Philippine Travel Notes

Putangina TUNA! I was shouting with all the cursing words in all languages that I know, as we cruised along the road south of (but still in) San Joaquin, Iloilo! Sh*t ang dami! The story goes like this... After visiting the town center of San Joaquin, on my "Southern Iloilo Road Trip", I asked my guide if we can go further south, at least to the end of the province, at its boundary with Antique (pronounced "an-ti-ke"). He said yes. Even informed me that this "day tour" that the Injap folks got for me was for 12 hours - meaning I had until 11PM to be back at Injap since we started at about 11AM this morning! Hah, ganun pala ang "day tour" nila! So off we went. I did not even know what more there is to see south of the poblacion, since I haven't read anything that might be worth a peep for inquisitive roamers like me. Well, there is the marine sanctuary (Kuliatan?) but it was already way too late. So I knew, wherever else we went, zooming

I did not at first realize this was a municipal hall. Why? Because the building is not your usual box type; the frontage has a lot of greens; it does not have a very wide space between the building and the kalsada; plus, it is called "San Joaquin People's Center". But indeed it is the munisipyo said my tour guide! It looks appealing to me. It is not the usual high-rise, and those hallways at second level makes it look very welcoming. Oh, it also has 2 flagpoles in front! Plus, the statue of Rizal (mini-garden at right) and some ceremonial "encounter" (between a native and a Spaniard?) on the left. Not sure about the blue umbrella. Maybe there's a coffee shop?! I took that picture above, from across the road, which is their municipal gymnasium... And this is what is not appealing to me hehe. It is named "Garinasium 1". Ano daw? So KSP! Talagang ipinag-siksikan ang apelyedo nila. Okay yung GarinFarm dahil inyo yan. Not the PUBLIC's Municipa

This church was declared "pambansang palantandaang makasaysayan" by the national government in 1977. I think that means national historical reminder? or treasure? I got that from a very old bronze marker circa 1979 on the outside wall. This edifice was already closed for the day. But a side door was not locked! I slowly pushed it open, and my tour guide followed! This time ako ang naging guide - to break into a closed facility! Isa na akong kriminal with a licensed tour guide as accomplice! Well, desperate situations require desperate moves. I was already on the last stop of my southern Iloilo tour and the sun was dusking on me. Sayang oras ko, if I cannot see this beautiful church just because it was already 430PM! So, I had to "break-in" of sorts hehe! I went to the closed main door and took this pic... visible pa rin... Actually I tinkered with this photo to make it at least brighter :) I like the bare walls. Immaculate clean, very much similar to that one

Past 4PM and I was finally entering the town of San Joaquin, Iloilo - the southernmost town of the province. Yes, sundown was fast catching up so I had to hurry. Awrgh! Exactly 4:20PM and I was gazing at that eerie-looking gate of a cemetery. Yes Campo Santo - meaning cemetery. My guide said "let's go inside, sir". Ayiyiyiiiiie, I hesitated! So I said " toto basi strolling time na sang mga kalag subong ", and he laughed countering with " 8PM pa ila schedule sir ay ". Haay lintiak, I was debating in my lowly brain, why did I have to, and why do I have to do this. At least I did not hear a dog howling (yet) hehe! As if my guide read my questioning thoughts, he continued telling me that this is a rare historic place, not so many old Spanish-era cemeteries are still intact, that the national government is even going to declare this as a heritage *something* place, and so on. So I followed. Good there is no CCTV in this 'campo santo', for ot

Approaching my next destination, Campo Santo De San Joaquin, I saw this signage... An advertisement, telling everyone who read it, that GarinFarm is just a kilometre away from this place. Who won't read it, eh at this point, if you were visiting the campo santo (just ahead, see the red dome?) your vehicle will naturally have to start decelerating. Bright and clever. Marunong. Mahusay! THAT is how to position an ad - yung walang mintis mababasa ng tao! Because at this point, especially that its coming from a road bend, people wanting to see, or stop by the campo santo, will naturally start to slow down. Therefore get a glimpse of the ad! Yeah, take me as an example. I was on the lookout as to where the cemetery was. When I saw the red dome, I said that's it! But I had no choice but see that GarinFarm signage. Just telling you about it, but "no can do" for me. Before I started on this trip, I already agreed with my tour guide that we were skipping the GarinFarm

