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Armando's Pizza at the Historic Camalig Restaurant
2008-02-08 07:19:00
Now have you ever heard of Kapampangan pizza? If not, then you must visit Armando's Pizza at the Historic Camalig Restaurant , the old Nepomuceno rice granary in Angeles City, that had been converted into a restaurant. And what toppings might one find in Doy's Kapampangan? Longganiza, ebun buru (salted duck eggs), onions and pickle relish! It sounds nasty, but tastes heavenly!I've always been a fan of pizza at the Camalig. The crusts are baked to a perfect crisp with a generous serving of toppings. And if you choose to bring some home to your friends and family, the packaging is a novelty as well since the pizza is placed in a bilao and wrapped in Manila paper like pansit. Well, we're passing by the Camalig after our tour on Sunday. Yum!Historic Camalig Restaurant292 Sto. Rosario Street, Angeles City+63 45 3225641+63 45 8881077
More About: Food , Central Luzon

Ivan About Town meets Happy Slip
2008-02-07 16:45:00
I got to meet YouTube celebrity Christine Gambito, more popularly know as Happy Slip , at the exclusive Happy Slip Meet and Greet event today. The Department of Tourism designated her as an ambassador for Philippine tourism given her popularity on the Internet. She's been traveling around the country and I'm eager to watch the videos from her tour.
More About: Town , Ivan

Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2008 in Clark Field, Pampan
2008-02-06 14:30:00
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES FIRST FIESTA DAY - February 7, Thursday 5:30 - 7:00 am Hot Air Balloon Flight 7:00 ? 7:30 am Paragliding Exhibition 7:40 ? 8:30 am Ultra-Light Aircraft Formation Flying 8:30 ? 9:30 am Ultra-Light Bomb Dropping Audience Participation 9:30 ? 10:00 am Sky Diving Exhibition 10:00 ? 11:00 am Kite Flying Exhibition 11:00 am ? 1:30 pm Light Airplane Balloon Bursting Competition 1:30 ? 2:00 pm Sky Diving Exhibition 2:00 ? 2:45 pm Army Jeep Club Demonstration 3:45 ? 4:30 pm RC Demonstration Flying 4:30 ? 5:00 pm Rocketry Demonstration 5:00 ? 5:20 pm Ultra-Light Formation Flying 5:20 ? 6:00 pm Hot-Air Balloon Fly-In SECOND FIESTA DAY - February 8, Friday 5:30 -7:00 am Hot Air Balloon Flight 7:00 ? 7:30 am Paragliding Exhibition 7:40 ? 8:30 am Ultra-Light Aircraft Flyby 8:30 ? 9:30 am Aerobatic Flight Display 9...
More About: International , Festivals , Fiesta , Field

Win a SEAIR ticket to Boracay!
2008-02-05 02:57:00
I'm so happy about SEAIR, I've decided to give away a free round-trip airfare gift certificate to Boracay to one lucky blogger. So how do you join? The only thing you have to do is blog about SEAIR and say why you deserve to win the ticket.To qualify, your blog entry must have a link to the SEAIR website and a trackback to this entry. Deadline is on 26 February 2008, 8 p.m. and I'll randomly draw the winner from all qualified blogs that evening. The gift certificate I'm giving away will be valid from now until 15 October 2008 except during super peak dates like Holy Week. Also check-out SEAIR's Hangar in Multiply to find out about the latest deals. Good luck and happy blogging!
More About: Aklan , Ticket

Hiking in Mt. Arayat
2008-02-01 08:11:00
Mount Arayat towers over Pampanga . And you definitely cannot miss it since it's the only mountain you'll see in the plains of Pampanga as you drive along the NLEX. Ever thought of climbing it? Well, there are two ways to get up. The first is via the Mt. Arayat National Park in Arayat, Pampanga. While the second is via the town of Magalang, near the Pampanga Agricultural College.This mystic mountain has always been an important symbol in Kapampangan folklore being the home of Aring Sinukwan, the legendary deity of the ancient Kapampangans. There is also a thriving Rizalista community in the Arayat side. I was able to visit their shrine several years back.We did an ocular inspection of Abe's Farm last Sunday in preparation for our tour next week. And we decided to hike up Mt. Arayat. Since we arrived late, reaching the summit was out of the question. So we had to settle for a resting area called 7-11, an hour away from the jump-off point. It's called 7-11 because there is a conven...
More About: Hiking , Ecotourism , Mountaineering , Central Luzon

