Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Thinking Out Loud

When your legs don't work like they used to before
And I can't sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?
Will you eyes still smile from your cheeks?

And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70
And baby my heart could still fall as hard as 23
And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe just a touch of a hand
Oh me I fall in love with you every single day
And I just wanna tell you I am

When my hair's all gone and my memory fades
And the crowds don't remember my name
When my hands don't play the strings the same way
I know you will still love me the same

'Cause honey your soul can never grow old, it's evergreen
Baby your smile's forever in my mind and memory
I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe it's all part of a plan
I just keep on making the same mistakes
Hoping that you'll understand

But baby now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
That maybe we found love right where we are

Maybe we found love right where we are

Thursday, November 27, 2014

A Multitude of Gratitude

We always dreamed about this better life, this better life. We always felt it coming all along, yeah all along.


Back in college, there was this forum we had to attend just because it was required. And being the supposed studious-grade-conscious-stereotyped UP student I was, I went. That was when I first met Ms. Lybanor Godio, the then ENR Manager. I think I was in sophomore year then. That was also the year when The Bourne Legacy was being filmed in the Philippines. That was when the cast and crew of the movie stayed at El Nido Resorts since some shots of the movie featured Bacuit Bay.

Of course there were a lot of lecture and discussion in the classroom. But the most lasting thing, if not the only thing I have learned from the forum, was that, according to Ms. Lyba, "Being in the industry gives you a chance to touch the lives of other people."

I have always remembered that. Now, a few years later, working for El Nido Resorts, I have experienced a series of touching lives and being touched in return. Through a series of smiles, a series of acts of kindness, a series of wonderful adventures, and a series of gestures of appreciation from all the guests as well as from the people at the resorts whom I have worked with.

And that is what I am most grateful for today. How my life has been changed and how I was able to change lives being here in the humble post I'm in. So, in keeping with the tradition of thanksgiving (although it's sad that it's not being celebrated as much here in the Philippines), here's sharing with you all the gratitude I have received and am continually receiving from people who were once strangers but, in the course of things, have somehow become dear friends.

Mr. Ku Lee
R4U Travel

Hello I read your email. Thank you for keeping the promise.
I've decided to study English hard after meeting Rachel.
I will remember those good times together in El Nido.

Hope to see you again!

Ms. Apple Bautista and family 
Hi Claudine and Rachel,

I want to thank you for booking us in Lagen Island Resort and fixing our flight schedule. I also want to share our experiences during our stay in Lagen Resort. It was fantastic. The staff and crew were very friendly and accommodating. Service and food were awesome! Please extend our thank you also especially to Mang Julie and Mang Randy and 2 boat men who toured us in different islands, helped Marga and Santi paddle the kayak, accompanied us inside the cave, snorkeling, hiking, and even taking pictures of the scenic Palawan, Jhe (coordinator), Jessa, and Alex who prepared our private sumptuous dinner in sand bar but unfortunately it rained that night but Alex fixed it on the tree deck and Gamie (bartender) who extended our happy hour drinks.

We truly treasure this memorable vacation in Lagen Island Resort Palawan.

Ms. Jocelle Bodestyne 
Metro Weddings Magazine

Our El Nido trip was fantastic!! And service was impeccable!

Thank you so much to your team--Jona, Angelica, and people from ITI for being so accommodating of all our requests.

We will surely return! More power to you and El Nido.

Ms. Gwenaelle Ravon 
International Committee of the Red Cross

We thank you very much for you kind service and advice.

We had a lovely time and we wish we could spend more time there!

Mr. and Mrs. Benedict and April Jamora  
We had a great time! Had a little confusion with the pick up point for Lagen... we went to Taytay on the 20th. But the staff in both Apulit and Lagen attended to us promptly, politely, and made up for it that's why we were very happy and satisfied. 

Thank you everyone at El Nido Resorts for making our honeymoon indeed memorable for us. Your service is unparalleled. We will be back really soon!

Ms. Anna Featherson and family 
Embassy of Australia

Thank you so much for your assistance with our holiday booking.

We had a most wonderful time at Pangulasian Island Resort. We will always treasure our memories of our time spent at El Nido Resorts. It really exceeded all of our expectations.

Mr. Sander Timmers 
Embassy of the Netherlands

We had a wonderful holiday and we are so happy that we could visit both Apulit and Lagen. The first time we went out to snorkel we also saw a green sea turtle, really amazing! The nature, the reefs, and the peacefulness of Apulit made such a big impression on us, we really hope to come back there sometime. Lagen also was an amazing experience. We really enjoyed it both very much. I hope we can come back to El Nido as well and then try to stay in Miniloc, especially if the water cottages are available. Miniloc is so close to all the wonderful spots in El Nido, the big and small lagoons and swimming with the Jack fish was so much fun too.

