Category Archives: PHILIPPINE PROVINCES

St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral (Davao City, Davao del Sur)

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St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral

The St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral (also referred to as the San Pedro Cathedral or Davao Cathedral), dedicated to Saint Peter, is the ecclesiastical seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Davao. It is located in front of the Sangguniang Panglungsod (City Council) ng Dabaw Building.

First built using nipa and bamboo in 1847 by Don Jose Oyanguren, it was later demolished subsequently rebuilt in wood in the Neo-Gothic style in the mid 1900s by the late Architect Ramon Basa.  During World War II, it was said to have been turned into a horse stable by Japanese troops. In 1964, due to its small size, it was finally remodelled in concrete, glass and metal by Architect Manuel Chiew.

Being of recent origin, it doesn’t have the weathered look of heritage churches. Still, it has a turbulent history as the cathedral has been a witness to two grenade bombing incidents.

The main altar

The first incident, on April 19, 1981 (Easter Sunday), killed 17 people and injured 157. Again, on December 28, 1993 (Holy Innocents Day), another bombing resulted in 6 deaths and 151 injured (32 seriously).

From the outside, the distinctive modern façade is a departure from the usual façade of Catholic churches, with Islamic elements incorporated into its design.  Its curved, gray roof looks like a bow of a vinta (a traditional boat made by the Badjao tribe in Southern Mindanao) sailing over waters with a Christian cross in the middle as the rudder.

The arched windows, flanking the cathedral’s main doorway, hint at traditional Gothic design. The old altar, designed by Ramon Basa, with antique images of different saints, is preserved at the cathedral’s right wing.

The old altar at the right wing of the cathedral

The separate imposing bell tower, standing by a corner in the courtyard, has a replica of the the Pieta (a statue of the sorrowful Blessed Virgin Mary with the dead body of her son, Jesus Christ, on her lap), adorning a pocket garden, and the two concrete tablets of the Ten Commandments of God.

The separate bell tower

St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral: San Pedro St., Barangay Poblacion District, Davao City, Davao del Sur. Tel: (082) 227-2317, 227-2398 and 226-4740.

A Tour of Davao City (Davao del Sur)

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View Metro Davao and Davao Gulf from Jack Ridge Resort and Restaurant

Come morning, after breakfast at Pearl Farm Resort, I joined other tourists on a boat going back to the mainland. At the Pearl Farm Marina, I met up with Jose “Jay” Mendoza, a fellow architect and former Mas Othman and Associates officemate at the lobby.

Check out “Resort Review: Pearl Farm Resort,” “Resort Feature: Pearl Farm Marina” and “The Flavors of Spain in Davao”

The author at Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant

Jay and I met up at last night’s Flavors of Spain at the Pearl Farm Marina. Jay, married a Davaoeña and now based and practicing in Davao City, offered to tour me around the city in his car and I gladly accepted his offer.

Downtown Davao

This was my first visit to this sprawling urban metropolis which is the fastest-growing city in the country after Manila.  The undisputed center for trade, convention and tourism in Mindanao, Davao City is a prime destination for tourism and investments in the Philippines, the BIMP-Eaga (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asian Growth Area) and the Asia-Pacific region.

NCCC Mall

This 2,443.61 sq. km. (943.48 sq. mi.) city, 7.8 times the size of Metro Cebu and three times that of the entire Metro Manila, making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of land area and is said to be the second largest in the world (after Mexico City).

Victoria Plaza

Gaisano Mall of Davao

Davao is also one of several cities in the Philippines that are independent of any province (though it is usually grouped with Davao del Sur for statistical purposes). It is divided into three congressional districts, which are further divided into 11 administrative districts containing a total of 184 barangays.

Ateneo de Davao

Big as it is in size as well as in hype, it was still recently acclaimed by Asiaweek Magazine as one of Asia’s most livable cities. Why? There are many compelling reasons people chose Davao over any other place in the country, as well as in Southeast Asia. As varied as the reasons and factors may be, they still all sum up to one thing: quality of life.

Grand Regal Hotel

Davao City is home to many high rise buildings and, outside Metro Manila, Metro Davao is one of the three metropolitan areas in the Philippines having numerous skyscrapers.

The Marco Polo Hotel

They include the 73 m. (240 ft.) high, 18 storey Marco Polo Davao Hotel and the 49 m. (161 ft.) high, 12 storey Grand Regal Hotel, both built in 1998.  The city’s oldest hotel is the Apo View Hotel, built in 1948.

