Medellin Trip 4: Flying over sugar cane fields & hills

Caputatan Norte, a barangay in Medellin where one can do a "tarzan" jump and a "twin zip" through sets of cables certified to be safe and brawny officers on hand to assist and assuage one's fears of height and long jump!

According to Edward, it is in barangay Caputatan Norte where the highest point in Medellin is located.  

At medellin.gov.ph., this place was "initially meant for a religious shrine but mayor Ricky, being young and adventurous established an eco-adventure tourism facility instead.  

Today thousands of local and foreign visitors experience "flying" over sugarcane fields and hills at Caputatan Norte.

To get some adrenalin rush and a bit of adventure for the locals, Medellin LGU put up this facility for twin zipline and "tarzan" jump 4-5 years ago.  Zipline is P50/pax  while the Tarzan jump costs P75/pax.  

Vit and Jo were still contemplating whether to try any of the adventure.  Ed and Gay were braved enough to do the "twin zip"  but "chickened" on the Tarzan jump!

AGIO-7 president, Ed Llamedo and DAR-PARO Information officer Gay Visitacion enjoyed the ride.
(photo by: Clifford Gairanod)

 The place is also ideal for friends, families and groups for fun, adventure, or just plain relaxation enjoying the green, clean and fresh air at the countryside.

Medellin Trip 3: Of sunrise, sunset and hideaway...

Two days in Medellin, Cebu was well spent!  After the communication training workshop with  the Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO-7) on August 9-11, the group had doses of sunrises, sunsets, hideaway,Tarzan jump/zipline and a taste of island getaway.

In the early morning at the Mercedez Golden Village Golf & Country club, one can walk, jog or meander around the village and at the shores close to the golf course. 

I did just that; walk, jog, meander... and watched the sunrise progressively showing its morning glory from where I stood. I clicked my cellphone cam minute by minute to capture that day!

Again, in the afternoon from the shores at the 'Hideaway Beach Resort' I experienced the sunset in 'slow motion' as it dipped down the horizon at dusk capturing everything in silhouette and in silent soliloquy! 

I realized then that sunrises and sunsets have twin qualities.  They are identical in their movements, glow and grace--one in the morning, the other at dusk!  There is reverence and peace when the sun opens and closes a day...

To unwind and soothe our tired bodies Edward, our tour guide took us to Medellin's after-dusk hideaway.  It is aptly called " Hideaway Beach Resort" complete with the sea, cottages, karaoke, a convenient store, and a boardwalk to the mid section of the sea where one can dive and or swim.  This resort is open to the public at very affordable rates.

I mixed some dry vodka with lime, kalamansi, sprite and plenty of ice for the ladies (Gay, Vit, Jo, Dulce & me) while the guys had their own mix that went well with dinner--grilled big fish, squid, rice, pork/chicken barbecue, dinuguan and bananas. 

That prepared us for karaoke and green, fun conversation.  Laughter and more laughter capped the night at "Hideaway."  

Thanks to Giles Villamor,  Edward and Medellin mayor, Ricardo Ramon Rodriguez Ramirez III.

Medellin Trip 2: Golf Course in cane fields?

Medellin is a town of big surprises! Inside those sugarcane fields are golf courses with international standards. The 165-hectare Mercedez Golf and Country Club is a facility  in barangay Dayhagon called the "Korean Retirement Village." It is complete with a row of town houses and or duplexes, an administration building with a restaurant and an 18-hole golf course.  

Our group was booked in rooms 8,9, 10, 11,12. These are modest, clean rooms with hot/cold showers at rates ranging from P1200-2000+/pax. There are 165 rooms and according to Giles, these are almost always occupied by mostly Korean couples in their senior years.

We had a look-see of the golf course facility and I was happily impressed with what I saw! 

Medellin opened its sugarcane fields to Korean tourists that are enjoying the tranquil, fresh, airy environment. The kind that elder people usually prefer especially during their vacations.

