Hidden from The Eyes--Lambunao Land of Waterfalls

   Born and raised in the place known as Lambunao, it is such a great pleasure to see it's wonder and beauty. I love my work now, because it gives me the opportunity to go to the barangays where I have never been before. There is nothing more than being able to see and know more of your own place.

   Lambunao came from the phrase "Mang Lambu sa Linaw" which is a karay-a term for "to go fishing." I still can remember the final question given to me when i joined Lin-ay Kang Binanog 2006 and still can remember word for word the answer that made me win the crown. The question was, "What makes you proud of Lambunao?" and my answer was, " Our  being FIRST CLASS is what makes me proud of my dear municipality, not because we are being considered "buki" or "manol" it's because we have so many firsts in this municipality.One we have the first vocational school in the Philippines, formerly known as Lambunao Institute of Science  and Technology now the West Visayas State University Lambunao Campus, we have the first congressman to establish a school and that is Congressman Eugenio P.Ladrido and recently we were recognized for having the FIRST in WORLD CLASS HORnBILL BREEDING. So there's nothing to be ashamed of when we are called FIRST Class..We should be proud that we are First  Class Lambunaons." Whew it brings back memories, but sad to say as the Ambassadress of goodwill then, I wasn't able to fulfill my purpose.So I am doing it now, I am dedicating this post to our dear municipality. I will tour around those Lambunanons who have never seen the hidden treasures their birthplace have. I'll try my best to share what I have seen and hopefully be able to entice visitors and tourists to visit our humble place.

With 23 documented virgin waterfalls, Lambunao is called the LAND of WATERFALLS. Take note 23 is not a fix number because we are still counting. Because of my work, I am given the chance to visit some parts of this hidden wonders. So I'm going to tour you around to the most accessible among 23 waterfalls, the MONTILLANO FALLS.

How to get there...

First from Iloilo City, you will ride a van/ a jeepney going to Lambunao for 1 hour when you get to the townproper, you will again ride a jeepney/ a single motorcycle for another hour going to Brgy Jayubo. When you get there you ask the driver to drop you at Mari-it Conservation Park because the way to Montillano is beside it then you will have to walk for at least 10 minutes to get there...

This is the entrance to the Mari-it Conservation Park, and the way to Montillano Falls is right beside it...

Then we started to walk for almost 10 minutes...

As we walked I felt that I was with nature savoring the fresh air breathing clean and alive...

I don't have a long range lens so please excuse this shot hahahah....I think that poster has something to do with a research on that tree..=)

Saw this flower on our way..it's beautiful but I don't know the name.. can anybody enlighten me with the name of this beautiful creation?

As we walked, we have seen that the pathwalk to the falls is surrounded with creeks.

After a long walk...we got to a creek..since there's no bridge we have to walk through the water and have our feet and even my pants wet. hahahah!

Can you see those little red toes?That's how clear the water is! 

Now as we crossed the creek we saw men working on some huts and this big pavilion. These men are the beneficiaries of the CASH FOR WORK program of the DSWD. This helps the indigent people earn for a living in exchange of working for the LGU. The Montillano falls is actually being proposed to become an Eco-Park. This structure I guess will be the pavilion and in front of it are the swimming pools. That one picture above is a kiddie pool but not yet furnished well, and for the adult pool. I can actually see the progress of this place in few years time and I'm sure it will be a blast for the tourism of our town. I'm soooo excited to see that in the future...=)

I really admire these men who do hard labor, because they earn hard with sweat.

Have you ever seen such kind of bridge? it's man made

On our way to seeing the hidden wonder....

I guess this is a very old tree coz it's been there even before my mom was born as she claimed since we used to live in the same barangay years ago...

These men are on guard 24/7 to ensure safety of the place...

and walk more.............

AND behind the green trees and the cool wind is a hidden treasure only few have seen...

MONTILLANO FALLS- the beauty unknown to MANY and entices the FEW...

