October 2008 Archives

By Anna Valmero INQUIRER.net BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—More than being the summer capital of the Philippines, one façade of Baguio that tourists must experience is the bursting colors of culture, history and heritage that it aims to preserve. During my last trip to Baguio with the INQUIRER.net VDO team, we took the road less traveled. Instead of filling our itinerary with the usual parks and places to visit, we went to discover the unknown at the historic Diplomat Hotel.
The hotel is located at the Diplomat Hill, about 20 minutes from Session Road. Long abandoned and said to be a haunted place, the hotel's remaining structure—the cross on top of the entrance hallway, the three-floor architecture, some parts of which are wooden floors, staircases and two fountains within the building -- is a beauty in daylight and a mystery at night. The hotel's history begins in 1911 when the Province of the Dominican Order voted to build a vacation house on their 17-hectare property in Baguio. Construction began in 1913 and inauguration happened two years after. Afterward, it became a school but low enrollment reverted the building back to be a vacation house cum sanitarium. During the World War II, the hotel housed refugees but was later claimed by the Japanese Army who bombed the building. According to stories passed down by word of mouth, priests and nuns were beheaded by the Japanese soldiers in the ground floor and several of the rooms on the second floor. The babies, some say, were killed in the fountain area. After the war, reconstruction followed and it was acquired by Diplomat Hotels Inc. in 1973. Not long after, the hotel ceased operations, some say due to the death of a major stockholder while others say tourists who stayed at the hotel did not last more than a night and heard or saw beheaded ghosts. To unravel the mystery of the unknown, our team trooped to the hotel in mid-October.
With flashlights and cameras and three spirit questors as guides, we toured the place, floor by floor and entered several rooms. We entered the second floor via a staircase near the blooming flower garden, said to be tended by the unseen beings. Up until the top of the building where the cross is located, we are guided by three spirit questors -- Dion Fernandez, Me An Billones and Maria Elena Catajan, who gave us information about how they "sense" beings in each room via tarot cards. Outside, we were told that someone who lives in the building has been following us since we stepped inside the abandoned hotel. A tarot card showing a man of royalty was drawn four times from the suite. This was the reason one of his companion felt very tired after the tour, the questors said. As the spirit questors were brought back to the town proper, we were left outside the building. Before leaving, the questors advised us to stay outside the building. Three guards passed by us to do their routine inspection after a few minutes. To be productive, two people in our team recorded what they felt while inside the abandoned hotel. After some time, we heard tin roofs clattering loudly like someone was banging the metal in a nearby distance from us. During the first sound, we looked at each other silently asking each one if we heard the noise which seemed to come from the guard house several meters away from us. By the second and third time, we recorded the sound on camera only to find out in the morning that the tin roofs are piled semi-neatly on the veranda of the hotel, after the third floor. When the guards passed by again to get back to their station, we asked them if they heard any sound of someone banging tin roofs. They said 'No' and left. Back to the plan: we camped inside the abandoned building as we intended to stay overnight to record on camera observations from 12 midnight to 6 a.m. There were no spirit questors to guide us at this time. As advised by the questors, we camped at the ground floor and set up our candles and standby cameras near one fountain -- said to be the area where most of the spiritual beings congregate. We took turns sleeping on the mats while those awake recorded on camera the observations they had of the building and the surroundings each hour. Someone in the team who stayed awake from midnight to 6 a.m. said there was a time he saw through his peripheral vision something white passed by on his right side. Others noted noises of footsteps on the wooden floor, oddly likely when all of us are either sitting or lying on the floor. Something that remained a mystery to us until today is the recording of our interview with the questors done near the cross. Up in the tranquillity there, we saw the city lights of Baguio and heard only the soft, chilly breeze of the night air. When we played back the recording in the area, there were static noises of different songs -- the sound more amplified than the voices of either the questors or the interviewer from our group. Yes, there are several radio stations in Baguio but we did not play any radio sound during the interview. Plus, the boom mic which we used to record the audio from the interview is a unidirectional microphone with no transmitter or receiver, thus the unsolved case of how those different static sounds being recorded during the interview. When dawn started, we got up and stayed a bit around the hotel. From outside, the hotel's grandeur remains and the empty halls -- which could cause imagination to run wild at night—are but empty windows to the past and eyes to the future left unknown to us. Next time you visit Baguio or any other place, try to go the road less traveled. Discover what lies ahead in the dark and see beyond what a place usually offers. Meanwhile, somewhere in Cavite where the lake attracts both locals and tourists, lies a dormant house that has not seen human inhabitants for quite a while. The reason: People who stay there claim to hear strange sounds at night, coming from the second-floor room. INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Marjorie Gorospe and the VDO team of INQUIRER.net seek to find the truth behind this abandoned house which, through time, has been overrun by flora. The VDO team spends a night at this house and waits for anything outside the ordinary.

