Philippine Travel Notes

Allen is on the northwesternern tip of Northern Samar and Matnog is southern tip of Luzon. And this RORO ride is the sole direct connection between the two islands. Takes just about an hour and a half of actual sea travel, but the waiting time at either of the ports before and after arrival makes the whole thing look like its a 3-hour gig or even more! I heard friends who drove passing this way and tell something like it took them 5 or even 6 hours. Maybe it was due to documentation needs. Other friends who rode buses this way tell us the same. Maybe I was lucky? I usually am, actually hehe! My bus arrived at the Allen port at 3;44PM and at exactly 6;45PM, I was already boarding my bus again in Matnog after it emerged from inside the RORO! How is this ride? Generally uneventful, but if it is an afternoon run on a summer day, you probably will call it one of the best. RORO departs from the Allen port at 5PM, just before the sun slowly inches down beyond the islands. Fantastic view of Sa...

This topic started with this article Oh Magdalena! Actually there is just one town officially named Santa Magdalena. However, another town is named just “Magdalena”. So they still become part of our same name towns. Santa Magdalena is the name of one town in the province of Sorsogon (Region 5). Almost at the tip of Luzon, this town is the southeasterly, thus partly facing the Pacific Ocean. A beach town therefore! Now up in the heart of the province of Laguna (Region 4A), just by the foot of Mt. Banahaw is a town called Magdalena. The name was derived from its patron saint Santa Maria Magdalena that makes it the same as above, right? I like calling this lace an “epic town” in that it somewhat has a conscious effort to be so. The centuries old church and the equally “ancient look” of the town hall are a favorite location for filmmakers wanting to have a ’rustic old town away from Manila’ scene. Let’s go to Santa Maria next?!

This topic started with this article Whoa! There are 7 towns! First is the town in Bataan (Region 3) sandwiched between Orion (on the south where you arrive via fast crafts from Manila Bay), and Balanga City (on the north). This Pilar town is of course where you find the famed and towering Dambana Ng Kagitingan – the cross-shaped building with a narrow and cranky elevator for you to get to the top! But oh my what an experience being up there! Next is a town on the northern part of the province of Sorsogon (Region 5) in its boundary with the province of Albay. Have you heard about the “astilleros” during the Spanish era? There is one in this town called Panlatuan. Then again, this town is right beside Donsol and you guessed it right – the whale shark interaction is your great find in this place! Third is another town named Pilar and that is in the easternmost tip of province of Capiz (Region 6) just bordering with the province of Iloilo. Not to be outshone by the two previous towns of t...

This topic started with this article Oh Magellan! There are three towns that takes on the name of this Portuguese discoverer. Magallanes town in Cavite (Region 4A – CALABARZON) is in the southern portion bordering with Batangas and is mainly an agricultural town. There is a waterfall and a forested area that might be good for adventure trekkers. Next is Magallanes town in the province of Sorsogon (Region 5 – Bicol). This town sits at the lower mouth of the Sorsogon bay. It does have its share of falls, springs, mountains, beaches and resorts but not yet too trodden by the common tourist. The third of these Magallaneses is a town in the heart of Agusan Del Norte (Region 13 – CARAGA) along the shorelines of the Bulusan Bay. This is a fishing village, thus, beaches are aplenty. There is of course a historical marker of Magellan since the town derives its name from that discoverer. But don’t miss the “centuries-old” tree still standing at Barangay Caloc-an where some people claim was the “...

This topic started with this article Going to Casiguran? Many a Filipino would be familiar with that name as it is most often a point of reference when talking about typhoons. Radio and TV reports would usually say “the storm is XXX kilometers east-northeast of Casiguran”. And they all mean the town of Casiguran in the province of Aurora. Surely, many of us also know that it is in the same area/province as Baler, another surfing paradise. But of course, like any town in the eastern seaboard of the country, sunrise is fantastic at Casiguran. Now don’t get confused, farther down almost to the southern tip of Luzon on the eastern part of Sorsogon province (Region 5 – Bicol) is a town also named Casiguran. Eastern part yes, but no it does not face the pacific. It’s actually in the Sorsogon Bay area. Like most of the Sorsogon towns, this Casiguran is also a sleepy farming community.

This is the WET & HOT Region of the Philippines! Region 5 (sometimes written with the roman numeral as REGION V) or Bicol Region can be mostly “wet” as it is on the eastern corridor of the country facing the Pacific Ocean where typhoons usually come from or pass by. Bicol is a perennial recipient of greater amounts of rain! Many times during the year, majority of the area is blessed with rain – and we may of course also sometimes call that “cursed” with rain. When I go to Bicol for some sunny side activities, I skim through a lot of references just to ensure the clouds won’t rain on me! Many times, they still do! But hey, being wet does not necessarily mean cold! For me, this region is “hot”. What with 3 active volcanoes and another 3 being potentially active! That should be enough to get them really hot on the seismic map, right? How much more if we count 25 others that are considered inactive volcanoes! Yes, you guessed it right, as of this writing, the latest recorded volc...