2021-041 | ADRENALINE ADVENTURE HIKE: SEGMENT III

BOUYED UP BY THEIR SUCCESS of Segment I in February 2018 and Segment II in May 2018, Team Adrenaline Romance and Friends is on the right track to making their bucket wish of the Cebu Highlands Trail doable. They are now ready to snare the third pennant – Segment III – this August 18 and 19, 2018. It had become a commitment. A concrete undertaking which they now have the feel and the grasp. 

We started from the Cebu South Bus Terminal at 05:30 bound for Mantalongon, Barili; the terminus of Segment II. The blogging couple, Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei, were excited of another opportunity of another outdoor exercise and witness the other side of Cebu that have been denied them. With them were Apol and Kier and both are multi-disciplined outdoors enthusiasts just like the couple.

 

The bus dropped us off at the Mantalongon Public Market at 07:40 and we immediately searched the place for something to fill our tummies. We found one small family-run eatery, still closed, but through our urgings, opened prematurely to accommodate us. We ordered a breakfast of steamy fish soup, local noodles, omelet with bitter gourd and rice. 

Segment III starts from Mantalongon, Barili and goes south to Mantalongon, Dalaguete. Normally, this walk would have taken me three days but, Team Adrenaline Romance decided to lengthen the mileage on the second day to compensate for waiving out the third day and reserved this activity for two days instead. That was the plan. 

We started at 08:25, going by way on a path at the back of the market which led to a low range of hills which barely had tall trees. The sun was very warm at that hour but, looking back to where we had come from, the valleys beyond Mantalongon were still shrouded in mists. We arrived at a dirt basketball court for it was shady and stopped here for a while to munch on iced candies. 

After 15 minutes, we continued and arrived at Hunob Elementary School at 09:45. We were in Guadalupe, Carcar City and, where the unpaved road meet an asphalted one, we would be walking all the way through on the “Vegetable Highway”, a provincial road constructed in the ‘90s designed to open up a corridor where produce from mountain farms can now be transported and sold.

When we walked for about thirty meters on the road, we were overtaken by a team of police personnel on motorcycles. They were from the Carcar City Police Station and they were commanded by their superior to escort us along the way. We were embarrassed about such kindness and special attention on our cause. We tried to free them of such responsibilities but they were adamant. 

When we were walking for about five minutes, a police patrol vehicle arrived with armed policemen and what seemed to be four more full-packed soldiers. They were from the Barili Police Station and they were here on the same purpose as that of the Carcar policemen. They came to reconnoiter our presence and, once satisfied, they went back their way and will wait for us once we cross the border in Barili. 

Could their sudden presence somehow connected to a suspected Abu Sayyaf member recently apprehended in Carcar City for keeping a cache of firearms and explosives? I doubt that they were profiling us because of that. Anyway, I never walk among the hinterlands, much less guide people, without making courtesy calls on Capitol and the Cebu Police Provincial Office. These are my cornerstones of safety. 

Anyway, the cops from Carcar would sprint away on their motorcycles ahead and leave us to our own company. The “vegetable highway” is so beautiful on a stretch where it goes into a small valley and up in Napo, Carcar City. On the roadsides are fruits from the milla milla vine which sustained us and relieved our parched throats caused by our physical activity, heavy loads and by the warmth of day.

 

When we arrived at 10:30 in a place called Lamac, in Mayana, Barili, the cops and soldiers from Barili took over from where the Carcar policemen left off. We plead with our new escorts to rid us of their duties but, just like the previous team, they insisted and even invited us to ride while, they, would walk. We gave up. We invited them, instead to lunch in a corner store where there is a videoke. 

When we started to move out at 11:30, after our siesta, we discovered that the police patrol was gone. At last, we can walk freely. No sooner have we gone for a few minutes than another police vehicle arrived with flashing blue-and-red lights. They were from the Sibonga Police Station. Again, we pleaded to them to rid us off their watch and, again, they swore to protect us as best as they could.

We dropped that idea of walking in solitude as the police patrol followed behind us in a crawling pace. We were obliged to move faster. The secret to the success of walking the Cebu Highlands Trail was not about brisk walking and having the strength to withstand the rigors of terrain difficulty and distances. It was leisurely walking. I designed the CHT for the average hiker and for practicality’s sense.

 

Since the first hour, we applied pressure on our pace due to the presence of policemen up ahead waiting for us or crawling behind you. When you are in that state, increasing the pace, you are bound to injure a muscle or a leg joint, you rest sparingly, arrive early on the first few hours and, mysteriously, an event which I could not explain, you would lag behind your itinerary as the day wears on.

In Segment I, we were ahead of schedule from 30 minutes to even as early as 90 minutes because, well, we walked slowly. In Segment II, we were behind by 30 minutes most of the time on the first day due to a late start but we maintained it without thinking so much about our delay and rewarded for it by enjoying the views, lots of rests and evened the day at the last hour without being stressed. 

Haste makes waste and causes grief to so many. I am always guided by this. Although we arrived at Lamac and enjoyed our lunch earlier by 30 minutes, it was caused by pressure. Such abnormal conditions on our pace would take effect later in the day or, perhaps, the next day on the weakest among us. We arrived at Basak, Sibonga at 12:30 and we were entertained by village officials with cold soda drinks.

