It's been more than a year since the pandemic happened. I can't imagine things going back to normal without us needing to wear face masks or being able to gather with family and friends for special occasions. These days, even eating out IS an occasion. Thankfully, I see light at the end of this seemingly long tunnel. Friends, I have finally gotten my first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

It's a life-changing and historical moment for me, and I guess for most of us who's gotten the vaccine which is why I want to document it here on my online platform. I'm not used to blogging anymore that I don't know where to start. Plus, I'm feel like I have a bit of a brain fog after taking the vaccine. As early as now, please forgive me if my thoughts are all over the place. Haha!

Registration

I registered in Manila through www.manilacovid19vaccine.ph last December of 2020. As soon as they announced the website, I registered right away. I'm not sure if I want to take the vaccine. I was hesitant, of course. It's a new vaccine. But what I'm sure of is that if I change my mind and decide to get it anyway, at least I've already registered. I also signed my parents up as early as December. They were really my priority since they both have comorbidities.  

Notification

My papa was the first to receive a text from Manila LGU last May for his first dose since he is a senior citizen and with comorbidity. He got Astra Zeneca. Next one was my mama a few weeks after. She got Sinovac. This June, I finally got a text that as part of A5 category (people who work onsite), I can now take my first dose. I am getting Sinovac. 

My Vaccination Story

Honestly, I don't trust this China-manufactured vaccine. Can you blame me if I think the pandemic was all their fault? Then I thought, what's done is done and let's all just focus on solutions than going in circles around the problem. The moment mama received her first jab of Sinovac, I've read several articles about it and was pleased to find out that it is generally safe and is proven effective according to different countries who used it. Also, the sooner you get vaccinated, the better. 

I work onsite everyday and I'm always worried about my siblings who I live with who might get it from me if I get it outside. When I get home, I have this routine: change clothes, do steam inhalation (suob -- which I do every other day), gargle warm water and salt, rest a bit, and take a shower. I don't go straight to sleep no matter how tired I am. 

I was at work when I first received a text on June 13, 2021 notifying me of my first dose schedule on the 14th. Yes, they only text a day before just like they did to my mama and papa. It's like they expect you to cancel all your plans the next day for the vaccine. Initially, I thought the text as for my mom so I sent her the screenshot. Only then did I get to really read it and saw that it was for me. It was my schedule. Finally, I thought. I didn't expect for my category to get a schedule this soon because I thought they're going to wait for all the other categories, especially the seniors and those with comorbidities to get their second doses. 

I work on a night shift so I was hesitant of going to the vaccination site without any sleep. I'm really having second thoughts about going. I decided to read the comments on Mayor Isko Moreno's Facebook page and it confirmed what I was already thinking. Everything was a disorganized mess. In some sites, people lined up as early as 11 p.m.! That's as soon as they receive the text. The vaccination sites for the A5 category were these malls: SM Manila, SM San Lazaro, Lucky Chinatown Mall, and Robinson's Place Ermita. The Manila LGU alloted 2,500 vials of vaccine for each site. Most people lined up at 3 a.m. and malls declared a cut-off at around 5 a.m. Grabe! 5 am, nasa work pa 'ko non.

Unfortunately, I've also read about barangay officials letting their family and friends cut lines. People who didn't even register online were let in. The comments section blew up from all the complaints. I decided to just sleep it off and wait for the next available schedule. I don't want to waste my time going there only to find out that I didn't make it to the cut-off. 

They texted the following day for a schedule on the 15th but reading the same comments, I decided not to go. 

Finally, on a Sunday, I received another text notification for a schedule on the 21st, the next day. I'm hopeful about my chances since Sunday is my day off, I got plenty of rest and sleep. The Manila LGU changed their policy of letting walk-ins in and announced that they would only allow those with a text message of June 21 schedule to be let in the site. 

Vaccination Day

I arrived in Robinson's Place Manila and was at the vaccination site at around 12:45 pm. There were no lines at all! Well, I was 3rd in line. Haha. There were several people arguing with the guards and staff because they weren't allowed inside. The text must specifically state that you are scheduled for June 21, 2021. No other dates would do. 

Station 1

In station 1, they only asked to check the text message that I got, my company I.D. and if I have my waiver and vaccination ID with Q.R. code with me. I had them printed already, but I found out they can just scan the Q.R. code from your phone and they can hand you a printed waiver to fill out if you don't have one. It only took me 5 minutes and then I moved to the next station. For the next station, a doctor asked me about my medical history. I was worried about my hyperthyroid and she asked me if I got a blood transfusion before. I said I got a plasma transfusion when I got dengue in 2011. I don't have any comorbidity so she cleared me to proceed to the next station.

