Bulacan: Holy Wednesday and Good Friday processions in Baliuag, Bulacan

Baliuag, Bulacan has one of the longest Holy Wednesday and Good Friday processions in the country. Since it was close to Pampanga, I decided to visit Baliuag for the Holy Wednesday procession. We actually passed by Malolos first to check out the old houses (which I'll discuss in another post) before proceeding to Baliuag.



The Holy Wednesday and Good Friday processions start at 7 p.m. The Good Friday procession is slightly longer since the Santo Entierro and a few other carrozas participate. But for their Holy Wednesday procession, there were 85 carrozas, mostly tableaux from the ministry, passion and death of Christ.

No doubt, a good number of the carrozas are grand and ostentatious beyond comprehension! I was pleasantly shocked by the sheer magnitude of the procession and the size and details of many of the carrozas. While some were very tastefully designed, many though were quite kitsch (I naturally did not show any here), which brings me to my next point.




If you're looking for a traditional Philippine procession, unfortunately Baliuag is not the place to see one. In fact, by all accounts, Baliuag is a fantastic modern day Holy Week procession since it's one big production. The gargantuan carrozas look like parade floats to me, some even pulled by motorized vehicles, a good number with industrial gensets to power them.


For one, all carrozas are required to have a sound system tuned in to a local FM station that plays modern religious music and the rosary. The sound system actually reminded me of parades in Disneyland where you hear the same thing in the entire parade route. Plus I noticed the sound system atmosphere was not contributing to prayer since no one was following it. In the usual Holy Week procession, there is a marked silence and solemnity, and groups lead their own prayers behind each carroza which I feel is more conducive to prayer and reflection for the spectator.


The carrozas were so gargantuan, the industrial generators so noisy and distracting, you could see that people were more focused on how to pull them and navigate the narrow streets of Baliuag. It was as if families were trying to outdo each other.




Finally, I felt some of the saints and tableaux were so outlandishly dressed. But indeed, the Baliuag Holy Week processions are a great show. Despite my comments about it, I'd have to say it was a well-choreographed production, and no doubt, a wonderful tourist attraction! But for someone who was looking for a solemn and traditional procession with centuries-old carrozas and images, I may have been a bit disappointed. But I still highly suggest that you visit.



I'll try to visit San Pablo, Laguna next year which is reputedly another long procession. But for Good Friday, I'll be joining the processions in San Fernando and Bacolor, Pampanga which have a good number of antique silver carrozas. In Guagua, I remember they had violinists who accompany the Sto. Entierro and Mater Dolorosa. Bacolor has the same violinists with the Mater Dolorosa, something that disappeared in San Fernando after the change of priests.

It's sad that these priests forget that they stay only in a parish for a few years. And some go on the rampage and destroy architecture and traditions that have been there even before they were born. I was quite disappointed that they no longer have the Dakit Cordero tradition in Betis on Holy Thursday. They also lost the Tanggal ritual after the previous priest ordered the removal of the grotto were the ritual was done.

Laguna: Visita iglesia in Pila, Pakil, Paete and more Laguna churches

Laguna has a lot of heritage churches and is a good place for visita iglesia. I found myself on the road again last Palm Sunday in Laguna. After speaking at the Rotaract District Conference 2010 in Bay, Laguna, I decided to explore again the Laguna towns along Laguna de Bay since I was there anyway.


My first stop was Pila, which is Laguna's heritage town and a National Historical Landmark. I'll showcase more of Pila's old houses in another post. Pila Church is dedicated to San Antonio de Padua.


Further down the road is Santa Cruz and Pagsanjan, which has a very iconic welcome arch built during the late 19th century. Sadly, the interior of the Pagsanjan Church has been renovated already but the exterior is still relatively intact. Notice also the Spanish colonial casa municipal beside it which is badly painted though.



