Thursday, October 30, 2008

Boracay Night Shots

There are basically two types of people in Boracay. The first kind are those who are wanderers at day at sleeps at night and the other kind are those sleep during the day but are very much alive during the night. The latter is what is known as the Night Party People who prefer to enjoy the beauty of the place during the night. Who would blame them, Boracay never sleeps and there are as much fun activity at night such as these shown from the photos I have taken while cruisin' Bora's night life. These photos taken before your blogger got lost in the party scene.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

I Just Can't Get Enough

The new Meme That's My World is on it's second week and since I still can't get enough of this place, I will share to you once again some landscape shots of my country's premier beach - BORACAY!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Paparazzi in Boracay

Boracay is undoubtedly the most crowded beach in the Philippines. Aside from its really fine features (the sand, the sea, the views) - what makes Boracay stand-out are the People who frequents or inhabits the place. As a tribute to them, I am now posting here People you will see and encounter in the place.

The Babes
Comes in different shapes.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Views From Mount Luho

Mount Luho is the highest peak in Boracay where a viewdeck and wealkway built mostly on bamboo is established. It is located in the upper portion of Barangay Balabag and can be reached thru walking/hiking, bicycles, ATVs or motorcycles. From there, you will have magnificent views of the Bulabog Beach on your rights and the Lapuz-Lapuz and Ilig-Iligan Beaches on your right. You will also have a bird's eye view of the ocean and the various recreational and sports activities happening therein. Here are some shots I have taken from the highest point of Boracay.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Ilig-Iligan Beach, Boracay

To continue with Boracay beach-hopping, let me now feature one of Boracay's hidden beaches - the Ilig-Iligan. This beach is on the east coast of Boracay Island and offers several coves and caves. Tourists here have the option of either exploring the land or the sea. If you prefer the sea, the shoreline in this beach is perfect for swimming with its crystal clear and warm waters for a relaxing bath. If you prefer to explore the land, this part of Boracay has an impressive jungle where giant fruit bats may be seen hanging in the trees. The Bat Cave and the Crystal Cave, which I have previously featured in this blog, is just a 15-minute trek from this beach. Here are some shots I have taken at Ilig-Iligan Beach:

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Angol Rocks and Live Coral Beds

Every stretch of beach has to end somewhere and the White Beach of Boracay is no exception. I have previously featured the northern end of White Beach in my Diniwid post. This time, let me share to you its southern end made famous for amazing formations of beach rocks and live coral beds. This part of the beach has countless varieties of living coral of myriad shapes and sizes including many examples of colorful brain corals. I was informed that at low tide, most of the shelf is exposed, making it easy to explore. However, the wind was rough on both occasions I went there so I could only wander halfway and just concentrated on taking shots of the very scenic rock structures there. So here are some of the shots I have taken at that southern end of White Beach:

Monday, October 13, 2008

Bat and Crystal Caves in Boracay

Boracay boasts a number of small to medium sized caves scattered along the island and I have explored two of its more famous ones.

BAT CAVE

Bat Cave, located on the northern tip of the island is probably the most visited. As the name implies, this cave is home to bats some of which have wingspan of almost four feet. It rained in the morning I went there so I could only make it halfway the cave just enough for me to take some photos of the cave's opening as well as some photos of the the stalactite and stalagmite formations inside. Too bad, the only bats I saw were small ones.

Let there be light.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Tambisaan Beach, Boracay

One of the best things to do while in Boracay is to go beach-hopping. I have previously featured the beaches of Puka, White Beach and Diniwid. To continue, let me share to you my trip to Tambisaan Beach. This beach is a short walk away a rocky point and probably has the best view of the Crocodile Island which is one of the best place for snorkeling. The beach here is small but quite nice. A small friendly village is nearby, where the athmosphere is sleepy until the southwest moonsoon begins. Just along side the beach is a docking area for boats taking passengers from Boracay to Caticlan.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Diniwid Beach, Boracay

Diniwid Beach is a secluded, peaceful little beach that is only 200 meters long. It is just a short walk from the north end of the White Beach along the Fairways and Bluewater Road. Take the time to trek here and be rewarded with one of the best views of the island from a platform rock. Also of note, is the exclusive resort home area built on the steep, high seacliff at the end of the Diniwid Beach.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Boracay Sunset

This is my 300th post. I started this blog as an aide for me in my reviews for the bar and this blog somewhat progressed to be a travel and photo blog. Traveling has always been my passion and photography is one of my silent hobbies. However, I would never forget this blog's root so you will see an occasional law topic along the way.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

World Animal Day

Today we celebrate World Animal Day. This is the time to appreciate our relationship with the animals that share our planet and the ways in which they enrich our lives. This blog is no stranger to animals. You can check out my posts with animal themes in my Kahayupan categories in the side link. One of the more popular animal characters here is Charlie – the smiling monkey. So I will bring him back in this post together with some other animals previously featured in this blog. I will also introduce you to some of my pets at home.

