Behind the beauty of Lake Yambo

“A patient doesn’t care what you know, but a patient wants to know if you care.” – anonymous

I was from duty the day before the ocular, I got home late afternoon, tired and sleepy. I had my late lunch and slept at 3pm. I spontaneously woke up at 10pm, though I had set the alarm clock at 8pm, and thought it was already dawn. I panicked because I hadn’t prepared yet my paraphernalias for the ocular.  I have been to medical missions a lot of times, assessing hundreds of patients the whole day. Patients who woke up early just to be the first one to be seen on line, and even persistently waiting under the scorching heat of the sun just to take advantage of the opportunity to be assessed and had free medications and other freebies. However this time, my mission was going to be different. Why??? Because assessing an individual is different from assessing a family. I think the upcoming SMILE is going to be really different at a certain level that we will be helping two families to have a more decent shelter, give stuffs that could help the mother in her household chores, and the father in providing for their everyday living, and medical kits for their basic health needs since drugstores and hospitals are a long walk from their place. The two families were first met by s’jim with s’takumi, s’JR, m’connie and m’arisse last October in their road trip to the seven lakes in San Pablo, Laguna. After they reached Lake Yambo, It was a blessing in disguise that they walked further behind the lake, they saw the two families and seen their condition. I have learned what SMILE really means when I encountered and talked to these families. As the name implies, SMB in live experience, entails involvement, getting in touch, sparing some of our time and sharing our excessive blessings to the needy.

It was a rainy Sunday morning, when I met my SMBerks, s‘jim, s’takumi, s’JR and m’odhie at Alabang and rode s’jim’s pick-up. Along the way, I was looking outside where the clouds were dim with rainshowers, but amidst of it I saw some glimpse of sunlight which gave me hope that the weather would be better later on. It was about a 3-hour travel from Manila going to San Pablo, Laguna. We parked and left s’jim’s pick-up at the jump-off and started our trek. Honestly, my outfit was not really prepared that time. I was just wearing my casual pink capri pants, red polo shirt, and rubber doll shoes just like when I go for malling. It was still raining but this time since I was not prepared, I didn’t have my poncho, I put out my pink hello kitty umbrella, and started my walk in the park under the coconut trees. I climbed mount batulao last weekend where I had a hard time trekking on a melted chocolate-like muddy, slippery trail. I was very careful that time not to dip my shoes on it, but that was another story. I thought that it would be the last time that I would have struggle with Mr. Muddy because I cursed him already but I was wrong… I was challenged to reach Lake Yambo literally barefooted. It was useless to wear my rubber dollshoes because the mud reached until below my knees. It seeped through and glued my shoes on it, when one time, my foot left my shoe when it stepped up. Everytime I slipped, I shouted and laughed out loud because I really looked funny and dugyutin. I gave up my shoes, took sir jim’s trekking pole, and walked barefoot, ar-yahhh!!! (My SMBerks were surprised when I put out my trekking sandals, ok fine! I brought one but I just wore it when we went back to the jump-off  he he, masyado ata akong naaliw sa pagtampisaw sa putikan at nakalimutan kong may sandals pala akong dala). But it didn’t matter to me, my goal was to reach my destination in any ways.

We reached Lake Pandin (Lake Yambo’s twin sister) at its peaceful scenery after about an hour, had pictures, and proceeded for a few meters, until we reached Lake Yambo. It has an area of 28.5 hectares, 8 hectares bigger than Lake Pandin. Like Lake Pandin, this lake is considered to be oligotropic, and is suitable for swimming, outings and picnics. But viewing these majestic lakes was only an extra bonus for my trip, I didn’t go there for a sightseeing, but to go further from Lake Yambo until we reached the two families living behind its beauty.

We reached the first house where we saw Anthony, 33 y/o, head of the family, who was preparing and counting rootcrops he harvested that day. He would sell it in the market for about 9 pesos per kilo. He also sells charcoals, and does construction works. His wife Lilibeth, 28 y/o, is the one that is left at home to do the household chores, and takes care of their six children,  Ryan (12 y/o), John Lloyd (9y/o), E-Jay (7 y/o), Judy Ann (5y/o), Nicole (2 y/o), and Jasper (3 mos/o). The couple has been living together for 13 years. They lived in a house with one small room with a 1mx2m dining area, which are made up of bamboos, plastics, some woods, and dried coconut leaves. Their water supply is still being fetched from a bukal, about 30 minutes away from their house. So when I came with my hands and feet dirt with mud, I was hesitant to wash up because I knew that the water I would be using was still fetched from afar. There is no electricity, so only gas lamps are being used at night. There was neither radio nor television, but I was somehow surprised that ate Lilibeth has a cellphone (naks!), and they cooked their food on top of fired woods. The eldest among the children of the couple, also helps in selling charcoals. Ryan and John Lloyd are only both in the second grade, where the two usually walks wearing their slippers when going to school located in the other barangay.“Paano yun ate, kapag maputik?” I asked, “Ayun lulublob tapos magbabanlaw sa may sapa.” The six children walked around barefooted, some are topless, or underless, but still seemed grateful and contented, and I think giving them little things such as toys, old clothes, school supplies, or food (Jollibee o Mcdo?) may already give simple joy to a kid’s heart. And I’m glad enough that my findings during my medical assessment were all unremarkable.  Though they don’t have any food preferences, and free from illnesses, I still commend to give them supplements for nutritional build-up.

