Walking Time On A Holiday

Since it's a holiday today, we had time to bond by having a morning walk in a "forested area" of Alabang in Muntinlupa City. It's not entirely a forest, but because it still has a fair amount of vegetation and several large trees, one might think that it does look like a forest. I'm referring to Filinvest Corporate City.

You will notice many cities today, particularly those in Metro Manila, do not have large parks with forested areas. In the US, a good example of a forested park is of course Central Park which is found in New York City. This huge park in the Big Apple is well known in the world and many tourists wouldn't miss it. New York may seem very urbanized, but it still has such a park whose beauty they are still able to maintain. If we could only have such a park here in Filipinas where many families would be able to stroll. Because as I have noticed this morning, while my family and I were strolling through Filinvest's shaded areas, there were only two other families who were taking a morning walk there though an hour has already passed. So for those who are in charge of public parks and nature preservation, this should be a wake-up call, because it is beautiful to see families bonding together, enjoying nature, rather than see families go to malls often, or are too busy enjoying gadgets at home. Sad but true: families today spend more time in social media that they have almost forgotten what the natural world has to offer. Nature is always the best location for some family bonding.

Filinvest actually is not a park. Its huge lots which still have several large trees, many of which are acacia (A. plicatum), are still unsold or unleased. And this has been so for decades. Alabang was once a huge forest. Daddy Pepe used to live in the Las Pinas-Parañaque area with his Alas relatives when he was still a little boy. They used to pass by Alabang whenever they go to Unisan, that is why he has clear memories of how Alabang used to look like back then. The forest seems to reclaim the vacant lots often, and Filinvest's gardeners try their best to minimize it.

Now, going back to our family walk. Our meeting place is in front of Acacia Hotel Manila. We were to wait for my husand who was coming from his night shift. We arrived early, so while waiting for him, we decided to go inside the lobby. I noticed that there was no chair in the lobby. Other hotels have chairs in their lobbies even for inquiring guests. The only available seats there were meant for paying customers who were to take their breakfast. I was compelled to order food because it would seem awkward for us to stay there without having to eat, hehehe! I ordered some French fries for my kids and brewed coffee for me. That's the only things we could afford from a five-star hotel, hehehe! Anyway, we follow the adage "live within your means".

Daddy Pepe arrived a few minutes later, then waited for us outside as we finished our unplanned "hotel breakfast" (Acacia's French fries tasted very good, and they were big and fresh; we really loved it!). Afterwards, we saw Daddy Pepe waiting for us in a huge, grassy lawn in front of The Mondrian Residences and Parque España. He was hunting for some grasshoppers and butterflies and also looking for rare birds nestled in some trees there (yes, there are unfamiliar birds all over Alabang). We then marched through the shaded length of East Asia Drive. This beautiful street is surrounded by large trees left and right. And there were hardly vehicles there. There were still no buildings, and it has been that way for years. While walking, we saw some wild flowers, but not as many and not as varied as those we saw in Susana Heights last month where we also had a morning stroll. The kids got to enjoy these as well as various forest insects thriving in grass covered with dew. They were running all around chasing butterflies here and there! There were some acacia trees that were not very tall yet, that is why we got to hold their branches and yellowish flowers. There was also an occasional breeze that swayed the trees and shook up their dried leaves. That is why we were showered with leaves as we marched through East Asia Drive!

Morning dews, again!

The tallest christmas tree we have ever seen so far!!! WOW!!! 

There were already Christmas decors hanging by the treets when we reached Parkway Street. We occasionally stopped to take pictures, We then turned left to Spectrum Midway where we saw a group of students practising for some upcoming school activity. There were more trees here, and this is also we stopped by to have eat our packed snacks and where our three boys and Junífera Clarita ran around for a few minutes. We were headed to where we began because Krystal had to meet up with her friends in nearby Alabang Town Center. At The Filinvest Tent north of Spectrum Midway, we found a bazaar with food stalls. What a coincidence, because it was opening day. GMA 7 was there, too. It turned out to be the opening day of Noel Bazaar, a popular traveling bazaar. We had early lunch first before I accompanied Krystal to her friends. The location of food stalls was uncomfortable especially when the sun was already hight. It's because the branches of two acacia trees beside The Filinvest Tent were cut down. Had they not been cut down, they would have provided a lovely shade to the people. Please, let us not cut down trees. We can develop a place without putting harm to nature. Remember: they are our source of oxygen and even peace of mind.

