issue 1

EYES on Nueva EcijaMinalungao

BeetleCab:

AlternatripPasalubong Corner:

Let’s Go ChasingWaterfalls:

subscribenowsee page 75

THE ROCKING BEAUTY OFPEÑARANDA RIVER

11 SPRINGS TO CROSSONE HOUR TREK

BITS AND PIECESYOU TAKE HOME

THE ECIJA DIFFERENCE

THE WHEEL OF ABUG’S LIFE

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mario balane photography

FEATURE: NUEVA ECIJA ADVENTURE TRIPS TRAVEL TIPS

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TRIP BARKADA ALTERNATRIP TRAVEL LOG TIPS

Getting there one way or another... Ryan will let you have the Nueva Ecija feel and experience without going far or getting broke!

Eleven springs to cross. One hour of trek-king to endure. but it only takes a second to forget everything you’ve been through when you marvel at Gabaldon Falls.

TAONG PUTIK FESTIVAL

Irish shares tips and ideas on having your own travelogue a.k.a. travel journal. Be inspired as you plan your next most awe-some travel!

Are you on for your next vacation? Have you packed necessary things for the trip? Better be sure that you have everything you need to avoid hassle along the way. Lorraine listed down must-haves for a hassle-free trip.

DUPINGA RIVER

Be captivated by a treasure that is worth all the bumpy ride and dusty road. Witness unexplored subterranean caverns, green pristine rivers, and unique rock formations lying in the southeastern part of Nueva Ecija.

FOODTRIP

We are used to celebrating the Feast of Saint John The Baptist as a bountiful, wet and splashy tradition. Be fascinated with Bibiclat’s extraordinary way of celebrating the feast!

LEISURE FOODTRIP LIFESTYLE

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TRAVEL GADGET GABALDON FALLS MINALUNGAO

Dupinga River is probably the most pupular tourist spot in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija. This cheap adventure trip is perfect for students and those who love to have picnic and videoke.

This is the biggest amusement park north of Manila, located at Bgy. Sto. Cristo, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Truly, one of Nueva Ecija’s pride!

Hear it from our friends out there! Find out what they’re up to, their fa-vorite trip destinations, and activities

CARRON DREAM PARK

Who doesn’t love to eat? Kim shares some of Nueva Ecija’s best restaurants, cafes, and bars.

PASALUBONG CORNER

Looking for something to bring home for family and friends? You can never go wrong with pastillas, batutay, and polvoron!

Highlights

they love to do.

TRIP MAGAZINE ISSUE 1

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief

Jane Odulio

Associate Editor

Karlo Cusi

Creative Director

John Fundano

Columnists

Mary Rose DueñasMary Rose Magcamit

Ryan VillarealKim Odulio Manuel

Executive Director

Ely Dela Cruz

Dear Trip readers,

The idea of Trip’s first issue excites me like a lit-tle girl. I have worked with several magazines before but this one holds a special place in my heart. I can’t believe that starting this day, it will not just be a dream or an idea. The fact that you are holding it in your hands right now is proof that we have survived sleepless nights and end-less mental storming. The idea has left its box. It has found freedom in exploring places, learn-ing new things, and making life’s journey worth-while. It has left its comfort zone and decided to jump off the cliff of endless possibilities.

Of course, Trip Magazine will not exist without the help of people who support us and love the best and worst of us. I would like to extend my personal thanks to my parents, Romeo and Lib-erty Odulio, who still open the door for me even during ungodly hours. Where would I be with-out you guys?

Biggest thanks go to our relentless team. John, you are a treasure; thanks for walking on water with us. Russ, thanks to wifi, we all felt your con-nection. Ely, my travel buddy, you are the most handsome driver ever; thanks for making things possible. Karlo, my college crush (shame if you delete this one!), thanks for saying yes and do-ing this. Mary Rose, thanks for sharing the couch; otherwise, I will be sleeping on the floor. Erwin, the most gorgeous and genius of us all, thanks for the Palawan trip (that’s what you owe me for this name mention).

To God be the glory!

Much love,

Published by PSR Media Network Inc.

Reproduction without written permission from PSR Media Network Inc. is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed in this magazine are solely those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Trip Magazine.

©2013 by PSR Media Network Inc. All rights reserved.

featured contributors

Maxie GerantaChief Medical Technolo-gist/Freelance Photogra-pher, Percussionist

Maxie believes that Ninja turtles exist.

Other Contributors:Venus VItalesCarlis GazzinganDevi Kiaki ArananAndrei MendozaPrecious AlonzoLorraine Ann Delos Santos

Lay-Out | Graphic Artist:Russ Elloso

Clark SarmentaWedding/Portraits/Events Photographer, University Professor

For him, chest freezer is the coolest gadget ever invented.

Mary Rose MagcamitPublic Relations Officer

She believes in GOD as the ultimate anchor of her life and the BIBLE as the best tour guide.

Naomi Jean PacoliLearning Center Staff

This person loves to sing every time she feels sad, or happy.

Aechelle Aiza P. DumukProfessor

This person loves to run every time she feels le-thargic.

Kim Odulio ManuelNurse

Her fave trip destinations are Boracay and Singa-pore but she’s dreaming to be in Paris.

Precious Liz BañasMedical Student

Her trip activities consist of learning/experiencing new cultures, food, dia-lects, languages, diving (if possible), and climbing mountains

IrishCuyosRocker

She believes in living life in simplicity, rock and roll, and just being awesome!

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KitchieNadal teddy

jaycontreras patricia manuelName: Patricia Marie ManuelBirthday: August 10, 1992Occupation: Graduating student – early childhood developmentIf you didn’t pursue teaching, what would you be? make-up artistWhat’s your current state of mind? I’m into finishing my schooling and will let faith lead me.Describe yourself in three words: pretty, sweet, and moodyFavorite destination in the Philip-pines: Boracay

Latest trip: Baguio (spent my Christmas there with my family)Dream trip: PARIS!!!Fave activity(ies): doing other’s make-upWhat’s in your survival kit? make-up kit??If you find yourself deserted in an island and you can only bring one thing, what will it be? lip glossCheap thrills: carinderia hoppingGuilty pleasures: eating Korean food

Name: Kitchie NadalBirthday: September 16, 1980

Occupation: recording artistIf you were not recording artist today,

what would you be? psychologistWhat’s your current state of mind?

Love for Jesus is the perfect balance.Describe yourself in three words:

introvert turned extrovertFavorite destination in the Philippines:

Palawan & MindanaoLatest trip: KuwaitDream trip: Israel

Fave activity(ies): painting, mission work

What’s on your playlist? Sugarfree, Cynthia Alexander

What’s in your survival kit? pepper spray

If you find yourself deserted in an is-land and you can only bring one thing,

what will it be? BibleCheap thrills: coffee, playing with kids

Guilty pleasures: shoppingMessage to Trip barkada: Jesus loves

you!

Name: Teddy CorpuzBirthday: Dec. 4, 1979Occupation: artistIf you were not an artist today, what would you be? panaderoWhat’s your current state of mind? chillDescribe yourself in three words: wild, blunt, steadyFavorite destination in the Philippines: Bora & my house (home)Latest trip: DubaiDream trip: EuropeFave activity(ies): skateboard, basket-ball, cardsWhat’s on your playlist? Deathcab, Abra, LouieWhat’s in your survival kit? BibleIf you find yourself deserted in an is-land and you can only bring one thing, what will it be? BibleCheap thrills: cardsGuilty pleasures: Jack Coke Message to Trip barkadas: Enjoy life! Live today not as if it were your last but as if it was your first! First kiss, dance, first labing-labing!

corpuzof ROCKSTEDDY

Name: Jay ContrerasBirthday: June 4Occupation: dancer & entertainer!If you were not a dancer/enter-tainer today, what would you be? lawyer, wrestler, o baka pari!What’s your current state of mind? Steady lang. Happy Daddy!Describe yourself in three words: pogi, macho, sinungalingFavorite destination in the Philip-pines: bahay ko. Anywhere with my bandmates and familyLatest trip: SingaporeDream trip: Amsterdam

Fave activity(ies): sleepingWhat’s on your playlist? E-heads, Urbandub, OPMWhat’s in your survival kit? deodor-ant…lagi basa kilikili ko eIf you find yourself deserted in an island and you can only bring one thing, what will it be? iPhoneCheap thrills: yosi, isawGuilty pleasures: litsong kawaliMessage to Trip barkada: Gumawa ng mabuti sa kapwa araw-araw.

of KAMIKAZEE

BARKADA

02 09

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BarbieAlmalbis

Name: Barbie Almalbis-Honasan

Birthday: August 26

Occupation: Singer/Songwriter

If you were not a musician today, what would

you be? Aside from being a wife/mom, if I

wasn’t a musician, I’d probably be another

sort of artist.

What’s your current state of mind? Happy and

hopeful, always thinking about the future—be-

cause of my kids.

Describe yourself in three words/phrase: multi-

tasker, passionate, saved-by-grace

Favorite destination in the Philippines: Roxas

City—home!

Latest trip: Singapore for a gig

Dream trip: I got to visit the Louvres before

with a friend, but would love to visit again with

my family—especially since I married a painter.

Fave activity(ies): Aside from anything music

related, movies, basketball, beach, picnics

What’s on your playlist? The Black Keys, Gary

Clark Jr.

What’s in your survival kit? Phone

If you find yourself deserted in an island and

you can only bring one thing, what will it be?

A Bible, or better yet, a phone with Bible app

and a charger.

Cheap thrills: Running around after two tod-

dlers is more than all the thrill I need.

Guilty Pleasures: Twin Popsies

BARKADA

joshjohn steven de guzman

TV5 TALENTADONG PINOY 2012 FINALISTA True Novo Ecijano

“Napakasaya ko po, kasi di ko po akalain na mapapanood ko po yung sarili ko sa TV”

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“You are still young, free…Do yourself a favor. Before it’s too late, without thinking too much about it first, pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can. You will not regret it. One day it will be too late.”

Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake

I was showing Nanay Neri pic-tures of where we have been. I told her we went to breath-taking falls, jumped off a cliff,

and swam in ice-cold water. She gleamed with her perfect smile, looked at me with excite-ment, and said she wants to go there also.

One day, it will be too late.

Nanay Neri just turned 73 and to go for an hour trek will be hard for her. I smiled and promised her that I will show her more pictures of places we’ve been.

Time flies so fast. As I looked back and recalled what hap-pened in 20 plus years of my ex-istence, I asked myself if I have lived it to the fullest. Though I go out once in a while, I realized that I have been living a life behind a computer! I’ve been working—I didn’t have time for travel, and I didn’t have time to visit friends and family—I’ve been boxed in a 9-5 day job! And weekends? I rather spend it on bed and get as much sleep as I can. Man, that has been my lifestyle for 5 years!

