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

ADVENTURE ENTREPRENEURS

ADVENTURE ENTREPRENEURS. Exalted description of vagabonds who are doing well.

I seem to know what it meant and I felt high, even though I know that I do not made the grade.

I am into adventure but entrepreneur I am not. I simply do not have the means.

  

Anyway, you do get that high feeling when you have people’s attention though.

It is not everyday that I get moments like this. Bright lights and all. Mic in hand and images of you on a white screen, flipping and changing in timed sequence.

I am before a paid crowd talking about bad breakfasts, cold mornings and irate people. It is about my recent Thruhike of Cebu that snared people’s imagination lately because it had not been done before. I did it in 27 days between January and February 2017 from Santander to Daanbantayan. Tip to tip. Shore to shore. 400 kilometers.

 

TECHTALKS Philippines, thru Ms. Tins Amper, invited me here at iiOFFICE Cebu today, April 5, 2017, to talk under a theme of Adventure Entrepreneurs + Social Media Clinic.

The place is a shared workspace for geeks and the not-so-geeks located at Don Pedro Cui Street, in Capitol Site, Cebu City. 

I am more like Greek to geeks. I am a sunburnt relic. We both speak a different language, in case you do not know that. They speak algorithm while I communicate in highland yells.

I am with glamour guy of trail biking, Gene Faelnar.

He has assets. I have liabilities. He is entrepreneur. I am vagabond.

He owns Cebu Mountain Biking Tours.

He speaks about his venture.  

The audience loved his presentation.

That appreciation extends to mine when I had my turn on the stage.

They should be.

 

I would not have been here without the support of my benefactor and good friend, Markus Immer. He brought with him cupcakes for everybody, baked by his wife Analyn.

Thank you very much!

Markus had a big role during the Thruhike. He kept us going with the supply runs he undertook. He even walked the final 40 kilometers to Bulalaque Point.

He had been into many adventures around the globe. Sailing. Diving. Hiking. Climbing, Cross-country skiing. You name it. And he is an entrepreneur himself.

 

Entrepreneur. A high sounding word.

That will take form, perhaps, when I get guideship calls for the Cebu Highlands Trail and, soon, the Camino de Santiago de Cebu.

Meanwhile, I am more into outdoors education. It had kept me rolling over rough ground for more than a year. It is my main bread and butter.

I teach tropical bushcraft, wilderness survival, land navigation, campsite management, knife safety, urban prepping and survival, plant identification, and good old outdoors common sense to kids and adults, outdoorsmen and responders, corporations and government.

I travel with the tools of my trade and my knowledge. A journeyman.

Maybe a few speaking engagements like this. I do not know.

Someday I may finish my books and that is all about this entrepreneur thing.

It is never easy to be a vagabond.

There is no fortune and riches in there.

You only have a life well-lived by a good dose of adventures.

A survivor.

  Promotional graphic by TechTalks Philippines

THE THRUHIKE JOURNAL: Day 27 (Lanao to Bulalaque Point)

BEFORE I UNROLL THE LAST TALE of adventure which hound Day Twenty-Seven of this first-ever Thruhike of Cebu, let me first acknowledge the people and the establishments that had put their faith in me and my team. They are mentioned from time to time in like articles and in Facebook. For the last time, they will have their worthy participation in the completion of the Cebu Highlands Trail and the ensuing Thruhike noted below:

DEREK’S CLASSIC BLADE EXCHANGE

TITAY’S LILOAN ROSQUILLOS & NATIVE DELICACIES

GV TOWER HOTEL PHILIPPINES

SILANGAN OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT

GALILEO SATELLITE CONTROL SYSTEMS-PHILIPPINES

BAKHAWAN BEACH HOME

GOV. HILARIO DAVIDE III & PROVINCE OF CEBU

SUGBU TURISMO (PROVINCIAL TOURISM OFFICE)

