Trtibal Hills FYI

Extra Scoop on Tribal Hills :)

FYI :)

First time! Family trip to Tribal Hills Resort, Puerto Galera

First family trip!

Living near the sea and having parents who had a house in a mountain, our family is not the travelling-for-scenery type. We didn't notice it, not until the Facebook era. (Thank deities for FB!) So one day we the kids pleaded for a getaway. 

We chose Metrodeal’s Tribal Hills Resort (THR) package worth P3799 instead of P8000 and bought 2 vouchers, because one we're just from Batangas City: it's easy just a jeepney and a boat ride to Puerto Galera (PG) pier, and two, it's the cheapest deal. (Paid by Mom. Thanks a lot! :*) Since Dad won’t be persuaded to come and one of my sisters is in Dubai, we invited my cousins to join.

Here’s our voucher:

Initially, we wanted our travel date to be during summer but due to accommodation problems, we decided to go there on October.

I was 'in charged' on booking our trip, and I didn't have a very good experience with the reservations but I will not go into details because we really had a great time at the resort. :)

I booked our stay on October 19-21, but since we planned our trip months before the event, certain circumstances arrived, we went there on October 20 and stayed until 21. 

We chose to ride Minolo Shipping Lines (MSL) since I was told that they follow their schedule strictly. Here are our tickets:

Single journey tickets for 7:30 am ride

We also paid terminal and environmental fees (PHP30 and PHP50 respectively). 
*FYI: One of the uses of envfees is for the building and maintenance of PG's sewage treatment plant - for a cleaner PG! :)
And on board we went! 

At the port

My mom, sister and baby brother! :)

MSL: On Board

Bye Batangas Port!

It was a 1-hour boat ride from the Batangas City pier to PG pier. It was our first time to set foot on PG pier (last time I went with my friends in PG, we were dropped off directly at White Beach)! 

Well, Hellllo yachts! (PG pier)

We were fetched by the MSL van (maybe in collaboration with Tribal Hills) and they dropped us at the foot of the hill where the THR van was waiting.

MSL van ride! Wooo!

Arrival: Tribal Hills Resort

Unloading the THR van. The rides were such fun!

We were welcomed by Ate Me-an at the resort office. She's nicer in person. :) Rules and regulations were explained to us, including the numbers to call in case we need the van again (they have 3), the free breakfast hours (7-9am), etc. 
If you intend to use the van out of their scheduled time, they would just drop you off on the foot of the hill. Prepare PHP100 per tricycle to go to the White Beach. 
(Extra info on THR rules, van scheds, etc. here)

And then we checked in and unloaded our baggage in our rooms. (Resort wonders later. :D)

One of our rooms. 5 and 6 are ours. :)))

Outside. So cozy and perfect for relaxing. 

One of the best bathrooms I've ever seen. (I'm quite picky with regards to CRs. They lack bidet and/or dipper though. Filipinos love dippers, not tissues.)

Good room design, I must say.

We have no complaints whatsoever with the rooms; they're spacious (we could use just one room if we wanted to, though the allowed maximum capacity is 4), airconditioned, clean and comfy. Inclusive with the rooms were towels, soap, tissue and extra blankets. 


Trekking: Aninuan Falls

Good thing we arrived early; we were just in time (9:30am) for the guided trek to Aninuan Falls which is free from the deal, though we were told to prepare PHP20 per person for the Falls entrance. 

The trek was relatively easy because it's not so steep, though it's almost 1 hour away from the resort. We had fun taking pictures of our trek. The streams we passed by were clean and cold that my brother didn't hesitate to sit and play there while we were resting.
  

One of the streams

Trekking all the way. :)

Resting. :)

After the enjoying walk, we arrived at our destination! :)

Aninuan Falls entrance

Me with the falls and our half-naked guide :D 

Enjoying the swim at the falls with PHP50 coconut juice drink

After an hour of falls enjoyment, we went back to the resort. Because we were relatively faster than our other companions, we walked ahead of them, without a guide. Sooo we got a little lost in our way. And because of hunger, we stopped over by a ministore that we didn't pass by on our way to the hill. 
(It's my first time that a tetra pack drink was called 'FunChum' (used as generic). It was always Zesto.)

