Whale Shark in Tibiao, Antique

We were out there enjoying lambaklad fishing in Tibiao when one of the fishermen exclaimed 'balyeran'! And it seemed everyone got excited. I didn't get it first because I never thought whale sharks also existed in Antique but there it was! A 6 meter long giant of a fish swimming near our balsa! Of course, I was really amazed and felt so blessed to have seen that rare sea creature and of all places, in Antique. At last I didn't have to travel far just to enjoy the full magnificence of the 'balyeran'.

Lambaklad is a kind of fishing process that combines two fish gathering techniques--lambat ( fishnet ) and baklad ( fish fence ). It is one eco-tourism activity offered by Katahum Tours encouraging tourists to join local fisherfolks in their fishing activity. We joined the same expecting some interesting big catch like tuna but we never expected to meet this awesome fish locally known as 'balyeran' or 'butanding' in Tagalog.

The whale shark was released as soon as the fisherfolks managed to get it off their net. While freeing the fish, the equally eager locals whispered, 'please bring us more fish' in their local language, believing that the whale shark is a bringer of good luck.

The fisherfolks said, the whale shark has already been spotted in their place several times this year.

For more info about the tour packages of Katahum Tours in the province of Antique,click here.

My Trip to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, One of the New 7 Wonders of Nature

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, also known as the Puerto Princesa Underground river was confirmed as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in 2012. It is situated in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the western coast of Palawan. The river is around 8 kms. long but only around 1.5 kms is allowed for the tourists to explore.

The following photos are but a glimpse of the awesome wonder of this place.

This is the mouth of the cave that leads underground.

It is pitch black inside the cave. Fortunately, every boat is equipped with a flashlight to illuminate the path.

Here's an awesome view of the interior

Tourists explore different stalactite and stalagmite formations

A group of tourists about to end their journey.

The place is simply AWESOME!

This rock formation looks like a T-Rex.

They say this rock looks like Mary.

Look! a Horse!

Holy what?

Jesus Christ!

The boat guide said this looks like Bart Simpson

We are nearing the exit

Almost there!

Almost...

There!

Manny Librodo Iloilo Masterclass Workshop -- Molo Fishpond, Molo, Iloilo

This is the third batch of my photos taken and post-processed during the Manny Librodo Masterclass Workshop in Iloilo. This is my favorite batch since this is the most creative in terms of costume design and makeup. Other than the Filipiñana costume worn by model, Angelie Golingay, the creative designs are ...'other-worldly'.

Model: Emmerie Cunanan
Designer/HMUA: Barbara Bennet

Model: Emmerie Cunanan
Designer/HMUA: Barbara Bennet

Model: Giselle Hole
Designer/HMUA: Barbara Bennet

Model: Giselle Hole
Designer/HMUA: Barbara Bennet

Model: Giselle Hole
Designer/HMUA: Barbara Bennet

Model: Giselle Hole
Designer/HMUA: Barbara Bennet

Model:Angelie Bayona Candelario Golingay
Designer: Jaki penalosa
 Stylist:Barbara Bennett

Model:Angelie Bayona Candelario Golingay
Designer: Jaki penalosa
 Stylist:Barbara Bennett

FireFly Watching At the Iwahig Firefly Watching Eco-Tourism and Wildlife Park

My wife and I took a firefly watching trip down Iwahig river in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It was one lovely experience seeing those amazing fireflies glow like Christmas lights along the calm river bank. It wasn't as fiery and as many as the thousand fireflies of my childhood days that used to flock around doldol trees. Their number was only enough to bring out whispers of oohs and aahs, sighs of wonder and delight, the kind of feeling one gets right after finding a long lost treasure or maybe, some kind of sadness one feels right after realizing that such a possession will soon be gone.

The firefly was only the tantalizing highlight of the trip. The stars are equally amazing and the river is so soothingly calm. Bioluminescent planktons were added attractions as they caused the waters to glow when stirred. Our guide, Edwin, is very friendly and talks so gently he sounds like a grandfather telling really amazing tales about the river.

