Bacolod shines with Masskara Festival

Scene Stealer

By JOJIE ALCANTARA

MANILA, Philippines -- Bacolod City has been dubbed the City of Smiles since the ‘70s for so many reasons.

One, people are often smiling back at you in genuine hospitality and warmth. Two, living in this top tourist destination is something to smile about (cleanest and greenest urban city accolade, city with the most citations for good business investments, inexpensive way of life, clean living, delicious native dishes and sweets, outstanding governance, best peace and order, to name a few).

Bacolod is most remembered and visited for one of the country’s major attractions: The Masskara Festival.

Masskara is coined from two words: Mass, for crowd, and cara, Spanish for face – a double meaning for “mask” and “many faces.” The Masskara Festival was first conceived in 1980 to add color and cheer to Bacolod City’s celebration of its Charter Day anniversary on October 19. The festival symbol is a smiling mask — adopted by the organizers to dramatize the Negrenses’ happy spirit despite the heavy economic crunch that caused a downfall in the sugar industry.  Masskara since then has become symbolic of “a mass of faces.”

Regarded as one of the country’s most colorful celebrations, Masskara has repeatedly represented the country in major festivals in Asia — Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and in Japan where it won first in the foreign category and first runner-up in the local category, as the first foreign participants in the 10-year history of this Japanese festival.

Masskara’s weeklong revelry in October includes band concerts, parties and bars from dusk till dawn, dance competitions, beauty pageant, street events and the Electric Masskara, a night version of the traditional dance parade, where performers wear their most colorful garbs and are adorned with lights all over their bodies.

However, Bacolod offers more scenic spots and activities to tourists than just this celebration. You can visit ancestral houses like the Balay Negrense, still standing in all its preserved glory. You can head straight for neighboring Silay City where time is gloriously at a standstill with its location and atmosphere (like a period piece movie production setup).  Witness how farmers worked in sugar plantations, and be transported back in time.  Because Bacolod still has its rich historic past of sugar barons sitting at the lap of luxury, the other side of life in Bacolod prospers in well-developed roads, highly progressive infrastructures, fast technology and modern establishments, giving tourists a pampering while they bask in the warm reception of the locals.

Today, Bacolod’s cheerful spirit never wavers — the “mass of faces” will always be a “sea of happy faces.”  Rhonson Ng walks around the city documenting the culture and revelry without his heavy DSLRs this time, deciding on the handy new Olympus Pen with the built-in art filters.  Enjoy the images shot unedited and straight from his camera.

Jojie Alcantara and Rhonson Ng are both travel photojournalists based in Davao City, journeying on personal quests to promote the beautiful islands of the Philippines. Visit their websites www.pbase.com/jojie_alcantara andwww.pbase.com/rhonson_ng.
When in Cebu City, you can also visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.

Treasures of Agra and Delhi

By EDWIN YAPTANGCO

Agra Fort entrance (Photo by ERWIN & EUGENE YAPTANGCO)

MANILA, Philippines -- Don’t worry.  You will be spared from yet another ‘standard’ picture of the Taj Mahal, which you have seen countless times.  We will go close up.  There are some interesting things worth knowing about one of the world’s most beautiful buildings.

India’s monument to love is a study in perfect symmetry, a most important consideration of the architecture of its time.  To its left and right are two sandstone structures, one a functioning mosque and the other, a mirror image of the mosque built just for the sake of architectural balance with no defined function.

Erected by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan in the 1600s as a mausoleum for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal is made of top quality white marble from Makrana in nearby Rajasthan state.  To add to its mystique, it reflects rose and golden tints at sunrise and sunset, respectively, and glistens white during the day.

Complementing the structure’s impressive form is the detailed exterior and interior marble artistry.  Essentially, there are four ornamentations.  There are the carvings in the marble and etchings inlaid with multi-colored semi-precious stones, both of floral designs.  Then there are pierced screen carvings, i.e., marble slabs turned into lattices so intricate they look like lace from a short distance.  Arabic inscriptions (verses from the Koran) of black marble make up the fourth ornamentation.

Considering the degree of meticulousness in an expansive area, it is understandable that the building took 22 years to complete involving 20,000 laborers and artisans.

