Bohol: More churches and nature in Bohol

For some reason, I wake up earlier when I'm traveling. I guess the excitement pushes you to get out of bed. Hehe! I was up by 6:30 a.m., took a quick shower, then went to the place called the Garden Cafe right by the cathedral which Lonely Planet had suggested. A themed restaurant, I didn't have the chance to explore their food that much. But what surprised me was their staff. When I got in, I was given a menu, a piece of paper and a ballpen. Hmmmm, so they don't take the orders. It turns out, most of the staff are deaf and mute! At least we have establishments like these in the country. Good job!

I then rushed to start my itinerary for the day. Took a minicab to the Integrated Central Terminal where jeeps and buses out of Tagbilaran are stationed. That was just PHP6. From the ICT, I took a jeep to the next town which was Baclayon. The Church of the Immaculate Concepcion there is a national historical landmark. That was PHP7.

Wow! Baclayon Church is reputedly the best-preserved Jesuit church in the country and has the most intricately-carved retablos I've seen. When the Jesuits were expelled from the country, management was given to the Augustinian Recollects. One thing I like about Bohol's churches is they stand out like manificent fortresses facing the sea. And the space around it was preserved. No commercial establishments crowding out the churches themselves.

Outside the church was a nice tarpaulin billboard from Holy Name University reminding people to preserve Bohol's natural and cultural heritage. I'll suggest to the Center for Kapampangan Studies to do the same in Pampanga to increase awareness in the heritage sites themselves.

Next town was Alburquerque which also had a heritage church. Waiting for a jeep took like forever. And the morning sun didn't make it any easier for me. But finally, one passed by and I was on my way.

Boholanos call the town Albur for short. The Church of Sta. Monica was another well-preserved church. I had to enter through the convent via a bridgeway that led to the choirloft. With all these antique thefts no thanks to unscrupulous dealers, churches have to keep close watch over their contents.

Again, a long wait for the next jeep to the next town, Loay. The Church of Santissima Trinidad of Loay is also a national historical landmark. I almost missed it since the church was up a hill, hidden from the national highway, had I not recognized the Clarin Ancestral Home which is a national heritage house. The church and its plaza were a stunning reminder of the grand architecture during the Spanish colonial period. The coral and limestone buildings around the church were still standing. Really nice!

After that, it was off to Loboc. Again another wait. After a few or so minutes, a bus for Carmen passed by, and knowing how difficult it was to get a bus, I decided to go straight to Carmen and the Chocolate Hills and stop by Loboc on the way back. It was an hour away passing through the heart of Bohol island, a refreshing man-made Mahogany forest and stunning rural scenes.

Before reaching the town of Carmen is the stop for the Chocolate Hills viewdeck. To get up there, you took a motorbike for PHP20. Wow! The view from the top was stunning. But the trek up so many steps was tiring. Pant! Pant!

At the top, I got a pleasant surprise since I saw Mica Pineda, a friend from UP, who was touring with her family. She invited me to tag along since they were going to tour Loboc and go to Panglao Island after. Just great, that was my exact itinerary! So I joined them in the van. At least I was able to relax on the way down and the good thing was, I didn't have to wait for public transport!

When we arrived in Loboc, we went straight to the Loboc River Cruise. This is something you have to try out. The river is clear and pristine. The views are stunning while you have lunch on a house boat and are being serenaded as you cruise along the river. The food is buffet! Hehe!

At the end are small waterfalls where we were able to take some photos. Smaller boats could go further upstream to Busay Falls where one could take a dip. On both sides of the river, everything is green with flora. Really cool experience. It was a welcome respite to see things like these in the Philippines when media projects almost everything as dire.

After the cruise, we visited the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Loboc which is a national cultural treasure. It is really great that they've preserved this much in Bohol. And I hope it stays that way. We have to safeguard what makes the Philippines unique.

But talking about preservation, right beside the church is the biggest example of government stupidity! Notice the unfinished bridge on the left of the photo. Guess where it was headed? Yup, you guessed it, right smack into the church! Idiots! What was the DPWH thinking?! For them to even consider demolishing the church, that was the height of stupidity!

After the church, we went to visit some tarsiers. Finally, I get to see the small primates which inspired Steven Spielberg's E.T. Hehe! The is a new DENR directive that you could no longer handle the tarsiers, meaning no touch or putting them on you for pictures. Good thing! There was a group from the Philippine Christian University who were also on tour. By God! They started shaking the trees and scaring the tarsiers. Mica's mom got so mad that she scolded them reminding them that they are the future of the country and what eill the Philippines expect if they do not know how to care for nature.

