Philippine Travel Notes

This topic started with this article What about Catarman? Well, there are also two towns in this country. One is at the northern tip of, and the capital town of Northern Samar province (Region 8 – Eastern Visayas) which has a lot of and/or a jump off point to beach resorts and other wonders in the province like Biri and Capul. This place reminds me of Dumaguete in that its airport (Sibulan) that leads out to sea sits in a university town. Thats the University of Eastern Philippines. The other Catarman is way south in the island province of Camiguin (Region 10 – Northern Mindanao). Oh yes, this is that town where you find the sunken cemetery and at least two volcanoes! The famous cold springs frequented by tourists for those little fish that peck and massage your foot is up in the forests of this town too!

This is a little barrio along the west coast of Bataan, forgettable to many people but one of the most memorable places I have ever been in my life. No, I don't mean to say I roamed the whole barrio and liked it - I do not even know where it starts, where the center is and where it ends. I have just been to the Bantay Pawikan's Turtle Conservation Center located at the little fishing village of Nagbalayong in the town of Morong, Bataan. Going there After the hefty truly "native" lunch at the famous ‘Arcee’s Restaurant’ in Balanga, my group took off in a convoy of three vehicles headed westwards via Pilar and Bagac then northwards along the coast to find Nagbalayong. We actually did not know the name of this barrio. We just knew that there was a sea-turtle conservation center somewhere in the outskirts of Morong and that if we reached Anvaya Cove, we'd have been beyond our destination. The drive was all the way along great sceneries of the province that made me say

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 topic started with this article Have you been to Carmen? Carmen who?! Ha, there are 6 towns in this country that bears that name? Which came fist, the name of these six towns or the opera bearing the same title? We will know soonest! Curiously enough, these towns that bear the name Carmen are all in Cebuano-speaking places. First is the town of Carmen in the island province of Cebu (Region 7 – Central Visayas). Yes, the town is just about 40kms from Cebu city and just after Danao City! Oh yes, guns are still an industry in Danao, but thats a different topic hehe. Carmen in Cebu is a hub of small boat builders and the womenfolk weave sinamay. Well yes, there are caves and falls and that famous monastery up in the mountains. And of course, there is the M Lhuiller hacienda that you pass by going to the monastery. The next Carmen is a town right in the heart of the island province of Bohol. Yes, this town is your destination if you want to see and experience the Chocolate Hills. And w

This topic started with this article One is not actually a town but a region - composed of 5 provinces, 3 cities and 72 towns. Caraga (mostly written as CARAGA) is the name of the 13th Region which is the northeastern Mindanao area, right?! But don't get confused. CARAGA is not a portmanteau as are MIMAROPA or CALABARZON. The word Caraga traces its roots from Kalagans. But is that it? NO! Because farther straight down in Davao Oriental, there is this town that actually bears the name Caraga! Oh this town greets the sunrise usually ahead than most of us, as it is in the easternmost tip of the country! Ah the area around this town is off the beaten tourist path but teems with views from mountains to seas!

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 Calamba has a twin! So we thought that a mention of this town always refers to the birth place of the national hero Jose Rizal and/or the Mt. Makiling and/or the hundreds of hot-spring resorts and pools and/or the “original” buko-pie! Not always so! The other Calamba is far down south in the province of Misamis Occidental (Region 10 – Northern Mindanao). Ironically, this town also boasts of a lot of spring resorts and pools! I wonder... did Rizal go there too while in exile?!!

This was at a fence in front of a residence along the famed Policarpio Street in Mandaluyong. Yes there is no park, just a tindahan hehe! Kuha?! Oh well, the interesting warnings of our times!