That expanse of vacant lot between the PUJ terminal and Tago Public Market has been, for the longest time now, a double whammy: It’s useless when it could’ve been an economic driver, one that could create wealth and jobs for the local government and its constituents; it’s also costly as the LGU must maintain it so it won’t become an eyesore, especially that it’s the first thing visitors see when they alight at the terminal.

Given the impending completion of Tago-Lapaz Bridge, the time has come for this stretch of prime lot to be converted into a business hub.

To do just that, I would divide the area into four quadrants that I would delineate with pathways, using the existing lane connecting Elizalde Street to Tago Public Market as reference point. Then in each of these quadrants, I would build a low, single storey arcade offering for lease back-to-back stalls with identical floor area. Because a certain part is still under legal dispute (the lot adjacent to Young’s residence), I would focus on areas along Falcon and Purisima Streets.

As for the terminal, I would choose between the existing and the unfinished one because aesthetically and cost-wise, it’s not good to have two. But I would make sure the surviving structure is the best located strategically and one that poses less hazard to commuters and pedestrians.

I often hear vacationing Tagon-ons express frustration over the area’s continued non-use when the same patch of land was once a bustling commercial center. I also often hear prospective investors express frustration over Tago’s lack of business spaces they can rent and do business in. One wants to put up a beauty parlor and as I write this, there’s not a single beauty parlor in Tago; another one wants to establish a refreshment parlor; while yet another, a funeral parlor!

Doing this landscape makeover, I could then cater to all these needs.

Much as I object, I often hear it said that business cannot---yes, that’s right, cannot!---thrive in Tago for a myriad of reasons, the severest being the very high cost of doing business, specifically permit and license fees. While this is true, it’s not irremediable. But Your Honor, that’s for another round of self-talk.

Tinuy-an Falls (a repost)

I come from Surigao del Sur, a province whose bosom has been meticulously designed by God to play host to numerous natural attractions, not least of which are beaches.

But I'm no beach person, and God is not called God if He doesn't know that not everybody likes beaches. So He made waterfalls so people like me can have something to write about.

I always have a special fascination for waterfalls, which makes everything easy to understand why God made sure I'd be born in Surigao del Sur. And I'm willing to bet my whole year's pittance of a pay that my province has the most number of waterfalls than any other province this side of the continent.

Let me tell you about my recent discovery---the Tinuy-an Falls in Bislig.

Late last year, the Provincial Tourism Office launched the Discovery Tour that included Tinuy-an Falls. I was not part of the camera-toting, tripod-dependent, paparazzi vest-clad group. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. When the tourism group made a courtesy call on Mayor Paterno Guaza, I was having an audience with the latter. Upon seeing me, Lala Ambray, provincial tourism officer and a good friend, egged me to join them.

If Surigao del Sur were a globe, I live near the equator, while Tinuy-an Falls, which is in Bislig, is part of the South Pole. Thus, it was my first time to hear about it. And because I have an enduring love affair with nature, I joined the group, raring to add another name to my ever growing list of natural concubines.

From Bislig, Tinuy-an Falls can be accessed from two points: San Isidro-Bagnan and Mone. If you have a ride, it's best to take the Bagnan route because a one-lane, PICOP-maintained road leads you to that precise point where the waterfall joins the river. Otherwise, the Mone route becomes your best bet. By comparison, it's closer but you have to take a 15-minute walk after a PUJ ride.

A trip to Tinuy-an Falls right at the very heart of PICOP's concession area in Bislig can easily become a dream come true for wholesome thrill seekers, especially for the “I-want-to-commune-with-nature" type.

I've seen so many waterfalls, including the fabled "7 Waterfalls" of Lake Sebu. But Tinuy-an Falls inspires the kind of awe that makes one want to genuflect. Standing at a vantage point where the full length and breadth of the waterfalls looms ahead, it's easy to appreciate God's magnificent flair for creation. And that is why, to say that Tinuy-an Falls is simply breathtaking is to miss the whole thing altogether. Because Tinuy-an Falls is more than that!