And to think the tour guide from the Heaven Tour Company was just standing there! Shame! As a tour guide, it is your responsibility to properly educate your group about this endangered species, the fact that it is very difficult for them to reproduce since they only mate once a year and that is not sure to produce an offspring. Which is why they must be handled with care!

Anyway, after Loboc, it was off to Panglao for the beach. Woohoo! On the way, we passed by the Sandugo Monument in Bool, Tagbilaran City which memorialized the blood compact between Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. Although controversy hounds the site since research points that the actual site may have been in Loay at the mouth of the Loboc River.

We passed by the town of Dauis which is also on Panglao Island. It has a heritage church as well but it was nearing sunset so we went straight for the beach.

Panglao is indeed a great beach, white sand, blue water, fascinating view! Watching the sunset from Pangalao was a perfect way to cap another day around the Philippines!

Have to rush now. On my way to Siquijor. And everyone's telling me stuff about the island. Just great since I'm arriving midnight. Hehe!

Bohol: Visita iglesia to Bohol churches

I had inquired with Fr. Ted Torralba the day before how to go about my trip to Bohol and its churches, particularly how to maximize my time. So he suggested that instead of going straight to Tagbilaran, I could take a ferry to Tubigon instead and with the half day I had left, pass by the towns of Calape, Loon and Maribojoc on the way to Tagbilaran City. For day 2, it was a trip to the chocolate hills passing by Loboc, Loay, Alburquerque and Baclayon. Hopefully I have enough time for Panglao and Dauis, and maybe the tarsier conservation project in Corella. The churches of Bohol are featured in the book of Regalado Trota Jose entitled Visita Iglesia Bohol.

When we arrived at the terminal, I only had two minutes left to board the 12:45! It was a photo finish! I did not know what time exactly the ferries left since the guard a Pier 1 told me they left frequently. Good thing I asked around Pier 1 so we went straight to Pier 3. Had we been late for just a minute, the next ferry was at 3 p.m. and goodbye itinerary! Good thing I also had a UP ID so I was charged the student rate of PHP143.36 for the trip. Really cheap!

I arrived in Tubigon at about 2 p.m. if I remember it correctly. You could see the church from the pier but it was a short walk. And to exercise myself, I decided to walk instead of take a tricycle. The church exterior was not that striking but it had nice ceiling murals inside.

After Tubigon, it was a ride to the next town, Calape. I was pointed to a jeepney terminal for Calape but passengers weren't riding and I didn't have the luxury of time to wait. So I asked what time it was leaving. Then one of the drivers offered PHP150 for a special trip. Was he out of his mind? I countered that I was on a tight budget. Then he offered PHP100. Grrrr! Do they really think tourists always have money. Not all! Hehe! I noticed buses passing by and knowing how it went in Cebu, boarded the bus to Tagbilaran. I ended up paying only PHP14 for the Calape trip!

Calape is supposedly a copy of the San Sebastian Church. It is actually. Hehe! Construction on the church started in 1933 and ended in 1948! The town also had a nice presidencia (town hall). The next stop was Loon. This I had high expectations for since I've seen it in books. So I waited for the next bus. But a van-for-hire passed by instead. Great! Aircon I said to myself. Hehe! But the fare pissed me off! When I gave a 50 peso bill to the conductor, nothing came back. Maybe he would give the change when I debarked I said to myself. So when I got down at Loon, I asked how much, and he replied PHP50, smiled and closed the door giving me only enough time to say it was expensive. Damn!

But the Loon Church met my expectations. Marvelous coral and limestone church! And great murals inside! After Loon, it was off to Maribojoc. I got on a jeep and paid PHP20. Along the way was the Punta Cruz Watchtower in the same town but I didn't have enough time so I skipped it and went straight to the church.

The jeep ride reminded me of Upsilon's Car Stuffing! How many people can you accomodate on a passenger jeepney? If I remember right, there were over 40 of us in the jeep. That was nine on either side so 18, plus three in front so that made 21. That did not include the six who were hanging on at the back making it 27.

When I though we weren't going to get any more passengers, they brought out this contraption for the aisle that they called "extension" which was a small wooden bench that could seat two people one facing the front and the other facing the back. Hmmm, clever I said! But we still took in more and another extension was brought down from the roof. So we now had 31! And then we stopped to allow a group of teenagers to board. The two ladies sat on yet another extension so we were now 33. And the ten or so males went up the roof! God, that was 43 passengers! If they went out of their way to do this, transportation might be scarce so that is when I decided not to pass by the watchtower.

