⛪ Baclayon Church – How It Looks Like in Current Days, After The 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake?

That was Year 2010 when I last visited this oldest church in the Philippines - Baclayon Church – after I graduated in my Bachelor Degree. After three years, 2013 when a 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake hits the province and this well-build infrastructure was damaged. It was totally devastating because the said church is part of the Bohol’s tourist spot, historically; it also plays a huge role in narrating how Boholanos value their spiritual life and beliefs of Devine Power.

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Until 2018, I got a chance to revisit this church on May 26. I went back to my home-province Bohol with my friend William Pombo. Bohol travel is incomplete without visiting this church and so, after we indulged the white beaches of Pangalo Island, we drove towards the town of Baclayon. We arrived at 8:30AM wherein there were lots of tourists inside and outside the
church.

Staring the whole church from the viewpoint outside, I didn’t notice any marks from the catastrophic 7.2 magnitude earthquake after five years. It was totally restored especially the bell tower, however the green algae and the plants that grew on the walls of the church which added the characteristic of the said Church was no longer there.     Inside, there was no difference from what I saw when I first visited the church; the design is still surreal from other churches. I can still distinguish that it is really a BACLAYON CHURCH – the church that brought BOHOL into the skyscraper of Tourism Industry.



Truly, this is a proof that Boholanos has been recovered from the destruction of the said earthquake.

🏡 How to Store Too Many Groceries in a 13 SQM Small Condo Unit?

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I already showed you guys on how to design your small apartment to accommodate numerous visitors in one setting in my previous blog post. Today, a certified foodie named Migs Bermido will share his own approach on how he maximized his 13 sqm condo unit especially he is a self-confessed Food Hoarder.

Migs loves inviting his neighbour inside his tiny space and cook for them. Indeed, he is fascinated of letting his friends, visitors and neighbour consumed his food supplies.

“Congressman nga ang tawag nila sa akin (They even tagged me as a politician) “he jokingly said.

 Undeniably, his cabinetries are full of food supplies, his refrigerator is jam-packed of drinks, his fridge is occupied of too many processed foods and meats, above his cabinetries - you can find a lot of cereals , wines and on the floor, he put a plate rack wherein most of the space is full goodies.

“Isn’t it obvious with my body?” he added.

RELATED: The Best Birthday Gift Ever I Gave To Myself – New Condo Unit.

Watch the Video Below:

Indeed, he has planned to install more cabinets in the future for more food storage. This guy is truly amazing on how he was able to maximize his small condo unit without sacrificing his love of foods. He even managed to cook foods inside his room using an 8 in 1 multi-cooker.

Moreover, hoarding too many foods inside in small apartment is everyone’s challenge mostly -living in the urban zone. We opted to buy at the fast food restaurant or even frequently bought ready-to eat foods in Carenderia and we tend to forget  – to live a homey feeling – cooking foods, dining after and washing dishes.  And with Migs, he still maintains the lifestyle of living in a big house yet he is inside a 13 square meter studio apartment.

🌊 Where To Stay In Panglao, Bohol ? - Hotel And Resort That Are Affordable and Accessible.

After a long travel via air from Manila which took us (together with William Pombo) almost one hour. And, from Tagbilaran to Panglao Island via land (jeepney) which took us 30 mins. We finally arrived at Dumaloan Beach Resort. (Watch How We Travel).

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Dumaloan Beach Resort 

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Dumaloan Beach Resort has two properties; one for private and the other one is open for public. We opted to book our room at the public resort as it has quite affordable room rate.  Perfectly located in Panglao Island, the island of Bohol known to its fine white sand beaches. It is a family-oriented resort that is popular for recreation and vacation. Total relaxation is exactly what this resort wants you to have.

It is the one place that has things any traveler desires most — white sandy beach, great accommodations, quality service, fun outdoor activities and hospitable people. At Dumaluan Beach Resort you can truly loosen up and unite with your loved ones and friends, while perfectly enjoying a vacation away from your busy lifestyle.


