Destinations
5 Things to do in wet, wet Boracay
Even with all the hype about Boracay Island, this isn’t always the best place – particularly during the rainy season. But that shouldn’t discourage you. Because “even if your flight may be cancelled because of the bad weather; or you can be redirected to Kalibo (meaning you have to take a two-hour land trip before reaching Caticlan, where you catch the ferry to Boracay), going to this famed island during rainy days may still be worth it,” says Mikee dela Cruz. “You just have to have a different way of looking at being there.”
Yes, we’ve all heard the hype – this is supposedly one of the best beaches in the world. And in so many ways, the hype is well-deserved. On a sunny day (think summer), everything here can be – in a word – beauteous. Long stretches of beaches with sugar-fine, sugar-white sand? Check. Blue waters that stretch as far as the eyes can see, seemingly reflecting the blue skies above? Check. Palm trees swaying with the lazy bombarding of the wind, creating almost poetic hush-hush sounds that could lull people into a trance? Check. Sunsets that could rival, say, Laguna de Bay’s? Check. Clichés abound when you’re here at the right time. But that’s exactly it: Boracay is at its best ONLY when visited at the right time. Visit the famed island when the sun isn’t (always) out, and you’re in for a (horrible) surprise. Algae coating the shores, turning everything into mossy green, thereby easily making jokes about E. coli bacteria believable? Check. Overflowing sewerage system, with the water (that’s often stinking of… something shitty) overflowing on walkways, making passing them difficult? Check. Too expensive stuffs to use to protect yourself from the rain? Check. Rubbish finding their way on the shore? Check.. This is not to say there aren’t things you can do when here when the time isn’t perfect. Boracay, after all, is Boracay. And so here are five things you can do when in Boracay in the rain… 
- Get wet. You can take a dip, sure – but only if you’re a good swimmer. The waves of Boracay can get quite high, so caution needs to be taken when going for a swim when the weather isn’t that good. But you can also get wet in the rain. Try walking from Station 3 to Station 1; or even beyond, to Diniwid Beach. That way, you get to enjoy the beach with not-that-many people; and even get to see Boracay with a different “lens” – i.e. a wet one. I’d say it can be poetically beautiful… if you’re willing to give it a go. Now, concerned about the stuff you have with you? Resorts willingly hand out plastics to wrap them with, so don’t be shy to ask. Otherwise, buy water protections before going to Boracay (e.g. those mobile phone “wrappers”, disposable raincoats, and even umbrellas) as they could be costly when bought there (and when they know you are in dire need of it).
- Pig out. Afraid of getting wet? Stay indoors. But don’t sulk (Oh, please, don’t!). Instead, try the goodies that the island has to offer – e.g. Zuzuni’s choco lava mud cake; and Real Coffee & Tea Café’s calamansi muffin. Boracay isn’t THAT big; but for such a “small” place, it does have gustatory offerings waiting to be discovered…
- Check new venues. When on the island, there are two “venues” that can be checked out – 1) the “natural” offerings of the place (that is, aside from the known and even abused White Beach), and 2) the “man-made” destinations on the island. While it is easy to lambast Boracay, particularly for those whose exposure to the island is largely limited to the stretch of the White Beach, a little-known fact about this place is the availability of other beaches here. These beaches have yet to be touched by corporate greed, and so are worth discovering indeed. Among those worth considering are: A) Yapak Beach (better known as Puka Shell Beach), an 800-meter-long stretch of glistening white sand on Boracay’s northern tip; B) Bulabog Beach, an eight-kilometer-long beach on the eastern side of the island; C) Ilig Iligan Beach, located in the upper north eastern tip of the island near Yapak Beach; and D) the open-to-the-public Banyugan Beach, which is actually the “private beach” (a misnomer since shores can’t be “private”) of Shangri-La in Boracay. Now, sick of the beach (even if you actually went to the beach!)? No worries. This place has venues worth checking – e.g. the island’s first elevator (made of bamboo at that) at Nami Beach Resort in Diniwid Beach (beyond Station 1); three-floor tambayan (hangout place) of TreeHouse Restaurant (this one is for sale, so check out while it’s there) in Station 3; et cetera. Again, just be willing to get wet and take a walk by the beach to see everything that this part of the island has to offer…
- Try wind-abusing sports activities – or any new activities, for that matter. Consider their existence as proof of how over-developed the island is – but nowadays, you can do just about anything that tickles your fancy (and that you can afford, of course). Reverse bungee. Parasailing. Wakeboarding. Windsurfing. Kitesurfing. Heck, you can even be a mermaid for… 30 minutes – you just have to be willing to cough up P700 to “fulfill your dreams”, as the flier of the costume shop states.
