Old and Still Good

Seeing a photographer using this SLR, couldn't help myself so i ask the manong if i could take a picture of his SLR, it's old he says and it's still good.

Laguna Still Flooded (Ondoy Aftermath)

September 2009 devastated our crops and houses in Laguna Victoria, and after a month our barrio is still flooded and are only accessible by bangka's and walking on foot on the flooded road leading to our barrio, Ondoy affected the crops and houses but it did not stop the people in our barrio to push on thru life, taking the resources available at the area.

Mother Nature Taking its Toll "ONDOY" aka "KETASANA"

Typhoon ONDOY had its land fall at around 10 am Sept.26 2009 it came with the warning from the news, but not knowing the massive effect of this typhoon, my brother & I was prepared for this, but what the hell!!! yes prepared we were (mga taong bundok & proud of it), but with the fast pace of this typhoon running like a marathon, the water level got high in just minutes, the marikina flood control was releasing water! my brother & I acted fast, due to the rising of water we had to secure our car on the garage, we lifted the car with some spare tire because we thought that it was enough, because last 1999 the water level did not even dared to reach the garage floor, my brother & I was startled to see that now it was getting higher & higher whaaaattttt!!!!!!!????The F!!!k, there was nothing we could do, so we rush into our grandmothers house, to help them, after that, back to our house to secure the things that can still be saved on our 1st floor, it was raining really hard and the water was successfully reaching its goal, my parents was not home they were stranded at the coastal road, I contacted my parents to tell them that were ok, the cellphone signal of smart are still present thank GOD! but the signal from globe was nowhere to be found, the PLDT lines was still working, the water lines & the electricity was shut because of this typhoon, it was almost getting dark, the only way to reach my Lola's house is swimming for it, so my brother & I had to swim the brownish flood, we had to do it because we had no contact & we must check if everything is just ok after that we went back home, the water level doesn't even want to stop on rising, we prayed for it to stop but the prayer was unanswered.

September 27, 2009 my daughter Nina’s 7th birthday, we cancelled the reservation for her birthday.

back to the problem, it was now the 27th the water level was decreasing but it was only a little amount of water :( my brother & I decided to swim for it. Going to my Lola's house to check on them, thank god everything is ok, after this I told my brother that we should head out for Magsaysay because our parents contacted us they were already in the church of St.lucia in Magsaysay it was a 3km swim and walk for my brother & I because we wanted to let our parents know that we were just fine & we also need supplies for the house, we bought cooked rice and brought back home drinking water, arriving at the house we prepared for lunch, we waited for the day as it passes by, early in the morning I heard banging on our door, my brother opened the door to see my father came home, the water level was a levelled down, few hours later my father told me to get our Strada at the church where my mother was waiting, so I head on to get the vehicle, as I was heading over at Magsaysay wreck cars and devastated homes was seen along the way, for sure the message of this storm was clear enough, cutting of the trees (whoever is that fu***ng official that neglected the warning in cutting of our trees) the supposed 5,000 litres of water that can be consume by the trees went down on us, now another storm is coming, I hope that all of us can survive this upcoming storm again.

DEVASTATED:
*Our Lancer took on water
*honda wave
*1st Floor Furnitures
*My emergency Cellphone lost
*Zip Lock money lost

STILL WE SURVIVED, THANK TO GOD :)

Mt.Ugo

MT.PULAG diverted to MT.UGO (FREEDOM CLIMB) JUNE 11-14 2009

Diverted!!!!
"Destination Unknown" as Mr.Rancheros would say, although we had the plans to take on MT.PULAG but ending up being invited by Sir Ed of TEAM SAGUL to join them on MT.UGO i was raving to go back to THE PLAYGROUND OF THE GODS, but was destined to take on MT.UGO it was a great adventure we were the sweepers of the group, Ranger & i was enjoying every view on the way while trekking,TEAM SAGUL itinerary was via LUSOD, but for Ranger & i had no IT at all, so it was on the way to LUSOD that Ranger & i decided to take on the trail going to AMBASA via MT.MARIKIT which was seldom use by climbers for it's long and strenuous trail, we did some exploring and saw many spectacular water falls along the way, it was 2pm when we arrived at the IBALOYS tribe, we did not push for MT.UGO on that day, we settled our bags and explored the nearby water falls it was another 20 minutes trek just to swim on that falls, we enjoyed the company of the tribe, and early in the morning decided to take on UGO it was almost a 4 hours assault Ranger told me that it was just like the akiki trail on MT,PULAG using the trail via MARIKIT i thought it was a never ending ascend wahahahahaha tired but enjoying it, we had our lunch at the summit, and after that descended to domolpos, where we settled at the MT.UGO baptist church and enjoyed the company of Pastor Elmer, we can take on the trail going to kayapa, but again decided to enjoy the day at domolpos, the coffee was very rewarding, early morning Ranger & i decided to say thank you & goodbye to Pastor Elmer because we still have a 4 hours trek going to kayapa. After almost 4 hours of trekking we arrived at kayapa we took our lunch at kayapa and waited for the bus going to baguio. IT WAS ONE GREAT ADVENTURE!!!! it was surely a celebration of THE FREEDOM CLIMB.

