Extreme Adventure to the max

By JIMS VINCENT T. CAPUNO

840-m Dual Zipline

MANILA, Philippines -- Dahilayan Adventure Park in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon is one of the most visited places in the country. It lies at the foothills of Mount Kitanglad Range which is declared as a national park and is more than 4,000 feet above sea level.

The park’s dual zip-line is touted to be the longest in Asia. It consists of two cables each 840 meters long from point to point, with safety cable also 840 meters long.  Total length of cables is 2,460 meters.  Elevation drop is 100 meters with estimated speed ranging from 60 to 100 kilometers per hour.

The Pine Grove Mountain Lodge is the biggest building at the Zip Zone.  Here, visitors and guests can eat, relax, or opt to stay in one of its fine rooms, which, incidentally, was where KC Concepcion and Sam Milby filmed parts of the movie Forever and a Day.

The zip line may be the longest and scariest, but the park itself is the most beautiful, greenest, and cleanest this part of the world.

Aside from it being a smoke-free park, its lush greenery of pine trees, Bermuda grass, flowering plants and other ornamentals are well-maintained.  One of its main come-ons is a small plane at the center of the main entrance.  Overall, the surrounding is perfect for both children and adults.

The Forest Park is an ideal destination for a family.  There is a playground full of replicas of life-size animals. It also offers extreme adventures.  It has an All-Terrain Vehicle that can be rented and zorb balls which are used to roll down the hill.  Horseback riding and mini-boat ski ride are also available.  Children will enjoy doing the 21 platforms tree top adventure, a 175-meter obstacle course adventure.

Have a picnic amongst life-size replicas of tigers, tortoise, crocodiles, gorillas, giraffes, and hippopotamus, to name a few.

Victor, the first of the Paras siblings who bought a property in Dahilayan, developed his place into a wedding venue and called it Dahilayan Garden and Resorts.  Aside from weddings, the place is also good for fishing since there is a pond inside the resort.  Children will enjoy riding the aqua balls.

Another Paras sibling put up a restaurant and called it The Cow Boy Grill.  A sister, on the other hand, created a beautiful garden in her lot which she called Botanica Café and Garden that serves coffee, pasta and salads to visitors.

If you want to experience extreme adventure, then try the Dahican Adventure Park experience.  In some instances, the area gets covered with fog, so as a precaution, the management reminds: “Due to sudden weather and temperature change, everyone is requested to bring their winter coats and jackets.”

How to get there:

Dahilayan Adventure Park is about one hour and thirty-minutes from Cagayan de Oro City. From the city, take the Davao-Bukidnon Highway, right on the Alae Junction, proceed 25 kilometers, passing by the Del Monte Camp Philipps and pineapple plantation. Look around for markers that indicate where the adventure park is.

Sun, sand, sea in Cebu

By MA. GLAIZA LEE

The placid Lake Danao in San Francisco town of Camotes Island (Photo by CHERYL BALDICANTOS)

MANILA, Philippines -- If you still haven’t had enough of the sun, sand, and sea, why don’t you pack your swimwear, take a trip to Cebu, and explore its many pristine white beaches and other wonders?

While Cebu continues to be one of the top tourism brands of the country, even surpassing some of the most popular destinations, there are other places in the belle city of the south that most people are oblivious to or have no knowledge that such clandestine spots exist.

So, why don’t you start your aquatic journey in Pinamungajan? Located between the towns of Aloguinsan and Toledo, it is about two hours drive away from Cebu City via the Naga-Uling Road or the Carcar-Barili route.

A traveler’s treasure trove, Pinamungajan conceals nature’s riches that are only waiting to be uncovered by adventurous souls. If you’re looking for stunning waterfalls and dark crevices to explore, then this is the place for you.

One of the most visited caves in the town is the Kamangon Cave. The name of the cave came from the Cebuano word kamang which means to crawl. Plunging into the dark crevices of this cave is no joke. One needs to creep on the ground and move at a snail’s pace to get inside.

While it is quite a challenge to enter this cave, the wonders inside are definitely worth it. The huge stalactite and stalagmite formations are a sight to behold. Its gleaming ceiling and walls are nature’s gifts to humankind.

