Category Archives: Cavite

Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Bacoor City, Cavite)

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Church of St. Michael the Archangel

The original church, in one of the oldest parishes in Cavite (established as a separate parish, from Kawit, on January 18, 1752), was made from wood, stone, bamboo and nipa in 1669 and used to face Bacoor Bay.

The church’s Baroque facade

In October 1762, due to its strategic location, the church and convent was destroyed by the British on their way to occupy Cavite Puerto (now Cavite City).  In 1774, it was rebuilt in stone and, from 1788 to 1820, Fr. Domingo Sevilla Pilapil rebuilt the church in stone and mortar, adding the retablo, bell tower and patio.

Plaza Gomes

After the June 3, 1863 Manila earthquake, the church was reoriented inland (to prevent entry of sea water during high tides),  rebuilt, and enlarged with adobe, from 1863 to 1870, by parish priest (from June 2, 1824 to 1872) Fr. Mariano Gomes delos Angeles (of GOMBURZA fame) and Architect Felix Rojas (who later designed the Neo-Gothic Church of Sto. Domingo in Intramuros, Manila).  In 1872, after Fr. Gomes’ execution on February 17, the administration of the church was turned over to the Augustinian Recollect Fr. Juan Gomez.

The church’s three-storey bell tower

The National Historical Commission plaque installed in 2022

On May 31, 1898, during the Philippine Revolution, revolutionaries raised the Philippine flag on the bell tower.  After the revolution, the church was returned to the secular clergy. 

Important Cultural Property Marker

The present structure is what remained of this once longest church in Cavite, which once measured 20 brazas (33.4 m.) long and 5.5 brazas (9.9 m.) wide), after a third of the church was destroyed, on June 13, 1899, during the Philippine-American War.

The church interior

The choir loft area

On December 28, 2020, the church, as well as the nearby Cuenca House, were declared as an Important Cultural Properties by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and the National Museum of the Philippines.

The main altar

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The church’s Baroque façade has a segmental arch main entrance (topped by a segmental arch statued niche), flanked by coupled flat pilasters, with Doric capitals and urn-like finials, and narrow, semicircular arched windows.  The triangular pediment has a centrally located, semicircular arch niche with a statue of St. Michael the Archangel.

The three-storey bell tower, on the church’s right, has a square base with coupled flat pilasters (also topped by Doric capitals) and a segmental arch open and blind (where the “Simbahan ng Bacoor” plaque is mounted) windows.  The upper two storeys, in receding planes, are octagonal, with blind and open, semicircular arch windows.

Inside is a narrow nave, exposed roof trusses with no ceiling, a main altar and two side altars.  Along the walls are burial niches.

One of the burial niches along the walls

In 2021, a historical marker and a bust of Fr. Mariano Gomes was installed front of the church convent, built in 1843 by Fr. Gomes.

The convent on the church’s left

The Padre Mariano Gomes Marker

Church of St. Michael the Archangel: Gen. E. Evangelista St., Poblacion, 4102 Bacoor City, Cavite.Tel: (046) 436-0456, 434-5679 (office) and 434-6466 (rectory). E-mail: sanmiguelbacoor@gmail.com.  Feast of St. Michael the Archangel: May 12.

How to Get There: Bacoor City is located 24.5 kms. (a one-hour drive) from Manila and 26.5 kms. (a one-hour drive) from Trece Martires City.  The church, right in front of the city’s Hall of Justice and Justice B. Ocampo Park, is located near the City Hall.

The Colorful History of Taal Vista Hotel (Tagaytay City, Cavite)

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The present Taal Vista Hotel

A lot of my childhood memories included family visits to Tagaytay  City, the country’s other summer capital (after Baguio City), where we enjoyed the cool and crisp (average temperature is 22.7º Celsius) mountain air and a picture-pretty view of Taal Volcano from its original grand garden view deck – the English Tudor Mansion-style Taal Vista Hotel.

View from Taal Vista Lodge’s Dining Room of Taal Volcano and Lake

View of Taal Lake and Volcano Today. Beyond is the 947-m. (3,17-ft. high Mt. Makulot (or Mt. Macolod), Batangas’ highest mountain

In fact, it was the public viewing ground to major as well as mild to moderate eruptions  of the volcano on September 28, 1965 , from 1966 to 1970 (lasting from three to 65 days), 1976 (September 3 to October23), 1977 (October 3 to 4 and November 9 to 12), 1991, January 12, 2020 and July 1, 2021.

Taal Vista Lodge and its Garden Terrace overlooking Taal Lake and Volcano

Previously known as Taal Vista Lodge, it is the second oldest hotel in the country after the Manila Hotel (built in 1909). The hotel has its beginnings way back in 1935 when the Zamoras of Manila Hotel bought six hectares of flatland perched atop an incline along Ilong Kastila (people say it resembles a nose or ilong) from American teacher Hammon H. Buck, the Superintendent of Schools in Batangas, who lived in the Philippines from 1898 until his death in 1945.

Hammon H. Buck with his wife Dolores Angeles and their six children

Newly elected Philippine Commonwealth President  Manuel L. Quezon, who initiated the development of Tagaytay as a tourism destination (so much so that, on June 21, 1938, he converted Tagaytay into a chartered city by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 338), instructed the government-owned and controlled Manila Railroad Company to build a lodge and golf course on Tagaytay Ridge.

Commonwealth Pres. Manuel L. Quezon

Under the supervision of the Manila Hotel Company (a subsidiary of the Manila Railroad Company), the lodge was built, its architect probably Andres Luna de San Pedro (son of renowned painter Juan Luna) who, just a few years earlier, renovated Manila Hotel to accommodate a suite for Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Architect Andres Luna de San Pedro

Its contractor was probably the well-known engineering firm Pedro Soichi who built the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila and the Manila Metropolitan Theater in 1931. Both were favored by Quezon.  Upon the lodge’s opening on October 7, 1939, Quezon frequently held cabinet meetings in its premises.

The spacious Dining Room with a dance floor in the center

Typical bedroom of Taal Vista Lodge with porch ssed as a sitting room

A few years after it opened to the public, World War II broke out and the lodge became a vacation place for American servicemen.

From 1942 to 1945, when the Japanese occupied the country, Taal Vista Lodge was converted as officers’ quarters for the Japanese. After the war, the Philippine government took back control of the lodge.

On December 9, 1954, Alfredo Montelibano (Administrator of the Office of the Economic Coordinator) approved the rehabilitation and development plan for Taal Vista Lodge.

Taal Vista Lodge during the Post-War Period

The renovation included new cottages, cabanas, tea room and bar, three huge dining rooms (Lakeview Terrace, Alta Vista Pavilion and the Veranda), a children’s playground and sports facilities for horseback riding, basketball, volleyball, bowling, tennis and badminton.

Taal Vista Lodge

Between 1956 and 1964, Tagaytay  City began to be promoted as a major tourist attraction of the Philippines and Taal Vista Lodge was one of its leading attractions.

