NBI Clearance in Tuburan, Cebu

I tried getting my NBI clearance yesterday, 17 Apr 2012. I arrived at 6.30am but there were already 500 people ahead of me. It’s like the queue at the Basilica del Sto. Niño on the day of the Sinulog, except that it happens every day. And like the Sinulog itself, people everywhere are trying to make money. Some are selling pens and over-priced envelopes, others were selling water and candy, while there are those who offer meals. (Just a tip, you don’t need those brown envelopes they sell for the processing.)

But the worst of them are those people who rent chairs. Yeah, there is actually a corporation of smart pipz who arrange chairs in rows and columns and have them rented for 20 pesos. The worst part is not only does it make those people who don’t want to pay feel out of place (yeah they occupy the proper queuing area), they also tell people that those who rent the chairs will be prioritized. And even worse than the worst part is that I actually got one of those chairs (I know, I deserve to be tied on both wrists and be dragged on separate ways by a two cars and leave me to rot in the garbage dump). It gets badder than worse of worst: I didn’t even get to touch the rusty steel gate of the NBI Compound. They ran out of forms but I did not feel that bad because the NBI director was gracious enough to go outside himself and explain to everyone. 

There’s this lady who managed to get inside the compound and have her application processed. When she got there, she complained that there are people who would tell applicants that paying 20 pesos to sit on their chair will get them prioritized for the queue. What she said is true but when the NBI director and his buddy when outside to clarify the stuff, he was told by those pipz that the lady is lying. About 500 people in and more than 500a waiting outside, only one to complain about the whole chair rental thing. There’s actually another guy who confirmed what the lady said but the rental pipz crowded on him to intimidate him, though they did not say anything threatening. I didn’t complain either. I’m more cowardly than Holden Caulfield plus I never wonder why where all ducks and other animals go during certain seasons.

Off to NBI Tuburan. The next morning I set out for Tuburan. I don’t want to queue again for nothing and I won’t have any of those rental pipz anymore. I arrived in NBI Tuburan at 9.20am and got my clearance at 9.35am. Yes, AM still not PM. I included the time it took me to fill-out the application form. There are four steps involved in the application of the clearance. You'll need a valid ID (SSS, Pag-ibig, PhilHealth, Postal, Driver's License) and a black pen. If you can't have any of those a police clearance will make as a substitute, which you can get at your local PNP Station.

1. Get the application form and fill it out.

2. Return to the application form table, have the guy check if you completed the form properly, then pay the cashier.

3. Have your data encoded (this is the time where they check you if you are a criminal).

4. Give your finger prints for the biometrics and wait for them to give you your clearance.

I don’t know which part in the process you’ll need to rent a chair and buy an over-priced envelope. Hurrah for NBI Tuburan for being very quick and neat and for the staff for being friendly. I’m thankful for my parents that they gave me a difficult name. If my name got a hit, it could have only been me. Thankfully I’m not a criminal without knowing it. The money spent on the fare will be worth it if only to avoid the rental pipz and the fixers (yes there are still fixers in NBI Cebu City though they are more discreet and more selective on their target). I didn’t have to pay a fare though thanks to my humble bike who’s been a faithful company for more than three years now. Don’t wonder why I still cherish it even it has been scraped and scratched in every possible spot.

The coastal road the leads from Tuburan to Tabuelan.

The prized parcel on the handle bar. :)

My Top 5 Mountain Bike Routes in Cebu

My blog is about to turn a year now so I thought I’d come up with a list of the best bike trails in Cebu. Note that this is not a “how-to-get-there” guide because the location of trails, being trails, are not easy to point to. If you ever happen to visit Cebu, these are the places you ought to rip. You can ride with local riders, we are all friendly here :)

Panas Downhill Trail - Panas, Consolacion, Cebu. This downhill mountain bike route literally left a mark on me. One time I nearly blinded my left eye when I went over the handlebar and landed on my face. There was a sharp root sticking out of the ground and it stabbed through right under my left eye. At the trailhead is a jump that leads right into a bamboo so you have to whip your bike so you don’t end up where you don’t want to. The whole route is a single track that carves at the side of a hill. It’s probably the steepest trail I’ve ever ridden. You’ll have to put a lot of work maintaining the grip of your tires on the loose red soil. There are small drops and a three-foot drop that lands into ruts, roots, and rocks. Of course, I didn’t do any of the drops and jumps. But I know someone who did, check out this Youtube video to watch how he ripped the trail.

