Category: volunteerism
-
First-time in Tacloban City, Leyte: In The Aftermath of Yolanda
•
I have never expected that the almost year-long anticipation of my first trip to Tacloban would change at the last minute. Yet, it was for good, because with the recent onslaught of typhoon Yolanda that ravaged Tacloban and other parts of the Eastern Visayas region, it would be hard to…
-
Volunteer Vacation in Tacloban & Basey: A Mission to Help
•
Sometimes, a trip begins with a simple plan but ends up becoming something far more meaningful. That was exactly what happened when our planned getaway to Tacloban and Basey turned into an unexpected Volunteer Vacation after Typhoon Yolanda devastated Eastern Visayas. It was March when a fellow volunteer from Hands On Manila…
-
Bantayan Island After Yolanda: A Place of Hope
•
Bantayan Island, Cebu had long lived in my imagination as a picture-perfect paradise. Picture pristine white-sand beaches, clear blue-green waters, fresh sea air, and a warm, friendly atmosphere. I watched friends post photos of their vacations there. For years, I dreamed of taking my own spot under the sun. I never…
-
Free Freedom Island
•
…from trash and other ecological threats. Freedom. Such a powerful word, and something that is close to a traveler’s heart. For instance, I relate traveling to freedom – going beyond boundaries and being able to explore places, things and cultures. And, yes, traveling is getting free from the constricting space of…
-
First-time in Sarangani
•
What’s good about business trips is that you get the chance to visit places at short notice. The downside is that you spend most of your time doing work that you get no chance to fully enjoy the place. It was a day trip to Sarangani, home to the magnificent…
-
Ostrich and Roasted Pig in CDO
•
So, I had been travelling to and from Cagayan de Oro five times in 2012. And it was not yet even half of the year then. All these trips were business-related and not one was for leisure. The most leisurely thing I’ve done in this southern city in the Philippines was a haircut…
-
First-time in Vitton Beach Resort
•
After a gruelling 18 hours on the road, including several stops for breakfast, sightseeing, shopping, and lunch, arriving at Vitton Beach Resort was a welcome respite from the long land trip from Manila to Donsol, located more than 500 km south of the capital. A replica of the whale shark…
-
Helping Lek Save Her Elephants With One Click
•
Today, I found a wall post on my Facebook page from a friend who is now working in Thailand. I’ve known him as an elephant lover and I wasn’t surprised to find him post a link in change.org asking people to help a Thai woman, named Lek, save her elephants.…
-
Traveling to help Rebuild Cagayan de Oro
•
In December 2011, amid the holiday frenzy, the Philippines was struck with a challenge when typhoon Sendong (international name: Washi) suddenly took everyone by surprise as it caused severe flooding in the southern region of the country. The cities that were heavily hit were Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental and…
-
Be a Blogger for Habitat Youth Build
•
I remember the time when I was called to a meeting for a big project to be initiated by young people. We just finished the Jimmy Carter Work Project in 1999 that garnered a huge number of volunteers and partners. We had to keep the excitement building…or in building (homes). It…
-
Travel to Change
•
My friends and I were touring Bohol, visiting the famous Chocolate Hills, Lobok River, and the Tarsier Sanctuary. We were wide-eyed as we took in all the beauty around us. But as we were interacting with the locals we learned so many things; like the tarsiers, which have been considered…
-
First-time at the foot of Mt. Halcon
•
I have visited the town of San Teodoro in Oriental Mindoro several times. But I have not ventured anywhere near the foot of Mt. Halcon, where we have a possible site for volunteer vacations. The one I did there the last time was mangrove tree planting in its coastal area.…
-
Taal Town: birthplace of the maker of the first Philippine flag
•
Every June 12 is the Independence Day of the Philippines. Over a century ago, the Philippine flag was first raised on this day. That flag finds its roots in Taal town in Batangas. The historic town of Taal, which is a three-hour drive from Manila, is a favorite destination of culture…
-
First-time in Jala-Jala, Rizal
•
Jala-jala is the local’s term for paradise and for those living in the province of Rizal in the Philippines, they regard Jala-Jala as the paradise tucked away in their province. Our office organized a volunteer activity that would take us to this little paradise. We had to meet up early…
-
First-time in Central Azucarera Don Pedro, Nasugbu
•
This was the third weekend that I was getting out of the capital, Manila. This time we were to hold a workshop in the province of Batangas. We traveled before sundown of Friday to get to our venue, the Central Azucarera Don Pedro (CADP) in Nasugbu, Batangas. The guest house…