TRAVEL EVENTS PEOPLE Four ways to get an adrenaline Belgium throws a fete fit Photographer Carsten Stormer fix in La Union.2 for a King. 4 focuses on social issues. 9 expatexpatexpatNEWSPAPER February 13 - 26, 2011 Vol. XXVI No. 135 expatphilippines.wordpress.com THE PHILIPPINES FORUM FOR INTERNATIONAL READERS SINCE 1981 WorldwideBy ASTRA C. ALEGRE Environmental Disasters 011 has just started, yet the world has of disaster planning. already witnessed one environmental Bushfires are a common occurrence in Now on disaster happen, one right after the other. Australia. Perth in Western Australia is the lat- its second 2A record breaking 36 inches of snow has est victim. People had to be evacuated out of year, the dropped since January 1 in New York in the their homes. Pyromusi- United States. Previous records show that the According to reports, heavy rains in cal show is highest number previously recorded was at 27 Queensland, Australia has damaged 30, 000 set to wow inches. A normal amount for a New York win- homes and caused 3 billion Australian dol- fireworks ter would be around 22 inches. Schools had to lars worth of damages to crops and lost coal lovers this close down since streets became impassable. exports. Tropical Cyclone Yasi also affected Valentine’s Freezing temperatures in Mexico left zoo Queensland’s sugar and banana producing season. animals dead. The drop in temperature was areas. Bring your sudden and local agencies failed to give advi- In the Philippines, floods are also a com- partner to sories for the weather, which resulted in zoo- mon occurrence. Jolo Province in the South witness keepers failing to take precautions. Loss of has been declared in a state of calamity. More the lights electricity also occurred. than 1000 families have been affected. Deaths at the SM In Brazil, it was reported that 500 people have occurred. Landslides have resulted from Mall of died. Only the roofs and treetops could be seen the floods, and people are still in evacuation Asia after a recent flooding occurred. The death toll camps. Damages to infrastructure were also reached into the hundreds. Roads and bridges brought about by the heavy rains. Story on collapsed making rescue efforts more difficult. “The 1991 Ormoc flash flood tragedy is page 7 Flights were delayed or cancelled. The govern- by far the worst in terms of its effect on hu- Photo courtesy of SM Mall of Asia ment of Brazil has been criticized for their lack man lives,” Director Melchito page 7 EXPAT AND THE EARTH CamSur’s El Verde Movement: An Open Invitation By TIMOTHY JAY IBAY 12 million trees by 2012. That’s the simplest versity conservation, economic development they will be required to maintain a minimum vate/non-government, and schools). At the view of the extremely expansive El Verde and climate adaptation strategies to reverse the of 2,500 trees for two years. Then, depending barangay level, a maximum of ten barangays or Movement of Camarines Sur’s (CamSur) local rate of deforestation in CamSur. on the scheme that works best for them, they private/ non-government organizations can government. Spearheaded by Governor Lray The CamSur local government en- will receive benefits such as food packs and be judged winners for each category. At the Villafuerte’s vision of environmental protec- courages for the project to be a “partnership free educational subsidies for primary and sec- municipal level, only one per category will be tion and preservation, the campaign involves with everybody” as municipal and barangay ondary students, as well as become automati- awarded. mobilizing some 10,000 residents from the LGU’s to academic institutions, NGOs, to cally enrolled in the PhilHealth Indigency 1,036 barangays of 35 towns and two cities of business and commercial establishments are Program. There are also schemes specific to the province to plant both fruit-bearing and all prodded to take part. students and corporate sponsors each with commercial trees at the rate of 500,000 in one Perhaps, what sets the El Verde their respective reward system. hour upon the project’s official launch on Feb- Movement apart from the enormity of its On a larger scale, The El Verde ruary 23. goals, is that it does not rely on tapping peo- Movement will also be launching a contest But there’s more to this initiative ple’s environmental conscience or goodness under the four categories of rain-foresta- than mere tree planting. Apart from reforesta- of heart alone. Specific reward systems have tion, riverbank and lakeside protection, tion, the campaign also champions the protec- been set to ensure a mutually