Daily Archives: 4 April, 2009

A Rainy Arrival in Daet (Camarines Norte)

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After my short tour of the Camsur Watersports Complex, Mariefe brought me back to Pili Airport where my driver Mr. Melvic Brinas was already waiting for me.  It was already raining when I arrived at the airport.  The drive to Daet took all of 2 hours and, upon arrival, I was billeted at the resthouse of Gov. Jesus Typoco Jr., alongside Bagasbas Beach  Here, I was all by my lonesome inside a big bedroom but it had, in the succeeding days, a ringside view to all the surf festival’s proceedings along Bagasbas Beach.

A rainy morning outside Pili Airport Terminal

It was still raining when I arrived at Daet and it would continue to do so throughout the rest of the day.  DOT-OPRD project officer Ms. Val A. Congzon and Provincial Tourism Officer designate Mr. Edgardo Reyes were already on hand to welcome me.  Val, with her son Loven, just arrived earlier via a Superlines bus.  Her trip, normally just 8 hours, took much longer because of traffic.  As I had nothing else to do, I joined them for lunch at the  Golden Palace Restaurant located at the town proper.

It’s still raining in Daet town proper

After a filling lunch, I was toured around the town, visiting the First Rizal Monument.  Later, back at Bagasbas Beach, I met up with surf festival organizer Mr. Joey Cuerdo.  To him, I voiced out my concern about the rains continuing on to the next day, putting a damper on the festival activities which, aside from surfing, included wall climbing, beach volleyball and ultimate frisbee.  He assured me that it won’t, having checked the weather forecast for tomorrow via the internet.  I hope he’s right.

Come morning, the rains had stop and the sun was shining bright in the sky, just as Joey had said last night.  I again had breakfast at the Golden Palace Restaurant with Val, Ed, Loven and guests Jason and Michelle Carpio.  After breakfast, we returned to Bagasbas Beach where the surf festival was already in full swing. Other invited members of the media, accompanied by DOT media coordinator Mr. Boyet Escueta (whom I also met during the 2002 Kaogma Festival in naga City), were already there, brought in from Legaspi City (where their plane landed from Manila).  They were also billeted in the Municipal Guest House.

Camsur Watersports Complex (Pili, Camarines Sur)

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I was invited to cover the 2nd Bagasbas Summer Surf Festival (April 4-5) to be held in Daet, Camarines Norte, and I was to get there via an Air Philippines flight to Pili Airport in Camarines Sur.   At the NAIA terminal,  there was a long queue for this as well as other flights to Pili as the surf festival also coincided with  April 2-5 Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival to be held in Camsur.  Many participants brought along their packed bikes.  I was lucky to get on board my flight.  Flights were overbooked and other members of the media who were joining me had to move their flight for next day and would have to land in Legaspi City (Albay) instead of Pili. 

Camsur Watersports Complex
The flight to Pili took just 45 mins. and I arrived at the airport by 8 AM.  It seems no one was at the airport to pick me up as they must have thought that my flight was cancelled.  Luckily for me, I met up with Ms. Marife Nolasco-Maralit, the Camarines Sur Provincial Officer who I met previously at the 2002 Kaogma Festival of Naga City.  She contacted the Mr. Melvic Brinas, the driver who was supposed to pick me up.  Melvic was already on his way back to Daet when he received the call and he promptly turned back.  As I still had time to kill before his arrival, Mariefe offered to tour me around the nearby Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC).
 
The clubhouse restaurant
This unique, 6-hectare watersports park, opened in May 2006 (during the term of Gov. Luis Raymond Villafuerte, president of the Philippine Waterski and Wakeboard Federation), is the top tourist attraction in the Bicol Region.  It offers a 6-point cable ski system designed for wakeboarding, wakeskating, kneeboarding and waterskiing.  These are done in 2 large man-made lakes.  It is open even at night as the park is equipped with spotlights.  CWC also has a clubhouse restaurant by the lagoon, a swimming pool, sand bars, spa, pro-shops and a grandstand for guests.
One of the man-made lakes
On October 2006, the 1st Cable Wakeboarding Nationals were held here and, on July 2008, the complex hosted the 2008 World Wakeboarding Competition.  Accommodations in and near this provincial government-run complex include first-class hotel rooms, Tiki huts, airconditioned individual cabanas and refurbished container vans just meters apart from each other.
 
Camsur Watersports Complex: Provincial Capitol Complex, Brgy. Cadlan, Pili, Camarines Sur.  Tel: (054) 477-3344, 475-0689 and 477-3349.  Fax: (054) 477-3347.  Website: www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com.