There is so much to see and do in the Philippines. Blessed with an archipelago composed of 7,107 islands and one of the longest coastlines in the world, you won’t run out of exciting and world-class destinations to visit.

An advertorial in a travel magazine listed eight adrenaline-pumping activities that will have you raring to go an action-packed adventure. I added the last two activities based on my past trips. Here they are (in no particular order):

1. Surfing at Siargao

Dubbed as the surfing capital of the Philippines, hundreds of people make the long trip to the island at the northeastern tip of Mindanao. Because of the unique oceanic trench in Siargao, the waves break out of deep water and the wave energy goes straight to the beach. International competitions are held around October annually. For surfing novices, lessons are easily available but bring rubber surfing boots because you will need to walk across rocky reefs before riding the waves.

2. Swimming with whale sharks (butanding)

Originally a fishing town, Donsol (Sorsogon) marked itself as a hot spot with the arrival of the whale sharks or butanding. They are the largest species of fish in the world and measure up to 40 feet in length. Today, people who make the trip to that small town in Sorsogon have the privilege to swim with these gentle giants, an opportunity that can’t be found anywhere else. Enjoy swimming with them but make sure not to disturb them by touching or firing your camera’s flash at them.

3. Spelunking at Sagada

If you’re a backpacker, you will get a kick out of Sagada as you will be greeted by an abundance of flora, clear blue skies and rustic scenery. The place is perfect for those who enjoy roughing it up or the occasional city dweller seeking respite.

Aside from walking around the hilly slopes, one can enjoy spelunking as Sagada is home to 60 underground caves. The most famous is the Sumaging cave (in photo). Visitors are treated to a view of magnificent stalactites and stalagmites. At the end of the cave, a waterfall awaits you and you can swim in the pool below. (Be prepared for the ice-cold waters though!)

4. Scuba diving at Tubbataha Reef

Somewhere in the deepest part of the Sulu Sea lies the world-famous Tubbataha Reef. Some of the most beautiful coral reefs and exotic marine life are found there. Seasoned divers appreciate this underwater haven, which is why Tubbataha is one of the Philippines’ marine natural parks as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the marine life that inhabit Tubbataha Reef are giant jacks, hammerhead sharks, barracudas, manta rays, palm-sized Moorish idols and moray eels. It is even home to the hawksbill sea turtles, an endangered species.

5. White-water rafting at Cagayan de Oro

Thrill-seekers will surely enjoy the rough waters of Cagayan de Oro. White-water rafting, after all, is about unpredictability. One never knows the kinds of rapids or waves they’ll have to face. Guides are on standby to teach you the basics of rafting and it is ideal to try the sport in groups of six as the rafts can accomodate that number. Once you are briefed properfly, you are off to enjoy hours’ worth of 14 different types of rapids and the breathtaking scenery around you.

6. Trekking at Mt. Pinatubo

Over a decade ago, this volcano wrecked a lot of havoc but today (as of 2009), it is one of the most famous trekking spots in the Philippines. Locals and foreigners alike are intrigued by the spectacular aqua hue of the crater’s lake and thus willingly make the 3-hour walk from drop-off point in Capas, Tarlac. (If you don’t want to hike for three hous, you can bring your 4×4 vehicles through the Skyway for an additional fee and the hike is shortened to just one hour.)

Interested hikers should arm themselves with comfortable but sturdy footwear and pack light as the strong streams, relatively steep inclines, sharp rocks and long trek can be energy sapping. Once you reach the crater and bask in its beauty, however, you’ll forget how tired you were in the first place–especially since you can cool off by swimming in the crater’s lake.

7. Rock climbing at El Nido, Palawan

Palawan is known for its beaches as well as the bodiversity that thrives around it. With its rainforests, dive sites, caves and mountains, it has become an increasingly popular destination dubbed as the “last frontier.” What most people don’t know, though, is that Palawan is one of the top rock climbing spots in the country. Organized treks allow would-be climbers to scale limestone cliffs and behold breathtaking views from the summit.