Metaphoric of the province, Tinuy-an Falls is a surging cascade of sheer beauty in its rawest form. Painstakingly carved by nature, the three-tiered cascade gushes out mirror-like water that becomes a psychedelic canvass as it captures the blue skies, lush greens, and exotic blooms. But more than anything else, Tinuy-an Falls is a perfect sanctuary. The melodious tunes twitted by birds blend beautifully with the swish-swash of leaves and the soothing cascade of water.

Maybe God willed Tinuy-an Falls to be discovered so much so that He designed it in such a way that everybody may enjoy it. Children can do their thing in the lowermost tier where the water is only waist deep. Teens can take a dip in middle tier under thick foliage, while the adventurous may dare the rapids or simply wash their worries away in the uppermost tier.

The three tiers are bedecked with flat rock formations that are so well-arranged they might as well be the concert stage of angels and fairies. And if you plan to unseat Lady Di as the most photographed person on earth, Tinuy-an Falls is the best studio to consume all those rolls of film.

Let me inject a bit of history here. During the halcyon days of the early 80s, PICOP built a rest house nestled just a few inches away from a cliff, overlooking the falls. For countless times, top honchos of PICOP broke bread with their guests and visitors. But an ensuing insurgency problem made Tinuy-an Falls more like a pocket of dread rather than a soothing place of retreat. For a time, it became literally a part of a road less traveled by.

Fortunately today, thanks to an improving peace and order situation, Tinuy-an Falls is fast becoming the tourist destination it once was.

One caveat though: Tinuy-an Falls, at least for now, offers no amenities like cottages. You cannot buy anything there except time. You pay nothing except respect for nature. So bring enough provision. While you may find other nature trippers any time of the week, it's still best if you go in a group. Nothing sinister, only that Tinuy-an Fall's leitmotif of “anything goes" can be best enjoyed with a group. Unless, of course, you are the monastic type who badly needs the sound of silence to unlock the true meaning of your existence.

If you decide to visit one day soon, have the biggest pack on your back. You might not have enough of it and may want to make it your second home. Not a bad idea, actually. But not for me! Because you see, next to waterfalls, I happen to love movies. But that's completely another story.


(The Philippine Daily Inquirer printed this on 2 August 1997. I cringe looking at the suffusion of adjectives and cliches, but hey, it was my first published article!

Note: Disregard the caveat because it's no longer true.)

what would i do if i were to upgrade the tago town plaza

The greatest strength of Tago town plaza is its design: sprawling with impeccable symmetry. Thus, to improve it is to respect this very element that makes it a park that’s a cut above the rest. And to do that, some structures have to be uprooted and others relocated.

Pagoda must go. No ifs, no buts. Without any historical relevance whatsoever, the Pagoda has become a canvas for vandals and a convenient comfort room for the uncivilized. From years of deterioration and neglect, it is reduced to an eyesore.

Same goes for the Kiosk. That it sticks out like a sore thumb is not its greatest crime; it is its forfeiture of an old pathway that is! By closing that passage to traffic and ruining symmetry, the Kiosk has to be demolished.

The Veteran Marker must be relocated. While we recognize the memorial’s importance, it doesn’t have to be where it’s at right now. Surely there must be a place in Tago that is historically appropriate for this marker.

As centerpiece, the rotunda must be given a make-over with Jose Rizal as the focal point, standing tall on a pedestal facing the town hall. A water filament may be fitted on the pedestal that is an architectural delight in itself so that even if the water filament stops or is not working, the pedestal can still fascinate on its own. (This is why I dislike fountains because maintaining them is next to impossible and once they stop working, they become eyesores. Dare: If you can show me a fountain that works 24/7, you’ll have my brains. But that’s assuming I have one.)

The rotunda may be done in cobblestone, in a pattern that replicates ripples. Brick benches will replace those scattered around the rotunda and other parts of the plaza. Instead of gaudy lamps other cities and towns are using unabashedly, humungous lamps on antique posts will be placed strategically to achieve the desired rustic effect. Think Vigan!

In place of Pagoda, a huge cobblestone pathway leading to rotunda will be built, with brick benches and flower beds on both sides.

