Lady Santas bring cheer on SEAIR Christmas flight to Boracay

Have you every taken a flight on Christmas Day? Well, I did for the first time yesterday. I took a SEAIR flight to Caticlan. And guess the surprise we got! Free goodies from SEAIR courtesy of two Lady Santas. And we got our own Santa hats as well.


Here are the Lady Santas greeting the passengers as they get down from the plane in Caticlan.


I was able to take some photos. Good thing many of the passengers took their own videos and I found this one on YouTube. So enjoy! I hope Glee's Puck enjoyed this Christmas surprise too.

Mark Salling of Glee flies to Boracay on Christmas Day

Mark Salling, who plays Noah Puckerman or Puck on Glee, took the last SEAIR flight to Boracay on Christmas Day. I was actually on the same SEAIR flight to Caticlan and got to have a photo taken with him while he was checking-in at the Manila Domestic Airport.


Here's a photo of Mark Salling with the SEAIR flight attendant. It was a really cool Christmas flight which I'll talk about in another post.


Thank you Mark Salling for visiting our beautiful country. And thank you for tweeting that you are in Boracay. It's a great boost to Boracay and Philippine tourism. Welcome and I hope you have a great time!

Masbate: Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary, Pawa Mangrove Ecosystem & Bituon Beach

Masbate may have been the last province I visited. But it's definitely not the least. It was an exhilarating feeling as I stepped down from the plane into the Masbate Airport, finally having visited all 79 provinces of the Philippines. I wanted to explore as much of Masbate City as I could in a day. So as soon as I found a place to stay for the night, I was off to the beach.


I hired a tricycle to take me to Bituon Beach which is in the neighboring town of Mobo. It's one of the better beach resorts in Masbate. It took about 30 to 45 minutes to get there. If you want accommodation around Masbate City with a beach front you can swim in, this would be it.


But I wanted a more spectacular beach. And after inquiring around, it turned out there was a sandbar off the coast of Masbate City. So I hired a pump boat to take me to the Buntod Islet which is part of the Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary.


It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to get to Buntod Islet. And from a distance, you could see that the scenery was stunning. On one side of the island was a small forest of dwarf mangroves. This area was covered with a lot of broken shells on the sand.

The opposite end of the island was a long sandbar. On one side of the sandbar, the water was warm, while the other side was cooler. There's also a large wooden structure which acts as a ranger station, where you could have lunch, take a nap or escape the heat of the sun. I didn't realize that Mayor Socrates Tuason was with his family at the hut that Saturday. He even invited us for a drink.



He suggested that I visit the Pawa Mangrove Ecosystem and Wildlife Park which I did. The main attraction is a 1.3-kilometer wooden bridge that connects Barangay Pawa and Sitio Daang Lungsod. It requires some hiking from the National Highway to get to it. There are some huts along the elevated boardwalk where you could have a picnic. And the area is also a great place for bird-watching.


I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening sleeping and resting from the heatstroke that hit me since the sun was scorching hot that day. In between beaches, I got to see some heritage structures around Masbate city including the Masbate Provincial Capitol, several Gabaldon schools, and the Bayot Ancestral House.

Rodeo Masbateño is the main festival of Masbate. But I'll have to come back in April to experience this rodeo show. If I had more time in Masbate, I would have arranged a visit to one or two ranches which are several hours from Masbate City.

Where to Stay in Masbate
I stayed at Baywalk Garden Hotel for one night which is quite comfortable and has free WiFi. It's actually by the shore (can't swim though since it's too shallow) where the nightlife is. But it's not close to the town proper. I moved to GV Hotel which is in town and closer to the airport since my flight was very early the next day.

Baywalk Hotel - (0907) 3042331 / (056) 3336648
Bituon Beach Resort - (056) 3338065 / (056) 3332242
MG Hotel - (056) 3335614
Hotel Sea Blick - (056) 3336911

Philippine holidays and long-weekend schedule for 2011 (Proclamation No. 84)

Hunyo 12 by Claude Tayag (1989 Fiestas Serigraph Series)

Malacanang issued Proclamation No. 84 declaring the regular holidays, special non-working days, and a special school holiday for 2011. I was right about not giving out tentative dates since Malacanang will not follow holiday economics next year.

