Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Northern Samar: Capul Island's lighthouse and old fortress church


Capul Island in Northern Samar is most known for its lighthouse and old church. There are daily pump boat services from Allen. There is usually one trip early in the morning and another early in the afternoon. The boat ride is a little over an hour.

Unless you’re hiring your own boat, you definitely have to stay overnight in Capul Island. A trip to Capul is definitely not for those who are not adventurous. There aren’t that many places to stay in Capul. In fact, we went on homestay while we were there. You can easily ask the habal-habal driver to take you to one.


Before proceeding to the lighthouse, we checked out the town’s fortress church. The walls that comprise the fort are still intact, a stark reminder of how pirate attacks were a major consideration and problem during the Spanish colonial period.

The Capul Church is dedicated to San Ignacio de Loyola. It was built by the Jesuits by the 18th century and renovated by the Franciscans in the late 19th century. The fortified church is in good condition but the interior and convent were renovated after damage by typhoons.


The Capul Lighthouse is several kilometers on the northern tip of the island. Again, we had to hire a habal-habal to get us there.

Sadly, the Faro de Isla Capul is very rundown and badly in need of attention. But the view from the cliff where it stands is so picturesque, with strong waves crashing on large coral rocks down below. It’s actually perfect for a picnic.

There aren't that many places to eat dinner, just one or two carinderias. And make sure you eat early since the food supply does not last long. Remember also that by 12 midnight, electricity is shut down. So make you charge your phones before midnight.

Part 1: Busay, Veriato, Pinipisakan and more waterfalls from Northern Samar

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Northern Samar: Busay, Veriato, Pinipisakan and more waterfalls from Northern Samar



Northern Samar is one of those rarely explored provinces which have so much to offer. For those on a bus ride all the way to Davao, the town of Allen, Northern Samar is, more often than not, merely a gateway to Southern Philippines. But given the chance, there's a lot to see and do there.

For one, there are a lot of waterfalls, attractions which are also plentiful in neighboring Samar, particularly Calbayog City, the City of Waterfalls. Some of the waterfalls are accessible by road. Others require treks. While others require boat rides upstream to get to.



Busay and Veriato Falls in San Isidro are among the falls accessible by road which I got to visit during my recent trip. I had visited Veriato Falls as well during a previous trip to Calbayog City. Another waterfall in San Isidro which requires trekking would be Kangpongkol Falls. Looking at photos, it reminds me of Bangon-Bugtong Falls.



On the opposite end of the province, in Las Navas, is Pinipisakan Falls. If you arrive early, you could consider a trek to it. But you can hire a banca and go on a 45-minute boat ride to the falls. It's not really that impressive. I guess it's the canopy of green around it which makes it feel quite refreshing when you're there. If you have more time to trek, you could go even higher up the river to Ginagatusan Falls.

There are more waterfalls in Northern Samar which includes Lulugayan Falls in Bobon, Matikawol and Bag-ot Falls in Gamay, Bangon and Malarag Falls in San Roque, and Victoria, Budoy and San Abner Falls in Victoria. You can contact the provincial tourism office to find out how to get to the different falls.

Northern Samar Tourism Office
info@northernsamartourism.ph
+63 55 2518292
+63 55 5009124

Sunday, January 03, 2010

Aurora: Old Baler and the Quezon legacy


Baler and the Quezons - Pres. Manuel Quezon and Dona Aurora Aragon-Quezon - will always be synonymous with each other. The fact that they were both from Baler is very much evident. Aurora Province, for one, is named after the former first lady. Its mother province, the former Tayabas Province, was renamed in honor of President Quezon.



Aside from gearing itself to be an adventure tourism destination, Baler is poised to restore its historical heritage. As a sign of local pride, the Quezon and Aragon homes have been reconstructed and restored as well. A replica of the nipa hut where President Quezon was born now stands beside the Museo de Baler where a statue of the former president can also be found.



Only a few months ago, the reconstructed home of Dona Aurora Aragon-Quezon was completed. Beside it, the National Historical Institute has placed on display Quezon's presidential car.

I was told that there are plans to restore the Baler Church, a National Historical Landmark, bringing it back to its 1899 look, a reminder that it had been the site of the last stand of Spanish forces in the country. As the Siege of the Church of Baler marker mentions, a Spanish garrison of four officers and fifty men was besieged in the church by Filipino forces from June 27, 1898 to June 2, 1899. Check out a previous post on Baler heritage for more details.
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