 

We overextended our rest time to 30 minutes and have to resume our journey. We arrived in Libo, Sibonga at 13:50 and we stopped for a while to let Team Adrenaline Romance study the terrain before them. What they saw was a wide valley and a peak in the distance. I told them that we would arrive on the foothills of that mountain before dusk. They were in a state of unbelief for it was very far. 

We crossed a highway and were now in Papan, Sibonga, following the same “vegetable highway”. This time it is unpaved and it relieved our feet from walking to so many hours of asphalt pavement. We get to enjoy the scenery of picturesque farms and the rural communities, notwithstanding the company of our police escort. At 15:00, we were now in Bae, Sibonga and, not far, would be Argao.

We arrived at another highway, crossed it, and we were now in Mompeller, Argao. It is 15:45. Our kind and patient policemen from Sibonga Police Station passed their responsibilities to their counterparts of Argao Police Station and the 7th Regional Mobile Battalion, who all were waiting. We were placed in such an awkward moment with this lavish show of force and concern accorded on us. 

The village council of Mompeller had been expecting us and we were welcomed to stay at their multi-purpose building. The cops from the 7RMB soon left on their 6-by-6 truck when they saw that we are now secure and safe while the Argao policemen would stay and sleep with us. Meanwhile, I secured a 5-gallon bottled water from nearby for our cooking and drinking.

The building is an unfinished structure but it is big enough to accommodate the tents of Gian Carlo and Kier. Apol would opt to hang in her beloved hammock on the posts near the tents. I chose my spot on the farthest end where a narrow space is found between fence and the health center. The cops has their hammocks too and would crowd next to mine later. 

When everyone settled down, it was time to prepare the food for our dinner. I met and had a talk with the new village head and the few people that I have befriended while I passed by here. I slept here during my route exploration in February 2015 and during my seventh day of my Thruhike in January 2017. We ate at 19:00 and slept late due to unexpected visits by locals who were curious of our presence. 

We woke to a fiery-red sunrise on our second day, August 19. Immediately, the tents were dismantled to give space for cooking our breakfast and for our packed lunch. We left Mompeller at 07:30, thanking the village officials for their hospitality. Only the two cops from Argao would go with us. I advised them not to follow us but move on ahead and wait to save on fuel which they did. 

This arrangement would be advantageous to us since we would not be pressured by somebody “minding” behind you. Anyway, yesterday’s condition, as expected, took its toll on Sheila Mei, who suffered from muscle cramps. The availability of the Willys patrol vehicle allowed her to transfer her bag there and she walked on bravely without a load on concrete road.

Along the way, as we approach Tulang, Argao, she could not force herself forward for it was very painful. Just in time, the Jeep passed by and she has to submit to the will of her physical condition and left Gian Carlo and company. After 15 minutes, we were reunited with her in Tulang where there were locals cooking just-harvested corn on embers and we joined them in the humble feast eating corn. 

After 20 minutes of rest, we continued on our journey while Sheila Mei remained as passenger of the police patrol jeep. We still have a long way to go. We increased our pace as if the police were right behind us. Apol and Kier would not mind. They are used to it. Gian Carlo probably would adjust easily since he does not worry about Sheila Mei. 

We arrived early at Alambijud, Argao at 09:15 but it is just a drop in the bucket for this day. We could only shave a few minutes from an expected hike which would last through near midnight. When your mind is focused on one thing you tend to ignore the scenery or appreciate it half-heartedly. At 11:00, we were now ahead of the itinerary by 30 minutes and took an early lunch at a public market of Bayabas, in Cansuje, Argao. 

Despite the stressful thought of an extended walk, I insisted that we enjoy a full hour of rest. By 12:00, we were raring to cross to Dalaguete before dusk but we still have a long way to go. For as long as Sheila Mei recuperates in the police jeep, we have a chance we would reach Mantalongon, Dalaguete at around 20:00. We were now in Butong at 13:15 and stopped to rest at a heritage tree. 

Next was Linut-od, Argao which we copped at 14:15; then Bala-as, Argao at 15:15. Here, we rested for a full 30 minutes to prepare ourselves for the nocturnal hike by eating bread and dousing ourselves with cold soda drinks. This time, Sheila Mei would be joining us. At 15:40 we crossed over to Manlapay, Dalaguete and a lone policeman from the Dalaguete Police Station would be our escort.

We passed by Maloray, Dalaguete at 16:30 and Ablayan, Dalaguete at 17:45. The hard pavements, walked since morning, began to take its toll on our feet. Apol and Kier, used to foot racing, ran ahead to lessen the pain. Sheila Mei cannot keep up with the pace as her cramps recurred every now and then. Gian Carlo and I had to rest when she stops. 

After a very brave effort, Sheila Mei with Gian Carlo and I arrived at Mantalongon at 20:30 or an hour-and-a-half behind schedule. We were all tired and we decided not to pursue our plan of going home to Cebu City tonight. We asked the village officials if we could spend a night at their village center which they consented. Immediately, we prepared food for dinner and ate it at a late hour of 21:30. 

