This is a reply to a discussion in a forum which I am currently moderating. The members were discussing why younger Filipinas prefer older foreigners. My reply to the discussion was a little late because I was busy with work and some things to do at home. Anyway, below was the reply that I posted in the forum.
Younger Filipinas prefer older foreigners because:
1. Financial Security. Older/retired foreigners have money coming from their retirement/pensions. It is wiser to marry or live with a man who has more mpney and financial stability.
2. Mortality rate. Older men die easily. These older foreigners are just waiting for their time to pass by. If they die, younger Filipinas could again remarry someone older or younger. They would go for older men to repeat the cycle or younger men to populate their species.
3. Company. Older foreigners have more time to stay in the house with their wives/girlfriends. They are more visible than younger foreigners because they don’t work most of the time. If the younger woman is the clingy type, she has her foreign husband/partner available to her anytime she wants to be cuddled.
4. Intelligence. Older foreigners are more knowledgeable and experienced a lot in life already. If the younger Filipina is eager to learn, she would choose an older foreigner in the belief that he can impart great knowledge to her about life and the world in general.
5. Procreation. Younger Filipinas who do not want to get pregnant will consider marrying an older foreigner because it would be harder for the foreigner to copulate if there is no Viagra available for him. I have a friend who is married to a foreigner 30 years her senior. They have sex once a month, and if she gets unlucky, there’ll be none at all. They don’t have children and she is still in her early 30s and they’ve been married for almost 10 years now.
6. Trust issues. Younger Filipinas would choose older foreigners because they are more trusting of their partners. They don’t usually scrutinize their partners of where and whom did they go out with. They don’t ask how the money was spent by their partners.
7. Generosity. Older foreigners are more generous of their money and time to younger Filipinas and her family. She can be a “bilmoko” (colloquial word for “bili mo ko” which has an English equivalent as “buy me this and that”) and the older foreigner is just happy to oblige. Showering her of material things like clothes, accessories and money are common among older foreigners to win their younger Filipina’s affection.
8. Father figure. They see older foreigners as a father figure. As a father figure, they expect that they will be treated with kindness as what fathers do to their daughters.
Of course, we can not discount the fact that some younger Filipinas marry older foreigners because of pure love and affection. Now, that is noble and uplifting to know that some can still give unconditional love to unsuspecting older foreigners.
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
BOTO MO, iPATROL MO: AKO ANG SIMULA!
ABS-CBN will launch its campaign with the aim of encouraging Filipinos to play an active role in the upcoming 2010 Presidential Election. The campaign targets young Filipinos to proactively participate and initiate change as early as possible by registering to vote. The TV station encourages voters from here and abroad to report their respective concerns and observations regarding the election. Several voters booth were stationed in Metro Manila and in the provinces of Pampanga, Cebu and Davao .
So how does this campaign actually work? The volunteers who registered in the booth set up by ABS-CBN in different provinces will serve as their allies in delivering news to the people all over the Philippines on how the campaigns and the elections were conducted and held. They will report anomalies, pay offs and other illegal activities of people who are seeking elective positions. It is geared to implement the election code on a national level through the aid of young Filipinos via internet and mobile technology, cable TV, and radio services.
It is a long shot for this multi-media conglomerate to aim for fair and peaceful election but who can tell if it is going to be successful or not. The end result will be revealed on May 11, 2010 when the votes are cast and the winners are proclaimed. Until then, we hope that this endeavor could at least alleviate the election-related crimes and occurrences.
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MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE – THE KILLING FIELDS
The country was stunned and in grief after the news breaks the brutal death of several people including the wife of Buluan Vice Mayor Ismael Mangundadatu, his sister and some relatives, who will file on his behalf his Certificate of Candidacy for Governor of Maguindanao province. They were accompanied by press people and lawyers in a convoy to Shariff Aguak town, where the election office of the province is located when a group of about 100 armed men abducted them. They were killed and some were buried alive along with their vehicles in a land owned by the Ampatuan clan.