ADRENALINE ROMANCE BLOG

PARK N GO BAKESHOP

VIAJERO OUTDOOR CENTRE

LAVILLES FAMILY OF AUSTRALIA

FRONTGATE BURGER RESTOBAR

VERSA TWO-WAY RADIOS

APP OPS PHILIPPINES

HAM RADIO CEBU

CAMP RED BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL GUILD

•     MR. ALVIN JOHN OSMEÑA

•     MS. JULIET MOLINA

•     MR. NIÑO PAUL BERIALES

•     MR. PERCIVAL ESPINA

•     PACING’S HOUSE OF BARBECUE

•     VEN GOING PLACES STORIES BLOG

•     MR. MICHAEL SCHWARZ

•     MS. WILMA RELLORA

•     MR. RANDY SALAZAR

•     MR. MARKUS IMMER

•     MR. LESTER PADRIGA

•     MR. ADOLFO OLMEDO

•     MR. RONALD ABELLA

•     MS. LOCEL NAVARRO

•     ATTY. BRUCE RAGAS

•     MR. JOAQUIN GOCHOCO

•     MR. EMERSON BENOZA

•     MR. GLEN DOMINGO

•     MR. HAROLD BUTANAS

•     TACTICAL SECURITY AGENCY

•     MR. ALAN POOLE

•     SHOESTRING XAYD BLOG

•     MS. MIRASOL LEPON

MS. DIOCEL HINAY

•     QUIJANO FAMILY

•     MR. JEROME TIBON

•     MR. ROMMEL MESIAS

•     MR. JONATHAN BLANES

•     MR. MELO SANCHEZ

•     MS. AMAYA MONTECALVO

•     MR. JEREMIAH DAYTO

•     DRINOX KITCHEN

•     MR. GLENN PESTAÑO

•     MR. MATTHEW DE LEON

•     THE KNIFEMAKER

•     SESEBLADES

•     MR. MARC IVAN DE EGURROLA

•     ZUE FASHION

•     MS. LAILA MANTOS-ABADINGO

My apologies for any omission that I might have made but let me take this occasion to cite the following brave individuals who comprised my CHT Exploration Team, namely: JONATHANIEL APURADO, JUSTIN APURADO, JOVAHN YBAÑEZ and late addition FRITZ BUSTAMANTE; and my Base Support Crew in JHURDS NEO and CHAD BACOLOD. They were all there on their own accord, offering their time, intellect, skills, muscles and naked enthusiasm for a place under the sun.

This citation also goes to another set of individuals who were in earlier explorations with me on the first two segments of the CHT like ERNESTO SALOMON, CIRILO TOLEDO, MARCO ALBEZA, CHARLTON BATHAN, ARCHIE MAYOL, RAYMUND PANGANIBAN, ELI BRYN TAMBIGA, LEOMIL PINO, JAMES CABAJAR, JOHN SEVILLA, GLENN PESTAÑO, SILVERIO CUEVA and ANTONIO VERGARA. They slogged and charged the unknown with me. 

 

Finally, I could not have done this without the faith and trust in the ALMIGHTY; the support, love and understanding of my wife VILMA and my family. These are the strengths and the inspirations why I persevered, against all odds, since I started the exploration on February 20, 2011 from Lutopan, Toledo City; and the first step of the Thruhike twenty-six days ago from Liloan Point, Santander.

Today, February 14, 2017, is a special day, not that it is Valentine’s Day, but it is the day that I will put closure of this historic Thruhike. The early morning is still silent as I rose from the comforts of my Therm-a-Rest laid on the concrete floor of the multi-purpose building of the village of Lanao, Daanbantayan. My morning habit for a glass of water led me to a water dispenser. The noise woke up both Markus Immer and Jonathaniel Apurado.

The sun had not thrust its will on this part of the world but I see five residents starting to enter the iron gate that lead to us. They were carrying pots and I believe there would be a feast later. We decide to clean up the place and put all our equipment and gear into our backpacks as neatly as possible as was practiced many times. We would not be needing our extra food anymore and we decide to leave it with our hosts.

I prepared the fossilized shell I picked up from Liloan Beach on the first minutes of the first day of the Thruhike and placed it inside a small ziploc plastic along with my business card and a paper indicating the origin of the shell and the date of the Thruhike. Jon prepared his also and labeled a small paper with his name and the date of the long walk. I drank coffee for the last time on the CHT.

The CHT itinerary says: 09:00 Arrival at Bulalaqui Point. Too stiff! It is just a morning hike of a few kilometers but I can tweak it by walking at a snail’s pace. We have a lot of time! Now the village hall is a beehive of activity and the people of Lanao are preparing a breakfast in our honor. Food are brown rice and bitter gourd with egg, organically grown along the lakeside shores of the heretofore unknown Lake Lanao.