I took this opportunity to have my pic taken with the falls, coz the first time I went there I didn't have a camera lol..This is my profile pic now on facebook. Just saying "hey I was there!"=)

This one is the way to another falls called INAS falls..We didn't go there because my co-workers are tired of the long walk. But I was still very energetic ready to climb some big rocks lol.

On the right side of the falls you can see a man made stairs going up and there you can see a little water falls and if you climb higher you will get to the dam, which was used before as the water supply for the school. but it was destroyed along with the pipes during the Typhoon Frank in 2008.

A little source for such a big looking falls..this is the top view of the falls...didn't get that good view coz the big stones are slippery. Next time I'll get a good shot by then I will be having my own DSLR hahahah

That's me overlooking that lil falls..catching that humble beauty...

It may look shallow but that's actually 8 ft. in depth

Saw this drawing on a big rock where I sat on hahahah! The person might not be really good in doing this but I salute him for being resourceful...=)

I guess that's all for the falls but I added here some pics I took when I went to Mari-it Conservation Park..

This one is a horn bill bred at Mari-it Conservation Park. The breeding site was actually considered First in the whole world to have a breeding site for hornbills.

The endangered Visayan Spotted dear. These creatures are endangered and should be really taken care of. 

I am quite surprised to know that some of my fellow Lambunaonons don't know about Mari-it Conservation Park and the Montillano Falls. Our town has the potential to compete with other tourist destination if only there is better promotion. We should take into consideration that to be able to rise to become a tourist attraction, we should promote first our spot to our OWN PEOPLE. Yes! our own why not instead of having field trips to other towns why not bring the students to Mari-it Conservation Park? Have some tourist guide, let's say in the person of the students at WVSU-LC, to talk about the animals there to give information about the area. Put an area where we can display the different products of different barangays of Lambunao. This can be a good source of income for the local people.

 We should instill to the minds of the kids of the new generation the importance of taking care of the environment. These things have been long forgotten. Reality is they don't even care....

Lambunao is a living beauty we should take a step ahead to compete with other town's tourism because, there is a BIG POTENTIAL ...we just have to MAKE IT HAPPEN...=)

---Ma. Ledi Ham B. Loot

Love is Not Blind

LOVE IS BLIND--as the famous quote says, but I think it's not TRUE. Love is NOT BLIND but LOVERS are. Yes physically we are not blind, but we choose to be . We let our heart rule our brain. How can I say that because once, maybe twice, even thrice I BECAME BLIND. Maybe not BLIND at all,but I chose to cover my eyes and let this stupid flesh between my chest rule over me, foolishly following instructions which we're not meant to follow.I wasn't thinking straight at all. EMOTIONS are powerful, makes someone stupid, even destroy ones dear life.

Now... it has been ended, because finally I am writing this post without a tear falling down from my eyes. Yes. SHACKLES are finally off..I voluntarily released the cover from my eyes and see the real thing that's been happening. I can finally say. HEY I'M OKAY.Maybe it was not love after all, maybe I am just a little crazy girl who wanted someone to accompany her when she's alone... AND i have mistaken that rare feeling for this 4 letter word LOVE. But who really knows what that means? What is the exact definition? What is the perfect description? NOBODY knows and just like what they say...NOBODY IS PERFECT, therefore LOVE IS NOT PERFECT too. But one thing is for sure, the next time I will fall in love I will not cover my eyes, I will use my head and will never let my HYPOTHALAMUS (seat of emotion) rule over me. I don't want to make the same mistakes again...As I write now I can really feel that I'M FREED from the little cage where I imprisoned my self.

Shackles are OFF there's NO TURNING BACK....I may glance back not to reminisce but TO LEARN...

I fEll iN LoVe wItH tHis....