At 04:00 the next day, August 20, we left Mantalongon and rode a bus bound for Cebu. We arrived at 08:30 and, I know, all of them would time in for work later and I could just imagine how they would manage to retain their balance and composure as they try to focus on their work with all those pain they incurred hiking Segment III.

I have mentioned the commitment of Team Adrenaline Romance of their wish to harvest the CHT this year or the next and they now are now beginning to assemble their own map of where their direction as adventure bloggers go. Segment III is not for the weak of tenacity and determination. The couple have it, exemplified by Sheila Mei who never wavered in her resolve to end this segment, with injury or not. 

Team Adrenaline Romance have proven that they are as tough as anybody else on any given weekend. Segment I, Segment II and Segment III were one hell of a route. If you combine the three and clinched it in your belt, you could make it with the rest of the CHT. They now have amassed a total of 166.56 kilometers or 37.5 percent of the CHT and expect them to finish the year 2019 with Segment IV. Hopefully.   

Let me then give this space my sincerest thanks to the special attention heaped upon our event like Hon. Governor Hilario Davide III; to Police Colonel Edgar Allan Okubo of the CPPO; to the chiefs of police and their men coming from Carcar City, Barili, Sibonga, Argao and the 7RMB. The same goes to the officials and residents of Basak, Sibonga; Mompeller, Argao; and Mantalongon, Dalaguete; for their Cebuano brand of hospitality which is second to none.  

Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei wrote about their Segment III experience on the Adrenaline Romance Blog under two installments: 

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment III: Barili to Mompeller.

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment III: Mompeller to Mantalongon.

2021-037 | ADRENALINE ADVENTURE HIKE: SEGMENT II

AFTER TEAM ADRENALINE ROMANCE wrapped up Segment I of the Cebu Highlands Trail last February 25, 2018, it is expected that their next target would be Segment II. Unlike Segment I, Segment II is not divided into two sub-segments. It starts from where Team Adrenaline Romance left off last time for its first day and goes all the way south to Mantalongon Barili on the second day. Hopefully.

 

We choose May 18th, 2018 as the first day. The blogging couple, Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei, were there in the early hours at the Cebu South Bus Terminal. They were joined by Apol and Halourd. We left Cebu City at 05:30 bound for Lutopan, Toledo City. By 07:30, we were now at Lutopan and took a quick breakfast by the roadside. We hardly rested after and decide to proceed slowly at 08:15.

We followed down this highway to a corner where there is a feeder road to Bunga, Toledo City. It is already 08:32 and we are behind schedule by twenty minutes but it is not a big deal. No need to hurry. We checked our things for the last time before proceeding at 08:40. Remember, we finished Segment I in just a leisurely pace and got rewarded for that by bettering our itinerary by 30-90 minutes.

So, on we went, following this road in Bunga under the brunt of the sun, paved most of the time, but we were rewarded with native flowering trees growing along the road, since May is the month where almost all tropical plants became productive. The ricefields, which used to be Lake Bunga, are bare. Further up ahead, we stopped by to see the smaller Lake Poog, which still has water. 

After a 15-minute rest we continue over the rolling terrain until we came to a vantage point where we could clearly see Canlaon Volcano without its ever-present mantle of clouds. Ahead of us, the road tilt downhill for a good half-hour of walking but awed at the limestone rock formations which are good spots for rock climbing, especially at a monolith I referred to as “King Kong Rock”. 

This same road, I walked during the tenth day of my Thruhike of the CHT last January 2017, but in reverse, which was about 45 minutes from the bottom to the top. I had carried much heavier load then. It was harsh but it was necessary. Repeated again during the fifth day of the Camino de Santiago last July 2017. My load were the same as today but, just the same, it was harsh, even without.

Anyway, we were approaching Lamac, Pinamungahan. We passed by a local resort at 10:30 and stopped to rest and rehydrate with water and soda drinks. We did not tarry long for we were a half-hour behind schedule. We did not even enjoy that sight of a wonderful waterfall dropping from out of a cave. We followed the same road but, this time, many of it unpaved. 

It is a rural area where swamp buffaloes lay half-submerged in streams amidst the flat fields of rice whose tops are heavy and ready for harvesting. This rough road of dirt and gravel ended on a grassy meadow where there is a big tamarind tree bearing many fruits. We were now in Sibago, a very remote village of Pinamungahan. We decided to stop under the shade of the tree at 11:45. 

Since it was very warm, we decided to stay for 15 minutes to recover our strength because it would be uphill this time. A trail would pick up our route where the road ended. Halourd, Sheila and Apol, meanwhile, made themselves busy picking tamarind fruit from the drooping branches heavy-laden with fruits. 

Where the road ended, a trail picked up our route. The path goes up winding among big rocks. A few trees afforded shades but we pushed on. Despite the heat of the mid-day, we were consoled by a beautiful view of Lamac Valley from a higher elevation. We arrived at a road and crossed it and we are now in Bugho, San Fernando. Time is 12:30, good enough for lunch. 

