Rappelling at Buro-Buro Falls

I got excited when I received a text message from Kuya Ambo, informing me that they will rappel in a falls somewhere in Kananga. Although I haven’t tried the said extreme sport, I was thrilled with excitement and the spirit of adventurism succumb me. I must admit that sometimes I have a fear of height but in a selective mood.

It was Sunday morning when we left Tacloban to Barangay Visares, Kananga, Leyte, which is more than an hour travel by van and bus from the city of Tacloban. What’s unique about Buro-Buro Falls according to Kuya Ambo is that only few people knows that the said falls exist which makes the place clean and the falls formation is good site for those who are into rappelling.

Aside from Kuya Ambo who is a member of MAPS we were accompanied by other MAPS members Uziel, Herbert and Ronnie and Joey, UP Saklang President.

From Visares we had a downhill and uphill hike to reach Buro-Buro Falls, of course equip with basic equipments for rappelling we reach the site after more than an hour trek and rested for while to eat for lunch and to prepare our self from the activity that we are about to do that day.

With a height of about 300 to 400 feet Uziel and the rest of the group prepare the basic equipments that we will need for rappelling. Although it was my first time to engage in such extreme sport I never felt fear and was succumb with excitement.

The first thing they did was to look for the best anchor where the rope will be tied for safe rappelling. After securing all the equipments and preparing them, we are Uziel instructed us (Kuya Ronnie and me since we are fist timers) on what to do and what should be our proper position when rappelling.

It was Herbert who first went down to the falls and followed by Joey, then Kuya Ronnie, me, Uziel and Kuya Bo.

Looking at how high the falls is I got scared for a while and to take away my fear I sung my favorite song “Thank You by Dido” as I was descending. It took for about few minutes to descend since sometimes I get off balance because the rocks are slippery especially on the part where the water falls.

After reaching the ground, the cold water at the lagoon awaits for me to cool my body, where I swim to the other side of the lagoon to keep my things off from the water.

After less than an hour we’re all on the ground and had a dip in fresh cool water of the lagoon. Then we had a few minutes hike to the barrio were a ride a “habal-habal” that took us to the town proper of Kananga.

In a talk with Kuya Ambo after the said activity he told me that I need to consider some basic equipment to safely rappel among these are;

Ropes with a standard length of 200 feet of 60 meters and one of the most important pieces of equipment for rappelling - Most climbers use the same dynamic ropes for rappelling that they use for climbing. These work well but every climber must remember that they stretch and that they can be damaged or cut by rock edges. Thicker ropes, those from 10mm to 11mm in diameter, have more friction when they feed through your rappel device and are less likely to be cut than skinny ropes. As a general rule, do not tie a thick cord to a thin cord (7mm to 9mm) for a rappel since the joining knot can work itself loose.

Another is Anchor Materials - rappel anchors are constructed from a wide variety of climbing gear, including cams, pitons, and bolts. Some anchors also incorporate natural features like trees and boulders. For these anchors it is best to carry some two-foot slingsor pieces of webbing or cord which can be cut to fit.


Then Rappel Device and Locking Carabiner - All rappel devices are not alike and some function better than others depending on your rappelling situation. It’s best to pick a rappel device that you also use as your belay device so you don’t have to carry extra gear. Rappel devices like Black Diamond ATCs and Trango B-52s are excellent choices. Some climbers like to carry a Figure-8 descender since they’re easy to use and offer a smooth ride down.

Another is Harness, fitted around your waist and upper legs, forms a comfortable seat for rappelling. Make sure the harness snugly fits your waist, is in good condition, and has, if possible, a belay loop on the front. If you don’t have a climbing harness, then you can make one from webbing, or in a pinch use a length of webbing to improvise a diaper sling or a two-foot sling for a figure-8 sling.

Then Sling and Locking Carabiner - To be safe when rappelling, you should always use an autoblock knot as a safety back-up in case you lose control of the rappel or need to stop mid-way down. To tie an autoblock you need a sling or length of cord that is 18 to 24 inches long and a locking carabiner to attach the sling to your harness leg loop

Then Gloves - While they are not essential, many climbers like to use either one or two leather gloves on their hands when they rappel. Gloves keep you from getting possible rope burns on your hands if you rappel too fast as well as keep your hands from getting dirty from rope contact.

