It’s more fun in the water in Cam Norte

By: Kara Santos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

share86 75

As the summer heat sizzles in Manila, everyone’s thoughts turn to waterscapes—beaches, rivers, waterfalls, streams, swimming pools, and just about any body of water to cool down.

The province of Camarines Norte in the Bicol region, roughly eight to nine hours by land from Manila, is rising as one of the hip new destinations for beach-goers and weekend warriors. If you’re heading that way, here are a few water-based activities that you can jump right into this summer.

1. Camp out on Calaguas Islands.

With its beaches of powdery white sand, azure blue waters and postcard-perfect surroundings, few leave Calaguas without being captivated. If you want a real island escape, head to Mahabang Buhangin (Long Beach). It’s reachable by a two-hour boat ride from the port of Paracale or Vinzons, and the thrill is in the back-to-basics

adventure, camping out overnight under the stars in tents, and dining on freshly caught seafood. The ideal time to visit is between the months of February and September, when the waves are not too rough.

2. Get stoked on Bagasbas Beach.

Bagasbas Beach has a long and wide expanse of gray sand and soft sandy seabed, generally uncrowded shores, and consistent waves that roll in from the Pacific Ocean, making it an ideal surfing spot for beginners and experts alike. The province hosts an annual Summer Surf Festival, where visitors can take lessons during a surfing clinic and enjoy other activities like beach volleyball, wall climbing, frisbee and dodgeball along Bagasbas Beach in Daet. Head to Bagasbas Lighthouse for a hearty meal after your surfing session.

3. Go fly a kite on the water.

Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a surface watersport that harnesses the power of the wind

to propel a rider across the

water on a small surfboard or kiteboard (similar to a wakeboard). Establishments along Bagasbas Beach offer kiteboarding lessons and rent out gear. However, because of its extreme nature, this sport is best left to expert surfers or wakeboarders. Extreme kiteboarders prefer the northeast monsoon season from November to March, when the waves are rough, though novice kiteboarders can still be seen flying on the water during summer.

Rivers and creeks

4. Take a dip in Malatap Waterfalls.

Camarines Norte has a number of waterfalls, clear rivers and creeks that offer soothing spots to cool down in. Nature lovers can enjoy adventure-filled hikes to several waterfalls in the province. One of the most accessible is Malatap Wateralls in the town of Labo, a short hike roughly 100 meters away from the main road and Malatap Bridge. The multitiered cascades have provided locals and students with a natural swimming spot. On any given weekend, you can join locals picnicking and cooling down at the basin of the falls and watch the kids jumping off the rocks into the deeper parts of the water.

5. Kayak against the waves in Baybay Beach.

While normal kayaking on calm rivers and oceans can be

relaxing, surfing against the waves offers a more thrilling

experience. Kayak surfing (also known as surf kayaking) is surfing the ocean waves aboard kayaks while using paddles to maneuver the watercraft. Because of its shallow and soft seabed, good wind conditions and strong currents, Baybay Beach in the Mercedes group of islands in Camarines Norte is ideal for this water sport. Kayakers will have to paddle straight out to sea against the oncoming waves, turn the kayak around, and then try to catch a big wave to ride all the way to the shore. Kayak surfing lessons and kayak rental costs P200 per hour.

6. Get a hydromassage in Mampurog River.

Located in the town of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the rocky riverbed and clean waters of Mampurog River offer a relaxing alternative to beaches and pools. The river is a popular spot for picnics and summer outings. Locals bring packed food or meals and chow down at the nipa huts for rent on the shores of the riverbed before cooling down for a dip in the river amidst lush, natural surroundings. For an entrance fee of only P2 per person and a parking fee of P15 (no time limit), visitors can enjoy a natural hydromassage from the river’s cascades.

