Philippine Travel Notes

Am not sure there would be that big an effect to our oceans, BUT, this surely is an eyesore and tasteless way of dumping your trash. Those are bus tickets - 'condoctor's copies' thrown into the waters by an idiot of a bus conductor over at the BALWHARTECO - the port in Balicuatro, Allen Northern Samar where buses ride the RORO to Matnog, in Sorsogon. Not from my bus conductor, at least! Well, the uneducated workers of our times...

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 There are 4 towns. First is the town of Sta. Fe in the province of Nueva Vizcaya (Region 2). This town at the southwestern border of the province with Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija just at the end of that dizzying zigzag road called Dalton Pass. Then there is the town of Sta. Fe on the southern tip of the province of Romblon (Region 4B). There are beaches and islets plus the trail up that mountain called Calatong. The third Sta. Fe is a town on Bantayan Island, Cebu (Region 7). Yes this is where boats, fast crafts and ROROs arrive from mainland Cebu. Like the two other towns on the island (Madridejos and Bantayan), Sta. Fe is a beach town and gets to full capacity during Holy Week. Lastly, there is also a town named Sta. Fe in the province of Leyte (Region 8). This Sta. Fe is a landlocked farming community adjacent to Tacloban, Palo. I do like afternoon runs to Ormoc from Tacloban where passing by this town always has great sunsets by the rice fields. ...

Back from my half day tour of the CWC, first ting I needed to find was lunch. Did not want it at CWC since the pocket was already a bit shallow. Aw c’mon, this was Day 9 since I left Manila for Tacloban, then Samar, and now hopping along the land trail going home. Did not also want to eat at Villa Caceres Hotel as I already took my breakfast there. I needed to be at some place else, if only to see more of Naga. So I asked the Villa Caceres crews where might be a good place to have lunch. After explaining my “requirements”, hotel crews were unanimous in telling me to go find Geewan and have my lunch there. Good I asked about the restaurant’s name and signage as I really thought they meant G1. Clarifying I said, “so I will just look for a G and the number 1”. The front desk lady said “no sir, its spelled GEEWAN”! So I found it easy. And signage alone, I knew I was in for a good sampling of the local food. It says “The Home of Bicolano Dishes”! Yey! Surprisingly though, this place is not ...

Done with the boarding, I opted to roam the facility. Just so I can see whatever is there and tell friends and family (that’s you) about CWC or CamSur Watersports Complex. The “CamSur” stands for Camarines Sur province, of course, in case you are still wondering. So here goes what I think is worth remembering… Space? Ample! This is one big complex converted from what seem to have been rice fields in the past. Trees? Not so many (yet). Thus, the place, though always windy, feels summery (a.k.a. hot humid) especially during Philippine summers. At least it is obvious they have not felled big trees to give way for the complex as common with most urban constructions. Its more on the other way around – meaning they are growing trees here and there instead of what may have been vast fields of rice paddies and grass. Front Office? Nice clubhouse-like set-up. The building is good, the crews are giggly cheerful, the locker rooms and shower areas clean with modern amenities and there are even dis...

Alright folks, I did it! I went wakeboarding and I consider that mighty brave of me myself and I, having gone to CWC alone, and tried the boards… alone! Pathetic you might say, but I did it just the same! Keber hehe! Here's the story… How did I go there? By instruction of the very helpful CWC staff when I called, I took a jeep to some corner where I transferred to a tricycle, and voila, there I was! While it is very near the Naga city center, CWC is actually already part of Pili, Camarines Sur. Same with their provincial capitol. You wont even know you are already actually outside of Naga! There are no cabs (yet) in the area btw, in case you were thinking about that. Purpose I told them outright I just wanted to see the place and get a feel of what is this CWC hullabaloo all about. But I said I would be much happier if there was at least someone who can show me around. They obliged but told me to come early at opening time as they wont be that busy yet. And that is the reas...

This topic started with this article There are 6 and all are towns. Whew! Still in the province of Ilocos Sur (you probably have noticed, almost all towns in this province are named after saints) is the town of Santa Cruz. A farming fishing community with a long coastline, this town does have a waterfall frequented by tourists and residents. Next there is the town of Sta. Cruz in the province of Zambales (Region 3), and like above, also faces the south china sea not to be outdone in terms of beaches. There are even the Hermana Mayor and Hermana Menor Islands each having its own airstrip! This town has a cave, a cold spring and a fish sanctuary while they remain in the Guinness book of records as having the sweetest mango in the world. Hmm. Then there is the big town of Sta. Cruz in the province of Laguna (Region 4A) by the southeastern edge of the Laguna lake. Being the provincial capital, this town is more of a commercial center where folks get supplies going to the various tourism so...

This topic started with this article There are “officially” just two towns in this country named such. One is in the province of Ilocos Sur (Region 1) and the other is in the province of Negros Oriental (Region 7). But… The town of Santa in Ilocos Sur was formerly called Santa Catalina in honor of Santa Catalina de Alexandria. So, that technically gives us three towns named Santa Catalina, albeit historically, right? In time, probably because people found it inconvenient pronouncing the long whole name, they kept referring to their town as just Santa. Until they altogether decided to drop the “Catalina” and the “de Alexandria”. As you would have known from the previous entry , Santa is just to the north of Vigan, the province’s capital. Now now… the first “official” Santa Catalina is alas also some kind of suburb of the same city, Vigan. Just about a town in between them to the south by the way. Remember that long bridge connecting two mountains by the mouth of a big river? That one is...