Christmas and the way it should be!

Poverty is no stranger to you: You know its face, its form, its scent!

Living within breathing distance from squalor, you can’t help but get affected. And who wouldn’t if you have a neighborhood like this?







For sure it bothers you. But because you’re not Bill Gates, you think of little ways for them to experience joy and to set aside their misery if only for a day. And this you do on Christmas.

You began doing this when your niece, Maymay, was four years old. Maymay is already a nurse in London and you’re still at it, which means that you’re running it for over 20 years now. Yes, it’s that long; but the euphoria remains undiminished as you look forward to the date---anywhere from 27-30 December---every single year.

For the longest time you shouldered everything even if friends offered to share. It was only later that you allowed them the privilege to be part of this modest project. But through the years, the favored ones remain few: Marilen Ty, Melba Sales through Susie, Rhosalee Vasquez-Espinoza, Irma Maralit-Medrano, and Tita Soledad-Ubaldo.

Being one with the less fortunate kids during Christmas has become your form of meditation, your way of keeping in touch with the eternal child in you. But above all, because God has been ceaseless in blessing you, it’s your way of paying forward.

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THIS YEAR'S HIGHLIGHTS IN PICTURES

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9:00 AM, 27 dec: distribution of used clothing from ms. rhosallee vasquez-espinoza; almost half of the kids wore these clothes to the party in the afternoon.






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just before the program started; 3:00 PM, 27 Dec.











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saying "thank you" to this year's biggest donor, Ms. Tita Soledad-Ubaldo, my high school batchmate who lives in Texas, USA. She sent a boxfull of love, candies,chocolates, toys, school supplies, and many more!
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thanking yet another semi-regular donor, Ms. Irma Maralit-Medrano of Landbank-Tandag.
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chow time with bottomless orange juice!


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more stuff for tykes


Look, 'Nay, got some stuff from Auntie Tita!




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imported school supplies galore!






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Pinoy Henyo




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amazing race for kids


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mad scramble for candies and chocolates


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pabitin for toddlers


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kaliding race


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sack race


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Christmas spelling


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First Prize, Dance Contest


Second Prize


Third Prize
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post-program frenzy





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fiesta ukay-ukay

Time was when people associate town fiestas with attending mass, pigging out “from house to house,” chomping cotton candies, doing the rides and playing games at the carnival. But now people associate town fiestas with pigging out “from house to house,” going the ukay-ukay route, and back to pigging out again.

There wasn’t much good finds at this year’s mound of ukay-ukay. Still I managed to snatch three long sleeves that come in salmon pink, pewter gray and champagne. And there was this blinding white polo with superb button details but contained little black characters like those stenciled on Mahjong tiles. Much as I coveted it, I threw it back because I don’t want to be put in the same situation as my friend.

Let’s just call her Magda. An undisputed ukay-ukay queen, Magda is a fashionista who makes ukay of the whole universe if only to let her friends die of envy. One day she dangles before you a nice scarf she bought for P1 in Bukidnon; another day she fishes from her “UK” sundry bag a cardigan she bought for P10 somewhere in Cagayan de Oro. Another day...you get the point.

That balmy Wednesday afternoon, Magda was bound for Manila and was wearing a navy blue blazer. At Butuan airport's pre-dep, a foreigner approached her.

“From what branch?” the button hole-eyed foreigner said. The ever talkative Magda was taken aback, but only for a sec.

“Excuse me?” she said.

The foreigner smiled. “I’m from the same bank,” he said, gesturing a hand to the characters imprinted near the breast pocket of Magda’s blazer. “From what branch are you?”

“Oh,I’ve long retired,” Magda said and went straight to the comfort room.

nanga wara nay mulahutay pagbilar kuman sa tago

Friends, please excuse my French.

Nan gamay pa kaw, basta musabat si Mama mo nan pangadye mu-awos kaw gayud. Usahay swertehon, usahay sab dimalason. Pero haw dili gani si Mama mo magpa iban kanimo, anay haw uno mo na hibi sa kilid, way gayud kapuslanan kay di gayud mo salir kan Expectacion.

Pero matay haw paibanon kaw ngani, an kalipay mo sangko sa langit; kibale kaw gayud yakadaug nan Lotto agad wa pay Lotto naadi.

