Wednesday, April 25, 2018
BEBUT’S TRAIL XVII: Who Put the “N” in Nature 6
WE VISIT AGAIN A community in Baksan, Sapangdaku, Cebu
City for our annual outreach program done every month of May, a few days before
the opening of classes. It is our own way of thanking the communities that host
our “dirt times”, a term we describe among ourselves in the Camp Red Bushcraft
and Survival Guild who dirty their hands while doing camp chores and learning
old bush skills.
Today, May 28, 2017, is our second year there. This
event which is called originally as Who Put the “N” in Nature – and still
is – started in 2012 at the former Roble Homestead in Kahugan, Sapangdaku. We
have not changed our giving hearts and our special time with these children of
the mountains who are obligated to walk long distances, cross streams and
difficult terrain in order to study and learn in school.
We are equipping each kid – all 230 of them from
Kinder 1 to Grade 10 – with notebooks, writing pads, pencils, ballpens,
crayons, scissors, erasers, manila paper and a plastic envelope. The parents
too will have their day with body pouches, household cleaning kits and sewing
kits. But before the giving, there will be a meal for everybody and
entertainment.
This would not have happened were it not for the
volunteers and our sponsors, a few of whom opt to remain anonymous. Thank you
very much to all of you for your time, and your compassion and generosity. The
images shown below told of the story about this heavenly time during the
outreach:
These are the organizations and the people who have
helped made the Who Put the “N” in Nature 6 possible:
PHILIPPINE ADVENTURE CONSULTANTS
DEREK’S CLASSIC BLADE EXCHANGE
SILANGAN OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT
TITAY’S LILOAN ROSQUILLOS
BUKAL OUTDOOR CLUB
ONDO’S ESPRESSO BAR
ELI & ABEGAIL TAMBIGA
PARK N GO BAKESHOP
DONEO HOST MAKING
WARRIOR PILGRIMAGE
ALVIN JOHN OSMEÑA
NERISSA MANLULU
MARKUS IMMER
ZUE FASHION
Document
done in LibreOffice 5.3 Writer
Photos
courtesy of Markus Immer
Posted by PinoyApache at 09:00 2 comments
Labels: Camp Red, Cebu City, charity climb, outreach, photoblogging
Sunday, April 15, 2018
THE TRAILHAWK JOURNEYS: Sumilon Island Survival Training
MY
COUNTRY, THE PHILIPPINES, is composed of many islands and it is in both the
“ring of fire” and the “typhoon belt”. Our own eastern seaboard is facing the
Pacific Ocean and is susceptible to rising sea water during climatic changes
and during catastrophes, which could induce tidal waves and storm surges. The
same with our western, southern and northern coastlines.
A
strong earthquake from across the Pacific and from any direction would generate
a tsunami, like in Southern Mindanao in 1977. A Category 5 cyclone, meanwhile,
could overwhelm large coastal cities and communities typified by Typhoon Mike
(Ruping) in 1990 and by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013. In fact, these same
calamities have struck many years ago and memories of its magnitude cannot be
appreciated anymore by this present generation.
Coastal
and island communities found in between inland seas, bays and straits are also
not safe anymore. Islands are now experiencing unprecedented great floods,
frequent landslides and massive erosion which we could very well attribute to
large-scale deforestation, unabated quarrying and strip mining. We also have a
long history of man-made disasters, ship collisions and faulty maritime
navigation and a world war which is still in our memories.
Let
us talk about the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Communities living along
foreshore areas and to as far as 1,200 meters inland were swept away by
gigantic storm surges with an untold destruction, the likes of which was never
before seen nor felt in our lifetime.
Unbelief and shock were written on the faces of every survivor. For the
first few days, there was no outside help nor contact. Communications and
transportation infrastructures were severely damaged, further isolating
surviving communities.
Food
and water ran low after two days and survivors resort to pillaging stores and
those they thought were stocking vital supplies to feed for their survival. Law
and order broke down as the stench of the dead began to add to the desperate
situation. Government control was totally absent and everyone, including the
dead, were left to fend for themselves on the streets. Anarchy ruled as armed
mobs appeared everywhere even infringing inside the sanctity of private homes.