I was greeted in Maribojoc by the tolling of its bells. The exterior was not impressive but the inside was a pleasant surprise. The ceiling was all carved wood painted in gold and other colors! It was just like in the old San Ignacio Church which the Americans bombed. Then I remembered, many of the churches in Bohol were Jesuit.

Then I waited for the next ride. But the roads were close to empty! Unlike Cebu, transport in Bohol seemed to be scarcer and it took close to 30 minutes before a bus arrived. I paid PHP15 for Tagbilaran thinking that this was going straight to the poblacion. Well, we were dropped off right after the border of Cortes and we had to take a jeep to the town proper.

In the town proper, I walked to my last stop for the day, the Cathedral of Tagbilaran. Facing it was an impressive Spanish colonial structure, the Provincial Capitol of Bohol! One attraction at the plaza was the arrival of swarms of black birds which filled up all the trees. And when I said swarms, I really meant swarms since thousands were coming out to greet the night! The photo of one of the trees is below. Those aren't leaves but birds.

Just like in Maribojoc, I was greeted by the tolling of the church bells. I really like the sound of these big bells tolling. After taking photos, I looked for a place to stay. Got a room for PHP250 a night at the Nisa Travellers Lodge but no aircon and common bathroom. Nisa is said to be Tagbilaran's backpacker haven. Well, we're on a tight budget. Hehe!

After freshening up, it was off to this place called MR Restaurant near the pier which Fr. Ted had suggested. The tricycle ride was PHP10. I wasn't into seafoods that much so I had inihaw na baboy but for my vegetables, had two types of seaweed salad. The first one was called guso, and the other locot which looked like green angel hair pasta. I was not that competely satisfied with the food I picked since it was quite sour and I think a little bitter. Maybe it has something to do with the Boholano taste. Anyway, at least I was full.

So I'm now in an internet shop blogging. I will go around Bohol tomorrow and leave for Siquijor tomorrow night. About last night after I left the internet shop which charged me an exhorbitantly high price of PHP40 an hour when here in Bohol, it's PHP10 per hour only; on the way back to the hotel, I was lured by this streamer adverstising Swedish-Shiatsu for PHP170! The Devanara Spa was a few meters away from the Capitol Inn where I was staying. Great ambiance! I suggest you get a massage there if you're in town. The foot massage is only PHP100 an hour for the duration of their summer promo! Hehe!

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Cebu: Around Cebu City

I woke up early this morning to walk around Cebu City. And I was greeted by a power outage. Just great! Good thing my room was still cold up to when I left. Quite close to where I was staying was the Cebu Provincial Capitol which made history by being the first Visayan site to host a presidential inauguration. So I went for a short walk to the place. From there, I took a jeep to the historic core of Cebu City.

My first stop was City Hall. In front of it was Magellan's Cross. A short walk away was the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino which I last visited in 1997. I was able to catch a part of the last English Mass for the morning. The place was packed with people. And lines to the image of the Sto. Nino de Cebu were quite long so I just went around to take photos.

Just a few meters away was the Metropolitan Cathedral of Cebu, seat of the Archdiocese of Cebu. By this time, I was hungry but I decided to finish up my itinerary for the day which was Fort San Pedro, again just a few meters away from the Cebu Cathedral. While waiting for Ryan to pass by for me at Plaza Independencia, I had some taho for breakfast.

Since it was close to lunch, Ryan and I went to this place called Casa Verde (69 V. Ranudo Ext.) in Ramos known for its baby-back ribs. Ramos is actually filled with impressive pre-war mansions. Casa Verde itself is an old house which was converted into a restaurant and ladies dormitory. There are more abandoned mansions in the area. Maybe some investors could do the same adaptive reuse.

After lunch, we went back to my hotel to get my stuff and go straight to the pier for my trip to Bohol.

Cebu: Heritage trail south of Cebu City

I'm finally back in the Queen City of the South after an afternoon spent in the southern half of Cebu Island. I left Manila at 7:30 a.m. via Philippine Airlines and arrived in Mactan about an hour and a half later. It's great looking down on a clear day since you see the very same attractions from a different view. When flying south, you can't miss Mount Makiling, Taal Lake and its volcano, the seven lakes of San Pablo and Mount Banahaw from the sky which you see in the photo.

