Category Archives: PHILIPPINE PROVINCES

Daily Bread Organic Farm and Resort (Bustos, Bulacan)

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Daily Bread Organic Farm and Resort

AAP’s drive tour caravan also highlights farm tourism, the newest trend in travel, moving around the various farms near Metro Manila to explore, immerse in and experience the culture of a farm. From the East West Seed Farm, the caravan headed to the 3.1-hectare Daily Bread Organic Farm in Bustos for a sumptuous lunch at their poolside restaurant.

Check out “East West Seed Farm”

 

The poolside restaurant

This organic farm is the brainchild of Ms. Luzviminda “Baby” Tancangco, the first non-lawyer and woman commissioner of the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and also its first female acting chairman (1998–1999).  Now retired since 2004, she is now an organic farm, health and wellness advocate.

Fresh lumpia

Being an advocate of healthy living and organically grown foods, she has put up facilities for relaxation, team building activities, and growing areas for vegetables, native pigs and other small animals like chickens and rabbits. Today, her organic farm is known for their mushroom culture as well as vermi composting, ornamental plant production, herbal plants, native pigs and other poultry products which uses the organic way of caring them.

Swimming pool

The center had a library, restaurant, greenhouse, swimming pools, clubhouse, conference area and several cottages which reflect several different architectural styles. The farm resort had been featured in several television shows and is an ideal venue for weddings and convention.

The organic restaurant, along the highway, caters to health-conscious customers. The income from the restaurant is used to finance further development of the organic farm. Here, we feasted on lumpiang sariwa (fresh vegetable roll), buko pandan and corn coffee, among others.

Baby has developed a network of suppliers of organically grown farm produce (mushrooms, various vegetables, turmeric powder, coffee from Sagada, honey from the wild, coco sugar, rice, organic wines, etc.). A consolidator of various organic products, she has helped small farmers increase their incomes. For example, the Dumagats are making money from the turmeric they supply to the organic restaurant and store.

Daily Bread Organic Farm and Resort: Don Claro Santos St., Brgy. Bonga Menor, Bustos. Mobile number: (0999) 883- 0779 (Ms. Anna  Katrina D.C. Tangcanco). Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DailyBreadOrganicFarm/?rf=104503639662998. Coordinates: 14.9581, 120.918.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

East West Seed Farm (San Rafael, Bulacan)

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East West Seed Farm

From the Bulacan Pasalubong Center, the participants next visited the East West Seed Farm, the demonstration farm of East-West Seed Company, Inc.  The company is the brainchild of 6th generation Dutch agriculturist, Simon Nanne Groot and Filipino seed trader, Benito M. Domingo.

Check out “Bulacan Pasalubong Center”

Years ago, the vegetable seed industry in Southeast Asia was little more than a seed trading system and vegetable plant breeding was just a dream Simon Groot had. In 1982, when he saw an opportunity to locally-develop hybrid seeds that are adaptable to local conditions and with remarkable characteristics, he teamed up with 50 year old Benito Domingo and formed Hortigenetics Philippines, Inc. in a 5-hectare lot in Lipa City.

Later that year, as a gesture to show that a partnership between a European and Asian is possible and could succeed, the company’s name was changed to East-West Seed Company, Inc. After the establishment of East-West Seed companies in the Philippines and Thailand, they eventually conquered Indonesia and Vietnam’s vegetable seed market.

AAP participants

Together, they bred vegetable varieties that were adapted to tropical markets and growing conditions, and could generate increased yields and productivity for farmers. In 1985, East-West Seed introduced the Jade Star ampalaya (biiter gourd), the first locally developed commercial hybrid seed in the Philippines and the whole of Southeast Asia.

Grafted bitter gourd (ampalaya)

Soon, tomato and eggplant varieties followed, plus pumpkin, several brassicas and leafy vegetables such as kangkong.