The killings are the first major election-related violence in the May 2010 elections, which are still several months away. Most of the victims are women. Mangundadatu believes that the killings were politically motivated. Mangundadatu and Ampatuan are rival political clans in Maguindanao. Mangundadatu is going against the older Ampatuan for the gubernatorial posts of the province. Seeing him as a threat to the political posts that he wants to hold, the older Ampatuan ordered for the liquidation of the people who will file for Mangundadatu’s Certificate of Candidacy.
After seeing the news on television and reading the accounts of the deaths in newspapers, I come to thinking that there is really no good politics. Politics will always be dirty as long as there are people who want to stay in power so much that they would walk the extra mile of liquidating their opponents. Philippine politics is a shame!
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The killings are the first major election-related violence in the May 2010 elections, which are still several months away. Most of the victims are women. Mangundadatu believes that the killings were politically motivated. Mangundadatu and Ampatuan are rival political clans in Maguindanao. Mangundadatu is going against the older Ampatuan for the gubernatorial posts of the province. Seeing him as a threat to the political posts that he wants to hold, the older Ampatuan ordered for the liquidation of the people who will file for Mangundadatu’s Certificate of Candidacy.
After seeing the news on television and reading the accounts of the deaths in newspapers, I come to thinking that there is really no good politics. Politics will always be dirty as long as there are people who want to stay in power so much that they would walk the extra mile of liquidating their opponents. Philippine politics is a shame!
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Saturday, June 27, 2009
SINGLE BLESSEDNESS
I wonder if I am meant to be with someone I can share the rest of my life with. I kept myself busy with paper works. I forgot to date even though someone asks me to. I become oblivious of the fact that I desperately need someone to hold hands with. I can’t remember the last time I kissed or have been kissed. My parents constantly urge me to get married. How can I tell them that my chance of getting married is hanging at the edge of a cliff?
Later I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, and those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love, well, that’s just fabulous.
However, part of me has always felt that life has no real meaning until you get to share it with somebody. Maybe that’s what I’m afraid of: my life finally taking meaning or suddenly becoming void of it. Maybe I’ll share my life with somebody… maybe not. But the truth is when I think back of my loneliest moments, there was usually somebody sitting there next to me.
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UNREQUITED LOVE
I’ve found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare once said “Journeys end in lovers meeting, every wise man’s son doth know.” What an extraordinary thought. Personally, I have not experienced anything remotely close to that, but I am more than willing to believe Shakespeare had. I suppose I think about love more than anyone really should. I am constantly amazed by its sheer power to alter and define our lives. It was Shakespeare who also said “love is blind” from his play The Merchant of Venice. Now that is something I know to be true. For some quite inexplicably, love fades; for others love is simply lost. But then of course love can also be found, even if just for the night or a brief moment. And then, there’s another kind of love: the cruelest kind, the one that almost kills its victims. It’s called unrequited love. Of that kind of love I am an expert.
I am a victim of the one sided affair. I am the cursed of the loved ones. I am the unloved one, the walking wounded. The handicapped without the advantage of a great parking space! I have willingly loved that man for over six miserable years! The absolute worst years of my life! The worst Christmas’, the worst Birthday’s, New Years Eve’s brought in by tears. These years that I have been in love have been the darkest days of my life. All because I’ve been cursed by being in love with a man who does not and will not love me back. Oh God, just the thought of him! Heart pounding! Throat thickening! Absolutely can’t swallow! All the usual symptoms, can you imagine that?
I have been waiting for him to come back to me and love me again assuming that he did love me. I have known him when I was young. I thought that I had the best time of my life with him merely because I opened myself to the possibility of a long term relationship for the first time. I allowed myself to dream that we’ll be living and building a family together. Well, he left without saying goodbye and we lost communication. It was a short-lived romance after all but it consumed almost of my adult years. I have been into serious relationships after him but my heart longs for someone from the past. I can never give myself fully to any one because he still has my heart. Then one day he found me through a social networking. He’s been in my network of friends but he never shows interest on me. I felt that he is just near but yet so far away. At last! He decided to write me. I was happy that he took notice of me. I can’t help myself and ask him why he left so suddenly. I was expecting that he would redeem himself by giving me an explanation which however worst or whimsical it may be I will most probably believe anyhow but nothing prepared me to receive a response so rudely delivered. No explanation was made. He just gave me a dismissive statement. My heart shrunk into disbelief of how rude he has become. I realized I don’t know him at all. He is someone I just can’t - someone who self-evidently can’t be mine. I’ve opened Pandora’s box, and there was trouble inside. I was shaken. I cried for a while because I was hurt. I see the dream I built dismounts and crumbles from the pedestal I put it in.
