Libotero – Philippine Travel Photo Blog

Part 6 of the Libotero Eastern Visayas series.

After our very satisfying dinner at Calle Z Cafe, Sir Gerry and Ma’am Ludette brought us to RTR Plaza to watch the Bituon Han Leyte or the festival queen competition of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals 2011.

When we arrived, the program has already started but we still proceeded to watch. The RTR Plaza, which stands for Remedios Trinidad Romualdez, is named after the mother of former first lady Imelda Marcos. It is the largest public plaza in Tacloban.

Every June, the plaza is virtually converted into the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival Park where various cultural and other social activities, all in paying homage to Sr. Sto. Nino, are held.

The Bituon han Leyte or the festival queen competition is the search for the ultimate lead dancer who possesses not just beauty, but brains and exceptional dancing skills as well. Candidates will not walk the ramp in swimsuits and evening gowns but with their respective festival costumes instead.

One of the highlights of the competition is the ritual presentation where each candidate together with the contingent she represents would give a 2-minute preview of their performance for the streetdancing and ritual showdown at the Leyte Sports Development Center the next day.

This year, 12 candidates represented their respective towns and festivals in the Bituon Han Leyte 2011! And ofcourse, the most-awaited and entertaining part of the competition would have to be the Question and Answer Portion! The big question goes like this, “What asset of your city/municipality would you like to promote and how would you promote it”?

The ladies were really able to put up a show. Some were really nervous and rattled and were mumbling random words which sounded quite funny but one candidate really stood out among the rest and is just very deserving of being declared Bituon Han Leyte (Star of Leyte) 2011! She is no other than Candidate #4, Rosejaen Tiunayan representing the Pamilipig Festival of Sta. Fe, Leyte. Her answer to the question was flawless! She started off by saying that her town has 3Ps. People. Place. Potential and then went on to deliver a very outstanding world class answer.

She also bagged other awards such as Miss Talent, Miss Congeniality, Miss Photogenic. Here are the rest of the winners of the Bituon Han Leyte Festival Queen Competition 2011!

1st runner-up: #10 Mariane Hernandez – Quiot Festival, Isabel, Leyte (she also bagged the Ms. New Placenta award)

2nd runner-up: #8 Alone Jane Rebodillo – Tulo-Usa Festival, Tolosa Leyte (she also bagged the Best in Festival Costume award)

3rd runner-up: #13 Cris-an Sharmaine Avila – Bato-Balani Festival, Bato, Leyte (she also bagged the Miss Olive C award)

4th runner-up: #12 Jenny Ann A. Palacio – Karatong Festival, Dulag, Leyte

Meanwhile, here is a short clip of the Bituon Han Leyte Parade of Costumes

After the competition, we felt the need to quench our thirst so we proceeded to Best Foods and Friends Coffee Shop, just located at the left side of the RTR Plaza stage. There, we got to encounter Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla, the chairwoman of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals 2011 so we took the chance for a photo-op! Yihee!

(L-R) Don, Fitz, Rina, Mayor Matin Petilla, Sir Gerry, Alvin and the Libotero

Aside from the numerous activities held at the plaza during the festival season, what piqued my interest was this photo wall within the park:

Zip Southern Leyte. This new zipline located at the highest bridge in the country, the Agas-Agas bridge in Sogod, Southern Leyte, is said to be the longest zipline in the Philippines, with a length of almost one kilometer!

Gawd, when will I ever have the guts to try a zipline!

(…to be continued)

Part 5 of the Libotero Eastern Visayas series.

DAY 1.

After our sunset chillout session at Cafe Lucia, it was time to freshen up before dinner. So Don, Fitz, Rina, Alvin and I, all went to our hotel, Luxury Suites. Since they have already checked-in a day ahead, I registered on my own at the front desk. I was then given my room key. I’d like to thank Don for carrying my trolley bag all the way to the 3rd floor! (hihi!) We had at least an hour to freshen up and relax for a while since our call time was 8:30pm yet so I settled all my things in my cute single room then prepared myself for dinner.

