Community Service & Tour to Gingoog City

Hey guys! It's been awhile I haven't post anything here. I have been very busy with all my duties and tasks as president of my club, the Team YBR CDO, Inc., as well as my responsibilities to my beloved family, not to mention my real estate job. But, anyway  I'm here to summarize the rest of my riding activities since the last post I have here, our trip to Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City.

First, Team YBR CDO Inc. donated various relief clothing to the fire victims of St. John, Brgy. Puntod, CDO City last August 2, 2009. It was participated by 14 regular and active members of the organization.

The relief clothing were turned over to and received by the barangay officials of Puntod. A copy of the Resolution No. 085-07-2009 was given to the group expressing the deep gratitude by the local government officials to Team YBR CDO, Inc.'s effort to participate in such activities specially intended for the welfare of  the people in need like the more than 100 households that became victims of the fire that erupted last July 22, 2009. Said resolution was signed by Barangay Chairman, Marvin G. Beja with conformity by Kagawad, Mitchelle Rey E. Clarito, Kag. Alexis J. Dacer, Kag. Evangeline S. Abbu, Kag. Joe T. Bonjoc, Sr., Kag. Doris Lavern U. Sia, Kag. Domenic V. Daumar and Kag. Mariah Kathlyn S. Denque. To all members of Team YBR CDO, Inc., CONGRATULATIONS for the success of our team's first Community Service which was spearheaded by the committee chairman, Ybro Randie Asuncion.

Second is our tour to Gingoog City, a second class city in the province of Misamis Oriental, Philippines. It is approximately 122 kilometers east of Cagayan de Oro City. It was a fine Sunday morning, September 20, 2009 to be exact. Fourteen regular members joined the tour making the first stop-over at Villanueva to have some breakfast at a carinderia (small restaurant) that serves hot meat soup, sinangag (fried rice) and other native foods. 

The group then proceeded on its tour, and after a total of 84 kilometers run, it had its next stop-over at the

Balingoan Port for some picture takings for souvenirs. The great backdrop you can view is the Camiguin Island that lies off the northern coast of Mindanao. The group altogether had its merienda (snacks) at one of its regular member's residence. In less than 30 minutes, the group were back on its route towards Gingoog City. The group reached Gingoog City and have some  fun and picture taking in Arturo S. Lugod Sports and Cultural Center and at the Gingoog Port area.

After some rest, the team rode back for Balingoan where we took our lunch at our Vice- President's house. We then proceeded to Baleng ni Juan where we continue having fun until night time. We left Balingoan heading homeward Cagayan de Oro City at 7:00 P.M. and after a kilometer and a half run, heavy rains started to fall. We took refuge at the nearest waiting shed along the highway. 30 minutes passed but the rain seemed to be not stopping anymore. We decided to push through with our ride and once again braved the heavy rainfalls that soaked us all and made us chilling while we travel the eastern coastal road of Misamis Oriental. We arrived in Cagayan de Oro City more or less at 9:00 P.M. all wet and chilling like little children but filled with joy and happiness in our heart.  

Tour to Maria Cristina Falls and Timoga Resorts

It happened to be one rainy Sunday morning. July 26, 2009, our scheduled tour to Maria Cristina Falls and Timoga Resorts in Iligan City. The weather was so cold and the roads seemed not ready to entertain any traveller. While my mind was set to brave the rains and enjoy whatever pleasure riding wet and wild could offer, I was also worried that others were not used to ride while raining like I do. As I sip my hot cup of chocolate, I was eagerly waiting for something to sound off. I was waiting for a sign, asking myself if this one's going to push through. Then my cell phone gave the 5:00 o'clock wake up alarm. I was awake earlier than usual and had already taken a very cold morning bath. Heavy rainfall from 4:20 to 4:45 A.M. had just lessen a bit, and I knew the sun will not just get up the way it used to be, not this time. The next sound that I heard was the message alert tone from one of our rider member from Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. "It was raining hard here awhile ago, are we gonna push through with the tour?". It was what I read written on my cell's LCD screen. "Can you ride now and ready to get wet this time?," I replied. The next message I read was, "I will be at the assembly line in 20 minutes". Yesssss, that's the sign I was waiting for. I picked up my bag and re-checked the things I readied the night before. I just added some rain gears and a T-shirt. Before I can get down from my house to the garage, one rider texted, "Sir, there is no rain in Iligan City", the other message said, "We are now here at the assembly line, where are you?. "Oh my," I said, "I'm not the only motorcycle addict here." I hurried up, warmed up my bike and there I went riding carefully on the wet highway to get at the assembly line as fast as I can get, with the rain still pouring moderately. From four riders that I found already waiting for the others with great enthusiasms, one by one the rest of the members arrived. There was this YBR rider (not yet a member) who's just passing by and stopped with curiosity and then asked, "What are you doing here guys, where are you going". Upon learning of our scheduled tour to Maria Cristina Falls, he quipped, "Can I join you?." I asked him how far is his house and how many minutes we have to wait for him to get some things for the tour. When he replied that in fifteen minutes he will be up and going, I immediately said, "Ok, then go, welcome to our company!." 17 riders, 3 wives and two friends, that made us 22 heads in all. We were late by 30 minutes on our planned departure time. After some safety briefing and a prayer, all 17 of our YBR motorcycles started to roar, in great sounds like thunders, ready to face the challenges that lie ahead of us as we toured the highway westward Misamis Oriental, to the City of Majestic Waterfalls, which is Iligan City.

