Usual Sights Around The Island

If one is a tourist or a first time traveler, scenes like an overloaded tricycle is a usual sight around the island. Just be safe and have fun.



RELATED LINKS:

• Must See Sights in Catanduanes - Popular sights in the southern part of the island.
• Bato Church - Old Spanish built church in Bato.
• The Old LORAN Station - former US Coast Guard Station.
• Sights in the Northern Part - Sights in Gigmoto, Viga, Bagamanoc, Payo, Pandan and Caramoran.

A Good Treat For Islanders Like Us

I guess this is everyone's fave seafood for islanders like us, no question about that, except for those who are hypertensive and suffering rheumatism. A ginataang alimango spiked up with sili labuyo or bird seed is a good treat for vacationers but also to visitors.

And in a few months, will be the end of school year and eventually lenten season when everyone would be looking for fun and retreat... I can't hardly wait.

Tourism: The Catandungan Way

In less than two months from now, will be the start of year 2009 and in three months, will be the onset of summer in the Philippines. At this time of year would be a good start to review our tourism goals of promoting Catanduanes as an alternative destination.

Everybody knows that our island have a number of tourist attractions; surfing, beaches, resorts, rainforest, hotels, lodging houses, rivers, old churches, seafoods and friendly people.

What we probably lack then are, marketing, coordination and logistical capabilities to run our tourism industry like a well-oiled machine.

For marketing, we can advertise and sell our tourism destination online because obviously our provincial tourism council have no budget to buy an airtime in the national television. We can capitalize on our local talents to do a music video.

We can also capitalize in our student and alumni organizations as marketing arm by giving out flyers, leaflets and through social networking sites. In return, the organization with the highest number of tourist invited, will be given a reward and citation.

As to lodging, the council should start issuing an accreditation to some locals who wish to rent out their bedrooms and bathrooms as an alternative for backpackers. They can also provide a designated and secured boot camp in the 11 municipalities for those who wish to sleep on tents and sleeping bags.

Finally, the council should also issue stickers to accredited vans, boats, tricycles and public vehicles to prevent overcharging of fares, which would tarnish our image for a long time. Without much ado, let's do tourism the Catandungan way.

RELATED LINKS:

• Making Catanduanes a Tourism Destination - Suggestions to tourism development in Catanduanes.
• Int'l TV Channel to Produce Documentary on Catanduanes - Living Asia Channel to produce documentary on Catanduanes
• First Half of 2009 Tourism Destinations - Catanduanes made it to top 15 tourist destination during the first semester of 2009
  

Smiling At Life In Catanduanes

Possibly, many are wondering why am I posting maps of not often heard remote villages in our island. Peaceful, remote, laid back and rustic. Inhabitants of this small communities often are relatives and have kins working overseas or perhaps migrated in other places.

What makes these characteristics interesting to me is, these villages and municipalities can be a potential retirement destination for both foreign or local retirees, once promoted and develop as a retiree's haven. It is projected that this retirement program would be a US$40B industry by 2015.

Retirees often are in the twilight of their years and would pose no harm to our security, people and environment. And could be of help in our community by hiring caregivers, drivers, gardeners and househelps. They would not crave for expensive and heavily calorie laden foods, but instead, more on organically grown fresh vegetables and fishes, to which our friendly farmers and fishers can provide.

Maybe, there are some former residents who migrated and wishing to start smiling at life in Catanduanes.

RELATED ARTICLES:

• Barangay Manambrag - This is Manambrag, a barangay of San Andres (Calolbon) Catanduanes. I never gone to this place yet but it looks like a small peaceful village. According to August 2007 Census, she has an overall population of 2,582.
• The PRA Business Guide - As a general rule, anyone regardless of nationality may invest in the Philippines. However, foreign nationals enrolled in the Retirement Program are, under the Authority’s existing Implementing Investment Guidelines, permitted after a holding period of 30 days

Pantomina Lyrics And Music

Pantomina is Spanish for pantomime, movements imitating the courtship movements of the rooster and the hen.


Ang mga babaye
Kung mayo pa nin agom
Maugay nin aga maugay nin hapon
Alagad kung sinda igua na nin agom
Maugay Octobre, Disyembreng sunudon.

Ica palan, Nenang ang pinagsasabi
Magayon na burac sa lugar na ini
Magayon ang tindog malinig ang pisngi
Arin pa daw ang puso ang dai mawili.

Can ica sadit pa sadit pa man aco
Si satuyang cawat magkudot-kudotan
Kinudot mo aco kinudot ta ca man
Sabi mo sa saco luhayluhaya man.

Ang mga lalake
Hudyan sisaboot
Ang pinagsasabing ngarang pagcamoot
Kundi ang babayeng iyo minahilod
Akong minahiling can mga pangguyod.

RELATED LINKS:

• Is There an English Equivalent Word for Pantomina? - Thoughts...
  
• Music Museum - Boses nin Catandungan - Fund Raising for victims of typhoons in Catanduanes