Are you going to the 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta?
2008-01-29 10:59:00
There may not be any slots left in our second tour but I'll be updating everyone about it anyway. It was an overwhelming response since we already have 35 reservations for the day tour. Unfortunately, we can only accept 30 people at most for both the day tour and overnight. There's a wait list if you are still interested and if those who reserved do not confirm their reservations by paying on or before January 31, then you might just get that slot.Good news to those who will be joining us. While the entrance fee to the festival is P100, this will only give you access to the general viewing area where you can see the hot air balloons from a distance. They issue 100 photographers' passes per day so that you can have a close encounter with the balloons. The passes are sold out and we managed to get passes for all those who will be joining our tour! And to those asking whether you could ride the hot air balloons, it's US$150 per head.Also remember, we are opening up the overnight op...
More About: International , Food , Hotels , Nightlife , Festivals

Wandering around the Candaba Bird Sanctuary
2008-01-26 14:55:00
Many may have noticed the Candaba Viaduct, that long bridge connecting Bulacan and Pampanga along the NLEX, but do not realize that that around it is a very important ecosystem, the Candaba Bird Sanctuary. The Candaba Swamp has always been a vital haven for migratory birds. It is so important that it has been nominated to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.If you haven't seen the Candaba Bird Sanctuary, here's your chance. On February 1 and 2, Candaba will be organizing the Ibon Ebon Festival. And Candaba has enough reason to celebrate. According to the results of the recent Asian Waterbird Census, the conservation efforts of the town are working! The festival features the migratory birds (ibon or ayup in Kapampangan) and the municipality's growing duck-egg (ebun) industry.For some reason, we found ourselves exploring the Candaba Bird Sanctuary today. I was with my classmates doing a windshield survey in Pampanga for our class project. And we wandered into C...
More About: Festivals , Wandering , Ecotourism , Central Luzon

Trekking and 4x4 to Mt. Pinatubo
2008-01-20 16:07:00
Finally, I got to swim in the crater lake of Mount Pinatubo! And the water was light blue to blue green! There's an annual cycle of water color changes and it usually turns blue when the weather is cold. During other months, it turns murky brown. I still don't know why exactly.I've always wanted to see Mt. Pinatubo. After all those planned trips that never pushed through, I was getting eager and impatient to see its famed crater lake. That's why when I received a message that our trip today might be canceled due to the weather conditions, I was devastated. It was raining in Batulao when I got the message but I said let's decide later. And so we waited. The final decision was to push through!And the sun smiled on us this morning. We left Starbucks 6750 at 6:30 a.m. and stopped over at one of the gas stations along NLEX for a quick breakfast and supplies. The drive was relatively quick since it was a Sunday morning and we arrived in Capas at about 8:30 a.m. From the National High...
More About: Trekking , Lakes , Ecotourism , Mountaineering , Central Luzon

Scaling the summit of Mt. Batulao
2008-01-19 15:03:00
Another surge of adrenaline! I climbed Mt. Batulao in Nasugbu, Batangas together with the UP Med Outdoor Society. There was a 200-meter rock climb, about 60 to 70 degrees, to get to the peak. I felt I was hanging on for my dear life!Since I wanted to get as much sleep as I could (my lack of sleep during the past climbs proved fatal), I decided to meet up with the group at the jump-off point in Nasugbu giving me an extra two hours in bed and enough to fuel my adrenaline rush. The group took a bus to Nasugbu and got off at the entrance of the Evercrest Gold and Country Club. If you're familiar with Calaruega, that's the same entrance. We caught up with the group just as they got off the bus. And from there, the long hike up Batulao began.Instead of making a right to Calaruega, take the road on the left. A few meters away, you will see an old basketball court and a dirt road to the right which is the road that leads to Batulao. It's straight-forward trek from there.Along the way, yo...
More About: Summit , Ecotourism , Mountaineering , Southern Tagalog

Boracay and Cebu top popular beaches list
2008-01-18 01:29:00
Yahoo! Travel came out with a list called The Most Popular Beaches of 2007, the ten top-rated beach destinations by Yahoo! users last year. And look what we have here:1. Boracay Island, Philippines2. Nassau, The Bahamas3. Cebu , Philippines4. Phan Thiet, Vietnam5. Montego Bay, Jamaica6. Phuket, Thailand7. Cozumel, Mexico8. San Diego, California9. Honolulu, Hawaii10. San Juan, Puerto Rico
More About: List

