Visita Iglesia: Laguna Loop

Our family loves old churches. Whenever we go to a place, we always make an effort to find a nearby stone church. So when we started this Visita Iglesia, we decided to go to far places where there are centuries-old churches. The first on our list: Laguna Loop.

1st Stop: Pila, Laguna – Diocesan Shrine of St. Anthony de Padua

We arrived here past 7 am. I felt envious as the church was able to preserve its beauty and antiquity – unlike our church in San Pedro, Laguna. But don’t get me wrong. With the renovations made (and being made) for San Pedro Apostol Parish, our church looks well-designed now – something that we, San Pedronians, can be proud of. I just hope that this beauty can be preserved for many years to come.    

The first church and the first convent of the Diocesan of St. Anthony de Padua were completed in 1616. It was transferred to this location in 1800 from its original site in Pagalangan in efforts to avoid floods. It was in early 19th century when the church was first built. The convent, on the other hand, was completed in 1849.

We bought itlog na pula – with its shell not colored red.

2nd Stop: Sta. Cruz, Laguna – Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion

We have visited this site several times already but we still chose to include it in our itinerary. This is the birthplace of my sister, Anna, and the hometown of my grandfather, Ceferino Dictado Garcia. It was constructed in 1608 and expanded in 1672 to give the church the form of the cross. Destroyed in 1945, Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion was reconstructed in 1948. Nothing fancy inside – just simple and solemn.

3rd Stop: Pagsanjan, Laguna – Church of Pagsanjan

Church of Pagsanjan was founded in 1687. Originally, it was made of bamboo and nipa. It underwent reconstruction in 1690 and improved in 1853. The church was all-white outside.

We enjoyed kesong puti a lot.

4th Stop: Paete, Laguna – Church of Paete

Church of Paete, including its convent, was founded in 1646 and destroyed prior to 1717. The construction of a stronger structure happened in 1717. In 1880, it was ruined by an earthquake in 1880. Church of Paete was rebuilt in 1884. Unfortunately, another earthquake came in again on August 20, 1937. The stone church that we visited today was built in 1839. I was stunned with the carvings right on the walls, greatly showing the ingenuity of people of Paete. 

      

We were surprised – and amazed – to see people in costumes (Moriones). We grabbed this opportunity to have pictures taken with them. We made sure we check the wood carvings, to which Paete is well-known for. I bought a small Sto. Nino image.

5th Stop: Magdalena, Laguna – St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church

The St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church took 16 years to be completed. The belfry was constructed in 1861 while the convent was built from 1871 to 1872. Interestingly, all the stones and sands were loaded by the people of Magdalena from the river.

So far this was the biggest church that I have ever been to. There’s a “grand staircase” (as I call it) leading to the church. The parking area is adequate for church goers and travelers. What more, the town plaza is ideal for visitors to take their lunch or merienda in case they get hungry from traveling – just like us. Talk about perfect timing because we got there just in time for lunch. Prior to traveling, we had no idea where we could eat; we just followed our itinerary, which by the way, is not timed as we were not sure of the travel time from one town to another.

You’ll get a piece of Philippine history in this church: The spot where one of our heroes, Emilio Jacinto, stopped after being wounded from a clash against the Spaniards in Maimpis River. You’ll be able to see his actual blood stains.

We were even fortunate to find one ‘kubo’ vacant for our use so yes, we had a feast!     

We were also lucky to have been permitted to go upstairs, where the parish priest is housed as he knew Nanay Osie, my aunt.

6th Stop: Majayjay, Laguna – Saint Gregory the Great Parish Church

This church was built in 1571 from bamboo and palm. It was destroyed by fire in 1576, rebuilt in 1578, burned again in 1606, and rebuilt from 1616 to 1649. The current structure was partly damaged by fire in 1660 and renovated in 1707. The structure was extended from 1711 to 1734. It underwent renovations in 1839, 1842, and 1848 because of devastations from a typhoon. Saint Gregory the Great Parish Church served as the headquarters of the American soldiers during the Filipino-American War. It underwent renovation again in 1912.