Fast forward now. Hurray! I

discovered freelancing, and its benefits are very rewarding. You have more time for your-self, you get a chance to meet more people and explore more things and places around you. Cheers for the days when you can stop for a while, appreciate the sun, look down at the grass, inhale fresh air, and breathe a prayer of thanks for a wonderful life. Forget the days of snoozing the alarm clock for the nth time, rushing to the bathroom, skip-ping breakfast, and beating the red light. You know this—you will arrive late at the office any-way, so why rush?

Kidding aside, I understand young professional’s frustra-tions nowadays. They want to establish their career and at the same time they want to enjoy life. Ask them why they can’t get up early. Chances are, they went home late the night before because of coffee or movie date with friends. Well, I have good news for you. Trip Magazine ex-isted for those who contribute to almost 90% of the nation’s income, the consumers and the spenders, the taxpayers and the true heroes of this genera-tion—you! Every order of mocha

LIFE DOESN’T END THERES T R A N D E D ?

frappe you make has 12% VAT charged on it. So tell me, where would our country be without you?

You need a trip. You deserve it! And the government is support-ing you on this. Well, you don’t believe me? Think about holiday economics. With the government announcing three days of no work in advance, every employee has a chance to plan vacations. And who will not love Cebu Pacific and Zest Air’s promo fares? It’s really time for every Juan to fly!

I won’t make this too long be-cause we have a year ahead of us to plan and document our travel story. Consider the world as a large book and each place is a page to read. Starting today, with the birth of Trip Magazine, we will discover it one page at a time. We’re in this together, folks! Cheers to a year full of happy mo-ments, crazy adventure trips, and crossing out bucket lists!

See you next Trip!

In this photo: Jane OdulioPhotographer: Maxie GerantaMake-up by Izza ArceDress by Race AdvinculaAccessories by Rose Alba

On a Year ofADVENTURE TRIPSand Crossing OutBUCKET LIST by JANE ODULIO

Visit Jane’s page at www.janeodulio.com or send your questions at info@janeodulio.com12

NUEVA ECIJA’SDIFFERENCE

getting there, one way or the other | ryan villareal

“Nueva Vizcaya? No Nueva Ecija. Aren’t those the same place?”

This was the circular conversation I had with my close friend from Nueva Ecija who consistently corrects my Nuevas.

Being the geographically challenged per-son that I am, I tend to easily mix cities, municipalities, barrios et al. Who can blame me? We have all sorts of repetitive names for different places in the country like the Nortes, Surs, Orientals,Occidentals and how about the Zamboangas? It indicates direction and.yes, our apparent lack of im-agination.

Back to Nueva Ecija, despite the fact that I’mfrom northern Luzon and that it’s just three to four hours from Manila, I have never been to this province. The horror film “Sukob,” which was shot in Nueva Ecija, may have contributed to this imposed dis-tance, but I think it is mainly because of the “landlocked” feature of the province that makde me adamant. It may only be three hours, but who has the time to spend three gruelling hours of travelling and end up in a place without the warmth a beach and sea breeze offer. In this archipelago, this sounds unfathomable; however, this is the point where Nueva Ecija becomes interest-ing. Being different.

Until then that I have the time off from work to visit the province, I am resigned to the idea of experiencing the province of Nueva Ecija within the confines of the metropoli-tan. You may say lame, but I say efficient-it saved money and time.

Based on what everybody says, the best way to experience the rich history of a place is through its local cuisine, so I started my

journey to Nueva Ecija at SM North Edsa on a hot Tuesday noon, not to wait for a bus but to eat the famous Nueva Ecija delicacy “Batutay” in a place aptly named “Longganisa Sorpresa,” a restaurant that offers wide variety of longganisa (local sausage) from different regions in the country.

Batutay or Bototay is a kind of longganisa that is made up of beef instead of pork, which most of the different longganisas in the country are made of. This unique twist made the longganisa of Nueva Ecija famous.Its taste is unforgettable. I got to enjoy a Batutay meal in a comfy couch atSM North Edsa-Sky Garden overlook-ing the chaotic Edsa for only Php 100.00, Php 115.00if you include the fare going there.This was cost-efficient.

Batutay is a refreshing break from the gar-licky taste of most longganisas because of its sweet taste intricately woven with the subtle flavors of garlic and salt solu-tions. It gave me the impression that this kind of strong flavour different from the most can only be created by people pas-sionate for change. No wonder that Novo Ecijanos like Mariano Llanera, Pantaleon Valmonte, Mamerto Natividad Jr, and Ma-nuel Tinio are etched in history as heroes of the revolution and were in the frontlines of fighting for freedom during the Spanish era in Northern Luzon. That beef sausage really made me know history.

After a few hours, I wam ready for the next level of my Novo Ecijano experience by eating dinner at a Nueva Ecija fastfood chainat Walter Mart North Edsa called NE Foodshoppe. Jeepney fare cost just Php 8.00 from where I was. Reminiscent of a more popular fast-food chain which started out as a bakery and eventually ex-panded its products to home-cooked Fili-

pino delicacies, NE Foodshoppe has the same nature and background. I stumbled on this distinct restaurant a few years back during my weekly grocery shopping. I got my loaf of bread there but for some rea-sons never tried theirdish, well, until now. The restaurant is not extra-ordinary.It of-fers the same food viands as other eater-ies that offer Filipino cuisine; it also has the same kind of adjacent tables, same clini-cal lights, same tired-looking crew. The difference is how they have Nueva Ecija versions of local cuisines.

Craving for something Ilocano, I chose their version of “papaitan” or ox tripes and innards cooked with extracts of bile and tamarind. The papaitan stew is originally an Ilocano dish, known for its strong bile flavor, but the sour version of the Novo Ecijanos is a good bend. They got this brilliantly prepared dish and turned it into something even more surprising.As I sipped of tangy spoonfuls of “papa-itan” soup, I realized the colourful mixture of culture in the province since it is strate-gically located between the sub-cultures of the Kapampangans (south border) and the Ilocanos (north border). No wonder Novo Ecijanos have a hint of everything.They fuse a wonderful concoction of fla-vor, tradition and culture

With the busy work-life in the metropolitan, experiencing a province in half a day is in-deed rewarding. I got home with the after-taste of garlic and bile-really not a good combination for an aftertaste-prepping me that probably someday I get to enjoy these scrumptious dishes on actual Nue-va Ecija grounds, and eventually knowing that Ecijano difference.

alternaTRIP

It’s New Year! What are your travel plans for 2013?

Your list may include adventures as excit-ing as racing, camping, bicycling, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, surfing, sail-ing and what have you! But at the end of the day, are you prepared for the other side of the story? Be ready to discover the pain after your trip because that is a real part of you adventure.

Last year, this same month, my friends and I joined a mountain trekking adven-ture with some experts. I was very ex-cited about that adventure and even re-searched about the mountain we would climb–Mount Pulag. It was my first ever mountain adventure and a dream come true!

Mt. Pulag is the highest mountain in Lu-zon, about 2,922 meters above sea level. Its borders are the provinces of Ben-guet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya. There, the weather condition is extreme. Good thing I was able to bring extra jackets and clothes.

As I prepared my backpack, I also readied myself for some troubles I might experience. My only preparation to endure aching legs (my only idea of pain I might experience) was regularly going to the gym, which I thought was enough. I thought I have strong bones and muscles for a hike like that. But I was wrong!

My body was not prepared for chilly weather condition. We spent our night camping in a long, dark, and humid part of the trail. Also, rain made my adventure uncomfortable.

After all the troubles, we conquered Mt. Pulag! It was a true escapade that measured my strength and endur-ance. My friends and I had shared good memories as first timers. It was a different feeling—an unexplained one. However, an adventure is a combina-tion of fun and pain. If you’re a true ad-venturer, you know what kind of pain I am talking about. It is what your body must tolerate. You have to convince

yourself that it is really part of the game. I’m talking about physical pain.

You will experience muscle and body aches, joints and feet injuries, dehydration, stomach ache, or fever that in the following days you will not want to leave your bed and instead take a rest.

I’m not discouraging you but I am challeng-ing you to go out to your comfort zone and experience the pain of a true explorer! I’m not expert on this issue but come on! Discover it by yourself.

Have a blessed trip to all of us!

be ready to discover pain after the fun

greencolumn | maryrose magcamit

photo: joseph bonaobra

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What is the purpose of a travel journal?

A travel journal is similar to a diary wherein you mainly record details of your journeys and/or trav-els, often told in a first-person perspective. You can write on your journal anything that can be perceived by your four senses during your trip: what you have seen, heard, felt & tasted. Keep-ing a travel journal not only helps you organize your travel plans but also serves as something to make you remember significant information or ex-periences that would also be worth sharing with friends & family members.

What’s the number one rule? Be CREATIVE! Make your jorunal personal and let it reflect your true self! Remember that one of the purposes of mak-ing a travel log is for you to have something to look back on. And most often than not, we want something good to remember. So fill your pages with happy thoughts and crazy experiences! Trust me, it can save you in the future when you are having those “emo days.”

Travel Log Tips

Remember: A travel log is not only a place where you can record & write your journeys but also your visual diary. So go ahead and start filling up those pages with awesome images that you’ve captured or even things that you’ve picked up along the way. For ex-ample, let’s say you saw a leaf. You’ve never seen such a stunning leaf in your entire life! The vibrant color it radiates, how it glistens in the sun. So what do you do?! Take some glue & paste that leaf in so you can revisit it as time goes by and bring back that wonder-ful memory and feeling you had upon finding that certain leaf.

01.

New year. New journeys. New destinations. For all you travel-junkies out there, this is the perfect time of the year for an awesome adventure, so we suggest starting packing your bags & planning your next trip. And what bet-

ter way to do that than to make your own travelogue a.k.a a travel journal.

To get you started, here are a few things you need to have and few tips to keep in mind to immortalize that most awesome trip ever:

Invest on a good notebook. A Moleskine hardbound notebook will never fail you. It’s a good investment and won’t even take much space in your travel bag.

For our more hi-tech friends out there. You can always start and sign up for a free blog on Wordpress (www.wordpress.com), Blogger (www.blogspot.com) or Tumblr (www.tumblr.com). Create an account, choose your template, and you’re good to go. Take pictures and post whatever you want regarding your journey and share it to the world. Maybe even share tips and do’s & don’ts of different places, etc.

