The South China Sea washes its western shores. Taiwan, China and Hong Kong are northern neighbors and further north is Japan. To the west are Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

Its unique location has made the Philippines the commercial, cultural and intellectual hub of Asia.

Far from being a mere cluster of islands on the southeastern corner of Asia, it is an archipelago blessed with an endless array of landscapes. It brims with beaches, forests, mountains, plains, cliffs, caves, marshes, lakes and rivers, all of its set amidst a stunning backdrop of clear blue skies and an emerald sea.

It’s only now that the Philippines experienced that four of its natural attractions has been chosen as the Seven Wonders of the World.

All you have to do is cast your vote online and presto! Your vote will be included.

The voting last June 3, 2008, have placed the Philippines in the 10 category – Tubbataha Reef, third place; Chocolate Hills, fourth; Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, seventh; and Mayon Volcano, tenth.

The overall line-up are as follows: Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, first; Cox’s Bazar Beach, second, Tubbataha Reef, third; Chocolate Hills, fourth; Ganges River, Bangladesh/India, fifth; Mount Everest, Nepal, sixth; Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, seventh; Amazon River/Forest, Bolivia,/Brazil/Colombia/Ecuador/Peru/Venezuela-South America, eight; Mount Fuji, Mountain, Japan, ninth; and Mayon Volcano, Philippines, tenth.

Tubbataha Reef Natural Park (TRNP) lies in the middle of the Sulu Sea and falls under the jurisdiction of Cagayancillo, an island municipality situated 130 km. to the north. The Reef is 150 km. south-east of Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan.

It is a coral reef composed of two atolls, north and south reefs. Each reef has a single small islet that protrudes from the water. The atolls are separated by a deep channel eight kilometers wide.

The coral atolls of Tubbataha began to form thousands of years ago as fringing reefs of volcanic islands along the Cagayan Ridge. Over millennia, as the volcanoes became extinct and the islands sunk into the ocean depths, only the corals remained, as they continue to grow upwards towards the sunlight.

After more than 20 years of conservation efforts, the TRNP is home to no less than 483 species of fish, 396 species of corals (about half of the species in the world), 44 species of birds, nine species of dolphins and whales, and nesting Hawksbill and Green sea turtles.

The Chocolate Hills are probably Bohol’s most famous attractions. They look like giant mole hills, or some say, women’s breasts.

The Chocolate Hills consist of no less than 1,268 hills. They are very uniform in shape and mostly between 30 and 50 meters high. They are scattered throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Baclayon.

The unique landform was formed two million years ago by the uplift of coral deposits and the action of rainwater and erosion. They are covered with grass, which, at the end of the dry season, turns chocolate brown, thus, the name “Chocolate Hills.”

Two of the 1,268 mounds have been developed into a resort. On top of the first hill are two youth hostels with a conference room, cozy cottages, a swimming pool and a tennis court.

On top of the second hill is an observation deck with 215 concrete steps. Once on top, one can view the exquisite panorama of God’s wondrous creations spread below as far as the eyes can see.

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP) is located about 50 km. north of Puerto Princesa and was inscribed to the World Heritage List.

It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites and several large chambers.

The lower half of the river is brackish and is affected by the ocean’s tides. An underground river that flows directly to the ocean and the associated tidal influence makes it one of the most unique natural phenomena of its kind to exist. It is said to be the longest navigable underground river in the world.

At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water’s edge.

Beautifully symmetrical Mayon Volcano, which rises to 2,462 meters above the Albay Gulf, is the Philippines’ most active volcano. The structurally simple volcano has steep upper slopes averaging 35-40 degrees that are capped by a small summit crater.

It is classified by volcanologists as a stratovolcano (composite volcano) Its symmetric cone was formed through alternate pyroclastic and lava forms

Since 1616, Mayon has erupted 47 times. In 1814, it killed more than 1,200 people and devastated several towns. The most recent eruption, in 1993, began unexpectedly with an explosion. The initial eruption lasted only 30 minutes but it generated pyroclastic flows that killed 68 people and prompted the evacuation of 60,000 others.

The SM Investment Corporation is presently developing its biggest project to date: the 1,800-hectare Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas. Those of us who are accustomed to the giant edifices that are the SM Malls will find in Hamilo Coast a refreshing development. It will showcase to residents and tourists 13 natural coves, a sweeping 32-kilometer coastline and a number of lush hills, cliffs and valleys boasting of virgin flora and fauna. Activities in the site will be geared towards eco-tourism including diving, hiking, mountain climbing, kayaking, sailing and the like.

