el toro bumingo

Unpleasant Experience at Canyon Woods and Agoda

2025-03-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

I booked 2 days and 2 nights stay at Canyon Woods in Batangas and it was an unpleasant experience.

I booked it via Agoda and the issue started on a Friday, when we got lost in Batangas. I called the 3 numbers of Canyon Woods and all numbers were unreachable. I reached out to Agoda to ask assistance in contacting the hotel, via email and call, and they too were unable to reach the property.

It took us an hour with Agoda but they too, were unable to reach the resort for directions. Both email and SMS.

They initially offered to book us somewhere else, but since I heard so much about Canyon Woods, I decided to still continue with my current booking and just ask around. So I learned that the Nasugbu Driver, who we asked in Manila if their bus passes by Canyon Woods, is actually thinking of Canyon Cove. That’s why he said yes.

Initially when we book it a month ago, it says it’s located along Nasugbu Highway. That’s where the initial confusion is. In reality, the resort is located in Laurel, Batangas along the Border to Lemery Road. Border of Cavite and Nasugbu but it’s not on the Nasugbu Highway.

We rode back, via tricycle, and it was a P100 ride – some 10 kilometers back to Cavite route just to trace where Canyon Woods is. We reached the Border and from there, we rode another tricycle to Canyon Woods on the way to Lemery.

Upon our arrival, we told the reception about it and she simply swept it under a run as in nothing happened – as if she didn’t hear our complain. I don’t want to ruin the entire trip so I decided to complain about this entire fiasco via Agoda.

The resort is an old one. In fact, 2 high rise buildings are not in use due to renovation. The resort has been in existence since 1997 and we’ve seen it on their Club House, which really look as if it got stuck in the 90s. Some of the shower heads are not operational. We even visited their other outdoor pool at the Pavilion – and same story. It gave us the feeling of an old abandoned resort.

There’s not even an electricity at the Pavilion during our visit. The artificial lake doesn’t have any boats and as if it has receded by a meter. The hanging bridges we passed by were not operational.

After our stay, I reported the issue to Agoda and they initially agreed to provide us a 10% rebate. I didn’t agree because I feel that we deserve a 25% rebate due to the hassle of unable to reach them during a critical time. They said they conducted an investigation with the resort and they didn’t provide the rebate I wanted. So I told them that I’ll simply write our unpleasant experience with the hotel and delete the app altogether. They’re very unhelpful and failed to compensate us accordingly.

They really should update their website because the pictures they're displaying is from 1997. It's awfully different these days.

My Trip to Bicol 2025

2025-03-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

I started my trip from Canyon Woods in Laurel, Batangas, which is about 10 kilometers from the border of Tagaytay and Nasugbu.

I rode a jeepney to Lemery around 10:00 AM. After about an hour, I arrived at the town center. I took some pictures of the usual subjects of my trip: the main church (usually located in the Población), the munisipyo (town hall), Rizal's monument, the palengke (marketplace), the town plaza, or some ancestral houses.

My next stop was Batangas City. I did the same thing there. Then, I rode a jeep to the Grand Terminal, which is located about 45 minutes from the town center. To my surprise, there weren’t many buses going to Bicol, or at least to Quezon. I asked some bystanders, and they pointed me in the right direction.

Fortunately, there was a non-air-conditioned bus going to Lucena, which is the "bottleneck" city for buses going to Bicol. Almost all buses pass through this part of Quezon Province. I left Batangas City at 2 PM, and the travel took almost 4 hours. The bus that was supposed to go from Batangas City to Lucena passed through other towns like Candelaria, Sariaya, and others.

Finally, by 6 PM, I was in Lucena City. I roamed around the Población area and took pictures of my usual subjects. I also had dinner at KFC. By 7 PM, I was at the Grand Terminal (which is not as grand as its name suggests). There were two bus companies traveling to Bicol. By 10 PM, I was en route to Bicol via Raymond Transport.

The bus had trouble around midnight somewhere in Quezon Province. A mechanic was in the aisle of the bus and went down a stairway leading to the engine. The bus reached Sorsogon City by 10 AM. Yup, it was a 12-hour trip.

The bus' signage indicated it was going to Gubat (Sorsogon), but I was too tired to travel further, so I got off at Sorsogon City. I rode a tricycle (P22) to the city center, took pictures of the church and other landmarks, and had lunch at Jollibee. It was raining that morning.

By 12 PM, I was on a mini-bus to Matnog, Sorsogon, the southernmost part of Luzon. The trip took 1.5 hours. There wasn’t much to see in Matnog, except for the arch that marks the departure from Luzon Island. I took pictures of the church, peed at a nearby construction site within the church compound, had some bread at a local bakery, and then returned to Sorsogon City.

By 3 PM, I was on my way to Daraga, Albay. The trip was also 1.5 hours long. It was cloudy when I arrived. I had to climb a hill where the church was located. It felt like I was in Baguio City. Then I saw it—Mayon Volcano.

Its peak was covered by clouds, but it still looked majestic. I took pictures and videos, visited the municipal hall and palengke, then rode a jeep to Legazpi City.