Inside the bazaar, the atmosphere was festive. A huge Belén, the traditional Filipino Christmas decoration, was on display. An acoustic band was playing as shoppers were buying tickets to get inside the bazaar proper. The event was also giving away freebies. We got some from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the bazaar's sponsor.

So if you want to stroll through nature without having to travel too far, there's always Filinvest Corporate City. It's not meant to be a park, but it has been like one for many years already. It's a haven for bikers, joggers, nature lovers, and families!

                                                                  —Yeyette—
                                                                     

Mt. Abra de Ilog: the green, rocky citadel of Mindoro Occidental

My very first mountain hike happened more than a decade ago. And it was in Abra de Ilog, Mindoro Occidental, my wife Yeyette's hometown. I was barely 21, and I had a couple of kids to accompany me (Yeyette's cousins, actually, who are now all grown up).

Monte Abra de llog. Photo taken from the balcony of Yeyette's ancestral home last 12 September 2011.

Flashback to the summer of 2001: the moment my eyes laid upon Abra de Ilog from its port, the first thing I noticed were the mountain ranges. I have never seen so much green heights in my life! There were mountain ranges everywhere. Beyond the small port, no houses, no town, could be seen. It's all mountains, hills, and forests. Before we disembarked from the ferry, I asked Yeyette: "where in the world is your house?" She didn't tell me that we had to travel another twenty minutes from the port to the town proper via tricycle. I was to learn days later, when I had already reached the peak of Monte Abra de Ilog, that the Población was tucked in between two rows of scenic mountain ranges. The first one, to the west, faces the Verde Island Passage. The second one, to the east, divides Mindoro Occidental from Mindoro Oriental.

Abra de Ilog is strategically located between these two green-tinged cordilleras.

Casa Atienza, Yeyette's ancestral home at the Población, faces the eastern mountain range that includes Mount Abra de Ilog. The house has an unbalustered balcony where one could have a perfect vantage point to view the mountain range. It was there where I, as a young father to Krystal, have spent many countless hours observing every nook and cranny of the irregularly shaped massifs. Upon first glance, I thought the mountain ranges were the victims of a blatant case of deforestation because there were not much trees up there, only grass and scraggly rock formations. There is even a huge scar which I first attributed to what I thought was once a mining area. I was mistaken. The peaks of the mountain ranges turned out to be rocky, impossible thus for a small forest to even survive. The huge scar, according to residents, has been there even before they were born; I therefore suspect that it's a huge fault or —heaven forbid— the crater of a long-dormant volcano.

That part of Yeyette's ancestral home —the balcony— has been my favorite part of the house because I've never lived that close to a mountain. I grew up for the most part in urban dwellings, that is why Abra de Ilog's natural serenity was something refreshingly new for me. It ignited a spark from within which has never since extinguished.

Each day of that memorable summer of 2001, I was feeding my eyes with Mount Abra de Ilog's greenish scenery delights. One time, I noticed a man-made structure towards the north near the summit. It turned out to be, by the looks of it, a radio tower of some sort. The thought intrigued me. If a telecommunications tower can be set up from that elevation, then it's not impossible to hike that mountain! So I asked around what that tower was all about. The answer I got was that it was a cell site (meant to create a cell in a cellular network). Yeyette's Tito Raf told me that he was part of a group of laborers who constructed it during the 90s. Yeyette's cousins, most of who were still in elementary school, said that they have all gone up there many times. They then asked me if I wanted to join them for a fun climb — excitement filled me like strong water from a faucet filling a dry bucket. I was about to experience my first mountain hike! Me, who have grown accustomed to city traffic and buildings and concrete roads and polluted air!

We set out towards the tower. When we reached the structure by midday, I remember having seen a caretaker who never even bothered looking at us. So we climbed towards the rooftop of the two-story building beside the tower. I also remember having seen a logo of "Digitel" there. From the rooftop, we had a perfect 360º view of Abra de Ilog and even the Verde Island Passage. It was a tiring experience; my legs turned rubber the day after. But it was a fun one nevertheless, an exhilarating climb — my very first! I remember how all exhaustion had left my body once I've reached the top and have seen the world below me. So that's what mountain climbing is all about!

