Lakbay Lokal: My 2016 in Travel

While I'm glad that 2016 will soon end (and take away the negative stories that plagued it,) it will leave me with some good moments to cherish.

It brought me to new places and allowed me to revisit familiar ones.

APRIL: Holy Week tour in Bataan and Corregidor
My high school friends stayed in Abucay, Bataan to observe the Holy Week celebrations on that part of the province.

We also took the time to visit the historical Corregidor Island (and its War Museum), Balanga Cathedral, Abucay Church, Balanga WWII Museum, and of course, Mt. Samat in Pilar, Bataan.

Read more about our Bataan and Corregidor trip HERE.

Facade of Balanga Church

Facade of Bataan WWII Museum inside an elementary school compound

Abucay Church glows on the eve of Easter Sunday

MAY: Trek to Mt. Pamitinan, Rodriguez, Rizal
Few days before my 25th birthday, I thought that I wanted to hike a mountain to literally "thank the heavens" for my life thus far. I invited my closest friends to a trek to Mt. Pamitinan and enjoyed my prelude to #QuarterLifeNoCrisis. 

JUNE: Day trip in Tagaytay
On my day off from work, my best friend and I roamed around Tagaytay City where we visited Museo Orlina which houses the glass sculpture masterpieces of celebrated Filipino artist Ramon Orlina. We had a filling lunch at Dreamland Arts & Crafts Cafe. In the afternoon, we visited the Guiness World Record-holder Puzzle Mansion with its confusing alleyways of local and international puzzles owned by the late Gina Gil Lacuna. We had dinner at the cozy Java Jazz Coffee Shop then capped off the night with a whole body massage! 


Read more about our Tagaytay trip HERE.

at Dreamland

at Java Jazz

SEPTEMBER: Day trips in Puerto Princesa, and El Nido, Palawan
Because I did not have an international trip this year, I thought that I would maximize our 3-day company outing as it was also my first time to visit the majestic province of Palawan! Straight from the airport and after having breakfast at Haim Chicken Inato, selected officemates and I headed on to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park for a guided tour inside one of the New7Wonders of Nature--the Underground River! On the way back to Aziza Hotel, we made a detour to Karst Mountain Elephant Cave, a 2-time pit stop in The Amazing Race. 

the view to the river's entrance

We were up early on Day 2 for a 6-hour road trip to the pristine beaches of El Nido. We paid for an island hopping tour and visited 7 Commando Beach, Small Lagoon at Minilok Island, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, and finally the Big Lagoon.

at 7 Commando Beach. Look at that hues of blue, green, and brown!

inside the Small Lagoon

still at the Small Lagoon

It was my first time to: 1) kayak, 2) drive a large motor boat, and 3) free dive in saltwater so I would say, it was well worth the trip (and the cost!)

NOVEMBER: Day trip in Cebu City, Cebu
Third time's the charm. For my third consecutive business trip in Cebu this year, I finally squeezed in enough time to visit at least two known tourist attractions in the city--the Basilica Minore Del Sto. Nino (including the museum adjacent to it) and Magellan's Cross. 

I had enough energy to burn as I feasted on Garlic Shrimp, Pineapple Rice, and Fresh Coconut while dining al fresco at Shaka Hawaiian Restaurant in the middle of Cebu IT Park.

Facade of Sto. Nino de Cebu Basilica

at Shake Hawaiian Restaurant

DECEMBER: Barkada (+Solo) trip in Baguio City, Mountain Province
My best friend had the similar idea for her birthday so she invited us to hike Mt. Ulap in Itogon, Benguet. Sadly I wasn't able to join them because I just recovered from a viral exanthem.

We enjoyed a weekend eating at Pizza Volante and Good Taste Restaurant, biking at Burnham Park, playing inside its amusement park, and stopping by Baguio Cathedral. After that I had two days by myself so I visited Baguio Museum, and ate at Cafe by the Ruins and Oh My Gulay!