After that much needed rest and a good dose of soda drinks, Team Adrenaline Romance went on with new vigor to finish the day starting at 13:30. We are still a half-hour behind schedule despite the many and long rests and the deliberate slow pace we churned. A trail opened before us but this one was different. It was carved by the sleds of so many generations of swamp buffaloes. 

Welcome to the “Carabao Highway”. It goes on a roll over easy rolling terrain with magnificent views of the valleys of Magsico and Anislagon. We were traversing on a long ridge and you could feel that you were in the middle of Cebu. Both Tañon Strait and Bohol Strait could not be seen as these were totally blocked by hills east and west of us.

We arrived at Tubod, San Fernando at 15:15, our campsite, and I immediately set out to the task of making a courtesy call to their village head. After finding their head unavailable after a lengthy walk, I proceed to look for the nearest residing village councilor. Fortunately for me, it was the next house. I got the lady councilor’s consent and I walked back another kilometer and set up our shelters. 

Tubod’s location is very remote. What it has is the elevation which gave you magnificent views of two valleys and a refreshing natural spring which gave the village its name. The water source is the center of the village where a community stage, a basketball court and a chapel are constructed nearby. I have slept here just once during the exploration phase of Segment II last March 2012. 

While we were in the middle of our cooking for our early dinner, a village official arrived and opened their chapel for our use. We were welcomed! I transferred my hammock inside the chapel as well as that of Apol’s. The chapel was big enough to accommodate the tents of Halourd and that of Gian Carlo and Sheila. We ate our supper at 18:00 and observed taps at 19:30. It rained at 23:00.

 

I woke up to the crowing of the cocks at 04:30 of the second day, May 19th. Sunrise was early but our location was wrapped in fogs. Sheila, Gian Carlo and Apol gets busy with our breakfast while Halourd tinkers something from his kit. The mist begun to dissipate as the sun lorded again the skies and then I heard a familiar noise of a drone which I never thought would be found here. It was Halourd’s.

It rose over us and moved forward then right and left in a semi-circle. It remained steady for a few seconds then it slowly went down guided by remote. In mid-air, it wavered and slapped a branch of a tree and crashed on the concrete basketball court. Pieces of it separated and we retrieved all, except one. There was a glitch in the software. Nevertheless, it provided a most magnificent footage of Magsico valley. 

We took breakfast at 06:30; then we broke camp. We bade goodbye to the residents at 07:30 and proceed on the second half of Segment II. We followed a road that goes on a long and winding way among hills and picturesque farms. We passed by Balungag, San Fernando and took a brief rest to rehydrate. Over rolling terrain, so remote and unmarked by humble homes for long stretches, we find solitude where only the songs of birds broke the silence. 

We arrived at Calidngan, Carcar City at 09:15 and, here, habitations were now grouped and, for just short stretches, another community. Here, we walked concrete pavements again which added to the warmth of the day. In Buenavista, Carcar City, we stopped to rehydrate with soda drinks. Motorcycles and Suzuki multicabs compete for road space and you have to give way.

We arrived at Valencia, Carcar City and decided to eat our lunch at 12:10 on a family-run eatery on a road junction. We enjoyed siesta for an hour and resumed our Segment II walk at 13:15. The world seemed to be on fire. Heat bounced off the concrete pavements producing glare and sweat-rimmed eyes. By the time we reach a place called Tapal, we took rest. Here, breeze were plenty. 

The road, this time, was unpaved but lacking in shades for most of the way. On a bare stretch, we found refuge underneath a water apple tree (Local: tambis) and, here, Halourd, Apol and Sheila took their fill of its fruit just like yesterday’s tamarind. We cannot combat the heat of the day but make light of it by foraging fruit and enjoying it. 

As the sun reached mid-afternoon, the shady places became scarce. Then I noticed something moving up ahead and it was gone when I focused my attention on it. Then there it was again and it was a blur of yellow. A bus! We are now on the verge of approaching the Carcar-Barili Highway but it is still far away, maybe two kilometers more to walk. 

The presence of the highway consoled everyone that we are now ending our journey in a matter of a half-hour, maybe less. Everyone were suffering from feet blisters and they felt that they not make a fuss out of it; shoulder aches from carrying too much load; and that unrelenting warmth of a mid-afternoon. The more pressure we placed on our strides the nearer those buses whizzing by up ahead.

We reached a road corner and we are now on the national highway. It is 14:30 but it is not yet over. We have to walk to Mantalongon Public Market, to claim the pennant of Segment II, which we did at 14:45. We waited for these buses which, an hour ago, have been calling our attention from a distance, tempting us to walk faster so we can have our dream ride. In reality, they have no seats for us!

We hired an empty tricycle, thank God, and it brought us to a bus stop in Carcar City. From there, we were able to ride but we found ourselves standing along the aisle. By and by, some passengers disembarked, Sheila and Apol first got the seats; then Halourd, then Gian Carlo. Last was me and it was already near the Cebu South Bus Terminal. Loser’s luck! 

Segment II was not an easy route despite it being walked on roads most of the way. Some of these roads were trails when I explored it in 2012. Although the terrain is rolling and scenic, there were parts where there were hard uphill climbs. It has an approximate length of 47.81 kilometers. The terrain, the climate and the distance is the least of your challenges. The biggest challenge is you. 

