay.

Contact Club Manila East

284-4740
284-4741
660-2801
660-2802
284-4754

You can also visit their Facebook page for more details and promotions at: https://www.facebook.com/clubmanilaeast.

~ City Boy Tripper

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Tax Remittances: Lead By Example

 "Bago mo punahin ang uling ng ibang tao, punahin mo muna ang sarili mong uling."

 

The recent advocacy of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has again earned the ire of many of our countrymen, particularly the doctors, in whom was portrayed as professionals who earn a lot, but does not remit any taxes to the Government.

I, for one, am not a physician, however, being one of the million taxpayers in this country, I do not feel even the slightest bit of confidence that the taxes that I pay goes to where it should be. I feel frustrated knowing that many of our elected officials siphon our hard earned money, only to satisfy their own selfishness and greed. And truth be told, aside from my personal belief that taxes should be deducted as a percentage, rather than by a bracketing system, if I was only given a chance, I would opt not to remit taxes myself!

We all know the story. We've seen it in the news, heard it over the radio, read it in the papers, and it has even been broadcasted all over the world. If the Government wishes to improve tax collection, the people in power should first improve their services to the people. You, who are in public service, owe the citizens for getting elected. You, the people in the government should not betray the the trust of the public. You, the people in the government should lead by example and also pay what is due. And just a gentle reminder, that You, the people in power are no stronger than the power of the people. After all, 'di ba nga kami ang boss niyo?

As the local saying goes: "Bago mo punahin ang uling ng ibang tao, punahin mo muna ang sarili mong uling."

~ City Boy Tripper

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Mt Pinatubo Crater and Lake

An Experience Unlike Any Other

Jump-off: Brgy. Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac
MASL: 960m
Hours to crater: 1 hour on the first leg via 4x4, 1.5 hours trek to the crater

Mt. Pinatubo is a volcano most popular among the Zambales mountain range, standing between the boundaries of Tarlac, Zambales and Pampanga. Prior to it's eruption on June 12, 1991, Little was known about Mt. Pinatubo and it's history. The volcano and it's surrounding area were at that time, densely forested, obscured from plain sight, and was the home to thousands of the indigenous Aetas.

The name "Pinatubo" when translated in English is "made to grow" or simply "to grow". It is said that the early inhabitants were able to witness the growth of the (magma) dome that forms in the crater prior to an eruption. The indigenous people were able to pass down the knowledge of a volcano's signs of an impending eruption through oral tradition about the story of Blit and Aglao, a local legend which was transcribed in 1915.

Panoramic view of the Pinatubo Crater

Mt. Pintaubo's eruption in June 12, 1991 dropped global temperatures by about 1°C and was the second largest eruption since Novarupta in 1912. Today, similar to the ash laden beach of Anawangin Cove, Mt. Pinatubo is considered among the top tourist destination in Central Luzon due to its history and its unique landscape which bares no likeness among the other mountains in the Philippines. Indeed, who would've thought that such a devastation could bring about an unimaginable beauty.

My First Hand Account Of Mt. Pinatubo's Beauty

Backpacking solo was something that I've planned on doing for such a long time, and have finally been able to do. Although traveling solo may not be for everyone, it does reap great rewards such as indipendency, self-reliance, and allows you to make new friends.

Meeting up with our host, Sir Mike Mariano of Extreme Outdoor Club, Our trip took as from Balintawak, Quezon City all the way to BCJ eatery in Capas, Tarlac. Here we took in a full meal for breakfast in preparation for the trek and travel, and purchased our packed lunch to be eaten upon our arrival at the creater/summit. The travel took us an uninterrupted drive of 2 hours on our host's van.

From BCJ, it was only about 45 minutes going to Brgy. Sta. Juliana allowing us to take a few photos, prepare for the 4x4 ride, and most importantly sign in some waivers, documentations, and what not. There were a couple of things that needed our written approval for since we were going to pass through Crow Valley Bombing and Firing Range. A military zone where military exercises are being held such as the PH-US Balikatan Exercises.