Chili peppers

Eggplant

Tomatoes

Today, East-West Seed Company, one of the 10 largest seed companies in the world, distributes high-quality vegetable seeds to over 18 million farmers in about 60 countries worldwide in tropical areas of the world. From Africa to Asia, Australia to America, East-West Seed Company continues to give farmers better seeds for better yields.

NOTE:

On June 8, 2018, East West Seed Co. co-founder Benito M. Domingo passed away at the age of 85 and, on June 10, 2019, Simon N. Groot was awarded the prestigious World Food Prize.

Greenhouse

During our visit, we were toured by Eduardo A. Arro, Jr., Farm Ready Business Manager, and AAP participants got a glimpse of East-West Seed’s plant operations such as seed processing and storage, quality control, packaging and finished goods.

Farm Ready is a subsidiary of East West Seeds responsible for aiding farmers through growing seedlings in their greenhouse nursery and researching on pests and diseases.

Eduardo A. Arro, Jr., Farm Ready Business Manager

He explained to us the advantage of planting grafted ampalaya which is more resistant to diseases and yields more than the ordinary ungrafted seedlings.  It also has a longer productive life because its rootstock is a disease-resistant patola.

Sowing seeds in seed trays

We were also taught how to prepare seedlings in a Pro tray (or seed tray) by preparing a media for seed sowing in the ratio of 1:1 (one part coco peat and one part vermin compost.  One seed per one hole with the depth of the seed twice of the seed height.

East West Seed Farm:  Km. 54 Cagayan Valley Road, Brgy. Sampaloc, San Rafael, 3008.  Tel: (044) 766-4952 to 57. Fax: (044) 766-1005. E-mail: info.ph@eastwestseed.com. Website: www.eastwestseed.com.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Bulacan Pasalubong Center (Malolos City, Bulacan)

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Bulacan Pasalubong Center

After our visit to the Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos Ancestral House, participants of the AAP Drive Caravan proceeded to the Bulacan Pasalubong Center, one-stop shop for marketing, promotion and selling of Bulacan-made products.

They include beverages; breads and pastries; chips and seeds; dairy products; processed meat and fish; relishes; condiments and dips; specialty food; sweets and candies and sweet preserves; bags and wallets; fashion and fine jewelry; garments; holiday and home décors; native products; toys; wearables; and health and wellness products.

Check out “Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House”

Bulacan-made furniture

Managed by the Bulacan Provincial Government through the Provincial Cooperative and Enterprise Development Office (PCEDO), it offers foreign and local tourists a wide variety of Tatak Bulakenyo products.

They include pastillas (carabao milk candies), minasa (cassava cookies), ensaymadang Malolos (cheesy brioche with salted egg), inipit de leche (pressed custard sponge cake); barquillos (biscuit rolls); putok pan de sal de Baliwag (milky bread roll); crispy mushroom flakes and bits; chicharon (pork rind crackling); sukang Bulacan, longganisang Calumpit, buntal products, gowns and barong; jewelry and furniture.

Barong Tagalog and gowns

Here, we had a taste of the mouthwatering local glutinous rice cakes (sapin-sapin, kutsinta, biko, etc.) and arroz caldo (Filipino congee).

An assortment of rice cakes

Bulacan Pasalubong Center: BTTBAC Bldg., Provincial Capitol Compound, MacArthur Highway, Malolos City 3000. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 8 AM to 5 PM. Tel: (044) 791-0884.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House (Malolos City, Bulacan)

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Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos Ancestral House

After our visit to Barasoain Church and its two museums (Museum of the Malolos Republic and Museo Diocesano de Malolos), participants of the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) caravan headed to the city’s Kamistisuhan District (a neighborhood of handsome ancestral houses belonging to some of Malolos’s rich and illustrious citizens), making a stopover at restored Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House.

Here, we attended a lighthearted lecture on the 20 Women of Malolos delivered by Women of Malolos Foundation Inc. President Vicente “Bong” Enriquez.

Check out “Barasoain Church,” “Museum of the Malolos Republic,” “Museo Diocesano de Malolos” and “The Kamistisuhan Houses of Malolos City”

 

The Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House, an early 20th-century bahay-na-bato (stone house) in the city of Malolos, belonged to couple Paulino Santos (a propetario and cabeza de barangay) and Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos, the fiery feminist Impong Iding who was the leader of The Women of Malolos.

