Masbate: A Taste of Country III Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary

When I was surfing over the net on the places to visit in Masbate, Buntod Reef, Pawa Mangrove Park and Bituon Beach were among the top searches. Based on the photos available on the net, Buntod Reef seemed to be an interesting place to go.

It was Sunday, my last day to spend in Masbate. I had watched cowboys bring the bulls down during the Rodeo Masbateno, I was able to see how their lives are in the ranch, I had a sight of the beautiful Palani beach, and now I could not just miss one of the province’s prides, Buntod Reef.

From Balud, we took a jeepney going to Masbate city. Since it was Sunday, lesser were the trips. It was near eleven in the morning when we finally left the municipality of Balud reaching Masbate city terminal three and half hours after. Fare from Balud to the city is Php100. From there we took a tricycle going to Rendezvous Hotel, a hotel I learned from searching the net. Tricycle fares are usually Php7, but drivers charged as much as Php10 for tourists.

Rendezvous Hotel is owned by Mr. Cookie Media. Their room rates are Php800 for the ones on the ground floor and Php1,000 for the rooms on the upper floor. Since there’s not much difference on the rooms, we took the one on the ground floor.

The owner of the hotel, Mr. Medina, made the necessary arrangements for our Buntod Reef tour. While we’re waiting for the boat that would fetch us, we had a roam around the hotel. The front lobby is very welcoming with table and chairs set for incoming guests. Autographs of some guests are hanged on the wall.

At the back of the hotel is where the restaurant is. There are small cottages overlooking the sea. From the back of the hotel you could already have a sight of Buntod Reef.

Buntod Reef is the first established marine sanctuary of the city and one of the most resilient marine sanctuaries in the country.

After minutes of waiting, our boat already came to fetch us. It’s a 10 to 15 minutes boat ride from the hotel to the reef. The boat costs from Php400-Php500, two-way, good for up to 4 persons.

We got more excited at the sight of the sand bar and mangroves. We felt like jumping right then and there and swim towards the reef.

The boatman directed us to the hut where we left our things. Most of the guests here bring their own food and eat it in the hut which is complete with tables, chairs and grilling area. You can ask the staff in Rendezvous hotel, if they can prepare your food to bring in Buntod Reef.

I heard that there was a snorkeling site on the other side of the reef, behind the rows of mangrove.

Buntod Reef is a good place to relax, swim in clear water, walk on fine white sands, talk about life while you’re feet are being massaged by the waves.

In the evening, we've decided to have our dinner in 7AR Garden Beach Resort located beside Rendezvous Hotel. 7AR Hotel is a much cozy hotel with room rates starting from Php 2,500.

7AR Hotel is equipped with swimming pools, jacuzzi and cottages. There's an entrance fee of Php150 for day trippers.

For our dinner, we had ensaladang talong and their bestseller Red Hot Chili Crab which is priced for Php350. Quite pricey.

Like this shell, Masbate is a rare find. It is a place where time ticks slow letting you enjoy the serenity of simple living.

“Anong meron sa Masbate?’, this was the common reaction I got when my friends learned that I was going to Masbate. I used to answer them with a shrug or “ewan”, but now after my fun-filled three day stay, I can confidently say, “Madami”.

Masbate: A Taste of Country II Balud Ranch and Palani Beach

After the whole-week Rodeo Masbateno, Kuya Danilo Pabito, the team captain of Balud Forwards, invited us, together with the production team from TV5, to their town, Balud, to visit one of their ranches and to see the beauty of their very own Palani Beach.

The municipality of Balud is accessible through jeepneys, L300 vans and buses which are parked in Masbate city terminal. Be sure to catch the L300 vans trips, it’s faster than taking jeepneys and buses.

We were fortunate that we’re joining the crew of TV5 going to Balud. The city government of Masbate had provided TV5 crew with a government-owned multi-cab which brought us to Balud in just an hour and a quarter, a far cry from the 3 to 4 hours drive if we took the jeepneys.

Masbate is surrounded with beautiful grass-covered hills which are very refreshing to the eyes. I remember during my elementary days, we’re taught that one way to relieve your tired eyes was to look at green objects, and now being in Masbate with this scenery around you, wow, my eyes were more than relieved that they wanted to see more.

Good thing, Kuya Danilo and the rest of Balud players, who are cowboys for real, invited us in one of the ranches they take care of, letting my eyes see and my soul experience what it had been missing.

Together with the crew from TV5, who were there to shoot Balud team for their Insider documentary program and with our cowboys’ hats on head and cameras on hand, we climbed the grass-covered hills of Palani, Balud.

The beauty on top of the ranch was way beyond beautiful, it was majestic. It was picture perfect. From where we stood, we felt like we were on top of the world with extraordinary view of the mountains and the wide blue ocean.

Hello Sunshine!!!

     Yes, he posed for a shot.

     The lovely tree.

And from this broad mountainous ranch, the cowboys, Kuya Zoilo and Kuya Tisoy, who also played for Balud rode their horses, gathered the cows and directed the herd to the corral where the cows were to be counted, medicated and taken care of.

 Imagine how the cowboys gather this number of cattle heads from this vast ranch.