Too bad most of the holidays next year fall on a Saturday or Sunday. No rest for our labor force next year! Here is the list of holidays and long-weekends of the Republic of the Philippines for 2011:

• January 1 (Sat) - New Year's Day (three-day long weekend from December 31 to January 2)
• February 25 (Fri) - EDSA Revolution Anniversary (holiday and three-day long weekend for schools only) 
• April 9 (Sat) - Araw ng Kagitingan
• April 21 (Thu) - Holy Thursday
• April 22 (Fri) - Good Friday (four-day long weekend from April 21 to 24)
• May 1 (Sun) - Labor Day
• June 12 (Sun) - Independence Day
• June 19 (Sun) - 150th Birth Anniversary of Jose Rizal (proposed legislation to declare a working holiday)
• August 21 (Sun) - Ninoy Aquino Day 
• August 29 (Mon) - National Heroes Day (four-day long weekend from August 27 to 30)
• August 30 (Tue) or 31 (Wed) - Eid't Fitr (calculated date for 2011 pending proclamation)
• October 31 (Mon) - Special Non-Working Holiday
• November 1 (Tue) - All Saints Day (four-day long weekend from October 29 to November 1)
• November 7 (Mon) - Eid'l Adha (three-day long weekend from November 5 to 7)
• November 30 (Wed) - Bonifacio Day
• December 25 (Sun) - Christmas Day
• December 30 (Fri) - Rizal Day
• December 31 (Sat) - Last Day of the Year (three-day long weekend from December 30 to January 1)

Pampanga: Augusto P. Hizon House in San Fernando now a Heritage House

Last Friday, the historical marker of the Augusto P. Hizon Heritage House was unveiled by representatives of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), City Government of San Fernando, Pampanga, and the Hizon Family. The house was declared a Heritage House by the NHCP on July 21, 2010 bringing the number of NHCP-declared houses in San Fernando, Pampanga to five.


This turn-of-the-century Victorian-style house was originally owned by Teodoro Santos and Africa Ventura. It was later purchased by Maria Salome Hizon, a volunteer of the Red Cross during the Philippine Revolution. The property was acquired by her brother Ramon Hizon. And is currently owned by the heirs of his son Augusto P. Hizon.

Heritage updates from San Fernando
As local citizens continue to oppose the construction of an SM mall along San Fernando's heritage street, here is some good news. The Pampanga High School Building or former UP San Fernando is currently being reconstructed. More than a century old, it was the very building where President Diosdado P. Macapagal finished high school in 1929. Once completed next year, it will house the Museong Kapampangan.

Funds have also been approved for the restoration of the San Fernando Train Station. Work on the station will begin in early 2011. It will house a Death March Museum and World War II Memorial once completed.

Nueva Vizcaya: Citrus fruit overload! Perante, satsuma, poncan & pomelo

On the way back to Manila, I was glad to pass by Nueva Vizcaya because I would be able to buy my favorite local citrus fruits, particularly the perante. Nueva Vizcaya is know as the Citrus Capital of the Philippines. And somewhere in Bayombong, between the town propers of Bayombong and Bambang, are stalls that sell really sweet Nueva Vizcaya citrus fruits which includes perante, satsuma, vizcaya poncan and pomelo among other.s



Prices per kilo vary depending on variety, size and ripeness. I got a kilo of perante and satsuma for Php50 each and several kilos of vizcaya poncans at Php30 a kilo. The red chandler pomelos and sanwelocs are a bit more expensive but juicy nonetheless. Have you tried out citrus fruits from Nueva Vizcaya?

Ivan About Town gives away SEAIR tickets to Batanes & Boracay

1. Ivan About Town and South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) will be giving away two round-trip tickets to Boracay, and two round-trip tickets to Batanes. Two winners will be selected, one winner for the two Boracay tickets and one winner for the two Batanes tickets.

2. To join, simply share any post from http://medblogcontest.com/blog/9/ as a link on your Facebook wall. Make sure you tag both the SEAIR and Ivan About Town Facebook pages when you share the link. And make sure you invite your friends to visit the link and support Ivan About Town.


