Day Trip to Hulugan Falls

It's one of those hurriedly-arranged out-of-town trips which I am truly glad I decided to join.

The muddy, slippery trek was well worth it. The majestic falls, at 70 ft, is indeed awe-inspiring.

   

What to expect:

1. Prepare to trek for at least 45 minutes. If the trail is muddy due to rains, you'd trek for more than one hour. It will be longer if there's a lot of visitors since there'll be a queue going to the waterfalls.

2. The trail is a combination of cemented road, dirt road, and steep, rocky slopes.

3. Wear proper trekking footwear. I prefer sandals since it will give you a good foothold, especially if the trail is muddy. Don't wear ordinary thong slippers, you'd end up walking barefoot. Don't wear your favorite sneakers. You'll regret it, I tell you. The mud is unforgiving.

4. Grab a walking stick. Ask your guide to provide one. You will definitely need it, especially if the trail is muddy.

5. Bring as little as possible during the trek. You'll need both of your hands to negotiate the steep and muddy terrain. Ask your guide to safekeep your belongings.

6. You may bring food/snacks to the waterfalls area. Just make sure you maintain the cleanliness of the place.

7. Waterproof your gadgets! They will get wet, especially if you go near the waterfalls.

8. There are a lot of food stalls at the jump off area. Don't fret if you didn't have time to prepare or buy food.

9. There are shower stalls and comfort rooms at the jump off point. They charge P15.00 for use of shower. P5.00 for answering the call of nature.

9. Registration fee is P15.00 per head. There is no fixed rate yet for the guide fee. We paid our guide P900 since we made him carry all our things and made one of our friends use his pink boots. There were 7 of us in the group.

10. Since the place is already a popular tourist destination, expect a lot of people during weekends and holidays.

 

  

How to go to Hulugan Falls via commute:

1. From Cubao or Buendia, take a bus bound to Sta. Cruz, Laguna. (From Buendia, fare is P140.00.) Tell the conductor to drop you off at the terminal for Lucban-bound jeepneys. The terminal is located at Pagsawitan.

2. Ride a jeepney going to San Salvador.  You may also ride Lucban-bound jeepneys since they pass by San Salvador. You may opt to topload if you feel like being more adventurous. Fare is P30.00

3. Ride a tricycle to the Hulugan Falls registration area. Fare is P10.00 each

If you opt to bring a vehicle, you may park it near the registration area.

Side trips:

1. You may trek further to see Aliw Falls if you have time. It's another 45 minutes to 1 hour of trekking. You may opt to camp out in the area.

2. You may also drop by Magdapio Falls in Cavinti (more popularly known as Pagsanjan Falls).

Sending you happy thoughts...

Project Lakbay Aral: Mind Museum Tour Courtesy of Children's Hour

Thank you, Children's Hour, for letting fifty (50) underprivileged kids from the VIDES Philippines Volunteers Foundation, Inc take the fun and interactive way of science learning and discovery at the Mind Museum!

We are also grateful to the Mind Museum for extending the sponsorship grant to the kids of VIDES Philippines and Project Lakbay Aral.

We also give our heartfelt thanks to our the donors who provided the food (breakfast, lunch, and snacks), books, school supplies, health kits, and transportation requirements of the kids. The services rendered by our volunteers are also very much appreciated!

Sending you happy thoughts...

Project Lakbay Aral Returns to the Mind Museum

We are all set for Project Lakbay Aral's Mind Museum Tour this Wednesday, 18 November 2015! We are taking 50 underprivileged kids to the world-class interactive science museum in Taguig!

We'd like to thank our generous sponsors and partners, Children's Hour and The Mind Museum, for choosing VIDES Philippines and Project Lakbay Aral to be among the selected recipients of a sponsorship grant.

Our thanks and appreciation also go to our benefactors who have supported us since 2012! A truckload of thanks for sponsoring the school supplies, nutrition packs, hygiene kits, transportation, and breakfast for the kids and volunteers. We couldn't thank you enough!

Hugs to everyone!

Sending you happy thoughts...

Help VIDES Philippines Build a Livelihood & Development Center for Women

Help VIDES Philippines build a livelihood and development center for underprivileged women in Cavite, Philippines.  The two-storey facility seeks to provide an avenue for women empowerment, especially in the field of economic independence and sustainability.  