You can also self-host your own blog if you have that extra dough. You would also have to buy your own domain name through various hosting sites like Go-daddy (www.godaddy.com) or Hostgator (www.host-gator.com). They have multiple packages to suit your needs, so be sure to pick the right one that you think would meet your requirements.

To make it more personal, more YOU, deco-rate it with pictures, artworks, quotes, patterns, stamps, or anything that represents yourself. You can even make up a name or a title (i.e.: The Adventures of Jane Around The World, etc.). The sky’s the limit!

And here are but a few essential things that we suggest you write in that remarkable book of yours when you plan your next trip either locally or abroad:

Trip Budget. It is always a good idea to plan and organize how much funds are required to make this trip. Determine all the costs for accommodations, food, commutes & leisure.

Destinations. Determine the place that you would like visit. Specify locations.

How you will be travelling. Is it by plane? Or by car? Are you travelling alone or will you have someone with you?

Accommodation/Food Arrangements. Will you stay at a relatives or a friends’ place? Or at a hotel/motel?

If you choose the latter, make sure you make arrangements early on to avoid any sort of hassle.

The world is yours for the taking so make sure you keep note of every awesome step you take! Happy journaling and have a rockin’ adventure!

Irish Cuyos

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ad ad

trips that count

Some might have already made this realization:

taking trips helps people find more of themselves, and most of the time the better versions of they once are.

Why is that? Well, maybe be-cause sometimes they be-come more people-centered.

In traveling, there is a requi-site to learn, adapt, befriend, observe, be culturally sensi-tive, be resourceful, be bet-ter stewards of nature, and become open-minded. They become witnesses of the extremes—extreme poverty and extreme luxury—and so creating in them the propen-sity to strike the balance. Well, this is what taking trips is for me, or has helped me be.

Travelling is about making investments, priceless, life-long investments: investing in time, friendship, people, culture, pictures, and mem-ories. This upcoming sum-mer, taking a long break from medical school, I am joining Immergence and Palakaya: Operation Sama-ria 2013.

Mission trips such as this in-clude a healthy mix of meet-ing new friends, learning new cultures through cultur-al exchanges with the local people, and economical and wise investment of money. It feels nice offering services such as health and literacy, knowing your calling, your place in this world, being swooned by the beauty of creation,and, of course at the core of it all, sharing this love God has for those will-ing to know and hear.

Medical Ambassadors Philippines,a non-govern-ment mission organization of doctors and nurses, is one of the major partners of these trips. With its other partner NGOs, it teaches its volunteers approaches in helping indigenous people groups, approaches that are sensitive to their culture as to not disrupt or corrupt it.

A challenge is to embark on a journey that not only fulfills the journer but also gives back to the Giver of jour-neys.

Come and trail blaze with me. Precious Bañas

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William Johnsonn

Editorial <<< 01

You may consider traveling with friends and with people who also love adven-tures! And, yes, later, they can be your travel buddy.

However, a travel buddy can not only be “someone” but also “something” that you can be with when traveling. I’m talking about a reliable buddy that is always on your back to support you in every step you take. This buddy is with you as you plan your trip. You, together with this buddy, decide what items you should bring and know their purposes. This buddy is something you can trust all your belongings to, something that you can depend all the time–your backpack!

A backpack is a product designed for your outdoor activities—to be a traveler’s best friend! Its main purpose is to be with you and support you in every trip you make. It helps you to carry all your travel belongings. It’s a multipurpose compan-ion that stays with you throughout your adventure. It strengthens your power and passion to continue your journey.

Isn’t it wonderful that the first thing you do before leaving your home is to jump with excitement and grab your backpack? So you better look for a backpack that guarantees quality friendship.

FACToRS FoR A LoNg-LASTINg ‘FRIENDShIP’

• Size - The first thing you must consider is the size of your back-pack. Look for one that can easily be placed on your back. It may also depend on your body size and your perspective of how much weight you can carry. It’s very impor-tant that you are comfort-able with it, so don’t look for sizes bigger than you.

• Quality - If you want a long lasting jour-ney together you must consider the quality of your backpack. Check

out its capacity and dura-bility. Check out details of its parts—the zipper, the shoulder straps, etc. Con-sider also the waist and chest straps that will help you to carry the weight of your belongings. You bet-ter invest in a high quality product; something may be expensive but may give you the assurance of stability.

• Design - The design may vary depend-ing on your own taste and standard. But you must re-member that design is not only about creating a fash-

ion statement. Instead you must consider how it will go with your body. The de-sign might also depend on your gender and the type of journey you will take. Just prioritize on a design that will completely support your back and shoulders for equal weight distribu-tion.

Mary Rose Magcamit

the very basic core of a man’s living spiritis his passion for adventure. the joy of lifecomes from our encounters with new experiences. awesomeness liesoutside our comfort zones.

johnfundano | fotography24

A pickup is a dedicated workhorse that can handle plenty of abuse. Many look good, but can

they get the tough job done?

Enter the 2013 Ford F-150. Ford is America’s bestselling vehi-cle—more Americans buy one than any other vehicle annually—for the past four decades. This is due largely to Ford’s yearly installations of small changes that keep their premier truck line looking young and fresh amid the heavy competition. Also, on top of the bevy of half-ton trucks is a traditional designation identifying light-duty full-size pickups.

Yet, small changes obviously weren’t the agenda of the Detroit-based au-tomotive pioneer this year. While the entirety of Ford’s 108-year history is not founded entirely on the F-150 and its predecessors, it has certainly been

built around it over the last 60 years.

As Ford unveiled the perennially pop-ular truck’s most recent incarnation, it was clear that Ford was about to take one of the biggest gambles to ever come out of Allen Park. Since its debut in 1948, the F-150 has have just a few radical evolutions in design, features, and capability—all while re-maining all-steel in frame and body. That's about to change.

The next generation of the F-150 features a massive and dramatic overhaul in the form of a 700-pound “ironsuction”. What’s this, you ask? In an effort to improve gas mileage, the 2013 Ford F-150 will either enjoy, or suffer (the verdict’s still out), a largely aluminum body.

The radical redesign is aimed to meet tougher American fuel-economy tar-gets which are now starting to have game-changing effects across the board. On top of trying to overcome a wide host of manufacturing obstacles,

Ford will need to convince its die-hard consumer base that aluminum is as tough as steel if it wants to continue its streak at pole position.

The switch to the lighter metal will mean a roughly 15% weight cut for the F-150. While this presents a whole slew of challenges for Ford, includ-ing expense, production complexity, durability, and, of course, perception, such a reduction would enable the F-150 (and the rest of the Ford pickup lineup, should the aluminum makeo-ver prove effective) to go farther on a litre of petrol and open the door to other evolutionary changes.

Ford first got the ball rolling on this radical—and possibly game chang-ing—redesign when the Obama ad-ministration pushed through new fuel-economy regulations in the sum-mer of 2011. The regulations ramped up fuel economy goals increasingly per year, leveling out and requiring the U.S. vehicle fleet to average 23.2 kilometres per litre (km/L) by 2025.

Across the automotive industry, carmakers are pouring money into new technology to meet these standards. Features such as a hybrid-electric system that cap-tures energy when the vehicle slows and then uses this energy to boost power when it acceler-ates, as well as engines that shut off at stop lights to save fuel, may become norms in a few years as a result of the scramble to improve fuel economy.

It is worth noting though that the raw material for aluminum itself is much more costly than steel, and Ford’s sales and profitability will un-doubtedly take a hit should prices go up and profit margins go down. Aluminum is also notoriously diffi-cult to work with in comparison to steel; being more springy, it snaps back farther after it is pressed, which makes it more challenging to build the massive dies on which the metal is formed. Aluminum is more likely to tear if pressed too quickly, requiring the presses to be run more slowly. On the other hand, steel is the more flexible of the two and is capable of surviving deformation (dents, bumps, and scuffs) without cracking, buckling, or otherwise failing structurally.

The switch from steel to aluminum also provides a huge logistics headache in the form of alu-minum’s lack of magnetism. What this means is powerful and elec-tricity-hungry vacuums will have to be used to pick up the aluminum sheets for transfer, requiring Ford to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in new manufacturing equipment and the use of auto-as-sembly techniques that pose chal-lenges in high-volume production. All of these factors together have the potential to drive the cost of production up to unknown heights and massively cut the F-150’s long-standing hefty profit margins.

Undoubtedly, all of these can and will strongly influence the market's perception of the new generation F-150, as nobody wants to see a rise in price accompanied by a per-ceived decrease in durability, even if it does bring with it increased gas mileage.

PICK ME UPAT150CARLIS GAZZINGAN

Vehicle Highlights

Max Seating Capacity 3 (Regular Cab)

6 (SuperCab, SuperCrew)

Drive Type 4x2

4x4

Horsepower 302 @ 6500 rpm (3.7L V6)

360 @ 5500 rpm (5.0L V8)

411 @ 5500 rpm (6.2L V8)

365 @ 5000 rpm (3.5L EcoBoost®)

Torque 278 @ 4000 rpm (3.7L V6)

380 @ 4250 rpm (5.0L V8)

434 @ 4500 rpm (6.2L V8)

420 @ 2500 rpm (3.5L EcoBoost®)

Transmissions 6-Speed Automatic (standard)

6-speed SelectShift Automatic™ (optional on XL, STX, XLT; std. on FX2/FX4, LARIAT, King Ranch®, SVT Raptor, Platinum and Limited

Wheelbase 125.9" (6.5' box Regular Cab)

133.3" SVT Raptor (5.5' box SuperCab)

144.5" (5.5' box SuperCrew, 6.5' box SuperCab, 8.0' box Regular Cab)

145.2" SVT Raptor (5.5' box SuperCrew)

156.5" (6.5' box SuperCrew)

163.1" (8.0' box SuperCab)

Maximum Conventional Towing 11,300 lbs. (See towing chart)

Maximum Payload 3,120 lbs. (Regular Cab 4x2 with 5.0L V8 and Heavy Duty Payload Pkg)

Warranty Bumper to Bumper: 3 years / 36,000 miles

Powertrain: 5 years / 60,000 miles

Safety Restraint System: 5 years / 60,000 miles

Corrosion (Perforation only): 5 years / Unlimited miles

Roadside Assistance Program: 5 years / 60,000 miles

Minimum Vehicle Base Curb Weight (lbs.)

4x2 4685

4x4 4925

Simply put, buyers may think that cut-ting weight by switching to a perceived less-durable material in an effort to im-prove fuel economy would result in a vehicle that does not encapsulate the F-150’s “Built Ford Tough” mantra and further damage Ford’s reputation for toughness.