Team Adrenaline Romance, toned by Segment I, developed that stamina and discipline and that mindset which only long-trail hikers could understand in Segment II. They now ratcheted a total of 112.41 kilometers for Segment I and Segment II and claimed 25 percent of the Cebu Highlands Trail. They were not in a hurry but the CHT is a bucket list and they are committed to claim that bragging right sooner than you would expect.

Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei wrote about their Segment II experience on their Adrenaline Romance Blog under two installments:

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment II: Lutopan to Tubod. 

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment II: Tubod to Barili.

2021-009 | PINOYAPACHE IN A TOURISM PROGRAM

IN 2019, THIS BLOGGER was part of a team of resource persons contracted by the Department of Tourism, Central Visayas Region, to train, educate and enhance community guides of the different local government units (LGU), whose tourism programs are focused on adventure or cultural or both. This national project is called the Tourism Industry Skills Program (TISP) and was implemented by every region since 2017.

DOT-Central Visayas did not fall behind and, in fact, it was running in full steam. Credit that to its Regional Director, Mr. Shahlimar H. Tamano, and the equally hard-working duo of Senior Tourism Operations Officer, Ms. Cynthia O. Monzon, and Tourism Operations Officer, Mr. Eli John Eduave. They were able to assemble a veteran team composed of tourism service specialists and outdoor educators and they were Ms. Agnes Tuling, Mr. Ruel Rigor, Ms. Rosebelle Daculan, Mr. Ramon Vidal, Mr. Randy Salazar and mister yours truly. 

Many aspiring community guides participated in the TISP. Those who passed the series of tests and evaluation given by DOT-Central Visayas are issued special tourism guide license, which scope are confined to the LGU where they belonged or recognized thereat as a community guide. The license gives the holder legitimacy to undertake work of a community guide and, therefore, protects the tourists and their LGU from fly-by-night opportunists. 

The following are the LGUs that have benefited from the TISP offered by DOT-Central Visayas. Each has its own existing tourism programs based on its identity which had already been carved from or associated with the landscape and the landmarks and these had made each LGU unique and worth a visit. This writer would add his personal observations, in italics, as you sift through each LGU on the visit of Team TISP. 

MUNICIPALITY OF BADIAN

Province of Cebu

August 17-24, 2019 

ATTRACTIONS: Kawasan Waterfalls; Matutinao River; Lambug Beach; Badian Island; Osmeña Peak; Candung-aw Peak and Tañon Strait. 

ACTIVITIES: Canyoneering/River Trekking; Swimming/Bathing; Picnic; Snorkeling; Hiking/Camping; Zipline Gliding.

TISP was held at Eskapo Verde, an eco-tourism resort located on an islet off Bugas, Badian. The area is conducive for learning since it is accessible through a 250-meter long bamboo walkway over an estuary where mangroves grow, far away from the Cebu Southwest Road. Accommodation for the DOT-Central Visayas TISP Team was also in Eskapo Verde. 5 stars out of 5.  

Eskapo Verde is a perfect magnet to develop and to include water sports, like kayaking and stand-up paddling (SUP), into the tourism map of Badian LGU. Besides, the five small islets and a half-buried shipwreck all in close proximity to Eskapo Verde is also another venue to develop a new tourism activity of mangrove kayaking. 

What a lot of people in Badian do not know is that the longest Camino de Santiago in the Philippines starts from their own St. James the Apostle Parish, located in Poblacion. This is a pilgrimage route that climb over the mountains to Dalaguete and goes north to Compostela, 175 kilometers away. This is patterned after the one in Spain and have been established here in Cebu since July 2017. It passes by the barangays of Dagatan, Malhiao, Sohoton, Tigbao and Santicon.   

CITY OF CARCAR

Province of Cebu

August 27-September 1, 2019 

ATTRACTIONS: Preserved Spanish Colonial Infrastructures; Carcar City Museum; Indigenous Food/Delicacies; Guadalupe Mainit-Mabugnaw National Park; and Theotokos Shrine. 

ACTIVITIES: Cultural/Historical Tour; Gastronomic Tour; Spelunking/Cave Tour; Hiking/Camping; Sightseeing/Birdwatching; Warm Water Bathing.

TISP was held in a vacant room of the new Carcar City Hall. The seminar is partly shouldered by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Region VII, because of the inclusion of the GMMNP in the city’s tourist mapping. Accommodation for the DOT-Central Visayas TISP Team was at Tatope Travel Lodge, located along the Cebu South Road, Carcar City. 1 star out of 5. 

Most people in Carcar City do not know yet that both the 400-kilometer Cebu Highlands Trail and the 175-kilometer Camino de Santiago pass by their city. The two long trails both enter Barangay Napo on the same way and exits from Barangay Calidngan at two different paths. 

On the other hand, Carcar City still has remnants of the industries that it had once depended on in the past. Instead of placing them in the dustbin of existence, why not include these into their tourist map. I am talking about leathercraft and bladesmithing. Why not fuse these two and develop a new tourism destination under “blade tourism”? 