Lumban is a town known for its embroidery. It's a good place to purchase de calado barong and dresses. You could also check out the Lumban Church which has a very interesting exterior and convento. But the interior has been renovated as well.


After Lumban is the town of Kalayaan. Look for Barangay Longos which used to be the town proper and you'll find the centuries-old Longos Church. It's quite austere compared to its neighbors. But at least the interior is relatively intact.



Paete, known for its woodcarving and paper mache, has one of the better churches of Laguna. The Paete Church has ornate retablos and several centuries-old paintings near the entrance. The church is dedicated to Santiago Mayor.


Close to Paete is the town of Pakil, home of the Turumba. Pakil Church is my personal favorite among Laguna churches, with its grand white and gold retablos and very interesting convent. This church deserves to be declared a National Cultural Treasure!


Anyway, the Turumba commemorates the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary with seven pistang lupi. The first pistang lupi is held on the Friday before Palm Sunday (the first of two feasts of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and the seventh is done on Pentecost Sunday. During these days, the image of the Nuestra Señora de Dolores de Turumba is borne on an anda and brought around the streets of Pakil in a procession amidst dancing. Other processions are also held aside from the seven pistang lupi, the last being on the third Sunday of September, the second feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin May.

The schedule for 2010 is Unang Lupi (Viernes de Dolores, March 26), Ika-2 Lupi (Fiestang Martes, April 6), Ika-3 Lupi (Fiestang Viatico, April 12 to 14), Ika-4 Lupi (Fiestang Viernes, April 23), Ika-5 Lupi (Fiestang Linggo, May 2), Extra Lupi (Fiestang Pakileñas, May 12), Ika-6 Lupi (Fiestang Pag-akyat, May 14), Ika-7 Lupi (Fiestang Pag-Panaog, May 23) and Domingo de Dolores (September 12). Mass is at 6:30 a.m.

We drove as far as Mabitac. But it turns out, only the belfry of the Mabitac Church is intact since the church on top of the hill is totally new.

If you have more time, also visit the Majayjay Church (a National Cultural Treasure), Magdalena Church (the church where blood stains from Emilio Jacinto's battle wounds can still be found), Nagcarlan Church and San Pablo Church.

Cebu: Visita iglesia along the Southern Cebu heritage trail

Visita iglesia is a popular activity in Southern Cebu where most of the centuries-old churches are very much intact. As part of our trip to Sumilon Island, we stopped by seven churches along the way


Although there are several more churches worth stopping by close to Cebu City like Pardo Church and Naga Church, our first stop for the morning was the San Fernando Church.

I've been to Carcar many times. So due to fatigue and lack of sleep, I slept in the van when we stopped in Carcar Church. But Carcar is one of the better churches along the Southern Cebu heritage trail. The town is very much intact and undoubtedly, it's the best preserved colonial town of Cebu. I hope it remains that way. Hopefully, the City Government of Carcar realizes the economic potential of protecting its historic streetscape and promoting the town as a cultural tourism destination.

Sibonga Church is the next church on the route. Again, having visited this church previously, I continued sleeping on the van.



For some reason, I decided to get up at Argao Church. The historic core of the town, including the church, plaza and government buildings, could have been a candidate for inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List. But due to the misinformed, and at times, hard-headed local and church officials, the historic core is no longer as intact as before.

Argao has one of the last tile-roofed municipal buildings. And what is sad is that the municipal government literally sandwiched the historic casa municipal between two modern buildings. They even added a balcony to the entrance which is really horrible. And who could forget the horrible Midas touch of the previous parish priest who painted the colorful main altar retablo in irreparable latex gold and silver paint creating the biggest trophy case in the country!


Anyway, while in Argao, try out their torta which is a pound cake. A lot of locals are very gung-ho when they talk about the torta.


Dalaguete Church was our next stop. The sun was really heating up and I could feel my head ache. So after taking photos of the facade, I went back in the van. Dalaguete Church is another heritage disaster since the priest replaced the wooden altar floor with ugly marble with triangular-shaped designs, obviously an eyesore amidst this Philippine Baroque work of art.



