10 of the Must-Try Adventure Places in the Philippines

Sometimes, the ones who are bound to you are the one who makes a great influence to you. Sharing a story to a friend about the places you’ve been is good, but bringing them to that place and letting them feel and experience the same feeling of what you have felt when somebody have shared it to you is better.
We only have three seasons of life:

a. Full of energy, lots of time, but no money
b. Full of energy, lots of money, but no time
c. We have lots of money, lots of time, but no more energy

What season are you now? When will you be able to do outdoors and have some adventures? May these pieces of pictures encourage those people out there to see ten of the many magnificent art works of God, from mountains to beaches, from ocean and seas to waterfalls, from boulders to caves, from northern part of the Philippines to the southern part of the country, Swim, hike, and explore!

1 - Mt.Pulag, Kabayan Benguet

Mt. Pulag also known as the “Playground of Gods”, standing at 9,586 feet above sea level, found in the Cordillera region of Central Luzon, is the highest mountain in Luzon and second highest in the Philippines next to Mt. Apo. The Mt. Pulag National Park is open all year round. Dry season is the best time to trek up to the summit preferably from the month of November to March for you are able to witness breath taking sea of clouds.

Most of its visitors and guests were attracted not only in its low temperature and spectacular sea of clouds, but also on its unique characteristics for its rolling plains, mossy forest and an amazing eye soothing greens which defines its biodiversity. You can camp on the top but only on designated areas. Be sure that you have warm clothing to protect yourself in cold weather as the temperature drops.

The mountain is classified as a major climb with its five defined trails to reach on to the summit which defines it difficulty. These are the Ambangeg trail, also known as the executive trail and the easiest, the Eddet trail, Tawangan trail, Ambaguio trail, and the Akiki trail which is said to be the most difficult among the five.

2 - Lipata Caves

(Lipata Caves of Quezon Province) From Lipata Island is said to have seven 7 Caves which called the Lipata Caves. The said island is found at the Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon which takes you 3-4 hours drive from Manila.

It will take you a 20-30 minutes boat ride from the Padre Burgos Pier, the jump off area, to the island. From the Island a 15-20-minute trek will transpire you to see rock formations at the side of the mountain and amazed with the stalactites and lime stones inside the caves. You can also witness the view of the sea from above along the trail.

The rock formation inside the caves gives amazement into its visitors. The soil of Lipata caves are rich in minerals which are transported by the residents all the way down to the foot of the mountain which is used for growing their crops. However, mining in the caves is prohibited. This activity will surely destroy the caves’ natural rock formations.

3 - Dampalitan Island

From the province of Quezon lies an island name Dampalitan. Its white sandy beach and long stretch shorelines attracts most of its visitors. The beautiful long stretch of the beach and quiet place returns a peaceful and relaxing experience with nature.

Rocky formation will be seen during the low tide. You can even take your photo almost at the middle of the sea. Take those shots while enjoying the light of the sunset in the place.
A bench near the seashore is best for a seat to watch on the dramatic scene of a sunset along with your best friend or love ones.

4 - Borawan Island

Not far from the Dampalitan Island is the Borawan Island which is name after the combination of Boracay and Palawan for its characteristics of white sand and huge rock formations similar to that of Palawan’s cliffs. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the place with its crystal clear water, and long stretch white beach at the west coast of the island.

You can climb on to the top of the huge rocks ranging from 15-20 feet high allows you to view the west and east coast of the island and take shots of your pictures. Be careful on climbing because the edges of the rock are quite sharp.

Camping is allowed in the island, but make sure that you have your head lamps, flash light, extra batteries, and drinking water with you. There is no electricity and fresh water available in the area. If you are avoiding a crowd in the place, you can visit the island before the summer euphoria begins.

5 - Pagbilao Grande Island (Isla Putting Buhangin)

Pagbilao Grande Island in Pagbilao Quezon is also called as “Isla Putting Buhangin” with its fine white sand. It’s cold crystal clear water and white sand stretch attracts its guests. In here also found the “Kwebang Lampas”, a cave located at the east point of the stretch, and one of the highlights when you go in Pagbilao Grande.
The water here is more ideal for swimming compare to the nearby islands of Borawan and Dampalitan. The Pagbilao GrandeIsland is not that crowded with people compared with other beach resorts near it. You can go to the cave known as the “Kwebang Lampas” by passing through the rocky area at the side of foot of the cliff at the east point of the island. Be careful of the slippery rocks you may encounter while going inside the cave. Cold and relaxing views from the cave will definitely sooth you to the nature.

6 - Cape EngañO in Palaui Island

It is like a secret paradise to witness a captivating view of the Dos Hermanos Island from the Cape Engano Lighthouse also known as the “Farol de Cabo Engano”. Located at northern point of Palaui Island, Sta.Ana, Cagayan, an 18th Century light house built during the Spanish time which guides the ships on the coastal areas of Sta.Ana. 229 steps of concrete stair and a trail will lead you all the way to the lighthouse.