The rains had already stopped and only small particles of water that came from almost all directions touched our bodies while we drive in moderate speed while we traversed the city proper and leaving Cagayan de Oro, just for awhile. We gassed up at Jetti Gas Station in Bulua where bystanders started to multiply while being amazed by our rides. At the next town we were joined by another rider with his girlfriend on  the back of his ride. Then the 24 of us continued the tour on the beautiful highway of the Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Corridors. What a nice place we have here in the northernmost part of the Islands of Mindanao. All riders who can taste the breeze, the unpolluted air of our island, not to mention the beautiful roads, especially the challenging sharp curves, the beautiful coastal scenery...I bet, they will be coming back for more rides like this one that we had.
We had our stop-over at the coastal road of Iligan, just before we entered the city proper where we started some picture taking, for remembrance purposes, you know. We also had to stop for awhile at the Caltex Star Mart to take a little snack and to buy some bottled water. We continued our tour, passed the city proper and directly went to Maria Cristina Falls. It is a waterfall of the Agus River on the island of Mindanao. It is sometimes called the "twin falls" as the flow is separated by a rock at the brink of the waterfall. It is a landmark of Iligan City, nicknamed the City of Majestic Waterfalls, because of the presence of more than 20 waterfalls in the city. Well-known for its natural beauty and grandeur, the 320-feet98 meters/320 feet high waterfall is also the primary source of electric power for the city's industries, being harnessed by the Agus VI Hydroelectric Plant.
After some time of feeling the beauty of nature within this twin waterfalls and listening to the sounds of heavy water pouring hard to big stones and down the stream, we felt relaxed, our minds, bodies and souls were filled with enjoyment and serenity that nobody among us just can explain. We then proceeded to Timoga Resorts for our lunch and continued fun and enjoyment embraced us all. Some gone to the pool and other preferred bonding with each other over a long neck of Tanduay and few bottles of Red Horse. There, we had conceptualized to help the fire victims of Brgy Tabaco in Puntod, Cagayan de Oro City. There were more than a hundred houses burned and families left homeless. We agreed to donate used clothing and dry goods on Sunday, August 2, 2009. At 3:30 P.M. heavy rain started to pour over the makeshift hut that we are staying. That made us decide to delay our departure time until the rain completely stop, hoping that it will. One hour passed, but it seemed the rains just want to hold us hostage in Iligan City. By the concensus of everybody, including the 4 lady backriders, no heavy rains can stop us now in going home. We started our rides for home at exactly 5:30 P.M. Our rides, the Yamaha YBR 125 G never give up on us. After 30 minutes of driving, the water started to penetrate my jacket. The rains drowned my entire body in complete coldness and with the long unlighted highway due to the brown out in some municipalities we passed, this rides, our own rides, the YBR's...you'll never think of getting home too soon, even if it is raining hard and all you see is a piece of the road ahead of you...you'll love the way its engine adopts itself in different conditions and temperatures. With a few more squeezes of the throttle, we arrived in Cagayan de Oro City at about 7:45 P.M. safe and sound, all wet, wild and filled with happiness and with a hope of another ride like this...with or without the rains....To all the members of Team YBR CDO, Inc..."Daghang Salamat Kaninyong Tanan"...It means..Thank you very much to all of you...of course, "Glory be to our Lord, Who is always our Co-Pilot".....