8. Wakeboarding at CamSur

CamSur, the abbreviated term for Camarines Sur, is the place to be when it comes to water sports. The Camsur Water Sports Complex is a watersports park for wakeboarding, wakeskating and waterskiing; the most popular sport being wakeboarding. It is just like water skiing but the skier is instead pulled by an overhead cable suspended 8 to 12 meters above water. The six-hectare cable wakeboarding park is guaranteed to give anyone a rush — whether you’re a first-timer on a recreation high or a professional with fancy tricks.

9. Mountain climbing in Mt. Pulag

Known as the rooftop of Luzon, Mt. Pulag is the third highest mountain in the Philippines at 2,922 meters above sea level. Pulag’s cool, sometimes near-freezing weather is a great break from Manila’s heat. It’s 10 hours from Manila to Pulag but the views are well worth the trip. Pulag offers several trek options — the Ambangeg route is established, taking you through a mossy forest, grasslands and dward bamboo plants — perfect for beginners. The Akiki trail is a 10-hour to 12-hour challenge. The highlight of every trip is the climb to the summit to witness the glorious sunrise or the golden sunset amid a sea of clouds.

10. Shooting the rapids at Pagsanjan River

The two-hour “Shooting the Rapids” begins in the still headwaters of the Pagsanjan River. Each banca, paddled by two boatmen, can accommodate two or three passengers. The boatmen steer the banca upstream, passing narrowly between or above boulders or rocks. At times, the boatmen have to get-off the banca, and with their bare feet, step on the boulders to push the banca upstream, maintaining balance, against a downward strong current.

Depending on whether it is low or high tide, you will pass through 11 or 16 rapids before you reach the major waterfalls where you will transfer to a bamboo raft that will take you beneath the cascading water and into a hidden cave. The falls come from a 300-foot cliff in full view.

(I tried this before but I discovered there are some “hidden charges” that the boatmen suddenly ask for during the trip. Agree on a fixed price before you ride the banca to the waterfalls.)

Jocie's friendster screengrab

Upon reading the August 2008 issue of Fudge Magazine, I was impressed by the the creative layout, the easy-to-read articles, and the excellent photos. Inspired by the article on online social networking websites written by Karl de Mesa, it got me thinking about the sites that I maintain.

I’ve had my Friendster account since October 2003 and I still consider it to be my favorite social networking site. However, I was shocked when they decided to move the blogs from a TypePad platform to Wordpress. In the process, all my customizations such as animated photo album from Slide, counter, and chatbox were all discarded. They say the photo albums will come back soon but I wonder what format will they appear in.

Like most Filipinos, most of my real friends are also my Friendster buddies. These days, if you don’t have a Friendster account, you already belong to the Ice Age. The mania has even extended to our offline existence since messages received online can be sent immediately to your cellphones, a ubiquitous gadget that is worth writing about in a separate entry.

Do you know when Friendster was created? It was in 2002 when some computer whiz in Mountain View, California came up with the first virtual slambook. Friendster is privately owned though the Google Corporation offered $30 million to buy out Friendster in 2003. The creators said no and continues to be privately owned today.

has been growing exponentially and I can consider myself to be convert, especially when it comes to disseminating information. I appreciate the fact that I can view exactly who has viewed my profile and individual pages in my site.

Jocie's multiply screengrab

Multiply

Travel Factor, a group composed of young professionals who often explore the outdoors, relies on Multiply to update people about its trips and activities. With over 2,000 members to its name, Travel Factor certainly uses the technology to its full potential.

Multiply was created in March 2004 and I joined the bandwagon in June 2005. It was originally envisioned to be a media sharing site that happened to have social networking tools.

Just like Friendster and Facebook, Multiply can also host your photos and videos but it can also host your reviews and chosen music videos. The inter-connectedness of Multiply allows friends of your friends to see your updates and calendar events so it reaches a lot of people who might not be too familiar to you.

