Be Cool in Bikol

Hello, friends!

I’ve been feeling incredibly thankful these past few months—I’ve had a series of unexpected and unplanned travels to Cebu, Dipolog, and most recently, Albay!

Today, I’d love to share with you the beautiful places I visited in Bikolandia. 🌧️ Yes, the weather was rainy—but the journey? Totally worth it.

Armed with my ever-reliable Samsung Galaxy A7 Android camera (trusty travel companion!), I may have had limited time to explore Albay, but I brought home unlimited memories and snapshots that I’ll be sharing with you here.

So sit back, scroll on, and enjoy the photos! 📸✨

#BikolandiaChronicles #AlbayAdventures #RainOrShineWanderer #SamsungShoots

🌋 Mt. Mayon — A Dream Fulfilled

Mt. Mayon is a classic stratovolcano, famous for its perfect cone shape—often hailed as the most beautifully symmetrical volcano in the world. Its majestic form was sculpted over time by layers of lava flows, pyroclastic surges, and natural erosion.

I never expected that I would finally see her in person—and not just anywhere, but right from the Legazpi Airport! 😲✈️

Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of seeing Mt. Mayon with my own eyes. And just like that, the moment arrived—quietly, powerfully, and beautifully.

Truly amazing.

Sometimes, life surprises you with the things you thought you'd only admire from books and postcards. 📸❤️
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🏛️ The Cagsawa Ruins — History, Beauty, and a Few Camera Tricks

The Cagsawa Ruins are what remain of a 16th-century Franciscan church that has withstood time, tragedy, and nature’s fury. Originally built in 1587 in the town of Cagsawa, the church was burned down by Dutch pirates in 1636, rebuilt in 1724 by Fr. Francisco Blanco, and then tragically buried—along with much of the town—during Mayon Volcano’s devastating eruption on February 1, 1814.

Fast forward to today:

I finally had the chance to visit this historic site—thanks to two lovely ladies from our workshop (you’ll see them in the photos... can you spot them? 😉).

I was absolutely dumbfounded by the scenery. The haunting beauty of the ruins against the backdrop of Mt. Mayon was like stepping into a painting.

While there, friendly locals offered to take our pictures (yes, for a small fee)—and we said yes. And wow... I was shocked by the results! The photos were amazing—filled with perspective tricks, perfect framing, and creativity that I didn’t expect.

ere’s the funny part:

I help manage illustrators workshops in public schools, and yet there I was, mind blown by basic photo illusions I had never tried. 😅

Lesson learned: never underestimate the talent of local guides—and never stop learning, even when it comes to touristy camera tricks!

Cagraray Eco Park

I was mesmerized by the beauty of Cagraray Eco Energy Park which was an hour away from Casa Lorenzo Hotel where I stayed.  Thanks to DepEd Illustrator from Albay Mr. Antonio Basilla who took his time from a busy day just to bring me there.  Well, I will not do the talking and will just let my photos speak for them.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures, ladies, and gentlemen, these are the three places to visit in Legazpi, Albay.

A Bitter Pill to Swallow!

During the penultimate round of the MILO Tournament (Prep 1) at Starmall Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong, Philippines, Isaiah Joaquine Asi (my son) was playing black pieces and got this position (see board).  I was so excited for I can view a mate in 1 on move 22. ..Qg2+#.  I was praying that he will see it. The pressure was on since if he wins he will have the opportunity to fight for board 1 and the championship.  IM Torqueza and several NU Champion players were there watching, I left the venue as I can see a winning game all the way.

After 5 minutes I went back to the hall only to see my son crying. Not only that he didn't see the move, he likewise got checkmated.  He almost quit the tournament after that if not for the motivation I made that things like that happened.  I told him to be careful next time.  BTW, he got the bronze medal after winning his last round game.

The rest of the moves were as follows: 23. .. Re1+, 24. Ke1 Rg8,  25. Na3 Qb2, 26. Rd1 Qa3?, 27. Rd8+#

(Credit: Diagram was taken from Chessbase)

Batanes Escapade!

Batanes: An Unexpected Journey to the North

Hello everyone!
A few weeks ago, I went on an unplanned but unforgettable trip.
My superior had a conflict of schedule and tasked me to fly to DepEd Division of Batanes to orient Grade 2 teachers on contextualization. As the focal person for Grade 2 learning resources, I gladly accepted the responsibility and immediately booked a flight to Basco, Batanes. Yey, my first time there!

But as with all great journeys, this one wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.

My flight was scheduled at 6:45 a.m. from Clark International Airport—a loooong way from my place in Binondo, Manila. So, I had to travel all the way to Pampanga a day before. Compared to the NAIA terminals, Clark is smaller, with limited space and seating. There were benches, sure—but definitely not enough for the surge of international and local travelers. I ended up not getting any sleep that night.

At exactly 4:00 a.m., passengers started forming queues. I quickly headed to the PAL counter for check-in to avoid the long line of tourists. I later learned that Clark starts its operations at 4:00 a.m.—good to know. After checking in and paying the terminal fee, the rest went by smoothly.

This was my first trip to Batanes, and I was absolutely thrilled! Colleagues who’ve been there shared glowing stories about the breathtaking views and peaceful vibe of the province. So naturally, I told myself: “Once the orientation is done, I’ll use every free minute to explore this dream destination.” But the question was... with whom?

Luckily, Dr. Romel Costales, a Regional Supervisor from DepEd Region 2, had the same idea in mind—to go around and see the places we’ve only heard about in stories.

On Day 2, we set off for Sabtang Island, our first destination. At dawn, we headed to the port to catch a boat going there. While waiting, we had the chance to visit the famous Honesty Store, just a few steps from the pier.

