For some time now, I have been longing to travel to live in this quite intriguing place along the South China Sea (or the West Philippine Sea). From what I know of this place (or what I’ve read about it on blogs and the news), it may be the only city in the archipelago that is right beside a forest . . . a REAL forest.

Due to this, Puerto Princesa City is probably the cleanest city in the entire archipelago. One of the tourist attractions of the city was recently put on the world stage with the search for the  New Seven Wonders of the World.

Although the results of the voting has yet to be published, it appears that the Puerto Princesa Underground River has made it to the initial list of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

According to Wikipedia:

Folk etymology attributes the name “Puerto Princesa” to a princess-like maiden who in the early days is said to have roamed around the place on certain nights of the year. On the other hand, practical people attribute the name to the geographical advantages of the place as a seaport – naturally protected the whole year round and endowed with a depth that can accommodate any size of shipping – a royal haven for vessels or a virtual princess of ports as thus indicated by Spanish Colonizers on the country’s map.

I can’t say that I know more about this place but I’m currently planning to finally visit the place and probably live there for a while.

Over the summer, I was able to go back to my hometown after a very long time. I cannot remember the last time I was there but it was nice to be able to go back home to Butuan. Actually, I was not planning to go back home due to my heavy work schedule. However, I got an SMS message from my mom telling me that one of my uncles was coming home to Butuan for the fiesta after ten years. As soon as I got the text, I immediately booked myself a flight home. Although the flight to Butuan was not quite as smooth as I thought it would be due to some glitches with the airline that I booked my flight with, I was able to reach Butuan in time for the fiesta. Unlike Bohol which have their fiesta for the whole month of May, the fiesta in Butuan falls on May 19 or during the feast of St. Joseph. Anyway, it was a nice reunion with my uncle whom I haven’t seen for a decade. And since I was in Butuan, my cousin brought me to two tourist sites in the city which I was not able to go to during my last visit.

One of the places that we went to was the Bood Promontory First Easter Mass Eco Park in Barangay Pinamanculan. Bood is a small hill in Butuanon language. According to wikipedia.com:

A promontory is a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water.

This was the historic site where Ferdinand Magellan planted a cross and celebrated the first mass in the Philippines on March 31, 1521. Although much debate has been made over the actual location of the first mass, as a Butuanon, I believe that this was the actual site where Magellan celebrated the first Catholic mass on the archipelago. Since the sun already set, I was not able to get a lot of pictures of the site.

Aside from the site of the first Easter Mass, I was also able to visit the Banza Church Ruins. According to the Butuan Government site, this was the site of the old poblacion of the city. A church constructed by the Recollect Friars in 1625 used to stand at site before it was destroyed by Moro pirates in 1753. The remains of the bell tower of the church is now enveloped by a balete or banyan tree. This just shows that sooner or later, nature will reclaim whatever structure man has built. This is the oldest stone church ruin in the whole island of Mindanao.

This was definitely a fruitful trip back to my hometown. Not only was I able to have a mini-reunion with an uncle whom I have not seen in a decade, I was also able to check out some of the tourist sites in the city of Butuan.

Bohol is an island province in the Visayas known for fiestas,  tarsiers and the Chocolate Hills. This is one of the places I visit almost every year. Its popularity among tourists is due to a number of pristine white beaches, which can rival the best in the world, and a number of the best dive sites at this side of the archipelago.

I usually go to Bohol before the first day of May since this is the ‘visperas‘ for the month-long series of  fiesta across the island. In fact a good friend of mine, who is a ‘Bol-anon’, once said to me that you will never go hungry in Bohol during the month of May since there is always a fiesta happening in one of its 47 municipalities. He even says that they even welcome strangers to join the feast in their homes since they consider it ‘ma-ot’ if no one visits their house during the fiesta. And I was able to experience this . . . well only for about a week when I got to join the fiesta in at least ten different houses in a span of five days (Due to the overabundance of the food during the fiestas, we would eat just twice each day since we would not have enough time to digest our food before the next meal time comes). Bol-anaons are also known to return to their hometown during the fiesta.

However, Bohol is also known for the Philippine Tarsier or what locals call the Maumag, which is endemic only to the Philippines. This is one of the smallest primates in the world and is now considered endangered, although efforts have been made to make sure they do not disappear from the face of the earth. This conservation effort is spearheaded by the Philippine Tarsier Foundation. The foundation was able to acquire some land in Corella, Bohol to allow the tarsiers to live out in their natural habitat. A number of towns were also asked to donate some of their land for this effort. The area is protected by a seven-foot high fence which is meant to keep out predators. There are reports, however, about tarsiers scaling the fence to forage for food at night. Fortunately, they would seem to be observing a curfew since they would also return to the protection of the sanctuary before the break of dawn.