Jocie's facebook screengrab

Facebook has a lot of out-of-the-box applications and I have yet to explore most of them. As of now, I have installed the Dive Buddy application so I can keep track of my dives and a 10-second interview that should be titled A Gimikera’s Journey.

You could receive a poke, a drink courtesy of a friend and be prepared to evade the occasional sheep thrown at you. Facebook  offers a lot of innovative widgets and as I understand it, users themselves can create their own applications.

I joined this site on February 6, 2008 at exactly 8:45 pm according to my Facebook archives. I thought I wouldn’t be able to maintain another social networking site but this turned out to be a rather low-maintenance.

The name Facebook alludes to paper facebooks depicting members of a campus community that some American colleges give to incoming  students, faculty, and staff as a way to introduce other people on campus.

Apparently, the website was conceptualized in February 2004 by Harvard dormmates as a way to keep track of their buddies. Their brainchild is now conquering the virtual world by storm.

MySpace did not become that popular here in the Philippines since its launch in 2003 but it’s interesting to know that video-sharing site YouTube started out an added functionality of MySpace.

What’s you favorite online social networking site and why? Feel free to share your thoughts. =)

The A. Venue Events Hall in Makati City is so much more smaller compared to NBC Tent and the World Trade Center but that made it all the more intimate. Guests were able to take home a water gun and if they were lucky enough, raincoats and briefs thrown by the models as well. I was glad that there was a T-shaped ramp this year compared to the U-shaped one in 2007.

For the full details that night, visit this URL:

http://www.pep.ph/news/19104/Hunks-get-wet-and-wild-in-2008-Cosmo-Bachelor-Bash

Paolo Contis played around the mini-fountain installed on the ramp of A. Venue Events Hall in Makati City. The GMA-7 star was one of the celebrity centerfolds of the 2008 Cosmo Bachelor Bash held last night, September 11.

Noel Orsal

More Pictures

Hunks get wet and wild in 2008 Cosmo Bachelor Bash

Jocelyn Dimaculangan

Friday, September 12, 2008
01:18 PM

• 
• 

Guests of the 2008 Cosmo Bachelor Bash were equipped with plastic water guns that came in handy during the wet-and-wild themed party last night, September 11. The A. Venue Events Hall in Makati City was full of fun, fearless females all excited to see this year’s Cosmo bachelors and celebrity centerfolds hand-picked by the staff of Cosmopolitan Philippines Magazine.

At around 9:45 p.m., sexy games were facilitated by Eri Neeman and Gina Pangan of Wave 89.1. The spotlight then focused on Eric Tai, a model/actor/host who wowed the predominantly female crowd with his flexibility and breakdancing moves. Steamy guys joined him on stage as they all walked down the T-shaped ramp built in the venue.

Paolo Contis, the last centerfold to model last night, strutted down the ramp wearing a black T-shirt. Suddenly, he raised his shirt and confidently showed off his well-defined abs and biceps. The crowd showed their appreciation by spraying him with their water guns. The GMA-7 star lived up to the wet-and-wild theme by kneeling down and playing in the mini-fountain installed on the ramp. Girls went loco over seeing the topless Paolo with water streaming down his torso and his impeccable white pants. The host of GMA-7’s World Records appeared to be uninhibited even though his girlfriend Isabel Oli was in the audience that night.

Click here for more photos of the wet-and-wild event:

http://www.pep.ph/photos/1011/2008_Cosmo_Bachelor_Bash

When I first saw pictures of Anawangin, Zambales, showing pics of pine trees growing near a white sandy beach, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Pine trees are known to grow mainly in cold temperatures such as Baguio but apparently, they can survive in hot temperatures as well.

To see is to believe so I packed my trusty backpack, underwater gear and my digicam Canon A430 to check out the famed Anawangin cove in Zambales. It was my first time to join a Photoholic tour organized by Travel Factor. This one-year old company is composed of yuppies who organize trips regularly on top of their full-time jobs.