I was truly amazed.

The store had no staff—just shelves of items, a price list, and a payment box. Transactions went on entirely on trust. What struck me most were the words written on the table:

"This store is too little for dishonest people."

Simple. Profound. Powerful.

I hate to cut this short, but urgent tasks are calling. Don’t worry—I’ll be sharing photos so you can catch a glimpse of the journey.

Thanks for reading, and until my next travel tale.

Sometimes, the best trips are the ones we never planned.
#BatanesJourney #WorkAndWander #DepEdTravels #UnexpectedButUnforgettable

2017 Capacity Building for the Disaster Management Group of DepEd Employees

I learned a lot from the Disaster Preparedness and Search and Rescue Workshop spearheaded by the DepEd DRRMs Office for DepEd employees.   We, participants, learned to save lives in such a short time, carried victims to safe places,  met new sets of rescuers along the way, and gained wisdom from experienced officers from Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

It was hard and difficult days but all the participants did their share - area cordoning, hailing, cribbing, and shoring.  The participants were very serious in doing their tasks at hand.

What struck me most was the parting words given by one of our trainers, "I know that you learned a lot from us. Hopefully, these newly-earned skills  MAY NOT BE PUT TO USE IN YOUR LIFETIME!"

2016 Metrobank Outstanding Teachers

Hi everyone.

In case you are not yet aware of who the 2016 Outstanding Teachers are, well, here they are.  I am so glad that one of the teachers came from Naujan, Oriental Mindoro - my hometown.

Congratulation to all the winners.  Thank you Metrobank Foundation.

(Photo credit: Manuelito Santos - Department of Education)

The elementary competition winners are: Winona Diola of De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (Muntinlupa City); Rujealyn Cancino of Lingayen I Central School (Lingayen, Pangasinan); Josephine Chonie Obsenares of Butuan City SPED Center (Butuan City, Agusan del Norte); and Arnol Rosales of Francisco Melgar Memorial School (Naujan, Oriental Mindoro). 

For the secondary competition, the winners are: Dr. Roy Basa of Negros Occidental High School (Bacolod City, Negros Occidental); Nelson Agoyaoy of University of the East Elementary and High School Department (Caloocan City); Ma. Regaele Olarte of Muntinlupa National High School-Main (Muntinlupa City); and Dr. Katherine Faith Bustos of Nueva Vizcaya General Comprehensive High School (Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya).

(Photo credit: Manuelito Santos - Department of Education)

Flat Broke

I felt so financially drained this month.  Bills keep coming, Insulin expenses on my medication continue to grow,  business ventures dropped to its low, and so forth and so on. In fact, I had all my valuables either sold or put into pawnshops just to recover my losses only to find out that I was getting deeper into the limbo.  My wife's, financial resources likewise dwindled due to massive assistance she'd extending me.  Damn!

I was asked, "What was the heaviest thing that you carried?" I replied without out a blink that the heaviest thing that I carried is an empty wallet.  Up to this day, I've been experiencing that and to add grains of salt to my already wounded ego, I am now literally naked wearing only a sweet smelling scent.

Politically Correct Terms

psychotic      socially misaligned
intoxicated    sobriety-deprived
misbehavior  negative
lazy               motivationally dispossessed
boring           charm-free
janitor           environmental hygienist
dishonest      ethically disoriented
wild              free-roaming
extra-large    generously cut
failure           incomplete success
worst            least best
balding         in follicle regression
short             vertically challenged
nagger          verbally repetitive
screamer       vocally appreciative

Source: Unknown (not mentioned in the hard copy) 

Magtiwala sa Ating Kakayahan

Dapat lamang na magtiwala tayo sa ating kakayahan.  Hihina ang isang tao kapag alam niya na siya ay may masasandalan dahil ibubuhos niya ang buong tiwala sa kaniya.  Subalit kung wala tayong inaasahan lalabas ang tunay nating kakanyahan at iigting ang pagtitiwala natin sa ating sarili.

Ingatan ang Gamit

Ingatan natin ating mga gamit
Bag, cellphone, at pati na ang wallet
Mga magnanakaw kaygaling maniktik
Lahat ng bagay kanilang pinipitik!

Best Chess Game I Had

I will share with you one of the best games I had in 2015 and you can find it here in this article, Amateur Playing Like a Pro. Click the link and enjoy.

Internet Society Online Course

I am finally done with my Internet Society online course.  I would like to thank my moderator Biljana Gilsovic Milic and the Internet Society for giving me this 2015 Shaping the Internet - History and Futures Asia Mini-Course (Delta).  I learned a lot from this course especially interoperability, internet governance, invariants, and many more.  Hopefully, I will be given opportunity to study more.

Guess Who I Found Last Christmas?

🎄From Holiday Cheer to Hardwood Legend — A Surprise in Navotas!

We were simply on a family visit to our relatives in Tanza, Navotas—a classic Filipino weekend: good food, loud laughter, and catching up with titas, titos, and cousins you only see once in a blue moon.

The vibe felt a bit like Christmas, even if Santa wasn’t anywhere in sight.

But guess what?

I didn’t find Santa Claus... I found someone taller. 😄

Standing head and shoulders above the rest—literally—was none other than Marlou Aquino, one of the Philippines’ greatest basketball players of all time!

Yes, The Skyscraper himself.

That moment felt unreal—like seeing your childhood basketball card walk right past you in flesh and blood!

From barangay court legends to PBA icons, Marlou Aquino’s name is etched in hoops history. And there he was—casual, unassuming, and still a towering presence in every sense of the word.

Proof that sometimes, the best surprises don’t come wrapped in red and gold—they stand 6’9”, wear slippers, and have a smile that could light up a whole barangay..