a travel advisory to Britannia Islands

Before you pack those bags and head for Britannia Islands in San Agustin, Surigao del Sur, read on for a couple of suggestions and caveats.

1. If you can visit only one island, make it Buslon. [See photo.] It’s the most accessible and perfect site to take those pictures that would make your FB friends weep from envy;

2. The island-hopping adventure consists of a visit to the following: Buslon, Naked, Hagonoy, and Hiyor Hiyoran. The rates are: for a group of 15 or less, P1,500; for 20 persons, P2,000. Technically, it’s P100 per head in excess of 15.

Because the boatmen have been organized, they offer standard rates. However La Entrada offers P1,000 for a group of 10 or less.

3. The island-hopping tour has no time limit and should include the aforementioned four islands. The usual route is Naked-Hagonoy-Hiyor Hiyoran-Buslon. Don’t pay in advance for reasons you will read below.

Here are the usual tricks some unscrupulous boatmen foist on unsuspecting tourists and excursionists: a) That they can’t park at Buslon Island because it’s too crowded. Don’t agree. Insist!; b) When you reach Naked Island, they will say it’s difficult and risky to go to Hagonoy because the wind and the tide have shifted and changed. Don’t agree. Insist!

Don’t allow yourself to be shortchanged, visit the four islands at all cost or miss the fun. But should the boatmen get their way, divide the boat rental by four and that’s the cost per island, then pay only based on the number of islands you have visited.

Boats for hire are still available in the afternoon, but not later than 2:00 PM, that is, if you intend to go on an island-hopping tour. But if you visit only Buslon Island, you can still go there not later than 4:00 PM and go back to the mainland before dusk sets in.

By the way, the boat rental includes boatmen safeguarding your things.

4. The best way to visit Britannia Islands is early morning when the available boats are still plenty and you can choose which one to commission. This way, too, you have a longer time to enjoy the islands.

5. Nobody sells food and beverages in the islands, and so bring your own provision. But there are hotels and restaurants in the mainland that offer food and a place to stay at reasonable prices.

6. A toll fee of P30 per vehicle and an environmental fee of P25 for every two persons are collected before you reach Barangay Britannia.

7. As with anything in life, haggle.

Because I value my vote so much, I’ll cast it solely for Dr. Boren Y. Villamor. Whether he wins or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that with him, my vote will never go to waste.

Boren embraces public service like it’s a lifeline. And he remains focused on this noble vision to the point that many times he has foregone great opportunities that would have made his life with his family more comfortable.

Boren has impeccable track record. He had served the masses in remote areas in the hinterlands of Mindanao even before he finished medical school. A pediatrician with a bleeding heart, Boren continues to champion the cause of the less fortunate especially in the area of cheaper and affordable, if not free, access to medical assistance. He knows it’s a lonely and an uphill battle, but Boren perseveres.

A class valedictorian with matinee idol looks and a killer smile, Boren is soft spoken and self-effacing. But what impresses me most about Boren is his being down to earth, his being humble and grounded, and his wanting a life so simple yet meaningful. All these even if he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Boren has brains. Boren has passion. But most importantly, Boren has that singular character needed for genuine public service. This is the combination that Tago surely and sorely needs.

I’m Romel M. Oribe. And I’m voting for Dr. Boren Y. Villamor.

Vicente L. Pimentel Sr. Boulevard

When the bust of Vicente L. Pimentel Sr. was put on a pedestal in the central part of the boulevard of Tandag City, tongues began wagging. A certain Aeonoel was commissioned to sculpt the image that took two years to finish. Made of concrete cement and moulded from plaster of Paris, the bust acquired a bronze patina from a Pylox vinyl spray.

People whine: How could the Pimentels do this to us? Don’t they have delicadeza? Understandably, the last one comes from people expecting the Pimentels to exercise restraint instead of perpetrating an act everybody perceives to be too self-serving as they are the sitting powers-that-be.

People are raising a howl because they couldn’t see the reason behind venerating the Pimentel patriarch with a boulevard that carries his name. Camp Vicente Pimentel in Telaje, yes, they say, because the Pimentels donated the land on which the military camp stands. But the boulevard?

Pray tell: What’s the rule on this?

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has issued the Revised Guidelines on the Naming and Renaming of Streets, Public Schools, Plazas, Building, Bridges and other Public Structures. Section IV [Naming/Renaming after Persons] provides, thus: Street, plaza or any public place may be named or renamed to honor a person or family who contributed to the welfare of the Filipino people.

Oh well, the phrase "who contributed to the welfare of the Filipino people" provides a wide latitude to play around.

It is a public knowledge that Vicente Luna Pimentel Sr. was a lawyer who became an assemblyman and a Constitutional Convention delegate during the time of President Ferndinand Marcos. Pimentel has always been described as the patriarch and pillar of Surigao del Sur politics he being the first governor of the once undivided Surigao.

