Curbside Stories

The mansion of the Marcos family in Batac, Ilocos Norte. We are now heading south and it's our time to visit historical landmarks of Ilocos. Our first stop is the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Inside are the family's memorabilia during the Spanish, Japanese and American regime. You have to pay a minimal fee of 30 pesos to get inside. Other displays are about the love affair of Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Romualdez. The photo above is a replica of the slippers Imelda wore when she first met Ferdinand. You will have a clear sense at how rich and influential the Marcos family is. Downstairs is where the mausoleum of Ferdinand Marcos is located. Visitors are not allowed to take photos or use any electronic device for that matter. The guards which also served as tour guides explained that frequencies and light emitted by electronic devices affects the integrity of the corpse. He also said the once a year, an Egyptian embalmer checks the co...

The white beach of Bangui Bay in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Click on the photo  for a larger view. Summertime has officially begun in the Philippines and of course a vacation is not complete if you will not spend a day or two in one of the island nation's famous beaches. I was lucky to have the opportunity to take a day off from work and fulfill one task in my bucket list--visit the Ilocos Region. The Ilocos Region is composed of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan provinces situated in the northwestern part of Luzon and is bordered by the South China Sea in the west and Cordillera Administrative Region in the east. This is the beach that greeted us on our first day. The first destination of our Ilocos Tour is Pagudpud, it is 562 kilometers away from Metro Manila or more or less 9 hours non-stop drive but it was all worth it. We left the house at 8 in the evening and arrived at 5 in the morning the next day. We did not have prior hotel reservations but we ...

The view of Mactan Island from our boat. I can't believe I forgot to post my first ever Cebu trip with my sisters! We went there last October 2013. It almost didn't happen because Cebu and Bohol were rocked by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake. We were so scared because of the reports of aftershocks but we can no longer move the date because my younger sister will be back in the US the following week. So we went, with all courage and prayers for guidance and safety.  We stayed in a cheap but decent hotel in Mandaue, it is about 30 to 40 minute taxi drive from Mactan Cebu International Airport. Although there were many public transportations, we opted to ride a taxi for convenience. If I remember it correctly, we paid a little over 6 thousand pesos for two family rooms for three days. Not bad, eh? The Magellan's Cross. Day 1 of our stay started with a tour at the Magellan's Cross in the compound of Basilica del Sto. Nino in Cebu City. There were many tourists ...

This is a late post. Before the start of the first regular work-day of the new year, my family and I went to Kaybiang Tunnel in Maragondon, Cavite. It is a new road that leads to Nasugbu, Batangas. This is not a regular road-tunnel, though... it is the first in Cavite. It boasts a spectacular view of the South China Sea and the mountainous side of Cavite. When it was formally opened last year by President Noynoy Aquino, it opened a new gate for adventure seekers like me. It is around 40 minutes drive from our house. There is no traffic. When we got there, there were a bunch of motorcycle riders going to and fro the tunnel. There were also families who pull over from time to time to take pictures of the magnificent view. This photo was taken halfway through the tunnel. My son enjoyed screaming and hearing his echo. That's me. Obviously, the tunnel is 96 kilometers away from the Rizal Park in Manila. This photo was taken from the Nasugbu side of t...

Photo from yahoo.com. After 36 years, the curse has finally broken and the Philippines finally won the blue crown. The first ever Filipina to win Miss World is Megan Young, the 23-year old actress and model from Pampanga. She bested Miss France (First Runner-up) and Miss Ghana (Second Runner-up) and the other 123 candidates today in Indonesia. This is one momentous event for the Philippines. Everyone is proud right now just knowing that the beauty, talent and intelligence of a fellow Filipino was recognized internationally. Congratulations, Megan Lynne Young!

My employer was so generous to treat us department heads to a summer escape in Mount Sea Resort in Marseilla St., Rosario, Cavite. It is around 30 minutes away from Manila and is accessible via Cavitex. Aside from swimming pools, the resort also has a restaurant, a bar, billiards, KTV, zip line, obstacle course and hotel rooms. They have various affordable recreation packages for every group type to enjoy. This is outside of one of the pools of the resort. It opens to the public at 7 in the morning. Guests are allowed to bring in foods. The road leads to the zip line and obstacle course. The zip line is around 500 meters and ends in another resort. A one-way ride is only 50 pesos. The 5 feet deep pool has slides. Guests are allowed to wear white shirt or sleeveless and board shorts for female if they do not want to wear swimsuit and board shorts only for male. The kiddie pool is 3 feet deep and it also has slides. The resort also offers swimming lesson...

It was my second time to go to Hundred Islands, Pangasinan and the first time to tag along my son, my older sister and niece. It was a fun-filled day and I am sure my son had a blast! We arrived at Vista de las Islas (the hotel where we stayed last year) at around 1 in the morning, had a few hours of sleep and we're off to island hopping. You can tell by the look on his face that he is enjoying his first boat ride. I am so proud of my son!  I am hoping to visit again next year! There's still a lot of things to do and explore in Hundred Islands.

Who would have thought that hidden behind the tall camp fence and heavily guarded perimeter is a beach?! Not just a beach, but an actual resort wherein you and your family and friends can enjoy the crystal blue water and white sand. The Marines Beach Resort or Boracay de Cavite is located at Ternate, Cavite, 2 to 2 1/2 hours away from Manila. At 100 pesos entrance fee and 350 pesos cottage fee, you get to experience the beach at its best. The resort is open everyday except during Balikatan Exercises of the US and Philippine Marines. Here is how you get there... View Larger Map Click after the jump to see more photos...

Are you planning to have one last summer escapade before the season officially ends? Well, I have discovered a place where you can relax and be a VIP even for a day-- Oasis Hotel and Resort in Capipisa, Tanza, Cavite . The hotel's facade. Shot of the entrance from the lobby. The lounge area near the reception overlooking the pool and beach. The souvenir shop at the first floor near the reception area. The stairs leading to the hotel rooms. Another lounge area in front of the conference halls. The right leads to the bar while the left leads to the restaurant and the pool area. Lounge area in front of the conference halls. Shot from the inside of the hotel going to the pool area. Path leading to the restaurant. The nipa hut at the pool. Giant tortoise guarding the pool. Those are monkeys. Don't worry, they are not real. The mokeys up close guarding the bridge. Panoramic view of the pool area. Click on the ima...