Category Archives: PLACES OF INTEREST

Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park – Natural Bridge (Basey, Western Samar)

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Sohoton Natural Bridge

After about an hour and a half of exploration, we exited the cave and proceeded back to our boat for the trip to Sohoton Bridge.  After a short distance, shallow water grounded our boat to a stop and we were told to alight and walk the remaining distance.  There are 2 winding, moss and fern covered trails going to the bridge, one a longer but more scenic 700-m. hike and the other being half the distance.  We took the scenic route.  Pretty soon we came upon the huge, 15-m. high natural parabolic stone arch entrance (from which the park got its name) stretching across the valley and connecting two mountain ridges.  Underneath is the Sohoton River.

The Sohoton River

Based on my research on caves, I theorized that millions of years ago, the bridge was formerly part of a tunneled cave with the Sohoton River flowing underground through it.  The active river eventually enlarged the cave too much for roof stability, collapsing some parts to form cylindrical shafts leading above ground.  Further collapses reduced the cave roof to stretches of tunnel or arches, forming a gorge.  The process of unroofing ceased when the level of the river fell. The narrow Sohoton natural bridge is the one remaining arch of this cave.   That this bridge was once part of a cave is seen from the huge stalactites still hanging below the bridge.

We went no further than the natural bridge, returned back along the trail, clambered down to the riverbank and retraced our steps back to the boat which was moored near the river’s rapids.   Feeling hungry, we invited Sidong and the boatmen to join us for lunch and we feasted on the contents of our picnic basket – tipay (scallops baked with garlic), lechon manok, (roasted chicken), lechon de leche (roasted pig), rice; and then pushed it all down our systems with bottled water and canned soft drinks.  The river was inviting, so we were soon down to our trunks and tried to test our strength against the rapids.  After a one-hour refreshing swim, we got dressed, packed our stuff and made the 90-min. return trip along the river back to the town.  Upon arrival at Basey, we paid our guide and boatman and were soon on our way back to Tacloban, arriving in time for the Palm Sunday mass.

Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park – Sohoton Caves (Basey, Samar)

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The “Guardian Angel”

On April 16, Palm Sunday, Jandy and I made plans to visit the 840-hectare Sohoton Natural Bridge National Parkin Basey, Samar, established as such by American Gov. Frank Murphy on July 19, 1935 by virtue of Proclamation No. 831.  Joining us as guide was Mr. Victor Macasera, a medical representative from Astra Zeneca.  We woke up early and I packed my camera, videocam and other essentials for this day trip. Victor soon arrived and joined us for a hearty breakfast.  We left Tacloban in Victor’s car by 9 AM, bringing with us a picnic basket with packed lunch prepared for us by my sister-in-law Paula.   The 26-km. trip from Tacloban City to Basey took us a mere 20 mins., passing through the 2.16-km. longSan Juanico Bridge, Southeast Asia’s longest bridge, which connects Leyte Island with Samar Island.  There was still a break in the bridge’s railing, where, on February 11, 6 drunk Army men, coming from a fiesta in V&G Subdivision, crashed their vehicle through the railing, into the San Juanico Strait, and all drowned.

San Juanico Bridge

Upon our arrival at Basey’s port, Victor parked his car at the pier and arranged for a small pumpboat, Petromax lamp, permit and guide, all for PhP600.  He chose a small boat for two reasons.  First, we were just a small party and second, its shallow draft will enable us to negotiate the shallow portion of the Basey River.  The guide assigned to us was Mr. Francisco “Sidong” Corales, a 45-year old park ranger and certified spelunker.  The trip up the winding Basey (or Cadacan) River was engrossing.  From the wharf, it is an 11-km. (1.5 hr.) boat ride up along the 50 to sometimes 200 m. wide, golden brown Basey River.

Basey River

The initial portion was along evergreen banks lined with coconut trees, swamp plants and nipa palm (Nypa fruticans).   We had an intimate glimpse of small villages with river dwellers going about heartwarming daily activities like washing clothes and bathing children.  We also passed a colorful assortment of small native outriggers loaded with produce and passengers.  As we went further down the river, it started to narrow dramatically and the scenery began to change to eerie jungle, with massive and very rugged limestone outcrops gradually towering on both sides of the river.  We also passed bizarre, weather-sculpted limestone rock formations.  Huge trees, with interlaced roots and thick branches, hug the river’s edge and large, ancient-looking boulders also jutted out the water.