The Apo View Hotel

Jay showed me the Ateneo de Davao University (a premiere Filipino, Catholic and Jesuit University founded by the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus in 1948), Victoria Plaza, New City Commercial Center (NCCC) Mall and the Gaisano Mall of Davao (a well-known mall with numerous stores and a cinema, plus a large roof deck with eateries and a view).

Old City Hall

We first made a stopover at the old City Hall (formerly the Municipal Building) which was constructed in 1926, some ten years before Davao finally became a city.

Legislative Building

Also within the grounds are the Legislative Building (Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Dabaw) and the Commemorative Monument of Peace and Unity, unveiled during the celebration of the Philippine Centennial in 1998.

Commemorative Monument of Peace and Unity. In the background is the bell tower of the St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral

The monument depicts the peaceful relationship of the migrant and indigenous inhabitants of Davao in the last 100 years. In front of the Legislative Building is the St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral (also called San Pedro Cathedral or Davao Cathedral).

Check out “St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral”

St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral

We then proceeded on the 20-min. (5.6 km.) drive to Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant via the Davao City-Junction Digos Section Rd., Davao-Cotabato Rd. and Gen. Douglas MacArthur Highway. Along the way, we made a short stopover at the 4-hectare (9.9-acre) People’s Park which was created through the ₱71 million  conversion of the old PTA Grounds (or the Palaruang Panlunsod or “City Playground”), a sporting and events venue of the city, into a cultural theme park.

The Durian Dome at People’s Park

It features a mini-forest, man-made falls, a dancing fountain at night, fish ponds, children’s playground and the 425 sq. m. (4,570 sq. ft.) Durian Dome, the visitors’ center whose design was inspired by the durian fruit.  The park project, which commenced in July 2006, had a soft opening just last August 2007 during the Kadayawan Festival.

Check out “Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant” and “Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague”

Jay Mendoza at Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant

At Jack’s Ridge, we admired the view of Metro Davao and the Davao Gulf from its restaurant then moved on the Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague.  That done, we returned to Jay’s house where we had a late lunch.

Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague

Apo View Hotel: Camus Ext., Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000. Tel: (082) 221-6430.

Ateneo de Davao University: E. Jacinto St., Davao City 8016

Gaisano Mall of Davao: J.P. Laurel Ave, Bajada, Davao City 8000.  Tel: (082) 222-1411 150

Grand Regal Hotel: J.P. Laurel Ave, Lanang, Buhangin, Davao City, 8000. Tel: (082) 235-0888.

Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant: 117 Shrine Hills Rd, Talomo, Davao City, 8000

Marco Polo Davao Hotel: C. M. Recto, Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000. Tel: (082) 221-0888.

NCCC Mall: MacArthur Highway corner Ma-a, Davao City, 8000.

People’s Park: Uy Building, 49 Jln Palma Gil St, Davao City, 8000

St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral: San Pedro St, Poblacion District, Davao City.  Tel: (082) 226-4740.

Shrine of Holy Infant Jesus of Prague: Shrine Hills, Talomo, Davao City, 8000

Victoria Plaza: J.P. Laurel Ave., Bajada, Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000.  Tel: (082) 221-4991.

Davao International Airport (Davao City, Davao del Sur)

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Davao International Airport (Francisco Bangoy International Airport)

Our gateway to Samal Island and its Pearl Farm Resort was the Francisco Bangoy International Airport, the main airport serving Davao City and the entire Davao Region in the Philippines,  also commonly known as Davao International Airport (IATA: DVO, ICAO: RPMD).

Check out “Pearl Farm Resort“

Here are some interesting trivia regarding the airport:

Here is the historical timeline of the airport:

  • In the 1940s, Don Francisco Bangoy donated the land where the airport sits on. At the time it began operation, the airport merely consisted of a 1,200 m. long unpaved grass runway with quonset huts serving as terminal buildings.
  • Throughout much of the 1940s and 1950s, Philippine Airlines and the Philippine Air Force provided air service to the city.
  • By 1959, the complex consisted of a small control tower and several low-rise buildings.
  • During the latter stages of Paciano Bangoy’s gubernatorial term, right of way and access to the terminal buildings and the airport was improved through further donation of land by Bangoy.
  • In 1980, a new terminal, designed by Filipino architect Leandro Locsin, with a capacity of one million passengers, was constructed and the runway was progressively extended from its original length of 1,200 m. to its current 3,000 m.. Then-Congressman Manuel Garcia, whose congressional district covers the airport perimeter, funded both projects.
  • In 2000, construction began on a new, larger Php2.7 billion (US$128 million) terminal building which would consolidate the Php15 million interim international terminal and the airport’s then-existing terminal.
  • In 2001, the new 3,000 m. long runway (extended from its previous length of 2,500 m. to accommodate future international flights) was completed.
  • On December 2, 2003, the new terminal was inaugurated.
  • On November 12, 2007, Cebu Pacific announced the airport as its third hub.
  • On March 26, 2018, Philippine Airlines, the country’s flag carrier, announced the airport as its third hub.