7. Relax at Pineapple Island Resort.

For those looking for a fun water experience with all the creature comforts and amenities close by, Pineapple Island Resort in the town of Calasagan, Daet, is the ideal spot. The resort has a huge 720- square meter swimming pool with water slides and a 200- square meter kiddie pool with a turtle slide and play station for kids. The resort also has a greenhouse, butterfly garden, bamboo huts, various fishing and boating lagoons, and villas for rent for those who want to stay overnight. The resort’s in-house restaurant Chef Mama serves delicious dishes including ginataang bilo-bilo, crispy ube turon, and delicious chocolate cake—a perfect snack after an afternoon of splashing around in the pool.

Do Anglicans Have a Valid Eucharist?

Thomas Cranmer - the Greatest Rascal Archbishop of England

I received an email from Harry after the EWTN The Journey Home interview on July 2 asking this same question: Do Anglicans have a valid Mass?

Here's the short answer: No, Anglicans or Episcopalians (the tradition deriving from Henry VIII's Church of England) do not have a valid Eucharist. This question was settled by His Holiness Pope Leo XIII in his papal bull Apostolicae Curae on the nullity of Anglican orders, issued 18 September, 1896.

There are two reasons for the nullity of Anglican Holy Orders. After explaining these two reasons, I'll respond to the objection that Anglicans/Episcopalians have since "revitalized" their Apostolic Succession through the intervention of schismatic bishops of the Old Catholic/Orthodox/Polish National Catholic communities.

There are two reasons for the invalidity of Anglican Orders and Eucharist:

First Reason Against Anglican Eucharist: Invalid Form of Priestly Ordination

In 1550, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (a convinced Protestant) changed the ordination rite for bishops, priests, and deacons. Sacerdotal language was removed and the Roman form was abolished. Without valid bishops, you don't have valid priests. Without valid priests, you don't have valid Eucharists. If you don't have valid Eucharists, you don't have the Real Presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

Here's the timeline for understanding the decline of the Catholic priesthood in England:

1533 King Henry VIII entered into formal schism with the Catholic Church

1535 King Henry VIII punishes Saint John Fisher and Saint Thomas More with martyrdom

1547 King Henry VIII died

After the king's death, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (a Catholic bishop who had been secretly married) immediately began Protestantizing the Church of England that King Henry VIII had severed from Rome.

In 1547, Peter Martyr Vermigli (a former Augustinian priest who married and became Protestant) and Bernardino Ochino (a former Franciscan priest who married and became Protestant) were both invited to England by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, and given a pension of forty marks by the crown. 

In 1548 the Protestantized Vermigli was appointed Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford. 

In 1549 Vermigli took part in a great disputation on the Eucharist. Here, Luther's doctrine of sacramental union of the bread and Christ (sometimes called consubstantiation) was publicly denied. Vermigli instead endorsed the Calvinistic teaching that the Real Presence of Christ was conditioned by the subjective faith of the recipient. For Vermigli, Christ was not objectively present in the Eucharist at all. 

In 1549, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer rejected the Latin Mass. Thomas Cranmer invited the arch-Protestant Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr Vermigli to advise him in the liturgies of the Church of England. Cranmer composed his own vernacular liturgies. The Mass came to be called the service of "Holy Communion."

In 1550, Cranmer changed the Ordinal - the Ordination rite for the Church of England. This is the official date by which Holy Orders ceased in England.

1553-1558 Queen Mary restored Catholicism to England (along with valid clergy and all seven valid sacraments). Mary had Archbishop Cranmer burned at the stake as a heretic.

1559 Queen Elizabeth I re-issued Archbishop Thomas Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer with it's faulty ordination rites and liturgies.

It is clear to all that the liturgy influenced and produced by Vermigli, Bucer, Ochino, and Cranmer was a flat out rejection of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. These are the same liturgies officially adopted by Anglicans to this day. While there have been modifications over time (eg 1928 BCP and the Scottish BCPs), they are essentially the same rites with the same theology.