The first phase of the Hamilo Coast masterplan is the 40-hectare Pico de Loro Cove. This resort community, which is slowly being built, shall boast of a country club, marina, golf course, hotel, forest park, condos, lakeside townhouses, retail shops and a boardwalk surrounded by restaurants and entertainment centers. I foresee that in the future this will be a snazzier alternative to Boracay and other resort towns. The best thing is that it will soon be very accessible from Manila. With a ferry terminal to be built in SM Bay City, travelling to Hamilo Coast will only take 1 1/2 hours by sea. Alternatively, it can be reached at almost the same time by land; with a road network being built through Coastal Road, the 114-km. stretch it takes to travel to Nasugbu at present will be cut to 70 kilometers.

There’s no doubt that Pico de Loro and Hamilo Coast will in no time be a gem of real estate south of Manila, with SM as the developer, the overall fast return-on-investment of the place to potential buyers and its ability to give you the ultimate nature trip. What more, a significant part of the site will be open to the public, giving tourism in this part of Batangas a much-needed boost. I will be very excited to see how the grand masterplan that is Hamilo Coast will unfold in the next few years, most probably like a precious pearl coming out of its shell to reveal unseen facets of the beauteous canvas that is the Philippines.

“Promoting Philippine tourism should be every Filipino’s task. It is through tourism that we can compete in the global marketplace.” Taipan Henry Sy Jr.

About the Author
Annalyn Jusay, more popularly known as Ajay in the blogosphere, is a contributor and gadget reviewer for Manila Bulletin’s Technews. In March 2005, she started for MB her weekly column Blog-O-Rama which features bloggers in classic Q & A format. She says: ” My aim is to cover all bloggers, or at least those worthy of it, and give everyone their five minutes of fame. She claims to now write and blog mostly for fun as she concentrates full-time on her job as a manager for the Philippines’ one and only casino company.

Engr. Liza Madrazo of the Davao park management office said entry forms are available at the park (former PTA) for anybody who is interested to join the competition.

Deadline for submission is September 30, 2007. Help us name the Davao City’s new park has the following criteria: it must reflect the spirit and uniqueness of the park; must position the park and its amenities in the hearts and minds of Dabawenyos, its guests and visitors; must have marketing and branding potentials; must represent truly the people of Davao and its culture and history; and must be an easy-to-remember park name.

Engr. Madrazo said the new park will be unveiled in December this year and we need your help to give it an appropriate name.

She said the new park is located in an almost four hectare downtown area across the Apo View hotel and Casa Leticia, and truly has a perfect atmosphere to visit, enjoy, relax and appreciate the beauty of nature.

The nature park and biodiversity conservation facility has miniature rainforest, a children’s playground, a jogging trail, a great picnic area with water features, an interactive foundation, a durian dome visitors’ center and many beautiful areas for personal recreation or even small events.

Above all, the downtown park is unique and one of its kind located as it is in the heart of the city and offers a vibrant combination of green space amidst the daily urban activities.

Name the Park selection committee will select the best entry that reflects the spirit and uniqueness of the new park. The person with the winning entry will be: 1) duly recognized by the Office of the City Mayor as the contest winner at the Grand opening of the park on December, 2007 and will receive a grand prize of P50,000.00; and 2) a Plaque of Appreciation from the city government of Davao. (PIA)

Lobo is about 150 kilometers from Manila.  It is located near the southern tip of Batangas province. Lobo offers many attractions.  It has good white sand beaches whose ocean floor slopes gradually for nearly 200 meters before a drop-off.  It has very good coral and marine life on some of its beaches that attract many snorklers, scuba divers and underwater photographers.   It also has protected mangrove forests and fish sanctuaries.

Lobo is a 4th class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 33,909 people in 6,611 households. The town was formerly a part of the neighboring municipality of Taysan, is also known as the home of the sweetest atis and tamarinds in the country.

The name “Lobo” came from  the Tagalog term for wolf, which is “lobo”, the River Lobo, which is in Lobo itself, and the name called to a group of early inhabitants as Lolobos.

The wreckage of two Japanese ships, which sank off Barangay Sawang during the last days of World War II in 1945 can hardly be seen now. Instead, a submarine-shaped formation of corals has emerged and declared a fish sanctuary.

“We think it’s nature that turned something tragic in 1945 into what we now have — the Submarine Garden, a marine paradise and fish sanctuary that remains untouched up to today,” said Jojo Marasigan, owner of a resort in Sawang, 36 km east of Batangas City.
Divers who have flocked to the Submarine Garden have retrieved only a few remnants of the sunken vessels.

“We found a giant steel anchor about 15 meters from the shore,” Marasigan said.