And lastly Daisy Chain - Another piece of useful rappelling gear is a daisy chain attached to your harness. If you’re making multiple rappels down a cliff, going from rappel station to station, then you need to be able to immediately clip yourself into the anchors when you reach the bottom of each rappel. If you have a daisy chain already rigged on your harness, then you can clip into the anchors as soon as you reach them. Then, since you’re safe, you can unhitch from the rappel device and the ropes so your partner can rap down and join you.

Aside from the basic rappelling gears where are essential in the said sport, those who will rappel need to know the best knots to use in tying ropes together.

Four best knots are consider to be the best one to be used in rappelling and these are Double Figure-8 Fisherman’s Knot; Square Fisherman’s Knot; Double Overhand Knot and Double Fisherman’s Knot.

These are considered to be strong and safe if they will be tied correctly, because life of those who will rappel will depend on the knot being properly tied and all these knots, except the double overhand knot, are backed up with fisherman’s knots for safety on either side.

Aside from the basic equipment and knots to be used by every person who will participate in such sport, hey must consider securing the rappel anchor which in most cases tress are used a anchor, safety gear such as helmet. Those who will rappel must know that rappelling quickly can damage the rope, and the proper way to rappel is to do it slowly. Your breaking hand should remain by your hip at all times. Never let your breaking hand gets close to the figure-eight device attached to your harness. Your fingers could get pinched and you might let go of the rope. Control your descent with your break hand by relaxing or tightening your grip. Keep your heels down and toes against the rappelling surface. Your feet should always stay below your hips. During the descent stay in the fall line of your rope. Do not stray off to the side. Watch where you are going. Bumping into a ledge unexpectedly can cause you to lose control. Be care when maneuvering around overhangs. It is easy to smash your knuckles as you cross the overhang and you need to make sure your rope will not slide over a sharp surface that might cut into it.

Suluan Island – the First Step to Liberation Day

If we are going to read our history books regarding World War II seldom or most of them don’t even mention the small island of Suluan in it. In the history of World War II, Suluan Island has a great role for liberating the Philippine Islands in the hands of Japanese Imperial Army most especially in the fulfillment of the General Douglas McArthur’s undying promise “I Shall Return”.

Reachable by a boat travel from the Port of Guiuan, Suluan Island is blessed with white sand beaches that will captivate the heart of those who will visit the island. Aside from a dip to its pristine water, tourist can do snorkeling, scuba diving and surfing on its water. .

Based on history, Suluan Island is part of the historical municipality of Guiuan. It is in the island of Suluan where Magellan had stayed for a few days before meeting the locals of Homonhon Island more than 400 years ago and it is in the said island also where the first force of liberation force of the Allied Forces landed to secure and prepare the island of Leyte for the arrival of the liberation forces headed by General Douglas McArthur.

Before General Douglas McArthur landed in the shore of Leyte in 20th of October 1944 and engage in the biggest Naval Battle in the history of man-kind. Three days before his arrival the Sixth Ranger Battalion, commanded by Colonel Henry (Hank) Mucci was the first American force to return to the Philippines with the mission of destroying coastal defense guns, radio and radar stations on the islands of Dinagat Island and Suluan Island in Eastern Samar within the offshore of Leyte.

This was the first mission for the 6th Battalion that was activated at Port Moresby, New Guinea in September 1944. The ranger was able to swiftly kill and captured some of the Japanese defenders and destroyed all enemy communications. This attack was the beginning of Battle in Leyte Gulf.

On Suluan, they dispersed a small group of Japanese defenders and destroyed a radio station, while they found Dinagat unoccupied. On both, the Rangers proceeded to erect navigation lights for the amphibious transports to follow three days later. The next day, the third island Homonhon, was taken without opposition. Meanwhile reconnaissance by underwater demolition teams revealed clear landing beaches for assault troops on Leyte.

This event in Suluan which was earlier known as Sentimental Journey although part of our history is not nationally recognize, which Mayor Annaliz Kwan had ask for the national government to recognize it.