     Fierce!!! Ooops, we're friends!!!

When we were inside the corral, TV5’s cameraman, Don Ventura, hopped on one of the horses, and knowing myself, I wasn’t there just to watch, I came there to experience. So after him, I jumped up to the horse’s back, and had fun with my horse ride.

        The first stride of my horse felt like a kick of a child inside a mother's tummy. Exciting.

It was already five in the afternoon. Since the TV5 crew was not yet done with their shoot, my friend and I, decided to go ahead to Palani Beach. Kuya Edgar, one of the cowboys and a resident of Balud, drove us to the beach with his motor. For commuters, there was no other means of going to the beach from the hi-way other than habal-habal.

Palani Beach is one of the promising Masbate attractions with its long stretch of white powdery sand, and clear water. You could even see the sand ripples made by the soft waves.

Who would not want to walk barefooted on this fine sand? 

 And how adorable to watch the sun setting down from the sky and turning the horizon into red.

   Do I need to say more? =)

The beauty of Palani beach is so pristine that I wanted to enjoy and embrace it now while it is still unspoiled and spared from the harm that can be brought by commercialism.

There are cottages in the beach resorts, but you have to bring your own food, since there’s no restaurant in the area yet. There are no overnight accommodations, you can bring your tents and ask permissions from the caretakers of the resort.

We’re so blessed having friends with Kuya Danilo and the rest of Balud team. For our overnight stay in Palani Beach, they lent us the tree house. It was lovely. It was so kind of them.

   It's nice to wake up in the morning with the view of the beach. 

With no doubt, just after few years, Palani beach will be a famous tourist destination. I am really looking forward to the day that my cowboy friends and their families would have another source of living.

Masbate: A Taste of Country I Rodeo Masbateno 2012

Rope. Ride. Rule.

Masbate, the national rodeo capital of the Philippines, held its annual Rodeo Masbateno last April 9-16. Cowboys, ranchers and students from all over the country gathered to battle against the bulls under the scorching heat of the sun showcasing their skills and strength in carambola, lassoing, casting down, load carrying, bullriding, and bullwhipping.

Mornings were packed with various activities prepared by the Rodeo Masbateno organization such as horse parade and cattle drive. On the afternoons, cattle competitions were scheduled in the Grand Rodeo Arena, while the evenings were reserved for nightly shows and entertainment.

Fortunate I was to be able to catch up with this week-long festive event. It was six thirty in the morning, Friday, the last day of Rodeo Masbateno, that I arrived in the city of Masbate. It was an hour flight from Manila. From the Masbate Airport, I took a tricycle and headed to Comprehensive High School, as instructed by a friend who was playing for Balud Forwards, a team from Masbate. The school was the residence of participants for the event.

Participants, students and professionals from Benguet, Mindanao, Mindoro and Laguna were there compromising their work and saving fund to be able to join this rodeo event.

After having the free breakfast prepared by the organizers, I, together with Balud team players and the production team from TV5 walked towards the Rodeo Arena, located beside Comprehensive High School for a shoot. Balud Team would be featured for TV5’s Insider and Aksyon TV program. I also met a freelance photographer by the name of Sanjeer Thakur whose works had been featured in local and international magazines. The story and photos taken for this event would be offered to Esquire US.

                                          Balud Forwards team ready to show what they got.

And on the afternoon, the battle between man and the beast began, participants, men and women dressed in their rodeo outfits with their boots, marched their way to the corral, ready for battle.

There was an entrance fee of Php30 for locals and tourist who would want to watch the game. These tickets were being raffled daily for a cow as a prize, which was convertible to Php20,000 cash. Though I didn’t need a ticket to watch since I was with the players, I still bought three tickets, trying my luck, but failed to bring home a cow.

There was lots of cattle competition set in the afternoon; two-men and four-men carambola on where participants needed to knock the cow down with their bare hands, lassoing where participants swing their ropes and shoot it to cattle’s head, bullwhipping which was the event of my friend and bull riding.

                                                                        Lassoing

                                                                   Casting down

                                                        Cattle wrestling from horseback

                                                                    Bull riding

The cows didn’t make it easy for rodeo players. They ran fast, escaping every attempt of the players to bring them down. They played on a defensive and offensive side, going towards the players and carrying them with their tusks.

The corral had been the room for players who were clothed by their passion in rodeo, never minding the heat of the sun and the risk of getting hurt. For them, it was the prestige to show their skills and had their passion recognized in a national arena.

On the last night of the event, the awarding ceremony was held, there was a bonfire at the center of the arena, foods and drinks were served,  lechon baka was being tossed, and country music being played live.

Cash awards and buckles were given to the winners. Balud team players didn’t make it to over-all standing, however my friend, Alex Aggasid, reclaimed his title as the undefeated bull whipping champion.

                                                                     Bull whipping

I have never been in a corral to tie-down a cow, I have never thrown a rope to a cow’s head, I have never cracked a whip, and doubt if I ever will, but I have learned a lesson just by being an audience, by just watching the enthusiastic and determined players, and that is to let your passion drives you.

Rope it. Ride it. Rule it.