Green Goy

Uban Falls in Kananga, Leyte Now I know why this captivating natural landmark of Kananga, Leyte is called Uban Falls. Obvious ra kaayo ang photos. haha! What isn’t obvious here is our exhausted face after the long and winding 2-hour motorcycle ride from Villaba to Brgy Libertad. Then from the drop-off, we go over another 30-minute river trek were some of our ninja moves has been unleashed while maneuvering our way through a deep pool, slippy boulders, and muddy slopes. When we saw its thin drops from a 50m high cliff, we headed directly into the pool and plunged our heart out to its very cold water. Overall, the enchanting site is worth the trek!                  Warning: Traces of slips and rock-falls are apparent not far from the site. So please be aware that the magnitude 6.5 earthquake last July brought fractures that could increase the risk of landslides. Be careful.

Week 6 - Dahon Challenge "The hardest challenge ever!", that's what they've complained about as they prepared their next getup. Well, for me, it is! When i saw them really struggled in crafting different kind of foliage to transform into one leafy gown, output is deemed to be 'rejected' again. But no! Not this time. An hour upon knowing this week's challenge, many plants had been 'amputated' as they've tried leaves from kapayas, saging, kaimito, talisay and kolo - but all went "epic fail" because most of them are easy-withered leaves which will slowly shrivels from time to time right after detaching from its main stem. It is also a challenge for me for i am racing against time before their leaves' soul leaves.

With the coordinates of 11°08’47”N 124°25’52”E, the Bondari Peak is located southeast of the municipality of Villaba Leyte and lies 3,756m away from the main barrio of Abijao. With an elevation of 341masl, the place got its name derived from the English word “boundary” because the place is located precisely along with municipalities of Villaba and Matag-ob, Leyte. And later was changed to Bondari as there’s this story where three hikers asked for the name of the place, but the children they met along Tolingon trail pronounced it wrong. Instead of ‘boundary’, they said the word ‘bondari’, and from that time on, the place retained the name Bondari. The place is a wonderful destination with 360° breathtaking views and landscapes. Here, you’ll get a chance to see the popular Kalanggaman island, the historical Buga-buga hills, nearby towns, and the steaming Tongonan mountain range. . I usually climb to the top through the Hubasan, Butnga, and Tolingon trails, but th

Week 5 – Mananap Challenge Zebra, tiger, koala, leopard, jaguar or cheetah? I don’t know what animal they are depicting to but this week’s surprise challenge, Jessa and Kenneth amaze me with their dexterities in making ordinary materials into art. With a limited time of 30 minutes, the challenge requires a skill from getup transformation, tribal maquillage to ‘buwis buhay’ anthropomorphic poses in a location filled with driftwoods along Linao river in Abijao. Can anyone guess who’s wearing a pajama and who’s wearing a table mantle? plus of course the skills in putting their own make-up to turn faces into one unrecognizable alien – I mean ‘mananap’ is remarkable. So what can you say about their mimicry? Is it depictive or defective? Tell us why.

Week 4 - Pukot Challenge The bubbling waves developed from monsoon winds and the setting of the sun behind the haze adds a little drama in our challenge this week as we dared to step into rumbling waters which made me and these two takers, Jessa and Kean, struggling just to stand firm in order to get a fine snap. And despite their heavy costume, a fishnet, every 'slapping splashes' that took them down did not stop their drive and still managed to get up in turning both 'frustrated dreams' into that reality. Whose craft stood out the most in our Abijao 's Next Craft Model Challenge today?

Week 2 - Basura Challenge In an open yet illegal dump site here in  Abijao , Jessa and Kean were given only 30 minutes to create a dress out of trash. With a few items like plastic wrappers, diapers, flower pots, trash bags, and bottles, they turn a seemingly useless garbage into a quite 'hmmpressive' costumes. So with this week's theme, whose picture portrayed the most? Drop your comments below and let us know who slayed the challenge. Thanks!  😂

I thought Gibitngil is among of those usual islands where sand and sea is only the thing it can offer. I was wrong! The island surprised me with towering walls of rock I haven’t seen before plus with their thrilling facilities like waterslide, swing, and ziplines did certainly make my day so fun and splashy! It stole my heart. I would highly recommend this awesome destination in Medellin, Cebu especially to those laagan who don’t just love dipping in the sea but also taking off extreme challenges like: 1.) Ziplining from cliff to cliff where you can glide over beautiful turquoise water and enjoy the vast backdrop of Bantayan island from afar and 2.) Cliff diving on their 40ft above water suspended platform (well, height varies depending on tide level which in our case last Sunday, it was only 38ft on a 1.75meters tide.) which is not good for a fainthearted human! At the top, unease felling will engulf your soul but once you’re in midair, a priceless feeling o

The breathtaking towering cliffs of Hagdan beach. I’ve been dreaming for this place since 2015 when two of my childhood friends who are now married and have lived on the island for almost two decades told me how stunning and remarkable their Higatangan island is. That dream came into reality when my Treasury Family decided to spend our summer getaway to this beautiful, unspoiled destination of Naval, Biliran. We gathered Saturday morning at Villaba park and departed at six traveling through the Tabango-Leyte route. The ride was really hard for me, especially when riding a closed and air-conditioned van because it would usually trigger my kinetosis condition. I felt so woozy at that time and my stomach was so upset and I’m about to regurgitate when we arrived at the Naval bus terminal. Luckily our van parked at the right spot where mangoes are displayed by sidewalk vendors. So I quickly ordered a kilo of mangoes for only 55 pesos and wolfed down one to lessen the sickness. F

I remember, way back in one of my college days, our English teacher assigned us to make a research paper on how our respective barangay acquired its name. Of course, I was boggled by the challenge she had given because I haven't heard nor taught by my parents, grandparents, or even in early school about the history of my beloved home, the barangay Abijao. I asked some old folks about it and one said it came from the tree called Awihaw, yet some said it came from the particular bird which is Antolihaw.  But I'm still skeptical because key details such as names and dates are missing. Then, I came across our barangay hall and found a short write-up entitled " Brgy. Abijao Legend " It is written there that the name Abijao is derived from the combined word of Antolihaw, Awihaw, and Abijay. Though occurrences and history were not stated and even if it was just only a myth or a folktale, their posting is quite interesting and I am eager to know more about

"So far, for me, this was the best side trip ever! Not minding the heat and hitch basta lang enjoy sa padulngan." The Appealing Apale Falls of Isabel, Leyte We haven't heard about this place before and so as Google map hasn't been updated yet, so seeing our next destination have 50/50 chances. Relying on our charm,  asking directions along the way is very easy. Yes, the place does exist! we were relieved when we saw a big sign welcoming us saying 'Happy Fiesta Brgy Apale! ( mamista unya ta adto). Jump into its heart-shaped turquoise pool! We thought that this is just an ordinary waterfall but we were surprised because this was our first time encountering a falls so milky and blue (referring to turquoise color). We don't know how it turns like that, but one thing for sure, this unique attraction may be the reason why this place is a well visited by both local (sila) and foreign tourists (kami ni :-D ). Mystical! A sidetrip to Buenavista - L a