Vicente “Bong” Enriquez, President of the Women of Malolos Foundation Inc.

Alberta is revered for her contributions to Philippine women’s rights, the fight for Philippine independence, and a large part of Malolos’ traditional cuisine during the Spanish and American colonial periods.

Bong touring participants of the AAP Drive Caravan around the museum

The original house, first built in 1890, was destroyed by a fire in 1910 and rebuilt and completed in 1914.

Museum entrance

Today, the house is owned by Josefa Santos-Tibajia and Lourdes Santos-Herrera, the granddaughters of Paulino and Alberta, and is under the care of the Women of Malolos Foundation Inc, a non-profit organization which spearheads initial efforts of restoration through their “Own a Piece of History, Adopt a Heritage House” project.

Declared a National Heritage House by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House was turned into the Museo ng Kababaihan ng Malolos (the Museum of the Women of Malolos), a privately owned museum,  during a soft launch on April 14, 2013 attended mostly by members of the Women of Malolos Foundation and descendants of the 20 women.

 

Towards the latter portion of the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, a group of young and affluent mestiza–sangley women from the Kamistisuhan District of Malolos, lead by Uitangcoy, signed and presented a petition written by Teodoro Sandico, a notable reformist, asking for his permission to allow them to establish a night school where they can learn Spanish and other academic subjects.

On December 12, 1888, the petition was handed, by Uitangcoy, to Governor General Valeriano Weyler. The other women fended off the furious Spanish friars who wanted to know what was in the letter. Ultimately, despite staunch opposition from the friar curate, the women won the lengthy battle for approval.

Reformist leaders Marcelo H. del Pilar and Graciano Lopez Jaena, after hearing of the women’s victory, wrote about the women in La Solidaridad, the Filipino liberal publication. On February 22, 1889, Dr. Jose Rizal followed suit in his letter “Sulat sa mga Kadalagahang Taga-Malolos” to the group wherein he lauded their brave efforts towards reform.

 

The beautiful embossed metal ceiling

During the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War, a number of the women established the Cruz Roja (Philippine Red Cross) and aided revolutionaries by passing letters and communications hidden in their dresses.

During the American Colonial Period, ten of the twenty women participated in establishing the Pariancillo chapter (one of the five barrio committees that comprised the local Malolos, Bulacan committee) of the Asociacion Feminista de Filipinas, which aimed to tackle several women’s rights issues of the day.

Photos of some of the 20 Women of Malolos

After our lecture, Bong toured us around the house’s Museo ng Kababaihan ng Malolos. Of particular interest on that floor was the beautiful embossed metal ceiling.

The Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House houses four exhibit halls (showcasing collections of surviving artifacts and other memorabilia relevant to the narrative of the women and the Uitangcoy-Santos family) and a lecture hall.

On January 18, 2017, the museum temporarily closed after Carlo Herrera (a fifth-generation grandson of Alberta Uitangcoy, and then a senior Art Management student specializing in heritage curation and preservation at the Ateneo de Manila University), during a visit to his family’s estate, found that the conditions of the museum and its exhibits were unsatisfactory.

After creating a blueprint for its restructuring, Herrera was named head curator of the museum by the owners and the usufructuary. He then began work on the estate by conducting physical repairs, restoring and preserving all the decaying articles in the museum, re-curating the entire collection, and opening more exhibit halls after clearing out debris stuffed in the home.

On March 12, 2017, Herrera reopened the museum with a newly furnished and restored interior, along with world-class preservation units. A new tour program, which Herrera had produced and conducted himself for the museum and estate, was launched and tours included a comprehensive lecture, visits to all four exhibit halls and two other heritage structures, and an interactive food-tasting exhibit of Alberta Uitangcoy’s recipes prepared by Malolos locals. Throughout February 2017, tickets to the tours were sold via Herrera’s website and were sold out in three weeks.

Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House: F.T. Reyes St. (formerly known as Calle Electricidad), Brgy. Sto. Nino, Malolos City, Bulacan.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (Bulacan)

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Museum of the Malolos Republic

Museum of the Malolos Republic

From the Museo Diocesano de Malolos, participants of the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) caravan moved on to next room which houses the Museum of the Malolos Republic. Here, we were welcomed by Mr. Jose Ruel Paguiligan of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and curator of the Barasoain Church Historical Landmark.

Members of AAP caravan listening to museum curator Mr. Jose Ruel Paguiligan

Members of AAP caravan listening to museum curator Mr. Jose Ruel Paguiligan

The modernized museum, one of 22 museums throughout the country that the Aquino administration wanted upgraded into digitally-enhanced institutions in order to advance historical studies, was finished in 2012.  It is a rich source of historical data, including documents and artifacts explaining how the Malolos Congress was put together on September 15, 1898.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (26)

With the magic of modern technology, learning history lesson is now more fun and interesting. The upgraded museum was jointly funded by the NHCP and the Provincial Government of Bulacan headed by Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (9)

It has five galleries, with the first two explaining the backdrop to the Malolos Congress to visitors. It boasts of interactive digital displays that allow students and other visitors to respond (however, it interacts only in Filipino) to a history quiz about the Philippine Revolution, making the presentation of history more interesting and, at the same time, more engaging.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (10)

It also includes an E-learning room (designed for students and equipped with 22 computers containing interactive lessons in Philippine history), research facilities and an audio-visual room.  Permanent collections of the museum include the original carriage used by Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo during the opening of the Malolos Congress and reproductions of stereographic cards of the Philippine-American War.

Carriage used by Pres. Aguinaldo

Carriage used by Pres. Aguinaldo

Gallery 1, the ante room, presents a 7-minute video introducing the museum and the evolution of the idea of freedom and the struggle of Filipinos as a prologue.  Gallery 2 traces the events leading to the establishment of the Malolos Congress namely the constitution of Biak-na-Bato, the proclamation of independence at Kawit, Cavite and the decrees of the revolutionary government headed by Gen. Aguinaldo.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (27)

Its two touch screen monitors display the historical overview of facts, from 1882 to 1899, and sources about the first Philippine Congress (headed by Pedro Paterno, it was convened on September 15, 1898 inside the Barasoain Church) and the events that preceded and followed it.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (42)

Gallery 3, at the main hall, and the smaller hall Gallery 4 focuses on Malolos, the Constitutional Congress; the Malolos Congress and the Constitution. Gallery 3 centers mostly on the downfall of the Spanish rule in the country and the succeeding events that led to the formation of the Constitución Política de la República Filipina.

L-R - Mariano Trias, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Pedro Paterno, Gregorio Araneta, Baldomero Aguinaldo, Benito Legardo and Pablo Ocampo

L-R: Mariano Trias, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Pedro Paterno, Gregorio Araneta, Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo (seated), Baldomero Aguinaldo, Benito Legardoaand Pablo Ocampo

It also offers a 7-minute light-and-sound presentation, with a diorama with life-size resin statues of the leading figures and prominent delegates of the Malolos Congress – a sitting Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the First Philippine Republic, flanked by key figures of the Malolos Congress. A pew, which is said to have been used during the actual convention of the revolutionary congress, can also be found in this particular exhibit.

List of the names of all the representatives who joined the Congress

List of the names of all the representatives who joined the Congress

In Gallery 4 is a list of the names of all the representatives who joined the Congress.  There were 193 delegates, none of whom were paid for their work.  Only 42 were elected while the rest were appointed.  The gallery also has a bust of Don Felipe G. Calderon, who penned the Malolos Constitution.

