Linabo Peak – 3,003 steps to a marvellous view

Let me say first of all I am not an adventurous person and neither am I fit. I thought it would be a good idea to take on the 3,003 steps to the highest point in this area.

During Holy Week here many make the pilgrimage, called” Katkat Sakripisyo”, if it is good enough for them it is good enough for me.

The two major towns here of Dipolog and Dapitan are dwarfed by a series of mountains. The advantage of this is some fantastic views of the cities and the Sulu Sea.

Access is slightly off the beaten track and not all that well sign posted but the locals can always guide you if you get lost.

It can take around two hours to walk the 3,003 steps and I would advise take plenty of water as it is very hot work.

Along the way there are 14 rest stations which are merely a few benches to sit on and also contained a cross with various depictions of Jesus bearing the cross on the way to his crucifixion.

The incline of the steps is mostly quite steep although there are a few brief flat parts. It very quickly gets your heart pumping and I worked up a sweat by the second station and was gasping for breath by the seventh.

Most of the way the sun doesn’t bear down on you directly as the pathway has a natural canopy of overhanging trees. Along the way there a few houses with accompanying, chickens, dogs, pigs and goats. As you ascend there are a few picture opportunities of the view, if you have the energy to take them!

When you reach the 14^th and final station, don’t think you are nearly there, it is a con.  After going up another series of stairs there is a small village with a school. It’s amazing that there are actually people who live there and have no access other than by these steps. I imagine some people there very rarely leave their village.

Once you have walked through the village, and I must say I felt like an alien there from all the stares, there are more steps to negotiate until finally you have reached the final one. However this is not the end of your journey.

There is a very steep rocky hill to climb up. I would suggest for anyone wanting to go all the way to the top to wear appropriate footwear, heals are not an option. I struggled in my shoes as I had little grip and I was crawling more of the way. Then I am a real chicken when it comes to heights.

At the top are a couple of mobile communication masts and some buildings, but the view is absolutely worth the effort. All in all it takes about two hours to get to the top.

There are sweeping views of Dapitan, Dipolog and across the sea and parts of the Zamboanga Del Norte Peninsula.  It is an absolutely beautiful site.

Of course there are not 3,003 steps to negotiate, but 6,006 because you need to go back down again!

Let me tell you going down is just as hard as going up, although somewhat quicker. For those of the unfit ilk, like me, it is not a pleasant thing to lose the feeling in your legs!

After just over an hour I finally made it to the bottom, legs extremely sore and extremely hungry and thirsty (my water ran out at the top). Fortunately there is a store near the entrance to get some snacks and some drink.

All in all, all the aches and pains were worth it just for the experience, but boy the next day was i sore, every muscle stiff and aching. I loved the experience but won’t do a repeat for a while. I would certainly recommend it.                             For those unable to manage the climb, there is a horse available for hire to take you up, but really that is cheating.

Filipino Women

The Philippines has something in excess of four million visitors a year. A large proportion of those are what they call sex tourists. I assume that means mostly male visitors coming here for the bar girls, lady boys and unfortunately child prostitution.

One of the more positive reasons for visitors here is for romance. Many Filipino women are choosing to find their partners overseas. Greater financial security is an obvious reason and having seen the poverty that many live here you can understand that. But I believe that most do marry for love.

The Filipino woman is remarkable. They are the backbone of this wonderful country.  10% of income of this country comes from OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers). Women make up the majority of OFW’s working as domestic helpers and care givers across the world.

Even the lowest paid OFW earn twice as much as the average wage earner in the Philippines, so the benefits are obvious and families back home are looked after. Generations of children unfortunately are taken care of by their father’s and other relatives while their mother’s are absent for two years at a time.

The women back home are very hard working and very resourceful. I would think the men here wouldn’t survive if the women went on strike.  It is the women who do all the cooking and cleaning and organise the households. Quite often it is only the women who work. For men here the main activities seem to be drinking, singing karaoke, cock fighting, playing pool and playing mah-jong.

I wouldn’t say it’s an unequal society, as both men and women seem to have their defined roles, and men are not completely lazy as I may be portraying, but I think they know when they get married so much is taken care of for them.

Pinay women are some of the most beautiful women in the world. The history of these islands gives the people an Asian-European mixture. Their culture of warmth, hospitality, generosity and loyalty is the perfect blend to make anyone feel welcome.

Unfortunately the seedy side of this nation brings down the reputation of the beautiful Pinay. Prostitution and pornography in all its forms leaves the foreigner with completely the wrong impression of the Philippines. Previously this used to take the form of street prostitution and girlie bars, but now also is in the form of 100’s of webcam sites on the internet. In these sites women are paid for performing sexual acts. It is estimated that 200,000 women in the Philippines earn money this way; Many of those underage.

The Philippine government is correct in making sure that pornography is illegal and imprisoning anybody who makes money in this way. It should be actively discouraged and in particular those tourists who chose to come here and solicit prostitution should in the least be deported. There are currently international agreements with many countries now that those who involve themselves in child prostitution and paedophilia can now be prosecuted in their own country for any activities in the Philippines and I would also completely support that.

The Filipino woman gives love and respect and her natural caring nature and should be given back the same amount of respect and love.