Philippine Travel Notes

Well, look at the things I find when I roam hehe. Here is another one you might call really really lost in translation! It is probably a typo that did not get noticed by the whole company. Its a big factory by the way! Maybe their English teacher did not emphasize enough that ‘wrong spelling is wrong’ hehehe! Especially funny since the first 3 letters of that misspelled word means something really dirty for Filipinos Whatever they mean by ‘clear taest’ or ‘clear taste’, if you haven’t yet, you should try Soju sometimes. Its good! But wait, refreshing as it may look with the "fresh morning" sign, it is not a morning drink nor a softdrink! The "fresh morning" is probably meant to tell that you won't have a heavy head or hangover when you wake up. I can tell its way stronger than Red Horse! So its probably a gin or a vodka or something like that! Ah, the imported signs of our times!

Coming from the Mactan Airport this afternoon, I told myself I cannot let this pass. So I opened the window, readied the camera and took aim – driver silently wondered what on earth was I to shoot at! Yeah, I could read his facial expression. He did not ask, so I did not tell! Peace driver! I have spotted this joint sometime ago but could not get a shot, either because I would forget or the car, cab or multicab would be moving too fast. This time, I took real aim, though still not happy enough with my 2 photos! its located at the very corner where your vehicle veers right from the road ascending towards the new Mactan Bridge (Marcelo Fernan Bridge). In fact the best vantage is when you are already at the foot of the bridge. However, its dangerous to stop or even go slow at this portion as all vehicles are supposed to be revving up to be able to climb that bridge – and its a curve. TEYOTA is a store, and a “disco fence” – whatever that one means – though you can be sure its a girly bar!...

In many a blog, you will have noticed my contempt for the “jaguar”, right?! Yes, the gwardya, the sekyu, the blue-guard and whatever name else they are called in this our beautiful country! But not this one! He is helpful and takes the petty things to his hands, SINCE, he knows he can be of help anyway. The case: I was already on the way to the airport and forgot to print my e-ticket. Argh! But it was not as if a real total bummer. I know my way around. Options: pop into an internet shop or pop into the AirPhil Express ticket office and wait it out. I chose the latter since there was still time. Ample in fact. On entry, I stood a bit in front of this guard who I expected would issue me a number so I can wait for my turn with the ticket agents. But, after greeting me a “good afternoon, sir”, guard who seemed to have guessed my purpose asked “print lang ng ticket sir”? Surprised I smiled and said “yes”! Guess what… He proceeded to the middle PC in that counter, checked for my ID a...

As said in part 2 , let us leave the brandy for the mean time and go to the rhum! Of course that world-class drink figures here – Tanduay – which many a sosyal or pa-sosyal Pinoy consider as “cheap” in the figurative sense. While I am no fan of Tanduay, I do know though, that in almost all countries I have been to, that thing is considered one of the best and expensive rhums! Aha, lest I forget, let me put on record that Tanduay was the very first alcoholic drink I have tasted willfully! Shhh, wag maingay, some kids are listening! That was way way long ago, and of course it was mixed with coke! But, your eyes will pop to know who I drank with and at what age hehehe. So am not telling! Unless you coerce me of course hahaha! Nulang-dulang! Okay, there it is, if ever I forget, I will just come back to this article hehe heheeeee! Anyway… the merry mixes! Oh, yes the mixes! Tanduay, Water, Red Horse, Milo  That is some mix for a start, aight? Well, at least for me - especially so...

Since we last mentioned Emperador in the previous list , let’s go on with that thing being mixed with other things else. But by the way, some of these folks I encountered and asked also go for Gran Matador, though most of them say they prefer Emperador since the former tastes like plastic. Hmm, don't they all?! Anyway, here are more of the mixes… Emperador and Sprite I think this is not that unfamiliar. Is this? Just the same, since I am not a fan of mixes, I find this concoction odd though simple. And yes, it is also on the rocks. To be exact, there are I think no alcoholic drinks that are not mixed with ice – at least in the Philippines. Even tuba and lambanog! Ah, we’ll get to those two later. There are variations to this brandy mix. I have seen folks do Emperador and 7-up while yet others more did/do Emperador and Royal (tru orange)! Oh, since I mentioned that… did you know that this “Royal Tru-Orange” is a Philippine original? Yeah, am not even sure if this is being marketed ...

My travels do not only expose me to the many sights and sounds around this country! They also, sometimes necessarily, lead me to encounter what people drink to celebrate or while time away (a.k.a. inuman, laklakan, tunggahan, 2 for the road, nightcap and, whatever else)! I noticed though, majority of the younger “social drinkers” – I mean those who drink with a group of other people like friends or officemates have the propensity to opt for mixed drinks. It probably is due to cost? Or probably too, so they won’t be too drunk when they reach home? Well, different people have different reasons and different tastes. But most of the time I see or hear dizzying mixes. I mean I do not even have to sample many of those drinks. The ingredients used alone, already make me dizzy! At times I even want to already puke just by seeing them carry those things they are about to mix hehe! What and which drink? Ah, too many! Some are cute, some are worth a sip, some seem upfront outrageous and s...