After saying our deepmost thanks to the village council and the people of Lanao, we faced the cold northeast monsoon wind outside and lurched forward at 07:45 to fulfill our once-in-a-lifetime mission which no person or group have done before. Markus is in high spirits, extending his adventures in his adopted home. Connecting with the right people is his uncanny skill and he will not be denied today.

We follow an unpaved road that I have already identified as our route to Bulalaqui Point. I have explored this route last November 2016 which capped the more than five years long exploration of routes for the CHT. We entered the village of Tapilon, Daanbantayan when we reached the Looc Elementary School. In the mildest of weather, we barely shed sweat. We were not forcing our pace but walked in a manner akin to touring with a bike.

From a rough road, we were now walking on a new concrete pavement for just a few paces only as an old trail that have served the residents in the past is now my preferred path. It is a short cut to the highway which connect the town center of Daanbantayan to the Port of Maya and vice versa. We reach a bridge and I guess the stream below as the outlet of Lake Lanao. A concrete sign says we are now entering the village of Maya.

A motorcade celebrating National Heart Health Day overtook us as we walk towards Maya. Some of the participants on the vehicles must have known our presence and our business in their municipality and pointed their hands towards us. They waved at us. The noise of the drums drowned out their shouting voices as they were in the process of communicating with us. We waved back and became part of their celebration while it lasted for a fleeting seconds.

We arrived at the village hall of Maya and made a courtesy call to whoever is in charge. A watchman welcomed and entertained us as we try to explain our presence. A village council woman, Hon. Vanessa Laspinas, came and learned the purpose of our Thruhike and she was glad upon learning that their village, especially at Bulalaqui Point, is the terminus of our 27-day journey.

After a customary picture, we bade goodbye and seek the route to Cebu’s own finis de tierra, our land’s end of the north. I seek the small streets that would lead us to the new Port of Maya. The wharf is still under construction but, nevertheless, in operation. Two Ceres Liner buses parked at its empty parking area waiting for a boat from Malapascua Island or from Palompon, Leyte. There is a path that goes into a growing community and it had not changed despite construction of more houses.

We are now hiking uphill. It is grassy with patches of waist-high shrubs, some coconut trees and a few huge trees. The trail goes into another hill which the locals referred to as “pawikan gatakal”, because it looked like one turtle riding on the back of another turtle. Whatever it is, I climbed over the great hump and into wilder shrubs and better views of the yet-unfinished wharf and of a beautiful cove on the other side.

There is a cairn right on the trail and I stood above it and tried to propagate the Versa Duo VHF radio in the direction of the repeater tower of Ham Radio Cebu, 140 kilometers or so away, just like I did in Day Three, Day Fourteen, Day Fifteen and Day Twenty-two. At five watts power, the distance was just too great even when I have the strong amihan to my back. The Versa served me well and satisfies my experimentation. 

There are just a few meters of open space on the trail for soon we would be entering a stunted forest cover. The trees would provide us shade and we would be partly protected from the strong northeast monsoon winds, which is now more pronounced due to our proximity to open sea. I have to tread the trail slowly because, somewhere beyond my vision, would be the precipitous edges of Bulalaqui Point.  

At exactly 11:07, we arrive at Cebu’s northernmost point. The adventure of the Thruhike which had spun for 27 days plus two days rest halfway in Cebu City is now at a close. The jagged rock that had separated from the headland many many years ago danced among the waves a hundred feet below. My Canon IXUS camera, its very existence bounded to document in still and moving images the CHT Exploration and the Thruhike, is now more relevant than ever.

SPO4 Condino and PO1 Arreglado of Daanbantayan Police Station arrived to look over our safety and witnessed our small celebration in this most uninhabited corner of the great island province of Cebu. I am in the midst of the greatest performance of my life, talking before my camera in video mode for a total of 211 seconds, acknowledging Providence, the people I am with and those who have helped in the realization of the Thruhike and the CHT.