Second Reason Against Anglican Eucharist: Invalid Form of Priestly Intent

The 39 Articles are still the doctrinal formulary of Anglicanism. It is a public document. All clergy in the Church of England had to swear to the 39 Articles which officially rejected transubstantiation. American Episcopalians claim that they don't necessarily make this vow, but it's assumed since the document is appended to the ordination rite. The Anglican formulary which all Anglican clerics affirmed reads:

Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread and Wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions. {Here they vainly claim that "transubstantiation" overthrows the sacrament - that's rather strong language!}

The Body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the Supper, only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper, is Faith. 

The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped. {Notice this forbids the use of tabernacles, monstrances, and Eucharistic processions}

This is a public document expressing the beliefs of Anglicans. It thereby expresses the intent of the minister when he confects the sacrament. Many Anglican priests reject this doctrine of the 39 Articles (they call themselves Anglo-Catholics), but that doesn't much matter. A public document containing a public heresy must be publicly repudiated and disavowed. Yet, if one were to do this, he would not longer be Anglican. He'd be an independent Catholic claiming to have Holy Orders. Until an Anglican priest makes this public disavowal of heresy, he is still submitting to it and cooperating with it. Moreover, most Anglo-Catholic priests tolerate these public errors as espoused by their bishops and brother clergy.

A real Catholic would perceive the words of the 39 Articles as a grave and public crime against the Kingship of Christ. The 39 Articles are a blasphemous denial of transubstantiation and also of the revered doctrine that the Eucharist should be reserved or lifted up. A real Catholic would publicly recant of these errors. Anglo-Catholics, instead, wink at the Anglican error regarding the most Blessed Sacrament and pretend that they have everything in common with Catholic priests. The truth is that the Book of Common Prayer was built and structured to frame the Calvinistic theology of Cranmer, Bucer, and Vermigli. A false theology that holds that Christ is not objectively present in the Blessed Sacrament.

What about the claim of a "revitalized" Anglican Apostolic Succession?

Now then, there are Anglo-Catholic priests that have received valid ordinations by dissenting Catholic bishops and who openly profess belief in transubstantiation. Is their Mass valid? Perhaps. Yet many of these priests openly concelebrate with "women priests" or allow "women deacons" to serve their liturgies. This alone reveals that they do not believe in the Catholic doctrine of the priesthood and Eucharist. The orthodox doctrine of Holy Order prohibits the ordination of women to any degree of Holy Orders (even to the ministerial diaconate). 

Those Anglo-Catholics who do not compromise by serving alongside women clerics are still living a double life. Even if a man were validly ordained and had proper intent to consecrate and sacrifice, his willingness to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ apart from the Holy Father in Rome renders every consecration as an act of schism. While the Mass is itself valid and glorifying to God, it is still a sacrilege for the priest who celebrates it. Think of a Catholic priest. If the priest is in mortal sin, he commits sacrilege, but his Mass is valid.

The Catholic priesthood and the Eucharist were never meant to be severed apart from the Pope and the local Catholic bishop. As Saint Ignatius of Antioch said, where the Catholic bishop is, there is the Catholic Church.

Summary

The Church of England officially denied the sacerdotal and sacrificial priesthood of the Catholic Church including her belief in transubstantiation. This is seen today in the Anglican belief that women can be validly ordained. This entails that Anglicanism does not and never has enjoyed a valid priesthood. Even if there are rare exceptions, it would be objectively evil for such priests to celebrate the Mass while being in schism with the Holy Father of Rome.

Consolation for Anglican Clergy
Having been an Anglican clergyman, I was uncomfortable with the teach of Apostolicae Curae and it's conclusion that Anglican Orders were utterly null and void. Pope Leo XIII offers these comforting words to those Anglican clerics who make the difficult and burdensome decision to repudiate their ministry and enter in to the Catholic Church. The Pope promises that they will receive a special hope and reward on the Last Day. This is the beautiful conclusion to Apostolicae Curae:

39. We wish to direct our exhortation and our desires in a special way to those who are ministers of religion in their respective communities. They are men who from their very office take precedence in learning and authority, and who have at heart the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Let them be the first in joyfully submitting to the divine call and obey it, and furnish a glorious example to others. 

