In recent years, “climate change” has become a hot topic on everyone’s lips. On the one hand, there are the environmentalists who strongly believe in the immediacy of climate change although there is no unanimity on how to move forward. Then there are public officials who project themselves as protectors of the environment by espousing – at every possible opportunity – legislation in defense of the environment.
Even today’s young are exposed to the importance of environmental protection as early as grade school where they are taught the rudiments of waste disposal segregation – “blue” cans for recyclable waste, “green” for biodegradable waste and “red” for non-biodegradables.
There is no debate, however, that human activity is the causal reason for “climate change” – whether it is from fossil fuel combustion, from the use of aerosols, from methane emissions originating from waste or from the depletion of forest cover with its conversion for urban needs. And there is consensus that everyone needs to chip in.
But can one man make a difference? He could if his name is Maximo Cabri. And who is Maximo Cabri?
Maximo Cabri is a Mangyan, a group of Indigenous People who have their roots in the island of Mindoro. He is a respected Mangyan elder, being the chairman of the Alangan Mangyan Cooperative. He’s 56 years old and a father of seven.
Maximo has a man-sized job cut out for him. He is charged with maintaining a whole mountainside with approximately 11 hectares of the Alangan Mangyans’ ancestral land. Together with his fellow Alangan Mangyans, he is reforesting their ancestral land so that it can continue providing for their needs.
Fortunately, Maximo had help. During the celebration of Earth Day in June of 2008, the Department of Natural Resources joined hands with the Philippine Army, the local officials of San Agustin and Pag-asa (both being barangays in the Municipality of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro) and some high school students. Working in solidarity, this group of civic-minded Filipinos literally planted the first seeds for the reforestation of the Alangan Mangyans’ ancestral mountain lands.
This first attempt at reforesting their ancestral lands consisted of an initial 3,000 seedlings over the 1-½ hectares. Since then, Maximo – together with his friends, family and members of the cooperative – have successfully planted over the rest of the 11 hectares. This 11-hectare plot of land has been reforested with indigenous species such as Falcatta, Acacia Mangium, Narra, Gmelina and Cashew seedlings at around 2,500 seedlings for every 1-½ hectares.
This dry season was particularly challenging in terms of fire prevention as there were some close calls. As a contingency he scattered some make shift wells around the mountainside, filling 2-3 foot pits with water so that he could put out small fires before they get out of control. He also has a couple of huts overlooking the land and he is accompanied by his children as he goes about his work.
Maximo is shy and seems without guile and such an unassuming man, who in his own quiet way is offsetting more than his share of carbon footprint. One does not really need to understand or even agree with the science behind climate change and its human impact to realize that it does not hurt to act and minimize individual consumption. Maximo’s acts are personal. Yet their impact goes far beyond his ancestral lands, maybe even global. Maximo Cabri can and does make a difference and together with other like-minded souls, their cumulative efforts will ensure that this planet becomes a little bit more habitable for its 6.8 billion denizens.
Blogged with permission from http://www.intexresources.com.ph/mindoronickel/.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
What to do to kill boredome in Boracay
For my four days now in Bora, boredome hasn't struck me yet. Strolling on the beach with a special someone, from station 1 to station 3 is fascinating. I usually have leg pains at night, but last night after the long walk, pains forgot to attack me.
But for those who want to brave the waters of Boracay there are plenty of water activities to do. Island tour commencing at 10 am and ends before 5pm costs php 500 to 600 per person. It already includes buffet lunch and unlimited snacks. Snorkeling at the coral garden is included on the package. Glass bottom boating is also a good choice which costs php 700 per person, snacks included. Helmet diving for the more adventurous yet aren't prepared for a scuba dive, costs php 700.
Jet ski, para-sailing, speed boating, banana boating --various choices of water sports and activities. But for those who just like to walk on the long stretch of white beach, you can savour the moment with a hair braid which costs php 200 to 300; or henna tattoo which costs php 100 up.
