Meet the Pili!

26 09 2012

text | Carla Ocampo

photography | Lester Valle

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Now it can be told. Team KT teamed up with the CCI Asia Group (Living Asia Channel) to churn out a short info-docu about the Philippine Pili Nut. The shortie was commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry – Bicol Region.

As we may now garner from recent news on Philippine exports, the country has been building up the image of the Pili Nut as a premium product, to rival the macadamia, the almond, and other more popular nuts in the world market. Bicolanos have been wildly proud of this development, and are pulling out all the stops to herald their flagship commodity all around the world.

KT lensman Lester Valle lends his visual style to the 9-minuter, as main videographer. Carla Ocampo takes the reins as producer, writer, and post-production director. CCI Asia’s Thess Visda and Ian Agawa complete the crew as production manager, and production assistant (slash-official Bicol lokal!) respectively.

Now, if you happen to be a Filipino who still haven’t tasted a single kernel of pili, well, by all means you should. Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling pagkain, ifyahknowwhatwemean.

Ladies and gentlemen, lapis and fountain pen (a Gary Granada joke, hehe, wala lang), MEET THE PILI!

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© 2012 CCI Asia Group and The Kayumanggi Trails | All Rights Reserved


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Categories : Alternative Education, Food, Travel and Adventure

There’s A Place Called Sanchez Mira…

1 12 2011

text | Carla Ocampo

photography | Carla Ocampo and Lester Valle

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There’s a place called Sanchez Mira, and its long stretch of rock-less, reef-less gray sand beaches are unbelievably empty, when they’ve got consistently big, barreling waves during Surfing Season! What gives? Well, Sanchez Mira (or Sanchez for short) is 12 hours by bus from Manila. Or, three hours on a van from the Laoag or Tuguegarao Domestic Airports. Not exactly the shortest trip to surfing paradise, BUT…

As we’ve said, nothing will stop a real wanderer to get to the best places of these islands, not even uneasy 12-hour trips on a bus! Tara, take up those boards and head to this ENTIRELY UNADULTERATED coastal town; Team KT will now bring you what else to expect, with and beyond the waves.

Read the rest of this entry »


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Cuenca’s Maculot, The KT Chronicles (Part 2 – A Photo Essay)

26 05 2011

text | Carla Ocampo

photography | Elton Chua, Carla Ocampo and  Lester Valle

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(Congruent to The Kayumanggi Trails’ alternative education thrust, members Elton Chua, Lester Valle, and Carla Ocampo brought along greenhorns Emil Hembra and Eldwin Cabus to a newbie trek up Mt. Maculot in Cuenca, Batangas. Photographer and outdoorsman Rap Rios— a perennial KT partner— went with them, as guest sensei. This is Team KT’s photo essay of the December 2010 climb)

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After having Lomi Batangas for lunch, we hired two tricycles to take us to the trailhead. In no time, we were on Mt. Maculot’s footpath, with Eldwin and Emil pacing the climb. These guys are newbies, but they sure are quick and nimble! Lester estimated the hike to last for three hours. Lo, we completed it at an hour and a half. Read the rest of this entry »


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Foodie Weekend! Manila’s IFEX and Lukban’s Pahiyas

25 05 2011

text | Carla Ocampo

photography | Lester Valle

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This 2011, mid-May in the Philippines was munch-mania.

Thousands of the country’s foodies (and, photography hobbyists out on a food trip) trooped to two much-awaited displays of bounty: Manila’s annual International Food Exhibition or IFEX, AND the centuries-old fiesta celebrated religiously in the town of Lukban, Quezon— Pahiyas— happening back-to-back and snatching sweet success in spite of the summer rampage of tropical storm Aere (“Bebeng” within our area of responsibility) that clawed at the hem of the two independent events’ set dates. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Alternative Education, Festivals, Food, People, Travel and Adventure

KT in Kalinga: Outsider’s Guide to Kalinga Sensibilities

27 04 2011

text | Carla Ocampo

photography | Carla Ocampo and Lester Valle

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A story goes that once, among the highlands of the Philippines’ Gran Cordilleras, a people of great might and grim ferocity gradually became known to their neighbors as the KALINGA.

The name was not in any way cordial. KALINGA, to the different tongues of this region, had meant “headhunter,” or “enemy.”

Through the years, the Kalinga have come to accept this badge with uncompromising pride; the name is a reminder of their days of legend, when justice for every vanquished kin was delivered by the blow of an axe, or the flight of the spear of brothers out to redeem their family’s honor. Read the rest of this entry »


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Cuenca’s Maculot, The KT Chronicles (Part 1)

19 02 2011

text | Carla Ocampo and Lester Valle

photography | Carla Ocampo, Wing Larase and Lester Valle

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“Ay, Maculot… Paboritong bundok.”

- Axel Pinpin, Pilipinong makata

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LOCATION | TRAILHEAD: Bgy. Poblacion, Cuenca, Batangas, Philippines

ELEVATION | DIFFICULTY:  Maculot Rockies: ~ 706 meters above sea level (MASL); Maculot Summit: ~ 830 meters above sea level (MASL) | Class 1

COORDINATES: 13°55’14.44″N 121° 2’30.95″E

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Not too many people would realize that the view from Mt. Maculot— one of Batangas‘ most celebrated mountains— is world-class beauty.