Palaui Island was declared as a National Marine Reserve in August 28, 1994 encompassing an area of 7,145 hectares (17,660 acres). The waters around the island boast of 21 commercial species of fishes with about 50 hectares (120 acres) of undisturbed corals.

The hike from Punta Verde, the southeast tip of Palaui, to Cape Engaño takes about 3.5 to 4 hours of hike through beautiful verdant scenery. Primitive camping is allowed at the lighthouse vicinity. [source: wikipedia]

7 - 7 Chambers of Callao Cave in Cagayan

The Callao Cave is located on the Province of Cagayan near Tuguegarao City. According to the locals, the cave has seven chambers and formations namely as the Column, Chapel, Skeleton, Elephant’s Head, Praying Angel, Rocket, Lion’s Head, and the Dog’s Head; the 7th chamber is usually closed except during the holy week.

The photo above is the second chamber of the cave which became a Cathedral by the locals of Cagayan. Each chamber allows the natural light to enlighten the dim areas of the cave. Before witnessing the magnificent cave of stalactites and stalagmites, you have to pass the test of your stamina by surpassing a stair with approximately 200 steps. It said that there are still unexplored areas after the seventh chamber of Callao Cave.

[1] Callao Cave has gained another reputation after the discovery of a foot bone on a excavation done near the first chamber's entrance was proven by archaeologist to be about 67,000years old pushing back the long known Tabon man of being the oldest discovered human remains in the country. this did not just brought a new record within the country but has also placed the Philippines in the sixth position worldwide to have found the oldest Homo sapien fossil.

[source:dong ho’s eskapo 3.0, digital photographers philippines]

8 - Merloquette Falls in Zamboanga

From the Latin City of Asia, Zamboanga, found a magnificent piece of hidden treasure in Merloquete Falls, located at Sitio Merloquet, Barangay Sibulao, Zamboanga City. An approximate 2 hours drive from the city all the way to the jump off. From the jump off, it will drive your excitement band test your endurance by a 15 minutes downhill trek before witnessing the enchanted and majestic waterfall.

Measuring with an estimated width of 13 meters wide and a height of 10 meters high, the soothing sound of the water will surely amazed you. The second water fall with an estimated width of 8 meters wide and a height of 5 meters high lie above the first one that will test your endurance to witness its beauty. It is said that there are eleven waterfalls above the first one that is rarely visited and explored.

9 - Mt.Gulugod Baboy and Anilao Boulders

Not from afar from an overnight hike to Mt. Gulugod Baboy in Mabini Anilao, Batangas, was an amazing side trip to witness scattered boulders of rocks near at the beach. It was really surprising to see and walk on through the rock before having a swim in the clear waters of Anilao.

Anilao Batangas is well known as one of the best diving sites not only in the Philippines but all over the world. Unknowingly, there is a secret place for explorers and hikers to hangout out there to discover and see the beauty of these boulders with the strong waves splashing and playing on it.

At the end of the rocky stretch found a small cave where in you can stay. From there, you can choose where to swim by passing through it. You can also see bats inside the cave when you look upward inside, and requires you for a duck walk to pass through the other side and enjoy beautiful scenery of the sea.

10 - Mt. Makiling in Los Banos Laguna

Mt.Makiling situated at Los Banos Laguna is one of the known enchanted mountains in the Philippines because of the mystical Diwata (fairy) Maria Makiling who takes care of the mountain. According to te locals, you can encounter Diwata Maria Makiling in three persons, you can see her as a maiden, a mother, and an old woman along the trail while trekking on the mountain.

Rising with a 1109 meters above sea level, Mt.Makiling is not just simply an enchanted mountain, but classified as a volcano. It is one of the most challenging must try day hike that probably test your patience and thrill you into the adventure.

[1]The Makiling Traverse is a classic example of an extended dayhike - a climb whose trekking time makes it a "major climb" but whose trail circumstances favor a long dayhike. It is a favorite training climb for mountains that are Difficulty 8/9 or higher - such as Mt Guiting-Guiting - and for good reason: a Makiling Traverse gives hikers a preview of extended hiking (8 hours/day) over a period of three or even four days. Moreover, Makiling gives samplers for various. Melkas Ridge, for example, is an introduction to the long rock scrambling of Guiting-Guiting; the proliferation of limatik and jungle density is the same environment of Halcon; and the meanderings of the Wild Boar Trail evoke Napulauan. Finally, the 'thrill' of a traverse is a junior version of what it takes to cross over Dulang-Dulang to Kitanglad, or Kidapawan to Kapatagan.

[source: Pinoy mountaineer]

About Desha, the author

Des Alimbuyuguen is an adventurous girl who have the passion for the love of nature. She is often called the "Backpacker Girl" since she often go for nature camping with her mountaineer friends.

10 Tips on How to Manage Your Time As A Blogger

I've been a blogger since eight months ago. I had experience a lot from doing some blog posts, like typos, beating the deadline for an online contest, having negative comment from a stalker, glitches from my net connection and staying up late...being nocturnal just to blog for hours and learning something new from my articles.

