Monthly Archives: March 2008

Church of St. Fabian, Pope & Martyr (San Fabian, Pangasinan)

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Originally built with brick in 1768 by Dominican Fr. Francisco Ferrer, the Church of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, as well as the semi-claustral convent (which was constructed in 1763 by Fr. Holego Francisco Ferrer and converted into a public oratory), were destroyed by a fire in 1856 and subsequently restored.

The Church of St. Fabian, Pope & Martyr

The Church of St. Fabian, Pope & Martyr

Fr. Juan Gutiérrez, O.P. (1859-1862) rebuilt the church and the sanctuary (1857 and 1860) in cruciform (59.85 m. long and 11.40 m. wide; at the cruciform, 20 m.). In 1863, the present masonry church, convent and bell tower were built by Fr. Ramon Fernandez (parish priest from 1860 to 1870).

The restored, 5-storey octagonal bell tower

The restored, 5-storey octagonal bell tower

The massive earthquake of March 16, 1892 again damaged the church and convent which were later rehabilitated. On January 1945, during World War II, the church was damaged and bell tower and convent were destroyed by American naval shelling and, in 1952, the church and a portion of the convent were repaired by Engr. Santiago Alhambra, Fr. Francisco Posadas (1944-1952) and Fr. Emeterio Domagas.  In 2003, the bell tower was fully restored.

The church interior

The church interior

Church of St. Fabian, Pope & Martyr: Braganza St., San Fabian, 2433 Pangasinan. Tel: (075) 511-4841.

How to Get There: San Fabian is located 28 kms. east-northeast of Lingayen and about 184 kms. northwest of Manila.

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul (Calasiao, Pangasinan)

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This church is one of the largest in Pangasinan.  The original church was destroyed by earthquake and burned in 1736 during the Palaris Revolt.  The present structure was built in 1753 by Fr. Dalmau, burned in 1852 and rebuilt from 1853 to 1858 by Fr. Ramon Suarez.

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul

The massive March 16, 1892 earthquake damaged the church. The massive July 16, 1990 earthquake destroyed its bell tower. Msgr. Luis B. Ungson reconstructed the church, restoring the bricked front wall, antique statues and the ceiling’s original floral motif. In 2001, the church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

The restored 5-storey bell tower

The restored 5-storey bell tower

The church is 88.3 m. long, 25 m. wide and 27.3 m. high.  The adjoining sprawling convent is 75 m. long, 25 m. wide and has two yards.  The church’s imposing Renaissance-style brick and cement facade has columns that rise from the first level to the window sill.  Its pediment has a well-defined cornice and a statued niche at the tympanum flanked by two circular windows.  Its 30-m. high, hexagonal, 5-storey bell tower, one of the best in the province, has pinnacles at each level, arched windows with columned jambs and cantons at the corners.   Its retablo mayor, ornately decorated with statues of saints, is massive and complex woodwork is seen at the back.

The church interior

The church interior

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul : Poblacion West, Calasiao, Pangasinan,

How to Get There: Calasiao is located 207 kms. from Manila.

 

Church of St. Dominic Guzman (San Carlos City, Pangasinan)

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The town’s first church was built at the western side of the Agno River (near Zambales) where the town of Binalatongan (renamed as San Carlos in 1764) was originally located. On September 1587, the church was destroyed by fire and the church was reconstructed at Baloydaan at the eastern part of the river. On August 4, 1718, the church was again damaged by a fire. The town of Baloydaan was transferred to its present site and, after the 1763 uprising, was renamed as San Carlos in 1764.

Church of St. Dominic Guzman

Church of St. Dominic Guzman

The city’s present church, its fourth, was built with bricks (ladrillo) from 1770 to 1773 by Fr. Cristobal P. Ausina. During the late 1700s, iIt used to be the largest Catholic church in the Philippines but was heavily damaged during the 1796, 1798 and 1799 earthquakes.    Between 1802 and 1804, the church was reconstructed.

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Now measuring 89 yards (267 ft.) long and 22 yards (66 ft.), its wall height was lowered and the foundations were strengthened with buttresses.  In 1822, both the church and its convent were razed by fire and the church was rebuilt before 1864.  From 1878 up to 1890, Fr. Alvarez Carrozal initiated the rehabilitation of the church and the adjoining 4-storey bell tower was also erected during his time.