It
was a hopeless situation for all other survivors who lived in desperate moments
day by day. Slowly, the national government with its limited resources brought
stability to some of the affected areas. The situation became normal only after
six months as international humanitarian organizations poured in billions of
dollars worth of aid, food and housing to give solace and normalcy to the lives
of the affected communities.
The
post-typhoon mayhem on the eastern coasts of Leyte was unexpected. Filipinos
are known for their tenacity and resiliency when it comes to coping with
disasters and other life-threatening moments. In such situations, they would
retrieve and utilize their primitive-living skills which they learned from the
older generations. During those desperate moments, everyone acted like feral
animals. Human decency and respect broke down.
People
seemed to have lost their will to think and resorted on primeval instinct. This
could have been avoided if they have listened to government exhortations to
abandon their homes before the storm came. Casualties would have been mitigated
or avoided. Productive skills like people relations, community mobilization and
communal survival would have lurched positively from the aftermath of the
deadliest storm of the century.
It
is situations like these that spurred me to give up the privilege of owning a
knowledge that had been bequeathed me by my first teacher – my grandfather –
and share it to people, communities, organizations, government agencies and
corporations. Even before these calamities came, I was already teaching people
bushcraft and survival. I have taught just enough and then people realized that
they have to go back to the basics.
This
survival training is prepared and designed for use in a post-disaster scenario
like storm surges and tsunamis, even consequences from a maritime accident.
This course aims to develop the participants of the basics of survival in
island and foreshore setting of sandy beaches, rocky shorelines, limited water
resources and sparse vegetation, without disregarding the proper procedures
that would ensure the chances of survival of an individual.
Preparation
for any survival situation should be given premium by anybody, regardless if
the individual is an experienced one or not. As much as we would like the
serenity and aesthetic joy and the privacy of an island surrounded by an
emerald sea, the fact is that islands present its own hazards coupled by
unpredictable weather conditions which could spawn a calm sea into a roaring
monster in just a few minutes.
I
always emphasized that a person can be an island on his own contrary to the
general idea. I would always encourage that every individual should be
self-sufficient and could sustain his ability to survive alone when facing real
survival situations. He should be able to fend for himself during the most
trying times and, in the absence of equipment, compensate this with knowledge.
Knowledge of survival skills enhances one’s standing in a group of survivors
and, through his guidance, a community could arise from despair.
My
training is designed for island visitors, backpackers, tourists, resort
workers, residents and water sport enthusiasts and would complement experience,
skill, safety and good common sense. Its main purpose is to educate and to give
an idea about what to expect when faced with a situation of survival on an
island and foreshore environment and, consequently, prepare a person for the
worst conditions.
Bluewater
Resorts, a Filipino company operating the world-renowned Bluewater Maribago
Beach Resort in Lapulapu City, the Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort in Bohol and
the Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort in Oslob, Cebu – all “green” resorts – took
a good step forward by encouraging their resort officers and staff to actively
participate in a three-day BASIC ISLAND SURVIVAL COURSE this writer had offered
for May 23, 24 and 25, 2017 at Camp Bermejo of the Bluewater Sumilon Island
Resort.
Camp
Bermejo is named after Fr. Julian Bermejo, a Spanish priest who was the
architect of the construction of a series of watchtowers in Southern Cebu that
fended off Moro raids early in the 19th Century. One of these surviving towers
is found on the eastern part of Sumilon Island. Its stone masonry withstood the
test of time as well as a few hardwood buttresses. Gone is the wooden platform
that would have supported the defenders and their instruments of warfare.
Beside
the old Spanish structure is a round concrete tower that supported a navigation
light. It is about 75 feet tall. It is not a lighthouse. Vegetation dominating
the interior of the island is a forest of white leadtree (Local name: ipil-ipil),
introduced many years ago as sanctuary for birds and to prevent erosion. Along
the edges of the island are bare rocks and pocket forests of indigenous coastal
hardwood varieties and mangroves.