The golf course according to our guide employ over 600 local female caddies with good monthly income from their salaries and generous tips from the Korean golfers.

The "Korean Village" has a cafeteria manned by Filipinos including the chef that whips up Korean recipes.  It's 'self-service' too. 

First time to eat boiled squash and boiled egg with Korean congee for breakfast!  I needed hot coffee to go with my food that was exceptionally good. 

Inspired by the success of the Mercedez Golden Village Golf  & Country Club, another huge Korean investment is ongoing at barangay Lamintak Norte in Medellin.  

It is a P250M worth of investment of a new hotel and an 18-hole golf course--the Queen Castle Golf Club that is complete with condominium units, 5-star hotel & restaurant, massage and spa and other facilities of international standards. According to Giles Villamor the facility will be completed and opened to its members and other tourists by November 2012. 

Medellin, truly a place for people who wants peace, nature and high-end living away from the "maddening" crowd where the skies are bluer than blue and the sunrises and sunsets are just magnificent!     

Medellin Trip 1: A well-appointed place

 Medellin, Cebu--a well-appointed place for the Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO) of regional line agencies in region 7 to hold a training on "Maximizing Use of Social Media for Development Communication" on August 9-11, 2012 at the Medellin Municipal Hall.  

We expected over 20 participants but sadly there were only seven of them but as they say, the "show must go on!"  Medellin is roughly two hours drive/ride from Cebu City passing through the countryside and coastal roads of San Remegio, Daanbantayan, Bogo City.  You can also take an aircon bus at the Cebu North Terminal, Mandaue City at P155 one way fare but we hired a van at  P1800 per trip for convenience and comfort.  

 We arrived in Medellin at about 11:00 a.m. on August 9.  Giles Villamor, the all smiling and very amiable municipal administrator took care of our needs and briefed us all about Medellin, including her economic and tourism developments.  We conducted the training at the town's session hall and we had a grand time posing for photos at the Mayor's Office after we completed the workshops.

 Medellin, I suppose is Cebu's sweetest town with its 7400-hectare land area producing sugar from its main product--sugarcane! According to Giles, Medellin reinvented her "image into becoming the eco-adventure/tourism capital of northern Cebu,"  with her white sand beaches, 'funtastic' adventures at Gibitngil Island, Hideaway resort, Zipline and tarzan jump at Caputatan Norte as well as the latest Korean investment in Medellin and her existing Mercedez Golden Village Golf and Country Club for Korean retirees. 

Part of the training was to take as many pictures of Medellin for the social media posts and blogging workshop.  Edward, our tour guide showed us around the Poblacion, the market area, the town plaza/playground and the Medellin Museum.

The town plaza cum playground is very colorful for children and families to enjoy. There is an old hacienda train (with the town's seal) at the center of the plaza with a water fountain that dances with the music and lights during the evening.   


The market area is small but clean.  Medellin hosts the northern campus of the Cebu Normal University (CNU) whose student population rose from 110 in 2008 to 600 in 2010.  

It boasts of its foreign teachers in its faculty line-up including a retired English headmaster Geoff Hoare that teaches World Literature and Italian Chef Carmini Pece that teaches culinary arts. The Medellin CNU campus encourages more students from the neighboring towns of northern Cebu.   

To know some heritage and culture of the town, Dulce, Gay, Ed, Clifford, Fritz, Vit, Joy and me visited Medellin municipal Museum fronting the plaza.  The museum is an old wooden house that displays vintage equipment, instruments and farm implements, antique furniture, documents, religious icons and anything of old.

The weather that day was bright with cloudless blue skies. We got thirsty and hungry after some hours of "suroy-suroy" (roaming) around the town center.  Where does one go  for snacks in a town? "Julie's Bakery!" This is a widely distributed bakery franchise in almost all towns in Central Visayas.  Julie's is a constant "landmark" at the countryside that identifies the Filipino entrepreneur. Until my next blog entries on Medellin's scenic, secret hideaways.