All Smiles!

Summertime beckons. More time to take a countryside joyride or run down the beachfront and get that porcelain skin sun-kissed. Let those tan lines be the evidence of crazy summer frolicking. Whatever stuff you do to occupy your idle time this sunny season – whether it’s an acting workshop, culinary or French classes, arts and crafts, voice lessons, and whatnots – freeze those decisive moments using a handy camera phone.

Say, Cheese…

Sony Ericsson’s new baby, to be launched later this month, the C510 Cyber-shot is the newest companion for documentation purposes. It carries the Smile Shutter technology which allows the camera to detect the smiling face and take the photo. So, there are more reasons to smile this summer as your Cyber-shot experience is taken a step higher with this sleek feature, the first line to offer the Smile Shutter. So, flex those facial muscles and say cheese to the C510.

My first encounter with C510 was a week ago when Sony Ericsson organized a media trip to Bohol. What best way to experience the newbie than through contests they called Best Smiles in Bohol (media guests must take pictures of other media participants with their best smiles in a tourist location with the Shutter Smile signage), Catch A Smile in Bohol (media guests must ask a local or any person not belonging to the media group to pose and smile beside the Sony Ericsson banner) and The Smile Ambassador Photo. Of course, the photos were judged according to composition, creativity and visual impact.

As a frequent visitor to the island, I found Bohol surprisingly interesting this time around. With the C510 in hand, aside from capturing landscapes and architecture, Boholanos’ genuine smiles were flashing before me at every click that seemed to set our spirits on a high! As the old saying goes: “Smile and the whole world smiles with you,” so was my experience during the guided tour that started at The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception a.k.a the Baclayon Church. Much has been said about this renowned landmark which is among the few places you get to see first when you’re in Bohol. After a quick tour at the museum, we visited another heritage site that was unfamiliar to me – the Clarin Ancestral House in Barangay Loay.

Its quaint traditional Spanish-Filipino architectural design shows this house to be a witness to history. Unlike ordinary old houses, the Clarin residence is unique because of the culinary secret that awaits trippers. According to the resident guide, town dwellers built underground houses to protect them from armed men and the Clarin abode was not an exception. As time passed, the underground area was transformed into a restaurant, Cafe Olegario, that also has an alfresco dining option amidst a verdant garden, serving native delicacies.

Of course we did not miss out the Chocolate Hills in Carmen, Bohol’s most famous tourist attractions. We did not feast on chocolates the whole time we were in Bohol, rather we munched on the Star Peanuts instead, the newest pasalubong that can outshine the Peanut Kisses, shaped like the Chocolate Hills. Star Peanuts is more flavorful and chewy than the older delight. My colleagues could vouch for that! It was another reason for us to smile every time our tour guide offered free tasting in the shuttle! Hahahaha!

Great Eats

On our second day, Bohol had our stomachs full. First stop was at The Bohol Bee Farm. It has never lost its charm. It still has the interesting factor that attracts nature lovers and ordinary travelers, like us. I had happy thoughts while on our way to Bohol Bee Farm for the assorted homemade farm products food tasting at the country store such as pure honey, spreads (pesto spread is to die for), breads (camote, herb bread, toasted bread with honeyed latik), muffins, teas, tableyas, honeyed salabat, among other natural healthy eats. These are also papaya and honey soaps, rafia bags, mats and some native products for sale.

They say you haven’t been to Bohol Bee Farm if you haven’t tasted their famous organic salad, the Organic Garden Salad with indigenous flowers such as chrysanthemums, rose petals, romaine lettuce, radish, turnips served with honeyed mustard salad dressing. There’s no need to worry though since the ingredients are freshly picked from the farm. The Organic Garden Salad is just one of the many must-tries that use fresh, natural ingredients straight from the farm.

Owner Vicky Wallace, an advocate of agricultural development, has been optimistic in practicing organic farming and her efforts were not put to waste as Bohol Bee Farm is still one of the most frequented attractions in Panglao Island. The in-house tour guide showed us their herb garden complete with basil, lemongrass, peppermint, tarragon, celery, parsley, chives, among many others; and of course the honeycombs! The bees were all buzzing upon our arrival and we turned CSIs, immediately taking snap shots for keeps.

The excruciating heat did not stop us from cruising the famous Loboc River where a hearty lunch was laid before us plus live entertainment from the local musicians.

Soon after, we communed with the maumags (or tarsiers) at their home in Corella. The Philippine Tarsier Foundation, Inc. is a non-stock, non-profit organization for the conservation of the Philippine tarsiers. More than 100 endangered tarsiers are taken cared of in the sanctuary that started operations last 1997. Our group was not allowed to make unnecessary noise, so as not to awaken these nocturnal creatures that reside in the forest. It’s so alarming to know their suicidal reaction to human contact. Hence, the foundation has doubled its efforts in putting an end to maltreatment of the maumag before they kill themselves to extinction. Good news is, when the foundation intervened, the survival rate increased to 50 percent.

Our second and final religious landmark stopover was at the Church of Our Lady of Assumption in Dauis. One thing miraculous with the Dauis church is the fresh water that springs from the foot of the altar which is said to have healing powers. Though the church is just a few meters away from the sea, it is odd that fresh potable water can be found here. A few of my companions brought home a bottle of water with faith that it will cause healing.

Just a few steps from the church is a tourism center developed by Beatriz Susana Zobel de Ayala that also serves as heritage museum, dining hub, souvenir shop with no less than the Boholano’s livelihood produce on display. Dinnertime came and we ate at the Dauis Church Convent. We could not help but gush on the food cooked the traditional way, such as the Adobong Manok, Lechon Kawali, Tinolang Manok Bisaya and Ube Halaya.

Miss Smiley

On the second day, as well, we met Sony Ericsson’s Smile Ambassador Sarah Geronimo, the first Brand Ambassador for the Philippines, who was all smiles after the success of her box office movie with John Lloyd Cruz, You Changed My Life. With sold-out concerts and album success, she said: “Hindi pwedeng masungit sa C510, dapat naka-smile. Nakaktuwa na parang magic na nadedetect yung smile mo.” The 20-year-old singer/actress is a fan of the Smile Shutter feature.

Sarah will be visible in all of the brand’s campaigns, including the Spread A Smile Campaign which Sony Ericsson will gather smile photos using the C510 from all over the Philippines that will be mounted on a Smile Wall.

Though none of the Cebuano media won, there were so much reason for us to smile including more than 20 Boholanos who smiled back at us. Imagine, 400 shots in just two days...quite a feat! The documentation was successful, now we flaunt the shots of Bohol. Enjoy!