“Guiuan had played important role in the national and world history particularly in World War II, and the event in Suluan had played an important role in the liberation day during World War II,” she said.

“Every year here in Guiuan we celebrate the Suluan Raid, which is a prelude to the Battle of Leyte Gulf, this is our way to honor those who have help to liberate the country from the forces of Japanese Empire,” she added.

At present a lighthouse structure in the island of Suluan serves as one of the memory of World War II.

“Aside from their attack at Suluan Island, prior to it the American forces had constructed an airport in Guiuan with more than 50,000 American soldiers working day and night and completed it less than 1 month, although this airport was consider classified at that time, I think since the war is over and it is more than five decades already we should now celebrate this event nationally and not in secret,” she added.

The Navy 3149 Base located a Ngolos which is 23 km from the town proper was the base of the American soldiers of WWII as well as the famed Enola Gay, the B-52 Bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on August 7, 1945 in Hiroshima, Japan gives a great command view to American soldiers to the Pacific Ocean.

The Story of White Russians in Tubabao (as published in EV Examiner)

In the historical town on Guiuan lies a beautiful island of Tubabao, small island as what we may say but it has a big contribution to the history of more than 5,000 Russian refugees around the world who escapes the shadow of communism that took over the powerful country of Russia and again dominated China in 1948.

In the thick pages of history books of the Philippines and Russia, none of its pages mentioned the saga of Russian refugees who once lived in the country in order to seek for better life out of communist governments.

Few of us know their story or if there are some knows about it maybe they have been gone and rest.

The story of “White Russians” as what people called them for they oppose communism as it is tagged with color “red” came to my knowledge one time while I was listening to the radio program of now DPWH Sec. Vic Domingo although not sure if it really true I was fascinated by it until such time Mayor Annaliza Kwan of Guiuan invited some media during their town fiesta and told us the flight of “White Russian” from Russia to China then to the Philippines as their temporary resettlement until such time they left the country and went to Australia and United States.

After 65 years when communist government took over China and after 65 years of their story not being told, the local government of Guiuan had take a step to let younger generations knows one extra-ordinary event that changes and save lives of thousand Russian refugees in China.

In 1948 as the Chinese Red Army are advancing to the Northern China which their ultimate goal is to take over the entire country, the International Refugee Organization which is an umbrella organization of the United Nation appeal to several leader in the world if they can afford to give a temporary refuges for refugees in China.

The only country to reply on the said appeal of the IRO was the Republic of the Philippines under the presidency of President Elpidio Quirino that provided the island of Tubabao in the municipality of Guiuan as the temporary refugee sites of Russian refugees fleeing from China.

The refugee evacuation according to the account started in January 1949 and completed early May of the same year a few months before the Chinese Communist took over Shanghai.

More than 5,000 men, women and children was transfer from Shanghai to Tubabao either by air or sea in lived in island in the place they called “Tent City” that connected the small island to the municipality of Guiuan by a wooden bridge..

In a chronicle of Olga Burger which she published on her blogsite she narrated that she was 13 years old by the time they left Shanghai in a Chinese Ship Hwa Lien which almost a scrap and manned by Chinese prisoners who are mostly murderers who took the chance after the Chinese government told them that as their reward of manning the ship they could obtain freedom.

Olga narrated on her blog “We left for the Philippines in early February 1949. It took us about two weeks as our ship, the Hwa Lien, kept breaking down. Among Russian refugees, we had doctors, nurses, engineers, mechanics, everything onboard. By the time we got to Tubabao, the ship was [leaning on one side] and we were all asked to move to the opposite side to prevent it from toppling over. In all, 5,000 Russian refugees escaped to Tubabao.”

“We had left Shanghai in winter but it was very hot in Tubabao. The men used large cane knives to cut down the thick undergrowth, while the women and children trampled it down to erect tents. For the children, it was an adventure; we learnt to swim and dive and we had such things as scouts and lifesavers.”

“The American military authorities supplied us with tinned meat, macaroni and dried vegetables which were left over from the war. We also found many tins of food, but had to be careful as some of them were contaminated. When one is so hungry one does not think too much about the dangers. The macaroni was infested with weevils and we had to pick them out before it was cooked in communal kitchens.”