Be forewarned: While these wonders are enticing to touch, keep your hands to yourself. The oil and dirt from your hands can damage the formations which took thousands of years to form. Just one touch of the finger and these formations will die.

Other caves worth exploring are Pangi, Limod, Udlom, Kabyaw, Sinungkulan, Nagkawa, and Naglapus.
After exploring the dark underworld, head to the Tajao Wharf and take a 20-minute boat ride to the Campalabo Islet, a one-hectare pristine sand bar surrounded by diverse marine flora and fauna. During low tide, the white-sand strip is visible from the shores of Pinamungajan.

Another paradise is the Camotes Island, which lies in the northeast of Cebu City. The island is composed of four small islets namely, Pacijan, Poro, Ponson, and Tulang.

According to local tales, Camotes got its name when some Spaniards asked the native islanders what the island was called. Thinking that the foreign invaders were asking what they were putting in their basket, they answered camotes; hence, the name of the island.

Most travelers who have discovered the charm of Camotes often come here to marvel at the stunning beaches and lake as well as to experience the rich culture and history of the town celebrated through songs and stories by the warm and friendly town folks.

Visit the Pacijan Island and discover the freshwater lake inside the islet, Lake Danao. The 700-hectare fresh body of water is the biggest and only natural lake in Cebu. A bird sanctuary, it is home to the purple heron and the Philippine wild duck.

During the month of March, the locals celebrate the Soli-soli Festival. The soli-soli is a lake grass that grows along Lake Danao which the residents use for weaving baskets and other products.
Can’t get enough of these aquatic wonders? Head on to Sumilon Island.

The island has a natural lagoon teeming with high mangroves and natural caves which are often used by fishermen as a refuge during stormy weather; hence the name of the island which means to take refuge.

Surrounded by crystal blue water with a magnificent underwater view of thriving marine ecosystem rich in flora and fauna, the Sumilon Island is a popular dive site in the Visayas. In fact, it has four major dive spots: Garden Eel Plaza, Nikki’s Wall, Coral Landscape, and Julie’s Rock. The different spots provide a panoramic view of the aquatic world, including stunning coral reefs and tropical marine animal species, with occasional sightings of black-tip sharks.

But what sets the island apart is its shifting sandbar. The sandbar changes its shape and shifts locations around the island depending on the season.

On the southern part of the island are the lighthouse, a historical watchtower built in the 19th century to warn the towns people about the coming slavers and marauders,  and the Baluarte.

A few kilometers away from the busy district of Bogo City is a small, enchanting island that is fast becoming a favorite dive site because of its stunning aquatic garden.

A secluded coralline islet situated between Cebu and Leyte, the Capitancillo Island was named after an American navy captian, named Captain Cillo, whose ship was anchored on its shores during the war.

The island remains uninhabited, but some fishermen use the island as a haven. They usually head to this island to have their lunch, take a break from fishing, to fix their nets, and sometimes to dry their catch. The only structure that can be found in the island is the solar-powered lighthouse, sitting amidst the remains of an old structure which was built in the 1950s.

Of course, there are other tourist destinations in Cebu that are worth exploring, but that’s another story.

Puerto Princesa: The first carbon neutral city in the country

By VIC ALBORNOZ LACTAOEN

July 3, 2011, 11:15am

From L-R: Italian Ambassador Luca Fornari, Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn, and President Benigno Simeon Aquino III (Photo by Jay Morales / Malacañang Photo Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines -- Those looking for a new exciting getaway from the busy metropolis need not look far. For one, Puerto Princesa is one of the biggest cities in the world with a total land area of 253, 982 hectares and a coastline of 416 kilometers.

It is also endowed with rich natural resources and highly diverse flora and fauna found in both land and sea, unlike any of those found in the rest of the country, according to Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn during a recent Bulong Pulungan Forum in Manila. The City has the largest forest cover in the country and boasts of one of the healthiest coral reef covers which makes it an ecological paradise destination of choice.

Today, the City is envisioning itself as a city where man and nature can co-exist in balance and harmony. If there is an admirable reverence for nature outside and around the province of Palawan, the city is acknowledged as the country’s “Last Ecological Frontier in addition to being declared as a “Biospheric reserve” by the United Nations. This is very much in evidence as Puerto Princesa City is not only carbon neutral but in fact, significantly carbon negative (a new buzzword in the world’s Inter-government Panel on Climate Change). Although laudable, it still needs continuous efforts to maintain and the city, like other major cities in the country has to find ways to satisfy the needs and aspirations of its citizens.