(Photo credit: Jonathan V. Lagang)

Of the many campaign materials assaulting my visual sense since this mad scramble to E-day began, I have yet to see one that contains a political platform or a simple slogan that would tell me what the candidate intends to work on once he gets elected. Is this intentional, meaning, is this the candidate’s way of dodging accountability, of playing safe? Or is this reflective of the candidate’s cluelessness of things political?

Posters and handbills are the candidate’s first level of communication in any election campaign. Such being the case, campaign materials need to catch the eye of voters if a candidate wants to be on the right track.

But how?

By remembering that design is the single most important thing, be it for a poster, a tarp, or a handbill. A good design always creates a positive association in the voter's mind where the candidate is concerned. Of course design includes layout, the message that a candidate wants to put across, the photo of the candidate himself, and a catchy slogan.

When designing the campaign materials, it’s important for the candidate to strike a chord with his target voters and convey his message effectively. Does he want to be straightforward, questioning, or intriguing? The choice is his and his alone.

And so he has a slogan? Okay, he should let that slogan be the headline and render the other details in smaller but readable fonts. He should always remember not to cram his campaign posters and handbills with a lot of texts. Instead he should keep it brief, letting the image do the talking as much as possible.

These are the things I’ve been looking for in the wasteland we call Philippine politics. And so far, no such luck. Because what I see are campaign posters that contain nothing but the candidates’ numbers and their photos. And even these are overly Photoshopped they look like audition rejects from the fourth instalment of the Twilight saga.

Mauno kuno nganiya: Tatak FJP?

Uno aton tataka, tabi?

Nan gamay pa ako, aydol ko si FPJ. Di maihap haw pila ka sine ni FPJ an yatan-aw ko sa Timber City Cinema sanan sinehan sa Moonglow. Labi na haw pistan Tandag, FPJ gayud yaon an salida. Tapos may mga travelling movies pa gayud sa Tago. Bisan nan college na ako sa Cebu, mutan-aw gayud gihapon ako nan sine ni FPJ, labi na an iya Panday series.

Maarang na “tatak” ni FPJ. May iya gayud taraw estilo nan pinusilan na di mahaud nan iban, anay pa haw si Lito Lapid. An mutuyok taraw siya—bang! An mutakilid---ping! An mukalit pag dayang haw dungan kablit nan gatilyo---bang, bang, bang! Ay, ay luoyi si Paquito Diaz kay mahal-id sa gayud siya nan way oras, unsay kapun-an nan saging na yaduog nan bagyo. Pero mas luoyi si Max Alvarado kay an iya hawagi na ilong na singkitar hollow block himuon sa gayud ni FPJ na pertahan nan bala nan iya cuarentay cinco.

Pero sa tanan tatak ni FPJ, an di ko gayud ibaylo yaon pagatawag na makinilya. Ay, ay makinilyahon na gani ni FPJ si Paquito Diaz, matay mo palakpak sa gayud ako. Magsugod kay naa taraw yaon na mag sinumbagay si FPJ sanan si Paquito Diaz. Kulatahon sa gayud naa ni Paquito Diaz si FPJ nan amo dakay kutob. Luoyi si FPJ, magdamiyang an dugo sa bahbah, manhubag an mata. Pero taud taud, kalit mutindog haw mudasmag kan Paquito Diaz. Anhi na dayon an makinilya mo salida. Magsugod si FPJ pagsumbag nan kuob-kuob na kan Paquito Diaz sa suok, padayon an paspasi na sumbag na way undang---anay kibale ga makinilya---mupanik an kinumo ni FPJ sa tiyan ni Paquito Diaz, sa dubdob, sa liog, ug hangtud moabot sa ginawngan na adto ni FPJ ipugpog an pinakakusog na sumbag hangtud mabayud an ginawngan ni Paquito Diaz nan kinulatahay, hangtud matumba siya ug magdupa na unsay inanud nan baha.

Amo lugar ini na tatak ni FPJ an dad-on ni Grace Poe sa Senado? Aya naa siya tuyok adesir labniha si Jamby Madrigal sa rostrum haw makinilyaha? Aduy mag-isan ka kipi an ginawngan ni Jamby. Kailo da.

Haw akoy manga iban ni Grace Poe sa Team Pinoy, kuman pa daan magpasangon na akon artificial abs sa Catalan Tinsmith kay aduy bagan makudo kay an kinabuhi na atubangon ko sa Senado with Grace Poe.

Pero basin sab an mga linya ni FPJ amoy paga pasabot ni Grace Poe na Tatak FPJ na iya dad-on sa Senado. Matay di ko ma imagine haw mag session na sila nan mga Team Pinoy sa senado. Kay di ba 12-0 san target? Demodo sila-sila dan mag atubang sa Senado.