It is surprising that there is nothing to see inside the Taj Mahal except for two sarcophagi  – of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal – and pierced screen carvings surrounding them.  They are directly under the main dome and illuminated by a proportionately sized latticed vase lamp.  Regardless, the riveting wall art (which also covers the sarcophagi) more than makes up for the void.  Picture taking in the tomb area is prohibited.  The actual remains rest undisturbed in the basement, off limits to the public.

When visiting, have a photo taken at the ‘Lady Di bench’, where the late Princess of Wales had an iconic solo shot shortly before her official marriage break-up in 1992.   It is in the square pool area at the center of the garden.  Also check out the optical illusion at the entrance of the main red sandstone gate.  From afar looking through the entrance, the Taj Mahal looks very near as you could see only its big front door.  As you walk towards the entrance, it goes farther and farther away.

Agra’s only other attraction is Agra Fort, a walled city of red sandstone dating back to 1000 AD.  A UNESCO world heritage site, it had been a residence of Mughal rulers.  Shah Jahan’s pre-disposition to marble gave rise to marble structures inside the fort, inlaid not only with semi-precious gems but often with gold.  A famous view of the Taj Mahal at a distance from the cell of Shah Jahan is a must-see.  He was eventually toppled by his own son for excesses, and imprisoned at the fort until his death.

Like most major cities of the developing world, Delhi has starkly contrasting neighborhoods, from destitute to swanky.  Old Delhi’s equivalent of Divisoria, Manila is Chandni Chowk, India’s grandest commercial center in the old days with tight, congested streets.

New Delhi, a planned-from-scratch government sector and new capital was designed and built by the British in the 1920s, a testament to its imperial glory.   The roads are extra wide, where parades on festive occasions are held.  At the main boulevard stands the imposing India Gate, honoring Indian soldiers who fought during World War I.  It has become a symbol of Delhi and India such that international news organizations use it extensively as a backdrop when reporting from the country.

There are other internationally important attractions in Delhi.  Among them the Red Fort, the most opulent fort and palace of the Mughal Empire, and the Qutub Minar complex, a UNESCO world heritage site where the world’s tallest minaret beckons.   From the 13th century, it is made of bricks with a honeycomb design.

There is something in the ether at the Raj Ghat, the simple memorial site of Mahatma Gandhi in a leafy part of the city.  You can sense charged emotions from the quiet among visitors from all over India and the world as an eternal flame laps in the air.  We were there on a weekday but the place had high turnover (okay, there are one billion Indians, but still), many reflecting on the diminutive but larger-than-life icon and his violent death in the hands of an assassin.

The countryside scenery in the road trip through the ‘golden triangle’ of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra was unremarkable, just semi-arid plains with a scattering of brick making facilities.  A worthwhile stop was in Fatehpur Sikri, another UNESCO world heritage site.  It was the first planned city of the Mughals and capital in the late 16th century.  Another architectural wonder, it was abandoned only after 15 years due to water supply problems and unrest in a nearby locality.  It is remarkably intact today, as if ready again for occupation.

As to gastronomy, we thought India’s signature tandoori chicken was more tender, succulent and flavorful in restaurants in the home country than those in Metro-Manila.  Same goes for paneer (curd cheese), softer and fluffier.  For all the other popular Indian dishes such as biryanis and curries, there were no discernable differences.  In a buffet, I wept with joy at the sight of a hundred gulab jamuns (yema type Indian dessert) and its blackened variant kala jamun not in Metro-Manila menus.  Three to four small gulab balls cost 100+ pesos.

The trip can be considered basic India.  For James Bond aficionados, a day’s road trip south or flight will get you to Udaipur, the location shooting of the 1983 edition Octopussy.  The film’s palace fortress on a lake is a deluxe hotel in the list of high rollers, with prices to match.   Queen Elizabeth II and Jackie Kennedy stayed there.  It should also be good to see the world’s most venerated river – the Ganges - though heavily polluted.  From Delhi, our guide recommended a trip to the holy, pilgrimage city of Varanasi for a ‘religious’ experience.  Maybe next time.