As it celebrates its Pista Y Ang Cagueban (Feast of the Forest), paying homage to Puerto Princesa’s forests and the city’s rich biodiversity, the people of Puerto Princesa City are celebrating a festival that comes at a time when President Aquino himself initiated the National Greening Program (NGP) and vowed to rally the country into planting 1.5 billion trees from 2011 to 2016.

Since Mayor Hagedorn took over the helm of the city, he has redeemed his promises of planting more than two million trees until this year, increasing the forest cover of the city from 40% to 70% with an expected annual growth of 100,000 seedlings expected to be planted. By the time Mayor Hagedorn completes his current term of office in June 2013, he is expected to transform Puerto Princesa from a city whose natural resources were ravaged by both the needy and the greedy to one of the most progressive ecotourism destinations in the country, with an environment that is protected and cared by the people.

For this year’s festival, the city will be the only one in the country to have a 90 percent forest cover. Mayor Hagedorn has declared the Irawan Watershed to be fully rehabilitated, ending the annual pilgrimage of an average of 50,000 residents, expatriates, tourists and guests who have planted tree seedlings in the area.

It is no surprise that the Mayor’s attention has also been to spearhead the campaign to make the Puerto Princesa underground River (PPUR) win as one of the New 7 wonders of Nature (a global nature campaign), the endorsement of his drive by President Aquino last week, gives more impetus for Filipinos here and around the world to vote for PPUR online or through text messaging.

The President has become the principal endorser of this new campaign and said he did so in order to spur Filipinos, who send 2 billion text messages a day, to support the campaign by texting their votes to the New 7 Wonders. The President further issued Proclamation No. 182 to formalize his endorsement and encourage all Filipinos to support the cause of Mayor Hagedorn and the people of Puerto Princesa City.

The Puerto Princesa Underground River is the longest underground river on the planet rich in troves of pre-historic fossils, recently discovered by the member of the La Venta Georgraphical Exploration, a group of Italian explorers. The group recently discovered a 20 million year old fossil of a sea cow embedded in a limestone formation just above the waters of the river. The Italian explorers stressed that the find has been confirmed to be the remains of a pre-historic sea cow called Sirenia, from which the dugong in Asia and manatees of the Atlantic Ocean descended, and promptly declared that PPUR is “truly a wonder of nature.”

Apart from being a real wonder, the Puerto Princesa Underground River is sure to attract more tourists to the city, according to the Mayor.

“It is expected to raise tourism receipts and create more jobs not only for the city but the country as a whole. Its victory in the New 7 Wonders would intensify ecotourism and affirm Puerto Princesa’s role as a top tourism drawer in the Philippines,” Hagedorn said.

For now and in the future, Mayor Edward Hagedorn remains passionate about his work and vision. “I am more than optimistic,” he beams. “I am confident that the best is yet to come. We have continuously survived and have reaped the results of having taken that leap of faith towards Puerto Princesa’s progress.”

Bohol–it’s still God’s handiwork

From a luxurious resort, sensitive tarsier to startling images of San Padre Pio and Madonna and Child

By: Amadís Ma. Guerrero

Philippine Daily Inquirer

On a recent media tour of Bohol, a naughty media person asked the tour guide: “How do the Boholanos feel now about ‘Imperial Cebu?’”

“Well, honestly,” the tour guide, Cecile V. Remolador, intoned, “some Boholanos were uncomfortable with Cebuanos… but as for me, I’m happy that Cebu is helping the growth of tourism in Bohol.”

After many years, it was time to rediscover the wonders of Bohol.

The media caper was arranged by Stratos Public Relations, Inc. (info@stratospr.com) via ZestAir, and the first stop was the high-end Henann Resort in fabled Panglao Island (adjacent to the capital city of Tagbilaran), with its beach resorts, white sand, clean waters and (pun not intended) watering holes.

The resort (manila@hennan.com) has, among other features, 12 luxury villas which live up to their name, and cuisine apparently aimed at voracious eaters. After one’s fill of the soup, salad and the main entries (like tiger prawns and fillet of lapu-lapu), there was no more room in one’s stomach for the sugar-laden desserts (unless it was fruit salad).