Nan Dekada Setenta, lain pan pangadye sa Tago kay magsubwak gayud nan tao an bay nan hintungdan. (Wa pay isab uso yadto nan mag tolda, dihaw haud kuman.) Tapos an pangadye mataasi, madugaye. Kay burayon pa sa kaw na bata nan yadto, di kaw kasabot nanga dugayi matapos si ‘Ya Sola magbasa nan iya libreto. Kay bata pa kaw gud, demodo magdalipasa kaw gayud, labi kay maarangi an tentasyon: an kautoton kaw, an kaliwa tuo mo na pandagpi nan hilam kay paga das-an an imo bitiis; an tapad mo na gaduka na sigen kapakog, an turog sa tungod nan hagdan na gahangad, ukab an bahbah na unsay alikawung nan tinilang na bebe. Laktud, lisudi pag concentrate.

Kada mo utot nan pinahuyanok, sikreto na kubot ni Expectacion sa hita mo. Pag mag dukih-kih kaw kay may imo inkit-an na kataw-anan, lain na isab na kubot, yaon manipis na pagka kibit na muiban an hawak mo haw hain ni Expectacion bitada an iya alima. Pero anguton mo kay pagka tapos gayud ni ‘Ya Sola pagbasa, managingka na sa dayon an mga baso, kutsara, plato. Pasabot, painit na!

Sa pangadye, yaon gayud ngad-on an pinakalami na kape bisan haw “Dragon” da; yaon sab sa pangadye an pinaka lami na budbod, biko, biringhi astan espasol. Inday nanga yaon na tanan ibana sa pangadye lamii sa gayud?

Tapos painit, sugod nan kalbaryo mo kay magsugod na sa si Mama mo pakig hinabi sa iban na manabatay. Pundok-pundok an mangadyi-ay na unsay tae nan kanding, sigen pa mur-ak nan tawa sanan hakhak nan mukuyam-kuyam. Taud-taud magsugod na kaw dayon pag manya: an mangawut kaw nan imo u, an bulikaton mon imo mata, an manghuyab kaw, an mag arihi.

“Amo kay lagi kay imbes dili paibanon, muiban sa gayud.” Amoy laong ni Mama mo kanimo, pero kon imo gayud yaon panalingahan pakadyaw, an iya gayud buot ipasabot amo ini: Pagtadung ngad-on na karaho kaw, haw di kaw gusto na ma bayud iton hita mo.

Mag puyo kaw naa, mag tadung.

Dapit sa kusina, an mga daga sanan mga ulitawo gasugod na pag duwa nan Bordon. Mukadto kaw, mangita. Kay memoryado mo san kanta nan Bordon na duwa, mukanta kaw nan singkitar ga sing-along agad way pay uso nan yaon naadi.

Taud-taud mugawas kaw. Sa kilid may mga babaye, yanag likit nan crepe paper na himuon nan buwak para korona nan patay. Mubalik kaw kan Mama mo, maghagad kaw manguli. Anhi kaw dayon mahilamit.

Hanapan kaw ni Mama mo nan kahigdaan, pero magpisi-pisi kaw, di kaw musugot kay hibawo sa kaw unoy imo dangatan haw mahikaturog kaw---pagmata mo, bunulitan na nan uling an ginawngan mo.

Kapila na lang bombahi an Petromax sanan dugangi nan gas, inpulihan na lang an gasa na Butterfly kay ya takdag pag tugpa nan organo, pero an managdye-ay yaon da gayud gihapon.

Padayon an kabibo nan bilasyon: may yangaon, may ga sugal, may ga bordon, may gahimon buwak, may gatiyaho, may yanagdayang na yagka bulitsing na an ginawngan nan uling, may mga turog na way panghimangkaagan na pagahikot na an iya siki sa haligi nan mga bilyako na yanagbilar, may paga tuytoy na turog. Basta bisan unoy lang kahuna-hunaan na minaldito.

Way bugto nan kape sanan painit.

Pag tugtugaok nan manok, magsugod na an mga tao paghibus hibus panguli. Pero an iban pag sidlit na gayud nan suga mukanaog nan hagdan.

Amo yaon an bilasyon sa una haw may patay. Kumusta an bilasyon kuman?

Kuman haw may patay, an hintungdan dakan gayud an magbilar. Anay pa haw uno mo na bana nan painit, anay pa magpa inom kaw obin magpa sugal, wara nay gayud mulutay nan bilasyon.