Boljoon Church is one of the highlights of any Southern Cebu church tour. The town really knows how to value its heritage and has done everything to raise funds for the church's upkeep and restoration. It is a National Cultural Treasure in fact, a declaration which is very well-deserved.


Oslob Church burned down several years back because of the negligence of the priest who left his computer turned-on while he was out of the church. It's not a good idea to do that in an old structure especially if there is no one else there to notice when a short circuit starts a fire. At least they did not demolish the church and instead reconstructed it around the ruins. What is sad though is the centuries-old wooden convento with tile roofing which had survived several fires in the past did not survive the most recent one despite advances in technology. I wonder if they will reconstruct that.

While in Oslob, check out the ruins of the Daanlungsod Fort which is said to be larger than Fort San Pedro in Cebu City. You'll get to pass by all of this on the way to Sumilon Island.

For more visita iglesia routes, check out Visita iglesia and more Holy Week practices in the Philippine

April 3, 2010 (Black Saturday) declared special non-working day

April 3, 2010 (Black Saturday) is a nationwide special non-working day. Proclamation No. 2029 signed on March 24, 2010 declared Saturday, April 3, 2010, which falls between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, as a special (non-working) day throughout the country, citing that, “our people must be given the full and uninterrupted opportunity to ponder on the significance of the Holy Week and to properly observe its traditions... without prejudice to public interest.”

For other holidays check out Philippine holidays and long-weekend schedule for 2010.

Batanes: Coconut crab is a threatened species in the Philippines

It was brought to my attention that the coconut crab (Birgus latro), also known as tatus in Batanes, is a threatened species. According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, "Buying, using, gathering, possessing and/or transporting [this] species are prohibited under Philippine laws (Republic Act No. 8550, Sec. 91, 92 and 97; Fisheries Administrative Order 202 and 208) and international treaty (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, CITES)."

The coconut crab is a very popular delicacy in Batanes. And many tour operators, caterers and restaurants still serve it to visitors. I wonder if they know that it is a threatened species. Anyway, for those heading over to Batanes, take note of that. Let's tell our suppliers not to serve coconut crab as part of our efforts to help in the conservation of this threatened species.

Batanes: Batanes heritage in danger!

Batanes is no longer in the running for inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List. That's unless the Provincial Government of Batanes shows even the slightest interest to have their beautiful province inscribed. Unfortunately, the local government failed to submit the requirements before the February 2010 deadline. So everything is back to square one!

But more urgent is the fact that as I write this entry, there are close to seven new concrete structures being built in the village of Savidug on Sabtang Island. I was shocked to see the construction frenzy during my trip early this month!


For those who are not familiar with Batanes heritage, the villages of Savidug and Chavayan on Sabtang Island are the two most intact villages of vernacular Ivatan architecture. They are showcases of the Sinadumparan and Maytuab styles of houses. These new hollow block houses being constructed will most definitely destroy the unique architectural fabric of Savidug. The mayor of Sabtang and the governor of Batanes should start moving and do something to preserve the distinct streetscape of Savidug.

According to Architect Joy Mananghaya of the UNESCO National Commission (UNACOM), "There are ordinances protecting the heritage of Batanes. Almost all municipalities have their own ordinance. There is a main ordinance which we had crafted while working on the nomination of the property in 2003. This is Ordinance No. 41 (Series 2002) which is An Ordinance Enacting the Conservation, Development and Management of the Natural and Cultural Heritage Sites in Batanes and Providing Funds Thereof.

"And there are local ordinances in Sabtang such as Ordinance No. 95-05 which is An Ordinance Providing for the Maintenance, Protection and Conservation of a Protected Area along the National Road in Sabtang and Ordinance No. 97-002 which is An Ordinance Establishing the Municipality of Sabtang as a Heritage Island/Village and Creating for this Purpose a Sabtang Municipal Eco-Tourism and Heritage Council. Another local legislation is Resolution 2001-033 which is A Resolution Designating the Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Municipality of Sabtang."


