Pinatubo Special



Mt. Pinatubo has always brought bad memories. Not because my family was affected by  its explosion in the 90's but because the last time I went there, I had a hard time walking for a few days because of the trekking. And we did not even reached the peak at that time.

So when I was invited to climb Mt. Pinatubo's crater by my officemates, my first question was:
"Mag-trekking ba tayo mula sa baba?". This is a make or break question for me because I hate doing physical activities that involve running, walking (let me qualify this as super duper long walks) and exercising. When my officemate said that we would ride a 4 wheel drive  three-fourths of the way and walk only for 30 minutes, I said YES right away. How can you say no to seeing Pinatubo's crater? Plus, I don't have to walk far. That's the real clincher for me.

We left Manila to go to Capas, Tarlac on a Thursday afternoon. We spent a night in Tarlac because it would be less hassle than to leave Manila very early on the day of the climb.

We left the resort at 6 AM. We were supposed to leave at 5:30 but because we were so busy eating, we didn't notice the time. From the resort, we had to travel for approximately 30 mins to reach the Philippine Air Force (PAF) Military Camp. According to a site I read, the PAF are the ones who give clearances for trekking activities. Also, maybe for safety reasons, they give cut-off time (6:45 AM) for crossing the area. Anyway, when everything was paid for, we were all set to an adventure all of us would remember for the rest of our lives.

The ride started really smooth. We were cruising through lahar and small streams. However, as we got nearer to the station nearest to the crater, we experienced extremely bumpy ride. I was really amazed by the drivers because of how easily they maneuvered the 4WD in such rocky terrain. Upon reaching the ReyCat station, we had to walk for 30 mins. There was a signage in the area that showed the fastest time climbers reached the crater. 







Upon reaching the crater and seeing the sulfuric water of Mt. Pinatubo, you could not help but be amazed of God's creation. I am not really a religious person but I sure believe that no man created that beauty. To better visualize what I am saying, I would let the pictures says it all.





What I think is good about the management of the Mt. Pinatubo trekking is that there is actually controlling the activities. Meaning, someone dictates whether it is safe to go up the volcano or not. Despite, it being dormant (for now), safety measures would still have to be undertaken. Also, I found out that a small part of the revenue for the Mount Pinatubo activities are allotted to the Aetas who actually owns the land (ancestral domains people). What the Aetas receive is very minimal as compared to what the local government and the tourist companies are earning, but at least they get something.   

To summarize our tour to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo, I am ending this blog with a video made by one my colleagues and friend, Thea.


Note: Some pictures are courtesy of Althea Pineda, Dhen Mark Valera and Claire Pantoja

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Seven Falls, Lake Sebu

Image
Honestly, this is one work trip that I particularly hated. Not that I don't like South Cotabato (I'm actually in love with Mindanao and its provinces), but I had to go through a lot of shit just to make  this trip happen.  Anyway, to probably appease everyone's annoyance for being sent in a training in the middle of a very busy month, we were actually allowed to go to Lake Sebu. Lake Sebu is a one and a half drive from Koronadal (Marbel) and is home to the T'boli tribe. One of South Cotabato's attraction is the Seven Falls which is found in Barangay Siloton in Lake Sebu.  From General Santos, one can take a bus (Yellow Bus Line) to Koronadal (Marbel) then a van to Lake Sebu. Another option would be to ride a bus going to Surallah and then ride a jeepney to Lake Sebu The first Falls is the Hikong Alo which is the widest and the easiest to reach of all the Seven Lakes. Falls 2 or Hikong Bente on the other hand is 70 feet tall and can be reached after desce...
Read more

Terima Kasih Jakarta

Image
The Jakarta trip was probably one of the most tiresome international travel I had to take despite all the convenience we were provided. For one, the trip was mostly spent working. We were either in meetings with our Indonesian partners or we were in the conference facilitating workshops and doing logistical work. Adding to the stress of the conference, I had to endure stomach problems and a fever during the first few days. Thankfully, the conference was a success despite all the roadblocks and I felt better by the start of the conference.  I would no longer give general information about Jakarta because you'll see that in the internet anyway. However, I would like to describe Jakarta to be a cleaner and greener version of Metro Manila. The traffics is worst than ours, the streets are occupied by vendors, people cross the streets without even caring if they are in a pedestrian lane, and they also have informal settlers near water systems. Despite these things, I cannot help but...
Read more

Pinto Art Museum

Image
I am not artsy. I am the "exception to the rule" when they say that left handed people are good with drawing or painting or any visual arts. However, it doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good artwork when I see one. Or I am just pretending to really appreciate art. Anyway.... I've been hearing good reviews and seeing amazing pictures of the Pinto Art Museum. According to all this information online, this Museum in Antipolo, Rizal is operated by Silangan Foundation for Arts, Culture, and Ecology, a non-profit organization. What sets this museum apart from any other museum is how it has incorporated nature in the presentation of the artwork. Unlike other museum where paintings and sculptures are arranged meticulously in an airconditioned building, Pinto made use of its 1.2 hectare property by putting artworks in the garden and in buildings that reminds me of the structures in Greece. Most of the paintings and sculptures, as the curator/artist A...
Read more