My Mindanao Adventure

My Mindanao Adventure

By: A. Tan

• Kalilangan Festival of General Santos City
• Lake Agco of Mt. Apo Kidapawan City
• Lake Sebu of South Cotabato
• Gumasa Beach of Glan, Sarangani

Kalilangan Festival, General Santos City

Day 1

We left Manila at 6:55 AM via Cebu Pacific Air and arrived at General Santos City, the Tuna Capital of the Philippines, at 8:45 AM. Before we started our itinerary, we had a short rest at Phela Grande Hotel.

Our first activity is to attend the famous Kalilangan Festival 2014, the 75th anniversary of General Santos City. Kalilangan Festival is a celebration of the history and culture of General Santos City. The street competition that shows the life of its inhabitants namely Muslim, Manobos, B’laans, Tagabilis and other native groups was the highlight of the closing program.

The high regards of the place to its tri people namely Moro, Christians and Lumads strucks me the most. The inhabitants of the city are sensitive to the culture, belief and faith of each other. We had dinner at grab-a-crab restaurant together with union officers of the different campuses of Mindanao State University and then capped the night with a coffee at the hotel.

Lake Agco, Mt. Apo, Kidapawan City

Day 2

On our second day, we left the hotel at 6:30am and arrived at Kidapawan City by 9:00am. While my boss was in a meeting, I went to Kidapawan City Local Tourism Office to inquire and reserve for our Mt. Apo climb this coming May. The local city tourism officer was very accommodating. She even invited me to the Sadawa Festival, a means of promoting the city and the responsible hiking in Mt. Apo.

After my Boss' meeting, we headed to Lake Agco, a sulfuric lake located at the foot of Mt. Apo. I was so amazed with it as it was a lake so hot that I even imagined boiling an egg just by immersing it in its boiling waters. We had a short dip and steam in an area fit for bathing and it was truly relaxing. We traveled back to General Santos City at 3:30pm and reached the area by 7:00pm. We had dinner at Gusteau crab located in front of SM Gensan then headed back to the hotel.

Left: Ago Mahamanoy Mountain Resort Right: The sulfuric Lake Agco

Left: At the Ancestral Grounds of MADADMA. Right: Souvenir shop

Lake Sebu, South Cotabato and Gumasa Beach, Sarangani

Day 3


We headed to Lake Sebu at around 8:00 in the morning aboard a private van. But one can commute from General Santos City to Lake Sebu by riding a bus to Surallah, then taking a van from Surallah to Lake Sebu.

Lake Sebu is one of the best places I've ever seen. One of the best features of the place is the Mystical 7 Waterfalls. We also tried the Seven Falls Zipline, the highest in Southeast Asia for 300 pesos. You can have a copy of your picture while riding the zipline for an extra 100 pesos for soft copy, or for 150 pesos soft and hard copy.


After our unforgettable Zipline experience, we went to falls no. 1, the best falls I've ever seen so far, then headed to Punta Isla to have lunch and try boating at the lake. Since Punta Isla is known for its Tilapia, we tried different varieties of Tilapia available on their menu. We headed back to General Santos City to buy our provisions for our planned overnight in one of the resorts in Gumasa, Glan, Sarangani. After everything was prepared, we proceeded to our favorite resort, Isla Jardin. Unfortunately the resort was fully-booked that night and they referred us to Rosal Resort instead. Rosal Resort compared to Isla Jardin is a bit pricey. I was not convinced at first because 3,300 pesos a night for three pax is quite expensive. But since we didn't have any other option, we took the room that was offered. I thought Isla Jardin was better, but when we explored the place, I must say that it was also a paradise.

Left: Mystical 7 Waterfalls. Right: Punta Isla

Left: Shot taken during the zipline. Right: At Mystical 7 Waterfalls

Rosal Resort offers white sand, bluish and greenish crystal clear water and very calm and relaxing surroundings. Gumasa is a pristine beach paradise that everybody will love and enjoy.

Left: Boracay-like sand. Right: A different kind of sunset at Gumasa  Beach

Clear and pristine waters

We sat on the sand and enjoyed our cold beers. A vendor passed by carrying a huge fish, the kind of which I do not know. Since I was so ecstatic with everything about the place, I took an opportunity to have my photo taken with that big fish. I originally wanted to carry the fish but it was way too heavy for me to do so, therefore I ended up holding it upside down instead with its snout touching the ground. The people there told us that they can still catch these huge fishes in the area which is to me, a good sign that the place isn't exploited yet.

We spent the rest of the night at the shore drinking, chatting and relaxing until we tire ourselves out.