THEY say living amongst us are beings who once roamed this earth. This world is but an intertwining of two worlds—that of the living and the dead. In July, residents in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro were suddenly shattered when several students, said to be possessed by "evil spirits," fell into fits of seizures. The Department of Education sent a team to investigate as the number of “possessed students” rose to 26. It was on this day that the student declared “the gates of hell will be opened and bad spirits will be let out to roam the Earth." Paranormal expert Jaime Licauco explains how the human body is a vessel that can be used to communicate to the “other” world. All of us have third eyes located in the middle of the brows and just below the forehead that can be used to go to spaces of higher consciousness, he said.

By Izah Morales INQUIRER.net R.I.P. or Rest in Peace is what we usually read on tombstones. But how will you rest in peace if until death your relatives are renting a space for your bones? At the Manila North Cemetery, Lita Yao, secretary and interviewer of the relatives of the dead, enumerated four kinds of tombs rented out by the relatives. There is a one and a half meter deep bone crypt vault where one dead share a space with nine other dead for a fee of P1,000. But if relatives of the dead prefer not to share a vault with others, they would need to pay P1,500 for a “VIP vault,” which has a contract that can be renewed every 5 years. On the other hand, the most common type of tomb is what they call an “apartment,” which is a niche that can be occupied for 5 years and costing P500. Grave digger Johnjohn Sangalang said that as soon as the contract for an apartment expires, the bones of the dead are exhumed. If there are no claimants, the grave diggers would transfer the bones to a mass grave. However, Sangalang said the bones are labeled to allow future identification. The tombstone is included with the bones, he said. In an interview, Sangalang said he has gone beyond fearing the unknown as he buries a minimum of 10 bodies every day. At the most, he buries 60 dead especially during Saturdays and Sundays. In the video interview I conducted with INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Marjorie Gorospe, Sanggalang narrates his life as the person in charge of keeping track of the tombstones and bones of the many individuals whose 5-year apartment contracts have expired. We also meet Rommel Ocampo, a tombstone carver for many years now and talk to him about his work, and Roque Rafon, the caretaker of the graves of Jose Rizal's family and the late President Manuel Roxas. Ironic how the responsibility for caring for the remains of our loved ones are left to strangers like Sanggalang, Ocampo and Rafon. Nevertheless, these are a few of the already little group people who take pride in their role as the gatekeepers of the lost souls and lost bones.

FILIPINO celebrities Maxene Magalona, Jay Jay Lozano, Angel Aquino and Jaycee Parker reveal what movie characters scare them in these video interviews for INQUIRER.net VDO Halloween special. Also, watch this video story about pumpkins sold in Dangwa, which is popularly known as the place where you can buy affordable flowers. INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Marjorie Gorospe discovers a special flower shop that not only sells flowers, but also peculiar pumpkins harvested for the Halloween season. Rene Carreon, staff at Puentespina Orchids and Tropical Plants, Inc., discusses the variety of pumpkins the store sells and how the business is surviving despite the strong competition in the area.

By Marjorie Gorospe INQUIRER.net PASIG CITY, Philippines -- After long years of dreaming about it, Natalie Tanchip, owner of Pocketful of Kids, finally opens her dream toy village. It is the first toy village in the country that carries popular American and European brands that encourages the children to learn and discover through play. Pocketful of Kids is a playground inspired from Tanchip’s dream playground when she was still a child. The toy village hopes to break the notion of “look, but don’t touch”. Tanchip explains that kids can actually play and have fun with the toys unlike in other toy villages where they are only for display. Tanchip believes in the need to give children the chance to explore the world through toys and have fun while learn through play. This is one reason why its interactive playground is designed to let kids explore on their own. The place features a mini-library and mini-theater surrounded with toys that can exercise their motor and cognitive skills. “As a parent, I know that every child wants to play and so we should provide them the toys they need not just for them to have fun and play but to actually boost their ability to learn,” says Tanchip. Pocketful of Kids also features toy brands like Educational Insights, which carries the Hot Dots pens, Playfoam and Geosafari brands of scientifically themed toys. These toys provide a unique and interesting way for children to learn the fundamentals of geography, math, reading science and other subjects.