1 - Multitasking

One of the skills you must attain as a blogger is being a multitasker. All you have to do is to be active. Like what I do almost everyday, while blogging I do some research for my next topic and replying to messages on Facebook.

2 - Make some drafts

In able to finish your blog posts every time you blog, create your drafts on a word processor like Microsoft Word so that you can edit out your entry anytime. I used to do some drafts on my phone, either jotting down notes in my Memo or in my Evernote for Android. Very useful whenever I have some deadlines for a PR firm.

3 - Queued and publish

After you create your drafts, queue it in your Wordpress or Blogger dashboard and schedule it for posting.

4 - Do some research

Browse for your future blog entries, so you can decide if you want to have it as an article or not. If you have a niche, then go for your specific topic for your blog.

5 - Motivation is the key

Focus on your job as a blogger. Place a "do not disturb" infront of your door. I'll always see to it that I have a quiet time blogging...putting an earplugs listening to my favorite songs while composing an article for my blog.

6 - Write your own 'to do list' for the week

Before, I seldom jotting some notes on my desk, like important projects, reminders and to do list for the day. When I got into blogging, I always see to it that I achieved at least 6 goals for the week. Stressful but it helps me a lot to organize my daily routines.

7 - Make some deadline for yourself

A month ago, I have six drafts in my blog and I have to finish it by 3rd week of November. Giving yourself a deadline is effective, because if you have some drafts on our blog, you can achieve your goals. I'd gave myself two blog entries a week before beating the deadline. Time consuming yet it's easier for me to do some other tasks.

8 - Interact with your followers.

Recently, I joined in an activity from one of the group page dedicated to Filipino bloggers. It's important to interact with your followers, whether they liked your articles or not. Accept their suggestions and adapt it on your blog.

9 - Schedule your invites

Barely a month ago, I was invited to an event from the leading pizza in the country. Unfortunately, I didn't attend that exclusive invite and at that time Mom was in the hospital. Remember, if you can't attend to an invitation from a company, inform them by sending an email and state the reason why you can't come. Or ask your friends or colleagues...be your proxy. I did that recently. I was having my birthday celebration that day. I was inform that I got a ticket from a gig. I informed my friend to be my proxy for that event. She took the ticket, attended that night, she took some pictures and I'll be posting it soon here in my blog the details of that said event. You need to have some options from grabbing an invitation. Mark down in your calendar the event that you will attending so that you can organize it smoothly without hassle.

10 - Take a rest for a day

Few days ago, I got sick because I overworked and exhausted from staying up late at night. You need to have quality time for yourself. Take some vitamins to regain your energy blogging all night. That's a moral lesson to me. I blogged almost everyday and I stayed late as 2 am.

About Christian Melanie Lee

Known as eccentricyethappy in the world of blogosphere, Melanie dabbles her time between her lifestyle blog, Blogged: Eccentric Yet Happy and other three blogs she's an contributing blogger, The Web Magazine, Pinoy Popcast and MTRCB She spend her spare time blogging and composing poems and essays.

10 of the Most Talked-About Shared Photos in Facebook

Facebook has changed the plane of user interaction in the web as it rose to being the most popular networking website. According to statistics, Facebook has more than 800 million active users and more than 50% of them log on to the site in a given day. An average Facebook user has 130 friends and connected to 80 community pages, groups and events. This social networking site has undeniably changed the way we communicate and interact with the people we personally know and the way we exchange ideas with people we meet in the community pages.

The statistics further show that users interact with more than 900 million objects in Facebook. These include more than 250 million photos uploaded each day on average. Some are inspiring and humorous, and some go the extra mile of attracting much attention by being the “talk of the town” or more precisely, the “talk of the cyberspace.” Many of these photos had created a stir within the networking site and in conventional media.

Riffing through these photos, here are ten of the Most Talked-About Shared Photos in Facebook.

1 - You are Not a Photographer; You Just Have an Overpriced Camera

The photo’s direct message brings to attention the popular fixation on expensive DSLRs. It stresses that photography is not about expensive gadgets.

If you look the meaning of the word “photographer” in the dictionary, it is a person who takes photographs, either as a hobby or profession. So definitely, the price of your gear doesn’t necessarily defines you as a photographer – Jhiegzh

2 - Lola Aurelia reunited with his missing husband Lolo Luis Matias

Lola Aurelia was the old woman sitting by herself at the corner of Buendia Street and Roxas Boulevard with flyers pinned at the front and at the back of her dress. The flyer says she is looking for her husband, Lolo Luis Matias. He is 78 years old, suffers from memory lapses, and had been missing for 2 weeks.

With the aid of Facebook user Reddie Js (who first posted the picture) and the 53,760 people who shared it, Lola Aurelia was finally reunited with Lolo Luis. (see the video here)

I will not let this happen to my Mom. Mothers are living martyrs. – Mylene Tamayo

3 - Steve Jobs and the Dying Children

When Steve Jobs, the co-founder and CEO of APPLE died on October 5, 2011, millions of people all over the world expressed their grief on their Facebook walls. However, this montage compared his death to the children dying of starvation with the caption “1 Person Dies and 100 Million Cry - 1 Million Die and No One Cries.” What do you think?

