My Third in “The City in a Forest”

Feb 12- We arrived at Puerto Prinsesa airport aboard Cebu Pacific at around 10:30 am.

We headed straight to Princess Armicha Pension House which would be our home for 4 nights. This place is very accessible. It's just 15 minutes away from the airport via tricycle. The staff were so accommodating, friendly and very helpful, always giving us prompt services. While waiting for some of our sises who took later flight, we ate out at a small canteen across the hotel called “Masabor” where we ordered fish steak and the local "lagang"  (P75 for two persons).

At around 1 pm, our travel agent from Create Tours fetched us for our city tour. This began our exciting days in PPP. The tour package was actually P640 per person but we availed ours for lower costs since we were more than 6 persons in the group.

 

Nice place to stay. But they have weak wifi signal at the second floor.

First stop was the Crocodile Farm. Aside from newly  grass-cut areas, the place looked more refreshing than my last visit. The animals looked much more unstressed and the stalls were much more improved offering souvenirs like keychains, stuffed toys, display items, etc. 

3 month old crocs in the hatchery.

Animalistic beauties

 Mitra‘s Farm was the next stop. After paying P20, we were allowed to go inside the rest house but we had to remove our shoes. It’s quite a homey place and a nice place just to sit down and to look outside for a perfect view of the Honda bay.

Some clay pots displayed with the "halimaw sa banga"

Welcome to my Ranch.

Senator Ramon Mitra and his beautiful wife, Cecilia Aldeguer Blanco

Mga pakialamera lang ng decors sa dining table.

 A distance away was the Baker’s Hill. The place had a very impressive  improvement. There were more photo op spots and a wide garden at the back, a Shrek and Fiona's treetrunk house, Valentine archs with purple and pink coconut fruits, and more.

Love is in the air at Baker's Hill

What's a two thumbs up was that Baker’s Hills offered delivery service to our hotel for our order, on a later date, of their famous hopia so we wouldn‘t have problem with the expiration since we'll be staying for a few more days in  PPP. Hopia ube costs P50, hopia monggo and hopia baboy was sold for P45, and you  could choose whether you prefer it in vegetable or pork oil.

 Of course, a visit wouldn't be complete without a visit to the church so we were brought to Immaculate Concepcion Parish. Souvenir shopping was the last part of the city tour. Buying pasalubong to special people in my life should be on the list of what to do's in PPP. White adult Palawan shirt costs P90, white kids' shirt is P75, 500grams danggit is P200, kasoy tarts, pastillas, and other food products locally produced range from 35 per piece P100, ref magnets and key chains are worth P35, bracelets, earrings, necklaces and other jewelries range from P50 to P250, wallets are P20 to P50 depending on size, beach hats are P100. There were more stuffs to choose from if one had the budget. 

We were dropped at Kinabuch restaurant for our dinner where we had a taste of 'Lacoste'.  We ordered croc sisig, fisherman's soup (seafood soup), tuna belly and shanghai rice for only P160 each. Dining in group really saved much. I ordered a slice of blueberry cheese cake for only P90. Not bad for a delightful taste.

Croc sisig tastes like chicken.

  Dining at 'Kinabuchs' is worth what we've paid for.

Feb13- Dos Palmas Day Tour. The pick up point was at the Dos Palmas office beside NCCC mall at 7am. At the Honda bay port, we transferred to Calypso boat 2 which would bring around 90 people to the resort. The trip lasted for 1 hour. The tour package included a welcome drink-and a welcome drumbeat with that, free use of kayak, snorkeling with apparatus and life jacket, buffet lunch and free use of kabanas and beach chairs, with a fantastic view of the bay. I found the place grand, very pacifying and soothing while enjoying the ecosystem (as mangroves surround the area). Our short but grand  vacation lasted until 4pm. "Bitin!" They allowed us to bring our glasses of mais con yelo and halohalo in the boat back to the wharf. The tour costs P1840 per person including environment fee.  

