Marinduque- A Photographer's Dream

Marinduque is a photoblogger dream. The province is endowed with unspoiled white sand beaches, pristine blue waters, fringing reefs, virgin coral reefs, coves, limestone caves, meandering rivers, mountain peaks, cascading waterfalls and streams, fabled sulfur and hot mineral springs,old churches and of course beautiful sunsets. The Internet is filled with photographs of the scenic beauty of this island not only from the local professional photographers but also from amateur photographers all over the world. The province has more than six big islands popular to beach lovers, scuba divers and snorkeling enthusiasts. It has Mt Malindig known to mountain climbers, hikers and bird watchers. It has Bathala and Tarug Caves popular to spelunkers and just curious seekers. In one of the eight caves of Bathala, there is a resident python, believed to be enchanted. If he shows himself when you visit the caves, it is suppose to bring you good luck.
Sunset over Tres Reyes Islands- Photo from panoramnio.com
The nearest and most accessible islands from the capital town of Boac are the Tres Reyes Islands ( Islands of the Three Kings), Gaspar, Melchor and Baltazar in the town of Gasan. The local names are Laki, Pangkog and Man-nga ( see map above). These islands are located southwest of the mainland. The other three group of islands bigger in area and more populated are Polo, Maniwaya and Mongpong Islands. These are located in the Northeast part of the mainland in the town of Santa Cruz. Maniwaya's Polo Maria White Beach is being develop as an alternative to Boracay. There is a bigger island, Salamongue Island which is not as well known to the tourists and residents.. I really do not know the reason, but I believe it is not as accessible from the mainland . Moreover, it is not as developed( no electricity or running water) compared to the other islands.

One of the most popular white beach located in the mainland in the town of Torrijos is Poctoy White Beach. It is about a 70 minutes drive from downtown Boac. Poctoy White beach with Mt, Malindig as the background is the most photogenic and the most photographed scenery in the island.

Just late last year, the former Elephant Island in Lipata, Buenavista, owned privately, was renamed Bellarocca Resort Island and Spa. It has been converted to look like Santorini Island, Greece with buildings all painted in white sticking in the cliffs. From what I heard, this resort is one of the most expensive and luxurious resort in Southeast Asia. The cheapest room charges $300 per night excluding meals and other amenities. When I was in Marinduque last year, I met a few rich and famous Filipinos( businessmen, actors and actresses, TV personalities)) from Manila as well as Korean and Japanese tourists at Masiga Airport in Gasan on their way to the resort. From the resort advertisement, I know that the most expensive accommodation is a 3-bedroom villa with its own pool and jacussi charging over $ 1000 per night without meals.

Dong Ho, Oggie Ramos, Ferdz Decena, Allan Barredo, Sydney Snoeck and Dennis Villegas are some of the photographers that I know who have photo blogs about Marinduque. Their pictures are beautiful, unique and mesmerizing. It is worth your time to visit their photo blogs sites. Looking at their photographs and reading of Marinduque's Tradition and Culture will surely make you proud of the beauty of our island paradise.

Ditas Katague Thompson-Deputy Commissioner

The following news is from Asian Journal dated July 21, 2010 and written by Joseph Pimentel. Ditas is my youngest daughter and indeed proud of her accomplishments.

Ditas Katague, Chief Deputy Commissioner Department of Corporations, CALIFORNIA

"Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed FilAm Ditas Katague to chief deputy commissioner for the Department of Corporations.

As Deputy Commissioner, she’ll work under the Commissioner Preston DuFauchard.

Katague, a 45-year-old Democrat from Sacramento, has been director for the Census 2010 in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research since 2008.

During the 2010 Census count, she was vital in the "Kabilang Ako Kabilang Tayo" (I Am Counted We Are All Counted) campaign to increase the number of Filipinos to participate in the census.

Prior to that, Katague was the first vice president of state and local governmental affairs for Countrywide Financial Corporation from 2005 to 2008, program director for California Telemedicine and eHealth Center from 2004 to 2005 and senior program manager for Blue Shield of California from 2003 to 2005.

She was also the assistant secretary for transportation and project management at the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency from 2000 to 2003 and chief deputy director for the Complete Count Census Campaign from 1999 to 2000.

As deputy commissioner for the Department of Corporations she’ll earn $118,000.

The Department of Corporation is responsible for protecting consumers, and provides services to businesses, engaged in financial transactions. The Department also license and regulate a variety of businesses, including securities brokers and dealers, investment advisers and financial planners, and certain fiduciaries and lenders.The Department regulates the offer and sale of securities, franchises and off-exchange commodities."

( www.asianjournal.com )

( Published July 21, 2010 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. B3 )

Things to See and Do in Marinduque-My Island Paradise

Here's a video from marinduquegov.blogspot.com summarizing what you can see and do during your visit to Marinduque-my island Paradise. If you have additional questions feel free to call me or send me an email. I hope you enjoy this video. Cheers!