In the nutshell, I understand feeling as small and as insignificant as humanly possible and how it can actually ache in places you didn’t know you had inside you. And it doesn’t matter how many new haircuts you get, or diets you try, or gyms you join, or how many glasses of liquor you drink with your girlfriends… you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood. And how in the hell for that brief moment you could think that you were that happy. Sometimes you can even convince yourself that he’ll see the light and show up at your door because you’re hoping you’re wrong. And every time he does something that tells you he’s no good, you ignore it. And every time he comes through and surprises you, he wins you over, and you lose that argument with yourself, that he’s not for you. After all that, however long all that may be, you’ll go somewhere new. You’ll meet people who make you feel worthwhile again. Little pieces of your soul will finally come back. And all that fuzzy stuff, those years of your life that you wasted, that will eventually begin to fade. It gives you a sense of confidence, that despite being at the end of a rapidly fraying rope for as long as you can imagine, there is a sunshine at the end of the tunnel and that, there is no misery (no matter how miserable it may make you feel at that particular moment) that lasts forever! The demons that are caught up inside your head… the ones that are lurking in the corner, no matter how many people you are with, or how much fun you are “supposedly” having… just fade away!
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PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS
Platonic relationship is a non-sexual, non-committal but affectionate relationship, especially in cases where one might easily assume otherwise. It is a deep, non-sexual friendship, not subject to gender pairings and not excluding close relatives.
This is the kind of relationship I share with my best friend Allan. We have known each other since 1992 and we stayed friends and remained to be in close contact until now. Some of our friends often wonder why we did not end up as lovers. We always tell them that our relationship transcends from simple friends to brothers and sisters. I don’t feel any sexual connection with him and so is he. There are no pretensions or inhibitions between us. I can practically take off my clothes in his presence and never feel insecure or conscious about how I look. With just a grin or a blink of an eye we already knew what the other mean and want to say. We practically read each other’s mind. We are one of a kind. We compliment each other. When I feel down due to a recent failed relationship, he is always there to remind me to pick myself up and move on. He is always there for me during difficult times. As we get older, we oftentimes argue. He barks on my very traditional and conservative ways. He makes fun of me.
I’ve read an article explaining the complexities of platonic relationships. Applying the principles of platonic relationship with the relationship I currently have with my best buddy Allan, I ended up enumerating the following conclusions.
1. Just because he befriends you, it does not mean he will pursue you emotionally.
Not every guy who befriends you has an ulterior motive. There is a reason why he befriended you, but don’t automatically assume that it’s because he wants to be emotionally involved with you in the future. With me and Allan, we became friends because we sit side by side in the classroom in College every time our last names are alphabetically arranged. We talk most of the time and make fun of each other. I appreciate his sense of humor which means that I laugh at his corny jokes most of the time.
2. Just because he is kind to you, it does not mean he is courting you.
There are people who are naturally sweet and kind. There are people who are innately good and no matter how wicked you seem they just find it easy to be kind to you. It’s not even close to courtship. Don’t put yourself through unnecessary stress trying to figure out if he’s courting you or not. If he is, you won’t have to guess, you’ll know and you’ll be very certain about it. With Allan, I am certain that he is not courting me and he does not plan to do so in the near future. We’re just comfortable with each other thereby eliminating any possibility of a romance. I can act as his girlfriend if I feel like being naughty sometimes. He hates me when I do but who cares, he knows me very well to interpret it differently.