A
network of paths was established by Bluewater management to access the interior
and Camp Bermejo and along the fringes to approach isolated beaches and hidden
nooks. The campsite, the lecture area and the kitchen are located near the
man-made structures of Camp Bermejo. Seven Bluewater staff attended this
training, which is geared for traditional outdoor and casual setting.
Introduction
to Survival was the first chapter of the first day, May 23, and
it is where the survivor’s mindset were explained thoroughly, along with the
hierarchy of needs and of survival nutrition. Next was Water Sanitation and
Hydration which is very important since islands and foreshore areas always
bore the brunt of abrupt changes of weather from uncomfortable warmth to
lashing sea sprays and wind chills. These places rarely host natural springs
and fresh water sources.
Knife
Care and Safety came next after lunch and siesta; and the
participants learned our country’s knife law, ethics, safety carry and use,
sharpening and proper storage. Then they get to test their dexterity with a
knife through the practical chapter of Survival Tool Making where they
carved spoons and drinking jugs from bamboo. Lectures ended at dusk.
Participants helped each other out to cook their dinner. The campfire became
the social hub of the yarns and storytelling episode which ended at around
nine.
Second
day, May 24, was a test for the participants and also was the most exciting.
They fasted that day. Their concentration were challenged by hunger, thirst,
humidity, drowsiness, annoying insects and the warm sun. First part of the
morning was the chapter on Notches. It was another practical session with
a knife but aided this time by a batoning stick. Five different notches had to
be carved from a stick with the last one needed to hold another object like a
rock or metal.
After
that, everybody relaxed to listen to the section on Foraging and Plant Identification.
They were shown photos of harmful plants and samples of simple traps and
snares. Then we proceed to Fire, Tinder and Campfire Safety. On this
episode, the participants were taught how to identify and chose the best
firewood and kindling, manufacture tinder and test their skills on the ferro
rod and the flint and steel. Later, they witnessed how fire is made through the
bow drill.
Last
lecture for the day is Food Preservation and Cooking. Their appetite for
food which were denied them became possible by cooking rice in improvised
bamboo pots. When that done, they proceed with Nocturnal Hunting. They
caught five big land crabs with bare hands and sticks. They now have food to
pair with their rice. However, we decide to release the crabs and eat food
provided by Bluewater Sumilon. They had proven their worth and the campfire was
now more lively.
Third
day, May 25, the participants packed their things and, once finished, they sat
around and listened to the lecture on Customizing the 72-Hour Bag.
Different kits and items are shown to them of what it looked like and how does
one design it to the type of environment and activity one is engaged in. Then
came Traditional Navigation. Floating on seas, constellations, the sun
and moon matter very much. Last one for the day was Outdoors Common Sense.
It talked about protection, safety, wildlife encounters and well-planned
travels.
The
day wrapped up with giveaways courtesy of Mr. Jose Neo of the Camp Red
Bushcraft and Survival Guild. A Seseblade Sinalung was raffled out and it went
to a lucky Bluewater staff. This blogger is thankful for Mr. Erik Monsanto of
Bluewater Resorts for making possible this training in a protected marine
sanctuary of Sumilon. My thanks also goes out to Mr. Neo and Camp Red; and to
my patrons whose names I carried and endorsed: Seseblades, Silangan Outdoor
Equipment, KnifeMaker, Derek’s Classic Blade Exchange, Titay’s Liloan
Rosquillos, Pacing’s House of Barbecue and Tingguian Tribe.
Document
done in LibreOffice 5.3 Writer
Posted by PinoyApache at 10:00 1 comments
Labels: Bluewater Resort, Cebu, cold weather, firecraft, knife safety, land navigation, notches, Oslob, outdoor cooking, plant ID, shelter, Sumilon Island, survival, tool making, training, water
Thursday, April 5, 2018
PURE SURVIVAL CHRONICLES: Virginio Lavilles, Defender of Bataan
IN
THE COURSE OF my life’s journey, I have met many people who were survivors of different
mishaps and catastrophes, circumstances and deprivations, wars and conflicts,
and they lived to tell their experiences, predicaments and fortunes. While
others I came across to, are witnesses of, or have been recipient of tales from
these survivors, it still are stories worth telling. I am an eager listener and
I always remember the stories very well and added these pieces of information
into my “library of self-preservation”. This blog is, in itself, a repository
of pure survival tales.
