Km 90 Little Baguio

September 15, 2019; It was a cool Sunday afternoon when we decided to have a quick road trip to Barangay Little Baguio in Laguna.  Driving along the winding roads of the Marilaque Highway is a stress reliever for me.  Since it was already mid afternoon, the road was free of motorcycle riding groups out on a road trip, east bound.  Upon reaching the Sampaloc Tanay Junction we grabbed some banana que and kamote fries for snacks.  Weather was erratic due to the recent typhoons we recently had.  At km 80, the road ahead turned to zero visibility caused by the thick clouds covering the Sierra Madre mountain ranges.  I started to drive with caution and turned on my headlight to avoid being hit by incoming traffic.  Since this is a road less traveled, incoming traffic was very few to almost none.  When we finally reached km 90 Eco Park, we were surprised with all the changes and development they had in the area.  But the ambiance and cool weather was still the same.  No wonder they named this place little Baguio, it's cool weather, pine trees and mountain ranges view makes one feel that you are in Baguio.  Unfortunately, we cannot enjoy the view due to the thick fog but the kids loved and enjoyed this scenery.

The Eco Park offers a lot of activities from camping, hiking, swimming in their cool spring waters and other outdoor activities.  They also have a restaurant for travelers like us.  We tried their famous bulalo and tapsilog which we all loved.

It was another experience worth remembering for my family.

Monte Maria Shrine

August 18, 2019;  A drive to the Montemaria International Pilgrimage site to have a glimpse of the Mother of All Asia-Tower of Peace was a breathtaking experience.  The tower of peace was a sculpture and shrine in the image of the Virgin Mary.  This is the world's tallest statue of the Virgin at 96 meters tall.  Located in Batangas, the shrine is on top of a cliff fronting the cool blue waters of this province.

Conceptualized by the famous Catholic healing priest, Father Fernando Suarez, the construction of the site was full of controversies be it political, financial and even internal church politics.  To date, the shrine is not yet complete and is still finding ways to finance its completion.  Their target completion date is in 2021 which coincides with the 500th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines.

On our drive home, we took the longer route via the Tabangao-Lobo road which is a long cruise along the the blue waters of Verde Island.  We then took the winding Taysan-Lobo road through the mountain ranges of Batangas to reach the Star Tollways.

Before reaching the highway, we stopped at the middle of nowhere to try-out the famous Batangas Lomi which the kids loved.

It was another family bonding road trip that will be added to our memory books.

Camarines Norte: A Lenten Pilgrimage

April 18, 2019;  A family friend invited us to Daet, Camarines Norte to join their family in the Good Friday procession of their Santo Entierro or simply the image of the dead Jesus Christ lying in a wooden carriage.  Their family had been the main sponsor of this century old image for several years now.  They had even dedicated a small chapel in their own property solely for this image.

Since it was only Holy Thursday when we left Manila, we had our Visita Iglesia in the province of Camarines Norte.  This is our family's vow of church visitation during this season of lent.  It was a long and tiring drive to Bicolandia due to the volume of vehicles and tourists going back home to their home town to celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our first stop was at the Parish of St. Lucy in Capalonga.  This is the home of the miraculous Black Nazarene of the south.  During His feast day in May, Chinese businessmen pay their annual homage and ask for good health and good fortune.

Next church was at the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in the town of Paracale.  We were expecting to find an old stone church but to our surprise, the church was painted white.  Built by the Franciscan missionaries 400 years ago, the church is made of adobe blocks with strong shafts of hardwood.  Paracale is the jump-off point of tourists going to Calaguas island.

Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol in Vinsons was our next stop.  This is the oldest church built by the Franciscan missionaries in Camarines Norte in the early 1600s.  But in December 2012, the whole church was destroyed by fire including all of its historical artifacts except for it's concrete walls. We were very fortunate to join the hundreds of pilgrims for the ceremony of the Blessed Sacrament.

Parroquia de San Juan Bautista in the town of Daet was our next stop.  With its modern baroque architecture, the church is one of the 3 churches that celebrated its 400 year foundation together with the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Vinzons and the Parish of the Our Lady of the Candles in Paracale.

Also in Daet, we also dropped by Our Lady of Peñafrancia Parish.  A relatively newly built church in honor of our Lady of Peñafrancia.

To complete our church visitation, we stopped at the Daet Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity.  This is the home of the diocese of Daet, Camarines Norte.

We were truly blessed to have been invited to the Good Friday procession and for the safe drive to this province of Camarines Norte.

Angono Petroglyphs

February 24, 2019; While mom was on her much deserved rest and vacation in Vietnam, we decided to look around the Angono Petroglyphs in the province of Rizal.  This is the oldest known work of art in the country dating back to 3000 B.C.  There are 127 drawings of humans, frogs and lizards engraved in the rock wall.  This site was included in the World Inventory of Rock Arts and was declared a National Cultural Treasure in 1973 and was part of the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Another short but informative tour for the kids.

The Country Club

December 16, 2018; One of the best place to stay when in Baguio is the Baguio Country Club or simply known as BCC.  BCC is one of the most prestigious exclusive membership clubs in the Philippines.  With a century of existence, the Country Club has housed many of the most prestigious names in the Philippine society.

This trip was an early Christmas present for the whole family when we received free invites with unlimited access to everything the Country Club has to offer.  Special thanks to our Ninong and Ninang for this Christmas gift.    For the accommodations, we stayed in one of the cottages across the BCC hotel.  The cottage is a full service house with everything you needed, room service and a usable fire place.

The kids had the chance to watch pro golfers teed for hole #1,  learn how to bowl, and took a dip at the heated pool in the cool afternoon breeze.  Other amenities such as table tennis, play station and an indoor and outdoor playground for small kids are also available all for free.

At the cottage, our home for two nights and 3 days, the boys insisted on sleeping at the double deck beds originally intended for the kuya drivers and ates.  While Ate wanted the whole room for herself.

Our family really enjoyed this very relaxing stay at BCC.  We were truly blessed and grateful for this wonderful opportunity.