04 January 2009 - General Meeting, VFP, Arroceros, Manila  - done

10 - 13 January 2009 - Mt. Pulag via Akiki-Tawangan - done

30 January 2009 - Blessed Trinity School (BTS) Boy Scouts of the Philippines
                             (BSP) Merit Badge Review Board  - done

01 February 2009          - General Meeting - done

07 - 08 February 2009 - BTC-A General - done

14 - 15 February 2009 - Mt. Manabo minor climb - cancelled

15 February 2009          - BTC-B Knots - done

20 - 21 February 2009 - BTS - BSP Advancement Camp, Brg. Upli, Alfonso, 
                                        Cavite - done

01 March 2009             - BTC-C Compass/Orienteering - done
                                     - General Meeting - done

08 March 2009             - BTC-E Topo-interpretation - done

14 - 16 March 2009     - Dr. Ray Pimentel Memorial Climb, Mt. Makiling via
                                        Sto. Tomas, Batangas to UP Los Baños - done

21 - 22 March 2009     - BRC - cancelled

28 - 29 March 2009     - BRC - cancelled

05 April 2009               - General Meeting - done

05 - 06 April 2009       - VFP Annual  Pilgrimage to Corregidor 
                                     - Technical Support - done

25 April 2009               - DRT Rock Rappel - cancelled

01 - 03 May 2009        - Isla Verde Outing - done

10 May 2009                - Special General Meeting - done

17 May 2009                - BTC-D Map Reading/Plotting - done

23 - 24 May 2009        - BTS BSP First Aid/AR/CPR training session

30 - 31 May 2009        - Basic Rappel Course
                                       Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan 
                                    - 0900-1700H open to non-members. 
                                       Contact Rey Cuyugan or Jon Rivera for details.

06-07 June 2009         - BTC-A General, VFP, Manila - 1000-1700H
                                       Open to non-members, pre-requisite for
                                       participation in Berlongo training climb.

07 June 2009               - General Meeting, 1700H

12 - 14 June 2009       - Berlongo training climb, Nasugbu, Batangas.
                                       Open only to those who have completed the
                                       BTC-A (recent or past sessions). 

05 July 2009                - BTC-B Knot-tying - 1000-1700H
                                       1700H - General Meeting

02 August 2009          - BTC - C Compass - 1000-1700H
                                      1700H - General Meeting

06 September 2009     - 1700H - General Meeting

19-21 September 2009  - Minor climb (to be announced)

04 October 2009            - General Meeting

04-06 November 2009  - First Aid/AR/CPR for Kabayan Mountain Guides

07 - 09 November 2009 - Mt. Timbac via Kabayan/Halsema

28 - 30 November 2009 - Isla Verde Outing

06 December 2009         - General Meeting

The club’s official T-shirt is now again available.  The stock of long-sleeved T-shirt with logo which was initially issued during the first year of the club has run out for three years now.  It is only lately that a new batch, now short-sleeved, became available.  As before, only regular members are allowed to purchase the T-shirt.  For the guidance of those who are interested to buy, the available sizes and SRP follows (note that the figures in parenthesis represent the shoulder measurements in inches):

Crispa brand:      Small  (16″)        -  P240.00  (one available)
                           X-Large  (20.5″) - P260 (one available)
                           2X-L   (21′)        - P270 (two available)

Binondo-made:   Small  (14.5″)     -  P140.00  (six available)
                           Medium (15″)     -  P150.00 (eight available)
                           X-Large  (18″)    - P160.00  (seven available)
                           2X-L   (20′)        - P170 (three available)

Note:  1.  Crispa brand is no longer available in the market.
          2.  Colors are yellow with the Crispa brand in slightly darker shade.
          3.  All the T-shirts are made in RP.
          4.  The SRP does not include shipping charges, if applicable.

Rey Cuyugan (two mediums)  and Manny Perez (one large) made the first purchases from the new batch.  They both got the only available pieces of the Crispa branded medium and large sizes.