Homeward Bound

Day 4

We woke up a bit late the following morning but still had enough time to swim and walk along the shoreline. We saw a few locals and some foreigners in the area. We headed back to General Santos City to buy frozen tuna as pasalubong. There are so many stores selling frozen tuna in General Santos City, one of which is Citra Mina. Just tell them that you will be bringing the tuna in Manila and they will gladly pack it appropriately for you so that you can have it checked-in at the airport.

After purchasing frozen tuna, we again had lunch at grab-a-crab restaurant and went straight to the airport to catch our 3:00 PM flight back to Manila.


How to Get There and Other Useful Tips:

• From Manila, just take any airline going to General Santos City. It is highly advisable to take advantage of promo or seat sales since air fares to General Santos is one of the most expensive domestic flights.

• From General Santos City, you can take a bus going to Davao City and get off Digos City Terminal. Take a bus going to Cotabato City and just ask the driver to drop you off at Kidapawan City. From here, take a habal-habal (single motorcycle service) to Lake Agco, Mt. Apo. Another option is to simply take a van going to Kidapawan City.

• To reach Lake Sebu, take a bus going to Surallah then van to Lake Sebu. If you plan to stay for a night at Lake Sebu, you can go to Punta Isla. They offer affordable accommodations overnight.

• You can rent a van or commute to reach Glan, Sarangani. From General Santos City, take a van or habal-habal then tell the driver to drop you off at any resorts along Glan (I personally prefer, Isla Jardin and Rosal Resort).

Read More

Mt Daguldul and Naambon Falls

Mt. Daguldul and Naambon Falls

San Juan, Batangas
Major jump-off: Brgy. Hugom, San Juan
MASL: 672
Hours to summit: 5 hours
Specs: Minor climb
Difficulty: 3/9

By: A. Tan

Mt. Daguldul or Daguldol is one of the few mountains in Luzon that has a jump-off that is close to the beach. This coastal mountain standing approximately 672 meters above sea level is also a part of the mountains connecting the Lobo-San Juan Mountains which includes Mt. Naguiling.

The mountain features, Naambon Falls, rolling slopes and a refreshing swim at the beach.

"We started our journey by meeting each other at 8:30 AM in KFC Buendia. We then headed to the JAM liner terminal to take a bus going to Lipa. We departed from Buendia by 9:00 AM and reached Lipa City at around 11:00 AM.

We had a short restroom break, and then rode a jeepney going to San Juan. It took us 45 minutes to reach San Juan Market. Since it’s almost lunch time and everybody was starving, we decided to have our lunch in one of the karinderyas near the market. While the others were ordering food, we went to the market to buy our provision for our planned overnight hike.

After our lunch, we immediately headed to Bgry. Hugom and reached the area at almost 2:00 in the afternoon. The jeepney brought us straight to the registration area. We settled our registration fee for 35.00 each and paid the 350 pesos guide fee. There was an option to have the guide stay overnight with us for a fee of 700 pesos but we saw that there were a lot of mountaineers so we just decided to have the guide accompany us only in going up.

We started trekking at around 2:30 in the afternoon; the first part of the trail seemed like a never-ending path of sand which I found very exhausting. It took us approximately 25 minutes to get passed the last beach resort which I believe was La Luz, and about another 5 minutes to reach the foot of Mt. Daguldul.

According to some blogs / pages that we visited when we were researching about the mountain, the trail is gradual. However, I got easily exhausted due to the sand trail which was followed by the assault trail. Another reason could possibly be my lack of preparation. We reached the famous place of Mang Lizardo, who passed away years ago according to the local who was his relative, at around 4:30 PM. We rested for a while, ate buko, washed the ingredients for the sinigang then continued hiking.

Unfortunately, the guide that was assigned to us wassn't so friendly. He kept on telling us that if we will walk on our pace the possible time to reach the camp site is 9:00 PM. We reached the camp site at half past six in the evening.

 

We immediately pitched our tents and prepared our dinner. What we apparently missed out on our research is that the place could be very cold during night time. Luckily with good food and good company, we survived the chilly evening. We had our short but enjoyable socials before calling it a night.

We woke up the next day at 6:00 in the morning just to find out that dogs have taken all our food. However the good thing is that our cooking items were left untouched. Having said that, we just drank our coffees and proceeded immediately to the summit, although, it was not the kind of summit that I imagined it to be. After a short period of taking pictures we headed back to the camp site and prepared what remained of our breakfast before breaking camp.

The trail going down was relatively easier since it seems about 90% of the trail was going down. Seeing that we were already in the area, we visited the famous Naambon falls. Naambon falls is just near the first kubo, in the Niyugan area from the jump off.

