Tag : Mindanao
There are many ways to travel. You can do it solo, or with your besties, or in an open trip with strangers. You can wander in a budget or in splurge mode. Or you can travel with feelings. So paano nga ba mag-travel with hugot (The Ang Sakit Mong Magsalita, Close Ba Tayo Edition)? 1. […]
Passengers at the aisle get an instant access to the lavatory but they also have the higher chance to be jolted by the rolling store of the flight crew and by fellow passengers on the same row who will use the toilet. People in the middle receive two arm rests but there’s a probability of […]
My tradition of traveling solo on my birthday becomes more interesting every year. I enjoyed two Hong Kong theme parks alone last 2013 and wandered around the city of Taipei in 2014. Instead of going to another Chinese populated city for my weekend of birth, I decided to go off-grid in Siargao, one of the […]
Let me introduce two things: First is the awesome electronic dance music of a Filipino music maker, KidWolf. Check the local airwaves and you’d find out he’s the guy behind the beats of some of the songs in the chart as he collaborates with artists like Sarah Geronimo and Daniel Padilla. “Free” is the official theme song of the recently concluded musical festival, Summer Siren. Aside from my inclination to DJ mixes as accompaniment to all my travel videos, I think only Original Pinoy Music will fit best in a clip featuring the Philippines. And the line in the song “Choose an island from the open sea” suits best. Second is my top 100 destination picks in our country that I’ve visited so far. All of the photos and clips featured here come from my travel. I am really enjoying this montage. This is my answer to Tourism Secretary’s call for Filipinos to turn ourselves into ambassadors for our country.
But this list does not end here. There are more spots to check in. I only have been around 30 provinces out of the 81. Another 100 Destinations list is on my way. Maybe, you, too, can join me in choosing one of the 7107 islands (and hundreds of festivals too) from the open sea.
Music by KidWolf & BV, “Free”
Extended Mix
Like flowers planted in the middle of the asphalt road, this contingent from Zamboanga showcased their own Hermosa festival through streetdancing in Aliwan Fiesta in 2013. Dubbed as the Festival of all Philippine Festivals, this vibrant event is where the best provinces in the Philippines vie for prestige in three competition categories, the cultural street dance, the float parade, and a beauty contest named as Reyna ng Aliwan. Participants parade their respective prides in the long stretch of Roxas Boulevard starting from Quirino Grandstand and culminating at Aliw Theater, owned by the main organizer Manila Broadcasting Company. For years, the Philippines Grandest Fiesta gives the grand winner in streetdancing PhP 1 Million.
How To Get There
As early as mid-noon, more than a dozen of contingents are already preparing for the competition at the grounds of Quirino Grandstand. You can already feel the vibe as you walk from the U.N. Avenue LRT-1 Station to Rizal Park until you reach the first venue of the program. Since it is also a parade more than a competition, you can witness the shortened street dance performance, the competing floats and the contestants of the beauty contest along the Roxas Blvd in the comfort of your personal space. You can also check in Aliw Theater grounds. However, the first group to perform will only arrive hours after they performed from Quirino Grandstand. The improvised bleachers aren’t enough for a large group of spectators. Also, the grounds in Aliw Theater are not covered compared to the former.
How Did I Get There
It’s a choice between getting a good seat in front of the performance stage of the competing provinces or taking a good photographs of the participants in full costume. Even I wasn’t able to catch a full performance of a group in Quirino Grandstand or outside Aliw Theater, triggering shutter buttons for and with the kids and the students is more enjoyable. Seemingly exhausted, they still have the unbelievable drive to continue and to win the competition. I just wish these kids, who had flewn all the way from Visayas and Mindanao, would still have their time for fun (maybe a visit in Star City nearby) after the competition.