Samar climbers join world record try

CATBALOGAN CITY – In part of celebrating the country’s Independence Day and to help break a world record, nature lovers and mountain enthusiasts from Samar provinces will also join Filipino climbers from all over the country to summit various climbing destinations simultaneously on June 10-13, this year.

Dubbed as The Freedom Climb 2011, the event is aimed to create a new criterion in the Guinness Book of World Records and set a worldwide record for the most people to summit different peaks within 24 hours period.

The current record is: The largest number of people climbing mountains at the same time took place during the "Big Event" on September 10, 2000 when 600 people simultaneously scaled 112 mountains in the United Kingdom and Ireland in a day period.

The national organizers advised interested individual or groups to coordinate with the local offices of the Local Government Units (LGU), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Tourism (DOT), Philippine National Police (PNP), and a Local Mountaineering Group who will likewise endorse the participant and the assign mountain for approval.

In Samar Island, the Centro Outdoor Sports Unlimited (CENTRO), a non-profit, non government organization based in Catbalogan volunteered to gather interested participants from three Samar provinces for a united and systematic climb. The group is now inviting everyone (must be healthy and fit to climb mountain) to complete the 20 persons available slots.

The CENTRO group is known for organizing outdoor events in the entire island of Samar. For the past eight years, they had hosted “Annual Caving Events” which participated in by people from all over the country. It also helped the local government in marketing and promoting various tourism destinations of the province.

“An national organizers hine nga 2011 FREEDOM CLIMB en nag-aaro hin P300 nga rehistro ha kada tawo nga maapi - amo ine an pinaka importante nga rekisitos para han ngatanan nga maapi hine nga aktibidad. Pero ine nga Registration Fee nira kutob la an pagbayad yana nga Abril 30, 2011, lumahos na ngani han Abril 30, 2011 an rehistro en aada na ha P400 - ira ito patakaran dire kanan CENTRO.... Waray pagsusukton bisan piso an CENTRO, hi kita la an magtitirok para magkadurungan la kita pagsaka ngan paglusad ngadto ngan tikang ha Mount Kapudlusan,” Rommel Rutor of Centro Outdoor Sports told this Stringer.

Meanwhile, aside from nurturing national unity, the event aims “to promote environmental awareness, conservation, preservation and protection; to campaign advocacies for responsible sportsmanship, synergism among individuals and groups, and to unite the mountaineering community to achieve greater good.”
Another objective of the annual climb is: “to set new world records, plant trees in the mountains, promote tourism, honor the Philippine heroes, and to unite all Filipino mountaineers.”

In a Facebook page created for this purpose, the CENTRO group encouraged every Samareno to have a vital role on this event as “it is not only help boosting our national pride (but will also) uplift the morale of mountaineers and would-be enthusiasts, rejuvenate environmental awareness and create a positive image of you and the mountaineering community in the Philippines as it become a major player in the world when it comes to mountaineering.”

“Para han mga taga Isla Han Samar, an nakalista nga sasak-on nga bukid, upod han Climb Marshalls han Centro, amo an Mount Kapudlusan nga nahimumutang ha bungto han Maydolong, Eastern Samar,” Rutor said.

During this day, an official “Adjudicator” and representative of Guinness World Records will be coming over to the Philippines from the United Kingdom to announce and authenticate the historic feat. Every participating group will be given certification and special recognition coming from the organizers and Guinness World Records.

Interested participants joining this significant event, the Centro Climb Marshalls gave their contact numbers such as 09207675444 (Ricky), 09292235130 (Rommel) or search the Facebook Page “Freedom Climb 2011 (Samar Island Forum)” for other details and reservation.

Agas-Agas Bridge Zipline offers “Superman” fly experience

The Agas-Agas Bridge in Southern Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY -- The province of Southern Leyte, the home of the country’s tallest Agas-Agas Bridge, is now offering another man-made tourist attraction for everyone who has brave souls.

In last friday's opening, April 15, 2011, the LGU officially launched its “Agas-Agas Bridge Zipline Adventure” letting everyone experience soaring at a high speed, flying by wire like Superman does in his movies. This was first introduced by the local officials last August 9, 2009.

Newsmen from all over the region, including some known tour operators were treated by the organizers for a day free rides with a briefing that on this day, the province will be known as the central of "Adventure Destination in Eastern Visayas."

Constructed between two mountains, the Agas-Agas Bridge Zipline or locally known as “Zipline Leyte” offers an extra-ordinary experience on cable rides that traverse the Mahaplag-Sogod section of the Tacloban-Liloan Road giving a rider full view of the breathtaking panorama and complete refreshing on the bridge’s sky-scraping height.

The organizer led by Governor Damian Mercado are hopeful that last Fridays’s opening would bring in more tourists to witness its opening as well as tested its unique features.

The potential of the bridge, which provides a significant link to motorists traveling from Luzon to Mindanao, was noted when it was inaugurated two years ago and endorsed it by the DPWH to turn it into a haven for sports enthusiasts who are into bungee jumping, paramotor, downhill skateboarding and zipline rappelling and other extreme sports.

The bridge which is constructed through the Philippine-Japan Highway Loan Project has a natural tourist attraction and the construction is very modern.

Since the bridge is situated in a mountainous area, it is regularly reported that movements of loose soil or landslides take place whenever it rains heavily, much more when typhoon strikes the province.

Thus, the viaduct was constructed in 2006 primarily to help motorists avoid the mountainous sections that are prone to landslides and road slips and prevent life and property losses.

According to a DPWH official, this bridge is by far the tallest pier or column that the government has constructed. It involves the construction of a 350 linear meter bridge, with a mix of steel and concrete, supported by two piers from the ground and has a height of 292 feet above ground.

Meanwhile, zip-lines in the country are fast drawing a big crowd of action and adventure seekers from all over the world.  The extraordinary thrill of being suspended on a cable at considerable heights or the joy of zipping through the woods at a high speed makes zip-lines an action-packed activity.

The zipline in Southern Leyte is the third zipline attractions in Eastern Visayas. Recently, the Caluwayan Island Resort in Marabut Samar and the Leyte Park Resort in Tacloban City officially offered a zipline adventures to its adventure seeking clients.

Known as a flying fox, foefie slide, zip wire, aerial runway, or aerial rope slide, a zip-line consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline. It is designed to enable a user propelled by gravity to traverse from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable, usually made of stainless steel, by holding on or attaching to the freely moving pulley. Zip-lines are used in varied ways, and come in various forms.

While others used it as a means of amusement and entertainment, others showcase zip-lines as an adventure activity option.  Accessing remote areas, such as a rainforest canopy would require longer and higher rides.  You may not know it, but in some malls in the country, children’s recreation centers make use of small, indoor zip-lines. (Ricky Bautista)

Filipinos celebrate 107th Sto. Niño feast

BASEY, Philippines (January 9, 2011) -- Eucharistic celebrations, street dancing festivals, colorful parades, fluvial processions, and other festive commemorative rites will be held in this municipality and in many parts of the country in celebration of the Feast of the Sto. Niño, every third Sunday of January, the month of the Holy Child.

The Catholic Church in the Philippines sets the Holy Child as “an example of humility and as a celebration of the Incarnation of Christ.” The church has approved special liturgical texts for the Feast of the Child Jesus.