Philippine Travel Notes

Moving onwards. As said in my previous post , this travel takes me back out to the national highway at Mayorga, then onwards to Mac Arthur (Leyte), Javier, Abuyog, etc. Actually just a pass-thru of Abuyog and Javier as I'll be visiting them separately, soon. It is just 6 or so kilometers from La Paz to Mayorga on still a nice provincial road.., Though unlike at Julita and Burauen, this road did not feel and look 'very' new. And my driver educated me that indeed this was not new. This has been the 'original' and (even) the only way to La Paz until that new road connection from Burauen was constructed. Just the same, this was also a ride along wonderful rural scenes until this corner... That is the national road, going left is to Tacloban, but I'm turning to the right, here. And just after emerging from that provincial road (above)... Welcome back to Mayorga! Hey, that solar-powered highway light is memorable to me. Just saying hehe! That is the first one, a...

This is what I saw after circling around to the back of the La Paz Municipal Hall compound. The "Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish", the town's Catholic Church. I think this wide field the manong is cleaning up, is also part of the church compound. So we circled around that field for a closer look. Here it is. Chadaaaan... Pupusta ako, in the areas of Burauen and La Paz, a blue-color paint must be expensive! If at all available hehe! It must be veeery in-demand a paint color! Their churches need it! Anyway, I entered the church, it was noontime, so, no people around... I like this! Simple, serene, bright, airy-cool, due to the big doors and windows I suppose. And the inside hues are pale and cool, unlike that of Burauen. Oh well, an ludhanan... And, as I usually take a snap of... this is the priest's view... Note: it's not really this dark. It's just my phone-camera, since outside is so noon bright. Oh, okay, outside the church, at its expansiv...

My first time to visit, but as with the previous towns, I am sure I'll keep coming back! I entered La Paz from Burauen via a surprisingly good provincial road about 13kms or so. This was first that I went to see... the Municipal Hall. How sad, I do not even know how it looked like before being ruined by Yolanda. Now I will just wonder how it looked like. From the looks of it, we'll have to wait a long time to see what this will become... Yep, it's this building on the right. I guess they'll first have to flatten this. It looks rather really old and rotten anyway. But that new structure further ahead (also at right) seems to be the center of activity now. That is most probably their 'replacement' munisipyo?! It's this one... see, there's their town logo up there. So this is their municipal hall now... This looks rather small, right? But they're building other structures all around the place. Done with my quick meeting at La Paz, I saw this up...

I left Burauen and moved onwards to La Paz, still using the nice provincial roads. While exiting town center, just two minutes from the church, I passed by this bridge... I was praising how good (and new?) this bridge was, when something made my chinky eyes open wider. The name: Daguitan Bridge. I said to my self "how is that possible"? I thought this might have been mislabeled as I know of another bridge (in Dulag) that is also named Daguitan Bridge. I was sure too, that it is not this one, since, that "other" Daguitan Bridge is longer, and there is something there that fascinates me (story later). Things played in my lowly mind, until I silently calmed my royal self, that both bridges are named "Daguitan Bridge". Well, if towns can have " same names ", so would be bridges! Still on Daguitan Bridge (in Burauen), I looked down and saw some kind of a mini-dam.. Not sure what it is, but it looks like a dam to me, micro size nga lang hehe....

This topic started with this article Proof that this country is home to peace-loving people? Whatever your view is, there are four towns in the country named La Paz – meaning “peace”. The first La Paz is ironically a town up in the province of Abra (Region 15 – CAR). Politically, this town (and the whole province) is not at all very peaceful compared to most others in the country especially during elections! Oh I even know someone who does not want to go there because the opposing factions in those political quarrels are all his relatives. The second La Paz is in the province of Tarlac (Region 3 – Central Luzon). This agricultural town is along the banks of the Chico River and borders Tarlac with Neuva Ecija. Being an agricultural town, bird-watching is fine here especially on the swampy areas – but alas, not even its own locales know or appreciate this kind of recreation yet! The third La Paz is in the province of Leyte (Region 8 – Eastern Visayas). It is an agricultural and landlocke...