Finding Inspiration at GK Enchanted Farm

The few days leading to this weekend was a bit hectic, but It turned out to be life changing.

After setting up an event the weekend prior, it turned out that I only have 3 days to do another set-up at the GK Enchanted Farm.  They have dedicated a small portion of the ARK Angel Center for Arts and Culture to our CEO Archie King.

By Monday, I designed the small area making sure that its doable by Wednesday.  Our design team provided me with a carpenter and my reliable graphic artist sends the photos for production in time for my target installation.

I initially wanted to prepare the area Tuesday to save time, but the rain Manila poured hard  that afternoon prompting me to postpone the visit the next day.  My plan was to bring the carpenter in the morning for all the framing and painting works, and have Allan, our all around purchasing assistant bring the printed tarps in the afternoon.

We left the office around 10 AM arriving at the GK Enchanted Farm by lunchtime.  Food options in the farm are limited to the Berjaya Cafe.  They have a buffet that costs 350php per person serving meals from locally grown and raised ingredients.  I find it a bit too pricey, but we thought we don't have any other choice, and I don't want to drive back to either Angat or Pandi.

It was already dark when we finished with the painting works, and the frames.  There's no light in our area, but luckily I have the Christmas light prototypes in my car to help the workers at least see something.  The pictures arrived around 7:30 in the evening and we finished installing them around 9:30.

We were so tired that the only thing we want to do after is to take the long drive back home.  We didn't even stop for dinner since most of the establishments were closed anyway.  I wasn't even able to check the quality of our work because we really can't see anything anymore.  I decided to drive back two days after to make last minute touch ups and install lights.

When I arrived the afternoon two days after, the 2nd Day of the Social Business Summit is well on its way.  The Enchanted Farm has transformed into a busy fair grounds with tents showcasing products from different Socio Entrepreneurs and different Government Agencies.  Also, invited speakers are using the area where I need to work on.  

Luckily, I arrived during their break.  I was able to install and plugged in the lights I purchased in Dapitan that livens one corner with the shadows created on the walls.  

With natural lighting, the imperfections of our installations are now visible.  There are a few paint scratches, staple gun marks are clearly seen and some pictures are tilted.  I tried covering the scratches using a black marker and the staple gun marks with electric tape, but I cannot do anything on the tilted image, especially when they started the program.  The area is right beside the stage, and I will just distract the audience with the noise from my staple gun.

While I was doing my thing on the corner, I was able to catch the talk of Secretary Proceso Alcala of the Department of Agriculture, but what struck me was introduction made by Thomas Graham, the author of the book The Genius of the Poor, for the DOT Asec. Benito Bengson Jr.

Grabbed from GK Enchanted Farm FB Page

He was telling the audience about the time he went back to the United Kingdom and was telling his friends about his experience in the Philippines to the point of getting emotional.  Of course the way it was narrated was more  engaging.  He enumerated the many qualities of Filipinos exemplified in Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm that made me extremely proud of my country.

From that time, I stopped working and grabbed myself a seat beside the stage to listen to the other speakers.

The Almario Sisters

Being a designer, Im a fan of their works.  I follow their segment on a show being aired at the Lifestyle Channel.  I love how they gather artists and designers to come up with world class furniture from our locally sourced materials.  Their creative minds raised the standards of our products to being world class at the same time helping the efforts of Gawad Kalinga to end poverty.

Maria Ressa and Rappler

I'm not going to miss this rare chance of hearing her speak.  She talked about the power of social media, on how it can influence emotions and ultimately change.  

After the afternoon sessions, delegates for the summit were invited to the evening event that included a fashion show and socials.  I decided to drive back home, since our event is tomorrow, and I still have a lot of touch ups to do.  What greeted me as I drove past EDSA were the flooded streets of Manila.  What was normally a 2 hour drive to Bulacan ended up 6 hours.  Good thing I had Buco Martin from Plush & Play to accompany me.