If the local governments of Sabtang and Batanes even care about the inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List, or at the very least, are interested in preserving the local heritage of Batanes, they better do something to halt these new constructions and make sure they conform with the architectural styles prescribed in the said ordinances.

In fact, UNACOM had already called the attention of Batanes last year regarding another important site, the Racuaydi Nakavajayan (Fountain of Youth) in Mahatao, where the municipal government undertook some new constructions (think cheap looking pools). A letter was sent to Batanes sometime August or September 2009 but the governor did not respond to the said communication.


The nomination of Batanes to the UNESCO World Heritage List started in 2003. In 2005, it was put on deferred status. By 2007, it was on referred status. There had already been a lot of resources poured into the nomination. So far, all the needed information had already been generated and was at hand as early as 2008. All the province had to do was to come up with the dossier. Since the deadline date for submitting the requirements of ICOMOS and the Committee had lapsed, the process of nomination will have to start all over again. However, a new nomination will only happen if the province, particularly its governor and congressman, are receptive to the preparation of a new dossier.

So in the meantime, let's keep our eye on the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Davao Oriental which is up for nomination this year to the UNESCO World Heritge List with Batanes now sidetracked as a result of the inaction of their local officials.

Destinations this Holy Week and colorful Philippine Semana Santa practices

Thank you to all those who will watch or are watching my guesting on ANC Shop Talk from 3:30 to 4 p.m. this afternoon. If you missed it, replays are at 6:30 to 7 p.m. tonight and 2:30 to 3 a.m. tomorrow. Anyway, the topic for today was Holy Week destinations or areas in the country which people could visit to witness our country's colorful Holy Week or Semana Santa practices.

To begin with, here is a summary of interesting places to visit during Holy Week in Holy Week practices in the Philippines.


Every Holy Thursday, it is also practice for us to do a visita iglesia or a visit to seven churches. For route ideas, check out Visita iglesia to our heritage churches and Visita iglesia and more Holy Week practices in the Philippines.

No doubt, one of the most interesting places to witness Holy Week practices, in particular on Good Friday, is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Check out Good Friday in San Fernando, Pampanga and Crucifixion rites held in San Pedro Cutud every Good Friday.

Iloilo: Barkada burger at Perri Todd's

Now how big can a burger get? Well, I found that out when I tried out the barkada burger at Perri Todd's in Iloilo City. Their Premium Burger, made of pure beef and good for 4 persons, is Php220. They also have a Premium Burger with Cheesy Mushroom Dressing at Php250.


There are over a dozen other barkada burgers in their menu (with bacon, caramelized onions, blue cheese, grilled pineapple or buttered mushrooms). Plus the Todd's Potato, their version of mojos with a pomodoro and carbonara dip, is really good!

Perri Todd's
8 Cuartero Street, Jaro, Iloilo City
(033) 5082598 / (0920) 8925504

Iloilo: Carlitos Restaurant and the Original Biscocho Haus

I was in Iloilo City recently to speak at the Tourism and Hospitality Students' Congress Nationwide Caravan - Iloilo Leg. As always, food tripping was also on the agenda! It was recommended that I try out Carlitos Restaurant which comes from the owners of the Original Biscocho Haus.

The restaurant is named after Dr. Carlos Guadarrama whose food mantra was a balanced diet, way before the advent of the food pyramid. The bestseller is Steak ala Teresa, the matriarach’s version of luscious, moist and sizzling choice beef tenderloin. The original branch of Carlitos Restaurant is along the National Highway in Pavia. But they opened a new branch beside the Biscocho Haus in Jaro.