Holy Week in Marinduque in 2010-A Traveloque

Morions in front of the Boac Cathedral-photo by Toby Jamilla
I found this three videos published in YouTube a few days ago, by Roel Torres, a Balikbayan from New York City on his recent trip to Marinduque last April during the Holy Week. This is a travel documentary on Marinduque and its Moriones Festival, from the television series "Balikbayan Trail". The material was originally created and produced for Lakbay TV and broadcast to 128 countries around the world. Written by members of the Psychic Pilgrim Media team.
Thank you Roel for sharing these three videos. It is an excellent documentation
of what life in Marinduque is during Holy week. Your documentation of the crowded Roro ferries and the pageantry of the Moriones Festival is realistic. I hope you come back to Marinduque soon and documents the other aspects of life in my island paradise. I really enjoy these three videos, I had to share it with my blog readers.

Putong for Outgoing Governor of Marinduque-Bong Carrion

Mass for the Bong Carrion at the Capitol on his 62th Birthday, June 19, 2010
In a couple of days a new governor will be in power in the province of Marinduque. . Bong Carrion term ends on June 30. I believe his administration made a lot of progress for Marinduque to be known all over the world via the government blog and website manage by a group of industrious capitol employees and blog master Eli Obligacion. I salute you all and wish you all good fortunes and luck in the new administration of Governor Carmencita Reyes. Incidentally, Bong Carrion is Macrine's first cousin and the late husband of Carmencita Reyes, Toting Reyes, is Macrine's second cousin.

This video was "THE PUTONG" celebrating Bong's Carrion 62th birthday last June 19, 2010. If you have not heard of the word "Putong", a detailed discussion of this celebration was posted on my blog http://marinduquemyislandparadise.blogspot.com dated November 2, 2008. I enjoyed the music in this video as well as the snap shots of the various places, events, festivals, people and tourist attractions in the beautiful and peaceful island of Marinduque. Chateau Du Mer Hall is in the video during the STTC tourism meeting last year.

My Orchids Collection in Chateau Du Mer Gardens

One of the many reasons why I love Marinduque is that the climate is conducive to growing orchids outside all year round. Most of my orchids bloom almost every four months except during the hot summer months. My gardener waters the orchids every day only in the morning. It takes her at least 25 minutes to water ( spray) the orchids every day( no rain that day). We fertilized every three months. There are aphids and insects ( ants) in some varieties that had to be hand pick and killed, since I am not in favor using insecticides. Here's some of my orchids for your viewing pleasure:





In 1996, when we first built the main house at Chateau Du Mer in Boac, Marinduque, Philippines, I started planting about a dozen orchids in front of the house. Today, I have a collection of more than fifty varieties of dendrobium, phalaenopsis and vandas. The dendrobiums and phalaenopsis cost around 100 to 200 pesos today(about $4 to $8 US dollars),still very cheap compared to US prices here in California. The vandas cost from 250 to 500 pesos depending on the variety and its rarity. My favorite orchid is the Princess Mikasa, a blue orchid(see top photo above). This was a gift from my first cousin from Iloilo about five years ago. I had to hand carry this on the plane to Marinduque. My cousin's primary business is growing orchids. She has more than a thousand plants in her home in Pototan, Iloilo. She attends to all the orchids Shows and Fairs in the Philippines and exhibits her orchids for sale and competes for awards. My other orchids, I purchased them from orchid gardens in Lucena, Quezon as well as locally during agricultural Fairs and at the Flea markets in Gasan and Boac. The other orchids in the photos are dark pink and yellow vandas as well as the purple dendrobium. I also have three cattleyas in my garden.

Recent Addition to the Amana Forest Reserve

The Latest Building Addition at the Amana Forest Reserve
The following are a few photos on the latest developments at Amana Forest Reserve owned by Yong Nieva, Macrine's first cousin. Yong recently completed another building with living room and bedroom and just recently decorated by Ivy, Yong's internationally famous interior designer wife. The following photos will illustrate the saying that " a picture is worth more than a thousand words". These photos were published in Alvin Fortuna's Facebook page a few days ago. Alvin took more than 200 pictures during the Holy Week Break of Yong's employees at the Romulo Cafe Restaurant in Quezon City. Congrats to Alvin for his fantastic photos at the Reserve.

