Some Happy Adventures

just some of my adventures.... more to come... :)

Philippines' Bet for the New 7 Wonders of the World

I got to see this for the first time in 2008, and since then I got struck by its beauty, its wonders.... truly a heavenly-made spot right here on earth, and yes in my very own country, the Philippines.

I first blogged on this in 2008 here, when at that time it's leading the survey of the Wonders of the World.
I featured it in the site "Take Me To Asia" to encourage more people to come and visit that amazing place.

They said, it's been discovered by foreigners who taught the local people on how to protect it and  promote it as a tourist spot. They were never wrong, as today it's our bet for the New 7 Wonders of the World.

More and more people got to see it, as they got curious how it became popular and even reaches to the top 28 of the world's best destinations so far. And if you're like us who got amazed especially when you saw how nature formed the stalagmites and stalactites inside the cave, cast your vote and let's put it as one of the New 7 Wonders of World.

For those who haven't been there, what are you waiting for? It's one best place to go to, I promise you.
For more information, visit http://www.puerto-undergroundriver.com/

Exploring Aurora Province

Another site for an upcoming project... we're happy to note that Aurora Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo is so accommodating and she welcomes us to her province wholeheartedly. She doesn't even forget us even we got to know each other for very limited time.

I heard Aurora as a place that is so far and sort of unreachable community due to limited facilities in there. That's how i understood it, when we were planning to go there. Imagine, it's like seven hours of traveling from Manila and there are so many rough roads, not so many establishments, aside from the fact that it used to be hit by natural calamities.

So when we went there, we experienced traveling to what they say as its main link to the rest of Luzon - the narrow mountain gravel road that twists through the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, just to reach Aurora.

Because of Sen. Angara's initiatives and our office has been tapped to work with the other agencies for his proposed project for Aurora, we were forced to visit the place.
Little did we know, that despite of the difficulties in reaching Baler, Aurora, we enjoyed staying there and yes, now we don't mind going there again and again.

At first due to a very limited time, we were able to visit some facilities for the project that we are working on and a side trip to Ermita and to the Museo de Baler, one of the places I enjoyed visiting because of the stories behind it. And we were able to stay in one of the best accommodations there, well fortunately because other hotels were fully booked then. It's beachfront, so we got to enjoy the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

In our second visit, I was able to bring along my son with us. This time, he enjoyed not only the waters of the Pacific Ocean, but also another pride of the province, the El Pimentel Waterfalls, which despite of the rough roads that we had to pass through, it is all worth it.

For sure, we will get to explore more of Aurora once our project started.

If you're interested, you might want to get to know Aurora more at www.aurora.ph.

At the Sagada, Mountain Province

It's my first time to go to the Mountain Province. I have heard it many times, that Sagada is such a beautiful place and nobody told me how it looked like and what I could see if I go there. All I knew it's 13 hours away from Manila.... such a long way.

Then I got the chance to be there, and oh yes, I became one of those people who were strucked by the beauty of Sagada. Even foreigners did not bother the travel time just to visit Sagada.

I got the chance to see some places there for the first time. What I appreciated the most was how the locals there are maximizing the soil of the mountains. There are so many terraces, that I thought what we have in the Philippines was the famous Banawe Rice Terraces. Little did I know that there are a lot of terraces in Mountain Province. They planted not only rice, but they also plant vegetables.

So far, it's in Mountain Province where I got to witness that almost all the mountains are planted with crops --- from the bottom to the tip of the mountain.

So beautiful, so greeny...

Then I got to see what's inside the Sumaguing Cave, one of the famous spots in Sagada. Something like accepting a challenge when you go inside the cave, since all movements must be done carefully and surely.... or else you're dead... :)

At first, I appreciated the Underground River when I saw it and so I supported it to the Wonders of the World. But when I saw what the Sumaguing Cave has, then I told myself -- hey its more challenging than the Underground River aside from the stages that we've gone through as we traversed inside the cave and I got to touch and step on the many formations of the stalagmites and stalactites inside.

A truly amazing experience....