MT.TAPULAO "POOR MANS PULAG"

MT. TAPULAO
Iba, Zambales
Major jump-off: Brgy. Damapay-Salaza
LLA: 15.4833 N, 120.1166 E, 2037 MASL
Days required / Hours to summit: 2-3 days / 14 hours
Specs: Major Climb, Difficulty 6/9, Trail class 3

This Climb was more difficult than the AMBANGEG TRAIL on MT.PULAG, using the existing trail being use by the miner's it was a very strenuous trail as in BIG TIME! Two of my co mountaineers & I climb at exactly 4:30 am Feb 7, 09 it was super early but it was just right for the climb, we don't want the scorching heat of the sun get us on our way up, because there was no covering from the suns heat. It's widely open, before we had begun to walk the KAGAWAD informed us to be careful because there were Military troops sleeping at the admin, while ascending at the entry point we saw a flashlight facing towards us so my team greeted whoever it was with a GOOD MORNING PO, The 3 of us registered our names at the entry point at the outpost, hahaha the guard was amaze to see that only 3 persons were climbing Tapulao :) it was last month they had a group climb up as the guard said, this mountain was infrequently climb because of the difficult terrain but what the heck, so we went along our way, my goodness it’s true what they say on this mountain it’s a difficult one it was 6 am but it was still dark at about 6:30 am the glimpse of the sky showed up to shed some light 30 minutes after we decided to have breakfast and so we did, while eating we heard voices below us, Art said maybe it was the locals so I replied” maybe it’s the locals” it was almost 8 am we heard the voices getting louder and saw a group of mountaineers ascending, “mali kame hindi locals”
The 3 of us were happy to see them, earlier the one with the flashlight was ERIC he said to us “I saw you guys and heard you greeted me but you ascended quickly and I had to call my group he said”, what a relief it was good to know that we were not the only trekkers on that day.
The Second group continued trekking, at about 9:15 am my team & I saw the second group again we advanced and waited for them before reaching the 3 ascending part of the mountain, at about 10 am we were ascending again and continued until we arrived 1:15 pm at the Pines now we kept on ascending taking a few breaks as needed, it was getting colder as we ascended to higher grounds we passed by the 2 land slides good thing it was already cleared, it was almost 4 pm we were now at 1,900 + MASL and my fellow mountaineer RENAN was showing a minor symptoms of hypothermia at exactly 4pm we arrived at the small kubo, we took refuge and rested, RENAN was shaking, head is aching, so I gave him CHUBBY it’s a choco bar for him to eat and made him coffee to heat up his body, on that point PULAG was COLDER, I was thinking what if he was on PULAG ouch! Anyway everything was ok although we were all shivering I called ALVIN my fellow mountaineer because I was wanting to ask him the location of the real bunker, I was so glad to have contacted him, he said we were only 15 to 20 minutes away, so my team & I continued trekking and finally seeing the BUNKERS.

Two Miners’s greeted us and told us that if we want to set up our tents, he said as we please and also he told us if we wanted to use the bunkers, it was ok because all the miners were not working anymore, the mining was stop a year ago he said, so Art, Renan & I decided to take the offer a few minutes more the group of ERIC arrived it was cold the wind was blowing rapidly “hahahaha kaka nginig” so now all of us decided to stay at the bunker, afterwards we prepared our dinner it’s almost 5:30 pm, after eating our dinner it was time for our SOCIALS. After the socials it was time to sleep, about 3 in the morning the coldness was like a cold needle striking our bodies, at about 5 am I woke up and still the winds are blowing wildly outside the bunker, it was like the wind wanted to take out the roof of the bunker, hahaha CREEPY.
7 am the 4 of us decided to take the summit of MT.TAPULAO art, renan, eric & I, after 10 minutes we arrived at the base camp on the entry point of the mossy forest going to the summit continued trekking after 47 minutes we arrived at the summits crater, zero visibility but it was ok we didn’t mind at all, after taking some few pictures I’ve notice a blood leeched was trying to get inside my jacket, GRRRR….. So I removed it I was joking ERIC that it would take its revenge “mag tatawag yun tol kase pinitik ko” so a few minutes more we started descending, Eric was moving on a fast pace because he hates limatic, so he’s gone real fast hahahaha, but the 3 of us were exploring the mountain taking pictures and enjoying the view that the mountain has to offer, on our descend we took a U turn and headed at the kubo, after 45 minutes the sight of the BUNKERS again, arriving at the bunker we prepared our breakfast, the second group decided to go up the summit because they wanted to see the summit, Eric then again joined them “TIBAY NG LOLO MO”
11 am Art, Renan & I started descending the higher grounds estimated time in reaching the outpost was 4 hours, the heat of the sun was really HOT!!! But we continued walking on the half of the trail Renan already felt his knee cap was tiring already because of the long walk; about Art he was just ok. Art & I told Renan to Advance because of his condition before I was leading the trail now I’m sweeping the trail, an hour again pass a felt the tiring of my right leg, it was not usual for me, so I ignored it and went along my way, it was 4 pm I arrived at the outpost and I was happy to see Art nyahahaha, kapagod I told him, 5 minutes after we headed at the DENR admin, but still my right leg was numb, we waited for the water to arrive Renan was the first one to take a bath, followed by me & afterwards Art, while I was taking my bath I was applying soap on my body then all of a sudden when I applied soap on my right leg ouch there it was GRRRR…… the revenge!!!! Limatic “mataba na sya” I removed it, and my blood gashing out my right leg BAD TRIP, now I know why my leg was numb, anyway andun na yun what can I do?
The group of Eric arrived again, and as usual we had to say goodbye again because we will be advancing, after 40 minutes riding the tricycle we arrived at the hi-way and it was very bad NO BUSES WHERE at hand!!!! We waited almost 30 minutes for an Olongapo bus to arrive, at the IBA TERMINAL “stop over” hahahaha Eric’s group were next to us again so finally meeting again, the more the merrier but we were stranded at the terminal until 11:30 pm because the buses earlier are to damn occupied, so we waited for the 11:30 pm bus for Pasay. Finally at the bus all of us rested. The pictures will tell you the story.

7 STRONG SOUL SCALING MT.TAPULAO
xave
art
renan
eric
angel
arwin
jason

February 6-9 2009