1500km Island-hopping Trip--only in the Philippines! Byahe na!

There's more to tell than just the picturesque backdrop in this travel that spans 1500 kilometers across the three islands of Luzon, Vizayas and Mindanao.

Despite apprehensions as first-time long-distance travelers, daughter and me went ahead with our road trip, armed only with excitement and prayers.  The long road and travel time seemed unimaginable at first, but surprisingly it was an untiring journey from Taguig City to Samal Island, Davao Del Norte in Mindanao, the southern tip of the Philippine archipelago. Got here some tips for first-timers of this 3-island route including time travel and cost, sleeping options, and most importantly, the dangers that may be lurking in the dark...so watch out!

Day1. Departed Taguig at 12:20am, gassed up full tank in shell C5 then drove straight ahead to SLEX to kick off our midnight drive. At a speed of 80-100km/hr in the expressway, we hit the long and winding road in Atimonan, Quezon--coined bitukang manok by motorists, at past 3:00 am. The road is indeed scary as it is notoriously dark and no single soul in sight! It was zero visibility due to fogs when we passed by--good thing daughter Kara was sleeping-- or else she'll freak out! My fears were heightened when I saw two figures flashings ahead as if signaling us to stop (told myself never to stop, as if I have a choice!) but only to find out they were some kindhearted locals who endured the cold and darkness up the mountain, just to give the motorists direction as the road is dangerously curvy and tricky. Some tips for you if you intend to use this route: 1) Timing your trip to pass along bitukang manok when it is daybreak already; 2) Keep something to give away (food or anything) for those who give assistance in the road (I must confess I did not give any, I was scared to even open windows! 😰)

At 5:00am, we passed by Gumaca, would have wanted to breakfast here but it's too early for my IF (intermittent fasting) meal so we drove ahead after a quick stop at the bayside. Still a bit dark when we entered Camarines Norte, the gateway to Bicolandia, and finally had a full stop for coffee at a roadside cafeteria inTabugon, a barangay in Sta. Elena. That was all you can ask for an early morning coffee with that beautiful church across the road.

At 10am, I was blown away to see for the first time, her highness Mt. Mayon! Standing tall and majestic, the legendary beauty is mesmerizing. Indeed what a sight to behold! We had quick lunch in Albay shortly, and finally reached the end of our first island tour in Matnog, Sorsogon at 1:33pm, the tip of south Luzon where you board a ferry to take you to the island of Visayas. We boarded Fastcat at about 3pm and disembarked in Allen Samar by 5pm the same day, about a 2hour boat ride across San Bernardino Strait. Called it a day and slept in a beachside hotel in Allen. Tips: 1) bring food as no fast foods around, no bbq stations waiting for you in the pier, no cafeteria, maybe due to pandemic? 2) Gas up -- there is a gas station at the port, so gas up full tank whenever you can as they close at 5pm and you never know when you see another gas station on the road. 

Day2. Took breakfast leisurely in a cafeteria that is surrounded by seawater on both sides! Started our Samar trip at past 7am, drove nonstop till Catbalogan for another coffee in Jolibee, and shorty reached the most awaited part of the trip-- my driving the San Juanico Bridge! dream come true hah! 

Reached Tacloban at past 12noon where a sumptuous lunch at Yolanda awaits us-- a most refreshing treat by ka-TROPA from Dubai- God bless you Rex Maray, wishing more abundance in your farm! Yolanda is a seaside eatery that defied the brutal storm, quite literally. It stood proudly to manifest the resilience of Tacloban, rising from the debris of the catastrophe and now feeding the hungry souls especially of travelers like us. After the superlicious freshcatch seafoods, Rexie took us on a brief tour, pictures here and there then off we went to the other end of the island, in Liloan Leyte for the next Ferry boat that will take us to the island of Mindanao. I am always in awe whenever driving along coastal roads, but the mountain drive to Liloan is a great adventure in itself. I was particularly spellbound by one bridge that is seemingly floating at a mountaintop due to heavy fogs, almost in heaven na ang feeling. That was pretty much like a movie scene in Avatar where down there, the ravine is so deep it is like a bottomless pit! Then I learned later (dashcam was on) that the bridge name is Agas Agas, it's actually the highest bridge in the country, how lucky me! 

We managed to get on board a ferry the same day and finally left the Visayas at 8pm. Arrived Lipata, Surigao city at 12midnight, again with no foods in sight. So please bring your own baon, kahit skyflakes oks na 😍 or else gutom abot nyo sa daan. We cannot afford to be hungry po kasi nag-iibang anyo kaming mag-ina pag gutom 😆 

Drove 2hours and a half to Butuan for a sleepover.