View all pictures of the tour at Team YBR CDO, Inc.'s Site

Ybro Orlando Tagolimot's Birthday

It was July 19, 2009, a bright and sunny day and good for a short riding adventure. But it was not all about riding, though we assembled again as a team and had prepared all our rides to the best of their forms and conditions, all of us had two things in our minds... it's Ybro Lando Tagolimot's birthday and of course a short 23 kms ride on board our YBRs. What a great simple lives we have. We traveled about 28 minutes before we got to Ybro Lando's house in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. There were seven of us originating from Cagayan de Oro City. One rider joined us along the way at Agusan Highway, the other one in Puerto and another two from the Villanueva. Eleven of us, YBR riders graced our Board Member's birthday celebration. It was a day full of fun, native dish like lechon, drinks and videoke courtesy of Ybro Lando. All board members were present, so after partaking our meals, a short board meeting was held under a big tree (I just can't remember what type of tree it was). We talked about the plan for the upcoming tour to Maria Cristina Falls and Timoga on Sunday, July 26, 2009. All 20 active members of the club are confirmed to join the tour plus the 4 other applicants who are still to be introduced to the general asssembly and finally accepted to the club on the same day of the tour. We also hope to have with us some non-members who had signified their interest to join the tour as well as the organization. After the said short meeting, we went back inside the house of Ybro Lando then songs and laughter fills every corner of our Ybrother's home. By the way, YBRother is what we call each of us in the club, Ybro for short. At exactly 5:00 P.M., all were geared up to travel back to our home city, Cagayan de Oro.

TEAM YBR CDO Mini Tour

Friday, May 29, 2009, another lovely day for TEAM YBR CDO, woke up 4:30 in the morning, sent some reminder texts to all members and immediately took the early morning bath. The water was so cold that made me shiver down my spine, but all were set for this touring adventure, no matter how cold the water was. Yes, we've all waited for that day and it had come. After a cup of hot chocolate and while filling up my empty stomach, text messages started to come in. Seemed like everyone were all set to go. Except for one rider from Iligan City whom we've expected to arrive late because his place is 89 kms west of Cagayan de Oro City while our route was eastbound of Misamnis Oriental, Balingoan to be exact, a well known stop-over for travellers and tourists going to Camiguin Island. We were assured that this rider will be with us along the way around 50 kms away from our destination. Four of us met at the Yamaha Showroom in Gusa, CDO City and we started our tour at exactly 6:30 in the morning. We were joined by another rider at Agusan Highway and before we reached Puerto, the rider from Iligan City was already with us. How did he do it? I wondered. He must had left Iligan City at 5:30 A.M. and twisted full throttle most of the time. He is a rider anyway. When we reached Villanueva which is 23 kms away from CDO CIty, two more riders joined our group. The eight of us then continued our tour to Balingoan where two of our members who shall host our group are already waiting. We arrived in Balingoan at around 9:30 in the morning and after a moment of rest, food and drinks were served. We then proceeded to Baleng ni Juan, a restaurant and resort owned by one of our members. We had a short meeting and discussed some important matters concerning our group. Our meeting was held in the most beautiful place there is, with the Camiguin Island as backdrop. After the meeting, we went to the house of our member where our lunch was served. After a short but healthy discussion, we extended our tour to Talisayan and shortly stayed at Villa Arcadia Beach and Resort. That place is one very good hide away, the best place to relax away from the busy city life. Oh yes, we need to be back at that place one day and must be soon. We went back to Balingoan, and to our surprise, another rider had just arrived. More fun and discussions followed, and at exactly 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon, everybody started warming up our machines, ready to ride homeward Cagayan de Oro City. One stop-over in Villanueva, a few moments of bonding, a bottle of coke and again everyone were set to hop on our rides. We arrived safe and sound at exactly 6:00 o'clock in the evening.

Watch the movie of TEAM YBR CDO Mini Tour (PART 1)



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TEAM YBR CDO Mini Tour (PART 2)



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Forty Years On Two Wheels

Somebody's steps worth to be followed.

KMX 125 Kawasaki

I still have these recollections of the days that me and my KMX 125 were riding together through thick and thin, rain or shine. For almost three years, we toured the entire Misamis Oriental and the rest of the northern part of Mindanao Island in the Philippines. They were indeed great moments one rider can not just forget easily. Although I don't have regrets letting my KMX go, those pieces of memories that keep playing inside my mind just won't make me give up. A rider is a rider, and I will always be one.

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Kawasaki KMX 125

This is me in 2003 with my Kawasaki KMX 125.
It is a water-cooled off road motorcycle which I found to be also very good for street riding. It runs so fast like a turbo-charged machine and can endure very long distance travel. We have been together for less than three years travelling along the streets of the beautiful city of Cagayan de Oro and its nearby towns and municipalities especially along the coastal road of Misamis Oriental, the northern part of Mindanao, Philippines. I've loved this bike, all its features, except for being a two-stroked engine bike which is very good for off road competition. But I do not compete, I only love to ride. So one day, I had to let it go with a plan to replace it with a four-stroked engine motorcycle.