I had to get up early the next day.  Since I wasn't really able to finish preparing the exhibit area the day before, I decided to bring the carpenter with me to do the remaining task.  The event was scheduled at 10 AM so we left Manila at 5:30 in the morning.  We were back in Bulacan around 7AM and immediately started working.  We finished just in time for our CEO's arrival.

This is something I have realised recently about my boss.  I am aware of his involvement with Gawad Kalinga, but I did know how extensive it was.  I'm seeing pictures of projects as far as Antique in the Visayas.  For this event, Gawad Kalinga is honouring Archie King for providing the Center for Arts in Culture called Arch Angel at the Enchanted Farm.

Present during the ribbon cutting is the founder of Gawad Kalinga, Tony Meloto, Super Model and GK Advocate Georgina Wilson, and of course our CEO Archie King. He inspired the crowd with his message on dreaming big. 

Georgina Wilson gave an emotional speech during the opening ceremony.  She mentioned how she's fortunate and that many things are given to her.  But then, she realised that some of these things were not really good.   What's good with the tagline "Walang Iwanan" is that her experience in GK humbled her.  In a way, she wasn't left behind as well.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent touring the Farm.  

How to Make the Most of Your Off Peak Palawan Trip the Cheapest Way (Tip No. 7)

Tip No. 7:  Find A Ride That Suits Your Budget

There are many options to get to El Nido.  From the airport, there are vans that will take you there straight after your flight.  If you're up to the 6 hour ride, then do it.  But please don't expect that you'll be able to catch up on sleep because the roads are winding and bumpy especially after the 2nd stopover.

Van Fare is only 500 php, but they may charge more at the airport.  Vans at the Terminal leaves every hour until about 6:30 pm.  If you're going on a later night trip, there's a non air-conditioned bus that leaves at 9:30 in the evening.

We decided to try Daytripper Palawan Van.  They charge 850 php for the ride that was available on the booking site.  I was expecting the huge van as what's mentioned on other blogsite, but it turned out that they have two types.  The 11 seater executive coach at 950 php and the 10 seater executive van, which is what we had.  Whats good is that there's only 4 of us sharing the ride and they don't take in passengers along the route. It also includes a free bottled water, banana chips and burp bags.

How to Make the Most of Your Off Peak Palawan Trip the Cheapest Way (Tip No. 6)

Tip No. 6: Charge all your gadgets at Night

Electricity in El Nido is only available from 5PM until early morning the next day.  I completely forgot about this since we arrived late in the afternoon. We woke up the next morning without electricity and was so glad that we charged our gadgets the night before.

Also, maximise your tour, and estimate your return to the time electricity is available.  The last destination in Tour A which is the 7 commando beach is a perfect destination to kill time.  There are stores that sell beers and drinks, even halo-halo.  It's a nice place to watch the sunset or to take an afternoon dip.

This was the only store during my first visit last year.  Now 2 more opened,
with cheaper prices per bottle than the original store.

How to Make the Most of Your Off Peak Palawan Trip the Cheapest Way (Tip No. 5)

Tip No. 5:  Combine the Tours

Tours in El Nido are divided into four.

Tour A = 1,200
Tour B = 1,300
Tour C = 1,400
Tour D = 1,200

The groupings are based on the clusters per location.  The most popular is Tour A that showcases Lagoons and Beaches and Tour C that lets you visit the Matinloc Shrine.  Each tour consists of 5 destination, snorkels and lunch prepared by your guide.

One of the best meals I ever had.  

You can actually combine these two tours allowing you to visit as many as 10 destinations in a day and costing only 1,500 per pax.  You need to remember to also pay the Environmental fee of 200 pesos per person.

Another benefit of combining tours is not many tourist avail this package.  In our case, we had the boat to ourselves.  This gives you more control of the time allocated per destination, and the flexibility to forego areas that can be challenging.

The boardwalk at Matinloc Shrine

The waves were strong making access to the Secret Beach difficult.

