Molo Morning Ride: To Villa Beach
As mentioned in my previous story, I was supposed to be doing my morning walk, strolling from Urban Sands, supposedly to see the nearby places in/of the district (of Molo). However, when I reached that corner near the plaza, where San Pedro becomes Avanceña St., the "Villa-bound" jeeps were "inviting"!
So, goodbye morning walk, I hopped on a front-seat ride, and this was the first 'titillating' thing I saw...
I immediately clicked a shot, thinking the name was that of my father's favorite brandy. Ay, hindi pala!
I do still know what "fundidor" means - magaling ako sa Spanish during college hehe. That means a foundry worker. The ones who do metal or steel things. I think that is "panday" in Tagalog. I wondered if this barangay still has 'fundidores' these days, eh mukhang affluent residences ang nakikita ko! But maybe in olden days, this place would have been where the knife bolo sundang makers did their trade.
See?! Travel is really learning!
Oh, from that corner above, I knew (suspected) this is a 'significant place', so I readied my camera...
Happy enough to have been able to capture this photo. The jeep was moving fast! A religious house.
I was still aiming even if the jeep zoomed through, and so... I was also able to capture this...
It says Mill Hill Missionaries Central House. Do you know what that is? Ah, ako rin hindi hehe! But I do remember the name, it's a group of Catholic Missionaries (there are not many of them) mainly tasked to evangelize Filipinos. What does that mean? Well, gawin katoliko ang hindi, even indigenous people.
So what is a Mill Hill House? Ewan hehe! Aside from it's where they live, it is probably where they also train their members. Something like a seminary (I guess), but not really a real seminary that offers full college (theological) courses. When I was doing a paper on "Aglipayan" during college, I encountered this name Mill Hill Missionaries. They were the ones sent to our country to "encourage" people back to mainstream Catholicism from Iglesia Filipina Independiente treated as 'breakaway' catholic faith then.
Hey here's another trivia:
Did you know that those metal sheets with holes are left overs of World War II? Those were not, and all the more are not manufactured in the Philippines. Therefore, beautiful-looking as they are as fence of the Mill Hill House (and many other places), they're at the very least 60 to 70 years old! Tibay 'no?!
They were originally used as "make-shift runway" by the American Soldiers! Of course, after WWII, we Pinoys used them for many things - most common as fence, bakod, kural. Tayo pa? Di Ba?! They are "Marston Mats" (sometimes "Marsden Mats"). Industrially called "PSP" for Perforated Steel Planking.
Anyway... alright, here is a "lesson learned to remember" for me, and you my fellow Pinoy travelers...
Would you be happy if I captioned that as "The Gate Of Asilo De Molo"? For actually it is hehe! Anyare?
Well, after taking the two pictures above of Mill Hill, I excitedly checked my phone's 'picture gallery' if I was able to capture them well - eto naman kasi si manong jeep driver, naga-lululupad ay hehe. And so, when I looked up again, ayan, see the picture, we were already 'almost' past the gate of Asilo De Molo!
What about Asilo De Molo anyway? Well, I heard from Ilonggo friends that this is a home for the aged managed by the catholic church and accredited by DSWD. Not that I intend to be housed there soon, but who knows, indi ba la?! Hehehe, actually, a friend told me that the Asilo produces high quality and beautifully hand-embroidered barong materials. I was not looking for it, but nice to know where it is!
Let's move on with my joy ride!
I am already familiar with this Y-intersection corner (and that ugly building but a landmark hehe)...
Like that one now veering left, jeeps that go to Villa, aw Arevalo, aw Villa De Arevalo, aw Villa-Arevalo (linti ka-gamu!) must pass on the left as indicated by the red arrow. Note: only after that tiny triangular island! I know of one dude (from Jaro) who was apprehended for veering left before that little island!
Green arrow is the national highway. If you were driving or in a private vehicle, this would be your best way going to Villa Arevalo Plaza, Arevalo Church or Camiña (Avanceña) House, since they're all just on the side of this highway, which is also the way further and farther south such as Oton or even Antique. But, you can also take this route going to beach area places like "Breakthrough" or "Tatoy's" because...
Now now... because I was on a jeep, we passed on the left (red arrow). And, if you were going to those places I mentioned above, no sweat, this is still the jeep you take (wala namang iba in the first place)!
The jeeps (or private vehicles) go straight for about 1km (I think this is Quezon St.) until this corner
My landmark here is that 7-Eeleven Store across the corner (at the tip of the green arrow) where jeeps turn left going to the beach areas. Now, if you were going to Arevalo Church, Arevalo Plaza or Camiña House, get off the jeep at this very corner (this building at right is Iloilo Supermart?) then walk to the right. The church is only a few steps away! Next to it is the plaza, across the highway, Camiña House.
As for my morning joyride, I did not get off here. I visited those places sometime ago, right? Besides, it was early morning, they'd all still be closed. I stayed on the jeep to Villa Beach. To see something else!
But there were sights of note along the way. Like this, Arthur's Villas...
They're the biggest and more popular resort in the area, though still some 500 meters to Villa Beach.
Ah FYI, a friend (Iloilo local) discouraged me from staying at Arthur's Villas. Yet, I called them up some 5 days ago, but I was way too late. All rooms taken. Reason why I ended up at Urban Sands. When the said friend learned about this, she rejoiced. I asked her to rate Arthur's Villas and Urban Sands with 1 the lowest and 10 highest. She rated Arthur's Villas: 3, Urban Sands: 14 (on a scale of 1 to 10) hahaha!
Okay, I arrived at Villa Beach. Jeeps turn right at this corner - touted as the start point of beach fun
Entrance to Breakthrough Restaurant at left, but I was going further south, just a little beyond Tatoy's.