 

Relaxing experience in a spectacular place.

In the evening, we headed for the Love More Conference, the major and primary purpose of our trip to Palawan. The conference lasted until February 15 at 12 PM.( More of this on "It is the Lord!")

Feb.15, almost 2PM- Our group, now fifteen of us, got on our van provided by Create tours for our Honda bay trip. The tour package of P1550 (again, we got ours at discounted rate)consists of island hopping and buffet lunch. However, we  only had the chance to visit two islands due to very limited time. Thus, we wasted no time in choosing our snorkeling gear (P150) and aqua shoes  (P150 per pair) to rent. We boarded our boat named Rhoda, disembarked at Cowrie Island to have our buffet lunch taken out (as I said, we have limited time), then quickly hopped in the boat again. We had a feast on the boat. Just as we finished the lunch-cum-snack, we docked at Pandan beach where we spent the rest of the afternoon snorkeling and swimming. The snorkeling area was just a few meters away from the shore. It was easy to lure fishes with ground ‘Skyflakes’ as compared to the bread they were selling back in the rental store. Thus, my hubby and I enjoyed the whole time snorkeling. It's a pity we were not able to go to the area where corals abound. We could have enjoyed it all the more. Playing with the fishes was the reason why we were not able to join the groupies in the island.

The island should be further enhanced to make it more pleasing to tourists. No matter how pet-loving we are, having stray dogs in the islands was not really an impressive sight. Moreso, some tourists may be uncomfortable or otherwise scared of their presence. 

We left the island at around 5PM. Some in our group headed to El Nido to seize their stay in Palawan while the rest of us went back to our respective hotels.

After washing, we headed to the baywalk for our dinner. We had to try K'na Boyet, our tour guide advised us earlier. But to our dismay, the service was not good. The staff were not smiling and our order of grilled squids (for P150 per piece) and fish (P250 per piece) were served 45 minutes and 3 follow ups later. The dish served were not at all reasons why I would go back there to dine. It seemed our orders of squids and fish were just placed over the coal; no additional flavor, not stuffed, and not even appetizing. Sadly, it’s not worth the money, I might say.

Feb 16- We went back to Manila via Cebu Pacific. Before our flight, we had our breakfast for P85 for two and lunch for P65, in the eateries just outside the hotel. As we headed for the PP Airport, I realized I'd be in the real world the next day. No more quiet space for myself.  Thoughts of what-to-do's slowly filled up my brain. And slowly, works piling up the table and the planner were becoming more and more visible. But before I lost my memories of the five-day recollection of mind and spirit, I thanked the Lord for His awesome presence and constant reminder that He was thinking of me when He created the world.

Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan was already a familiar place. But I believe it has more to offer if the local government would maintain what its known for- cleanliness and invest more in landscaping the city especially in the baywalk. They must assume the influx of tourists especially now that the Underground River is in the list of Seven Wonders in the World.  There'll be probably more kambak-kambak to Puerto Prinsesa.

"It Is the Lord!"

Still in process....

A Call to Brotherhood

When my friends and I attended the First Professional Vow of our brother, Rey Regan Gatdula in Lipa City, I found myself crying during the rite. It was an overwhelming and spirit-filled moment for me as I watched a dear friend committing himself for the service to the Lord. I thought his life and love for the Savior should be shared. This was written as an article for the CFC Silverbook, a Couples for Christ coffee table book for the its 25th anniversary. Through facebook I sent him some questionnaires which would help me write his love story with the Lord and he replied with his write-up. This is my edited version.

A Call to Brotherhood

-by Brother Rey Regan A. Gatdula, C. Ss. R

Brother Rey Regan Gatdula, C. Ss.R.