“We are planning to put up that anchor inside the resort and fortify it with concrete. That way, nobody can take it and all our guests can see it on display,” he said.

 Fish sanctuary
Marasigan said the municipal government declared the Submarine Garden a fish sanctuary two years ago.

When the villagers, fishermen and local fisheries officials discovered that the sanctuary attracted more and more fishes, the entire 3-km shoreline and 300 m fronting the shores have been declared a protected area.

“The people of Lobo are now very much aware of the benefits of protecting the environment,” Marasigan said. “Fishermen don’t enter the fish sanctuary to catch fish. They stay outside the sanctuary to guard it and do their fishing in other areas.”

About 15 meters from the shore, the water is so clear you can see fish swimming, while a big blue starfish lies bathing in the morning sun. Water at knee-deep is also so clear that one can see a seahorse swimming near the corals.

Fronting Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro province and nearby Verde Island, the view is dotted by small boats and passenger ships dragging tails of foam.

The beach is not just white sand and corals, as century-old trees. A path through mangrove trees, a footbridge over the Sawang River and the remains of the two sunken ships are more than enough to satisfy any vacationer’s curiosity. 

Natural museum

As the fish sanctuary has turned into a marine paradise, Marasigan’s resort has become a natural museum for endangered animals.

One of the best diving spots is the 13-m Orange Sponge coral mountain that reveals its colorful tip during low tide. Sea turtles still come to lay eggs, while dolphins are seen at least twice a month.

Flying fish jumping in unison is a common sight. At night, luminous planktons light up the water and the underwater garden.

On land, wild cats, cloud rats, palm civets, pugo (quails), labuyo (wild chicken) and migratory birds thrive, as the law forbids hunting in the entire protected area.

Century-old bonsai trees grow in what used to be a coral formation that turned into black rocks below the three hills called the Monte Castillos.

The near-extinct Philippine teak trees abound, along with century-old tamarind, talisay, camachile and other fruit-bearing trees.

At the right side of the resort, just after the gate, is a footpath in the mangrove trail where crabs, edible snails and shells are plenty. At the end of the trail is a wooden footbridge crossing the river into Barangay Olo-olo, where a blue-green lagoon awaits.

“When (former) Tourism Secretary (Richard) Dick Gordon came here in 2002, he was so amazed at the resort that he started working out a presidential proclamation to declare Submarine Garden a marine park,” Marasigan said.

According to him, his family’s plan for the resort is not really to develop it but to retain its natural beauty.

“We’re hoping that Submarine Garden would set an example to other coastal towns to protect their seas, their shores and their trees. The Submarine Garden is now Lobo’s natural treasure,” he said. “If we have succeeded here, other towns can do that, too.” 

How to get there:

From Manila, take the Batangas bound bus.   Once in Batangas City, take a tricycle ride to Lobo Jeep terminal 

Sources :

•  http://en.wikipedia.org/ 
• Submarine Garden: Batangas Town’s Coral Treasures
• Mei Magsino for Inquirer News Service 6/3/2004

Roxas City — City agricultural authorities are coordinating efforts with various concerned government agencies to examine a flush (colony) of unknown species of “giant mushrooms” which has been discovered by a resident of Arnaldo Boulevard at Barangay Baybay here recently.

The examination is aimed to determine if the newly found mushroom is edible and capable of artificial propagation.

The flush or colony of giant mushroom has a cap of about 12 inches crops up in vacant lot covered with thick cogon grass and banana plant in Roxas City, Capiz. (Photo courtesy of cable TV program Budyong Kapehan and Rexam Laguda)

Initial coordination has already been conducted with the Capiz State University (CapSu), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Department of Science and Technology for the identification of the rare mushroom specie.

“The stipe of the mushroom is more or less two inches in diameter and more than 30 times bigger than the normal size of a mushroom stipe usually found in the backyard or farms,” said Roxas City Agriculture Office Chief Salvador Borda.

Borda hinted that the “giant mushrooms” is the banana mushroom variety because such type of mushrooms is usually found beneath banana plants. Commonly, banana mushroom belongs to volvariella volvacea specie.

“The mushroom spores were probably already there,” added Borda. “Its growth was aided by the compost materials around its habitat and by the cold and rainy weather in the area”.

During a local cable television program presentation, TV host Rexam Laguda said one of the “giant mushrooms” weighed nearly two kilograms and measured almost one foot and 10 inches from the tip of its roots to its cap.

The “giant mushroom” flush with varied sizes has been growing for two years on a vacant lot covered with thick cogon grass and banana plant. The flush crops up on a substrate of moist grasses and leaves. (PIA/with reports from Rexam Laguda)