Virginio
Lavilles is my uncle. He is more known by his friends as Guy. He is the big
brother of my mother and he is popular everywhere. He is a very likeable fellow
and he has a good sense of humor. He died when I was 12 due to cirrhosis of the
liver. When he was alive, he used to come over regularly to our house to visit
us. Actually, it was the house of my grandparents. Our next-door neighbor is
his sister. But he lived in Barrio Luz and has a family of his own.
He,
along with my grandparents, my mom and my aunt, and sometimes visitors from
Bohol who were always welcome to stay in the house, would talk and reminisce
about the years preceding World War II and during those darkest of days when
the Japanese came. I always heard their stories and I became familiar with it.
My uncle was a legendary character and I find it strange that this gentle
family man was another person whom I cannot reconcile as him in those stories.
So
it goes that the clouds of war came to the Philippine Islands. The United
States, who governed the archipelago, wanted to remain neutral even when Germany
invaded Poland, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France in
September 1939 and threatened to cross over the English Channel. Japan fought a
maritime war with Russia and annexed Korea, Manchuria and Taiwan and, later, invaded
China, French Indochina, Burma, British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies.
Gen.
Douglas McArthur was mustered from retirement by the US Congress and was tasked
to plan and organize the defense of the Philippine Islands, most notably from
Japan. It was during this time that several divisions of the Philippine Army
were organized and trained for conventional warfare under the umbrella of the
United States Army Forces of the Far East or USAFFE. It would fight side by
side with American divisions.
There
were not enough men to fill up the divisions as the local populace cannot
fathom why Japan would wage war on neutral US and on the Filipinos, reasoning
that we have no scruples with Japan. It was not our war, but the US believed
that the archipelago was a very tempting prize for Japan, nevertheless, since
it would control maritime traffic and, at the same time, protect their own
transport of valuable natural resources like rubber, petroleum, lumber and
metal ores from invaded countries.
The
US and their Philippine counterpart appealed to their constituents and, slowly,
enlistment began to pick up. My uncle found himself one day in an Army
enlistment post inside Camp Lapulapu. His father, Atty. Gervasio Lavilles,
personally brought him there out of patriotic duty. The old man served once as
a Philippine Scout during World War I. My uncle was 17 when he was forced by
his father to be a soldier and became Private Lavilles.
Then
on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and, hours after that,
declared war on the USA. The following day, Japanese planes went south, bombed
and strafed all military and vital civilian installations in the Philippines
everyday. The US and Philippine forces were caught flatfooted and it became
inevitable to everybody that Japan did not give a damn about no scruples and
all. Everybody now wanted to join the Army.
Trainings
and preparations were doubled and rumors of Japanese landings came from all
directions. The populace were agitated and some abandoned the urban centers for
the countryside. On December 22, 1942, the Japanese landed in Lingayen Gulf and
the real invasion began. It was a very strong force. All opposition wilted
before the fighting prowess of the Japanese, many of whom were veterans of
jungle warfare in French Indochina, Malaya and Borneo.
Pvt.
Lavilles and his unit were deployed to Luzon to face this invasion force. Gen.
McArthur activated War Plan Orange 3 and all units proceeded to the Bataan
Peninsula to lure the force of Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma there instead of
destroying Manila and exact needless civilian casualties. The lines were set
and fire and steel rained against each other. Mechanized warfare overran
trenches and flesh as the discord of war placed everyone in a state of shock
and madness. I heard these words from my dear uncle:
“I
lost many of my friends. I just could not easily accept it and continued to
deny, even to this day, that they died. They were very alive. They were of my
age. We even joked a few hours before and smoked our last cigarettes when the
bombs came. It was hard to accept. I would ask God, why not me? I lost my
appetite after that and kept thinking of them and then the bombs would come and
I forgot about them for a while…
“The
explosions shook the earth and you hold on to yourself for dear life, wishing
you were in another place. You are scared, angry, thirsty and your adrenaline
is up. Your stomach is in a knot. You felt the hunger but you have no taste for
it. There is no way, no chance, to place a shot at your enemy. Somewhere
infront of you are Americans and Filipinos. I was counting the days when I
would find the chance to kill a Japanese soldier or be killed…
“Living
among the dead in the trenches was overpowering. All what was left of your
former comrades lay grotesque and horrid. A few of them had half of their faces
blown away; many lost limbs; a lot got half of their bodies burned and a lucky
few, they just died as if in a state of grace. They all lay there and you moved
carefully not to step on them until the front became silent and they were taken
away for burial. Streaks of blood on the earth remind you that they were still
there.”