In a location I previously marked months ago, I retrieved a “time capsule” which I left last November 3, 2016. With that, I dug a shallow hole on the ground and place it there, together with my fossilized shell and that of Jon’s as well. I covered the hole back and placed a small cairn over it. I hope it would soon become a landmark. A shrine for adventurers who would leave their marks someday.

How many would be placed there in the future? At that moment, I was clueless. The idea of another Thruhike is a thing that I would not like to think of at that moment. What I am thinking of right now is to go home and be with my wife and my family. I missed them all especially my little grandson, Gifford. His grandpops has a lot of tales for him. Another reason is the Brew Kettle beer that I readied before Day Twelve. It would be very cold now. A good match for my deprived body.

The Thruhike had proven that Cebu can be walked along the middle, the interior, and at its most rugged terrain from the southernmost beach to its northernmost headland or vice versa. On both ends, you are assured of a dip in the sea by a beach. Although there had been attempts to walk across its length, notably by the party of Judge Meinrado Paredes in 1996-1997, it was not realized due to the prevailing peace and order situation and scarcity of maps.

During my explorations, the insurgency in Cebu have died a natural death but residues of suspicions remained. For several times I was placed in many awkward situations. People in the hinterlands are not used to seeing strangers walking with big backpacks. It reminded them of the violent past. Although we talked in the same dialect but there is no way I could explain to them of what is a “hiker”, a “mountain climber” or a “mountaineer”. A few times, we settled on a neutral word - “tourist”.

I carefully planned my exploration hikes, making it sure that the local government units, through Capitol, and the police are properly informed. It does not give assurance though as what happened on separate occasions of April and September 2016, where I or my team were escorted by the police and had to terminate the activity. Once, we were threatened with harm in March 2012 and, another time in January 2015 and October 2016, we were denied camp in a village.

Maps are important but I used it only during pre-route planning. Analog maps sold by NAMRIA are utterly outdated by 20+ years. I used and studied online maps provided by DOST Project Noah, before it was mothballed. I even screen printed the mouse-enlarged maps on several bond papers which I brought in my exploration hikes, just for reference only. Just like the analog maps, some villages are off their true locations. Most of the time, I used traditional navigation.

Anyway, the Thruhike needs careful planning, enough logistics and a walk of AT LEAST a month or more. (If people are intimidated of strangers casually walking, how would they find you running?) Food is a consideration. You know, I have developed a trauma of a certain breakfast food. You need to cook dinner and breakfast with denatured alcohol. You need to use an alcohol burner. There is no other way unless you hire a porter.

I got cold sweat when I thought of doing another Thruhike with guests as I sat inside the empty Ceres Liner. I am sure a lot of people would like to try the CHT end to end. Unfortunately, I still have not possessed the data that the radio tracking device provided by Galileo Satellite Control System-Philippines and my memory would serve that purpose for the time being. However, I would accept guideship jobs in segments only. The CHT is composed of eight segments. It is much friendly that way and easy for me.

We did it, finally. On that first few steps of that February 20 morning six years ago, I never thought that I would reach the end of my quest. At that time, I find it too ambitious and I was afraid that I might get sucked into obsession. How did I overcome everything? Especially the logistics and the trickles of support. I do not know. But one thing I know is you enjoy your passion and let people believe what you do. You must be credible, honest, bold and human. And you must pray.

Distance Walked: 8.54 kilometers

Elevation Gained: 35 meters and a low of 5 meters

Document done in LibreOffice 5.2 Writer

THE THRUHIKE JOURNAL: Day 26 (Bakhawan to Lanao)

A SINGLE DAY OF REST coming in from twelve straight days of hiking the most demanding and the most difficult terrain of the Cebu Highlands Trail worked impressively on your body. What made the rest more awesome is that we spent it at the idyllic Bakhawan Beach Home. The day is colder than yesterday and the breeze caused by the northeast monsoon made it so. Today is February 13, 2017 and this is Day Twenty-six of the Thruhike.

I would have wanted to stay for a few more hours but this is not the best time to tinker with my itinerary. No. Never! Not today when we are expected to finish this first ever Thruhike of Cebu in two days. I have people who are expecting me to hit the route once again. They are fed, from time to time, on social media by my Lenovo A7000 and, perhaps, if it is still working, by the satellite navigation transmitter provided by Galileo Satellite Control Systems-Philippines.