We asked for directions from the friendly residents of the area, and at last, we reached the resort after an hour. 

Stairway to heavenly resort, at long last!

Because of fatigue, we took a nap right after the trek in their large beds. It was refreshing. We then enjoy the resort's beauty.

The pool was relatively small compared to other resorts, but because no one used the pool with us, its size was not a problem. We also avail of the free bubble bath, but due to faulty wiring, as explained by one of the staff, we only experienced it for ~15 minutes. 

To add a little luxury to our relaxation, I brought my Human Nature Bamboo Body Scrub and massaged my companions. They really loved it! I was massaged by my cousin too and god it was awesome. 

Photo from http://humanheartnature.com. 

It's a must try for more relaxation on your getaways. 
(Comment if interested in buying the product or PM me here :D)

For refreshment totality, we had a bottle of Antonov Ice each which was sold at the bar near the pool.

PHP 80 in the resort's bar

 It' s costly (PHP40 at the White Beach) but we bought anyway. However, their Mindoro Sling, THE famous PG cocktail drink, is cheaper (only PHP300 per pitcher) than in White Beach, which costs PHP330.

White Beach Night Life

Our PG stay would not be complete without the White Beach night life! We went downhill before 6pm which is outside the van sched so we rode a trike to WB. 

Night at Tribal Hills

Waiting for our Mindoro Sling :)

The eye-catching fire dancer

We came back to THR with the scheduled van at 10pm, indulged in the pool again, and enjoyed a good night sleep.

Second Day: Departure

Free breakfast with overlooking Mt. Malasimbo and PG Sea! 

The choices for breakfast are tocilog, hotsilog, longsilog and continental breakfast, with hot coffee or tea. It was a hearty breakfast, though not as luxurious as mentioned in Metrodeal site.


Aaand, picture galore for our last hours in the resort!

The resort is designed to have vibrant colors in pictures. Love it!

All in all, it was worth it. The place is gallant, we didn't experience being charged for miscellaneous things (like extra blanket or water or van ride) nor did we have staff problems. We had a great time from our landing to the resort to our departure. 5 stars out of 5 for you!

I thank the driver of the van that we last rode for driving faster down the steep slope; it felt like riding a roller coaster! 

Til next time Tribal Hills! 
I'll visit you again soon, surely!

Late UP Freshie Tips

1.Pag nagbigay ang instructor ng readings o references, basahin mo. 

Kahit na 'suggested' readings ang tawag nila sa iba, readings pa rin yan. Malaki ang role ng readings sa recits, quizzes at exams. Para sa mga GC, ito ang daan mo para sa mga uno. May maeencounter kang mga tanong na mismong galing sa readings, bonus pa kung given na ang sagot sa likod ng libro. Mas bonus kung isa pala itong example sa libro. Hindi sapat ang magpaphotox, kahit pa ipabook bind mo, kung hindi lang rin ito mababasa. 
(Noong undergrad pa ako, excited akong bumili ng makakapal na pirated readings sa SC, pero hindi ko talaga ito natatapos basahin. Hindi rin ako mahilig humiram ng libro sa library para sa references na nakasulat sa syllabus.) 