Bust of Felipe Calderon

Bust of Felipe Calderon

Gallery 5 provides the epilogue and dwells on the theme—Defense of the Republic—by featuring how Filipinos went to war against a new colonizer, the United States of America to defend the republic and the freedom and sovereignty of the people.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (36)

Museum of the Malolos Republic: Barasoain Convent, Paseo del Congreso Road, Brgy. San Gabriel, Malolos City, Bulacan.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Museo Diocesano de Malolos (Malolos City, Bulacan)

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AAP at the Museo Diocesano de Malolos

AAP at the Museo Diocesano de Malolos

From Ciudad Victoria, our 14-car Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) caravan proceeded on the second leg of our day-long tour, this time to Malolos City, the provincial capitol, where we made a stopover at historic Barasoain Church.

Museo Diocesano de Malolos (1)

At the convent, we first visited the Museo Diocesano de Malolos, a museum managed by the Malolos Diocese.  It houses relics, artifacts, regalia and religious items containing and illustrating the ecclesiastical history of Central Luzon.

Museo Diocesano de Malolos (10)

The exhibits include the original nineteenth century baptismal records of Bulacan native sons Marcelo Hilario (the Great Propagandist also known as Marcelo H. del Pilar), Francisco Baltazar (he Tagalog equivalent of William Shakespeare also known as Francisco Balagtas) and Gen. Gregorio del Pilar (the “Leonidas of the Philippines”).

Robes of priests embroidered with gold-plated silver threads

Robes of priests embroidered with gold-plated silver threads

Replica of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo

Replica of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo Church in Manila

Statues of the Holy Family and processional crucifixes

Statues of the Holy Family, candle stands and a processional crucifix

There’s also a bone fragment of St. Vincent Ferrer encased in glass; priestly robes embroidered with gold-plated silver threads; a Sto. Entierro (meaning “Holy Burial”);  a replica of the Black Nazarene from Quiapo Church; and antique prayer cards, church bells, religious statues, candle stands, processional crucifixes and antependiums (altar frontals) from different churches.

Altar frontals

Altar frontals

Antique church bells

Antique church bells

Sto. Entierro

Sto. Entierro

Museo Diocesano de Malolos: Barasoain Convent, Malolos City, Bulacan. Director: Fr. Vicente Lina Jr.. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8 AM to 4 PM.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Ciudad Victoria (Bocaue, Bulacan)

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Ciudad Victoria

For the second time around (the first was in Mindoro Oriental), I was invited by the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) to join another of their drive tourism caravans (the 10th in AAP’s series), this time to Bulacan. The caravan is a tourism program wherein, instead of driving straight to the destination, it moves through a tourism highway or road network that allows participants to see many attractions in between the start and end destinations.

Participants of the AAP Drive Caravan at the Philippine Arena

With the theme “Enjoying Bountiful Harvest and Exploring the Off Beaten Path of History and Culture,” the 57 participants (AAP directors, members, friends and the media), in 14 cars, flagged off one early morning from the Petron Marilao station where we had breakfast and availed ourselves of their clean restrooms.

The event was co-organized by Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4, in partnership with the Department of Tourism Region 3, the tourism office of Bulacan under Gov. Wilhemino Sy-Alvarado, the Tourism Promotions Board, Manila North Tollways Corp. and Aeromed, the official ambulance partner.

The Philippine Arena

Participants first visited the 140-hectare Ciudad de Victoria (also known as the Philippine Arena Complex), a 140-hectare tourism enterprise zone in Bocaue and Santa Maria that integrates residential and office buildings, as well as a complex dedicated to shopping, entertainment, leisure, education, business and sports.

The Philippine Sports Stadium

Ciudad Victoria, owned by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), a Filipino-based indigenous Christian religious organization, through its educational institution, the New Era University, and operated by Maligaya Development Corporation, houses the magnificent Philippine Arena (a 55,000-seater indoor domed arena that is the world’s largest mixed-use indoor arena) and the 20,000-seater Philippine Sports Stadium (the largest stadium in the Philippines). In commemoration of INC’s centennial celebration on July 27, 2014, it was inaugurated, after three years of construction, on July 21, 2014.