During the long weekend (April 5-7, 2008), they had three trips scheduled: Northern Exposure in Ilocos, Caramoan plus wakeboarding and our beach camping escapade. I packed all my clothes as early as Wednesday night but I didn’t read through the detailed itinerary so I left out important gear–eating utensils and a plate!

When we passed by the market of San Antonio, Zambales, I was able to buy the necessary utensils and off we went to Pundaquit where Canoe Beach Resort is located.

We ate lunch before heading to Anawangin Cove via a four-seater boat. As soon as we saw the beach front, we were amazed by the fine sand, the evergreen pine trees, the lush mountains on either side of the island and clear blue waters. Several beach bums were playing frisbee while others were trying their hand (or more appropriately feet) at skimboarding.

After setting up our tents, we explored the nearby river, which gave a beautiful view of the mountain behind it.

When we arrived at Anawangin, the beach front was already occupied by a lot of tents so we settled in the pine trees forest just two minutes away from the beach. Our area in Anawangin cove had two bathrooms, two changing rooms, and two waterpumps. Use of these facilities are included in the P50 environmental fee paid to the caretaker of the island. I wasn’t able to get the number of the caretaker since there is no cellphone signal on Anawangin and it is not equipped with electricity. When going to the island, bring strong flashlights and possibly a pail so so you won’t have problems getting water.

The mountaineers of Outdoor Addicts prepared our meals and set up our tents and they were very efficient about it.

Our meals were hot and satisfying. But what really blew me away was the fact that they brought a hot plate for the spicy sisig during our inuman session in Anawangin.

The card game introduced by Alli was such a laugh trip. You pick a card from the deck and you have to stick it in your forehead to let others see your card but you can’t look at it yourself. You must base your decision to keep or change your card based on the reactions of your fellow card players. You are allowed up to 2 changes. The lowest card is the two of clubs while the highest card is the Ace of diamonds. The person with the lowest card has to drink Absolut citron (also courtesy of Alli).

Aside from drinking Absolut, we also got to drink Mojitos, which was served in a big Absolute mineral bottle. We wrapped up at around 1 am and it was so hot so I decided to sleep outside the tent. By 3 am, it got so cold so I snuggled back into the tent. Several others went stargazing and slept at the beach.

All these and more are enough reasons to go see Anawangin yourself.

The next morning, we explored a mini-cave on the left side of the island. When the sun came up, it cast a golden glow on the mountainside, resulting in a breathtaking view.

We left Anawangin cove at around 10 am and proceeded to Capones island where we trekked around 20 minutes to reach a run-down lighthouse. The incredible view and strong wind on top of the lighthouse are enough reasons to relax and chill (or to use the word coined by Travel Factor, chillax).

This trip also marks the first time I tried skimboarding and it was such a laughtrip as well. You have to read the waves well and be able to steady yourself on the skimboard as you ride the surf.

LEGEND OF ANAWANGIN. A bangkero in Anawangin told the interesting story how Anawangin was created. He said that the campsite area used to be covered by the sea. When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, the ashfall created a cove that was eventually rehabilitated and pine trees came to be on the island. Since then, it has become one of the most popular tourist spots in the country.

If you want to join future trips of Travel Factor, feel free to visit their website at www.thetravelfactor.multiply.com

I was pleasantly surprised to see myself in the video section of PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal). My fellow editor Rommel and I were present at the press conference of the comedy movie Manay Po 2: Overload held at the Imperial Palace Suites last March 13.

Just like in school, I was taking down notes furiously so I didn’t notice that the camera crew of GMA-7 had positioned itself behind us and took footage of the cast members including Rufa Mae Quinto, Cherry Pie Picache, Polo Ravales, John Prats, and Jiro Manio, among many others.

It also gave me the chance to bond with Giselle Sanchez, who refers to me as her "pretty schoolmate" since we both went to UP Diliman. She even remembered that I was in the same batch as Izel (more popularly known as Tuesday Vargas).