By Marjorie Gorospe INQUIRER.net LOOKING for the Shu Uemura's boutique? The long wait is over because Shu Uemura finally uncovers their first boutique for all ladies at the Powerplant Mall, Rockwell Center in Makati City. Shu Uemura, known as one of the pioneers of innovation in make up and skin care, opened its store in this popular mall. Michelle Fernandez, the Shu Uemura store manager, said the boutique has everything a woman would want for make-up. "Aside from the skin care and make up, the store also offers accessories like false eyelashes and the likes". It is also a one-stop boutique for the all beauty care products women need. "I just love eye lash curler of Shu Uemura", testifies Maxene Magalona when asked what her favorite product was. Fernandez herself is amazed with the use of fake eye lashes. “Wearing it makes you look good and lovelier,” Fernandez says. Maxene Magalona, Angel Aquino, among others were among the celebrities who attended the store opening

By Anna Valmero INQUIRER.net MAKATI CITY, Philippines – Yes, delicious and healthy defines new dishes today. Increasing healthier food alternatives has been the focus of Bubba Gump, said Chef Paul Abalan of Bubba Gump Makati. Local fishes pompano, talakitok, labahita and maya-maya (Red Snapper) are now included in Bubba Gump’s local menu, he added, as he revealed that the seafood restaurant is now using more local varieties to make sure the fish will arrive fresh, not frozen at the restaurants. “This helps us serve delicious and healthy dishes and allows us to use simple cooking methods like pan-searing and grilling which also preserves the juices intact in the fish—thus more nutrients for health eaters,” Abalan said. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is a seafood restaurant inspired by 1994 movie “Forrest Gump.” It has recently added to its menu all-new shrimp dishes, a Fresh Catch Special section and a dark chocolate treat -- giving more alternatives to tickle people’s taste buds. Capitalizing on the nostalgic theme of Forrest Gump, several shrimp dishes are added on Bubba gump’s menu. Starters include the Dynamite Shrimp with a sweet and spicy Asian sauce and She Crab Soup -- a recipe from South Carolina that combines the rich flavor of female crabmeat, sherry and caviar. For the main dish, the restaurant added two Jambalaya delights on the menu: Grilled Dory with Jambalaya Rice and Jambalaya Pasta. Fresh fish from our local waters goes international as South American delights -- our local “pompano” (fresh cajun pompano) and “talakitok” (Mediterranean trevally) are grilled and pan-seared, respectively. Other new dishes include Surgeon Fish (locally called “labahita”) with Mango-Pineapple Salsa, Sweet-Chili Shrimps with Pineapple-Mango Salsa and Shrimps and Veggie Stir Fry. All are served over a bed of Jasmine rice. There is also Steamed Sheelfish—mussels, clams and shrimps steamed in broth. Only available here in the Philippines, the Grilled Shrimp Salad with Garlic-Cilantro Dressing is a recipe from a Pinoy Bubba Gump chef—which if approved in the company’s U.S. head quarters will become available in all Bubba Gump chains. For dessert, Bubba Gump said “That Chocolate Thing!” is a must-try—a serving is a jar of flourless dark chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream with raspberry sauce. “Shrimp is the fruit of the sea,” a line from the Forrest Gump movie goes. And the new dishes prove shrimp’s flexibility to taste good and work with any flavor. Shrimps and fish are good sources of protein, iron, vitamin A and C as well as calcium. Based on the U.S. FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition fact sheet, three ounces of shrimp can give 100 calories. Meanwhile, fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. According to University of Delaware website, omega-3 fatty acids prevent our bodies from over-producing hormone-like substances that can, in large amounts, cause arthritis, asthma, heart disease, stroke and related disorders. Bubba Gump also launched the “Get Gump’d” campaign in which Forrest Gump himself visits the Bubba Gump restaurant. When asked what to expect during his visits he said: “Like my Mama used to say: ‘You’re gonna have to figure that out for yourself. Life is a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

