Manilakad

15/12/2022

16/09/2022

Quezon City is too big to explore on foot,” quipped a friend. Not averse to challenges, I once did a 12-church walking Visita Iglesia and a Manila Night Walk covering four districts. Growing up in Quezon City, I felt obliged to write about the “City of Stars.” The criteria would be the nostalg...

15/09/2022

Davao is a land of superlatives. The highest mountain, the biggest city, even the smelliest fruit. Grade school textbooks taught us that it is the largest city in the Philippines in terms of land size. The “largest city in the world” may have been debunked but there are still a lot to explore in...

14/09/2022

An expert on the British Empire explains "Her Majesty’s government" in the 20th century.

07/09/2022

Who wants to do Kamuning Walk on Saturday afternoon, September 10?

Quezon City is too big to explore on foot,” quipped a friend. Not averse to challenges, I once did a 12-church walking Visita Iglesia and a Manila Night Walk covering four districts. Growing up in Quezon City, I felt obliged to write about the “City of Stars.” The criteria would be the nostalg...

05/09/2022

02/09/2022

“God built lighthouses to see people through storms. Then He built storms to remind people to find lighthouses.” – Shannon Alder Thus started our quest for lighthouses. But was it possible to find two of them in one weekend? We gladly accepted the challenge. Lighthouses have been used as metap...

06/08/2022

https://propertyreport.ph/author/jpordona/

19/07/2022

18/07/2022

17/07/2022

M A L A B R I G O

Malabrigo, a barangay in Lobo, was supposed to be a side trip. It turned out to be the most unique beach I've seen in Batangas. It was more of a pebble beach but with big stones known in our vernacular as "panghilod." I remember opening my radio and listening to a Chinese station. Looking at a map, Malabrigo is one of the southern most points in Batangas. Little did I know that there was a more compelling reason to come back -- the lighthouse.

The Malabrigo lighthouse was completed in 1896 and is one of the oldest lighthouses in the Philippines. It is inspired by Victorian atchitecture and was declared a National Historical Landmark. It was built to guide seafarers because of the strong currents and rocky coastline of Malabrigo. Interestingly, Malabrigo means "bad shelter" in Spanish.

16/07/2022

SIMBAHANG BATO
(Laurel, Batangas)

16/07/2022

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Tagaytay City

15/07/2022

B A L A Y A N

The first time I went to Balayan was when I attended Parada ng mga Lechon several years ago. I remember B**g Revilla was in one of the floats promoting his movie. When we went back last month, we were hoping there would be a parade but the town decided not to hold it.
Instead, we visited the Balayan Church and admired several old houses in Balayan.

15/07/2022

Immaculate Conception Church in Balayan, Batangas is listed as a National Cultural Treasure. It has several beautiful religious statues and church bells within the church compound. The administration of this church started with the Augustinians then transferred to Franciscans, Jesuits, Recollects and finally to seculars. It was embroiled in a controversy when a Mcdonald's store was built within the church compound.

15/07/2022

What's a trip to Batangas without Lomi?

14/07/2022

Cape Santiago Lighthouse in Calatagan, Batangas was named after Don Santiago Zobel who donated land where the lighthouse now stands. This is one of the oldest structures in Calatagan which has survived several wars as proven by bullet marks. The tower at 51 feet is located in the back.

12/07/2022

Rizal Football field

12/07/2022

PATUNGAN, MARAGONDON

After passing through Kaybiang Tunnel, we stopped at some viewdecks overlooking Patungan, Maragondon and Limbones Island. Surprisingly, the beach water at Patungan was crystal clear. You can go down to the beach (for a fee?) but we didn't have the time to do that. The last time I was in Limbones was during a grade school field trip by boat.

12/07/2022

KAYBIANG TUNNEL

Constructed in 2009 and opened in 2013, the 300-meter Kaybiang Tunnel has become a famous stop-over for bikers and motorists. It connects Ternate, Cavite with Nasugbu, Batangas passing through Mt. Palay-palay National Park (Pico de Loro).