How to Make the Most of Your Off Peak Palawan Trip the Cheapest Way (Tip No. 6)

How to Make the Most of Your Off Peak Palawan Trip the Cheapest Way (Tip No. 4)

Tip No. 4: Make room reservations but don't make advance payments.

This may only be an option during off-peak.  Making reservations guarantees you a place so stay, but without making advance payments, you still have the option to scout for alternatives on site.

Accommodations in El Nido are divided into the Beach Side and the Town Side.  The town side is a lot cheaper, with modest amenities.  You have to be careful in booking your beachside rooms.  Although the hotel itself is facing the beach, the room they might assign to you does not.  These are the things you will only see for yourself once you reach the area.

Upon reaching Puerto Princesa, I made reservations with Marina and Ogie's lodge but ended up staying at Shorepass Lodge for 1,000 php a night.

This is the view from our balcony, and Art Cafe, another famous landmark in El Nido is just across the narrow street.  You can even pull a chair on the other balcony and enjoy the music from the cafe across while enjoying a cold beer purchased from a store nearby.

Shore Pass Lodge
0917-9059659

This is the view from our bathroom window!

How to Make the Most of Your Off Peak Palawan Trip the Cheapest Way (Tip No. 5)

How to Make the Most of Your Off Peak Palawan Trip the Cheapest Way Possible

I have been to Puerto Princesa 3x in the last 2 years.  On this recent visit, we would only use it as a jump off to El Nido but will be staying a night since we don't want to endure the 6 hour land ride straight from the airport.

Tip No. 1:  Book a cheap hotel and avail five star amenities from other resorts.

I have researched on the cheapest accommodation within the city and the most reasonable so far is Yin Yang Guesthouse right along Rizal Ave. walking distance from the airport and between Ka Lui and Kinabuch.  There are accommodations within the same price range, but is located remotely.

Yin Yang Guesthouse
(+63) (48) 434 8581 / 723-2010 Mobile # - 0919-668-8838

During tours, most of your time is spent outdoors.  Its not really wise to spend a lot on accommodations you will just sleep on.  Yin Yang has fan rooms for 660 php, but we availed their Air conditioned room for only 770php.

Now for your 5 star amenities,  Aziza Paradise Hotel is offering a dinner buffet that lets you use their resort type pool for free from 6PM to 10PM for only 399php including drinks.  We spent the first 2 hours eating before swimming, and then ate again before going back to the lodge.

We got to swim here! They will even lend you the towels!  Photo from: https://www.facebook.com/AzizaParadiseHotel

Demeter Cafe, they have a wide selection from seafood to meat dishes and desserts!  Photo from: https://www.facebook.com/AzizaParadiseHotel

Tip No. 2:  Befriend a Tricycle Driver

There are plenty of tricycles during the day, but it can become difficult on certain areas of the city especially late at night.  I was fortunate to have met a reliable tricycle driver during my previous visit.    He was the one who brought us back to Yin Yang from Aziza after all that eating.  They don't charge as much for special trips as well.

Tricycle Driver / Tour Guide
Jaypee Latoja
0999-9983464

Tip No. 3: Avail the City Tour

If you happen to arrive early and have the afternoon free, book the city tour.  It usually costs 500 php per person and most hotels and lodging houses can arrange it for you.  This is the best way to see Puerto Princesa apart from the more popular destinations like the Underground River and Honda Bay.  This will also give you a chance to interact and learn from other tourists.

If you're going to El Nido, then check out the next set of tips.

Tip No. 4: Make room reservations but don't make advance payments.

This may only be an option during off-peak.  Making reservations guarantees you a place so stay, but without making advance payments, you still have the option to scout for alternatives on site.

Accommodations in El Nido are divided into the Beach Side and the Town Side.  The town side is a lot cheaper, with modest amenities.  You have to be careful in booking your beachside rooms.  Although the hotel itself is facing the beach, the room they might assign to you does not.  These are the things you will only see for yourself once you reach the area.