Pres. Elpidio Quirino

Among the prominent officials and personalities who stayed here include Pres. Elpidio Quirino (who also held cabinet meetings in the lodge); noted American newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, and Senate president Eulogio Rodriguez and his wife.

Japanese Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko

On November 6, 1962, Crown Prince Akihito and his wife Princess Michiko of Japan attended a luncheon at the Lodge given in their honor by Vice-Pres. Emmanuel Pelaez.

Six First Ladies visit Taal Vista Lodge

On October 24, 1966, First Lady Imelda R. Marcos hosted a visit to the Lodge of five First Ladies of heads of state and government attending the Manila Summit Conference – Nguyễn Thị Mai Anh (wife of the President Nguyen Van Thieu of South Vietnam). Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson (wife of US Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson), Đặng Tuyết Mai (wife of Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky of South Vietnam), Zara Kate B. Holt (wife of Prime Minister Harold Holt of Australia) and Jongkol Kittikachorn (wife of Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn of Thailand).

Taal Volcano’s 1965 eruption

After the 1965 Taal volcano eruption, Taal Vista Lodge suffered heavy losses due to the decreased number of guests. In 1968, the Office of the Economic Coordinator (OEC) decided to privatize Taal Vista Lodge which was put on the block through public bidding on June 18, 1968.

The Resorts and Hotel Corporation won the bid (the other bidders were Philippine Airlines and the Sulo Hotel Group).  The company refurbished the lodge, constructing new facilities including an annex dining room.

Taal Vista Lodge Dining Room

In 1973, Taal Vista Lodge, now a three-star hotel, boasted a large pavilion for dinner and dancing, a bowling alley, a golf course, a billiards hall and a horseback riding area beside the lodge.

On January 11, 1984, the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) took ownership of the Lodge and changed its name to Taal Vista Hotel. From 1984 to 1988, Hotel Development Corporation, its subsidiary, managed operations of the hotel.

Henry Sy, Sr.

In July 1988, DBP decided to sell Taal Vista Hotel through an unsolicited proposal from SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) headed by its chairman Henry Sy, Sr. who, when he was a young man, was one of the many regular visitors of the hotel, often choosing one spot on the grounds from which to gaze out and dream.

A 1954 photo taken by Ms. Felicidad Sy of husband Henry Sy sitting at the Garden Terrace of Taal Vista Lodge

From 1991 to November 5, 1999, SMIC added a new wing (Mountain Wing) which included a swimming pool where the rotunda is now located.  At that time, the hotel operated 83 guest rooms. On November 6, 1999, SMIC decided to close down the hotel for further renovation and construction of new facilities.

Taal Vista Hotel, 2004

In 2002, Sy had the hotel rebuilt, adding 2 new extensions on the east side of the complex to provide 128 rooms, conference facilities and amenities.  The central building (where the Lobby Lounge is now currently located) was reconstructed in the original English Tudor Mansion style.

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The English Tudor Mansion style features a steeply pitched roof with an overlapping, front-facing gable; a facade accented with half-timber framing (widely spaced wooden boards with stucco or stone in between) and a prominently placed chimney.

Panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows at the Lobby Lounge allow views of Taal Lake and Volcano

Panoramic floor-to-ceiling glass windows were installed, allowing diners to watch, aside from Taal Volcano and Taal Lake, the 947-m. high Mt. Makulot (or Mt. Macolod), the fog rolling in, the captivating sunset and, at nighttime, the stars or the pinpoint lights of fishing boats and the lakeshore towns.

The Mountain Wing

After its reconstruction and expansion, this reinvigorated and now first-class hotel reopened its doors on March 27, 2003.  In 2004, further expansion of the hotel was made.  The Mountain Wing was extended (bringing the total to 128 rooms) and the swimming pool was moved to its present location.

Ms. Elizabeth Sy

Beginning 2009, SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (MHCC), established on April 2, 2008, with Elizabeth Sy (Henry Sy’s daughter) as president, took over management of the hotel (the corporation remains to be its owner up to the present).

The Lake Wing

Thereafter, the construction of new hotel wing (Lake Wing) and renovation of the main lobby was started.  In 2012, the Lake Wing, with its new ballroom and additional 133 guest rooms (bringing the total number of rooms to 264), was inaugurated,

Organic Herb and Vegetable Garden

That same year, Taal Vista Hotel started the Organic Herb and Vegetable Garden which supplied the needs of its various food and beverage outlets (they have four – Veranda, Lobby Lounge, Taza Fresh Table and Alta Ridge Bar).

The 75th anniversary of Taal Vista Hotel

In 2014, as part of its 75th anniversary celebration, the old Magnolia Pavilion was reconstructed as Taza Fresh Table, a new restaurant which was opened on January 28, 2015.

Taza Fresh Table

The hotel has hosted many important international gatherings such as:

  • July 1 -3, 2009 – 44th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Committee on Culture and Information (COCI)
  • March 3 to 6, 2015 – several ministerial meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit
  • September 11 to 14, 2017 – 23rd Senior Officials Meeting for ASCC (ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community) and 18th ASCC Council Meeting during 31st ASEAN Summit

The January 12, 2020 eruption of Taal Volcano

On January 12, 2020, after a hiatus of 43 years, Taal Volcano erupted and, on March 1, 2020, two months after the eruption, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the hotel to close its door to the public.

Taal Vista Lodge during the COVID-19 Pandemic

A few weeks later, the hotel reopened as a quarantine hotel for returning overseas  Filipino contract workers.  On September 4, 2020, the hotel reopened its food and beverage outlets to the general public and, a few days later, its guest rooms,  welcoming guests back under stringent health and safety protocols. 

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS:

I am wondering, with all the history attached to Taal Vista Hotel, why the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) hasn’t installed a historical plaque at the hotel’s facade.  The hotel has the distinction of being the second oldest in the country (after the Manila Hotel) and cabinet meetings of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon and Elpidio Quirino were held there in the past as well as meetings of APEC and ASEAN.

Taal Vista Hotel: Kilometer 60, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay  City 4120, Cavite.  Tel: (632) 7917 8225.  Mobile number: (0917) 89-1254.  E-mail: reservations@taalvistahotel.com. Website: www.taalvistahotel.com.

Cornerstone Pottery Farm (Silang, Cavite)

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Cornerstone Pottery Farm

Part Five of “Drive, Dine and Discover” Cavite Caravan

From Likhang Maragondon, we made the long 36.2-km. (one-hour) drive to Silang’s charming Cornerstone Pottery Farm, a producer of world-class handmade stoneware using locally and internationally sourced clay.   It was raining heavily when we arrived.  Owner Mr. EJ Espiritu was on hand to welcome us. Their beautiful and unique wares can be found in your favorite neighborhood coffee shops, monthly bazaars, and yearly art fairs in the metro. Through the years, Cornerstone Pottery Farm has undoubtedly carved a name for itself in the local pottery business.