The second family was composed of Bernardo, 34 y/o and Criselda, 30 y/o who also have six children, Christian (12 y/o), Jomaper (6 y/o), Joel (5 y/o), John allen (4 y/o), Jessa Mae (1y5mos) and John Lloyd (11 months). Bernardo is a caretaker of raised goats, where he is being paid 700 pesos a week, on the other hand, Criselda is a housewife. They lived in a house which consists of one room and a small kitchen that made up of coconut leaves as the roof, woods and plastics for the walls. The toilet was about 10 meters away from their house, and water is also being fetched from a bukal. Only Christian goes to school and also Jomaper, who doesn’t live with his parents. Jomaper lives with her maternal grandmother, who was the one that provides his needs, and schooling. I wonder how they are during rainy days, however Ate Criselda said, “Di naman tumutulo kaso malamig, madalas silang magkasipon at ubo.” My medical assessment also was unremarkable, except for Kuya Christian who had a toothache that time.

It was already past 3pm when we finished the ocular, and realized that we hadn't lunch yet. We went back to the jump-off guided by Kuya Anthony and avoided the muddy trail. Our stomachs were satisfied by tapsilog and angel's burger. Looking back, I saw that each person lives with a purpose. I may never knew mine at first, but somehow i hope i'm already doing and learning it gradually. I'm glad that i'm blessed to become a blessing through my presence and using my God-given skills. I hope i have inspired and touched their lives in some way I can. Hope to see all of you soon in our upcoming SMILE on January 14-15, 2011! ;)

The day I fell in love… (at Mt. Batulao)

“There are some people who meet that somebody that they can never stop loving, no matter how hard they try. I wouldn’t expect you to understand that, or even believe it, but trust me, there are some love that don’t go away. And maybe that makes them crazy, but we should all be lucky to end up with that somebody who has a little of that insanity. Somebody who never let go. Somebody who cherishes you forever.”   - Ally Mc Beal 

I started my residency training this month, and I knew that I need to focus on my priorities. So goodbye social life, goodbye weekend off, goodbye mountaineering??? But I couldn’t give it up. I will miss my friends, I will miss mother nature, and mostly, my feet will miss stepping on the trail. Mountaineering became one of my love life, the day when I started to climb Mt. Natib, but the scenery at the Tarak ridge, that moment I woke up, when i was pursued and pleased by the sunrise to look forward to my future climbs.  But I never thought that climbing could still be possible for me, because I had a Sunday off every three weeks. He he. There are some mountains that can be climbed for about 2-3 hours, so it is still amenable for me to have some dayhikes. So I had my first dayhike at Mt. Batulao last last December 11, 2011. “Gora na neng!” as shouted by the group consisted of Takumi, Arisse, Jen, Billy, Rex, Albert, Ad, JM, and Paul

It was a rainy Saturday night, though there was a threat that the trail would be muddy, everyone was still on the go whether it rained or shined. But there was something new about this climb, sir takumi, sir billy, and sir albert had their new pairs of trekking shoes, and Jenny had her new pairs of trekking sandals. We met at the Genesis bus terminal at Pasay rotonda, and rode the bus on standing ovation, while taking pics and having some talks. We arrived at the jump-off at around 9:30am. Wow patag! We walked through a cemented surface for about 30 minutes, but it was just an appetizer.

My misery started when we trekked on the trail which became muddy because of the rain the day prior to our climb. Though I was warned about it,  walking through it was harder than I thought. Every step I made would deeply soak my trekking shoes, ewww!!! I was left behind, but not by the sweeper of course! He would hit my butt maybe. I didn’t know where to step my feet on, I almost slipped, and gave up. The sweeper held my hand and lifted me on a higher part at the side of the trail. I admitted I was not conforming to the rule, I was avoiding the trail at that time, because I didn’t want to get slip and hurt. But I remembered, I once said, “Every goal you want to achieve entails hardwork.” The trail is made spontaneously to be muddy, and getting an injury might be part of it. 

I didn’t know that there was no water source. I only brought 1 liter of water, and hoped that it would survived me up to the peak. Most of the trail was an open field, so I really felt the burning heat of the sun. It was a long trek, and it felt like it would never end. I was tired, felt dehydrated but thanks for the mountain dews that sufficed my thirst. 

I was not mentally prepared maybe due to some unfulfilled expectations, and I felt I was hoping for nothing. I didn’t know if it was still worth to proceed, or if I would ever have the plans to come back after I reached peak.

The trail became a continuous ascent. No trees but all grasslands, I also saw a white, charming cat on my way climbing to a rocky, steep trail. It puzzled me how he got there. I’m not a rock climber, but I climbed at a 70-80 degree trail on a scrambling moves (just like the good old days when I did the spidermonkey move at Mt. Natib, and at the Tarak ridge). 

And we reached the summit eventually after 4 hours…

That thing, that moment, I saw a clearer view what was above it, where I saw the blue sky with the clouds, the whole batangas from above, other mountains such as Mt. Maculot and Talamitam. It was a mixed emotions I guessed, I was fascinated and fell in love at Mt. Batulao. It captivated my heart and embraced me as I looked around, and see the greenery view at 360-degrees.

 I never been pleased like this before, but I thought I was experiencing it at that moment.  That feeling may happened to me once, and I prayed that it would not fade away. And all I could say was it’s worth the hardwork of getting to the top, that it was worth climbing for. The mountains beside it, the clouds, the fields downward were so photogenic. I remembered a friend once said, “Kung pwede lang magpakasal sa kalikasan, ginawa ko na.” There was this rock that I sat on and made it like a couch, and then, I stepped on it and did my poses, which seemed that I became an instant model at that moment. 

And lastly, I got a bottle dose of mountain dew at the top, sa'n ka pa? From the old trail then getting to the top, we went down by the new trail with a big smile on my heart.