What the plaza lacks is a community stage, something better structured and situated than the Kiosk. To address this, the tennis and basketball courts should be moved parallel to each other toward the center path, after all this southern portion of the park will get bigger by the uprooting of Rizal and the Kiosk. But first off, the pathway from Rizal to Garcia Street must be restored to facilitate human traffic and symmetry.

The stage shall be built along Garcia Street, on the area where the tennis back-stop now stands. For symmetry, on the basketball court side parallel to the stage, a multi-rung bleacher shall be built. These two courts shall be framed by bleachers facing each other to facilitate viewing.

The see-saws and the slide shall be repaired and restored to their original shape. The swings shall be relocated to areas where their use shall be maximized without sacrificing symmetry. The two posts fronting the Catholic Church shall be spruced up with wrought iron and unique but conservative lamps.

Existing old flowers and palmeras shall be uprooted and replaced with newer, nicer, and easier to maintain species. Floral beds and vignettes shall be established in strategic locations to serve as focal points. Existing trees shall be pruned to make them taller, thus providing a better view of the heavens.

While the plaza’s area is big, certain parts are not maximized, especially that stretch from the corner of Dr. Garcia’s residence to the corner of Hall of Justice. Ironically, this is where people usually stay in the afternoon and at night. But as it is, people just sit on a small ledge by the drainage canal which is both unsanitary and hazardous. To make them better places to hang out in, back-to-back long benches shall be placed, especially in the area fronting the Church where people wait for requiem mass to end. But again, this must be done with symmetry in mind.

As I said, one of the greatest strengths of Tago town plaza is its sprawling nature. And the only way to highlight this feature is to make our plaza free from visual obstruction to provide an uncompromising view of all corners. Other than Jose Rizal standing tall, everything else should be structurally flat. Think Luneta!

I want the plaza to have no wires crisscrossing the skies, no ungrammatical billboards, streamers, and tarpaulins hanging loose. I want the plaza's streets to be rid of old, unserviceable heavy equipment and other vehicles of government. I want the plaza to have nothing but space---a huge space!---with a scattering of lamps, posts, and benches to exude an old world charm.

The road from the Church to the PNP station will set the delineation of the park, that is, the southern part is for sports and recreation, while the northern part is for hanging out and passing time.

Lastly, I would keep the plaza well manicured and clean. Always!

1st Tago Diving Competition

I’ve been hearing from Iyo David that on any given day, swimmers, all in the name of fun, jump from Tago-Lapaz bridge into the wavy waters of Tago River. Mayor Pimentel had validated this when he and Congressman Pichay went there recently to see the extent of bridge completion. All these had led to my holding a back-to-back kite flying and diving contest on 19 May 2012 at Iran, under the auspices of I-LOVE-TAGO Movement.

The day before, I went up the Tago-Lapaz bridge to do a last minute check on the venue when swimmers in various stages of undress came up to me to ask me to hold a diving competition. Clueless, I asked them to agree among themselves what categories to compete in, how the contest would be judged, and winners picked.

As they say, those who play the game should make the rules, and so I asked them.

“An una, kon sinoy pinakalami na trick,” suggested one whose dark skin glistened.

“What does ‘trick’ exactly mean?” I asked.

“Yaon mag eksibiksyon gud paglakso; yaon mag tinambling-tambling ba.”

Okay, I got it. What else?

“Yaon tigsub,” said another from behind.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Yaon pag tigsub niya way kisaw nan tubig, kibale ba, kon basketball pa, way bukog.”

Okay, I got it. What else?

”Yaon pinabuto,” said another.

“And how do you do that?” I asked.

“Yaon paglakso ba na mubuto an tubig tapos mo ulbo.”

Okay, I got that, too.

Each of the 15 contestants performed the trick, the tigsub, and the pabuto amidst cheers from the crowd who watched the extravaganza with bated breath.

The two policemen---SPO4 Serra and Sullano---picked the following winners and awarded them with cash prizes: Ryan Balmis for Best in Tricks; Samuel Bautista for Best in Tigsub; and Ner Dy for Best in Pabuto.

Because it was fun, there's a plan to make this event a regular summer feature of I-LOVE-TAGO Movement.