Make it a Baguio getaway

By DANIELLE LIM

October 23, 2011, 11:12am

Azalea's full-serviced apartment units are perfect for families and couples.

MANILA, Philippines -- Looking for something unique to do this Christmas or somewhere different to spend the holidays? Why not bundle up your family and enjoy the cool climate of Baguio City?

Next question: Where can families stay and be really comfortable?

Located five minutes away from Session Road, Azalea Residences Baguio opens next month as the only hotel in the City of Pines with the full services and amenities of a serviced apartment, complete living, dining and kitchen facilities in all its rooms.

Dulah Lipardo, Chief Operating Officer of Azalea Resorts & Residences said theirs is the hotel “that will offer the brand of convenience and amenities of top international hotels, yet maintaining the natural texture and traditional character of the Philippines at a very affordable price.”

Azalea Residences Baguio has 99 suite rooms – 46 of which are De Luxe, 17 One-Bedroom, 33 Two-Bedrooms, and three 3-Bedrooms. The suites come with a living area with a sofa bed and flat TV screen with cable connection; toilet and bath with hot and cold water and amenities; dining table and chairs and crockery; kitchen appliances and utensils; coffee and tea-making facilities; queen-sized beds with imported bed linens; balcony in choice rooms, among others.

Each room in Azakea Residences Baguio is meant for multiple use, so families and barkadas can stay in a single room. The hotel offers up to 40 percent discount for family, group and honeymoon packages.

The hotel also has a lobby lounge, playground, business center, Wi-Fi internet connection, NDD-DDD-IDD, 24-hour doctor on call, tour arrangement and vacation services, laundry and dry cleaning management, coffee shop, spa and massage services, handicap access, in-room dining and transportation arrangement to and from Manila.

Azalea Resort & Residences’ Timeshare Vacation Club Membership is highly recommended for frequent travelers. It is affiliated with Resort Condominium International, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the world’s largest full-service vacation rentals business, providing access to more than 85,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries.

Azalea Residences Baguio leads the pack of new hotels that will open in the country. Opening soon are Azalea Residences in Boracay, Davao, Cebu and Angeles.

“We are committed to make each guest’s stay special and memorable in its Baguio property and all its future properties. Azalea will be their top choice for leisure and business travel,” said Lipardo.

For reservation and inquiries, please e-mail reservations@azalea.com.ph or call (02) 5794894, (02) 5794890 or visit www.azalea.com.ph. For Timeshare and Vacation Club Membership inquiries, please e-mail marketing@azalea.com.phor call (02) 5350519. Azalea Residences is located at Leonard Wood Loop, Barangay M. Roxas, Baguio City.

Camiguin: Tiny Hot Spot of Wonder

Scene Stealer

By JOJIE ALCANTARA

White Island in Camiguin (Photo by Rhonson Ng)

MANILA, Philippines -- The smallest island province in Northern Mindanao is shaped like a pear with its land area measuring only 29,187 hectares. An estimated population of only 75,000 locals ranks it the second smallest province in the Philippines. But this small wonder is filled with a rich historical past, and a territory replete with a pristine ecosystem, shaped from the natural course of volcanic movements.

This top tourist destination is home to seven volcanoes, and is basically volcanic in origin, making it a veritable hot spot of a location (locals refer to it as the “Island Born of Fire”). Volcanoes that shaped both land and culture of the people are Mount Vulcan, Mount Guinsiliban, Mount Timpoong, Mount Uhay, Mount Tres Marias, Mount Mambajao, and the most active, Mount Hibok-Hibok. A challenging trek to its peak will afford a panoramic view of Mindanao, Siquijor and Bohol.

To us, it didn’t matter whether or not seismic activity would happen as we neared the island. We were determined to explore soon as our eyes caught sight of it from the ferry we boarded on.

We booked our stay in advance at the Paras Beach Resort (www.parasbeachresort.com) as it was the Lenten season, and the island was filled with tourists out to have some quiet R&R with friends and family. The resort was an ideal location because it was only a short trip from Mambajao, its capital town, and just a three-minute ride by boat across the sea to the famous White Island.