7th Stop: Saint John the Baptist Parish Church

The Red Church, as people used to call it, was seriously destroyed by an earthquake in 1880. It was built again and was partly burned in 1898.

There were stalls that sell local footwear outside. Of course, we grabbed this opportunity to buy a few pairs because Liliw is known for producing slippers and shoes made of native materials.

Visit these churches and appreciate the beauty and history that they exhibit. You’ll be astonished by their ceilings, chandeliers, pulpits, belfries, and of course, altars. You will surely love coming here in these towns of Laguna. 

‘Til our next Visita Iglesia – Batangas!

Sol Y Viento: A Secret Haven in Pansol, Calamba, Laguna

Okay, I admit that the title seems to be an overstatement, but, being a resident of San Pedro, Laguna who frequents public and private resorts in this town of Calamba with my family, this is a secret haven for us already. We never thought that such a place exist in Pansol.

Located on top of a hill, Sol Y Viento Hotel and Resort was discovered by my sister Anna, who wanted to celebrate my Tatay Lito’s birthday in a resort. Our search went from as far as Cavinti, Laguna and Quezon Province. But most of us wanted to go somewhere near so we chose to look for a new place to go in Pansol.

We woke up at 7am so w e can swim freely before we check out.

For almost 12k (less the senior citizen discount we availed because of my Tatay, who turned 62 years old, by the way), we were able to enjoy the amenities of a hotel resort – a team room that can accommodate 8 adults (+2 kids), welcome drinks (our choice – beer, fruit punch, brewed coffee, and soda) plus 8 bottles of mineral water, buffet breakfast (a feast… all yummy!), and of course, the use of pools (with different temperatures – from slightly cold, slightly warm, and warm to hot. Kids (Denise and Lucas) loved the cold water, so they stayed there most of the time. We, adults, preferred slightly warm, so we swam there. Come night time, to fight the cold breeze, we tried the pool that has the hottest water and we successfully dipped our feet on it. Yes, we could not stand plunging our whole body. We were just contented scooping some water with our hands and throwing it at our bodies.

The place was kind of crowded; it’s summer time so it’s expected. But, we were able to swim freely because Sol Y Viento has four pools – two of which are huge enough to accommodate many people. But still, we thought the hotel resort should now consider adding more pools, particularly when they are accepting day tours.    

We paid for an overnight stay so we got the chance to eat at their bar restaurant – the Porto Bar. The food was awesome. There was an acoustic band performing, making our night more relaxing... 

And making Tatay's night memorable. 

We secretly asked the band to surprise him with a birthday song and a restaurant staff to bring in the cake that we brought all the way from Conti's Westgate. He was surprised, but we were also surprised - when the female singer asked his name, he said, "Rudy Fernandez". So, she kept on addressing him as "Tatay Rudy" - we could not hide our smile whenever she did that. Anna gave in to the request of the singer to jam with them, but she ended up singing alone.

Except for the noise we heard from the occupants in the upper floor, our sleep was okay. The room was big enough for all of us. There were two shower areas with cold and hot water, the aircon seemed new that it worked well, and the TV has Cignal cable. The Internet connection on the fourth floor, where we stayed, was weak, though. I worked at the lobby to be able to send articles to the client. Come morning, though, I was able to connect to Skype so I was able to talk to Noel, my husband.

Are we to come back here? Yes, of course, given the chance – but not during summer. We wanted to have the place all by ourselves or share it with a few people to make our stay more relaxing. But overall, we had fun and the cost was all worth it. Ask Anna and she’d say yes.

Isa lamang po akong simpleng mamamayan ng San Pedro at ito ang hinihiling ko sa mga tatakbo sa bayan ko...