2. Itago ang mga iningatang photocopied readings at notes (kung mahilig kayong magnotes) kahit na tapos na ang sem. 

Kung maaari pa'y ipabook bind ang readings. Kung ito ay galing sa majors nyo, maaari mo itong gamitin bilang reference sa mga susunod sa pang subjects na kukunin mo. Kung sisiw lang sa iyo ang subject na iyon, pwede mo itong ipahiram sa friend na nasa lower batch na kukuha rin ng subject na iyon. Pagkakataon mo nang maging OT (old testament; n. lumang notes, exams, problem sets.) master kaya go! 
At dahil itong sem na ito ang ultimate GE sem n'yo, ilandaang piso rin siguro ang nagastos n'yo sa mga photocopied readings. Hwag mag-alala, pagkatapos ng sem, pwede mo itong ibenta! (Syempre sa mas mababang halaga wrt original price sa SC) Kung mag pagka-OC ka, mas malaki ang halaga ng notes mo. Ang maganda rito ay malaki ang market mo kaya malaki ang chance na mabibili ito. Kung hindi naman palarin sa pagbebenta at may orgmates ka na sa , ipahiram mo ito sa kanila, to establish camarederie. Sayang naman kung sa junk shop lang mapapapunta ang mga ito. Kung wala kang pang org, 

3. Sumali sa org. 

Ang college life ay mas makulay kung may barkada kang kasakasama sa pag-aaral, pagluluksa sa singko, pagfoofoodtrip sa Maginhawa St. at pagtambay tuwing breaktime. 
 Isa kang maswerteng nilalalang kung 10 kayong magkakaklase noong high school ang nakapasa sa UP. Mas maswerte kung iisa ang college o course n'yo para sa matitinding group study sessions sa McDo Katips o Philcoa o kahit saang 24hrs na fastfood chain. 
 Pero kung wala ka nito, malaking tulong para sa iyo ang pagsali sa org. Hindi lang sa kaibigan marami ang org - nandyan ang matutututo kang makitungo sa iba't ibang klase ng tao. May weird, nerd, emo, super wild o forever horny--- halos lahat ng klase ng ugali makikita mo rito. 
Isa pa, magaganda ang tambayan ng mga orgs dito sa UP. Kung puno na sa Casaa o sa canteen sa iyong college, itakeout mo na at gora na ang lafang sa tambayan. Malaki rin ang oportunidad para maenhance mo ang leadership skills mo, existing man ito o hindi. Pero,

4. Unahin pa rin ang pag-aaral. 

Corny?  Itanong mo kay Ginoong Ramon Bautista, hindi ako nagkamaling i-tip ito. ;)  Ok lang ang maging BS Org sa mga may schedule ang buhay, pero kung 'go with the flow' person ka, ah, mahirap 'yan. Bawal pa namang madelay ngayon, 1k na ang isang unit. 

5. Alamin ang freebies sa buong UP at i-avail ang mga ito. 

Dahil freshie ka, hari ka ng freebies brought to you by USC at marami pang orgs. Noong freshie ako, naka-avail ako ng libreng C2, dirty icecream, isaw, planners, sakay sa ikot/toki at nakatatlo akong libre concert (check out for Giniling Festival). 
Pero hindi nagtatapos sa pagiging freshie ang freebies. Maraming libreng sine sa UP FI para sa lahat, may mga free rides ding sponsored by UP orgs, at libre pagkain pag nag-open tambayan sila. 
Marami ring seminars, talks at lectures sa bawat college o department na libre; maging mapagmashid lang sa bulletin boards para sa schedules. 

6. Ikutin ang campus. 

Inikot ko ang campus noong graduate na ako, at nanghinayang ako dahil marami pa pala akong hindi natatambayang libraries na may free wifi, hindi pa nakakainang siomai stall (e.g. sa FI. Hindi pa rin hanggang ngayon), at hindi nakikitang magagandang CR (ehem University Hotel) na dapat ay noon pa lang ay nalaman ko na para sa mas masayang stay sa UP. Kaya go na kasama ang blockmates at hanapin ang heartbreak hill at AIT.