While we can’t say for certain that the engineers over at Ford are not worrying over the redesign that they cooked up, Ford is reportedly cognizant of these challenges and says that durability and reliability are still the main characteris-tics of the 2013 Ford F-150.

After all is said and done, the next-generation Ford F-150 will ultimate-ly be, at least in part, a so-called "compliance vehicle," engineered to conform to the specifications of the law more than to accommo-date consumer needs or automak-er plans.

Think the 2013 Ford F-150’s for you? These vehicle highlights will help you decide.

26 27

Cellphone is one of the most important gadgets you MUST not forget to have on your next trip. You must maintain constant contact with your friends and relatives or with people you plan to visit. You surely need a thing to call or send a message to inform them of your whereabouts and ask for necessary information about places. Sony Xperia Acro S would probably the best gadget to do this. It has good call quality and long battery life. You’ll surely have a clear and clean reception for all your calls. SMS sending is timely and fast! Its battery life can actually last for two days with just a single full charge. It will definitely fit best for longer trips. The Sony Xperia Acro S is also water-proof and dust-proof, which is why it’s really best to bring dur-ing swimming, trekking, or even hiking.

SONY Experia Acro S

MINI HD

LED FlashLight

HYPERJUICE Plug

GEARS

GADGETSTRIPfOr YOur

Next

Are you on for your next vacation? Have you packed necessary things for the trip?

It’s better to be sure you have everything you need to avoid hassle along the way. Free yourself from carrying big bags and loads of stuff. Be sure to consider your comfort in choosing what things you need to bring and what among these will be help-ful along the way. Check the list of some essential travel gadgets which may help you in your travel. Here are some of them:

You surely don’t like to miss those wonderful scenic spots and unforgetta-ble experiences in your trip, so better not forget to put your cameras in your checklist. Any kind of camera will do as long as you are comfortable with it. Digital cameras are very handy compared to DSLR. If you prefer a light travel, digital cameras would fit best in your bag, but if you do like to have high quality videos and pictures, a DSLR would be a good travel partner. In taking shots underwater, you must not also forget to consider bringing an underwater cam-era, especially if you’re going to a summer getaway! Mini HD is probably the best digicam you can bring with you. A 5.0 megapixel camera half the size of your palm would save precious space in you bag.

You should not forget to bring your light source. Flashlights are very impor-tant when going on a trip. In case of emergency, accidents, or when you get lost, you must be sure that you have something to light your way. Usual flashlights are hassle to bring because of their size and weight. LED flash-lights are best to avoid bringing bulky and heavy flashlights. These flashlights may be heavy-duty but never heavy to bring in your pack. They are smaller and have lower power requirements than usual flashlights. LED flashlights became popular for being lightweight and dependable.

Be sure your gadgets won’t run out of battery, or else it’s another problem to solve. Portable power source is essential to bring with you, especially when you go for long drives. At least you are sure that your camera, cell-phone and other gadgets are safe from running out of battery in the middle of your travel. Portable power sources are indeed very handy. You’ll have no worries about losing contact with friends and family or getting bored because these power sources can charge up your iPhone, iPod and other gadgets. Hyper Juice plug is the only charger you need during long trips. They can actually charge up an iPhone from 29% and an iPad from 39% battery life to 100% charged. It may be bulkier and heavier than other port-able power sources, but it would not be a big issue since it could still fit in your bag.

These are just some gadgets that you may consider bringing during your next trip. You travel for a purpose: for leisure, work, or relaxation. Don’t get yourself stressed by bringing bulky things and loads of stuff that would just cause hassle and discomfort. Try to review these gadgets; they can surely help you a lot on your next dream trip! Lorraine Ann Delos Santos

28 29

by Lorraine Ann Delos Santos

Most girls, if not all, are going’ gaga over Daniel Padilla, the undeniably hottest young star these days (credit to the legendary Padilla charisma and his talent too). He is Google 2012’s fifth most searched personality.

I’ve attended one of his concerts in Nueva Ecija, and, believe me, everyone wanted to snatch him from the stage! You must see him perform, feel the serenade, and you will definitely want to be on Kathryn Bernardo’s shoes (his love team partner) or wish to be his Valentine!

Next issue, we will feature him here in Trip! (Dear Editor, centerfold or cover please!) For you Daniel, a TERRIFIC stamp with smooches!

senyorita’sdelight

terrific! &

Hey folks! I bet you had a wonderful start to the New Year! Hooray!

Well, I’m your new friend, Senyorita. I’m typing with all fingers intact! (Haha. Obviously hindi ako nagpap-utok last New Year’s Eve!)

Let’s talk about stuff that will interest or horrify you. This is my personal experience on trending issues, may it be about food, dress, movie, activities, dates (rolls eyes) which I’ve tried recently. I’ll tell you about them so you can try them yourself or along with your gang. By next issue, I’ll be expecting tons of mes-sages from you whether you’ve experienced them or you have stories about them. Exciting right?!

***Let me define two words that we will use:

TERRIFIC – excellent; a MUST-TRY recommenda-tion

HORRIFIC – a horrible experience; DON’T’ WASTE YOUR TIME with this

***There was this theory that the world would have supposedly ended last December 21, 2012! Good news! It was postponed! (To heck with it.) So eve-ryone celebrated and danced OPPA GANGNAM

MARY ROSE DUEÑAS

STYLE in every Christmas Party. I almost puked! HORRIFIC!!!***I experienced a white Christmas! Nah, I didn’t go out of the country. I had a taste of how winter feels like at Snow Village in Manila Ocean Park! I was in Dubai for eight years, but failed to visit Ski Dubai (sigh) so I grabbed the opportunity to have fun with penguins and slide on ice at Slide O’ Fun.

horrific

The main attraction was the underwater tunnel, where I saw lots of marine creatures, includ-ing sharks, sting rays, and other fishes. (Wala akong nakitang Sirena! Haha) However, it was overly crowded since people would just sit in the tunnel!

Manila Ocean Park is a must-visit place for kids and kids-at-heart. I’d love to visit this place again, but maybe during off-peak season. TER-RIFIC!!!

***I love to travel. I enjoy being on comfortable pas-senger seat to sleep! Many would complain that they prefer a dog instead of me travelling with them because at least it will bark at them! I’m so much bullied, am not I? (Sniff! Sniff!) But who wouldn’t want to sleep? Especially when they have an additional hour or two to their regular travel time because of detours or road construc-tions on-going! It’s election time, so roads have to be repaired or reconstructed even if they are perfectly okay! I’m so amazed by our politician’s generosity! Tsk tsk. HORRIFIC!!!

***I just checked my Twitter and saw #Majority-WontBackOutOnMIGI on the trending list! If you watch Princess and I, you know that it’s about the Mikay-Gino tandem.

Well I won’t tell you about the teleserye; it’s for you to find out. I want to basically highlight the growing popularity of Daniel Padilla! Girls, be-have! Haha!

30 31

are often very fussy with the way we look, the way we dress, how to wear our hair or how to care for our faces. Nowadays, both men and women have ways of taking care of them-selves. We pay close attention to our faces, trying on different types of makeup and beauty products. But as I have said, true beauty should not be just on the outside. I do believe that it should really radiate from within—literally. A healthy person is a beautiful person. Healthy people give off a certain glow. Many peo-ple are concerned about their weight or body figure that they resort to extreme dieting, while there are some who are just the opposite. Extreme dieting, which might be close to un-dernourishment, is not a good idea. Needless to say that it is definitely unhealthy. Overeat-ing, not really minding what to eat, is also not a healthy prac-tice. How then can we keep a bal-ance to this?

The concept of beauty is an age-old topic. Men

and women alike have their own definition of beauty. All over the world, people have different ide-as about beauty. It is innate in people to be drawn to beautiful things. Many words have been said, clichés made. One such saying that I agree with whole-heartedly is this: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This holds true especially when one is in front of the mirror. One should truly appreciate what he or she sees.

There is one particular say-ing that I disagree with though: “Beauty is only skin deep.” True beauty is not just skin deep. We

for Your Next Trip

Be BeautifulInside & Out by Naomi Jean Pacoli

In our elementary school days, we were taught about which food is healthy and unhealthy. Growing up, we might have not enjoyed most of the healthy food and would rather go for the more flavorful but unhealthy ones. To be truly healthy, there must be a balance. I can definitely agree that fast food tastes so much better, and it doesn’t require a lot of preparation, too. How-ever, as science has repeat-edly said, fast food is the unhealthiest food around. Reducing the amount of fast food intake is one step to healthy eating. Replac-ing this with another type of food is the next. Preparing meals at home, which may take extra work, is still the best option. This way, we know what goes into our food. The kind of meals we prepare is another step to good health. There are many cookbooks and even cooking shows that can help we prepare healthy food that includes plenty of vegetables and fruits. Having the benefit of choos-ing the right food and right amount to eat, plus a good dose of exercise, would truly give us a healthy body, thus giving off that beauti-ful glow that shows on our faces as well.

We may have the most ex-pensive beauty products and makeup at hand, but if we are not healthy inside, these goods might not work very much in our favor. To be truly beautiful, we must remember that what we eat—or don’t eat—plays the biggest part.

Nutritionists say that the ideal amount of food one must

eat, regardless of body weight, age, and height, is as follows:_______________________

This is the just the right amount that the body would need for optimum health.

Any type of meat (chicken, pork, beef) or fish must be the size of your palm.

Bread, rice, or pasta must be the size of your fist.

Fruits and vegetables must be double the amount of the ones mentioned above.

THE WORLD’S MOST VERSATILE CAMERAWear It. Mount It. Love It.

gopro.com

32 03

nuevaecija

1. Nueva Ecija was named after Ecija, an old city in Seville, Spain. 2. Nueva Ecija is the largest rice producer in the country and is known as the “Rice Bowl of the Philippines”.3. Nueva Ecija is the largest province of Central Luzon in terms of land area.4. The province is composed of 27 munici-palities and 5 cities with a total of 849 barangays.5. Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province bounded by Nueva Vizcaya in the north, Pangasi-nan in the northwest, Aurora in the east, Tarlac and Pampanga in the west and Bulacan in the south.6. The province has four major rivers name-ly; Pampanga River, Chico River, Malimba River and Talavera River.7. The former name of Muñoz Science City, the only science city in the Philippines and the 2nd in Asia, is Sitio Papaya.8. The governor who served the longest is Eduardo L. Joson, a World War II hero. He served for 28 long years.9. During the early days, the head-hunting tribe of the mountainous areas of northern Nue-va Ecija known as Ilongots were much feared and dreaded in the entire Nueva Ecija and other neighboring provinces.10. Of the 27 municipalities and 5 cities of Nueva Ecija, five towns and one city were named after saints–San Antonio, San Isidro, San Leon-ardo, Santa Rosa, Santo Domingo and San Jose City.11. Talavera is formerly known as Katugian, from tugue, a kind of edible root crop which was

Nueva Ecija is the largest province and the biggest rice producer of Central Luzon, thus, often referred to as the “Rice Bowl of the Philippines.”