Lomo in Paradise Island & Nassau, Bahamas
2008-01-17 20:06:00
Since Nassau, Bahamas is sandwiched in between two of our great beaches in the best beaches list, I'm posting photos taken by my younger sister Ria in Paradise Island and Lighthouse Beach in Nassau the other week. She's my first guest poster in the blog.The beaches were beautiful -- blue green water, fine white sand, huge waves in some areas. I was also surprised how the Bahamas looked like a beach area in the Philippines. There were coconut trees lining the beaches and roadside, handicraft and bead shops everywhere, and locals offering hair braiding.My hotel was right across what is called, Lighthouse Beach (so named because there's a view of the lighthouse in neighboring Paradise Island ). From there, you can just walk to downtown Nassau where there's a lot to see -- the pier where the big cruise ships dock, Straw Market (the Bahamas version of our tiangge selling souvenirs, straw and wooden crafts, Bob Marley bags and shirts, rasta hats, and even the usual DVDs and some knock-...
More About: Beaches

Up, up and away in Pampanga!
2008-01-16 18:31:00
After the success of the Ultimate Kapampangan Show-off, we now bring you our second tour offering: Up, Up and Away!!! Huffing, Puffing and Pumping in Pampanga on Sunday, 10 February 2008.Really, another way to pump up your boring weekend and get your spirits soaring as we conquer the high and mighty in Pampanga! Gawk at the giant hot air balloons at 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta! Conquer and hike up the mystic and majestic Mount Arayat! Finally, we'll rest our weary feet over a sumptuous Kapampangan feast by one the country's most artistic restaurateurs, while soothing the afternoon away at a rustic, relaxing retreat! A feast for the body, mind and soul.This tour leaves Makati at 3 a.m. and includes the 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, breakfast at the VFW Outpost, a five-hour hike up mystic and majestic Mount Arayat (optional), lunch at Abe's Farm owned by Larry Cruz of Cafe Adriatico, a massage at Nurture Spa Pampanga plus more surpri...
More About: Food , Festivals , Ecotourism , Mountaineering , Central Luzon

Puka Beach in Boracay
2008-01-14 08:55:00
There's more to Boracay than White Beach . Yesterday morning, we were scheduled to go snorkeling and have a lunch picnic in Puka Beach. But since it was raining, that did not materialize. But we went to Puka Beach anyway and had lunch indoors at a nearby restaurant called Tesebel Ihaw-Ihaw.Puka Beach is named after the puka shells which are abundant in the beach. Puka means "hole" in Hawaiian and these shells are pieces of the cone snail shell and are so named because of the hole which occurs naturally in the shell fragment. They have been popular material for necklaces, bracelets and anklets and there are a lot sold by the beach.You could see nearby Carabao Island, Romblon which they say is the next big thing. I heard they are planning to build a better airport there to serve Boracay as well as the future development on Carabao Island.I didn't stay too long since I had to rush back to Manila while the rest of the group stayed behind. So after a souvenir photo, I left for the hotel...
More About: Beaches , Aklan , Western Visayas

Cocomangas Boracay delivers pizza!
2008-01-13 16:30:00
I was quite worried that I could not get a midnight snack from where I was. It was raining and walking to White Beach to get some grub was out of the question. The restaurants in Diniwid Beach were closed by this time as well. But there was no reason to fret since Cocomangas delivers pizzas up to 2 a.m. anywhere in Boracay !There were so many kinds to choose from. I asked the lady taking my order to give me a sampling of their best-sellers. But when I found out that their pizzas were the same price for all kinds (XL - PHP482, 16 slices; L - PHP360, 8 slices; and S - PHP228, 4 slices), I got an XL-sized Halo-Halo which was everything on it! And no, I didn't eat the whole pizza. I shared it with Abe, Anton and Lauren.Cocomangas Pizza Tel No. +63 36 2884455
More About: Food , Aklan , Western Visayas