The center, which will be built on a 107 square meter lot area, will house a bakery, a sewing room, and a small office which will cater to microcredit and other livelihood projects.    

The target beneficiaries of this livelihood and development center are the relocated informal settlers from Barangay 143 in Pasay City to Trece Martires in Cavite.   The more than 1,500 households are bereft with viable sources of income due to the remoteness  of the relocation site and the unavailability of job opportunities in the community.

How Can You Help?

1.  Buy a raffle ticket for only P200.00 each!  Each ticket entitles you to join the raffle where you can win any one of the following: 1st Prize - 4 days & 3 nights trip for 2 to Bangkok, Thailand (hotel and roundtrip flights via PAL);  2nd Prize - 3 days & 2 nights trip for 2 to Coron, Palawan;  3rd Prize- 3 days & 2 nights trip for 2 to Boracay.  Raffle date is on November 14, 2015 at Don Bosco School Manila, during the Eat & Meet Dinner for a Cause event.
  
2.  Donate funds.  All donors will be issued official receipts and acknowledgement letters.  (Please drop us a line at videspinoy@gmail.com to get the bank account details.)

3.  Naming rights are also offered for donors who will donate a substantial amount (Please send us an email at videspinoy@gmail.com for more information.)  

Where Will Your Donations Go?

All donations will go to the construction of the proposed two-storey VIDES Philippines Livelihood and Development Center for Women in Bella Vista, Brgy Santiago, General Trias, Cavite.  

Your contributions will enable us to help underprivileged women help themselves and their families by providing a venue where they can receive training on sewing, baking, marketing, and entrepreneurship. 

Other Ways You Can Help:

Help comes in many forms. If you are unable to make a financial contribution but still want to help us, please help us spread the word and share this campaign with your family and friends. 

You may send in your donations through Indiegogo.com, Paypal, or wire transfer.

Make the VIDES Livelihood and Development Center become a reality!  
Help build the facility.  Help empower women.  Help change lives.


Sending you happy thoughts...

Images of Bhaktapur, Nepal

Bhaktapur Durbar Square before the earthquake

My heart bleeds for Nepal. I weep even more for Bhaktapur, my favorite place in that lovely country.  

 
                                                                                
I enjoyed wandering around aimlessly in this medieval city. Its old world charm entralled and fascinated me. I got lost in its maze-like alleys and passageways a couple of times, but the locals were just too glad to point me to the right direction each time I asked for help.

      

    

Thanks to my dear friend Krishna, his lovely family, and awesome friends for making my days in Bhaktapur so much memorable. I've learned so much about the Nepali culture, particularly Newari traditions and beliefs, because of them.

   

It is quite noteworthy to mention that I met two old men from Bhaktapur who were so glad that our paths crossed. One is the patriarch of the Peacock Paper Factory and the other one is the father of my friend's friend. They both said they have made Filipino friends a long time ago and haven't seen someone who come from our country in years, decades even.

I bring home with me the smiles, hospitality, and kindness of the Newari people of Bhaktapur. I know that I shall be back. 

      

  

Sending you happy thoughts...

Help Rebuild Nepal: A Lovely Country in Ruins

Photos taken at the same place, before and after the deadly earthquake struck.
Photo on the right courtesy of Krishna Sadan Awal

Hearing news about the deadly earthquake which recently hit Nepal broke my heart.  I couldn't believe it at first.  I was in that beautiful country two weeks before the catastrophe happened.    

Pictures and memories of all the amazing places I've seen, the lovely people I've met, and friends that I made flooded my mind.  I was worried about my friends. I hoped and prayed that they were not placed in harm's way. 

I scoured the internet for news about the disaster. I was hungry for information, hoping against hope that the destruction was not massive.  Unfortunately, as I scrolled photos posted on twitter and other social media and news organization sites, it dawned on me that the beautiful country that now occupies a special place in my heart is now lying in ruins and rubble. On the day the earthquake happened, death toll easily reached the three thousand mark, many more were injured.  Many people have gone missing.  My heart wept and bled.  

I started hearing from my friends a few days after the earthquake. I would breathe a sigh of relief and gratitude whenever a friend would mark him/herself safe in the earthquake safety check app.  I was so glad to get messages or calls from my Nepalese friends.  As they gave assurances of their safety and expressed their gratitude that nobody in their immediate family died, they also shared heartbreaking scenes of the tragedy that befell their home country.  I felt the somberness that enveloped them.  I also sensed despair.  