This is hardly relevant. Steve Jobs brought us all sorts of technology. What did those kids do for us? You can thank Mother Teresa for impinging the sweat-shop approach to child birth. The Catholic Church is against teaching third world countries about birth control so now let them live with their decisions. - Joe Klement

4 - Janella Lelis Saved the Philippine Flag during Typhoon Juaning in Albay

The 12-year old Bicolana Janella Lelis went bravely against the raging flood just to save the Philippine flag during the onslaught of Typhoon Juaning in Malinao, Albay. The photo was taken by Francisco Pena Lozano while he was watching Janella’s heroic act.
Due to her patriotism, she earned the admiration of Philippine President Noynoy Aquino and many Filipinos worldwide.

A pupil and a kid with a deep sense of patriotism that this country needs to unite and stand up on its feet! Worth emulating! – Willy Nicolas

5 - What social network should you use for your status post?

Using a process flow diagram, this image helps the users in choosing the appropriate social network for different kinds of status posts. The users are led to consider several factors like the feelings of people who are on their friends’ list or those who follow them. Will they be offended by the status post? Would it be awkward to explain that status to one’s boss or to one’s parents? If yes, then the user is urged not to post it.

6 - Judgment Day will be on May 21, 2011

Harold Camping, an American Christian broadcaster, predicted that Lord Jesus Christ will be coming to Earth on May 21, 2011 – the Judgment Day. His prediction spread all over the world and got huge media attention. He also said that there will be plagues with millions of people dying each day. However, as we know it, these events did not happen.

Camping pressed on and changed his prediction - October 21, 2011 was the new date for the end of the world. Because of his fizzled predictions, Camping on a private interview admitted that he no longer believes that anybody could know the time of the Rapture.

You better stop predicting about end times. Only God the Father knows when He is coming back. – Steven Kirst

7 - Tsunami Walk of Miss Shamcey Supsup in Miss Universe 2011

On September 2011 at Sao Paolo, Brazil, Miss Philippines Shamcey Supsup won 3rd Runner Up in the 2011 Miss Universe. But before the pageant started, Shamcey’s official gown was rumored to be a recycled Alfredo Barraza – the designer of the gown previously worn by Miss Colombia, Catalina Robayo Vargas.

However, this rumor didn’t stop Shamcey in giving her best. During the pageant night, she earned the trade mark for the Tsunami Walk with the swaying of her middle body likened to a tsunami wave as she walked.

Trade mark is yours when it comes to walking with Tsunami style!!! And the beauty of humanity as well the real world talent is one of the most ever! – Gloria Pedraja

8 - December 20, 2011: A Day Before The End of the World?

This calculation caught the attention of many people because of its mathematically incorrect treatment on the addition of the dates of two unforgettable events in recent history.

• 09-11-2001 – The 9-11 terrorist attacks. Terrorists took control of four commercial airliners, two of which crashed into the Twin Towers in New York.
• 03-09-2011 - A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan.

The sum of the two dates is a day short of December 21, 2011, said to be the last day of human civilization according to the Mayan Long Count Calendar.

9 - Steve Jobs and Dennis Ritchie: Media Exposure

Steve Jobs was the co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Because of him we have iPhones, iPods, iPads, iMacs and many others. On the other hand, Dennis Ritchie was an American computer scientist who created the C Programming Language, and with his colleague Ken Thompson the UNIX operating system. Both of them died in the same year (2011) and the same month (October) but it seemed only a few noticed the death of Dennis Ritchie.

Usually the guy who wrote a song is not as famous and praised than the singer who sang it. – Bernard Wong

10 - Juan Manuel Marquez Stepping on Manny Pacquiao’s Foot and Throwing a Combination

It was on November 13, 2011 when Manny Pacman Pacquiao won against Juan Manuel Marquez by a majority decision. The final scores were 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112 in favor of Pacquiao. PacMan’s victory on this match was not totally expected by the viewers because when his name was announced as the winner, he received boos from the audience.

A few days after the fight, a photo of the Foot Stopper Trick by JMM during his match with Pacquiao circulated online. This was thought to be the reason why PacMan became an easy target. What do you think?

About Jose Peñas Jr.

He is an Electronics Engineering Technology graduate turned a blogger and call center agent who believes that versatility is more than intelligence. At age 19 he entered blogging realm with no experience and contacts. He learned to blog through online research. He received his very first award as Best Post of the Year in The Annual (Kalsada) Blog Awards 2010.

About Opinyoneyted

– One of your online interactive news publications. Before, its main reason is to share the author’s point of views about different society issues but now this blog is transformed to give you also news and information about trending events.

10 of the Biggest College Basketball Stories 2011

It has been a month since both the UAAP and the NCAA declared a respective champion in the men's basketball tournament, the main headliner of both the two league. Apart from the crowning of the San Beda Red Lions (in the NCAA) and the Ateneo Blue Eagles (in the UAAP), however, more news happened during the course of the college basketball season that changed the complexion of both the NCAA and the UAAP. I'm here to track down the 10 biggest headlines of this year's cage wars. Half of them comes from the NCAA, while the other half are UAAP headlines.