Bizarre rock formations along river

Occasionally, there were shallow portions along the river and Sidong and the boatmen had to alight to push the boat.  Pretty soon, we reached a junction where the Basey River branches out into the Bugasan and Sohoton Rivers and just before that was the unprepossessing entrance to the Panhulugan I Cave, the largest (546 sq. m.) and most spectacular endogenic cave in the park.   Directly across is towering Panhulugan Cliff, a high and steep rock formation, and cutting into the face of this cliff is  the 3.5-m. high and 50-m. long scar of Panhulugan Cave II. During the Philippine-American War, Filipino insurgents dropped rocks and logs down on U.S. troops coming up the narrow curve of the river.

Panhulugan Cave I entrance

We moored our boat at the entrance of Panhulugan Cave I, climbed a series of steps, crossed a bridge and stopped at a resting area with concrete tables and benches.  Here, Sidong showed us a map of the park and briefed us on what to expect inside the cave.  Upon entering and squeezing our way through narrow and sometimes low openings, we were ushered into a mystical and magical world of beautiful, glittering and exotically shaped and patterned stone unseen except with our Petromax lamps.  There were some walls of sparkling, pure white crystal and chambers replete with stalactites and stalagmites.  Geologically active, water constantly drips from stalactites and there are also large accumulations of materials beneath the chimney holes.

With their wild and vivid imagination, locals have christened many of the beautiful and breathtaking formations after religious icons, animals, plants, parts of the human anatomy and domestic as well as foreign tourist destinations.  Only nature can create and preserve such wonders.  One formation resembled a “three-legged elephant” complete with trunk (above).  Others were appropriately named the “Chair of Alexander the Great,” the “Ice Cream Cone,” the “Guardian Angel,” “Anaconda,” “Statue of Liberty” and beside it, the “Holy Family.” A fenced off portion has a flow area similar to the famed “Banaue Rice Terraces”.  A miniature horizontal ribbon-like formation is aptly named the “Great Wall of China” and beside it the “Chocolate Hills” of Bohol.

The Breast Room

Sidong also tried his hand in music, tapping on some seemingly hollow formations like organ pipes to create musical notes. He also ushered us into the Love Room where the ceiling was covered with the so-called European, American and Filipino versions of the female breast as well as the male sex organ.  One chamber has 15-m. high ceiling which exudes the solemn atmosphere of a high-domed cathedral.  Its eerie silence sent a tingling feeling down my spine.  Before exiting, Sidong showed us what appeared to be ancient animal bone fragments embedded in one of the cave walls.

Lake Danao Natural Park (Ormoc City, Leyte)

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From Kananga, we again boarded the AUV for the 2,193-hectare Lake Danao Natural Park.  Declared as such on June 2, 1972, this outstanding trekking area is part of the 40-km. Leyte Mountain Trail which starts from the 365-hectare Mahagnao National Park (established in 1937), between Burauen and La Paz, to Lake Danao and Tongonan National Park.  The trek offers a rain forest tour, beautiful Lakes Mahagnao, Malagsum, Kasudsuran and Danao, the spectacular Guinaniban Falls and breathtaking views of the mountains, forest, plains and the islands of Samar and Leyte from the crest of the central Amandiwing Mountain Range with its near-virginal tropical rainforest.

Lake Danao

Located 25 kms. from Tacloban City and 15 kms. (a 30-min. drive) northeast of Ormoc City, the violin-shaped, 148-hectare Lake Danao, formerly called Lake Imelda, is situated at an elevation of 1,600 ft. above sea level and is hemmed in by the cloud-capped Amandiwing mountain range.  Considered to be one of the most beautiful and cleanest lakes in the country, it is 3 kms. long, 200 m. deep and has a cool and invigorating climate.  We parked our vehicle near the Ranger Station and went up the nearby wooden viewing tower for a beautiful view of the lake.

We were greeted by Mr. Antonio Elias, station utility man, who offered to row me and Jandy in his small banca to the middle of the lake.  Upon our return, we paid a visit to the lone ranger (any similarity to a fictional character is purely coincidental) assigned to the station, Mr. Quinciano C. Abiertas, Jr., who gave us additional information about the lake.

