Goodbye 2013!, Hello 2014!.

   

  Just a few hours left and 2013 will officially end, another year ended, a whole new year of adventures to face, challenges to overcome and places to explore. so with that HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

City Government of Malabon: 1st Tour Operators Gathering

            The City Tourism & Cultural Affairs Office headed by Ms. Pastora Ursal (OIC-Tourism) organized the 1st Tour Operators gathering at the Penthouse of the Malabon City hall last December 12, 2013.

Walking Around Sagada: The Prologue to D' Project

View at the back of Kanip-aw Inn

I arrived at Sagada a day too early for our outreach program, without nothing to do I decided to walk around town.

Random Shots: St. Joseph the Worker Church - San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan

Facade of the church.

After 2 and a half years.

My first out of town adventure at Sagada, Mountain Province

         Its been two (2) and a half years since I started travelling and two (2) years for blogging, so many things have happened since then. My daily routine, my views in life, culture and people changed drastically.

Betsy's Cake Center - Malabon City

          Long  before Goldilocks, Red Ribbon, Conti's and other Bake shops came to be, Betsy's Cake Center already captured the taste buds of the people of Malabon.

Oh May Gad!!!!, Minion Cakes!!.

Established since 1962 and presently located at Rizal Avenue, Malabon City almost just infront of San Bartolome Church  Betsy's Cake center already caters their party needs and those most of the people in the area still prefer Betsy's over the much popular Bake shops.

San Bartolome Church - The 399 Year Old Church of Malabon City

The Facade of San Bartolome Church (Currently under construction or we can say renovation)

San Bartolome Church is one of the oldest Augustinian Church here  in the Philippines dating back to 1700's.

and located at Rizal Avenue Extension, Malabon City.

Sagada Grand Bonfire 2013

One of the most exciting event of the year "The Sagada Grand Bonfire Festival" is near.

Date: Dec. 28, 2013 and Dec. 29, 2013.

Fee: 200 pesos (Food not included but there's a booth in the event area where you can buy.)

For more information kindly visit the Sagada Genuine Guides Association Website.

Author's note:

Special thanks to Sir Gareth Likigan for the info.

Guest: Sensible Gift Ideas

Known to be the country that celebrates Christmas season the longest, the Philippines is also the most festive in celebrating the yuletide season. From Christmas carols to Simbang Gabi, reunions and parties, festivities never seem to end from the so-called ber months (starting September) to early January. But all these different activities build up in anticipation of the joyful celebration it self.

And of course, Christmas will never be complete without Gift Giving. For some people, the season is also a stressful time as they worry about the perfect gift to give a loved one and everyone else in their growing Christmas list. Especially if one is working on a limited budget, Patience in looking for the beast deals and discounts, as well as, prudence in going through the arduous task of bargain hunting are keys to stretching ones budget for gifts.

Understanding the big task of giving a gift that is not only easy one the pocket but also meaningful. Country Bankers Insurance Corporation (CBIC), introduces the Personal Accident (PA) Insurance gift card. The PA Insurance gift is a card that will give a loved one or a friend the security of they need for a period of one year. the coverage includes accidental death and disability, With this product, you are given the opportunity to not only give a gift but also offer protection from unforeseen circumstances. No Gift is more important than the gift of life. To show appreciation for life's importance and its value, we offer this product which insures the protection of people we care for from accidents and even death.

Intramuros Pasyal Sunday

Picture from Vivamanila

        In Celebration of International Car-Free Day the Intramuros Administration, VivaManila, The Manila Collectible and Manila Bulletin decided to create an event called The " Intramuros Pasyal Sunday", General Luna Street near San. Agustin Church is closed for all types of vehicles during the day starting 1pm up to 9pm.

Randoms Shots: Calle Cigarillera

ang sweet nung naglalakad. :)

       Taken last Sept. 14, 2013 during our Malolos Heritage Tour, Calle Cigarillera or locally known as "Tampoy" is one of the oldest street in Malolos, Bucalan.along the street you can  also see the ancestral house of the De Leon Family ( not included in the picture).

Heritage Houses of Malolos, Bulacan.

Malolos City Cultural and Heritage House

   After witnessing the Singkaban Festival and visiting Casa Real, we went straight ahead towards the remaining  Heritage Houses of Malolos, Bulacan.

Random Shots: Good Old Mr. Krabs.

Talap talap

Part of the Lunch during our Coron Island Hopping Activity last July 2013.

Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto - San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan

France?,  Sa San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan lang yan. :D

     It was a rainy saturday and my left foot is hurting a lot since last week and unexpectedly last thurday Thrasher of Adventures of Manong Unyol  invited me to attend and witness the Singkaban festival of Malolos, Bulacan together with my fellow travel bloggers Billy of GalaeroEscapeTravels and Librero of San Josenyong Gala.

