Early Morning in Coron

early morning sea view 

islanders on their way to the town proper

boats ready for island hopping trips

short walk to the town hall where the post office is

Revisiting Coron Island

Busuanga Island from my window seat

the plane that took me to Busuanga

the Coron waters, taken on my walk  to Seadive Resort

SeaDive at night 

the wooden floors for stargazing

my favourite travel companions

boat at rest

Pagsalabuk In Dipolog City

my first time at the Dipolog Boulevard

a lovely sight of sunset in Dipolog, 5:48 PM

sunset and me

Dipolognons watching the sunset

sunset at the Boulevard,6:09 PM

aftersunset at the Boulevard

opening program of the Pagsalabuk celebration

Boulevard at Night

MarieAntoinetteGorospe

My Mentor And Friend Jean

waling waling, as rare and beautiful as Ma'am Jean

May is the birthmonth of one of the most influential persons in my life, my college instructor back at the UP later becoming my thesis adviser and thereafter my counselour on life and its intricacies.I was the odd student so to speak in the department. Because I was different I was later branded as “Miss Universe” in the department albeit sarcastically at the start but became a term of endearment on my final year. During that time, my adviser was quiet. I never heard anything from her that in some ways have let me down. The earliest memories I have of her is during classes, she takes the first five minutes of the laboratory class to share some insights in life. It might either be a favourite quote, or a bible verse. She would do her personal reflection which in turn nourishes the spirit of the students, me included. While some instructors were great critics, she has become the great encourager to us all. Yes, her name is Virginia and she is fondly called Jean. As her student, I found myself calling her Ma'am Jean.

Because of her contagious sunny disposition and positive attitude in class, the students flock to attend her sessions. I made sure she would be my thesis adviser otherwise I might not get interested at all and probably end up not finishing my degree from the university. I was not an excellent student nor tried my best to be one, yet she accepted me wholeheartedly when I have to apply as her advisee. In college, I enjoyed attending rehearsals in the musical plays much more than joining my classes. I was much surprised and happy when after one of those performances at the university auditorium, she took the effort to approach me amidst the huge crowd to tell me that she enjoyed the performance and congratulated me for being a part of it. From then on, I wanted to perform well in my academics too. That kind gesture from her inspired me to do good in class. I worked harder in my major subjects and I made sure not to be late nor miss classes most especially when she is the assigned professor.

Studying away from home has its ups and downs. It is quite advantageous because it has taught me a lot of risk taking and practicing my freedom of choice in making decisions about my college life and my day to day activities. I learned to be independent and somehow have to be emotionally mature because I have to face all odds that came to me, practically alone. It is very advantageous because I am always “on a test” whether I should go for the things I believe are good, deviate from the values and virtues that my parents, the church and the culture which I was brought up. Many times I end up struggling, facing difficulties on my own and leaves me yearning for the care, attention and love that I unconditionally get from home. This is where Ma’am Jean’s words of wisdom comes in to my life, nourishing my soul. Sure, I have my church choir and theatre friends whom I can share my struggles with- but nothing compares to listening from someone with such authority yet did not sound preachy nor acted with “holier than thou” attitude like she had been to me.

I have nourished my talent for writing simply because “ Ma’am Jean believed in me”. The then Department Chair was very strict and disliked me a lot for many reasons. He reached the point of verbalising to my adviser that I might not be able to finish my thesis writing on time due to my extremely odd behaviour as compared to my contemporaries . This happened when I am still writing my thesis outline. Ma’am Jean came to my defense by answering his superior that, she believed in my writing abilities and since I was working on my thesis topic, I never gave her a headache. When the administrative staff privy to such conversation told me this incident, I felt as if a wing has been given to me by my adviser. For me to fly and reach the heights that I may desire or wish for. It inspired me much to work harder and pushed myself to the excellence I have never sought in the early years of my college life. I spent many nights working late and read and reread everything I have to put in my thesis manuscript. The virus took its way and I upset her much without me knowing. She tried to correct my manuscript and I typed the suggested corrections faithfully but when the final draft is saved and printed, it remained the way it was. My adviser took it against me and thought that I was stronghead enough I even refuse her corrections. It took a computer techie to decipher what went wrong and eventually I was given the nod to finalise the manuscript. I was so happy and wanted to celebrate by going out of town for a nice swim in the beach. My adviser was so stressed and upset trying to track me down and when she found out that I am already away “for fun” she exasperatingly said(these were later told me after my graduation) that I am the “grace under much pressure” personified.

