Posted by Gsas on December 22nd, 2007 at Batangas
As promised, here’s another of Lipa’s famous churches. Carmel, as Batangueños refer to it, was founded on May 31, 1946, just a year after World War II left the town of Lipa in ruins (Lipa bounced back heavily and was made city in August 1947, after the Japanese killed more than 20,000 innocent Lipa natives, with more casualties resulting from massacres carried out by the Japanese when they were losing the war against the Americans in the ending years). This little tidbit of information is probably a little out of topic, but they were all mentioned in the book “The Roots of Teresa’s Nuns in the Philippines,” a copy of which a Carmelite Sister gave me that last week of November I was able to visit Carmel, again, this time in a different light.
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Posted by ka_edong on December 17th, 2007 at Pangasinan
Posted by ka_edong on December 16th, 2007 at Pangasinan
I Google searched for a place to spend a long weekend at Bolinao. Punta Riviera caught my attention with its professionally made website and pretty good photos. The rates sheet on the website was a bit confusing, though, but I was determined to book a room and made sure to secure my reservation via bank deposit.
After an adventurous bus ride, we reached the resort and I was pleased with what I saw. I can tell that the resort is rather new (found out later: it opened to the public in 2005), had a well manicured lawn and very pleasant staff. The room was elegant with a queensize bed, a satellite TV and DVD player (I never figured out how to work the TV, though – I don’t mind because I don’t watch much TV), and a shower that looked like one from a Jimmy Neutron or Jetson’s episode. There are some family rooms and dorm-type rooms too.
The resort has a bar and restaurant. There’s a nice 2-level pergola for a nice dinner by candlelight 
. Here’s a tip: to avoid inconvenience, order your meals well in advance and tell the staff what time you want your meal to be served.
The infinity pool is pretty, host for a pleasant dip for kids and adults alike. At an angle, the pool looks as if it extends all the way to the sea and the horizon. The resort is right smack at the point where a river (Ilog Malino) meets the sea.
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Posted by ericd001 on December 11th, 2007 at Pampanga, Travel News
The City if San Fernando in the province of Pampanga will once again shine in its brightest as it holds the annual Ligligan Parul or the Giant Lantern Festival. The highlights of the event will be held at the SM San Fernando Ampitheater at around 7PM. Be there early as large crowds are expected to witness this event.
Scene from the 2005 Ligligan Parul in San Fernando
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Posted by habagatcentral on November 21st, 2007 at Iloilo, Road Trip, Travel Destinations
In the conventional history text books, they would mentioned that when Aguinaldo declared Independence, all of the islands have been independent from the Spanish colonizers. They were dead wrong. After that mock battle between the Americans and the Spaniards in August 1898, the latter transfered their power at Iloilo to make last reforms but they were too late.
Given that the Ilonggos were loyal to the Spanish crown (as manifested by thge city of Iloilo’s seal “La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad”), the Spaniards stayed here thinking that they will be confident with the company of one of the most loyal peoples to them, they were wrong.
Sometime in late November, an event in Jelucuon (now part of New Lucena town) lead to the spark of the Ilonggo Revolt against the colonizers. Later on, they will move to the town of Santa Barbara in which Nazaria Lagos “smuggled” the Philippine flag beneath the haystack. Santa Barbara was the first place outside Luzon to have hoisted the Philippine flag. The downfall of the European power is inevitable.
The story of freedom and nationality is being celebrated 109 years after its declaration in Santa Barbara with their Annual Kahilwayan Festival which is held every November 17th. Kahilwayan is the Hiligaynon word for “freedom”. The town has brought in their best dramatic interpretative dance tribes, manifesting their graceful moves and the drama behind their ancestor’s fight for freedom. This year though, the Santa Barbaranhons celebrated with 3 band-contingent competition reliving the “Marcha Independencia” which was played during the freedom march from Santa Barbara to Iloilo City, a century ago.
As the largest flag in the VisMin area was hoisted, so are the spirits of every Ilonggo, remembering what their ancestors did to attain such freedom that we enjoy now.