The RedDoorz I booked was located far from the city center. I had to ride another jeep via Rawis, get off at Pag-Asa Street, and walk about 300 meters to Narra Street, where it was located. There were actually two RedDoorz locations there, one of which was RedDoorz Mariners.

I had dinner at a nearby carinderia. The tapa was delicious and only P75. By 7 PM, I was already in bed.

I woke up around 4 AM. By 4:30 AM, I was already walking toward the giant statue of Our Lady of Salvacion. Fortunately, the road was lit, but I swear, I thought I saw "white ladies" twice, just out of the corner of my eye. It still gives me the creeps as I remember it today while writing this story.

The distance was about 2 kilometers from RedDoorz. The sunrise was scheduled for about 5:50 AM. Thankfully, it wasn’t as cloudy as the day before. I was able to take some good shots of the famous natural wonder and even created a video. I also realized that there’s a smaller Mayon on the opposite side of the larger one.

Around 6:30 AM, I rode a tricycle to the Cagsawa Ruins. The fare was P150, and it was quite a long ride. There was a marker beside the Legazpi-Guinobatan Road, and I walked about 200 meters over a bridge. On my left was the Cagsawa Ruins complex/park.

There was a P45 entrance fee to the park, plus a P20 fee to enter another park closer to Mayon, with a koi fish pond. There were lots of flowers that I used as foreground in my pictures of Mayon.

I saw the signage for Sumlang Lake and decided to visit. There are some popular photos of Mayon Volcano with its reflection on Sumlang Lake. I took another tricycle for P150, but there were jeepneys plying the Legazpi-Guinobatan Road.

There was a P100 entrance fee to the park. The place was nice, with a restaurant that opens at 10 AM. It was very Instagrammable. I also saw an actual Pili tree and the abaca plant, which is very similar to a banana plant.

From Sumlang Lake, I rode a jeepney back to Legazpi City and walked around the city center. The Albay Provincial Capitol was very near the Legazpi City Hall. I didn’t find a statue of Rizal, though.

I went back to RedDoorz, took a shower, grabbed my Dell bag, rode a tricycle, and then a jeep en route to Tabaco City. I thought there would be lots of tabak (big knives) in Tabaco City, but I didn’t see any.

I had lunch at the palengke. I had ginataang langka and toge, which cost around P60. I didn’t see any local kakanin. By 1 PM, I was in Tiwi, Albay.

I took some videos of the church complex, then took a picture of a nice Rizal statue in the middle of the plaza in front of the municipal hall. Then, I walked toward the beach (Lagonoy Gulf and Tiwi Beach). It was beautiful.

I returned to the plaza on an eTrike, then went back to Legazpi. With no other plans, I rode a bus back to Manila. By 2 PM, the bus left Legazpi City. It took 14 hours to reach Manila, specifically the Cubao area. I had breakfast at McDonald's. I got a stomach ache upon arriving in Manila, but thankfully, there was a nice restroom at McDo.

Before lunch last Tuesday, I was already snoring in my sleep.

Angel's Pizza Sandoval Avenue Opening Soon

2024-11-01T02:39:00.004-07:00

I am excited for the opening of Angel's Pizza along Sandoval Avenue, Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City. If you're coming from Pasig Palengke, it's just after McDonald's Sandoval Avenue after you passed the bridge.

What I like about Angel's Pizza is their spinach pizza. This is also one of the most ordered pizza on our company events. I'll try to take a picture of the place. It's actually a huge place and I am surprised they decided to open a branch along Sandoval Avenue.

Rainy Afternoon With David Guison

2022-08-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

I finally met David Guison in person and I even attended his “Blog Photography and Styling Workshop” which he conducted together with Lissa Kahayon. It is part of the Canon PhotoSkwela series and it was held yesterday at SM City North EDSA Annex.

David Guison and Lissa Kahayon discussed how they started blogging and showed us their previous pictures. You can see their transformation from their simple style (and simple pictures) to their current achievements in the blogging and fashion industry. David Guison also showed us his previous gadgets that he used in taking pictures before. These gadgets include an old Nokia cellphone, a Canon digicam and his DSLR, a Canon 1100D (similar to mine!). Now that inspires me to come up with brilliant photos as well. He’s definitely a great photographer!

Here are some of the cardinal rules of blogging that they shared. I love their PowerPoint presentation by the way. It’s very artistic.

Give back (to your readers) – This can be in the form of blog contests and give-away.
Quality (of posts) over quantity – It is better to have few interesting posts than lots of uninteresting ones.
Value your audience – Take some time to reply to comments that you’re receiving in your blog.
Be humble
Never overshare (personal photos or information)
Research plus incorporate your own
Get your daily dose of inspiration
Be patient (for blog traffic to increase)
Be consistent – The most important thing in blogging is to blog regularly
Be responsible (for your posts)
Keep it simple but catchy – Pertaining to blog names and titles. Lissa Kahayon’s blog is Scene Stealer while David’s blog is simply named DG Manila. They also mentioned the importance of branding your blog by having your own logo
Keep it interesting
Write about what you know

They also discussed the advantages of blogging (like having a job) as well as the disadvantages. They even provided personal anecdote about some of the hate comments that they received and how they took it positively. David Guison also mentioned some of his favorite bloggers: Ponyhunter, Edric Chen, and Tricia Gosingtian.