It was last Saturday night when me and my best friend Steph went out just to hang out. After eating at a mexican restaurant, we went on a yogurt ice cream shop, walked back and fort the long Boardwalk then ended up the night at MO2 listening to this local band playing. For the first time I heard this song and that very time I fell in love with it.Some things kept on coming back on my mind especially memories. It almost made me cry. How I wish someday when the right one comes along he will sing this song for me. The lyrics really fits me since im the eldest sibling in my family. I'm keeping my fingers crossed I know someone will come and ask my hand from my father
 I'm going to share it to you here guys. Hope you will like it too.

MARRY YOUR DAUGHTER

Sir, I'm a bit nervous
'Bout being here today
Still not real sure what I'm going to say
So bare with me please
If I take up too much of your time. 
See in this box is a ring for your oldest.
She's my everything and all that I know is
It would be such a relief if I knew that we were on the same side
Very soon I'm hoping that I... 

Can marry your daughter
And make her my wife
I want her to be the only girl that I love for the rest of my life
And give her the best of me 'till the day that I die, yeah
I'm gonna marry your princess
And make her my queen
She'll be the most beautiful bride that I've ever seen
Can't wait to smile
When she walks down the aisle
On the arm of her father
On the day that I marry your daughter

She's been hearing for steps
Since the day that we met (I'm scared to death to think of what would happen if she ever left)
So don't you ever worry about me ever treating her bad

I've got most of my vows done so far (So bring on the better or worse)
And 'till death do us part
There's no doubt in my mind
It's time
I'm ready to start
I swear to you with all of my heart... 

I'm gonna marry your daughter
And make her my wife
I want her to be the only girl that I love for the rest of my life
And give her the best of me 'till the day that I die, yeah
I'm gonna marry your princess
And make her my queen
She'll be the most beautiful bride that I've ever seen
I can't wait to smile
As she walks down the aisle
On the arm of her father
On the day that I marry your daughter

The first time I saw her
I swear I knew that I say I do
I'm gonna marry your daughter
And make her my wife
I want her to be the only girl that I love for the rest of my life
And give her the best of me 'till the day that I die
I'm gonna marry your princess
And make her my queen
She'll be the most beautiful bride that I've ever seen
I can't wait to smile
As she walks down the aisle
On the arm of her father
On the day that I marry your daughter

"Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile." -Elizabeth Browning

10 yEaRs fRoM nOw

Our teacher in NSA gave us  an assignment to write about ourselves ten years from now..I'm quite ambitious when I wrote this hahahah.I don't know if this will be far fetched for some people, but I'm quite positive I can do this. I did not include everything I wrote here I need to save some for myself. Hope you will enjoy reading, please do leave a comment on what you think about it...

BIOGRAPHY OF ME

Who will I be ten years from now....

Quote from the alchemist, "if you really..really.. want something, the universe will conspire to help you and make it happen.” This quote reminded me when our teacher gave us an assignment to write about our biography but with a little twist and that is talk about who we want to be ten years from now. That’s way ahead from now, currently I am 22 years old, have a work, a little business and taking up my masters degree. Quite an achievement for a fresh graduate like me. I am a very optimistic person; I have this personality to do well with things for me to get what I want. A strong-willed person is who I am. Unlike any traditional Filipino, my way of thinking is forward, I think and prepare for the future. Our Mind is powerful if we think to succeed we will, if we think to fail we will fail. Hope things will be as what I am about to write here. Well this is also a good basis someday, if I really got what I wanted. So let’s travel time to 2021...

