Victory Parade for Pia Extended to Quezon City

ASIDE from the grand parade in Manila and Makati City on Monday, a ticker tape parade for Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach will also be held at the Araneta Center in Quezon City later in the day.

A parade plan and route provided by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) showed that Wurtzbach will immediately proceed to Araneta Center after the first parade ends on Ayala Avenue around 4:30 p.m.

The Araneta parade will start at Novotel Hotel and turn right at Gen. MacArthur to Edsa, right at Aurora Boulevard, right at Aguinaldo, left at MacArthur, right at Romulo, right at P. Tuazon, right at Time Square to Gen. MacArthur and Araneta. It will then turn right at Roxas, Aguinaldo and end at the Araneta Coliseum Green Gate.

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WURTZBACH

The MMDA last week advised motorists to avoid the parade routes in Manila, Makati and Pasay City on Monday.

MMDA Chair Emerson Carlos said during a meeting Thursday afternoon that the homecoming parade for Wurtzbach will start at 2 p.m. at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City.

It will then proceed to Atang Dela Rama Street, right at Vicente Sotto Street, left to F. Ma. Guerrero Street, right to Bukaneg Street, left to Roxas Boulevard then right to Padre Burgos going to Taft Avenue, right to Quirino Avenue, left again on Roxas Boulevard to Gil Puyat Avenue. From Gil Puyat, it will turn left to Ayala Avenue then make a U-turn at the Makati Fire Station going to Rustan’s which is the end of the grand parade.

The MMDA said only the northbound side of Ayala Avenue would be closed to general traffic starting 3 p.m. for the parade. Motorists are advised to use Buendia as alternate route.

As for the other affected roads, a “stop and go” scheme will be implemented for the duration of the parade.

At least 135 traffic enforcers will be deployed along the parade route to manage vehicle movement.

The MMDA will also honor Wurtzbach with a water cannon salute and confetti shower at Guadalupe Bridge when her convoy makes its way to Quezon City after the Ayala Avenue parade. Maricar B. Brizuela

Water Challenged Baguio Finds Relief in Rainwater Collectors

By: Vincent Cabreza, Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE BAGUIO rain basin at Mt. Santo Tomas in Tuba, Benguet province, collects rain which becomes the city’s source of water during the dry season. EV ESPIRITU/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—Rain won’t go away from the summer capital, at least not in the coming years, with or without El Niño.

It’s because half of the city’s population harvests rain for domestic use, according to a study by the University of the Philippines Baguio.

UP sought to measure the city’s water resiliency since it annually receives the highest amount of rainfall but rations its potable water, said political science professor Alejandro Ciencia, the study’s team leader.

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The city’s water distributor, Baguio Water District (BWD), operates 57 deep wells, which are insufficient to supply the 61,727 cubic meters of water required daily by 317,200 consumers.

BWD also operates a rain basin at Mt. Santo Tomas, where water is drawn during the dry season.

No other rain basins are in use, however, because of the steep cost and because areas suitable as rain collection facilities are now densely populated, according to a BWD report.

It said runoff rainwater has not been efficiently seeping into the soil to replenish the city’s aquifer due to high urban growth, adding to the city’s woes. Watersheds are also suffering from human encroachment.

But Baguio households could collect rain, aided by tax incentives and water filtering technology, said Cordelia Lacsamana, city environment officer, who is adopting the UP study to improve the way the city uses its water.

The study said: “If the practice of rainwater harvesting was to be adopted by all or most households in the city and if this was done on a larger scale than just the use of drums, pails and basins, then fewer households would depend on water delivery services for most of their domestic needs.”

The study results, which were presented on Dec. 11 last year, also discussed an unspoken benefit from rain, of which Baguio residents may not have been aware: It’s a resource which government could not possibly tax.

Water, by law, is owned by the state. The only water that the state allows people to have “exclusive control” of is that which is “captured and collected by means of cisterns, tanks or pools,” said the study, citing a section of the water code (Presidential Decree No. 1067).

“Notice, however, that the law used the word ‘control’ and not ownership. This goes to show how the state jealously guards its assumed title over water,” the study said.

“The city’s historical lack of a constant water service for most households has made them adopt a ‘water-scarce lifestyle,’” the study said.

“For many households, knowing the days and the time that water will be released is important as many tasks are scheduled around it,” it added.

“In many places, BWD releases water late at night or during the early hours in the morning, causing residents some inconvenience… In fact, residents have water from the BWD for an average of 44 hours only…” the study said.