Me and Jandy at the viewing tower

The lake is home to giant and native tilapia, shrimp (awang), mudfish (bul-a), shellfish (kaykay and taab) and is also said to be the habitat for giant eels  (igat or kasili).  The 2,045-hectare surrounding cloud-capped mountains has a dense secondary rain forest and a mossy forest on top.  It is planted with narra, agoho, lauan, nato and gmelina trees plus wild ferns, pitcher plants and wild orchids.  It is also home to much wildlife including monkeys, wild pigs (baboy damo), monitor lizards (bayawak), deer and iguanas (ibid).  Birds include wild chicken, hornbill, kingfisher, hanging parakeet, parrots, serpent eagle, kite eagle and wild ducks.  The park is ideal for swimming (near the river’s mouth), picnicking, hiking and horseback riding.  Hunting is prohibited but can hardly be enforced due to Mr. Abiertas’ lack of personnel. Kaingin (slash and burn) farming is also a problem.  The lake can be reached by jeepneys from Ormoc City’s jetty.

Casa Punzalan and the Taal Heritage Foundation (Taal, Batangas)

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We decided, due to the late hour, to spend the night in Taal.  Driving back to the municipal hall, we stopped at nearby Casa Punzalan, Taal’s first pensionnne. The ancestral home of the prominent Punzalan family, it was leased by Mr. Jesus Samala Punzalan, Jr. and Capt. Nieto Punzalan, at no cost, to the Taal Heritage Foundation.  We were welcomed by Ms. Betty Lualhati, a U.S. balikbayan and one of the foundation’s members.

Jandy at Casa Punzalan

The foundation was, together with the Department of Tourism and in close coordination with the municipal government, in the forefront of Taal’s recent failed campaign to be included in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).  They also organized the Taal Heritage Tour (or Taal Walking Tour), an educational, enriching and entertaining guided tour that allows the visitor to experience the lifestyle of the town; its culture, arts, crafts and the warm hospitality of the people.

It just so happened that we were the only boarders at Casa Punzalan for the night, and I not only got the feel of Taal’s 19th century lifestyle, but also a tingling feeling one gets when one stays alone in a old, haunted house.  The inn has 7 rooms, all named after owners (Graciano and Juliana) and their children; 5 of them fan-cooled (PhP600) and 2 airconditioned (PhP1,00-1,200), all accessed by a grand staircase.  It also has common baths (mens and ladies), a living room (sala), a coffee shop and a gift shop.  We opted to stay at the corner and well ventilated Graciano Room with its excellent view of the basilica and park from its capiz windows.  After a well-deserved bath at the modern-looking common bathroom, we retired to an uneventful sleep.

Graciano Room

We were awaken at 6 A.M., stirred by the sound of crowing roosters, packed our bags and were off, after an early breakfast at Lemery, to Cuenca and its stately 1,145-m.  high guardian, Mt. Makulot.

Casa Punzalan: cor. C. Ilagan and P. Gomez St., Brgy. Poblacion 7, Taal, Batangas.  Tel: (043) 408-0084.

Taal Heritage Foundation: Casa Punzalan, Taal, Batangas. Tel: (043) 421-3034, 421-1053 & 421-1071.  Fax: (043)  408-0577.

Felipe Agoncillo Mansion and Monument (Taal, Batangas)

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Later, accompanied by the HME Embroidery Store caretaker, Jandy and I crossed the street to the 2-storey Felipe Agoncillo Mansion and Monument, birthplace of Felipe Agoncillo, the husband of Marcela  who was appointed by Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo as ambassador to the U.S. to campaign for recognition of Philippine independence.  He is considered as the first Philippine diplomat.  In the well-manicured front garden is a prominent brass statue of Felipe.

Felipe Agoncillo Mansion and Monument

Known as the White House, this mansion is also known as the Don Gregorio R. Agoncillo (nephew of Felipe) Museum and is now a National Historical Landmark.  As we were accompanied by the store caretaker, we were allowed passage.  On the second floor are Edwardian and Spanish-inspired antique, 1800s to early 1900s furniture and choice period items plus busts of the Agoncillo ancestors.

Agoncillo Mansion dining room
Felipe Agoncillo Mansion and Monument: J.P. Rizal St., Brgy. Poblacion 13, Taal, Batangas

HME Embroidery Store (Taal, Batangas)

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From the Leon Apacible Museum and Library, Jandy and I proceeded to the HME Embroidery Store, one of the town’s pioneers in the now dying art of fine needlework of hand-embroidered, semitransparent pina (made from pineapple fibers) cloth which is usually done by women in their homes and sundried around the market.    

HME Embroidery Store

The store is located within the Art Deco-style ancestral house (also called the “Pink House”) of Ramon and Jovita Estacio, built in 1918 with narra and molave shipped all the way from Mindoro.  We were shown around the second floor by Mrs. Ofelia Estacio, the wife of Honesto Estacio, the current owners, where we appreciated its antique furniture. I bought barong cloth for PhP600 at the ground floor store.

