I received a personal invitation from close friend Vic Pascua to attend the 38th founding anniversary (October 1-2) of the town of Gloria and the launch of its first Kawayanan Festival.  I was to be one of more than 40 from media and travel agencies to be so invited.  The town’s name may sound familiar and you may have guessed right. Gloria was, and truly is, named after Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The town was created on October 2, 1964, by virtue of Executive Order No. 117 issued by the late Pres. Diosdado Macapagal. In gratitude, the town was named after his young and only daughter.  Just last year, Gloria visited the town during its foundation day.

The day before the festival

I left Manila for Batangas City early in the morning (7 AM) of September 30, a Sunday, via a BLTB bus. The trip was uneventful and surprisingly traffic-free, reaching Batangas Port before 10 AM and booked myself on the 10:30 Aboitiz Supercat fast ferry.  I arrived at Calapan City port by 11:15 AM and was met by my guide Ms Maria Goretti “Gorett” S. Mercado.   We took a hired L-300 van for the 81-km. (1.5-hr.) drive to Gloria, passing the towns of Victoria, Socorro and Pinamalayan as well as lovely Lake Naujan.  We arrived in time for a late lunch at Biyahero Restaurant and were soon joined and welcomed by Vic and Mr. Robert Villavicencio, the restaurant owner and chairman of the town’s Tourism Council.  I later checked in at the nearby residence of Manny and Gloria Tan (a doctor) and it would be my home for 4 delightful days. Breakfast time was always a pleasure here as I would compare travel experiences with my gracious hosts.