God calls us in different ways. In my case, it was the orientation in my childhood life. When I was a child, my parents used to bring me to church on Sundays. Every night we would say the rosary and on Wednesdays we would attend the novena to OMPH. In addition, my grandparents, particularly my grandfather was so religious. It was his faith which influenced mine. At the age of 13, I actively participated in the various religious programs-  Oasis of Love and Divine Mercy Movement in our barangay and Legion of Mary in our school. At the same time, my parents used to bring me to the prayer meetings of El Shaddai in our parish and even in Luneta. These involvement in different religious organizations increased my desire to become a priest.

Brother Regan during his regency

But later on, my dream to become a priest receded when I started to fall in love and had girlfriends. My peers and classmates influenced my dreams. I remember one of them saying that it is not normal for a young boy like me to dream on becoming a priest. Because of that I started dreaming of having a family someday, to work, and live abroad. I continued my journey with this new ideology in my mind.

I consider it a turning point in my life when my father died during my second year in college. My father’s death made me reflect about my life. Where I would go. What I really wanted to do. I started to look for a support group that would help me see what life is in stored for me. I felt clueless and helpless.

 Until one day, our then SK president invited me to attend a Christian Life Program of Singles for Christ. I did not know much about Singles for Christ at that time. Out of curiosity, I went and joined the CLP. I found it interesting because of two things, the free snacks and beautiful sisters. However, during the one to one dialogue after the first module, I became really attracted in the community and it brought back my faith.

Brother Regan with SFC North Sector

I became a very active member of SFC- a household leader for three years, a CLP team leader for a year, Speakers Bureau Cluster representative for two years, and a speaker and weekend retreat facilitator whenever and wherever I was called to. I was also a Gawad Kalinga, now ANCOP, volunteer. I dedicated most of my time in serving the Lord. SFC became my community and GK became my first mission grounds. These avenues brought back my desire to become a missionary priest.

After college, I decided to have a work experience first before entering the seminary. I worked in a multi-national company and was earning more than enough for my family’s needs. But there was still an emptiness within me and that void was something I need to fill. When I heard about the Search In program of the Redemptorist in Lipa, in no time did I join and through this program I met a religious Brother who introduced to me the beautiful vocation of being a Brother. During this time, SFC assisted me in my discernment. I could not forget how our SFC leaders prayed for me and accompanied me in my discernment. They were my source of strength and hope. Being very supportive to my vocation is an understatement.

After a year of discernment I eventually entered the seminary. It was a huge and very difficult decision to make. I had to consider my family, my work and my SFC service. It was indeed a heart splitting decision. I was clueless on what would happen to me. It was a big adjustment in my prayer life. In the seminary, there was no raising of hands, praising nor clapping during group prayers. Instead, we prayed very solemnly. Needless to say I missed the SFC community and its activities. I really struggled.

I remembered when I was in Laoag, Ilocos Norte during my first assignment.  I met a group of Handmaids of the Lord and became very close to them. There was a time that I joined their household meeting because I knew they would be having praise and worship (and mouthwatering snacks, too). And that helped me to feel at home. Those women were great and I thank and bless them.

During an SFC International Conference

As a seminarian, I still had to battle with my own desires. I could not eat in fast food chains or buy whatever I want, like I used to. When I got sick, nobody would be there to take care of me. Loneliness was extreme. I felt alone. There were times that I really wanted to go home. Sometimes, I would cry at night. I had to deal with the same struggles day in and day out.  The most troubling part happened during my third year in the seminary when I found myself crying after a couple with a child entered and seated in front of me. On that moment, the desire of having my own family became so deep and intense as I looked at the father carrying his son. I had a dialogue with a priest and we deemed it necessary for me to take a break. I applied for two years regency.

