Pilipinas: #1 for fun! (My Contribution to DOT's Tourism Campaign)

Here's my personal collection of photos that will showcase why it's more fun to travel in the Philippines. 

This post features some of the places I had the chance to travel and live for the past few years together with family, friends, and loved ones. These places include Davao, Siquijor, South Cotabato, Tagum City, and Bohol. Enjoy!

I took this photo at a fishing village at Pasihagon bay in Siquijor. This side of the island showcases the most hellish sunset I've ever witnessed in my life. Take note, this sunset scene happens almost daily in this side of the island and so villagers treat this as an ordinary occurrence, while for visitors like myself, this is definitely a breathtaking sight. Imagine, I only used an ordinary digital camera to capture this scene, but look at the beauty. Hellfire, indeed!

I took this early morning shot using an ordinary digital camera at Lake Sebu. I could not help but be mesmerized when I woke up one morning and find out that the the world around me suddenly turned blue. 

Dahican Beach at Mati, Davao Oriental is one of my favorite places in the country. For one, it's unspoiled. Spell virginity, it's Dahican beach. I loved how the shore is devoid of cottages and resorts infrastructure. I loved how, after playing with the waves, my friends and I can only go to the nearest deep well and rinse ourselves (wuhoo). I will always love Dahican's virgin beach with its mad waves and soft white sands. Because of its beaches, I could visit Mati forever. 

At Hinagdanan Cave in Bohol, my brother, best friend, and I encountered one of the most hilarious tour guides ever. We forgot to get his name, but he was the one who made our visit to the cave really memorable. His jokes are very Pinoy and it made the entire caving experience really unforgettable. He made us realize that  we simply do not know how to use our digital camera. He took amazing shots using my best friend's Canon camera and showed off how he could easily tinker with the ISO and other umm, weird camera features. We need more fun tour guides like him!

My university buddies always visit Lantaw Bukid when we were still studying at UP Mindanao. It is a very relaxing place for friends and family who want to have fun (e.g. praying together with statue and take numerous jumping shots). Most importantly, the place is CHEAP for those who want to enjoy nature and avail of the resort's amenities such as badminton and Videoke (wuhoo!). 

One of the 'highlights' during my graduation at UP Mindanao was when a student rally 'disrupted' the celebration. It was memorable because UP is one of the few institutions where freedom of expression is greatly valued and well, exercised (todamax haha). Peace, people! Let's help the country move forward by doing our part in building the nation. 

I'm a bit hesitant to post this photo because some conservative-politically-correct-and-hollier-than-thou individuals might find this picture 'blasphemous'. (I don't even know if blasphemy can also be applied when bastardizing historical figures, lol.) But what I'd like to say that my best friend and I made the most of our time visiting the cold, hard statues of Datu Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez De Legazpi at the Blood Compact Shrine because... well, we're just crazily in love with these guys! :-p 

In front of Tagum City Hall, one can never go hungry at midnight. The street remains bustling because night vendors offer different kinds of street foods. I love the hot and tasty peanuts I get for only 10 pesos. What a great value for a fresh midnight snack! 

In Siquijor, the moment you step at the island's Pier, you'll immediately know that you're visiting an amazingly beautiful place. Promise, you'll never go bored while waiting for your fastcraft to Dumaguete, because you can simply stroll by the beach and admire the white, powdery sands (where else!) right at their Pier.

Last picture will again feature the beauty of Siquijor beaches. This photo was taken at Coral Cay Resort in Solangon, San Juan, Siquijor. We enjoyed swinging from a rope, just like Tarzan in the tropics. Truly, Philippine beach at its finest. 

_________________________________________________________________________

This is my personal contribution to DOT's #itsmorefuninthephilippines tourism campaign. I own all the pictures showcased in this blog. Do not hesitate to contact me if you want to use the photo for Philippine Tourism promotion. 

More pictures coming soon, but for now, feel free to make YOUR OWN #itsmorefuninthephilippines photo. For a user-friendly photo editor, you can use GIMP and then download harabara font. Have fun! ;-)