Here is another “essay on life” in this country! I was having a quick afternoon snack at some roadside store when a fully uniformed policeman in a motorbike stopped few inches from the outside table where I sat. He shut the engine off, locked whatever can be locked in that thing, said hi to the folks manning the store, then crossed the road, obviously to report to his office. Yeah, across the road is a military/police camp. The scene was kind if amusing to me, and I had questions in my head that needed answers. Voila! Mr. Policeman came back to get something from under the seat of his bike (papers he probably forgot to bring earlier). So I took the chance, starting with the obvious… “is that your bike, sir?”, he smiled at me and said “yes”! I said I like the color and the markings – immediately asking if the bike was an official issue. A bit hesitant but still smiling, the young officer said it was his personal vehicle. That should have been it, but he asked me “bakit po”, so I s...

Its not in Nagcarlan town, Laguna! Its in MajayjayI I think there is even a town in between the two (Liliw?). But that is how the place is called and we are here to re-write history hehe! It does not even look “underground” – if you were looking from the road! Then again, They would not have called it such for nothing, right?! I/We did not know there was something like this. We just happened to have passed by the area and noticed the rather era-style compound from the fence to most every structure. So I requested that we drop by for a quick view at what might this place be. Whoa! An ancient cemetery! At least that’s what it looks! There probably is an NHI marker that we just did not see as we were in haste. And there were not so many people around for me to ask.  It was in fact just about to be closed. At least someone told me this place is called Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery and it is supposed to be historic. I will not be ashamed to admit that most of the info I got (actually a...

Okay folks, you now have an idea what is a “Larang”. As to the “where”, this is how I discovered that delectable fish soup! As I always tell friends who want to tour around this country… on eating, go where the folks are and eat what most of them eat. That almost always ensures you are getting the freshest cooking in town. Having come out of the Cebu International Convention Center one evening, I thought I have had enough of Park Mall that I think I have already memorized all the shops and restaurants there. And I was curious what lies along this road going rightwards to the area of San Miguel brewery where the highway is. Note: its a stretch of road with too many informal settlers on both sides. As it looked well-lighted and safe enough (I have passed by this area many times), I opted to walk, just to satisfy my curiosity. Reaching that intersection of A.Del Rosario and CD Seno (that road from the CICC and ParkMall (with the gas station connecting them to the highway), I noticed som...

#Philippines I have yet to know about etymologies but this thing sure tastes good! And being a “tinowa addict” that I already am, Larang is making me have second thoughts if I should call myself a “larang addict” too! Its fish too! And like the tinowa (written as tinola), Larang also swims in broth, the more the merrier! Its not as clear as tinowa since color from the ingredients add a bit towards making it just a little orangy or yellowish than tinowa – but still a clear soup nonetheless! The taste? Heavenly! Like the tinowa, its not offensively sour as the sinigang in Manila. But compared to tinowa, larang has a little bit more body or thickness in the broth – just a little bit. There is some bit of sourness but just a little bit too! More of the herbs play in your mouth for an after taste than tinowa. I asked what makes the difference and discovered something I might try at home soon! First, the coloration comes from the ingredients because they are sauteed together with the f...

Its not common that I see anything like this, so I snapped a pic. This young man was pushing that cart with statues, two of them arm-less. I asked where those came from and where he was going to deliver them – yeah, even if I already had an inkling since this was at that street in between Cebu’s Metropolitan Cathedral and the Cathedral Museum. I did not get a reply. He just made a quick glance at me without turning his head. Inisnab ang aking kamahalan! Maybe am getting too forward?! It’s probably a sign of our times… asking so many questions to know so many things, I think! Oh well!

This topic started with this article This is our 3rd installment and we better wrap it here! Camalig There is only one town with that name. But there is another in the very same region called Camaligan. Yes, they just added the last 2 letters! Camalig generally means a small hut used as a temporary storage for farm produce or harvest. Camaligan therefore means, where the Camalig is made! Gosh! Capas is a town, Capiz is a province. And they are worlds apart hehe! Or are they?! Duuu! Caramoan That is that fantastic destination in CamSur. But directly across it, in the island of Catanduanes is another town named Caramoran! Spot the difference?! Yeah, just one letter! Cav Then there is Cavite – the name of a province that is also the name of a city. But many times it gets confused with the town of Cavinti during conversations – especially by the Tagalogs who have this habit of too much softening the letter “I” into the sound of a letter “E”. They even think that’s cool and corre...