It certainly would take quiet a while before the lives of the Nepalese even have a semblance of normalcy.   They would need our help to rebuild their country and restart their lives.  Let's help them recover.  

There are many ways to help.  You may support and send donations to established international aid, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief organizations which are directly helping Nepal, like UNICEF, Save the Children,  The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Catholic Relief Services, etc.  You may also help efforts initiated by Nepalese who have organized their own fund-raising campaigns and rebuilding projects, such as Help Rebuild Homes in Bhaktapur.  Crowdfunding campaigns, such as the one for the residents of Kaminani, Tekhacho Tole, Ward 16, Bhaktapur, Nepal have also been set up at Indiegogo.com. 


Sending you happy thoughts...

Images of Kathmandu

The vibrant and bustling city of Kathmandu is your gateway to the beautiful country of Nepal.  I'm grateful to have visited the country's capital two weeks before the 7.9 magnitude earthquale left a great part of the city and nearby areas in ruins.   It is truly heartbreaking to know that some of the structures captured in the photos below are now gone forever. The heritage sites once visited for their grandeur and historical, cultural, and religious values have now been turned into graveyards.

  

  

 

 

  

 

It's certainly a very sad time for the Nepalese people. My heart goes out to my friends and to everyone affected by the catastrophe.

Sending you happy thoughts...

Nepal in My Mind

Kathmandu Durbar Square

My thoughts and prayers go to the people of Nepal.

I have very wonderful memories of this beautiful country. It's sad to know that a lot of lives were lost and a lot of people were injured because of the 7.9 magnitude earthquake. A lot of heritage sites have also been reduced to rubble. 

It would take quite a while before the lives of the Nepalese have even a semblance of normalcy.  Aside from including them in our prayers, let's find concrete ways to help them rebuild their country. 

Whang Od at Grace: Ang mga Mambabatok ng Buscalan, Kalinga

The art and tradition of "pambabatok " continues in the village of Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga Province. Ninety-six year old Apo Whang Od carries on the Butbut Tribe's tradition of inking skin using the hand-tapping method.

With Whang Od's advanced age, the said traditional art is in danger of being lost forever. Fortunately, she had passed on the skill to her 18-year old grandniece, Grace, who took a strong interest in the art of tattooing as early as the age of ten.

Two weeks ago, I have had the privilege of witnessing two generations of mambabatoks working side by side, and in one instance, as can be seen in this video, continuing the work of the other. It was indeed a wonderful sight to behold, the old and new generation, bound by blood, tradition, and culture, keeping the art of tribal tattooing alive.

And yes, I journeyed to Buscalan to have the honor of getting a batok from a living treasure, a heroine of her tribe in her own right. I am humbled and honored to have a piece of the Kalinga culture, history, and tradition woven into my skin. Not only does my batok showcase our proud Philippine heritage, it also carries a deeper, special meaning for me.

Sending you happy thoughts...

Project Lakbay Aral Goes to Museo Pambata

A total of 47* indigent kids/students from Delpan, Tondo, Manila enjoyed their field trip to the Museo Pambata last November 29, 2014 .  The young ones excitedly traveled back in time to learn about Philippine history, traditions, and culture. 

They had a grand time journeying inside the human body through a tunnel maze and gained a deeper understanding of how our bodies work. They were also oriented on the importance of maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.

The children also learned about the pressing issues concerning the environment, especially climate change, and likewise got acquainted with the creatures of the sea and the rainforest. They also got a refresher on their lessons on their rights as children and were given an opportunity to see how the other parts of the world look like through a visit to the global village.

The kids were also encouraged to visualize themselves doing a particular career through role playing. They also took a trip down history and got inspired by the heroism of the brave Filipino freedom fighters.

After the tour, a special program and bonding session with the outreach activity donors and volunteers was held. The kids were treated to delicious snacks and were given loot bags containing school supplies, hygiene products, and goodies.

 

    

Much, much thanks to our donors, sponsors, and volunteers! Your generosity is simply amazing! 

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*The intended number of kid-beneficiaries is fifty (50). Unfortunately, for one reason or another, 3 kids were not able to join the study tour. Funds allotted for their entrance fees were used to sponsor the entrance fees of two Delpan community leaders and two VIDES social workers/volunteers. :)

Sending you happy thoughts...