They even answered the question on which platform would best host their blog. It doesn’t matter, according to them, whether you’re using Blogger, Wordpress, or Tumblr but it’s advisable for a blogger to have their own .COM website. It makes the blog more professional. David Guison started with Tumblr while Lissa Kahayon finds Blogger easy to use. They now have their own .COM sites.

I learned a few more things about David Guison and his works from this seminar. I learned that he also wrote and took some pictures for Inquirer, Ford, Bench, Century Tuna, SM, Multiply, Yahoo, Ray-Ban, among others.

Aside from watching David Guison the whole time (he’s indeed gorgeous), I was able to get some tips on how to improve my current blogs. They also gave some tips on Styling like:

Examine what you have (in your closet)
Work with what you have and challenge yourself
Your personal style is a mix of your tastes, inspirations, aspirations and lifestyle
Get inspiration, re-invent then own the look
Experiment, take risks, be creative
Plan, strategize
Exude confidence!
There is nothing wrong with repeating clothes
Look the part, play the part
The way you project yourself and how you want others to perceive you

I had a wonderful time attending the workshop of David Guison and Lissa Kahayon and I can definitely say that I’m a follower. Thank you Canon Philippines for having them as one of your Ambassadors. It’s definitely worth it. Thank you also to Greenwich for the delicious pizza!

Technorati Tags: Blogging,David Guison,Lissa Kahayon,Canon

A New Blog!

2020-10-04T22:16:00.001-07:00

I’m creating a 2nd el toro bumingo blog. The reason? I already consumed my free 15 GB storage from Google that contains all the images I used on the 1^st el toro bumingo blog over the years. I am using the full size of the pictures straight from the DSLR and it’s probably the reason why the 15 GB got full. I also had that blog since 2011 and contains a lot of pictures from my #LocalTravel.

I bike my way to Quezon Memorial Circle yesterday. It’s almost 40 kilometers (back and forth) from my place in Pasig City. It’s my latest #LocalTravel this quarantine season and I did it via bicycle.

I still have tons of backlog from my 2019 travel that I want to share with you guys. Even if I’m working from home since March 2020 due to Covid19, I still haven’t published my photos of:

Mangaldan, Pozorrubio, Laoac, Binalonan, and Urdaneta in Pangasinan
Alaminos City (where a lot of ancestral houses are located), Bolinao, Lingayen, Binmaley, San Carlos City and Malasiqui also in Pangasinan
Naujan and Calapan in Mindoro Oriental
Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Victoria, Pinamalayan City, Roxas and Bulalacao also in Mindoro Oriental
Boracay, Malay Town, Kalibo, New Washington and Balete in Antique
Piat Town in Cagayan
Callao Cave (Penablanca) in Cagayan
Tuguegarao in Cagayan
Balloon Festival in Carmona, Cavite – March 2020 (before the Enhanced Community Quarantine)
General Community Quarantine (QCQ) Travels – via bicycle – to Cainta, Rizal
Trip to Baras
Trip to Tondo
Trip to Quezon Circle

I’m hoping before the year end, I am up to date with my travel photos. It’s not much but I still love #LocalTravel

I hope that you’ll support me on this new blog the same way as you supported the 1^st el toro bumingo blog.

Let’s take care of each other and travel safe this pandemic era.

Technorati Tags: New Blog,el toro bumingo 2,#LocalTravel,#eltorobumingo2

Dagupan City (in Pictures)

2020-09-19T12:55:00.001-07:00

It’s been a year since I last posted pictures on this blog. There was an issue with the software I’m using to blog (Open Live Writer) and it was only recently fixed with the release of version 0.6.3.0

I hope I could catch up on posting pictures of my trips locally. I have ample time to do so since I’ve been in quarantine since March 2020. I only travel by public transportation – tricycle, bus, jeepney – and since it’s suspended, my local travel is also on hold.

Here are some pictures of Dagupan I took last year, 2019 B.C. (Before Corona)

Technorati Tags: Dagupan City,Pangasinan

Pangasinan Trip 2019

2019-09-28T15:14:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I decided to take a 2-day trip to the province of Pangasinan. It was my 2^nd time, the first being in the Bangus Festival a few years ago. This year, I started with Pangasinan. The bus I took was Solid North and we left the EDSA station around 2:00 AM.

Before 6:00 AM, I was already at Dagupan City. I was able to take a picture of its church at daybreak. Recently, I’ve been taking pictures of the town’s Poblacion (city center) including the main church, the municipal or city hall, the public market, the public park, Rizal’s monument, ancestral houses and Jollibee stores.

From Dagupan, I took a jeep to the nearby town of Mangaldan. Same routine – walk about the Poblacion, take a picture of the main church, plaza, municipal hall, Rizal’s monument, Jollibee store and some ancestral houses. Then I’m off to the next town of Manaoag, Pangasinan.