- Stay indoors… to party. Now, if you are “familiar” with the party scene of Boracay (C’mon, you can admit it!), you’d understand me for saying that everything on this island is… fickle. This place seems so used to what’s new, that everything just doesn’t last that long. Places of years ago included Bazura and Cocomanga’s (the latter still there, but not as “in” now). Then came Hey! Jude – eventually dying, too. Epic is in the middle of White Beach now – though with the crowd thinning, I’m not sure until when. And Juice Bar? Padlocked! And even the locals did not know it just folded. This makes partying on the island a must – after all, the next time you visit (whether the sun is out or not), everything may have already changed. Now, if you’re willing to throw out some cash, ClubSummerPlace (Station 2), Paraw (Station 1, beside Cocomanga’s) and, yes, Epic (Station 2, at the entry of D’Mall) are still around. The first one has the most number of partygoers; so you may have bigger chances of picking up there. For those who do not believe in paying bars to listen to often not that good music (Plus, hello, this is a beach!), options include the comfy Bamboo Bungalow and rasta-frequented BonBon Bar (both at Station 2). Drinking a bottle of beer by the beach will never, ever be passé, I say…
Yes, the flights are cheaper. The accommodation is cheaper, too. So even if your flight may be cancelled because of the bad weather; or you can be redirected to Kalibo (meaning you have to take a two-hour land trip before reaching Caticlan, where you catch the ferry to Boracay), going to this famed island during rainy days may still be worth it. You just have to have a different way of looking at being there… 
Destinations
Visiting San Pablo City’s Pho Viet Nam
When we came across Facebook posts on Pho Viet Nam in San Pablo City in Laguna, we expected to encounter what was experienced in Vietnam (i.e. good food over so-so venue). We expected too much…
If you’ve been to Vietnam, you’d know that some of the best places to eat at are in those neighborhood eateries; their versions of karinderya, in a manner of speaking, where locals prep good lutong-bahay Vietnamese offerings sans the classy places of expensive restos. Here, the focus is always the food, never the blings.
So when we came across Facebook posts on Pho Viet Nam, located somewhere in San Pablo City in the Province of Laguna, we sort of expected to encounter what was experienced in Vietnam.
@outragemag Looking for #Vietnam food while in #SanPabloCity in #Laguna? We #LGBT checked #PhoVietNam ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine
Una, this is not the most accessible place even for those with vehicles from Metro Manila. This is because you still have to travel for over an hour (if you’re lucky traffic-wise), and spend on your gas and the toll and so on.
Note that when you’re also along Apolinario Mabini Street, the resto isn’t apparent. It is located at the back of another resto (Joy), so it is very easy to miss. There is, BTW, a small entry at the side of the resto, which leads to an outdoor parking space.
Ikalawa, the actual resto is cheap-looking – e.g. plastic décor, running lights here and there, and so on. Very karinderya; cheap karinderya, for that matter.
Ikatlo, the servers were okay naman; they knew what was on the menu, and – after making quick recommendations – kept you undisturbed to enjoy what you ordered. The orders took some time to be prepped, however; I was even able to order bad-tasting fries from the other resto due to the waiting time.
Ika-apat, how was the food?
Both the ₱245 Beef Noodle Soup and the ₱245 Seafood Noodle Soup weren’t bad naman; but they weren’t good either. You get enough properly-cooked meats, the noodles are sufficient, and so on. Taste-wise, though, they were bland, and no amount of the prepared condiments helped in changing the flavor.
The ₱190 Rice Paper Roll sufficed even if, by and large, it was tasteless. The saving grace: the satay dip since it was rich and nutty and all that.
The ₱160 Meatloaf and Egg Sandwich (the banh mi kep thit va trung) had enough meat naman… and yet was also bland.
Considering the asking prices of this place, you sort of expect a lot, too. Add to that the popularity of the place – e.g. look at all those who dine there, kinukuyog. Alas, the realities when already there are harsher.
Heading to San Pablo to check this place led us to the nearby Dagatan Blvd. surrounding Sampaloc Lake, a must-check place in these parts. So we sort of do not regret heading to San Pablo.
But buod: No, Pho Viet Nam is not worth the dayo; not worth for you to intentionally seek this place out. The food wasn’t bad. But it’s not great, or even good either. It just suffices. And so, particularly for non-locals, the additional expenses for the gas, toll, et cetera make going there not worth it… sorry.
But off we go for more LGBTQIA+ rampa…
Pho Viet Nam is located at 130 Apolinario Mabini Street, San Pablo City, 4000 Laguna.
Destinations
Heading to Pila, Laguna? Check out La Cosina Antonio
We found our #LGBT selves in #Pila, #Laguna, where we ended up checking La Cosina Antonio.
While traveling from Batangas City on the way to Paete, Laguna after an Intersex 101 training workshop, intersex activist Jeff Cagandahan worried where he’d feed us. And then, after a quick discussion with his wife, he suggested La Cosina Antonio, which is apparently a must-check resto in the Municipality of Pila in the province of Laguna.