Gaas Trail - Gaas Balamban to Casuy, Toledo. This is an all-mountain bike route that crosses from Gaas, Balamban in central Cebu to Toledo City in the western part of the province. You start your ride through a foggy single track and end it in rock garden with boulder-sized rocks. It is one of the most scenic places to ride at, the whole journey concluded with an awe-inspiring view of Lake Casuy.

Sibugay-Taptap-Kanirag - Central Cebu. Also called the 3-in-1 because it all three trails are usually ridden in one day. Sibugay starts with a series of single tracks which lead you to steep descents and a ride along a river. There are also multiple river crossings until you reach Barangay Bonbon, a low-lying barangay where at the end of a muddy ride you can eat to your belly’s content from any of their three or four foodhouses. Mind you, they serve big and cheap. Next stop from Sibugay is Taptap.

It is actually quite faaar from the first trail but you can stil go there anyway because you are already in the area. You can take a habal-habal from Brgy. Bonbon to the junction to Brgy. Taptap. From there, it is a fast downhill ride through a network of barangay roads then through a single track that leads to a rock garden. You’ll have to pedal a bit to reach the highway. From the highway you’ll need to break some sweat to reach Kan-irag. Ride through a scenic pasture and into the old golf course until you reach a barangay road. This is where all the scary action starts, as riders usually go all out on their bikes here. Blind curves, rain ruts, loose traction--they are all there but none of the boys seem to mind.

Vegetable Highway - Carcar to Sibonga, Cebu. A route both for road and mountain bikes, the vegetable highway forms a spine that runs from Carcar southwards to Sibonga. There is also an option to go to Dumanjug. When you reach Carcar rotunda, turn right on the road that leads to Barili. From the rotunda the junction is 7.5kms away. Enjoy heart-breaking climbs and fast descents through this roller-coaster route. 

Carmen - Danao Mountain Route. This route is like a beautiful love story: it takes your breath away (although at a more heart-breaking sense). It’s not really that high, with only 1,200ft of maximum elevation. But it’s the steepness that you have to contend with. But the whole experience is a sight to remember, probably the most stunning but least known scenic views in the Province of Cebu.

Skirt Guard

I’ve just discovered one of the most useful bike accessories ever: the skirt guard. It is what the name says it is, a guard to keep skirts from being tangled with the rear spokes. It’s a perfect accessory for bag pipers and ladies. I see it in many ladies’ bikes sold in surplus shops here in Cebu but I never knew what they were before I stumbled into this post by Copenhagen Cycle Chic.

A couple of days ago my girlfriend/boss asked me to check out some ladies’ bike for her sister. So I obliged to look around, being interested in ladies’ bike myself. I started out by searching at Pinterest and then went to looking for blogs about women’s bicycles. That’s how I landed at Cycle Chic and I am glad I did. I don’t really know where this blog post leads to. But I have three ends in mind: let everyone know the importance of the oft-neglected skirt guard, explain the anatomy of a ladies’ bike, and show some locations of surplus shops in Cebu where you can buy them.

The first objective being accomplished already, let us proceed with the second. “Ladies’ bike” may sound like a sexist term. In case you are an extremely passionate feminist, do not be angry. The term only denotes a bike designed for comfortable city commute for ladies. It is designed in a way that allows them to ride at any weather in any outfit.

The low top tube and skirt guard allows them to pedal even in long skirt.

The inward bent handlebars allows them to maneuver without having to lean forward.

The wide seats for comfort, so it feels like watching TV at home except that you have to keep your balance.

The big basket in front provides space to carry their make-up kit and lipsticks while the carrier to where they can tie their spare outfit for the day. I’m bluffing. It’s actually for more practical purposes which I need not explain.

Being for city commute, the tires are slick to make the bike more efficient. There are also no gears since gear-shifting is not really necessary for easy city commute. There are fenders to keep the splash away and chain guards so the gears don’t end up munching on skirt ends. It’s really a very efficient city commute and I really think guys should have it.