Public Resort – It has open nipa hut cottages, table, closed private nipa hut, and air-conditioned rooms.  Our air-conditioned room rate was quite expensive in comparison kapag hindi summer. At dahil summer ang MAY, in proportion to the demand, the prices increases.  There is a restaurant but you have to reserve foods for an overnight inuman because the said resto isn’t open 24 hours.

RELATED : TIPS AND TRICKS ON HOW TRAVEL CHEAP TO PANGLAO ISLAND?




Private Resort – At the private property , you can find a bar where-in an acoustic live band performs every night with simultaneously inuman ng mga guest. The vicinity is quite well-developed in comparison sa Public. Good thing, nakakapasok naman ang customer from public towards sa private kapag gusto mo mag-inum – the entry point in front of the beach.

BOHOL BEACH CLUB

BOHOL BEACH CLUB also known as BBC has opened its doors once again with major changes including new rooms, new suites and modern facilities to cater to the most discerning travelers. The resort is well laid out so that space is maximized giving all guests’ the feel of freedom, privacy and solitude.



From the rooms, to the restaurants, the activities and facilities, all aspects of the resort have been enhanced with the satisfaction of our guests’ in mind. Aside from this, BBC continues to boast of having the best beach in the island.

RELATED: THE SPECTACULAR PANGLAO ISLAND IN BOHOL.



A large private beach with powdery white sand, pristine waters and most importantly, all the breathing space that guests’ need in order to enjoy, without the maddening crowd and unwanted distractions. Food choices are also well thought of as the new kitchen team offers a wide variety of traditional Filipino fare as well as international cuisine that will surely satisfy the gastronomical desires of all guests. Add to this the impeccable service of the BBC Team; genuine service that comes from the heart! This is what makes for a perfect vacation in Bohol.



Speaking of  “PRIVATE” – sad part if you’re guest from Dumaloan, there is no way for you to enter this property, however you can walk at the shortline adjacent to it but no can do if you’re planning to go there from the beach. Security guards are very strict even taking pictures is no longer allowed today, pero last time na pumunta ako dati , pwede. In fact naka pag short pa ako ng video dati – (WATCH HERE). Pero today, sobrang higpit. , you can still swim at the beach adjacent to it pero bawal na mag-ingay. Pinagalitan nga si William dahil nagpatudtug siya ng speaker na dala naming. Bawal daw !

ALONA BEACH

Alona Beach is a small, quiet, tropical paradise located on Panglao Island, right at the southwestern tip of Bohol in the Philippines. It is famous for it's beautiful white sand beach and great scuba diving, butit's also a great place to just sit back and relax.



The beach at Alona is a beautiful 1.5 kilometer stretch of white sand bordered on both ends by two rock walls. You can walk from one end to the other in 10-15 minutes. It's a great walk! You will pass by all sorts of hotels and restaurants where you can stop in for a cold beer or soda and enjoy it while sitting right next to the ocean



Good thing, my cousin brought his friends na may motor, kaya naman nakapunta kami. Madaling araw na, that was 1 am na kami nag punta at ang daming tao dun, it’s totally opposite of BBC. Alona vicinity is full of bar and restaurant occupied by numerous white people “ang daming afam!” .

Variety of bar – EDM, Reggae, acoustic and etcetera. 

🏖️ Do You Know What I Did Last Summer? - Puerto Galera All Over Again.

“This will be my graduation rite” I said to myself.

In fact, I kept saying that statement to myself na tama na, I’m no longer young pa- para maging carefree and I need to step up na at maging mature.  Maybe, one of the action plans of growing up is not to get crazy sa Puerto Galera every holy week. Seemingly, partying at the beach of Puerto Galera is so young and wild; and for me grow - is to avoid it at all.

But last summer Holy Week 2018, my friends and I, planned to go there kasi nga first time nila.  Who am I to decline my friends who were very curious about the happenings of the said beach? Every time I narrated my story to them, I can see on their faces how the seed of curiosity drastically grew into a tree of eagerness to experience the same story that I’ve uttered.

