Philippines trip

[DrWilly]

I'll have to walk another 20 meters to buy beer.

At least you’ll get your steps up…

[Joe 90]

Nice one BS, enjoy your trip.

I have reservations about visiting a devout Catholic country over Easter, no doubt it will be an interesting experience.

[Backspin]

One way to beat the traffic was wake up at 2am. So that's what we did. I was doing 120 k out the city heading south. Had to dodge a half dozen drivers and riders in the fast lane with no lights.

[Backspin]

On the ferry to Marenduque. We are going to White beach in Tujjorios

[Joe 90]

That will get Cyrille flustered

Enjoy!

[katie23]

^^cool. Enjoy your vacay. I've been to Marinduque once - it's a quiet island, not too touristy. Went there for hiking + outreach activity. Our group brought school supplies to different schools in the mountains. It was a few weeks before the start of the school year. We didn't go to the beach but for the 2 nights, we stayed at a mountain resort which was owned by one of the mayors. (Our group leaders coordinated with the local govt to help distribute the supplies.)

Btw, if you travel on Good Friday to the north of Luzon, there won't be much traffic. Thursday will be trafficky, as well as Sunday. If you go to Olongapo and La Union, there might be some businesses which are closed but some will be open since they're expecting tourists.

When I went to Puerto Galera on Easter weekend of 2019, some restos were closed but we were still able to get decent feed. We went back to Manila on the Monday, so we avoided the Sunday rush (ferry in morning, bus in afternoon)

[Backspin]

^ We were here in 2014. It was quiet. I assumed it would have developed a fair bit. And it has. More than I expected. In 2014 there was just a couple shacks at white beach. Now there's an actual resort. And a bunch of development

[Reg Dingle]

^ Are there a lot more ladyblokes?

[DrWilly]

One way to beat the traffic was wake up at 2am. So that's what we did. I was doing 120 k out the city heading south. Had to dodge a half dozen drivers and riders in the fast lane with no lights.

Excellent photo. Very safe.

[katie23]

^ We were here in 2014. It was quiet. I assumed it would have developed a fair bit. And it has. More than I expected. In 2014 there was just a couple shacks at white beach. Now there's an actual resort. And a bunch of development

Cool. I went there in May 2011. Looking forward to pics of the beach and the development. From what I remember, it was mostly sleepy towns.

For those who don't know, Marinduque is a small island located at the southern tip of Luzon island. It's mostly agricultural lands & not really a touristy destination (unlike Boracay, Siargao, Cebu, Palawan, etc.) Luzon island is where Manila is located. To get to Marinduque, one has to get a ferry from Lucena city (Dalahican port).

[katie23]

^ Are there a lot more ladyblokes?

It's not exactly that type of island/ place.

Marinduque (where he is now), is a small, sleepy island, mainly agricultural. Kinda like Isaan & Nakhon Nowhere but with mountains & seas. Everyone knows each other & they're usually related. It's not a touristy island & certainly not like Pattaya where you'll see ladies & ladyboys outside the bars, waiting for customers.

Backspin has said that there's been (structural) development in the island, so I'm curious to see that.

[malmomike77]

Everyone knows each other & they're usually related.

Socal, you have have a go at spotting who has 6 fingers

[BLD]

Marinduque is also know for a massive tailings damn spill at a Canadian owned copper mine in 96. A not so funfact

[katie23]

^ah yes, the Marcopper mining incident. Thnx for the reminder. I think it was briefly mentioned in my schooldays.


From wikipedia:

The Marcopper mining disaster is one of the worst mining and environmental disasters in Philippine history.[1][2][3] It occurred on March 24, 1996, on the Philippine island of Marinduque, a province of the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region. The disaster led to drastic reforms in the country's mining policy.[1]

A fracture in the drainage tunnel of a large pit containing leftover mine tailings led to a discharge of toxic mine waste into the Makulapnit-Boac river system and caused flash floods in areas along the river. One village, Barangay Hinapulan, was buried in six feet of muddy floodwater, causing the displacement of 400 families. Twenty other villages had to be evacuated. Drinking water was contaminated killing fish and freshwater shrimp. Large animals such as cows, pigs and sheep were overcome and killed. The flooding caused the destruction of crops and irrigation channels. Following the disaster, the Boac River was declared unusable.

