Misamis Occidental: Swimming with dolphins at the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP)

A lot of people had suggested that I visit Dolphin Island at the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP) to check out their swimming with dolphins experience. It had been advertised as a Dolphin Rescue Center where injured dolphins are brought to recover. In fact, when you land in Ozamiz Airport, one of the first things you'll see is a tarpaulin promoting the place. So it was worth checking out.


Entrance to MOAP is Php10 per head. From the MOAP Visitors' Center, you walk to the ferry port where another ticket counter will charge you Php250 for the round-trip boat ride and entrance to Dolphin Island which is about 20 minutes away.


At Dolphin Island, you pay another Php300 for the swimming with the dolphins experience and gear rental. A guide will take you into the enclosure and hold the bag of fish you will feed the dolphins. To be honest, I actually enjoyed the experience because the dolphins were quite playful as I fed them the fish. Unlike the dolphin shows which has elicited a lot of opposition from animal rights activists, they do not train the dolphins here to perform any tricks. They just swim around, albeit in captivity.

I had been asked by animal rights friends to find out if the dolphins were released after. Unfortunately, MOAP does not release the dolphins even after they recover. They are kept there for entertainment purposes. While I personally understand the existence of zoos, I do not agree that MOAP should continue to call it the Dolphin Rescue Center because part of rescue is release after recovery. I mean let's be straightforward that the dolphins there are kept in captivity even after recovery. So when people visit, they know what they are visiting.

This project had been promoted by none other than President Arroyo. She visited the island together with the Australian Ambassador. From what I understand, AusAID was somehow part of this project.


While dolphins in captivity are seen as okay by the general public (part of my childhood were visits to Ocean Park and SeaWorld), animal rights advocates are against it. Just to open the discussion, I would like to share Dolphins in Captivity: FAQs for you to learn about the issues behind dolphins in captivity. So if you do visit MOAP and try out their swimming with dolphins experience, at least these issues are clear to you.

After you swim with dolphins, your guide will offer to take you to the coral reefs around the island. There is no fee for this but you'll have to give your guide a tip. I was floored by the variety of coral and fish species around the island. My guide gave me another piece of fish which I held in the water for other fish to eat. By the time I knew it, I only had bones left! There were also a lot of Giant Clams in the area.


There's another pool were they keep a pawikan. But watch out because it bites! Lunch is also available on the island so no need to worry about food. During low-tide, the sand around the area surfaces. But the island disappears when it's high-tide. So you can hang around there for some swimming.

Back at the mainland, I walked around the park while waiting for my ride back to Oroquieta City. I saw a wooden bridge that led to a mangrove forest which turned out to be a zoo. I was quite disconcerted seeing a dozen or so monkeys tied up with chains around the waist to bamboo poles. Looking at them doing nothing but walking up and down the poles was not a happy experience. For a project that won the Galing Pook Award in 2005, I was a bit disappointed to see how they treated the monkeys. I hope the Provincial Government of Misamis Occidental does something about the zoo.

Anyway, I left with mixed feelings. While I genuinely enjoyed the swimming with the dolphins experience, I couldn't help but ponder on the issues behind dolphins in captivity.

Misamis Occidental: Fuerte de la Concepcion y del Triunfo in Ozamiz and the Jimenez Church

When you are in Ozamiz, there are two heritage sites worth visiting in the area: the Fuerte de la Concepcion y del Triunfo Historical Landmark in Ozamiz City, and the Jimenez Church, a National Cultural Treasure and probably the best-preserved Spanish colonial church in Mindanao, located in the town of Jimenez about 20 minutes from Ozamiz.

The Ozamiz Fort, just like Fort Pilar in Zamboanga City, has one side of its walls transformed into a religious shrine. Built in 1756 out of coral stone, it has four bastions (baluarte) namely San Fernando, San Jose, Santiago and San Ignacio. It became a shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The image also referred to as Virgen sa Cota is venerated every July 16 by devotees.


Before proceeding to Jimenez, we had lunch along the way at Palayan Seafoods Restaurant beside the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP). We ordered native chicken for lunch. And you could request them to cook the chicken in various ways: tinonuan, adobo and tinola. The adobo in Mindanao is sweet and spicy, unlike the Luzon version which is on the sour side. Tinonuan is a coconut milk-based soup.



The San Juan Bautista Church in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental was built in the 19th century by the Augustinian Recollects. According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), it has retained its original clock metalwork and paintings. It adds that the ceiling of painted canvass which was installed in 1898 actually concealed an earlier mural painted directly on the wooden ceiling.

What I like about Jimenez town is the fact that many of its ancestral houses are still intact. If we had more time, it would have been nice to walk around the town and appreciate its old houses. From the Jimenez Church, we drove further north to Oroquieta City.