The 4-storey bell tower

The 4-storey bell tower

The church’s 4-level Baroque  facade has a huge pediment (formed from the two upper levels) painted with a picture of Saint Dominic and embellished with a raking cornice with huge, elegantly designed scrolls.  Through the designs along its wall planes, the middle segment gives contrast within the levels.

The church interior

The church interior

How to Get There: San Carlos City is located 227 kms. from Manila.

Church of St. Raymond of Penafort (Mangatarem, Pangasinan)

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The town’s present one-nave church replaced a wooden church built, from 1835 to 1844, by Fr. Joaquin Perez but burned in 1862. Fr. Manuel Alvarez de Manzano laid the church’s new 6 yard thick and 6 yard deep foundation.  The construction of the church was continued by Fr. Suarez until 1875. By 1880, the façade was completed and the church was finished by Fr. Vicente Iztequi.  The church was damaged during the July 16, 1990 earthquake.

Church of St. Raymond of Penafort

Church of St. Raymond of Penafort

Formerly the largest in the country, this church has a simple Early Renaissance sandstone facade with a low pediment and upper and lower levels separated by dentil-like elements.  Niches, windows, and the doorway relieve the monotony of the simple facade. The walls used finely hewn and squared ashlar stones hewn from the stone quarries along the mountain rangesof Malabobo, located 8 kms. from the town. The church measures 82.40 m. long and 16 m. wide while the transept is 51.70 m. long and 15.40 m. wide. The sidewalls measure 2.5 yards wide while the façade and the back walls are 3.5 yards wide.

The church's simple Early Renaissance sandstone facade

The church’s simple Early Renaissance sandstone facade

Fr. Manzano also began constructing the two bell towers and was continued by his successors, including Fr. Iztequi, but the towers were never completed, reaching only 6 m. high and remains so up to this day.  Fr. Perez built the 45 yard long and 20 yard wide brick convent in 1847 but this was also burned in 1862.  The present convent was built, on the same foundation of the former, by Fr. Iztequil from 1875 to 1886.

The church's interior

The church’s interior

How to Get There: Mangatarem is located 177 kms. from Manila and 23 kms. south of Lingayen.

Zoobic Safari (Subic Freeport Zone, Zambales)

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A tiger bathing in a pond

After an overnight stay at Subic Yacht Club with my son Jandy, we proceeded, after a Chowking lunch and duty-free shopping at the Freeport Exchange, for a short-haul drive to this sprawling 25-hectare Zoobic Safari theme park and zoo located deep in the old Naval Magazine at the Jungle/Forest Adventure zone.  Upon arrival, we were welcomed by Gen. Manager Ms. Delia C. De Jesus who assigned to me the affable Mr. Noel Caneda to guide me on this 2-hr., 5-part tour. He explained to us the different species that can be found inside the park, extolling their virtues as well as their deadly qualities.

Noel Caneda feeding a camel

At the reception area, we already got to see adult and baby tigers in large cages, all crossbred from Bengal and Siberian varieties in Residence Inns’ tiger cub breeding facility.  A joint venture with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), the PhP80 million Zoobic Safari was opened to the public on November 2004 and is part of Residence Inn’s chain of zoo cum resort businesses. The animals here may not be all originally from the Philippines but the place was still developed with a Filipino theme in mind.

Our first stop was the Petting Zoo a path through a forest with different animals stationed on the both sides of the walkway.  Here we saw exotic animals such as deer, temperamental and territorial cassowary, bearcats, monkeys, mini horses, several rabbits, plus some farm animals such a number of goats, sheep, carabao, pigs and a pinkish albino cow, all roaming and frolicking about in their natural habitat. Jandy and I had a wonderful time petting and feeding dried leaves to a camel.  A close encounter with an Asiatic black bear (or moon bear) named Nicholas, the only one in the zoo (and thus lonely), was a highlight. Other stops include the Serpentarium, the only one of its kind in the country.  Housed in one of the former ammunition bunkers, it showcases a variety of reptiles including a Malaysian water monitor, blood pythons, a Burmese albino, reticulated python, the Philippine monitor lizard, iguanas and turtles.  The star here was “Biggy,” a 15-ft. long, 10 year old female Indian python.

