BUSHCRAFT BUHISAN IV: Rainshower Tour

MY DISCOVERY OF A new and different route into the Buhisan Watershed Area on May 3, 2010 lead me to come back two more times on May 30 and on June 19 where, on the latter dates, I introduced bushcraft cooking to people who were with me. Those were statement events that made Camp Red a distinct outdoors group having its own identity.

For your info, Camp Red is synonymous with bushcraft and survival and nowhere else will you find another group doing this kind of thing in Cebu or, for that matter, the rest of the Philippines south of Subic Bay. Camp Red is an outdoors sub-culture and, so, is special.

Today, July 11, is the fourth incursion of Camp Red here in Buhisan. As usual, we start early in the morning from Guadalupe taking on Bebut's Trail, which route goes in a half-circle to Napo but, halfway trough, we stop by at a place we call the “Portal”. The “Portal” is a crossroads of sort where seven trails cross each other and one of these is the faint path to the wildest part of Buhisan.

Ernie Salomon is present, as well as new guy Marco Albeza who tow his three best students from the University of San Carlos, namely Rey, Roy and Clang-clang. Old Cebu Mountaineering Society reliable, Boy Olmedo, came along and, last but not the least, the top honcho of Jungle Wild Adventures – Wil Rhys-Davis.

Rain overtook us on “Heartbreak Ridge” of Guadalupe Hills. Roy, Rey and Clang-clang became children again and frolic under the cold strong shower. We watch and we remembered our childhood days. After twenty minutes, the rain stopped and the sun shone just enough to evaporate our wet clothes and the the now-slippery trails. I passed by Ricky Flores' house and parted away bread to his children.

The rainy season had made the vegetations thick and the indiscernible trails have become a challenge on my tracking skills. I groped under the sagging canopies and stepped over strange-looking mushrooms and sprouts. We use guy ropes whenever possible and the newbies accepted the challenge without complaint.

Finally, arriving at the creek bed, we were afforded the spectacle of cut trees, whose trunks fell on the wayside. It is obvious that mindless zombies left in a hurry after hearing our coming leaving their quarry, eleven trees in all, to our own investigation and consternation.

We prepare and take lunch in the middle of the catchment basin. It is hot and I put out my two hammocks to make our student-guests comfortable as possible. At least, this is the safest part of the basin and away from the wayward bullets of bird hunters which ran unopposed doing their thing here. Ernie do the honors of cooking pork adobo while Marco and me cook the milled corn.

After lunch, we lost our way and walk in circles and follow a dry stream bed until we reach the man-made lake. Then, it rained again. Hard! Automatically, I look for higher ground and lead the party to a safe area if, in case, a flash flood occur. There wasn't and I follow the old path to the tamer side of Buhisan.

Found our way this time and found the road and follow the asphalt road until we reach Punta Princesa. From there, we found PUJs for Guadalupe and ended our day at our favorite watering hole in V. Rama Avenue where we rehydrate and discuss our recent activity.

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TACTICAL PURSUITS BEFORE A TIGER YEAR

2009 HAD BEEN a fruitful year for Tactical Security and Detective Agency, Inc. and what would be more appropriate is to award deserving individual security guards and whole detachments for their worthy efforts during a Christmas Party held at Cheaverz in Banilad, Cebu City on December 26, 2009.

While the giving of recognition to worthy personnel is something that can be replicated with other organizations, the giving of one to the four detachments is unique, in a sense, that there is a coordinated effort among the individuals comprising such groups that would elicit merit and respect from the ladder up.

While Tactical Security have been very busy taking care of the properties and persons of their valued clients, its officers have also been seeing to it that all their guards are at their posts; their equipments, their documents and responsibilities in order. Adapting a valued tradition from the uniformed organizations – the rank inspections - Tactical Security applied this on its several big and small detachments.