Entrance of the Philippine Sports Stadium

Other buildings within the complex include the Eraño G. Manalo (EGM) Medical Center (an 11-storey, 1st class modern hospital which is the first of its kind in Northern Luzon with 1,000-bed capacity) an Iglesia ni Cristo Chapel (dedicated on May 18, 2018) and the New Era University Bocaue Campus. The landscape for the arena and the whole complex of Ciudad de Victoria was designed by PWP Landscape Architecture, the firm who landscaped the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Lobby of the Philippine Sports Stadium

Ciudad Victoria: North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Bocaue.  Entrance: Php450.  Parking: Php50.  Photography is limited to mobile phones. DLSR cameras are not allowed.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Mt. Tapyas (Coron, Palawan)

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Mt. Tapyas

Mt. Tapyas

On our third and last day in Coron, Aylin, Issa and I were awake by 5 AM, just in time for us to make it to the town proper, via van, were we hoped to catch the sunrise atop the 210 m. (689 ft.) high Mt. Tapyas, the second highest in Coron.

Mt. Tapyas and its lighted steel cross

Mt. Tapyas and its lighted steel cross

From Ligaya Pier, we could already view the mountain, prominent for its giant steel cross (lighted at night) on its peak. Tapyas, in English, literally means “shaved off” or “chipped” because, during the Liberation, one side of the mountain was literally chipped when American forces bombed the Japanese camp on top.

The concrete stairway

Aylin making her way up the concrete stairway

Mt. Tapyas is not what you might expect as a mountaineering destination. It’s already been developed by the local government to give easy and more convenient access to tourists. Instead of hiking through typical mountain trails, trekkers only need to go up flights of some 724 concrete steps, with metal handrails, to the spacious view deck with concrete benches, just the right amount for a little cardio workout.

Typhoon Yolanda damage

Typhoon Yolanda damage

A typhoon damaged refreshment stall

A typhoon damaged refreshment stall

Our van dropped us off at the base of the stairs, just beside a community basketball court. Going up the mountain on our last morning in Coron, we encountered some groups striding up and down the mountain with minimal effort. Surely, they must be locals.

A repaired resting shed

A recently repaired shaded rest stop

For city slickers like us not used to much walking, we had a hard time “conquering” the mountain. However, there were plenty of landings with shaded benches and picnic tables where we took a breather.  However, many of these  still showed damage from super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan)  which also devastated Coron on November 8, 2013.

Nearing the top

The huge CORON signage

Since it was still very early in the morning, it just took me around 15 to 20 mins. to reach the top.  Once there, the view was amazing. We were treated with a breathtaking panoramic 360-degree view of some of the offshore islands and the surrounding mountains, especially the mountain that they call the “Sleeping Giant.”

The Sleeping Giant

The Sleeping Giant

We also saw the whole of Coron town and appreciated its simplicity. There are two octagonal gazebos at the back but we didn’t go there anymore.  Instead, we made our way back down the mountain.  Our van just arrived, minutes after making it to the base of the mountain, and brought us back to Asia Grand View Hotel.

The steel cross

The steel cross

For first-time visitors to Coron town, it’s highly recommended that they go up Mt. Tapyas. It’s best to climb it early in the morning, to see the sunrise, or before night falls to see the sun setting on Coron Bay. 

Mt. Tapyas (32)

The gorgeous view

The gorgeous view

The spacious view deck

The climb may be grueling, but the gorgeous views atop the mountain make it a great experience truly worth the effort. There are refreshment stalls and vendors that sell bottled water, energy drinks and juice drinks. For those who get regular weekly exercise, this trek should be a breeze.

Watching the sun rise

Watching the sun rise

How To Get There: From the town, entry to the steps to Mt. Tapyas is very accessible. From the main road, just look for the landmark Iglesia ni Cristo Church and San Agustin Street (which turns into the slightly sloping Malvar Street) which leads the way to an elevated basketball court at the base. Road signs point directions to Mount Tapyas view deck.

How to Get to Coron: Skyjet Airlines has 4 times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10:30 AM) flights from Manila (NAIA Terminal 4) to Coron (Francisco Reyes Airport).  Travel time is 30 mins.   