The locals of the Mountain Province also boast their traditions especially on how they treat their dead people. We got to see the Burial Cave and the Hanging Coffins.
They explained that they do not believe burying under the ground, since they wanted the spirits of their loved ones to be free. The way they wanted it to be.

The burying involved all the locals, as their social responsibility. What I saw were the coffins for 200 years already. Though the locals still practice such, they just place the coffins in other hidden places, which are not for public viewing anymore, since it is sacred for them.

The locals wanted us, those of different culture, to understand them. And I am amazed how they preserve their culture.

These are just some of the features of Sagada, Mountain Province... but we saw them, we really had to undergo some physical activities, that challenged us whether we would like to see it ourselves or let others just describe it for us.

I was one of those who took the challenge, though my muscles hurt for two days, I did it. I saw them myself.

And so I could say, "I came, I saw, and I was conquered by the beauty of Sagada."

My travel record as of 30 November 2008

My Lakbayan grade is C+!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

The MegaChapel of the Philippines

It's the biggest CHAPEL so far I've been to which is actually inside the first biggest mall in Manila, the SM Megamall.... So it's been branded as the MEGACHAPEL, the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord.

Inaugurated last 13 October 2008, the Megachapel can accommodate 2,000 people in it -- 1,500 can seat, the rest can stand. Well I can compare it with St. Peter's Church in Tokyo, Japan, but the difference of course, it's a church and the Megachapel is still considered a chapel.

There is a crying room for the babies at the back and they are trying to organize the receiving of the Holy Communion. In Japan where I was able to attend one Sunday mass there through a friend (and where I accidentally met a college classmate there), the people are guided by the church staff and the lines who wish to receive the Holy Communion are organized by rows.

I think this is the practice which the Megachapel wishes to do. It's just that the Filipinos are used to go to the line on their own when the Holy Communion starts, maybe later on they can do it.

One more thing is that it has a side adoration chapel and again, it can accommodate about 300 people for private adoration.

For me, it's convenient to attend Sunday mass there and the celebration is done properly as expected. It's not surprising to note that many church goers are there, and so may be the reason for the owners of the SM Megamall to build the Megachapel. The only problem there is that church goers, especially on weekends, they are in their shopping attire and so the proper dress attire as recommended by the Church is not strictly followed.

Some pictures here... and yes I was there...

This is the facade of the chapel...



The Altar (or should I say, the mega-altar... )


The adoration chapel


A view inside the chapel..


and this is my proof that I have been there... :)

How far have I traveled my home country?

My Lakbayan grade is C+!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Data shows as of February 2008... :)

Boracay is no. 7 in the world survey!

So I would be starting with how the Philippine bets in the world survey in terms of natural wonders... and I would brag that I've also been there. Hence, I can be sure of what I'm blogging about.

So I've said Puerto Princesa's Underground River is currently no. 1 in the World Survey for Wonders of the World.

This time, it's the Boracay Island where many investors are actually foreigners... who got attracted to the island's unique qualities for a white beach. Its powdery sand and crystal-clear blue water make it one of the most beautiful tropical islands in the world. Now Boracay is no. 7 in the world survey (based on Yahoo Travel survey). I remember years ago, it's one of the top 5 (just can't remember if it's according to Discovery Channel Travel & Living or National Geographic Channel). Ranking may change but still it belongs to the Top 10 of the world's best of the best.

More and more resorts are being established there, the area which they call the "back beach" is likewise being developed now. The back beach just lacks the resorts and establishments but the beach has the same potentials.

Fortunately I've been there for a few times now and I'm still willing to go back as I'm not yet through with the beach... Allow me to share some pictures...

Philippines' pride to Wonders of the World is no. 1

Great news to all! Just learned that as of 28 October 2008, the number 1 in the world survey for the New 7 Wonders of the World is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. Check it out here.

I remember when we got the chance to go there last year, I feel so blessed to see with my own very eyes what they say a truly natural wonder of the world.

We really appreciated how nature shapes itself into something we can never imagine. We saw how the stalactites and stalagmites were able to form naturally the different figures inside the cave, which can belong to the historical landmarks of a country.

I can never forget that trip, because from then on, I learn how to appreciate nature more than ever. I urge, not just request, all to see it for yourselves why we are just so proud of this.