Check out “Likhang Maragondon Native Products & Pasalubong Center”

EJ Espiritu

It started from humble beginnings. EJ and his wife Eva, the brilliant minds behind Cornerstone, have created this whimsical space for creators and purveyors alike.

Workshop

EJ, who finished ceramic engineering at the Adamson University, worked with several ceramic companies for 10 years before going to the US, working as a rank and file employee – laboratory technician, section head, sales engineer for a ceramic materials company, then a plant manager for an export firm.

In 1996, as soon as EJ and Eva arrived from the US, where they tied the knot (they had a civil wedding in October 1994 in Wisconsin and a church wedding in June 1995), the first business that they ventured into was ceramics in the garage of the house that they rented at St. Joseph Subdivision in Bacoor, Cavite. After two to three months, as Cornerstone Ceramic Manufacturing, they were offered to be a subcontractor for an export company making ceramic items.

After four years of being a subcontractor in Cavite, they started making functional items and joined trade fairs. That really helped propel the business into the right direction.  By year 2000, they started developing the stoneware product line.

An array of mugs of different sizes, colors and shapes

They were challenged to constantly develop new concepts and product lines, deal with clients and innovate. With the new lines they had, they were overwhelmed by the response of the market and they were able to meet some institutional buyers like Regalong Pambahay, Rust, Kultura and other stores and shops. In 2005, they opened their doors as Cornerstone Pottery Farm in Silang.

One of the shop’s three kilns

Before the pandemic happened, sales were very encouraging, with a lot of restaurants in Manila, BGC (Bonifacio Global City), Makati and Alabang actually getting from them like Rambla, Las Flores, Tomatito, James and Daughters, and Black Pig, to name a few.  For nearly two decades now, they have also been making mugs for Bag of Beans in Tagaytay.

Showroom

Cornerstone Pottery Farm also had projects with The Fore of Kim Jones, and Tropa Lifestyle Store of Borgy Manotoc and girlfriend Carla Sison. Moreover, the pottery farm regularly joins Art in the Park, Artefino, the Gallery 9 exhibit and American Women’s Bazaar.

Celebrities, who got wind of their unique creations, have trooped all the way to Silang, Cavite to visit their factory and showroom where their handmade ceramic products, earthenware jars and stoneware can be seen.

An array of deformed pottery in the foreground

Normally, they post schedules of workshops that EJ occasionally conducts and people register online. Participants were people from the city who want to try their hands on pottery, learn new skills or make something with their hands (expats, a group of friends, office mates, etc.) or even like a team building exercise or amazing race type of exercise.  Some, like Jericho Rosales and his wife Kim Jones, Melai Cantiveros, Drew Arellano and Andi Manzano, have even participated in the pottery workshop.

 

The production area is where they do the quite labor-intensive process by hand, starting from pouring the clay into the molds, down to assembling, drying, firing, and glazing the items.

Because of the lack of local suppliers of processed clay, they use only 10 to 20% of local materials, with the rest imported clay from a few of companies that import the materials and distribute locally as it is very hard to import materials on their own.  Apart from the production area, you can also find the workshop area where EJ usually creates premium items and conducts pottery workshops.

For EJ, pottery, an intricate form of art and it takes a lot of effort to produce both a functional and aesthetic stoneware, let alone find authentic and handmade ones, is his profession, his means of income and his passion.

He takes charge of the technical and production areas in the factory and is also visible in manning the booths, every time they join exhibits and national trade fairs organized by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions and other exhibitions. Eva and Angelo, his son, also helps him. During exhibits, Angelo is also very good in talking with clients.

EJ kneading clay

EJ also does purchasing, delivery sometimes and meeting clients while Eva, a natural born artist, designer and IT expert, does the marketing, maintaining the social media presence, developing concepts and themes for upcoming shows or exhibit and designing the booths.

Shaping the kneaded clay using a potter’s wheel

At the shop, Mr. EJ Espiritu demonstrated, using his hands and an electrically driven potter’s wheel, the first two steps in pottery making.  To prepare the clay for pottery, EJ kneaded (or wedged) it by hand to push the “air bubbles” out and make it pliable and clean, with an even consistency and right water content.

EJ explaining the pottery making process to Cavite Caravan participants

Next was the actual shaping (or “pinching”), with EJ inserting the thumb of his hand into the clay and lightly pinching with the thumb and fingers while it is rotating.  Soon, a bowl came into shape.   This was as far as he went.  The succeeding steps involved a long drying process until the pottery is bone dry (to prevent cracking and breaking) before firing in the kilns (the shop has three) and glazing. The entire process takes about three weeks to a month.

After the demonstration, EJ ushered us to the showroom where all items on display are for sale.  Here, you can purchase pots, hand rolled dinnerware, mugs (ranging from Php 350 to Php 750), tea sets, chimes, vases, sculptural pieces, centerpieces, table top fountains, incense chambers, oil burners and various other ceramic wares.  All their glazes are food safe and lead free.

L-R: Arabelle Jimenez, Bernard Supetran, the author, Pam Lee and EJ Espiritu

Cornerstone Pottery Farm: Balubad 1 Cornerstone, B1084 Balubad 1st Road, Service Road, Silang, 4118 Cavite.  Mobile numbers: (0919) 995-2022 and (0932) 851-6444. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 8:30 AM to 5 PM. Website: www.cornerstonepotteryfarm.com. E-mail: eve@cornerstonepotteryfarm.com. Facebook: facebook.com/cornerstonepotteryfarm.  Coordinates: 14.1948235714, 120.950244642.

How To Get There:

  • By car: From Makati take the SLEX and turn right to Carmona Exit. From Carmona Exit, continue on Governor’s Dr. to Emilio Aguinaldo Hwy. Turn right at Balubad 1st Rd. There is a signage going to Cornerstone on the right side. Turn right and you’ll find Cornerstone Pottery Farm.
  • By public transport: From the Ayala triangle, take the Erjohn and Almark bus bound to Tagaytay and then get off at Balubad 1st Rd., then ride a tricycle going to Cornerstone Pottery Farm. Tricycle fare is Php 15 one way.

Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP): AAP Tower, 683 Aurora Blvd., Quezon City 1112. Tel: (632) 8723-0808 and (632) 8705-3333. Website: www.aap.org.ph. E-mail:  info@aap.org.ph.

AAP Lakbay, Inc.: G/F, Sea Tower Bldg., 332 Roxas Blvd. cor. Arnaiz St., Pasay City.  Tel: (32) 8551-0025 and (632) 8403-543.  E-mail: aaplakbay.caravan@gmail.com.  Coordinates:
14.5456531, 120.9914728.