3. Just because he talks to you a lot, he already loves you.
Chances are you make sense when he talks to you, or you’re very patient listening to his stories. Most probably, both of you connect in some level but why does it always have to be assumed to be romantic? Being intelligent, mature human beings, you need to accept that it’s nice to share a cup of coffee over a stimulating conversation, and that you don’t have to automatically put a romantic connotation to it. Relieve yourself of the pressure. It’s just coffee and a shared interest. Allan and I love to talk about anything under the sun. We reminisce our college day’s experiences. Oftentimes, we talk about our friends and how they are right now. We also talk about our lives, works and relationships. It would take us long hours before we get tired of talking. This is the most fun part of our friendship. We talk, sip coffee and have fun.
4. Just because your friend is cute, does not mean you already have a crush on him or love him already.
People always assume that just because your friend is “hot”, you desire him. It just only tells you one thing, that you have not been blind and that you can still appreciate God’s creation! However, there will always be weird things, crazy things, stupid things that will keep you from having a crush on him. First of all, you know his history with women, enough to judge what’s good for you. Second, don’t you just hate it when a guy is always so put together and who looks intelligent and neat? Third, you know how he manages his finances and how much he can spend for a date. Well, with my friend Allan, he is afraid of commitment, a very vain person and who has his wallet hidden under his skin. I can’t stand him looking at the mirror for long hours more than I do for myself. Vanity is his game and it drives me nuts most of the time. He is always well-put and I put up myself just fine. Of course, he gambles in the casino a lot and he has passion for signature clothes and expensive things. Although I am not intimidated by his presence, I feel that I am inadequate when we’re walking side by side. He is the drop-dead gorgeous and I am just a walking spinster. Argh!!!!!
5. Just because you hang out most of the time does not mean that you’d end up being girlfriend-boyfriend.
This is self-explanatory. There are plenty of reasons why things don’t always turn out that way. There is no proven formula for it. For all we know, the reason why he likes hanging out with you is because he likes getting vanity tips from you. He probably plans on being vain himself and he needs a mentor. With Allan, we usually hang out with each other to update ourselves with what happened to us for the past days. There is no big deal about it. It’s just the way we are. A little gossip spice up our lives.
6. Just because he asks you out for dinner or lunch, does not mean that he is into you.
A dinner with a guy friend does not necessarily equate to a date especially if you are paying for your share in the meal. There are three things to consider here: the place, the topic, and how the two of you actually planned to meet.
First is the place: if he agrees to meet you in a place closer to him, it just means that he is meeting someone else and you’ll be there as his stand-by date just in case his supposedly date does not arrive. If it was a real date, both of you would want real food from a really nice, cozy and fancy restaurant and/or place where you could really talk things through. Second is the topic: you would mostly talk about your feelings for each other and not about some news you just seen or heard on television and/or radio. You don’t talk about topics like showbiz gossips or office politics when you’re on a date. You would probably be talking about sensible, quite personal stuff. Third is how the date was planned: if it was a date, he would ask you three days in advance before the actual date to give you some time to prepare, and also to give you the notion that you are not just “filler” on his schedule. With Allan, our date is spontaneous and always out of schedule. He usually sends me messages if he wants us to meet. He sets up the meeting place and it’s usually in a place near courthouses where he usually is. He is a lawyer so he could have a hearing in the nearby courthouse in an hour or two. Typically, we’ll have lunch together and then he will go back to work and so do I. We usually split the cost of our meal. Sometimes, we go to Tagaytay to visit our favorite church and pray for our own intentions. Our conversation mostly revolves on work and friends.
I therefore conclude that platonic relationships do exist and they are never complicated; people just have tendencies to complicate them. Relationships founded on friendship tend to be the best and the longest lasting kind. Know your boundaries and know the risks, then proceed with caution.We are happy with how we turned out to be. Although he will leave me soon to seek greener pasture abroad, I know that I will always be his best friend and vice versa. I will always be eternally grateful for this opportunity and experience!
