Team LOGSAC rules MFSM’s 1st Berghaus Orienteering Competition

The trio of Romil Duhaylungsod, Ian Duhaylungsod and Julius Biala of Team LOGSAC ruled the 1^st Mountaineering Federation of Southern Mindanao (MFSM) Orienteering Competition held on January 12, 2014 at Mulan Beach Resort, Toril, Davao City. After completing a dozen of tricky stations, the team came out victorious, beating other contestants which included other MFSM affiliated club members. Team HADAMS and Team MOKSAI settled for second and third place, respectively.

The first ever Orienteering  competition was part of the many activities by MFSM in time for its 10^th Founding Anniversary as a group created by the Department of Tourism as its adventure arm. Prizes of the competition were solely sponsored by Berghaus that included an array of new adventure backpacks.

The 10^th MFSM anniversary was participated by more or less 40 clubs from all over Region XI. LOGSAC has sent a total of 26 participants comprising old and new members.

“As we are moving into the next decade of existence, I would like to give this challenge to all mountaineers to always adhere to responsible mountaineering. Let us all work hand in hand to sustain this group,” said Jun Bacus, the event coordinator and newly-installed MFSM President. He will be leading MFSM once again in the next two years.

Meanwhile, aside from capturing the orienteering championship prize, there are other several citations received by LOGSAC during the event including the following: Most Outstanding Club of 2013 and Most Outstanding Club President cited to LOGSAC President Julius R. Paner. Also, five members of LOGSAC received the citation of Most Outstanding Club Members namely: Danrev Broñola, John Jay Cuizon, Jonas Florencondia, Glenn Gonzales and Faridah Lumpapac.

Other events that were undertaken during the 10^th anniversary celebration are as follows: Advance Photography Workshop by Award-winning Photographer Roland Jumawan, Fellowship Night, Reggae Party, Basic Mountaineering Course and Renewal of Club Membership.  

Partying a different experience at The Venue Party Boat

After welcoming a group of Korean delegation at the Davao International Airport last Saturday, January 4, 2014; my officemates and friends decided to take an unusual weekend trip to one of Davao’s promising party destination, The Venue Party Boat located at Sasa Wharf.

It was a unique experience then as we were treated with an exclusive party within the huge Davao Gulf, our first time to experience such. The Venue Party Boat is the only recreation site in Mindanao where it features distinctive entertainment inside a Roll-On/Roll-Off vessel with Davao City’s amazing cityscape in the evening and the alluring Samal Islands as our backdrops. 

At an individual rate of 350 pesos per person, we got a dose of “pika-pika” and drinks during the entire navigation period with an entertainment provided by one of Davao’s stand up comedians. The cool and soothing ambiance of Davao Gulf was very relaxing while we enjoyed the very clear evening skies. Some resorts in Samal could be seen such as Sunset Beach Park, Blue Jazz Resort and Paradise Island, among others.

For those who want to party with a unique night life, I recommend The Venue Party Boat to be a great experience everyone should try while staying in Davao. They can be visited for bookings at SM City Davao, Ecoland. 

LOGSAC trio’s G2 attempt

Just before 2013 ends, the formidable LOGSAC trio of Danrev Broñola, Irvhin Joy Alcoriza and Noel Bartolome has climbed one of Luzon’s dangerous mountains and  probably one of the toughest in the country – Mt. Guiting-guiting or popularly known as G2 last December 27-28, 2013 via Tampayan Trail.

“It was very hard climbing a very technical mountain in a rainy season,” said Irvhin Joy as they were welcomed by a strong rain on the first day. “One of the hardest experiences we had was the very long travel from Batangas port to Sibuyan Island where it took us almost 13 hours.” There was also a last-minute change of mountain guide that further delayed the climb. Then with the rain cuddling them, they had to detour to another track to avoid a river trekking that could have cause them another dilemma had they pushes through.

Like any other climbers attempting G2 on a rainy day, all they could do was to stay not beyond Camp 3. They reached this campsite at exactly 9:00 in the evening. As Irvhin Joy would put it, “we sacrificed a lot because of the rain and the night trekking.”

“Practically, the assault to the summit on the next day would be very difficult especially with the trail from Mayo’s Peak to the Knife Edge was very slippery,” said Irvhin. Instead of pushing through, the guide decided to descend the next morning back to the trail head.

Definitely this climb is one of the very few failed climbs of LOGSAC, or shall we say not being able to reach the summit of a certain mountain. However, Irvhin Joy said they would not stop chasing this mountain summit, as it would be very rewarding to really make it all the way to it in the future.

G2 is located in Sibuyan Island in Romblon, and is standing 2,085 meters above sea level. It is well-known for its being very difficult to climb, featuring sharp rock formations and steep trails. With another point in the mountain called the Knife Edge, making it to the summit of this mountain is very hard. It takes a lot of physical preparation and courage, as well as with a blessing for a good weather.