After a few days, I climbed that mountain again, but on my own, with the goal of going beyond the tower, to reach the mountain's highest peak. Armed with a bolo from Yeyette's grandfather (may he rest in peace), I was dressed in a long-sleeved camiso de chino to protect me from the sun. That climb turned out to be the most adventurous part of my life. I left before the sun was up, reached several peaks, not knowing back then that what I was up against was not a single mountain but a group of mountains. And I had seen stuff that I was never able to see again — I encountered a dense and eerie forest far below me, gigantic, lifeless trees, and even a "mini garden" with low grass and exotic flowers of vibrant colors.

But I got lost along the way when it got real cloudy. Then it drizzled when it was past five in the afternoon. I was very afraid: I could see the town proper below, but a huge forest was between us. I might not survive the night if I go straight through it. Fortunately, as I was desperately looking for a trail that will send me home, I saw a Mañguián lad who gave me directions back to the tower. That's why when I got home, it was already dusk. Yeyette, carrying an infant Krystal, cried when she saw me by the door, and Tito Val scolded me out of concern. I was filled with dirt and mud. My long-sleeved shirt didn't protect me from getting sunburned. I had scratches and dried blood on both arms. The bolo which I borrowed from Yeyette's grandfather was already gone — I lost it in a forested area up in the mountain where I slipped on an incline towards what seemed to be a quicksand of some sort; I got away when I held onto some bushes and vines.

It was one of the greatest things that I have ever done in my life! Since then, whenever we go to Abra de Ilog, I make sure to climb it, but with a companion, usually Yeyette's cousins. My last climb there was on 29 March 2006 (Red's will be familiar with the date; but no, this mountain is totally safe from any communist or military activity).

Fast forward to April 4, just a few weeks ago. Krystal is already a dalaga, and my son Mómay is nearing 12. If a decade ago Yeyette's cousins were able to accompany me up the mountain at such a young age, I believed that my children —except for Jefe, Juanito, and Junífera Clarita, of course— could tag along. Actually, we've been planning on it for a long time now.

We set off a few minutes past seven in the morning with Yeyette's teenage cousin John-John, bringing along with us a couple of gallons of water and several pieces of bread filled with scrambled eggs prepared by Yeyette for nourishment. Since it was to be Krystal and Mómay's first time to climb, our goal was to simply reach the tower, then go home by lunchtime.

Can you see the tower? That's where we're headed.

The hike starts right here.

¡Ang taás na namin!

My kids surprised me because we reached the tower in just an hour and a couple of minutes. Mómay never even showed signs of weariness. It was simply an exciting experience for both, and it gave me pure joy to see them both overjoyed.

The next thing I noticed is that there was a second tower. A new one. I never noticed that from below. And there was already an electrical line from the town all the way to the new tower. So much has changed since the last time I climbed the place. Nevertheless, the place is still forested. Nature wasn't harmed, just the way we nature lovers want such places to be.

At the old, deserted building of Abra de Ilog's first radio mast and tower. This cell site stands at an altitude of 1,130 feet above sea level. Nobody else was here but us. The people over at the new tower which lies just a few meters away never even bothered us.

After eating our báon at the rooftop, we decided to climb some more beyond the tower.

The sun may be up high, but it's already cold up here! At left is Barrio Uauà (where Matabang River drains) and the Port of Abra de Ilog.

Facing the wide expanse of the Verde Island Passage. The cool breeze from that huge body of water is upon us!

The jagged, grassy peaks of Mount Abra de Ilog. They seem to be near, but they're about a kilometer or two away from where this photo was taken.

The town proper is far away below! On the other side are the mountain ranges of Burburuñgan. Beyond those peaks is Monte Halcón and the province of Mindoro Oriental.

We kept on walking till we reached an elevation of about 1,400 feet above sea level. But we had to go because Krystal was getting weary. Understandable, since it's her first climb. But she and Mómay are still raring to go for more climbs after Mount Abra de Ilog. This mountain from their mom's incredible home town has inspired them to conquer more peaks in the future the way it has inspired me more than a decade ago.

I hope to bring the rest of the family up there one day.