Update (08/03/2010): I almost forgot to include one more interesting heritage structure in Misamis Occidental. And that would be the Misamis Occidental Provincial Capitol in Oroquieta City. It looks similar to the capitol building of Surigao del Norte. But unfortunately, there's a basketball court right in front of the grand building! Such a shame!

SEAIR & Microtel will be bringing eight lucky bloggers to Boracay! Be one of them!

1. South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) and Microtel Inns and Suites will be choosing eight lucky bloggers to join an all-expense paid bloggers' tour of Boracay from September 10 to 12, 2010. This includes round-trip tickets from Manila to Caticlan and accommodation at Microtel Boracay.

2. To be selected, you will have to write a blog entry telling us why you should be chosen to join the tour. Each blog entry must have a link to the SEAIR website, the SEAIR Facebook Fan Page, and the Microtel Philippines website.

3. You can publish your entry from 12:00 a.m. of July 26, 2010 to 11:59 p.m. of August 20, 2010. Only one entry per blog will count.

4. To let us know about your blog entry, post it as a link in the SEAIR Facebook Fan Page. It has to be posted from 12:00 a.m. of July 26, 2010 to 11:59 p.m. of August 20, 2010. Once it is acknowledged by our administrator, your entry is counted.

5. Three winners will be selected by a panel of judges based on which is the most compelling. The top three entries with the highest scores from the judges will be invited to the tour.

6. Three winners will be selected by fans based on the number of "likes" to the link. The three entries with the most number of "likes" by 11:59 p.m. of August 25, 2010 will be invited to the tour.

7. One winner will the selected by the SEAIR Adventure Club. The entry with the most number of votes from our resident travel bloggers will be invited to the tour.

8. One winner will be selected at random in a manner to be determined by the organizers.

9. We will notify the eight (8) winners on August 27, 2010. In case any of the winners cannot make it, we will invite the one next in line.

10. The decision of the organizers in final. Good luck to everyone!

Quezon City: Where to eat in U.P. Diliman

The University of the Philippines, Diliman has been a big part of my life. I spent nine years in U.P. as a student, finishing three degrees. And now, I'm a member of the faculty, teaching tourism courses at the Asian Institute of Tourism.

And U.P Diliman food has definitely been a big part of all those years. I was a dormer for close to four years and had my share of isaw, fishballs and dirty ice cream, as well as food from the U.P. Shopping Center, U.P. Coop or aristocart when I missed my meals at the dorm. Some of the restaurants we used to eat at have moved to other places like Mommy Thai.

Contrary to popular notion, U.P. Diliman is not just about fishballs, isaw and dirty ice cream. I spent one afternoon and evening after class roaming around U.P. with friends and even celebrities to rediscover the food I've always enjoyed. So here's a list of things and places to eat in U.P. Diliman:


1. Beach House Canteen
This small hut beside the U.P Main Library and Sunken Garden is already an institution. They are most known for the Pork Barbecue (Php25 a stick), Pork Chop (Php50 a serving) and other grilled dishes. Beach House Canteen is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you are looking for affordable and delicious barbecue, Beach House is the place to get it.


2. R.O.C. (Restaurant of Choice)
This is the newest restaurant in U.P. Diliman located at the Ang Bahay ng Alumni. It's my favorite hang-out because of its great food and free WiFi Internet. R.O.C. is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Among my favorite dishes at R.O.C. is the R.O.C. Burger, 100% quarter pound beef patty, aioli, lettuce, tomatoes and onions served in a sesame bun (Php158), Garlic Chicken, boneless chicken thighs, ROCs herb-garlic sauce, garlic rice and chefs veggies (Php185), Quattro Funghi, four-mushroom melange, garlic ream sauce and linguine (Php166), and the Bourbon Burger, 100% quarter pound beef patty, aioli, Bourbon glazed onions, lettuce and tomatoes served in a sesame bun (Php175). Also try out the Buco Sherbert (Php78) which is among their best-sellers.


I had lunch there with former U.P. Diliman USC chairperson Kris Ablan (few people know he was a FAMAS-nominated child actor who went by the screen name Kris Banal) and dinner with blogger Anton Diaz, and former actress Paula Peralejo of Tabing Ilog fame and a U.P. Diliman magna cum laude graduate herself. Being a vegetarian, Paula tried out the Margherita Panniza (Php228) and Quattro Funghi.


3. The Chocolate Kiss Cafe
This restaurant opened at the Ang Bahay ng Alumni when I was a freshman and was a regular lunch or afternoon break hangout of my block. They started with the second floor and opened another branch on the first floor of Bahay ng Alumni. The 1st floor branch opens at 7 a.m. and is closed by 6 p.m. The 2nd floor branch opens later but closes later as well at 10 p.m.