Thanks for arranging this trip for us and hopefully till next time! 

and this last one from

Ms. Kimberly and Ms. Karla
Jeron Travel

Thank you so much for assisting us through and through throughout this whole trip! We are so grateful for you!

Keep shining!

What are you most grateful for today? 

Photo of El Nido sunset by Mark Cantalejo

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Apulit: An Underwater Wonderland

There's something magical about Apulit Island. It entrances you in a way that words could hardly explain.







Apulit is one of the four island resorts that make up the El Nido Resorts group. But unlike Miniloc, Lagen, and Pangulasian Islands, Apulit is the only island not found in El Nido. It is located in the town of Taytay, on the northeastern coast of Palawan.

Many would think that getting there would be too difficult. Not. At. All. I took the 7am flight of Island Transvoyager Inc., the only carrier that flies direct from Manila to El Nido. There's complimentary breakfast at the airport lounge, so you can stuff yourself and hang around before you board the 50-seater ATR aircraft.







We arrived in El Nido after an hour's flight. We were greeted by these lovely ladies (and gentleman) who sang for us Palaweño songs. I didn't quite catch their lyrics, but I'm pretty sure it meant something like this: Welcome, welcome to our beautiful Palawan! And enjoy your stay here!

From the airport in El Nido, we rode a van to Taytay. The ride took us an hour and forty-five minutes by land, plus another 45-minute boat ride. It was quite a stretch. But the whole trip was seamlessly convenient. I was thrilled beyond belief as we began to approach the island and behold its wonder.

I stayed in a Loft Water Cottage which can fit 4 people. But I had the room all to myself. One. Of. The. Perks. My room also had a staircase leading directly to the sea from my veranda. And every morning I would thank God for waking me up to this view of the sea and the horizon.





I woke up early one morning for a hike at the cliffs. Waking up early had its merits. While everyone else was sleeping in, or stuffing themselves at the breakfast buffet, Wendell and I went rock climbing on the east side of the island. Not bad for a morning exercise. Wendell is this game-for-anything kind of dude with a pocketful of energy. There's never a dull moment when you hang around with him. 




As we reached the top, this was the view that unfolded before us. It's like the island was greeting us, Good morning! We could only rappel down the cliff one person at a time. Wendell went first. I sat on a rock on the cliff to catch my breath. There was this gentle morning breeze at the top and you had the best view of the whole island from here. I took a deep breath as I basked in all this awesomeness.









After rappelling, we explored the caves on the other side of the island.  Not a lot of people like caves. They're dark, mysterious, full of bats and other creepy-crawly creatures. They're all the same yet different somehow. But what I like about caves are the different rock formations you'd find inside them.

There was this ginormous crocodile rock formation inside Big Cave, an image of yet another gigantic elephant, chandeliers hanging from the cave ceiling, and many others if you let your imagination run wild. If you see the figure of a man with a cape at the entrance of the cave, that's a rock formation which was thought to be the image of St. Joseph. Hence, the cave was named after him.












We visited Isla Blanca in the afternoon. A huge part of of the island is a sandbar, so it only appears during low tide. The sand had a soft and fine texture. It was no wonder why Baby Bryden went ahead and played with it as soon as we dismounted our boat. I met this girl, Cheryz. She happened to be a G-Force dance scholar. She's amazing in a million different ways. We goofed around a lot while we were there.





















Of course, I wouldn't call Apulit Island an underwater wonderland for no reason. All you need are goggles and a pair of fins... And off you go!
























































We snorkeled in the east and west sides of Apulit Island, and in Nabat Island. You could barely recognize the sunken angel at the house reef because it has been covered with corals. We spotted blue spotted rays, baby black tips, green sea turtles, lots of giant clams, and schools of big-eye scads. I found Nemo's brushing themselves in anemones. I found that corals are actually very fragile creatures. That a lot fish species swim together in couples, in perfect synchronization, and pair for life. And that our resort guides are the most dauntless atop a cliff and the most graceful dudes underwater.  







I felt so little in an island as big as Apulit. As I climbed its towering cliffs, as I explored its mysterious caverns, as I snorkeled within its waters, Apulit made me feel so small. And I liked it. It made me feel like I was part of something bigger, something greater, something grander. It felt like I was part of a whole.

Somehow I felt connected with everything and everyone, it felt like I belonged in a really strange paradise. Perhaps it's because we're all pieces of a puzzle, parts of a bigger picture. That we're all connected in more ways than we realize. And we find that every once in a while, out of what seems to be an ordinary life, God gives us moments of magic. Moments of surreal and inexplicable bliss. And those magical moments are what make life worth living.

These are the staff from the resort. But they've become dear friends to me. They're among the best people I've met, among the reasons why my stay has been memorable, among the many treasures I've found and cherish in the island.

I'm gonna feel this forever
Or even if it's just tonight
I can see the thing much clearer
Even when I close my eyes