“Nako friend, you have to try  PUERTO GALERA during Holy Week to complete your Gay Life”,  I jokingly said to M.A. Buendia and William Pombo, who are both Puerto GAY-lera virgins. (I was once a Puerto Galera Virgin .. READ MORE)

“Sige Friend, let us go no matter what fortuitous events might occur”, POMBO and MA.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:

Truly,  I am happy to let my two friends experience what I’ve experienced when I first visited such a vibrant place.



“Balik tayo dito , ang saya and LGBT people here are respected by the locals” said Buendia.
“Oo nga,  parang walang paki ang mga straight at di ka nila babastosin” said Pombo.



I just smiled after hearing those comments from them because that was also my feedback during my “first time”. And until now, I kept visiting Puerto Galera during my random weekends whenever  I need to unwind alone. Madaming nagsasabi na overrated na ang White Beach, Puerto Galera pero I still patronize the place wherein as a gay guy, you felt home and respected.  Madaming nagsasabi na kaya bumabalik ang mga bakla due to easy access to hook ups but I should say – it is more than that. The feeling of being recognized and accepted are the reasons why gay guys keep visiting this place.

When Puerto Galera won’t show any homophobia – LGBTQIA will still go back to the place. A place where the rainbow flag is proudly displayed by the locals through their acceptance.

📌 TRAVEL GUIDE – Masasa Beach, Tingloy Batangas Going To Puerto Galera, Mindoro.

One of my characteristics that I am really proud of – I’m really friendly. I have this personality wherein I can easily build a connection to random people. In fact my officemate and a friend of mine William Pombo, introduces me to his circle of friends “the Britney Army Philippines “ and it just happened that even if I didn’t consider Britney Spear as my goddess , they still welcome me and I am telling you guys, they’re really happy people.

To cut the short story long, after meeting them several times “official kaibigan ko na sila”, and I was invited to be part of their get away nung summer pa naman ito pero I decided to share this story sa inyo guys na late, as in “LATE” kasi tag-ulan na pero tsaka ko pa lang siya isusulat sa blog ko. Again, better late than never.  The said outing was   MAY 5,2018  - Two Months na ago sa Masasa Beach.

Masasa Beach is located  San Juan,, Tingloy, Batangas. I already heard the place and saw some blog post about it pero wala sa isip ko na puntahan ko talaga ang place kasi feeling ko malayo siya which is true malayo sya talaga. We departed at exactly 3AM May 5,2018 sa Buendia sa Bus Station, I forgot if it was JAM or JAC liner basta the one located beside Macdo, coz I remember we grabbed a bite first bago kami sumakay ng Bus.
Watch the video :

We took the bus heading to Batangas Grand Terminal which cost is around 150-180PHP each. (I can no longer remember) , then dropped off at Batangas Grand Terminal Mismo , the terminal na titigilan ng bus pag pupunta kayo ng batangas port if you’re going to Puerto Galera. Of course , you will no longer reach Batangas Port because you need to drop off at the said Bus Terminal dahil andon yung sakayan ng jeep na papuntang “Mabini Multi-purpose Port” , and it will take you 30-45mins teh. But we took an authentic Batangas Lomi for our lunch , naloka ako, ang siksik, liglig at umaapaw sa sahog teh. Oorder ka ng isang mangkok, I was under the impression na pang 1 pax lang, nako pang apat na tao. Kaya tuwang tuwa ako plus the fact that it was truly savory. Iba ang sarap ng Batangas Lomi teh, you can actually look for lomihan sa terminal. We left mga 5:30ARE heading sa Mabini Port via jeep. You don’t to worry, continues po ang jeep.

#mabinibatangas bakit ang mahal ng environmental fee kaysa sa bangka? pic.twitter.com/dkLra7hEjM

— Jonathan D. Orbuda 💻 (@ILoveTansyong) May 4, 2018

Si Chris nakapila to pay for the environmental FEE

While kami nag aantay ng bangka.