Among its main attractions is the Pantabangan River, the country’s first multi-purpose infra-structure, which stands today as a phenomenon in Filipino engineering feats. Another is the Pampanga river, cutting across a rich valley floor, famed for irrigation, the generation of hydro-electric power, and the mitigation of flood damage.Nueva Ecija is also the agri-tourism pilot site in Central Luzon due to the presence of the Cen-tral Luzon State University in the province.

Its other worthwhile attractions include the Minalungao National Park, Rizal Hot Spring, Bur-burayok Springs and Pajanutic Falls, Barrio Puncan in the town of Carranglan, among others.

FASTFACTS

once abundant in the area.12. The “First Cry of Nueva Ecija” was on Sep-tember 2, 1896 and was headed by General Ma-nuel Tinio, General Mariano Llanera, and General Mamerto Natividad.13. In June 2008, Nueva Ecija was declared as the “milk capital of the Philippines’ due to the large population of cattle and carabao and due to the existence of Philippine Carabao Center in Muñoz Science City.14. Cabanatuan City, a first class urban city, is the “tricycle capital of the Philippines” with more than 38,000 registered tricycles.15. The major source of power and water sup-ply for irrigation in the province is Pantabangan Dam, which is also one of its popular attractions.16. In 1850, San Isidro became the capital of Nueva Ecija.17. One of the first high schools established out of Manila is the Wright Institute of San Isidro. It was established in 1903. 18. One famous historical attraction in the province is Camp Pangatian which is a Prisoner of War Memorial Shrine located in Cabanatuan City.19. The name of Gapan was derived from the word “gapang” which means crawl. In time the last letter was dropped.20. The largest universities in the province in-clude Central Luzon State University, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Araullo Uni-versity, Wesleyan University.

34 35

gabaldonfalls

Elevensprings to cross. One hour of trekking to endure. But it only takes a second to forget everything you’ve been through when you see

the rippling ice-cold water from 10-foot high water-falls. Breath-taking. Captivating. Priceless.

The TripFor this experience, we invited some Trip barkada to join us on the road. They just got their MBA degree so it’s a great way to celebrate their freedom from accounting and financial books! Hurray guys! Congratulations! You survived Dr. C! Yey!!!! *wink wink wink*

We had our meet-up place at NE Crossing (It’s quite popular there. You will see Shell Station and Mc-Donald’s on the opposite side). Because of the long ride and rough road, we decided to bring a 4x4 vehicle. You can also go by jeepney which will cost around 50 pesos from Cabanatuan terminal.

By the time we got to Gabaldon, the place became colder, so we

decided to roll down our win-dows. There is nothing that can compare to the cold breeze gently touching our faces. We laughed and picked on each other on our way. It was the cra-ziest trip ever! I guess that’s one of the perks of travelling with barkada. You can be at your worst perky face and yet they love you still. It’s not something like “behave or get your ass off the car!”

Finally! After almost an hour on the road, we reached our des-tination. Before you can get to the falls, you have to pass Nue-va Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) com-pound. We were surprised when we saw how huge the campus is. They have an Olympic-sized

swimming pool aside from two other pools.There are nipa huts everywhere where students can lounge around, do their assign-ments, have group meetings, etc. Oh, how I envy those students!

The TrekMan, this is the challenge! We’ve been told that it would take an hour to reach the falls but we didn’t mind. In every spring (or small river or stream) that we had to cross, there’s something new to notice, so it didn’t feel like a challenge at all. We joked around, bullied each other, played with our cameras, and did different poses that are 2013 calendar worthy! LOL! (someone needs to wipe that memory card before it gets viral!!!)

The Wildlife Story.Our group suddenly went quiet when an amphibian welcomed us in one of the springs that we had to cross. No one wanted to move and take a single step! We were frozen in time! What if there was a giant snake mother lurking in the dark and watching her baby from behind? What if there was a pool of snakes and this was just one of them? What if this snake in front of us stung us so bad that in less than one minute we’re dead? Who would rescue us? Who would take care of my dog? Who wouldmanage my blog account? What if this was my last day on earth and I haven’t even told him that I love him? Toinks.After all my delusions, I just knew that we were already on

the other side and started trek-king again.

The Main Attraction.So this is it! The place is so beautiful; we were actually lost for words! Let the pictures speak on our behalf.

TRAVEL

Photos by Maxie Geranta & Andrei MendozaWords by Jane Odulio

36

a treasure that is worth all the bumpy ride and dusty road

MINALUNGAONATIONALPARK

So we’ve heard about this unexplored subterranean caverns, green pristine rivers, and unique rock formations lying in the southeastern part of Nueva Ecija.

Photos by Maxie GragantaWords by Jane Odulio

Without thinking twice, we packed our things and went to see it for ourselves. We were warned that the roads there are rough, under construction, and might not be passable. But nevertheless, we were up for the challenge; nothing could stop us in exploring the place (yes, we are one bunch of excited Trip backpackers!).

One way of going there is through tricycle. From Pa-paya, it will cost you around 300 pesos per trip or 500 pesos back and forth. To get to Papaya, you need to ride a jeepney from Gapan which

will cost you less than 50 pe-sos. This is the best way to get there if you are not famil-iar with the place. Aside from giving you a ride, the tricycle driver can also be your tourist guide! If you’re lucky, you will hear folktales and stories that will make your trip a memora-ble one! For us, we’ve been told (warned) that the place is enchanted and that tourists are the ones who usually get drowned or lost for no appar-ent reason. Crazy as we are, we laughed around and even got more excited!

The only downside when rid-

ing a tricycle is the dust! You will eat a truckload of dust--literally. But as soon as you get there, you will be mesmer-ized by the breathtaking scen-ery that will make you forget all that bumpy ride and dusty road. We were expecting (and kinda preparing ourselves) for a fun, loud, and out of control team, but to our surprise, there was absolute quietness and stillness amongst everyone. Minalungao National Park is a sacred place. Though there are facilities for picnics, swim-ming, fishing, raft riding, and cliff diving to draw more visi-tors, the place is almost virgin

and everything is carefully kept intact. Taking that into consid-eration and as a respect for the beauty of Mother Nature, we carefully took our steps and enjoyed the beauty almost in gasps and silent praises as we trek going to the infamous cave above the river and gi-gantic rock formations.

Our next activity consisted of 1,000 steps going to the Holy Cross at the side of the moun-tain. Because of the beauty that we beheld, we simply could not complain. In less than an hour, we were at the top and we felt like we were

lost in time and space! We carefully said our wishes and thanked God for the won-derful opportunity to behold one of His masterpieces. We lounged around and just en-joyed the view. Simply staring at the mountains was relaxing enough to forget the 1,000 steps that we had to endure. It was worth it!

Minalungao National Park is a treasure that we found at the heart of Nueva Ecija. The place boasts of one of a kind landscape, rock formations, and deep green water. The place is almost virgin and that

is the best way to keep it. Al-though commercialization is coming fast evidently (there’s an aggressive road construc-tion and cement trail going to the mountain), we hope that the local government will pre-serve its beauty despite devel-opments. Aside from the cave adventure and the grotto hike, they now have floating rafts and cottages like the ones in Loboc River in Bohol which you can rent (rent ranges from P700-P1,500, depending on the season).

40 41

FESTIVALTa o n g Pu t ikWe used to celebrate the Feast of Saint John in a bountiful, wet, and splashy tradition. And we used to celebrate festival wearing colorful dresses and heavy make ups.

But if you want to witness and experience something differ-ent in celebrating the Feast of Saint John go to Bibiclat—a small farm barrio in Aligaga, Nueva Ecija, about 138 kilome-ters north of Metro Manila, the ritual is far different from what we used to know.

mudtrip!The mud is the main course of the ritual. They get mud from the farm and roll themselves in the field to fully cover their bodies and faces with the mud. This is one reason why outsiders are attracted to visit the barrio every June 24.

On the feast day, the local folks gather themselves together and do the ritual called “Pagsa-San Juan” which meant to remember the significant role played by Saint John in baptizing Jesus Christ. But later it became “Taong Putik Festival”.

Early evening before the event, participants gather large leaves like banana or coconut and other vines and soaked them in a mixture of mud and water and recover until the dawn for the ritual the next day. They use the leaves and vines to cover their bodies. “Taong Putik” will go around the village and ask for alms, an act of religious virtue. The house owners are very much willing to give money or candles in the belief that they will be rewarded by so many bless-ings. They gather around in the plaza and light the candles as part of their thanksgiving to their patron Saint John the Baptist. This is followed by an out-door mass to bless the day of the festival.

Most of the people pray for the abundance and a bountiful harvest since their main lifestyle is farming. But there are also devotees that praying for their sick relatives or couples praying for a child.

No one can explain exactly when the Taong Putik Festival started. One story tells about an image of the Saint John the Baptist were helped the residents drive away snakes that roamed Bibiclat in early days. The name “Bibiclat” came from the word “biclat,” Ilo-cano for snake.

Photos by Maxie GerantaWords by Mary rose Magcamit

We were supposed to go to a resort, but all of a sudden

as we got there and as we checked the place, we felt like we’re not going to en-joy, so the plan changed. “Bumalik na lang tayo dun sa tulay na may kubo-kubo, maganda don.” So we did. It’s a river under a bridge. The place is surrounded by nipa huts in different sizes, and we got a big one, near the water. It was good for our group because there was a videoke machine.

From the moment we got there, we immediately

photo courtesy: emilson reguyal

dupinga riverPhotos by Maxie Geranta

steped into the water, and everybody was surprised! The water was so cold as if it was water from the fridge. The strong gust of the wind was also chilly. It was fun to watch one another shaking and smiling. The ambiance was really far from that of the city. It was relaxing to be close to nature.

At about one in the after-noon, some of us (about five people) decided to explore more. In the mid part of the river are huge rocks in their perfect form. The strong force of waves could actu-ally take us away, so in order

to pass trough, we held each other’s hand just like rescu-ers in a typhoon prone area. It was a total adventure! We were like white water rafting without a boat. After that, we decided to go back and tell the group what we just did because it wasn’t that harm-ful.The rest of the group went together, and just like the first try, the water was cold and the waves were strong. But this time, we were much happier because everyone was screaming when waves slapped in. When we passed the rocky and wavy portion of the river, we saw a small Aeta community with their tradition and simple kind of living.