My brod Ryan Caparas met up with me at the airport but since he had work today, I told him to drop me off at the South Bus Terminal so that I could spend the day following the Southern Heritage Trail. I decided to start at the southernmost town on the trail, Oslob, and work my way northwards back to Cebu City.

The trip was three hours so I took an air-conditioned bus so that it would be a comfortable ride. The fare was PHP108. I was asleep for most of the first part, obviously tired from driving the past few days, as well as from lack of sleep. But later on, I tried to keep myself awake or else I would miss one of the best coastline sceneries in the country. In fact, the entire national highway hugs the shoreline and you are offered spectacular views of white sand beaches and mangrove forests along the way.

I arrived in Oslob at about 12 noon and went straight to the church. Wow! The Immaculate Conception Church was a magnificent coral and limestone structure with ruins of some Spanish period government building at the side. After some photos, it was time for lunch. And like a true backpacker, I went for one of the carinderias (canteens) near the bus stop. An ulam (viand) and a heaping cup of rice costed me only PHP25.

It was off to the next town for me, Boljoon, home of the Church of the Patrocinio de Maria, declared by the National Museum as a national cultural treasure and by the National Historical Institute as a national historical landmark. The fare from Oslob on an ordinary bus was P11. Between Oslob and Boljoon were several watchtowers which are featured in Fr. Rene Javellana's book Fortress of Empire.

The setting of the church was stunning, an open view of the white sand beach and blue waters in front, and hills towering at the back. The roof of the church and convent are still the original clay tiles from the Spanish period.

When I entered, just like in Masinloc, there was ongoing restoration work. Again, good news for heritage. The convento was also very much intact. Thumbs up to the Boljoon Heritage Foundation!

I strongly believe this church should be included in the Baroque Churches of the Philippines UNESCO listing if ever it is expanded. Or better yet, create a new listing incorporating the best of southern Cebu's coral and limestone churches!

Just when I thought Cebu was doing everything right for church heritage, there was Argao. The fare to the place was P30. When I got there, I was impressed that the local government was blending the architecture of the new buildings with that of the old. The St. Michael the Archangel Church itself could have, on its own, been declared a World Heritage Site had it not been touched.

I was excited to enter since I've seen pictures of the interior in books. And did I get the shock of my life! The parish priest had converted the ornate polychrome rococo retablo into the country's biggest trophy case! Yes folks! He had the retablo painted gold and silver! The santos are all painted gold! What is wrong with our priests?! Don't they have anything better to do? People like him should be transferred to Siberia where they won't do any more damage to Philippine church heritage. But I guess that is a tall order because rumor has it that this monsignor is very close to the cardinal.

To let you know the sentiments of the heritage community, here is the column of Bambi Harper in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the sacrilege committed. The entry is aptly entitled A Crying Shame. In another of her columns lauding Albay, Bambi writes, "Bishop Jose C. Sorra (of Albay) gave an impassioned and stirring address that the Cebu cardinal should have heard so that the parish priest of Argao, guilty of erasing 200 years of history, could be exiled to Burias or perhaps to the Marianas, which unfortunately doesn't belong to us anymore."

I was off to a very popular heritage town of the province of Cebu, Carcar! Fare from Argao to Carcar was PHP20. The first landmark you will see is that heritage gazeebo at the center of a rotunda in front of the market. That is where I got off to take some photos.

Carcar is also known for its chicharon (pork skin crackers) and lechon (roasted pig). So how could I resist even a small pack of chicharon for a snack! Yummy! Anyway, I'll talk more about Carcar in a future entry.

The Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria was just a short walk up a hill in the center of town. Indeed, the church and the structures around its plaza are splendid! While in Carcar, I visited the Noel Ancestral House owned by the family of Jerry N. Alfafara, a member of the Carcar Heritage Conservation Society. He gave me a tour around his house.

The last stop for the afternoon was Naga which had a very ornate facade. It seemed to have Moorish influences as seen from the elements of the design. From Carcar, the fare was PHP15. With that settled, it was back to Cebu City. Fare from Naga was PHP20.

If only I had my own vehicle, I would have wanted to stop to take photos of all the Gabaldon schoolhouses. In each town, I would believe there were at least three! But that is one of the limitations of backpacking. You have to travel within a tight budget.

Back in Cebu, I met up with Ryan near the bus station and we went to a well-known street food area of Cebu City called Larsian. Why it's called Larsian, I don't know since I tried asking the locals myself. The place is right beside the Osmena Circle (It's actually one of the side streets).