Just let me remind you that costs for these activities, just like that of the resort accommodations varies in season. January is considered a peak season, but there is what they call the super peak which is the summer time. So expect the price to double if you come here in March.
You can also shop around for souvenirs --anklets and bracelets starts at php 10, earings made of shells at php 30 up. There is also a foot bikini for php 50.
But for those who want to brave the waters of Boracay there are plenty of water activities to do. Island tour commencing at 10 am and ends before 5pm costs php 500 to 600 per person. It already includes buffet lunch and unlimited snacks. Snorkeling at the coral garden is included on the package. Glass bottom boating is also a good choice which costs php 700 per person, snacks included. Helmet diving for the more adventurous yet aren't prepared for a scuba dive, costs php 700.
Jet ski, para-sailing, speed boating, banana boating --various choices of water sports and activities. But for those who just like to walk on the long stretch of white beach, you can savour the moment with a hair braid which costs php 200 to 300; or henna tattoo which costs php 100 up.
Just let me remind you that costs for these activities, just like that of the resort accommodations varies in season. January is considered a peak season, but there is what they call the super peak which is the summer time. So expect the price to double if you come here in March.
You can also shop around for souvenirs --anklets and bracelets starts at php 10, earings made of shells at php 30 up. There is also a foot bikini for php 50.
Don't pee on the white sand!
On our first night in Bora, where we had our bulalo and sisig dinner al fresco by the seaside...we decided to walk down the beach on station 1 after that heavy meal. It was supposed to be a romantic night until my husband shouted on top of his voice "Hey, don't pee there!" He was so annoyed seing a foreigner peeing on the beach. He wanted to find a Tourism Office right away, but I asked him to just calm down.
On our second night (which is just last night) when we had our eat-all-you can dinner, same incident happened this time in station 2. Our table was facing the sea and to my surprise a man was peeing on the beach just a few meters away from us! A Filipina and her foreigner husband beside our table were likewise dissaponited with what they saw. What turned out funny was when a Chinese couple leisurely walked and passed infront of him, pretending not to see him.
I wonder how much urine does the white sand receive each night? Then on the next morning, people lay down and sun bathe or bury their body as a sort of "theraphy"; children play and artists make their sand obras. Oh, what a wonderful white beach!
On our second night (which is just last night) when we had our eat-all-you can dinner, same incident happened this time in station 2. Our table was facing the sea and to my surprise a man was peeing on the beach just a few meters away from us! A Filipina and her foreigner husband beside our table were likewise dissaponited with what they saw. What turned out funny was when a Chinese couple leisurely walked and passed infront of him, pretending not to see him.
I wonder how much urine does the white sand receive each night? Then on the next morning, people lay down and sun bathe or bury their body as a sort of "theraphy"; children play and artists make their sand obras. Oh, what a wonderful white beach!
We lost our room key and paid php 800!
On our way to Isla Bonita Resort this monring to pay our deposit before we finally transfer, we lost our Fat Jimmy's room key!
My husband tried his best to locate it by going back to where we walked, unfortunately he couldn't find it. Without any choice, he was forced to pay for the lost key. And though the one-pager leaflet in our room says it cost php 300 on lost key, we found out that since the key is attached to a keychain, we are charged php 1000! The staff gave us discount, and we ended up paying php 800. Indeed very precious keychain! This becomes a lesson to us -- always leave the keys on the resort when you leave your room.
My husband tried his best to locate it by going back to where we walked, unfortunately he couldn't find it. Without any choice, he was forced to pay for the lost key. And though the one-pager leaflet in our room says it cost php 300 on lost key, we found out that since the key is attached to a keychain, we are charged php 1000! The staff gave us discount, and we ended up paying php 800. Indeed very precious keychain! This becomes a lesson to us -- always leave the keys on the resort when you leave your room.
