‘Laag-laag’ in Cebu sa Kalag-Kalag 2016

WHILE All Saints’ and All Souls’ days are a time to honor the beloved deceased, it is, for some people, also a chance to spend time with the beloved living.

The observance this year, coinciding with a long weekend in the Philippines, was taken by others as an opportunity to get out of the city and enjoy the company of family and friends.

“It’s a very timely vacation to unwind, especially for those who work eight-hour shifts during weekdays. It’s also the best time to visit families,” said Cebu City-based 22-year-old cash clerk Jeffrey Kean Cañas whose family hails from Trinidad, Bohol.

Cañas, his sister Janis Dee, cousins, and girlfriend Joyce spent October 31, Monday and the eve of All Saints’ Day, at a clubhouse on a hill in Barangay Lawaan, Talisay City.

The Azienda Milan is only one of the many enclaves within Camella Azienda, a 100-hectare residential community on the hills of Talisay developed by Camella Homes.

To get to Milan, the group took a KMK bus from SM City Cebu to a Jetti refilling station, the corner of which leads to the property. From there, the group hailed an Uber to get to the clubhouse.

Others may opt to take a 15-minute habal-habal ride for P30 per person, although risky due to the steep and curving road, or wait for the shuttle that charges P20 per person at Starmall.

The shuttle has trips at 9 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. that take passengers directly to the clubhouse.

Milan boasts of a pool overlooking the city and a well-tended garden for intimate getaways within the metropolitan.

Entrance fee is at P30 per person, excluding use of the pool. Those who want to take a dip will have to pay P200, which already includes the entrance fee.

“Remember to bring food. There are no stores nearby, so it’s better that you pack up before you come. At least they have no corkage fee,” said Cañas.

For those with a bigger budget, on the other hand, trips outside Cebu are the way to go.

Dale Talaboc and his friends, mostly alumni of the University of San Jose-Recoletos, took advantage of the long weekend and scheduled a trip to Biri Island in northern Samar last Oct. 28, Friday, until Oct. 31.

“We went there because based on our research online, it’s a really nice place. It’s also our first time to go on a Samar-Leyte tour,” the 23-year-old customer service representative said.

Biri Island is known for a large number of unusual rock formations along its northern shore, facing the Philippines Sea.

It is also included in the marine protected area known as Biri Larosa Protected Landscape and Seascape.

Activities that can be done in Biri include visiting the rock formations, scuba diving, snorkeling and free diving, island hopping, surfing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing.

“There were 17 of us, but not all of us were acquainted with one another. After the trip, it was like we’ve known each other for so long,” said Talaboc.

The group also toured Calbayog City, the rest of Samar, as well as Leyte.

Meanwhile, families that are more laid back would most likely just stay at home after visiting the graves of their deceased loved ones at the cemetery.

“My family, as well as my aunties, uncles, and cousins go together to visit. A week before, the tombs have already been repainted,” said 23-year-old accounting analyst Justine Faith Recla.

She said this is their family tradition every year, adding that her grandfather visits her father in his dreams if they fail to visit his grave.

Recla said her family used to hold Halloween parties with costumes each year, but the celebrations have been toned down in recent years because “the children have grown up already.”

This year, she said they might just hang around the house and watch a horror movie.

But while people are not prohibited from spending the holidays for fun and recreation with the living beloved, many find it important to be reminded that this time is primarily for prayer and honoring those who have
passed on.