At 8:30pm, we all met at the hotel lobby at the 2nd floor and left our room keys. It’s always a standard practice to leave your key at the front desk when going out so as not to misplace it. Then, we went down to the street and flagged a tricycle to bring us to our dinner destination for my first night in Tacloban, Calle Z Cafe! We had two tricycles. One for Don, Fitz and myself and another for Alvin and Rina. Fare for each passenger in Tacloban is P7, if your destination is just within five kilometers.

Located along Independencia Street, Calle Z Cafe is one of the most popular dining and hangout establishments in Tacloban.

Calle Z Cafe

Calle Z Cafe has this homey feel that made me feel comfortable the instant I stepped in their doors. Depending on your mood, you can choose to dine indoors or in their patio area.

Adding to the delightful atmosphere is their wide(st) array of music so it’s really a wonderful place to hang out, chill and just relax either with the family or with friends.

Something fun about Calle Z Cafe is their menu. It’s backside is filled with Pinoy Jokes that won’t fail to tickle your funny bones. Sir Gerry told us that everytime they need to change their menu, he always makes an effort to update the jokes on it.

Now let’s go to the real deal. The Food! Calle Z Cafe serves sumptuous food and drinks at affordable prices. Ofcourse, we would never miss the opportunity to taste their best-sellers and some other choice dishes.

Bulalo. Calle Z’s version of the popular beef soup is the best in town! The soup is so good that you actually have to close your eyes while taking a sip. The meat was oh-so-soft.

Sizzling Bangus Sisig. The perfect mix of fishy-garlicky-lemony flavors. The best thing about it is it won’t leave a fish after-taste on your mouth.

Tokwa.

Chopsuey.

Crispy Tenga. The dish that totally made my night! Sounds very exotic and I initially thought that it was only for the adventurous but at the moment it touched my taste buds, coupled with the dipping sauce served with the dish, my whole body was awakened and suddenly craved for more! I don’t know of any restaurant that serves Crispy Tenga, so I savored the moment and digged in!

So, if ever you get to visit Tacloban, never fail to drop by Calle Z Cafe or you’ll totally be missing out. The Crispy Tenga alone is all-worth it!

Calle Z Cafe
39 Independencia Street, Tacloban City
(+6353) 321-3197 & 325-8582
Learn more about Calle Z Cafe and be surprised to see photos of prominent personalities who have already dined in there at their official Website

** I would like to thank the Department of Tourism – Leyte for this very unforgettable dinner experience at Calle Z Cafe! **

Earlier today, I witnessed for the very first time the T’nalak Festival in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. Thirteen contingents which represented each town in South Cotabato (except Polomolok which did not send a contingent) and Koronadal City. The festival is a wonderful display of the rich culture and heritage of South Cotabato.

Here are the results of the recently concluded 12th T’nalak Festival held as part of the 45th founding anniversary celebration of the province:

T’Nalak Festival Street Dancing Results

Kasadyahan sa Kapatagan
CHAMPION: Tupi National High School
1st Runner-Up: Barangay Saravia National High School, Koronadal City
2nd Runner-Up: Barangay San Jose National High School, Banga

Kasadyahan sa Alalan
CHAMPION: Notre Dame of Sto. Niño, Sto. Niño
1st Runner-Up: Norala National Higj School
2nd Runner-Up: Purok Sison Elementary School, Surallah

GRAND SHOWDOWN:
CHAMPION: Liberty Tampakan National High School, Tampakan
1st Runner-Up: Lugan Central Elementary School, T’Boli
2nd Runner-Up: Sta. Cruz Mission School, Inc., Lake Sebu

The winners of the three categories each received a trophy and a cash prize of P125,000 for the champion, P100,000 for the 1st Runner-Up and P75,000 for the 2nd Runner-Up. All the other participating contingents also received a consolation prize of P10,000.