Likhang Maragondon Native Products & Pasalubong Center (Cavite)

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Likhang Maragondon Native Products & Pasalubong Center

Part Four of “Drive, Dine and Discover” Cavite Caravan

Before proceeding to Silang, we made another 1-km. drive, from Caingin Port (gateway to our Maragondon Cultural River Cruise), for souvenir shopping at Likhang Maragondon Native Products & Pasalubong Center, an award-winning native products enterprise which is helping revive the town’s age-old weaving tradition and bamboo craft by making them available to a bigger market.

Check out “Maragondon Cultural River Cruise”

Ms. Catherine “Therine” U. Diquit, Likhang Maragondon founder

Operating since 2019, it taps into the traditional craftsmanship of local-based and eco-friendly weaving and bamboo products made by 12 skilled Maragondon-based weavers and sewists, most of whom are housewives.

Their tagline is “Heritage in Your Hands, Crafted with a Purpose.”  Upon our arrival, we were welcomed by a duo serenading us with native songs and Ms. Catherine “Therine” U. Diquit, the social entrepreneur and founder behind the business.

A duo performing native folk songs

They make all sorts of bamboo products such as lanterns (Php1,100); dinosaur lamps (Php3,000-3,500); dog lamp (Php2,200); hanging lamps (Php1,600); tube lamp (Php1,600); speaker calendar (Php1,500); 3-layer rack (Php3,500); trapezoid lamp (Php1,500); double rectangle lamp (Php1,650); double trapezoid lamps (Php1,600); vase stand (Php2,500); alcohol pump dispensers; planters (Php480); trio containers (Php380); trays (Php380); and frames (Php500). Their energy-saving and eco-friendly bamboo speakers (Php475) have a center slit where you can insert your cell phones and play music.

Other eco-friendly products include hand-painted refrigerator magnets (Php50); pins and key chains; vases; mugs (Php150) and crochet accessories.

Their very fashionable and comfortable handwoven Maragondon habing face masks (Php350 each), the first locally made mask to conform with the recommended minimum specifications, for non-medical masks for community use, of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI), Department of Health (DOH), DOST-PHST (who conducted several tests on the mask) and World Health Organization (WHO), are made by the last three weavers of Maragondon using  antique wooden looms.

These face masks are composed of four layers, two inner made with hydrophilic materials, and two outermost made with locally hand loom-woven fabric made with 40% upcycled thread from garment factory rejects.  These have been shipped to 13 Philippine regions and 21 countries, including North Africa, Australia, Switzerland, Japan and Canada.

A habing dress for sale

Other habing products include boleros (Php2,500-3,400); blankets (Php1,400); table runners (80” x 8.5,” Php395); throw pillow cases (18’ x 18,” Php800 for a set of 2), toiletry pouches (9.5 x 7,” Php780); pouches (Php270); refrigerator and water dispenser covers; passport/vaccination card holder (Php350); handbags (Php1,500); hair bun twist (Php280); hand towels (Php390 for set of 3); turbans (Php380); place mats (Php1,400 for 8 pieces); braided bracelets (Php120); tote bag (Php975-1,750); aprons (Php480); laptop/document bag (Php1,400); Amigurumi dolls (Php180-200); shades pouch (Php300); coin purses (Php225); clutch bag (Php1,250); kitchen towel set (Php350 for 2); wall mail organizer (Php320); accordion wallet (Php365); kimonos; ponchos (Php900); jackets (Php1,400); ribbon scunchies (Php80); scarves; key holders (5” x 1, Php280); etc.

Several local artists, such as Pastor Lito Gestiada (acrylic paintings) and Dan Turiano (oil pastel ‘Starry Night’ version of Mt. Buntis) have commissioned their masterpieces at Likhang Maragondon. Some artists have also painted the bamboo products to give more colors and design.

They also sell native delicacies such as delectable puto with dinuguan (Php600 for 20 pieces); peanut butter (Php250); yema (Php70); onde-onde; gourmet tinapa (Php250); chili garlic oil (Php120); adobong mani (Php110); biko; atsara (Php250); Ala Carding Backfat chicharon (Php110); Kusina ni Ingga vinegar (Php90-120); ube; flavored palitaw; etc.

Likhang Maragondon Native Products & Pasalubong Center: Brgy. Garita A, 4112 Maragondon, Cavite.  Mobile number: (0995) 138-1813.  E-mail: likhangmaragondon@yahoo.com. Website: www.likhangmaragondon.com.

Maragondon Municipal Tourism Office: G/F, Municipal Bldg., Brgy. Poblacion 1-A, Maragondon, 4112 Cavite.  Tel: (046) 686-3139. Mobile number: (0926) 237-6537.

Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP): AAP Tower, 683 Aurora Blvd., Quezon City 1112. Tel: (632) 8723-0808 and (632) 8705-3333. Website: www.aap.org.ph. E-mail:  info@aap.org.ph.

AAP Lakbay, Inc.: G/F, Sea Tower Bldg., 332 Roxas Blvd. cor. Arnaiz St., Pasay City.  Tel: (32) 8551-0025 and (632) 8403-543.  E-mail: aaplakbay.caravan@gmail.com.  Coordinates:
14.5456531, 120.9914728.

Maragondon Cultural River Cruise (Cavite)

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Maragodon Cultural River Cruise

Part Three of “Drive, Dine and Discover” Cavite Caravan

From the Bonifacio Trial Museum, it was a short 5-min., 1.2-km. drive, via narrow alleys, to Caingin Fish Port, the gateway to our Maragondon Cultural River Cruise.  Docked at the port were two gaily decorated balsas (bamboo rafts), of operator Balsa de Santo Nino, for our two-hour cruise of part of the scenic, 35.6 km. long  Maragondon River (average width: 10 m.), one of six major river basins of Cavite, once adjudged as among the country’s cleanest and greenest bodies of water.  Each balsa can carry 10 to 15 passengers.

Check out “Bonifacio Trial Museum Revisited”

Caingin Fish Port and the Caingin Hanging Bridge

Also docked at the port was another larger floating restaurant type of raft similar to the one used in the Loboc River Cruise in Bohol.  According to AAP Lakbay consultant Ms. Eva Carmona, it was booked for a wedding reception. Nearby, across this river, was the dangling and swaying Caingin Hanging Bridge.  Erected in December 1999, it is the link going to the 280 m. high Mt. Buntis. 

Check out “Loboc River Cruise”

A floating restaurant type of raft

Upon boarding the two balsas, we were soon on our way, our balsas towed by a motorized banca. Cruising along the turquoise waters and the heavily vegetated riverbank, we also passed the Pinagsanhan Hanging Bridge (the link going to the 100 m. high Mt. Nagpatong, home of the Andres Bonifacio National Shrine) and some settlements, watching local residents doing their daily chores as we enjoyed the serene landscape of the river.

Boarding our respective balsas…..

On board …..

Throughout the cruise, we were serenaded by a quartet (2 men and 2 women), in native attire, rendering folk songs.  Our cruise took us, for 2 kms., from Brgy. Caingin to the boundary of the neighboring town of Ternate, before turning back to return to port.

Our on board entertainment …..