Obligatory stops for any tour of Bohol include the Blood Compact monument by the sea, executed by National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva (who is from Bohol); and the tarsier habitat in Corella, where you can trek through the forest and take shots of the world’s smallest primates (don’t call them monkeys).

But don’t disturb them, because they are sensitive, if not suicidal.

Another treat is the cruise cum buffet lunch and live music down fascinating Loboc River, like something from a Joseph Conrad novel, the river valley rich with vegetation, and ending at the low-lying Busay Falls. High above you is the zip-line, and at times you can see the riders gliding through.

Rated by the scholars Pedro Galende, OSA, and Rene Javellana, SJ, one of the great churches in the Philippines (along with the churches of Loboc and Loon) is the Immaculate Conception of Mary parish in Baclayón, made of coral stones and completed in 1717 under the aegis of the Jesuits.

The main retablo (altar backdrop) is beautiful when lighted. It is a pantheon of saints capped by the Blessed Mother, and flanked by two retablos of almost equal scale. On the left side of the altar, sunlight streams in through the stained glass windows.

A divine surprise awaits you outside, on the lateral buttresses of the church. If you look closely (from a distance, that is), you will see the startling images of San Padre Pio and the Madonna and Child.

The church’s Museo displays an impressive collection of priceless antiques and religious objects such as crucifixes, altars, altar chairs, sacred images and containers, early 19th-century choir albums, books, a red organ and baptismal and marriage records in the florid penmanship of the Spanish priests, to mention only a few treasures.

Picture-taking is not allowed, because thefts have occurred. Also, the flash of the cameras might damage the works.

And what’s a tour of Bohol without the Chocolate Hills, and never mind if this is the third time? You ascend 214 steps, with convenient stops along the way, under the watchful eyes of the Grotto. There is also a lateral ramp, if you prefer this option.

At the summit, cottages and cars moving along the highway appear like tiny objects. Confronted by 1,260 hills, mounds as well as pyramids, which have been here for millions of years, you feel in the presence of God’s handiwork.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer

Pacquiao’s Bora paradise in troubled waters

By Beth Celis
Philippine Daily Inquirer

When he  dropped by the Boracay Convention Center during the PBA All-Stars to invite friends from Manila to dinner, businessman Crisostomo “Cris” Aquino seemed to have no inkling that the Mayor’s office in Boracay was planning to close his plush beach resort.

Cris used to be a regular fixture in the PBA, especially during Purefoods games, but that was years before he became a full-time member of Team Pacquiao. His major task was to carry the Philippine flag before a Pacquiao fight.
For sure you’ve seen this chubby, jolly-looking fellow on television at one time or another.
Years ago, when Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codiñera were still playing, Cris never missed a Purefoods game. He was a die-hard fan of the Tender Juicy Hotdogs and always wore a fun cap with a huge hotdog on it.
* * *
On the first day of the PBA All-Star weekend in Boracay last month, Cris stopped by the convention center, the venue of the festivities, to invite friends to his Boracay West Cove Resort, which he reportedly co-owns with Pacquiao.
I can’t recall who asked him why we no longer see him carry the Philippine flag during Pacquiao fights.
Cris seemed to be avoiding the subject, or maybe he didn’t hear the remark because he neither reacted nor responded to the query.
* * *
A big entourage of PBA officials, staff and players headed by league commissioner Chito Salud were wined and dined by Cris the following night at his sprawling beach resort.
Warned of the hilly terrain, I decided to skip the dinner, all to the good of Cris who was spared some questions which might have been difficult to answer.
I really wanted to see the place, thinking that it was also the property of the boxing’s pound-for-pound king. (Very recently, though, Pacquiao denied on national TV that he co-owns the resort.)
Less than a  month after Cris hosted that dinner, Mayor John Yap ordered the closure of the Boracay West Cove Resort on the ground that it operated without a permit.
Yap plans to eventually demolish the resort, because he said it was built illegally.
Cris explained that he has been trying to secure a permit  from the mayor’s office, but has been continually ignored.
A colleague speculated that the Boracay West Cove is what Pacquiao intends to present to hotel heiress Paris Hilton when she comes to the country next month to look for possible business ventures.
Paris intends to put up a beach club here.
My colleague said Boracay property owners and investors close to Yap, scared of the possible stiff competition, must have talked the mayor into nipping the big project in the bud.
* * *
Although he recently purchased a P388-million property at Forbes Park, Manny Pacquiao was reportedly refused membership at the Manila Golf Club, which is located inside the exclusive village.
Even if you’re in the Forbes list of 40 richest Filipinos, you may not be accepted into the ultra-conservative, super exclusive sports club, according to colleague Al Mendoza.
Star entertainment editor Ricky Lo also wrote in his column that Willie Revillame and no less than ABS-CBN’s top honcho, Gabby Lopez, suffered the same fate as Pacquiao.
“Nora Aunor was denied [membership] at the height of her stardom, and even Vice President Jojo Binay, then the mayor of Makati, was refused lunch there because he was not a member,” Al said.
“Sometimes it takes only one member to object, without explanation, to stop the entry of an applicant,” said Popoy Juico, president of the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.
“Every club has its own set of rules and policies.”