My wife posing for a picture beside Iwahig
Firefly Watching Ecotourism & Wildlife Park

The Iwahig Firefly Watching Ecotourism & Wildlife Park is a 45-minute ride from the City proper of Puerto Princesa. We were charged PHP 1,200.00 by our travel agency. The fee included free airconditioned roundtrip transportation, park fee and boat ride along the Iwahig river bank and dinner.

We were fetched from our lodging house at around 6:00 pm. The travel time was, indeed, around 45 minutes but we arrived there at around 7:30 pm since the van has to go around the city to fetch other participants. Some participating tourists made us wait for quite a while for some reasons I didn't bother to ask.

We then proceeded to the registration desk and in a moment, we started putting on the required life vests and native hats that functioned as protective gears. I wasn't sure how long was the actual river cruise I think it was around 40 minutes. It really was a fantastic trip!

I thought dinner was to be served right there at the park, in a romantic hut but no. After the firefly watching tour we were ushered back to our van and drove another 45 minutes back to the city and had our dinner at a Raq Pensionne restaurant. It was a sumptuous dinner of shrimp, fish fillet, grilled tuna, squid rings and fresh fruits! We were ushered back to our lodging house right after dinner.

The photo is a long exposure shot of the dancing fireflies. I cranked my DSLR to ISO 6400 and adjusted my shutter speed to 30 seconds. Although I asked our guide to stop the boat while I took the shot, the boat kept moving. And this is the result.

Portrait of a Woman as Ifugao

Her name is Injoja. She has forgotten how old she is. Her relatives say she must be around 90 years old. Indeed, the lines on her face say she's really old. The cataract in her eyes and the curve of her tired body say the same. But Injoja is more than old. She is a woman who has lived the Ifugao way. She is a woman who has helped till and keep the grandeur of the rice terraces. She is a descendant of the great hunter who started carving the mountainsides of Batad. She has tattoos on her body to prove that she is of noble blood. She has endured colonization, survived the war and lived through all the hardships brought about by graft and corruption. She is a mother, a woman. She is Ifugao.

Manny Librodo Iloilo Masterclass Workshop -- Villa Arevalo

This is the second batch of my photos shot and post-processed during the Manny Librodo Masterclass Workshop here in, Iloilo City. The photo shoot was held in Villa Parish church and the Camiña Balay nga Bato. Here, I tried the vintage look.

Model: Angelie Golingay
Designer : Jaki .Peñalosa
Hmua: Jason Gayoso

Model: Angelie Golingay
Designer : Jaki .Peñalosa
Hmua: Jason Gayoso

Models: Emmerie Cunanan and Giselle May Oberiano Hole
Designer: Jaki .Peñalosa
Hmua/stylist: Barbara Bennett

Model: Giselle Hole
HMUA/Stylist: Barbara Bennett

Model: Giselle Hole
HMUA/Stylist: Barbara Bennett

Model: Emmerie Cunanan
Designer: Jaki Peñalosa
HMUA/Stylist: Barbara Bennett

Model: Giselle Hole
HMUA/Stylist: Barbara Bennett

Model: Giselle Hole
HMUA/Stylist: Barbara Bennett

Model: Emmerie Cunanan
Designer: Jaki Peñalosa
HMUA/Stylist: Barbara Bennett

My Manny Librodo Output - Molo Church

World-renowned photographer, Manny Librodo, held a masterclass workshop here in Iloilo last March of this year and I was lucky to have participated in this event. I have always wanted to discover his unique workflow and at last! I have it! In this post I will be sharing my own output. First of this batch is the shoot held inside the Molo Church, Iloilo City. The church was built in 1831. Its architectural design is a fusion of Gothic and Romanesque structures.

Model 1: Emmerie Cunanan

Designer: Jun G. Candelario

Stylist/HMUA:Barbara Bennett

Model 1: Emmerie Cunanan

Designer: Jun G. Candelario

Stylist/HMUA:Barbara Bennett

Model : Angelie Bayona Candelario Golingay
Designer/stylist: Jun G. Candelario
HMUA: Jason Gayoso