Looking for Cheap but Nice Resorts in Boracay
We are booked for only two nights at Fat Jimmy's, but we are staying in Boracay for four nights, from Monday till this Friday (Jan 23). We wanted to save ourselves from worries in finding a place to stay upon arrival in the island. But we also wanted to have a chance to get a better deal in accomodation -- nice place but budget friendly.
The basic criteria are hot and cold shower and free wifi connection, the second set of "must-have's" are aircon, cable television and fridge.
Fat Jimmy's Fan-cooled room costs php 1,500 while Standard Room costs php 2,500. The only difference between the two is the aircon, but both don't have television and fridge. They offer free wifi though. Plus, set breakfast for two. Like earlier mentioned, this resort is near the wet market (they call it D'Mall market) and D'Mall (where souvenir stores, restos and coffee shops abound), your consolation for not being on the beachfront and walking 10 mins to reach the white sand. One real dissapointment on the other hand is that the street going to Fat Jimmy's is where the recycling bins for trash are placed.
My husband had earlier wanted a beachfront resort, but I told him it is so costly (basing it from the quotations I got after inquiring through the internet). When we reached the island, I realized I was wrong. After dinner last night, we strolled from the middle of station 1 to middle of station 3. We found plenty of good offers! And all these are beachfronts ---or safe to say, their facades are on the beachfronts but their cottages/rooms are some five to 10 steps away (and don't expect the likes of Boracay Peninsula and Regency please!). No, these resorts are not those which you have to enter narrow streets (called eskenita).
We were offered as low as php 700, but since it has no hot and cold shower, the first on our basic criteria, we didn't ask to see the room. The rest of the offers range from 1,500 to 2,500 -- all are with hot and cold shower, aircon, cable tv and ref, though not all offer free wifi.
This morning, we took our decision --we are tranferring to Isla Bonita Resort. The suite room on the 2nd floor is very nice and clean, you can see the beach from the veranda; and it has all the requirements we needed. It costs php 2,500, but my husband was able to get it at php 1,500. Great deal! Well, it could be because we are "walk-in" guests. I then realized that for Boracay first timers, it is indeed best to book accommodations in advance. The brilliant thing to do is not to book your whole stay and rather just the first night or two; then leave the rest of the decision making when you are already on the island. Exactly like we did.
Other beachfront resorts with nice rooms and budget price are Blue Coral, Casa Pilar, Villa Camilla and Arwana.
The basic criteria are hot and cold shower and free wifi connection, the second set of "must-have's" are aircon, cable television and fridge.
Fat Jimmy's Fan-cooled room costs php 1,500 while Standard Room costs php 2,500. The only difference between the two is the aircon, but both don't have television and fridge. They offer free wifi though. Plus, set breakfast for two. Like earlier mentioned, this resort is near the wet market (they call it D'Mall market) and D'Mall (where souvenir stores, restos and coffee shops abound), your consolation for not being on the beachfront and walking 10 mins to reach the white sand. One real dissapointment on the other hand is that the street going to Fat Jimmy's is where the recycling bins for trash are placed.
My husband had earlier wanted a beachfront resort, but I told him it is so costly (basing it from the quotations I got after inquiring through the internet). When we reached the island, I realized I was wrong. After dinner last night, we strolled from the middle of station 1 to middle of station 3. We found plenty of good offers! And all these are beachfronts ---or safe to say, their facades are on the beachfronts but their cottages/rooms are some five to 10 steps away (and don't expect the likes of Boracay Peninsula and Regency please!). No, these resorts are not those which you have to enter narrow streets (called eskenita).
We were offered as low as php 700, but since it has no hot and cold shower, the first on our basic criteria, we didn't ask to see the room. The rest of the offers range from 1,500 to 2,500 -- all are with hot and cold shower, aircon, cable tv and ref, though not all offer free wifi.