My name is ________________________R.N., M.A.N,It was really my frustration since I was kid to have a good shaped nose, because it’s only me in the family who has that flat-bridged-nose and I’m the smallest my younger siblings are taller than me so I need to marry someone who is tall and have that nice nose. Today I just walked out of my office as a nursing director in one institution abroad and just passed my resignation letter because i am planning to retire early to manage my BUSINESSES. Yes businesses maybe composed of a grocery store, a salon, a big boutique and a resort. My greatest dream is to make a next Boracay and make it the next top destination of the Philippines. . I have this prediction that someday nursing homes will be an in to all the elite members of the society, since this country is beginning to be "americanized." But if not there is still an alternative, a nursing home here in the Philippines who will cater to foreign customers, yes they will have to go here and have Filipinos take care of them. All the workers and staff will be Filipinos the rate will also be in dollars. The food will be fresh coz it will come from the farm my mother owns. I will have 4 kids 2 boys and 2 girls all of them goes to a very good school, happily married to a handsome husband,  My husband will love me so much and he is afraid of divorce coz by then divorce is legal hahah. We have a big house one I made for my family in Lambunao, one house in Iloilo city, a medium size house for vacation in the planned resort, and condo unit in Manila for business meetings. I also have this charity works on special occasions like my birthday or of any member of my family that I sponsor a medical mission and I also have scholars who are poor, they are taking business courses, later on they will also work in my company. For now that’s for me.

My family is very stable. My mom and dad is not working anymore. My dad is taking care of the farm, he will have an allowance for his “bulang”, he is also riding his brand new car, he got also his spare car which is a 4x4 at home. My mom is  the owner of the birthing clinic I gave her as a gift on her 50^th birthday, her lending business was a blast now on its way to becoming a corporation. My brother who is a year younger than me finally graduated his nautical course 5 years ago and now on his way to being promoted as a chief mate. He is married with kids, I don’t know how many he wants, so just kids. By then he is responsible with his life. They now live on their own home, results of his hard work as a seaman. My sister is now a manager of a famous 5 star hotel and was able to overcome her shyness and also gained confidence. She owns a condo unit of her own. And finally my youngest brother is on his medical school; well he was a late bloomer, now he is the president of his department. our car is now replaced with 4 different vehicles. There is a swimming pool at the back of our house (my super dream), every room has a rest room with heater especially the master’s bedroom where my parents sleep. A high tech kitchen, great designed interior of the house and a nice landscaped lawn. What more can I ask for with that?

Oh well how about my friends, my bestfriend Steph is in Australia now. I used to stay and work with her in Australia after I graduated my MAN. She is also happily married with a non-jerko and very handsome man. My kids and hers are good friends. Some of my classmates in high school are now successful some were not because they made some stubborn decisions. My college classmates some were also successful some were not..Some of them became doctors some of them became lawyers. Most are educators because many of us graduated our MAN. Friends do come and go, we just have to hold to whoever we think are true friends so I will not predict who will they be and I did not specify. I have new friends most are from the corporate world.

As for my dear community, I will be seeing a lot of changes in our town. There will be a mini mall which I own at the center of the town. Lambunao will be better than it used to. Clean environment, paved roads, good garbage disposal, the town plaza will not be a place of intimacy of young lovers anymore. A beautiful and clean market place and a better performing hospital. A year ago we closed a deal together with the mayor and my friends who are investors to build the Mari-it conservation Eco Park, which will be opening in 2022. That park will be one of the famous destinations in Iloilo. It will help increase employment rate and profit for the municipality. The project was designed to cater tourists and give work and jobs to local Lambunaonons 80% of the workers are native of this municipality

When it comes to religion, I changed religion years ago, renewed my faith and worship God better than I used to. Me and my family are active church members. People we go with come from different levels of the society but we are unified by one faith. We help each other for good times and bad times. No jealousies nor envy..Everyone is equal everyone is honest...

Now back to 2011. It’s a lot of dreams in life, I don’t know if I can really achieve that in just 10 years...maybe I can, half of it and half will be saved for 2031. Whatever may happen all I know I’ll do great in whatever I am tasked to do.. Stay focused on that dreams...and with God everything is possible.

