Kalanggaman Island.

A weekend from work to stay at Paradise with friends is definitely worth the hassle of hours and hours of land and sea trips.

With summer already on its way, me and some of my friends decided to go to this island, an hour of bangka travel just across Palompon, Leyte. When we got there, everything is just breathtaking, from the water to the sand to the sea breeze to the sun...everything was perfect.

Food and drinks were bountiful, the volleyball court was just inches away from our camp, as well as the beach. There was no electricity, so we decided to turn off our gadgets, and it seemed like we were castaways on Survivor: only living on the food that we have, making most of what we brought with us, without any contact from the outside world. Well I may be exaggerating a little, but that's what I felt. :)

On the island, you can do a lot of things. Boredom is the last thing that would come up in this place. Aside from the usual banter that our group solely initiates, we also brought a badminton set that kept us afoot and energized, complete with scoring and losers being replaced.

The island also has a handful of gear that you can rent, just to add more activities on your list: Kayaks, banana-bicycle floaters, bicycle floaters, etc.

And of course, the sand bar. Photography is ideal, and strolling to and fro is a must for any group.

At night, the stars come out and play a romantic setting on the beach, with torches being lit up at every camp.

Everyone was just having fun, making our summer outing a very successful one.

Next up: our trip to Boracay, in time for my Birthday. :)

Go Tourism! :)

Our country is indeed full of tourist destinations. So full of it that we can't blame the tourists when they keep coming back to our place! Truly proud! :)

Phl listed as top destination for 2013. http://www.philstar.com/news-feature/2013/01/05/893487/phl-listed-top-destination-2013

posted from Bloggeroid

bacolod.

A time out of town is always a breath of fresh air. A reunion outing with a close friend, at the same time getting to know more about new ones is also a great thing.

So when the Cebu Initiatives decided to go out and have some fun, I joined in without hesitation. Well yes, I was somehow wary because I've been going out of town more often than usual, but it's been not usual for a lot of people to get together these days. A little team bonding is also a good factor to consider.

And there you go. :)

Bacolod City was chosen because of its upcoming Masskara festival, which will be this weekend. I only knew of Bacolod City as the City of Smiles, and when we got there, it was so much more. The history, places to see, and their hospitality are refreshing to the heart and soul of a city person.

Upon disembarking from the plane on Saturday morning, we proceeded to have a little tour in the city of Silay. I observed that their place, though already declared as a city a long time, still has ancestral houses here and there. It's always nice to see that our history is still intact in some places.

After a sumptuous breakfast, we headed for Bacolod City. We then took a little city tour, just to see some of the sights. Then we checked in at our pension house at noon. After settling down, we ate our lunch--yes eating is a major-major activity during this outing--then proceeded to go to the house of one of my previous reps to visit. Then we went to the streets to join in the festivities.

The next day we went to Mambukal, which is a famous resort in Negros Occidental that houses their various outdoor activities like wall-climbing, swimming at their pool, bathing at the hot spring, trekking while viewing their numerous falls, and so much more. Mambukal was indeed a great experience.

Yesterday we went back to Bacolod City to relax while waiting for our evening flight. All in all a great adventurous experience!

Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Fun and relaxation always go hand in hand when Team Gidlay go out, whether just within the city limits or broaching the seas to get to nearby islands. In this particular case, flying the skies to reach the cool-weathered nature-loving island of Palawan.

By the constant help of our colleague Joyce Ann Ruma, our short but amazing trip was formed, from the airfare bookings to the hotel accommodations to the 3-day itinerary. With that taken care of, all we needed to do was to show up and enjoy every event arranged.

Nine Gidlays, three days, one destination.

With the new trends of famous cheap promo airfares, we got our airline tickets booked with Air Philippines. One hour and twenty minutes of flying through the Philippine skies and we successfully landed in the glorious city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. A luxurious van courtesy of our resident hotel Lola Itang, picked us up and gave us a short but picturesque city tour.

Upon arriving at Lola Itang's, we were greeted by very hospitable personnel at the reception/restaurant counter. We were checked-in and were put into one of their family rooms.

We found Lola Itang's place as very quaint and homey, and we comfortably fit in there. It reminded me of my grandmother's house in Toledo City when I was still a kid, like I am off to see my cousins and play with them. They also had sungkas (they were my favorite when I was a kid) which added more to the Filipino touch and feel of the hotel.

Island-hopping was one of the activities listed on our itinerary for our second-day stay in Puerto Princesa. Frustration was felt though when we got out of the hotel and found out that it was raining. Nevertheless, we pushed through with the plans allotted for the day and ended up still having fun. We had three stops: the Luli Island, Pambato Coral Reef Sanctuary and the Cowrie Island.

The Underground River was our next stop, and on our way there we got to witness the beauty of the nature of Palawan. It was my first time in seeing really high mountain rocks that can only be seen in the movies. Indeed, as one of my companions said, Palawan is Nature's Last Frontier. Words cannot even fit to describe the beauty of the Underground River. As we wove through the low-leveled water inside the river, amazement and awe masked our silence as we listened to our tour guide.