An Asiatic black bear named Nicolas

The highlight of the tour was the Tiger Safari.  Here, we boarded a customized “safari” jeepney colorfully painted in tiger-inspired golden stripes and enclosed with one inch, open wire mesh which covered the windows and doors.  It was driven by a professional Aeta who drove us, through a gate, to the well-kept Ilanin forest (although a number of big trees were uprooted due to typhoon Milenyo) where four full grown, 500+ pound tigers, with their trademark rust orange and black stripes, were roaming around.  Most lazed about in a large pond, their deep-set, golden eyes staring back at us, probably wondering why we were “caged” inside our vehicle while they were roaming freely in the open.  During the ride, one of the guides inside our vehicle dangled a dressed chicken from a small window. On instinct, one of the tigers ran over to the vehicle and grabbed the chicken, an encounter so close you can really see his teeth.  Another tiger jumps on the roof.

Tiger’s Den

After the Tiger Safari, we all dropped by the “Tigers Den” where we got up close and personal, along a narrow aisle, with tigers inside their cages, barely two feet away from these awe-inspiring beasts christened with such cute names as Cynthia, Gimo, Jana, Krishna, Nasha, Nico, Sharon and George. The last named, a mammoth Alpha male and the oldest at 16 years, is the acknowledged leader of the pack and king of the harem, with all of the female tigers his for the taking. Noel explained that a tiger’s urine smell marks his territory.

A fleet-footed ostrich

Adjacent to the Tigers Den is the dusty Savannah Trail.  This we traversed via an open, red and blue Zoobic Safari train (with 20-30 seating capacity), watching 50 long-legged ostriches from Africa and Australia as well as potbellied pigs, swift mountain goats, wild boar (from the USA, Vietnam and the Philippines) and 200 guinea fowl (from Papua New Guinea) glide past our vehicle.   Next stop was the Animal MuZOOeum, housed in another former ammunition bunker.  This interesting and educational tour features a rare collection of real stuffed animals and skeletons.

Croco Loco

Our last stop was the Croco Loco section.  Here, we trekked, via the Aeta Trail, to an Aeta Village where a group of Aetas performed, to the delight of the tourists, the dragonfly dance and a war dance, both accompanied by an Aeta guitarist. Of course, we also went to the 3,000 square meter Crocodile Farm, again seeing up close and personal, in their carefully designed natural habitat, 200 of these thick-skinned, long-bodied carnivorous saltwater crocodiles from Palawan. In the future, Zoobic Safari has plans to expand with Elephant World, Honey Bee Farm, Alligator Land and the Rice Wine Brewery.

Aetas performing a war dance

Zoobic Safari: Group I, Ilanin Forest, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.  Tel: (047) 252-2272.  Fax: (047) 252-2272.  Website: www.zoobic.com.ph. Entrance fee is PhP295 (Monday-Thursday) and PhP395 (Friday-Sunday).  Manila booking office: 3/F, Yupangco Bldg., 339 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City.  Website: www.residenceinnresorts.com.

Le Mans Go Kart Track (Subic Freeport Zone, Zambales)

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Ready to burn the track

Prior to our checking out of the Subic Yacht Club, I decided to check out, with my son Jandy, the Le Mans Go Kart Track just across the street, beside the Bicentennial Park and next door to the Magic Lagoon Park Grill and Bar.  Go karts are smaller version of race cars that are much closer to the ground.  Still, they are  exciting enough for someone wanting the feel of a quick-turning, fast moving vehicle without risking your life.

Jandy

They have various types of go-karts that can be rented at different rates.  The single and double (perfect for parents to supervise their kids, PhP400 for 10 laps) seat go-karts, safe enough for children, are generally just for fun rides or test runs. For experienced kart racing enthusiasts, there are really fast racing kart models (PhP600 for 10 laps), ideal for annual racing competitions, that can run one 420 m. (1/4 mile) long track lap in a quick 10 seconds.