 

Lani Perez, the owner of Bakhawan Beach Home, a good friend of mine, and a common acquaintance, Bebut Estillore, have left very early in the morning. Before leaving, she had instructed her people to cook something nice for us before we embark on our own journey. Jonathaniel Apurado, me and my guest hiker, supply team commander and Thruhike supporter, Markus Immer, would be walking north. We would leave Mirasol and Mark Lepon, Ronald and Christian Jacob Abella, Leomil Pino and Glyn Formentera as they prepared themselves for departure to Metro Cebu.

I am glad the spartan breakfasts of instant soups and rice had come to an end three days ago and I have not missed it today. Instead, we will enjoy a breakfast of leftover free-rein chicken which is now part of a soup with horse radish. After the meal, there is coffee and the second to the last bottle of Yakult cultured milk and the last capsules of Enervon multivitamin and Herbalife natural raw Guarana. I sent a text message to the Daanbantayan Police Station that we are resuming our journey soon.

This day, I will no longer carry something with my hand but the Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad, provided by Michael Schwarz, will still be a fixture, taking its favorite place on my front. I said goodbye to Doming once again. It is 07:30. We are late but I know where I am going now and we were well-rested. We retrace our route we took two days ago to where that notch at Pangadlawan Hills is located. Across me is the Dalingding Hills and, farther away, is Panugnawan Hills.

I would not be walking there but follow a dirt road going north to the small community of Pangadlawan and to the sugar cane fields of Hacienda Gomez, in the village of Paypay, Daanbantayan. The breeze blew strong, the power lines sung, the sugar cane leaves clashed, while the coconut leaves overhead danced. I shivered at the wind. The winter coldness of Siberia, Japan, Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula can be felt as the northeast wind brought its below zero temperatures down the equator.

 

We are in the best of weather and time. The sun gave out its energy of light and warmth but the cool northern winds tempered it. I looked back at Markus and he gave me a thumbs up. Farther away is Jon, his umbrella blocking away the sun from his face. Everyone is okay, no need to rush. I have to enjoy this walk. It is now rolling terrain and we are now on the plains. The high places are over. I am walking in seventh heaven for I am now starting to cut distance and time to that elusive jewel on the north.

We walked on empty spaces and amidst communities where life seemed to have gone elsewhere. It is silent except for the hum of the power cables strummed by the amihan. Then there is the yakitty-yak of a political commentary on AM radio. It is a strange place to be in, unbelievable even. We reach an asphalted road and I have to follow it northeastward. Fish are dried beside the road in Dalingding, Daanbantayan. People stare at us and dismiss our presence. I understand why? Markus.

A foreigner in your strand, exempts you from inquisitive looks. Markus, my trouble saver. People now throw jokes at us about Markus and then laugh when Markus answered them in pidgin Cebuano, amused at themselves of being caught offguard. These same people which the policemen have dismissed their reports six months ago as nothing but rumor mongering, ignored us now and appeared jolly and carefree. I hope it stays that way for the rest of the route for this day.

We cross a wide steel bridge. Soon we would arrive at a road corner where there is a store and we would rest. At 10:12, we reach the corner of Libertad, Daanbantayan. We would rehydrate with the coldest Coca Cola of the planet and home-baked bread known as “burikat” from this store. There is a kiosk and we stayed in the shadiest and windiest part as I explained to Markus the significance of the bread’s name.

 

After 20 minutes, we continue. Somewhere over the road we would stop again for our noonbreak. I do not know where is that but I just wish it would be sooner as the noontime sun begins to feel uncomfortable. Among built-up areas that looked more urbane than rural, the luxury of the endless bursts of cooler winds are now missing. The concrete pavements bounce back heat towards our faces. Good thing I have dark sunglasses provided by Zue Fashion to shield my eyes from glare.

Markus and Jon has wide brimmed hats while I favored my drab green meshed shawl to cover my head and part of my face. I could wet it and cover my head when heat would be unbearable which I did before this Thruhike. I can fold it without taking space, can be washed easily, dries fast and I can use it as an alternative mosquito net for my face. It had seen good days and look tattered with some threads coming loose.