Bro Regan now enjoys the brotherhood he has 

I had a hard time outside the seminary especially in looking for a job. The SFC community helped me to adjust. I felt awkward at first because there were only few old members but the new members’ warm welcome and love revived me. SFC once again became my source of strength, nourishment, and hope. I became an active member again and became a unit head not long enough. After sometime, I found myself working as an instructor in college. My work became my enjoyment. While working, I continue to discern and think of my vocation. My friends from Couples for Christ became very instrumental in helping me see the beauty of having a family through their joys, struggles, challenges and experiences in their family life. I became open to my desires of having my own family. But I knew I was being called otherwise. I missed the missions, being with the people, the communities and the prayer life that I had in the seminary. After two years outside the seminary, I asked again for graces that I needed to choose which road to traverse. Ultimately, amidst the chaos inside my heart. I went back in the seminary to become a Brother. This time I felt God and His great love as He made it less difficult for me to let go of what I considered essential in the outside world- my work, my family, and my community. Love is sweeter the second time around as they say.

Now, I am doing theology here in Davao. I still miss SFC activities like the conferences and the CLPs. I miss my family and my work before. However, I am enjoying my apostolate to the higher level. Every weekend, I stay in a certain community and once a month, with the indigenous people. I really love being with God’s people. I learn a lot of things from them and my faith grows daily because of them. I have only one prayer in my life- to become more faithful to my God, my Love and my All. Amen.

Bro. Rey Regan Gatudula, C.Ss.R., or Kuya Regan to many, is  a newly professed member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, Redemptorists. He made his First Professional Vow as a Brother on May 5, 2012 at the Redemptorist Church Lipa City.  He is currently assigned in Davao as a Theology student. He is 29 years old and the youngest in their family. He has three siblings. His lovely mother is a widow and residing in their house in Tanauan, Batangas. He is a graduate of BS in Entrepreneurial Management. He plans to  study sign language next semester which he will use in his apostolate with the deaf and mute. He has been an active  member of SFC since October 2001 and will always be one.

Traversed Puerto Prinsesa Palawan

        Last Friday, August 19, 2011, my husband, Bobot and I left Manila aboard Zest Air to Puerto Prinsesa. Our flight was delayed for an hour. We were supposed to depart 3:30 PM but was able to fly by 4:30PM.

When we reached Puerto Prinsesa Airport it was already 6:15PM. We hired a tricycle which I found so amusing and asked the driver to bring us to the House of Big Brother where we were booked with another couple who were a brother and a sister in SFC (Rodel and Aileen), for four nights. After changing, we headed to the conference site at the Puerto Prinsesa City Coliseum. Before proceeding in the venue, we looked for a place to dine in and we found Pares Resto where I ordered rice with boneless bangus, salted egg, tomatoes and seaweed while my hubby had super tapsilog meal. It rained that night and drenched, we entered the venue. What a familiar feeling! A night with our brothers and sisters altogether praising God.  The first talk was a great starter with a priest as our speaker. He was so cool and  very confident in delivering his  talk. It was a night of music for the Lord and I  knew from the start that its going to be a fantastic weekend ahead.

     The second day started with a worship and a breakfast with our group from SFC Sto Tomas. We had rice and breaded pork for breakfast before heading to our chosen workshop, One Nation, where we will have a Palawan tour through the Palawan Heritage Center museum and a film showing. The workshop was inspirational as we were given a grand time in the Puerto Prinsesa's hightech museum with a hologram Tagbanua explaining their heritage to us. The museum was not as big as I thought but it had important artifacts of Palawan shown on display or through wall photographs or with the use of their touch screen computers and telephone-operated screens. However, they did not allow cameras inside. After the museum tour, a film about Ninoy Aquino's last journey was shown highlighting his heroism and love for the Philippines which inspired most of our younger brothers and sisters who might not know what happened during the People Power days. We had a group sharing and the activity aroused the Filipinos in us. 

We went back to the hotel where we spent the next few hours resting. At 4PM, we visited Bona's Chaolong where we ordered with delight their bestseller Chaolong pork or beef stew. We were so excited while waiting thinking that its the best soup in town. Lo and behold, the soup arrived! It  tasted sweet and salty and sad to say, I really did not enjoyed it as much as I wanted to. I realized I was never a fan of any Vietnamese food. Well, most of us did not liked it so much but some of our brothers finished theirs with delight. And we headed back to the coliseum for the Saturday mass, dinner and conference talks. 