Let's start with the NCAA top headlines.

5 - The Overrated and the Underrated Within the Walls

There's a tie for fifth and sixth in my biggest NCAA headlines, but since Letran and Mapua are neighboring schools along the Intramuros area, why not make a 2-in-1 recap? Prior to the season, the Letran Knights were tagged as underdogs, in fact long shots, while the Mapua Cardinals were tagged as playoff contenders with the arrival of big man Yousef Taha and explosive scorer Josan Nimes. What happened after? Letran went on a hot streak, going 7-2 in the first round, while the Cards struggled early, entering the second round with a 3-6 slate. Mapua began to sizzle in Round 2, behind the heroics of Nimes, the eventual Rookie of the Year, Taha, and team captain Allan Mangahas, but Letran stayed in their top form thanks to combo guard Kevin Alas, dominant banger Jam Cortes, rookie point Mark Cruz, and Most Improved Player awardee Raymund Almazan. The Knights smoothly entered the semis, while the Cardinals fell short of making the Final Four. Did the analysts overrate the Cards? Did they think the Knights are a bust? We don't know, but we can expect from these teams more next year.

4 - Here Come the Pirates

The NCAA welcomed a new team in the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates. Many expected the Pirates would end up as the whipping boys this year, but Lyceum shocked them instead. The Pirates stunned the CSB Blazers and the Perpetual Help Altas in Lyceum's maiden two voyages to NCAA supremacy, instantly becoming the talk of the town. While they would lose the next two, LPU made headlines anew by beating Mapua and Arellano next. The Pirates would hit the ship refueling area with a 4-5 card, but they would set sail again with a stunning win over JRU to get even with the Heavy Bombers, who defeated them just a week earlier. But starting with a blowout loss to Mapua, Lyceum began to crumble, especially after losing veteran Allan Santos to personal reasons. The Pirates would be eliminated after losing to San Sebastian, but they would repeat over the Blazers to end their season on a high note and with a stern warning to the other NCAA teams, "We, the Pirates, are for real!"

3 - The Carlo Lastimosa Case

Another team who were in playoff contention this year were the Blazers, but College of Saint Benilde had other issues to tackle with. Early in the second round, news broke out that swingman Mark Romero, a transferee from FEU, left the team to undisclosed reasons. With the news reported during the registration period for the 2nd trimester of CSB (just like its brother school just across Taft Avenue), it was presumed that Romero's problems had something to do with his enrollment. But Carlo Lastimosa's case was even a bigger issue. Becoming an instant star, the news about Lastimosa, who also had registration concerns and had to leave not just the Blazers but also CSB, became a subject of rumors and headlines on various sports news. There were rumors that spread out that Lastimosa would be transferring to San Beda, Ateneo, his uncle's, Jojo Lastimosa's alma mater, or at La Salle's main campus just across the street. Carlo's enrollment matter were already settled and suited up again for the Blazers, but it was a bit too late as the Blazers, who entered the second round tied with Lyceum at number 4 at 4-5, were shown the door with only 2 wins in the last 9.

2 - Championshp Number 19!

In what many thought would be a championship year for San Sebastian under rookie coach Michael "Topex" Robinson, the San Beda Red Lions stayed consistent throughout the season and stole the limelight from the Golden Stags by sweeping the latter in the NCAA Finals. Thanks to veterans Garvo Lanete, Dave Marcelo, the Semerads, Dave and Anthony, and the Pascuals, Jake and Kyle, San Beda remained tough and took advantage of a late Baste downfall to win their 19th NCAA title, tying Letran for the most seniors' basketball championships. Aside from that, they proved that they can win a championship without an import, in this case Sudan Daniel, who didn't play due to a torn ACL. However, the celebration, which I know is still continuing till today, might be cut short as rumors were buzzing around that the Semerad twins, both Anthony and Dave Semerad, are packing their gears in Mendiola and are bound for Katipunan Avenue, transferring to Ateneo. No confirmations are being made as of press time.

1 - The Miracle Run

The championship run of San Beda barely missed on overshadowing JRU's big-time run to the Final 4. Entering the 2nd round with a not-pleasing-to-the-eye 3-6 slate, the Heavy Bombers lost their next three assignments, kicking off the next round on a sour note and with analysts thinking JRU's done for the year. That time, I was already thinking about a Mapua, CSB, and Lyceum race for the wildcard. Then the unthinkable happened. Nate Matute, who struggled in the first round, waxed hot late in the season, and with the help of veterans John Lopez, Jeckster Apinan, and Alex Almario, the Heavy Bombers won their last six games, including a shock upset over San Beda and the playoff berth-clinching demolition of Mapua, to enter the semis, besting the Blazers, the Pirates, and of course the Cards. Although the Lions got back at them, they earned much respect for the winning streak. Expect JRU to bomb next year.