Congratulations on the success of the 12th T’nalak Festival!

Part 4 of the Libotero Eastern Visayas series.

DAY 1.

After snapping some photos and some jump shots at the Leyte Landing Memorial, we all decided that we need to have a late afternoon merienda so, we headed to Cafe Lucia, back in Tacloban City. But before that, we made a quick stop at Robinsons Place Tacloban as Rina had to buy essential materials for her nail art.

The second level of the Rotary Center is an area for events, parties, and other functions

From Robinsons, Cafe Lucia was, more or less, a kilometer away. Located at the bayfront along Real. St in Tacloban, Cafe Lucia occupies the ground level of the Rotary Center, a building owned by the Rotary Club of Tacloban.

The alfresco area by the bay

Upon arrival, we were immediately in awe, especially with the location as the sea breeze was perfect for the late afternoon chillout! The location offered panoramic views of Tacloban City and the peninsula, separated by the Cancabato Bay. During our visit, we even sighted 2 aircrafts about to land at the Tacloban airport.

The calm Cancabato Bay by dusk

At that moment, we weren’t really hungry, we just really needed to quench our thirst so we didn’t have the chance to taste their pasta dishes, which I heard, were their bestsellers. Sayang!

Very relaxing atmosphere, with a great view of the sunset, don’t you think?

For that, we each ordered our own frappe. (Do check out the artworks by some local artists exhibited just beside the counter). It was sort of a taste test as no one ordered the same drink as the others. I had the Peppermint Mocha Frappe. Sounds familiar? Yeah, it does taste like Starbucks’ version of the drink which is a good thing as Starbucks only offers the drink during the holidays. Cafe Lucia’s Peppermint Mocha Frappe was priced at P105 but had a generous serving entirely filling a tall glass. For “pulutan”, we had microwaved butter popcorn.

Tacloban’s own mini-Baywalk

While slowly consuming our drinks, we talked about our itinerary for the next 2 days and then later on, we delved into photography specifically on how to capture those perfect dusk-early evening landscape and portrait shots. Good thing, Sir Gerry was there, so he served as our mentor. We covered aperture, bokeh, ISO, flash bouncing techniques, manual mode and some other omg-nosebleed stuff! LOL.

After all that, we tried to apply what we’ve learned so here are my shots of Tacloban City. The prominent feature on the photo is the Tacloban Astrodome. To the rightmost of the photo are the Sto. Niño Church and Balyuan Amphitheater. Cheers!

(…to be continued)

Part 3 of the Libotero Eastern Visayas series.

DAY 1.

As soon as I arrived at the Tacloban airport, I proceeded to the baggage claim area to get my trolley bag. Then I texted Don, one of my travel mates for this trip, to ask how I could get out of the airport and get to the hotel. He replied and instructed me to just wait as they (himself together with Fitz, Rina, Alvin, Ma’am Ludette, Ma’am Tet and Sir Gerry) were already touring some key destinations in Tacloban and the airport is along the route towards the next destination.

Just a few minutes later, smiling faces aboard an e-jeepney were waving at me. I wasn’t really sure it was them but then they were calling my name already so I walked towards them and got aboard. Woohoo!

Before I arrived, the rest were already touring some tourist attractions in Leyte such as the San Juanico Bridge, Sto. Niño Church, Leyte Provincial Capitol, Sto. Niño Shrine, Leyte Park Hotel, Madonna Shrine, Price Mansion, aboard the e-jeep and lunch at the Rafael Farms in Babatngon, Leyte, some 30 minutes away from the city. Isn’t that cool? I arrived on time just before the tour hits its last stop. We were then off to the MacArthur Landing Memorial in Palo, Leyte.

This tour package is called the Sudoy Ha Leyte Tour and is offered by Leyte Gulf Travel and Tours. It is a basic essential tour that every first-timer in Tacloban or Leyte should avail of.*

Anyway, from the airport, we passed through the San-Jose-DZR Airport road, towards Manlurip-MacArthur Road, all the way to the memorial shrine. It is less than five kilometers away from the airport.

