After days of bouncing from Puerto Princesa to the southernmost town of Bataraza and everywhere in between, our bodies were reaching exhaustion level. Long drives, rugged trails, and back-to-back adventures had taken their toll.
Enter The Funny Lion.
After four extended
visits, each lasting nearly a month, it's fair to say that India has carved out
a space in my wanderlust. Friends often ask me why. Their curiosity is usually
marked with skepticism, sometimes even concern. “What do you like about India?”
they ask with bafflement. The question is often followed by a familiar refrain,
shaped by viral TikTok clips of dirty street food pantries: “Isn’t it dirty?”
A landmark that needs no introduction. "A teardrop on the cheek of time", wrote Rabindranath Tagore
Unkabogable star and GameZone’s first brand ambassador, Vice Ganda with Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid turn the Smart Araneta Coliseum into a gigantic dance floor filled with cheers, laughter, stunning visuals, and mesmerizing performances last August 8 and 9 with the Super Divas: The Concert.
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| GaneZone flashes on the center stage with its first brand ambassador , Vice Ganda and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid |
I’ll admit it, part
of my mind was still wrapped on our missed opportunity of traveling to Balabac
Islands. I find myself mentally drifting over its impossibly white sands, the
kind travel dreams are made of. They say it’s one of the most beautiful islands
in the world, and I was ready to believe it.
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| Tumarbong Falls in Quezon, Palawan |
On the journey back
to Batan Island, I found myself fighting off nausea aboard a small faluwa, the
traditional Ivatan boat known for its open deck, deep hull, and absence of
outriggers, built to navigate the strong, unpredictable currents between the
Batanes islands.
Rugged cliffs dominate the landscape of Itbayat
A detour had us learning more about the Jama Mapun banig weavers
Far from the tattoo trails of Buscalan, a
richer portrait of Kalinga unfolds in sacred rituals, heirloom recipes, and the
coldness of mountain villages.
Despite
years spent crisscrossing the Philippine archipelago, a few places have
continued to elude me. Chief among them: the mountain village of Buscalan in
Kalinga, home to Apo Whang-Od, centenarian, cultural icon, and said to be the oldest
traditional mambabatok (Kalinga traditional artist) of her generation.
Using a thorn, soot, and indigenous ink, she etches ancestral symbols into
skin, each mark a living archive of identity and cultural symbol.
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| Sunrise over the mountains of Lubuagan, Kalinga is a great reason to wake up early |
Organized by the Tourism Promotions Board
of the Philippines, the workshop focused on destination resiliency, signaling
renewed support for sustainable tourism in one of the country’s most secluded
islands.
Let’s get one thing straight: Batanes isn’t your average beach-and-bar-hopping Philippine getaway. It’s remote, like seriously remote. Located far in the Philippine Sea, over 160 kilometers north of Luzon, it’s a destination that shrugs off convenience. Ships don’t carry passengers, only cargo. Flights are few, and when the weather decides to be unpredictable, which happens often, cancellations are a given.
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| The workshop participants, media with members of the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippine (TPB) |
Having climbed my
fair share of mountains during my college days, I knew well enough that when a
guide says, “Just 10 more minutes,” what they really mean is that a good hour
or more separates you from the summit. By the time I reached the boulder face
of Mount Apo, I was already battling a sea of massive stones. These boulders,
remnants of an undocumented ancient eruption, lay scattered like imposing
obstacles one has to hurdle with both hands and feet, and an impressive
balancing act, before reaching the peak.
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| A clearing and a sea of clouds |
Growing
up, the game of pabitin was a familiar presence during town fiestas and
children's parties. A bamboo rack, laced with small toys, snacks, and other
prizes, would be hoisted above a crowd of eager children. As the rack was
lowered and raised again, the children would jump, reaching for whatever they
could grab.
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| Farm and garden produce are all displayed in colorful Baluartes during the Festival |
Over the years, and
after many visits to Boracay’s white-sand shores, I’ve stayed in a variety of accommodations:
from beachfront luxury to modest guesthouses hidden into inner alleys. But of
all these stays, one property has become my island constant: Azalea Hotels
& Residences. On my most recent trip, I checked in here for the third time,
making it the hotel I’ve returned to more than any other on the island.
Marky Ramone Go is a travel-junkie, writer and photographer based in the Philippines. Aside from contributing articles to various publications and websites, he narrates his experiences wandering the tropical paradise of the Philippines, the culturally rich regions of South East Asia, Sri Lanka and India on this travel blog. After Asia, he is keen on exploring South America and eventually tracing Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" trail in the United States to Mexico.