Asia Grand View Hotel: Governor’s Ave., Jolo, Brgy. 5, Coron, Palawan.  Tel:(+632) 788-3385. Mobile number: (0999) 881-7848. E-mail: gsd@asiagrandview.com. Manila sales office: Unit 504, Richmonde Plaza, 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  Tel: (+632) 695-3078 and 531-8380.  Mobile number: (0917) 550-7373 to 75 Fax: (+632) 695-3078.  E-mail: info@asiagrandview.com. Website: www.asiagrandview.com. 

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Sangat Island Dive Resort (Coron, Palawan)

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Sangat Island Dive Resort

Sangat Island Dive Resort

The last leg of our Asia Grand View Hotel-sponsored activity was a visit to Sangat Island Dive Resort where Ms. Rhoanne Rose Bolohabo, AGVH Resident Manager, used to work.  From our outrigger boat, Rhoanne, Aylin, Gem, Adora, Joy, Issa, Angelo, Donald and I were picked by the resort’s motor boat while Mike opted to swim the short distance to the shore.  The others decided to stay behind on the boat.

The 300 m. long white sand beach

The 300 m. long white sand beach

Sangat Island Dive Resort, occupying a major portion of the southwestern cusp of postcard-perfect Sangat Island, was opened in 1994.  It has a 300 m. long white sand beach surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and majestic coconut palms.

Bungalow suites

Bungalow suite

The resort has 14 enchanting and quaint, native-styled ecologically “low-impact” guest accommodations with Western-styled bathrooms and ceiling fans, built with locally-available materials such as hand-woven bamboo wall panels, split-bamboo flooring and cogon grass or nipa palm roofing.

Beachfront cottage

Beachfront cottage

They include beachfront and hillside cottages on stilts, a family-friendly bungalow suite complex, the exclusive Hilltop Chalet and the exquisite tri-level, two bedroom Lambingan Villa which has it’s very own private beach. A special one, dubbed the Robinson Crusoe Cottage, is located on an isolated beach off the southwestern coast of the island.

Sangat Island Bar

Sangat Island Bar

Billiard table at Sangat Island Bar

Billiard table at Sangat Island Bar

The resort also has an open-air, beachfront restaurant facility, two full-service bars (the Sangat Island Bar and the open-air, above water Rock Bar), fitness center and souvenir shop. The Sangat Island Bar has a comfortable conversation lounge and a billiard table.

The open-air, above water Rock Bar

The open-air, above water Rock Bar

The author and friends at the boardwalk leading to the Rock Bar

The author and friends at the boardwalk leading to the Rock Bar

The island’s tropical waters, teeming with colorful aquatic life, is also home to 11 historically important World War II ship wrecks. Ten of them are Japanese warships and supply ships sunk by 24 Curtiss SB2C Helldiver dive bombers and 96 Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter escorts (some carrying bombs) of the U.S. Navy on September 24, 1944.  Eight of these are a scant 5 to 30 min. boat ride from the resort’s beachfront.

The fully-equipped dive shop

The fully-equipped dive shop

Sangat Island Dive Resort has a internationally-renowned, comprehensive on-site water sports (sea kayaking, jetskiing, windsurfing, Hobie Cats, etc.) and scuba diving center dive facility with knowledgeable dive center attendants and licensed on-site PADI and SDI instructors.  They offer a wide range of first-class tanks, wet suits, masks, fins, dive computers, and more, plus an air and Nitrox filling station (powered by dual BAUER K14 compressors) and a brand new LW 280 unit which is combined with a 280 Coltrisub nitrox membrane.

Sea kayaks

Sea kayaks

Jetskis

Jetskis

Sangat Island Dive Resort: Sangat Island, Brgy. Bintuan, 5316 Coron, Palawan. Mobile numbers: (0908) 896-1716 and (0916) 400-8801. Website: www.sangat.com.ph,

How to Get There: Sangat Island is a 45-min. motorized outrigger boat ride from Coron town.