MUNICIPALITY OF SAMBOAN

Province of Cebu

September 8-15, 2019

ATTRACTIONS: Aguinid Waterfalls; Binalayan Waterfall; Dao Waterfall; Preserved Spanish Colonial Infrastructures and Tañon Strait. 

ACTIVITIES: River Trekking; Swimming/Bathing; Snorkeling. Picnic; Cultural/Historical Tour; Sightseeing/Birdwatching.

TISP was held inside the session room of the Samboan Municipal Hall. Accommodation for the DOT-Central Visayas TISP Team was at Chelan Resort House, located along the Cebu Southwest Road, Poblacion, Samboan. 3 stars out of 5. 

The Cebu Highlands Trail established a campsite on a ridge of Barangay Monteverde. It would be best if the Samboan LGU would develop it into a camping area because of its proximity to a water tank. 

MUNICIPALITY OF SAN FRANCISCO

Province of Cebu

September 22-29, 2019 

ATTRACTIONS: Lake Danao; Paraiso Cave; Amazing Island Cave and Beach Resort; Timubo Cave; Santiago Bay; San Francisco Baywalk and Causeway; Indigenous Handicrafts. 

ACTIVITIES: Hiking/Camping; Zipline Gliding; Kayaking/Paddling; Picnic; Spelunking/Cave Tour; Swimming/Bathing; Sightseeing/Birdwatching.

 

TISP was held inside the function room of the San Francisco Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Poblacion, San Francisco. Accommodation for the DOT-Central Visayas TISP Team was at Dayon Lodge, also in Poblacion. 1 star out of 5.

MUNICIPALITY OF TUDELA

Province of Cebu

September 30-October 6, 2019 

ATTRACTIONS: Bukilat Cave; Buenavista Heritage Tree; Villahermosa Giant Clam Sanctuary; Tudela Mangrove Forest; Busay Waterfall; Makalabad Peak. 

ACTIVITIES: Spelunking/Cave Tour; Cultural/Historical Tour; Sightseeing/Birdwatching; Swimming/Bathing; Snorkeling; River Trekking; Hiking/Camping; Kayaking/Paddling.

 

TISP was held in the function hall of Villa Alicia Resort, Poblacion, Tudela. Accommodation for the DOT-Central Visayas TISP Team was also at Villa Alicia Resort. 3 stars out of 5. 

All blacksmiths in Tudela LGU still used improvised oven and blower and still produce the best blade tools that are used by farmers and homesteads on the islands of Poro, Pacijan and Ponson. It may be worth the effort to include these blacksmith shops into the tourist map of the LGU under the new destination of “blade tour”. It may be even viable if the three other LGU of the Camotes Group of Islands decides to join hands and save this dying industry. 

MUNICIPALITY OF ALICIA

Province of Bohol

October 9-16, 2019 

ATTRACTIONS: Alicia Panoramic View; Birhen Nature Resort; Cagong-cagong Cave; Princess Manan-aw Cave; Chocolate Cave; Alicia Schist Rock. 

ACTIVITIES: Hiking/Camping; Trail Running; Bathing; Sightseeing/Birdwatching; Spelunking/Cave Tour; Cultural/Historical Tour.

TISP was held, respectively; for the first three days, at The Farm in Alicia, Cambaol, Alicia; and for the rest of the week, in the function room of the Alicia Municipal Hall Annex. Accommodation for the DOT-Central Visayas TISP Team was also at the Alicia Municipal Hall Annex. 1 out of 5. 

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WHILE TOURISM MAY BRING in revenues needed by the LGUs, it has its downside as well. We have seen the decay that over-commercialization and over-development have done on so many places and are now shunned by most tour operators due to lesser tourists. The TISP is just not improving skills on the tourism operators but also considers the health of the environment of a destination as an integral part of development and the team emphasized that in our 2019 LGU tour.

CAMINO CEBU JOURNAL: Day Three and Day Four

DAY THREE :::: HIS STRONG FAITH, CARRIED HIM to two days of difficult terrain, a blunder on the first day, extreme pain, unrelenting fatigue, fear of heights and a disdain of early morning baths. Rev. Fr. Scipio “Jojo” Deligero, suffering from problematic gout on both ankles, remained unshaken. If he dropped out on the first day, the first Camino de Santiago in Cebu would have been placed in a shaky debut. But the devil cannot have his party yet. We are still in the game. 

We have churned a total of 38.80 kilometers in 26 hours of walking spread in two days and that is unbelievable, considering that the people I led barely walked outside of their homes and workplaces. The long hours were caused by a controlled pace I imposed to keep Fr. Jojo in the flow. Let us see how the pilgrims would fare in Day Three? The worst happened in Day One. It is the crucible, the deciding moment, if ever a pilgrim should abandon or proceed with his pilgrimage.

Today, July 8, 2017, is part of the dance with destiny which started two days ago. Not just for me and the rest of the pilgrims but also for the Archdiocese of Cebu, the Province of Cebu, the Municipality of Compostela and the Archdiocesan Shrine of Señor Santiago de Apostol, the parish for which Fr. Jojo is performing his sacerdotal duty. To walk it is a sacred undertaking where your soul would benefit. Yes, it is a spiritual journey.