The Three Musketeers during Romulo's Cafe employees Holy Week Outing in Amana

Macrine and Yong by the Sea Side

David & Macrine Katague, Yong, Mems and Lemon Carrion enjoying a quite lunch of Fish in Sweet and Sour Sauce cooked by Macrine

The original Cottages
Yong relaxing. But, where is the glass of wine?
The Yoga and Meditation Cottage
The Romantic Bedroom
The Living/Dining Room

Update on Diving Sites in Marinduque, Philippines

Here's the latest update on diving sites in Marinduque. The following video was filmed by the provincial government department of tourism. It is a short video, but shows you do not have to go far to enjoy scuba diving in Marinduque. Baltazar Island is one of the three islands in the group called Tres Reyes Island-a marine sanctuary.
Diving in Baltazar Island
Image from asiadivesite.com
Our province is mostly known worldwide because of the Moriones Festival. However, it has recently been in the news due to interests of divers all over the world to explore the diving sites in the island and in the vicinity. Among the diving sites are:
1.Natanco- north of the island has good walls and drift diving. Corals are abundant. Close by is the wreck of a Japanese torpedo boat
2.Baltazar-west of the Island-one of the Tres Reyes Island Chain- has a cave 20m worth exploring. Stone fish may be a problem.
3.Elephant Island-now known as Bellarocca- private resort with good walls, coral formation and and several varieties of tropical fish. Currents could be strong, but conditions for photography good.
4. Torrijos- canyons and fissures to explore. Can expect to encounter grouper, barracuda, tuna and shoals of tropical fish.
5.Maestro De Campo Island-southwest of Marinduque- a wall on the west side and a wreck of a ferry boat, MV Mactan on the east side
6.Banton Island- farther southwest – amazing corals and an array of fish. Dolphins, sharks and sting rays may be seen. From February to May are the good months for scuba diving
7.Sibuyan Sea- outlying areas to the south and east of Marinduque are fairly unexplored. Puerto Galera, Mindoro is the place to organize this tour if you are adventurous.
Here are two excellent videos, I found in You Tube. Enjoy! Happy Diving

Diving Video from Southern Leyte, Apo Reefs, Sogod Bay, and Puerto Galera

Marinduque-World Tourist's Destination

Here's the latest report from marinduquegov.blogspot.com by Eli Obligacion spotlighting Marinduque as tourist destination, dated September 6, 2009. My dream and hope is to see my beloved island, Marinduque, become a worldwide and whole year round tourist destination to compete with Boracay. I would also like to see the province officially declared as the eco-tourism capital of the Philippines by the Department of Tourism. This is the reason, why I devote so much time promoting the island province as a tourist destination in my two blogs: http://marinduqueawaitsyou.blogspot.com and http://marinduquemyislandparadise.blogspot.com
I hope you will join me in the accomplishment of my dream for Marinduque.

TOURISM SEC. ACE DURANO AND TOURISM ATTACHES COMING TO MARINDUQUE TODAY

Marinduque Airport streamer welcoming Secretary Ace H. Durano and party. The party of thirty expected to arrive today at the Marinduque airport includes Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque, Jr. and other top officials from the Department of Tourism and tourism attaches from Philippine embassies abroad. The list also includes directors Ma. Victoria Jasmin, Allan Canizal, Benito Bengzon, Jr., Ma. Rica Bueno, Dir. Louella Jurilla from among others, as well as local and foreign media representatives.

The visit is part of the tourism department’s annual marketing and technical visits to top priority destinations such as Albay, Cebu, Bohol and Manila. Marinduque which is now on the list, has drawn the attention of the travel industry with the launching of Bellarocca Resort and Spa. Part of Bellarocca’s promotional thrusts for resort guests is the integration of visits to Marinduque’s tourist attractions as well.


In recent months, the provincial tourism office has taken time to show the Bellarocca group headed by its sales manager for travel, Sheila Evano, to local tourism sites like Tarug caves, Bathala caves, Paadjao falls, Poctoy Beach and the Torrijos loom-weavers. Support for development of eco-tourism sites with potential to generate livelihood has been adopted by the resort as part of its social responsibility program. A joint undertaking of the provincial government, the municipality of Buenavista and Gold Barrel, Inc.,resort owner, is the current establishment of a 100-hectare forest area in Barangay Tungib-Lipata in Buenavista, where a 9-hole golf course has been developed, part of Bellarocca facilities.

These moves have triggered greater optimism for local tourism stakeholders as well as for bigger prospects for Bellarocca Island Resort and Marinduque tourism in general.

Marinduque On My Mind

It has almost been a year when Yong Nieva, Macrine's (my wife) first cousin on the maternal side of the family, suggested that we collect articles, poems, ramblings, personal memoirs from all Marinduquenos all over the world. So far we have only eight contributors to the site. We definitely need more articles, before printing it into a small book. Yong and I believe this could be done. But without your help, this project may not be realized soon. Below is my write up of the proposed literary project last year, just in case you have not read it. So, again calling all Marinduquenos all over the world for your help! May we count on your contributions soon.