So we went there, and… how was it for us?
@outragemag #LGBT wandering in #Pila, #Laguna? You may as well try #LaCosinaAntonio ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine
Una, this is really only convenient to access by locals, or those with private vehicles. Pila, if you must know, is one of the oldest settlements in the Philippines. It is, nonetheless, still largely provincial. And so this place is dadayuhin; you need to intentionally go there as it’s not on the way to major destinations.
Ikalawa, the actual venue is BIG. This one’s an old house converted into a resto with different parts – e.g. for dining, for drinking complete with a performance space for a band, venue spaces, and so on. La Cosina Antonio is, thankfully, well-kept, so that it’s clean, has updated furniture, and so on.
Ikatlo, the staff was okay naman when we were there, able to discuss what’s on the menu, make recommendations… and then prepare the orders and deliver them fast. Very home-y approach, actually, treating guests as regulars.
Ika-apat, how was the food?
The ₱375 Dinakdakan was actually good, the pork belly crispy, the chopped onions and green chilies fresh, and the calamansi-mayo dressing not overpowering.
The ₱390 Sinigang na Hipon was… so-so, not bad though not good either. Pampainit-tiyan. Though, this has to be said, at least di tinipid in the number of shrimps served.
The ₱560 Garlic Pepper Whole Chicken was good; the meat stayed juicy even if the skin was crunchy.
The ₱770 Crispy Pata was also good; crunchy skin and, yes, malamang pata. There are times when you get Crispy Pata that’s basically just skin and bone, no meat at all. Here, we got meat… thankfully.
This place is popular, true (check their Facebook page, LOL). I can be dismissive and say that because, if in Pila, it’s not like you have lots of choices. But truth be told, it’s also because La Cosina Antonio actually has not-bad stuffs to offer… including the okay venue, okay service, and okay food. So check out if you can… or just join us as we look for more LGBTQIA+ lafangan venues…
La Cosina Antonio is located along JP Rizal St., Barangay Sta. Clara Norte, Pila, Laguna.
Destinations
Pasalubong shopping in Davao via Aldevinco
#Pasalubong hunting in #Davao? Consider the new, pinasosyal #Aldevinco that may not have the grimy character of the old location but still is worth #LGBT visiting.
Davao-bound tourists know – or should know – of Aldevinco Shopping Center, the city’s one-stop-hub for everything Mindanao-related. You need malong or patadyong as pasalubong? You need a kulintang not just as a musical instrument, but as décor? You need batik, or T’boli ethnic apparel? You can find them all… and even more, in Aldevinco.
But here’s the thing, particularly for those who do not know yet: the old Aldevinco, which was located along C.M. Recto Street and Roxas Avenue in Davao City, is no more.
Now… enter the new Aldevinco, this time located at Poblacion Market Central on C. Bangoy Street (former Madrazo Fruit Stand)… which isn’t that far from the old place, actually.
We checked, and here are some things worth noting.
@outragemag #Pasalubong hunting in #Davao? Consider the new, pinasosyal #Aldevinco that may not have the grimy character of the old location but still is worth #LGBT ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine
Una, this place looks and feels new. The old Aldevinco had a palengke feel, but this one has a mall feel. So you have a high-ceilinged venue with better-arranged stores that are air-conditioned, and so on. Pina-sosyal, in a manner of speaking.
Ikalawa, when there, the rules remain the same: haggle. The prices first quoted to you are not the actual prices the goods go for… unless you’re too moneyed and you don’t want to ask for discounts, though in that case, you shouldn’t even be in Aldevinco at all. The more you buy (i.e. bulk buying), the lower the prices, obviously. But always haggle… even if only for the fun of doing it.
Ikatlo, if you have time to spare, don’t auto-buy from the first store you check. Tour the area and compare prices. Often, the goods sold in one store will also be offered in a different store. So move around before making a final decision.
And ika-apat, Aldevinco may be popular as the go-to place for pasalubong, but in truth this isn’t the only one. Halimbawa, right across the old Aldevinco is a series of shops, some of them from the old Aldevinco. Because, at times, Aldevinco can feel like a tourist trap, and understandably, not everyone likes going into one. So consider your other options.
All the same, when in Davao, this is a place worth checking… if not for the shopping, then the food… or at least to check what happened to the tenants of the 60-year-old Aldevinco that was closed in December 2021, and is now being redeveloped into who-knows-what.
All part of rediscovery as we continue the LGBTQIA+ rampa wherever and everywhere…
Open from 9AM to 7PM (with the Kūkūñ Food Hall open from 10AM to 9 PM), Aldevinco Shopping Center is located at Poblacion Market Central, C. Bangoy Street, Davao City.
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