Baguio-Quezon

A couple of weekends back, we were walking along Burnham Park when we were surprised that the fencing of the Children's playground has been turned down! I have read about this in the local paper and I am both happy and sad about this: happy because many of the playthings in the park is in dire need of renovation, and sad because the Children's Park I grew up with is now going to change. But for the better, I hope.

So... here's our tax pesos at work, eh?

I wonder if the elephants which stood at the entrance for soooo many years now will be spared and become part of the new Children's Park?


Technorati tags: Baguio

Posted in: Burnham Park on Monday, June 23, 2008 at at 4:14 PM 1 comments  

A couple of weekends back, my brother Dodi was raving about this new place they visited which had swimming pools and a hot spring in a tunnel. They kept saying it was in Balatoc Mines. I remembered vaguely reading about this new attraction whereby the closed mines has been converted into a tourist attraction but I was not able to connect it to the pools and the hot springs. At any rate, they said that they were going to Balatoc Mines again the following weekend and they were inviting us.

And so we did. My sister had their van prepped up and soon my brothers and sisters, mother, and some friends were on our way last Saturday morning. After passing the airport and PMA, we took the road going to Balatoc. There was also a sign that said "Balatoc Lake" which added to my excitement because about the only lakes I have seen so far are the man-made Burnham Lake and the majestic Taal Lake.

The view along the way was spectacular. This part of Benguet still has large tracts of land with pine trees on both sides of the road. That wonderful scent of pine pervaded the air as cows plodded lazily by. At most times, we are driving by the mountainside with the cliff providing us a wide view of the region.

Soon enough, we saw what seemed to be a dried-up river below and then we stopped by the swimming pools with a hut waiting for us.
We were expecting a lot of people to be here soon so we decided to visit the hot springs early. It's a 5-minute walk on the riverbed, where the local folk huddle in the streams panning for gold. This must be Balatoc Mines, I said to myself when we saw the small number of people hoping for a catch of that elusive, glittering gold.
After crossing a narrow bridgeway (with Jo-Lo on my shoulders)...

The tunnel is finally sighted! And wow, the water rushing from it is quite abundant. And hot! Smoking hot. I tried to dip my feet into the water and it was boiling hot! We made the short climb to the tunnel and gingerly navigated the rocks and slabs of wood strategically placed so visitors can navigate their way through the hot water. We stopped at around 3 meters into the tunnel and stood there, relishing the free spa experience.

Soon enough, we were all breaking into sweat. They brought along olive oil with rock salt in it which they started to apply on their skin. "It's a great exfoliant!" they said. So I tried some on myself. Pretty soon I was perspiring water and oil. I felt like I was ready to be fried. hahaha!

Unlike other hot springs where the scent of rotten egg (the sulfur has this notorious smell) is ominously evident, the scent here is only very faint, so that's a bonus.

I was thinking... if this was the mining tunnel, then the railings for the cars must be here, but there wasn't any. And the tunnel was elevated, so it would have been difficult to get the cars out of the tunnel. But I'm not in the mining industry so I would not know how that worked.... but I had my doubts already. Besides, it was hot at the entrance of the tunnel... how much more inside?!
We stayed there only for a short while. We learned that our stay was indeed short because the eggs we brought along were not yet fully cooked so we dipped it into the spring outside the tunnel.
The rocks over which the water flows display a green and yellow hue, an effect of the minerals contained in the hot water.
We stayed there til 4PM, and I was with Jo-Lo under the sun the whole time. I did not realize that I was already being sunburned until we were already on the way back to town. My shoulders hurt! Today, my skin is starting to peel off. Aaaargh. I hope Jo-Lo, who loves swimming pools, is faring better.
Before making this post, I decided to google Balatoc Mines as added information for this adventure. And my hunch was right. It was not the Balatoc Mines we were visiting! hahaha. I later learned it was the Itogon Hot Springs. This was a nice, sunburned experience nonetheless. I hope I can go to the real Balatoc Mines tour soon.

Related link: Grumpy urban slacker and his adventure at the Balatoc Mines
Technorati tags: Baguio

Posted in: Itogon on Monday, June 16, 2008 at at 8:00 PM 6 comments  

I am one with the sentiments of Lisa's Baguio Insider on Baguio City's apparent destruction of natural resources. What is the mayor doing amidst all this?

***

Resty Refuerzo called our attention in his comment in Should We Allow These Trees to Disappear saying:

Hi Lisa, read the following article and it seems the mayor is on a blaming mode again: Bautista asks for calm over SM-GSIS plans

Some Baguio folk claim that the mayor is young (”Bata pa kasi”) whenever they want to forgive him or make excuses for his words and actions. But honestly, at 38 or 39, the Mayor can no longer be called “young.” Many people have ruled empires at that age.

What you could call him instead is IMMATURE, and PETULANT, especially as far his recent comments on this issue of allowing Henry Sy and SM take over the GSIS lot beside the Baguio Convention Center (filled with hundreds of pine trees) is concerned. By blaming the citizenry instead opposing any sort of ‘development’ that will actually deprive the Baguio residents and visitors of clean air, natural beauty and a very valuable spot of green.

Bautista IS blaming the Baguio citizenry, if the report by Sunstar Baguio is to be believed. His words:

“Do not panic. It’s just a plan.”