They serve some local Iloilo favorites. But the menu choices are plentiful since they also serve pizza, pasta, meats and seafood, burgers, sandwiches, breakfast and dessert among others. Perennial family favorites like Ox Tongue and Callos are made available.


I tried out their pizza best-sellers: Carlitos Overload Pizza with everything on it, and Teresa's Spanish Pizza, with Spanish chorizo on mozarella cheese. Both were really good!

For the local food, we had Teresa's Special Efuven (egg noodles with pork and vegetables), and their Dinuguan which is served with Puto Manapla. The Pancit Efuven, cooked light and delicately herbed, is an heirloom recipe of the Guadarramas of Fajardo Street. I also tried out the Carlitos' Steak (beef tenderloin served with a special steak sauce) and the Fillet Steak (which is seasoned with herbs and spices and covered with a creamy crabmeat sauce).


For dessert, I highly-recommend the Butterscotch a la Mode (which is the famous Biscocho Haus butterscotch topped with vanilla ice cream and their homemade custard sauce) and the Banana Fritters (their version of turon but served with their really rich homemade custard sauce).

You also might want to know that Carlitos’ Jaro branch has live music on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with pica-pica to match light drinks on its alfresco T-Grillhouse.


After dinner, I walked over to the Original Biscocho Haus store to buy goodies to take home. On top of the list was butterscotch. I got introduced to this really yummy butterscotch way back in high school and I've been a fan ever since. Aside from the original flavor, they've innovated and created some with dried fruits such as prunes and mangoes.

Biscocho is another main product. That's why they're called the Biscocho Haus! They also have the Ilonggo favorites which include barquillos and piaya. I was actually amazed at the variety of products the Biscocho Haus now produces.

Carlitos Restaurant & Original Biscocho Haus
Airport Highway, Pavia, Iloilo
(033) 3293252

8 Lopez Jaena Street, Jaro, Iloilo City
(033) 3290862 / 3290864 / 5085909

Cebu: Larsian, sutukil (STK) and more Cebu street food

If Malaysia has its mamaks, Cebu City has Larsian sa Fuente or simply Larsian, a street food arcade open from 2 p.m. until the wee hours of the morning. Larsian is a collection of stalls which virtually serve the same thing, grilled meats and seafood. I was able to try out the great grilled meats and seafood they serve at the older location just a few meters away from where the current Larsian stands.



Just to give you an idea of what's available and how much things cost, here a list of what I saw there:
Chicken breast Php40
Chicken butt/pwet/isol Php30
Chicken gizzard/balun-balunan Php13
Chicken intestine/isaw
Chicken leg/paa Php45
Chicken liver/atay Php13
Chicken skin/balat Php12
Chicken wing/pakpak Php30
Hotdog Php10
Longganisa/chorizo Php15
Longganisa/skinless Php15
Pork backbone Php12
Pork barbecue Php5
Pork belly Php12
Pork liver/atay Php13
Squid/pusit Php60
White marlin Php60
Anduhaw Php60
Rice/puso Php2.50

Since we're on the topic of street food in Cebu, another thing you shouldn't miss is STK or sutukil, a short-cut for three ways of preparing food: sugba (grill), tuwa (boil), and kilaw (raw). While Mactan is said to be where sutukil started, I was told it's safer getting sutukil in Cebu City since the stalls in Mactan aren't exactly what they used to be as they charge too much (because they're so used foreigners and their budgets) and are said to switch your chosen seafoods with older supplies inside the kitchen. Is this true?

Anyway, if the photos of celebrities, politicians and other famous personalities on the wall of STK ta Bay! is not enough testament to the great sutukil they serve, I don't know what is!

STK ta Bay!
6 Orchid St. Capitol Site, Cebu City
(032) 2562700 / 2564732 / (0918) 2647209

Cebu: Handuraw Pizza, the best tasting thin crust in Cebu!

Those who've been reading my blog should have noticed pizza is one of my favorite foods. So while in Cebu, I made sure to try out some of the pizza favorites. And among the top choices is Handuraw Pizza!