From Manaoag, I travelled to Pozzorubio, Pangasinan. It was already afternoon when I decided to go to Pozzorubio and there were no longer jeeps plying to the town. Luckily there’s a tricycle terminal. In Pozzorubio, I did exactly the same thing – go to the town proper (Poblacion), visit the main church, some ancestral houses, municipal hall, Rizal’s monument and public park. I had difficulty finding the Pozzorubio Public Market.

Travelling from town to town is pretty simple especially if the town/province is from Spanish-era period. The design is simple – the church is usually the center of the town. In front of it is usually the Plaza and just a few meters would be the Munisipyo (Municipal Hall) and the Palengke (Public Market). Ancestral houses are usually located around the church. The closer your house is to the chuch, the more prominent your family is. A monument to Rizal is almost, always, present in the Plaza.

From Pozzorubio, I took another jeep to Urdaneta but I stopped by at the crossroads to Laoac and Binalonan. I took a jeep and went to Laoac, which is a a very quiet and small town. The church is simple and the municipal hall is being renovated. I also can’t find the public market of Laoac but there’s a plaza. From Laoac, I rode the Manaoag-Binalonan jeepney.

There’s a Jollibee and McDonalds by the way at the crossroads. The town of Binalonan is also quiet. I was surprised that they have GrabTrike colored green. It’s probably a collaboration of the town to the riding company and it’s applaudable. Binalonan has wide streets around the town hall (municipal hall). There are some ancestral houses near the church and it’s lovely to walk around the Poblacion.

Around 5:00 PM I’m back at the crossroads and rode another jeep towards the City of Urdaneta, Pangasinan. I’m surprised that the church of Urdaneta is not as grand (or big) as in other cities. It’s like Cabanatuan or any other big city in the province. I decided to sleep over in this city but I had difficulty finding accommodation via the Agoda app. Eventually I asked a tricycle driver to take me to the nearest, least expensive inn.
I have visited 7 towns today.

Day 2

I left Urdaneta City early in the morning. I took a bus to Dagupan City and from there, I took another bus to Alaminos City. I had breakfast in one of the town’s ancestral houses repurpose into a cafeteria (the 1^st fllor). I was surprised at the sheer number of ancestral houses in this city especially along the street going to the Hundred Islands Park. It was rainy when I reached this town so there were no boats going to the Hundred Islands.

Alaminos City both has Jollibee and McDonalds. I can’t find Rizal’s monument but instead, there’s a monument for Andres Bonifacio in front of the church. From Alaminos City, I took a grueling 2 hour jeepney ride to the northern-most town of Bolinao.

Bolinao is a bit chaotic since the public market extend to the area in front of the municipal hall. Rizal is depicted along with other National Heroes. The church of Bolinao is awesome with its painting on the ceiling. Almost all popular stories of the Bible and about the life of the Virgin Mary is depicted in the ceiling. It was one of the most beautiful churches I’ve seen visited.

Of all the towns I’ve visited in Pangasinan, only Bolinao has a group of vendors selling the town’s unique product – bamboo (rice) cake. It’s like our local suman but instead of being wrapped in banana leaves, it’s cooked in bamboos. It comes with a very sweet syrup similar to that found in Baguio. I commend the local government of Bolinao for marketing a unique product of the town. I hope all other towns will follow their example.

From Bolinao, I took the Bolinao Express bus and went to the capital of Pangasinan province – Lingayen. I was able to take some photos of the towns along the way – Bani, Sual and Labrador. Lingayen is a huge city. Rizal’s monument here is remarkable. There’s Jollibee as well. From the church of Lingayen, I took a tricyle to the Provincial Capitol grounds. The complex is huge and has a lot of trees. It gives the feel of being in Baguio.

From Lingayen, I took a jeep to the quiet town of Binmaley. It’s another small and quiet town. I love the feel of Binmaley. The church is unique because it is surrounded by statues of the Virgin Mary with some of her famous titles. Too bad both the church of Binmaley and the Museum of Binmaley were closed during my visit (Saturday morning). From the statue of a fisherman at the town plaza and from the wide ricefields in town, I can say Binmaley is a farming and fishing town.

My next stop was the city of San Carlos. There’s no direct jeepney route to San Carlos City. I rode the jeep to Dagupan but took off at a tricycle station for San Carlos. I had my lunch here. The city is huge as well. There’s a Rizal Park near the church. The City Hall is right across the street. The public market is not in the vicinity. There’s a Jollibee San Carlos and this city is where publick transportation are located. From San Carlos City you could visit other towns to the West side of Pangasinan. I decided to go to Malasiqui.

Malasiqui is another quiet town. The town hall, church, Rizal Park, and public market are all adjacent to each other. There are a lot of buses coming from Dagupan en route to Manila. I left Malasiqui around 4:00 PM. By 10:00 PM I was back in Manila.

I visited 6 towns today for a total of 13 towns in 2 days. I would post more pictures of the towns I've mentioned here. I would also love to visit the province of Quezon next.