One of four jet bridges

The two-level Malay architecture-inspired passenger terminal, with double the capacity of the old terminal, has an approximate area of 17,500 sq. m. (188,000 sq. ft), four times larger than the old terminal. It is fully computerized, more secure and has more commercial spaces for concessionaires (approximately 9,000 sq. m. or 97,000 sq. ft.) of gross leasable area.

Interior of terminal

For passenger boarding, it has four jet bridges plus a Flight Information Display System and closed-circuit television system that complements the terminal’s security system. The latest navigational, security and baggage handling equipment also complements the added capacity.

To handle a steady flow of passenger traffic, the terminal has 14 domestic and 14 international check-in counters equipped with electronic weighing scales and conveyors and a computerized its baggage handling system. It also has 2 arrival areas (domestic and international), with 2 baggage conveyors each. The cargo terminal building, covering almost 5,580 sq. m. (60,100 sq. ft.), can handle up to 84,600 metric tons (83,300 long tons; 93,300 short tons) of cargo annually.

Besides the main terminal building, there are also new support facilities like the Administration Building, Airfield Maintenance Building, Central Plant Building, Hangar for Military and Training aircraft and Fire/Crash/Rescue Building. It has an 800-slot car parking area and 4 slots for shuttle buses. It has a 3-megawatt (4,000 hp) standby power generator.

The airport has a single 3,000-m. (9,800 ft.) long by 45-m. (148 ft.) wide precision runway that can handle basically all passenger wide-bodied aircraft (including the Airbus A380).  Two turning pads at each end of it, which help aircraft make a back track, complement the runway.

The installation of a new instrument landing system (ILS), for both Runways 05 and 23, upgraded its compliance to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) operating category-Precision Approach Category 1. Depending on size, it can accommodate 8 to 10 aircraft landings per hour and has the equivalent 9 gate holding areas for those aircraft.

The airport has also 2 dual access taxiways. Taxiways A3 and A4 are used to access the new ramp and terminal while taxiways B and C are used for access to the old airport ramp.

Today, Philippine Airlines, All Nippon, Cebu Pacific Air and South East Asian Airlines operate more frequently here. The most popular sectors from Davao are Davao to Manila, Davao to Cebu with 375, 152 weekly flights respectively.

Francisco Bangoy International Airport: Daan Maharlika Highway, Brgy. Sasa, Buhangin District, Davao City 8000.  Tel: (082) 234-0418.

Rafael’s Farm Garden Restaurant (Babatngon, Leyte)

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On my fifth day on Leyte, I decided to take a much needed break, my map updating work for United Tourist Promotions (makers of EZ Maps) just about done.  My sister-in-law Paula suggested I bring along Selena and Sean, my niece and nephew respectively, and have lunch at Rafael’s Farm Garden Restaurant in the next town of Babatngon.  We brought along their family driver Cherwine Avis.  It was just a 13-km./30 min. drive to the restaurant.

The boating lagoon

This peaceful, 16-hectare place in the middle of farmland, because of its ambiance, is a perfect place to dine, get close to nature and relax  with its beautiful, well-maintained landscaping.  There were many open green spaces to walk around, a wishing well, a manmade waterfall, a calesa, a treehouse for children to play in and a lagoon where one can go rowboating.  A wooden platform leads to a gazebo at the middle of the lake.  At night, fireflies swarm at a nearby tree.  The restaurant was named after the grandson of owner/entrepreneur Rene Tampil. Rene is also the owner of meat shops and the “Join Us” fastfood eateries in Tacloban City.

Selena at entrance to main building

The thatched-roof main building, with its native decor and open on 2 sides, has a wooden floor, conversation areas with sofas, interesting coffee tables, old and lamps, sculpture pieces, and an infinity pond with koi fish around the perimeter. A favorite weekend destination, it is truly a nice place for one who wants to get out of noise and stress of city life, even if just for a few hours.