This is the main campus of University of the Philippines in the Visayas, also called UP Visayas or UPV. Don't be confused, there is also a UPV Campus in the city (Iloilo), and there is even the UPV College Tacloban - yes way faaar in Eastern Visayas. This here, in Miagao, is the administrative center of UP Visayas. Oops, for the unfamiliar, they conveniently call this place UP Miagao during conversations. The one in the city they call UP Iloilo, and the one in Tacloban is UP Tacloban. All are under UP Visayas. How about UP Cebu, where does it belong? Its not part of UP Visayas. Why? Ambot! I haven't gone that far in my being inquisitive hehehe. Did you know there is even a UP in Palo, Leyte? Ah that is the School of Health Sciences under UP Manila! Anyway, back to my UP Miagao visit... Well, what can I say... kung saan pa ako nagtagal on this trip (had a quick meeting in one of the buildings), doon naman ako hindi naka-ikot masyado to take pictures or even videos. Not a

Miagao Municipal Hall was naturally my next stop. Just few steps to the back and left from the church, passing by a memorial hall (multipurpose building) and the town plaza. Got an answer to a question I was not even asking yet! At the front of this newly spruced municipal building is (labeled) a Miagos plant, where this town got its name from! Oh, for those not in the know, the name of this town is interchangeably written as either "Miagao" or "Miag - ao" (with a dash between the two syllables). But, take note, howsoever you write that name, it is always pronounced as "Myag-aw" - a full stop at your throat as you pronounce the "g". It is never pronounced as "mya-gaw". Oh ha, new learning again! Looking at this municipal hall, I caught something uniquely cute... Did you notice there are two flagpoles in front of the building? Yes, the taller one is for the Philippine Flag, while the shorter pole carries the town's flag. Oh ha?!

Moving southwards to center of town, about 2kms after the Taytay Boni site, I arrived at Miagao Chuch or Santo Tomás de Villanueva Parish Church. This church, together with three others in the country are collectively registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Baroque Churches of the Philippines . What is Baroque anyway?! Hahaha, aba ewan! I know from having looked it up in dictionaries and even google, that baroque means " Of, relating to, or characteristic of a style in art and architecture developed in Europe from the early 17th to mid-18th century, emphasizing dramatic, often strained effect and typified by bold, curving forms, elaborate ornamentation, and overall balance of disparate parts "... Now having read that (nose bleeding!)... eh di ba lahat naman ng simbahan ganyan? Still, if I'd be earnest in reading those descriptions, I would understand baroque. But how do I differentiate it from others would be beyond my lowly brain's art vocabulary he

An olden bridge, circa the Spanish era. This as we entered the town of Miagao, Iloilo. This is not anymore in use - in fact there is no more water under the bridge. But thanks to recent attention by younger history and/or conservation enthusiasts and / or travel bloggers like yours truly, this bridge has been gaining traction on the world wide web, being identified as one of the historical remnants of old Miagao. It is nothing but an old aged bridge, designed generally for the main mode of transport in those days (1850s), horse-drawn carriages. But its form and make, though dilapidating now (even ravaged on many parts) evokes a memory of the olden years of our forebears. Thus, the need to conserve it. Taytay Boni literally means "The Bridge of Boni". Taytay is of course a visayan word for bridge, while Boni came from Bonifacio - the name of the foreman in charge of this bridge's construction. Hmm, if all constructions now would only bear the name of foremen... hahah

Going out and south of Guimbal, we exited through this thing they call Guimbal Steel Bridge. My guide told me this is the longest steel bridge in Western Visayas (Region VI). This is purportedly historical, being, a 350 meter-long bridge made of steel imported from Virginia, USA. And he even knows the name of the material - Pittsburgh Steel. Hmm, if Pittsburgh Steel, then not from Virginia but Pennsylvania! Philosophizing lang hehe, but yes, the port where the seel were shipped from, must probably be Virginia. So this is an American-era bridge. Oh, guide says construction was ordered by President Roosevelt, no less! Wheh?! So I asked, "bakit kaya? What special interest did Americans have south of Guimbal, so that their president ordered this construction"?! The reply was a rather hesitant, "education and expansion". Hmmm, well, okay, if that's what they say! But if I may put this in historical perspective (oh ha, parang historian!), maybe the real score is

Like a number of towns in the Visayas, there still are remnants of these watchtowers in Guimbal. I went to see one of them! My guide told me there are 4 identified as such in Guimbal, but only 3 are generally intact. We went to the nearest - Balwarte Pescadores. This one is about 300 to 400 meters from the back of the new municipal hall (that's where we came from) heading east towards the seashore. And it sits right on the very side of the street - you won't even need to get off your vehicle (kung tamad ka tulad ko)! By the way, it is called so because it is located at Brgy Pescadores. Another one called "Balwarte Generosa" is located at Brgy. Generosa Cristobal-Colon, adjacent and to the north of Brgy. Pescadores. The third one is called Balwarte Rizal-Tuguisan at the Bantayan Beach Resort, located at, you guessed it, Brgy. Rizal-Tuguisan. All 3 barangays are side-by-side and of course coastal. This last one we could actually have visited while entering Guimbal (ac