My all-time favorite snack is the Chicken Asparagus Sandwich which is grilled chicken with mayo and asparagus strips served in French bread (Php158). But The Chocolate Kiss is most known for its cakes. I personally like their Carrot Cake (Php70 per slice) and Blueberry Cheesecake (Php105 per slice).



4. Khas Food House
I like Middle Eastern food. Which is a good thing there's Khas Food House at the U.P. Arcade where the U.P. Swimming Pool is located. While Persian and Indian food are their specialties, Khas serves an array of international dishes such as Vietnamese and Korean, owing to the fact that it's located right across the International Center, U.P.'s foreign students' dorm. My personal favorite would be the Keema, minced beef with potatoes, onions, tomatoes, ginger, herbs and spices (Php45) which I partner with Pita Bread. Another best seller would be the Biryani Beef, vegetable rice cooked in imported spices served with beef (Php135).



5. Rodic's Diner
Another institution in U.P., Rodic's has been serving its very popular Tapsilog at the U.P. Shopping Center for decades. Today is the 61st anniversary of Rodic's if you didn't know! I was accompanied by Nico Ibaviosa, a member of the UP Diliman University Student Council and a Star Magic talent who is currently part of the cast of BFGF which shows every Sunday, 4:30 p.m. on TV5. We ordered their famous Tapsilog (Php70) of course!


6. Mang Larry's Isawan
Few people know that Mang Larry's Isawan has been grilling isaw in front of the Kalayaan Residence Hall ever since the 1986 People Power Revolution. So that makes Mang Larry's Isawan more than two decades old! The stall, which is open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, has definitely grown by leaps and bounds. Having lived in the Kalayaan Residence Hall during my freshman year, I was initiated to isaw at Mang Larry's. (Update: Both isawans have now moved to the empty lot beside the UP Chapel and College of Law)

They serve Isaw Manok (Php3), Isaw Baboy (Php3), Goto (Php6), Tenga (Php6), Atay (Php6), Botsi (P6), Balun-balunan (Php6) and Pork Barbecue (Php8).


And guess who I saw buying isaw while I was there! It turns out Alessandra de Rossi is a regular of Mang Larry's together with other celebrities and friends who journey all the way to U.P. Diliman to savor Mang Larry's famous isaw. While I prefer Mang Larry's, others prefer the isawan beside the U.P. College of Law (which used to be beside Ilang-Ilang Residence Hall when I was still studying).



7. Lutong Bahay
If you're looking for cheap and affordable home-cooked meals, Lutong Bahay beside the U.P. Post Office is the place to be. I was joined by U.P. student Martin del Rosario, a Star Magic talent who played Johnny on ABS-CBN's Rosalka. Martin shares that he always hangs-out with his block in Lutong Bahay for lunch. Aside from the home-cooked meals, Lutong Bahay is also popular for it's really large fruit shakes which are very cheap. The Mango Shake just costs Php30.


8. Long Island
I was not familiar with Long Island since it's on the College of Engineering side of the U.P. Main Library which I rarely visit. But Nico Ibaviosa suggested that we try out the food there too. Their best-sellers used to be the chicken meals. But that is no longer in the menu due to some changes in rules for U.P. food stalls. Canteens complained that stalls competed with them. So stalls were disallowed from selling full meals. But Long Island serves really affordable pizza and pasta. If you're craving for some, Long Island is for you.


9. U.P. Manininda
I've already mentioned the isaw. But there are a lot of really yummy snacks which are available from the different U.P. Manininda. You'd see some of them walking around with Lumpiang Gulay, Turon, Banana Cue and Carioca (Php12 each), Taho, Monay with Cheese and Dirty Ice Cream. Siomai at the College of Fine Arts is cheap and delicious. And don't forget the Fishball, Kikiam, Squid Balls, etc. at your friendly fishball stand located all over campus.

There are more restaurants such as Likha Diwa sa Gulod and the Museum Cafe at the U.P. Vargas Museum. So this list will continue to grow. I wonder if I'll include the U.P. TechnoHub since it's technically inside the U.P. Campus.

I didn't mention college canteens and CASAA anymore since concessionaires come and go. While the famous Mang Jimmy's is outside U.P. Unfortunately, some favorites like Chateau Verde and Oz Cafe (I never got to try their legendary Lava Cake), are already closed.

Did I miss anything? What is your favorite U.P. Diliman food experience?

Malaysia: Gaya Street Sunday Market in Kota Kinabalu

Every Sunday, Gaya Street is closed to vehicular traffic as it hosts the Gaya Street Sunday Market. If you happen to be in Kota Kinabalu on a Sunday, you might want to pass by Gaya Street.


They sell almost everything one looks for in a market including souvenirs and handicrafts, gadgets, fruits and produce, plants and pets, food and snacks, Bornean coffee and other interesting local items you might want to take home. It’s best to be there early in the morning because it can get quite warm close to lunch.