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This is the kind of relationship I share with my best friend Allan. We have known each other since 1992 and we stayed friends and remained to be in close contact until now. Some of our friends often wonder why we did not end up as lovers. We always tell them that our relationship transcends from simple friends to brothers and sisters. I don’t feel any sexual connection with him and so is he. There are no pretensions or inhibitions between us. I can practically take off my clothes in his presence and never feel insecure or conscious about how I look. With just a grin or a blink of an eye we already knew what the other mean and want to say. We practically read each other’s mind. We are one of a kind. We compliment each other. When I feel down due to a recent failed relationship, he is always there to remind me to pick myself up and move on. He is always there for me during difficult times. As we get older, we oftentimes argue. He barks on my very traditional and conservative ways. He makes fun of me.
I’ve read an article explaining the complexities of platonic relationships. Applying the principles of platonic relationship with the relationship I currently have with my best buddy Allan, I ended up enumerating the following conclusions.
1. Just because he befriends you, it does not mean he will pursue you emotionally.
Not every guy who befriends you has an ulterior motive. There is a reason why he befriended you, but don’t automatically assume that it’s because he wants to be emotionally involved with you in the future. With me and Allan, we became friends because we sit side by side in the classroom in College every time our last names are alphabetically arranged. We talk most of the time and make fun of each other. I appreciate his sense of humor which means that I laugh at his corny jokes most of the time.
2. Just because he is kind to you, it does not mean he is courting you.
There are people who are naturally sweet and kind. There are people who are innately good and no matter how wicked you seem they just find it easy to be kind to you. It’s not even close to courtship. Don’t put yourself through unnecessary stress trying to figure out if he’s courting you or not. If he is, you won’t have to guess, you’ll know and you’ll be very certain about it. With Allan, I am certain that he is not courting me and he does not plan to do so in the near future. We’re just comfortable with each other thereby eliminating any possibility of a romance. I can act as his girlfriend if I feel like being naughty sometimes. He hates me when I do but who cares, he knows me very well to interpret it differently.
3. Just because he talks to you a lot, he already loves you.
Chances are you make sense when he talks to you, or you’re very patient listening to his stories. Most probably, both of you connect in some level but why does it always have to be assumed to be romantic? Being intelligent, mature human beings, you need to accept that it’s nice to share a cup of coffee over a stimulating conversation, and that you don’t have to automatically put a romantic connotation to it. Relieve yourself of the pressure. It’s just coffee and a shared interest. Allan and I love to talk about anything under the sun. We reminisce our college day’s experiences. Oftentimes, we talk about our friends and how they are right now. We also talk about our lives, works and relationships. It would take us long hours before we get tired of talking. This is the most fun part of our friendship. We talk, sip coffee and have fun.
4. Just because your friend is cute, does not mean you already have a crush on him or love him already.
People always assume that just because your friend is “hot”, you desire him. It just only tells you one thing, that you have not been blind and that you can still appreciate God’s creation! However, there will always be weird things, crazy things, stupid things that will keep you from having a crush on him. First of all, you know his history with women, enough to judge what’s good for you. Second, don’t you just hate it when a guy is always so put together and who looks intelligent and neat? Third, you know how he manages his finances and how much he can spend for a date. Well, with my friend Allan, he is afraid of commitment, a very vain person and who has his wallet hidden under his skin. I can’t stand him looking at the mirror for long hours more than I do for myself. Vanity is his game and it drives me nuts most of the time. He is always well-put and I put up myself just fine. Of course, he gambles in the casino a lot and he has passion for signature clothes and expensive things. Although I am not intimidated by his presence, I feel that I am inadequate when we’re walking side by side. He is the drop-dead gorgeous and I am just a walking spinster. Argh!!!!!
5. Just because you hang out most of the time does not mean that you’d end up being girlfriend-boyfriend.
This is self-explanatory. There are plenty of reasons why things don’t always turn out that way. There is no proven formula for it. For all we know, the reason why he likes hanging out with you is because he likes getting vanity tips from you. He probably plans on being vain himself and he needs a mentor. With Allan, we usually hang out with each other to update ourselves with what happened to us for the past days. There is no big deal about it. It’s just the way we are. A little gossip spice up our lives.