Microtel Boracay in Diniwid Beach
2008-01-12 04:36:00
Up to now, I can't stop raving about the chiropractic-approved beds of Microtel! I was able to get the much-needed quality sleep worthy of a grand vacation.As soon as the second batch arrived, we went straight to the ferry that would take us to Boracay . Remember, that there are fees you have to pay including an environmental fee and the terminal fee which has jumped from PHP20 to PHP50. Cabgan is the only gateway to Boracay after the municipal government prohibited the docking of boats at the various beaches to preserve their beauty. It may be an inconvenience for tourists but it's better that way so that the beaches remain pristine.We took a minicab from the port to Diniwid Beach where Microtel Inn & Suites is located. The only downside of this is we had to deal with all the exhaust from the tricycles. As soon as we arrived, we were given a cold towel, a shell necklace and a welcome drink. Since I was not able to sleep the night before which is usually the case when I have ea...
More About: Beaches , Hotels , Aklan

Butterfly garden at Seair Caticlan
2008-01-11 16:31:00
Since our group was divided into two flights, and I got pushed forward to the earlier one, we had to wait an hour and thirty minutes for the second batch to arrive. It was a good thing there was a new attraction at the back of the Seair office in Caticlan. So if you're killing time at the Caticlan Airport, check out the butterfly garden.
More About: Garden , Aklan , Butterfly , Ecotourism , Western Visayas

Seair's Dornier 328 plane to Caticlan
2008-01-11 05:17:00
I've always wondered how it felt to ride those small commercial aircrafts in the Philippines. I had already taken the ATR42/72 from Guam to Saipan before and was surprised by the smooth ride. That's why the prospect of taking Seair's Dornier 328 plane to Caticlan excited me. And it's the fastest flight to Boracay at 35 minutes.It was an ambitious gathering of Philippine travel and photo bloggers organized by blogging guru Abe Olandres. We were divided into two flights. A group was scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. while I was with the 8:30 a.m. flight. I chose to arrive at the airport early to avoid rush hour traffic and got there 6:30 a.m. in time to watch the first group board. The next thing I knew, my name was called on the PA system for me to board as well!Since we were flying at an altitude lower than the regular commercial aircraft, the views were different. We were closer thus to the ground and at the level of many mountain peaks. The views were surreal! The sun was resplende...
More About: Plane

UP turns 100!
2008-01-09 02:28:00
Yesterday, the University of the Philippines opened festivities marking its centennial. The day started with a huge motorcade from UP Manila in Padre Faura where the university was first established in 1908. Delegations from Los Banos, Pampanga and Baguio also arrived in full force and converged at the entrance of the Diliman campus.At 4 p.m., a grand parade of all the delegations from the various constituent universities of UP marched towards the Oblation where a gargantuan crowd of students, faculty, alumni and well-wishers had gathered. The massiveness of the throng of people which converged in Diliman to celebrate UP's 100 years was nothing but surreal!The Upsilon Sigma Phi joined the parade too as part of the UP Diliman contingent, the only frat that marched to the Oblation. Being the oldest Greek-letter fraternity in the country and in Asia, we made sure to be part of the celebrations!I didn't get to see much of the program in Quezon Hall anymore since we decided to stay in ...
More About: National Capital Region , Colleges and Universities

Seremban stopover
2007-12-26 12:09:00
Since we're on the topic of Malaysia, I realized that I still have some pending entries from my June trip to Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. One of the cities I got to visit was Seremban, the capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan south of KL.It was my second time here. The last time was during SSEAYP 2002 since my host family in Malaysia was from there. This time, my host family insisted that I visit them before I returned for the Philippines. So I took a 10 a.m. bus from Singapore and arrived in Seremban at about 3 p.m.I was met by Darryl Chan, my host brother in 2002 who himself joined SSEAYP in 2004. On the way to Seremban, during the bus stopover, I had Ipoh kway teow for lunch. In Seremban, we had some Indian bread which we dipped in curry. I also had the chance to walk around a part of old Seremban. Like many Malaysian old towns, the buildings in the historic core are preserved and are reused for modern needs.In the evening, we had dinner at Darryl's place and met up la...
More About: Food , Architecture

Philippine Traveler IQ Challenge in Facebook
2007-12-24 08:45:00
Merry Christmas to all! It's been quite a while since I've been able to update the blog. I've been around as always (just came from Malaysia) and you can check my Multiply photos for my latest trips. In the meantime, may I invite you to try out the Philippine Provincial Capitals Traveler IQ Challenge which I created on Facebook . After all that prodding from my friends, I finally got an account. Haha!
More About: Halle

