This would be my third visit to the tadpole-shaped island (the first was via a Philippine Navy LST during a high-school bivouac in 1975 and, 20 years later, in 1995).

We left the CCP Ferry Terminal at 8:30 am for a 48-kilometer cruise, through Manila Bay, to Corregidor, via the MV Sun Cruises II, a 293-foot catamaran fast ferry of Sun Cruises Inc. (SCI), our host. SCI, which traces its beginnings in August 1988 as a ferry service, now brings 70,000 tourists to the island annually, making the island one of the most visited tourist spots in the country.  

THE highlight of our—or any—trip to Guiuan was our visit (and subsequent overnight stay) on Calicoan Island, the “Sleeping Beauty of Eastern Samar.” And with good reason, as the island is blessed with long stretches of unspoiled white-sand beaches, crystal-clear blue waters, 20 isolated and romantic coves, six huge and unexplored saltwater lagoons, and nature trails inside tropical virgin forests (50% of the area). My son Jandy and I made our way to the island via hired tricycle (P400), getting to the island, not by boat but via a short concrete causeway, then traversing a dirt and gravel road which runs the length of the island. Our home on the island was its best: the luxurious Surf Camp. This hideaway, reason enough to explore Calicoan, was developed by Cebu-based lawyer and pioneer developer Maning Go and designed, with distinctive Asian-inspired lines, by Frenchman Nicolas Rambeau.  

Sangyaw is derived from the Waray word meaning “to herald the news.” This year’s parade promised to be extra special, as it was the 120th celebration of the Fiesta of Sto. Niño de Tacloban (the city’s patron saint), plus Tacloban also just became the first city in the Eastern Visayas region to be classified as a highly urbanized city.

My first trip to Banaue, Ifugao, and its showpiece, the stupendous Batad Rice Terraces (the Eighth Wonder of the World), was way back in April 1998 with my then 11-year-old son Jandy. Back then, there were no cell-phone signals (making my cell phone useless) and the camera I brought with me was an instamatic Canon Sureshot Joy that used your standard-issue film. Since then, I have been pining for a return. Well, wishes do come true, and I have returned.

On any overnight visit of mine to Subic Freeport Zone, I usually include a day trip to one of Subic’s many ecotourism attractions. The last time around, it was bonding with the whales and dolphins at Ocean Adventure. This time, it was a land-based encounter with the wild: an authentic “tiger safari” at the cleverly named Zoobic Safari. After an overnight stay at Subic Yacht Club with my son Jandy, we proceeded, after a Chowking lunch and duty-free shopping at the Freeport Exchange, for a short-haul drive to this sprawling 25-hectare theme park and zoo located deep in the old Naval Magazine at the Jungle/Forest Adventure zone.

One special summer weekend worth looking back to was my visit to 10-hectare Club Balay Isabel in Brgy. Banga in Talisay, Batangas. This spur-of-the-moment day trip, with events organizer Mr. Bernard Supetran, his son and his niece, again brought me face-to-face with Taal Volcano, the world’s smallest and deadliest volcano, and Club Balai Isabel, opened in 2007, was to be our jump-off point. We left Manila early in the morning, got tied up in South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) traffic. We took the Sta. Rosa Exit, drove along the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road, turned left along Aguinaldo Highway and drove down Ligaya Drive. We still managed to get to the resort in time for a Filipino breakfast at its full-service restaurant within the clubhouse, with its magnificent view of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. It also has a business center and a novelty shop.