6. Just because he asks you out for dinner or lunch, does not mean that he is into you.
A dinner with a guy friend does not necessarily equate to a date especially if you are paying for your share in the meal. There are three things to consider here: the place, the topic, and how the two of you actually planned to meet.
First is the place: if he agrees to meet you in a place closer to him, it just means that he is meeting someone else and you’ll be there as his stand-by date just in case his supposedly date does not arrive. If it was a real date, both of you would want real food from a really nice, cozy and fancy restaurant and/or place where you could really talk things through. Second is the topic: you would mostly talk about your feelings for each other and not about some news you just seen or heard on television and/or radio. You don’t talk about topics like showbiz gossips or office politics when you’re on a date. You would probably be talking about sensible, quite personal stuff. Third is how the date was planned: if it was a date, he would ask you three days in advance before the actual date to give you some time to prepare, and also to give you the notion that you are not just “filler” on his schedule. With Allan, our date is spontaneous and always out of schedule. He usually sends me messages if he wants us to meet. He sets up the meeting place and it’s usually in a place near courthouses where he usually is. He is a lawyer so he could have a hearing in the nearby courthouse in an hour or two. Typically, we’ll have lunch together and then he will go back to work and so do I. We usually split the cost of our meal. Sometimes, we go to Tagaytay to visit our favorite church and pray for our own intentions. Our conversation mostly revolves on work and friends.
I therefore conclude that platonic relationships do exist and they are never complicated; people just have tendencies to complicate them. Relationships founded on friendship tend to be the best and the longest lasting kind. Know your boundaries and know the risks, then proceed with caution.We are happy with how we turned out to be. Although he will leave me soon to seek greener pasture abroad, I know that I will always be his best friend and vice versa. I will always be eternally grateful for this opportunity and experience!
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
THE PURSUIT OF THE BUTANDING (WHALE SHARK))
It was on the 9th of December 2008, my friends and I woke up early. We are scheduled to go to Donsol, Sorsogon to hunt for Butanding and to do wake boarding thereafter. It was our third day in Tabaco, Albay and we were fully booked for the day’s adventures.
We were fetched from the hotel at around 6:30 in the morning. We had our breakfast on the way to Legazpi. After eating, we’re off the road to Donsol, Sorsogon. We were all excited to reach the shore of Donsol to hunt for Butanding. After an hour drive, we reached Donsol and proceeded to the Donsol Butanding Interaction Center which is a branch of the Department of Tourism in charged with the preservation of Butanding.
At the Tourism Office, we were required to register and attend a brief orientation session prior to heading out to see the Whale Sharks. Likewise, we were required to pay the fee for: Boat Rental and Crew, Registration, and snorkeling equipment rental. The maximum number of registrants per boat is 7 people.
After a brief orientation period on the rules and guidelines, we are ready to head out to the open sea. Our group will be accompanied by a BIO (Butanding Interaction Officer) who will serve as our guide while we're out in the water, one Spotter, on the look-out for the Butanding, and two crew members to man the boat.
Our hearts are filled with excitement and anticipation when we boarded the boat. As we sailed away from the shore and into the open sea, we were praying that these gentle giants would finally show up. We were told by the BOI that they can not guarantee that we will see Butanding as of this time because the Butanding season has not yet begun although there were reported sightings of the sea creature already as early as November. We reached the open sea where the Butanding usually feed itself with planktons. Unfortunately, there is no sign of the gigantic sea creature anywhere.
We have been at sea for an hour. Expectations run high. We kept afloat for almost two hours. At last! The boat captain shouted to prepare to jump into the water. There was a Butanding spotted in the school of fish near our boat. Though slightly distorted by the motion of the bay’s waves, a massive yet graceful form draws near our suddenly tiny craft. Cheers abound as mask and fins are donned. In a few moments, our team will be swimming with the greatest fish of them all.