The
defensive lines of Bataan retreated every week but it was enough to stymie the
timetable of the Japanese. They were expecting half-hearted opposition just like
they encountered in China, French Indochina, British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies. They
even overwhelmed the Royal British and the Royal Dutch forces. A feat which
surprised even their military strategists and they were now using the same
tested tactics in Bataan.
Weeks
went by and it became March and the defenders of Bataan could not be dislodged
easily. Japanese casualties were heavy. It was a stiff price since it claimed
their most battle-hardened veterans. Reinforcements of fresh troops came and
replaced battle-worn units. The Japanese now have total air superiority during
this time and more ships supporting their infantry target the rear and the
supply lines of the defenders.
The
Japanese kept up the pressure, importing more troops from Korea, Malaya and
Indochina. The defensive lines broke and became pockets of resistance. One
pocket resisted and shrunk in size until it held the heel of Bataan. Resistance
was futile as enemy opposition surrounded them from almost all sides, except
where the side of Corregidor Island is facing.
“I
remembered that day of April 9, 1942. It was the saddest day for us defending
Bataan with all of our lives. We lost so many and yet it was not enough. We ran
out of heavy rounds many days ago and we fought bravely with small arms against
overwhelming odds. We were left to our own wits on the field. Scrounging for
rifle bullets that a comrade left behind. There were no more food to eat, no
water to drink. It was a very hot day…
“Infront
of us was the enemy. Their tanks advancing slowly. My commanding officer handed
me a piece of paper and a white cloth tied to a stick. I was chosen because I
was the youngest and, perhaps, the dumbest private. Against my will, I climbed
up slowly from the fox hole and raised my arms slowly and walked uneasily
forward. I could have pissed right there as all Japanese weapons were trained
on me…
“Then
a Japanese officer motioned me forward. I stepped a few more paces and told to
stop. A Japanese underling walked past me and kicked the back of one leg and I
went down to my knees. He snatched the paper and gave it to his superior.
Another soldier kicked me from behind and I fell face flat on the earth and
then he pumped a rifle butt on my head. It hurts but it hurts more that you are
now a defeated adversary and a POW.”
All
told, there were around 10,000 Americans and about 58,000 Filipinos as
prisoners of war. These survivors would be forced to march from Mariveles,
Bataan to Capas, Tarlac on what would be known in history as the Death March.
It is a walk of more than 90 kilometers, most of it on roads under a sweltering
heat of the day. Only the fittest and the most adaptable would survive this
infamous chapter.
The
forced march, under the threat of death, started on April 10. The prisoners
made it in five to twelve days to San Fernando, Pampanga. In between were rests
under the heat of the sun, deprived of whatever shade. Whatever valuable items
that prisoners possessed were confiscated and, ultimately, they had only the
shirts on their backs, their trousers and their boots. Instant death came to
anyone who possessed Japanese property.
Many
more would succumb to exhaustion and poisoning caused by swallowing dirty food
and water. Death could also come from the bayonets given to one who was now
incapable of walking or in the act of escaping or accepting something from the
civilians like food and water. By the sheer power of parched thirst, prisoners
would have no other choice but drink water whenever they find it like ponds and
canals.
“After
the formal surrender ceremony, the gravely wounded and those that could not
move were placed separately from the rest. I believed they were all dispatched.
