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Created by Eugene Villar.

high school song

Here comes the dawn, the time everybody is waiting for
A brand new day and a brand new life
The colors of the sky and the colors of the earth
Blending into one as the day unfolds

People, reach out for the sky
Reach out for the dreams you have
As this is the day we've waited for so long

Here comes the sun, kissing everybody on its way
Lift all the doubts and fears you have in your heart

Reach for all the dreams you have in your heart
Reach for all the dreams you have in your mind
Make these dreams into realities
For these realities are for you and me

Insects of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya

I don't like insects in general, but I like taking their pictures especially if they are unique and/or colorful. The insects in Kasibu are both. Although I shudder at the thought of getting close to these creatures, they seem not to mind me at all.

Birds of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya

Some birds from Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya . . . .

Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya (April 11-21, 2011)

After arriving from Northern Samar, I joined the Geology 170 Class in Nueva Vizcaya, which I first visited March 29-31 for reconnaissance fieldwork with another faculty from NIGS. The area which we mapped for the class is situated north of the Caraballo Mountains at an elevation exceeding 700m. This makes the area a bit cold in the morning (almost zero visibility due to fog) and cool during daytime which makes it easy and bearable for the students and faculty. The town of Kasibu is known for its vast citrus plantations (which I was not actually expecting) which are sold locally for ~25 pesos/kilo!

We were in Kasibu for geologic field mapping but I won't talk about the rocks found in the area. Alright, I will just mention the caves in the area which were part of the Sta. Fe Limestone/Formation. The presence of these caves in the area made it possible for Kasibu to host the 2011 Cave Congress that was sponsored by the National Cave Committee, which I am a member of.

As you all probably know, I am a birdwatcher so this trip to Kasibu made it possible for me to observe birds in the area for the first time. I was able to observe at least 4 lifers: Scarlet Minivet, Yellowish White-Eye, Blue-headed Fantail and Rufous-bellied Eagle. There were a lot of insects too, not to mention the amazing flowers that I have been using as photography subjects since 2004.

Biri Island, Northern Samar (April 2-7, 2011)

I and colleagues from the National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP Diliman) went to Allen and Biri Island, Northern Samar from April 2-7, 2011 to conduct mapping and sampling of a rarely-occurring rock that was "discovered" in April 2010. We spent 2 days in Allen (stayed in a hotel courtesy of Mayor Suan) and another 2 days in Biri Island before going to Catarman where we waited for our flight (Cebu Pacific) going back to Manila.

There are two options of going to Biri Island: plane or bus.

For those who want to take the plane, you can either take the plane to Calbayog or Catarman, which are just 1 to 1.5 hours away from the town of Lavezares, which is the jump-off point to Biri. The plane schedule, however, is limited so you have to plan your schedule well. Flights are also cancelled from time to time because of bad weather conditions, so be sure you are prepared to spend additional days in the island. One can also take the plane to Tacloban (Leyte), although this would be an additional 5 to 6 hours land travel to Catarman/Lavezares. One good thing about this option is being able to cross the San Juanico Bridge which is the longest bridge in the Philippines.

For those who seek the ultimate travel adventure, one can take the bus from Manila to Matnog in Sorsogon (~10 hours), take the roro boat to Allen, Northern Samar across the San Bernardino Strait (~1.5 hours) and take a tricycle to Lavezares. In choosing this option, one is rewarded (if you are lucky) majestic views of active volcanoes like Banahaw, Iriga, Mayon and Bulusan.

This trip to Biri Island is my 4th since I first visited the Island in January 2010. In fact, a 5th visit is already scheduled this coming July with friends from college.

UP Los Banos

After a very busy summer and after the postponement of our trip to Ilocos which we have been planning the past two months, I decided to go to UP Los Banos to relax a bit and contemplate on what I have done the past school year. It's been a very "busy" vacation for me, waking up at 5 am and walking for kilometers to do some birdwatching and photography.