Where Do We Go from Here?

There’s this secret beach off the coast of Batangas. I can’t tell you where it is exactly because if I did, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore, wouldn’t it?

I was with my high school friends and we spent one Saturday night traveling from Cavite to Batangas in search of this elusive paradise. It was one of those biglaang road trips. And there we were, without any certain plans.

Once we got off the highway, we made our way into the town; and towards the beach, there weren’t exactly any paved roads anymore. Just a narrow, sandy, rocky, winding road lined with mangroves on each side. On the branches of overgrown mangroves hung the little boats that fishermen use. I soon found out that the dirt road we traveled on were once corals, before the tides receded and the corals died.

There were no accommodation in the secret beach, only a public bathroom. If you’re okay with that, then you wouldn’t have any problem. We had a tent for the night. And in some way, somehow, we managed to fit all seven of us in one tiny tent. We sat outside on the sand beneath the stars. There were countless stars and a bright full moon. I looked over to the horizon. It was hard to distinguish where the water and the sky met because the colors of the night sky and the dark sea blended so well that it felt like the horizon were endless. Perhaps it was.

We spent the night talking to each other over a bottle of vodka, catching up on the things that happened since we graduated from high school. The thing with friends is that you get to share with them almost anything—your glee, your sorrow, your hopes and dreams, your secrets and your innermost thoughts. You don’t get judged by friends, they accept you for who you are, in all your glory and all your flaws.

I woke up the next day to the morning breeze and the rising sun and the sound of waves. The beach, which seemed so dark and mysterious the night before, was now full of light and full of life. I could not wait to take a splash!

The beach was divided into two sides—the rocky and the sandy. On the rocky side, there were many, well, rocks and sea urchins. There were like a hundred of them, lying on the crevice between the rocks. On the sandy side were a lot of sea grasses, which dugongs love to eat. There were no dugongs, unfortunately. But there was a sand dollar, lots of fish, starfish and even a snake eel—the one with a red body and black spots, or something like that. It was really beautiful. I didn’t have any decent photos of the snake eel, but I found one right here.

Soon enough, the sun was high up and we had to pack up our stuff and our trash. It was time to leave this little piece of paradise.

We've come a long way, my friends and I. Ten years ago, during our freshman year in high school, we were all just a bunch of silly kids. I guess we still are. And in all the laughter and tears we have shared, in all the time we have spent together and all those that were spent apart, in all the secrets revealed, in all the dreams that came true and all those that were shattered, in all our life’s journey, what I know is this: we are young. And although life doesn’t always go as planned, life offers us many chances to take another shot because we have our whole life ahead of us.

There will be unknown paths we will have to explore. There will be bumps and cracks on the road. And in the journey we are taking, we will have to stumble and get hurt every now and then. But what matters is how we pick ourselves up  from our fall; that there will always be lessons and beautiful learnings we can pick up along the way.

So, where do we go from here? Where will life take us? I don’t know, honestly. But I sure am excited to find out. Here's praying and keeping an open heart until our next adventure.

You've got a journey to make
There's your horizon to chase
So go far beyond where we stand
No matter the distance, I'm holding your hand

Photos by Cesz Urbano and Daniel De Leon

A Little Art, a Lot of Heart

Some people have everything. But they tend to take a lot of things for granted. Other people have almost nothing. But they try to make the most out of the little that they have.

Our family is not rich. But we never felt like we were missing anything. And for all the material things we lack, love will always suffice.

Here's an award-winning short film by Lance Katigbak.

Epic El Nido

For a moment, life is cool. I'm a splash in the world's biggest pool. This is more than my thoughts ever thought it could be. For a moment, just a moment, lucky me. –Melody

The coastal town of El Nido lies in the northern tip of Palawan. It faces Bacuit Bay in the west and is comprised of several islands, three of which are resorts–Miniloc Island, Lagen Island and Pangulasian Island. We spent three days exploring the three island resorts, and it was one epic adventure.

As the outrigger surged towards Miniloc and as the island slowly unfolded before us, I held my breath, I looked around, and all the passengers I was with on the boat had their mouths half-opened. It was a sight to behold. I can't even describe in words how majestic the island was. All I know is that it took our breaths away.

We visited the Lagoons the following morning. We kayaked through and snorkeled within the Big and Small Lagoons, and it was nothing short of extraordinary. With the limestone cliffs towering above and the emerald-green-sometimes-turquoise-blue-clear waters below, it felt like I was in a totally different place. An enchanted one. A place where mermaids and fairies dwell.

While strolling along the boardwalk that connected the water cottages, a school of parrot fish and a baby monitor lizard greeted and welcomed us at Lagen. At the back of the island resort was a limestone forest. In the morning, we would wake up to the chirping of birds and echoes of various wildlife in the woods. It was one of the best symphonies I've ever heard.

Our boat passed by Dilumacad, Entalula and Snake Islands, although we were not able to get off the boat and on the islands. Perhaps we will be able to do so next time. We frolicked in the beaches of Dibuluan Island and Pangulasian Island. We buried our feet in the sand like hidden treasures. Our worries floated away as we happily hopped from one island to the next.

When I went to El Nido, I fell so in love with the islands that I wanted other people to have the same magical experience I've had while there. That is why I do the work I do for El Nido Resorts–sharing my adventure stories to people with the hope that they too would create their own adventure and live their own fairy tale.

There were too many wonderful moments in El Nido that it's difficult to pick just one. I could only whisper a prayer of thanks to God for having blessed me this much. I don't know what I did to deserve this, but I guess His love for me is greater than I could ever imagine.