We passed by the village of Malingin, Daanbantayan and asked a village watchman. He knew us coming and is very helpful. The idea of us being expected in town removed the furrows of worry on my forehead. It made me feel good walking on concrete pavement even under a scorching noontime sun. My steps become light and sprightly and the buildup of fatigue dispersed about downwind. Just a few kilometers more and we would stop.

At 11:35, we stop by a store at the village of Pajo, Daanbantayan. It has good shade and there is a long bench. Across it is a road that would lead us to Lanao, hopefully, later. In the meantime, we just have to rest, rehydrate with water and cold RC Cola, and eat our rations. For me, it is another Fitbar energy cereal. I bought another bottle of RC and keep myself well hydrated. I updated my base support team about our whereabouts as I had done in every place we stopped and where there are phone signals to catch.

 

By 13:00, we lurched forward and cross the highway and enter that road across us. A few meters from the corner, vacant lands were converted into a garbage dumping area. Under the heat of the day, shreds of thin plastic and whole plastic bags danced on the empty air as the breeze tease it where it went tossed. It is dragged from the ground and spiraled up an invisible vortex and carried high among thermals to be part of the next day’s garbage to be dumped here.

The road is narrow with thin asphalt pavements. It winds irregularly among rehabilitated communities that were once flattened by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Several relief agencies have left their good marks here and the residents have recovered from that debacle and are busy engaging in their livelihood. A signboard says that we are now in the village of Tominjao, Daanbantayan. A few kilometers more and we will strike our day’s refuge.

At 13:50, I reach a corner where a sign reads “Welcome Barangay Lanao”. Lanao is named after a lake which I saw six months ago. Almost everyone knows not the presence of this body of water but it should be there even when there has been no rain for the last ten days. A middle aged woman asked us if we are the hikers and we were ushered to their village hall at 14:10. They expected us at 16:00 based on the itinerary I gave to both the Office of the Provincial Governor and the Cebu Police Provincial Office.

We were received by the village chairwoman, the Hon. Remedios Layos. Immediately, she mobilized her village council to prepare something for the visitors. It is quite strange that, six months ago, I was not entertained here and, here they are, giving me respect as if I and my companions are VIPs. I have made my peace with the people of Lanao when I came back here last November 3, 2016 to visit and talk to Hon. Remedios about my purpose and to ask her blessings. That day I finished the exploration and the completion of the CHT.

Her people were busy going in and out and calling other people so I asked her if we could visit Lake Lanao since we have a lot of time. That gave her the needed space to relieve pressure. She immediately provided a vehicle so we would be shuttled there accompanied by her councilor, Hon. Celso Montana, and three village watchmen. They would serve as our “tour guides” and our “security”. 

 

Lake Lanao, as I have said before, is unknown to most people outside of Daanbantayan. It is rain fed, a large pond, roughly five hectares in size and has an outlet that drains into the Bantayan Channel when it is filled beyond its capacity. It has an island near the southern shore. During its heyday, the lake used to provide freshwater fish to the communities when the seas were very rough for fishing. It is also a rich roosting ground for migratory birds.

The size of the lake decreased through the years as the shallow shorelines were converted into farmlands planted with rice and other crops. Overfishing and introduction of exotic fishes caused decline of the native fish species while migratory birds who still visit do not come in great numbers anymore. There is a secret burial ground of ancient Cebuanos inside a cave with which entrance is submerged in water. There is now a dry swamp where there are very large Leichardt pines grow (Local name: hambabalod).

We returned to the village on foot after more than an hour and we were served with snacks of espinossum seaweed (guso), sweet potatoes and softdrinks. We were welcomed to stay and sleep inside their village hall and we were provided with coffee, crackers, cold and hot water, electricity and peace of mind. Early dinner came at 15:45 hosted by the people of Lanao. It is free-rein chicken soup, fried milkfish (bangus), grilled pork and rice cooked in little coconut baskets (puso).

When we were alone, we claimed our sleeping spaces on the concrete floor, charged our batteries and enjoyed a happy atmosphere since nothing could stop now our historic Thruhike of Cebu. We will claim that bragging right tomorrow on Day Twenty-seven. Meanwhile, I crossed out the day’s itinerary, checked my map for tomorrow and concluded the night with entries on my journal.

Distance Walked: 15.33 kilometers

Elevation Gained: 113 meters and a low of 3 meters

Document done in LibreOffice 5.2 Writer