Now off to the UAAP top headlines

5 - Where 33-Point Turnaround Happens

Speaking of unthinkables, add this to the collection. The Adamson Soaring Falcons were ahead by 17 halfway through the second quarter of their second round meeting with UST. The Growling Tigers, looking to enter the Final 4, stepped on the gas from there. Thanks to the Jerics, Jeric Teng and Jeric Fortuna, with rookies Kevin Ferrer and Karim Abdul and athletic veteran Chris Camus, the Tigers turned the tides, overcame the deficit, and even beating the Falcons by 16. That's a 33-point turnaround! Not just that this was the biggest comeback win this year, the UST win over Adamson might come down as the biggest turnaround the UAAP has ever seen.

4 - Make Way for the Freshmen

Ferrer and Abdul are just two of a number of explosive rookies we saw this year. While the NCAA has the likes of Josan Nimes, Yousef Taha, Jonathan Grey, and Baser Amer, the UAAP has Kevin, Karim, Kiefer Ravena, Gelo Alolino, and Bobby Parks. Ravena, from Ateneo, won the Rookie of the Year award, starting a new legacy left off by Kiefer's dad, former PBA and MBA superstar Bong Ravena. Parks, on the other hand, won the MVP. Parks, a son of former PBA import Bobby Sr., could have been the ROY as well, if not for that rule disqualifying rookies who did not come straight from high school to win the freshman plum. Nevertheless, both Parks, Ravena, and the rest of the aforementioned rookies will return next year to continue building their already legendary legacy here. Talk about the deepest rookie batch ever in college basketball.

3 - No Sweep...

Entering the 2nd meeting of the Adamson Soaring Falcons and the Ateneo Blue Eagles, people were already talking about the stepladder format. The UST counter-blowout against Adamson was still abuzz. They were also talking about the UP Pep Squad coloring their hairs blonde and what stuff they will show in the cheerdance competition, turned out to be a way to do the grand slam (Oops! Sorry, Talk 'n Text fans). The Falcons, who were sealing the twice-to-beat edge then, made no hesitation to do the act immediately. AdU broke free from a close 1st half and blew out ADMU, 62-46, to stop the Blue Eagles from sweeping the season. Apart from that, the Falcons won for the first time in 30 meetings in the UAAP, dating back to the 1997 season. For Adamson, they cherished the moment as if they already won the title. Though they didn't do so in the UAAP, they are continuing the winning run on the PBA D-League.

2 - ...No Problem

The loss to Adamson did not hinder Ateneo from cementing their legacy in the UAAP. Ateneo would win three straight, a nail-biter against UST in the semis, and sweeping FEU in the finals, to clinch their sixth UAAP seniors' basketball crown. What made it more special was that they won their fourth consecutive championship, the fourth to complete the 4-peat. The teams who accomplished the same feat prior to the Blue Eagles' reign were the 1965-71 UE Red Warriors, the 1993-96 UST Growling Tigers, and the 1998-2001 De La Salle Green Archers. Credit that to Finals MVP Nico Salva, who dominated the court with his veteran moves.

1 - FEU Did The Petron!

Although the FEU Tamaraws fell prey to the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP Finals, the Tams proved to everyone that they can still pull off the rug against all odds. They had a twice-to-beat disadvantage in their Final 4 encounter with Adamson, picked to make the Finals by many, including me. But FEU showed their might and championship experience in the semis. They blew off the Soaring Falcons in the first game (technically the second because of AdU's twice-to-beat incentive, equivalent to a 1-0 lead in a best-of-three) and played well despite the late rally ignited by Adamson star Alex Nuyles to escape with a 59-49 win. FEU would stave off another late rally of Adamson, this time led by Jeric Cañada, to win the rubber match, 76-73. Although they would lose to Ateneo, FEU still fought gallantly. Many believed when I posted a blog entitled Can FEU Do the Petron?, and I was convinced with them. FEU DID THE PETRON!

About Ivan Saldajeno, the author

a BS Mathematics student at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños. He was the sports editor for The Palawenian, the English school paper of the Palawan National School from 2003-2005. He is one of the page administrators for the Facebook college sports page Kasali ang School Ko sa NCAA or UAAP, and he is one of the bloggers and moderators of FlipRap. His passion in writing sports articles is still ablaze through his sports blogs: Sporty Guy and Hoops Atbp. These blogs talk about basketball, soccer, boxing, and other various sports locally and internationally.

10 of the Best Romantic Comedy Movies - So Far

Everyone is a sucker for romantic comedies, that is why there are so many movies done in this genre. It appeals to women because of all the lovey dovey moments and because women love the idea of love, men on the other hand, have no choice. You wouldn’t let your girlfriend watch a movie all by herself now, would you? I thought so, anyway, here is my list of the Top 10 Best Romantic Comedies done so far.