Kuman haw may patay, bungkag lapinig an mabilin ayok an pamaagi. Dalikakas an mga manabatay pag uli tagad sayo pa kay mahadlok sa sila na basin silay mahuli pag uli, malugos sila pag bilar kay hingtungdan dakan say gayud mabilin. Amo ini an yahitabo kan Bolon. Paglingi niya wa nay gayud lain na tao gawas sa hintungdan, ug yalugos dakan siya pagpaka buntag kay yasipog siya.

Kuman haw may patay, swerte na gayud haw may lima ka tao na mabilin pag bagting nan alas dosen dum. Unoy kaha rason?

Isa gayud na rason kuman nanga wara nay magbilar tungod nan TV. Inin mga teleserye gayud amoy ga dan tigaw sa pangadye kay dalikakas gayud pag uli an manabatay kay mutan-aw nan tv.

Isa pa, dili na sa lagi kuman mahadlok an mga tao muoli nan silahay da, bisan haw adto pa sa Soong an ila tuwad kay mapawae na sa lagi an dan. Burarati na an suga, di na mistil mag layong pa! Dihaw pareho sa una na malugos sa kaw gayud pagbilar kay hala purbari pag uli nan ikaw da isa haw di kaw lanton nan baboy na badingae kay makig trudin obin makig badu-baduan kanimo. Hala purbari pag uli kon di kaw sikupon nan sigbin kay makig Chinese garter kanimo bisan tugidluman. An labing gayud haw an hinaya yapatay kay in buno, obin yalumos o ya disgrasya. Dilie na manguli an mga tao kay haw aya sila sakpi nan santilmo kay dihaw magsiri-siri sila na unsay binggala na hupas?

An tanan sa gud kuman na may kalambigitan sa pagbangutan sayon dakan. Di na pandayon an kahon; di na huwaton an kabuntagon para ilas-on an minatay; dili na maghimon buwak na crepe paper sanan kinlaw nan sigarilyo. Amo ini an rason naman wara nay managbilar kay wa say ila kudi-kudion.

Swerte pa gihapon an imo henerasyon kay yakatilaw kamo uno-uno an tinuod na bilasyon. Mabibo bisan haw ga uli kaw nan ga bakang-bakang kay an hita mo unsay bayud na caimito nan kinulimutay ni Nana mo.

Why Tago Doesn’t Have a Night Life and the Like

Every time friends ask me how Tagon-ons spend their nights, I always say: sleeping!

“Are there coffee shops with Wi-Fi connection? Or resto-bars where one can eat, drink, and dance the blues away? Or a beach resort that turns into a sexual hotspot at a drop of a T-back and a thong?”

No, Tago has none of those. What it has is a beautiful park that Tagon-ons go to if they want to be seen. What it has are lonely streets that Tagon-ons convert into their sala as they bring out chairs and tables to swap stories until laughter dissolves to yawn. What it has are hole-in-the-wall videoke joints whose mike, aside from being ripe for sputum analysis, turns mute at 9 o’clock because if not, the neighbors, at the break of dawn, will hail the owner to court for public disturbance.

Whether Tago had a night life during their time, my parents did not say. But I remember playing hide and seek in what remained of Antioco Dumagan’s bowling alley that stood next to the house we rented at the central part of Tago.

I’m no owl and so I’m not supposed to care what becomes of Tago after dark, right?

Wrong!

When friends and relatives sleep over and I don’t feel like bringing them to Tandag for a night out, that’s when I wish Tago had something more to offer. But my town has become a business wasteland where establishments fold up faster than the owners can hang their mayor's permit.

Why is this so?

I've asked around and learned that Tagon-ons have attitudes that don’t allow businesses to thrive. While Tagon-ons love to wine and dine, they do it on credit and in a term as indefinite as Madame Auring’s menstrual cycle. What makes this unfair, my sources lamented, is that Tagon-ons don’t do this when they wine and dine in Tandag. This reminds me of an episode in the 80s, during the heyday of Tata Pilapil’s Kusina sa Tago. That afternoon she passed by the plaza and saw that some of her regular customers were playing tennis. She stopped to watch, and right then a player erred and said “Sorry” to no one in particular. As if on cue, Tata shrieked: “Kadayawi taraw nan iyo mga batasan nganhi sa tennis court kay igoay da maliwag an bola, magka kanat sa dayon an sorry. Bahaw pa sa taraw inin utang niyo sa Kusina sa Tago na paga pang agup-op na, way gayud inkabatian ko na ga sorry.” (Translation not available.)