Assuredly, with an exceeding great joy, their Mother, the Church, will welcome them, and will cherish with all her love and care those whom the strength of their generous souls has, amidst many trials and difficulties, led back to her bosom. Nor could words express the recognition which this devoted courage will win for them from the assemblies of the brethren throughout the Catholic world, or what hope or confidence it will merit for them before Christ as their Judge, or what reward it will obtain from Him in the heavenly kingdom! And we, ourselves, in every lawful way, shall continue to promote their reconciliation with the Church in which individuals and masses, as we ardently desire, may find so much for their imitation. In the meantime, by the tender mercy of the Lord our God, we ask and beseech all to strive faithfully to follow in the path of divine grace and truth.

May our separated Anglican brothers and sisters find a comfortable home in the bosom of Holy Mother the Church. We should pray and fast for them to receive these special graces. Moreover, we should be kind and patient as they come into the Catholic Church.

ad Jesum per Mariam,

Taylor Marshall, PhD

The Allure of Zambo Sur

By JOJIE ALCANTARA

Fisherwomen of Tabina, Zamboanga del Sur

The Province of Zamboanga del Sur is a delightful discovery for someone like me who hails from the biggest city in the island (or country, for the matter), and yet remains immersed in a laidback and refreshing provincial lifestyle everyone seem to hanker for nowadays.

I can easily relate to the blend of pastoral yet rapidly developing province, and find glee in spending a short vacation without the urban stress of deadlines and panicking at busy network signals.  Zambo Sur, its cool nick, is easily a haven for those who want to fade from party scenes and get some tan as well.

The Subanens (“river people”), first settlers along the riverbanks, followed by a host of various migrants from as far as Malaysia, moved into the land and called it home.  A hodgepodge of culture merged into a vibrant clique, to form what has become of the dynamic region today.  In 2008, the Department of Tourism started its enthusiastic promotion of the province with the slogan “Byahe Na ZamboSur”, followed a year later by “Laag ZamboSur”, an annual exposition showcasing tourist attractions of the Zamboanga Peninsula.

I was then invited by the office of former Governor Aurora Cerilles (now a Congressman, her husband Antonio Cerilles is currently Governor) to visit destinations planned by its young and dynamic group headed by then Provincial Tourism Officer Frederick Anthony Padayhag (currently the Provincial Administrator). During Gov. Aurora’s last term, the biggest tourism campaign launched was the 2009 Megayon Festival, as a tribute to the outstanding accomplishments she had been doing for the province for years.

The Malay word jambangan is said to be its origin, which means a pot or place of flowers.  Zambo Sur was culled from the former Zamboanga Province that embraces the peninsula in Southwestern Mindanao in 1952. It has 26 municipalities and one component city and capital, Pagadian, which has earned the moniker “Little Hongkong of the South” because of bustling commercial districts which blended well with its pleasantly rustic ambience.

I stayed in Hotel Alindahaw (www.hotelalindahaw.com) in Pagadian, a quaint city with a relaxed setting and quite notable for its amusing tourist attraction, a motorcab equivalent to Bangkok’s tuktuk.  While the latter is notorious for its drivers who weave recklessly through traffic while you hang on for dear life, Pagadian’s tricycle is so ridiculously designed that a first glance will prompt you to walk to your destination instead. Its sidecar is tilted upwards so high, as if you were about to shoot up into the skies. Built to withstand the city’s sloping topography and rolling terrain, it isn’t a comforting thought when you ride uphill while tugging at your short skirt. However, as we know, for first time adventures, there’s nothing like the first giddy experience of riding it.

Endowed with rich natural attractions from the mountains to the sea, Zambo Sur slowly opens itself to more tourism possibilities by promoting tour packages that entice local and foreign tourists who are into eco-adventures and outdoor activities.  A raw gem about to be polished, this region is fast catching up to be one of Mindanao’s treasure troves.