    The second night was a blast. The two talks were given by a sister and a brother with so much to offer. They were so blessed with sense of humor and they knew how to get across their audience with so much information and inspiration. What struck my hubby and I were the couple who shared about their failure to have a child and how they accepted their fate when two different doctors told them that the husband would not be able to produce the sperm count required for child bearing. 

The story was so close to my heart because it was also our desire to have our own baby. 
We were married for one year  and three months already and we are still trying to have a child. But God assured us of His faithfulness that night. Truly we are blessed. We went home at 11PM.

     On the third day of the conference, we had to wake up as early as 4PM as we were required to attend the ANCOP global walk starting from the Puerto Prinsesa baywalk to the coliseum. An exercise was lead by a tito from Couples for Christ Puerto Prinsesa and we followed the exercise in glee. We had great fun walking for 5 kilometers for a wonderful cause of sending our poor brothers and sisters to school through ANCOP Foundation. It was a great deal for me as I was supporting the cause for a few years now and was able to send an elementary and a highschool kids to school. 

The last session was given after the 9:00 AM Sunday mass. Bro Shok who was a wonderful speaker lead the crowd into an enlightening and heartwarming worship. The sharing of a priest who joined the conference awakened our parochial hearts, a sister who suffered from an illness which found sense of belongingness, a couple who were financially challenged but were immensely blessed in service, and Palawan governor Bro. Baham each gave their share of God with us. The conference was highlighted with the group in a chain of prayers as they were lead into a worship while touching the cross on a network of hand over another's. After the wonderful Stronghold conference, we were promised by God a wonderful tour and He did not fail us.
 
       My husband, our roommates and I were fetched by our tour guides, Zandro, and headed to Honda Bay for our Island hopping tour package. We were brought to a store where we rented snorkels for P150 each and an underwater camera case for P250 before heading to the port where a boat was waiting for us to bring us to Snake Island. The trip was a long one, about 30-45 minutes and it rained and we were tossed by the waves but it was still an enjoyable ride despite the rains. The rain stopped as soon as we set foot on the Snake Island where a buffet was awaiting.

Praise be to God! We had a feast and enjoyed  grilled talong, sugpo, adobo, mangga't alamang, banana and a cold coke. We enjoyed it so much because we did not have our lunch before leaving the conference. It was after only about 5 minutes when we decided to go snorkeling. The boatman assisted us in the deep part of the snorkeling area. It was such a sight seeing big yellow fishes, blue koi-like fish and other smaller colorful fish swimming about and around us while the boatman fed them with the bread we bought from the store earlier. The boatman was so swift and I admired him for his moves underwater while pressing our camera for a nice shot of us while snorkeling. It was tiring breathing through the snorkels and we decided to rest and just enjoyed the warm water. 

And we did enjoyed the beach all the more because our boatman impressed us with his knowledge on how to take wonderful photos. I realized that through the seasons these boatmen learned how to take picture from the tourists they had before and these had become their talent and additional skills. 

     After Snake Island, we were brought to Pambato Reef and to our horror, we were greeted by numerous jellyfish as big as a volleyball. We decided not to go to the water for another reef and fish mingling but after seeing our companions rising from the water with great smile and amazement on their faces, we changed our minds and asked our boatman to assist us again. And what a great sight it was indeed! Those were the most colorful corals I'd ever seen, blue, pink and purple corals while huge colorful fishes swim around us. However, I had to jump up the floater because of the huge jellyfish beside me. I panicked but was able to restore composure when the jellyfish slowly swam farther. We just had around 5 minutes on the water because our boatmen were requested to leave to prevent overstaying on the raft. 