*F*I*L*I*P*I*N*O* e*S*C*R*I*B*B*L*E*S*

There's a new mountain destination in Abra de Ilog called "Cruz Na Parang". According to those who have already climbed there, the peak is much higher compared to that of Mount Abra de Ilog. The starting point is in Barrio Lumangbayan. I'll certainly be writing more about it once we've hiked it on our next visit to Abra de Ilog. In the meantime, click here for the complete photo album of our Mount Abra de Ilog fun climb! ¡Hasta la vista!

Take a swim at Swim!

Just swim it.

Swim is supposed to be a verb in the English language. But in Abra de Ilog, Mindoro Occidental, it's a proper noun. At least in the case of one of its far-off waterfall that is completely surrounded by a charming forest.

On our way to Swim Falls last April 3rd (after attending morning Mass and strolling around town a bit). It took us about an hour's walk from the Población. The path starts right behind the municipal building.

At last, after about an hour of walking, we arrived — but on top of the falls! We went the wrong way! We had to go back a few meters for the correct trail to the falls, but John-John, Mómay, and Jefe climbed down the steep boulder, something the rest of us couldn't do (I was carrying Junífera Clarita all throughout the journey). :p

Swim as seen from afar in this "mini-valley" of boulders. The ladies are preparing to swim at Swim!

Cascada de Swim, or Swim Falls, is actually the source of the Lauaan stream which in turn is a tributary of the Matabang River. It is located several miles away from the Población, tucked deep within an upland forest northwest of the town. There is a Mañguián village nearby, but each time we visit Swim, we don't see them swimming there.

Jefe just made a huge splash from above that huge rock to the left much to Junífera Clarita's delight!

Swim Falls is a punchbowl waterfall. Its waters plunge from about ten feet high. It's quite low, but the streaming current is enough to give your body a clobbering if you stay underneath it for several minutes; but a few minutes stay will give you a relaxing water massage. The water from the top of the falls burst forth in constricted form, then spreads out in a wider, circular pool surrounded by giant rocks and boulders. Trees on top of these rocks form a natural canopy to the the pool below, giving the place an alluringly eerie darkness even in broad daylight. The cold water is crystal clear... until everyone wades in it. This is because the ground underneath the pool is made up mostly of gray sand and small pebbles. There are also small fishes (Yeyette's cousin John-John later told us that they're called "paít" and are edible), quite surprising because the pool is technically on a mountainous area (it's located several feet above sea level). We thought that fishes exist only in sea-level bodies of water.

When I first heard of this waterfall's name, I seriously thought it was a joke. Why would a waterfall in Filipinas be named in English? Almost all bodies of water in our country are named either in Spanish or after any indigenous word. But then again, I could be wrong. What if the word "swim" also exists in the indigenous (Mañguián/Iraya)?

Important note: Swim Falls is not a resort. You don't have to pay any fees to get there. In fact, all waterfalls in Abra de Ilog (save for the one in Agbalala) are free for public use. However, while swimming in Swim Falls is allowed, it is not encouraged by the municipal office because it is the Población's source of water supply. No wonder we saw several water pipes on our way there (don't worry; even if people pee on the pool, as is a usual practice among all swimmers, the water would have already been cleaned by a filtration system in the pipes before the waters even reached faucets at the town). Other than that, there are no caretakers in the vicinity, that is why the place is prone to uncouth tourists who throw away their litter everywhere (me and Jefe even had to pick up a few junk food containers left by those impossible people before going home). To be on the safe side, it is best to coordinate with the municipal office before visiting the place. As you can see from the photos, the pool is quite small. It cannot accommodate a huge group of people. You should also have a guide because you might get lost in the forest, as there are several trails all around. It's best to ask for one of Rafaél Atienza's sons to guide you back and forth (they're Yeyette's first cousins and are known by everyone at the Población). Just give them any gift of love.

And lastly: please don't litter. You will surely encounter Swim Falls as an idyllic paradise. Please leave it that way.

¡Hasta la vista!

*L*A*F*A*M*I*L*I*A*V*I*A*J*E*R*A*

Special thank to Ate Pepot (Yeyette's aunt) and her family for a sumptuous dinner at their home right after our trek to Swim! Click here for more of our photos of that exciting day!