Interestingly, my love or interest of writing took me to places. Second, I never tried my best to be “with the crowd” but found the joy of being the “odd one out” and when I am in extremely difficult times, I remember that I am an epitome of “grace under pressure.” Finally, Ma’am Jean has taught me what truly acceptance means by accepting me for what I am, and what unconditional love means by practicing it on me. She even opened her home to me and I was treated like a family member afterwards.

The last time I talked to her was when I was in a hotel, during my first arrival from overseas studies more than three years ago. It has been a joy to listen to her voice- which sounded like music to me. From being my academic and thesis adviser, she has evolved as my friend, and without us both realizing it she has been a great adviser about love, and about life. In many ways she has been a source of strength and encouragement for me to go further in life, simply because in a place when there seems to be no one who wanted to believe in me, she strongly did. In my young mind and heart I wanted to make her not only happy but proud of me as well. I hope I did, and I will.

These and for many other reasons why I can’t help but miss Ma’am Jean. Happy birthday My dear Ma’am Jean! May God continue to bless you as you continue to become a blessing to others. And remember that unaware as you may be, your life has made a lot of difference in the life of others- me included.

And we still have to go out for dinner, just like what you wanted during our conversation three years ago.

MarieAntoinette

Discovering Dakak

the newly opened hotel casino

the lovely bungalow made of native materials on top of the hill

the refreshing sight of the pool

my joy of being in Dakak for the first time, as captured by Lorne

right side of Dakak facing the sea

left side of Dakak facing the sea

the fine powdery white sand and me

inspired by the sun, sand and the sea, i took my own photo!

after a glorious swim at the beach, photo by Lorne

me in the huge pool, photo by Lorne

the seafront restaurant

my hotel roommate Lorne checking the souviner shop

Dakak is both a park and a beach resort

a very happy guest, photo by Atty. Maricar












MarieAntoinette

Not Too Far Zamboanga

approaching the island

my co-passengers disembarking from the plane

walking towards the airport on a warm summer day


Dipolog City airport

ZaNorte is for Zamboanga del Norte

the Dipolog City park from the van window

the road leading to Dakak Beach Resort

I took these photos on my first trip to Zamboanga via the lone Philippine Airlines flight to Dipolog City. I went there with Dakak Beach Resort in mind. Only then that I discovered that Dakak is geographically located in Dapitan City next to Dipolog. I realised that contrary to that old folk song about describing it as far Zamboanga, by air the travel is only an hour. And contrary to what I read in the papers and watch on television and read in the net, the place is pretty much safe and enjoyable place to stay as a respite. And there's much more to relish in Zamboanga del Norte beyond Dakak.

MarieAntoinette

Olang Arts Park

I have written the first draft of this article in July of 2007, initially on an attempt of introducing the park to the artists who willingly donated their artworks for an art exhibit, the proceeds of which were intended for its soft opening held in July 28 of the same year. The said activity was organised by the Center for Arts Foundation. A part of the write up has been published in the Barkada Magazine where I shared the authorship with my expatriate editor Roshan T. Jose. After her retirement from the University of the Philippines(UP) she has has resettled(perhaps for the meantime) back to her native India. This has been reedited in December 2007 purposedly for the Olang Arts Park website but since it has not been activated yet, I thought of posting it in my blog as the park has been, and always be a lovely place for me.

