When talking about the Bikol, its majestic and awe-inspiring sights immediately come to mind. Mayon Volcano simply cannot be eclipsed by any other mountain with its perfect cone. Serene beaches that surround the Caramoan peninsula rival the beauty of even the most popular coastlines across the world. And of course, the undulating crowds during the Penafarancia celebrations certainly are post-card worthy.
Bikol Initiative exults the gifts that nature has bestowed the region and its people. As mind-blowing as the region’s tourist attractions are, this is not going to be a travel website. Well, not that kind of travel website, anyway. Why else will we be talking about Bikolandia if not entice you to learn more about it, right?
This particular initiative focuses on the story of the Bikolano people. How can Bikolanos endure through episodes of nature’s temper tantrums? How do they brave against the hardships of being in Bikol and being a Bikolano? Most importantly, why? After all, the whole world world awaits–greener pastures and all.
This initiative also tries to bring to light the Bikolano people’s social, economic and political aspirations. Always been known for being a passionate lot, Bikolanos never shirked their part in moulding their people’s history as a region and as part of a nation. However, as always in history, their perspective is not always the one that gets recorded.
This is an attempt to collate online records of different Bikolano voices in one website. Normally it would take a lot of digging (or clicking, in this case) to find online sites that feature different point of views. Think of it as a portal to many other sites that cover the Bikol region and its people.
To take inspiration from Ricky Lee’s Trip to Quiapo, there are many ways to get to Bikol. You can choose the shorter route and grab a post card. Or you can choose the road less traveled and for a while become a Bikolano yourself.
Bikol Initiative 