7. Umattend ng ACLE (Alternative Class Room Experience).

Hindi ito inorganize para makapagTrinoma ka. Umaapaw sa knowledge ang kalahating araw na ito kaya sugod ka d’yan. (Malas lang kung nirequire kayo ng instructor/prof n’yo na umattend ng ACLE ng org/dept. n’ya - hindi ka makakapamili.) Sa ACLE ko narinig ang mga payo ni Jon Santos, at d’yan ko rin dapat nakita sina Brilliante Mendoza, Ramon Bautista, Jim Paredes, at Kryz Uy kung nabalitaan ko lang agad. 

Mula sa pagtuturo kung paano magmake-up (plus make-up freebies), hanggang sa panonood ng mga indie films at Zeitgeist, hanggang sa pakikinig sa mga powerhouse speakers, hanggang sa kung paano gumawa ng DIY rocket, nandyan lahat sa ACLE.

8. Sagarin ang pagkuha ng PE hangga’t libre pa. 

'Holistic being' ang status goal natin, kaya  magPE every sem! Isa pa, 'freshie' = priority sa CRS. Kaya piliin mo na ang pinaka-in demand na PE (masaya ang floorball :]) habang may chance ka pang makuha ito.

9. Magsummer class, kahit isa lang.

Maganda ang UP campus. Mas maganda ang UP tuwing summer (fire tree at cotton invasion). Saka mas madali (raw) ang ES (Engg Science) subjects at mas kakaunti ang readings sa GE subjects pag summer mo ito kinuha. Plus plus pa kung may field trip. Libre bakasyon care of allowance whattup.

10. Sumama sa GE field trips. 

Sobra ang panghihinayang ko dahil isang GE field trip lang ang nasamahan ko sa buong college life ko, at whole day lang siya. Sayang ang pagkakataong magtravel galore para sa karununganchos at habang may allowance pa, kaya go lang nang go. Plus points din yan, kaya GC alert din ito.

Eleventh tip to UP Freshies

11. Hwag magpaka konyo (kung hindi naman talaga konyo).

Don't make pilipit your dila when it's not natural naman to you. Don't eat isaws of Mang Larry's if you don't wanna. Don't drink milk tea or coffee eight times a day when you're gonna make utang pa. You know. Just, like, leave them to the real konyos.

On why we have to study 'Life and Works of Jose Rizal'

It's not the first time that I heard it; actually, most of the college students complain about taking history and Rizal courses. They question the use of these subjects on the career that they will be pursuing after graduation, how their money is wasted on those units, and how their time is consumed just to earn good grades for the subjects. 

Truth be told, I felt just the same when I was in high school. We were made to report or dramatize Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo per chapter, and every five chapters, there would be an exam covering names, places and dates from those sections. Their importance were not explained deeply, and they were forgotten when exams were over. 

But college came and I took a different perspective because of one thing: my Rizal professor told us that they teach those courses because it's a law. The Republic Act No. 1425, An Act to Include in the Curricula of All Public and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities Courses On the Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal, Particularly His Novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Authorizing the Printing and Distribution Thereof, and for Other Purposes, commonly known as the Rizal Law, mandates all educational institutions in the Philippines to offer courses about Jose Rizal. 

But he didn't stop there. He told us how stupid we are not to want to know history, and it's evident on the way we respond to the what is happening in the Philippines. If we are learned in history, we will not still be in the society that Rizal drew in Noli and El Fili, but alas, most of their chapters are reflections of the present Philippines still. From the falsehood of the Filipino Catholic church as 'church for the poor', to usurping of lands from the indios, to mockery of too-Filipino-looking people (pango, kayumanggi, maliit). 

Padre Salvi and Sisa's family story is parallel to Bishop Teodoro Bacani and his sex scandals, Tandang Selo's family story is parallel to Hacienda Luisita's farmers' never-ending battle (I hope not) with the Aquino-Cojuangco clan, and powdered Dona Victorina is parallel to every out-of-stock condition of whitening products in the Philippine market. 

If only these were taught to every Filipino since high school, no one would dare ask again of its relevance.

In the end, nothing's changed because we don't know the value and meaning of the things that are required for us to learn.