Since I had been driving around for two straight days, I decided to take it easy today. So aside from waking up late, our destination for the day was just within Metro Manila. I had some business to take care of in the Padre Faura area which was great since Intramuros was just a stone's throw away. Carly, another member of our delegation, met up with us there.
Of course, a must visit is the San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the only church in Intramuros left standing after the Second World War. Indeed, the church is a splendid example of Philippine Baroque with its trompe l'oeil murals. The San Agustin Museum houses some of the best examples of Philippine church treasures.But it looks like the San Agustin Complex will be the next issue in the ongoing Intramuros controversy since they plan to erect a modern-looking monastery! And we all thought that the sports complex was the only desecration we had to worry about in the walled city.
Anyway, after our tour around San Agustin, we walked across the street to Casa Manila, a museum that showcases the opulence of a home in Intramuros during its heyday.
Our last stop was Fort Santiago, another Manila icon which tourists should not miss. Walking around what was once the seat of power of the Pearl of the Orient filled me with a lot of thoughts, especially when you know what we had and how much we lost during the war. Manila was as charming and as elegant as any major European city. And all was lost because of some stupid military tactic that eventually flattened the city to the ground.
That's why it pained me to look at the sports complex behind the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago. I finally saw this monstrosity of a project with my own two eyes. And all I could ponder on was why our government is filled with idiots and dimwits who could even think of perpetuating such a travesty.
Let's keep these walls alive! I'm definitely keeping my eyes on the developments regarding the sports complex and that modern monastery they plan to build in San Agustin. Only a vigilant Philippine nation can prevent more damage to our endagered cultural heritage.
After our shooting the rapids in Pagsanjan with my guest from China, I decided to complete the Laguna de Bay loop with a visita iglesia. I have an older post on Laguna with details of some of the towns we visited and missed. First on the list was the town of Paete which is known for its woodcarving and paper mache industries. The Santiago Apostol Church has intricately carved retablos and centuries-old mural paintings of San Cristobal among other subjects. From Paete, we went drove to the next town Pakil. The San Pedro de Alcantara has equally interesting retablos, santos and mural paintings. It was quite a drive from Pakil to the next stop which was in the province of Rizal. Since the sun was going down fast, we were not able to pass by the town of Mabitac which according to travel guides has a church standing atop 126 stone steps. It was a pleasant drive seeing the green rice fields hit by the golden rays of the setting sun on either side of the road. After the zigzag road up and down the highway boundary between Laguna and Rizal and a few more kilometers drive past the town of Pililla, we finally reach Tanay and easily found the San Ildefonso Church, a national cultural treasure. It had been quite a while since I've seen this church and I was totally shocked that the main altar had been painted gold and silver just like in Argao. It's the good thing the priest spared the santos from this rampage of gold leaf but it was horrible since Tanay was known for its white retablo with aquamarine and gold details. I was told by Archt. Richard Bautista of the NCCA that they were able to stop the priest from wreaking havoc to the other retablos thanks to the strong opposition from the townsfolk. According to the DOT, "The first Tanay Catholic Church made of nipa and bamboo was built in 1606. The current building made of locally quarried stone was completed in 1680. In 1783, it was reconstructed together with the convent. The church is an example of early Renaissance architecture. It has a four-storey octagonal tower, a façade of adobe blocks, relieved by columns and semicircular arched windows. Its podium is adorned by a niche with the statue of San Ildefonso de Toledo, the patron saint of the town." From Tanay, we moved on to our last stop which was the San Geronimo Church in Morong. If we had more time, we would have passed by Baras but since it was getting dark, we rushed instead to Morong. The church has one of the more striking facades and is one of the more photographed churches of the Laguna loop. But sadly, the interior has already been renovated. The first church was said to be built by Chinese craftsmen in 1615 as evidenced by the Chinese lions at the driveway entrance. It's current facade, a splendid example of Philippine Baroque, was completed between 1850 to 1853 to support the belfry built on top of it. We completed the Laguna loop by passing through the towns of Cardona, Binangonan, Angono, Taytay, and Cainta (we were supposed to pass through Antipolo but since it was dark, I missed the turn) and finally reached Pasig City. Anyway, it was tiring day so I'm reserving today for rest. Related entries
The sun was out today which was great since we were on our way to Pagsanjan, Laguna to check out the famous waterfalls. After having to deal with a drizzle yesterday morning, this was good news. The drive down south wasn't much of a hassle since we left after rush hour. It surprised me that the traffic in Calamba and Los Banos wasn't as heavy as I expected in to be.