This had been a year-long affair that culminated during the last few weeks before the awarding ceremonies. There were four categories: Category D for posts comprising 6 to 9 guards which were contested by eight posts, Category C for 10 to 19 guards fought among four detachments, Category B for 20 to 29 guards vied among four detachments and Category A up for grabs by three platoons with 30-plus guards.

To sum it all, the following were the results:

CATEGORY D (6 to 9 Guards)

First – BBRC Property, Cebu Province – 160 points

Second – Cebu Performing Arts Center – 65 points

Third – Museo Sugbu, Cebu Province – 20 points

CATEGORY C (10 to 19 Guards)

First – Greencoil Industries Inc. - 415 points

Second – Sacred Heart School-Jesuits – 387 points

Third – Cebu Country Club – 375 points

CATEGORY B (20 to 29 Guards)

First – Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp.-Mactan – 970 points

Second – Cebu International Convention Center – 415 points

Third – Banilad Town Center – 160 points

CATEGORY A (30-plus Guards)

First – Cebu Provincial Capitol – 645 points

Second – Cebu South Bus Terminal – 315 points

Third – Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center – 240 points

All security guards comprising the First-place detachments were entitled to ten kilos of rice each where a total of 800 kilos (sixteen sacks) were given by the Board of Directors of Tactical Security. Certificates of recognition were also added to their prize.

Aside those, there was also a free-for-all contest among the best head guards and shifts-in-charge for all detachments and they were rated according to their work proficiency, effectiveness, leadership, professional conduct, relationship with clients and subordinates and their superiors. The rating came from their immediate supervisors and clients where they are serving.

The Top Five Head Guards and Shifts-in-Charge were chosen according the computed value points:

HEAD GUARDS

SG Paulino Lakandula, Sacred Heart School-Jesuits – First (4.32)

SG Nielde Gaje, Cebu International Convention Center – Second (4.30)

SG Romulo Marabiles, Kajima Corporation – Third (4.18)

SG Samuel Bornea, Banilad Town Center – Fourth (3.96)

SG Servillano Angcay Jr., Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center - Fifth (3.96)

SHIFTS-IN-CHARGE

SG Arthur Pacaldo, Cebu South Bus Terminal – First (3.93)

SG Joceryl Ardonia, Cebu Country Club – Second (3.89)

SG Rene Anduyan, Sacred Heart School-Jesuits – Third (3.69)

SG Eugene Cinto, Cebu International Convention Center - Fourth (3.68)

SG Renante Cortes, Sky Rise Realty Development Corp. - Fifth (3.64)

A cash of one thousand pesos, certificate and a sack of rice each were given to the first-place winners of the Best Head Guard and Shift-in-Charge while the runners-up were given five hundred pesos each aside from a certificate of recognition.

Additionally, the following guards were given certificates of recognition and ten kilos of rice each for meritorious service that have given Tactical Security a good name like SG Ricardo Butio Jr. and SG Melvin Parantar, who were both responsible in arresting snatchers and recovery of stolen items while assigned in Banilad Town Center; SG Jubert Daligdig for the arrest of an intruder and the recovery of a stolen article from Cebu General Services.

SG John Tabera for the arrest of a contract worker trying to smuggle out an item from RDAK Motors; SG Jasper Santos and SG Edgar Vallentos for the arrest of an armed person and the confiscation of a handgun in Cebu South Bus Terminal; SG Maximo Casipong for coming to the defense of an injured man in Kajima Corporation and SG Domingo Auxtero for being adjudged as an outstanding guard in Pag-IBIG Fund Cebu City Branch.

Kudos is hereby given to the hard-working officers and staff for their untiring endeavor to make this event successful and have pushed up Tactical Security head and shoulders above its flock in a very populated and competitive industry. Special mention is thus afforded to the officers comprising the Inspection Committee: Mr. Jing de Egurrola, Mr. Joe Patrick Larena and Mr. Eddie Alberca.

For your security needs, we do things the Tactical way! Call us now at 346-6051 or 236-1492 and we will design all your security needs.

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