Vacation in the Philippines: Quezon City
by: Nikki Lucenario
What’s In Store for you from August to December in the Philippines?
While you are on vacation in Quezon City, you may stop and ask yourself, “What places do I need to go to, to show me why it is more fun in the Philippines?” Instead of asking yourself endless questions, read this list instead and make a fun itinerary when you finally take a vacation in the Philippines or decide to spend your whole life in Quezon City!
Museum Hopping at the Quezon City Memorial Park
It is an affordable place to visit in Quezon City, there are lots of historical museums in Quezon City.
Van Gogh is Bipolar
Be sure to call ahead before going to this restaurant along Maginhawa Street! The owner, Jetro Rafael, goes on backpacking trips and to art exhibitions in Europe when he’s not chatting with his customers over rice and ulam. All of Jetro’s culinary concoctions are meant to lighten your mood, since he chooses which food to serve based on its effects on a person’s emotions. Aside from the delicious food, revel in the ever-changing interior design! There are many things to pleasure and distract one’s mind in Van Gogh is Bipolar.
La Mesa Watershed and Eco Park
La Mesa Watershed and Eco Park is one of the city’s major sources of water, and the last remaining forest in the city. This 33 hectare area is the venue of many physical activities. Some examples are swimming, ziplining, and paintballing! If you want to connect with nature, there is also horseback riding, and a butterfly garden. Alternatively, you can hold a picnic on its grounds, and just breathe in the fresh air. There are many things to do in a place which gives the illusion that you are no longer in an urban setting, but in a natural paradise.
A Birdwatcher is a person who likes to study aviary life in different forms.
Nature hopping is a great way to have great ideas for the next week's work.
I unplugged my computer and notebook, save for my Samsung Phone J6 to take mementos of the activity.
Quezon City is gifted with forests, which I believe the government officials are doing their best to preserve them.
We identified forests where we can watch migratory and endemic birds: University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and Mirriam College. There are also places like La Mesa Eco Park; and a forest without name - which is being tried to be saved from construction destruction... A book was written by scientists of birds both migratory and endemic found in the specified areas.
As a precautionary measure I took turmeric lemongrass drink, calamansi juice (local Filipino lemon juice for a safe massive vitamin C intake, one pitcher a day); and 9 T virgin coconut oil (in salads, soups) the whole week - before I went in the forest of the University of the Philippines - a unique experience for the first time; bird watching with the professional bird watchers.
I am person who easily catches flu. So its already five days after watching endemic and migratory birds... so far... no signs of flu.
I think my collection of drinks worked!
We have a briefing with Lianne, Friday night, before eventually
embarking into an urban adventure of bird watching.
Here are some terms for bird watchers beginners:
a) Lifers are birds which you saw the first time. They can be endemic birds or migratory birds.
b) Endemic birds are birds unique to the country.
c) Migratory birds are birds migrating from a winter country to the tropics.
d) Sparker is a birds which starts your interest in studying birds.
e) Birders are bird watchers
Outfit and Backpack
a) Natural colored clothes. Jeans and rubber shoes or comfy shoes great for
walking in an urban forest.
b) High powered camera (optional)
c) Light back - pack, Pens and notebooks. Here is a
photo of the back pack that is good for birds watching.
d) Camera Phone (preferred Samsung - latest)
e) Hats (bird watchers hat )
f) Food like sandwich. You may opt to eat breakfast before doing your early morning walk to the forest to lessen the load of your bag.
g) Hand Sanitizer in case you are the type who cannot eat early morning.
h) Mosquitoes Repellent. You may opt to use it before leaving.
i) Binoculars
Professional bird watchers Karen with Dr. Lolet, Jun and later on the bird specialist Mike
were our guide. We were a big group.
1. Birdwatchers are quiet people. Birds are afraid of human noises, instinctively they fly away from persons.
2. Watch a tree, use your ears, eyes and listen to the hoots and tweets of the birds. Locate it on the trees or to the building tops.
3. Identify where the bird is, then focus your binoculars.
4. Move slowly.
5. Use the clock positioning if you like to share what you saw to your friends... but in a whisper.
6. Take a photo or write the names of the birds.
7. Draw the bird you saw, take inventory of the wild life. (My friends and my list of our "lifers")
a. Black Naped Oriole
b. Black Crowned Night Heron
c. Crested Myna
d. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
e.Long Tailed Strike
g. Golden Bellied Flyeater
h. Lowland White-Eye
j. Pacific Swallow
h. Philippine Hanging Parrot - Endemic Bird
k. Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker
l. Pied Fantail
m. Red keeled Flower Pecker
n. White - collared Kingfisher
o. Yellow-vented Bulbul (Nightingale)
Here is our First Time birders snapshot with Professional Birders:
We finish watching aviary life at 9:00 a.m. Time for the birds to rest in their nests.
At 9: 15 I took the famous U.P. fish balls and fresh buko juice,
bought some organic veggies.
Then prepared and spent some quiet time at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
I attended Holy Mass in U.P. Diliman at 11:00 a.m. till 12:00 noon.
Went back to work the next day refreshed... and ready to embark
in another challenging work for the week.
What’s In Store for you from August to December in the Philippines?
While you are on vacation in Quezon City, you may stop and ask yourself, “What places do I need to go to, to show me why it is more fun in the Philippines?” Instead of asking yourself endless questions, read this list instead and make a fun itinerary when you finally take a vacation in the Philippines or decide to spend your whole life in Quezon City!
