Running in a marine sanctuary, a natural high

The nature of my work requires me to travel to places seldom visited by people. I’ve been documenting on video and making audio-visual production of our agency’s projects. And since I started to run two years ago, I have managed to squeeze in some run in my official travels whenever possible. I’ve been in this kind of work for more than ten years now. But my travel last summer of 2009 was truly different. I had a chance to go to the Tubattaha Reef. Surprised? Me too!

Our agency has an on-going project on the densification of geodetic control points or GCP (commonly called mojon) to be the basis for all surveying and mapping needs in the country. One of the sites identified to have this mojon is the south islet of the Tubattaha Reef. With its uniqueness of the location, a team from our office was sent to document the activity. We went to Tubattaha via our survey vessel, Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Hydrographer Ventura.

The place is a sanctuary not only for fishes and other sea creatures but also for migratory birds. There are no inhabitants in the place. Neither tourists nor scuba divers are allowed to set foot in the small island. We were only allowed to go there for official work. It was a small island with a sand bar portion that appears on low tides and vanish during high tides. On our first day, we went to the islet using our skip boat from our vessel to have a reconnaissance of the place and look for the GCP that was previously established in the area. This early, I have noticed the sand bar and have made a plan to run on it the following day. On the scheduled day of surveying, the whole process of Global Positioning System surveying would require us to stay there for the whole day. While our surveyors were setting up the equipment, I was also busy shooting on the activity. When everything was in place, we will have to wait for 8 hours for the equipment to read the data it received from various GPS satellite passing along our country. These allowed us to rest or do anything to avoid boredom. For me, this was the best opportunity to run… a place where no one (I mean, documented) has ever run yet… the south islet of Tubattaha Reef.

J Running (photo by Nato, my officemate who is also a runner)

related postings :

J Running video shot in south islet, Tubattaha (http://brojrunning.blogspot.com/2009/05/j-running-video.html)

a preview of work and play (http://brojrunning.blogspot.com/2009/05/preview-of-work-and-play.html)

A preview of work and play

Our vessel was docked at Subic Port in Zambales. Nats, the photographer and Xen, the writer and me, the videographer completed the team. Both Nats and Xen were also members of the NAMRIA Running Club.

Nats, Xen and Bro J

We boarded the vessel in the evening of May 5, 2009. The next morning, our team had an almost an hour run at the Subic Track Oval which luckily to be near the port where our vessel was docked. We voyaged in the afternoon of the same day amidst impending arrival of typhoon Emong. Our mission was to do a photo and video documentation of our survey teams doing GPS (Global Positioning System) observation in the islands of Cuyo, Cagayancillo and Tubataha, all in the province of Palawan. Also, to document activities of officers and enlisted men on board the vessel. The 6-day travel was extended up to 10 days. It ended in the Port of Alen, Samar. We then travel to Calbayog where we will return home by plane.

Survey team at south islet, Tubataha

survey team at Cuyo island, Palawan

Team at the Ranger Station in Tubataha

Break time

The accomplished task was highlighted by a phone call from Swthrt that we became a victim of robbery (akyat bahay). It happened on the dawn of Friday, the day we were scheduled to fly home. Our son’s PSP and Swthrt’s phone were taken. With God’s protection, Swthrt woke up and saw the man with her bag going down the fire exit ladder. She was able to shout at him to let go of her bag… and the robber did. What a brave lady indeed. We were so thankful that God had protected them and nothing bad happens to them. God has kept them asleep while the robber was inside our room. If by any chance they woke up, the robber must have done harm to them. God is really good all the time!

DNS for my second 21k race, Botak Paa-tibayan

This maybe far from over, but to serve one of the purpose of this blog of being a journal of my running experiences, I will still have to write. I was supposed to run the 21k Botak Paa-tibayan race scheduled last May 10, 2009. I registered May 3 at the Second Wind Store. Come May 4, Monday, I was informed by my boss to join the team who will do a photo and video documentation of our project on mapping. I was briefed that we will be on board our survey vessel going to the islands Cuyo, Cagayancillo and Tubataha in Palawan. This is one good thing about my work, I got to go places (hard to reach) for free. It was my second time to board our survey vessel.






The first one was when documenting a joint project between Philippines and Vietnam on marine studies at the Kalayaan Island Group (a.k.a. Spratleys). Other places I’ve been to because of my work were Calauit Island Wildlife Reservation, St. Paul Subterranean Park both in Palawan and more.

First project on board BRPH Presbitero

This was another case of work getting in the way of running. I was wondering though, if I can still get my botak singlet. Upon registering, I was told that I could get my race bib and singlet on the race venue. The problem was I did not show up and forgot to leave the claim stub to one of my officemates to claim it for me. I just hope I could still have my singlet!

Work comes in the way of running/blogging…

It’s just a joke. Work will always be a priority for most of us. We should all work hard especially in this time of economic crisis. My hands are full for the past days that I have to let go of blogging about the RUNew race we joined last Sunday. I knew that most bloggers have posted their personal account of the race. Last Monday, I had a rush photo collage project for our administrator and yesterday, I had to video document one of the major project of our agency. We went to Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology at Cabanatuan City. Our mapping department conducted a leveling of our Active Geodetic Station inside the university campus. We have to photo and video document it for my division to do an AVP and layout a primer/brochure on the project.