NOTE:  Inventory updated as of 15 January 2009

In the first regular meeting for the year 2009 held on the 5th of January the prexy accepted and announced the application of Manny Perez as a regular  member.  Manny has been an associate member for several years now.  He has attended several club training activities as well as a couple of club-sponsored climbs.  His linkage with Sikap Bundok stems mostly from association with the CLEAR FORUM, KAMALAYSAYAN, and the aborted efforts to set up MOFE (Mountaineers for the Environment).  This last was an attempt to link individual mountaineers who are serious in the effort to protect the natural environment.  While in the Philippines Manny and wife, Olga, were among the leaders of UGAT, a local mountaineering group.  This club is now disbanded due to the diaspora of the members,  Manny and Olga among them.

Several years ago Olga, a registered nurse, accepted employment in the United Kingdom.  Manny soon followed.  While there, Manny joined and was active with the British Mountaineering Council.  He maintains his membership with this group up to this time.   All this time, he has maintained contact with the organization via the website and directly with the president.

Two years ago they moved to New South Wales, Australia, where they now  stay.  Manny is now a member of the Sydney Bushwalkers.  He is also an active volunteer in the state disaster response organization.  To support his activities he has to earn his keep.  Therefore, he signed in as a web designer for Greenpeace Australia Pacific. 

The prexy announced the approval  of his regularization sans the usual  six months probationary period and completion of the BTC module.  He explained the waiver of the probationary period by way of citing the association with him as mentioned above.  Not only has he attended some training activities of Sikap Bundok,  he was also the principal trainer of his previous local club.  His credential as environmentalist  is unquestionable.

Manny is now Member No. SB0901041, meaning he is the 41st regular member, with the rank of Lakay-Bundok (Senior Mountaineer).  Having immediately paid his life-time fee, he joins the rank of Life-time Members.

Welcome to the club, Manny!

TITA’S MOTHER PASSED AWAY

Tita’s mother, Hermogena Biglang-awa Dimacali, passed away at the age of 88 on the night of the 23rd from complications of old age.  Her remains lie in state at their residence in 387 Villa Tres Maria, Deparo, Caloocan City.  Interment will be held  on Thursday,  November 27, 2008,  2:00 p.m. at the Holy Cross Memorial Park.

DR. JAY SUNTAY IN AN ACCIDENT

Dr. Jose Javier ‘Jay’ J. Suntay, a friend of the club and a one-time probationary member, met a vehicular accident early morning on Saturday, November 22.  He did not survive.

Per information received from the Perpetual Help Medical Center, Dr. Jay was cremated last Monday, 24th at the Holy Trinity Memorial Chapel in Sucat Road, Parañaque City.

Dr. Jay was an Orthopedic Surgeon connected with the Philippine General Hospital and the Perpetual Help Medical Center.  He was 51 years old.

May Maulion, formerly of the Philippine Heart Center Mountaineering Club (Green Hearts), Rey Cuyugan and Tita Dimacali held a mini reunion on the 13th of November 2008, a week before May returned to Maryland, U.S.A.

May was Vice President of the PHCMC before she was hired by the John Hopkins Medical Center of  Baltimore, Maryland.  She has since moved to a private hospital after completing her contract with the former.  This was her second visit to the Philippines.

Rey, May and Tita

The club was tapped by Mark Penado of Golden Mile Travel & Tours to conduct a rappel session for 380 students of Espiritu Santo Catholic School of Sta. Cruz, Manila.    It was held at the Sacramento Adventure Resort in Tanay, Rizal, on September 23 , 2008.

Rey Cuyugan and Jon Rivera headed the technical team as chief jumpmasters.  Assisting as jumpmasters were Tita Dimacali,  Chie Muncal, Carl Somera, and Jhigs Pabale.  Volunteers from the fire brigades of Jon and Jhigs were tapped to provide additional technical manpower to the group.

The president has proposed that Ayet Jordan, wife of Joey Jordan, be accepted as an Associate Member in the same category as his wife, Josephine.  The proposal stems from the fact that Ayet can actively assist Joey in preparing club documents and communications,  much as Jo  does for Rey.

Ayet, just like Jo, is not in a position to join as a regular member, but can help in the documentation processes as they have been doing.

Comments from regular members are invited.