Museum Hopping at the Quezon City Memorial Park
It is an affordable place to visit in Quezon City, there are lots of historical museums in Quezon City.
 |
| President Quezon's Heritage House Photo by: Mary Ann Bolanos |
All you have to do is to plan your museum hopping. The cool things about museum hopping is beside it are interesting food places where you can taste our typical Filipino food from different regions... with foreign international fusion of the Spanish, American and the Chinese. |
Be sure to call ahead before going to this restaurant along Maginhawa Street! The owner, Jetro Rafael, goes on backpacking trips and to art exhibitions in Europe when he’s not chatting with his customers over rice and ulam. All of Jetro’s culinary concoctions are meant to lighten your mood, since he chooses which food to serve based on its effects on a person’s emotions. Aside from the delicious food, revel in the ever-changing interior design! There are many things to pleasure and distract one’s mind in Van Gogh is Bipolar.
La Mesa Watershed and Eco Park
La Mesa Watershed and Eco Park is one of the city’s major sources of water, and the last remaining forest in the city. This 33 hectare area is the venue of many physical activities. Some examples are swimming, ziplining, and paintballing! If you want to connect with nature, there is also horseback riding, and a butterfly garden. Alternatively, you can hold a picnic on its grounds, and just breathe in the fresh air. There are many things to do in a place which gives the illusion that you are no longer in an urban setting, but in a natural paradise.
Be a Birdwatcher!
by: Mary Ann Bolanos
A Birdwatcher is a person who likes to study aviary life in different forms.
Nature hopping is a great way to have great ideas for the next week's work.
I unplugged my computer and notebook, save for my Samsung Phone J6 to take mementos of the activity.
Quezon City is gifted with forests, which I believe the government officials are doing their best to preserve them.
We identified forests where we can watch migratory and endemic birds: University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and Mirriam College. There are also places like La Mesa Eco Park; and a forest without name - which is being tried to be saved from construction destruction... A book was written by scientists of birds both migratory and endemic found in the specified areas.
As a precautionary measure I took turmeric lemongrass drink, calamansi juice (local Filipino lemon juice for a safe massive vitamin C intake, one pitcher a day); and 9 T virgin coconut oil (in salads, soups) the whole week - before I went in the forest of the University of the Philippines - a unique experience for the first time; bird watching with the professional bird watchers.
I am person who easily catches flu. So its already five days after watching endemic and migratory birds... so far... no signs of flu.
I think my collection of drinks worked!
We have a briefing with Lianne, Friday night, before eventually
embarking into an urban adventure of bird watching.
Here are some terms for bird watchers beginners:
a) Lifers are birds which you saw the first time. They can be endemic birds or migratory birds.
b) Endemic birds are birds unique to the country.
c) Migratory birds are birds migrating from a winter country to the tropics.
d) Sparker is a birds which starts your interest in studying birds.
e) Birders are bird watchers
Outfit and Backpack
a) Natural colored clothes. Jeans and rubber shoes or comfy shoes great for
walking in an urban forest.
b) High powered camera (optional)
c) Light back - pack, Pens and notebooks. Here is a
photo of the back pack that is good for birds watching.
d) Camera Phone (preferred Samsung - latest)
e) Hats (bird watchers hat )
 |
| Baseball Cap and A Cap with a Cape are worn by professional bird watchers: Karen and Dr. Lolet (right to left) |
f) Food like sandwich. You may opt to eat breakfast before doing your early morning walk to the forest to lessen the load of your bag.
g) Hand Sanitizer in case you are the type who cannot eat early morning.
h) Mosquitoes Repellent. You may opt to use it before leaving.
i) Binoculars
How to be a Bird watcher
Professional bird watchers Karen with Dr. Lolet, Jun and later on the bird specialist Mike
were our guide. We were a big group.
Here are their tips:
1. Birdwatchers are quiet people. Birds are afraid of human noises, instinctively they fly away from persons.
2. Watch a tree, use your ears, eyes and listen to the hoots and tweets of the birds. Locate it on the trees or to the building tops.
3. Identify where the bird is, then focus your binoculars.
4. Move slowly.
5. Use the clock positioning if you like to share what you saw to your friends... but in a whisper.
6. Take a photo or write the names of the birds.
7. Draw the bird you saw, take inventory of the wild life. (My friends and my list of our "lifers")
a. Black Naped Oriole
b. Black Crowned Night Heron
c. Crested Myna
d. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
e.Long Tailed Strike
g. Golden Bellied Flyeater
h. Lowland White-Eye
j. Pacific Swallow
h. Philippine Hanging Parrot - Endemic Bird
k. Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker
l. Pied Fantail
m. Red keeled Flower Pecker
n. White - collared Kingfisher
o. Yellow-vented Bulbul (Nightingale)
Here is our First Time birders snapshot with Professional Birders:
 |
| Professional Birders with First time Birders: Mostly Scientists (microbiologist, medicine, marine scientists, chemists) except three (statistician, economist and accountants) |
We finish watching aviary life at 9:00 a.m. Time for the birds to rest in their nests.
At 9: 15 I took the famous U.P. fish balls and fresh buko juice,
bought some organic veggies.
Then prepared and spent some quiet time at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
I attended Holy Mass in U.P. Diliman at 11:00 a.m. till 12:00 noon.
Went back to work the next day refreshed... and ready to embark
in another challenging work for the week.
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