Warrior Pilgrimage

Featured in www.pinoyapache.blogspot.com on September 1, 2009

ROAMING AROUND AND anywhere is something that my physical body is well attuned to. My genes, for a good part, might have dictated my love for walking and hiking on trails; but it is the value of my personal freedom of movement that have goaded me to climb mountains where, upon its ridges, slopes, forests and crags, I become one of its myriad elements.

There is no description, whatsoever, of the joys I have ...

Featured in www.pinoyapache.blogspot.com on June 1, 2009

“...Bring home the bacon!”, Dr. Abe Manlawe seemed to scream through a text message in my cell phone screen on the morning of June 5, 2008 goading us to bring the Cebu Mountaineering Society (CeMS) banner to the crowns of Dulangdulang and Kitanglad in a span of three days, a feat unprecedented yet in CeMS history. Officially named The CeMS Memorial Climb and Trek; which is held every June of each year to honor the memories of ...

Featured in www.pinoyapache.blogspot.com on January 10, 2009

MY OPPORTUNITY CAME on April of 1994. I've prepared more than a year for this physically, mentally, emotionally, technically, materially and financially. The chance of climbing the country's highest apex, Mount Apo, who stood at 10,328 feet above sea level, have been on the forefront of my attention and, at the same time, at the back of my mind. It came at a better time then – Holy Week! Although, back then, I was just a ...

Featured in www.pinoyapache.blogspot.com on December 16, 2008

MOUNT MANUNGGAL HAVE endeared to us all members of the Cebu Mountaineering Society or CeMS, for upon her slopes on March 17, 1989 CeMS became an inspiration of the first ones who were there before: Sir Joe Avellanosa (+), Daddy Frank Cabigon, Dr. Abe Manlawe, Mme. Penpen Mitchell (+), Sir Rex Vecina, Claribel Delgra-Abrahan and Boy Olmedo. Through the years CeMS have alloted two of their yearly activities at Mt. Manunggal ...

Featured in www.pinoyapache.blogspot.com on November 8, 2008

ON AUGUST 23, 2008, Cebu Mountaineering Society or CeMS celebrated its 19th anniversary by climbing Mt. Manunggal from its traditional starting point – in Tagba-o. There were fifteen of us that tackled her trails: Lilibeth Initan, Andrew Flores, Boy Toledo, Joy Tongco, Dennis Legaspi, Glenn Lao, Jon Consunji, Sam Lim and me plus member-applicants Canqui Potamio, Ernie Salomon, guests Nathan Cannen, Myla Ipil and Harold Alcontin ...

Featured in www.pinoyapache.blogspot.com on July 1, 2008

WHEN I GO TO the trails that intruded into the jungle fastnesses of Cuernos de Negros Mountain Range I felt sheer excitement and my adrenalin rushes to a level that is way beyond my normal dose.

Ask me why?


It is simply because along its trails, there are many surprises lurking from within that you would not find in any other mountain range. You liked adventure, you'll find it there. I will ...

Featured in www.pinoyapache.blogspot.com on April 1, 2008.

I WENT DEEP into southern Cebu last December 29-30, 2007 together with my friends from CeMS (Cebu Mountaineering Society) to observe our traditional year-end climb and trek which we held, this time, at Nug-as, Alcoy.


Nug-as happened to cradle within her confines the last stand of old-growth rainforests in the island province of Cebu, of whose forested mountains, we thought, have been completely obliterated ...