The first picture is from Amana, Nature Reserve, an eco-friendly sanctuary of Yong Nieva in Cawit, Boac. The next two photographs were taken from the balcony of the Chateau Du Mer Beach House in Amoingon, Boac, "Sunset at Low Tide"!
Yong (Guillermo Nieva,Jr) Nieva, Macrine's first cousin sent us an e-mail recently to collect articles from Marinduquenos all over the world on their memories about growing up in Marinduque. Eventually, as soon as I received a number of posts, we will published it as book as serious reading that stirs the soul and commit our beloved island of Marinduque to memory... in our hearts, in our minds and in our souls! So that even when we look beyond the coast of California across the Pacific, at least we will not be alone, we have company in each other souls! A collection of true "felt stories".
Yong wrote the following Preface for the Proposed Book, "Marinduque on My Mind"
Marinduque is a strange illness. You come and you would go. You think you are leaving, but its the town that gets away from you. You wish you could understand, and yet you keep coming back.
I realized I had a "problem" that I have to deal with; the problem of my relationships to this small island and the areas around it. I therefore decided that someday we can write a book to try to understand what was really happening, that could clarify our feelings, not by thinking descriptively,analytically or rationally.
We must follow the journey to go back in time. Follow a thread, but which one?
It really doesn't matter. We just let ourselves be led by an image; a word, a memory; the trails of ink left by visitors who have been won over and those that have been lost. There's so many indeed!

Here's a short biography of Yong: He is named after his father Guillermo(Will) Sarmiento Nieva,Sr of Boac. He has grown to be known as Yong. After a short stint with Philippine Airlines, in 1980, he got married and lived in San Francisco working for Allstate Insurance for fifteen years. In 1955 he got divorced and moved back to Manila. He is now in the restaurant business. Together with his wife Ivy Syquia Almario, an interior designer, they regularly visit Cawit, Boac starting an "ecologically-correct" family retreat or sanctuary. They named it AMANA, Nature Reserve.(see first picture above).

Here's a summary of Yong's email to us:

Dear Manang Macrine and Manong Dave'
Greetings! It was a lazy Sunday afternoon today and looking at the photos in my e-mail of my project in Cawit " The Amana", I was struck by the thought of what is it that really beckons me to keep going back to our beloved island, Marinduque.
When I started thinking of words to describe the feeling about Marinduque, all thoughts just came in a rush. It became a virtual "collage-series" of events in my young life. How Papa made it an annual mandate that we spent two weeks of summer with Lola Elving and our aunts, uncles and cousins in Boac. Ah, days of reckless abandon-the treks to the beach, and the jam-sessions at night. How we felt so loved by each and everyone of them, which even to this day we cherish. How even our cousins friends also became our friends. And they remember!
This is not only about us-the children of Guillermo "Will" Nieva of Boac. I then thought, "What about others"? What about those, who like me lived in the States, but still carry Marinduque in their hearts. Maybe if we all share via website, the hi-tech way, to answer the question of what really beckons us to Marinduque. Then together we can solve this strange illness. ( My personal comment: this illness will grow deeper and stronger as we grow older and older).
Surely, the Marinduquenos association all over the US, do not only continue to thrive because of its leaders, but also because if we really look closely, there are many reasons why its members continue to stay in touch. It is a rare gift, if I may say so!
In that Marinduquenos heart, there's still an image- a face of his/her first love, or the first kiss; an incident in his/her young life that forever changed his life; his dreams, his goals, his pains that drove him to become what he/she is now; the emotions felt of being left behind from a good bye; the sound of the rambling jeepney on its way to Balanacan; the scent of coconut oil in early morning hours as you drive the narrow roads; the fear and scampering from the town's idiot or from the town's bully, and why not? the love story of beautiful "Peace Corp" volunteer fell in love and married the handsome local swain! So many essays and narratives to start and follow the "journey". ( Personal Note: I was told the pancit of Choing still reminds some of you of your pleasant childhood memories.

Manong Dave, could you please design a website for this literary project and invite our fellow Marinduquenos there in US to share their thoughts, hearts and feelings in words and so we can solved (or at least understand) this "strange illness" inside each and everyone of us!

My response to Yong: I am excited of this idea. My suggestion is to create a blog site instead of a website. The blog site is easy to manage. This is where articles could be posted and edited. The blog site is free and easy. I could titled it http://marinduqueonmymind.blogspot.com. I will manage it along with my other blogs on the internet. Once we have collected a number of postings, we can published it ourselves via publisher as mypublisher.com or Sharebook.com
I will volunteer to write an article on " I left my Heart in Marinduque ( not in San Francisco), since I did not grow up in Marinduque but married a Marinduquena. Rene Nieva, Yong's oldest brother also wrote me, he will support this project.

NOTE TO ALL MARINDUQUENOS WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT:
You may write your article via the comment section of this blog or sent your article to my e-mail, tagajaro@comcast.net or to tagaboac@comcast.net. I am looking forward to your submissions.