Ramdam na ramdam na natin ang election fever. Mukhang magkaka-fever na rin ako. Araw-araw kong nakikita sa balita ang mga taong gustong tumakbo sa pagka-Pangulo. Nagkaka-migraine ako. Ano ba ‘yan - Ano ba ang tingin ng mga taong ito sa Pilipinas? Isang malaking JOKE?

Meron pang isa diyan kunwa’y hindi tatakbo, na pinipilit lang ng mga tao pero san ka, tagal ko na nakikita kung saan-saan ang banner n’ya. Tipong dalagang Filipina na nagpapaligaw pa, pero for sure, tatakbo naman. Gumagawa lang muna ng ingay. Hay. I have nothing against him pero susko naman, takbo na kung tatakbo. ‘Wag nang pa-cute. Ini-style-an mo pa ang mga supporters mo. Sige na, takbo na. May mga susuporta naman sa’yo. Kung malinis ang hangarin mo, maganda rin naman ang klase ng disiplinang naitaguyod mo sa siyudad ninyo, sige na, takbo na. Mas may karapatan ka namang tumakbo kesa sa iba d’yan.

Pati na rin sa mga gustong tumakbo bilang senador. Ito lang ang eleksyon na parang kinakabahan ako sa magiging kahihinatnan ng senado. Nawa’y bumoto ang mga tao na gumagamit ng isip... Iluklok po natin ang mga karapat-dapat sa pwesto. Maisip ko lang ang mga taong pwedeng umupo sa pwesto, susko, inaatake ako ng vertigo.

Sa local naman, dito sa amin sa San Pedro, isa lamang ang gusto ko, na sa tingin ko nama’y gusto rin ng mga kapwa ko taga-San Pedro - PAGBABAGO. We do not need old promises as they stayed as that - promises. We need promises that turn into reality. We do not need dreams; we want - no, we cry - for actions.

To raise my point, ang pagbabago pong hinahangad ko, kung inyong mamarapatin, ay iyong pagbabagong NAKIKITA (MAKIKITA) at NARARAMDAMAN (MARARAMDAMAN) ko at ng kapwa ko taga-San Pedro - with or without the banners. ‘Yung napapakinabangan hindi lang ng piling mga mamamayan. ‘Yung mga SIMPLENG PROYEKTO na magbibigay ng malaking epekto sa maganda at tahimik na pamumuhay ng mga tao. ‘Yung tipong ‘di na kailangang bagtasin ng mga taga-San Pedro ang BAGSIK NG TRAPIKO lalo na sa EDSA dahil maraming trabaho dito sa bayan natin. O 'yung tipong mage-enganyo sa mga taong mag-negosyo o magpapalawig at susuporta sa small businesses. ‘Yung tipong walang kaba tayong maglalakad sa kalsada kapag ginabi ng uwi dahil walang mga snatcher sa may tulay (lalo na pag malapit na ang Pasko). ‘Yung tipong wala kang makikitang kalat sa paligid at hindi ka mape-perwisyo ng mga naghambalang na mga sasakyan sa kalsada dahil ginawa nang PARKING AREA. ‘Yung tipong may mga traffic enforcer na tumutulong sa pagtawid ng mga tao sa highway at hindi nagkukuwentuhan. ‘Yung naglulunsad ng proyekto pinakikinabangan talaga ng mga tao at hindi nagsayang lang ng binayad ng taxes ng mga mamamayan. ‘Yung kapag nagkasunog, maaagapan ang ibang bahay o establishment dahil may sapat ng fire truck at bumbero. 'Yung tipong sasabihin mong ang mga leader ng bayan mo ay mahal ang environment dahil unang-una, pag lakad mo sa may tulay papuntang San Antonio, makikita mo ang ilog na buhay... dinadaluyan ng tubig. Nakapanlulumong makita ang itsura ng ilog ngayon - halos patay na. Halos lupa na. Puro damo na. Kaya kapag bumagyo, kinakabahan ka na dahil ALAM NA - BAHA na ang kasunod. Masakit isipin - dati namang hindi bumabaha sa amin. Oo nga’t may kasalanan din ang mga tao dito, pero bilang isa sa mga iniluklok ng tao, alam mo dapat kung ano ang magagawa mo at alam mong kailangan ng tao ang tulong mo.