Who would ever forget Charlie?


This is DILBERT - My Hyper-Active Toy Dog


The Philippine National Animal - Carabao


Cute Tarsiers from Bohol


All Pretty Horses from Baguio City


Pot-pot - My Parrot Fish with other Cyclids in My Aquarium


A Slick Hawk from Davao City


Coldman - Ang Lorong Alaskador Pero Pogi


On a more serious note, it is important to speak out to ensure the humane treatment of animals and to advocate for protection of the habitats that are home to wild animals. So, this is a proper time to revisit and be aware of a Philippine Law aimed to protect and promote the welfare of all animals in the Philippines – The R.A. 8485 better known as “The Animal Welfare Act of 1998”.

For better understanding of the said law, your blogger deemed it proper to present this law in a Q&A format. Hope you find this post useful and informative.

What is the Purpose of RA 8485?


The purpose of RA 8485 is to protect and promote the welfare of all animals in the Philippines by supervising and regulating the establishment and operations of all facilities utilized for breeding, maintaining, keeping, treating or training of all animals either as object of trade or as household pets.

What are the requirements before a person or business establishments can be allowed to operate animal facilities and shops?


They need to secure a certificate of registration with the Bureau of Animal Industry. Such certificate shall be issued upon proof that the facilities of such establishment for animals are adequate, clean and sanitary and will not be used for, nor cause pain and/ or suffering to the animals. This is a continuing requirement for which failure to observe these conditions may result to revocation of registration.

In cases where animals are transported, what should be observed?


No cruel confinement or restraint shall be made on animals while being transported. There should be no overcrowding, placing of animals in the trunks or under the hood trunks of the vehicles. There must be adequate, clean and sanitary facilities for the safe conveyance and delivery to their consignee at the place of consignment. Sufficient food and water for such animals while in transit for more than twelve (12) hours or whenever necessary must be provided.

What constitutes unlawful acts that are penalized by this Act?


It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat any animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfights or horsefights, kill or cause or procure to be tortured or deprived of adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in research or experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare.

Are there any exceptions on this act? On what circumstances may the killing of animals be allowed?


The killing of any animal may be allowed on the following instances:
(1) When it is done as part of the religious rituals of an established religion or sect or a ritual required by tribal or ethnic custom of indigenous cultural communities; however, leaders shall keep records in cooperation with the Committee on Animal Welfare;
(2) When the pet animal id afflicted with an incurable communicable disease as determined and certified by a duly licensed veterinarian;
(3) When the killing is deemed necessary to put an end to the misery suffered by the animal as determined and certified by a duly veterinarian;
(4) When it is done to prevent an imminent danger to the life or limb of a human being; and
(5) When done for the purpose of animal population control;
(6) When the animal is killed after it has been used in authorized research or experiments; and
(7) Any other ground analogous to the foregoing as determined and certified by a licensed veterinarian.

How about farm animals? Are they included in this act?


No. Cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer and crocodiles are not included in this act. However, the killing of these farm animals shall be done through humane procedures at all times. Humane procedures shall mean the use of the most scientific methods available.

How about wildlife? What is our duty to their natural habitat?


It shall be the duty of every person to protect the natural habitat of the wildlife. The destruction of said habitat shall be considered as a form of cruelty to animals and its preservation is a way of protecting the animals.

What if I violate this law? What will happen to me?


Any person who violates any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction by final judgment, be punished by imprisonment of not less than six months nor more than two years or a fine or not less than One thousand pesos nor more that Five thousand pesos or both at the discretion of the Court. If the violation is committed by a juridical person, the officer responsible therefore shall serve the imprisonment when imposed. If the violation is committed by an alien, he or she shall be immediately deported after service of sentence without any further proceedings.

To all the animal-lovers and pet-owners in every corner of the world... HAPPY WORLD ANIMAL DAY TO YOU!!!

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Boracay's Rural Side

This post showcases another side of Boracay and aims to have a glimpse of the less visited places but equally stunning places in its simplistic way.

Directly opposite to the famed White Beach, sojourners may want to stroll past Laguntan Road in Barangay Manoc-Manoc into the Preserved Dead Forest where some massive driftwoods lay planted on a lake. Opposite the lake, on the other side of a small bridge, a swamp can be located leading to a mangrove where the fresh water of the lake and the salt water of sea meet.

What will amuse you in this area of Boracay are rows of gumamela and other native flowers as well as butterflies and other colorful insects roaming freely around this area.

Here are some shots I have taken of Manoc-Manoc's mangrove, swamp, rural gardens and preserved dead forest:


A Colorful Butterfly