Upon reaching Puerto Princesa, I made reservations with Marina and Ogie's lodge but ended up staying at Shorepass Lodge for 1,000 php a night.

This is the view from our balcony, and Art Cafe, another famous landmark in El Nido is just across the narrow street.  You can even pull a chair on the other balcony and enjoy the music from the cafe across while enjoying a cold beer purchased from a store nearby.

Shore Pass Lodge
0917-9059659

Tip No. 5:  Combine the Tours

Tours in El Nido are divided into four.

Tour A = 1,200
Tour B = 1,300
Tour C = 1,400
Tour D = 1,200

The groupings are based on the clusters per location.  The most popular is Tour A that showcases Lagoons and Beaches and Tour C that lets you visit the Matinloc Shrine.  Each tour consists of 5 destination, snorkels and lunch prepared by your guide.

One of the best meals I ever had.

You can actually combine these two tours allowing you to visit as many as 10 destinations in a day and costing only 1,500 per pax.  You need to remember to also pay the Environmental fee of 200 pesos per person.

Another benefit of combining tours is not many tourist avail this package.  In our case, we had the boat to ourselves.  This gives you more control of the time allocated per destination, and the flexibility to forego areas that can be challenging. The waves were strong making access to the Secret Beach difficult.

The boardwalk at Matinloc Shrine

Tip No. 6: Charge all your gadgets at Night

Electricity in El Nido is only available from 5PM until early morning the next day.  I completely forgot about this since we arrived late in the afternoon. We woke up the next morning without electricity and was so glad that we charged our gadgets the night before.

Also, maximise your tour, and estimate your return to the time electricity is available.  The last destination in Tour A which is the 7 commando beach is a perfect destination to kill time.  There are stores that sell beers and drinks, even halo-halo.  It's a nice place to watch the sunset or to take an afternoon dip.

This was the only store during my first visit last year.  Now 2 more opened,

with cheaper prices per bottle than the original store.

Tip No. 7:  Find A Ride That Suits Your Budget

There are many options to get to El Nido.  From the airport, there are vans that will take you there straight after your flight.  If you're up to the 6 hour ride, then do it.  But please don't expect that you'll be able to catch up on sleep because the roads are winding and bumpy especially after the 2nd stopover.

Van Fare is only 500 php, but they may charge more at the airport.  Vans at the Terminal leaves every hour until about 6:30 pm.  If you're going on a later night trip, there's a non air-conditioned bus that leaves at 9:30 in the evening.

We decided to try Daytripper Palawan Van.  They charge 850 php for the ride that was available on the booking site.  I was expecting the huge van as what's mentioned on other blogsite, but it turned out that they have two types.  The 11 seater executive coach at 950 php and the 10 seater executive van, which is what we had.  Whats good is that there's only 4 of us sharing the ride and they don't take in passengers along the route. It also includes a free bottled water, banana chips and burp bags.

Throwback Travels: Sta. Ana, Cagayan 2010

It was 2010 when I traded my yearly tradition of spending Holy Week in Puerto Galera to Sta. Ana, Cagayan.  We travelled 14 hours on a bus to get there.  Our initial camp site didn't offer much, but the discoveries on the succeeding days and the company of friends made the trip worthwhile.

The beach in the island of Palaui!  My partners reaction when we arrive:  "Is this it?  We travelled 14 hours for this?"

Four years ago, the beaches were very much untouched, but already showing a promise of tourism with its white powdery sand and clear waters.

The highlight would have to be the short trek to Cape Engano.

The surrounding beach and the sea was just breathtaking!

Wasn't able to get a good shot of the entire lighthouse, but here's the tower.

Taken back in the days when were younger and a few pound lighter.

Something to showcase the beauty of the Philippines!

Anguib is a more well kept beach, still with powdery white sand and clear waters.

The mangrove forest on our way back to town.