But the highlight of the evening was our deep conversation with Rufa Mae, who was such a blast to talk with. She was very open about the new man in her life whom she fondly calls "Ken" since he calls her as "Barbie." Come to think of it, Rufa Mae can be considered the Barbie of the Philippines. After our conversation, Rufa Mae hugged me and said, "I had fun!" I had fun too!

Check out the PEP video here:

http://www.pep.ph/videos/1117/Meet-Rufa-Mae-Quinto’s-new-boyfriend

We look back at our humble beginnings and take note of what we have achieved and what we have yet to accomplish.

Isang taon na po tayo!

Today, exactly a year ago, PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) launched into cyberspace. We’re letting our hair down by counting the ways we have grown and we’re taking stock. To all you PEP addicts and newcomers alike, here’s why PEP is bigger than the sum of its parts.

When we started on February 28, 2007, we had so little.

Only five people were updating the site daily. It had an average of two breaking news per day and one gallery of photos per week. Invitation to presscons and events? Zero. Only a handful of showbiz denizens knew about this bagong salta called PEP.

Slowly, showbizlandia and the public at large began to take notice. Presscon invitations trickled in. Aficionados of local entertainment started making www.pep.ph their daily habit—office workers and homemakers taking a breather, Pinoy immigrants abroad and Overseas Filipino Workers keeping abreast of the latest news back home.

THE LEAP. More is better.

The team of editors and staff writers, plus a growing network of contributors, began publishing 10 to 14 showbiz news items per day in the Breaking News section—certainly PEP’s strongest link.

And so, readers found more reason to check out the site several times a day. The Comments column below each breaking news report, especially about this couple’s breakup or that career break, grew longer and more intense by the hour. Give a hand to the community of self-identified “PEPsters,” who also make forays into the other sections.

PEP’s staff writers and techies also worked on beefing up the Gallery and Video sections. The target was to put out new sets of photos and videos daily.

Eventually, we brought in more new sections to satisfy the Pinoy fondness for nostalgia, discovery, and living it up. Looking Back articles reminisce about old movies or past TV shows or an actor’s past career.  PEP Finder would be similarly nostalgic except that it’s a rediscovery of stars long gone into other careers and now doing their own thing away from the showbiz glare. We like to think these articles contribute to the dynamic history of film and television. Knowing the current raves in the party scene through Events is an added attraction.

The Poll, which used to tackle one showbiz issue every week, now puts out three hot topics. It’s another way to tease out public opinion and the fans’ reactions, aside from the PEPsters’ feedback.

PEP’s blog town is also on the rise. In spite of their hectic schedules, more celebrity bloggers have joined. To date, PEP proudly features John “Sweet” Lapus, Candy Pangilinan, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Jolina Magdangal, and veteran journalist Ces Evangelista as the exciting writers who share their personal experiences, insights, sometimes even secrets.

THE SPRINT. Speed and accuracy becomes the practice.

Happily, we managed to bring you several “First Read on PEP” items and “PEP Exclusives” last year.

Remember when PEP broke the news about Dennis Trillo being the dad of Carlene Aguilar’s baby? The pregnancy of Camille Prats and Jennylyn Mercado? The controversies that surrounded Gretchen Barretto? The hush-hush on Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz’s split?

We’re proud, ehem, of our well-researched investigative “PEP Special Reports,” like Angel Locsin’s flight from GMA-7 to ABS-CBN and the saga involving David Bunevacz and Beverly Hills 6750.

PEP is now a very visible player in the entertainment field.

THE HEAVE. Quality becomes the goal.

We like to make every log-on session worth every PEPster’s precious time. We encapsulate anything found in the entertainment scene—the real and the reel, the glam and the glum, the good and bad news, the serious and fun stuff, the newbies and veterans, the hook-ups and breakups, and almost every aspect of the ever busy, dynamic world of showbiz.

Top Lists, which now gets updated twice a week, was introduced last year. We now have PEP’s Corner where readers could get their weekly dose of insights from the editorial team, blind items from the Peeping Toms, fun from the PEP Who, and the good deeds of our favorite celebrities via Thumbs Up.