3. Each post you share on your Facebook wall will be counted as one entry. Only links appearing in the Ivan About Town page, with complete tags, will be counted. So make sure the security settings (note the little padlock beside the 'share' button) of your link share will allow 'everyone' to see it.

4. You can share an unlimited number of posts from Ivan Henares' Thailand Medical Blog. But you can only have one valid post per day. So watch out for new posts and share them to increase your chances of winning.

5. Posts can be shared on your wall from 12 noon of December 9, 2010 to 11:59 p.m. of January 31, 2011 (Philippine time, +8 GMT).

6. We will pick two lucky winners from all qualified entries on February 3, 2011 (Thursday) in a public draw.

7. Winners will be informed and given instructions on how to claim their prizes via Facebook. Decision of the organizers is final.

8. Join now and have a fun summer in Boracay or Batanes courtesy of South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) and Ivan About Town!

Quirino: Spelunking at the Aglipay Caves

Among the provinces of Cagayan Valley, Quirino must score the least when it comes to awareness among tourists and travelers. One main reason is it's bypassed by Maharlika Highway. But it has a lot of potential for ecotourism with its many caves, waterfalls and whitewater rapids. Add to the fact that roads to and around the province are in relatively good condition.

During my road trip, I got to enter the Aglipay Caves. Before proceeding to the caves, I stopped by the Quirino Capitol in Cabarroguis to ask for some information from the tourism office. I just wanted to make sure that road condition to Aglipay Caves was good. And it sure was good because they've paved the roads from the National Highway all the way to the cave entrances.


The Aglipay Caves are a few minutes past the town proper of Aglipay. There is a sign on the right that will point you towards the caves. At the park entrance, you'll have to pay Php20 per head as entrance fee. That also includes the guided tour inside. But it's up to you if you want to give the guides a tip. I suggest you do.

Unfortunately, they don't lend you any safety equipment such as helmets or head lamps. Although the guide has a lamp, you might want to bring your own. Note also that you'll be crawling through some narrow passage ways. So prepare to get wet and muddied.


There are eight caves with different difficulty levels. The usual tour passes through four of these caves, namely Caves 1, 8, 2 and 3. Cave 1 is quite straightforward. You exit through the back and walk about 15 minutes to get to the entrance of Cave 8.


Cave 8, 2 and 3 are connected to each other. But the entrance to Cave 2 from Cave 8 is so narrow, you'll have to crawl in to get to the other side. The Aglipay Caves don't have as much live formations as the caves in Cagayan. But it's still worth a visit. Going through the four caves takes about an hour.


Visiting the other caves will entail a steep climb from the entrances and exits. So it's reserved for those who are physically fit and have the composure to navigate the caves.


On the way back to Isabela, you'll pass by Nagbukel Cave. It's difficult to miss since it's a large limestone hill in the middle of a rice field. Unfortunately, I had to rush back to Manila for my early morning flight to Masbate. So I'll reserve entering that cave for another visit.

Meralco lights up Christmas with Toy Town in the Meralco Compound

Meralco turned on its Christmas lights last December 2, 2010 at the Meralco Compound in Ortigas. More than the usual Christmas lights and belen, Meralco created a candy-colored Toy Town complete with a life-sized electric toy train, opened its gates to the public and invited orphans and less-privileged children to be their special guests.


I was present at the lighting ceremony which was attended by Meralco's top brass led by Manny Pangilinan himself, members of the Meralco Bolts PBA team and TV5 celebrities, government officials and guests, including those from their partner charitable institutions this year, namely Caritas Manila, Laura Vicuna Foundation and Childhope Asia.


After enjoying a very Filipino cocktail spread served in the main lobby of the Meralco Building, we were ushered to a stage built right in front of the building for the brief program which culminated in the ceremonial lighting of the Meralco compound.


The program ended with a grand fireworks display. And guests were invited to visit Toy Town as well as Meralco's Paskuhan Village which includes its traditional nativity scene or belen. The village and the belen were fashioned-out of recycled copper wire.