The Camino de Santiago is a route in Spain which is more than a thousand years old and is walked by millions of pilgrims to through so many generations. It follows the route of St. James the Apostle when he left Jerusalem to fulfill his vows as one of the chosen twelve. The journey starts from your doorsteps and ultimately wind up at Compostela, a place in Galicia, where our own Compostela in Cebu got its name. Fr. Jojo wanted a Camino here.

 

My pilgrimage indeed started two days ago from my home and I am now awoken by my preset alarm in the compound of the Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Parish, here in the village of Colawin, Municipality of Argao. After I had bathed, I am all set to hear an early morning mass to be celebrated together by Rev. Fr. Mario Villacastin and Fr. Jojo. I feel blessed to hear concelebrated masses for three straight days. 

One of those who walked his own Camino is the incumbent mayor of the Municipality of Compostela – Hon. Joel Quiño. Mayor Joel have prepared himself for this occasion. He would surely be missed behind his desk, along with those volumes of documents which need to be scrutinized, re-studied and signed. But where communication signals are present, he cannot escape answering the mobile phone.

The rest of the pilgrims are the couple Jemmelyn and Roderick Montesclaros, Mizar Bacalla, Roger Montecino, Alvie Rey Ramirez and Jonathaniel Apurado, who is my subaltern and is assigned to sweep the rear. Jon have fulfilled that task during that historic Thruhike of the Cebu Highlands Trail which we did in 27 days and 400+ kilometers from Liloan Point, Santander to Bulalaque Point, Daanbantayan.

This was the Thruhike that caught the attention of Fr. Jojo from which this Camino de Santiago is now being walked after being hatched just 3 months ago. This pilgrimage route here in Cebu, would start from the St. James the Apostle Parish in Badian and would end at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Señor Santiago de Apostol in Compostela. It would follow some stretch of the CHT which would be rugged, undulating and scenic. Instead of among bushes, we would sleep in rectories.

So there is no need really to carry those bulky tents but all of us have hammocks and tarpaulin sheets. Then again, I am beginning to question myself of the wisdom of bringing these hammock sets with them? The mountain parishes can accommodate any number of pilgrims in their rectories and where space is wanting they can always knock on the kindness of their parishioners.

If and when Cebu’s Camino de Santiago would become established and be renowned, the influx of pilgrims would create an economy which would favor the mountain communities found along the route. Mountain parishes are lonely and remote for any priest to be stationed in and can bring about the best in their sacred office or, hopefully, not their worst. A visit from people outside their places would lighten up their faces and break the tedium of everyday living in far-out locations.

I believed Fr. Jojo had foreseen all these things and it is his mission, a divine one, in spite of the physical pain he is enduring day in and day out. After our provisional passports were stamped by Fr. Mario, we left his parish at 08:00, walking up the road towards the next stop. The day is sunny and warm. In a few more hours, this warmth would be intense and would bore into each pilgrim’s resolve.

 

I am used to extremes of weather and the harshness of the mountain terrain but I cannot comprehend how they could still keep up with my pace, even if I deliberately controlled it. At this moment, pain would be most felt. Are they hiding something? I see now. They carried less. The heaviest would be water and those hammock sets. They need not worry about their food. Jonathan and I carried it all and there is no sign that the supply will ever be consumed. That would be less weight, if ever. But when?

The “Vegetable Highway” brought us to the village of Bae, in the Municipality of Sibonga. I sent a text message to the Sibonga Police Station about our presence. After more kilometers of walking and I did not see them anymore when I looked back. This road twisted among and along hills and valleys. I arrive at the village of Libo at 10:30 and waited for them. It is not difficult to find their way to where I am for there are habitations lining along the route where they could just ask directions.

After 15 minutes of waiting, I sent a text message to Jon. Signal is erratic and I gave up. 30 minutes became 90 minutes and my furrows are now deep. Just when I went back to find them, I saw them midway inside a police patrol jeep laughing. Policemen were dispatched by their station to provide security and assist us if need be. They already had and are now reluctant to drop them all here. I loath joining them in a free ride. An hour of ride would be about 4-5 hours of walking in the same distance.

I just hope that nobody would see us or understood what we were doing. That idea have not come of age yet but, to my conscience, that is cheating. Forget it. I am thinking like a human again. Leave that to God’s hand. I cannot question Fr. Jojo’s wisdom. His thoughts are much deeper than mine. I am just the pathfinder and the terrestrial navigator. Interpreting divine interventions are beyond my understanding. Navigation, it seems to me, has a parallel universe in the heavens.

The patrol jeep drop us finally at the village of Dakit, in the Municipality of Barili. They took a longer route. Of course, the policemen could not drive over a trackless mountain direct to the village of Mantalongon. It would need feet to do that on a trail that is still in my memory. Oh yes, I just navigate by memory. The CHT was explored, completed and hiked through without the aid of satellite navigation systems. I preferred traditional means.

We walk the Carcar-Barili Road until we reach Mantalongon at 15:02. This village hosted me and Jon last January during the Thruhike and it was not difficult to find the location of the San Isidro Labrador Parish here. Rev. Fr. Dennis James Acedo welcomed us to his parish and hosted a dinner later on our behalf. We stayed in the old rectory for the night and the rest was most welcome.