This morning, we took our decision --we are tranferring to Isla Bonita Resort. The suite room on the 2nd floor is very nice and clean, you can see the beach from the veranda; and it has all the requirements we needed. It costs php 2,500, but my husband was able to get it at php 1,500. Great deal! Well, it could be because we are "walk-in" guests. I then realized that for Boracay first timers, it is indeed best to book accommodations in advance. The brilliant thing to do is not to book your whole stay and rather just the first night or two; then leave the rest of the decision making when you are already on the island. Exactly like we did.
Other beachfront resorts with nice rooms and budget price are Blue Coral, Casa Pilar, Villa Camilla and Arwana.
Where and what to eat in Bora
Between stations 1 and 2 are indeed the loudest place in Bora, where you find endless stretch of bars and resto, some with live band. You can eat fresh seafood anytime of the day/night as there are plenty of restos offering seafood dishes (grilled or cooked with sauce), and there are those which offer cooking services in case you opted to go to the market near the D'Mall and just buy your choices there. Resorts also offer cooking services, and price starts at php 100 per type of dish. You have to buy all the ingredients though.
For easy dining, I suggest you just go to the resto and order your choice of seafood and they will cook upon ordering. Price of crabs starts from php 100 per 100 grams. For prawns, lobster and other seafoods prices start from 250 per 100 grams. To give you a quick calculation, one big crab is almost 500 grams. Some don't weigh the crabs but rather offer at php 300 each. So just approximate the size of the seafood and calculate if the offer is a saver or not.
There are also several restos offering eat all you can dinner---beef, chicken, seafood --price starts from php 220 to 350 per person (unless you want the eat all you can at the Ambassador Hotel which will cost you php 585); price varies on the type of dishes and the number of choices. Most of the eat all you can don't include drinks, but there are a few which offers free bottomless iced tea.
There are also the tried and tested Andoks, Cindy's, Mang Inasal and Yellow Cab here. But for us, we wanted to try the untested ones. We gave in to the 260 per person eat all you can as my husband loves crabs and grilled tuna while the grilled clams intrigged my tastebuds.
For lunch, you can have sandwiches/ burgers. Grilled burger with chunky mushroom and cheese is best! It costs php 125. Just add a glass of lemonade for php 35 and potato wedges for php 70. Just double the cost for two.
If you still want rice for lunch, you can have a grilled specialties --squid with rice at php 130 to 150 per order; tuna or blue marlin at php 250; chicken bbq at php 90 to 120, pork bbq at php 70, porkchop at 70, and liempo at php 90. One can of softdrink at php 40 or san miglight at php 60.
Treating yourself with ice cream is great after lunch. Small cone costs php 25, large at php 65. Shakes or halo-halo is likewise mouthwatering! Costs php 50.
Bulalo and sisig are also very common on Filipino restos. An order of bulalo and sisig, two rice, two san miglight and two cans of softdrinks will cost you only five hundred pesos. But if you get the same order in a small resto inside the market (they call it D'Mall market) you can save by a hundred pesos. Well, the taste is different of course.
While grilled seafood ans stakes are everywhere, ihaw-ihaw also has its growing patrons --isaw costs php 10 to 15, dried squid costs php 30 to 40.
If breakfast isn't included in your accommodation package, there are plenty of restos offering breakfast. I saw one which offers continental breakfast with eat all you can eggs. Whew!
Various choices in food --Thai, Asian, French, Italian --name your cuisine, and Bora has it.
For easy dining, I suggest you just go to the resto and order your choice of seafood and they will cook upon ordering. Price of crabs starts from php 100 per 100 grams. For prawns, lobster and other seafoods prices start from 250 per 100 grams. To give you a quick calculation, one big crab is almost 500 grams. Some don't weigh the crabs but rather offer at php 300 each. So just approximate the size of the seafood and calculate if the offer is a saver or not.
There are also several restos offering eat all you can dinner---beef, chicken, seafood --price starts from php 220 to 350 per person (unless you want the eat all you can at the Ambassador Hotel which will cost you php 585); price varies on the type of dishes and the number of choices. Most of the eat all you can don't include drinks, but there are a few which offers free bottomless iced tea.
