Well, this is a surprise for me. I thought my friend was joking when he called to inform me that our company is featured in a magazine. I can’t remember working with any magazine for a feature about our company since I am publicity shy and reserved. It’s my mom who handles and approves feature solicitations and she didn’t mention anything to me about this. I inquired to my friend what magazine is that and he said it’s Metro Weddings Directory. I told him that I’m surprised our company is listed there since I didn’t place any advertisement in that magazine. Well, it turned out that this magazine’s account of our company came from our clients who got our services in the past. To quote Weddings@Work, “This is why we created a directory that not only has updated contact information, but a short description of each of the supplier’s strength. We tried our best to relieve you of the guesswork. We spoke to over a hundred suppliers and included here only those we felt confident enough to recommend to you. But we at METRO WEDDINGS also believe that a reliable source of recommendations are newlyweds who worked closely with suppliers. They know first-hand who gave the best value for money, who gave the best service, who surprised them with such creativity.”
To all our clients and collegues in the industry, thank you for continued support and patronage. Rest assured that we will maintain the quality of our products and services. We will strive harder to be better. I love what I do so I don’t feel like working at all and I guess, it manifests in the way I do business. I’m happy I don’t have to try hard to get a free publicity. 
Gasan, Butterfly Town
posted on Monday September 4, 2006
Gasan is an overlooked town in the country, and people usually only visit the sleepy municipality during Easter to witness the world famous Moriones Festival. Unknown to many, this town is also considered the butterfly capital of the Philippines, contributing 85% of the country’s butterfly and pupa exports. More than three-fourths of the butterfly breeders nationwide are based in this town and neighboring villages. Butterfly farming started only recently but is fast becoming an international growth industry with estimates of P100 million worth of exports. Worldwide, the market is estimated at $100 million (USD).
We went to a cooperative butterfly farm called Marinduque Lepidoptera Farms (gardenfairybutterfly@yahoo.com) in Barangay Uno, where this writer found the butterflies so friendly. Mrs. Emer Sevilla, the person in charge of the butterfly cooperative, each gave us one live butterfly in a triangular envelope and said that based on a local legend, if I wanted to make a wish come true, I should whisper this wish to the butterfly before setting it free. The butterfly is supposed to take my wish to the heavens where it will then be granted. I made the ritual, and instantly, I was given a feeling of hope.Aside from the colorful butterflies that we saw during the visit at the butterfly farm, we were also given an indigenous parade of calesas spruced up in various decorations of local materials, shells, plants and young couples in their native costumes.
Around town, we drove around and went to one of the town’s highest point where we saw Tres Reyes, named after the three kings in the new testament of the bible. From afar, we saw several beach coves ideal for swimming and skinny dipping. According to my guide, there is one place in this island called Sitio Barangay Pingan or plates, for the many Sung and Ching dynasty plates and jars that were found in the area, believed to have been swept ashore by sunken Chinese vessels a century ago when foreign vessels would traverse this area for trade and commerce. These tiny islands also boasts of natural sandbars, but locals warned us not to swim because of treacherous undertow currents. So we ended up further into the inner town’s Dawis falls.Pasalubong wise, the town is starting to market its special vinegar and bagoong where Captain Rolando Tolentino, the mayor of Gasan, claims that the famous Balayan bagoong actually comes from his town. There is also a special bibingka to be had. Buntal place mats and coasters and abaca doormats are also available. The woodcarvers make mobiles of birds, butterflies and bees, consigning many of these in the Poblacion Gasan across from the Gasan Complex and People’s Restaurant.As we were driven back to the bus station (JAC Liner Tel No.: 927-6139 or 928 6140) for the ride home to imperial Manila, I noticed a lot of Japanese and Caucasians walking away from the seaside only to discover that a lot of these foreigners have settled in the town mostly near the coast. Some balikbayans have decided to build there dream homes in the area; others have built small bed and breakfast establishments. I realized that these foreigners must have found a new way of gentle living as they continue to learn from the gentle ways of the butteflies.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Asian Spirit flies between Manila and Boac (M-W-F); the airport is 12 km south of Boac, on the way to Gasan. You can also take a boat to Mindoro from Batangas Port, after which you can catch another boat to Gasan (P100.00).
WHERE TO STAY:
Try Club Marinduque (P1080.00-1800), where you have a view of the Tres Reyes Islands and Mount Malindig. You can also stay at the German-run Katala Beach Resort and Restaurant (P700.00-P1,000.00 for fan and/or air-con rooms).
Vic Albornoz Lactaoen is currently a travel writer for Cebu Pacific Airway’s new inflight magazine-Smile and contributor for Manila Bulletin’s Travel Section and The Business Mirror. He still travels extensively around the country and hopes to finish his first travel book on off beat destinations in the Philippines soon.
Images provided by Teodoro Pelaez.