Each of our balsas had a bamboo table and benches. One had a bamboo deck, accessible by a bamboo stair, as a roof.  Arrayed on the table was our packed lunch catered by Honorio’s Restaurant, a Maragondon culinary icon.

Pack lunch catered by Honorio’s

Our lunch fare consisted of sinigang sa miso, pork adobo sa patis (wherein the soy sauce was replaced by fish sauce), pakbet and a dessert of sliced watermelon.  These we all washed down with bottled water or fresh buko juice straight from the shell.

Our balsa also towed a small 1.2 x 1.2 m. (4 x 4 ft.) outriggered bamboo raft (trono de hila) with a bamboo chair (or throne) on it where one or two passengers can take selfies or be photographed from the larger balsa.

Boarding the trono de hila …..

The author seated at the trono de hila

Also on board our balsa are two rubber inner tubes for those who want to engage in river floating.  Other recreational activities that could be done on the river include wakeboarding, with a motorized banca pulling you.

The Cavite Caravan participants

For those who still have time after the cruise, you can also visit the Maragondon Stone Sculptures (popularly called ukit-ukit) which are accessible by tricycle from the riverside of Brgy. Caingin.  It consists  of 9 religious images of Biblical scenes (the Last Supper, Pieta, Jesus Christ and the Virgin and the Christ) as well as Pope John Paul II carved directly on adobe outcrops along the road, last March 2014, by brothers Valerio and Oscar Suarez, both former ice sculptors.

Maragondon Stone Carvings (photo: Visit Maragondon Facebook Page)

Balsa de Santo Nino River Cruise: Brgy. Caingin Poblacion, Maragondon, 4112 Cavite.  Mobile numbers: (0926) 593-5902.

Maragondon Municipal Tourism Office: G/F, Municipal Bldg., Brgy. Poblacion 1-A, Maragondon, 4112 Cavite.  Tel: (046) 686-3139. Mobile number: (0926) 237-6537.

Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP): AAP Tower, 683 Aurora Blvd., Quezon City 1112. Tel: (632) 8723-0808 and (632) 8705-3333. Website: www.aap.org.ph. E-mail:  info@aap.org.ph.

AAP Lakbay, Inc.: G/F, Sea Tower Bldg., 332 Roxas Blvd. cor. Arnaiz St., Pasay City.  Tel: (32) 8551-0025 and (632) 8403-543.  E-mail: aaplakbay.caravan@gmail.com.  Coordinates:
14.5456531, 120.9914728.

Bonifacio Trial Museum Revisited (Maragondon, Cavite)

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Bonifacio Trial Museum

Part Two of “Drive, Dine and Discover” Cavite Caravan

After our visit to the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady in Maragondon, we were next driven about 500 m. to the nearby Bonifacio Trial Museum.

The author

This would not be my first viist to the museum, having visited it during my 2017 visita iglesia of Cavite.  However, since it was a holiday, the museum was closed.  This would be my first time to explore its exhibits.

Check out “VIsita Iglesia 2017,”  “Bonifacio Trial Museum (2017)” and “Church of the Assumption of Our Lady”

Historical plaque installed by National Historical Institute (NHI) in 2000.  The name “Teodorico” should be “Roderico”

This two-storey bahay-na-bato (stone house), formerly known as the Roderico Reyes House, was built in 1889 by Roderico Reyes (not Teodorico as stated in NHI plaque by the front door) who was married to Juana Viray. From May 5 to 6, 1897, it was the site where revolutionary leader and Katipunan Supremo Andres Bonifacio and his brother  Procopio Bonifacio were court martialed by a military court, presided by Gen. Mariano Noriel, and found guilty of treason and recommended execution.

Gen. Riego de Dios and Col. Crisostomo Riel, both natives of Maragondon, refused to sign the final court judgment.  Reyes was absent during the trial as he was in his mountain retreat.

Grand staircase

This stone, brick and wood ancestral house now belongs to Mr. Jose Angeles (it was sold to him by Reyes descendants in 1994) who generously signed an agreement with the NHI to turn it into a museum open to the public. It was designated, on June 4, 1997, as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute and, in 1999, it was fully restored and declared as a National Heritage Site.

Stair foyer

On November 28, 2014, it was formally inaugurated as a museum and shrine called the Museo ng Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio or Bonifacio Trial Museum, administered and managed (the third in Cavite) by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (formerly the National Historical Institute).

Gallery 1 (Maypagasa)

The 80 sq. m. museum has five galleries.  Gallery 1 (Maypagasa) provides a short background on Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan.

Gallery 2 (Pagsalubong)

Gallery 2 (Pagsalubong) focuses on the conflict between the two Katipunan factions in Cavite, the Magdalo and Magdiwang.

Gallery 3 (Pagdakip)

Gallery 3 (Pagdakip) narrates the events leading to Bonifacio’s arrest, by Col. Agapito Bonzon and Maj. Jose Ignacio “Intsik” Paua, in Barrio Limbon in Indang. Bonifacio was wounded when he shot in the arm by Bonzon and stabbed in the neck by Paua.  Andres’ brother Ciriaco was shot dead.

Gallery 4 (Ang Paglilitis)

Gallery 4 (Ang Paglilitis), at the living room (sala de visita), re-enacts the Bonifacio brothers’ court martial through a light and sound presentation.  The audio recording of the interactive diorama, with dimmed lights adding to the gloomy atmosphere, recounts the trial proceedings.

Statues of members of the military court

Life-size, polyester resin  3D figures represent members in this tragic event – Gen. Mariano Noriel, Col. Crisostomo Riel, Col. Tomas Mascardo, Col. Esteban Ynfante, Col. Mariano Riego de Dios, Sulpicio Antony, Placido Martinez (Bonifacio’s attorney), Procopio Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus and Andres Bonifacio  (seated in a Vienna-style love chair).

Statue of Gregoria de Jesus (right) with seated Andres Bonifacio

Gallery 5 (Kadakilaan) recounts the anguish of Bonifacio’s widow, Gregoria de Jesus, upon learning of her husband’s death. It has a replica of a statue of Gregoria de Jesus sculpted by Julie Lluch.

Replica of a statue of Gregoria de Jesus sculpted by Julie Lluch at Gallery 5 (Kadakilaan)

This modernized museum contains various interactive displays on events that led to the trial and execution of Bonifacio and the special bond he shared with his young wife Gregoria de Jesus.  An electronic map shows the 12 Cavite towns under the Magdiwang, while 10, including the town of Bagumbayan (now Laurel) and Talisay in Batangas province, belong to the Magdalo .  It also has an audio-visual corner offering a brief documentary about the trial and death of Andres Bonifacio and an e-learning room for online lessons on the history of the Philippines.

Participants of the Cavite Caravan

At the museum foyer is a replica of bust of Andres Bonifacio sculpted by Julie Lluch in 2014.  Past the staircase is a wall lined with artworks on the 10 commandments of  the Katipunan painted by Robert Alejandro.