First Day of Class

Last Saturday was my first day of class on my 2nd semester on Masters Degree in Nursing. I took 9 units only on a Saturdays to cater my working days. So I have to request for an off every Saturday. Well though I was not feeling well I still went to school. I was appointed as the chairman for the Nursing Service Administration class though it was against my will, I really don't like the fact of leading people older than me. But I have no choice our teacher asked me to, and I can't say no to the director of nursing of one big hospital here in Iloilo. I know it will really be tough coz I have to manage my time to cater my work, school and my lil business all at the same time. With an addition of being the chairman of our class is like a big stone on my head. Good thing my statistics class is my first subject in the morning, good time and perfect time for me to learn because my brain is awake. Plus our teacher seems to be brilliant, a graduate of UP and on her way to doctorate, wow and she's also pretty even without make up on. I met new people and previous acquaintances. I have a new friend since I don't have a previous classmate as a classmate in my new class. I'm coping well. There are lots of requirements and actually now I just finished writing one for my NSA. I will post it later about who will I be 10 years from now..It's free to dream.

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life."Charles Darwin

biTter sWeet Vodka

I'm having a hormonal imbalance today especially tonight. Just talked to someone significant in my past and it made me feel that I needed something to put me to sleep, coz that conversation bothered me that much. Opened the refrigerator and saw this Antonov Vodka mixed drink in Apple flavor. This mixed drink just have a 5% alcohol content so it will not get me drunk and I still can get up early to process my passport tomorrow (finally!).  
I entitled this post bittersweet vodka because, aside from I'm drinking this drink, I am heart broken!.
 Love is like a vodka it's bitter but it's sweet. You get to taste the sweetest of love you'll ever get but in one way or another there will be something bitter in it. What I like about this drink is that when you drink few bottles there is no hang over, but when you have TOO MUCH, you'll get a very bad headache. And in the morning you'll keep on blaming yourself, "why I drank too much?now I'm having a bad headache and I wanna puke."
So like in every failed relationship...you had too much love...you will get bitter and at the end of the day...you will blame yourself for what you have done...


So think about love which is like the bitter-sweet vodka...don't have too much if you don't wanna have a bad case of hang over after....=)

PMS....the road every woman should PASS

This is my first post and i have a really nice topic to start with my blogging. Woke up early this morning with my mom very angry with my youngest brother coz he's been complaining about not going to school anymore (guess he's just in grade 4 ).So unlikely of her to be very angry with him coz  she has always spoiled him and she's like shouting (nah maybe raised her voice). But still so unlikely of her to do that. And since I don't wanna start my day with a not so good mood, i headed back to bed and covered my ears with my pillow. Then as I stepped my foot on the gate of our house, just got home from work, I heard her voice frantic scolding our house boy who messed up with ther newly landscaped garden. I asked my self, what's wrong with her. It did not take me hours to realize what's wrong with her.. With the knowledge as a nurse, I got the idea that my mom is having this hormonal crisis (oh don't be afraid of that word, its normal) we usually call PMS otherwise called PRE MENOPAUSAL SYNDROME.
WomEn thinking Any condition described by the word "syndrome" can sound alarming. But premenopausal syndrome is nothing to fear; it's a perfectly normal phase of a woman's life signifying the beginning of menopause.PMS usually appears before the cessation of a woman's mentruation (of course men does not menstruate) Mood changes, hot flushes, irregular menstruation, too much or less bleeding during menstruation are only few of the signs of this syndrome. By the way syndrome means a group of signs and symptoms that accompany changes. This usually can have effects on a woman behaviorally, spiritually, emotionally and of course physically.Premenopausal changes in a woman's hormone levels can begin anywhere from her mid-thirties to her late forties. Aside from those signs and symptoms mentioned above, a woman on her PMS can have also depression, little or no desire for sex (oh poor dad heheh), and headaches. These women on these age tends to have a bigger belly because there is already lack of estrogen being produced. This can also make them predispose to such condition as  fibrocystic breasts, uterine fibroids, or endometriosis. Estrogen dominance is also known to interfere with thyroid action, increasing complaints of fatigue and weight gain and causing one to feel cold all the time.
So when someone you know it may be your mother, your grandma, your neighbor or your colleague that you noticed having these changes you might want to ask her what her age is maybe she's having a PMS.

PS: There is also another term for PMS that is Pre- menstrual syndrome, my mom doesn't have that but I do..Will write about that  when I'm having it.