This striking powdery white sand bar is usually first on the list to explore.  Shaped like a parenthesis, it is entirely uninhabited, save for vendors with their makeshift roofs and umbrellas who offer to catch fresh seafood and cook your meals for you. From its backdrop rise Mount Hibok-Hibok and Mount Vulcan. Boats float on standby for rides, while parasailing is a frequent adventure for the more daring ones. The place is best for swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing, but you better lather the best sun protection you can find all over your body. It gets hotter as the sun rises midday.

At noon when the tide rises, though, most of the white isle is submerged by a couple of feet, so some tourists leave by that time. It didn’t bother us, as we ate grilled tuna and barbecue with the knee deep waters around us.  Low tide came back later in the afternoon, as we waited for a glorious sunset to cloak the island in a muted, reddish glow.

The island tour is an educational experience as well as a feast for the photographer’s eye. Rent a jeepney or van and you can round up Camiguin’s best sites in a day.

The Cross Marker and Sunken Cemetery located in Bonbon, Catarman was once a community cemetery devastated and sunk by the 1871 volcanic catastrophe (Vulcan Daan) and is now marked and guarded by a large cross. What makes it an interesting dive site is the sunken gravestones you find underneath.

Built in 1623, the old Catarman or Gui-ob church (Cotta Bato) in Bonbon once stood proudly before it was devastated by the 1871 Vulcan Daan earthquake, wiping out a Spanish settlement dating back to 1697. What remained are the moss and vine-covered stone walls, belfry and convent as a lasting memorial to its Spanish era.

Katibawasan Falls cascades down at 76.2 m. (250 feet), one of the highest waterfalls in the country. The water is icy cold where it touches the rock pool surrounded by lush giant ferns, plants and shiny boulders from granite mountain walls. People come in for picnics and a cool, invigorating swim after a humid day. One has to descend into a stairway of more than 60 steps to reach the falls.

Other highlights of the Camiguin experience are the 14 Stations of the Cross (life-sized cement statues depicting the passion, death and resurrection of Christ are scattered across the old volcano slope), the Sto. Nino Cold Springs, Ardent Hot Springs and other falls that dot the island. Every October, the Lanzones Festival is observed with pride to celebrate the abundance of harvest of this sweet fruit.

For dive enthusiasts, a visit across the six-hectare mushroom-shaped Mantigue Island is a must.  Merely a 30-minute boat ride away, the isle is endowed with a thick forest bordered by white sands and blue waters. A spectacular drop off showcases an underwater aquarium that will delight divers.

Philippine Airlines flies from Manila to Cagayan de Oro daily for an hour and 20 minutes. A cab from the airport will take you to the bus terminal at the Agora Market.  Ride a bus bound for Balingoan town, where a ferry boat travels for an hour to Camiguin.  The Benoni Wharf and Guinsiliban are two points of entry to the island. Ferry boats are on hourly schedule, and some visitors opt to take their vehicles across the sea for convenience (but more expensive).

Don’t leave Camiguin without buying a souvenir item from its long stalls of inexpensive stuff sold and created by the locals themselves. There are trinkets, bracelets and necklaces that are unique and ethnic-inspired perfect for pasalubongs and for personal use. As one sign board puts it, “COME AGAIN SOUVENIRS.” ---a brief but exact description for an enchanting island you would like to revisit soon.

(Visit http://www.camiguin.gov.ph for more information

Thrilling journeys, unforgettable experiences: a guide to Banaue and Sagada

Taking on the arduous trip to this mountain paradise, with its breath-taking vistas and challenging adventures, will be well-rewarded

Philippine Daily Inquirer

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How many long weekends have you passed up without taking a much-deserved vacation? Next time, take a few days off and make Sagada number one on your must-visit list.

Few places deserve to be labeled “breathtaking” as that quaint village in the Mountain Province. And yet for all the beauty and challenge of Sagada, the journey there is undoubtedly as unforgettable as the destination itself.

One route to explore would be via Ifugao, which offers a constant visual feast along the way. The trip can start from Quezon City at the Victory Liner bus terminal at the corner of East Avenue, where travelers can take the Tuguegarao-bound bus.