1st Tago Tabanog Fest

The 1st Tago Tabanog Festival soared to unexpected heights with a total of 26 participants four of whom were women. The youngest participant was four years old while the oldest was 28. It was estimated that close to 400 Tagon-ons went up the Tago-Lapaz Bridge to witness another first of its kind from I-LOVE-TAGO Movement (ILTM).

The kite flying contest was for flat, conventional type. But surprisingly, the kites still charmed, coming as they did in different shapes, colors, and sizes. The organizers picked the major winners using the following criteria: Design (including Artistry [15%] and Uniqueness [15%]) 30%; Ease of Flight or Take-off (35%); and Gracefulness (35%). Minor awards were given to Intutan (smallest), Badinga (biggest), and Kinahimaya (crowd favorite). The winners were: Kahlil Dominique Amindalan, Grand Prize (2,000); Val Laurente, 2nd Prize (1,500); Nilo Gallardo and Ariele Nicole Amindalan, 3rd Prize (1,000). The smallest kite was flown by Brian Mark Cabadonga (500); the biggest by Val Laurente (500); and the crowd pleaser by Mark Pontevedra (500).

In order not to confuse the judges and to facilitate ease in judging the contest, the participants were made to fly their kites in batches of five. And when finally all 26 kites were flown simultaneously, the crowd roared with approval and clapped their hands. As kites dotted the clear blue skies of Tago, people looked up and stared in amazement as kites danced to the rhythm of the wind.

To sum it up in four words: it was a success!



I-LOVE-TAGO Movement is indebted to PNP personnel for crowd control and if not for them, the contest would not have been conducted orderly. ILTM is also grateful to Ms. Gracey Elizalde of Singapore for donating a cash prize and to Ms. Bingbing Dagaang and her brother who provided assistance without counting the cost. And most importantly, ILTM owed much support from Mayor Henrich Pimentel for allowing the PNP personnel to be at the venue and for helping promote the activity via local radio and tv stations.

During the awarding that TV6 covered, it was announced that next year’s Tabanog Fest will be bigger as it will have the flat and the figure kite categories and that a training for figure kite will be conducted in preparation for the big event.



After prizes were given, the instant diving competition ensued. But that's completely another story and another blogpost.

USC, my USC

I hied-off to Cebu solo over the weekend with no agenda except to cross-out an entry in my 2012 Bucket List. I stayed in a nice pension house located at corner R. Landon and Pedro Cui streets, just a 5-minute brisk walk from USC and my former boarding house at Junquera Extension.

Early Sunday morning saw me walking to my alma mater. I took the Cebu Christian School route, the same route I took on foot in college every time my allowance ran low.

The main gate of USC was closed, it was Sunday after all. The adjacent door for visitors, however, was open and I saw two guards resting their heads on the table, sleeping.

On the wall was a marker: USC’s history in a capsule. Because it wasn’t there during our time, I read the scribbling and held my tongue. I would be too much of an ingrate if I lashed out at my alma mater on slips in grammar and punctuation.

I knocked. The guards, as if on cue, looked at me.

“Do you accept visitors?” I asked.

“No, Sir, we don’t. You may come back tomorrow,” said one in the vernacular.

“What if I buy you breakfast?” I said, smiling.

“Thanks, but no.”

“Okay. What if I give you a land title for a hectare in the hinterlands of Mindanao?”

“It’s still a no, Sir.”

“You know what?” I said, “I graduated from this school and it’s my first time to come here after 26 years. All I want is a go-see if things have changed and maybe take a photo or two.”

He looked at his companion who said, “But you can come back tomorrow, Sir.”

“You see, I’m having my raft done and tomorrow morning I’ll be sailing the rough seas to Surigao. Is that too hard a request from an old man to grant? ”

Wait, did I say “old?”

But that must’ve done it because the guard said, Okay, three shots tops!

I posed. He flashed. All at the lobby.

After thanking the guards, I walked to the corner where the old Catholic Trade once stood and had my breakfast of corned beef and caked yolk on an egg-shaped plate that rotated when I raked in my food.

(Note: I requested a pedestrian to take this photo.)