Explore Camp Sabros, Kapatagan!

The latest buzz in the island of Southeast Mindanao, Philippines is Camp Sabros located in Kapatagan, Digos City. A beautiful area atop a mountainous wilderness of lush greens, 3980 feet above sea level. The cool climate is very welcoming in contrast to the 91 °F / 33 °C temperature in the lowlands. Just about every spot is a photo perfect opportunity! If you’re lucky, you can even see Mt. Apo’s majestic form on a clear day. We weren’t so lucky.

Camp Sabros used to be a private resthouse of the Sacdalans until word got out of how breathtaking the place is! It is managed by brothers Edwin and Pando Sacdalan hence coining “Sabros,” short for Sacdalan brothers.

L-R: Aling, Sheila, Pooh, Mitch, Jaz, Edwin Sacdalan-co owner of Camp Sabros and Moi!

The zip line ride is a recent addition to the camp but now is primarily the reason people from all over flock the park. My best friend Jaz along with other friends in General Santos got invited last year for a private outing but there was no zip line at that time. When the camp was featured in the Philippine TV show Sports Unlimited showing TV personality, Dyan Castillejo having the time of her life riding the zip line, I knew I had to experience it before going back to the States. So I did it!!

I have a slight fear of heights but I just braved it! 380 and 400 meter long, 180 feet deep, the zip line in Camp Sabros is considered the longest zip line in the Philippines. Edwin was so gracious and helpful. He personally assisted our group during our rides! Check out our video and you’ll see how fidgety and restless I was as we were being prepared for the ride and strapped. But I did it, I conquered the zip line! What a thrilling experience!

Some basic information:

1. Travel Time.

Expect about an hour and a half to two hours drive either coming from Davao or General Santos City.

2. Transportation.

You need a 4×4 truck or SUV to conquer the rough, rugged and steep road about 6 minutes short of reaching the camp. For the adventurous and driving via car, you can always leave your vehicle at the base camp of the Mt. Apo National Park and the Mt. Apo Mountaineers’ Trail checkpoint and trek uphill for about 20 minutes or so to get to Camp Sabros.

3. How to get there.

Either from Davao or General Santos, just follow the national road going to Digos City. When you’re in Digos, find the sign that says “This way to Kapatagan” along the right side of the highway. You can’t miss it coming from Davao, but we did from Gensan because the sign is facing one way- from Davao side! Turn right and let the winding road take you to Kapatagan and at the base of the Mt. Apo National Park and Mt. Apo Mountaineer’s trail checkpoint.

4. Accommodation.

There are log cabins with fireplace and its own comfort rooms available for rent for 4 to 10 persons. The price ranges from Php 1,200 to Php 2,000. Personally, I don’t recommend the overnight stay and suggest the day tour only unless you crave the idea of a Baguio-like atmosphere where it’s cooler at night and there’s fog everywhere. Having spent almost all my summers in Baguio City and now living in the east coast, the last thing I want for a vacation is to be in a cool place.

We left General Santos City around 9am and arrived at the camp around 11. We checked out the area, ate our packed lunch, went for the rides of our life in the zip line and by 3pm we were ready to head back home to General Santos.

The thing is, after riding the zip line and checking out the entire area for like 10 minutes- what do you do?! There’s absolutely nothing else! The good part is, there is no rush except when the camp gets really crowded (and there’s a long queue at the zip ride) then you might want to allow extra time. On normal days, a full day is enough to do everything. The camp covers a small area that there’s really not a lot to explore.  You can commune with nature and get in touch with your inner self, etc. but all I’m saying is that: take lotsa photos, explore, experience the zip, have a picnic and go home! That sounds better but that’s just me…! Go ahead, try the overnight stay- you might get to see Mt. Apo’s peak when the fog clears!

5. Fees.

The place is wonderful and the zip line ride was fantastic! One thing that impressed me more however is the FREE entrance to the place! Absolutely no entrance or corkage fees. You only pay for the zip line ride! How nice is that? The zip line fee isn’t so bad either!

One zip line ride and one cable car ride to bring you back:

Riding in twos: Php 150.00/head

Riding solo: Php 200.00

Riding the zip line to and fro: Php 400.00

6. Food.

Mess hall

Have a picnic, bring your own baon (packed meal)! That’s what we did, so really, all we only paid for was the zip ride and gasoline for the pick up truck. They offer food and drinks to order if you don’t want to bring food. The prices for snacks and food are so affordable (from Php20.00 to Php50.00)! Don’t expect gourmet food as you are in the middle of nowhere. Just your basic Tapsilog (Beef jerky, rice and egg) and corned beef with rice kind-of-meal should do just fine.

7. Contact information

Currently, the only way to know get more information is getting in touch with the owners directly. For more inquiries, contact Edwin Sacdalan at 09208750015. As you know, this rising attraction in the Southeastern Mindanao is flocked everyday with local tourists. Edwin is also getting calls by great number so if you have to contact him, introduce yourself via text messaging first for courtesy before making the call. You’re more likely to be entertained that way when you call as your number is already registered via text.