“Our most serious problem proved to be the lack of fresh water. The men had to get it from a little spring and carried it back to camp in metal containers. Water was rationed, about three cups per person, per day.”

“Everyone had to help out in the kitchen or at other tasks. The Filipinos soon became business minded and knowing that there were 5,000 Russians on the island, they set up a hairdressing salon and an ice cream parlor. Mum used to wash clothes for people to be able to give me and my sister a treat such as a bottle of Coca Cola, an ice cream, lollies and a few cigarettes for herself.”

“After nine months on the island we migrated to Australia. My mother had contracted tuberculosis (TB) and if it was known then we would not have been accepted to [come to] Australia. We left Tubabao on 31 October 1949 onboard the American warship General Greeley, arriving in Woolloomooloo in Sydney on 9 November. The men had to sleep in hammocks down below, but the women and children had cabins. We were in a cabin for six, with another woman and her two children. We spent most of the voyage on deck which was great.” narrated by Olga in her blog.

In the blog of Dimitry Doohovskoy were he relates the story of his relatives during their stay in Tubabao which was chronicled in a 40 pages booklet it says that, “While in LA, my Tyotya Tanya told me several stories about her time on Tubabao, the island in the Philippines where 5000 Russian émigrés lived for several years after the Chinese communists took control of China, and while they waited another foreign country to accept them. My dad was there with Tyotya Tanya, and many other members of my family. Even though my dad was just a young boy, he still remembers vividly certain scenes from the island. However Tyotya Tanya, because she was older, was able to see and remember a lot more of their experience there. As always, the stories she told me were inspiring, vivid, and interesting.”

“She then handed me a 40 page booklet of memories from Tubabao that had been put together by an organization of Russians who had been on Tubabao that had ended up in Australia. The night she gave it to me, I stayed up late into the morning reading it cover to cover. Struck by all the stories within it, I realized that I need to do something with this amazing story of emigration, which spans from from 1917 to 1953, from Russia to America, from Revolution to Southern California.”

“One line in the booklet’s prologue struck me in particular, and seemed to me to be the reason why this story is so important for Russia: “Wherever they went, Russians displayed their strength of character, their moral qualities and resilience by their honest work, their determination to build a new life, and their good civil behavior,” as written in the booklet.

Dimitry added in his blog that in the Orthodox Church in San Francisco two icons in the church wall was made in Tubabao by Russian immigrants and brought to the US when they were relocated.

Valentine Alexeef and Misha Anissimov both Russian-American who visited Guiuan upon the invitation of Mayor Annaliza Kwan had thanks the people of Guiuan in behalf of more than 5,000 White Russians that’s stayed in Tubabao 65 years ago.

Valentine Alexeef was a year-and-a-half when he first arrived in Tubabao 65 years ago and it was his first time to come back in Guiuan after they left to America.
Alexeef was the first White Russian to answer the call of Mayor Kwan in her posting in the internet asking for White Russian all over the world to communicate with her to tell their story on their stay in the said island.

“I was one of the 8000 White Russian refugees on Tubabao in 1949. I was only a small child & my recollections are good. As a kid I had a wonderful time swimming in the warm waters & going to Russian Scouts every morning for flag parade. On Sundays there was a huge scout campfire. For us young ones life was great but not so wonderful for my mother & other adults who endured the heat, humidity, fevers & living in a hot army tent. Facilities were almost nil. Anyway fond memories.” Alexeef reply on Mayor Annaliz Kwan posting in the net.

Meanwhile Anissimov whose mother was only 13 years old when she arrived in Tubabao said that according to her mother Tubabao was not a refugee camp for the children nor a jungle but a paradise because it save thousand lives of Russian refugees. He added that since he was a child her mother kept on telling him stories of their stay in Tubabao.

Anissimov who used to be a mechanical engineer and married to a Cebuana is now a film maker and planning to make a documentary film of White Russians stay in Tubabao.

Aside from Anissimov and Alexeef, Mayor Kwan had also invited Nikolai Massenkoff a world-celebrated Russian-American singer who was only 10 years old when he arrived at Tubabao to have a concert for the people of Guiuan but failed made it because of his illness.