Day3 Butuan to Davao city is 5hrs and Davao-Samal Island is a 10minutes ferry boat. 

Total approx time-travel: 36hrs (pag sa ferry na kayo matulog) 

Luzon - 13hrs + 2hr boat 

Vizayas - 9hrs+ 4hr boat 

Mindanao - 8hrs 

Travel Date: Nov 2020 

Approx Cost of travel: Php 12,000 (+ -) inclusive of gas, toll, ferry rides, 1night hotel, foods & drinks.

There you have it folks, hope to inspire you to travel more to the hinterlands, and see what pleasant surprises and secret treasures await you!

Bon Voyage!

From: Mom Wilma & Kara

How to get your refund when Developer cancels your condo

Due to difficult times, many condominium owners suffered a financial crisis and subsequently defaulted in paying monthly obligations which resulted in the forfeiture of their property.

If this is your case, then read on.

NO downpayment, low monthly payments, zero interest in 3years, or Lease to Own, are just some of the teasers that bewitch buyers into property investment.  And some are just too excited to rush, thinking they hit a jackpot and without much research and preparation, plungged into the trap.  

Must admit that I myself was entrapped at one time or another, so that makes me a sort of authority to talk about this critical issue--I walk the talk-- ika nga! 😀

              

Say, you invested a posh condo in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.."ahh my OFW dreamhouse finally!" you beam with pride.  And without further ado signed a Contract to Sell for a PHP 4m condo because the 20% down payment is payable zero interest in 3 years.  Basically, you will be paying only P11k+ per month for your lifelong dream home, so san ka pa?! kaya go na! or so you happily thought.

Now comes the sad reality of life.  Your office is downsizing or business is down due to global financial and health crisis and you are as badly affected.  Then you started missing monthly payments, or about to complete paying your 3yr zero interest instalment plan, as turnover of the property looms in the coming month.  But banks or other lending institutions will no longer approve your loan application as you are now in the league of the chosen jobless, or has bankrupted (don't worry marami po tayo in the same league)  😁

Ergo your beloved condo that you have painstakingly paid every single month for the last two or three years, is taken away from you, period.

So where to go now?  What options do you have?

First, don't cry out loud.  Just relax sit down and read your terms and conditions in the contract and try to look for some grey areas where your developer may have faulted too.  Oftentimes, they miss delivering the unit on the stated date, so dyan may alas ka na.   Here you may seek a full refund and if they refuse then go run to HLURB now DHSUD, our knight in shimmering armor.

At any rate, you are protected by RA 6552 known as the Realty Installment Buyer Act or simply known as MACEDA LAW.  This law entitles you to a 50% refund of your payments if you have already paid installments for at least  two (2) years.  Other important items to note in Maceda law:

-- if paid installment for 5years then additional 5% refund for every year thereafter;

-- if paid installment for less than 2years, you have no cash surrender value but have rights to:                           a) a grace period of not less than 60days; b) to be notified of cancellation; c) to sell or assign                       d) to reinstate your contract before actual cancellation;   

Please note that notification of cancellation means you as the buyer/owner must receive and acknowledge a duly notarized notice of cancellation or demand for rescission of contract.  Hindi po pwede na basta na lang sabihin ni project owner na "hoy Juan/Juana, pack up ka na kay kanselado na kontrata mo!"  Nah no! 

In another case where buyer already fulfills (almost) complete payment of say three (3) year DP (down payment) where the unit is supposed to be delivered on the final payment of your DP, but the said property is nowhere in sight--meaning not even a single post was erected-- then what now?

Ahh, gotcha!

You can ask for full refund in this case.   Most probably, project owner will offer you other promises which you may consider, but if all things fail, do not renounce your rights to full refund.  How to do this? Give the project owner the courtesy of writing them your intent, but, with a time frame.  It must within a reasonable timeframe.  Else, you'd be waiting for many Christmases to come and go, whilst they are buying their sweet time caused by your indolence, so to speak.  

If that action or non-action proves futile, then seek legal help from the authority or from any other experts or your broker for that matter.

So there, hope this helps those who are currently griping their investment state while grappling with pandemic realities.  Don't feel down, just have faith at kaya natin to!

And if all your efforts fail, just dial a friend, Im just a call away 😍

Keep safe folks.  God bless us 🙏

Wilma B Villanueva, MBA-Bldg & Property Mngt

License Real Estate Broker

License Real Estate Appraiser

Property Manager-Dubai Certified