The conversation area and infinity pond

The main dining area has dining tables topped with crocheted tablecloth and wooden chairs with woven abaca backrests and seats covered with banig.  All around are artwork (done by local artists) for sale.  The menu features a wide selection of delicious Filipino dishes (fish sinigang, grilled herb chicken, kinilaw, kare-kare, crispy chicken kawali, coco chicken stew, garlic butter fish steak, yellow pork chop, baked scallops, classic baby back ribs,  etc.), salads (farmer’s salad, garden fresh salad, etc.), desserts (buko gelatin, halo-halo, turon, etc.), pastries and beverages (lemon grass tea, ginger tea, iced tea, etc.), all at reasonable prices.  You can avail of a set meal consisting of salad, a side dish, rice, main course and dessert for PhP220.


Rafael’s Farm: Brgy. Pagsulhugon, Babatngon, Leyte.  Tel: (053) 325-0729.  Mobile numbers (0918) 669-9909 and (0915) 920-0325.  E-mail: inquiry@rafaelfarm.com and reservation@rafaelfarm.com.  Website: www.rafaelfarm.com.

Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Hilongos, Leyte)

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Continuing on our way to Maasin City, Doods and I traveled the next 44 kms., past the towns of Inopacan and Hindang, to Hilongos. There, we made a brief stopover at the town’s Spanish-era, fortified Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.  This church was built by Jesuit friars in the 18th century and renovated by secular Fr. Leonardo Celis-Diaz, a native of Cebu.   

The modern Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate
Conception.  On its left is its Spanish-era bell tower

The original church, now incorporated as a transept, was a single-nave structure whose main door was also the gate to a bastioned fortification.  Some bastions and walls of that fortification still remain.  The main nave of the church is a modern construction and the church interior is completely new.

Ruins of the bastioned fortification

However, the town is more known for its octagonal flanking bell tower, now considered as the highest existing bell tower built in the Spanish era.  Also built by Fr. Celis-Diaz, this  independent multi-storey structure is now plastered over with Portland cement.   The convent, probably completed in the 19th century, houses many of the church’s antiques including silver vessels from the 18th century.

Baybay City (Leyte)

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After breakfast at Bahia Coffee Shop, I was picked up at the Hotel Don Felipe lobby by Mr. Doods Alcaraz, a medical representative requested by my sister-in-law Paula to drive me to Maasin City where I was to do map updating for United Tourist Promotions (makers of EZ Maps).  We used Dood’s car for this purpose.  We left Ormoc City by 8:30 AM.  The Maharlika Highway, though concreted, was pockmarked with cracks and potholes and first time drivers along this route would have to drive with caution.  Doods, however, frequently plied this route and knew it like the palm of his hand. 

Baybay City Hall

After 46 kms., past the town of Albuera, we made our first stopover for  merienda at a Jollibee outlet at the new component city of Baybay (it became such by virtue of Republic Act No. 9389 and was ratified by a plebiscite held on June 16, 2007) on the central west coast of Leyte where ferries leave for Cebu and the other islands.  This wasn’t my first visit to the city as its port was our jump-off point for our April 22, 2000 visit to the Cuatro Islas (under the jurisdiction of Inopacan).   

Baybay Port

On November 18, 2008, the Supreme Court struck down Baybay’s cityhood law, making Baybay a municipality again.  On December 22, 2009, acting on the appeal of the so-called “League of 16 Cities” (of which Baybay is a part of), the Supreme Court reversed its earlier ruling but, on August 24, 2010, again reinstated its 2008 decision. On February 15, 2011, the Supreme Court upheld, for the third time, the cityhood of Baybay.  Baybay is a city again.

After merienda, I dropped by the town’s Spanish-era Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.  The church was built in 1852 by Fr. Vicente E. Coronado and continued under the supervision of Maestro Proceso from Manila.  In 1866, fire destroyed the church except for the Chapel of the Holy Cross.  It was repaired in 1870 and finished by painter and sculptor capitán Mateo Espinoso (probably a local dignitary and artisan). 

Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Walking Tour of Maasin City (Southern Leyte)

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Having just had a Jollibee merienda at Baybay City, I decided to forego taking lunch and proceed on my own with my ocular walking tour of the city.  It was quite hot and sunny and I decided to leave my jacket at Dood’s Honda City, a decision I was  to regret later.  I had no idea what Doods did while I was away.

City Hall

The city proper was concentrated on two main streets: R.K. Kangleon St. and Tomas Oppus St. and all around it were the city hall, public market, schools, banks, inns, restaurants, churches and bus, jeepney and tricycle terminals.  Minutes into my walking tour, it began to rain and I had to wait it out in the shade before continuing on my way.  Leyte’s weather is really fickle, sunny one minute and rainy the next.