Frank and Gelo burning rubber

There were still a number of racers using the track when we arrived.  However, it wasn’t long before they left, it being near noon and lunch time, and soon we had the track all to ourselves.  We opted for single seaters and were only allowed to go around 10 laps for a fixed rate of PhP250 per person. Jandy and I were both first timers at this and, thus, we were both excited.  My son had first crack at it and, after a short lecture on how to operate the steering wheel, brakes and accelerator and donning his helmet, was soon on his way, warily at first, then more confident later on.  Upon my turn, I got my frustrated-racer anxieties out on the paved track, pretending I was Mario Andretti.  Later, my brother Frank and his son Gelo came out and joined us on the track, making it a true Layug family fun run.

Le Man’s Go Kart – Rizal Highway, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales. Tel: (047) 252-2272. Open 10 AM to 7 PM.

Subic Bay Yacht Club Resort (Subic Freeport Zone, Zambales)

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Subic Bay Yacht Club

By brother Frank and his family were staying overnight at the Subic Yacht Club (SYC) on March 15, 2008 and he invited me and Tellie and our families to join them.  I brought along Jandy while Tellie brought along her daughter Mandy and a maid.  We all arrived at the SBYC by 3 PM and each of us checked in at an exquisitely decorated Club Room, each with top-level amenities such as  telephone, 29-inch cable TV, DVD player, internet-wired connection, a minibar, jacuzzi whirlpool bath with shower jets.

Entrance driveway


The premier yacht club in the Philippines, SBYC was built in 1998 at a cost of PhP2billion. It exemplifies luxury and style at every turn.  Aside from its 39 Club Rooms, SYC also has a 2 story presidential suite that has its own living, dining and receiving areas complete with a spiral staircase, a study room with 2 terraces and an outdoor jacuzzi. The 17,000 sq. m. main clubhouse has a 64-pax home movie theater at the 4th level and 3 function rooms (the 50-pax Victoria, the 50-pax Trinidad and the 20-pax Concepcion).

The Club Room

Venues for nightlife at SYC include a piano lobby bar (1572) offering relaxing piano music; a disco bar and videoke joint and the 150-pax Jacques Lounge reserved for private gatherings.  Restaurants here serving everything from Southern Italian cuisine (Cambusa Restaurant) to Japanese and Chinese favorites (the al fresco Skipper Verandah and the Caracoa Restaurant).  There’s even a casual deli called Providores offering informal sandwich and potato salad meals as well as vintage wines and spirits.  The Recreation Café, beside the pool, serves tropical drinks and light snacks (hamburgers, hotdogs, etc.) and other grilled specialties.

Pool area

For the water enthusiasts, the club rents yachts, jet boats, speedboats, pontoon boats, Platu keelboats and water sports equipment such as picos, lasers, Hobie Cats, wakeboards, knee boards, water skis, jetskis and scuba diving and snorkeling apparatuses. SBYC also has one of the country’s few certified US designed hyperbaric recompression chamber for divers. They also offer escorted wreck diving.

The fitness center

For sports and recreation, there are basketball courts, world-class covered tennis courts with a spectator area, an 8-lane, tenpin bowling center with glow-in-the-dark alleys and pool tables; and a complete fitness center (Tetrix Virtual Reality Bike; Virtual Reality Climber; Trackmaster treadmills, stationary cycles and rowing machines; etc.).

The huge swimming pool

The huge, 2,500 sq. m., multi-level swimming pool actually has a beach with imported powdery sand from Perth, Australia; twin water slides and a pool bar.  The spa has a sauna and steam room, masaage/treatment rooms and separate whirlpool spas for men and women  featuring numerous jet tubs. For kids, there is a daycare and nursery center, a children’s pool complete with rafts, chutes, rings, water jets and water toys for babies and young kids; a children’s outdoor play area with lots of great play equipment and the popular, educational and creative Little Fingers Art Workshop.

Subic Bay Yacht Club Resort: Blk. 3, Lot 2, Rizal Highway cor. Burgos St., Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales. Tel: (047) 252-5211. Fax: (047) 252-6586.  Website: www.sbyc.com.ph.