Philippine Travel Notes

This was planned. That I would not return from Malaybalay to Cagayan De Oro, but proceed instead to Davao City for another dinner-meeting (bisyo na 'to!), before flying back to Cebu, then to Tacloban. But I was not at all concerned as I have done this 'overland' trip before. There are even 2 known ways - via Kapalong and Tagum (5 to 6 hours) or via Kitaotao and Marilog (4 to 5 hours) - both panoramic roads. I was taking the shorter route, as I heard the highway was already spruced up and can be faster. Not that I was in a hurry, but hearing that a road has lately been repaired means it is (probably) also safer. Anyway, let's take off from my last paragraph in the last article . What did I see that "stirred my sanity"; that it even prompted me to hurry back to the hotel in a tricycle instead of finishing my morning walk? It was this bus terminal.., where too many people kept running from bus to bus.., chaotic! There were too many passengers, many were sta...

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...

This topic started with this article San Narciso. There are only two towns with this name and though they are in Regions 3 and 4 respectively, they’re in opposite directions from the metropolis. First is the town of San Narciso in Zambales. If you have not been there yet, better pack now and go! This is an interesting place. I would usually pass by this town on my way to Potipot, but one time I checked it out and whoa! The beach is clean and good with good resorts and a good crowd of surfers. Yep, there is a part of the beach where waves ram strong into the sand. Though easily tiring, its nice playing by those little big crashing waves hehe! Roaming around town itself is a nice leisurely stroll. The church looks nice and there is that marine school that makes the town center jolly full of people! Now, the other San Narciso, is a town in the province of Quezon. Ah this quaint elongated town is also water bound as it faces the Ragay Gulf in what is called the Bondoc Peninsula. Have you h...

This topic started with this article Yes we’re still in the Philippines and we have 5 towns named San Francisco! In the province of Quezon (Region 4A – CALABARZON) is our 1st town bearing that name. And this is the southernmost tip of the province on the shores of Tayabas Bay, almost across the island of Marinduque. Now now… don’t think about the name and associate it with that fine city in the US West Coast. This is a faaar cry. The town has yet to see paved roads from the main city of the province and their folks have yet to be “emancipated” from the control and dictates of wealthy land-owners. Even education (public high school) is a brand new thing here circa 1999! Our 2nd San Francisco is a town in the island-province of Cebu and it is a town off mainland Cebu. This one is an island-town (Pacijan) and is part of the Camotes Islands. While also a poor-man’s town, this San Francisco is surrounded by different kinds of beaches for everyone who seek serenity! This is the beachest area...

This topic started with this article There are four towns that sport the name San Antonio! First is a town in the province of Nueva Ecija (Region 3 – Central Luzon). This San Antonio is in the southwestern tip of the province bordering with Pangasinan. Like the rest of the province, this is also a farming town but check-out the multitude of fresh water fish-ponds in this town. Scenic, especially against the solitary Mt. Arayat as the backdrop! Moving west on the same Region is our 2nd town named San Antonio – and that is in the province of Zambales. Situated on the province’s southwestern tip, this is a sunset town and the jump-off point to Capones and Camera Islands – which you should not miss when in the area. What with beaches literally moving from one place to another. Really! Then again, for the culture savvy, never miss Casa San Miguel – which in itself is a destination already! 3rd in our list of San Antonios is little town in the province of Quezon, on its western-most side, in...

This topic started with this article There are also three towns in this country named San Andres. 1st is San Andres in the province of Quezon (Region 4A CALABARZON). This town sits on the southeastern tip of the big province called Bondoc Peninsula and it’s right on the shores of Ragay Gulf facing Camarines Sur. You’ll be surprised to know that majority of the people in this poor fishing-and-farming town speak Bisaya (Cebuano) than Tagalog! Why? Ah go there hehe! 2nd is another town also named San Andres, and that is in the province of Romblon. This town is the upper western coast of Tablas Island. Beaches have grayish sands but there are a scattering of waterfalls and rocky cliffs plus a cave system. Our 3rd town named San Andres is in the province of Catanduanes, on its southwestern end facing Camarines Sur. This town that sits in the mouth of a big river is the biggest in terms of land area and next to the capital town of Virac in terms of infrastructure development. Beaches are fin...

This topic started with this article I never thought there would be more than one, but in fact, there are three towns that use Plaridel for a name! The most familiar is Plaridel town in Bulacan province (Region 3) which is just very near the metropolis. We all know there are a lot of bag factories, toy factories, even feed mills and embroidery shops. And they have a famous marker about the Fil-American War. The old church is worth a marvel and do watch out for the Festival of Horses! A tiny little town in the heart of Quezon province facing the Lamon Bay is our 2nd town named Plaridel. It is a fishing village.Though not something to shout about, this Plaridel does have its share of resorts along the scenic beach front. And an afternoon drive along the coast from Atimonan, even all the way to Gumaca is fantastic enough! Ah, here is another secret revealed: it is only in this place where I got to experience a ride I have been wanting to do - that is those make-shift carts that speed thro...