A city tour wasn’t in the itinerary, as we travelled 49 kms. through muddy, rough roads that lead to Buswangan, Lakewood. The old indigenous Subanens thrive around this mystical lake filled with sea serpent myths which the tribe believes in. A boat cruise takes an hour around its imposing and mysterious body of murky waters (which may or may not actually house a Pinoy Loch Ness) which holds fascinating folklore and urban legends. Around us, children frolicked in its depths; wild ducks take sudden plunges with fish in beaks, while villagers wash laundry by the edge. The prominent Alindahaw Lakeview Resort provides comfortable accommodation overlooking the lake with a spectacular sunset view and a foggy mist on still waters on a cool night.  It is a totally enchanting experience to see things magically as the Subanens do.

Apart from mountain treks, cave explorations, discovering lakes and hot and cold springs, the province also boasts of beautiful coastal reserves like the Pod-ok Mangrove Boardwalk. Gnarled and twisted century-old mangroves line the shores, miraculously saving the villages from being wiped out by a tsunami in the '70s. Marine sanctuaries, world-class dive sites and white sand beaches particularly in Tabina, Putting Balas, White Beach and Dao Dao are fringed with turquoise waters, while the turtle sanctuary in the beautiful Panikian Island is protected by eco-tourism conscious villagers.

At dusk in Pagadian, one can view a beautiful sunset transforming skies to vivid oranges, red and yellows… a perfect way to end a day’s nature tripping around ZamboSur.

Daily flights are available to Cebu, and via PAL Express from Cebu to Dipolog or Ozamiz. Ferryboats also ply routes daily to Dipolog or Ozamiz. A bus ride to Pagadian takes 10 hours from Dipolog via Ozamiz. I took an airconditioned bus from Cagayan de Oro City for five hours to Pagadian. Buses and public vehicles ply the busy roads to Pagadian from Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, Ozamis, Dipolog and Zamboanga City.

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

Visit websites such as http://www.pagadian.org andhttp://www.zamboangadelsur.gov.ph although the latter isn’t updated.

Bohol Aims For The Top

Danao Adventure Park

The province of Bohol is out to reclaim its post as the top tourist destination in the country.

This is the newfound vision of the government of Bohol, which recently launched its newest tourism campaign—dubbed as Bohol: Heart of the Islands, Truly Philippines—in partnership with Philippine Bohol Arts Foundation Institute (PABFI) and the province’s tourism stakeholders.

Aimed at immensely boosting local and foreign tourist arrivals and making the province the country’s preferred travel destination, the campaign showcases Bohol’s rich cultural and historical heritage, highlighting its rich eco-cultural value beyond the Chocolate Hills and the diminutive tarsiers, the world’s smallest primate.

"Other than the usual sites that are being promoted here—the Loboc River, the Chocolate Hills, the tarsiers, and the white sand beaches of Panglao—there is more to discover in Bohol that will make greater tourism impact, not only for the province, but also in relation to the Philippine context of promoting the country," said Bohol Governor Edgar Migriño Chatto.

The event, held at the Centennial Hall in Manila Hotel, gathered key public officials and tourism leaders, including Manila Hotel President and former senator Joey Lina, Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) President Cesar Cruz, and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr.

Located in Central Visayas, Bohol literally sits at the heart of the Philippine archipelago. Boasting of diving sites revered as among the best worlwide, the province is home to a number of natural wonders, such as—aside from the Chocolate Hills—the biggest mangrove plantation in Asia, and the Dajanon Bank, the lone double-barrier reef in the region and one of only six such marine structures in the world.

“Bohol and its people have a certain respect and appreciation for heritage and tradition,” Chatto shared. “This is why we have come up with this campaign to highlight the captivating charm that Bohol exudes and the heartwarming hospitality offered by Boholanos themselves.”