Aquino sees up to 3M tourists in Boracay by 2015

By Norman Bordadora

Philippine Daily Inquirer

President Benigno Simeon Aquino views the Caticlan Airport Scale Model during the Inauguration of the newly renovated Caticlan Airport in Malay, Aklan Saturday. Malacanang Photo

MALAY, Aklan, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino expects three million tourists a year to flock to Boracay and the rest of Aklan when the expansion of the Caticlan airport under his administration’s public-private partnership program is completed in 2015.

In a speech at the inauguration of the airport’s refurbished terminal building in Barangay Caticlan Saturday, Aquino said the expected three million visitors would mean an additional P322.5 billion being poured into the economy of this province.

And with the promise of huge revenues brought by increased tourist arrivals, Aquino said, the government will also put for bidding PPP projects for the development of the airports in other tourist destinations such as Bohol, Daraga in Albay and Puerto Princesa in Palawan.

“This new terminal can be considered as a huge gate that will open up many opportunities—not only for the coming and going of foreign businessmen and tourists—but also for the continued improvement of tourism in the country, long-term progress in the economy and more jobs that our countrymen can earn from,”  he said.

Even with the planned improvements far from complete, the president said he already expects a 30 percent increase in tourist arrivals from the current 700,000 passengers that go through the Caticlan airport in a year.

His expectation is based on the installation of runway lights that would make night landings and take-offs possible at Caticlan.

The expansion and upgrading of the airport in Caticlan, gateway to Boracay Island off the town of Malay, is being undertaken by TransAire Development Holdings Corp., a subsidiary of San Miguel Corp..

The airport now also boasts of a new airconditioned terminal building, with new x-ray scanners, computerized check-in counters and a high-tech baggage carousel. It also has an ambulance and a firetruck of its own.

Aquino thanked SMC president Ramon Ang and the management and staff of the SMC and TransAire for the work already done.

“This airport is a concrete example of the good results of the partnership of the government and the private sector for the welfare of the country,” Aquino said.

When the development by TransAire is completed, the airport’s runway would be extended from the present 950 meters to 2,500 meters.

It is also envisioned to have a jetty for a quick boat transfer to Boracay island, a 5,000-room budget hotel, a 25,000-seat convention center and a shopping mall that would also provide business opportunities for those who live in the area.

“Also a part of the infrastructure projects are the building of airports and improvements of the destinations in the country, with the objective of enhancing the tourism image of the country,” the President said.

“In fact, the government will conduct bidding for public-private partnership projects to further enhance and modernize the airports in Bohol, Daraga and Puerto Princesa,” he added.

Aside from the Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers, Bohol also offers  fine beaches on the island of Panglao. Puerto Princesa is a biodiversity haven and is home to the Puerto Princesa Underground River. Daraga in Albay offers the majestic Mayon Volcano.

The PPP’s are meant to tap private sector capital to fund infrastructure such as roads, bridges and airports while freeing up government money to spend for basic services such as education and public health.

Rizal and the waitress named Mina

By: Ambeth R. Ocampo

Philippine Daily Inquirer

JUNE 12 for the past decade always began with me in Luneta or Kawit early in the morning. I thought this year would be different because I was in Berlin. But I was requested to attend the flag ceremony in our embassy in the morning and a Filipino community affair in the afternoon.

