Breakwater Bacolod Leg

Breakwater in action!

by: Louise Pipos G. Akut

I was sitting on the bench at the boarding area of Mactan-Cebu International Airport, bored and had nothing to do but to surf the internet with such slow connection, when a phone call came up. It was from our group’s adviser, Ma’am Emmy! She called ‘cause the boarding area departing for Bacolod was transferred. Excited as I am, I immediately rushed to her! I was so happy to see her again after the Kizuna [Bond] Project held in Japan. We went to Bacolod together to implement our organizations's  Bacolod Leg  project - Breakwater: Living with Nature. To know more about Breakwater, click this link and like the page: www.facebook.com/BreakwaterPhil.

As we arrive at the Bacolod-Silay International Airport, we went directly to Panaad Park and Sports Complex where our photo exhibit was held. When I saw everyone’s familiar faces, I felt nostalgic. It was like a blast from the past! Our memories when we were in Japan flashbacked. Oh, how I miss those moments. And now, we’re about to make another – Bacolod version. I just miss these guys so much!

Our photo exhibit featured the affected areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake, specifically in Iwate Prefecture.

Other than the photo exhibit, we also had our partnership with the Philippine Lifesaving Society. We assisted them in the registration of the participants in the activities of the Lifesaving Carnival.

  

 

                                      

 

And at the same time, we also met the representatives from the Lifesaving Korea. 

On April 12, we had our Disaster Awareness and Preparedness Seminar at Barangay Old Sagay, Negros Occidental. Its purpose was to provide essential information on how to be prepared whenever a disaster comes. The things that we learned in the Kizuna [Bond] Project were also brought up, especially about the Great East Japan Earthquake.  We included showing the movie about the Great East Japan Earthquake and how it created a tsunami. The main participants of the said seminar were the government officials and scholars. 

Proper execution of the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was also taught and was spearheaded by our Senior Adviser, Mr. Edcel F. Gaitan.

After finishing our duties as goodwill ambassadors, we became instant tourists! We toured around and visited the bests of what Negros Occidental had to offer. We had dinner at Aboy’s Restaurant and had our sweet escape to Calea Pastries & Cake and had desserts. Honestly saying, Calea was a heaven of desserts. Your sweet tooth will definitely have a sudden crave for them! 

We went to Mambukal Resort and trekked the seven falls. SEVEN FALLS! Well, actually, we skipped falls #4 and reached only falls #6. Hahaha! When we reached falls #6, we took our time to swim. I even managed to dive from a cliff. It was breathtaking in a horrifying way because it definitely got my heart beat insanely as I stiffly stood at the end of the cliff. But it certainly awakened the daredevil side of me! 

 We fed our eyes with a spectacular view of the sunset at Kikai Beach. 

   Considered as a LuLi (Lumulubog, Lumilitaw) island by the local folks, Carbin Reef was also included in our itinerary. We rode a boat on our way to the island, which was by the way sponsored by the government. It was just like Camiguin Island, but a Negros Occidental version. White sand and crystal-clear sea – features that definitely captured our eyes. This was the perfect place to feel the summer heat! 

 

And the last item in our list was The Ruins, a historical relic that took us to the time when the Japanese invaded our motherland. It displayed sophistication in its design and its beauty was more praised when sunset came. A pale-looking infrastructure transformed into a sight of spectacle when its color turned into gold as the sun’s rays gracefully hit it. It’s a must-visit! 

   

April 14 came and we had to part ways again. *Sigh* Another flashback occurred, and I instantly remembered the time when we separated after the Kizuna [Bond] project. Well, it’s still not the end of the world anyway and there will still be times where we will see each other again. And when that time comes, hopefully we’ll be complete. See you in our future projects, friends! God bless Breakwater!