Technorati Tags: Pangasinan,2019 Trip,Dagupan,Manaoag,Churches

Trip to Mindoro and Aklan

2019-09-28T15:12:00.001-07:00

Day 1
I was with my aunt and kuya when we visited Mindoro. It was my first time to visit the island and the birthplace of my aunt – Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Our journey started at JAM Liner station in Taft Avenue near Buendia. We left Pasig around 3:00 AM and was at the bus station around 4:00 AM. We left the bus terminal around 4:30 AM to Batangas Port. The signage on the bus says CALABARZON Batangas Port. We arrived around 6:20 AM and missed the Fast Craft (6:00 AM) bound to Calapan Port. We opted for the 7:00 AM RORO ship from Star Ferries – the Starlite Annapolis.

It was my first time to ride a Roll-On Roll-Off (RORO) ship – the one that carries both passengers and vehicles (trucks, bus, cars). The fare was around P400 with P30 terminal fee (which is free for Senior Citizens). We left Batangas Port around 8:00 AM and arrived at Calapan Port around 11:00 AM. It was raining due to storm Falcon (who’s already outside the PAR but is affecting the Habagat). From the Port of Calapan, we rode a tricycle to the town proper – around P100 fare. We ate lunch at Chowking Calapan before riding a jeep to the quiet town of Naujan. The jeepney terminal is just besides the public market.

We left Calapan City around 11:30 AM and arrived there about 12:30 PM. My aunt is very happy to be able to visit her birthplace. We visited the Bonifacio Monument at the heart of Poblacion, Naujan as well as the Municipal Hall. We would love to visit the Simbahang Bato but it’s about 8 kilometers away from the town center, by tricycle. We decided to head back to Calapan City.

I convinced my aunt to ride the Fast Craft at Puerto Galera on their way back to Batangas Port. It was both our first time to be at Puerto Galera. From Calapan City, we rode a jeep. It was a 1 and a half ride from the capital of Mindoro Oriental (Calapan City). We left around 3:30 PM and navigate a route that is zigzag like a trip to Baguio. It seems that we passed a mountain range before arriving at Poblacion, Puerto Galera.

However, a local tricycle driver and female personnel from the municipal hall informed us that the 6:00 PM Fast Craft trips were cancelled due to heavy rains brought about by Habagat and Typhoon Falcon. They recommended to spend the night at one of the resorts near the beach. We rode a tricycle and headed to White Beach Resort. A room with 2 queen size bed were offered to us at P1,200/night from the usual P1,500. It was right beside the famous White Sand Beach of Puerto Galera. After a dinner of Beef Caldereta and Nilaga, we doze off to dreamland.

Day 2

We woke up early the next morning and left the resort at 4:00 AM. We went to Balatero Pier (the one nearest White Beach Resort) to catch a Fast Craft but all trips were cancelled by the Coast Guard. According to the personnel from the 3 shipping lines – Fast Craft can’t dock at the Batangas Port due to heavy rain / waves. It was 6:00 AM. There was a 9:00 AM trip from Calapan City back to Batangas Port via RORO but I decided to stay behind and just spend the day at Puerto Galera and nearby towns.

I explored Poblacion, Puerto Galera and visited the nearest church, municipal hall and market. Poblacion already have 7-11 and other establishments that can be seen at a barangay in Manila. There’s even a Xentro Mall being constructed nearby. Instead of visiting Muelle Pier and Sabang Beach, I decided to go south again and visit the next town.

I stopped by Tamaraw Falls which is located right beside the street after a 30-minute ride from Puerto Galera. It’s a small waterfall with a grotto and a park. Nothing fancy but it’s worth the stop. I rode a jeep again and drop off by the San Teodoro Public Market. Their municipal hall is being constructed and there’s a church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception nearby. It was a quiet town.

I went back to Calapan City and stopped by the City Library and the Sto Nino Church. I then rented a tricycle to bring me to the Capitol Building, the City Hall, and Rizal Monument (he’s sitting and writing something on a desk).

Since we already visited Naujan, I rode a jeep to Victoria instead. It was about 2-hour ride from Calapan City. It’s also a quiet town like San Teodoro. I visited the church, public market and municipal hall. I didn’t see a Rizal Monument but instead, it was _ that has a statue in front of the new building. I also learned that there are no more jeepney route from Victoria to the other towns south. A local guy from the nearby jeepney terminal informed me that the route “died” a few years ago and was replaced by van (UV express). I rode a van from Victoria to Pinamalayan City.

Pinamalayan City is a busy place. I dropped off by the National Highway and rode a tricycle going to the town proper (near the sea front). The streets are wide, and it has all the establishments from Jollibee to Metrobank. There are ancestral houses in front of the City Plaza, which is huge and has a very interesting mural dedicated to the revolution/heroes of 1896. There’s a Rizal Monument with a rainbow bridge behind.

I went back to the Pot of Gold monument at the National Highway and rode a van to Roxas town. It’s another quiet town but they have a Jollibee. I took a photo of the Sto Nino Church, which is a beautiful church, and some ancestral houses nearby. Some are being sold. There’s a Ceres Terminal near the public market and I was tempted to book a ticket to Cubao (I’m sure it will be another RORO ride at Calapan City to Batangas). I already went to the municipal hall where a statue of Rizal is located.

A staff approached me and asked if I’m doing a documentary. He said I should seek a permit. I told him I’m promoting the town on my blog – but if they want that, then I won’t take any more pictures. This is the first time that I was ever approached by a municipal stop and ask to get a permit (to take a picture of a public building). I guess there’s a political issue in this town.