Ten Commandments of the Katipunan (Robert Alejandro)

Bonifacio Trial Museum: Col. Crisostomo Riel St., Brgy. Poblacion 1-A, Maragondon 4122, Cavite. Mobile number: (0969) 516-6992 and (0917) 553-7375.   Museum curator: Mr. Melanio Guevarra. E-mail: mpab@nhcp.gov.ph and bonifaciotrialmuseum@gmail.com. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8 AM – 4 PM. Admission is free.

Maragondon Municipal Tourism Office: G/F, Municipal Bldg., Brgy. Poblacion 1-A, Maragondon, 4112 Cavite.  Tel: (046) 686-3139. Mobile number: (0926) 237-6537.

Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP): AAP Tower, 683 Aurora Blvd., Quezon City 1112. Tel: (632) 8723-0808 and (632) 8705-3333. Website: www.aap.org.ph. E-mail:  info@aap.org.ph.

AAP Lakbay, Inc.: G/F, Sea Tower Bldg., 332 Roxas Blvd. cor. Arnaiz St., Pasay City.  Tel: (32) 8551-0025 and (632) 8403-543.  E-mail: aaplakbay.caravan@gmail.com.  Coordinates:
14.5456531, 120.9914728.

Ten Things You May Not Know of Corregidor (Cavite))

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The author beside Battery Hearn on Corregidor Island

Extracted from my article published in the Business Mirror last May 10, 2015

On the 79rd anniversary of the Fall of Corregidor, here are 10 facts that Filipinos may not know about the island fortress of Corregidor and its adjoining islands.

  • The cement for concrete used to line the 30 to 40 ft. thick walls of Malinta Tunnel (an 836-ft. long, fishbone-shaped system of bombproof tunnels with three 227-m. by 8-m. main sections and 24 49-m. by 4.5-m. laterals) was, ironically, Asada cement bought from the Japanese.
  • Corregidor and Caballo islands are believed to be the exposed rim of a volcano that form part of a potentially active (according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) volcanic caldera. With a rim elevation of 173 m. (568 ft.) and a base diameter of 4 kms. (2.5 mi.), it has no known eruptions in the Holocene Period (around 10,000 years ago) as it last eruption was about 1 million years based on the age of deposits.

Corregidor – part of a rim of a volcano

  • Malinta Tunnel was bored out of Malinta Hill using “forced labor”in the form of 1,000 convicts from the Old Bilibid Prison in Manila, most of which were serving life sentences. The Philippine Commonwealth offered them as equity in the construction of Malinta Tunnel Project.

Malinta Tunnel – built with convict labor and Japanese Asada cement

  • The island’s name was either derived from the Spanish name for “corrector” (one who checks and corrects papers of incoming ships) or from the Spanish word corregidor (the man who heads the corregimiento or unpacified military zone).
  • Though Corregidor is much nearer geographically (it is 3 nautical miles away with 30 minutes travel time from Brgy. Cabcaben) and historically to Mariveles (Bataan), it belongs to Cavite, being under the territorial jurisdiction and administrative management of Cavite City.   When you are on the island you can see more of Bataan than Cavite City.

The nearby Bataan peninsula as seen from Corregidor

  • The 880-m. (1,520-ft.) long, three-storey high and hurricane-proof “Mile Long” Barracks, though less than a third of a mile long, is reputedly the world’s longest military barracks. It housed 8,000 men and the headquarters of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Mile Long Barracks – the longest in the world

  • The flagpole where the American flag was lowered during the May 6, 1942 surrender to the Japanese and raised during the March 2, 1945 liberation is actually a mast of a Spanish warship Reina Cristinawhich was captured by Admiral George Dewey after the May 1, 1898 Battle of Manila Bay and put up in Corregidor.  The American flag was lowered for the last time on October 12, 1947 and the Philippine flag hoisted in its stead.

The flagpole from the Spanish warship Reina Cristina

  • Corregidor had “disappearing” gun batteries. These disappearing guns were mounted on a “disappearing carriage” which enabled a gun to hide from direct fire and observation. Battery Crockett and Cheney each had two 12” seacoast guns while Battery Grubbs had two 10” guns.

The disappearing gun of Battery Crockett

  • Fort Drum, the “Concrete Battleship,” located 7 mi. southeast of Corregidor, must be unprecedented in the history of military fortifications. Located on the former small, rocky El Fraile Island, this heavily fortified 240-ft. long, 160-ft. wide and 40-ft. high citadel bristled with 11 guns (including two batteries with rotating turrets with two 14” guns). It was built from 1909 to 1919 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who flattened the island and reconstructed it to resemble the forepart of a battleship, with one end flat and the other shaped like a prow.
  • Though Corregidor and the adjoining islands bristled with 56 coastal guns and mortars in 23 seacoast batteries and 76 (28 3-inch and 48 50-caliber) anti-aircraft guns in 13 batteries, with artillery models dating back to 1890, only the eight 12-inch mortars of Battery Geary and the four 12-inch mortars of Way proved to be the best and most effective for the defense of Corregidor during the Japanese siege.

Battery Way – one of only two gun batteries effective against the Japanese

Corregidor Island: Cavite City, Cavite

My List of the Ten Allegedly Haunted Places in the Philippines

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Here’s a list of ten of the scariest places I have visited in the country. One is located in La Union (Pindangan Church Ruins), two in Baguio City (Hyatt Terraces Hotel and SM City Baguio) in Benguet, one in Pampanga (Clark Air Base), one in Mountain Province (Sagada), one off Cavite (Corregidor Island) and the rest in Metro Manila. Though I haven’t really experienced any paranormal activity in these sites, probably because I don’t have a third eye, many others have.

  • My wife Grace and I stayed in the 12-storey, 303 -room HYATT TERRACES HOTEL for three days in April 1986.   Located on a pine tree-clad hill along South Drive, near Camp John Hay, the Hyatt Terraces Hotel was said to be the grandest hotel outside Metro Manila. At 4:26 PM, on July 16, 1990, a little over 4 years after our stay, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Luzon, killing 1,621 people.  Again, I happened to be in the city, with my family and some relatives, on the day of the devastating 1990 Luzon Earthquake but were lucky enough to have left the city before lunch. In Baguio City, 28 buildings collapsed during the earthquake.  One of the most prominent buildings destroyed was the Hyatt Terraces Hotel when the central wing’s terraced front collapsed, like an accordion, onto the hotel lobby, killing 98 employees and guests. In the aftermath of that tragic earthquake, many of those listed as “missing” were never found and many say that there are still bodies in the debris of the hotel site and the spirits of these victims have never moved on. Its tragic history has surely contributed to its terrifying reputation.