Of course the people will panic, Mr. Mayor! GSIS and SM Prime Holdings already announced that they had a joint venture agreement. The people panic because THERE IS THAT PLAN. In fact the plan already identifies the number of trees to be felled. It already lays out how high the building will be, what it is going to be used for.
What do you want the people to do? Start panicking when the plan is approved and the permits issued?
Because if we do not express our feelings in the strongest possible terms, you people will think you can sneak the ‘development’ in. You will be entering into contracts giving Henry Sy control over the Baguio Convention Center even, if rumors are to be believed.
We panic because you refuse to pay GSIS even the 35M due on the property, and yet you can afford to spend 400M on Burnham Park. In fact, the ’savings’ of 20M that you people were trying to get for yourselves for your ‘car plan,’ could have been used to pay in part for the Baguio Convention Center arrears.

“Before this issue no one cared”

Ah, Peter Rey, before this issue THERE WAS NO ISSUE! Everybody loved the fact that there are so many trees there. In fact many of us saw them grow from the time they were small in the past few decades.
Why should you then blame the Baguio folk for expressing their feelings (which is by the way our right and obligation) about the development of this property?
Who has created the issue — you guys! Either because you were part of the plan or because you are not fighting for the best interests of your constituency.
In fact, I would go as far as saying, by refusing to oppose this plan in the first place, by accepting that hundreds of trees will be felled, you are actually part of the problem!
Let there be no issue then, Peter Rey — SAY NO TO THIS PLAN! Better yet, Baguio City should purchase it from GSIS.

“Visit it one day, pick the trash and beautify it”

Now I’m really at a loss for words!
I am showing you these recent photos taken last April — where’s the trash?
Is this property a public park? Not yet, because the city has made no moves to buy it, or develop it as a green park.
It is private property of GSIS — which is a government corporation, which is in turn, owned by the Philippines, which is in turn owned by the Filipinos.
The property is fenced off and gated. Technically it is private property, notwithstanding the fact that Councilor Isabelo Cosalan Jr., chairman of the City Council committee on lands, housing, and urban planning, has determined that a portion of the GSIS property overlaps with Original Certificate of Title (OCT) 1, named under the Republic of the Philippines.
So you want the people to trespass? You want the squatters you politicians coddle to set up shanties and carinderias there? What do you have against idle land filled with beautiful pine trees?
Honestly, what Resty calls ‘blaming mode’ is so typical of politicians whose insidious plans are exposed and opposed by their constituents — to try and turn the tables around and blame the poor folk for the woes that you are planning to foist upon them.
I remember that once, now Congressman Mauricio Domogan was asked by the students, very earnestly, why the Baguio roads are constantly being dug up for water pipes, for repairs, for widening, for drainage and for many various excuses.
Because he could not justify the lack of planning and coordination (or can we call them it kickback opportunities?) of the government, he blamed the Baguio folk for this irregularity, waste and redundancy in the infrastructure development projects of the government. He turned the tables around on the people and blamed them, saying that because they do not pay their taxes, the different government agencies are unable to coordinate the development and repair of the roads.

“Because of neglect, many trees died there”

Finally, the news report notes that during a radio interview, Mayor Peter Rey Bautista said that many trees have died on that property.
Well, Mr. Mayor, in case you never learned this in school or via experience in all the 4 decades of your life — trees do die. Even in my own property, pine trees die a natural death. They just suddenly turn white and lose their leaves. In fact, when you plant 10 pine seedlings, a majority of them will not survive.

Now the Baguio people are letting you know that you are asking too much when you want the people to agree for you guys — the politicians and the greedy businessmen — to MURDER the trees. For what? For money in your pockets? For your version of the beautification of Baguio?
No building in Baguio is more beautiful than a pine tree.
And may I ask you now, Mr. Mayor, do you even have actual data for the number of trees that have actually died there — or were you just lying, bluffing to save your political behind?
Honestly, Peter Rey, if you do not want this kind of beauty for Baguio, maybe you should rethink being mayor — you’re doing the city a great disservice by even coming out with statements like these!
At the very least, we are rethinking you.

- Original post at the Baguio Insider

Technorati tags: Baguio

Posted in: on Friday, June 06, 2008 at at 12:41 AM 0 comments  

My wife, Jo-Lo, and my mother-in-law were in Candelaria, Quezon a couple of weekends ago. It was not for vacation, unfortunately. My mother-in-law's brother died, and we were there for the wake.

When it was time to go back to Manila, my wife knew how much I loved rice cakes and so part of our itinerary was to go to the local market and search out my favorites.

It was, unfortunately, already late in the afternoon when we reached the market and so the beloved rice cakes were already gone. Thankfully, there was still one treat left for me to try out: Quezon province's Pancit Habhab!

Pancit Habhab is the street food equivalent for pancit. It is eaten "habhab"-style, meaning from the "plate" directly onto the mouth. No hands, no fork, no spoon. Nice twist, eh?

When you eat this pancit on the streets, it is served to you on a piece of banana leaf and vinegar is poured on it. But we were eating at a friend's home so pack it up the vendor did.

Here's the pancit habhab, this time on a bowl. And we bought some crispy fried lumpia as well!

So what can I say about the Pancit Habhab? It certainly was delicious. The noodles are made of rice flour, so it's just like eating rice... i think.


Right after our quick visit, we dropped by a local pasalubong store and bought some native delicacies.




And what have we here? Pancit Lucban! (that's what Pancit Habhab is also calledhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif). I asked how this is cooked. The vendor said we simply stir-fry veggies and add the noodles. Oh, ok... so the street version with the noodles going solo is actually a simplified version. You can also add your favorite veggies to it!
And so last weekend, my mother-in-law cooked the pancit habhab for merienda. Yum yum.


[cross-posted at ]
Technorati tags: Quezon

Posted in: Quezon on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 at at 6:02 PM 0 comments