Crocodile in Boracay to vie for Guinness record

 A saltwater crocodile in this resort island will vie for a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records hoping to reclaim the title lost with the death of "Lolong."
Leenard Tirol, owner of the Boracay Wildlife Expo said Wednesday in an interview, that he learned of the said crocodile from a staff associated with the Paramount Picture, a Hollywood movie productions, and who encouraged him to have a crocodile as a pet.
Currently, there is no official size of the said saltwater crocodile but sources said it may reach 18 feet in length. The said male saltwater crocodile is also estimated to be 15 months old.
Tirol said that he bought the said crocodile from a crocodile farm in Bago City, Negros Occidental.
But while it is vying for a world record, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that it plans to seize the said crocodile from owner.
"I am willing to turn over the crocodile if it (DENR) could ensure its safety and be able to properly takes care for its survival," said Tirol, owner of the Boracay Wildlife Expo.The said crocodile is currently luring both foreign and local tourists in this resort island.
"Lolong" used to be the record holder for the title of biggest crocodile in the world as it measured 6.12 meters or 20 feet 4 inches.

Boracay residents hold signature campaign on Ati's death

Residents in this resort island is launching a signature campaign to formally seek the help of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III for a speedy resolution of the death of the ati spokesman here recently.
Fr. Arnold Crisostomo of the Holy Rosary Parish said that at least 1,000 signatures will be attached to the letter to be sent to the President.
"The residents of Boracay are affected by the killing of Dexter Condez, 26, an ati spokesman. We want the iron hand of the president to ensure justice for Condez," said Crisostomo.
Aside from the residents, officials of the Boracay Foundation Incorporated, a business group in this resort island, is supporting the call for the president's swift action.
Also included in the signatory are foreign nationals who express disappointments over the killing.
Police authorities believe that the killing of Condez is related to a land dispute. A security guard has been initially tagged as the suspect in the killing, but he denied the accusation.

Philippine gov't assures safety of tourists visiting Boracay

The Philippine government said Monday that security measures are in place to ensure the safety of tourists who will be spending the Holy Week here.

For one, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine Coast Guard and the Department of Transportation and Communication have been deployed here to secure tourists who are expected to arrive in droves.

"The government is prepared to secure tourists who have started to arrive in Boracay in time for the long holiday," said Tim Ticar, officer of DOT-Boracay.

The Philippine government noted that the beaches of Boracay are favored by local and foreign tourists especially during the Holy Week.

The DOT said hotels and resorts are already fully booked and that it has offered homestay as an alternative to tourists.

COMELEC to enforce liquor ban in Boracay

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will strictly enforce liquor ban in this resort island in preparation for the forthcoming midterm elections.
Based on the election schedule, liquor ban will be implemented nationwide beginning May 9 until the midnight of May 13.
The Omnibus Election Code states that it would be considered unlawful to sell nor give away liquors during the election period stated.
Violators of this code will be penalized with one to six years imprisonment and will be investigated by the Comelec. Sources said that foreigners who will be found violating the protocol will be investigated by the Bureau of Immigration.
However, exempted from the said code were tourism establishments certified by the Department of Tourism.
DOT-Boracay officer in charge Tim Ticar said that they are now accepting applications from different bar owners here who wanted to be exempted from the liquor ban.

Oil level in Philippines' Boracay beaches 'worrisome'

The oil level in the waters of Boracay has reached exceeded the acceptable level and may continue to increase due to the expected influx of tourists in the coming days, an environment official based in central Philippines said Monday.

The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources disclosed that based on its latest monitor, the oil level in Boracay is currently at more than two milligrams per meter.

"While coliform level in this resort island has significantly been reduced, we are worried about the oil level we found in the beaches here. It's still safe to swim in Boracay's waters but the expected increase in tourists due to the summer season could cause the oil level to rise," said EMB regional director Samson Guillergan in an interview.

Guillergan said among the factors that led to the increase in the oil level in the beaches are the dumping of vegetable oil from food establishments and residential areas, waste water from the bancas, and various water sports activities.

He urged tourists and residents in the area to help maintain the good quality of the beaches of Boracay.

Lifeguards in Boracay Island extend duty hours

Rescuers in this resort island decided to extend their service hours in anticipation of the influx of tourists to Boracay Island.
Rescuers here are divided into two groups, one coming from the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) while the other comes from the Boracay Action Group.
Mike Labatiao, Boracay Lifeguard Supervisor, said that the lifeguard services will be extended until 7:00 p.m. daily from the previous that lasted only until 5:00 p.m.
Aside from the longer service hours, the lifeguards will also extend services now reaching Sitio Diniwid of Yapak.
Recently a Chinese tourist died of drowning after it was not immediately noticed that she was in danger.
"We also asked the services of the security guards stationed in isolated areas of Boracay to be vigilant in case of a drowning incident that may happen near their vicinity.