Away from it, on the later part of the river is its calm portion. It was blue green, just like a lagoon, and that is exactly the perfect spot and time for us to swim. Couple of hours had passed and we needed to head back to the nipa hut for it’s almost time to go home.

Just like any other visitors who discovered such a para-dise, we took pictures. With all the awesome experi-ence with my friends, I fell in love with this place.

Editor’s Note: Dupinga River is probably the most pupular tourist spot in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija. It is an essential part of life for both the Dumagats who live in the Sierra Madre Mountains and the local residents of Gabaldon and its surrounding municipali-ties. A part of the river just under the concrete bridge of a highway was developed into a picnic grove where several huts and videoke machines are available for rent.

Currently, the river is most suited for swimming, but it also has some parts with strong rapids that if further developed could be a perfect place for adventure activities like water rafting, tubing, and the likes.

Gabaldon is the easternmost town of Nueva Ecija and borders Dingalan in Aurora. Known previously as Sabani, this town is tucked in Sierra Madre Mountain range, so expect a cool weather and a beautiful mountain landscape throughout the area.

Words by Devi Kiaki Arahan

44 45

Experience clean fresh air and enjoy the landscape under blue-sky glimpses. It is like a paradise as de-scribed by the visitors.

Panta banganSERENE BEAUTY OF NUEVA ECIJA

Pantabangan is a first class municipality located at the northern part of Nueva

Ecija, which is politically divid-ed into 14 baranggays. Even though Nueva Ecija is a land-locked province, Pantabangan is blessed with the abundance of water and is one of the big-gest fish producing areas in Asia wherein fishing is the pri-mary means of livelihood of the locals.

Pantabangan came from the root Ilongot (tribe who inhabited Southern Sierra Madre) word “sabangan” or “sabanganan,” which means "junction of water streams."

The RoadAlong your way, be refreshed with the scenic view of Sierra Madre mountain ranges (the longest mountain ranges in Philippines). Preoccupy yourself with taking pictures of the natu-ral beauty of the province. Fill your eyes with green fields and witness the simple and peaceful lifestyle of the people.For the adventurers, the zigzag and elevated road is also ideal for extreme biking and motor tours. You will only inhale fresh and clean air because plants are everywhere.

The DamPantabangan is popular for its man-made dam built by Filipi-no Engineers in August 1974. It had a great impact to the economic and social lives of the people in Nueva Ecija and nearby provinces. It turned out to become the most visited tourist destination in Nueva Ecija. The Pantabangan Dam is a helpful multi-purpose infra-structure known as the larg-est dam in Southeast Asia and cleanest in the Philippines. The dam provides livelihood for the town as it is a good source of fish products. It provides local residents with their water and electric supply and irrigation for the regions’ rice and for aq-uaculture farms. Pantabangan Dam is also best for recreational activities and one of the destinations for fieldtrips and educational tours.The Pantabangan Dam is 351 feet tall and 5,299 feet long and designed to withstand in-tensity 10 earthquakes. It can irrigate a maximum of 102,000

hectares of agricultural lands, benefiting the farmers.It is the only town in the Philip-pines which has three hydro-electric plants within its territo-rial jurisdiction: the Casecnan, Pantabangan and Masiway Hydroelectric power plants.

The Lake Experience clean and fresh air and enjoy the landscape under the blue-sky glimpses. It is like a paradise as describe by the visitors. Pantabangan Lake is a popular place for spending recreational activities such as boat riding and sport fishing.Visit the Pantabangan Lake and test your patience through sports fishing. Sport fishing is not popular among Filipinos, but it has become a tourist destination for anglers from dif-ferent countries targeting the popular large mouth bass fish. As it becomes more popular, the administration of the dam and local government set rules for the anglers that encour-

Panta bangan

age them to “catch-and-re-lease,” wherein the fish they catch are only measured and weighed and then released for breeding purposes. They are also encouraged to catch only three fishes per day.There are lots of aquatic life in the lake like carp, snake mur-rel and tilapia.The place is also ideal for camping and picnic.

The Pandawan FestivalThe Pandawan Festival is a special thanksgiving ritual held by the residents of Pan-tabangan for the abundant harvest. Pandawan derived from the word “Pandaw,” which

means fish harvest and “pagdalaw sa pag-aani” or visit during harvest.The festival features street dancing, trade fair, and local competitions.The festival, which debuted last 2008, is held every last week of April to uplift the livelihood of the local residents.

Photos by Clark Sarmentaand Joergen MandilagWords by Mary Rose Magcamit

48 49

So I’m having a love affair. It’s been five months since I moved to Nueva Ecija and I’ve been in constant look out for something that would make my heart race. After hours and hours of spending my free time on my campus’ wi-fi hot spots, I knew I needed to take a walk and explore. Time to kiss Loneli-ness goodbye and say hello to surprise and delight. Sure enough, I found treasures at the

heart of Nueva Ecija—Cabanatuan City is the place to be!

First of all, I love ice cream (you’re not my bff if you don’t know that). It started way back in high school when my friends and I would resort to eating ice cream whenever we felt awful and depressed, and then everything would be okay. Now, for every kind of emotion, whether I’m extra happy or sad, my comfort food would always be my first love—creamy yummy ice cream!OMG! Just like love happens when you least ex-pect it, I ran across several finds that made me wanna scream for more…ice cream!i

Mang Maning’s Dirty Ice CreamHe may look old and his cart may not that attractive. He doesn’t even have a bell, a chime, or a recorded tune playing. Nevertheless, Mang Maning rocks! Experience dirty ice cream like never before with these specialties—cheese, lang-ka, avocado, macapuno, and ube ice cream. But wait, there’s more! You really don’t wanna mess with Mang Maning because he makes the best sherbet in town—in ly-chee and strawberry flavors! At 10 pesos per cup, you can have as much as you want. And did you know that Mang Maning was able to send all his children to school because of ice cream? You bet…we’re bestfriends now! Haha..

newfoundlove

by Precious Alonzo

Puno Ice CreamI first tasted this at our faculty room when a co-teacher cel-ebrated her birthday. When it’s time to bring out the dessert, everyone went berserk. “Puno ba ‘yan? Puno?!” I was like, “What the heck? Obviously, that’s ice cream! What Puno are you talking about?” Later, after I finished a cup of melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly blended, smooth ice cream, I realized that the ice cream label is Puno. It’s probably the surname of the owner. What sets Puno apart from other commercial ice cream is that they use carabao’s milk. Also, it’s home processed. So now, you may never see Selecta, Magnolia, or Nestle in our place. It has to be Puno all the time.

Frozen YogurtWhen I don’t like it too sweet, I go for frozen yogurt. Sun-daes have failed me many times (what’s wrong with those blending machines?) but I have never gone wrong with frozen yogurt. I am more than happy to know that the new campus food court has a kiosk that offers frozen yogurt. Love!

GelatoI always look forward to Friday because this means I get a chance to have a walk at the mall and be with my Gelato. Oh, how I love that smooth blend of fruits and cream! Today, my Italian friend will fly to Italy and it makes me feel sad. But knowing that it’s for her culinary practicum, I gladly let go of the sad feeling and wish her the best. Two months from now, she will make the best gelato in the world and I would be so proud!

Love you butterfly! Buon viaggo!

50 51

Spring Fashion

Bread, Coffee, & Poetry

Bread, Coffee, and Poetry is a year-old coffee shop owned and managed by Ms. Ann Ramos. The concept of the place is basically to promote a better way of living. Yes, living. Better way of living in the sense that the shop prepares healthy food and at the same time offers books that we can read while enjoying the company of our friends. Basically, the store started as a regular coffee shop, selling usual coffee, shakes, sandwiches and pasta. But then Ms. Ann took a big leap by introducing vegetarian dishes with TVP or Textured Vegetable Protein. TVP is gluten-based chunk of a meat-like product, which can be a replacement for meat products.

Wellness on the way! Most of us nowadays are turning out to be very health conscious because of the influence of the media and the athletic peeps around us, but admit it or not, it is dif-ficult to change our not-so-fit lifestyle. In taking the first step in revolutionizing our system, why not start with what we eat. How-ever, not all of us are fans of healthy food like fruits and veggies. Luckily we found a place in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija that is perfect for those who are venturing into tasty yet nutritious food.

I was able to taste different kinds of dishes cooked using TVP, and guess what? The food is dyna-mite!!! I cannot believe that I can eat something healthy and tasty at the same time. Personally, my favorite is the vegetarian adobo.Its texture is very meaty and the taste is unforgettable, unlike the usual adobo, for the fact that it is prepared with no MSG. Still, it has that Pinoy kick that everybody loves. Also, I was able to try the veg-etarian barbeque, vegetarian lumpiang shang-hai, vegetarian menudo, vegetarian steamed fish with vegetarian chicken drumstick, vegetarian sausage dipped in mayonnaise (or should I say “soyanaise” because the dip is made of soya and not egg), and the vegetarian sisig. They made me go wow for not feeling bloated after eating all of them. I had a great experience of eating the right food with very good taste and unexpectedly low price. A serving can cost about 40-60 pesos, and it is good for two people.

But wait! The best part of my visit was the dessert. The famous chilled taho was served, and it was heavenly. The smooth, cold and sweet taste that melts in your mouth makes you ask for more. It is really the best dessert that I had. Since the place is a hub for eating and reading, you can enjoy all the books while sipping the most delicious hot lemon tea with the soothing taste of ginger and cin-namon.

Overall, the place is great for people who are looking for healthy, affordable, tasty, and satisfying food. The shop is located near Wesleyan University-Philippines, wherein lots of students are influenced to try this healthier way of eating. It is indeed a place that I will recommend and will be visiting over and over again. (Kim)

52 53

FOOD

Craving for something different yet very sat-isfying? I know a place where you can en-joy the Arab-Pinoy feeling that for sure will capture your taste buds. Shawarma, Steak, and Stix is all about serving delicious for-eign foods at low cost. The resto is located at the heart of Cabanatuan City in a popular subdivision. This particular establishment started years ago at a garage and eventually expanded. The idea is to create a space that can cater to all sorts of people: students, young professionals, adults, and even chil-dren. Everybody can enjoy the very delicious Turkish delicacies as well as American and Filipino cuisines. (Kim)

They offer a variety of snacks on sticks, like their special homemade fish balls that you can-not find in any stores in the country. Its texture and taste is quite different, for it is very deli-cious and light, no greasy after taste and bad odor that usual fish balls have. Mixed seafood, scallops and quail eggs “kwek-kwek” on a stick is a must try. It is very flavorful that you can-not get enough of it. Since the store also serves American dishes, do not forget to have a big bite of their grilled burger, made of 100% pure beef, which goes best with your favorite burger condiments and freshest veggies. The perfect texture and smoky taste of their burger patty make it one of the best burgers that I ever had. The combination of flavors is mouthwatering that for sure you will order another one for your late night snack. And if you want to maintain your shape, Shawarma, Steak, and Stix also serves vegetarian sisig, a sizzling plate full of exciting flavors without the guilt.