***** Legal action & awarding of damages:

As of 2017, the provincial government had been preparing to file a new case against Placer Dome and Barrick Gold for environmental damage in the municipalities of Boac and Mogpog.[2]

In 2022, the Marinduque Regional Trial Court ordered Marcopper Mining Corporation to pay damages to more than 30 plaintiffs, ruling on a case filed in 2001 that the collapse of Marcopper's siltation dam on December 6, 1993, resulted in significant harm to properties and agriculture.[17] The decision mandated Marcopper to compensate each of the plaintiffs with P200,000 for temperate damages and P100,000 for moral damages. The decision also required Marcopper to pay a total of P1 million as exemplary damages for all the plaintiffs.[18]

*****

(Shocked, but not really. The case was filed in 2001 and the verdict was given in 2022!)

[BLD]

I remember just starting to work in the Philippines for climax arimco in 1996 also. The day I got of the plane to start my new gig a Canadian geologist got shot while in the helicopter, killed his ass. ( the Canadians weren't kicking goals in 96) that was in division. Wasn't a mine then but it is now. I was supposed to be assigned there but after that I went to claveria, then Mindanao for a year or so, the marcopper thing couldnt of happened at a worse time. Didipio was shut down for over 2 years massive loss of income for locals. Next came the financial crisis in 97. When everyone lost there ass.

.

[BLD]

Didipio. Not division. Damn auto correct

[BLD]

Later on came a lady politician who's name I can't recall that hated mining. But back to our

Canadian backspit . Enough of my guff and more of his . Crack on skiddy

[BLD]

Pics or it never happened. And don't take any wooden pesos is my advise

[Switch]

It's not exactly that type of island/ place.

Marinduque (where he is now), is a small, sleepy island, mainly agricultural. Kinda like Isaan & Nakhon Nowhere but with mountains & seas. Everyone knows each other & they're usually related. It's not a touristy island & certainly not like Pattaya where you'll see ladies & ladyboys outside the bars, waiting for customers.

Backspin has said that there's been (structural) development in the island, so I'm curious to see that.

Sounds a bit like Norfolk. Betty will know more than most.

[katie23]

^I once spent Christmas holidays (week between Xmas & NY) with my friend from Antique province (in Panay island). She grew up there but now works near Manila. One time, we went to the market and on the way back, we took a different route back to her parents' house. It seemed like every 5 houses, she was meeting relatives. She said that crime rates are low there, since everybody knew each other and it's usually the strangers/ migrants who caused trouble.

Same as my dad's hometown (which I did not grow up in). When I visited there with him, It seemed like every 5 min, he was introducing me to a relative.

Generally speaking, the towns in Marinduque province (where Backspin is now) are still like that. He has to be on good behavior since it's his wife's territory.

[armstrong]

Sounds a bit like Norfolk. Betty will know more than most.

Betts a Suffolk bitch.

But yes, a bit like Norfolk without the mountains.

[Edmond]

a Canadian geologist got shot while in the helicopter, killed his ass.

Right.

How did that come about?

[BLD]

Turns out it was a 16 year old ifugao kid with a rifle he stole from the cafgu. The Canadian was working for Exxon Valdez who contracted him to evaluate the deposit . The project got put on hold for a few years after that . It's a pretty wild part of the philippines

[Backspin]

Bcs it's holy week , almost everything was booked. Got a place not quite finished. No wifi. So i don't want to use regular data to upload pics. Unless one of you experts can chime in and say it won't kill me on data. Gonna try and find another place today

[Backspin]

I remember just starting to work in the Philippines .

.

Common now. Just admit that you played a part in the epic fuckup