The traveler in me got excited about a birthday challenge that involved setting a travel goal. Inspired by a friend’s experience, I decided to take on the challenge—Byaheng Bente Singko.
The goal: Travel 25 places before you celebrate your next birthday.
Rules: It can be provinces, cities, or whatever. It can be a day trip or overnight. It can be travel for leisure or work.
Note: You count the places, not the number of visits.
Below are the 25 places I got to explore:
1. Nueva Vizcaya - Of course, my hometown. I included this because going home has been a unique travel experience since I started working in Manila and Marinduque. It will always be a refuge and cradle of inspiration for me.
2. Marinduque—This is my second home. Even though I travel to Marinduque regularly, each visit is still an exciting and interesting experience. It’s a good place to run to and hide whenever Manila gets a little too crazy.
3. Pampanga - Pampanga has been a place for me to pass by, but this year, I finally did something in Pampanga. This is where we held the first leg of BayaniTAYO KaActBayan Series.
4. Zambales—This was the second leg of the BayaniTAYO KaActBayan Series. From Pampanga, we immediately rode a bus to Iba. After doing the Formation here, I thought Zambales would be an alien place to me. Apparently, I was wrong. Here, I’ve met amazing young leaders and seen the vigor and strength of the youth.
5. Bataan - I never thought I'd be visiting Bataan again after I jumped onto a bus from Tuguegarao to Dau to Balanga to Mariveles. It was a very long trip; I never thought of going back. But, BayaniTAYO held its third leg of KaActBayan here. Finishing noon in Zambales, we rode a bus to Bataan to catch the 6 PM activity. By 8 PM, I was traveling back to Manila. Several more trips followed after that.
6. Subic—I always knew about Subic but never visited it. Thanks to the Global Youth Forum we conducted, I finally set foot in Subic!
7. Nueva Ecija—Even though Ecija is a neighbor, I never had the chance to really experience going around. I was lucky to be friends with Novo Ecijanos. Finally, I got the chance to see its beauty and also extend assistance to the province through the relief operation and ARCS Gabaldon.
8. Tarlac - My first visit to Tarlac was very memorable. On the morning of it, I had to do a 6 AM photoshoot, head off to DLSU for a 10 AM talk, and finally catch a bus to Camiling. It was already noon, and my talk was at 2:30 PM. I was rattled. I remember running to the Pasay bus station and stopping the bus with a Camiling signboard. It was a hot, humid day and an ordinary bus. I jumped in and cared less about the comfort, hoping to arrive on time. After that experience, all my other travels to Tarlac went smoothly.
9. Oriental Mindoro - Thanks to our partnered activity with KHA, I could visit Mindoro. It was quite a trip from Manila to Batangas, from Calapan to Roxas. I met some of the most awesome and inspirational people I consider friends there. :)
10. Batangas—What makes Batangas special is joining the Haraya Manawari Sessions of SLTEC. We also found a new retreat place in the lake area.
11. Laguna—I’m not fully a farmer, but being in IRRI got me really excited. Other than having the opportunity to meet Maria Resa of Rappler, we also got to tour around the rice exhibit, and (this is the highlight for me) we got to see the world's rice collection! That's 127,000 rice varieties from the whole world! Most of it is stored at -20 degrees Celsius, which we also got to see.
12. Bukidnon—In January 2016, we visited three provinces (in three different regions) in Mindanao for three days. In Bukidnon, we spent a day in a secluded, quiet, and crafty place called Wildberry.
13. General Santos was our entry and exit point during our Mindanao trip. We dined in the Saranggani Highlands and enjoyed the view of Saranggani Bay.
14. Davao—We stayed in Malagos and got to see the eagle sanctuary. The highlight here was the bird exhibit, where Jenny and I almost ran away. Haha! Also, for people who want to do a walking tour in Malagos, please be careful. Caterpillars are crossing into the butterfly area. Make sure not to crush them.
15. Malaysia - On this visit to Malaysia, I stayed in Cyberjaya. I attended and spoke at a conference about Work-Life Balance. Haha! I also met a lot of wonderful people.
16. Palawan - This is where we had the last leg and the regional summit of the MyLeader x Agripreneurship workshop. We stayed in Puerto Princesa. Although I didn’t have the chance to explore fully, I was lucky enough to visit some places. What makes this trip special for me is that I saw how Marinduque, and Mindoro people cared about each other. Also, the Palawan team we had the chance to work with was open and great. More so, the best part was meeting the 6 IP participants, seeing them open up, and just seeing them enjoy and feel a sense of belongingness!
17. Cebu—I flew to Cebu straight from Palawan for the I am Hampaslupa activities for the Presidential Debate. It was great to see young people getting involved in agriculture.
18. Baguio - What makes my Baguio trip extra special this time is that I get to do it with friends :)
19. Tagaytay - This Tagaytay trip was unique! We went there for a health detox, haha. It was a refreshing way to restart the system. To make it even more special, I met Carine ♥. Our first few days as new friends weren’t that pretty, Haha. The bathroom routine was an interesting play.
20. Cagayan—The only reason I probably still go to Cagayan, specifically Tuguegarao, no matter how far it is, is because of TOSP Region 2 (CaValYEROS). This amazing bunch and the yearly addition to our family are a source of hope and inspiration.
21. Mt. Province - Bauko and Sagada! I never thought that my first visit to Mt. Province, specifically in Sagada, would involve hiking, trekking, and walking from one municipality to another for 8 hours, for 2 days! It was really fun not knowing what to expect from the trip and not being ready with the stuff and clothes you’ll need. These crazy and amazing people from Tao Philippines made it more special.
22. Aurora - I finally completed the whole of Central Luzon! It was a short trip with friends, but it definitely gave me the breathing space I needed at that time.
23. Batanes—It was a dream come true trip! I think not even half of our region gets the chance to visit Batanes. Being there was breathtaking. I had moments when I just pointed at the sight, not being able to utter a single word. Unlike most who visited the place, I brought home less than 50 photos of Batanes. I would rather miss the opportunity to capture it than miss the opportunity to feel and fully experience it.
24. Zamboanga—This is probably one of the craziest things I ever did. Not only did I book a trip with no plan, but I was traveling alone to Zamboanga. I didn't even notice that my trip would coincide with the siege anniversary, and to add more interest, there has been not-so-good news about Mindanao lately. Nonetheless, I hopped onto the plane and flew!
25. Basilan - If Zamboanga was a crazy decision, this one is crazier! I decided to do a side trip to Basilan and did not tell my family (after reading this, they’ll know) about it! I traveled to and from Basilan alone and have entrusted my whole trip to locals I haven’t met. Through their help, I could do my Project BDay, a short talk/workshop for the youth. They also helped me get around and see what the island offers. It’s a worthwhile experience to visit Basilan.
Well, that’s my Byaheng Bente Singko. It doesn’t end here, though. There are definitely more places to explore! I’m just happy I accomplished it with the greatest value of personal experience.
So, byahe na?!
OMG! I forgot! I did Quezon Province! That makes it 26!
Some photos were grabbed from friends and events.