By Lawrence Casiraya INQUIRER.net Rico J. Puno once sang about penniless lovers walking in Luneta -- albeit, a Tagalog version on Barbara Streisand's "The Way We Were" -- and that song sure was humming in my mind when I found myself there one Sunday with my family. Every Filipino probably knows what and where Luneta is, most people would have fond memories of it but until that aforementioned Sunday, I can never remember when was it that I actually was there. I did see a few couples but what struck me most is that the entire length of the park was filled with families spending a lazy Sunday together, staking their own patch of space in the grass. And so, like most dads I saw, I found myself running after my two-year old daughter running (more like chasing) after kites. The best thing about Luneta is that it costs nothing to stay there –- unless you get thirsty or hungry, which forces you to buy from any of the small bahay kubo sari-sari stores. Spending an hour or two at Luneta made me believe that there are other places to go and spend any given lazy Sunday than the nearest overcrowded mall.

By Fung Yu Contributor Author’s Note: This article uses Adobe Flash in providing an immersive experience by means of virtual reality technology. Flash 9.0 and above is required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.5Mb each. Yellow ‘hotspots’ are clickable. AFTER hearing so much about Coron from friends who have gone there and always wanting to go but without presence of opportunity, it was only last May that I finally set foot on Palawan, often called the Philippines’ last frontier. The Palawan group of islands, voted by Conde Nast Traveler magazine for its beaches, coves, and islets as the tourist destination with the best beaches in Asia; rated by National Geographic Traveler magazine as the best island destination in East and Southeast Asia region in 2007; and underwater explorer Jacques Costeau, inventor of the modern scuba, has described the province as having one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world. Our overnight trip onboard the Superferry was a pleasant one. We departed the port of Manila around 5 p.m. and docked at the port of Coron almost 6 a.m. the next day. As the end of May is almost into the rainy season, nonetheless the weather was still hot with occasional light rain showers in the late afternoon and evening. After a hearty breakfast and a change of clothes at our place of lodging, our group proceeded to the itinerary of the day -- a tour of some of Coron’s major attractions. The jump-off point of the tour was from a small banca station at the back of the market. From here, you can already get a glimpse of the cliffs in the distance. These seemingly land masses appear featureless from afar, their full majestic splendor are only evident once approached. The limestone formations of Coron, exposed by the lowering sea levels over the last two ice ages, 20,000 and 160,000 years ago; are characterized with sharp jagged edges, full of crevices, and decked with vegetative growths. It is home to a variety of nesting birds and beneath the waters teaming with abundance of marine life. Our first stop was Kayangan Lake, accessible via a short trek over the hill; its warm clear water nested between rocks and lush foliage provides a picturesque setting for a relaxing swim. Tiny fishes and crustaceans inhabit its waters, so should you felt something crawling at your feet, chances are, it’s one of the many shrimps that got curious by your presence. Atop Kayangan Lake, there is a path that leads to a cave with great overhangs on its ceiling; and just outside of that cave, one gets a spectacular aerial view of the cove entrance and its neighboring formations. View 360VR View 360VR View 360VR View 360VR Compare to Kayangan Lake, the trek towards Barracuda Lake (so named because of a large barracuda living in it) was much more challenging. Here there are no beaten paths, just grounds of protruding sharp-edged rocks! One has to climb , swing , pull , and balance each footing carefully -- strapped footwear is definitely a must. The view at the end however, is equally rewarding! View 360VR View 360VR Our lunch was set-up at Banol Beach, one of the many islands with crystal clear waters and fine white sands. Generally good for swimming with its gentle slope, but beware of the many black sea urchins nearby. View 360VR One of the interesting sites around Coron is the twin lagoon; wherein the body of water is split by the limestone mountain and the other lagoon is only accessible by a narrow passage (at times submerged by the tides). Best swim across with floatation devices as the lagoon opens to a sudden steep drop, the silence on the other side can be deafening. View 360VR As the sun slowly arc towards the West, our last stop of the day was ‘siete pecados’ or seven islands. The scene here is idyllic, but the greatest sights are underneath. Declared a protected marine sanctuary, this underwater biosphere boast of an explosion of life; from the massive multi-colored corals to the dazzling spectrum of fishes, it was truly an overwhelming spectacle! View 360VR Apart from dive sites teeming with underwater fauna and flora, Coron Bay also boast of numerous wrecks for divers. These wrecks are the sunken remains of about 24 World War II Japanese navy vessels, which were attacked on September 24, 1944 by US navy strike fighters and dive bombers from Task Force 38 belonging to the aircraft carrier USS Lexington. The highlight of the 2nd day was the Calauit Safari. Gone was the sunny weather of yesterday and the slight rain and overcast skies lasted throughout the day. The Calauit Island Wildlife Sanctuary, set-up in 1977, was a response to an appeal by the International Union of Conservation of Nature to save endangered animals in Africa. With an initial 8 species of animals from Kenya, such as giraffes, zebras, gazelles, impalas, waterbucks, bushbucks, elands, and topis that today live in harmony with other endemic Philippine animals like the Calamian deer, the bearcat, sea turtles, and Philippine crocodiles. From Coron, Calauit Island is approximately 2.5 hours by land. View 360VR View 360VR Coron certainly has much more to offer; inexpensive seafood is abundant, local handicrafts, and our group’s favorite, roasted cashew nuts! On the eve of our departure, we feasted on a buffet of seafood: lobsters, crabs, groupers, and the likes; almost make me wish I have a second stomach that night! Then again, I can always go back. Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific now flies direct to Busuanga, from there, Coron is just a short distance by land transportation. References: www.calauitisland.com; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coron,_Palawan; http://www.coronwrecks.com; http://www.fieldmuseum.org/vanishing_treasures/foreword.htm; . The author can be reach at: fung@firefly.ph.