Another reason is Tagon-ons’ buying pattern. Most salaried Tagon-ons work in Tandag and buy their needs before going home to Tago. Those working in Tago go to Tandag after office hours to buy theirs. [Going to Tandag has become easy for most Tagon-ons as they now have cars and motorcycles.] Even Dr. Edwin Garrido, during his last visit, had observed that Tagon-ons now have to go to Tandag for a pack of Ajinomoto or a clove of garlic.

But the gravest reason is the high cost of doing business. Starting or renewing an enterprise in Tago requires so much cash that Myrna Pontevedra has relocated to San Miguel where permit and license fees are lower and the business climate, better.

Reversing this sorry scenario requires a change in the buying and spending attitudes of Tagon-ons and a rethinking of the local government’s stance on enterprise development. Up until then, we’re stuck with a beautiful park, a lonely street and a hole-in-the-wall videoke joint.

on editing

butch dalisay, my favorite blogger, wrote a 2-part post on editing. i emailed him this pronto:

"thank you very much for that wonderful blogpost on editing. let me ask this question: what are the going rates for light, moderate, and heavy editing? or, is there a practical billing method you can suggest especially that clients here don't understand industry standards and would haggle until you're a centavo away from agreeing to do it for a song?"

within an hour, mr. dalisay emailed back, thus:


"hi, romel, thanks for your message. i knew someone was going to ask this, and my unfortunate and frustrating answer has to be, it depends--on the job, on who's contracting you for the job, on your own credentials, on the schedule, etc. within that range i've done everything from P5,000 for something almost token--a review of a document taking less than an hour--to P150,000 for editing a full-sized book.

again, there's no set system of rates for these things, not even for me. what i often do is to keep a personal goal in mind (i'd say, for example, that this particular job will cover all my credit card bills for the month, or take care of my next ticket to the US to visit my mother); that way i'm happy and motivated.

i try not to undersell myself, but i also try to understand the client's needs and capability. i have no compunction charging rich people and institutions top rates; sometimes i might also do jobs pro bono for something or some people i like."

another writer-friend, faye ilogon, said the same thing: it depends; you know, the more crooked the English, the higher the fees.

thank you, mr. dalisay for making it clear to me not to undersell myself!

removal exam sched

the story behind my PA and Social Change class

Few semesters ago, when Dr. Omas-as offered me the subject Public Administration and Social Change, my first question was: Is there a book that I could use as reference? She told me to ask Ma’am Nilds Cosare who handled the course the previous semester. Ma’am Nilds, bless her kind soul, gave me a photocopy of Stephen Vago’s “Social Change.”

As it is, Vago’s book is good because it draws attention to the characteristics, processes, and perspectives of social change. But the rub is, these exciting topics in Sociology are not linked with Public Administration.

Uh-uh!

That semester I taught PA and Social Change with eyes wide shut, groping for materials in the Internet that would help me and my students navigate through unfamiliar territory. I texted friends who texted their friends in UP and other SUCs for materials that I could sink my teeth into.

Zero. Nil. Zilch.

And then just like that I realized that the words creativity and improvisation were coined for a purpose. And just like that, me and my student stepped out of academic limbo, and into the light.

But until now, I still get this feeling that I could have done more. And Euli Ann, one of my exceptional students, echoed this sentiment when she recently posted a comment on my FB wall, thus: I can't imagine what the final exam for PA and Social Change be; kamatayon na ngani yadto sa una na waray klaro na reference materials, uno pa kaha kuman na pan Harvard?

But that’s getting ahead of the story.



Dr. Omas-as offered me again PA and Social Change last semester. Here’s my chance at self-redemption, I remember telling myself; eagerly I agreed even if it was in the time slot I eschew---1:00 to 4:00 PM.

And so it went that while my students reported on Vago’s first five chapters, I was busy befriending Google and coining every conceivable keyword before dragging the mouse.

Again, nada.

Time was running out. My students were already asking for their topics. And I began to feel the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the heel of my palm.

Then one rainy afternoon, just when I was about ready to give up, Google smiled at me and gave me a book title: The Social Construction of Public Administration (Interpretive and Critical Perspective) by Jong S. Jun.

Immediately after the Google revelation, I sent text messages to my friends in the Metro to check if the book was available locally. It wasn’t. Not wanting this time to filch it from Torrent, I faced my FB wall and typed away my frustration. Five minutes later, a miracle happened: an angel from North Hills, California commented that all I needed to do was to say the word and she’d send the book pronto.

