Typhoon Ondoy's Wrath

Strong typhoon hit Manila, Philippines causing heavy flooding especially in the depressed areas. My hometown (Pandacan, Manila) only suffered minor flooding and power outage, but the surrounding towns and cities were submerged in flood water.

Watch the 10-minute youtube video below (contains foul language in the middle portion of the clip) as it shows how devastating the storm was:



The government is calling for unity now, "bayanihan" in our local parlance. As of this writing, the flood water in some areas has receded down to knee. Traffic has returned to normal in some roads, but some streets are still not passable.

Family Out of Town: Cebu - Kawasan Falls

Before I go back to work in the US, my siblings and I, together with corresponding partners, went to Cebu for a family vacation.

We spent 3 days (2 nights) in Cebu, and the last leg of our trip was in Kawasan Falls, which is a wonder of nature!

Kawasan Falls is far from Downtown, Cebu - around 4 hours trip. Special thanks to Karaan Family for their help, we were able to get there. They provided us transpo so we can go around Cebu.

In the picture above, we were standing on the foot bridge going to the Falls. No vehicles are allowed from that point on.

It was a fantastic getaway, and a great bonding experience with family. I hope to have a repeat of this trip or similar.

MRT Ayala Station During Rush Hour

This is how it looked like at MRT Ayala Station during rush hour. Tons of people waiting for the train ride. Just imagine how it would look like inside the train. Wow. Inside the car you'll probably smell different odors, mixture of good and bad. If you're sitting, you probably have to deal with disgusting rubbing of legs. Oh, you also have to be extremely vigilant of pick-pockets.

By the way, this was taken today, after my girlfriend and I finished shopping for wedding bands/rings.

LRT Suspended for Holy Week

I was supposed to use the LRT going to my girlfriend's place when I saw this sign hanging on the rope blocking the stair's entrance. No LRT for the entire Holy Week. Are you kidding me?

If you can't read the sign, it says:

Walang Byahe ang train simula April 9-12. Stop operation of Train: Monday pa ang byahe 13 sa Abril sa train. TY.

I kinda like LRT - it's cheap and much faster than taking a cab/jeep or driving. *sigh* What can I do?

10 Days in the Philippines

I'm in the Philippines for a short Easter vacation. This is my 2nd trip to my country of origin in a year. My previous visit was August of 2008.

This year, I'm spending my 10-day vacation with my girlfriend. This trip is for her. We're going to talk about our future together, and other plans for the "big one" next year.

Also, I'm planning to spend quality time with my brother and sisters by going to Cebu for a 3-days 2-nights trip. It should be fun.