Trip to Paradise (Medina)

After a series of tactical trainings, the troops were deployed to the battlefield, where the only place to engage real war. It's time for us to carry out all the fundamentals we have learned for 2 months in this exciting activity. Last August 15, 2011 DC 89 sections A and B went to Medina for our Photography exercise.  I only heard that the place is so like paradise when it comes to beaches. When we arrived, I was amazed when I saw the place clean and green. This is it! Everybody was too excited to fire their guns - camera. That kind of place was not new to me but one thing for sure, I knew it's going to be fun. It was like hitting 2 birds with one stone, both the business and  pleasure will be enjoyed.

Mayor Jojo Pupos warmly welcomed us at the Municipal hall before going to the gym where everyone will rest for our first night in Medina. The place was peaceful, the locals were very nice to us and welcoming. No traffic jam and the places were very accessible for us in just one ride of a "motorized sikad". Rides were kinda bumpy, filled with 8 noisy classmates jamming along with the driver's coolest 1 song marathon "BUDOTZ". We went to our designated community to capture the topics shared by groups. I hate to crash their quit ambiance, but it seems okay after I saw them smiling for the cameras. Most of the families were poor yet they live happily and contented. They were accommodating and very easy to get along with. After the photo-shoot, we went back to barracks (gym) and were getting ready for the most anticipated  part - dinner and swimming at Alibuag spring. The following day we went back to community and immersed with their poverty situation like how they lived their everyday lives, what they do for a living and for fun. We enjoyed our last night at Duka Bay with the lechon donated by the DC Alumni, swimming, be friend with Section B and of course the fellowship party (games and drinks).

Most the locals in the community we visited may not live base on the standards we have here in a highly urbanized city. But I don't consider them as less fortunate than us because they live their lives worry-less from bills and responsibilities we have here. They sleep soundly with the comfort of the cool sea breeze. They can just find food from the vast of natural resources. In short, life in Medina is not complicated, its like living in a paradise were everything is easy to enjoy. The activity was a success and memorable. We successfully took pictures of our subjects and applied all the things our teachers taught us. We really enjoyed the food, the activity, the beach, the people, the fellowship, we had fun. A trip is without a glitch, but of course it is something to be experience and learned. What matters most is we have absorbed a lot of new things and despite the shortcomings we have encountered we still enjoyed the whole trip at Medina.