Busy Tomas Oppus Street

Much further away was the Provincial Government Center, Maasin City being the capital of the province.  Located here were the Provincial Capitol building and other provincial government offices around a park. To get there, I had to take a tricycle.  Before going back to Tacloban City (a further 185-km./4-hr. drive away), Doods and I had a late lunch at San Pedro Lechon Manok. 

The Provincial Capitol Building

Maasin City Investment, Promotions and Tourism Office: City Hall, Maasin City, Southern Leyte.  Tel: (053) 381-2138.

 

Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption (Maasin City, Southern Leyte)

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From Hilongos, Maasin City was just a further 37 kms.away, past the towns of Bato and Matalom. Doods and I finally reached city by 12:30 PM and Doods conveniently parked the car in front of the city’s Spanish-era Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption.  This church was started in 1771 by Jesuit Fr. Serapio Gonzalez, continued by Fr. Jose Paco from 1839 to 1852, destroyed by fire in 1884 and later rebuilt.  In 1968, the church was made into a cathedral and, in 1993, the cathedral was made a National Shrine by the National Historical Institute.

 Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption

Its simple, sparsely-decorated Early Renaissance façade has a semicircular arched main entrance flanked by narrow paired columns, a pediment with a centrally located a statued niche flanked by square windows and topped by a circular window.  On its right is a tall and slender 3-storey bell tower and surrounding the church is a fortification with quadrilateral bulwarks at the corners. Part of the fortification has been demolished to give way to a school. A bulwark on the western side of the site has the inscription “San Carlos Año de 1781.” Inside the cathedral are Spanish-era images and santos found in its altar and ceiling.

The cathedral’s interior

Stopovers at Sariaya (Quezon) and San Pablo City (Laguna)

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After 4 days in Marinduque where we attended the Moriones Festival and did a lot of sightseeing, it was now time to return to Manila.  It being Easter Sunday, we wanted to avoid   the huge afternoon rush for tickets going home so we went to Balanacan Pier very early in the morning.  I was able to secure tickets for the 8:30 AM trip back to Dalahican Pier in Lucena City (Quezon) on board the Roll-On Roll-Off (RORO) ship MV Maria Rebecca of Montenegro Shipping Lines.

Disembarking the MV Maria Rebecca

The 2.5-hr. boat trip was uneventful and we arrived at Dalahican Port by 11:15 AM.  We promptly boarded my parked Toyota Revo and left the harbor for the return trip to Manila.  Upon reaching Sariaya, we stopped over at a local eatery for a much needed lunch.  As the others were still eating, I decided to burn some calories by making a quick tour of the town, especially the Rodriguez Ancestral House where Jandy and I once stayed in 8 years ago.

The Rodriguez Ancestral House

Together with the others, we dropped by the town’s Church of St. Francis of Assisi. At the back of the church, we visited the devotional park where life-size statues  re-enacting the Last Supper were set up.

We just had lunch but now we’re joining the Last Supper

We again boarded the Revo and continued on our way, exiting Quezon Province and entering Laguna Province at San Pablo City where we made a short stopover at the stone balustrade across the street where we had a panoramic view of the 105-hectare Sampaloc Lake, the largest, nearest and most accessible of the city’s 7 iconic lakes and, from afar, the hazy silhouette of Mt. Cristobal.

Lake Sampaloc

 

The Pugutan (Gasan, Marinduque)

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After our Nagtangco Island hopping tour, we returned to our resort, had dinner and then left again for the next town of Gasan to watch the Pugutan, the re-enactment of the beheading of the Roman centurion Longinus, which was held at an open-air stage.


The past days, the physically draining habulan (chase) was re-enacted wherein Longinus merrily races through rice fields and the streets, pursued by moriones, to the delight of onlookers.  Part of the play is a simulated fight between the escaping Longinus and the moriones.  He is captured three times, escapes each time and is eventually captured on the fourth try and brought before Pilate.  


The Pugutan we were watching is the continuation of this play.  Longinus is escorted up the open-air stage by a brass band  where he is presented to the people and subsequently tried.  The dialogue is in Tagalog.  As Longinus refuses to renounce his faith, he is ordered executed.  He is given the opportunity to say some last words and a prayer before his beheading (pugutan).  At his funeral, Longinus’ body is borne on a bamboo stretcher by moriones devotees.