A piece of advice: never leave Nueva Ecija with-out having a taste of Cabanatuan City’s pride - the shawarma ala Shawarma, Steak, and Stix. You will surely come back to this place after tasting it. The shawarma is the restaurant’s bestseller, and, personally, I will never forget the taste, the texture and the smell of it.I believe that nothing can beat the experi-ence that I had with their food. After minutes of chewing and tasting all the food that they served, I wondered, “What is the ingredient that makes their food unique and special?” I asked the owner and thought that she would hide it from me because of the fact that I am a total stranger but then she uttered, “The secret is in the sauce,” and that makes sense.

yogurTreeDessert alert!!!

Cabanatuan City is known to be one of the hottest places in the country, so I believe it is a perfect place to have a frozen yogurt station. We all know that yogurt is healthy and at the same time fun and delicious. With all honesty, I was not into yogurt, but Yogurt Tree converted me to a frozen yogurt lover. Now, I cannot stand a week without a cup of it. The yogurt flavors and toppings when perfectly combined taste heavenly. The creaminess and coolness of each cup make your day a million brighter. Yogurt Tree is definitely a place for fun, food and relaxation; the place is well lit with colorful chairs that will surely turn your bad day into your best day ever!

Yogurt Tree also serves cakes and ice creams that will surely tickle your taste buds. Do not forget to order the most delicious ice cream in Nueva Ecija. Puno Ice Cream is a product of a local ice cream maker. It is very popular for its signature taste that will make you forget other ice creams that you have tasted. The wide array of yogurt flavors and toppings costs lower than those offered by other fro-zen yogurt shops. It is a great pleasure for our team to have a taste of their frozen yogurts, and I will definitely recommend this place to everyone. This is indeed the best place to make your brain freeze because of its perfection. (Kim)

SHAWARMASTEAK& STIX

FOOD

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04 >>> ARCHITECTURE

BARJ CAFÉCoffee break! To all coffee lovers out there, here is the perfect place for you.

Barj Café is the most visited coffee shop in town. The place is very cozy, the people are nice, and the food is served with love. Having a cup of hot coffee or a tall glass of frappe feeling like being at your own living room is a superb experience. The dim lights make the place very warm and comfortable, perfect for couples who want to have a great chat, group of friends who wants to hang out, or families who just want to bond. This is indeed a place to go after a long tiring work; the stress-free environment makes it different from the rest.

The café offers a variety of hot and cold coffees with a special touch of bittersweet delicious taste thanks to real freshly brewed coffee. Every sip is relaxing. My personal favorite is the mocha macadamia with whipped cream; the taste of real macadamia nuts and the smooth taste of coffee are to die for.

I was also able to try rice meals and cakes, and everything was indeed well prepared. The food was exceptional, not to mention the well-presented.

This is a place where professionals in Cabanatuan spend their evenings. Since the place offers free wifi service, the customers tend to have their small meetings or do their researches in the shop while using their gadgets. The fact that it is along the main highway, it is never difficult to visit the place. (Kim)

56 03

FOOD

CARRONdreampark:

where dreams are real

CARRON DREAM PARK is the biggest amusement park north of Manila, lo-cated at Bgy. Sto. Cristo, San Isidro,

Nueva Ecija. This themed amusement park is envisioned to be the top of mind destina-tion of families, friends, officemates, and classmates who want to enjoy and experi-ence exciting rides and attractions in a spe-cial setting that can only compare to one’s happy dreams.

Dream LinerYou are seated upside down ten meters above the ground, at a fast speed that makes you hold hard on to the bar that keeps you secure. An exhilarating roller coaster ride indeed.

Carron Dream WheelEnjoy the green scenery of Nueva Ecija as you ride 18 meters above the trees in 14 gondolas that can accommodate four to five riders each. You will enjoy the ride and na-ture at its greenest at three minutes per cycle.

VoyagerThe Voyager is one of the biggest super viking rides in the Philippines at 16 meters high with a capacity of 60 riders. This ride will surely turn your stomach in jitters and backs glued to your seats as the giant ship falls forward, after it pulls back against gravity.

Carousel of DreamsA classic ride in any theme park, the carousel will bring you down mem-ory lane as you enjoy the ride with your kids and loved ones.

Nessi Roller CoasterThe mini version of the Dream Liner that surprises you with abrupt falls and sharp turns to make you shout out load.

Convoy ToursThe Convoy Ride offers 5 vehicles that can carry 4 riders per car, run-ning on a metal platform and track for kids and toddlers to enjoy. So mom and dad, get ready and click your cameras as your child giggles away.

SmashTake a thrilling ride on a 24-seater airplane that rises up to 7 meters and moves forward, backward, up, and down. If you hear shouts of excitement and approval, then it is from the riders of this SMASH.

Bumper BoatsMove on to another form of excite-ment by doing the bump using bumper boats! There are ten boats that can sit 2 persons each inside a 150-squaremeter water pool. This will offer great fun and splash.

Carron ExpressCome take a leisurely ride around the park on a road train that can ac-commodate 18 passengers.

Twirly CupsThis is a relaxing ride for kids who are seated inside six tea cups that can seat 5 persons each.

Gear ShifterThere are ten bumper cars that will collide with one another on the 150-square meter metal platform to the enjoyment of kids and adults alike. Yes, do the bump!

Picaroon Don’t be dismayed if the kids cannot ride the VOYAGER, for they can ride the PICAROON instead.

VortexTwelve kids and teens will fit in a plane that moves forward and makes a u-turn at the end of its platform.

Frosty TrainA perfect ride for children is the mini train on railroad tracks with four ve-hicles that can carry 14 riders at a time.

City BlasterThis ride not only makes a circle but also pops up and down to the ex-citement of the kids.

NightmareThere is a haunted house inside that is inhabited by ghosts and scary creatures.The horror house will be your worst nightmare.

LEISURE

58 59

BeetlecabLIFESTYLE

The Wheel of a Bug’s Life

Name of Group: Beetlecab, Volkswagen Club of the Philippines (VWCP) Nueva Ecija Chapter

President: Jorge E. Marcos

Date of Establishment: Since July 12, 2008

Major Focus: To promote camaraderie among mem-bers and to travel lots of places.

Place of Origin: Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

Trip meeting place: every 1st Friday of the month at 7-11 Caltex, Bitas, Cabanatuan City.

Any support from the government, NGOs, or other group? none.

How to become a member? You don’t necessarily have to own a volks to be a member as long you have the pas-sion for these kinds of car, you can be a member.

Is this a hobby for rich individuals? No, not really it can be a hobby for everyone, whatever his/her status in life.

If we will give you a million now, how will you spend it: A million? hmmmm. I would use it to buy another Volkswa-gen (Karmann Ghia).

What will make you give up this hobby? Nothing.

Last word for Trip Barkada out there: If you like doing something, then go for it. More power and good luck.

60

DVF Dairy Farmucts in Metro Manila, Pampanga, and Cebu and the rest in its Nueva Ecija outlets. The milk supply is turned into liquid products (pas-teurized milk), flavored milk (chocolate, buko-pan-dan extract, and melon flavored), cheese line (ke-song puti, queso blanco, and mozzarella cheese), yogurt line (creamy, crunchy yogurt with nata de coco, non-fat yogurt, and mango-flavored yogurt) and dry products (pastillas, espasol, and milk can-dies).

Once upon a time, there was a man who loved to dream. He never had a single doubt that his dreams would come true. One day, he just decid-

ed to leave his banking career and stay in the farm. He left his career for carabaos! Yes, wa-ter buffalos. He bought 10 carabaos and put them in the middle of the rice field. His parents scolded him and asked what he was doing with his life. He was adamant.

This is the story of Danilo V. Fausto, the man behind DVF Dairy Farm Inc. and the author of Dare to Dream: A Filipino Entrepreneur’s Tale of Success in Dairy Farming. Indeed, he never regretted his decision 25 years ago to leave his secured job for dairy farming.

Miracle Sibayan, plant manager, says DVF Dairy Farm processes 800 to 1,200 liters of milk a day. They sell 90 percent of its prod-

Trip! Magazine is really honored when DVF Dairy Farms welcomed us in their plant and farm to witness their production. It was really fun to see the milking of carabaos and the delivery of milk straight to the plant for processing. You can smell and breathe the freshness of milk. We wonder why tetra packed milk products in the supermarkets are labelled “Fresh Milk.” At DVF Dairy Farm, we realized the real definition of fresh. Cheers! We salute you guys for giving the consum-

ers what they deserve--value for their money and de-licious treats delivered fresh daily! We also commend you for giving livelihood to those small dairy farmers in Nueva Ecija. Keep it up! ‘Til our next trip!

a land flowing with milk and milk products

NEGOSYO

62 63

Folklores and folktales are part of everyone’s life. They serve as evidence of one’s rich culture. As a child, I remember my grandfathers, “Papang Hugo” and “Papang Monico,” telling me and my cousins stories that we found very entertaining. We always found it amazing that they could tell stories without reading any book. The stories about treasures which can be found at the end of a rainbow, the tikbalang and kapre courting a woman and showering her with goods, and the tree that gives food that people ask for were all credible in our young minds. My cousins and I even chased the end of the rainbow; we walked several kilometers to find the said treasure. We

Regarding death and burial, most Novo Ecijanos be-lieve in lamay and observe certain practices about lib-ing. During lamay, visitors and relatives of the dead should not shed tears on the coffin because it will be difficult for the dead to enter heaven. The belief about pabaon or the practice of including clothes and personal needs, specially candle and slippers, upon burial is also a must. This belief according to elders is done so that the dead will not come back and ask for their belongings. It also guarantees peaceful journey to heaven.Another folktale of Novo Ecijanos that is related to the dead is the usog. According to Novo Ecijanos that I asked, usog is the ability of a person to inflict harm or

pain to a person that he/she is mostly annoyed with. My mother told me that during burial, kids are carried over the coffin to give them usog. If the foot of the kids touches the coffin, the greater the usog the kids will posses.