I stepped up to the lobby of the Aboitiz Foundation Building, hoping for a better vantage to snap a pic of the full backside of Casa Gorordo (House/Museum). Got it! But this “act” unfolding by my feet caught my attention. I thought that was some dramatic scene… touching to watch… How often do you see adults publicly showing their ‘physical’ concern for each other anyway, right? Common to see adults wiping dirt from a child’s face. But not this one… Immediately clicked my camera to snap this photo – yeah, for the memory. For a time, they were unperturbed and were just too busy at what they were doing. Until the one in red realized I was looking and listening. What happened?! The lanzones lady (in shorts and white tee, yes she is very much a woman) had just finished rubbing (whatever the act is called) “tina” – hair dye, on the few short locks that adorn her head! How and where? At that very spot, by herself, and without a mirror! Therefore bapor, she smeared some towards the ears,...

This topic started with this article Where are you going? Let’s proceed… Bato Oh stone, why must so many places exult you with their names?! Hahaha, first there are the three towns of Bato that we featured in our same-names series, right? Then there is a town called Batuan which is different from the two other towns named Cabatuan that we also featured over at the same-names articles. Stony really rocks! Bauan That’s pronounced ‘ba’ as in ‘buh’ and ‘wan’ as in ‘one’ in the way you should say “The One”. There is only one town in this country that has that name. But add in a letter “g” at the end of the word and it becomes the name of another town. Pronunciation is still the same – you just end that syllable with a closed nasal path instead of your tongue sticking to your upper palate! Hmm, now am getting too technical hehe! Trivia: do you know which one of these two towns is in La Union and which one is in Batangas?! Bayog, Bayugan Both are in Mindanao all right. Nevertheless...

Not really! I just happened to have passed by the area at dusk and saw that, when the place should have been starting to buzz and billow (with smoke of course), it was unusually quiet. I looked at the supposed roof and realized everything was gone with some constructions on the way. Yes yes, this is Cebu City's famous Larsian Sa Fuente. I asked that manong who looked like a guard or construction foreman as he was busy trying to close that temporary “gate” – one of the 3 known bustling entrances. He told me the place was being renovated to give way for a better and more attractive Larsian. Not sure what it was he said, but he did mention some things like “tourism”, “capitol” and “city hall”. Hmm! Anyway, he told me that the stalls are temporarily hubbed at some vacant lot behind the RCBC building, just across the street from the side of Robinsons Cybergate. So I went there. There they are… surely cramped when the Friday night and weekend patrons would troop down. But I would ...

Done with our extensive list of town / city names that are exactly the same , let’s dip our brains into something else equally confusing for the traveler – these are the names that sound alike, or read just about the same or whose meanings are generally the same. Something “similiar” y’know?! Ahehe, yep, ‘similiar’ means things that sound, look or feel ‘similar’ and/or ‘familiar’, according to my English vocabulary! Here we go… Abra. There is the province of Abra up in the Cordilleras, while there is the town of “Abra De Ilog” in Mindoro Occidental. Both are commonly called just Abra! Aww! Baco, Bacon, Bacong Those are three different towns that start with the same first four letters (and 5th). Remember how syllables are pronounced in the Philippines… “ba” as in ‘buh’, “co” as in ‘ko’. Cute with these three town names is that the stress in pronunciation is similar. You just add the other letters. Now careful with Baco as there is also a town named Basco! Gosh! And Bacon is not ...

Have you ever encountered this kind of situation? Dilemma, right? What really is best to do?! Answer: ITIGIL ANG KASAL!!! Hehehe Seriously, many people I know have gotten tangled in this kind of situation. Which, I believe, is really a non-issue anyway. You just need to know the aircraft being used to your destination! Tedious? Well, probably for some who do not know where to look! But where there’s a will… Let’s get on with the easier one, that expensive Barong Tagalog! Ah yeah, same story with that expensive suit (Americana). Did you know this is more commonly a problem of the entourage than the groom? Yes, it is! Why? Because, as principal sponsors (ninong) or secondary sponsors, escorts, etc. (abay) we usually fly to the venue on the very day of the wedding, right?! Even if we did so a day before, we usually don’t have the time or confidence to find someone who can iron that expensive garment for us – even if we say we’re staying at a respectable hotel, right?! Yeah, mahirap na! Ye...

One of a kind! An interesting festival where the spectacle is not a parade! In fact, it is us the festival spectators who must go around, something like a house-to-house visit, to fully enjoy the colorful extravaganza. So non-walkers (aka maaarte), this is not for you! We all know of course, the Pahiyas Festival is in Lucban, Quezon, some 160 kilometers from Metro Manila, and it happens every 15th of May. This is one of the most colorful festivals that had always been celebrated, even before the dawn of festival-tourism thing all over the country. Going there This is a tricky part of the experience. There is no easy commute to this town as it is a rural area with not so many people going to or coming from the far metropolis! The easiest way is to book a package with your favorite local travel and tours provider. You can just scan any local paper or browse thru the web and you’ll find many of them who offer the tour. In our case though, there were 22 of us, we thought directly hiri...