Among White Russians that stayed in Tubabao, the most celebrated was Archbishop John of Shanghai or St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, whom the Russian Orthodox Church had venerated him into sainthood.

Russian refugees who are dominant Orthodox Christians upon setting their foot to the island within the first few days following their arrival on Tubabao, Russian Orthodox clergy (priests and nuns) and laity had already set to work on organizing church life, establishing and furnishing two tent churches on camp territory: the Church of St. Seraphim and the Church of St. Michael the Archangel.

Michael Borisovitch Maximovitch (Archbishop John of Shanghai) after he was elevated to the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and was sent to Shanghai, China at the age of 38 where he restored the Church unity and was among the refugees who were sent to Tubabao.

“He left the island on July 12, 1949, to go to Washington DC and lobby the United States Congress on behalf of those on Tubabao, with the goal of securing for them the right to become permanent residents of the USA. Vladyka John took part in the composition of the so-called “Appeal by Russian Hierarchs to the Governments of the World,” an appeal that included a request to ease the fate of those living on the island. As later demonstrated, the Russian hierarchs’ efforts bore fruit: ultimately, all of the refugees were taken off Tubabao and resettled in various countries,” according to the book of V. Moravsky’s The Island of Tubabao, 1949-1951. The Russian Far-eastern Emigration’s Final Haven, Moscow, which was published in 2000.

“The camp residents both sensed and treasured the presence in camp of Vladyka, their intercessor, healer, their person of fervent prayer “for each and for all. ”Everyone would know that Vladyka was walking around and blessing the camp at bedtime, and in small ways, a great miracle would happen: Living in tents, in exhausting heat to which they were not accustomed, people would not lose courage; they would continue to maintain their Orthodox way of life. In a camp of five and one half thousand people, there were no disturbances, and morale was exceptionally high. It was a starry night, on Pascha.” T. A. Stupina described in an article published in San Francisco, USA (Russian Life, 12 April 1993).
In another article published in the net it says that, “When the fear of typhoons was mentioned by one Russian to the Filipinos, they replied that there was no reason to worry, because “your holy man blesses your camp from four directions every night.”
They referred to Vladika John, for no typhoon struck the island while he was there.

In trying to resettle his flock, Vladika went to Washington, and through his intervention, almost the whole camp was miraculously able to come to America - including his orphanage.

In a letter of Holy Hierarch John of Shanghai and San Francisco on his appeal for the people in Tubabao to be relocated to the United States which was kept by the Orthodox Parish Church in San Francisco it says that:

An appeal on the fate of Russians on the Island of Tubabao, the Philippines
Below we present an appeal by the “Committee for an Appeal to the President of the United States.” Addressed to Russian society and signed by V.N. Borzov, the letter deals with the fate of Russians on the Island of Tubabao. In the upper right hand corner of the appeal, St. John made the following hand-written remarks:

“I ask everyone to respond to this appeal, and to sign the attached appeal, in order to help those in Samar. Immediately after the Feast of St. Nicholas, the lists of signatures must be returned to me for further distribution.

May Our Lord bless everyone! +John, Archbishop of Shanghai.

St. John appeal to the United States government was granted after the United States immigration law was amended wherein the refugees was granted to become an immigrant after a five years waiting period.

Although Archbishop John stayed in Tubabao for more than two years no Filipino inhabitant were baptized into Orthodox faith and did not preach the Orthodox faith to Filipino inhabitant in Guiuan.

Recently, Presidential Assistant for Eastern Visayas Cynthia Nierras said that groups of Russian immigrant are now planning to visit Guiuan, specifically the island of Tubabao to visit the place where their roots had stayed from their escape against communist government.

Although the plans was set last October, PA Nierras said that it was postponed due to the recent visits of typhoons and calamities that strucked the country.

Mayor Kwan on the other hand says that now that people knows about the story of White Russians stay in Tubabao and with the help of the National Historic Institute whom she asked for help during her research on the said event says that it will help to open more opportunity to Guiuan on tourism promotion.

She added that the National Historic Institute is now planning to put a marker in the said island that will make people know that the said island is historical and it has great contribution to the history if Russian immigrants around the world.