Haw mag privilege speech lugar si Antonio Trillanes, mutindog sa gayud dayon si Grace Poe, haw mulaong: Bilis-bilisan mo, magsimula na ang panibagong paglilitis mo, at ngayon, ako ang huhusga. (FPJ; Ako ang Huhusga)

Obin mag diskursyo taraw si Koko tapos pararon siya ni Grace nan ini na linya: Huwag mo na linlangin ang sarilli mo, Koko anak. Hindi ang katotohanan sa likod nang panlilinlang ni Migs ang hinahanap mo sa kabuuan ng iyong paglalakbay. Ang tunay na hinahanap mo ay kahulugan nang pag iwan sayo ng asawa mo. (FPJ; Aguila)

Tapos haw mo regatyar si Bam Aquino, utdon sa gayud siya ni Grace nan ini na linya: Ang problema sa yo, Bam, huli kang ipinanganak. (FPJ; Kahit Konting Pagtingin)

Tapos mo arangkada dayon taraw si Chiz haw magpakyut, yadi an tubag ni Grace: Sabihin mo na ang gusto mong sabihin, Chiz, pero gusto kong malaman mo na huwag mo nang paikutin ang ulo nang mga magulang ni Heart. Hindi pa tapos ang laban. (FPJ; Hindi Pa Tapos ang Laban)

Mutindug si Alan Cayetano, mo alsa an boses. Mutindug sab si Grace: Alan, kung noon nagtalumpati kang naka salamin, ngayon sisiguraduhin kong magprivilege speech kang may bulak sa ilong. (FPJ: Sa Iyo ang Tondo, Kanya ang Cavite)

Mutindog si Cynthia Villar kay mulaban taraw kan Alan Cayetano. Mulingi kaniya si Grace na an ginawngan gayubit haw mulaong: Kung kayo lang ang magiging kaibigan ko, Cynthia, bibili na lang ako ng aso. (FPJ; Umpisahan Mo, Tatapusin Ko)

O di ba, bibuhin Senado?

Mauno kuno adto nganiya, Grace: Tatak FJP?

Weeh!

feelings medals evoke

Every time I attend a graduation and see students wearing medals and ribbons, I always wonder what feelings those accolades evoke in them. For most, pride and joy, of course. But there are students who think they're shortchanged and deserve better honors than what those medals and ribbons on their breast represent. And when one gets this feeling, nothing could be more hurting than a graduation ceremony.

I should know. Been there, done that.

I spent only two weeks in Grade I because Mrs. Anita L. Orozco, my teacher, accelerated me to Grade 2. Underaged with a non-existent study habit, I was still able to worm my way into the honor roll of a batch that had more intellectual Titans than Mt. Olympus.

I was a consistent honor student but when I graduated from Purisima School in 1981, I got only one medal. And that was for being a member of a glee club! Me who couldn’t sing to save my life and who got in only because Tita Nene Pareja, our trainer, wanted an---ahem---eye candy on the line up, got a gold medal for lip-syncing!

Funny. Yet cruel.

Shoot me now, but it is my boldest contention that among my batchmates, only Dr. Laiden J. Elizalde-Oliguiber, our class valedictorian, is within my league. All others did well by possessing an 80-GB mental hard drive.

During our time, I brought more honors to our batch and Purisima School than Laiden and all other honor students combined: I was a debater; I was an extemporaneous speaker; I was a pitcher; I played volleyball and basketball; I was an orator, a declaimer, an actor, a director, a quiz bowler; I was an award-winning artist-illustrator; I was the informal initiator and leader of our batch.

That March afternoon when I received my diploma from Monsignor Ireneo Amantillo and Sr. Carmen Francis Cua, SPC, I felt sorry for my mother. But what could I do? The nuns didn’t give me awards like they did to lesser achievers for all those skills I put to better use and had given Purisima School honor and prestige. Even the Gerry Roxas Leadership Award was given to a classmate who had this eternal smile on his face but had done practically nothing to catapult our batch to prominence and supremacy.

When the result of NCEE came out, I had my sweetest vindication. Except Laiden, all honor students of my batch bit my dust. The good thing was, we all belonged to the same room when we took it at STC and Pilot Elementary School and so nobody could accuse somebody of getting a leakage.

To this day whenever I get the chance, I always tell graduates similarly situated that while ribbons and medals are important (for their parents most especially), they don’t have to feel bad like I once did. Success, after all, is not dependent on ribbons and medals.

Hardwork is still the key.

misunderstood much?

Does it bother me that I'm almost always misunderstood? Honestly, no. But only because i've lived long enough to know that no matter what you do, people wll always have opinions about you. And so what the heck?

But sometimes when it gets tough, I seek wisdom from the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, thus: to be great is to be misunderstood. ;p