Well, I said the word.

Just a short digression: The angel’s name is Carol Macaranas. My classmate at the University of San Carlos, Carol has that rare combination of beauty and brain, with a heart as big as the State of Texas! She has also put some books about writing on my shelves and an oxblood Armani Exchange timepiece on my wrist!



Two weeks later, the book arrived. And my PA and Social Change class was never the same again!



My PA and Social Change class last semester will be best remembered as a motley group with intellectual gravitas rarely found in grad school. Take for instance Ernie Gultiano and Ronelyn Pinalba exchanging incisive comments, leaving everybody wishing silently for the two not to stop; or Eleonesto Dumagan needling the reporter for some contradictions; or Cheryl Elpa breaking into a smile before doing a rebuttal; or Francis Miranda mouthing legal jargons as though Mirriam Santiago were his Mom; or Ferdinand Denso doing a kilometric commentary in a voice so well-modulated it would make Mike Enriquez weep of envy; or Ermin Buhion hurling a couple of philosophical questions to nobody in particular; or Mr. Alas sharing his thoughts in an unassuming way that was his signature.

Gee, I loved that class.

my HRM class

I’ve been teaching in the graduate school of Surigao del Sur Polytechnic State College (now Surigao del Sur State University) for many years now. I may not remember the names of all my students, but I do remember all the memories.

I have my fair share of “unwanted” subjects. And by that I mean subjects that are difficult to teach either because it’s the first time they’re being offered or there are no available reference materials in an otherwise book-challenged library. I don’t mind getting these subjects though, because I look at them as windows of opportunity to expand my academic horizon.

Last semester, I was lucky to have been given two subjects that became the most enjoyable in my teaching history bar none! Both had more than 20 students who unabashedly shared their thoughts.

Just a context: The number of students in a class does not dictate my teaching strategy or my brand of English. But I prefer more enrollees because by doing the same amount of effort, I can impact more, thus enhancing the multiplier effect of knowledge sharing.



My Human Resource Management (HRM) class had an interesting mix because students came from different programs—MaEd, MPA, and MBA. If that’s not a good recipe for interaction, then I don’t know what is!

There was a palpable sense of healthy competition. When MaEd students gave their reaction to a topic, it was certain their MPA and MBA counterparts would spill their guts too. More than amused, I was grateful for this because it enhanced greatly the quality of learning we had every meeting.

But more than anything else, I valued their sharing about how HRM is being implemented in their offices. I couldn’t bare it here as we had an agreement to leave all discussions in the classroom, but suffice it to say that they gave me a snapshot of HRM in the Philippine bureaucracy. And I tell you, the picture is far from being postcard-perfect.



Given my reputation as “horror” teacher, my students, for sure, had the creeps. But judging from the way their faces lit up every time I did a synthesis at the end of every report, and the way they laughed each time I threw them a funny line or situation, which was often, I’m sure it wasn’t as creepy as they thought.

I will miss this class.

cop out?

not so good news

we had our final exams last saturday and we agreed to post here the aliases of those who will take the removal exam, the schedule of which will be announced later.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

1. Heal
2. Thata B.A.
3. Moonlight Lady
4. GAC

Special mention goes to Sheila L. Portillo-Buhion and Emily Nimes for exceeding my expectations.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE

1. AMC
2. LEM
3. DARV
4. Tweety
5. Loverboy
6. Khlundysthyn
7. Megan's
8. Lee
9. Tsingkay
10 FCM
11. JCL
12. LBS
13. DLR
14. Syo-syo
15. Dark Man
16. Munch
17. Pink

Special mention goes to Ernie Gultiano and Eleonesto Dumagan for exceeding my expectations.

doing a lecture on technical writing

At least they didn’t give me a look like I was speaking in tongues. And it was all I needed to make it through.

I recently got invited to do a lecture on technical writing as part of the workshop organized and facilitated by the Department of Interior and Local Government. Participated in by department heads from Surigao del Sur’s 18 towns and one city, my lecture was intended to make it easier for participants to write their respective comprehensive development plan, the workshop output.

