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Off to Baguio
I’m off to Baguio City after more than 8 years. Though it’s not the first time to use all three expressways (NLEX, SCTEX and TPLEX) going there, I am curious about the developments along the way. TPLEX now extends all the way to Rosario, La Union. Also, there should be a lot of changes already in Baguio city especially after the pandemic and the projects of the current mayor. The latter includes a more people-friendly Session Road that I have yet to see for myself.
I will try to share photos and updates on this trip in future posts even while in Baguio. The city is a sentimental place for me as my first major project after graduating from university was there. And I had experienced walking around the city on many occasions.
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Political garbage along our roads
While it is not formally campaign season, you’ve probably seen all those ads, posters, tarps and other obviously campaign materials that have sprouted around the country. Even before the filing of COCs, there were already a lot of political garbage (as I refer to them) along our roads. Many that you see on large billboards promote their purported TV or radio shows. Others pretend to be concerned about your safety while traveling (e.g., “Ingat sa biyahe!”, “Ride safe!”, etc.).
The government, particularly the COMELEC, seems to be inutile and inept about these brazen, even flamboyant displays by politicians. And so we end up with a lot of literal and figurative garbage along our streets. These are the politicians that people continue to vote while stating they want changes and reforms in government and society. You vote for these clowns and you get exactly the misery and incompetence that dooms us especially during times of difficulties and calamities.
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Welcome arch in Iloilo
We had a small adventure when we were in Iloilo last month. We traveled to the last town to the west just before the border with the Province of Antique. I was expecting to see welcome arches as we crossed one town after another. There was only one town that had this – Guimbal. And practically the whole stretch of the national highway had a signature of the town’s motto that had got something to do about it like a rising sun.
There’s another quite unusual landmark there that I will also be writing about soon. I will leave my readers in suspense for now.
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Post Habagat Aerial Photos
We flew to Iloilo just after the Habagat floods that ravaged much of Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces. As our plane took off from Runway 13-31, I figured there was an opportunity to take a few photos of Metro Manila especially as I was seated by the window of the plane.
More aerial photos to be posted here soon!
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Foggy roads in Tagaytay – Part 1
It’s been a while since the last time I was in Tagaytay. We used to go there at least once a month. Eventually, we grew tired of the traffic and the city becoming quite crowded. Of course, our schedules also became more busy so the drives for a weekend getaway turned into trips for music lessons (for our daughter) and meet-ups with friends. It was a welcome return last July when I had to go to Tagaytay Highlands for a meeting and then join up with our college for a workshop on the other end of the city. Here are some photos of the foggy roads that reminded me of the Tagaytay of old.
More photos of the foggy roads in the next post!
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Back in Iloilo
I’m finally back in Iloilo after a very long while. It’s a quick visit so I won’t be able to go to our ancestral home in Cabatuan. The visit to the city though will still be a sentimental one and perhaps update me on the developments there.
I will be posting on this trip soon as I plan to take photos of the bike facilities along the Diversion Road and walk along the Esplanade.
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On transportation and floods
Some people say transport and traffic concerns take a backseat to floods and related concerns, which affect other aspects of our lives aside from our commutes. The heavy rains the past days have rendered many streets impassable to most types of vehicles. That means people cannot go to work, school or come home. Lives are disrupted by floods this way. But even more disruptive and disastrous are the damages brought about by flooding in many communities. Homes are submerged. Properties are damaged, many beyond repair or replacement. There is also the psychological aspect of floods especially for those who will experience them for the first time. These will surely add to the already fragile mental health of people still reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As I write, the Marikina River has breached and many areas of Metro Manila and surrounding provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite are flooded. The floods are now being mentioned along with those brought about by Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009.
Here are some photos from the internet being shared by various social media accounts including the official pages of Rappler and Inquirer:
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Back in Tagaytay
It’s been a while since I’ve been to Tagaytay. I think the last time was before the pandemic and with family. There used to be a time when we went there at least every month not counting the seminars and workshops we attended there. It was an easy drive from our home in Antipolo to Tagaytay via C6, SLEX and the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road. We had our favorite stopovers with breakfasts usually at the Paseo de Sta. Rosa. Later, as Tagaytay became more crowded and congested, the trips became fewer. Of course, our schedules also became busier but then it wasn’t like we looked forward to the traffic and the crowded attractions there. I’m doing a project there now with my team at the office and that means I get to go there for work. Since we’ll be there anyway, we could have some side trips to eat some good meals (bulalo!) and maybe take some photos of Taal volcano.
The fog was a quick reminder of the Tagaytay of old that we frequented before. But what we noticed was that it wasn’t cool. It was still somewhat warm if there was no breeze or wind blowing. This was certainly not smog as you can smell the pollution if it was. We even joked that it probably wasn’t because of the volcano as the smell of sulphur would probably be strong. We were in Tagaytay during the weekdays so there were fewer people and traffic. We were told that it was worse on weekends. That was to be expected. And with CALAX, Tagaytay became more accessible to visitors. I will write about the developments there in the next post. I feel there’s just too many buildings and the intense development has made Tagaytay less attractive. I have similar memories and feelings about Baguio but that’s another story to tell or write about.
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Some aerial photos as we approached Panglao
Here are a few more photos from our plane as we journeyed to Bohol last week. This time, it is from the approach to Panglao. I was expecting the approach for the plane to pass above Cebu. I was rewarded with the following photos:
Mactan Cebu International Airport as seen from our plane making its approach to Panglao Airport
A view of the islands off Mactan and between Cebu and Bohol. There was a view of Olango Island but I wasn’t able to take a photo.
A quick shot of some of the hills at Bohol Island. I am not sure these are the Chocolate Hills but the formation, the geology is the same as the heritage site’s.
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Self check-in and self bag-drop at NAIA Terminal 3
In addition to the self check-in terminals, Cebu Pacific now has self bag drop booths at NAIA Terminal 3. These are easy to use and may lead to quicker processing of passengers. They have staff ready to assist in case passengers encounter some difficulty using the self bag drop terminals.
We’ll probably see these terminals in other airports particularly the major ones like Cebu, Davao and Clark. It is a convenience and also reduces the need for staff manning the check-in counters.
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Caught (up) in traffic 