Kung kulang sa pondo para sa mga proyektong mahahalaga gaya nito, ibig sabihin ba noon, wala na tayong magagawa? Pikit mata na ba nating tatanggapin na ito ang katotohanan? Paano na ang PAGBABAGO na hinahangad ng mga taga-San Pedro?

Sabi ko nga, isa lamang akong simpleng mamamayan ng San Pedro. Sino ba naman ako para mag-question. Sino ba naman ako para magsalita at pakinggan? Pero isa po akong botante na gustong magkaroon ng pakinabang o WORTH ang boto ko.

Madali pong gumawa ng plataporma. Madali rin pong sabihin (o kabisaduhin) ang mga ito para sa araw ng pangangampanya. Alam naman po kasi natin ang pangangailangan ng mamamayan. Pero please lang, sana naman, ang mga mananalo ay magdulot ng SIGNIFICANT CHANGES sa bayan kong mahal. 'Yung MAKIKITA at MARARAMDAMAN kahit HINDI IPAALAM. May the good Lord touch their hearts and minds so they will do good, no better, for San Pedro.

Floyd Mayweather, you gave us the most boring boxing match on earth

Punch Sports Magazine first issue, featuring Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
Grab your copies and read about "Pacman: His Journey to World Fame". 

Floyd Mayweather proves to Filipinos he is the best. True to his words, Manny Pacquiao can't beat him. Filipinos believe in him now - only if he made it clear to us that we will witness marathon inside the ring.

But it's boxing and it's hugely disappointing and BORING. 

Mayweather is a big disappointment. He brought us to the kingdom of boredom. With that kind of play, we can't comprehend why he is called the best. He is well deserving of the BOOS inside MGM Grand Garden Arena. 

Sorry, judges, but people saw the fight differently. We can accept defeat only if we saw REAL boxing. Not the one that used strategies only you, judges, and Mayweather understand.

We hoped for an ultimate bout but we saw nothing but running.

It's our first time to subscribe to pay-per-view and the fight's not worth our money. All our excitement died when we witnessed how Mayweather moved around.

I'm no expert in boxing but I have seen the Filipino eight-world boxing champion fight it off with his previous opponents - all heart. Sugod ng sugod. Walang takot. Pacquiao doesn't mind what will happen to him inside the ring - as long as he knows he gives it his all and he made his country proud.

Manny Pacquiao - you're still our champion.

Floyd Mayweather - maybe you just try to watch the bout again and then convince yourself - again - that you won. You should also start reading online now to know what people think about the match. 

Yes, you win in what was supposed to be the "Fight of the Century". You have scorecards to prove it. But you can never make a fool of the people around the world. Pacquiao won the most priceless belt that you can never have - THE LOVE AND RESPECT OF THE WORLD.

#punchsportsmagazine #gomanny #labanmanny #fightofthecentury #battleforgreatness #maypac #pacmay #mayweatherpacquiao #pacquiaomayweather #pacquiao #pacman

What to Do at RITM When You are Bitten By an Animal

I was working on an article when suddenly, I got up from my chair and my right foot landed right in the stomach of a stray cat... I thought I was not bitten because I did not feel anything but when I inspected my foot and my ankle, I saw blood dripping... 

I was in a hurry because it's already past 2pm when I decided to go to RITM. Soon as I hopped out of the car I approached the guard, who asked me to register at the desk. Afterwards, he gave me a form to fill up.

I proceeded to the front window ("Animal  Bite"), where a lady double-checked my data. She instructed me to go to Cashier 1 (to her right) and waited until my name is called. I paid 125 - 100 for consultation fee and 25 for registration fee.