Mamak food rocks!
2007-12-22 08:51:00
As the rest of the group left for Klang, we motored back to KL for even more food. The night wasn?t over since we were meeting up with Rostam, another SSEAYP batchmate. It was my last night in Malaysia and there was no way I was going to miss the mamak food!Mamak stalls have become an important part of Malaysian culture just like the kopi tiam. The term has refers to eateries operated by Indian Muslims that have become popular hang-outs for Malaysian youths because of the affordable food and beverages plus the fact that they are open 24 hours a day, 265 days a year.A typical mamak would serve roti canai (flour pancakes which is served with curry sauce for dipping), roti telur (roti canai with egg), teh tarik (milk tea), murtabak (minced-meat flour pancakes also served with curry sauce dip), nasi lemak (Malaysia?s unofficial national dish which is rice soaked in coconut milk usually served with chicken and sambal sauce), mee goreng (fried noodles), and tandoori chicken (marinated in ...
More About: Food , Rocks

Old town kopi tiam of Ipoh
2007-12-21 05:48:00
The third largest city in Malaysia and the capital of Perak state, Ipoh is known far and wide for its cuisine. And we drove all the way to Ipoh just for the coffee!Except for the modern roads and signage, driving through Ipoh old town was like a walk in time since most of its colonial buildings and shop houses are still standing. We went straight to the kopi tiam, traditional coffee shops that have left coffee lovers raving. We were out to seek the legendary Ipoh white coffee at Jalan Bandar Timah, the famed white coffee walk of Ipoh with over half a century of history.Traditionally, black coffee roast in Malaysia (refers to the beans and not the style of serving coffee without milk) is produced by roasting the beans with sugar and palm oil margarine. On the other hand, white coffee is processed with the same Robusta beans and margarine, but without the sugar, making it less dark, thus the term white coffee.They say the undisputed king of white coffee shops is a corner-lot kopi tiam...
More About: Food , Old Town , Town

Klang's legendary bak kut teh
2007-12-20 14:43:00
Today was Hari Raya Aidiladha, a public holiday in Malaysia. And my SSEAYP batchmate Kenneth invited me to join their road trip to Ipoh in the state of Perak, some 205 kilometers north of Kuala Lumpur. With so much chocolate tickling my taste buds yesterday, the food trip today was a most welcome sequel.Kenneth passed by for me in KL then we motored back to Klang where the rest of the group was meeting up. And as soon as we were complete, we had the local specialty called bak kut teh. He has always been raving about the bak kut teh of Klang, widely believed to be the home of this Hokkien-style herbal pork broth which translates as ?pork bone tea.?It?s a complex mixture of several herbs and spices, about ten I was told, boiled with pork ribs for hours! They served us youtiao (strips of fried dough) which was so tasty especially when dipped in the soup. The dish which is served in a claypot had other ingredients such as mushrooms, tofu and lettuce. And it?s eaten with rice.We also tri...
More About: Food

Chocolate overload in KL
2007-12-19 16:53:00
I'm in KL for a business trip. So the only place I got to visit today, aside from KLCC of course, was Beryl?s Chocolate Kingdom where I had a chocolate overload! The factory churns out over a hundred varieties of high quality chocolate candies at prices cheaper than those in the same quality range. They use beans from Ghana, a recognized source of high quality cocoa beans. And since there are just so many kinds of chocolate candies from durian to tongkat ali, coconut and tiramisu, they give visitors samples to help you pick!After resting a bit, I went around nearby KLCC to kill time. I wasn't in the mood to buy anything so I just enjoyed taking photos of the Petronas twin towers.After strolling around KLCC, I met up with the rest of the group for dinner at the Pacifica Bar and Grill of the Mandarin Oriental. For my meal, I could not resist the temptation to order Wagyu beef! So I did! Yummy!Ciento Comico The night before we arrived in KL, I watched the hilarious Ciento Comico, a c...
More About: Food , Hotels

Paintball at Global Gutz
2007-12-16 14:42:00
Now this was fun! I played paintball with my brods at Global Gutz in Boom na Boom today. We initially paid P500 per head for use of the facilities, equipment rental and 100 paintballs which is not bad since that lasted me three rounds. Then we got more paintballs at P3 a piece. Although the aim is not as accurate as airsoft, there's no way you or your friends can cheat yourself out of getting hit since the evidence is undeniable. Hehe! This is great stress release for students and professionals.
More About: Sports , Paintball , National Capital Region