1 - My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

Everyone has fallen in love with their best friend one time or another. Am I right or am I right? Heck, I married mine! However, not everyone is so lucky, just like Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) who tries to sabotage her best friend’s wedding in hopes that he will come back to her and marry her instead. I love this movie, it was the first one that actually had an unexpected ending. Everyone expected Julia Roberts’ and Dermot Mulroney’s characters to end up together in the end, but it didn’t happen. Still, it’s a funny movie, and don’t you just love Rupert Everett, I swear, every girl definitely has to have a gay best friend. I have one, do you?

Unforgettable Scene:

George Downes: Michael's chasing Kimmy?
Julianne Potter: Yes!
George Downes: You're chasing Michael?
Julianne Potter: YES!
George Downes: Who's chasing you... nobody, get it? There's your answer. It's Kimmy.
- From IMDB.com

Funniest Scene: The Karaoke Scene

Awww Moment:

Julianne Potter: Michael, I love you. I've loved you for nine years. I've just been too arrogant and scared to realize it, and, well, now, I'm just scared, so - I-I-I realize this comes at a very inopportune time, but I really have this gigantic favor to ask of you. Choose me. M-marry me. Let me make you happy. Oh, that sounds like three favors, doesn't it? B-but...
- From IMDB.com

2 - Wedding Singer (1998)

Adam Sandler is one of the best comedians of our generation (GenY?), there is no doubt about that. He and Drew Barrymore just work so perfectly together. This movie is about a wedding singer, Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) who was dumped by his fiance because she feels that she doesn’t have a future with him. He then meets and spends more time with a waitress, Julia Sullivan (Drew Barrymore) who is a bride to be, he helps her with her wedding and they fall in love with each other, and that’s where all the mess begins. I love watching this movie and I never get tired of it. The soundtrack is great too, so that’s always a treat.

Unforgettable Scene: Grow Old With You Song, proposal on the plane.
Funniest Scene: The Julia Guglia (pronounced Gulia) scene.

Awww Moment:

Julia: I puked.
Robbie: Okay. Don't worry.
Julia: I vomited in my hair.
Robbie: All right.
Julia: Does my hair smell bad?
[Robbie smells her hair]
Robbie: No, it smells good, actually.
- From IMDB.com

3 - There’s Something About Mary (1998)

OMG! Who can forget this movie? I watched this movies so many times I know the lines! Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz make a hilarious couple! This one is one of the most hilarious romantic comedies I have ever seen in my life. I swear, I laugh my ass off every time I watch this. Who knew that Woogie was actually Ted’s best friend Dom?

Unforgettable Scene: The “hair gel” scene when Mary picked up Ted for their date.
Funniest Scene: When Ted got his “Franks and Beans” stuck in his zipper before their Prom.

Awww Moment:

After Ted’s speech about letting go of Mary and giving him up so she can be truly happy.
Mary: Did you mean what you said up there?
Ted: Well ya I just want you to be happy Mary.
Mary: But I'd be happiest with you.
Ted: What about Bret Favre...?
Mary: What did I tell you the first time we met? I'm a Niners fan!
They then hug and kiss.
- From IMDB.com

4 - How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) is going to write the best article in her journalism career, and that is about How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, by doing the things that men hate and find annoying about women. At the same time, Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) boasts to his boss that he can make any woman fall in love with him in just 10 days. In the end they both lose, why? Because they found actual love.

Unforgettable Scene:

When they first met:
Andie: Unattached?
Ben: Currently.
Andie: Likewise.
Ben: Surprising.
Andie: Psycho?
Ben: Rarely, Interested?
Andie: Perhaps.
Ben: Hungry?
Andie: Starving.
Ben: Leaving?
Andie: Now?
- From IMDB.com

Funniest Scene: Andie naming Benjamin’s stuff, Princess Sophia.
Awww Moment: When Andie finds out that she is the first woman Ben ever brought home to meet his family.

5 - 50 First Dates (2004)

Another awesome movie with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. In this movie, Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) who is a commitment phob, finally meets the girl he wants to settle with, Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), the problem is she suffers from short term memory loss and forgets him the very next day. So what does he do? He makes her fall in love with her, every day.

Unforgettable Scene: When Henry sings to Lucy, Forgetful Lucy.

Funniest Scene: The part where Henry asks Ula (Rob Shneider), his best friend, to pretend to mug him as Lucy is driving by, so Lucy gets out of the car and beats Ula with a baseball bat.

Awww Moment: Every one of their first kiss.

6 - Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

How do you get over someone who just dumped you? Take a vacation of course. But make sure your Ex doesn’t go to the same resort with her new beau otherwise it can cause some problems. I just love Jason Segel from How I Met Your Mother, and in this movie, he showcases his talents as a comedian.

Unforgettable Scene: When Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) runs into Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) and Aldous Snow (Russel Brand), who is a famous rock star and her new boyfriend in the resort where he’s vacationing in to try and get over their break up.

Funniest Scene: Making Love wars. Sarah wakes up to the sound of Peter and Rachel (Mila Kunis) making love, so she decides to wake up Aldous and makes an even louder noise, which only encourages Peter to be louder. Aldous knows Sarah is faking it, so he stops her and tells her he knows she was faking.