I went to the waiting area and waited until my name is called. At the consultation  room, i was asked to fill up another form and was given a number. A nurse interviewed me then the doctor.

I went to the cashier where I paid 535 and then to counter 3 where I was given a big red card with number (which means I am a new patient). I waited until I was called for vaccination.

Before I went out, I was given a follow-up paper, where my next appointment is written.

Overall, it took me two hours to complete the process. There was a queue but not that long. So if you are going to RITM, I guess, it is better to go there in the afternoon as there's no long line - unlike during mornings (according to the guard I talked to).

I noticed that all personnels are accommodating and willing to give a smile. This is something new for me.

Come Day 3 (my first follow-up), I noticed that the number of patients doubled. But I do not mind because I was pretty sure that the process will be shorter - and I was right.

The guard instructed me to go to the personnel-on-duty, situated in the entrance door. He got my orange card, which by the way is given to all patients coming to RITM.

I was told on my first visit that I have to keep it because I will need it each time. It serves as a reference to my hospital data and it holds my vaccination record.

True enough, he read something in my orange card and check it on the computer. He then instructed me to go to the billing area - near counter. I gave my records there and again, waited until my number is called. This time, I was holding a blue card (for patients on follow-up). I paid a small sum (sorry I forgot, but I think it's about 200). In about 30-45 minutes my number was called. I went inside the vaccination room. I received two injections. I was instructed to go back for Day 7 vaccination.

But for some personal reasons, I was not able to go back. Sorry for my "bitin" blog but at least this account will give people an idea on how easy it is to have yourself checked at RITM and more important, how cheaper (i mean, wayyyyy cheaper) it is to get vaccination at RITM.

Our Blue Coral-Acuatico Beach Resort Experience in Laiya, Batangas

My sister - the birthday girl - Anna poses beside the infinity pool at Acuatico Beach Resort

We managed to go to Acuatico Beach Resort (a high-end beach resort in Laiya, Batangas) because it is just beside Blue Coral, where we were actually booked. We read a lot about Acuatico so we thought we should do a quick look of its facilities before we took our lunch. And boy, how we envy the guests because of its stunning infinity pool overlooking the ocean.

We grabbed every opportunity to have our photos taken. (Tatay Lito poses for a picture at the beachfront of Acuatico.)

But let's forget about Acuatico first because as I mentioned earlier, we decided to stay at Blue Coral.

We arrived before 12nn but we were allowed to do early check-in on condition that we also do an early check-out the next day (an approximate of 22 hours of stay).



Because Blue Coral was a lot cheaper than Acuatico, we did not expect much from the place. We only wanted four things – swimming pool, beach, comfortable room, and good food - but I can say that we received more than what we expected. The poolside room is big enough to accommodate all of us. It has two double-sized beds and one double deck that can actually accommodate three or four persons. (See the left photo.) The aircon and the fridge are in good running condition. The bathroom is okay - no broken tiles and faucet. It is also big enough to allow two or three persons inside. Our decision to stay in Blue Coral in lieu of Acuatico was a good (or wiser?) one.





But since we read a lot of not-so-good reviews about food at Blue Coral, we opted to pay for the accommodation and made the decision to find someplace else to feast. However, our tummies were already complaining so we decided to eat lunch at the Blue Coral restaurant only to be surprised that the food was not bad at all. Tatay Lito loved the fried chicken so much. We thought that maybe because of reviews, they changed their cooks. Hehe.

We came to Acuatico to have dinner buffet to celebrate Anna’s birthday. The food was great – we had spaghetti, marinara, and carbonara cooked in front of us by the chef. There were salad, halo-halo, chocolate, and others for dessert, and beef, chicken, fish, pork, and others for viands. I did not eat sisig because it’s ‘mataba’. Overall, it’s quite worth the rate per pax. I said ‘quite’ because we were not big eaters.