DAY FOUR :::: I WOKE UP THE WAY I liked it to be, earlier than 05:00, as is printed on the itinerary today, July 9, 2018. After taking our baths and breakfast, we left the San Isidro Labrador Parish at 06:42. But not after our provisional passports were stamped with the parish seal by Fr. Dennis himself. I was amused at the good priest doing everything beyond priestly duties to keep his parish afloat in such difficult times and it would be best I not tell you. The stay has given us plenary indulgence since it is the jubilee year of the church. 

We followed the highway going to the boundary of Carcar City. An unpaved road to the left would be our route to the next stop tonight. The pilgrims start to recite the rosary on its third day while I sent a text message to the Carcar City Police Station. We are now on the approaches of the village of Valencia and there is a brand new concrete road. It is a warm day and the weight carried inside my 55-liter High Sierra Titan had not changed since Day One.

When you are on concrete pavement you tend to walk faster. Your mind is analyzing the length and angle of the shadows. The sooner you get out from there, the better. Valencia is a highly populated semi-urban setting and that scene would repeat itself as we walk into the next village of Buenavista. Roderick, Jem and I waited for them in a small parish of  Santo Niño de Cebu. The shady trees on the patio shielded us from the heat of the 10 o’clock sun.

 

A text message from Jon woke up my Cherry Mobile U2. They were looking for us. I gave them my direction but they interpreted it through another route. Jesus, they took the wrong way and they are a half hour ahead. I did not retrace my steps but proceed on where one of these roads would lead us. I increased my pace and the couple Roderick and Jemmelyn are game enough to increase theirs. We crossed a big bridge and we are now on the village of Calidngan. 

My group arrive first at the San Isidro Labrador Parish at 11:30. After an exchange of text messages with Jonathan, they finally found their way and reach the parish at 11:40. Rev. Fr. Benjie Contapay arrived from his sacerdotal visits in one of the villages at 11:45. He welcomed us all and gathered his staff to prepare food for us. Just lying down on the bare tiled floor under the shade of a roof is most welcome. Siesta before a meal. Whatever. My body direly needed it.

We get to take lunch at 12:30. I took many servings. We like it. For this day, nobody touched their energy bars. Warm food is better. By miles. After the fulfilling meal and the cold refreshments, the temptation to go horizontal again is so strong but we have a long way to go. By 13:00, we say goodbye to Fr. Benjie and his staff and took to the rough roads once more and encountered our first rain. In an hour, we were now crossing over to the village of Balungag, Municipality of San Fernando and I immediately dispatched a text message to their police station.

At 16:00, we are now at the village of Tubod. A free-flowing natural spring refreshed us and we topped off our water bottles. From hereon, we would be traversing over the “carabao highway” towards the next Municipality of Pinamungahan. This is a trail that had been carved deep by many carabao sleds over the years and today I have seen and walked it for the very first time in its muddy state. It is quite nasty and tricky. I can hear angry and excited voices behind me. I slipped once but I cannot know of how many times each pilgrim had.

The slow progress carried us till dusk. By the time we reach a road it was already 18:00 but the presence of a store selling cold drinks brought back the pilgrims’ strength and composure. Across us is another trail, downhill and rocky. In daylight, you could see the Lamac Valley but it is better to negotiate it at nighttime with Fr. Jojo. He just cannot stand looking from a high place. He can never be a saint. You see, saints are placed on a high pedestal on the highest places outside of a church facade. Haha! Just joking.     

 

Guided by lights and by helping hands, Fr. Jojo made it safely down to the village of Sibago, in Pinamungahan. It is 19:45 and the other pilgrims kept asking me how far the village of Lamac is. Signs of fatigue and pain. They now felt it all. Who would not. I felt it too and the pain on both my feet are great as well as on my shoulders where the pads of my heavy backpack rubbed. We are now walking on dirt road and I was hoping to find a motorcycle for Fr. Jojo. It never came and, in these places at these hours, everything stops to a standstill.

Stepping on a concrete road raised everyone’s morale. A few houses still have lights and then, after more walking, the first local seen outside a house. We asked when there is someone out there. Nobody trusts people who travel in darkness. Everyone is suspicious of us even though we have a Roman Catholic priest and a municipal mayor in our midst. Of course, we do not advertise that with banners and megaphones. We are just pilgrims walking on the Camino de Santiago. We liked it that nobody shows interest on what we do. The hinterlands are quite different from urban areas.

At 21:00, after negotiating a few streets, we arrive at the San Isidro Labrador Parish of Lamac. Rev. Fr. Wilfredo “Boy” Genelazo welcomed us with a case of cold beer, cold lemon juice and a warm dinner since he knew of our coming. After almost an hour of happy conversations, Fr. Boy facilitated for our free stay inside the Hidden Valley Mountain Resort. As soon as I got settled for a half hour, I took a bathe. Dreamland automatically took over.

Total Distance Walked: 53.33 kilometers.

  Highest Elevation Gained: 1,961 feet. 

 

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