After the successful conduct of the first Basic First Aid for Mountaineers (BFAM)/ Artificial Respiration (AR)/ and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) outreach session, the club is now actively seeking sponsors, both private or corporate.  The help of sponsors should allow the club to expand the scope, reach and quality of the sessions.  These would also enable the club to provide assistance in setting up of emergency-first-aid stations in places such as the Duacan Visitor Center (currently operating more as a registration and fee-collection point).   The club has committed to help set up the visitor center as a First-Aid center, doubling as a guide-and-porter training center for the locals.

The mechanics of how the sponsors can assist and how they can be publicly acknowledged (unless they wish to remain incognito) is still being worked out.  These should not present any problem.

Among the items on the wish-list are the following: Prosthetic devices (artificial wounds, fractures and other simulated injuries) to make for more realistic trainings; large triangular bandages for use in cravat bandaging; disposable CPR masks (it would be nice to hand out one of each of the two preceeding items to each trainee); various portable audio visual aids.

Thanks to the efforts of proby Jhigs Pabale, we finally have our trekking ID’s.  First to use their ID’s were Jhigs, Jon, Rey, and Laila when they joined  the annual Mt. Pulag climb.

Ready for issuance are the ID’s of Jing Ordoña, Lenn Hernandez and that of Brian Agana.  The rest of the Philippine-based, up-to-date members shall be issued their ID’s soon as they submit their ID sized pictures and their complete information sheets to Jhigs.

Jhigs shall be in touch with the webmaster to secure the current e-mail addresses of foreign-based members.  She shall also send the proforma information sheet from which ID data shall be based.  Foreign-based members are requested to complete their respective information sheets and submit these to Jhigs together with their digitized ID pictures.  If they prefer, the ID’s can be printed and sent to them without their pictures.  They can attach the pictures, sign and have these laminated once received.

We shall work on the wallet-size ID’s for lifetime members after all the trekking ID’s are all issued to qualified members.  Note that trekking ID’s for probationaries and non-lifetime members have expiry dates.  The first issuances will all expire on February 16, 2010.

In what has become an annual activity for the club, the group climbed Mt. Pulag via the Akiki-Akiki trail from November 6 to 8, 2008.  Participating were Rey Cuyugan, Jon Rivera, Jhigs Pabale, Brian Agana, Angel Valencia and Laila Pineda. 

The first day’s camp was set up at the Eddet River area.  Rey, Jon and Jhigs proceeded to the site after the BFAM  practicum.  Brian, Angel and Laila who came from Manila Wednesday night arrived at the site by 1700H of Thursday, the 6th.  They were met at the jump-off point by guide Pepito Bastian.

The group started up the Akiki trail at 0730H on Friday, the 7th, and reached the Marlboro campsite at 1200H.  After reviewing the pace and performance of the joining probationary members Rey, Brian and Jon decided to set up camp in this area rather than attempt to camp at the saddle area as originally planned.  At 1405H the group proceeded on day packs.  Brian and Jhigs opted to stay in camp due to aching muscles. 

By 1715H the trekkers have reached the peak of Jr. Pulag.  The EL, Rey Cuyugan decided to abort the climb.  Visibility at this time was very poor, the trail was wet and darkness was setting in.  They figured that with no view from the peak there was no ample reward to justify the risk of continuing under the situation.   The group was back in camp by 1920H.  It was very cold that night and the wind was howling.  Luckily the wind carried no rain and the group woke up to find their tents wind-dried on the morning of the 8th.

By 0930H on Saturday, they were going down the Akiki trail.   They met with a group of 20 mountaineers from PLDT who were on the way up and taking the Akiki-Ambangeg trail.  By 1130H they were back at the river camp area where they had lunch, dipped in the cold waters of the Eddet River and rested.  At 1430H they were back on the trail.  They reached Duacan, the jump-off point at 1730H.  They were invited to spend the night at the residence of Leonard Aguinse, where they were served pinikpikan (a local specialty) native chicken, dinuguan and chicken adobo.  Here they had the chance to chat and bond with some of the trainees before calling it a night by 2200H. 

At 0400H of Sunday they were all up and by 0500H were already at the roadside waiting for the first trip back to Baguio.  By 1000H they were back in the city.  From there,  Brian and Angel took the first trip available to Manila while Jon, Jhigs and Lai went marketing.  Rey took the 1140H bus.  By 2245H all were back in their respective residences.  Jon Rivera was the last to confirm safe arrival.  It was a good climb!