I thought they were going to check my vitals on the next station since the other doctor only asked questions, but no. One doctor scanned my Q.R. code. I saw a bunch of injections on his table, so I asked, "Wow, Doc. Akala ko B.P lang, may blood work din pala?!" The other doctor in front of me told me, "No, ma'am. Ito na po yung vaccine niyo. Sinovac po tayo." I said what?! Wait. You didn't even check my blood pressure. I even mentioned that I'm having a little bit of anxiety over getting vaccinated. The guy doctor told me to calm down because my blood pressure might shoot up so he handed the lady doctor a sphygmomanometer and she took my B.P. reading. Then she said, "Ma'am, normal na normal po. Tuloy na tuloy na po ang vaccine niyo." Haha. They were very comforting and reiterated what I already know, that vaccines are safe and it will help with herd immunity which I am all for. I saw the needle was big but the lady doctor was fast. All in all the entire process, from checking the requirements until my actual vaccination, only took more or less 15 to 20 minutes. 

I was directed to another area to take a seat and observe myself for 15 minutes to see if I feel anything unusual. They gave a talk to all of us waiting about the common side effects of the vaccine such as slight fever, headache and minor rashes. We were asked to immediately report if we have huge bumps or rashes and shortness of breath because that would mean we are allergic to the vaccine and it is life-threatening. I did not feel anything except for pain in the injection site. 

Going Home and a Day After

It was a rainy Monday in Manila so there's a huge chance of traffic during rush hour so after a short stroll around the mall, I went home. I was still a little bit worried so I prayed the rosary on the way home. Thankfully, I still wasn't feeling any pain hours after the injection. But I was feeling really drowsy, like I would feel after taking anti-allergy medication. I didn't know what other effects I'm going to feel so I reported to work that I just had the vaccine and I took the night off to rest. 

The morning after, I still feel drowsy but I am not experiencing any headache so I'm really thankful. My arm feels normal and there is no more pain in the vaccination site. 

I have to go back in July for my second dose. The vaccine will be most beneficial at around 2 weeks after the second dose. 

The atmosphere was very light while we were at the observation area after our first dose. Everyone was asking each other about how they're feeling, did they line up days before etc. We were taking pictures of each other's arms. Haha. I guess it's safe to say that we are all relieved of finallly having been vaccinated and that we've taken a step to "freedom". 

I now have more peace of mind going home and being out and about. I still have to wear a facemask though but that's okay. Hopefully, soon I, we, can all get together again. I miss travel so much. I miss travel again, even if it's just Baguio. Airplanes? Definitely, but not so soon. It's something that I'm definitely looking forward to. 

I'll update you guys on my social media stories (which what I do mostly nowadays) if anything comes up. For now, I urge you to get vaccinated once you get a schedule. Do it not only for  yourselves but for your loved ones, too. 

Thinking about it, I have never really thought much about traveling alone. It isn't even on my bucket list because just getting out of the comforts of home to travel to unexplored places (for me) even if I'm traveling with family or friends seems daunting enough because I can get really anxious. Again, every time I leave home, it is always out of my comfort zone. Having been to a few new places last year, I decided that I am finally ready to travel on my own. I booked a flight to one of Philippine Airlines' newest routes from Clark to San Jose, Mindoro in October. Heck, I don't even know what I can see in that part of Mindoro! I figured I had plenty of time to research since the trip is still months away.

A month ago, my family and I went to Alaminos, Pangasinan to visit one of Philippines' most famous destination-- the Hundred Islands National Park. I was so excited for this trip for its many firsts. It's the first trip I have ever planned, first trip I have ever planned for the family, and our family's first time to go out of town and ride a boat off to somewhere. It wasn't easy planning though. It turns out it's harder to plan a trip with your family than with friends especially with setting a date.

This will not be a detailed travel guide since we traveled on our own car to get there and we did a few stop-overs along the way. Allowing yourself to stop over whenever and wherever you like is what I love most about traveling on your own vehicle. It was still quite a long trip considering we were already coming from Pampanga. It still took us five hours. (Okay, maybe it IS because of the stop-overs. Teehee.)

We arrived in Alaminos around 11.30 a.m. and checked in at our hotel, Casa del Camba. You can read more about my Casa del Camba accommodation review here. It was quite comfortable for our group of 7 and had plenty more space if we're more than that. Casa del Camba already has a go-to person who will assist us in securing a boat and other necessities for the tour. I thought he was already our boatman but he wasn't. He's just a middleman from the hotel. We rested for a few minutes while preparing for things to bring for the tour while we were waiting for kuya. Good thing the hotel is just around 2-3 minutes from the hotel by car.