The Independence Day treat was the monologue “Pepe” read by Malou Jacob. It’s a short but moving piece that begins when the central figure in the Rizal Monument in Luneta comes to life and sees the Marines standing guard below. He asks, “Are they a guard of honor, or am I, over a century after my execution, still a prisoner?”

Drawn from Rizal’s letters and diaries, the monologue should be better known during Rizal’s 150th birthday.

In the Philippine Embassy, I saw a heavy bronze plaque that once marked the place where Rizal stayed in Berlin. The abandoned building is located in what was once East Germany. When we passed by, tourists were reading the historical marker installed in the 1990s by the late Salvador Laurel of the Centennial Commission. Nobody seems to know the place where “Noli me tangere” was published in 1887. With more time, I would have traced Rizal’s footsteps in Berlin since I have recently re-read all of his letters and diaries and discovered that, contrary to popular belief, the Rizals were well-off enough to send Jose to Europe for his medical studies but his allowance was sometimes delayed by bad harvest or the complicated remittance and currency exchange system at the time. Rizal was rightfully upset when he had to borrow money from friends to tide him over. He needed new underwear, he told his family one time, because those he brought from home were already mended.

In October 1885, he told his family that the cost of living in Germany was cheaper than in London and the same as in Madrid, adding:

“German will be of the greatest usefulness to me in the future when German commerce and preponderance shall prevail over there in the neighboring regions. It is moreover a language few Filipinos possess. I know a little, but as all that I know I have learned by myself, it turns out that though I have facility in translating written German, on the other hand, I can’t understand a single word when they speak to me, for my ears are not accustomed to the sound of the words. If I receive P200, I leave immediately for Germany; if I receive P600, I shall finish the doctorate, and if not, come what may. I already owe three and a half months board. Since July 1, when I should have received money, I have been without any and without letters.

“I don’t know how the Caroline question will end. It seems Bismark will get away with his pretensions. It is necessary that we prepare for what may happen so that we shall not be more exploited than we are now. Whenever they ask me here for our opinion I reply: ‘I believe that all Filipinos only want either to be Spanish or be independent.’ I don’t know if I have interpreted correctly the wish of our countrymen, but if not, I suppose I haven’t hurt them.

“When I was asked if we would fight in defense of the Spanish flag against the German, I answered that we would always fight in fulfillment of our duty and in obedience to our conscience. ‘What then is your duty and what does your conscience dictate?’ ‘Our duty,’ I replied, ‘is to love our country and our conscience dictates that we do everything that our duty implies.’ As I haven’t heard any news from there, it is difficult for me to speak of persons who are dead or have disappeared.”

Rizal would not recognize Berlin today. Many of its cathedrals of steel and glass built after the city were destroyed during World War II. He would also be surprised to see many immigrants, some of them Pinoys, walking around. There are many Asian restaurants in Berlin, but I found only one that serves Filipino food. While in Germany, Rizal wrote: “German food is not disagreeable, only it is full of potatoes. Day and night potatoes are served with everything. At night they serve tea with potatoes and cold meat.”

When he moved to Germany he recounted:

“Now I lead an entirely different life from what I had lately. I eat outside. The house with service costs me 28 marks—this is P7, each mark being worth 2 reales fuertes. Breakfast served at the house costs me 40 pfennigs. I have lunch at the restaurant; for 2 reales 18 cuartos they give me soup, three dishes, dessert, and wine, besides potatoes, salad, cabbage and other vegetables, for it must be noted that German cooking is all full of vegetables and many things mixed together. At night, I buy two small rolls that cost three cuartos, cheese, fruits, and a piece of sausage or butter. All in all, the heating, light, laundry, room and food cost me about P30 a month or a little less. Add to these expenses the cleaning, etc. so that for P40 one can live well in Germany, if one doesn’t have to buy clothes and to travel from time to time.”

Rizal learned German quickly because he lived in Germany and knew Latin and Greek during his Ateneo days. German students welcomed him to their drinking bouts, and in a beer hall he befriended a waitress named Mina who showed him the Latin and German way of writing their language. In time he was able to translate Schiller’s “Wilhelm Tell” into Tagalog as “Guillermo Tell.”