I found out just now that stands, chain guards, and skirt guards were actually standard features in a bicycle. It is only sports cycling company that got rid of them to make bikes lighter. As a former competitive rider, I know it makes good sense to get rid of those things not only because they add up in weight but they can also hinder riding. On the part of the stands, they may even pose a crash risk. But I definitely recommend those components for city commute.

On to our next topic, here are some of the places you can buy ladies' bicycle in Cebu. Lick on the locations to find them on Google map.

Limbros - this a bike shop that sells ladies' bicycle. Made in China bikes sold a 3k pesos, 2.5k for smaller ones. It is located near Mandaue City Hall. You have to contend with snobbish service but that's fine, at least nobody will bug you around while you are just taking a look.

Surplus shop at Wireless, Mandaue - they sell ladies' bike for smaller women. Some are from Japan, others from China. Being surplus bikes, you will have to do so minor upgrades or replacements. I saw a good one a 1.9k.

Old Patiller Road - This surplus shop is located at the intersection that leads to Cansaga bridge. They have surplus bikes piled up that reach up to the roof of their warehouse (scary, I didn't even get near that dump), but they also have displays outside. They have all sorts of used bicycles there: ladies' bike, kids', mountain, old roadies that are fixed-gear material.

ML Quezon Street - This shop sells folding bikes mostly. I haven't really taken a good look at it, just passed by a couple of times. You may not find ladies' bikes there but they sell foldies in good condition.

Mockery

The Municipality of Liloan hosted the Xterra yesterday. I could not help but note (and learn from a participant himself, also a friend) the despicable attitude of the people towards cyclists. I never experienced this in other places except in Liloan and Consolacion (probably it happens in other places too except that I ride here more often). First, people are overly critical of cyclists. A lot of times that I have gone downhill after a climb, I would hear those jobless idiots shout at me, "pag-hinay oi" (slow down). Dear loser, I am not going fast. I wouldn't want to ride recklessly. I have a job, a girl-friend, and I just turned 23. I would not do anything that would put my life and consequently that of others and your kids in danger.

Second, they enjoy mocking cyclists. An old woman remarked of my friend who came in second to the last on the bike yesterday, "Last na siya dong? Kaluoy pud" (is he the last rider? What a pity). Third is schadenfreude. They love seeing others in misfortune. They think of cyclists as actors in their world of low-rate slap-stick comedy. And they have no qualms about exaggerating just so they can laugh at cyclists. One time I got off my bike because my chain dislodged and I guy from a distance hurriedly gathered his friends and shouted at me "haha! natumba" (haha! he fell off). So they think that getting off your bike seat in the most normal way is just the same with falling over.

Fourth, they are not afraid to curse you. Yesterday, a group of kids asked, no "told," my friend to give them his water bottle. He wouldn't because he needed it to finish Xterra. The kids got disappointed and wished that he would fall down. They also said "kapoy no? gaba" (it's tiring, no? you deserve it"). It's a shame that this enmity towards mountain bikers (and probably cyclists in general) extend from the adults, to the kids, and even to people in their prime.

I haven't even mentioned the daily mocking that I get from habal-habal (motorcycle) drivers at Capulay, the market intersection I have to pass through to get to our place. They are there all they long read to mock. I could not figure out why because I have never engaged in any conversation with anyone of them. So what's the point of what they're doing? Still, I love to ride and no amount of mockery can keep me from riding. 

Now that Liloan is becoming a popular host of outdoor events, the local government should start educating the people around here. They hosted the previous Xterra off-road triathlon and before this year's edition, they hosted the Columbia trail run. I think a simple "respect cyclists and runners" sign in some places should do enough.

Mockery is a sign of lack of education. It is one's way of degrading others so one would feel superior. This is a video of Olympic athlete Derek Redmond. Surrounded by an educated crowd who have a true understanding of what being an athlete is about, he is able to send one of the strongest messages of inspiration in sports history. Redmond was injured at the middle of his run. He stopped for a while and limped towards finish, aided by his father. Inspiration, beyond the meagre grasp of words. If it happened here, would it have the same meaning to the spectators?