With its oft-mentioned toothed Rockies gifting hikers with an unobstructed vista of the Taal Lake and Volcano (a geologic wonder, cited in books the world over), the perspective that Maculot offers is a hundred times better— and fresher— than that of tourist-frequented, infrastructure-defaced, smog-invaded Tagaytay City in the neighboring province of Cavite (although the lure of Tagaytay is an altogether different story). Read the rest of this entry »


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PadyaKayumanggi, Cordilleran Kilometers: LAGAWE-LAGAWE LOOP (Part 3)

23 01 2011

text | Carla Ocampo

photography | G-third Atanque and Lester Valle

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(In this post’s Part 2, the merged cycle touring teams of KT and Lagalag Exploration— together with PHILMOFO members and a group of Ifugao mountain bikers— spent the night at Tinoc, the highest town in the province. With the Mofos heading back to Manila the morning after, KT and the Lagalag boys sweated it out by themselves in the Tinoc-Hungduan frontier. Carla, now the only girl in the team, crumbled down with exhaustion and low morale. This is the last installment of the epic loop.)

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In tears, I scanned the rugged road behind me. It had been an oppressing climb, soaring several meters from the river that cuts the Tinoc-Hungduan valley. Not too steep, I self-confessed, and frankly not quite kilometric. But with the fuming sun broiling my patience to a very thin crisp, I stopped pushing my bike, sought solace under a mere square-foot of tree shadow, and bawled like a baby.

The disruptive attack of my sobs and snorts into the brooding silence of Ifugao… just, startled me back to sanity. It was then that I saw my man, Lester— now ten meters ahead— dutifully pushing his MTB up to the gravel path’s height, where it curves to the left, disappearing behind the mountain wall. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Alternative Education, Cycle Touring, Food, Mountains, People, Travel and Adventure

PadyaKayumanggi, Cordilleran Kilometers: LAGAWE-LAGAWE LOOP (PART 2)

23 12 2010

text | Carla Ocampo

photography | G-third Atanque, Carla Ocampo and Lester Valle

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(In this post’s Part 1, the merged cycle touring teams of The Kayumanggi Trails and Lagalag Exploration— together with local bikers from Ifugao and members of the MTB forum PHILMOFO— reached Tinoc via the Lagawe-Kiangan off-road, but not without harsh difficulties and setbacks. Eight of them were rescued by a dump truck. Here, now, is the second installment of this epic ride.)

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In fog-shrouded darkness, with the truck heaving its lonely climb to Tinoc, all of us fell silent. Never had the off-roads seemed so dangerous, until now: a wall of mud and rock gaping over us at left… and at right, an abysmal ravine— a fatal drop— from which our truck was less than a couple of feet away.

After what could be the steepest five-kilometer assault in the closing stretch of the ride, the frontier transitioned at last… and we were greeted by houses with galvanized iron walls, dimly lit by fluorescent bulbs.

Finally, the Tinoc town proper. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Alternative Education, Cycle Touring, Food, Mountains, People, Travel and Adventure

PadyaKayumanggi, Unang Sabak: Marikina-Infanta Road

28 10 2010

text | Carla Ocampo

photography | Elton Chua, Wing Larase and Lester Valle

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Some would ride bicycles to satiate their need for superhuman speed and set their competitive spirit ablaze. Others would pedal their way and sell goods for a living. Still others have bikes just for the heck of it, and go on upgrading sprees while bike parts are “in mint condition”. More and more people, though, are discovering the power of the bicycle in giving them a privilege that lazy butts could only dream of: THE ABILITY TO TRAVEL, IN THE CHEAPEST WAY POSSIBLE. Yes folks, meet the concept of… cycle touring.

This is the first in possibly several long rides to be  undertaken by Team KT. Next time, we’d be asking guests to join us, but before anything else, here’s the story of our collective “baptism of fire” in the gorgeous-now-treacherous-later Marikina-Infanta Road. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Alternative Education, Beaches, Cycle Touring, Food, General, Mountains, People, Travel and Adventure, Waterscapes

Bulgogi sa Gulugod Baboy

9 07 2010

text | Carla Ocampo

photography | Elton Chua, Carla Ocampo and Lester Valle

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LOCATION | TRAILHEAD: Bgy. Ligaya, Mabini, Batangas (Calumpan Peninsula) | PhilPan Dive Resort

ELEVATION | DIFFICULTY: ~ 525 meters above sea level (MASL) | Class 1

COORDINATES: 13°43’23.90″N 120°53’55.96″E

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That’s just about the tastiest tongue-twister to ever grace The Kayumanggi Trails blog. And with a near-perfect back-story, to boot!

Bulgogi, of course, is one of the more famous Korean dishes that has landed on these shores— marinated in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic— ah, Google away and you’ll know. And Gulugod Baboy (or, as the ever-witty Lester puts it, “Swine Spine”) is one of the more famous climbs along Batangas Bay; an extremely easy one for seasoned hikers, it is mostly reserved for first-time trekkers.

So it may strike you as a weird pair-up. You’ve heard of “Instant Pancit Canton sa Gulugod Baboy,” or “Ginisang Corned Beef sa Gulugod Baboy,” all those ready-to-eat types… easily packable and quickly consumed after an exhausting newbie hike. And besides, who would want to slave away— preparing some Asian gourmet stuff— on top of a peak notorious for ridiculously strong winds?

But we have an entirely different team here, see. Five out of eight, non-hikers, and two of those five… happened to be CHEFS who have the penchant for cooking nutritious masterpieces… outdoors! Read the rest of this entry »


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