Olang Arts Park: A Sanctuary for Artists and Nature Lovers

the Olang Arts Park " greeter", photo by Ian Michael

Located just in front of the National Highway and close to Salagdoong Beach Resort in Barangay Olang, Maria, Siquijor Province is a sanctuary where art and nature commune- the Olang Arts Park. Aptly named and depending on one's talent or interest, he or she can sing with the chirping birds, paint, write songs and poetry, dance or simply sit back, relax and enjoy watching the sunrise best seen from the tree house and the sunset best seen from the performing arts centre. The sound of crickets, night birds and other forest sounds lull you to sleep after a night of stargazing at the open terrace or from the treehouse.

This property was acquired by then “balikbayan”(a Filipino term for those who opt to come back home after many years of living overseas) Eufemia Solomon-Crouse, fondly called “Tita Minnie”, and her associates in 1995. A tourism volunteer for “Bring Home A Friend” while she was based in the United States of America, she was not only instrumental in encouraging friends to come and revisit the Philippines, she opted to stay herself. Minnie was born and raised in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan and was captivated by Siquijor Island’s charms on her first visit to the island in 1993. Finding solace, and realizing that she had found her own place under the sun, she decided to stay. An artist herself, she rose from being a summer workshop student of the UP Film Center in Diliman to being a multi-awarded filmmaker bringing her to the Brussels Film Festival in 2002 for her first short documentary film about an environmental concern.

In 2005, ten years after deciding to settle in the island, Minnie started to build structures in Olang to fulfill a dream. Most remarkable is building the Performing Arts Centre, a name suggested by Minnie's relatives based in the United States, where villagers find themselves entertained by their own children showing off what they learned from attending free summer workshops, conducted by the artist friends who came to visit the island. Even before the art facilities were built, Minnie initiated film showing and did acting workshops among the Olang kids since 2004 and realizing that these children have their own artistic potentials, she was greatly inspired to start making her dream a reality- to bring the arts to the island.

Minnie’s younger brother Eli who visited the place for the first time in 2007, has largely contributed towards the construction of “finishing touches” and other structures in the park. He was pleasantly surprised about how his sister Minnie has transformed the place and was present during its soft opening in July 2007, through a convention of artists organized by the Manila based Center for Arts Foundation through its Director Jerome Vinarao.

For me, the highlight of the said event is watching the Olang children singing the song(from the well loved musicale turned to film " Mamma Mia") " I Have A Dream" with Minnie joining towards the middle part of the song. For some reason, majority of the audience were so touched that they either cried while the song was sung, or perhaps tried hard to hold back their tears. During that moment, I was thrilled thinking that the performance by Olang kids, is a part of the realisation of Minnie's dreams for the Siquijor Island, for the town of Maria and for barangay Olang. That number is a fruit of numerous workshops and rehearsals by various artists . I even teased Minnie afterwards that she surprised me a lot by carrying the tune almost perfectly. Watching the exhibit of visual artworks all over the place by various artists has been a wonderful bonus, I reckon.

Siquijor College Dance Troupe at the Performing Arts Centre, photo by Ian

The idea of making the then “Centro Arte Olang” was formally conceived in December 2005 with the vision of making it a Sanctuary for Artists and the mission to provide a space for art, artists and artistic expressions. Accordingly, it has the three -fold objectives: 1) to provide a home for artists to meditate, be inspired / create, come together / collaborate, 2) a venue for artistic presentations, exhibits, live performances: readings/dance/theatre,film productions and 3) a place for education in the arts- through workshops, seminars / fora, conventions and festivals.

Minnie’s major concern and considers it her dream to share a love for the arts in various forms with today’s youth and the future generation initially from Olang, adjacent barangays, towns and eventually the whole island. She envisions that this centre will benefit the youth having the inclination for arts and are interested to learn through free summer workshops and seminars given by visiting artists.

