Update: 4th Bagasbas Summer Surf Festival – April 15 to 17, 2011

by Joey Cuerdo, event organizer

Summer is so near you can really feel it!  Billboards on EDSA have shifted to showcasing bronze bodies and everything about the beach.  Kids are whining about the last days of school and exams… and talk is continuous about plans, of what to do, where to go, what sport to take up.

If you have been on this thread for the past month, then you know about the Bagasbas Summer Surf Festival coming up at Bagasbas Beach, Daet, Camarines Norte from April 15-17, 2011.

If not, this is the gist of it all:

The event:
4th Bagasbas Summer Surf Festival, Bagasbas Beach, Daet, Camarines Norte

April 15-17, 2011.

 

 

What this is all about:

• Surf Clinics!

Visit Bagasbas Beach and have your first taste of surfing, that incomparable feel of walking on water, and it will get you stoked! You’ll be clamoring for more after this… one session will never be enough!

Upon registration, you will be given a time slot for your session.  Hold on to it, check-in at your hotel, change and head to the beach.

 

While waiting for your slot, the beach activities are guaranteed to keep you pumped with beach adrenaline!

 

• Sport Climbing, Beach Ultimate Frisbee, Beach Volleyball and Dodgeball!!!

 

We will have professional coaches and referees teaching you the ways of the games and getting you involved in the beach sports.  If you have forgotten how to have fun and play… if you have forgotten how to play tag, climb a tree, or catch or dodge a ball… these sports on the beach will all revive that spirit of fun and play that we all enjoyed, but have just forgotten or gotten too busy to do.

 

 

How much to join all of these?

At site registration P800

Pre-registration P400 only thru: www.pakyaw.com.ph selling dates will be for 4 days within the next 2 weeks … so log on, create your account NOW!!! Only 300 slots will be entertained so be ALERT, Check out the website every other day to see when that secret buying day comes out

 

What you get:

• One surf session, inclusive of board rental and instructor  ( worth P400 )
• One event shirt ( worth P250 )
• The right to join the clinics offered  ( each sport being taught to you for 2 hours each… worth P200/sport )
• One pair of MOJO slippers  ( worth P350 )
• A great beach party with Coffee Break Island on April 10, pumping reggae and ska beats into the summer night  ( cover charge worth P150 at 70’s Bistro )

 

 

EXACTLY… it’s a great deal!

 

So who do you contact?

For the surf session, just come to the beach and sign up on the spot ( details on getting there below )

For help on directions, places to stay at the beach or in town:

Camarines Norte Tourism Council coordinator : Amable 0930-4939054

 

FAQ’s on  Bagasbas Beach:

1. How do we get there? Which is better, to take a public transporation or take our own cars?  Frankly, we feel it’s too long for a drive and we’d rather sit back and relax. Is there a public transpo mode that we can take from Manila? If so, where and how much would this cost? Other suggestions for transportation?

The most HASSLE FREE way is to join the Chartered Trips of Planes and Places Travel Services, with bus booking, hotel accommodation, meals planned… even unlimited drinks at the event through BAR ON THE RUN.  Go to Surfing Bagasbas on Facebook and look for them there.

For the more adventurous, the cheapest way to Daet, Camarines Norte is by bus.

I always take Superlines (yeah call me a cheapskate!), with the terminal at Cubao along EDSA, southbound between Times and Aurora Boulevard.  The trip is 6 hours minimum, but the bus ride of Superlines has A LOT OF STOPS. The buses aren’t new, but the fare is cheaper (P490 aircon) than the posh Philtranco, with terminals in Pasay and Cubao newer buses with the highest fares at P650 (Gold Service, check out the toilet facilities on board the bus)

For Superlines, there are only 2 trips 9:00pm and 9:30pm. Both trips reach Daet at around 6am. ( this is best for the event, so you get to check in and reg early on Day 1 ). TRAVEL TIP: reserve and purchase seats a day before or in the morning of your trip to avoid running out of seats.

Call Philtranco for their scheds for more details. They leave at 9pm as well, and don’t stop much, thus arriving in Daet at 4am.

PHILTRANCO – cubao (02)722-7567, pasay (02) 851-5420,daet (054)721-4350

SUPERLINES – daet (054) 571-2225, cubao(02)414-3319
When you get to Daet, tell the tricycle drivers to take you to Bagasbas Beach.  That should be P50 for the trike, special  trip, you can load the trike up to 3 pax

If you want to drive, prepare for a 370km road trip

>  print out the map from google map
>  Compute your gas.  the crucial gas station is in Gumaca Quezon, before the zig zags
>  I strongly suggest a driving buddy, or 3 of you to split the drive

2.Where can i book for accommodations?