        We were brought to our hotel by the tour van satisfied and hungry at the same time. We took our bath and prepared for a dinner date with our group at the Badjao Seafront. We hired a tricycle whose driver was very much willing to take us there and agreed to fetch us after for P150 which was a pay after deal. The small bridge crossing the mangroves or bakawan which was the entrance to the place had a welcoming atmosphere. It lead us to the resto entrance where piano music was being played while our group seated at the center of the resto already binging on the feast. We had our dinner ordered earlier by one of our sis,  Meane, so we only waited a while.

 The four of us  shared our meal and had more than enough. We had to take home our leftovers. It was such a romantic  night and I thank God that we decided to follow our group. We almost did not go because of my hubby's headache. I was glad we came.

      The next day, the four of us who enjoyed each others' company the whole time, needed to be ready by 6:30AM as our tour guide would be fetching us that time. But before they arrived, we surprised one of our brothers, Wilson, for his birthday. After singing "Happy Birthday" our guide arrived just in time. We fetched two more groups before heading to the Subterranian River. 

It was an hour-long drive before reaching the docking area where we'll ride a boat to the Underground River. The twenty-minute boat ride was very relaxing. The rock formation surrounding the waters were so soothing to the eyes and we just fell silent as our eyes  feast on the beauty around us. Alas, we reached the Underground River beach!

Fine sand greeted us as we set foot ashore. We have to hurry as more tourists would be there and we  wouldn't want to be waiting for a long queue  for a boat going under the world's famous cave.  We were given a  head gear and a life jacket. The life jacket had been a friend these past days. After, registration, we took a short walk along a road of wood planks, the gigantic trees already overwhelming us. 

They warned us to be careful with our things as monkeys were all over the place who'd grab any food their eyes would set upon. We were also expecting  bayawaks to cross the road anytime as we walked but no monkey nor lizard were visible that time. By the time we reached the  embarking area, other tourists were already on line waiting for their turn. Of course, we were so excited. Who wouldn't when you know you'd be seeing one of the Philippines great wonder. Our turn came and we couldn't wait. 

Our boatman, Mang Rogelio remarked "Di naman kayo excited?". Then he started paddling. As we enter the dark cave he began his very informative yet humorous tales about the underground river. Boatmen like him were trained as tour guides while navigating the cave. They knew the figures, the dates, the names and whatever history therein. Other than the facts, he was so funny as he shared some jokes about the cave. He said that the small bats were called a different name- bata. He showed us stalagmites and stalactites forming different interesting figures such as mushroom, papaya, puso ng saging, cucumber, the Nativity,the Last Supper, a cathedral,a candle, a king, a guard, an angel, a sexy lady they call Sharon Stone, and others which are even sparkling due to rich mineral deposit. 

How wonderful it was to see great wonders underneath the mountain. Later on we found out that the water is brackish since it is there where the saltwater and freshwater meet. Fish abounds there, too. However since it is declared a national protected area, fishing and swimming are already prohibited. We also learned that not only bats inhabit the cave but swallows or balinsasayaw are familiar flyers in the cave. 

Enjoying the 30-minute Underground River experience is an understatement. We thanked the boatman as we leave and the smile seemed not to leave our faces. Before leaving we were able to see a bayawak and it was the biggest  bayawak I had ever seen. Monkeys now out of their hiding places stared as our boat leave the island. We then went back to Sabang beach. A few meters away the port where our van was parked. It was as beautiful as Boracay shore only the sand is not as white and a few dogs roamed the place. Another bountiful meal awaited and we once again binged. We enjoyed sinigang na buko,  grilled pork, kangkong stew, adobong manok, tuna belly, ensaladang pipino, banana to name a few.  Tasting tamilok was an extra challenge. It tasted like oyster but since my mind reminded me that its worm-like and slimy made me want to vomit. Good thing the vinegar made great wonder. The four of us had a piece each and our faces expressed a promise not to eat another.

After eating tamilok

Before eating tamilok

The walk towards the waiting van was a good one passing by beautiful rest houses along the way. Our ride to the Ugong Rock took about 15 minutes. After a short briefing and signing a waiver, we were given a pair of gloves and a head gear each. Our guide lead us into the rock mountain were we would experience spelunking or caving. 