There are also the tried and tested Andoks, Cindy's, Mang Inasal and Yellow Cab here. But for us, we wanted to try the untested ones. We gave in to the 260 per person eat all you can as my husband loves crabs and grilled tuna while the grilled clams intrigged my tastebuds.
For lunch, you can have sandwiches/ burgers. Grilled burger with chunky mushroom and cheese is best! It costs php 125. Just add a glass of lemonade for php 35 and potato wedges for php 70. Just double the cost for two.
If you still want rice for lunch, you can have a grilled specialties --squid with rice at php 130 to 150 per order; tuna or blue marlin at php 250; chicken bbq at php 90 to 120, pork bbq at php 70, porkchop at 70, and liempo at php 90. One can of softdrink at php 40 or san miglight at php 60.
Treating yourself with ice cream is great after lunch. Small cone costs php 25, large at php 65. Shakes or halo-halo is likewise mouthwatering! Costs php 50.
Bulalo and sisig are also very common on Filipino restos. An order of bulalo and sisig, two rice, two san miglight and two cans of softdrinks will cost you only five hundred pesos. But if you get the same order in a small resto inside the market (they call it D'Mall market) you can save by a hundred pesos. Well, the taste is different of course.
While grilled seafood ans stakes are everywhere, ihaw-ihaw also has its growing patrons --isaw costs php 10 to 15, dried squid costs php 30 to 40.
If breakfast isn't included in your accommodation package, there are plenty of restos offering breakfast. I saw one which offers continental breakfast with eat all you can eggs. Whew!
Various choices in food --Thai, Asian, French, Italian --name your cuisine, and Bora has it.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Boracay for the first timer
It's my first time in Boracay and I opted to book our accommodations and airport transfer on the internet so we won't have any worries during the travel. My friend, Eric, who frequents the place advised that since my travel date is January 19, a day after the Ati Atihan, and which falls on a Monday I won't have any problem looking for available accomodations; and that transfer from the airport to the resort is easy and almost half the price compared to the one arranged by the resort. But for a first timer, I want ease to the max so all is arranged two weeks in advanced.
Me and my husband arrived in Bora at night, few minutes before 8. We were greeted by the friendly staff of Fat Jimmy's. We immediately went out to check for food as we haven't eaten lunch yet!
Fat Jimmy's is located at station 1, near the D'Mall where you have to walk just a few minutes going to the beach. At first I thought this is something boring, but I was wrong. When you are in station 1, you are very near to almost everything -- the tiangge where you can buy from underwear to house ornaments, from snacks to full meal with price lower than restaurants on beach front (of course!), and the wet market where you can buy fresh catch! It is also near the Crafts of Boracay Supermarket where prices aren't skyracketing unlike of course those small stores on the beachfront. The supermarket closes at 11pm.
There is also M Lhuillier (in case you run out of budget and ask somebody at home to send you money) and other small pawnshops. When you got a headache due to a slashed budget....there are also pharmacies here. :-)
Wait for my next posts for more... We just have to go around to bring you more first-hand tips.
Me and my husband arrived in Bora at night, few minutes before 8. We were greeted by the friendly staff of Fat Jimmy's. We immediately went out to check for food as we haven't eaten lunch yet!
Fat Jimmy's is located at station 1, near the D'Mall where you have to walk just a few minutes going to the beach. At first I thought this is something boring, but I was wrong. When you are in station 1, you are very near to almost everything -- the tiangge where you can buy from underwear to house ornaments, from snacks to full meal with price lower than restaurants on beach front (of course!), and the wet market where you can buy fresh catch! It is also near the Crafts of Boracay Supermarket where prices aren't skyracketing unlike of course those small stores on the beachfront. The supermarket closes at 11pm.
There is also M Lhuillier (in case you run out of budget and ask somebody at home to send you money) and other small pawnshops. When you got a headache due to a slashed budget....there are also pharmacies here. :-)
Wait for my next posts for more... We just have to go around to bring you more first-hand tips.
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