TravelswithCharie

Halfway between Roxas City and Kalibo is the town of Sapian, Capiz which is the home of the lush gardens of Meditation Hills. Yes, it is a great place to meditate amidst nature's beauty and bounty. What I like best about the Healing Chapel is its location halfway up the hill. It has a commanding view of the surrounding countryside and the hills across the road below.  This uphill path leads to the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. I didn't venture the climb as we were there at midday and it was really too hot and the sun had sapped away my energy. All I wanted to do was take a nap. The best time to attempt this climb would be early morning or late afternoon. Bring a hat or parasol and suntan lotion.  The grounds are well manicured and the trees seem to have grown and recovered easily after the devastation of the super typhoon, Yolanda.  Above the grotto and many more steps to hurdle is a big white cross which can be seen for miles around. That cr

Lacaron Elementary School Continuing with our school distribution program, we went to Lacaron Elementary School in Dao, Capiz last July and reached out to approximately 240 children. The last time we were in Lacaron was in December 2011. It was really nice to be able to revisit Lacaron this year.  Typical of July weather, it was a hot and humid day and we stayed outdoors under the UNICEF donated tent classroom. With the school principal, Milagros Jore Derayo, we gave each of the children notebooks, pens and pencils. Some kids took home prizes like crayons, toys, pencil cases, coloring books and more school supplies for giving the correct answer to our math, spelling and history questions. Here are the young students raising their hands to answer a particular question we posed to them. The little ones are sometimes shy but generally eager to answer our questions. They are always excited to receive a prize. Everyone gets involved including teachers and parents who prod their

First Grade classroom, Agsilab Elementary School February was a hectic month for Balay ni Charie. We distributed school supplies in four elementary schools in Capiz. Our first stop was in Sapian at  Agsilab Elementary  School . 300 students received notebooks, pens and pencils from Balay ni Charie. At Agsilab, we saw first hand the damages wrought by super typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. In one building, three different grades had to share the same room. Blackboards were used to separate one class from the other. The ceiling was gouged out. In another classroom, a red plastic tarp keeps the children dry from the rains. The kindergarten and day care kids were installed at the barangay hall across the street as there were no classrooms available for them. The good thing is that all the children were able to continue with their studies. And maybe the buildings will be repaired during the summer break. Agsilab Elementary School Our next stop was at  Agoho   Elementary School

Garcia Elementary School students in Tapaz, Capiz Balay ni Charie Foundation is a grassroots organization I created in 2006 that provides school supplies to children in Capiz , Philippines . On its first year, 20 children from Conrado Barrios Elementary School in Roxas City received school supplies. With the support of family, friends, and another charitable group, Balay ni Charie now distributes school provisions to several hundred grade school children in various towns in Capiz. Students at San Antonio Elementary School in Cuartero, Capiz This year, we visited the schools of Garcia Elementary in Tapaz, Capiz where 146 children received notebooks, pens and pencils. We also gave school supplies to 220 students at San Antonio Elementary School in Cuartero, Capiz.  The road to San Antonio Elementary School It is not easy to get to some of these schools. We needed a 4 x 4 to take us to the hinterlands of Cuartero because the roads were deeply potholed

Touring can be both fun and educational. And so it is with the Palina Greenbelt Ecotour that takes students and visitors out into the waters off of Barangay Cagay in Roxas City to appreciate the reclamation of the Palina River after it was silted up from the excessive number of fish pens in the area. This tour is conducted by the fisherfolk who sacrificed their own fish pens and livelihood in order to save the river. And now they are our guides on this barge trip as they unravel the story of the rehabilitation of this river and the rich mangroves that were planted to stem floodwaters and nurture fish, bird and plant life. Bamboo Raft We were towed by an outrigger to the open waters while two able bodied men navigated our bamboo barge with their bamboo poles, steering us forward or sideways with their muscles and then turning the barge into the narrow passage leading to the Panay River where a huge surambaw commandeered a big slice of the corridor and we had to gingerly

