Cebu: Church heritage museums in Cebu City

I'm back in Cebu City to jump-start the HCS Youth - Cebu Chapter. Indeed, young people are taking the lead in the campaign to preserve our national heritage. It was a morning flight so I had the afternoon to go around. Our youth chapter president in Cebu, Arnold Sancover, met up with me at my hotel and we dropped by the Cathedral Museum of Cebu which is under restoration. The damage that had been inflicted on the old convent from years of misinformed improvements was slowly being erased with proper restoration. On top of things is Cebu-based restoration architect Melva Java.

At the museum, we were welcomed by Trizer Dale Mansueto of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church. He will be responsible for organizing a chapter of HCS Youth in the University of San Carlos.

We then proceeded to the museum of the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino. While there, I noticed several ladies wearing white blouses and yellow skirts selling candles to churchgoers. It turns out, if you buy candles from them, as part of the service, they will dance and chant a prayer for you to the Sto. Nino before handing the candles over to you. So I bought some and whispered my petition to the lady who in turn started chanting a personalized prayer for me while dancing. After the prayer, she handed the candles over to me so that I could light them in a designated area outside the gates of the basilica.

Anyway, I didn't stay up late and I returned to my hotel to get some rest since just like my Leyte trip the week before, I didn't get much sleep while waiting for my flight. Since my hotel is in the vicinity of Fuente Osmena, I took some night shots. It was a pity I was too tired to have dinner in the New Larsian.

Pampanga: The Ulitmate Kapampangan Show-off!

Today, we offered our first tour offering, a high-end Pampanga food tour brought to you by Our Awesome Planet, Ivan About Town, Old Manila Walks and Manila Boy. Breakfast was at Everybody's Cafe where we had tsokolateng batirul and Imang Salud's ensaymadas, pindang damulag, longganiza among many others.

We visited the lantern factory of Rolan Quiambao which was abuzz with activity. Then it was a drive around the San Fernando heritage district before proceeding to the Betis and Bacolor Churches.

Lunch was at Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung. We spent four hours eating!!! Our next trip will be different and it's scheduled on December 15 with a special treat in the evening, the Giant Lantern Festival!

The Ulitmate Kapampangan Show-off!
On December 15, let's journey to the Central Luzon heartland as we immerse ourselves in things Kapampangan! From Baroque to betute, it's a fun-filled day as we poke around and get intimate with the very best of this province's cultural offerings. We'll gawk at the jewel-box of a church in Betis while wading through the half-buried town of Bacolor. We'll stuff ourselves silly with the best Kapampangan fare by one of the country's best known Pampango chefs! To it cap-off, we'll have front-row view of the most dazzling display of Kapampangan artistry - the Giant Lantern Festival of San Fernando! A tour screaming with Pampanga's pride! There are just 35 slots so book now by e-mailing info@ivanhenares.com.

The Tour Experience: Betis Church, Bacolor Church, Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung, Pampanga Pasalubong Shops, Ligligan Parul (Giant Lantern Festival) in San Fernando, and featuring our own version of the bento box for dinner: the Cabalento Box!!!

Leyte: Binagol, moron and other Leyte treats

Day 7, my last day in Eastern Visayas... I stayed in the hotel the whole morning since it was raining cats and dogs. It was a pity since I wanted to explore Palo. Anyway, after lunch, my brod Gil passed by for me at the hotel and we stopped by an area along Zamora Street near the corner of Rizal Street where vendors sell binagol, moron and sagmani.

Binagol is a mixture of talyan (a type of root crop similar to gabi), coconut milk and sugar placed in coconut shells or "bagol" and steamed inside. This is made in the town of Dagami. Chocolate moron is suman made of ground rice cooked in coconut milk flavored with cocoa. Sagmani is another suman made of cassava, gabi or sweet potatoes cooked with coconut cream, sugar and sometimes coconut meat.

We also passed by the Leyte Capitol and the Sto. Nino Shrine. As much as I wanted to enter the shrine, the tickets cost P200 for the first five people. Talk about pricing! We should fry the PCGG for this!

Anyway, my flight was still at 4:50 p.m. but we decided to go to the airport early since there was nothing much we could do given the weather. I'm sure to go back to Eastern Visayas if time and funds permit and when the sun is out most of the time. I heard rainy season here starts in November. There's still a lot to be seen and its a pity I missed Southern Leyte too.