DENR to present result of Boracay's water salinity to stakeholders

The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday will present to stakeholders here the result of the study they conducted on the beach water salinity of this resort island.
The presentation will inform the stakeholders on how they could help maintain Boracay beach clean as possible.
The EMB-DENR has been conducting water quality sampling once every two months in this resort island to ensure its sustainability.
Invited to the forum are the local government unit, stakeholders and the residents.

Ten Things Every Female Traveler Must Know About Beijing

Prime and Nina

1. You need to process your visa at least a month before your flight

 

Everyone needs a tourist visa to enter China and it will take at least four working days for embassy officials to process your visa application. Apart from filled up application form, photo ID, your passport and processing fee, you might also need to submit other documents to get visa approval. These include a copy of your return ticket, proof of income (such as income tax returns), and police clearance. Please go to this website:  http://www.chinese-embassy.info   - to get a complete list of documents to prepare when applying for tourist visa from your home country.

 

2. Beijing is generally safe for solo women travelers

 

And this is thanks mostly to numerous police and security officers that patrol the city, limiting the incidence of serious and violent crimes. But you shouldn't take this for granted a petty crimes do occur. So it's always best to use your common sense when traveling to Beijing (or anywhere for that matter] –avoid dodgy places, don’t travel alone at night, keep your passport and money in a safe place, and never ever join or even watch political demonstrations 

 

 

3. The best time to travel to Beijing is on autumn. 

 

That’s between September to early October, as the weather is cooler and dry – ideal for trekking the Great Wall and to roam around the city.  Another option is to go there on spring – from late March to mid- May - when the weather is neither too hot nor too cold and the winds blow away the smog. 

 

There are some exemptions though. Avoid going there on the first week of May, when they’re celebrating Labor Day or on the first week of October when they’re celebrating National Day. These are peak tourist seasons and it will do well to avoid the crowd.

 

4. The best way to travel around Beijing is through the subway.

 

Avoid the traffic ham and the looooong wait for a cab by just getting on the city’s extensive underground railway system. Most of Beijing’s famous tourist sites are accessible through the subway so you can do all your sightseeing without having to rent a car.  Be sure to get a free subway map from your hotel so you can plan your itinerary or you can print this out:  http://www.beijingchina.net.cn/transportation/subway.html  - as it contains both the map and the time table for the subway. 

 

You can pay a flat fare of 2 yuan – about 30 U.S.  cents - for a single trip.  But if you’re staying in Beijing for several days, better get the integrated circuit card (ICC card) that costs 20 yuan  which you can use for multiple rides. The ICC card also accepted on many city buses in Beijing. You can 

 

5. Book an airport  transfer -it's worth it, trust me.

 

Because it’s too difficult to get a cab in Beijing – and this is moreso when you’re in the airport where you have to “fight” with numerous and not-so nice travelers who won’t hesitate to “steal” the can that you flagged down. Cab drivers also can’t speak English so unless you’re good in Mandarin, you might as well contact your hotel in advance and ask for a transfer. One way airport transfer costs between thirty to fifty dollars – pay it and avoid the hassle.

 

  

6. Bring a phrasebook anywhere.

 

Most Chinese can’t speak English and even if you have some knowledge of the Chinese language, this may not be enough to get on with your daily life. Get a phrasebook that contains both  the Romanized  pinyin and Chinese characters [known as Hanzi] so you can just point the written phrase to the vendor or waiter taking your order. I did just that when I was buying my SIM card – that plus my limited grasp of Mandarin and a few hand gestures to seal the deal.     

 

One of my colleagues advised that I talked to younger Beijingers (twentysomethings] as they are usually educated and learned English in school. This, however is a hit and miss affair.

 

7. There are several types of accommodation in Beijing.

 

And there’s something to fit your budget and lifestyle - luxury hotels, backpackers hostels even homestays for those who are keen to deepen their knowledge of Mandarin. But I find it a bit expensive though compared to Bangkok, Hanoi or Kuala Lumpur – so yes, Beijing can be pricier than Southeast Asia ( except for Singapore]. 

 

 My lil sis and I decided to book a room at Beijing Sanlitun Hostel  - it’s clean, safe, inexpensive, located near several restaurants/bars and just a few blocks away from a subway station. There’s also a café serving both local and Western cuisine at the ground floor, a billiard hall, internet station and a laundry service.  The hostel also offers guided tours and airport transfer. You can book a room via http://www.itisbeijing.com/china/Index.Asp . A single private room with ensuite bathroom, aircon and tv costs 200 yuan/night or about 30 U.S. dollars.

