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KWEBANG LAMPAS: INTERNET HYPE

7:48 AM

It was a tiring day that I just want to lay on my bed to rest when I get home- but then as soon as I stepped on the floor of our house, my family rushed me to pack my things for a trip to Kwebang Lampas. I thought I already decided that I wouldn't go with them because of my school schedule but I realized that it was summer and they were going to the beach! Who would miss out that chance?! Plus, I haven't been there before so I immediately went to my room and packed for our 3 days and 2 nights trip.

We left home at 11pm and arrived at our family friend's house in Quezon at 3 in the morning. We stayed there for a while to prepare our things for our Kwebang Lampas trip and to rest as well. We left an hour after and arrived at Pagbilao, Quezon 7 in the morning. The path consisted of a length of well-cemented road to rocky and undeveloped path.

There were a lot of people when we arrived in the registration stop of Kwebang Lampas. You may either choose to ride a boat to cross the lake or hike around the mountain (which is for a few minutes) so you can get to the nearest shore and then you may opt to ride a boat going to Puting Buhangin or hike for less than 10 minutes. We didn't know about hiking around the mountain so we rented a boat across the lake.

It was a 10 minute-ride going to Puting Buhangin Beach and as we nearly approach the shore, number of tents are already pitched on the white sand beach came to our sight. It was the hottest season and we clearly understood that there are lots of people that wants to take a dip to a refreshing beach but we didn't expect it to be this bustling. Nevertheless, the different colors of the tent made the beach vibrant along with its white sand and green trees.

The cave, known as Kwebang Lampas, is on the right side of the beach. You can go there by swimming or taking the challenge to walk on a path of big rocks. Be careful as it is slippery asthe waves crashes on it but don't worry, there is a pole on the side to hold on to

There were no electricity in the area and only have a few numbers of cottages; although they have stores that you can ask them to charge your phone, still make sure you have your phones and powerbanks full for the trip. Also, buy some meat or fish for your meal beforehand or during your way to the beach as there were no restaurants or local stores that have some food that could fulfill your tummy. There is a grill available for you to use and for free.

It's better to visit this place during off-peak season because the place with grass is only a few square meters big and it could get really crowded unless you want to put your tent on the hot sand.There are also a few numbers of cubicles to take a bath or to just use a toilet and you don't want to wait in a long queue of people waiting to get their turn to use it.

NOTES

There is a payment for tent pitching that costs P200
A gallon of water for taking a bath costs P50. There were no faucets in the area.
Bring an insect repellent lotion if you're staying there overnight
Bring enough water as there is no freshwater for you to drink.

HOW TO GO THERE?

There are 2 routes that you can take.

Manila to Lucena Grand Terminal to Pagbilao Town

Ride a bus bound to Lucena (either from Cubao or Buendia) and get off at Lucena Grand Terminal
From the terminal, take a jeepney bound to Pagbilao and tell the driver that you're going to Lukang Beach.
Once in Brgy. Polo, hire a tricycle to take you to Kwebang Lampas Registration Area

Manila to Pagbilao Town Proper

You may ride a bus bound to Bicol (Naga or Legaspi). Ask the driver first if they can drop you off at Pagbilao Town Proper since most of the buses bound to Bicol are full and most of the drivers prefer passengers going to Bicol. If they allow you to, remind the conductor to drop you off at the town proper.
Hire a tricycle to take you to Kwebang Lampas Registration Area

You have 3 options to get to the beach proper

From the registration area, hike all the way to the beach
Ride a boat across the lake and short hike to the beach.
Ride a boat across the lake and another boat to bring you to Puting Buhangin Beach.

General Nakar, Quezon: Visiting the Dumagat Tribe

10:16 AM

Summer Semester '16, our Philippine Tourism class offered us to have a tour at the Dumagat Community in General Nakar, Quezon province instead of doing the cultural dance which was required for every class. We were assigned to do a promotional video about the tourism of Sitio Masla, General Nakar to be our project for the semester. We stayed there for 2 days and 1 night with some of the CITHM faculty in our school.

General Nakar is the northern-most and the biggest municipality in the province. Sitio Masla is located in General Nakar which is the home of the Dumagat tribe, one of the indigenous tribe living in the Philippines. Dumagat Tribe is an important ethnic group because the Filipino's tan skin originated from them. They don't wear much of the G-strings for men and skirts wrapped around the body for women rather they wear the same as us in the lowlands. The effort of the government and volunteers in the past (and continues until the present) affected some aspects of their life such as their clothing, literature,education etc.

Going to the town proper of General Nakar is easily accessible as the roads were already well-paved. After a 7-hour ride, we finally arrived at the city hall of General Nakar. We were given an hour to stroll around the vicinity while the professors were in the market buying some ingredients for our meals for the whole stay. There were jeepneys waiting outside the hall to bring us to Sitio Masla; the path we passed on was still rocky and narrow. Regular cars would have a hard time passing through this.