There is a choice of either the air-conditioned bus for P575, or the deluxe bus for P750. The deluxe bus of Victory Liner has add-ons—light snacks, an onboard toilet, and a roomy capacity of 29 seats (each fitted with footrest), ensuring extra elbow room and leg room to guarantee travel comfort.

The trip is seven hours ending in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya.

Another option is to book a 20-seat coaster with MM Fariñas Travel and Tours to shuttle your group from Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya to Banaue for P8,000, back and forth.

Upon reaching Solano, walk a few steps to the jeepney terminal and get on a jeep going to Ifugao at P105 per person for a two-hour ride without stops (the first trip leaves at 6 a.m.).

Eighth wonder of the world

Alight in Ibulao, Kiangan, in Ifugao and travel to Banaue, dine there and pose for souvenir photos, with the Eighth Wonder of the World as your backdrop. You might consider staying a while for a more immersive day trip to the awe-inspiring rice terraces, which is now 2,000 years old.

Dotting the scenery are images of rice gods that farmers make from fern while waiting to harvest rice.

In Ifugao, it is still a thrill to see the fog descending on the mountainscape, no matter how many times one has seen it happen in other places.

While there, we recommend staying at the Banaue Hotel at P2,000-P,3000 for twin-sharing. There are also other bed-and-breakfast inns that will suit various vacation budgets.

From Banaue, one can proceed to Sagada via Bontoc on a jeepney at P180 each. The path is winding, often rugged, and in some parts quite narrow that only a single vehicle can be accommodated at a time, but the road is safe. Through some stretches of the journey, be daring enough to travel “top load” (sitting atop the jeepney) for a more intense and orientation-shifting view of the grandeur below—that is, if if you’re not scared of heights or too cocky as to be careless.

Throughout the trip are reminders of the rich tradition and abundant nature in the Mountain Province: a stray bayawak on the highway, pine trees that act as sentinels of the mountains, cold and crystal clear water gushing forth from the highlands which travelers freely fill their water bottles with, and local people chewing betel nut or nganga.

Of course, the highlight of the trip is reaching Sagada. Find a place to stay in once you reach the town. St. Joseph Resthouse near the bus stop is one of Sagada’s most easily accessed accommodations and, with its garden motif, is quite charming.

Occupancy ranges from dorm rooms (for two and four, starts at P500) to private cabins. Once settled in, register at the municipal hall so you can get a guide to accompany your group during spelunking and hiking. The tours and trails will push you to your limits, create a profound shared experience with your co-travelers and even with strangers, and give you a better understanding of why travelers who have been to Sagada keep returning.

Enlivening swim

The Bomo-od Falls offers an enlivening swim at the end of more than an hour’s worth of hiking through sloping pastures, which may not be as grand as the terraced fields in Banaue and Batad, but are still fascinating in their own right.

Before dawn breaks the next day, station your group at the peak of Kiltepan to welcome the chilly sunrise and see the world from just beneath the sky. Then navigate the crevices of Lumiang Burial Cave, a place you must treat with reverence, and if you’re fit and game enough to go on spelunking for more hours, continue to the underground labyrinth of Sumaging Cave, where the rock formations both challenge and awe.

Other places worth visiting are the Anglican Church, Yoghurt House, local bars for tasting Sagada wine, coffee, or tea, the Masferre museum, Sagada weaving shop, and restaurants that offer the local delicacy, pinikpikan, among others.

The heart of every dream destination is its people. In Banaue, the residents are warm and accommodating, while in Sagada, the locals are gracious and maintain a courteous distance. People there delight in living simply, and although they may have gotten used to the presence of tourists, visitors should always, always remain respectful and undisruptive to the culture and the people.

Sagada’s pabaon for the audacious, risk-taking traveler is the life-altering experience of reconnecting with oneself, with nature, and with the Divine. It will be hard to bid the mountain paradise goodbye, but know that you can always come back.

With a trip costing in the vicinity of P5,000 per person, one can have a dream Banaue and Sagada vacation. For the patient and passionate adventurer who can find joy in the eventful 12-hour trip from Manila to the hidden Eden that is Sagada, the reward is the journey itself.

When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.