Regimental lines were formed by company strength. We were told to march and
marched we did. The Japanese marched with us with their bayonets attached to
their muzzles and ready for the kill. They would threaten and kill you if you
just stared at them or out of sport…
“I
looked for any opportunity of escape but I found none. Some of our comrades
were lucky to escape unnoticed while a great number got caught and dispatched
right away with machine guns, rifles and those long bayonets. An American beside
me was able to catch a ball of sticky rice thrown from out of nowhere and
everyone placed their dirty hands on it, including me, and devoured it without
a trace…
“We
do not know where we were going but we know that the battlefields were much
easier living than be a POW of the cruel Japanese guards. I was consoled by the
presence of so many Cebuanos. We goad each other out and that gave me strength.
Being a prisoner is not that bad, after all. You retained your self-esteem and
I am proud to be with these brave Americans and Filipinos. I would not have
this if I entertained of deserting my comrades during the early days of battle.
Surely, I would never be forgiven by my father.”
When
the sickly masses of POWs reached San Fernando, they were all hauled in to
waiting locomotives, packed tight inside livestock and freight box cars, to
Camp O’Donnell in Capas. There were few engines and there were many prisoners.
The Japanese did not expect that many. Many more succumbed to asphyxia,
complications from infected wounds and extreme heat.
Camp
O’Donnell used to be a camp of the Philippine Army’s 71st Division. The
Japanese found use for it as a concentration camp for POWs. The billeting was
expanded to accommodate close to 70,000 prisoners, well beyond their expectations.
Light materials made of bamboo and palm shingles were constructed to house the
unexpected number. Operating the camp was a logistical nightmare for any prison
administrator.
“I
was in one of these bamboo structures. It was very small for the 200 of us. We
slept sitting down on the hard ground but we were allowed to stretch outside
during daytime. Many of us would be on work detail and we dug holes with sticks
and bare hands. We were fed little rice and a little soup. A rat straying into
our room would be a great feast. It was cool during the night but when it
rained the bare floor would get flooded and, God knows, how many would piss on
the seats of their pants…
“The
stench was overwhelming as weeks became months. What were once men were now stick
men. The spaces between us were not tight anymore and air could move around us
this time because we are now so thin. We could even sleep horizontally five at
a time for an hour every four days. Little comforts like that made your life as
POW bearable. I am glad we had officers. It became a fashion in camp to wear
ragged oversized clothes. Of the original 200 many died but many prisoners
arrived and we are packed to square one…
“One
day after Christmas Day 1942, I was conditionally released from Camp O’Donnell
with a signed agreement that I would never fight again the Japanese and I would
report every week to the military administrators where I lived. Those from Cebu
were herded and packed into military transport to Manila and then put on a
steamer bound to Cebu. It was a happy moment of my life that I get to see again
my friends and neighbors but absent among them were those that paid their
ultimate sacrifice for freedom in Bataan.”
Private
Lavilles eventually rejoined his father and sisters in Bohol in June 1944 and
joined a guerrilla unit. When the Liberation forces came, he went out of hiding
and fought side by side with Americans again in Cebu. After World War II, he
was honorably discharged from the Army and worked under his father who
established a law firm. Later, he worked under the City Government of Cebu.
He
most likely experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after the war. Memories
of departed friends and comrades and the brutalities of war might have been too
much for him to bear and caused him to drink excessively almost every day.
Alcohol intoxication might be his own method of coping with the post-battle
stress. At that time, PTSD was still under clinical research and it was only in
the ‘80s that this medical condition was properly treated.
He
died on November 20, 1975. He was 53. He was survived by wife Lourdes and children
Alice, Albert, Michael and Patrick.
Document
done LibreOffice 5.3 Writer
Fifth photo
grabbed from WorldWar42.blogspot.com
Sixth photo grabbed from PacificWar.org.au
First and third photos grabbed from
BataanSurvivor.com
Fourth photo
grabbed from Imminent Threat Solutions
Second photo grabbed from KRQE News 13 | Associated Press
Seventh photo is a snapshot of a page of Bridging the Generation Gap by author Magdalena Loredo Lometillo
Eighth photo from the Lavilles Family Archive
Posted by PinoyApache at 09:00 1 comments
Labels: Bataan, Death March, survival tales, war stories, World War II
Sunday, April 1, 2018
PECHA KUCHA NIGHTS
ANOTHER SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT.