Random Shots: The Ruins of Casa Tribunal

        Taken last September 14, 2013 used to be the second municipal hall of Malolos, built in Spanish architectural design in the mid 19th century The property is part of the vast estate of the Adriano Family, one of the town oldest and wealthiest family in Bulacan, but according to our guide the ruins is for sale.

Additional Info:

*The Old Carcel in Pariancillo,the former Casa Tribunal de Malolos used as the Office of the the Gobernadorcillo from 1859 when Malolos was divided into 3 seperate towns.
 
*It became Carcel or Jailhouse during the 1st Philippine Republic.

(Special Thanks to Christopher Cunanan for the additional Information.)

Random Shots: I found Nemo.

     Taken last July 12, 2013 during our Coron island hopping activity, unable to enjoyed snorkeling because I don't know how to swim. I spent my time taking pictures aboard luckily enough one of the tour guide spotted this two clown fish and showed to us, after taking pictures we released them to the sea.

PhotoBlog: Singkaban Festival Parade 2013

           Singkaban Festival or Sining at Kalinangan ng Bulacan is a annual month-long festival of Malolos, Bulacan this year event starts from Aug. 15 to Sept.15 its suppose to like Margi Gras Festival in terms of colorful costumes. It's my first time attending the event so I'm excited about it. 

Food Expedition: Lucky China Town Mall - Weekend Asian Street Food Market

    If you happen to be in Divisoria don't forget to drop by at the Lucky China Town Mall. They had a Weekend Asian Street Food Market during the weekends of August up to the end of September (The mall extended the event).

Food Expedition: Ristorante Delle Mitre

Photo courtesy of  Manong unyol

       After walking several hours inside the National Museum my stomach begins to show the signs that its lunch time, so Manong Unyol suggested a restaurant inside the walled city of Intramuros called Ristorante Del Mitre.

Photo courtesy of  Manong Unyol

  We are a little bit hesitant to enter the restaurant because most of their client are foreigners (Chinese, korean, etc.) bilang na bilang mo lang yung pinoy na customer at isa na kami dun, but for the sake of our hungry tummy we decided to continue.

Pambansang Museo - Pambansang Galerya ng Sining.

Pambansang Galerya ng Sining  (National Art Gallery)

Huling araw na ngayon ng Buwan ng Wika kaya napagpasyahan kong isulat ang aking ipapaskil sa wikang Filipino.

"At ngayon di pa rin alam

kung bat tayo nandito

pwede bang itigil mo na

ang pag-ikot ng mundo...."

      Ito ang naririnig kong kanta mula sa aking celphone habang ako'y naglalakad papuntang Pampabansang Museo, naisipan kong pumunta dahil sa mga kadahilanang libre naman ang pagpasok, mahabang bakasyon at gusto kong mausisa kung ano ang makikita sa loob ng gusaling ito. Akala ko mag-isa lang ako gagala sa ngunit sa kabutihang palad ang aking kaibigang blogger na si Thrasher Mina  - Adventures of Manong Unyol ay naging interesado sa pagsama.

PhotoBlog: #MillionPeopleMarch

Makibaka!, Wag Pababoy! Oink! Oink!

Sabi ko na nga ba may representative ang Sintang Paaralan (P.U.P)

No to Pork............Barrel!.

Early morning walk at Sabang Beach

Waiting for the sunrise.

One of my daily routine while I'm traveling is watching the sunrise, so when I was in Baler, Aurora last February I woke up early to witness it.

But sadly Its bit cloudy. so I decided to walked around Sabang Beach.

Kids playing around the shoreline,medyo makalat yung Beach.....may party kaya nung gabi?

Foot prints # 1

Foot Prints # 2

Baler's version of Baywalk?

A new Hotel in baler just a step away from Sabang Beach but still under construction.

After a hour or two I returned to the Inn to freshen up so that I'm ready for the that day series of activities.

Thanks for Viewing!.

Bisita Iglesia 2013

I know its kinda late for this one but this year's Bisita Iglesia is a bit special to me since I'm doing it alone this time, so without further ado here is  the list of the 7 churches I visited.


1st Stop: San Roque Cathedral

The cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalookan, and is located near the intersection of 10th Avenue and A. Mabini Street, in Caloocan City, Philippines. The church is beside La Consolacion College, and in the far front of the church is the City Hall of Caloocan.

2nd Stop: Saint Joseph De Gagalangin

 Located at 2683 Juan Luna St. Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila.