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Kawasaki Z400

This is an image of a Kawasaki Z400 motorcycle. My first motorcycle is exactly like this bike, however, its color was green. I bought it from a friend in 1984 after I resigned from my job as a cost accounting staff of Nippondenso, Phils. I rode it for almost three years in the busy streets of the cities of Makati and Manila not to mention some of my trips in the provinces of Luzon, until I finally sold it in 1987. I don't have any documented story about my Z400 except for all the memories of the joys and happiness it had brought into my life. They linger in my mind and these memories make me craves for motorcycles.

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Yamaha YBR 1st Touring Adventure

Last March 21 to 22, 2009, Yamaha 3S Philippines held its 1st YBR Touring Adventure in Mindanao, Philippines. It was participated by more than 70 YBR motorcycle riders from Cagayan de Oro City, Surigao City, Butuan City, Valencia City, Davao City, Sultan Kudarat and Gen. Santos City. Some print media riders from Luzon also joined the tour.

We, YBR riders Cagayan de Oro Team assembled at the Star Mart, Caltex Gas Station in Gusa, CDO City where we started our tour on board our own Yamaha YBR 125g motorbikes. One rider from Surigao City and four from Butuan City joined us in our starting point. That made our group a total of 14 riders. We left CDO city at 7:00 A.M.

We passed by the famous Mangima Road connecting Alae and Malaybalay Bukidnon. It is a Baguio-type winding road that made Bukidnon an attraction to travelers from Northern Mindanao to the provinces of Bukidnon and all along to Davao and General Santos City, the southern part of the island. After more or less an hour of riding, we made a stop in a safe part of the highway to unload some excess water and replaced it with about 8 ounce of cold mineral water. We resume our journey after 5 minutes while the breeze added more coldness to the mineral water inside our bodies. Before we arrived in the City of Malaybalay, I started to shiver and the next thing I knew was, I'm already in pace with the fast tempo of our travel that I may say was an instinct to heat up our bodies to kill the coldness of the air that touched our skin. When we enter the City of Malaybalay, we slowly reduced our speed and while we are passing through the main street, all eyes were on us, or shall I say, on our bikes that bear the beauty of a ride that one rider may ever dream of.

We made our next stop-over in Valencia City and took some snacks at Jollibee. We were joined there by 9 other YBR riders from the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia. We then proceeded on our tour. All 23 of us travelled the long highway that extends from Valencia City to Buda, in Davao City. We arrived at Davao Seagull Mountain Resort at 1:00 P.M. There, all YBR motorcycles from Gen. Santos City and Sultan Kudarat were already parked and look very awesome. The YBR riders of Davao City arrived after a little while. We had our lunch together then continuous activities followed. We had a trail biking competition which was won by a rider from Gen. Santos City. During the night, there was singing activities, signing of tarpaulins and fellowship. In the following morning, all were set to go back home to our respective regions. We left Buda, Davao City at 8:30 A.M. and travelled back to Cagayan de Oro City taking two stop-overs in Valencia City and Malaybalay City. We arrived in Cagayan de Oro City at exactly 11:00 A.M. all Sound and safe. "Glory be to the LORD".

The most challenging part of our ride were the constant leanings from one side to the other as we traversed the long and winding road of Buda. It was a very exciting experience. Our rides, the YBR's, they are great rides. They can withstand those closed curves like big bikes. You can depend on its stability, its endurance and most of all, it's economical. Imagine, 5 liters of gasoline for a 435 kms distance run. You've got to have one for yourself to believe it and experience "YBR" (Yamaha Brilliant Riding).

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This is my new ride, a Yamaha YBR 125g

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Riding is a lifestyle....

I love motorcycles and I first became a rider in 1984 . Owning motorcycle had always been too difficult for me. My first bike was a Kawasaki Z400 which I bought from a friend in 1984. It is a big type of a bike that offers both comfort and safety riding during low and high velocity. I sold it in 1987. I promised myself to buy another one, but I have to let go of this goal for awhile due to financial reason. When I arrived here in Cagayan de Oro City in 1996, I started to dream of riding motorcycle again. I had a very hard time looking for another bike to buy, until I had a Kawasaki KMX 125. It is an off road bike that is also good for street riding. It has power valves that give additional speed like a turbo charger. I also had to dispose this bike after three years, because I wanted to go back to a four-stroke engine motorcycle. I again left being a rider for quite sometime. A month ago, I found myself looking fascinated at every beautiful bike that I see on the streets. I started to missed being a rider again. I look around CDO City in an effort to find another bike to own. Until I found this Yamaha YBR 125 g which was recently introduced here in Mindanao. After carefully inspecting one unit, I decided to buy my own YBR. Now, I finally realized that riding is a lifestyle...

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