The passageways were so narrow I thought I won't fit through. I had to congratulate myself for climbing the rock wall with the use of a knotted rope. Honestly, I feared my husband or I would fall and break our spines but thank God we're not that old not to flex our bones for the climb. Lo and behold, we reached the top of the cave. Our gasping for air was replaced with another blows of heart beats upon laying our eyes on the zipline we had to use to go down. It was my first zipline and I wasn't sure if I was excited or if I was frightened for my life. It would be the longest 20 seconds of my life, I thought. 

We just joked around to ease our tension and decided who'd go down first. I was the second from the group following my hubby and when I saw how gracefully Bobot went ziplining I envied him and relieved that he survived it. Then, its my turn. I had to make sure my harness was in place and I asked the man assisting us to re-check twice before releasing me. And when they released me, I had to scream and what a scream it was. One of the screams was a praising to God as I yelled "I love you, Lord!" at the top of my lungs. Before I knew it three men were releasing me from the rope. I was free. I was alive and whole. It was a great awesome feeling. The van followed us since it was a field away (about 300 meters) from the Ugong Rock. We were allowed to sleep during the trip to the Crocodile Farm. Holding a baby crocodile was a strange feeling. I was afraid it would bite but was relieved upon seeing the mouth was tied and had my photo taken with it. Bobot refused because he hates reptile smell. 

The Crocodile Farm was smaller than I thought and contrary to what I knew that it houses hundreds of crocs, it only had few mature crocs. However, they have at least ten hatchlings for every age up to 1  year. I did not have a great time there because aside from muddy roads there were very few animals, aside form the crocs in their care. Maybe because they were just rescued from the wild to be protected. But as I saw the animals, I pity them because they didn't look too happy to be in that place alone in  a cage. We proceeded to Mitra's Ranch, ranch house of former Speaker of the House of Representatives Ramon Mitra. We just enjoyed the Honda Bay view as the ranch has the grandest view of it. No wonder why the late Ramon Mitra opted to stay in Palawan. Next stop was Baker's Hill where I planned days ahead of buying several boxes for pasalubong but was disappointed because there were very few products left to buy because according to them hundreds had already been there to buy their famous hopia. I just settled on hopia monggo and baboy because there were no more hopia ube available. We enjoyed the place though. The next place we visited was the Binuatan weaving where I tried to weave. The people there were so accommodating assisting us and patiently teaching us how to do the weaving. Their products were so colorful and I honor them for their creativity in using grass fibers endemic to their place. One of our companions asked if we could drop by at TESDA for a photo op with a Transformer Robot which transforms into a green and yellow Willys Jeep and we did had a robotic moment. We passed by the baywalk as we headed to Tiangge to buy pasalubong. They laughed at me because they thought i was going to buy the whole Puerto Prinsesa. I couldn't help myself because I wasn't sure when I'd be coming back. If I couldn't bring my family to Palawan, I'd bring Palawan to them. But their products were cheap enough so I was able to buy what i think I need to. I regretted not visiting the Cathedral because some in our group needed to go home for their dinner date and it was already 7:00PM. The van brought us to the House of Big Brother and we thanked Lotlot,the day's tour guide, for a grand day. 
 Rodel, Aileen, Bobot and I prepared for dinner and decided to dine at  Balinsasayaw, a famous resto serving nido soup or bird's nest soup. We enjoyed our last night together and went home satisfied and in anticipation to going home the next day. We packed our things and slept early for  the next day's flight.

    Going to the airport brought feelings of loneliness that the vacation had to end but of great thanksgiving that we were allowed by God to experience His infinite love through His creation. We had breakfast at Jollibee before proceeding to the airport. We were just on time and did not wait that long before Zest Air gate opened. With hearts filled with joy for the whole experience we stepped inside the plane and promised ourselves that we'll be back again some time soon to have another series of jump shots on Palawan shores.