Our last day comprised of touring the Crocodile Farm, Baker's Hill and Mitras Ranch, which both have breathtaking views and interesting photo-worthy areas.

All in all, Team Gidlay had another successful out-of-town experience in Puerto Princesa.

tanjay city.

A month ago me and some of my agents went to Ruthna's hometown. It gave me a chance to unwind after what happened with my transfer to another department (I'll tell you about that fiasco later on), and a final bonding time with my agents who have been close to me for the past year that I was under the KANA department.

Tanjay City is located at Negros Oriental, near Dumaguete where Qualfon has a branch there. We traveled around 5 hours to get to this peaceful place. Despite the long and tiring trip, we did not regret it even for a second. Because upon arriving there until we traveled back to Cebu, we were always eating! My face even felt rounder when I got back. We were just eating, eating, eating! There was even a point when I already grumbled...and Ruthna just laughed at me.

So there we were, eating, lounging, sleeping, going out, drinking, dancing, swimming...In short, our Tanjay vacay was a total bliss.

--at their local boardwalk waiting for the Fireworks Display Contest to
start--

--enjoying cool and clear seawater at a nearby town--

--just one of our pigging out moments at Ruthna's home--

--trying out their night scene at one of the local videoke
hangouts--

--paid our respects to the patron saint on the day of the
fiesta--

--at one of Ruthna's friends' house, readying for a night of
clubbing--

--hanging out at one of their plazas (they have two!)--

Wishing for more bonding moments with my agents, even if now I am not with them all the time. T_T

camiguin.

Sometime in March last year, we traveled to Cagayan De Oro. We braved ourselves and tried the longest zipline in Asia and braced against the strong waters while kayaking in the Cagayan De Oro river.

After the unique experience there, we shivered in fright while travelling to the island of Camiguin.

Once we got to this historical place, we automatically checked in to our resort. Rested a little, ate a lot, and readied ourselves for the island tour the next day.

And what an enjoyable day it was.

--breakfast at our resort--

--lounging at the resort lobby--

--posing at the resort bar--

--enjoying the jacuzzi--

--at the bangka bound for White Island--

--at the White Island--

--the Sto. Niño Cold Springs--

--at the historical Old Church Ruins--

--after the cold, hot na pud! XD--

--one of Camiguin's waterfalls--

--one last hunat at our beloved resort (the best!) before we leave for Cebu--

Planning our next adventure!

malapascua.

It's nice to be with friends on your special day.

I hadn't even planned on something big, but I'm glad it was done.

Three of us celebrated our birthdays on the month of May, so our group of friends decided to do something about it.

Malapascua, as some people say, is the place to be. This holds true for us. It's a small heap of paradise where people relax and dive into the colorful underwater what we all know as the ocean.

And there we were, lounging on the sand. Dancing to the Super Bass beat. Snorkeling around the island. Cliff-diving. Swimming, eating and drinking. Photoshoots. And then some.

The pictures say it all:

The fun and company of friends made our birthdays even more special. Many thanks to them! :)

the ultimate team building.

My team had our first ever team building/outing. The planning started last year, when everyone was still high on getting the team jackets. Also resulting from a very bitin but still enjoyable RedBox Christmas Party.

Originally we wanted it to be in Cagayan so that we could experience the white water rafting in Kagay River, but given the circumstances, all agreed to have it in Bohol instead. I've been to the island numerous times, but I'm not complaining. Really. Bohol is a very nice place. What lures me to this tourist destination are their very charming tarsiers and breath-taking chocolate hills. If you haven't gone there yet, you should.

So, after months of organizing, the day finally arrived! We never thought the day would come. But there we were, aboard the OceanJet vessel bound for Tagbilaran, basking in the sea breeze! :)

We arrived at our resort, making ourselves comfortable. The next day, the trip began, with everyone cramped into a nice van, making very loud noises, singing, drinking, laughing, etc.

Here are some of our captured moments:

--at Pier 1 on our way towards the OceanJet waiting area--

--me with one of my babies aboard the OceanJet--

--a welcome sign waiting for our arrival! sweet! :D--

--at Tagbilaran's BQ Mall making some last-minute shopping for our 2-day stay--

--posing for the camera before starting the Bohol whole-day tour--

--taking a breather in between tarsiers--

--sunkissed and chocolate hills-kissed! ^_^--

--taking over the blind masseuse's places--

--bugwak!--

--my turn! introduction of light--

--taking turns in posing with the life-size tarsier--

--the Loboc River Cruise Experience!--

--the Zipline which has a breath-taking view of the Loboc River--

--the famous Man-Made Forest. very cool! :)--

--taking a break at the park across the Baclayon Church--

--the view behind the Blood Compact Site--

Everything was a whole new experience with my babies, and everyone enjoyed every bit of it. Especially me! Till next time! :)