Photo by Charisma Lico, Edge of Light; Make-up by April Feliciano; Hair by Jannet Saberon. Clothes by Running Skirts and Alii Sport, Shoes by Saucony, and Shoelaces by EZLaces – all from www.atletaako.com.

Explore more

Presently, Ann owns and runs TRIPinas. But the decision to start this came after a long period of contemplation and a change in career. “I practiced my Chemical Engineering degree for five years in a petroleum company. I loved the outdoors. But my career wasn’t really helping the environment.” Ann went on a hiatus, and traveled as she thought of what she really wanted to do.

The answer came to her while she was in a group climb on Mt. Pinatubo.

With the encouragement of her husband, Ann decided to leave her job. In November 2008, Ann led her first tour on Mt. Pinatubo. “Pinatubo is our baby,” Ann shares. “It’s our heart and soul—it would break my heart if we drop it!”

Of the beginning of TRIPinas, Ann shares: “In 2008, we were breaking ground. There weren’t a lot of groups yet. TRIPinas started really small—I started it with my husband, who’s an outdoors person as well.” Seven years later, Ann and TRIPinas have led countless climbs all over the country, as well as walking and cultural tours. “We have public and private tours, as well as walking tours. Our clients also include students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. Safety is our priority, and we meet with our clients beforehand to really get to know them and establish a relationship with them.”

Ann wants to change the way people think about traveling with TRIPinas. “Our goal is to make sure everyone is given an opportunity to travel. When we were growing up, our first instinct when we got our salaries was to travel out of the country. It’s cheaper than traveling in the Philippines, because back then, no one thought of bringing together a group to do everything together.”

With TRIPinas, Ann hopes to encourage more people to “explore your own ‘backyard’” and show that the Philippines has beaches, as well as mountains to offer those who seek new adventures. “I want to open the eyes of fellow Filipinos and the international community that the Philippines is more than just about the beaches, or the bad news you see on CNN. Here, people are nice and will be happy to tour you.” She’s also happy to see clients get surprised when they join a tour: “Most of them are beginners. When they finish, they have a sense of accomplishment because they’ve crossed their limitations.”

As Ann leads more tours, she sees the positive effects of eco-tourism on the local community, as it empowers individuals to gain a sense of ownership and protect the places where they live. “Eco-tourism also brings in money, which helps improve the lives of local communities. We see more children going to school now.”

Photo by Charisma Lico, Edge of Light; Make-up by April Feliciano; Hair by Jannet Saberon. Clothes by Running Skirts and Alii Sport, Shoes by Saucony, and Shoelaces by EZLaces – all from www.atletaako.com.

The difficult is beautiful

Ann frequently finds herself caught in a frenzy of meetings with clients and suppliers, facilitating tours and checking out new destinations, but this does not stop her from continuing her active lifestyle. “What works for me is to do all trainings at the start of the day before I face the daily grind. My trick is to integrate my training schedule with my business calendar and treat them both the same way – important appointments.”

Ann dedicates five days of her week to running and cross-training: “I like the fact that if you plan your work and your plan, you see results. Running and mountaineering are equalizing activities; they don’t discriminate. You can be anyone, of any age, gender, ideology, etcetera, but on the trail or the track, you are just like anybody else.”

When asked about how many mountains she’s climbed in the Philippines alone, Ann says she’s lost count. But she remains committed to her lifestyle because “the idea that you can beat difficulties as long as you work hard for it is what makes it beautiful, and that beauty makes me committed to the sport. It’s very parallel to life, and each training day provides lessons to be pondered on.”

Ann chases active volcanoes with her husband, dreams of reaching all Seven Summits, recalls braving a snow storm on the summit of Mont Blanc, remembers the spectacular view of the dessert from rock-climbing in Jordan, and cites her view from Cordillera as the best she’s seen in the country. “I think our potential to move from good to great is locked in only by our perceived limitations. I found out that whenever I go out and explore more ways to do things, whether on running or in my daily life, I end up getting surprised.”