Handuraw Pizza serves 12-inch pizzas on a really thin crunchy crust which I really liked. The best seller is the Handuraw Special (Php298) which has almost everything on it including Italian sausage, ham, bacon, pepperoni, onions, green bell pepper, tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms and spices. Another best seller is Pizza Cebuana (Php298) which is chorizo de Cebu and kesong puti. Also try out Filipino Anchovy (Php288) which has dilis or ginamos (Philippine anchovy) and pesto sauce. Last on my picks would be the American Roast (Php288) which has roast beef, honey mustard, fresh lettuce, mushrooms and onions.

Every Sunday, they have a pizza, pasta and pica-pica buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. At Php238 per person, how could you go wrong?! Plus the restaurant is a fine example of adaptive reuse of old architecture since it is situated in an old house which of course adds to the ambiance of the place.

And the good news is they have a branch in Metro Manila. It's hidden in an Internet cafe in Katipunan. Well at least now it's no longer a secret!

Handuraw Pizza
460 Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City
(032) 2326401

One Mango, Gen. Maxilom (Mango) Avenue, Cebu City
(032) 4163200

XBX Interactive, 2F Burgundy Place, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
(02) 4354361

Cebu: Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort in Mactan Island and Amuma Spa

Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort is a seven-hectare beach resort in Buyong Maribago, Mactan Island, Cebu. I was looking forward to my stay after a relaxing visit to the Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort. It was another long drive from Oslob to Lapu-Lapu City. We arrived at Maribago just in time for dinner.


They have themed dinners every night. And on Sundays, they serve the five-course Chef's Special. For my visit, it was a kebab theme which included Trio of Maki Kebab (Dragon Roll, Dynamite Roll, California Maki) for the appetizer, a choice of chicken, pork tenderloin or seafood kebab for the main course, and fruit kebab with dark chocolate sauce for dessert.


The highlight of my stay was getting pampered for close to four hours at Amuma Spa. Amuma is Cebuano for pamper. And indeed, that's what I got with their Lapu-Lapu Package. The treatment is a combination of the skin pampering Makisig Treatment (I got scrubbed with barako coffee and painted with chocolate tableas, virgin coconut oil and cream before relaxing in a jacuzzi), and a two-hour deep-tissue body massage called duot (which I can't remember since I was so relaxed and slept through it).

Their signature treatment is the Amuma Hilot which combines massage techniques from around the Philippines including the use of warm banana leaves to soothe your muscles. It even comes complete with native rituals such as pausok (space cleansing through medicinal herbs and mineral smoke), dasal (prayer), and orasyon (blessings, chants and spiritual invocations).

Before calling it a night after four hours in Amuma Spa, I took a stroll around the resort. It was nice walking around in the evening since the mellow lighting around the resort, the many pools and fountains and its thatch-roofed buildings give the resort an enchanting feel.



Before trying out their sumptuous breakfast buffet spread in the morning, I walked towards the beach area to enjoy the morning sun. Unfortunately, I had to rush to the Mactan Airport in a while. Too think there was so much to do at the Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort.

If you're a chess fan, there's a life-sized chessboard in the beach you can play around with if you want to get more than your mind moving. Then there's the in-house Aquamania Water Sports which offers wake boards, wave riders with banana boat, isotope catamarans, wind surfs, ocean kayaks, masks and snorkels, fishing lines, scuba diving and banca tours to other islands.

There's also a calendar in your rooms which outline the various educational activities (they teach you how to dance the tinikling or play native games), entertainment and shows and other things to see, taste and experience. That being said, I hope I get a chance to stay longer because that last stay was bitin!

How to get to Maribago
A stay in Maribago includes free airport transfers. The Mactan Airport is just 15 to 20 minutes from Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort.

Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort
(032) 4920100 / maribago@bluewater.com.ph
(02) 8175751 / 8871348