Area Code (054)

Canimog Hotel                                            440 – 2029 / 721 – 5318l

Daet Hotel                                                   571 – 2512

Daet Apartelle                                              721 – 5520 / 571 – 2693

Diamond Motor Lodge                                 571 – 2136 / 721 – 5527

Dolor Hotel                                                  721 – 2167 / 440 – 7070

Nathaniel Apartelle                                        440 – 3395 / 721 – 1362

Pinoy Hotel                                                  440 – 0410

Regine Joy Apartelle                                     721 – 1420 / 721 – 5250

Royal Orchids Hotel                                     605 – 0066

Sampaguita Tourist Inn                                 571 – 2258 / 440 – 8585

Travellers Hotel                                            440 – 1521

*Travellers Inn                                               721 – 2993

*Hebris Pent hauz                                          721 – 2373

Irish Travel Lodge                                        440 – 6151

Labo Apartelle                                             585 – 2405

Mines Hotel                                                 721 – 1403 / 571 – 2734

Mega Star Hotel                                           721 – 1600 / 605 – 0024

Habibi Apartelle                                           CP 0921 – 9759770

Villa Mila Hotel                                            721 – 5107

*Auro Hotel                                                  CP 0921 – 2240461

 

*Lodging houses near the beach

 

3. Where exactly is the registration and event site?

 

Onsite registration will be at the beach.  Look for the Secretariat Booth.

 

4. I want to camp to save on lodging. What kind of crowd would you think will be coming?

 

A lot of students, yuppies and working dudes. The local government will provide a secured area for campers, with access to toilet facilities and fresh water.  There will be minimal cost though for use of toilet and shower.

 

5. What kind of entertainment will there be at night time? Any bands that we know?

 

Coffee Break Island has clearly been a steady mover in the area of beach music, singing happy tunes leaning towards up beat reggae and ska.  They have partnered with us in the promotion of our local beaches and mountain crags since early 2000, sometime initiating efforts to bring the crowd together, if only to celebrate the freedom of the spirit found in the outdoors enthusiasts. CBI plays on April 16.

 

6. What are the costs to expect?

• Onsite registration is P800
• Food – lots of local resto or b-a-o-n .
• Lodging – depending on your booking
• Transpo –  by bus P980 round trip ( on Superlines )
• Island hopping tours P850 to P1350, see below…

 

7. How long is the surfing lesson?

There will be a 20 minute briefing on land.  Then you will 30 minutes hands on in the water.

8. Do we need to pay extra for climbing?

 

No No No.  Climbing is for FREE along with the other activities on the beach.  Just be nice to the climbing-expert-hunks of Power Up.  They’ll take care of your safety while you’re on the wall

 

9. Frisbee clinics will be ongoing the whole day as well?

Yes, its easy to learn too!  If you you want to join fun tournaments or scrimmages, we can hook you up with others when you get there.  Right now, Sunken Pleasure & Espana United Frisbee Clubs are going to play at the beach with YOU.

 

10. What are the mechanics for volleyball?

 

Progressive Volleyball Center will coordinate and form teams at the site.  So if you were a former star player, but have lost contact with your team, NOT TO WORRY! You’ll most probably still be the star player here at this beach!

 

11. I used to play dodgeball in Grade school, is that the same thing?

 

Hahaha, kind of YES. Check out this new OLD game! The Dodgeball Association of the Philippines will be there to get you all involved in this sport.  It’s guaranteed fun, but don’t stay in one spot too long laughing, that ball can sting if it gets you!

 

12.  I want to play Football! Do you have that there?

 

Bring a ball and lets see how we can work this out.  Sooo many people want to play football at this event… so let’s play!

 

13. What else can I do?

Check out the great Island Tours being offered!

North of Bagasbas Beach is Calaguas Island. This place is known for powdery white sand supposedly the finest in the country. The trip to this island is still at its pure form but made snazzy. It’s an overnight trip with tent lodging, but with the refinements of catered and exquisitely prepared food. It will take 2 days, so you might want to extend your Sunday home trip to Monday and do Calaguas April 17-18. Boat transfers, tent rentals, 2 meals with snacks, generator rental and island environmental fees, SPECIAL OFFER for Participants, P1,350.  Normal rates range between P1,800 to P2,300.  Contact Provincial Tourism Office /AMABLE 0930-4938054

South of Bagasbas Beach is Mercedes town, jump off for the Apuao Island tour. Apuao Grande Island was a private Australian run island with its own air strip, golf course and retirement village.  This was ultra exclusive, non guests had no access to it, until now!  Visit Apuao, see why the Australians loved this island so much.  Take a short trek to its highest point and see a view like no other… You’ll love the Philippines even more when you see what we have hidden in our islands. Day tour, picked up from Bagasbas, speed boat rental, lunch and a snack, P850. You can opt to do this on your second day at the beach if the sports don’t attract you. Contact Boy 0999-3779986.

 

14. Can I pass this email on to my friends?

 

YES!!!  Feel free to re post this email onto your egroups!

 

15. Who is spearheading this event?

 

The Provincial Government of Camarines Norte:  0930 493 8054

Power Play Events Management: bagasbas.summer.surf.festival@gmail.com

This event is presented by The Province of Camarines Norte and MOJO Slippers and Sandals with support from DOT Region 5.

We are also supported by, Progressive Volleyball Center, Power Up Climbing Gyms, Dodgeball Association of the Philippines, Espana United and Sunken Pleasure Ultimate Frisbee Clubs.

Official Partners: MarketingVille, Pakyaw.com, Planes and Places, Bar on the Run

 

See you at the beach!

Like what MOJO Slippers and Sandals says… YOU WON’T KNOW IF YOU DON’T GO!