We immediately left after he arrived and we did a convoy following him in his tricycle. You see it's easy to do a Hundred Islands tour because they are so organized and there is plenty of parking space if you bring your own car. The rates of the boats are also standardized and you'll have to pay at their Tourism Office.

Here is a list of fees:



I did not encounter the Garbage fee from other blogs on my research but it is required when we went there. You'll also have to pay this fee on the same cashier where you have to pay the other fees and they will give you a typical black garbage bag. Here's tip no. 1: You can return the bag (with trash or not) and refund your Php 200 back. In the midst of preparing for the tour and renting additional equipment such as goggles and snorkeling gear, we forgot that kuya (sorry I forgot his name by now) has our trash bag, therefore, we can't refund the fee. We still have a balance from the gears we rented, so we just subtracted the Php 200 from our balance.

Tip no. 2: Lifevests are for free throughout your travel between the islands, but the moment you use them while roaming around the islands, there is already a fee of Php 50.00 per person. If you are a confident swimmer, you no longer have to rent a lifevest especially if you're not diving or snorkeling and just going to enjoy the beaches of the islands. Snorkeling gear also has an additional fee. Good thing I brought my own and the rest of the family have their own swimming goggles as well.

However, if you are planning to go jump in the pool inside Imelda Cave, then you will need a life vest because it is required before diving.

Tip no. 3: When you rent a boat, you can rent it for one whole day of day tour. It is best for you to research which islands you'd like to visit because some boatmen, like ours, just told us we can go anywhere we like, only offering a few tips on which islands are best to visit. Fortunately, I researched a little bit. Even though we started around 12 p.m., we were able to go to the must-see sites.

I hope you enjoy some of the photos I took. Here they are:

Lucap Wharf--the gateway to the Hundred Islands

Long way to the top of the view deck

View from Governor's Island

There's a sari-sari store which sells halo-halo for refreshment after the hike Next is Marcos Island. Marcos Island is a site famed for the Imelda Cave where you can experience cliff diving. I wasn't able to take a photo though because no one would carry the camera for me since my siblings and I want to do the dive. Again, let me remind you that you cannot dive without a life vest. I recommend cliff diving here. It was an exhilarating experience especially because it's my first time to experience it.  After Marcos Island, we went and "parked" our boat in an area between Old Scout Island and Virgin Island where we swam and snorkel some more. I wasn't able to take a picture of the islands itself because I was busy making friends with the fishes below. I really love snorkeling and seeing lots of corals and schools of fish. Plus, I really got good use of my new snorkeling gear which I will write more about soon.  Then after a few more enjoyable moments of snorkeling and swimming, off we went to our next destination, the Pilgrimage Island. Of all the islands I have seen and visited during our tour, this is my favorite because of the most spectacular view. The view here is even better than on Governor's Island in my opinion. It even showcased a great sunset. Truly a sight to behold! With the family These flowers around the island certainly added to the island's charm. I was in awe after reaching the top and seeing this huge statue of Jesus Christ. By that time, we were the only ones at the top which gave us the chance to take in the view of the other islands, pray and witness the glorious sunset. Doesn't it look glorious? I love me a good view of a sunset. It's a calming sight indeed.  Lastly, we dropped by Quezon Island. We literally just dropped by to check out the sights because the tour ends at 5 p.m. and we wanted to make the most of our tour. Finally, tip no. 4: Arrive early. Tour ends at 5 and you can rent a boat for a whole day and you can visit any islands that are open for the tour. Since we started a little after 12 p.m., we weren't able to visit other islands. Don't expect much though. Having been to Coron, Palawan has raised my expectations a bit for beaches. But let me remind you though that each place has its own unique charm and can offer a different experience. After the island hopping, we went back to the hotel for dinner and a restful sleep. We went back to Lucap Wharf the next day to go souvenir-shopping. You can buy ref magnets for 3 for Php 100, shirts for Php 150, sandos for Php 200 (the quality of fabric is better, they said.) and keychains for 5 for Php 100. There are plenty of other souvenir options to choose from with varying prices.  I still enjoyed our tour. Albeit short, my family and I still got to explore the main islands and got to enjoy swimming and snorkeling. Visiting the Hundred Islands is a great bonding experience for the entire family. I recommend for you to visit this Philippine treasure even just once in your lifetime. Bring your family, too.