Category Archive: Trip

Jul
01
2010

How Does It Feel Like Being a Caviteño Commuter?

Waiting Commuters at Talaba, Bacoor, Cavite -- ang tagal dyan kahit bukana na ng Maynila!

The first is, have you tried combat commuting? I think if you live in Manila, it is essential to know combat commuting. Its a war waged every single weekday in the Philippine capital. The climax of the war at Hell’s Gate? Rush hour madness. Everyday, people try to cram themselves in buses, jeepneys and metros. Well, asi es la vida en Manila! Can’t deal with it? Might as well leave for the provincias.

Now, for a Cavite resident like me, traveling from home to work is a fact of life. Manila has become crowded and the urban expansion reached the doorsteps of its neighboring provinces, one of which is Cavite. There may be 12 million residents in Metro Manila but including the Greater Manila Area (encompassing Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan), we may even be comparable with the population of that of Mexico City, Tokyo or Mumbai! Cavite has the largest share of GMA residents–3 million people, tw0-thirds of it lives in towns near Metro Manila and along Aguinaldo Highway–the sole main artery of the province. Three million, the most populous province in the country–and with real estate blooming like lumot in the pond, its like a heart chocked with cholesterol! After all, Cavite IS a bedroom of Metro Manila.

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2010/07/01/how-does-it-feel-like-being-a-caviteno-commuter/

May
21
2010

Good Morning Lakbay! Traveling from Manila to Lucban

To Lucban!

Well, I guess I was excited back then. It was my first time going to Lucban for Pahiyas Festival. The feast that I could only see on telly or on books. I’ve seen Sinulog, Dinagyang and Masskara for countless times already but this crowning jewel of Quezon Province’s feasts is something that I would look forward into. Such colourful and attractive feast has made me like a bee, attracted to the colour of the kipings and revelry. It was my first time going there and I’ll be commuting. May 15 is a notorious date to any commuter or motorist going south, as horrific stories of traffic jams linger. But I dared!

Which is which?

I called in the Quezon Provincial Tourism Office and sought advise on what’s the best route going to Lucban. My friends from Quezon and the tourism people have a unanimous answer: Go Laguna-Pagsanjan instead!

Here’s why:

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2010/05/21/good-morning-lakbay-traveling-from-manila-to-lucban/

Mar
31
2010

Visita Iglesia 2010: Basilica de San Martin de Tours de Taal Batangas

Basilica Minore de San Martin de Tours - Taal Batangas

Standing 96 metres long and 45 metres wide, the Basilica Minore de San Martin de Tours is said to be the largest Catholic Church in Asia. The church is located at the highest point of the hillside town centre of Taal in Batangas Province, surrounded by centuries-old houses or bahay na bato. She is  likened for a palace and a sentinel over the whole town. Kitang-kita at animo’y kastilyo sa isang fairy tale story! It sits prominently and majestically in front of the town plaza. This grand edifice is dedicated to the town’s patron saint, San Martin de Tours.

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2010/03/31/visita-iglesia-2010-basilica-de-san-martin-de-tours-de-taal-batangas/

Mar
30
2010

Visita Iglesia 2010 Series: Our Lady of Caysasay Shrine in Batangas

Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay

In observance of the Holy Week, HabagatCentral.com would embark on a journey similar to the Filipino tradition during these reflective times. With seven churches visited within the past three weeks in Batangas and Iloilo, tara na at bumisita tayo sa mga simbahan. More than just sites of Filipino religiosity, but also a mirror of the richness of Filipino culture and heritage. Our first stop: Batangas!

It was one hot summer Sunday when my family and I went on to Batangas. Just for a change of environment, especially church days, we went off to Taal. I’ve been here several times but I wanted to bring my family to this famed heritage village. Instead of heading to Pink Sisters in Tagaytay, we decided to go to the Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay—believed to be the patroness of the Batanguñeos.

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2010/03/30/visita-iglesia-2010-series-our-lady-of-caysasay-shrine-in-batangas/

Mar
18
2010

Balisong Batangas: The ‘Hood of Butterfly Daggers

The Balisong family

Sinong Pinoy ba ang di nakakikilala sa balisong? Perhaps, there is no dagger as (in)famous in Philippine pop culture as balisong. The small, light and foldable dagger is really easy for anyone to hide it in their pockets—that is why it’s a crowd favourite. Being a “star” in Gus Abelgas’s show in the crime scene, balisong’s infamous legacy has developed a stereotypical image that “if you have a balisong, you’re feared by anyone.” Wow, seems that Panday has met his match! But people still wonder where does balisong came from, and they’ll soon find out that its origins are from the Land of A’la eh!

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2010/03/18/balisong-batangas-the-hood-of-butterfly-daggers/

Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2009/12/17/calle-crisologo-jewel-of-vigan/

Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2009/12/16/vigan-on-a-calesa/

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