I also revisited my go-to places like Mt. Cloud Bookshop, Glen 50s Diner (in its new location,) and the Pink Sisters Convent and Chapel. 

"Ole Nick's Open Face Tuna:" Nick Joaquin's instructions to the cook: butter the bread, spread flaked tuna evenly over the buttered surface, dip in beaten egg and fry in even MORE butter"

"Bandilang Pula" - mountain rice, vegetables in season, mongolian sauce, tofu, and omelette

Facade of Baguio Museum where a mummy inside a wooden coffin is in permanent display

Facade of Baguio Cathedral along Session Road

Whang Od's trademark

My portrait

In Buscalan, Kalinga province, 98 year old Whang-od Oggay or simply "Whang Od" lives and thrives with her art called "pambabatok" or traditional tattooing. She is the oldest and the last of her generation of Kalinga mambabatoks. 

Whang Od is highly regarded for her work in the preservation of their tribal identity since World War II. It is no secret, however, that due to old age, cultural advocates are anxious about the influx of tourists in Kalinga who want to see 'the,' and be tattooed by, Whang Od, herself.

Critics dismiss this trend as anything from exploiting the rich Kalinga art form, to immersing in pop culture (where people are more into the 'pop' aspect of the visit than in knowing their 'culture'), to subjecting the almost centenarian to intensive labor than her frail body and eyesight can manage.

I won't deny my aspiration of meeting Whang Od in person because to me, she's a living museum. I think it would be a memorable opportunity to sit with her and ask her about the art form, her reasons for keeping it alive, and the inevitable day when she has to wash down the ink and clean her container for good.

Plenty of videos have previously surfaced on the net about these topics but until I hear from her, then I can gauge whether I will get a tattoo or just witness her leave her mark on someone else's body—turning it into enviable historical artifact while I settle on being a reliable witness.

For me, there are three obvious courses of action when one meets Whang Od:

1) The Fan. Greet, smile, and ask for a picture with the 'living legend.' Tell her where you're from and what brings you to their remote village. Post on Instagram with #blessed. If you can afford to bring a Polaroid camera, ask her for a signature and perhaps request for the same ink that she uses when tattooing. When Whang Od's relatives ask if you will get a tattoo, say you'll think about it or you'll get permission from your parents, first. 

2) The Culture Vulture. Come early morning in the village and approach her assistant so you can get in line first. Bring a draft of your preferred tattoo design and ask help from translators so Whang Od can get your rationale. If applicable, show her your other tattoos to prove that you're legit and you're not just there for the 'likes.' Make sure you can get through the pain of the 'pambabatok' process because as you know, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As a true cultural advocate and a tattoo aficionado, you know that having a Whang Od tattoo over your dead body equates to bringing another portrait to decorate heaven with.

3) Journalist/Blogger. Yes, you go through days of travelling the Cordillera highlands to finally see Whang Od in action. You document her every move and imply deeper meaning to her simplest nuance like, maybe moving her eyes, taking deep sighs, stretching her worn out arms, and washing her tattoo equipment. You narrate how she reacts alone and within the community, and how her tribesmen and neighbors respond to her celebrity. You end your journey with a question if Whang Od is indeed a national living cultural treasure or if the government and our people take her for granted just like other tourist attractions.

To fit in any of these categories is not at all unfortunate. Whang Od's legacy has been primed once locals and foreign nationals realize that she could be gone soon. She has been doing this since the post-World War but we only see her now. Whang Od's body and eye sight may be frail but we are the ones trying to catch up with her and her trademark.

Think about it, we have invented the emojis, hashtags, memes, and chat acronyms to decorate our communication and self expression but we are also the ones willing to travel for days and line up for hours to get that painful, long-lasting ink in our bodies. We are so busy making a mark as a generation and in order to do that, we seek the help from older ones like Whang Od. We cannot erase that fact; it's like our collective tattoo.