Roxas has a port that offers RORO trip to Caticlan in Aklan (Panay Island). Since I had a bad experience with the customer service of Starlite Ferries (who won’t reply in time when asked about their trips), I decided to take a RORO at the next town of Bulalacao.

The trip to Bulalacao from Roxas is very similar to my trip from Calapan to Puerto Galera – zigzag road but with a view of the sea. It was almost 6 o’clock when I reached the sleepy town of Bulalacao. The van took us straight to Bulalacao Port. It won’t accept ticket reservation until 7:00 PM so I rent a tricycle for P60 to take me to the town hall, church and market. They have no Rizal Monument at their plaza.

Bulalacao Port is constructed with the help of the Philippine Port Authority (PPA). The trip to Caticlan Port is roughly P460 with a P30 terminal fee. The RORO is new and is operated by FastCat. Our departure time is 10PM so I had some time to eat, take a bath and sleep at a nearby cafeteria.

Day 3

It’s almost 1:30 AM when our RORO reached the port of Caticlan. We left Bulalacao Port around 10:00 PM last night. Compared to the RORO ship we rode in Batangas Port, which has sleeping bunker beds, this RORO ship from FastCat only has seating area at the top most deck (Economy). Even though it’s not fully occupied, I can’t lie on the bench because it has “separators”.

There’s a nearby 7-11 where I had a quick breakfast. The staff asked me a few questions as part of a survey. He asked where I came from and where am I headed to. I initially plan on tour the towns of Aklan but since I’m already in Caticlan, I might as well visit the world-famous Boracay Island even just for a few hours.

There are no boats in Caticlan Jetty Port that is heading to Boracay. I was advised that due to Habagat, the boats are in the nearby port of Tabon. It’s about a kilometer away from Caticlan according to Waze. I decided to walk towards Tabon Port. After the 6 months rehabilitation of Boracay, one of the changes they made in making a trip to Boracay is that you must show a proof of hotel accommodation. I used the Agoda app to find myself the cheapest hotel/inn in Boracay. I found one for a dormitory type (6 beds in 1 room, double-deck) for around P400 located in Station 2.

Since it’s before 6:00 AM, the price of the ferry doubled to P50/person. The environmental fee is P75 and terminal fee is P25. My co-passengers were mostly Korean (or Chinese). The boat trip was about 15 minutes to Boracay Jetty Port. There were e-Tricycles there, but I decided to hire a habal-habal for P100.

I was at the inn along Boracay-Bulabog Road around 4:00 AM. I toured the area and was able to visit Stations 1-2 before sunrise. All the establishments were already closed but I enjoyed the sight of the sea (the moon was bright). Sunrise side of Boracay is the Bulabog Beach where most of the fishing vessels are docked. I took some pictures of Boracay Sunrise along with some Koreans (or Chinese). After that I went back to Stations 1-2, Willy’s Rock and Boracay Church. I returned to Caticlan Port around 7:00 AM.

From Caticlan Port, I rode a tricycle going to Malay Town Proper where the municipal hall and church is located. I was surprised with the absence of jeepneys unlike in Iloilo province. I’m planning to travel each town (Nabas, Tangalan, Makato and Numancia) on my way to Kalibo where I have a flight to Manila at 8:00 PM.

I just took the van from Caticlan to Kalibo for P100. It was almost a 2-hour ride. I had lunch at Jollibee Kalibo and then take a tour of the nearby Kalibo Church, Museum and plaza. The museum entrance fee is only P50 and the display were beautiful, specially the paintings. I rented a tricycle to take me to the Capitol Building (Kalibo is the capital of Aklan), City Hall, Kalibo Freedom Park, and Rizal Monument.

From Kalibo, I took a special trip of tricycle to New Washington, Aklan. The capacity of the tricycles in Aklan is 9 including the driver. Tricycles are wider than the ones in Pasig City. The tricycle driver told me the old name of New Washington (I forgot) before it was changed. He told me that a president of the US visited the place years ago and as a sign of gratitude they renamed the town to New Washington. The driver also told me that Jaime Cardinal Sin has a house in the Poblacion near the church. I took a picture of that along with the church, municipal hall and Rizal Monument.

From the brochure I got from the museum, I learned that there’s a resort in New Washington with a Christmas theme. It’s called Sampaguita Gardens. The entrance fee is P25 and there’s a nice view of the sea. There’s also a house where you can find all sorts of decorations for Christmas. For P25, the place is awesome. It’s very Instagram-friendly.

Around 3PM I was back at Kalibo. I rode a jeep to a sleepy town called Balete. I took a picture of their church, new municipal hall, old town hall, the Rizal Monument and an art gallery called Basura Garden (walking distance from the municipal hall). I met the artist of the place who also teaches art to students. I felt that I was in one of the art studios of Angono.

By 6:00 PM I was at Kalibo International Airport. It’s a small one but has a coffee shop and an expensive souvenir shop. The Cebu Pacific plane was on time and by 10:00 PM I was back to the urban jungle of Manila.