For Meralco, lighting up the Meralco Compound symbolizes the light of Jesus Christ whose coming to the world brings joy and hope to Filipinos, young and old. Getting inspiration in the symbolism of the Christmas lantern or parol, Meralco brings light and warmth to its customers through its different Christmas initiatives, which includes Maliwanag ang Pasko, an annual campaign which recognizes nine of the brightest and best-decorated homes in the Meralco franchise.

So if you happen to pass by the area, note that Meralco opens its head office compound to children and the child-at-heart with its Christmas village! See the Christmas tree and belen made up of copper wires and powered by electricity of course! And ride the train around Toy Town.

Isabela: Visita iglesia to Isabela's heritage churches (Tumauini, San Pablo, Gamu, Cauayan & Alicia)

Isabela has its own share of Spanish colonial churches. Before the province was created in 1856, the northern part from Tumauini was part of Cagayan, while the south was part of Nueva Vizcaya. And I personally noticed that the churches south of Tumauini have designs similar to those of Nueva Vizcaya.

Unfortunately, the interiors of most of these churches have been renovated and modernized. So only the facades are worth the visit. But at least the five churches still have their facades intact, reminding us of southern Cagayan Valley church architecture, since it looks like priests in Isabela were not really after preservation of the province's old churches, Ilagan included (only the belfry of the church remains).


In the northern part of Isabela, only the San Pablo Church ruins and Tumauini Church, a National Cultural Treasure and National Historical Landmark, are left. The Tumauini Church or San Matias Church is most known for its round wedding cake belfry. It's arguably the most exquisite example of brick architecture in the Philippines.

The San Pablo Church, constructed in 1709, is the only one of the extant Isabela churches that is not made of bricks. It has a very massive belfry reminiscent of those in Ilocos Norte (Paoay and Laoag). San Pablo used to be Cabagan Viejo, with Cabagan Nuevo retaining the name Cabagan. So the church is sometime referred to as the San Pablo de Cabagan Church.


I was supposed to pass by San Pablo and Tumauini during my road trip. But a flooded bridge forced me to take the Roxas route. Unfortunately, Isabela was still recovering from the typhoon several weeks back. So I proceeded directly to Gamu. It was my first time to visit the churches of southern Isabela. And the Gamu Church was my first stop. The Gamu Church or Sta. Rosa de Lima Church was completed in 1734.


Although not a heritage church, the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Visitation in Brgy. Guibang, Gamu is a popular pilgrimage site because of the image of Our Lady of Guibang. It's actually along the National Highway. So if you have time to stopover, you might as well do.


I spent the night in Cauayan City. But I made sure first to pass by the Cauayan Church or Nuestra Senora del Pilar Church before it got really dark. The facade of the Cauayan Church, built in 1825, is still intact. But the rest of the church, including the belfry, had been destroyed by war and earthquake and replaced by modern structures.


The next morning, I visited the Alicia Church or the Nuestra Senora de Atocha Church. Just like San Pablo, this used to be old town center of Angadanan or Angadanan Viejo. But with the change of name, it was Angadanan Nuevo which retained the name Angadanan. The present church was built in 1849.

Giant Lantern Festival 2010: Mangan Tamu! The Ultimate Pampanga Food and Heritage Tour (Christmas Edition)

It's Christmas once again and it's time for another Giant Lantern Festival. Join Ultimate Philippines Tours as we journey to the central heartland and immerse ourselves in things Kapampangan on December 18, 2010!

From buro to Baroque, it will be a fun-filled day as we poke around and get intimate with the very best of Pampanga's cultural offerings. Gawk at the jewel-box of a church in Betis while wading through the lahar-buried town of Bacolor.

We'll stuff ourselves silly with a pre-Christmas Kapampangan noche buena fare by one of the country's best known Kapampangan chefs! And to it cap it off, get a front row view of the most dazzling display of Kapmpangan artistry the Ligligan Parul (Giant Lantern Festival) of San Fernando! It's a tour with nothing but Kapampangan cool!