Good luck and enjoy the ride!

Rate this:

2.5

Social Bookmarking
16 Comments -

Photo lifted from HBO file

In what seemed like Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s closest fight ever, he wins last Saturday’s rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez by a hair’s breadth. The fight lasted 12 rounds with the two champions still standing despite blood gushing into their eyes and faces.

Ultimately, it was Pacquiao’s strong left hook hitting Juan Marquez in the face in the third round that proved to be the deciding factor where two judges (Tom Miller and Duane Ford) favored Pacquiao, 114-113 and 115-112 against that of Judge Jerry ROth’s 115-112 in favor of Marquez. The ferocious hit knocked down Marquez for a few seconds. He immediately regained his composure and continued to exchange equal blows with Pacquiao.

with friend Jaz and Michael

I watched the game at the Lagao Gymnasium, live via satellite in Pacman and mine’s hometown in General Santos City, Philippines. It was hard to tell who really won until the final announcement. For a while there, we thought Marquez would have won it- if not for that knockdown he received from Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez waited four years for the rematch last March 15, 2008 yet somehow it is still hanging. In their first match in 2004, it ended with a draw. Now, Pacquiao wins by split decision. The decision victory for Pacquiao is somewhat hard to accept because depending on which side you are, you’d think that the other party lost and your bet won. In the other party’s camp, they feel they won and you lost.

General Santos City and all of Philippines and OFWs are rejoicing yet when all the fun fare is gone and we regain our composure, why do I- along with some, feel reluctant to jump up and down in jubilation?!

I have full respect for Manny and his craft and because I am from General Santos, I am for Manny Pacquiao. Nonetheless, it would have been sweet victory for Manny and the rest of us if he won it clear cut by a knock out. All doubts in our minds especially those not convinced that Pacquiao won it- would have been eased.

I say there should be another rematch in the future. As to how, when and what’s at stake? I don’t know. But to answer the question: is the Pacquiao-Marquez business really finished? I think not.

Congresswoman Darlene Custodio-Antonino after watching the match at the Lagao Gym

Notre Dame University and Lagao Gymnasium, General Santos City
Video Replay: Announcement of Manny Pacquaio as new World Boxing Council (WBC) superfeatherweight title holder

Video Replay: Round Three of “Unfinished Business” Match between Pacquiao and Marquez
http://www.livevideo.com

Rate this:

2.5

Social Bookmarking
2 Comments -

Folgers Gourmet Selections is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to help Greater Los Angeles, which is among the most overcrowded places in the United States. By way of creating your own commercial or voting for this simple ad I made here, Folgers will donate $1 to Habitat of Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (up to $150,000).

According to its press release, “Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (HFH GLA) strives to eliminate poverty housing through advocacy, education, and partnership with families in need to build simple, decent, affordable housing. Since 1990, HFH GLA has built more than 190 homes, transforming the lives of hundreds of people. In the spring of 2007, HFH GLA kicked off its three-year “Building a Greater Los Angeles” campaign to build or renovate more than 250 homes in Los Angeles County.” Sounds like a plan!

I know there are far more worse areas in the world other than the city of Angels, Los Angeles (LA) but fact still remains, there is poverty even in the United States and there’s one in LA. I believe people and companies are helping every which way they can in every opportunities that come. I am giving back to the Philippines, my home country in any small way I can. However, I live here in the US now too so this is my share…

Clicking on the ad will redirect you to the Folgers website where you can vote. You can also check out and vote hundreds of ads created by others. Then there’s the company ad starring Dr. Miranda Bailey of Grey’s Anatomy, actress-Chandra Wilson and Journalist and world traveler, Lisa Ling.

Spare a minute or two every day to vote on the commercial or better yet, create your own (and start your own campaign) so we’ll be on our way to helping Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles.

___________________________
_________________________________

UPDATE: 20 JUNE 2008: Since I moved from Blogger to Wordpress and changed themes twice along the way, some of my posts looked bad in the new theme so I am now checking each one (really hard work! Grrrr!) to see how it looks. I clicked on Folgers again and see that my ad in their website is back!! My ad isn’t “offensive” anymore!! Glad they placed it back! So you can still vote OR make your own ad! Visit the site when you get the chance. It’s pretty cool how they do it…

UPDATE. 18 November 2007: You can view the entire ad from here, but as it turns out- Folgers deleted my ad on their main site because “someone” reported it as being offensive! WTF?! I wrote to Folgers upon learning this and I haven’t heard back from them yet. (So they did reply after about 2 weeks and said they will check on it!)

This is the reason why I removed the navbar in my site- someone could play a prank on you or whatever and they flag your site as inappropriate then next thing you know, Blogger takes out your site on the web! Most websites are handled by autobots- for all I know, Blogger doesn’t have a real person attending to its thousands of mails or complaints. I could be wrong, but tell me: how on earth can this ad be offensive or inappropriate to be taken down like that?!

Rate this:

2.5

Social Bookmarking
No Comments -