TACLOBAN CITY -- If you're in Tacloban and would like to have a quick tour of the historical and religious places of interest in the city and its environs, just hop on the "Icot-Icot" vehicle. Vicente Labro of the Inquirer Visayas writes about the "Icot-Icot" rides that will provide you a three-hour guided tour of Tacloban and some nearby towns at affordable rates. Excerpt:

Launched in September 2007, the Icot-Icot tour was first operated on weekends, says Nelieta Baguna, head of the Leyte Tourism and Investment Promotion Canter. A brainchild of Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho L. Petilla, the "Icot-Icot" tour was conceived to provide visitors, and even the locals, an opportunity to visit tourist destinations in the city and nearby towns through a group tour. The term "Icot-icot" came from the Tagalog word "ikot-ikot," which means going around, and from the governor's nickname, "Icot." Baguna says the local government decided to make the tour available on weekdays due to the growing demand. The tour fee is P100 for the morning trip and P150 for the afternoon trip because this would include a visit to a bucolic farm resort in Babatngon, Leyte. The fee already includes the ride, tour guide and the entrance fees at the Sto. Niño Shrine and at the farm resort. The "Icot-Icot" vehicle, actually a multicab that can accommodate around 10 persons, leaves the RTR Plaza in Tacloban City at 9 o'clock for the morning trip and 2 o'clock for the afternoon tour.

Ever been to Carriedo street in Quiapo lately? Wondered how it looks like these days? Multimedia reporter Lawrence Casiraya visits this once-famous shopping center in Manila where the earliest malls like Shoemart (SM) and Isetaan were built.

By Izah Morales INQUIRER.net YOU don’t need a time machine to go back in the past because a ride in a kalesa along Calle Crisologo in Vigan, Ilocos Sur would make you feel that you are back in the 1800s, a time when revolutionaries were fighting for the freedom of our country from the Spanish colonial rule. Despite the wars that have taken place, Vigan has maintained the European atmosphere through the architectural built of the houses and churches. But then you would realize that you’re still wandering in the 21st century. Fastfood chains found within the vicinity were also built in the same architectural design as that of the colonial houses. A ride in a kalesa would be worth your trip in Vigan because not only would you feel the past but also hear it straight from the coachman who is more than willing to share the background of the historical sites. You should not also miss the Bantay Bell Tower located on top of a small hill. By the way, you don’t need to worry about climbing up stony stairs. They were built to ease the climb. As you enter the bricked Bantay Bell tower, you need to climb another stony staircase to see the large bell at the center and medium-sized bells surrounding it. Each bell is rang on designated occasions. There is one bell for a wedding and another for a funeral. I later learned that despite measures to preserve the bells, graffiti can be seen on the bells. Apart from the Bell tower, you can also tell your coachman to bring you to the ancestral home of Padre Jose Burgos, one of the three martyr priests executed by the Spanish in 1872. The house, which was built in 1788, is now a museum. Visiting Vigan will surely give you a glimpse of the rich history of place. It currently serves as a cultural heritage not only for our generation but also to generations to come.