Itinerary
9:00 a.m. ETD Metro Manila
10:30 a.m. Bacolor Church - We stop by this historic town which was almost wiped out by volcanic mud flows. We visit the half-buried San Guilliermo Church
11:30 a.m. Betis Church - Admire the beautiful interior of the province's most treasured Barouqe structure, the 17th century Santiago Apostol Church, a National Cultural Treasure.
1:00 p.m. Bale Dutung in Angeles City - Indulge in a Kapampangan feast as we learn cooking secrets with chef, artist and writer, Claude Tayag.
4:00 p.m. Depart for Giant Lantern Festival
5:00 p.m. Pasalubong Shopping
6:00 p.m. Robinsons Starmills Pampanga - You are free to check out and shop for bargains at Pampanga's biggest outlet mall while waiting for the festival to start.
7:00 p.m. Giant Lantern Festival - Be dazzled by the giant Christmas lanterns of San Fernando as they dance in an interplay of music and lighting artistry!
9:00 p.m. ETD San Fernando
10:30 p.m. ETA Metro Manila

The tour fee is Php4,500 per person inclusive of all meals and transportation. For bookings and inquiries, e-mail us at reservations@ultimatephilippines.com or call (0917) 3291622. For more details, check out the Ultimate Pampanga Christmas Edition event page on Facebook.

Kalinga: Chico Dam & Chico River

Kalinga is most popular for whitewater rafting. I'll do that one of these days. But unfortunately, for this trip, I could only go sightseeing. From Tuguegarao, I drove to Tabuk which was about an hour and thirty minutes away.


On the way to the Kalinga Provincial Capitol, there is a souvenir store that sells traditional Kalinga cloth and other cultural items. Nothing much to see in in downtown Tabuk. But if you drive further down the road, you'll see the Chico Dam and a nice view of the Chico River.

Kalinga also has some rice terraces including the Tinglayan, Lubo and Mangali Rice Terraces which I hope to visit in the future. It also played a role in our nation's history since President Emilio Aguinaldo passed by the province en route to Palanan, Isabela. I just not sure if the areas that served as his headquarters are well-maintained and worth visiting particularly Aguinaldo Hill.

Apayao: Ruins of old Pudtol Church

Apayao does not have that many attractions. But I was told its has old church ruins. And one of them is in the Pudtol Church in the town of Pudtol, which you can access via the northern part of Cagayan. So from Ilocos Norte, I drove to Cagayan, then to Apayao.


Pudtol is about 20 kilometers from the junction of the National Highway. It was just a quick visit. So after taking photos, I drove back to Cagayan en route to Kalinga.

Abra: Tayum Church, Bangued Cathedral & the Gabriela Silang Monument

Abra was the first province on my recent 1800-kilometer around North Philippines. I left Manila the previous evening and arrived in Abra just in time for sunrise. The roads were in relatively good condition and the views of the mountains, rice fields and the Abra River were picturesque.

Welcoming the visitor is a tunnel that was cut through a mountain. Above the tunnel entrance is the seal of Abra. Right beside the tunnel is a monument of Gabriela Silang. But I decided to stop on the way back since it was still a bit dark.



My first stop for the day was the Tayum Church, a National Cutlural Treasure. Tayum is about 10 minutes away from Bangued. Mass was still ongoing when I arrived.

According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Tayum Church or Church of Santa Catalina de Alejandria was built in the 19th century by the secular clergy among the Christianized Tinguians. Notice also the convento which is actually across the church.


From Tayum, I motored back to Bangued to visit the Bangued Cathedral. On the way, I was pleased to see some ancestral houses still standing. Many of these houses are made of brick, both first and second floors.



The Bangued Cathedral is also relatively preserved. Right beside it is its old convento which is now a school. But there is another church worth visiting and this is the Bangued Cemetery Chapel. Unfortunately, it was locked. So I wasn't able to see the interior.


On the way back down to Ilocos Sur, I stopped by the Gabriela Silang Monument in San Quintin. As we all know, Gabriela Silang was an insurgent leader who led the Ilocano freedom movement after the assassination of her husband Diego Silang on May 28, 1763. She was captured and executed by the Spanish on September 29, 1763.