By Berniemack Arellano, on March 31st, 2010%
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.
Continue reading Visita Iglesia 2010: Basilica de San Martin de Tours de Taal Batangas
By Berniemack Arellano, on March 30th, 2010%
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.
Continue reading Visita Iglesia 2010 Series: Our Lady of Caysasay Shrine in Batangas
By Berniemack Arellano, on March 18th, 2010%
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!
Continue reading Balisong Batangas: The ‘Hood of Butterfly Daggers
By Berniemack Arellano, on March 6th, 2010%
Slow-cooked corned beef of Le Bistro Vert
The stress of fast-paced city life has left us something to crave beyond the usual stuff that we see, feel or eat. We look at the countryside and imagine the fresh foods that the people consume there. How we wish we could have those in the metropolis, however, we are imprisoned with a whole lot of love from MSG and other stuff. The good thing though, fresh farm produce cooked to perfection and served by one of the country’s best chefs, is just located right at the heart of Philippines’ financial capital—right at the heart of Makati City!
Le Bistro Vert (“The Green Bistro” in English) promotes sustainable food by sourcing out its food ingredients locally, from small farmers, organic farms or community groups. In turn, these fresh produce-void of those fertilisers and other harmful ingredients—are cooked to perfection by Chef Sau Del Rosario, one of the finest chefs in the country.
Continue reading Refreshing at Le Bistro Vert
By Berniemack Arellano, on March 3rd, 2010%
An Epic Struggle: Inside Manila's MRT on a rush hour
Saturday, 28 February 2010. 5:45PM Manila Time. Ayala MRT Station – It was rush hour (on a Saturday ha!) and the northbound MRT was late for more than 5 minutes. Obviously, if the train is late, passengers-in-waiting increase. I was running out of time, so I forced myself to get into a jam-packed MRT and went to Ortigas. A lot of foul words are hurling inside the MRT as people still struggle to push themselves in already full MRT. Kulang na lang sarsa, we are packed and smelled like sardines!
6PM Manila Time, Shaw MRT Station – I thought there would be many passengers that would go out of Shaw Boulevard Station. I was wrong. Instead, it went towards the extreme of kissing your fellow passenger beside you or the door. The driver may have lost patience because of so many people forcing themselves to come in. He then said in a firm tone, “sa susunod na lang po na tren ang iba. Next train na lang po ang iba!” But his plea fell on deaf (and stupid) ears. The train closed its door and moved towards Ortigas. Bueno, viva sardinas!
Continue reading Learning the Art of Combat Commuting in Manila’s MRT
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