HME Embroidery Store: J.P. Rizal St., Brgy. Poblacion 13, Taal, Batangas

Leon C. Apacible Museum and Library (Taal, Batangas)

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Returning to our car, I drove further up the street, across Taal National High School, to the Leon C. Apacible Museum and Library, ancestral house of Leon and Matilde Apacible.  Leon Apacible, son of Don Vicente Apacible and Catalina Castillo, was Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo‘s finance officer and was a delegate to the Revolutionary Malolos Congress of 1898.  This extremely well-preserved bahay na bato home to 4 generations of Apacibles, was remodeled twice, in 1870 and from 1938-40.  It was recognized as a National Historical Landmark and was donated to the government on December 6, 1976 by former town mayor (1975-80) Mrs. Corazon Apacible Caniza, daughter of Leon Apacible, Jr. and Consolacion Noble.  It is now managed by the National Historical Institute with Mrs. Annie Marie Moreno as curator. 

Leon Apacible Museum and Library
Upon entering the house’s foyer, the first thing you would notice is a karitela (horse carriage) restored by the NHI on August 1992.  We were toured by Mr. Oprenilo Canoza.  Below the stairs are displays of old documents, faded photos, a chart showing the family’s genealogy and a 400-year old gallinera said to have been used as a coop for the master’s (and his friend’s) fighting cocks. Upstairs we were shown the house’s extremely well-preserved American Art-Deco interiors with details carved and inlaid into the floor and door trims.  Display cases exhibit the hand-painted fans of Dona Matilde, lace veils, the fans of Corazon when she was five years old, embroidered camisa blouses, and the children’s clothes she wore.

On display at the dining room are blue and white Ming Dynasty Chinese pottery, gilded Florentine wine decanters and a gilt-edged and hand-painted Venetian dinner service. The kitchen, which is still being used by the adjoining house of Mrs. Caniza, is closed to the public.  The family collection of fine antique furniture includes an 18th century hand-carved mahogany divan.  Inside the 2 bedrooms are 19th century vanity tables adorned with 4 oval mirrors inlaid with a hundred tiny circular mirrors; a beautiful carved wooden cabinet with two big mirrors; an early 19th century mahogany cabinet with 3 big mirrored doors;  an 18th century writing desk; a massive escritorio displaying Dr. Galicano Apacible’s 19th century medical equipment and 4-poster beds.   A piano, made in 1870 by M.F. Rachals of Hamburg, Germany, still works.  On the ceiling above the stairs is an 18th century chandelier.   There are also a 16th century statue of the Virgin of the Holy Rosary and 17th century ivory santos.

On the enresuelo (ground floor) are old documents showing Don Leon’s involvement in the revolutionary movement; a 1880 laminated photo of 16-year old Jose Rizal, Don Leon and younger brother Don Galicano as members of Intramuros’ Artist Club; pictures of Don Leon and his family and paintings of the Don Leon’s ancestors.   Underneath the azotea (court garden) is the aljibe (cistern) where rainwater is stored. Also on display are an old cannon, a stone water purifier, horse and cow brands, rice and corn grinders and other artifacts.  

Leon Apacible Museum and Library: M.M. Agoncillo St., Brgy. Poblacion 4, Taal, Batangas.  Open daily, 8 AM-5 PM. Admission is free. 

Marcela M. Agoncillo Museum and Monument (Taal, Batangas)

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The first ancestral house Jandy and I visited was the 2-storey Marcela M. Agoncillo Museum and Monument, ancestral home of the wife of Aguinaldo’s first Secretary, Felipe Agoncillo, and the country’s equivalent to America’s Betsy Ross.  While in exile in Hongkong with husband Felipe, Marcela sewed, with the assistance of her daughter Lorenza and Herbosa de Natividad (National Hero Jose P. Rizal‘s niece) and in the tradition of Taal’s fine embroidery, our first Philippine national flag

Marcela M. Agoncillo Museum and Monument

The house was built in the late 17th century by Marcela’s grandfather, Andres Marino, making it one of the oldest, if not the oldest structure in the town.  Don Felipe and Dona Marcela had six offspring, all daughters who never married. Like most Spanish-era ancestral  houses, the main living quarters were located on the second floor which still has its original wooden floorboards.  The antique furniture, arranged in the Louie XVI (Luis Quince) and Charles XII (Carlos Trece) style, are mixed with Viennese bentwood pieces.

