Laguna is a province south of Manila. This Sunday, June 19th, marks the 150th birth anniversary of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Calamba, Laguna is his place of birth. Their ancestral house has been rebuilt through the years and it is only the well that remains of the original structure. To celebrate his 150th birthday, the ancestral house--- now aptly called Rizal Shrine --- is all spruced up for this Sunday's celebration. So with the other Rizal Shrines and Monuments scattered all over the country. I dare not join the festivities this Sunday. Instead, I visited his home province on 2 separate occasions. Once to revisit the Shrine or ancestral house itself, for some history lessons. Another time to bask in the peace, tranquility of Mount Makiling in the nearby town of Los Banos, Laguna. ... read more

It would have been easy to board an overnight bus from Manila to Legazpi City, sleep off the entire 10 hour ride, then hop on a jeepney or a van for another hour's ride from Legazpi City to Donsol, Sorsogon for that date with the "butandings" or whale sharks. But we are a family of 7. An SUV fits us like a glove. Provided no one "overpacks". Also, the plan was for 2 in our family flying home from Legazpi City after a few days into the week. So that lightens up the load and we would have more than enough space in the car on the way back. Summer's Not Over Yet Determined to make this an awesome summer holiday especially for the kids, we set off on this journey late in May. School here ... read more

Deeper into the province of Quezon is this quaint coconut farming town of Sariaya. Just a 3 hour drive south of Manila, the town sits practically at the foot of the mystical Mount Banahaw. Many ancestral houses still stand today, thanks to the descendants of the wealthy and prominent families who owned them. The Coconut Barons of Sariaya Back in those days, "hacienderos" referred to the plantation owners, the aristocrats, the landed gentry. While Silay and other towns in Negros had their sugar barons, the town of Sariaya in Quezon was the territory of the coconut tycoons. In both locales, the heirloom houses stand as testaments to a glorious and rich past. The affluence of those pre-war days was manifested in the grandeur of the many Art Deco houses of this small town which were mercifully ... read more

Having missed Banaue and Sagada, I did the next best thing. Go up to Baguio City, the Summer Capital of the Philippines. Temperature here was so pleasant between 16 to 24 Celsius. What a respite from the sweltering heat in Metro Manila where we live and suffer 36 Celsius temps. With the NLEX and new SCTex highway, the journey was shortened considerably that we made it to Baguio well before lunchtime. Just a 5 hour car ride over good roads and via Marcos Highway on the uphill climb. On our downhill drive towards Metro Manila, we chose the more famous Kennon Road. In years past, we have visited the usual touristy sites in Baguio City. The "routine" calls for visits to the Cathedral, Mines View Park, Wright Park, Mansion House, Burnham Park, Camp John Hay and ... read more

It is your little China right here in Manila. THE OLDEST CHINATOWN IN THE WORLD. Outside of China, of course. A place where the pre-hispanic Chinese-Filipinos were evacuated to when the Spaniards came and ruled this land since the 16th century for nearly 400 years. From the walled city of Intramuros where the Spaniards ruled, our Chinoys ("Chinese-Filipinos" aka "Tsinoys") were forced to relocate themselves across the Pasig River to a place called "Binondo", from the word "binundok" or mountainous area in the local language. At the time, our Chinoys were called "Sangleys" and were years ahead of the Spanish colonizers who claim to have "discovered" our country in 1521. ;-) The pre-hispanic Chinese came well before them, but chose to mix and freely trade with the locals rather than colonize the land and seize power ... read more