Playing Tourists in the Homeland

By: Lou Maningas Cabalona

 

This February, Baron, my husband and I will have our FIRST VACATION to the Philippines. Nope, this is not our first time visiting the homeland. As a matter of fact, we got married in Boracay and did a Medical mission last February. We also were flown to Manila for the FilAm Youth Leadership Program two years before that. Both occasions, outside of our main agenda, we felt it was best to maximize the rest of our time meeting up with family and friends and checking out the places we grew up in.

This time, we decided to put our tourist hats on and enjoy other delightful flavors of the islands we have never experienced before. And where would any “unlearned” Philippines traveler go? The internet, of course!

Boy, was I overwhelmed by the amount of information available about possibly every place and happening in the country. I also found out that the Philippine Department of Tourism declared 2015 as “Visit the Philippines Year”. I guess DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez, who I sat next to at a dinner at Mr. Ramon R. Del Rosario, Jr.’s home in Manila, read our minds. I can imagine him saying, “It is going to be even more fun in the Philippines” and I am banking on that!

After my thorough research, I thought of sharing some unique and magnificent places you might want to consider, should you make 2015 — or any other – the year you visit the Philippines.

1) Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site

As of today, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has elected a total of six sites as places of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity in the country. For this reason alone, everyone should see at least one of them!

We choose to trek up north to experience the Historic Town of Vigan, the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia established in the 1500s. We’ll take the scenic route, stopping at the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, the 2000-year old rice fields of the Ifugaos that carve a beautiful landscape onto the Cordillera Mountains.

Also part of the list are two aquatic sites, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park located in Palawan and the recently inscribed, Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary which serves as a habitat for endemic plant and animal species, including the iconic Philippine Eagle. Finally, the UNESCO also recognized the historical importance of four Baroque Churches of the Philippines – all in Luzon including San Agustin Church in Manila.

Whichever you pick, I am 100% sure you will be in awe of what you will see and experience.

2) See a postcard picture in real life!

If I were to take a guess, like myself, many Filipinos have seen the country’s most scenic spots only in postcards and magazines. Recently, these natural beauties have also graced many travel websites and blogs and gained international attention with the help of social media. We have the Mayon Volcano (Albay), Hundred Islands (Pangasinan), Chocolate Hills (Bohol) and, the Islands of Coron (Palawan), just to mention a few.

We scheduled a day tour to ride a boat and then hike on Volcano Island to get up close to the smallest active volcano in the world, the Taal Volcano (Batangas)!

Don’t miss the chance to experience the real deal and take a selfie with these gorgeous natural wonders only found in the Philippines!

3) Luxuriate in world-class Rest and Relaxation

I have been to Tagaytay many times before. In the past few years, however, this summer getaway favorite has evolved as a top spot for Spa Resorts and is home to some world-class Filipino culinary gems.

So after hiking Taal the day before, nothing is more perfect than a day of pampering from head to toe amidst the cool mountain breeze harmonizing with the sounds of nature at Sonya’s Garden or Nurture Wellness Spa. (So many good choices!)

To cap off the night, we’ve made reservations for a sumptuous dinner at award-winning Chef Tony Boy Escalante’s Antonio’s Restaurant! And, yes, we recommend you reserve weeks in advance for a slot at one of USA Today’s Top 10 Restaurants in the Philippines.

4) Learn more about Philippine History and Culture

History lover or not, you are sure to find something that will spark your interest in our local Museums.

In Manila proper, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila has a permanent exhibition of Filipino pottery and goldwork from the 8th to the 13th century that attests to our sophisticated society prior to colonialization. Adjacent to it, the Central Bank of the Philippines – Money Museum showcases the banks’ collection of Philippine currencies throughout the decades. The National Museum of the Philippines has some of the most important collections of Filipino Fine Arts. Most noteworthy is celebrated Painter, Juan Luna’s 13×23 feet masterpiece, Spoliarium, that bested all entries at the Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts in 1884. It also holds significant ethnographic artifacts and archeological finds in the country including a Tabon Caveman relic dating back to 45,000 B.C.

A newly-opened exhibit on Philippine garments from the turn of the 20th century is also on display at the Ayala Museum. The state of the art museum that houses the Filipinas Heritage library is located within the Makati Business district.

Best thing is that you can have a taste of our diverse ethnic heritage without flying out of Manila. Entrance costs just the same as a CTA bus ride!

5) Here are more helpful tips that might save you $$s and make your vacation unforgettable!

– Cheapest flights are in February and November. The best day to fly is Wednesdays

– Island Hop for as low as $25. Watch out for Piso fares from Cebu Pacific or Air Asia by liking their Facebook pages. Last August, Piso fares from Manila to many islands cost between $25 to $44 only.

– Sneak in another site you can also visit on your way to /from your destination. By tracing our route from Vigan to Manila via GoogleMaps, I realized we can also shoot for a Hundred Islands day tour passing by Pangasinan. Awesome!

– Hire a trusted tourist guide, if possible. Ask around or check out travel forums for recommendations. Guides can show you shortcut routes, hidden secrets and share interesting stories about the place. Make sure to tip nice so they can help you get freebies.

– You can now book your local accommodations online hassle- free! I always use Booking.com – their site is easy to navigate and you can reserve and can cancel up to 24 hours before your stay

– Bring cash. Only a few places outside of the city accept credit cards. Finally, the most important tip I can give you is – DO IT ASAP!

When the Philippines become the hippest travel destination, you might have to pay a lot more for the wonderful experience you can have now!

quick photo before dinner at the Del Rosario home with (fr L-R) NY Consul General Mario Lopez, LA Consul General Leo Hererra-Lim, PhinaCorp’s Ramon Del Rosario Jr, Dept of Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Louella Cabalona, Dept of Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro and Baron Cabalona.

The newlyweds, Baron and Louella with Groomsmen – J-rick Maningas, Lee Maningas-Torres, Ronnie Ruivivar, Daniel Guallar III, Bryan Zabala, James DC.

Volunteers at the Tacloban Medical Mission (from left to right) Nurse Bebs, Almira Gilles, Ruben Salazar, Bardot Atillo of City Government of Tacloban, Louella Cabalona, Dr. Judy Gumagay of Tacloban City Hospital, Baron Cabalona, Jam Sombilon, Anna Millan, Merle Salazar and Adeline Fajardo.

Louella meeting Baron’s cousins and aunts, especially Lola Aurora (bottom left) for the first time at Stephanie’s in Tacloban City.

Baron meeting Louella’s relatives at cousin Stephanie and Toffy Francisco’s home.

 

Louella interviewing Coron, Palawan Mayor Clara “Fems” Reyes after handing a donation of $2000 for Barangay Poblacion 6’s Village Hall and Clinic.