Aside from the tarsier, the island, to which Boholanos refer to as the “Republic of Bohol”, is also known for the Chocolate Hills. Although this unusual geological formation can also be found in other places in the world, I don’t think any of those places can match the sheer number of these grass-covered hills which are spread out in an area of around fifty square kilometers. These limestone formations number more than a thousand according to the last count by the DENR, although there were rumors that one of the hills disappeared due to ‘human-induced’ erosion. During one of my trips to Bohol, we went to Sagbayan Peak, which was an alternative place to go to if you want to see the Chocolate Hills. I think this place is run by a private individual who really had a lot of spare money since its is more than just a place to view the hills, it also has its own mini-park and playground for the kids. Although the number of hills in the place is nothing compared to the one run by the Department of Tourism, this was more spacious and you would not have to tire yourself out in trying to get a good view of the hills.

There are actually a lot more places to visit in Bohol which I hope to write about in one of my future entries. So if you get to visit the Philippines, Bohol should be in your ‘to go to’ list, especially if you come here in the month of May. Bohol – the land of fiestas, tarsiers and the Chocolate Hills.

Solemn Procession - January 16, 2010

Every third Saturday of January, a solemn procession is held in the streets of Cebu to commemorate the coming of Christianity to this side of the world. The route of this year’s procession was longer compared to last year. And judging from the crowd itself, the number of of faithful who joined the event most likely passed the one millionth mark.

Virgin Mary

The procession started at around 1:00 PM and from my vantage point along the route, the front part of the procession passed by at around 1:20. Led by the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic faithful in the City of Cebu showed their undying faith to the Christ Child who has become the source of hope and love for the Cebuanos. Students, nurses, government officials, and ordinary people joined the procession that lasted for several hours. The slight drizzle did not dampen the spirits of the people.

Ever since I started to witness the event a couple of year ago, I noticed that there is always a slight drizzle during the procession. It seemed to show that heaven is showering its blessings to the people who have remained steadfast in the faith to the Sto. Niňo.

Sto. Niňo

As the procession moved on, the crowd simply got thicker and thicker. And as the image of the Sto. Niňo passed by, people started waving as if trying to call out the Christ Child, thanking him for the blessings that he shared with them. The image of the Sto. Niňo was escorted not only by the authorities but civilian volunteers as well. The solemn procession is the religious aspect of the celebration at this time of the year in the City of Cebu.

In one of my trips up north together with some college buddies, we passed by a small stall at the side of the road that sold fried “itik” or fried duck. The word “itik” is a Tagalog word that has the same etymological origin as the Malay “itik” and both of these words simply means duck. This stall, Jehan’s Fried Itik, apparently had several branches all over the province of Tarlac, as well as Nueve Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, La Union and Bagiuo City in Benguet.

The preparation for the dish is quite simple but time-consuming. First thing to do is to simmer the “itik” in water mixed with some simple ingredients  (salt, ginger and celery stalk) for one and a half hours or until it (the “itik”) becomes tender. After simmering, drain and dry the cooked “itik” on a paper towel. The second and last step is to deep-fry the “itik” until golden brown. After this, serve with whatever sauce that you like to dip the dish into (I prefer the old-fashioned “suka with asin” or vinegar with a dash of salt).

We bought a couple of servings of the fried “itik” just to keep our hunger at bay while traveling to our destination way up north.

Simbang Gabi, Misa de Gallo, or Aguinaldo mass, whichever way you call it, it is one of the most unique Christmas tradition here in the Philippines. The dawn masses run is a novena or a devotion that Filipinos practice in preparation for the coming of the Lord. It starts nine days before Christmas day and is unique to Philippine culture. No other Catholic country in the world practices this Christmas tradition, although I heard has already been “exported” to other countries that have a big Filipino community.

According to wikipedia.org, this Filipino tradition started during the Spanish period where the priests would celebrate early dawn masses for the farmers who need to attend to their crops but were given the opportunity to attend a nine-day novena mass during the Christmas season. These masses were held from 3:00 to 4:00 in the morning.

Today, this tradition is still being practice in the country where the Catholic faithful would fill churches to the brim each time December comes. The nine-day novena masses begin on December 16 with the last mass being celebrated on December 24. People share the belief that if you complete all nine days, you would have one wish granted after the nine days.

This is one of the traditions that I wait for each time Christmas comes. Although it would involve a good amount of sacrifice on my part, its worth it since this will be a good way for me to prepare for Christmas. I have been doing this for the past 16 years, although I was not able to complete the nine days half of the time.

Food is one of the most important things that man has to have in order to live. Without food, man cannot hope to see the light of another day after around 28 days . . .

Food is also one of the things that the archipelago is known for. There are restos that offer good food at a high price, but there are also some places that offer great food at a bargain price. One such place is a small hole-in-the-wall eatery in the heart of the Queen City of the South, Cebu.

The King of Chicken is a place where you can find freshly cooked chicken that rivals, if not, surpasses the ones sold in international chicken restos. Although they offer just breaded chicken, once you taste it you would want to ask for seconds, and thirds and fourths. In fact you would want to ask for take out. The owner,  an HRM graduate, is also the chief cook. He is also known among his friends as the best cook in the batch. He not only serves great chicken, he also entertains anyone who would want to have a taste of his chicken. He serves the chicken with or without rice (not the puso or hanging rice that the region is known for) and offers you either their own home-made gravy (which is better than what you can find in the chicken restos) or his special vinegar that rivals the famous Pinakurat vinegar of Iligan City. I suggest you try a bit of both, they both make the chicken taste heavenly (although the chicken already tastes great even without them)

This hole-in-the-wall eatery is found in one of the alleyways along Urgello in Cebu City.  To get there just ride a jeepney that has Urgello on its signboard and ask the driver to let you off at the corner of Uytengsu and Asuncion Streets. From that corner, you can easily see the eatery and start your new culinary adventure with the King of Chicken.