One of the things that Bohol would like to promote and enrich through its new tourism campaign is the element of nationalistic pride. “By showing everyone how Boholanos have preserved practices and beliefs that other Filipinos have already seemed to forget, we are also able to emphasize the value of cherishing their heritage,” PBAFI Executive Ria Cauton noted. “In an age when our culture are soaked in various colonial ideas and influences, that’s really something that has become rare.”

Bohol’s colorful history can be seen all over the province—especially when one looks upon its well-preserved Hispanic structures scattered all over, like the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Dauis, which attracts thousands of devout Catholics every year, and the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon, which is touted as Asia’s best-preserved Jesuit church.

In addition, other reasons that permit the province to say, ‘You can’t say you’ve been to the Philippines and truly experienced Filipino culture without having gone to Bohol,’ are its rich and distinct culinary offerings, vibrant nightlife, thriving art scene and ancestral craft-making practices. All of these underscore the fact that, indeed, one of Bohol’s main assets are its hospitable, constantly jovial and honest people.

“You don’t have to be from Bohol to love Bohol,” revealed Secretary Jimenez. “It’s simply being part of a rich cultural experience that makes a visit to Bohol unforgettable. The Loboc Children’s Choir, for example, has become a symbolic icon of the province precisely because, as an American friend who heard them once said, ‘You cannot sing the way they do if you are not happy.”

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

Kalanggaman: A Paradise in Leyte

By CEZARIO JOEL C. ESPEJO

Kalanggaman Island is a treasure waiting to be discovered.

The ostensibly white sandbars on both ends of Kalanggaman Island from a distance look like paradise waiting to enfold you in its bosom. The island is distinct because one end of the sand bar obtrudes towards the eastern side and the other at the southern end. Kalanggaman Island, which is situated north of Cebu and Leyte, belongs to the town of Palompon, Leyte. An hour away by boat from Palompon, Leyte, Kalanggaman Island is a leisure destination for those who seek a genuine sense of escape. The island shines like a gem - so beautiful and so alluring.

In April 2011, my buddies and I took the chance of discovering this paradise island.  From Tacloban City, it took us almost three hours to get to Palompon. Since we are not residents of Palompon, Leyte, we paid an entrance fee of P150 per person, paid P3,500 for the boat ride (Palompon-Kalanggaman-Palompon), and P150 for the tent.  We brought with us our cooked food (baon) since there is not a single restaurant and convenience store on the island.

The pristine setting when we docked took our breath away – an amazing natural formation of white sand beach, the relaxing sounds of nature, and the thought of being on our own, in an island, doing all the basics. We experienced relaxation and paradise in the truest sense of those words in our own space and pace. We took to the blue-green water as often as we could, cavorting like children at play. Before sunset, we found ourselves strolling on the shore, waiting for the sky to change its hues and for darkness to descend.

The sands on the shore were shaped like a bird in flight – soaring, seeking, like a white shadow of what you usually see in the sky. We could sense the synergy with nature in this island that undeniably gave us enough time to fully enjoy the grandeur of nature in a one-of-a-kind seaside experience.

In the absence of five-star amenities, we found ourselves enjoying life’s simple pleasures. We also discovered that by walking around the island for more than an hour, we were able to savor nature’s beauty - dwarf coconut trees abound in the island, while lush and vibrant marine life is quiescent underneath the clear turquoise water surrounding the island - ideal also for snorkeling and diving.

As we explored the island, we realized that it is also perfect for campers and backpackers who are willing to have a taste of paradise without electricity and the contraptions of the modern world.  My friends and I decided to go back to Kalanggaman for our next adventure - camping - because we felt that there are a lot more to discover in the island.

Everything about this island is about communing with nature and with the Creator who made it possible. We also found ourselves again through soul-searching, meditation, and reflection.

Admittedly, this awe-inspiring paradise island has the power to make us feel a comfortable sense of fulfillment. It could relieve you of stress and anxiety by merely looking at it.

Kalanggaman Island is considered one of Leyte’s treasures. I have never felt richer than when I experienced this treasure. I shall definitely return.

When in Palompon, Leyte,  please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.