I will post more pictures of each of the places I've mentioned here. Please stay tune

Technorati Tags: Mindoro Oriental,Aklan

The Ancestral Houses of Alaminos City

2019-09-21T20:49:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I visited the province of Pangasinan. I took pictures of churches, municipal halls, Rizal monuments, public markets, parks and ancestral houses. It was a 2-day trip and I went from Dagupan City to Mangaldan, Manaoag, Pozzorubio, Laoac, Binalonan and Urdaneta City on the 1^st day. On my 2^nd day, I went from Urdaneta City to Alaminos City and this is where I found several ancestral houses, to my surprise.

Usually there are still 2-3 ancestral houses around the church in any Poblacion (or town center) but in Alaminos City, I found a lot. Here are some of the ancestral houses I found.

Technorati Tags: Ancestral Houses,Pangasinan

Faces of Nagpayong, Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City

2019-01-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

I love to take a walk in my sub-barangay of Nagpayong, Pinabuhatan, Pasig City. There are so many subjects and faces – of people enjoying life, making a living and ordinary people.

Nagpayong is a Mecca for street photographers.

Maeco Hotel, Solano, Nueva Vizcaya

2019-01-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

When we visited the towns of Bambang, Bayombong, Solano and Dupax del Sur in Nueva Vizcaya last year, we stayed at Maeco Hotel in Solano. It’s right in the heart of the town and walking distance from the church.

The place is decent and affordable.

Makati Bel Air (in Pictures)

2019-01-25T20:00:00.002-08:00

Here are some of the pictures I took of Makati Bel Air when I attended a meeting for Grupo Kalinangan Inc (GKI) – the group behind the website www.philippineheritagemap.org

PCMC and Quezon Avenue (in Pictures)

2019-01-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

Our account #ProjectMoonlight has chosen the Philippine Childrens Medical Center (PMPC) twice now as the venue for their charitable work. I joined one of those visits and it was an eye opener on the status of this hospital (crowded). Anyway, I walked from PCMC towards the MRT Quezon Avenue station and here are some of the pics I took.

BGC to Pasig City (in Pictures)

2019-01-20T16:13:00.001-08:00

Just some pictures from the time that I was working at Upper McKinley, Bonifacio Global City (BGC). I would ride a jeep from Upper McKinley to Market Market then an FX to Pasig Palengke.

Marikina Riverbanks (in Pictures)

2019-01-20T16:01:00.001-08:00

It’s been a while since I last visited the Marikina Riverbanks. I hope visit it again one of these days. The place is paradise for bike enthusiasts.

The Windmills of Pililla, Laguna

2019-01-14T01:23:00.001-08:00

Here are some of my pictures of Pililla, Laguna when our photography club went to visit its wind mills a few years ago. I hope we could go back and visit this place and the surrounding towns as well.

We also visit Daranak Falls in Tanay as well as the church in Paete.

BuzzNet Tags: Pililla,Laguna,Windmills

Feast of the Ascension 2017 at Villa Escudero (in Pictures)–Part 2/2

2019-01-06T20:31:00.001-08:00

Here’s the rest of my pictures of the 2017 celebration of the Feast of the Ascension at Villa Escudero.

0………….

BuzzNet Tags: Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ,Villa Escudero,Villa Escudero Chapel

Feast of the Ascension 2017 at Villa Escudero (in Pictures)

2019-01-06T19:53:00.001-08:00

The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ,also known as Holy Thursday, Ascension Day, or Ascension Thursday, commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (i.e., universally celebrated) feasts of Christian churches, ranking with the feasts of the Passion, of Easter, and Pentecost. Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day of Easter (following the accounts given in Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51 and Acts 1:2), although some Christian denominations have moved the observance to the following Sunday. (Wikipedia)

I’ve been very lucky to have attended the Feast of the Ascension in Villa Escudero in 2017 and I would like to share the pictures of that event.

BuzzNet Tags: Villa Escudero,Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ,Feast of the Ascension

Poblacion, Makati City (in Pictures)

2019-01-06T18:28:00.001-08:00

I visited Barangay Poblacion, Makati City a few years ago and I was surprised to find out that it’s a Korean Barangay – with its numerous bars and restaurants that has Korean signage.

Poblacion, Makati also has a covered court, Museo ng Makati, Friends and Neighbors, Sts Peter and Paul Parish Church (home of Nuestra Senora de la Rosa 1718), The Pillars Bar & Restaurant, Verona Optical, The Korean Methodist Church of Manila, The Clipper Hotel, Tickles Bar, Bottoms Filling Station, Royal Bellagio Hotel, Daddy O’s Barbeque, Moulin Rouge, Ritz Café, Eye Society, among others.

Brgy Poblacion is under Kap Benhur L. Cruz according to a tricyle.

BuzzNet Tags: Poblacion,Makati City,Barangay Korean,Sts Peter and Paul Parish Church

Saints Peter and Paul Parish Chuch, Poblacion, Makati City

2019-01-06T18:05:00.001-08:00

Poblacion, Makati is a very interesting Barangay. It currently has a lot of restaurants for Korean nationals but at the heart of this barangay is the old Sts Peter and Paul Church.