We also passed through some rivers; some were really shallow and some were kind of deep. The water was incredibly clear or maybe I wasn't just used to it because the bodies of water in Manila (specifically the rivers) are really polluted. I remember the jeepney drivers would stop by before the river just to refill their water bottles. Yep, they would drink it!

We stayed in an ecolodge that was designed by a student from Lyceum of the Philippines University (yay!) You'll be asked to leave your slippers/shoes at the entrance as they keep the cleanliness of the lodge as there were no beds available and you get to sleep on the wooden floor. You can bring a tent if you wish to sleep outside of the lodge- the area has a space with grass that is well-maintained. Cellphone network's signal is hard to find but they have electricity and enough plugs for you and your friends to charge your gadgets.

This bridge is my favorite spot in the place which can be found beside the lodge. It is only made from wood and thick and strong wires but is well-built and safe to pass on. It is really enjoyable to walk on it because it doesn't shake that much but it still gives you the feels from walking on a hanging bridge!

After doing some things needed for our project, we decided to take a refreshing dip from the river under the bridge. It may look shallow and rocky but there are some spots where it was really deep- we even tried cliff jumping without a guardian! The water flows straight to the Pacific Ocean but it won't flow you to the ocean itself as the big rocks slows down the raging flow of the water.

Visiting the place is really one of the books! You get to interact with the Dumagat and can live the same lifestyle as them. Strolling the area made me realized how wonderful the nature is. If you face the right side, you get to see the pacific ocean and if you look on the other side, you'll see mountains filled with trees with healthy green colored leaves. Not taking a swim in the Pacific Ocean won't even disappoint you as you can swim in the river instead (+ having the overview of the area facing the Pacific Ocean) and that will still give you a refreshing feel. There's even a falls if you hike for a few minutes away from the lodge.

If I'm given the chance to visit this place again, I would surely go for it and not miss the opportunity! The air was really cool even on the hot afternoon. The Dumagat tribe is really welcoming and we even made a friend there. I hope I could visit the falls next time!

TAGAYTAY CITY: MY FIRST SOLO TRAVEL DESTINATION

9:49 AM

I decided to go to Tagaytay City for my first solo trip because (1)you don't need a big amount of money - it isn't that far from Parañaque City where I live, (2)the transportation isn't too hassle, and (3) there are already a lot of blogs about touring Tagaytay City making it easier for those who wants to tour Tagaytay for the first time.
Tagaytay City is located in the province of Cavite. It is known as the Baguio of the south for its mild climate. It sits on a ridge above Taal lake.

After dropping off at Olivarez, I rode a jeepney bound to People's Park in the Sky. The park was originally an unfinished mansion built during the Marcos era.

Jeepneys may either drop you off the entrance gate of the park or may enter the park and will drop you off at the back of the mansion. I was dropped off at the entrance since I'm the only passenger left. After reaching the entrance, I hiked a few more steps before reaching the Shrine of Our Lady Mother of Fair Love which is inside the park. The shrine was built in 1974 and was formally inaugurated by Bishop Luis Tagle in 2003.

There are some cottages for you to rest in if you get tired or may want to eat. There are numbers of stores located inside the "mansion" and even some restaurants on the other floors. The cottages are free of charge.

Here is another photo of the view taken from the uppermost floor of the mansion. They also let tourists borrow binoculars for a better view of the place for only P20 per 10 minutes, but if there aren't much tourists around that want to rent the binoculars they will let you use the binoculars as long as you want.

After enjoying the cold air in People's Park, I went to Picnic Grove. Picnic Grove is one of the most popular destination in Tagaytay. It is a perfect place for family/friends' bonding and picnics. To explore the whole park, it requires a lot of walking; the park is huge and has a lot of pathways. I rode a zipline going to the other side of the park before resting on one of the benches just beside where zipline ends there. Although I went there during noon, the cold air made me feel refreshed.

HOW TO GO THERE?

From Pasay, ride a bus bound to Nasugbu, Batangas.
Drop off at Magallanes intersection or Olivarez.

Going to People's Park in the Sky - from Olivarez Terminal Station, ride a jeepney going to People's Park in the Sky.
Going to Picnic Grove - from Olivarez, ride a jeepney going to People's Park and drop off in front of Picnic Grove. If you're from People's Park, you can ride a jeepney going down to Olivarez and drop off at Picnic Grove.

KWEBANG LAMPAS: INTERNET HYPE

General Nakar, Quezon: Visiting the Dumagat Tribe

TAGAYTAY CITY: MY FIRST SOLO TRAVEL DESTINATION

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