There is one little bit of confusion in the article, as the writer mentions another guide by the same name, Diaz, at the Apaliin forest trail. This second guide who mentioned the “Era of Abundance” was met the day following the Mount Pinatubo trek during a hike into the jungles around Subic Bay.  When the American base was still in Subic Bay many of the Aetas worked for the Americans. One of the most common jobs that the Aetas performed was that of forest rangers. For a people who had lived in the jungles for centuries, getting paid for looking after the jungle which was already part of their live must have looked like free money. In reality they were performing a genuine job and received a fair salary.

The Mount Pinatubo trek as the article states is an adventure that everyone should explore. When the skyway is open most people can enjoy the trek. The beginning and end of the rainy seasons are the most popular times. While the rain does make planning the treks more difficult and often have to be canceled with little notice it is much cooler than going in the summer season when the sun bears down on you. But then again there is a dip in the lake awaiting you.

if that is "too much" adventure for you then seahorse will have the tree top adventure as an alternative.

The trekking adventure is also great for those who want to keep the feet on the ground.. It is a scenic walk through  the jungle. 

We are finalizing some our new adventure programs which will be released in just a few weeks.

Things are looking up at Subic Bay, we have recently seen some hotels remodeled such as Hotel Interpark.  We have seen the opening of a new Theme Park, Jungle Joe's World. and this week the opening of the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway and the Oriental Paradise Casino.

PGMA will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday 18 march to launch a trial run of the Clark to Subic portions of the SCTex. After cutting the ribbon the president will lead a motorcade to Subic where she will meet with SBMA, Local government leaders and Tourism stakeholders. Exact details are expected to be announced tomorrow. The trial run will run through Holy Week. the road will be open 6 am to 6 pm. after the trail run the expressway will be closed to complete some additional work, it is hoped that it will reopen on a trail bases after a few days. Formal opening of the entire SCTex is expected around 21 April.
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When we take tours to Mount Pinatubo we pass though the town center of Capas, Tarlac. It normally takes us 2 hours and 45 minutes to get to that point from Subic Bay Freeport. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to try out the new expressway. While the road was wide open with little traffic there were construction workers along the roadway in places as well as some places where we had to change from the southbound lanes to north bound.  So we were below the posted speed limit most of the time. Still the trip from Capas to SBFZ dropped from 2 hours 45 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes. It was 45 minutes to the airport exit at Clark to SBF.

With the Clark to Subic segment opening in a few days, the two areas are merged into one. The Subic area adds some fine 5 star hotels and a range of great restaurants to its offerings as well as a unbeatable selection of golf courses and casinos. Clark gets access to the beaches and jungles of Subic and the best wreck diving in Asia.

Seahorse tours (www.seahorsetours.com ) will increase its offerings to include these added features

Seahorse Tour & Souvenirs is proud to be this years Travel Partner.

PROFESSIONALLY-RUN EVENT

Subic marathon 2008 raises the bar in terms of organizing marathon events in the country and in the ASEAN region.

The Runners Confederation of the Philippines, Inc. (Run-CPI) is one of the most established and reputable institutions engaged in the organization of sports events in the country. Outbound Asia, Inc. (OAI) is a full-service production house and marketing agency competently staffed with manpower and equipment resources required for this international competition.

Run-CPI and OAI support the drive to preserve forests and conserve energy. We endeavor to support efforts to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

SUBIC as a Global Destination

Subic is a world-class tourist destination. With SUBIC MARATHON 2008, local and international runners get to savor the hospitality and scenery of Subic, its people and environs in particular, and the entire Philippines in general.

We expect spectators to flock in droves to the Freeport, cheering the runners along the course. Hence, first-rate accommodations, tight security and other support services are assured. Further, local watchers can tune in to the nationwide media coverage, and overseas sports fans can catch the marathon proceedings over the international media and via podcasts over the Internet.

Side Events - Aside from the race, participants get to enjoy an entire program of activities designed to make Subic Marathon a memorable experience.

for info at www.subicmarathon.com or www.seahorsetours.com/marathon.html