History and Leisure at MacArthur Landing Memorial Park, Palo, Leyte

They were more than life-sized statues; they were larger than life. Former US General Douglas MacArthur, his landing party, and then President Sergio Osmeña and General Carlos Romulo, towered close to the combined height of two people at Red Beach, Palo, Leyte. Shining proud and golden under the sunlight, they are forever frozen in the…

Finding Zen In An Unexpected Place

Amid the city’s mall and commercial establishments, I had walked into a Zen garden. At the center of the hall, white, blue-gray and flaming orange pebbles swirled in mandala-like patterns. From each mandala rose bright green shrubs and bushes or twisting driftwood, accentuated by rocks of varying shapes. And, while the skies were gloomy and…

Pintados-Kasadyaan 2013 in Photos: Winners and Their Festival Stories

While the skies were a gloomy gray monochrome last Saturday, the stadium and grounds of Leyte Sports Development Center at Tacloban City, Leyte, were in a festive mood. Though the morning street dance was regrettably canceled because of the continuous downpour, the afternoon performances of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival contingents adorned the stage with vibrant, dancing…

Paruparong Bukid – A Haven for Wellness and Nature Lovers

I felt that I had just died and gone to heaven – a heaven for health buffs and nature lovers like me, that is. This was my typical day in Paruparong Bukid (Mountain Butterfly) Nature Conservation Center in Babatngon, Leyte – in the morning, I watched the sun rise from the balcony of a nipa…

The Serenity of Tulaan Beach in Babatngon, Leyte

When I think of the beach, blue water, white sand, and waves crashing on the shore come to mind. I was thus surprised when my host in Leyte took me to Tulaan Beach, which looked like a lake. Its gentle waves reminded me of tiny, barely noticeable folds of silk. Tulaan’s gentle waves. Biliran province’s…