“Jump!” shouts the BOI accompanying us. We obliged and dived in. Moments later we were greeted by an unusually marked juvenile; perhaps it exceeds the length of our typical passenger bus and weighs more than six adult elephants.
I landed on the tail of the Butanding. One of us, landed on its face and another on its broad trunk. I was about a foot above the tail of the Butanding. I can feel the slimy water passing through my legs and feet. The rule that is, to maintain at least 3 meters distance from the head and body of the whale shark and 4 meters from the tail section was not followed because we directly landed on top of it when we jumped into the water. After what seems like minutes (in reality, mere seconds) the shark takes a nose dive and disappears, leaving us breathless in its wake.
I was panic-stricken which made me swallow at least a glass of salt water. The snorkeling equipment that I was wearing does not fit me right. It added to the discomfort that I felt when I jumped into the water. The diver held me and carried me near the boat.
Before we even climb aboard, another is sighted, then another. Each interaction is totally unique, an adventure in itself. We came back to the boat triumphant and exhilarated. After just two hours, our team clocks in three whale sharks and three interactions. So by 4pm, we were ready to head back to land. We officially opened the 2009 Butanding Season!
We were fetched from the hotel at around 6:30 in the morning. We had our breakfast on the way to Legazpi. After eating, we’re off the road to Donsol, Sorsogon. We were all excited to reach the shore of Donsol to hunt for Butanding. After an hour drive, we reached Donsol and proceeded to the Donsol Butanding Interaction Center which is a branch of the Department of Tourism in charged with the preservation of Butanding.
At the Tourism Office, we were required to register and attend a brief orientation session prior to heading out to see the Whale Sharks. Likewise, we were required to pay the fee for: Boat Rental and Crew, Registration, and snorkeling equipment rental. The maximum number of registrants per boat is 7 people.
After a brief orientation period on the rules and guidelines, we are ready to head out to the open sea. Our group will be accompanied by a BIO (Butanding Interaction Officer) who will serve as our guide while we're out in the water, one Spotter, on the look-out for the Butanding, and two crew members to man the boat.
Our hearts are filled with excitement and anticipation when we boarded the boat. As we sailed away from the shore and into the open sea, we were praying that these gentle giants would finally show up. We were told by the BOI that they can not guarantee that we will see Butanding as of this time because the Butanding season has not yet begun although there were reported sightings of the sea creature already as early as November. We reached the open sea where the Butanding usually feed itself with planktons. Unfortunately, there is no sign of the gigantic sea creature anywhere.
We have been at sea for an hour. Expectations run high. We kept afloat for almost two hours. At last! The boat captain shouted to prepare to jump into the water. There was a Butanding spotted in the school of fish near our boat. Though slightly distorted by the motion of the bay’s waves, a massive yet graceful form draws near our suddenly tiny craft. Cheers abound as mask and fins are donned. In a few moments, our team will be swimming with the greatest fish of them all.
“Jump!” shouts the BOI accompanying us. We obliged and dived in. Moments later we were greeted by an unusually marked juvenile; perhaps it exceeds the length of our typical passenger bus and weighs more than six adult elephants.
I landed on the tail of the Butanding. One of us, landed on its face and another on its broad trunk. I was about a foot above the tail of the Butanding. I can feel the slimy water passing through my legs and feet. The rule that is, to maintain at least 3 meters distance from the head and body of the whale shark and 4 meters from the tail section was not followed because we directly landed on top of it when we jumped into the water. After what seems like minutes (in reality, mere seconds) the shark takes a nose dive and disappears, leaving us breathless in its wake.
I was panic-stricken which made me swallow at least a glass of salt water. The snorkeling equipment that I was wearing does not fit me right. It added to the discomfort that I felt when I jumped into the water. The diver held me and carried me near the boat.
Before we even climb aboard, another is sighted, then another. Each interaction is totally unique, an adventure in itself. We came back to the boat triumphant and exhilarated. After just two hours, our team clocks in three whale sharks and three interactions. So by 4pm, we were ready to head back to land. We officially opened the 2009 Butanding Season!
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