Two markers can be found on the façade of the church which tells the story of this church:

Historical Research and Markers Committee
San Pedro Macati
The Franciscans were the first missionaries here in 1578. The Jesuits built this church in 1620 and administered it until 1768. Adjoining were the Novitiate for the Jesuits and a house of retreat. Both the church and Novitiate were dedicated to San Pedro in memory of the Rev. Pedro de los Montes, builder of the church and of Captain Pedro de Britto, Regidor of Manila, who donaed the site called Buenavista in 1607 and endowed the Novitiate.
1937

The other marker reads:

Cultural and Heritage Center of Makati
Barangay Poblacion
Sts. Peter and Paul Church
In July 1, 1608, the Spanish Alferez General Capitan Pedro de Brito and his wife, Dona Ana de Herrera donated half of their land to the Jesuits on the condition that a church and novitiate be built on a hill called Buenavista which would be under the patronage of San Pedro. Fr Pedro Montes took charge of the construction until its completion in 1620. Its design is of Baroque architecture and followed the typical style of colonial mission churches.
Because he was the partron of the locality, the place was named San Pedro Macati which was fondly corrupted by the locals to “Sampira”, which referred to both the town and the church. It is the mother Parish Church of Makati and played a central role especially during its years of initial development.
The church was destroyed during the British occupation in 1762 and was reconstructed much later in 1849 using adobe from Guadalupe and Meycauayan, yakal, molave, baticulin and guijo timbers and conchas or sea shells for its windows.
It underwent numerous renovations and design changes over the years but most of its original features can still be found such as the retablo and its bells.
It is home to the images of Nuestra Senora de la Rosa and the Sto Nino de Pasion which can only be found in Makati.
Done of the 14^th day of August 2009 during the administration of Punong Barangay Jose C. Villena IV and the Poblacion Barangay Council through the Education and Culture Committee under the Makati Poblacion Heritage Conservation Project of Mayor Jejomar C. Binay

BuzzNet Tags: Poblacion,Makati City,Sts Peter and Paul Parish Church

San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Chuch, Taytay, Rizal

2019-01-06T16:34:00.001-08:00

The neighbor of Brgy Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City to the east is Brgy San Lorenzo Ruiz, Taytay, Rizal. If you’re Catholic and living in Nagpayong area or Kenneth Road, you’ll probably attending mass at the San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Church in Taytay, Rizal rather than the one in Pinagbuhatan Kaliwa (San Sebastian Parish Church).

San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Church is bigger than San Sebastian. I’ve attended a couple of masses at this Catholic Church but I also have no idea on when this was founded. What I know so far is that, this is originally located a few blocks away from the current location. If you’re coming from Kenneth Road or Sandoval Avenue going to the San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Church, you’ll come across the old location.

Here are some of the pictures I took of this church in 2016.

BuzzNet Tags: San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Church,Taytay,Rizal,Nagpayong,Pinagbuhatan

St. William’s Church, San Marcelino, Zambales

2019-01-06T16:02:00.001-08:00

San Marcelino, Zambales is home to the Roman Catholic Church of St. William. Too bad I can’t find some information about St. William’s Church – its founding date and the specific saint whom this church is dedicated to. There are a lot of St. William in the Roman Catholic roster of saints.

Anyway, I still find St. William’s Church in San Marcelino, Zambales a nice church to visit. Hopefully this year, we can go back to it and attend the town’s Singkamas or Mango Festival.

BuzzNet Tags: St William's Church,San Marcelino,Zambales,Catholic Church

San Marcelino, Zambales (in Pictures)

2019-01-06T15:57:00.001-08:00

A few years ago, we were able to shoot the Singkamas Festival of San Marcelino, Zambales. It was a nice festival except we were unable to eat some singkamas because no one is selling ready-to-eat singkamas. They’re selling it in bulk.

Let me share some of the pictures I took of San Marcelino taken around the town center.

BuzzNet Tags: San Marcelino,Zambales,Singkamas Festival

Ortigas Center and Capitol Commons At Dawn

2019-01-06T15:27:00.001-08:00

Here are some of my pictures of Ortigas Center and Capitol Commons taken at dawn, a few years ago.

I often take pictures at dawn, early morning and dusk. These are called “golden hours” in photography.

BuzzNet Tags: Ortigas Center,Capitol Commons,Dawn,Emerald Avenue

Sunnyside Garden Pool, Baliuag

2019-01-05T04:44:00.001-08:00

Last year, our high school batch from Baliuag, Bulacan held a Teachers’ Appreciation Day at Sunnyside Garden Pool, 01 Emerald St. Doña Enriqueta Subdivision, Baliuag, Bulacan. It’s a day of honoring our high school teachers for imparting their knowledge and being a big influence on us during our growing years.

Sunnyside Garden Pool is located inside the subdivision right next to the Baliuag Municipal Hall. Our high school, Mariano Ponce H.S. (now named Mariano Ponce National High School) is right next to the municipal hall. Here are some of the pictures I took of the venue of our reunion.

You may visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SunnysideGardenPool/ for more info.

BuzzNet Tags: Sunnyside Garden Pool,Baliuag,Bulacan,MPHS