New to the beachside restaurant scene is Anot's with its fresh and innovative menu. When we had lunch there recently, my friend, Clay, requested the chef to serve us his top favorite dishes from the menu. Here's what we got. For starters, we had fried, crispy kangkong which was a complete surprise. Never knew kangkong could be this good. It wasn't oily at all and every delicious leaf was crispy. I didn't even need the extra mayonnaise dip to add flavor. This is an appetizer you can't put down. Prawns are a personal favorite especially the sweet variety only found in the seafood capital of the Philippines. But this dish was a little too spicy for my palate. Eating squid is an acquired taste, I think. It's meat is thick and chewy. Didn't score highly with me but I'm not an adventurous eater either. Mangagat fish is in a neck to neck race with bangus (milkfish) on many local menus. This mangagat is prepared with tiny scallops and a special s

Roxas City, with a population of approximately 157,000 (2010 projection), is a small town with a big attraction, its seafood. Dubbed as the seafood capital of the Philippines, much of its seafood is shipped to other parts of the country but there's plenty of fresh pickings left to savor at beachside restaurants. The Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral sits in the center of the city, sandwiched between City Hall and a Catholic university. It is one of the oldest churches on Panay Island. It was recently renovated and a dome was added to it. During the feast of the Immaculate Conception (She is the patroness of the city) in December, the city comes alive with the colorful Sinadya sa Halaran parade and a fluvial parade down the Panay river which is right across from the church. On the other side of the river is the public market which is especially busy on Sundays when it spills out onto surrounding streets. It's amazing what you can buy here. Fruit, fresh produc

Shrimp ukoy Shrimp ukoy from my Aunt's table is one of my favorites. I can eat quite a few. These super delicious fritters are prepared with flavorful shrimps native to these islands.  Here's how you can make shrimp ukoy:  http://panlasangpinoy.com/2010/06/18/ukoy-shrimp-fritters-recipe/ My Uncle had this crab plate especially prepared for me. I love crab, specifically female ones as these have "aligue" which is crab fat but which I call "red caviar". I know that this is really not healthy to eat but I only get to indulge when I'm in Roxas City where crab is on the menu in most restaurants and here at our family table. Try also rich crab fu yong . Talaba These enormous talaba  (oysters) are always in demand, especially since it's not expensive at all to order them at any of the seaside restaurants. At less than P100/plate, it's a steal. And goes down well with cold beer. But I'm not a fan. :( The image above is of the adobo flavored

Sitio Sawang shoreline We were in Olotayan Island to distribute school supplies and slippers from Balay ni Charie to the students of Olotayan Elementary School. The kids, from Kindergarten to 6th grade, came to school on a Saturday morning to greet us and receive their school supplies. The fourth grade class received slippers thanks to the generous donation of my friend, Rose Driscoll. 4th graders at Olotayan Elementary School To get to Olotayan  Island, we boarded a motorized outrigger from Banica Pier in Roxas City and cruised passed fishponds and mangrove to Punta Cogon and from there to the open sea. It took about 40 minutes on calm waters to get to the island. As we approached the island, the waves became bigger and the ride was slightly choppy.  Punta Cogon They were  celebrating their annual fiesta at Sitio Capaculan which is on the other side of the island from Sawang. There's a paved road that goes over the hill to the shores of Capaculan. If you're seeking a st

Kids on their way to their classroom One of the most heartwarming experiences I've had while visiting the Philippines has been meeting grade school kids through the Balay ni Charie School Supplies Program . According to Room to Read , "World change starts with educated children". And how do we keep economically disadvantaged children in school? Balay ni Charie helps children stay in school by providing them with the tools they need, namely: pencils, pens and paper. While we take these items for granted in more prosperous countries, many children in the Philippines can barely afford to buy the school kits necessary to succeed in their studies. With the generous support of friends and family, Balay ni Charie was able to reach out to 600 kids at Conrado Barrios Memorial School in Roxas City, Capiz last November. We are looking forward to helping more children for many years to come. Grade school kids at Conrado Barrios Memorial School For more on Balay ni Charie, visit h

Mantalinga Island in the distance The best time to take a walk along BayBay Beach in Roxas City is early morning when the rest of the city is still fast asleep. Except for annoying stray dogs, the beach is yours to enjoy. (The city really needs to address the burgeoning population of stray dogs as they often scare away would be strollers.) Low tide. No fishing today? *  *  * Photos by Charie View Larger Map