When we arrived at Mabini port, at  6:30 AM naloka ako ! The port was not really a good port – not organized in comparison to Batangas port wherein you only pay 20PHP pero sa Mabini ,you have to pay a huge amount for environmental fee, not for the place na pupuntahan namin pero para sa Mabini na sadyang saglit lang naman kami dun.Well , not that I expected, ang haba ng pila teh, to pay the environmental fee, plus you have to wait sa Bangka.  Good thing, mga bakla kasama ko at masasaya kasama, we just did some crazy stuff during our idle time yet on the back of my mind, hindi siya nakakatuwa specially we’re talking “TIME” here na nasasayang.

The Britney Army heading to Tingloy Port , Batangas.

Nakasakay kami ng Bangka heading to Tingloy Port, tirik na ang araw teh (10AM) and travel time via boat took us 45min- 1hour , amounting 80PHP (sana di pa mataas as of writing). When we arrived at Tingloy Port, we need to ride a tricycle papuntang pinag stayhan namin.

Tingloy Port na po kami.

Watch the video :

I was disappointed that sa layo at hirap ng pinag daanan bago makarating  sa place, the beach was just SO SO for me. It was beautiful indeed, but it wasn’t worth for the effort, maybe naging sikat siya for the past months dahil nga nagviral siya sa facebook, or baka talaga dahil sa mga online bloggers at backpackers na nagpupunta.  Pero for me, mag-exert man ako ng effort at time na magbeach – mag Calaguas Island nalang ako
.


With that being said, I left my friends earlier  on our second day palang after learning that Puerto Galera is just a boat ride away from Masasa Beach, eh may boat naman available the next morning na aalis ng 6AM. I noticed my friends’ faces na nalungkot kasi iniwan ko sila, pero baka dahil sa frustration ko sa place , I also need m “Me Time” and Puerto Galera is just a foggy-blurred away from our place kaya na rin ako hindi na a nag stay pa wherein two days ang naka book supposedly sa amin sa Masasa Beach.



The owner of the house we rented, together with my friends – hinatid din naman nila ako sa boat. Pero in just short span of time na nakasama at inuman ko sila – I must say na quality time din naman.

Dumating ako sa Galera na mag-isa, nag book ng room 800PHP for 24 hours, nagpamasahe, nag-inum and the rest were history. HAHA.  And my friends na naiwan, nakita ko nalang sa FB nag punta sila sa ibang location, I just learned na bukod beach , may mga iba pa palang magagang lugar na pwede puntahan,nagpadaig lang ako sa “first impression”.  Well, if ask niyo ako if babalik ako at sasadyain talaga, maybe  hindi na muna. But who knows.. but not for now.

Lying and Indulging the sand and sun at Masasa Beach

Salamat Guys sa pagsubaybay, Im pretty sure nag –iba ang timpla ng writing style ko. TAGLISH, kasi diko na kayang magpanggap na English pa more. Well, this new style nag pagsusulat ko, seems light... and seems magaan sya basahin. Para lang kinakausap ko kayo, and this is what I want to do moving forward. Ayaw ko na magpanggap, mahirap nagcheck ng grammar. Hahaha.

🏡 Designing a Tiny 13 Square Meter Condo Unit to Accommodate Innumerable Visitors.

In this vlog, I’ll be visiting a unit owner of a micro-living condo unit along EDSA, Mandaluyong. She will be sharing what she did to make her friends feel welcome despite its constraint.

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Rai, a Transpinay acquired her property year 2018. She is fun-loving on maintaining a massive circle of friends. And so, she came up with sacrificing her queen size bed and bringing a couch for the visitors. In addition, she opted for a couch that can be converted into a bed for her comfort after work. She also bought an additional two foldable chairs so that she can hide them once not being used.  And she kept the other two for her dining table – free when the unit was turned over.

Rai loves yellow-green and so most of her things are yellow-green. She also considers not spending too much in making her unit visually pleasant.

“Pumupunta ako ng Divisioria , kasi mahal sa mall “ she said.

“Pag may nakita kayong nakasale or buy 1 take 1, grab niyo na”

Undeniably, her own way on how to maximize a small space is truly amazing. She was able to design a dwelling that is visitor-friendly without sacrificing her comfort during her own “ME TIME”.

Watch the video below: