LAKE SEBU IN MINDANAO

I rode a habal habal (motorcyle for hire) from the Government-owned inn to Punta Isla in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. Roundtrip fare is 120 pesos.

 

 The view is amazing in Lake Sebu!

I Everyone will love the sunset in Lake Sebu.

I super love this shot taken at the Tilapia fishpond inside Punta Isla.

Croc

Wild Flower

 I hope to come back again to Lake Sebu someday. The weather in  Lake Sebu is like Tagaytay. I love the freshly grilled tilapia. Its the biggest and freshest Tilapia I ever tasted so far.

DAY SEVEN (7) IT IS NOT GOODBYE GENSAN IT IS SEE YOU AGAIN! (NAWILI HA HA HA!)

SEE YOU AGAIN GENSAN! Yes, it is not goodbye, it is see you again GENSAN!  I fell in Love with the fresh Tuna in GENSAN and with the people who are full of hospitality and kindness. Ma-fe- feel mo talaga na sincere sila sa pagtulong, no ifs, no buts they simply love helping and welcoming people! 


One good example is my generous and wonderful ANGEL in GENSAN- ATE MELINDA "MELINS" BAYNOSA BETAIZAR, who, did not only open her heart, but also her home for me- a complete stranger! Saan ka makakakita ng ganun tao? I met her @ the CITY HALL, she's the budget officer II, and she is really very very nice, a kind of person who would go the extra mile to help and accommodate even new found friends! I hope your tribe increase ate melins! Mabuhay si ate Melins!




I Love TUNA!!! Sobra!!! I had a blast @ Kiko's Family restaurant, and @ ate Melins house! Babalik ako!!! Sa mga nagsasabing hindi safe sa Mindanao, I feel safer there than in Metro Manila! Maling mali ang akala natin lahat, safe po sa Mindanao! Kaya tara na, byahe tayo papuntang GENSAN!

PAL flew me to GENSAN & back to MANILA for only P1,240 RT

With Kuya Avel ( BARILES) and Ate Melins

Posing posing bago uwi :-)

Eto ang tumambad sa amin sa airport BONGGA!!!!


Sa mga pupunta sa GENSAN sa SEPTEMBER 18-26, 2010 eto ang kanilang CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES

September 10, 2010, the much-awaited concert of the ASAP Sessionistas will happen at Mindanao’s largest indoor air-conditioned gymnasium, the GenSan Gym in Barangay Lagao. This is one of the city’s biggest gathering of famous performers from Manila.

  Sept 22- Search for Ginang Bariles

Sept 25 - Search for Ms. GenSan 2010
Sept 25 - Search for Mr. GenSan 2010 a new event!
Sept 26 - Gaisano Mall's search for Munting Mutya ng GenSan 2010

  Sept 24 - Search for GenSan Band Idol 

• Pasiklaban Cheer Dance Competition on Sept 18

• Campus Radio’s Sayaw Sa Baybay-Kids Edition on Sept 21
• Search for GenSan Pop Idol Year 6 on Sept 22
• GenSan Pop Star Kids Competiion on Sept 23
• Fishdance Hip-Hop Dance Competition on Sept 24

The GTx Month is also filled with exciting sports competitions:

• Tuna Motorbike Competition
• Beach Volleyball Competition
• Robinsons’ 1st TunaBodis Body-Building Competition
• National Skim Boarding Competition
• HRM Mini-Skills Competition
• Robinsons’ Inter-Tribe Tuna Cookfest
• Bombo Radyo’s Bancarera

On its own, the FishFest sa Fishport will also have its own set of events for the fishermen on September 22nd:

• Langoy-Bugsay Marathon Challenge
• 1st Lawihan Street Dancing Competition

To enliven the GTx more, there are the parties and concerts!

• Kapamilya Caravan featuring ABS-CBN stars @ KCC on Sept 18 (new!)
• Kapuso Night featuring GMA stars @ KCC on Sept 24 (new!)
• Robinsons’ Praize Xtreme Concert on Sept 19
• Foam Parties @ East Asia Royale Hotel Arcade Parking Lot on Sept 24-25
• Robinsons’ Al Fresco Sashimi Night featuring the Best of GenSan Bands on Sept 25
• SMART Communications Concert @ Oval Plaza Stage on Sept 25
• GLOBE Telecoms Concert @ Oval Plaza Stage on Sept 26
• San Miguel Beer Concert @ the Junction on Sept 26

Culmination Day (Sept 26, 2010):

• Tuna Float Parade Competition @ 9am

• GTX Mardi-Gras Competition (Street Dancing) @ 9m

• Splash in the Sky Fireworks Display @ 7pm

And for three weeks, these attractions will be featured at the City Oval Plaza, the main activity center:

• Tinda-Tinda sa GTx (Flea Market)

• Tuna Food Plaza

• Tuna Fiesta Carnival

• Plantuna Garden Show

• San Miguel Beer Barkada Zone

Saan parte ka man ng mundo o ng PILIPINAS makibahagi na sa Bonggacious na selebrasyon ng 2010 TUNA FESTIVAL!!! TARA BYAHE TAYO SA GENSAN!!!

DO-IT-YOURSELF HIGH-IN-THE-SKY AT LAKE SEBU, MINDANAO

DO-IT-YOURSELF HIGH-IN-THE-SKY AT LAKE SEBU, MINDANAO

The mountaintops of Lake Sebu provide the perfect stage for a zipping adventure. The high-thrill act is now whizzing the mountain wild of the lakeside villages of Lake Siloton and Lake Lahit in Lake Sebu, considered the summer capital of the province of South Cotabato.

I hired a habal habal (motorcycle) for P30.00 (one way) to bring me to the zip line area.The zip line only operates along the second falls up to the fifth since the first, sixth and the seventh falls are 1.2 km off the four falls. The Seven Falls is a series of river plunge along the mountain forests of Lake Sebu.

There is an entrance fee at Falls Number 2 set at P 20.00/ head. I had photo ops near the falls, then went to the zip line area but nobody was there. My habal habal driver decided to fetch the zip line crew upstairs. When he came back, he told me to wait for a little bit longer because the crew members were eating their merienda (snacks).

Then the zip line moment came! Whew! Nobody is in line. The rain has just stopped. That is why I have the zip line all to myself! Wooooot!

"You are up here in the Seven Falls,” said one of the crew members. “And we assure you that it’s going to be a unique and happy experience. No athletic ability is needed here,” he assured me.

The harness drapes around my back, chest, legs, and hooks onto the metal trolley. I asked him what the weight limit is for the harness. He said the limit is 170 kilos. So I am safe.

This is the Seven Falls Zip Line.

As I hang with the 3/4 inch cable above me along the 700-feet-deep foliage, I wanted to scream, but nothing came out of my mouth, except for ha ha ha! With my body extending forward like superman, hands slumping, hair raging in the gush of misty winds, I flew at 120 kilometers per hour toward a hardly visible spot in the distance. I saw a carpet of trees and bushes in fiery colors of green, hill-walking trails and the regal falls opened up beneath my feet with no structures to break the spell in an area inhabited by bird-monkeys, butterflies and tarsiers.

LUPAD (native dialect for flying)

For that first zip, I looked to my right side to see the mesmerizing falls, then I looked down and marveled at the wonders of nature. “Dear God, you’re truly amazing!” is all I can utter. It was an exhilarating feeling!  I can't explain the happiness I felt.

 Flying high at 700 feet deep, 700 meters long zip line 

As I get to the other end, the zip slowed down and rocked to a stop, the jolly crew cheered. And asked me if I am all set to do it again at the other tower.

Lake Sebu’s zip lines provide thrills for young and old alike, as long as the riders have no fear of heights. They said you have to be intimately involved with the cable in order to achieve bliss.

At the view deck after my first zip line wala lang parang tanga lang ha ha ha! 

The first zip ride took only 38 seconds, but why rush it? The crew suggested a slower ride with an appropriate wind breaker to slow down the speed in order to better appreciate the sights. On the second zip, the ride was full of sights of more trees, falls, falls, falls and falls—the sight of the gushing falls below. It’s over, finally, in 15 seconds.

Zip at the second line 400 meters long, done in 15 sec.

Beautiful Falls

Zip-lining is a sport that requires floating through the thick forest while linked to a network of solid wires strung between stands.

Combined weight of up to 170 Kilos is allowed.

In between, the zip line hits the speeds of 100 kph. The dual zip lines, one traverses 700 meters and the second, 400 meters, strung over mountains, trails and seven falls at 700-feet deep—the record-holder among zip line operators in terms of height.

The slant of descent, the length of cables and the aerodynamic form all go to the speed and length of the ride. Added amenities hang over the zip line such as the trailing, bridges, rest rooms. Now that they have laid down the foundation for zip-line touring in Lake Sebu, the provincial government is already looking to expand and enhance the experience.

In the next months, they said they plan to open further expansions such as cable cars, a gazebo, stick insect and butterfly farms, and tarsier and bird-monkey watching in their own sanctuary as the new adventure outpost.

The twin zip line ride will cost you P250 per ride on a weekend, holidays, fiesta/ anniversaries. Entry fee to the waterfalls is P20 per person and the landowners get a 15-percent monthly share from the provincial government. They are likewise given priority for future employment.

You ought to try it too! Come visit Lake Sebu and experience the warmth and hospitality of the Tboli tribe and eat the freshest and biggest Tilapia you'll ever see. Visit the Philippines!