For more pictures of the Kahilwayan Festival, click the phrase below:
Kahilwayan Festival (Santa Barbara, Iloilo)
Posted by ericd001 on November 5th, 2007 at Aklan, Antique, Bacolod, Guimaras, Iloilo, Travel News
The 7-day Western Visayas Tourism Assembly with the theme, “Entrepreneurial Tourism: Beyond Tourist Arrivals”, is slated on November 12 – 18 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.
The assembly aims to highlight, promote and showcase the diversity of the tourism attractions, services and facilities of the different areas of Region VI. It is intended to be a colorful display of destination attractions, cultural and historical events, shopping and investment opportunities.
Some of the highlights of the assembly are the Regional Tourism Fair and Cultural Showcase on November 12 – 18 at SM City Bacolod, Regional Travel Exchange on November 12 – 14 at Sugarland Hotel, Regional Tourism Congress on November 14 at L’Fisher Hotel, Tourism Excellence Awards on November 14 at Nature’s Village Resort, Talisay City, Search for Ms. WV Tourism on November 15 at the Provincial Capitol, and Regional Parade of Festivals on November 16.
The assembly is sponsored by the Department of Tourism – VI, Bacolod City Government, Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, Negros Island Tourism Inc., Association of Tourism Officers of Negros Occ. (ATONO) in cooperation with Naitas Hrano, Women in Travel in Bacolod.
For information, the Negros Occ. Tourism Center can be reached through 433-2515 and 709-8775 or e-mail at tourism_negocc@yahoo.com.
- Capitol News
Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!
Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga
Posted by ka_edong on October 31st, 2007 at Metro Manila
There’s a new Carnival in town. And it’s huge! Far better than Boom na Boom, Star City and other carnivals we’ve (out-)grown to love.
It’s right next to the phenomenal Mall of Asia and it’s sure to attract the crowds (and traffic). The place is poised to be the place to be during the Christmas holidays revelry.
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Posted by noli on October 24th, 2007 at Baguio, Travel Destinations
Kisad Road in Baguio has a new posh hotel that just opened a few weeks ago. Burnham Suites lies at the end of Kisad Road right at the top of Burnham Park. It is a promising 7-storey five star hotel which gives you the feeling of actually staying on a condominium unit.
Since, the hotel just opened a few weeks ago, expect some minor kinks in terms of services and facilities. But as it is last weekend the hotel is pretty much a good place to stay when you are in Baguio. It’s a cheaper alternative to Manor Hotel (a personal favorite of mine) in Camp John Hay although I still prefer the ambiance, the environment, spaciousness of the rooms in Manor Hotel. Nonetheless if you are in a tight budget, Burnham Suites is definitely a good place to stay.
The rooms are pretty neat, with wooden parquet floorings, and equipped with LCD TV, DVD Player, Air-conditioning Units, Hot and Cold Shower (definitely a must in Baguio)
Watch out for future services and amenities. Burnham Suites is set have a Wi-Fi according to the hotel management. Hopefully their restaurants will have a buffet breakfast for hotel guests. The set meals were not extra ordinary. Just your usual over-priced 5-star hotel meals.
If you are interested to book a room in Burnham Suites, shoot me an email. I might get you a good discount from my travel consultant. 
Posted by ericd001 on October 3rd, 2007 at Travel News
The Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) Advanced Class of 2007 will mount its graduation exhibit dubbed as “Forty, Filipino, and Fabulous” (“F3”) on Sept. 29-Oct. 31, at the Paseo Center, Paseo de Roxas cor. Sedeno st., Salcedo Village, Makati City.
Mounted in cooperation with the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP), ‘’F3’’ will celebrate PSID’s 40th anniversary with an exhibit showcasing Philippine furniture integrated into masterfully-designed and executed interior spaces.
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Posted by Gsas on September 23rd, 2007 at Batangas
Back in Batangas, The Cathedral of St. Sebastian is known simply as “Katedral.” It stands tall right in the heart of Lipa City, among its bustling streets, young and bright students, great-looking women, and its courteous and hospitable elders. Owing to its accessibility, the church itself is rarely empty, even when there isn’t mass. During Sundays, the Holy Celebration is held almost every other hour, Katedral is filled to its brims, and Batangueño’s brave the heat inside this centuries-old testament to the Christian faith.
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