Piyesta or feast is observed in celebration of the founding day of the municipality or in celebration of the feast day of a saint or somebody who is signifi-cant in the community. Among the most notable pi-yesta celebration in the province of Nueva Ecija is the Taong Putik in Bibiclat, Aliaga. Taong Putik is cele-brated every 24th day of June in honor of their patron, St. John the Baptist. Early in the morning, devotees put mud and dried banana leaves or vinous plants to

Folklores in Nueva Ecija

cover their faces and body. With red candles on hand they go from one house to another to ask for money, which will be donated to the church. After which, they attend mass in front of the plaza then go to the river to clean themselves. This tradition symbolizes humans as descendants of Adam and Eve who are sinners, with John the Baptist giving them first sacrament of baptism to wash away their sins.

Some Novo Ecijanos believe and practice these folk-lores, but some do not. Regardless, these folklores prove one thing–Nueva Ecija has unique and rich cul-ture.

“Trip’s Spooky Nights: Travel adventures won’t be complete without ghost stories. We had seen this abandoned house at Guimba, Nueva Ecija and had goosebumps as soon as we entered. Is that an orb? Are there spirits re-siding at this house? We asked the neighbors but no one wanted to speak up. They seemed scared. They just walked away. Hmmmm...”

avoided the Balete tree where the kapre and tik-balang reside. And we waited on the foot of a tree for hours for the foods that we wished for. But to our discontentment, we did not find the end of the rainbow, we did not receive the foods we wished for, and we did not encounter any kapre or tik-balang. Our grandfathers told us that the end of the rainbow is very far and that the foods we wished for will be given to us on Christmas Day if we are good. The kapre and tikbalang never show themselves if they do not want to.

Now that I am no longer a small kid, I came to realize that these stories are folktales, but they still linger in my mind. The province of Nueva Ecija provides nu-merous folklores which guide many Novo Ecijanos in their day-to-day life. Some of the folklores are visible in pagpapakasal, panganganak, lamay at lib-ing, usog and piyesta. I talked with several elderly in my neighborhood and learned the following:

In pag-aasawa o pagpapakasal, typical folklores are observed by most Novo Ecijanos. An elderly in my neighborhood told me that her family follows the “moon” whenever any of her sons or daughters decides to get married. According to her it is best to schedule pamamanhikan and pagpapakasal on a full moon because the full moon guarantees good life for the newlyweds. They also observe the prac-tice of hanging clothes of the groom or bride on a window so that it won’t rain and ruin the ceremo-nies.

Novo Ecijanos also practice the unique way of panganganak. Upon delivery of the baby, the new mother is required to practice pagdidimon. She is not allowed to take a bath with cold water for a few weeks; once she is ready for her bath, she bathes in water with boiled herbal leaves. Also, she should wear long clothes or tie a cloth belt or bigkis around her waist because being exposed to open air will make her go crazy or become kulang-kulang.

Venus Vitales

65

The Science City of

MUÑOZSuccess can be achieved through years of research and ex-

ceptional performance. The development of a city is within its people’s capacity to nurture and protect their territory.

From being an unknown and poor town, the City of Muñoz became remarkable because of the hard work and dedication of its people to build a city that rises among others.

The Science City of Muñoz is one city in Nue-va Ecija situated 147 kilometers north of Manila. The total land area of the city is 16,305 hectares, housing houses 37 barangays. Because of its rich topography and tropical climate its largest land portion is devoted for agricultural research and technological centers.

The BirthBefore the 1990s, Muñoz was in a dreadful state, having poor agricultural production because of lack of technology, low employment rate, malnu-trition and lack of government funds to support its citizens.

It was formerly called Sitio Papaya but was lat-er renamed as Muñoz in 1886 to honor its first Spanish Governor Don Francisco Muñoz. And in 1913, it was declared as a new independent municipality.

Through research and development, Muñoz was transformed into a center of science and technology, trade, commerce and agro-industry.

Then, it became financially stable.

On September 3, 1993, Muñoz was declared by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as Muñoz Science Community for it is became a haven for various educational research and development agencies, foremost is the Cen-tral Luzon State University (CLSU), a learning in-stitution committed to contributing high impact to the environment and to the people it serves. The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Bureau of Postharvest Research and Exten-sion (BPRE), Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) are also situated in the city.

Finally, on December 9, 2000, it was totally trans-formed into its present status as a science city by virtue of Republic Act of 8977. Being a science city, it was acknowledged as one of the members of the League of Cities of the Philippines. It is the first and only science city in the Philippines and probably the second in the world after Tsukuba Science City in Japan.

Today, farmers adopt modern technologies especially on nutrient and water manage-ment to enhance their knowledge and com-petency in farming and become outstanding in their profession.

The City of Muñoz is continuously growing and holds its success, becoming an agricul-tural science city.

Interesting Research and Activities

CLSU Living Fish Museum - This breed-ing farm showcases indigenous and tropi-cal freshwater fishes collected from different provinces in Luzon.

CLSU Agricultural Museum - A socio-cultural arm for information in Central Luzon,

it is the first and only museum in the country that promotes cultural heritage of Filipinos in Central Luzon. It has the following sections: rice and vegetable planting implements, household ingredients utensils, personal ap-parel, and hunting and fishing implements.

CLSU Concrete Tank Culture for Tila-pia - This unique breeding farm showcases a proof of demanding tilapia in concrete cir-cular tanks, with provisions for continuous water exchange and aeration. Each tank is stocked with 6,000 tilapia fingerlings.

Philippine Carabao Center Headquar-ters - It is an attached agency of the Depart-ment of Agriculture created in 1992, and its main purpose is to study and promote the carabao in the Philippines as a source of draft animal power, meat, and milk and to help the rural farmers. The PCC had some success in reproductive biotechnology in 2004 when

the first test-tube buffalo was born on April 5. And in 2007, scientists initiated a study to breed a su-per water buffalo that can produce 4 to 18 liters of milk a day using gene-based technology.

The Matingkis Farm Tourism Project - A world class tourism spot, this place is designed

for ecological education and serves as venue for functions and recreation. Through the help of the National Irrigation Administration, local of-ficials discovered a natural spring that would for-ever change the lives of the farmers. They also launched the Matingkis Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP), which became the town’s center of attraction. Today, at least 300 hectares of farm-lands are being irrigated by this reservoir.

Philippine Rice Research Institute Plant Tour - PhilRice plays a key role in building and sustaining a competitive rice economy through research into farming systems, technology, and policy-making. Here, you can see different and latest farming technologies.

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by Mary Rose Magcamit

Tates’ Polvoron

The dessert that you deserve! Polvoron is one of the country’s local delicacies, and every town has its own variation.

What makes Tates’ polvoron different from the rest?

Its recipe is originally made by Mrs. Charito Manuel, who passed it down to her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Tess Manuel.

The taste of this polvoron is very unique for it is mold into perfection. You can feel the melting taste of butter and milk. You will surely ask for more!

The perfect balance of sweetness and creaminess makes it stand out from other pastries or sweets. The product is known for its texture and taste that you will never forget. The sugar crystals and pure-ness of milk will make you go loco!

There are different varieties of longganisa in the country. Every town produces a dis-tinct variation of the delicacy that makes

the town famous. Take for example the City of Cabanatuan’s sweet longganisa popularly called “batutay.”

Batutay is the Cabanatuan’s specialty. It is a garlic-rich longganisa made of beef instead of pork, which the usual longganisa is made of. It has both tangy and sweet flavors that make your tongue crave for more! No wonder it is the city’s greatest food to offer.

Batutay is a mixture of garlic, beef meat and fats, pepper, salt, soy sauce, and sugar all wrapped in pork guts.

When you visit Cabanatuan, make sure you taste this treat. The product is readily available in the local market, so you can easily bring home some as pasalubong to your friends and family.

All the meat lovers out there, you better try this extraordinary longganisa!

The Cabanatuan City holds their yearly Long-ganisa Festival every February 2 to promote the product and to strengthen the longganisa-mak-ing industry of the city. (Kim)

PASALUBONG

02 69

Kung magkakaroon ka ng sapatos na lumilipad, saan mo gustong pumunta?

“I want to go to Bohol andBoracay!”

Felix dela Paz

“Istanbul, Turkey!”

Nympha Sale Cubicle

“Bahamas Islands!”

JC Aniceto

“To the beach and try something new like surfing!”

Belle de Lara -Cuda

POLL

“All around the world but most especially sa San Pedro, California to be with my oneand only!”Justine Tumanda

“Sa hindi pa nadidiskubre ng

sinuman, sa lugar na ako pa

lang ang makakapunta.”

Leepot Bienes

“Pupunta ako sa kalawakan para

makita naman ng personal kung

gaano kaganda ang earth mula

sa itaas pati na sa mga kalapit na

planeta nito at makalanghap na rin

ng sariwang hangin dahil mahirap

na hanapin dito yan.”

Eman Pangilinan Ordan

“Gusto ko sa isang tahimik na lugar

na ako lang at isigaw ang lahat ng

bigat sa aking nararamdaman

para sa pag-umpisa ng 2013 ko.”

Em Poy

“Sa taas ng tuktok ng bahay

namin. Titignan ko lang kung

maganda sa top view.”

Renen Mariano

“Kung saan may concert ang mga fave kong banda- Smashing Pump-kins, Muse, RadioHead

Jhunter Alejandro

“Pupunta ako sa lugar ng espesyal sa akin at isasama ko syang lu-mipad papunta sa mga pangarap naming lugar.

Eleanor Neria Gustafsson

“Sa North Korea. Kikidnapin ko si Kim Jung Un at tuturuan ko siya ng Gangnam style para matapos na ang kahibangan sa pakikidigma ng mga North Koreans.”

Marion Reyes

“Pupuntahan ko ang mga play-ers ng NBA. Ibebenta ko sa ka-nila yung sapatos ng 100 billion dollars. Sapat na siguro yun para mapuntahan ko lahat ng lugar sa mundo at mabili ang gusto ko. Hehehe Ayos yon di ba?”

Sanchez Arthuro

“To the person I love!”

Arlene Pineda

70 71

EVENT

NightLife

kitchienadal

kamikazee

rocksteddy

barbiealmalbis

Trip Magazine, in cooperation with Pinoy Sound Radio, sponsored a benefit concert featuring Bar-

bie Almalbis-Honasan, Kitchie Nadal, Rocksteddy, and Kamikazee at NE Pa-cific Mall last December 22, 2012. This is Trip’s way of saying thank you to all Novo Ecijanos who helped us in making this maiden issue possible. We had fun Nueva Ecija! ‘Til next time!

PHOTOS BY: MAXIE GERANTA

CLARK SARMENTA

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mario balane photography