We did not swim in the beach on the first day because the current was kinda strong. Lucas said “the water is moving”. Also, the beach was kinda dirty, with pieces of leaves, woods – and diaper. But the next day, we were greeted by the water’s calmness and cleanliness that we enjoyed the beach a lot. I do have to mention that Blue Coral’s swimming pool was also clean and well-maintained. Not too many people, so we were able to swim freely.

Before we went home, travelers as we were, we asked for one of the most visited restaurants in San Juan, Batangas and Old San Juan Restaurant was recommended to us. It was an old house converted into a restaurant. There were a lot of antique pieces inside (as expected). The sisig was okay for me as it was ‘malaman’. The bulalo was okay. The kare-kare needed more sauce. Overall, it was a fine

lunch for all of us.

We saw a church nearby. Being lovers of old churches, we went to check it and of course, pray. We were told that it was the church where Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos got married.

Overall, it was a well-spent family trip. A white (okay, cream) beach not too far from Manila. Who says you need to take a plane to enjoy beaches in the Philippines? Laiya, Batangas can give your family the same enjoyment.

The Power of Healing

Few people are given the chance to feel the presence of the Lord during the celebration of a healing mass. I am blessed to be one of them…

I will not go into details about what happened to me on the night of September 7, 2012. Let’s just say that my blood pressure has risen to 220/110—my first time. I was rushed to Jose L. Amante Emergency Hospital, went home after three hours and had several laboratory tests the next day at Healthway Festival.

As I waited for my cardiologist, I experienced panic attack and my blood pressure increased again at 150/100. I went to Asian Hospital and was placed under emergency care. After an hour or two, my blood pressure lowered to 120/80. I felt super fine.

Or so I thought.

I began to feel weak later in the evening. My cousins (Alvin and Morris) and my sister Anna brought me to Perpetual Help Medical Center in Binan, Laguna. I was only under observation at the emergency unit but I opted to be confined immediately. At that very moment, I feared that something might happen to me. The images of that fateful night kept coming back to my mind…

 I heard knocks at my door. It was from Gelo, my 11-year-old nephew. He asked me to rush. “Si Nanay! Si Nanay!” I heard him saying as he ran. I hurried to their place, found my mom unconscious and saw my eldest sister and cousins trying to revive her… I just looked at her. Her face was so pale... We brought her to Asian Hospital. At first, I kept on talking to her. But hours have passed and she's not improving... I knew then, we would lose her... 

Yes, we did. But the image of her face that night hunts me until now...  

After three days, I was discharged from the hospital. But after only a couple of days, I was back again. The culprit: low sodium. My doctor said I could have fainted. Good thing it did not happen. After four days, I was out of the hospital.

One… two… three weeks have passed and I felt the same. There was no improvement in my condition. My eldest sister Didith called for a priest to bless our house. Luckily, it was Father John Tabot who came. He invited me to his healing mass on the coming Friday and I did.

While hearing the mass, I felt very weak. I was having second thoughts about finishing the celebration. It was as if somebody was pushing me to get out of the church because nothing good will happen. Surprisingly, it was like this when I went to hear mass at Sto. Sepulcro Parish Church in Landayan a week ago. But I prayed and vowed to stay—even when I felt that I am to faint in no time.

While lined up in front of the altar for Fr. John's blessing, my eyes caught the image of Jesus in the cross. I began to mumble “Lord, heal me… Please, heal me…” Those were the only words that I kept on saying. Tears began to fall. I did not know what was happening to me. It wasn’t me. But I was really crying. When Father John approached me and touched me in my forehead and said a prayer, I closed my eyes, cried with soft voice and felt like I was floating. My body was so light as if my spirit was about to go. Or, was it God's spirit that's lifting me? Before I could get the answer, I found myself falling from my back...

After the mass, I felt so good and so strong. I knew then, I was off to recovery. So I promised myself to blog about it here in Google before anything else so I can spread the good news. This may not be a post related to my travels but this is a journey that I want to share first and foremost.