Philippine Travel Notes

This topic started with this article Jose P. Rizal. Are you ready for this? There are 7 towns and 1 province all named Rizal! That was expected, right? He is the national hero of this country after all! First is the town of Rizal in the province of Cagayan (Region 2). It’s in the southwestern portion and in the border with the province of Apayao. Previously called Malaueg, this is the province’s epic town where a lot of folktales and other historical accounts are told. I was surprised to taste delectable mangoes in this high-altitude town which I thought was only to be visited for remnants of some Spanish colonial settlement! Nearby and below is another Rizal town, this time in the province of Kalinga (Region 15 – CAR) that sits in the province’s borders with Cagayan and Isabela. Were there elephants in this country? Well, the ‘elephant hill’ in this town is the site where half the remains of a pachyderm was unearthed! The next Rizal is a town on the eastern portion of Nueva Ecija (Reg...

This topic started with this article That's the late president Elpidio Quirino. Yes, he whose youngest daughter (Cory) is already old and still single but yet still a fine, brave lady and a fitness/beauty guru! There are four locales that bear President Quirino’s name. First is the town of Quirino in the province of Ilocos Sur (Region 1) – rightfully because the late president hailed from that province. This town is in the province’s borders with Mountain Province and Abra. There are hotsprings in this town and of course the Tirad Pass National Park can be found here. Then there is the town of Quirino in the province of Isabela (Region 2). This Quirino of vast farming plains is interestingly sandwiched by two big rivers on its north and south, and its municipality seal actually depicts that! Unless you need to have your fill with the vastness of farmlands, there is not much for the tourist in this town. Going southwards is another Quirino. It’s neither a town nor city but it actual...

This is nature-adventureland Philippines! Region 2 (sometimes written with the Roman numeral as REGION II) commonly referred to as Cagayan or Cagayan Valley Region in the big island of Luzon is composed of five provinces or about 90 towns and 3 cities that make up the north-eastern portion of the country. I consider this region to be the Philippine showcase that truly has everything for the nature adventurer. From leisurely jungle trails to spelunking to whitewater rafting and secluded beaches, this region is just perfect. By the name Cagayan Valley however, one does not readily recognize that this region actually includes the Batanes group of islands in the northern-most tip of the country – even nearer to Taiwan than Metro Manila! This area of the country is culture and nature rich! Attractions in this region are not limited to caves, waterfalls, the Sierra Madres, the biggest and longest river nor the northernmost islands however. The people’s way of day-to-day business...