They serve various ihaw-ihaw (roasted) items such as chicken and pork barbeque, longganiza (local sausage), hotdogs, isaw manok (chicken intestines), etc. The rice was also unique since it was served in what seemed to be woven coconut leaf-containers just like suman (rice cake). The meal was not bad at all!

After Larsian, we looked for a place for me to stay for the night. One of the cheaper pension houses was fully-booked. I fear that since it is peak season, when I go to Bohol tomorrow, I might find it difficult to get lodging as well. Anyway, right now, I'll get some rest since I'm waking up early to visit the heritage area of Cebu City. Then I'll most probably leave for Bohol by lunch. That's it for now.

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Pangasinan & Zambales: The road less travelled

Going back to Manila from Bolinao, people rarely take the Zambales route obviously because it's longer. But you are missing a lot if you've never passed this road. Indeed, it provides one of the best views of the Philippine countryside as well as the beaches along the South China Sea. So if you have a lot of time to spare and extra funds for gas, I suggest you give it a try.

From Bolinao, I was planning to pass by Alaminos again to try the quarterpounder at McDonald's which many of my brods claim is the best they've tasted. On the way, I was curious to take a look at the island municipality of Anda which could be accessed by a long bridge somewhere between Bolinao and Bani. Except for the view from the bridge and the white sand beach of Tondol, nothing much to see in Anda. So on I went.

For some reason, I missed the turn to Alaminos and ended up in the faster route to Zambales. I guess it was a blessing in disguise. From Bani, I passed by Agno, Burgos where I took photos of the Gabaldon school building, Dasol which was a salt producing town, and finally the last town of Pangasinan, Infanta. All these towns were by the beach and there were a lot of small resorts along the road. Imagine the potential of these pristine beaches!

The first town upon entering Zambales was Sta. Cruz. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many old houses still intact, in fact they lined-up along the streets one after the other. And the coral Church of St. Michael the Archangel was just perfect (except for the modern interior). Although the houses were neglected, if restored properly, Sta. Cruz has potential of becoming another heritage town and a showcase for Zambales. Which is why I immediately contacted Vice-Governor Ramon Lacbain II, who is a SSEAYP alumnus like myself, to check if he was in town. Great! He was free to meet me in Olongapo City.

The next stop, actually one of the main reasons I took the Zambales route, was Masinloc. Its church was declared a national cultural treasure in 2001. But when I got there, all the doors were locked since the structure is currently being restored by the NHI. A personal disappointment since I did not get to see the interior but very good news for heritage. After all that bad news I saw in Pangasinan, here was a perfect example of the proper management of a heritage church. The formula is simple, get techinical support from the experts! What's wrong with asking for help from those who know what to do? In the government, you have the NCCA, National Museum and the NHI. From the private sector, you have groups like the Heritage Conservation Society.

Thumbs up to the Masinloc's San Antonio Church Restoration Volunteers headed by Fr. Ernie Raymundo, which is currently raising counterpart funds from citizens of the town. I also commend Sen. Aquilino Pimintel for releasing P4.76 million from his CDF to fund the restoration of this 1607 church which was badly damaged in a December 1999 earthquake. For those who want to donate funds, you can call telephone no. (63 47) 8215678.

It was getting dark and I still had two churches to visit. It was another 45 minutes from Masinloc to the provincial capital Iba, which is the birthplace of former president Ramon Magsaysay. There are a lot of old houses around but I didn't have much time to explore so I just took photos of the1703 Cathedral of St. Augustine, the seat of the Diocese of Iba. The current bishop, the Most Rev. Florentino G. Lavarias, D.D. was a former parish priest in San Fernando, Pampanga.

A few minutes away was Botolan. It was quite dark but I was able to get a shot of the small coral Church of Sta. Monica. It was then that I realized that I had not eaten at all! I guess I was just too excited with my trip. So I stopped over at one of the towns to rest when I saw a Mister Donut sign as well as an internet shop. It turns out, it was San Narciso, which breaks were quite popular among surfers.

To make the long story short, I reached Olongapo at 8 p.m., close to five hours after I had left Bolinao! So it was straight to Sam's Pizza where the vice-governor was waiting for me. The chicken teriyaki pizza I ate was great. We were able to tackle a lot for tourism in Zambales. I'll let you know about the plans when they've all been firmed up. But definitely, the plans are exciting and grand. I got back in Pampanga at 1 a.m.

Time for me to rest now. I'm flying to Cebu at 7 a.m. tomorrow. Yipee! Another whirlwind adventure, this time in Central Visayas. I plan to visit five provinces in six days. Hehe! I hope I make it to all.