Another
set of a paying crowd listening to a sunburnt relic talking about cold
mornings, bad breakfasts and irate people.
Like geeks to a Greek?
No.
Not this time, dude. This one’s more chic and metropolitan.
They
know a little Greek and some highland yells, I think?
Yeah,
they do not come to hear me but they also want to know of other people making
good and having fun in their own fields of expertise. I just share the stage
time with eight other distinguished individuals.
I
am invited to Cebu’s own PECHA KUCHA NIGHT at its 17th sequel. Ms. Regil
Cadavos made that possible.
I
will be talking about meself in ASPACE BAR Cebu at the Crossroads, Governor M.
Cuenco Avenue, Cebu City on May 18, 2017. I am asked to provide twenty photos
of me, my work and my Thruhike of the Cebu Highlands Trail which I just did in
27 days churning mileage of around 400 kilometers. No cold mornings, bad
breakfasts and irate people to talk about this time. Maybe, not a good idea.
I
need to describe each photo in not more than 20 seconds.
That short?
Hmmm,
that would be 20 by 20 equals 400 seconds or 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
I
think, I got myself cut out for this thing? Like that 20-second rule.
Why?
You
see, I used to get the whistle for hugging the ball for more than 3 seconds
inside a shaded lane. Sometimes I do not and it is a big thing if I made a
shot. 2 points to my name. A few times, a bonus shot from the line.
They
don’t print your scores in the sports section now, did you know that?
But this ain’t basketball, dude!
Okay.
No defenders to worry. Yes. Well, ah, but, ah, okay…there is still a crowd. They
don’t throw bottles, do they? But I would be willing to be hit this time with…ah…crumpled
bills. Do they do that here?
Ooops!
My name is called and here goes:
PHOTO
1: As a Husband and Father.
PHOTO
2: As a Writer and Blogger.
PHOTO
3: As a Wilderness Guide.
PHOTO
4: As an Explorer and Adventurer.
PHOTO
5: As an Outdoors Educator.
PHOTO
6: As a Knife-Rights Advocate.
PHOTO
7: As an Amateur Radio Hobbyist.
PHOTO
8: As a Pioneer of Modern Philippine Bushcraft.
PHOTO
9: As an Actor for a Reality Survival TV.
PHOTO
10: As a Product Tester, Reviewer and Endorser.
PHOTO
11: As a Resource Speaker.
PHOTO
12: As the First Person to Hike Through Cebu.
PHOTO
13:
PHOTO
14: Day One – Start of Thruhike from Liloan, Santander.
PHOTO
15: Day Eight – Foot Blisters Treated at Mantalongon, Barili.
PHOTO
16: Day Eleven – Halfway Point of Thruhike at Cebu City.
PHOTO
17: Day 12 and 15 – Crossed Big Rivers in Cebu City and Balamban.
PHOTO
18: Day 21 – Lost 30 Pounds at Kanluhangon, Tabuelan.
PHOTO
19: Day 22 and 23 – Lost in the Wilderness of Doce Cuartos Mountain Range.
PHOTO
20: Day 27 – End of Thruhike at Bulalaque Point, Maya, Daanbantayan.
Don’t you want to go back what you
missed?
Like
what?
You failed to talk about PHOTO 13.
Look
dude. You’re not supposed to talk about 13. That’s bad luck!
But…
Okay.
Okay. I tried but I stuttered.
Promotional graphic by Pecha
Kucha Cebu|ASPACE Cebu|_COLLAB
Photo No. 3 courtesy
of Jad Tupaz
Photo No. 11 courtesy of Markus Immer
Photo No. 12 is a design by Ronald Abella
Photo No. 11 courtesy of Markus Immer
Photo No. 12 is a design by Ronald Abella
Posted by PinoyApache at 09:00 0 comments
Labels: Cebu Highlands Trail, exploration, speaking engagement, talk circuit, thruhike
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