I wasn’t aware of this until photos were sent by a friend of my buddy Joyce Mariscal (Vice Mayor of Sta. Maria, Davao Occidental) about Philippine Tourism double decker buses going around in Auckland, New Zealand with my photo on them.
“Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. Every breath we take, every step we take, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.”
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” —Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
One day I spotted attractive wind turbines from the plane. At first I thought we were passing over the Bangui Windmills in Ilocos Norte, but I was heading for Manila.
My photos were featured on July 2015 issue of Silkwinds Magazine, the Inflight Magazine of Silkair (Regional Wing of Singapore Airlines)
Local kids in Cateel, Davao Oriental enjoy the cool waters of Aliwagwag Falls, its stunning cascades a poignant reminder of nature’s fragile ecosystem when it was affected by the onslaught of supertyphoon Pablo (Bopha) in 2011.
“Pay attention to the richness of your inner life. Daydream, imagine, and reflect. It’s the source of infinite creativity.” ~ Deepak Chopra
This Bitaog tree (Calophyllum inophyllum) in Brgy. Caloc-an, Magallanes, Agusan del Norte was officially declared the oldest tree in the country in June 1998 by the Dept. Of Tourism.
I visited Zamboanga before and after a rebel siege in the city a year ago that left a portion of the central town bruised and battered, and kept many wary visitors away and in fear. Foreign travel advisories stay adamant. I expected to focus on remnants of a combat zone, but there were other things that captivated me more.
The beautiful but endangered Organ Pipe Coral (Tubipora musica) on the Great Sta. Cruz Island in Zamboanga is bright red in color and naturally pulverized among its fine powdered white sands, turning its sandy shore to a magical tinge of pink at daytime, hence the name Pink Sand Beach.
“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
“It’s funny how, in this journey of life, even though we may begin at different times and places, our paths cross with others so that we may share our love, compassion, observations, and hope. This is a design of God that I appreciate and cherish.”
― Steve Maraboli,
“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.” ~ Judy Blume, author
“The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only paradise we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need, if only we had the eyes to see.” ― Edward Abbey
“Each species on our planet plays a role in the healthy functioning of natural ecosystems, on which humans depend.” ~ William H. Schlesinger, Biogeochemist Tridacna is a genus of large saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the subfamily Tridacninae, the giant clams. Unfortunately, the global conservation status is listed as Vulnerable in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. All species of giant clams are listed in CITES (Convention on Inernational Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna). In the Philippines, it is locally known as “taklobo”.
LIFE’S A BEACH. TIME TO SURF. Dahican beach panorama (7km long stretch of very fine sands) Mati City, Davao Oriental (my birthplace) © Jojie Alcantara View large to appreciate * * * *
“Sometimes the course of our lives depends on what we do or don’t do in a few seconds, a heartbeat, when we either seize the opportunity, or just miss it. Miss the moment and you never get a chance again.” ― Aidan Chambers, Dying to Know You In my birthplace of Mati, Davao Oriental, lies Lawigan, a hidden coastal community dotted by rugged rock formations, mangroves and white sands interspersed with coconut trees and patches of civilization with huts built on shorelines. The road to Lawigan is quite narrow and perched on a precipice, before going down at sea level again. It was a very lovely day where I couldn’t get enough of its seascape glory. I took photos of its extended sandbar which you can walk for yards and yards out into sea. While the coast was calm and clear, farther ahead where mangroves are growing, the sea changes into a fury of white waves bashing into protective reef fringes, where the gulf meets the raging Pacific sea. Here, the fishing boats ply the …
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” ― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl
I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it. ~ Marilyn Monroe
“Landscapes of great wonder and beauty lie under our feet and all around us. They are discovered in tunnels in the ground, the heart of flowers, the hollows of trees, fresh-water ponds, seaweed jungles between tides, and even drops of water. Life in these hidden worlds is more startling in reality than anything we can imagine. How could this earth of ours, which is only a speck in the heavens, have so much variety of life, so many curious and exciting creatures?” ~ Walt Disney Company Seven Falls Number 2, the highest and most popular in the seven falls of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato This particular image is composed of three photos stitched together for a panoramic vista, which does not give justice to its immense beauty which is in reality, enchanting, serene and magical. PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: When creating panoramic shots, try to shoot several images in portrait mode, and not always in landscape (horizontal) mode. Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, one of the top tourism destinations of Region 12, is famous for its three …
I introduced myself to the resort manager and told him straight, “If you can fly me around the islands I will give you my photos.” Chutzpah, but with a cough to boost.
The very sweet manager called me up at midnight to inform me I would be flying the next day for 15 minutes. Request granted.
The Scene Stealer 