BALANGKAYAN: KBOX JOURNEYS

BALANGKAYAN, EASTERN SAMAR

July 13, 2018

Somewhere nga harani hin dagat … . .

KBOX STUDIOS travelled to Balangkayan, Eastern Samar a day before the eve of the town’s fiesta. It was an uneventful 3-hour trip from Tacloban probably because it was an anticipated long heave. We arrived around noon and had lunch at the residence of one of the organizers. After a-bottle-of-beer-too-many-and-another, we had to end the afternoon.

We were invited for dinner at the mayor’s house. There we met one of our local treasures, Flor Eder. She is a singer, songwriter, and musician from Lawaan, Eastern Samar who have been around and worked with a number of famous names in the music business here and abroad. We had a long chat with the lady rocker as she shared a few highlights of her career. Watch out! She promised to be on KBOX TV soon.

FLOR EDER

After listening to non-boring-unedited-talambuhay-teleserye-type conversations we finally set off to the town center. A huge loud crowd was waiting for us at the LGU Balangkayan’s Battle of Da Bands. The organizers started the show right away as soon as the judges settled in their seats. The panel was composed of Fr. Dennis de Leon, Flor Eder, and KBOX STUDIOS.

VIVA AIRPORT

U TURN

13 bands coming from different parts of Leyte & Samar participated in the contest. JAMMORAYAW, BANDA NI MANOY, CD AND THE GOONS, EHEMPLO, AND CIRCUIT BREAKER from Borongan, Eastern Samar; STRING SET of Balangkayan; JEARBUCKS of Maydolong; J-VIDEL of Quinapondan; PLANE VANILLA of Lawaan; and BANATISTA of Tacloban. VIVA AIRPORT from Catarman, Northern Samar won 3^rd place; U-TURN from Tacloban got the 2^nd place; and NRS of Palo were the champions after a unanimous approval from the panel. – In the show’s mid-part intermission, Ms. Flor Eder performed live with a rock version of Kuratsa. The crowd was caught in awe and went wild when she played a series of guitar playing frolics adlib after adlib.

NRS

We visited Minasangay Island the next day. A phlegmatic island resort less than a 10-minute drive from the town proper. The site is one of those outstanding masterpieces of nature that makes you thankful to be alive. The tempting blue waters were literally inviting us to take a dive. Indeed, something is in store at Balangkayan that is worthy of anyone’s bucket list.

MINASANGAY ISLAND ECOLOGICAL PARK & RESORT

SALAMAT BALANGKAYAN. NAKABALIK KAMI HA KBOX NGA BUG-OS NGAN WARAY PILAS.