PEP’s “Comments” section has also become an instant people meter. Celebrities themselves check it out for the feedback—and sometimes, critique—of showbiz fanatics. With the help of our diligent moderators, the comments column below each article is earning its reputation as a well of insights.

On the side, PEPsters now receive their PEP Log, the condensed version of the site, and a weekly celebrity dish for those who are busy with their work. Those who want to get flash showbiz news via their mobile phones can now subscribe thru PEP Mobile by keying in PEP ON and sending to 4627.

And it was September 2007 that PEP launched its revamped look—from its pristine white background, more colors were added to capture the colorful world of showbiz.

THE THRUST. And as we celebrate our first official year as an entertainment website—we keep the news meter always up, the fun button always blinking, and the interaction scale always working.

Negotiations with ABS-CBN are in the works so readers can all look forward to video content of their favorite Kapamilya shows.

The Entertainment Guide will double its number of daily updates and reviews. “Top Charts” will soon be launched, featuring the hottest hits in the music scene, the box-office winners in moviedom, and the most talked-about television shows.

Of course, a surprise for the PEPsters is also in the offing. Next month, you will have more reasons to get hooked and be involved. A section called PEParazzi will rock the world of showbiz aficionados.

When we started, we had so little. Now, we are making more than 1,000,000 unique users happy.

PEP is here to stay, and we hope you do the same. Cheers!

When my best friend Lyra went abroad, I was crushed. I didn’t know how I would function without our (almost) daily phone calls to each other. I also missed going to their white mansion in Sampaloc. Whenever something came up, I would speedial her number to analyze everything just like two High School students are likely to do.

But with the use of Yahoo Messenger and email (I hope Lyra responds more often), we managed to keep in touch often. I did get the surprise of my life when she introduced us to her Fil-Am boyfriend Steve Serra since she never mentioned him before she arrived in December 2007.

Anyway, here’s my account of our fun-filled stay in the tropical paradise of Boracay.

For photos, you may visit this Multiply album:

http://lagimikera.multiply.com/photos/album/61/Boracay_December_28-30_2007_

Nothing beats December of 2007–with nine dives and a free trip to Boracay–it’s perfect!

My best friend Lyra arrived last December 24 after spending some time as a physical therapist abroad. Anthony and I went to their house to meet her boyfriend Steve (although I had met him previously during our gimik at Embassy Club with Lyra’s brother Ram).

On December 28, all nine of us met at the Centennial Airport for our supposedly early flight to Caticlan. However, bad weather conditions in our destination delayed our flight and we had to wait six hours before boarding our new flight to Kalibo.

One van ride and a short boat ride later (which we shared with Karylle and Dingdong Dantes), we finally arrived in the tropical paradise of Boracay.

Our barkada and the Torreses checked in at The Tides, Station 2, near D’Mall. It is owned partly by Iza Calzado and Tim Yap but they weren’t there during the holidays. For me, the best part was having free Internet connection since rentals cost P40-60 per hour on the island.

  On Saturday, I talked to Water Colors Dive Shop and luckily enough, there was a group diving in Friday’s Rock that morning. After breakfast, Lyra and Steve had a 1 1/2 hour lecture for scuba diving. They went to Friday’s Reef while I was with a group of foreigners in Friday’s Rock.

We used a line to go down to 17 meters (51 feet) and we swam around a huge boulder where we saw fusiliers, trigger fishes and 18-inch red bass. It was fun feeding the hungry fish but they would bite into my hand as they searched for more bread.

As we swam from one coral patch to another, we saw blue anemone fish, black and white lionfish and a blue-banded sea snake winding itself on the ocean floor.

Dive time to date: 6 hours 16 minutes

Lyra was able to complete her dive but Steve wasn’t comfortable underwater but they both got their certificates so I’m glad for them.

  After resting, the five of us–Lyra, Steve, Anthony, Eloisa and I–went sailing on a paraw.