 

 

8 . Want to get acupuncture? Let me recommend my doctor.

 

Australian-Chinese Alex Tan is the Oriental Medicine doctor behind Straight Bamboo (http://straightbamboo.com]  located. He has a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and has been studying and practicing TCM since 2002. He has also been practicing Qi Gong for more than a decade.
I talked about my TCM experience in one of my blog posts, so if you’re interested to learn more about the Chinese way to health and wellness (or just curious about I-ching then  book a session with Alex through his mobile:  +86 150 1151 0363l or send an email at http://straightbamboo.com/contact/

 

9. Warm tea is the best beverage you can drink in Beijing. Here’s why.

 

Beijing is generally a dry city so you will often experience dry and scratchy throat. While drinking water may solve the problem,  it’s actually drinking warm tea that will best lubricate my parched throat. But not just any tea – most restaurants in Beijing offer service tea and they’re made from brewed tea leaves  bot those godawful tea bags.  If you have the time, better go on a tour of Maliandao Tea Market and acquaint yourself with different kinds of teas and savor some of the world’s best freshly-made  cups of tea.

 

10. Want to know more about Chinese culture? Then visit The Hutong. 

 

This is Beijing’s culture exchange center where expats, travelers and locals to meet and connect. The center offers several cooking classes, tea market tours, Qi Gong sessions and lectures on everything and anything you want to know about China. You can contact The Hutong through their website: http://thehutong.com/.

Boracay Island: Loosing its Paradise?

Fr. Am Mijares

Boracay has been dubbed as a Paradise Island by people who come, but the ones who stay are the one's making it like hell even a hell for one another. One may come and enjoy externally the beaches which are beginning to be more and more populated not only with people but with dirt, trash, but they leave after some time.  Those who stay, or those who by change are around may hear about the mention of rape, robbery, murders.  Recently, It is becoming hell for those who have enjoyed originally this island as a gift from God - Atis.  

Atis are historically the orginally settlers of Boracay and slowly, this paradise, as considered my media and tourism, is being transformed into hell. The recent murder of an Ati leader adds to the spiral of violence which errupts from human greed which causes land disputes in Boracay.

Obviously it is due to a piece of land, awarded to the Atis as their ancestral domain.  Other interested parties wanted to construct something to gain more profits from the land.  Yes, land for them has to be productive and to make it just be a dwelling piece of land for people who might not be even considered civilized would be normally considered unreasonable for business.

The Atis, therefore has no space.  They were harassed always, their land was barracaded by private security guards owned by a famous company and owns also a huge hotel in Boracay, but the Atis remained steadfast and  did what is right: to claim the land which was in fact, since the beginning, were theirs.  Maybe the documents were not present but now the government awarded the land to them.  Thanks to the efforts of the Sisters of Charity and the Parish of the Holy Rosary 

The mind of the perpetuators is short sighted.  We have a problem: so eliminate the problem, eliminate the Atis so that they would have no more problem and make Boracay as a paradise. Let the tourists come and enjoy its amenities, as long as you have money to spend, never mind the lives of people.  

But who would like to come to a place where is violence?  Who would like to be robbed of life, who would like not to be respected as human beings? Who would like to come to a place where nature is not respected and much more life?

Could tourism increase where paradise is slowly being eroded?  How shortminded these people are.  They want to utilize the land to attract more tourists but never hesistate to kill, in order to drive the tourists away.

Would we then shift the idea of tourism not only of creating commodities and pleasure but a true exchange of human resources and culture?  The marginalization of our tribal minorities for the sake of tourism is the best way to scare tourists away.  

Let us learn from the experience of Hawaii where the natives are being showcased for tourism not as objects but persons who have their own cultural value.  Instead of pushing aside the Atis, they could be considred as gifts to the international community and hence, they demand respect, give them value, support them.  People are attracted to peace rather than violence, to respectfullness of the human dignity rather than its violation. More than the place, we have something to offer, our people and our culture, not mentioning our friendships and of course our faith and our God.  These are gifts of God to Aklan, the province where Boracay is.  Aklan is not only Boracay, it's quite other way round, Boracay is part of Aklan and "Boracay: Island Paradise" does not represent the true Boracay.  And you cannot think of Boracay without our cultural minorities, the Atis.

Our brother Ati, friend, and leader to his own brothers, Dexter Condez, has contributed and given for his own life not only to the Ati community but to Boracay and Aklan as a whole.  Let us give our share in making our island really a paradise and not loose this paradise before its too late.