The garden with Marcela’s statue

The house is now managed by the National Historical Institute with Ms. Estela Atienza as curator.  We were toured by Mrs. Sylvia Alvarez who showed us the house’s antique period furniture, a chart showing the family’s genealogy, the library of old Tagalog, English and French books; portraits of Don Andres, Doña Marcela and Don Felipe in the chapel-shaped drawing room (with its carved ceiling and four corner angels), capiz windows and a display of the different flags of the revolution at the basement.  Beside the house, and accessible by a steel gate from the street, is a garden with flagpoles displaying the Katipunan and revolutionary flags as well as a bronze statue of Dona Marcela presenting the new flagsculpted by Florante Caido and inaugurated on February 14, 1985.   

Marcela M. Agoncillo Museum and Monument: M.M. Agoncillo St., Brgy. Poblacion 4, Taal, Batangas. Open Mondays-Fridays, 8 AM-5 PM, admission is free.

The Ancestral Houses of Taal (Batangas)

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After exploring the town’s plaza, Jandy and I proceeded by car to M.M. Agoncillo St., the town’s main street and site of many of the town’s large, well-appointed and well-preserved bahay na bato (stone ancestral houses).   Most were built by the immensely rich and aristocratic illustrado merchant class   who made an economic windfall in 1841, planting Mexican coffee beans which flourished in the rich and fertile volcanic soil of Taal.   However, the town’s role as the province’s premier commercial hub declined in the 1890s due to a coffee disease caused by the bayombong worm.  Many of the prominent Taalenos actively participated in the revolutionary struggle.

Marcela M. Agoncillo Street

These massive and stately, 200-year old mansions, with their carved wooden eaves, solid stone foundations, “kissing”  balconies and brick roofing, exude Moorish influence.  They include the Felipe Agoncillo Mansion and Monument, the well-preserved Ylagan-De la Rosa Ancestral House (registered with the National Historical Institute in 1998), the Gliceria Marcela de Villavicencio Ancestral Home (33 Parella cor. Del Castillo St., not open to the public)and the Ananias Diokno Ancestral House (the former home of revolutionary general Ananias Diokno,  it now houses the totally inappropriate Powerhaus Fitness Clinic).

Ylagan-De la Rosa Ancestral House

A number have been been converted to museums managed by the National Historical Institute (Marcela M. Agoncillo Museum and Monument and Leon Apacible Museum and Library) while Casa Punzalan has been converted into a pension house, Taal’s first. The Eulalio Villavicencio Ancestral House is now a boarding house.  Casa Calanog and Casa Montenegro, both facing the basilica, feature copious and superbly rendered capiz windows, all having cloud-shaped capiz transoms.

Ananias Diokno Ancestral House

Ananias Diokno Ancestral Home: 2 R. Diokno St., Taal, Batangas

Casa Calanog: Brgy. Poblacion 7, Taal, Batangas

Casa Montenegro: Brgy. Poblacion 7, Taal, Batangas

Gliceria Marcela de Villavicencio Ancestral Home: 33 Parella cor. Del Castillo St., Brgy. Poblacion 2, Taal, Batangas

Ylagan-De la Rosa Ancestral House: Brgy. Poblacion 12, Taal, Batangas.

The Twin Wishing Wells of Sta. Lucia (Taal, Batangas)

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Later, Jandy and I proceeded to to the back of the Chapel of the Virgin of Caysasay where we ascended the 5-m. wide Chinese granite (“piedra china”) stairway called Hagdan-Hagdan.  This stairway was built in 1850 by Fr. Celestino Mayordomo to replace the original adobe stairs.  

Hagdan-Hagdan

After the first flight, we crossed over the railing and proceeded down a well-defined dirt path to the Twin Wishing Wells of Sta. Lucia.   This is the spot where the 2 Marias found the image.  It has a Chinese-inspired (supposedly erected by ethnic Chinese) coralstone arch with a bas-relief of the Virgin of Caysasay.

Twin Wishing Wells of Sta. Lucia

Underneath are two wells, the waters of which are reputed to have miraculous healing and therapeutic powers.  Devotees usually pray at the grotto to the Virgin at the back, wish and light candles and then take baths at the wells.  The waters of the left well, said to cure head injuries, is for the initial bath and the waters of the second well, for healing the body, is for “rinsing.”  Returning back to Hagdan-Hagdan, we reached the San Lorenzo Ruiz Arch, renamed after the first Filipino saint, after 125 steps and 3 flights.