We were back in the jump off at exactly 12:00 noon. We had a short rest in one of the cottages along the beach. They billed us 100 pesos each with free use of the cottage. We were supposed to swim, but due to a very tiring hike, we just took a rest, cleaned ourselves and fixed our things.

One of the groups who rented a jeepney offered us to just ride with them. We were lucky to have paid just 150 pesos each from the jump off to SM Lipa City grand terminal. We were back in Manila at past 7:00 in the evening.

Indeed another wonderful experience in the mountain with friends!"

Significant Hours

Manila to Lipa bus ride: 2 hours
Lipa to San Juan Jeepney ride: 45 minutes
San Juan to Brgy. Hugom Jeepney ride: 45 minutes
Trek: 5 hours

ITinerary

Option #1: Camp at the Mountain

Day 1:
07:00 AM - Assembly Time at KFC Buendia
09:30 AM - ETA Lipa/ Jeep to San Juan
10:30 AM - ETA San Juan/ Jeep to Brgy. Hugom
11:50 AM - ETA Brgy Hugom/ Register/ Arrange Guide/ LUNCH
01:00 PM - Start Trek
03:00 PM - ETA mang Lizardo’s Place
05:00 PM - ETA Niyugan Campsite/ Set Camp/ Prep Dinner
07:00 PM - Dinner / Socials

DAY 2:
05:00 AM - Wake Up call (Coffee, tea or Me)
05:15 AM - Trek to Summit
05:40 AM - ETA Summit/ Sun Rise Viewing
06:30 AM - Descend
07:00 AM - Breakfast/ Break Camp
08:30 AM - Descend
10:00 AM - Back at Mang Lizardo’s Place
11:00 AM - ETA Naambon Falls
12:00 NN - Resume Descend
01:00 PM - ETA Jump Off/ Beach
03:00 PM - ETD to Lipa
04:30 PM - ETA Lipa/ Take Bus to Manila
07:00 PM - ETA Manila

Option #2: Camp on the Beach

Day 1:
06:00 AM - Assembly Time at KFC Buendia
08:30 AM - ETA Lipa/ Jeep to San Juan
09:30 AM - ETA San Juan/ Jeep to Brgy. Hugom
10:00 AM - ETA Brgy Hugom/ Register/ Arrange Guide/ LUNCH
10:30 AM - Start Trek
12:00 NN - ETA Mang Lizardo’s Place/ Packed Lunch
02:00 PM - ETA Niyugan Campsite/ Summit
03:00 PM - Descend
05:00 PM - ETA Naambon Falls
05:30 PM - Resume Descend
06:30 PM - ETA Jump Off/ Set Camp at the Beach Area/ Dinner and Socials

DAY 2:
06:00 AM - Wake Up call / Breakfast
12:00 NN - Break Camp / LUNCH
12:30 PM - ETD Jeep from Brgy. Hugom to San Juan
01:15 PM - ETA San Juan/ Take Jeep to Lipa
02:15 PM - ETA Lipa/ Take Bus to Manila
05:00 PM - ETA Manila

Expenses

* Note that the expenses are based on 10 participants

Bus from Manila - Lipa (Round trip) = 198.00 PHP

Option 1:
Chartered Jeepney from Lipa to Brgy Hugom - 4000 PHP / 10 pax

Option 2:
Jeepney ride from Robinson Lipa to San Juan and back (Round trip) = 100.00 PHP
Jeep San Juan to Bgry. Hugom and back (Round trip)  = 80.00 PHP

Registration Fee= 35.00
Guide Fee -350.00 per day / 10 pax (no. of pax is based on assumption) = 35.00
Food= 150.00

TOTAL (Commute based on 10 pax) = 810.00
TOTAL (Rent a charted jeep from Lipa to Brgy Hugom based on 10 pax) = 1,630.00

Special Concerns

• The last trip of Jam liner bus from Lipa City to Manila is 8:00 PM however you can go to SM City Lipa to catch other bus lines
• Last trip of jeepneys from San Juan to Lipa City is 8:00 PM
• Jeepneys from Bgy, Hugom to San Juan is until 12 noon but you can take a tricycle from the registration area to take you to the jeepney terminal going to San Juan
• You can also try to arrange with other climbers who rented chartered jeepney if they can still accommodate your group. This is advisable to small groups like ours.
• Make sure to keep your food inside your tent or the dogs will be happy eating your food.
• Make sure to hang your garbage bags to the trees or the dogs will scatter your garbage. 

~ City Boy Tripper

Read More

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

Read More

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

Click icons below to Share Article:

Read More

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

Read More