Check out “Hyatt Terraces Hotel“

Hyatt Terraces Hotel circa 1986

Today, its old fountain and a gated fence are all that remains of the still undeveloped site of the Hyatt Terraces. Now said to be haunted, strange lights and ghostly apparitions are said to have been seen around the empty lot.  There was once a bus stop in front of the gate and motorists, driving along South Drive, have told stories of strange apparitions of the spirits of dead employees there. Some passersby in the area at night have also heard cries for help and seen figures against the spotlight that illuminates the area. In fact, for those driving along South Drive, the directed procedure is to honk your horn when passing beside the former Hyatt location, lest they run over a spirit crossing the street. Aromatic smells, coming out of nowhere, are also consistently reported.

  • SM CITY BAGUIO (a favorite shopping venue of mine while in the city), opened in 2003, was erected on the site where the former 4-storey, wood-framed, 423-room Pines Hotel used to overlook Session Road. On October 23, 1984, at about 11:30 PM, a 6-hour blaze gutted this government-owned hotel. To escape the thick smoke and flames, most of the dead (17 were killed, including 4 Americans) and 46 injured leaped from windows of this American Colonial-style, hillside hotel while others were seen slipping from rescue ropes.

Check out “SM City Baguio“

SM City Baguio

Today, mall visitors have reportedly seen faces in bathroom mirrors that would not be there a second later. One patron, in the ladies’ room, gave a photographic description of a bloodied fireman (The Baguio City Fire Department lost four firefighters in the blaze).

  • The MANILA FILM CENTER had its beginnings in 1981 when then First Lady Imelda R. Marcos started the Manila International Film Festival (MIFF). Slated to start on January 18, 1982, 4,000 laborers working, round the clock, in 3 shifts in the rush to complete the project  in time for the MIFF. Tragedy struck, on November 17, 1981, shortly before 3 AM, when scaffolding and wooden support for part of the second basement collapsed, causing at least 169 graveyard shift workers to fall to the orchestra below and be buried or trapped under wet, quick-drying cement.

Check out “The Urban Legend That is the Manila Film Center“

Manila Film Center

Rather than halt construction to rescue survivors and retrieve the bodies of dead workmen, cement ordered to be poured into the orchestra, entombing the fallen workmen, some of them still alive. The MIFF was to last another year but, instead of quality films, pornographic films were shown in an effort to gain a larger audience and, perhaps, to make up for the first festival’s financial losses. Later, in 1984, I would watch the premiere of Tikoy Aguiluz’ startling, controversial but highly-acclaimed first full-length film “Boatman” (Ang Bangkero), in its uncut version, at this very venue. Today, it is the venue of the Amazing Show, a Las Vegas-like song and dance extravaganza  where all the performers are transgenders.

The place, said to be haunted as well as cursed, is incredibly spooky. Various ghostly manifestations were reported within the building on the site, including poltergeist activity, apparitions; mysterious hearing of cries and moans; bleeding walls; and hands sticking out from under doors. The ghosts of those who died are said to roam the area, looking for live bodies to possess and take over as their own.

  • The UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES Diliman Campus , where my wife  and I graduated (with a degree of B.S. Architecture) has had a long history of alleged haunting, with a lot of paranormal hot spots. The Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, at the second floor of Palma Hall, is the residence of a  ghost named “Marisa,”  said to be a famous star of the university’s theater productions back in the 1970s who was eventually overshadowed by younger, more talented newcomers. Overwhelmed by grief and jealousy, she killed herself, in the most dramatic way possible, by hanging herself onstage, in costume. She’s known for making her presence felt by haunting the stage, the rest room and her old dressing room, joining the chorus during performances and, sometimes, showing up onstage.

Benitez Hall

Benitez Hall, home to the College of Education and one of the oldest buildings on campus and, naturally, has gained the reputation as one of the most haunted. A ghost, with blood red eyes, is said to wanders the halls. Kalayaan Hall, a residence hall exclusively for freshmen, has a ghost of a woman who supposedly shows up in the mirror facing the stairs to the second floor of the girls’ wing.  Abelardo Hall, home of the College of Music, is said to be haunted by the ghost of a girl vocalizing, or playing the piano or the gamelan in the middle of the night.

Melchor Hall

The lights on the top floor of Melchor Hall, the College of Engineering Building, where our college was then housed (the college now has its own building), was, for some reason, never turned off, the reason being that, sometimes, the lights there inexplicably turn to red. Many of my classmates have also seen a “Lady in White” come in and out of the corridor walls

  • The PINDANGAN CHURCH RUINS, the picturesque, roofless remains of a small vine-covered brick and coral church (the first in City of San Fernando, La Union) which I visited way back in 2004, is located 500 m. off the National Highway, near Camp Oscar Florendo. The nuns of the Carmelite Monastery of the Holy Family are the caretakers of these church ruins.

Check out “Pindangan Church Ruins“

Pindangan Church Ruins

It is said to be the home of the sole ghost of a headless stabbed priest who prowls the night, either carrying his severed head or searching for his head. Some have also reported hearing his head calling out for his body to find it. The wind here is known to whisper strange malediction to those that disrespect the location.  My picture of the site was featured in an episode of “Ang Pinaka: Scary Places in the Philippines,” aired during the 6:30 PM GMA News TV last October 22, Sunday.

  • The University of Santo Tomas, where my daughter Cheska graduated (with a degree of B.S. Medical Technology), served as an internment camp during the World War II.  Many prisoners died here of starvation and illness, and is reported by believers to be haunted. An alleged mass grave is located near the UST Museum.  One of the restroom cubicles in the Main Building is also haunted by a female student who hung herself.

Main Building of the University of Sto. Tomas

Other paranormal hot spots are the UST Hospital (haunted by a ghost wearing a red tag, which only corpses in the morgue section wear), St. Raymund’s Building (the comfort rooms on the first floor are haunted by the ghost of a girl was said to have committed suicide because she was bullied for her physical appearance), the Albertus Magnus Building (the Conservatory of Music where the piano is heard playing by itself) and Benavides Park (a.k.a. Lover’s Lane) where, at past midnight, students are greeted by a man wearing a Dominican habit who would later disappear (Sometimes, unfortunate couples hanging out in the park’s benches at night, have also heard a disembodied voice singing mass songs).

  • CLARK AIR BASE, being an American military installation, experienced major bombing from the Japanese during World War II. There are a number of reminders of that bloody past that still exist today and these locations are some of the most haunted in the Philippines.

Clark Museum

The area around the abandoned Clark Air Base Hospital has been rendered off limits to everyone as inhabitants have witnessed apparitions of violent spirits and heard mysterious voices.

Clark Cemetery

Early morning joggers have also reported hearing party music and excited talk coming from inside the obviously empty Home Plate canteen.  At the Clark Museum, the ghost of a serviceman who committed suicide by hanging himself still haunts the place.

Check out “Clark Museum“

  • SAGADA, in Mountain Province, has an authentic culture dealing with death, free of Western influence. The caves of the town, in particular, are rumored to be site of ghostly mischief. According to the locals, whispery voices are heard and wayward shadows or apparitions are seen among the Hanging Coffins as well as graves up in the Echo Valley.