In one of my trips to Mindanao, my cousin brought me to a beach that was very much different from all the other beaches that I’ve been to in the past. This beach had its shoreline lined with pebbles – millions of them. It was quite a sight to see. Different sizes of pebbles, some small – the same size of pebbles on a pebble-washed wall.  But some were big – really big. They were bigger than my fist – which probably should not count as pebbles. In fact according to wikipedia – a pebble is supposed to be smaller than 64 mm - my fist is a little bit bigger than that. But according to the Surigao City website, all of those are pebbles.

Anyway, back to the trip. When we went there I was quite amazed with the fact that the pebbles were actually covering the whole shoreline. It was probably more than a kilometer long. And these were no ordinary pebbles. There were quite smooth. This was probably caused, most likely, by the movement of the water when the tide would come in. There were huts along the side of the road and a small resort was still under construction at that time. I think it would be a nice place to stay in, but I would suggest, if you’re not used to walking on pebbles while going to the beach, that you wear your sandals or flip-flops when you go down to the beach to swim. Or else you may end up with a pair of over-massaged feet before you hit the water.

We were just there to check the place out since we did not bring our trunks. This is one place that you should not miss if ever you would go to Surigao del Norte. By the way, if you plan to go there, you can ask any local where Mabua Pebble Beach is. They would be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

Over the weekend, on our way north to attend the wedding of a college buddy, we stopped over at  Isdaan, a restaurant off the side of the road in Tarlac that advertised a fresh catch. They may be talking about the seafood that they serve or the customers whose attention would be caught by the this not-so-ordinary roadside restaurant.

Found along the highway on the way north, this restaurant is literally floating on a very large fishpond. You can’t miss this place since there is a huge signboard on the left side (if your going north). As you enter the place, you can easily see the architecture inside the restaurant which is either aztec and thai-inspired. You can also see huge fish statues on a pond near the parking area.

As you enter the place, you will get to see a guard who seemingly does not mind you entering the place. Looking closer, you would get to see why – guard is actually one of the place’s decorative statues that dot the place.

Each table is inside cottages connected by bamboo bridges. When we were there, one of the bamboo bridges was actually not fastened properly, as what one of my friends surprisingly found out.

They even had a game in the place where you can win a kilo of fresh fish if you get to survive huge spitting and urinating monkey statues. We did not stay long enough to find out if that was really true. We stayed there for a bite to eat on the way to Dagupan City.

The place is not only a seafood place, they also serve bulalo and chicken. They also have their own group of singing and dancing waiters and cooks. The place was nice even though we thought that the serving time was going to be long as what one of my Manila-based friend experienced the last time he was here. At least they were able to serve our order within fifteen minutes.

Another attraction of the place was the Tacsiyapo wall, where you get to release whatever hang-ups or anger that you have by throwing mugs, plates or even a working television against the wall. The wall is painted with names that may be the reason why you are stressed out. The price ranges from P14 to as high as P1,500 depending on what you want to smash against the wall.

All in all the place was actually nice. Not only do you get to have a nice meal on the way north, its also a welcome respite from the usual roadside restaurants that line the highways all over the country. As what their sign says, its a fresh catch each time you enter the place – it catches your attention with its fresh catch of seafood.

In one of my travels in Cagayan de Oro years ago, I was able to visit a restaurant that serve burgers the size of dinner plates. Consuelo Steakhouse is located along Corrales Avenue in Cagayan de Oro City. When I first got to visit the place, I was able to order a huge plate of spaghetti and a dinner plate-sized burger all for P 150. This was topped off with bottomless iced tea, which is a staple in some eat-all-you-can restaurants. Together with some colleagues, we had a mini-contest on who could finish their meal first. After biting, chewing, munching and eating through these ultra-sized meals, we were not able to finish both meals in one sitting. We had to have it packed in doggie bags for us to finish off back at the hotel. But this about a decade ago.

About a couple of years ago when I got to go back to Consuelo Steakhouse with some colleagues, I found that they did not serve the burgers anymore, or I did not get to see it on the menu. Probably because of rising food costs and a burger that size would probably cost more than the price that sold it for. They did still have the eat-all-you-can buffet. There were a lot of dishes to choose from but not as varied as what I would expect from an eat-all-you-can restaurant. However the food was still great.

We went there for dinner and we found that the restaurant looked a a bit dark and drab. When we went in, we found out that we were the only customers at that time. The place also needed a little bit of sprucing up and the staff could probably need a little seminar on customer service. I later found out from the guard that the place was still undergoing some renovation.

I think their lunch buffet is at P 110 and dinner buffet is P 120. The steak is priced at P 320 per order. But I hope that they would still serve the burgers and spaghetti because this was what made me want to go back to the place after I first went there.