As the sun set, we sailed off and relaxed on the hammocks laid out on the katig (rigger) of the sailboat. When I do go back to Bora, I hope to take the reins of the paraw and maneuver it myself. =)

This is our barkada (sans Omar) with the Torreses during dinner at Station 1

By Saturday evening, we went to two gimik spots: Club Paraw and Cocomangas. I liked the latter so much that I was left behind to dance the night away as Andrew E performed impromptu that night.

On Sunday morning, we went on a banana boat ride but thankfully, we didn’t flip over. For Lyra’s souvenir, I gave her a small bottle designed with colorful Boracay sand and she said it would add to her sand collection in the States.

After checking out of The Tides, we went to the airport and waited a few hours before boarding our flight home to Manila.

Despite everyone’s contention that Bora is already too commercialized, there’s really nothing wrong with enjoying the beauty of Mother Nature while making full use of modern-day conveniences.

Finally, I’m a certified PADI open water scuba diver!

I took up scuba diving classes in February 2007 but my dive instructor bailed out on me so I was forced to find another instructor for my checkout dive, which finally took place at Puerto Galera from December 1-2.

Four dives cost a cool P5,000 and I realized I need to buy a bigger mask since the one I’m using is too small for me. In fact, I even had to change masks with the divemaster under water since it wasn’t clearing up.

Anyway, I’ve uploaded my underwater pics at Photobucket and Multiply accounts. Check them out here:

http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i165/jociepd/Puerto%20Galera%20underwater%20pics/

http://lagimikera.multiply.com/photos/album/58

These pics were taken using a waterproof case (costs only P500) and my trusty Kodak DC3200 1-megapixel camera that is five years old. =) I wasn’t able to photograph the 12-inch puffer fishes, lionfish, eel, parrotfish, giant clams and other sea creatures.

Shallowest depth: 10 meters and deepest dive: 18 meters. Total dive time to date: 2 hours

An acquaintance of mine told me recently after I had talked
lengthily about my Senior Editor position at PEP, “You must really love your
job, huh?”

I responded candidly by saying, “Life would be perfect if we
had 48-hour days.”

I guess that’s how anyone would feel if their job loved them
back. =) On the first anniversary of Philippine Entertainment Portal, it would
be nice to reminisce about the humble beginnings of www.pep.ph

On 9/11, I officially joined the PEP team but were just
working on a simple fuschia-colored site with the URL yesmagazine.com.ph

It just had Breaking News, Photo Galleries, and the Forums.
We were a young team—most of us were just starting in the entertainment beat.
There were two editors, three staff writers, an editorial assistant, and a
photographer manning the site.

By November 15, the soft launch of PEP’s beta site took
place. New sections were added such as my section, the Entertainment Guide,
Celebrity Life, Views, and Videos. It was an overwhelming task to fill up all
of the sections of the site. I was assigned to handle the five subsections of
the e-guide, namely, Television, Movies, Indie, Music and Theater. Our workload
grew and so did the team.

There are now four editors, a community editor, two staff
writers, an editorial assistant, a web designer, and a photographer. We’re also
accommodating stories from contributors and videos from TV networks.

It’s been a year since our company embarked on this
experiment—and we’re looking forward to the challenges ahead as we continue our
work as the online home of YES! Magazine.

Click here to recall PEP’s firsts, facts, and feats.

I’ve been restless lately and I don’t know why.

I need a dose of creativity, anything to jumpstart my senses and fire up my imagination.

Why oh why is Mt. Pulag closed at a time when you want to scale it the most? =(

This empty feeling is even reflected in my eyes. Even when my lips are upturned into a smile, my eyes don’t seem to agree.

Is it possible for someone to go through the quarterlife crisis twice? Nah. I’m pretty secure about my place in work and outside of work so it’s probably not that.

There’s an upcoming walkathon this November 18 (Sunday) at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife in Quezon City. I hope doing a bit of charity uplifts my spirit and bring the twinkle back in these sad eyes.