At 6:30 AM, I, along with 2 other solo backpackers, Beth and Gilbert boarded our chartered 4x4, 30 minutes ahead of the itinerary we were following. Military personnel made a final check on our DENR permits held by our driver, and promptly confirmed if our guide had a first aid kit with him, in which the latter confirmed. That being said, it made me feel secured and assured that the local government here are taking tourists' security and well-being their top priority over anything else.

The 4x4 ride was already a scenic drive on this leg of the trip. We were also lucky enough to see the sun rise over the ash covered mountains and hill while crossing this barren plane. As we stopped for a much awaited photo moment, a few indigenous kids were also enthusiastically awaiting tourists' arrival for them to have a photo with.

After an hour on 4x4, our ride finally ended, and our trek at last started. Luckily for me, my 2 companions were at tip-top shape. Being mountaineers themselves, we reached the crater within 1 hour and 15 minutes, and later on, our descent in just an hour.

At the very first sight of Mt. Pinatubo's Crater, I was immediately filled with awe and was simply mesmerized of the volcano's beauty. The blue sky, the clouds and the crater walls reflected clearly on the crater's lake filled up overtime by seasonal rains. The uniqueness of the scenery made us felt like being in a different country where snow capped mountains are seen from a distance. Except that in reality, these light-grey covered slopes are ash falls. A grim reminder of how catastrophic the eruption was more than 2 decades ago.

Right: 4x4 ride. Left: Red stained rocks

Left: Sylvan glade in the middle of a barren landscape. Right: Ash covered mountain walls

Left: A cross stands at the entrance of the crater. Right: A soft reminder for tourists.

Left: Sunrise at Crow Valley. Right: The solo backpackers moment

ITINERARY

* Note that if you are going to organize your own trip to Mt. Pinatubo, you would need to coordinate with the Capas DENR office first to confirm if their are no military exercises to be conducted on the date of your tour. See contact information at the end of this article.

0200 AM - Assembly
0230 AM - ETD Manila to Capas via NLEX
0400 AM - BCJ Eatery for breakfast and packed lunch
0600 AM - ETA Brgy. Sta. Juliana. Registrations and finalize arrangements
0700 AM - 4x4 ride
0800 AM - End of the road for 4x4. Start Trek.
0930 AM - ETA Mt. Pinatubo Crater
1030 AM - Lunch
1130 AM - Start descent
0100 PM - Board 4x4 back to Jump-off.
0200 PM - ETA Brgy. Sta. Juliana. Wash up
0300 PM - ETD back to Manila
0530 PM - Manila

Side Trip: A 30 minute side trip can be done to Capas National Shrine. A monument erected in memory of the infamous Death March.

EXPENSES

Private driving:
4x4: P3000 (max cap: 5)
Guide: P500
Conservation Fee + Miscellaneous: P300 + P150 = P450

For Commuting:

Bus from Cubao to Capas Junction: P170 (one way)
Tricycle from Capas Junction to Sta. Juliana: P100 (one way)

Overnight:
4x4: P4000
Guide: P1000
Military Fees: P1500

SPECIAL CONCERNS

• Since the January, 2013 drowning incident, swimming is no longer allowed in the crater lake.
• The only cover that you can get are the shadows of the mountain and slopes. Ensure that you are appropriately protected and covered from the heat of the sun.
• Though, Drinks are made available to tourists upon reaching the final 1 Kilometer of trek, and on the crater itself. Vendors sell it for a high price, hence It is still advisable to bring enough water with you.
• There is no mobile coverage past Crow Valley, all the way to the crater.

 Left: Race to the Crater Challenge. Right: Mid day return trek under the sun. 

CAPAS DENR CONTACT

Marissa Vidal: 0918 962 3149

TRIVIA

Capas is known as "The Gateway to Pinatubo" and houses freshwater lakes such as the Tambo Lake. Capas is also the final destination of the 128km long Bataan Death March from Mariveles to Camp O'Donnell. Tarlac is part of Region III, also known as Central Luzon. Other provinces includes Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Zambales.

The Pinatubo Caldera

A twister fading out in the barren plains of Capas

Acknowledgement:

Thank you for Extreme Outdoor Club for hosting the trip and for limiting participants to 15. To Mam Beth Javines and Sir Gilbert Masakayan and the rest of the participants for the enjoyable companionship and for the great photos.

~ City Boy Tripper

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