This topic started with this article There are two towns in this country with that name Pitogo. One of these towns is in the province of Quezon (Region 4A) and most notable is its church on a hill with a grand view of the Tayabas Bay. Roaming around the dwindling mangroves is an eco-adventure fun with children. The other Pitogo town is in Zamboanga Del Sur on its southwestern tip. This is a promising town with a lot of sea and land resources but has never been reached by powers-that-be serious enough to develop it into something for the tourists. But you’d be surprised to find out there are little houses in this place that use solar power instead of your usual MERALCO! Their solar power generating gadgets were donated by another country.

This topic started with this article There are also two towns. One is in Quezon Province (Region 4A – CALABARZON) along the pacific seaboard and facing the Polillo Islands. Nice secluded beaches here, and off the beaten tourist tracks. Of course this place is part of the "Lambanog Capital". But the long stretch of coastline is most prominent in my memory. Ah the winds from the sea are quite a treat! There are modest resort in this blissfully rural coastal town. The other Infanta is in the western portion of the province of Pangasinan (Region 1 – Ilocos) kissing the south china sea and where you’ll find the Balaki Islands. This town is along the now-getting-famous scenic route of the western seaboard from Zambales to Bolinao. Oh both towns got their names in honor of “Infanta Queen Isabel of Spain”. See?! Even these two towns are related to the places named Isabel and/or Isabela!

This topic started with this article Let us jump to the moon? Well, yes Luna is Spanish for Moon! What do we call people who hail from a place named Luna? Lunatics? Aw! There are 2 towns named “General Luna” while there are 3 towns named just “Luna”. The town General Luna in the province of Quezon (Region 4A – CALABARZON) is a fishing village facing the Tayabas bay and the island of Marinduque. Hey, I was surprised to learn (no, I did not see the spectacle, we arrived late) that this town celebrates holy week like how its done across the water over at Marinduque! Wow! The other General Luna is the famed surfing town on Siargao Island in the province of Surigao Del Norte (Region 13 – CARAGA). Kilometers and kilometers of fine white sandy beaches (untouched) are the thing here other than the surf and other water sports activities. The beaches are just not the in thing that tourists go there for. And to my delight! Then there is a town up north named Luna – a town in the province of La Un...

This topic started with this article There are three towns! Two are in Luzon and one is in the Visayas. The first Dolores is a town way high up in the province of Abra (Region 15 – CAR). While this is a sleepy highland farming community (as with all of Abra), don’t miss this town if you will be in the area. Everyone will surely point you to a cave and underground river called Libtec. Of course, the Abra River is also a different kind of high for the adventurous explorers. Ironically, a lot of well-known people from the past to the present have come from this town. And many a Filipino community in the US will have someone who hails from Dolores, Abra! The next Dolores is a town in the province of Quezon (Region 4A – CALABARZON). At the foot of Mt. Banahaw, this town seems to be remembered more by many people for caves with spiritual healing and other spiritual powers. This place teems with rocks, caves, falls, springs and everything mountain till you reach the peak of Banahaw. But every...

This topic started with this article Then we have Candelaria. There are two towns! One is of course the well-known copra town in the province of Quezon near the capital Lucena City (Region 4A – CALABARZON). This Candelaria being at the foot of Mt. Banahaw has a lot for the nature lover. Spring and nature resorts, waterfalls, ancestral houses abound. The other Candelaria is up in the province of Zambales (Region 3 – Central Luzon). This Candelaria also teems with resorts. Not spring or mountain resorts this time but sunny sandy beach resorts facing the South China Sea! But it’s not all coastal paradise here. There is also a lake purported to be the cleanest in the region. Ah, the now getting famous Potipot Island can be accessed from this town. Not a beach bum? Well, look around and feast your tongue with the delectable big Zambales Mangoes! Ahh!

This topic started with this article What about Buenavista?! Well, there are FIVE towns in this country that bears that name, so be careful lest you get lost! The name means “goodview” (Buena=good, vista=view). So probably the Spaniards and whoever else named these places saw some grand scenery from these places. First is Buenavista in the province of Quezon (Region 4A – CALABARZON). This town is in the southern part of the province called the Bondoc Peninsula that kisses the Ragay Gulf. This one has a wide land area but nothing much for the erstwhile tourist! The 2nd Buenavista is in the island-province of Marinduque (Region 4B – MIMAROPA). This town is the southwestern end of the island and has hot springs, sulfuric spring resorts and waterfalls. The 3rd Buenavista is the northern tip of the island-province of Guimaras (Region 6 – Western Visayas). This is the entry point to the island from Iloilo City esp when the waters are rough. The wharf on this town was built by Gen Douglas Mc...

The fascinating suburb! CALABARZON or Region 4A (sometimes written with the Roman numeral as REGION IV-A), is what became of the other half when in 2002, Southern Tagalog (Region 4) was split into two. The term CALABARZON is actually an acronym representing letters from the names of the 5 provinces that comprise it – CA vite, LA guna, BA tangas, R izal and Que ZON . Like Region 3, it also spans from east in the pacific to west in the south china sea. All of these five provinces are within easy reach from the metropolis where majority of its workers actually come from. While these are almost part of Metro Manila, since many industries, corporations and academic institutions have branches and/or headquarters in many parts, they also offer some of the nearest and worthy places to visit for any reason one can think of. When people from the metropolis are in search of a place that they can easily hie off to, many places around these 5 provinces are first on the list. And they are quit...