Hanging Coffins

The Igorots, however, generally say that if you show some respect and leave the coffins alone, you’ll make it out of the valley unscathed. At Sumaguing Cave, locals believe that the cave is haunted by the spirits of their ancestors.  I have explored this cave twice and, each time, I always felt an otherworldly feeling as I entered.

Check out “Back to Sumaging Cave“

  • Historic CORREGIOR ISLAND, an island of history and heroism at the entrance of Manila Bay, has played a major role during World War II. Many Filipino and American soldiers died in its defense. During the liberation, the Japanese defenders here committed suicide via harakiri, jumping into the sea or blowing themselves up instead of capture or surrender. The ghosts of Corregidor’s World War II dead were also joined by Muslim soldiers who, in 1968,  were training in Corregidor for a  planned invasion of Sabah in Malaysia but were exterminated during the infamous March 18, 1968 Jabidah Massacre.

Hospital Ruins

At the Hospital Ruins, tourists who passed by have heard footsteps, rumblings of normal hospital activities, and wails of people.

One of the laterals of Malinta Tunnel. Notice the orbs?

Around the bunker area inside the Malinta Tunnel, shouts of people grimacing in pain can also be heard. Witnesses have also reported hearing eerie sounds and seeing a spirit near by. Manifestations would also appear in photos and videos. 

Check out “Ghost Hunting in Corregidor“

  • In INTRAMUROS,  where the historical and the supernatural intersect, the possibility of ghost sightings in the oldest part of Manila is real. It attracts ghosts and ghost hunters in search of kapres, white ladies, demonic spirits, and other entities. In the dying days of World War II, Japanese soldiers reportedly massacred men, women and children in Baluarte de Dilao.

Baluarte de San Diego

Baluarte de San Diego, known as the break-up park for being the site where many a relationship met their demise, is where a crying White Lady often makes appearances.

Manila Cathedral

The Aduana (Customs House) Building, which housed several government offices, is the most haunted building in Intramuros. Many people believe its demonic entities takes lives.  At Plaza Mexico, there have been sightings of reapers, or hooded figures who chase after wandering spirits. Many of the retail and commercial spaces along the wall of Puerta de Sta. Isabel have now been abandoned, supposedly because of numerous reports of hauntings. An ordinary-looking tree, along Arzobispo Street, has earned the gruesome nickname the Suicide Tree after a student, supposedly from Mapua Institute of Technology, killed herself by hanging.  Headless priests supposedly make regular appearances at the Manila Cathedral.

Fort Santiago

Fort Santiago, where National Hero Jose Rizal was jailed, was used by the Japanese as a prison and torture chamber during World War II.  It is imprinted with the agony and sufferings of its many prisoners and is now also extremely haunted with ghosts of prisoners who drowned in its underground dungeons.

Check out “RevisitingFort Santiago“

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar (Imus City, Cavite)

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Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar

The seventh and last church we visited during our visita iglesia was the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar (Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Pilar) in Imus City.  Started by  Augustinian Recollect Fr. Nicolás Becerra (parish priest from 1821 to 1840) in 1825 using forced labor, the cathedral, belfry and the convent took more half a century to finish. On April 29, 1962, when the Diocese of Imus was erected, the convent became the bishop’s residence.

 Check out “VIsita Iglesia 2017“

NHI Plaque

On November 13, 2006, the cathedral was designated as a Marked Structure (of Historical Significance) by the then National Historical Institute of the Philippines (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines).

The cathedral’s Baroque facade

This 18th century church, located at the boundary of Bayan Luma and Bucandala, has three naves.  The cathedral is 61 m. (200 ft.) long, 40 m. (130 ft.) wide, 30 m. (100 ft.) high and has 27 m. (90 ft.) wide nave.

The 3-storey bell tower

Its imposing, two-level tuft stone and brick Baroque facade, with its dark and subdued colors, was patterned after the fifth Manila Cathedral by Fr. Juan de Uguccioni, which existed from 1760 to 1852.  It has a segmental arch main entrance flanked by rectangular and semicircular arch windows and superpositioned flat columns in pairs. The pediment, with its statued niche, flows down into scrolls. Latin inscriptions accentuate the arches.

The cathedral interior

The three-storey square bell tower, on the church’s right, is topped by a dome. Inside are tall stained glass windows and a unique rendition of the Stations of the Cross using wooden carvings showing the hands of Christ.

The altar retablo

The church hosts the longest Holy Week procession in Cavite (with at least 70 floats) and is the country’s 5th longest overall, the other four being the Church of St. Augustine (Baliuag) and Diocesan Shrine of St. Isidore the Farmer (Pulilan), both located in the province of Bulacan, with at least 110 floats each, The Church of Our Lady of the Abandoned in Marikina  (Metro Manila), with 82 floats, and the Church of Our Lady of Aranzazu in San Mateo, Rizal, with 76 floats.

Check out “Diocesan Shrine of St. Isidore the Farmer“

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar: Gen. Castaneda St., Brgy. IV-A,  Imus City, Cavite. Tel: (046) 471-4839. Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar: October 12.

How to Get There: Imus City is located 44.7 kms. (a 1.5-hr. drive) from Manila and 24 kms. (a 45-min. drive) from Trece Martires City.

Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Dasmarinas City, Cavite)

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Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

From Trece Martires City, Jandy and I drove on to Dasmarinas City were we made a stopover at its Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.  There was a mass ongoing during our visit.

The church was the site of a bloody battle where Spanish troops defeated Filipino troops led by Capt. Placido Campos and Francisco Barzaga on February 25, 1897.  On December 17, 1944, during the Japanese occupation in World War II, many of the town’s residents were imprisoned here and 17 were executed and buried in a common grave.

 Check out “VIsita Iglesia 2017“

NHI Plaque

During the Spanish era, the convent was once the seat of the civil government.  In 1986, it was designated as a Marked Historical Structure by the National Historical Institute (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines).

The church’s Neo-Classical facade

The present church has a three-storey Neo-Classical facade with a portico covering the semicircular arched main entrance door of the church. The upper levels, flanked by flat pilasters, have semicircular arched windows, of various sizes, and a projecting statued niche.  The triangular pediment has a small circular window.  The church is 55 m. (180 ft.) long, 24 m.(80 ft.) wide and has a 16 m. (52 ft.) wide nave.

One of the 4-storey bell towers

The façade is flanked on both sides by four-storey (the first two square and the upper two octagonal) bell towers with two old bells. The small bell has the inscription “Perez Dasmariñas año 1867 approx. 14 libras.”

The church interior

Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception: P. Campos Avenue. Tel: (046) 416 1295  and (046) 416-0797.  Feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception: December 8.

How to Get There: Dasmariñas City is located 50.1 kms.(a 1.5-hour drive) from Manila and 11.6 kms. (a 30-min. drive) from Trece Martires City.