When the jeep turned into this road, I noticed many new structures than last time I was here...
And it looks like the fad nowadays is fencing off their properties. That kind (low) is nice and beautiful.
But those fences, usually wooden, are getting perplexingly taller you would wonder why and what for...
What could it be that they want to hide in there that those fences have to be that high, even way taller in other properties. So wala na, no more good sea-views for us the mere visitors passing via this road.
Alangan namang they just don't want us the passers-by to see the beach and the sea, di ba? Spending for those fence materials is not cheap, right? So I am really at a loss why all of them are fencing their beach-front properties so high up. It can't be "for security" since they use only wood or bamboo, di ba?
Something to ask-around for. Kayo alam nyo ba?
Anyway, I reached my destination on this morning joyride from Molo to Villa Beach. But let's talk more about it next. Let me just finish my food muna (I am writing this over breakfast at Urban Sands) hehe!
I saw interesting things! So, abangan ang susunod na kabanata!
So, goodbye morning walk, I hopped on a front-seat ride, and this was the first 'titillating' thing I saw...
I do still know what "fundidor" means - magaling ako sa Spanish during college hehe. That means a foundry worker. The ones who do metal or steel things. I think that is "panday" in Tagalog. I wondered if this barangay still has 'fundidores' these days, eh mukhang affluent residences ang nakikita ko! But maybe in olden days, this place would have been where the knife bolo sundang makers did their trade.
See?! Travel is really learning!
Oh, from that corner above, I knew (suspected) this is a 'significant place', so I readied my camera...
I was still aiming even if the jeep zoomed through, and so... I was also able to capture this...
So what is a Mill Hill House? Ewan hehe! Aside from it's where they live, it is probably where they also train their members. Something like a seminary (I guess), but not really a real seminary that offers full college (theological) courses. When I was doing a paper on "Aglipayan" during college, I encountered this name Mill Hill Missionaries. They were the ones sent to our country to "encourage" people back to mainstream Catholicism from Iglesia Filipina Independiente treated as 'breakaway' catholic faith then.
Hey here's another trivia:
Did you know that those metal sheets with holes are left overs of World War II? Those were not, and all the more are not manufactured in the Philippines. Therefore, beautiful-looking as they are as fence of the Mill Hill House (and many other places), they're at the very least 60 to 70 years old! Tibay 'no?!
They were originally used as "make-shift runway" by the American Soldiers! Of course, after WWII, we Pinoys used them for many things - most common as fence, bakod, kural. Tayo pa? Di Ba?! They are "Marston Mats" (sometimes "Marsden Mats"). Industrially called "PSP" for Perforated Steel Planking.
Anyway... alright, here is a "lesson learned to remember" for me, and you my fellow Pinoy travelers...
Well, after taking the two pictures above of Mill Hill, I excitedly checked my phone's 'picture gallery' if I was able to capture them well - eto naman kasi si manong jeep driver, naga-lululupad ay hehe. And so, when I looked up again, ayan, see the picture, we were already 'almost' past the gate of Asilo De Molo!
What about Asilo De Molo anyway? Well, I heard from Ilonggo friends that this is a home for the aged managed by the catholic church and accredited by DSWD. Not that I intend to be housed there soon, but who knows, indi ba la?! Hehehe, actually, a friend told me that the Asilo produces high quality and beautifully hand-embroidered barong materials. I was not looking for it, but nice to know where it is!
Let's move on with my joy ride!
I am already familiar with this Y-intersection corner (and that ugly building but a landmark hehe)...
Green arrow is the national highway. If you were driving or in a private vehicle, this would be your best way going to Villa Arevalo Plaza, Arevalo Church or Camiña (Avanceña) House, since they're all just on the side of this highway, which is also the way further and farther south such as Oton or even Antique. But, you can also take this route going to beach area places like "Breakthrough" or "Tatoy's" because...
Now now... because I was on a jeep, we passed on the left (red arrow). And, if you were going to those places I mentioned above, no sweat, this is still the jeep you take (wala namang iba in the first place)!
The jeeps (or private vehicles) go straight for about 1km (I think this is Quezon St.) until this corner
As for my morning joyride, I did not get off here. I visited those places sometime ago, right? Besides, it was early morning, they'd all still be closed. I stayed on the jeep to Villa Beach. To see something else!
But there were sights of note along the way. Like this, Arthur's Villas...
Ah FYI, a friend (Iloilo local) discouraged me from staying at Arthur's Villas. Yet, I called them up some 5 days ago, but I was way too late. All rooms taken. Reason why I ended up at Urban Sands. When the said friend learned about this, she rejoiced. I asked her to rate Arthur's Villas and Urban Sands with 1 the lowest and 10 highest. She rated Arthur's Villas: 3, Urban Sands: 14 (on a scale of 1 to 10) hahaha!
Okay, I arrived at Villa Beach. Jeeps turn right at this corner - touted as the start point of beach fun
When the jeep turned into this road, I noticed many new structures than last time I was here...
But those fences, usually wooden, are getting perplexingly taller you would wonder why and what for...
Alangan namang they just don't want us the passers-by to see the beach and the sea, di ba? Spending for those fence materials is not cheap, right? So I am really at a loss why all of them are fencing their beach-front properties so high up. It can't be "for security" since they use only wood or bamboo, di ba?
Something to ask-around for. Kayo alam nyo ba?
Anyway, I reached my destination on this morning joyride from Molo to Villa Beach. But let's talk more about it next. Let me just finish my food muna (I am writing this over breakfast at Urban Sands) hehe!
I saw interesting things! So, abangan ang susunod na kabanata!
Comments
Post a Comment