beneficial part- mangrove and beaches, and urban green- tion of riverbanks and lakesides, mangroves nership between CamSur and its constituents. ing, where cash prizes of up to Php 250,000 and beaches, as well as urban greening. The El For instance, a participating family residing in are at stake to winners in the three levels Verde Movement integrates schemes on biodi- CamSur will be given an area to plant, where of participation (municipal, barangay/pri- 2 > TRAVEL FEBRUARY 13 - 26, 2011 EXPAT NEWSPAPER La Union: Luzon’s Adrenaline By RAYDON L. REYES Utopia Photos by Brian Casenas and Frank Dizon s it me or has Ilocos turned into the your hands will be free for the next 15 or so adrenaline center of the Philippines? seconds after you are released from the starting From surfing in Vigan, kayaking in Laoag, point. Prepare yourself for a very abrupt stop Ito hiking in Burgos, sports junkies definitely at the end. have plenty of things to direct their pent-up The second zip line is the fastest among the energy towards in the northern region in three courses, lasting for less than ten seconds. Luzon. And now, the province of La Union has This time, though, you’ll be placed in a sitting been developed into another utopia for those position and your hands have to be placed who want heavy doses of vigor and rigor in the firmly on the harness. By the third course, you form of the Mt. Pugo adventure and the much will have been used to the feeling of gravity subtler (but still heart-racing) Alamid coffee. pulling you down. One way that will help you minimize your acrophobia (aka your fear of A “nest” of thrills heights) is by emptying your lungs of air before Just seeing Pugad Resort in the town of you are released from each point of the zip line. Pugo, La Union would be enough to convince This will reduce the actual feeling of falling and you that it’s definitely not a place where you will give you a smoother ride. just sit back and relax. The entrance alone is Another activity that will test your toler- filled with high-visibility helmets that you’ll ance for heights is the wall climbing challenge. pretty much be spending a lot of time wearing From a distance, it might look fairly easy to during your stay. The view from the pool and do because a person would be supported by the dining area, on the other hand, show the a harness. But you will discover that it’s more zip line courses (and believe me, you’ll hear the complicated when you actually start climbing screams of the zip line riders from anywhere in because not all the rocks on the wall are built the resort). evenly. That means that if you pick the wrong The zip line has three courses that vary in rock to hold on to, your hand or foot would slip height, speed, and rider positions. If you want and you will either be stuck in one part of the the full experience, you should begin from the course or fall (safely) down so you will have to one at the peak of the hill where you will first be start all over again. suspended in “superman position,” meaning Expert wall climbers might enjoy the add- head first. This is the best position to bring out ed twist of having to climb the left part of the your camera to record the whole thing because wall, which has an incline that’s harder to grasp FEBRUARY 13 - 26, 2011 TRAVEL < 3 EXPAT NEWSPAPER From wall climbing, ATV, ziplines, to Alamid coffee, La Union has plenty to offer for those who crave high—energy activities. onto as compared to the regular, straight path glance, it might look like an ordinary cup of joe the thought that you’re upward. You also have to make sure that your but what thirsty caffeine aficionados need to drinking coffee brewed abdomen sticks firmly to the wall so gravity know before they take that first sip is that it is from droppings will doesn’t work against you. literally made from civet droppings. surely be enough to get If handling machines with wheels is more A civet is a small cat-like animal that feeds you roused way until your thing, then you will definitely have a good on coffee berries and gets rid of the fleshy pulp, midnight. time driving the all terrain vehicles or ATVs. leaving only the beans that have been infused So mark La Union You don’t need a license or driving experience with their proteolytic enzymes that actually as your next weekend to ride one because it’s very simple to operate. enhance the taste of the coffee. After they pass destination and spoil You just flick the switch to turn it on and press through the civet’s intestines, the beans are your adventurous side – the right lever on the handle to accelerate.