Crowded on a Sunday afternoon

The Leyte Landing Memorial, otherwise known as the MacArthur Landing Memorial is located in Red Beach, Palo, Leyte. This marks the spot where American liberation forces of General Douglas MacArthur landed, fulfilling their “I shall return!” promise, to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese Occupation. Soon after his landing on October 20, 1944, along with 225,000 troops and 600 ships, MacArthur personally led the swift drive against the Japanese forces thus ending their occupation of the Philippines.

The memorial consists of huge, larger than life bronze statues of MacArthur with other important personalities, including our very own then-president Sergio Osmeña, Jr., standing in a manmade pool, depicting how they waded ashore through knee-high waters.

This photo is very Pinoy!

“I have returned!” – MacArthur

“By the grace of the Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil” = MacArthur

The memorial with the markers by the National Historical Commission declaring the park as a national historical landmark in 2004

Group photo, weee!

*Leyte Gulf Travel and Tours

Calle Zaragosa Cafe, Independencia Street,

Tacloban City, Philippines 6500

Tel. No: +6353.321.7966

Fax: +6353.523.7966

(…to be continued)

Part 2 of the Libotero Eastern Visayas series.

My flight to Tacloban was delayed for two hours, thanks to Airphil Express. Waiting for two hours doing nothing can be quite grueling but if I decided to go to the city, the whole two hours will be consumed with me just in transit. That would be useless and a pure waste of money. For that, I just decided to stay in the airport.

I spent my two hours at Bo’s Coffee. I had their tuna salad sandwich for lunch while I had my iPhone headphones on full volume playing dance music. Music definitely served as a remote control for my mood during that moment. Thank God for Facebook and Twitter as well, I never felt bored for a minute. Having said that, I didn’t notice the two hours as it flew by so fast, the next minute our check-in counter was already open. So, I quickly lined up at the check-in counter, presented my ID and ticket, weighed my check-in luggage, then I was given my boarding pass. When I saw my boarding pass, I smiled as I would be seated by the window, weee! I then proceeded to pay the airport terminal fee (P200). After that, I went on to the final security check and then to my assigned boarding gate, Gate #8.

At the pre-departure area, I would have to wait for another two hours before my flight but I didn’t think about the long wait anymore and just scouted for a not-so-crowded area where I could sit and take a nap.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport Boarding Gate #8

At 3:40pm, passengers for Airphil Express flight 2P234 bound for Tacloban were called for boarding. Since the aircraft was parked on the far end of the tarmac, we were still made to ride a bus to take us there.

Boarding the Bombardier Q-400 Dash 8 Turbo-prop

As I boarded the aircraft, I was excited trying to locate my seat until,…

Seat 12D’s view is obstructed by the propellers, shucks!

I felt quite sad but I still made the most out of my window seat anyway.

Our aircraft was able to take off from the runway at 3:57pm, thirteen minutes ahead of our scheduled departure time.

Aerial view of Barangay Buaya, Lapu-Lapu City

Just about ten minutes after take-off, we were already hovering over the island of Leyte!

Mount Lobi

Somewhere in Tolosa, Leyte.

On our scheduled time of departure, 4:10pm, we were already over Palo, Leyte, the town next to Tacloban, to the south.

Palo, Leyte

Cancabato Bay in Tacloban

I was already able to sight the runway but we were still high up in the air so I knew that we won’t land yet and for some reason, the aircraft went beyond then made a 360-degree turn. It was a wobbly, awkward-feeling turn, but nonetheless it was great as I got to see an overview of Leyte and Samar!

Dio Island, Tacloban City

The island of Samar

At 4:20pm, we have already landed at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban, 30 minutes ahead of our (rescheduled) schedule. LOL!

(…to be continued)