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.