...the most photogenic places in PH

The most photogenic places in the Philippines



By Karla Rey for Yahoo! Southeast Asia
All photos by Angel Juarez


Travelling the Philippines with your point-and-shoot camera? Fret not. Angel Juarez, the traveller behind the award-winning blog, www.lakwatsero.com, names his top spots for capturing amazing photos. No high-end DSLRs and powerful lenses nor Photoshop necessary!

Batad's Amphitheatre Rice Terraces
The elegant amphitheatre-like Rice Terraces of Batad in Banaue, Ifugao produces awe-inspiring shots in every angle. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is considered as the most beautiful of all the rice terraces in Banaue. The best time to see it is during summer, from March to early May, when the rice terraces are at its greenest.

Calaguas' Powdery Sand BeachKnown as "Mahabang Buhangin" (Long Sand) in the Calaguas Group of Islands off the coast of Camarines Norte, the wide stretch of fine white sand that gently slopes into the crystal clear water is a sight to behold. Generally unspoiled and deserted, Mahabang Buhangin is a picture of a perfect beach. Juarez says, “Going there may be an adventure, but a truly worthy one.”

Cordillera's Sea of CloudsOne of Cordillera's prides, the famous sea of clouds is one that guarantees a postcard perfect image of the highlands. Juarez shares, “Be in the summit of Mt. Pulag or in Sagada's Kiltepan's View Deck before sunrise to capture the sun as it slowly rise in the horizon of clouds and you'll end up having amazing photos that others will surely envy"
 

Boracay's Seascape at SundownThe idyllic scene of the silhouettes of the local sailing boats called " paraws" in the foreground of the golden sunset in the horizon of the world famous Boracay Island is always a stunner. “Make sure to be in the Stations 1 or 2 before sundown, and wait patiently for the golden hour to capture a thought evoking composition of Boracay sunset,” advises Juarez. While you are at it, you can also enjoy the happy hour that begins right about the same time.

 

Bislig's Tinuy-an FallsThis massive waterfall of Tinuy-an in Bislig, Surigao del Norte is dubbed as the "Niagara Falls of the Philippines." It may not be as massive as Niagara Falls but Tinuy-an Falls is among the widest waterfalls in the country. The striking beauty and grandeur you see in person registers well into stills. “What you see, is what you get,” says Juarez.

 

Coron's Kayangan Cove
Perhaps the most photographed spot in Coron—calm turquoise waters with a limestone island in the centre guarantees an amazing output whatever camera (or smartphone) you use. Just be careful when you need to go down to the lake below as the rocks and the trail can be slippery. But the trek reveals a beautiful freshwater lake cocooned by the limestones from the sea.

 

El Nido's Karst Limestone Cliffs
The karst limestone cliffs and islets that dot Bacuit Bay create the most fascinating, picture-perfect features of El Nido in Northern Palawan. Juarez says, “During dry months, from February to May, the place turns into a surreal scenery of natural beauty with the limestone cliffs, turquoise waters, blue skies and pearl white cotton clouds that paint an enchanting image of paradise. Truly beyond compare!”

 

Camiguin's SandbarNo shot can ever go wrong with the white sandbar of Camiguin and Mt. Hibok-Hibok in the backdrop. “The dramatic blend of the disappearing sandbar and a mighty volcano always produces a captivating image of Camiguin like those we always see in postcards.”

 

Century-old Churches of Ilocos
Ilocos Province is one of the places in the Philippines that has successfully preserved its heritage including the century-old churches and bell towers. Some of the popular churches in the area are that of Sta. Maria, Bantay, Vigan, Bacarra and Laoag. But the most striking of all is the St. Augustine Church of Paoay, one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list. “Every image of Paoay Church becomes special because of its imposing beauty and charm.”

 

Manila at twilight
The image of Manila at twilight is a picture that may sound cliché but will surely gather “likes.” Where’s a good spot to get the lovely Manila Bay sunset? By the Manila Yacht Club area, where sailboats provide a foreground to the setting sun. You can also catch a classic image of the city along Roxas Boulevard at sundown

 

...the rice terraces status

Philippines rice terraces off endangered list–UN

Agence France-Presse

|Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

 

A farmer (bottom L) plants rice in a paddy field in the scenic Banaue rice terraces in the northern mountainous Ifugao province on April 16, 2008 that provides local rice supplies to villagers. AFP/TAMMY DAVID

The Philippines’ ancient rice terraces, carved into mountains like giant green stairs, have been removed from a UN list of endangered world heritage sites, the UN office in Manila said Wednesday.

The 2,000-year-old living cultural monuments were put on the World Heritage Committee’s danger list in 2000 at the Philippine government’s request to rally local and international aid, and for better management of their preservation.

“Both actions were successfully undertaken, leading to the conservation of the remote high rice fields,” the UN information office said in a statement.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) said it had extended $153,200 to aid Philippine efforts to conserve paddies it said were threatened by deforestation, disuse, climate change and earthquakes.

The terraces, located in five towns in the northern Cordilleras, were named as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, citing the need to preserve the traditions of terrace-building peoples in Ifugao province.

Jerry Dalipog, mayor of Banaue town, where two of the five terraced fields are located, said UN-assisted conservation efforts should drive tourist traffic to the sites by up to 30 percent.

“Once the tourists are convinced that there are still terraces left to see, more of them will come and visit us,” he told AFP in a telephone interview.

He said Banaue is set to complete by year’s end a four-month project to repair amphitheatre-shaped rice terraces in the village of Batad, one of the most famous sites, that had been disfigured last year by a huge landslide.

The repair works, estimated to cost 50 million pesos ($1.18 million), are being funded by the government and private donors, Dalipog added.

UNESCO describes the terraces as an “expression of sacred traditions and a delicate social balance,” which have helped create “a landscape of great beauty that expresses the harmony between humankind and the environment.”

...the Ifugao sculptor

Ifugao sculptor wins 2 prizes in Switzerland

by Brady Eviota

ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

06/22/2011

BERN, Switzerland- A Filipino sculptor from Ifugao won the top two prizes in an international sculpture symposium which ended Sunday in Switzerland.

Gilbert Bergano Alberto won the Silver Award and the Prix du Public (Audience Choice Award) at the 10th International Sculpture Symposium held this year in Morges in Geneva.

The 45-year old Gilbert, a native of Hapao, Hungduan, Ifugao province, was one of the 30 artists from around 20 countries invited to showcase their talents at the annual stone sculpture competition.

The participants worked on a uniform-sized block of limestone weighing around 300 kilos for eight days at the gardens of Morges Castle along the Geneva lake.

Gilbert won the Silver Award for his sculpture entitled: "A sitting old Igorot Man playing a Gong."

"Everyone is a seed with much potential for greatness in it. Still, that potential, like a seed, needs elements to trigger its sprout and coax it to mature and bloom to its fullest. My sculpture may reflect such growth. It may inspire or communicate, or touch one's life," said Gilbert in explaining his works to the public.

Gilbert also won the public's choice, the Audience Choice Award.

Anny Misa Hefti, one of the numerous Filipinas who viewed the symposium, said one of Gilbert’s winning attributes which endeared him to the audience and judges was his unassuming personality.

"Gilbert is an epitome of humility. He mingles well without being boisterous. He is friendly in a shy way and he won the public in this manner," said Hefti.

Gilbert meanwhile, commented that he was amazed at the tools used by many of the artists at the competition, saying he only used four sculpting tools.

He also gave thanks to the support of the Filipino community, including many members of the Bibak-Switzerland, a women’s group with roots from the Bontoc-Ifugao-Benguet and Kalinga-Apayao provinces in the northern Philippines.