How to Get to Coron: Skyjet Airlines has 4 times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10:30 AM) flights from Manila (NAIA Terminal 4) to Coron (Francisco Reyes Airport).  Travel time is 30 mins.   

Asia Grand View Hotel: Governor’s Ave., Jolo, Brgy. 5, Coron, Palawan.  Tel:(+632) 788-3385. Mobile number: (0999) 881-7848. E-mail: gsd@asiagrandview.com. Manila sales office: Unit 504, Richmonde Plaza, 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  Tel: (+632) 695-3078 and 531-8380.  Mobile number: (0917) 550-7373 to 75 Fax: (+632) 695-3078.  E-mail: info@asiagrandview.com. Website: www.asiagrandview.com. 

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Pass Island (Coron, Palawan)

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From Culion Island, we again boarded our motorized outrigger boat for the small Pass Island where we were to have lunch.  While we were away touring Culion town, the fresh fish, squid and chicken that we brought along was grilled on board the boat.

Pass Island

The small, postcard-pretty Pass Island

The clean, quiet and very picturesque Pass Island has probably the best beach you can find in all of Coron, with powdery white sand; warm, crystal clear blue waters, palm trees, mangroves on the other side of the island, and a protected coral reef, with different sea life, you can enjoy snorkeling. The beach has a pretty shallow part, perfect for non-swimmers and children.

We weren't alone .....

We weren’t alone …..

For visitors who pay a reasonable entrance fee (PhP200/boat), they have beachside tents and gazebos (PhP100/table) with plastic tables and chairs to dine in, hammocks where you can relax and chill in for free; and more than decent, immaculate bathrooms, definitely a bargain to have.

Making landfall......

Making landfall……

Upon landing, our group stayed at one gazebo where we partook of the grilled fare with steamed rice and soft drinks.  After lunch, Mike, Lindy and I donned our masks and snorkels to explore the island’s nice coral garden stretched along a line of black buoys. The fantastic variety of coral, with lots of small fishes, kept my attention for a good hour or more. The fish swarm around you, hoping for food, truly a surreal experience.  To find the colony of giant clams, I had to inquire its location from a fellow snorkeler.

The powdery white sand beach dotted with colorful flags

The powdery white sand beach dotted with colorful flags

I would definitely recommend this beautiful, pleasant, postcard-pretty and well-maintained island, a  great photo location, to anyone who wants to see a slice of paradise!  Though its sand is not as white and powdery as that in Boracay, don’t let that stop you as it is still a beautiful and definite quieter place. I can say that it was totally worth it. I wish i had an island like this as I could have stayed there all day.  However, we had to leave the island before 3 PM to avoid the big waves.

There's plenty of shade ......

There’s plenty of shade ……

A popular day trip island, the owner of Pass Island also offers overnight packages in bamboo and thatch huts. However, you will have to bring your own food and potable water as the only things they sell are snacks like chips and soda.  Bring portable lamps and flashlights as the island has no electricity.

Quiet contemplation on Pass Island (photo Ms. Lindy E. Pellicer)

Quiet contemplation on Pass Island (photo Ms. Lindy E. Pellicer)

How to Get There: Pass Island is a 1.5-hour boat ride from Coron.

How to Get to Coron: Skyjet Airlines has 4 times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10:30 AM) flights from Manila (NAIA Terminal 4) to Coron (Francisco Reyes Airport).  Travel time is 30 mins.   

Asia Grand View Hotel: Governor’s Ave., Jolo, Brgy. 5, Coron, Palawan.  Tel:(+632) 788-3385. Mobile number: (0999) 881-7848. E-mail: gsd@asiagrandview.com. Manila sales office: Unit 504, Richmonde Plaza, 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  Tel: (+632) 695-3078 and 531-8380.  Mobile number: (0917) 550-7373 to 75 Fax: (+632) 695-3078.  E-mail: info@asiagrandview.com. Website: www.asiagrandview.com. 

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.