Why Backpack in The Philippines

It’s not easy to get around the country, sure, but when you do…

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By  Marky Ramone Go, Manila Bulletin

The film The Beach invigorated the backpacking culture, but very few people knew that the inspiration for Alex Garland’s novel The Beach was really El Nido, Palawan, where he lived for several months. Since the novel was set in Thailand, the immediate pop culture result was the sudden recognition of Khao San Road in Bangkok as the starting point of the “Banana Pancake Trail”—a term given to expanding routes around Southeast Asia frequented by travelers. These backpackers, mostly young people on gap years, start their journey in this festive street lined up with bars and hostels before crisscrossing mainland Thailand and unto bordering countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore with most of them skipping the Philippines.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/700.jpg

Mount Pinatubo (Photos marky Ramone Go)

This comes with a huge upside because it marks our beautiful nation in the off-the-beaten-path category that showcases still-pristine beaches and nature setting with less touristy crowd. This also gives us enough time to set up proper infrastructures and responsible tourism guidelines in place before we see an uptick in traveler arrivals. As we promote our country we must also make sure we practice being responsible voyagers.

As a traveler who has visited my own share of domestic and international destinations, I can say that wandering around our country still gives me the most thrills as I slowly discover my own land with the same probing eye and wonder as I do so when engrossed in foreign cultures. Ours is diverse in its own myriad of ways—gifting us with a visual feast that shifts from every beautiful conceivable form to another. From mountains to islands to quaint little towns highlighted by a colorful set of regional traditions and tasteful delicacies, it makes traveling in the Philippines more interesting because of the varied offerings to our senses as we trudge along each of our 81 provinces.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/900-300x215.jpg

Biri Island

So why should one go backpacking in the Philippines?

I remember one Canadian traveler asked me this question. She quizzed me if we have the ancient temple ruins of Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Thailand. While I answered in the negative,I followed it up with a series of positive characteristics of the Philippines that appeal to travelers of all kinds. I can’t remember how the rest of our talk went but looking at her Facebook images a year later, I could see that she enjoyed her time here in the Philippines much so that she extended her stay for a couple of months.

Let me show you just a few of the many photographic reasons why one should definitely go.

Stunning rock formation, created by the unforgiving waves of the mad seas that surround the Philippines for thousands of years, litters most shorelines and this one from Biri Island is just one of the five gigantic nature-carved rock hills on the island that delight visitors to no end. Natural pools filled with crystal clear waters and hilly greens perfect for camping circles each of these rock formations.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/800-300x212.jpg

Sinulog Festival

Off-the-grid islands such as this one called Calaguas are too many too visit all in a lifetime. Walk over blinding white and ultra-pure sands.

And another one example is the White Island sandbar off the coast of another island called Camiguin. Even better news is the fact that when you hop from one boat to the next from Luzon to Visayas and to Mindanao you will realize how these stunning islands become typical sightings.

The island province of Palawan boasts of a magnificent shoreline stretching to about 1,931 kilometers and is dotted with more than 1,780 islands and islets, limestone coves, hot springs, majestic lakes, and fine-white sand beaches. It also possesses a vast land of virgin forests that encapsulate its chain of mountain ranges. A full range of activities from mountain climbing, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and beach bumming to anything related to island living awaits visitors in this pristine island province regarded by many travel publications as among the best in the world.

When you’ve had enough beaches and are tired of the island life, you can cool off in the highlands, where snaking mountain ranges offer marvels of the lush forest and natural attractions, such as waterfalls, lakes, and rolling hills as far as the eye can see.

And a natural environment serving home to a lush set of flora and fauna for you to fully enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer, including hundreds of waterfalls and lakes scattered all over the archipelago.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/300.jpg

Tinuy-An Falls; Left: White Island

Not to mention mountain peaks, volcanoes, and lakes.

Big cities all over the country such as Manila may present you with a sensory overload, causing at first, a fit of annoyance because of the large population and the unforgiving street activities, but once you scratch off the surface one will discover hidden gems in every nook and cranny. Classic architecture visible on Spanish colonial churches and post-colonial homes produces a throwback vibe downtown in many provinces.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/200.jpg

Batanes

Along the way while shuttling from one spectacular nature location to another you will pass by charming little towns offering a glimpse of the simple life in the countryside that best typifies the hospitality of the Filipino people. Indulge in the many colorful traditions and cultures by immersing with the locals sampling home cooked delicacies and merrymaking at the numerous festivals celebrated throughout the country all year long.The list of reasons go and on and on. So, next time you meet fellow travelers on the road abroad,why not initiate a conversation by suggesting them to visit the Philippines and if they asked you why, be prepared to engage in a long tête-à-tête because there’s a lot of wonderful things to say about our country.