Belen, Minnie’s academician friend from the UP Diliman thinks that the venue could also be used for a week or short term like summer art classes. I am looking at it as a perfect setting for a romantic wedding, with the sunset rays serving as the backdrop. It could also be used for reunions or birthday parties and of course for live performances during festivals or any other special occasion/s. It is still undergoing finishing touches though but as of my last visit in July 2007, it has accommodated a couple hundred or so artists and educators for a whole day activity organised by the Manila based Center for the Arts.

Use of the venue depending on the purpose would of course, come with equivalent charges, either by four hours or daily. This would cover for the electricity and maintenance costs of the park.

the Cozy Mia, from Minnie's photogallery

The Cozy Mia is a place where you would love to linger, and can make yourself cozy. It was built to remember Minnie by, thus the name. Fondly called ”Mia” in her younger days, Minnie enjoys entertaining friends and associates by serving food and drinks, that she has joyfully prepared, being an excellent cook herself. Cozy Mia is a place meant to make Minnie’s close friends and associates to hang around. This is a place where one would be happy to dine, prepare his or her own food and drinks, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while reading a book, having conversations with Minnie and her associates, or simply enjoying the scenery.

I however believe that with Yang and her mom around, a visitor can probably have a taste of the island’s native food and its products. I myself have tasted how the local “tablea”(a tablet made of cacao seeds that we bought from the public market) was turned into a hot chocolate which tasted heavenly. My friend Mirana has this idea of utilizing a part of the CoziMia Grounds as a display centre for native products, arts and crafts done by Olang and neighbouring barangay and towns. I agree, remembering the restaurant I had dinner in Puerto Princesa, Palawan in the 2008 Baragatan Festival, showcasing the island’s fashion accessories and other native products on a concession. This could provide an income-generation potential for the housewives who can use their creative skills after their household tasks are done.

Minnie Bionic Studio, from Minnie's photo gallery

A few meters away from the Cozy Mia, is the Minnie Bionic Studio. The studio is where Minnie love to stay for obvious reasons. It is very close to the Cozy Mia where foods are prepared and from Minnie studio’s terrace, one can see the Performing Arts Centre and the mahogany trees where the Meditation or Prayer Area would be placed. It has also an open terrace where friends and neighbors could chat with much gusto. The open terrace is Minnie's favourite spot as she can view the structures that she has built over the years. This also serves as a "receiving area" for guests who drop by for a visit en route to the Cozymia.

open terrace in front of the Minnie studio, from Minnie's photo gallery

Not very far is the proposed SpringB’s Garden. Initially, the area will be planted with flowering plants of various colours, but eventually, would have a lagoon or fountain as an added attraction, close to the wooden bridge leading to the mahogany trees and the tree house. “Spring” could mean the Spring season where flowers are in full bloom, spring as “a continuous water source,” or spring as “sprouting,” all giving that “alive” feeling. “B” may mean “blossom,” or “bee,” which is naturally attracted to flowers or may mean “a group”. The garden is meant to remember “Spring” in its many permutations and simply perk your day up.

early morning at The Malengreau mansion, photo by blogger

The Malengreau Mansion was built and named in honour of Minnie’s Belgium based filmmaker friend, Robert Malengreau. He has visited the island and enjoyed coming back to Siquijor Island since 2005.He has been very supportive of Minnie’s documentary filmmaking ventures and greatly helped in giving her the chance to show and win international recognition for her first short film as “ Best Short Film for A Cause” in the Brussels International Film Festival” in November, 2002.