That I got the job was a complete surprise. For one, I have no track record with DILG. Second, I didn’t know Provincial Director Pedrito P. Alacaba as he was assigned in Tandag for barely two months. But as it turned out, Taptap---PD Alacaba’s staff from Kitcharao and my first-time student in grad school---suggested getting me. Well, talk about Taptap’s clairvoyance (for how else did he know I was into that stuff?) and PD Alacaba’s leap of faith! But really I’m grateful; otherwise I wouldn’t have snagged a “racket” that netted me half of my Honda Jazz’s monthly amortization.

But what’s Jazz got to do with it?



My call slip said: 28 September, 8:30 AM; Kansilad Beach Resort, Lianga. I woke up ahead of my alarm clock, bathed, ate, and left at 6:45.

There was a promise of rain in the Tuesday skies. And as I drove, I felt a sense of unease: It was my first long drive and I was alone. But by the time I reached La Paz, I began to loosen up. And from then on, zipping past five towns was a breeze, though it helped that Christian Bautista bouyed me up with melodious thoughts about chasing rainbows, spinning dreams, and things that fade as swiftly as the ripples disappear.

I reached Kansilad while the participants were having breakfast. The room lit up with familiar faces: friends from way back, former graduate students, acquaintances whose names were already beyond the pale of short-term memory.

I fixed myself coffee while Taptap scanned my memory stick. Some participants came up to me and said things I’m sick and tired of hearing, you know, that they had the jitters when they knew I was coming. No, not to do a lecture but to critique their work.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now: If hating mediocrity is a crime, then sue me! But don’t take it against me if I maintain a standard of excellence because that’s how I do my enterprise. It’s not about me and my ego, nor it is about you and your insecurities; it’s all about aspiring for excellence, no more, no less!

But I digress!


How do you cram a lecture about writing---technical communications at that---in just three hours? Customize it.

Because DILG had a template and the participants had already the data to flesh out their plans, I was left to focus on form. And I did that by hand-holding the participants as we waded through my PowerPoint presentation that included, among others, audience orientation, legibility, readability, comprehensibility, clarity of expression, simplicity of language, vocabulary, grammar and elements of style.

But beyond syntax and semantics, I talked about common writing pitfalls that make a development plan hefty and difficult to read. I also shared ways on how to do it with less flab.

While the participants enhanced the lecture with their questions and interaction, most of them declined to present a sample of their work for critiquing. And so it was early pack-up for me!

On my way home Nina was telling me about love moving in mysterious ways, but my mind was busy assessing the just concluded activity. And once again, it reinforced what I’ve known for so long: The best thing about giving a lecture is that you end up learning more. And when you get paid for it, it feels kinda obscene. Because if like me you enjoy talking before a crowd, it's like getting paid for eating your favorite ice cream.

Sola Gratia

Tago is blessed with natural attractions but only a few, if at all, have been developed. But recently an inland resort has opened in Pamugsukan, Gamut that is fast attracting tourists. It’s called “Sola Gratia.”

Sola gratia is Latin for “grace alone,” a teaching that salvation comes by God’s grace alone and not as an unearned favor from Him. The name is apt because the resort is one of the amenities of a bible school. In fact, it was put-up so that the school can have funds to support partly its students who study there for free.

Sola Gratia is a pocket forest that exudes a notion of all things primitive: vine-curtained trees, massive boulders limned by cascading waters, a murmuring creek and a colorful bed of flowers.



At the center of Sola Gratia are two pools: one for kids, one for adults. Not necessarily mutually exclusive, these pools contain emerald water siphoned from a natural source---somewhere up there must be a spring or a falls---and discharged into a creek that snakes all the way to Tago River. In short, the water is forever flowing, fresh and clean!





At present, there’s only one cottage. But a small group can camp out under the caretaker’s high-heeled lodge decked with tables and chairs. Other than those two, campers have to content themselves with just long tables and benches. But for sure that’s only for now.

Sola Gratia’s area is limited but its unique contour can be exploited to offer thrills to daring souls. One thinks of rappelling, rock climbing, vine-swinging, and crossing a hanging bridge from one tree house to another. Here's praying the pastor-owner would spend time learning what to do with Sola Gratia’s natural advantages!



From Tago or Tandag, Sola Gratia is just a short tricycle commute away. It’s about 50 meters from the highway but one can drive down the narrow path straight to the gate.

Children and adults are asked to pay P10 and P20, inclusive of cottage fee. Night swimming is allowed from 6:00 to 9:00 o’clock at P30 each. Drinking alcohol and smoking are prohibited.