Ultimate show-off in Pampanga and Giant Lantern Festival 2007
2007-12-15 16:18:00
We had a great show-off today! I won't go into detail anymore since I've said so much about Pampanga already in this blog. But I invite you to visit Our Awesome Planet's detailed account of the trip: Part 1 - 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Part 2 - 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.; and Part 3 - 4:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.There were a lot of surprises we did not mention in our announcements. Aside from lunch at Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung, we gave each participant a bayong with our favorite Kapampangan goodies such as Imang Salud's ensaymadas, turrones de casoy from Santa Rita, Aurely's Special which is an inverted brazo de mercedes, Junjun's barbecue and puto pao from Nathaniel's. On the bus, we also served five gallons of the legendary buko sherbet of Brgy. San Jose in San Fernando!I guess the biggest surprise for the group was that Among Ed Panlilio joined us for lunch at Claude's! The Giant Lantern Festival was as spectacular as always. And it was a great thing they returned the marching band t...
More About: Food , Festivals , Churches , Show

Sunset at the Manila Yacht Club
2007-12-13 18:37:00
It was a great opportunity to view the Manila Bay sunset! I just came from a frat party at the Manila Yacht Club . And I purposely arrived there early a while ago so that I could take photos of the yachts and the sunset.Itself a piece of history, the club was founded in 1927. Now on its 80th year, it has hosted an international regatta, serves as the training ground for our teams to international yachting events such as the Olympics and SEA Games, and is an important venue for social gatherings.
More About: Sports , Sunset , National Capital Region

Off-road racing in Pampanga
2007-12-13 15:18:00
What do quarrying and 4x4s have in common? With all that hullabaloo and hubbub over quarry profits in Pampanga, one thing is certain, after wreaking havoc on the province, lahar has now become a treasure. With lahar, Pampanga is also becoming a venue for 4x4 off-road competitions.The morning of December 8, my classmates together with our professor had to meet with Gov. Ed Panlilio since our group project in class will be on Pampanga. I knew he would be busy with the Pampanga Day festivities. So when I told the governor's chief-of-staff that we were willing to meet with him anywhere, we were serious. As soon as we arrived, we located Among and rushed to the Gugu Dike in Bacolor where he was going to open the Pampanga Offroad Challenge 2007. And aside from the meeting, we got to enjoy the show as well. Thanks to Dennis for the pictures.
More About: Sports , Racing , Road , Off-Road , Central Luzon

Events, events and more events!
2007-12-12 11:06:00
I'd just like to share the activities I've been to the past few days. Yesterday, December 12, I attended the very successful concert of the Upsilon Sigma Phi entitled Synchronicity. It was a FREE concert for all, our way of celebrating Upsilon's 89th anniversary. Featured were the UP Jazz Ensemble, Peace Pipe, Up Dharma Down, Pinikpikan, Eileen Sison e Guarana and the Family Cruz Band representing the various decades of music in Upsilon's history. Check out Bikoy.net for more details.How many people can you fit in a car?! This year, UP Cursor was able to stuff 30 people in a car in Upsilon's annual Car Stuffing competition. Also check out the winners of Food Stuffing and Touch My Car in Bikoy's Upsilon Month Part 2. Thousands of pink roses were given out as well in UP Diliman during Day of Roses. Other events included the film screening of Tulad ng Dati, Out for Blood and the GK Megabuild in Bikoy's Upsilon Month Part 1.Last December 8, I was at the Ateneo for a nostalgic ret...
More About: Events , Colleges and Universities

Banaue mornings and a stopover in Dupax
2007-12-07 16:39:00
Imagine waking up to the cool Banaue morning with a view of the rice terraces and tree-covered mountains just outside your window. That's what I experienced at the Banaue Hotel for the past few days, with rooms, function rooms and a restaurant that provides panoramic views of the rice terraces. That's one cluster of terraces in the Banaue poblacion which is still free from eyesores and other unsightly structures.It was our last day in Banaue and I'll definitely miss the cool mountain air and the great views. Before leaving for Manila, we listened to Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat talk about the challenges they have been facing in the preservation of the rice terraces and possible solutions to these problems. It's indeed very difficult to push for the preservation of these terraces when almost every young Ifugao dreams of making it big in the city, when G.I. sheets and hollow blocks become a status symbol. But there is definitely hope since the community realizes now that they ar...
More About: Architecture , Churches , Cordillera Administrative Region