Philippine Travel Notes

This topic started with this article There are two towns in the country that use this name. First is a town in Bohol province (Ragion 7 – Central Visayas) just next to, and northwest of the capital city of Tagbilaran. Yes, this is that town with an ancient church perched on a hill. And yes this is that swampy area where one can have a joyride rowing bancas up a river amongst nipa fronds. The other Cortes is a town in the pacific rim of the province of Surigao Del Sur (Region 13 – CARAGA). This is that town just north of Tandag. Oh this is also the same town that discovered late they have ruined almost all of its mangrove forests and more than half of its corals and sea grass. But hope is prevalent! They now have the Tigao Marine Sanctuary and let’s hope it’ll serve the purpose hehe! Catch the saltwater lake, beach resorts, a waterfall and a bird/marine sanctuary! I like this town!

Whatever happened to your bottled water? It now comes in a 'mouthful size'? Ows?! As we voraciously gorged on our barbecues over at the freezing Abanao Square, we had to meticulously ‘examine’ the dear little bottle. Some ingenious dude cut the middle portion of the plastic bottle and re-attached the top and bottom portions so that it perfectly became a handy toothpick container. Clever indeed! Oh well, the wonderful signs of creativity in these our times…

This topic started with this article Oh Concepcion! There are four towns that bear this name. Two are in Luzon, one is in the Visayas and the last one is in Mindanao. The first Concepcion is in the province of Tarlac (Region 3 – Central Luzon). It is in fact its biggest municipality. It sits just below Tarlac City and borders with the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. The place being in a river basin is agricultural and has a lot of haciendas. Oh yes, this place was the birthplace of Ninoy Aquino. The next Concepcion is a tiny island municipality in the province of Romblon (Region 4B – MIMAROPA). It has only 9 barangays and population is just about 5 thousand! This island town is white sandy beaches all around. But alas, it’s out of the way! There has to be some unique fantastic things there before most tourists flock and gruel the boat ride from Pinamalayan in Oriental Mindoro. It’s even hard to get to this place from the capital, Romblon! Because of that, the hills are still lus...

This topic started with this article Compostela. Yes we know it is a province in Region 11 – Southern Mindanao, and a new one at that. This is that province straddling between the two Davao Provinces and it is commonly referred to by locals as “ComVal”. But within this province named Compostela, there is a town also named Compostela! So you’d think its normal as in the Tarlac, Tarlac or Iloilo, Iloilo or Masbate, Masbate thing! But alas, unlike the others, this town is not the capital of the province – its another town called Nabunturan! So Compostela town is just another town in Compostela Valley. Nevertheless, this town is worth a visit for nature lovers. Waterfalls and mountain treks are the main events here. So we have two Compostelas, one is a province and the other is a town within that province. That’s not all! There is another town named Compostela and it is further up in the island province of Cebu (Region 7 – Central Visayas). Ah this town is still or already a part of Metro ...

What’s next? Do not chair? Do not table? Do not window? Ahhehehe! That “seat” is on a fantastic glider owned by one of the coolest dudes in town. I saw him “seat” on that “sit” and expertly fly that craft at the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark! He obviously was not the one who wrote that hehe! Here’s a bigger picture where that masking tape was attached on the sit, aw set, aw sh*t, whadever cadaver! Oh well, the interesting signs of our times…

This topic started with this article Ah there are two! Still in Region 10, there is a town called Clarin in the province of Misamis Occidental. It is right next door to the cities of Tangub and Ozamiz with the Panguil Bay on its east. This town was named after the senator who proposed to have it made into a town once again after it became a barrio of Ozamiz since their town head failed to appear during a meeting called by the governor in 1903! The place is in close proximity to a lot of tourist hideaways in the province like the fantastic MOAP (Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park). Clarin is also the name of a town in Bohol (Region 7 – Central Visayas) and this town takes its name from another person also surnamed Clarin. Aniceto Clarin was the island’s first civil governor. This town is just a few clicks from Tubigon. Clarin is a fish town too as there are wide spreads of mangroves. There are even islets off its shores. And ah, this is where you head inland/upland on the way to Sagbaya...

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...