Awww Moment: When Peter realizes he’s fallen for Rachel.

7 - What Happens in Vegas (2008)

I didn’t think that Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher had enough chemistry for this movie, but it has some funny parts and awww moments too. Ever heard of the expression “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”? Well, that’s not always the case.

Unforgettable Scene: The next day when they woke up, realized they were married and decided to get a divorce. Their conversation lead to an argument and soon a fight, then in the middle of bickering, Joy (Cameron Diaz) takes out a quarter to play the slot machine, she puts it in the slot and Jack (Ashton Kutcher) pulls the lever, as they walk away angrily from each other, they were stopped by the noise the slot machine made, they just won the $3Million.

Funniest Scene: When they were preventing each other from getting to their couple’s counseling session.

Awww Moment: At the beach when Jack asks Joy to be his wife, again, for real.

8 - The Proposal (2009)

This is probably one of the funniest romantic comedies I have ever seen. Sandra Bullock is hilarious and Ryan Reynolds is so hot! In this movie, Sandra Bullock plays Canadian Margaret Tate, who is an editor at a publishing house, she is known for being very bossy but very good at her job, her work visa is expiring soon so she forces her assistant Andrew Paxton, played by Ryan Reynolds to marry her and in return she promises to publish his work after everything is settled.

Unforgettable Scene: When Grandma Annie and Andrew’s mom gave her a necklace that has been in their family for generations and she realizes she can’t fool them any longer because she has also fallen in love with their family.

Funniest Scene: Margaret finds Grandma Annie in the woods, chanting and she tells Margaret to join her, so she does, then she gets carried away and starts dancing and chanting to Lil John’s song, Get Low.

Awww Moment: When Andrew proposed to Margaret, for real.

Andrew Paxton: Three days ago, I loathed you. I used to dream about you getting hit by a cab. Then we had our little adventure up in Alaska and things started to changed. Things changed when we kissed. And when you told me about your tattoo. Even when you checked me out when we were naked. But I didn't realize any of this, until I was standing alone... in a barn... wifeless. Now, you could imagine my disappointment when it suddenly dawned on me that the woman I love is about to be kicked out of the country. So Margaret, marry me, because I'd like to date you.
- From IMDB.com

9 - The Ugly Truth (2009)

A movie where a guy teaches a girl what NOT to do to secure a relationship with a guy, but surprise surprise, they fall in love with each other.

Unforgettable Scene: When Mike (Gerard Butler) is teaching Abby (Katherine Heigl) how to flirt.
Funniest Scene: The vibrating panty dinner scene. Hilarious!

Awww Moment: The elevator scene where they make out and know for sure that they are attracted to one another.

10 - Friends With Benefits (2011)

I never liked Justin Timberlake, but boy, this movie changed my mind about him. He and Mila Kunis have incredible chemistry on screen and I think that is why this movie is so awesome. In this movie, they both play career driven people who find the dating scene tiring and so dramatic and they both wish that it could be simpler. So they make a pact to sleep together, no strings attached, and reap the benefits of being in a relationship, without all the drama.

Unforgettable Scene: The Flash Mob Dance in Grand Central Station in NYC, Dylan organized a flash mob as a peace offering as well as sort of a proposal to win Jamie back.

Funniest Scene: When the are in LA and Jamie prompts Dylan to cross the fence and climb the Hollywood sign.
[as the LAPD helicopter catches them on sitting on the Hollywood sign and Jamie is trying t get Dylan to jump down]
Dylan: I have a fear of heights! And also hel...helicopters! They don't make sense to me!
Jamie: What do you mean you have a fear of heights? Why would you come up here?
Dylan: You called me a p-p-pussy!
- From moviequotesandmore.com

Awww Moment: When they decide they should do it, strictly business-like, no strings attached, no emotions. On doing it without strings attached:
Jamie: I don't even know if I find you attractive.
Dylan: That's cute.
Jamie: Mmm. I do have a thing for jerks. Well, do you even find me attractive?
Dylan: That's cute.
Jamie: No! No! No! Before you got to know my awesome personality. Strictly physical. First time you saw me.
Dylan: This is just two people talking?
Jamie: Yeah. Two girls, over drinks at Bennigans. Go.
Dylan: I liked your eyes. I didn't think I'd ever seen such big beautiful eyes.
Jamie: And your lips. Yeah, thought you might be a good kisser.
Dylan: I am.
Jamie: I liked your hands.
Dylan: Mouth.
Jamie: Butt.
Dylan: Voice.
Jamie: Chest.
Dylan: Eyes.
Jamie: You said that.
Dylan: I meant it.
- From moviequotesandmore.com

So, which ones made it to your list and which one of your fave romantic comedies didn't make it on my list?

• Reference/Source: imdb.com
• Reference/Source: moviequotesandmore.com

About Ane Fallarme, the author
Imperfect Perfectionist. Gorgeously Flawed. A a freelance writer who blogs to her heart's content when she has no articles to ghost write for other people.A Network of Entertainment - NOT your typical Entertainment Blog.