Contrary to everybody’s notion of a “mansion” as a huge structure, it is a twin unit studio where Robert usually stays for a few days, every time he visits the art park. Close to the twin- unit is the road to access neighbouring Salagdoong Resort. Blogger thinks that spending the weekend as a well- deserved rest after long duration of tedious tasks doing business or as an employee in any of the twin studio as a sort of bed and breakfast treat would be great. Due to its closeness to the trees in the nearby Salagdoong Beach, one could clearly hear the sound of crickets that could either scare or lull you to sleep. The effect on me is the latter, although I have only slept on one unit for a night.

the bridge leading to the Meditation Area and BalayMir, from Minnnie's photogallery

A Meditation Area has been identified in the center of the mahogany trees. Staying at the proposed meditation area could encourage someone to talk to the Greater Deity or to do reflections or simply have a quiet time. Not too far is the proposed Artists’ Village. Minnie wishes to build structures made of native materials from the island and hopefully, could house visiting artists to conduct free workshops in the fields of visual arts, performing arts, media and literature. As of December 2007 it has four cottages built using the Filipino nipa hut as an inspiration.

the tree house, BalayMir in July 2007 , from Minnie's photogallery

The most loved entity in the park is a tree house. This is a fulfillment of a wish from Minnie’s film mentor and collaborator, Miranamedina. Having a built -in bed and a balcony, this was recently named BalayMir where one could find the joy of being alone and quiet. Mirana thinks that it is the best place to review Minnie’s films for editing. Viewing the park from the balcony should inspire Mirana to rediscover her talent as a visual artist. During the soft opening of the Olang Arts Park, this structure was the most popular among the visitors. I love the structure because of its simplicity yet giving the feeling of contentment. In the entire arts park, this is the place where I have greatly enjoyed communing with nature and where I will spend more time whenever I get the chance to go back.

Getting There :

From Overseas
Take a flight directly to Manila or the Cebu International Airport. Please refer to the succeeding instructions, either from Manila or Cebu.

From Luzon or Manila.

By air, take a domestic flight -Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific or Air Philippines via Manila to the neighbouring islands of Dumaguete or Cebu. (Those coming from abroad may take the direct flight to Cebu International Airport )

Another option is having a boat ride from Manila or taking the Roro or land travel to Cebu or Dumaguete. There are also regular inter-island vessels from both Dumaguete, Cebu and Bohol that could take you to Siquijor Island

From Cebu
Take an inter-island vessel from Cebu that travels directly to Siquijor port for around 8 hours.

From Dumaguete:
Inter-island vessels travel to Siquijor Island via Larena( 2 hour trip) or Siquijor (one hour trip) ports

From Mindanao
Take the Davao to Cebu flight via Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines and take the inter-island vessels from Cebu to Siquijor. Alternately, you may take the boat ride from Plaridel in Misamis Occidental to a six hour voyage to Larena port.

Siquijor to Olang
From the Larena port, a private vehicle can be used or you could hire a local PUJ(Multicab) that will take you to an uninterrupted less than thirty minute trip to Brgy. Olang, in Maria town. Alternately, there are public vehicles like the regular jeepneys for a thirty minute trip to the area.

It takes about forty five minutes slow paced drive from Siquijor port.

The Olang Art Park is right along the National Highway.

Contact Person/s

Cielo Lumacad, a native of Lazi, Siquijor is the Resident Artist. He is a musician by profession and has composed/arranged musical scores for various movies from the 70s to 80s era, played in various international cruise ships, upscale hotels and entertainment arenas in the country and abroad.

Minnie wishes that the arts park would remain “freelance” and any activity by artists and educators in Siquijor and neighbouring islands and eventually by some interested entities in the future will be welcome. If you have some questions regarding this matter please contact:

Eufemia Solomon-Crouse
11232 Promesa Drive, San Diego, California
Email address: escminnie@aol.com

Or simply visit :

Olang Art Park
Barangay Olang, Maria,
6229 Siquijor Island, Philippines

Acknowledgement on related facts and figures re: Olang Arts Park from Rubelyn Tayros, Minnie Crouse, Ron Henri Tan and Cielo Lumacad, and is deemed correct as of 5 December, 2007

MarieAntoinette