We could have passed by the town of Pila on the way to Pagsanjan but we didn't have much time since it was nearing lunch. As we got into town, we saw large tarpaulin billboards from the LGU announcing that there was a standard rate for boat rides to the falls which was PHP660 per head. It also warned people to book their rides with resorts and inns. There were actually a lot of boatmen along the road pointing us towards the resorts. While taking photos at the Puerta Real of Pagsanjan, we were approached by several boatmen who pointed us towards a resort. Just like yesterday, they would board and accompany you there.
We paid PHP660 each, which included the boat, life vests, and a toll fee which is shared by the municipalities of Pagsanjan, Lumban and Cavinti. An additional PHP90 per head allowed you to ride a bamboo raft that would take you behind the falls and back. But a "hidden" charge which the LGU should try to curb (or include in the standard rate at the very least) are the "optional" tips for the boatmen which aren't optional at all! I ended up paying PHP200 each after the trip (This was the amount which my friend Rhea told me she paid which served as my basis since the boatmen were saying tourists gave them US$45 each and said they would settle for even just half. Nice try).
Anyway, the ride was fun. I have to give it to the boatmen, rowing the boat up the rapids of the Bumbungan River is indeed an art! It amazed me how the two boat men jumped out of the boat when the rapids came up and hopped from rock to rock pulling the small wooden boat upstream against the strong current. I would later learn that one must be licensed to do the job and a six-month training is needed before one can apply for a license. The trip upstream is about an hour while it takes 45 minutes to get back to Pagsanjan town.
The forest on either side of the Pagsanjan Gorge was surprisingly virgin with so much flora and fauna. You could spot monkeys occasionally high up in the trees. During the rainy season, there are at least nine waterfalls in the gorge. But during the summer months, many dry up and only two are left: Pagsanjan Falls and Talahib Falls which serves as a stopover point and rest area for the boatmen and passengers alike.
After taking a few photos, we were off. Several hundred meters away was the main falls which is more popularly known as Pagsanjan Falls. But its real name is Magdapio Falls. At the same time, it is located in the territorial jurisdiction of Cavinti and not Pagsanjan as most people would think.
We checked out the bamboo rafts and it turned out we were unprepared for the fun! I expected we were going to get wet on the raft. But I didn't expect it was equivalent to taking a cold shower with your clothes on! Had I known, we should have worn beach clothing instead. Anyway, we solved that slight problem and boarded the raft.
The experience was exhilarating since to enter Devil's Cave behind the falls, the raft was brought directly under the falls itself! The water was really cold and the experience made me feel like I was on a bamboo raft in the middle of a strong typhoon holding tightly to a rope so that I wouldn't fall off. Wow! Unless you are aquaphobic or claustrophobic, you should not miss the raft ride when in Pagsanjan!
Anyway, the ride back was equally exciting since it was downstream and riding the rapids was indeed fun! The day wasn't over since we decided to complete the Laguna loop (trip around Laguna de Bay) for the rest of the afternoon.
Since I had been driving around for two straight days, I decided to take it easy today. So aside from waking up late, our destination for the day was just within Metro Manila. I had some business to take care of in the Padre Faura area which was great since Intramuros was just a stone's throw away. Carly, another member of our delegation, met up with us there.
Of course, a must visit is the San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the only church in Intramuros left standing after the Second World War. Indeed, the church is a splendid example of Philippine Baroque with its trompe l'oeil murals. The San Agustin Museum houses some of the best examples of Philippine church treasures. But it looks like the San Agustin Complex will be the next issue in the ongoing Intramuros controversy since they plan to erect a modern-looking monastery! And we all thought that the sports complex was the only desecration we had to worry about in the walled city.
Anyway, after our tour around San Agustin, we walked across the street to Casa Manila, a museum that showcases the opulence of a home in Intramuros during its heyday.
That's why it pained me to look at the sports complex behind the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago. I finally saw this monstrosity of a project with my own two eyes. And all I could ponder on was why our government is filled with idiots and dimwits who could even think of perpetuating such a travesty.