3rd Stop: Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish

It is located in Tondo, Manila, Philippines. The feast of Sto. Niño of Tondo is celebrated every third week of January. Many people come to participate in the fluvial procession, because back then the terrain of Tondo was consisted of waterways and tributaries which were connected to Manila Bay,a possible reason why the current church was made up of stone. It was built on elevated ground to prevent sea waters from inundating the church.

Source: wikipedia.org

4th Stop:  Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz and  Our Lady of the Most holy Rosary Parish.

Binondo Church

The original building was destroyed in 1762 by British bombardment. A new granite church was completed on the same site in 1852 however it was greatly damaged during the Second World War, with only the western facade and the octagonal bell tower surviving.

 5th Stop: Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Concepcion (Manila Cathedral)

Located in the Intramuros district of Manila, it was originally a parish church owned and governed by the diocese of Mexico in 1571, until it became a separate diocese on February 6, 1579 upon the issuance of a Papal bull Illius Fulti Praesido by Pope Gregory XIII.


The cathedral was damaged and destroyed several times since the original cathedral was built in 1581. The eighth and current incarnation of the cathedral was completed in 1958.

Source: Wikipedia.org

The Interior of the Manila Cathedral is under construction since February 2012 so the people in charge of the cathedral erected several crosses around the premises where you can continue the station of the cross.

So moving on.....

While walking towards San Agustin Church

Teka nasa Divisoria ba ako?

6th Stop: San Agustin Church.

The present structure is actually the third Augustinian church erected on the site. The first San Agustin Church was the first religious structure constructed by the Spaniards on the island of Luzon. Made of bamboo and nipa, it was completed in 1571, but destroyed by fire in December, 1574 during the attempted invasion of Manila by the forces of Limahong^. A second church made of wood was constructed on the site. This was destroyed in February 1583, in a fire that started when a candle set ablaze the drapes of the funeral bier during the interment of the Spanish Governor-General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa.

In 1993, San Agustin Church was one of four Philippine churches constructed during the Spanish colonial period to be designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, under the collective title Baroque Churches of the Philippines. It was named a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in 1976

Going inside.

Inside the Church

Last but not the least.

7th Stop: Minor Balisica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church)

The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, also known as Saint John the Baptist Parish and informally known as Quiapo Church is a prominent Roman Catholic church Latin-rite Basilica located in the District of Quiapo, Manila, Philippines. The church is reputedly famous for enshrining the Black Nazarene, a dark statue of Jesus Christ which many faithful claim to have miraculous powers. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Manila and is currently rectored by Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio.

  

Source: Wikipedia.org

Sorry, I don't have any pictures of my visit too scared to take pictures mahirap nang ma-holdup.

Thanks for Viewing!.

Mt. Pinatubo Hiking Adventure (Day tour)

picture taken from Wikipedia / USGS

 Introduction:

Mt. Pinatubo is an active volcano located on the island of luzon about 87 km. northwest of Manila. It was June 15, 1991, Pinatubo produce the second largest eruption of the 20th century complicating the eruption was the arrival of typhoon Yunya bringing a lethal mix of ash and rain.

Source: Wikipedia

The 1991 eruption created a caldera and was subsequently filled with water form rains and lake pinatubo was formed.

Sorry naman kung medyo blurred yung pic( thanks to kuya lad for the pic)

I was invited by my brother together with his group to experience an action packed journey to the crater lake.

How to get there:

Ride any buses going to Baguio, Dagupan (that's victory liner for us) and alight at Capas, tarlac (175 per pax cubao to tarlac) , after that take a trike to take you directly to Sta. Jualiana Tourism Office (P300 for 4 pax).

Author's Tip: be early as possible.

The Tourism Office and the 4x4 adventure:

Sta. Jualiana Satellite Municipal Tourism Office.

Once you are at the tourism office you can now negotiate with the 4x4 operators. (P1300 +  per person , maximum of 5 pax per 4x4 unit).

It was a very sunny and cloudless day, a perfect weather condition .

An almost Monochromatic landscape

Some river crossing

There are currently 2 ways to reach the crater lake, the first one is the "old trail" which takes 1 hour 4x4 ride + 2 hours trekking. The second one is the " New trail" takes 2 hours 4x4 ride + 30 minutes trekking. We chose the later.

The trek starts here: 

The Famous "Where do you belong" sign

At last after 2 hours of traveling by 4x4 we arrived at the rest station which is 1 km away from the crater.

Into the forest.

Almost there konting lakad na lang

 Yehey!!! We made it!, We made it!, Hoooray!

A sight to behold and yes! we conquered Mt. Pinatubo 

Author's note:

Hiking this volcano is a no joke specially for us ( why? because we are a little bit too healthy)  but its fun and exciting.

Thanks for viewing!.