I love my solitary adventures every time I come to Manila, and besides, Manila was my home for 6 years when I had my job working for a TV Network and my short stint at an airline company when I was younger. It was such an interesting life chapter, which makes Manila a familiar place I always love to come back to.

Quiapo

It must be Tatang Ricky Lee’s scriptwriting manual “Trip To Quiapo” that influenced my long walks to Quiapo. When he was my teacher for storytelling, he told us that if we want to write a meaningful story, we must pay a trip to Quiapo. What’s in Quiapo anyway? Must be the interesting stories that lies in all the corners of that place, from the penitent religious, to all sorts of people with different life stories to tell. 

I come to Quiapo to pray, but mostly, I come here for crafting. There’s this one street they call Villalobos street – a stretch of a street with crafting stores that sells various beads and components. I love this place for the random finds I get, especially the semi precious stones in factory price.  

Binondo 

Just some few blocks away from Quiapo is Manila’s Chinatown, Binondo. I must be burning a lot of calories already from all my walks, where I lost the sense of time as I enjoy every moment from it’s monumental arch, lucky charms hanging in the store windows tempting you to have a piece of good luck, and mainland Chinese and Chinese Filipinos walking around the street as if you are transported somewhere else. 

My favorite here has always been the egg tart of Lord Stows Bakery , while most people line up to buy a basket full of Eng Bee Tin’s Hopias in different flavors, I savor the flavorful egg tart, especially when it’s straight from the oven.

And after few walks, I finally arrive in Lucky Chinatown Mall, my gateway to my much-awaited walk around this enterprising place of Divisoria and Tutuban. 

Divisoria & Tutuban

I cannot anymore count how many times I have been walking around the different streets and malls in Divisoria – 168,999, Tutuban Mall, Divisoria Mall – and I never get tired.

There’s always this childish excitement I feel every time I visit this place. I remember early this year when I stayed in Manila for about 4 months, that I frequent these routes everyday for no apparent reason to buy anything, but just to stroll around. I have been way too familiar with the stalls and floors, but there are times that I discover new stores with great finds that I can bring back to Cebu. 

Manila, oh how I love your streets. You were my home when I was yet young and a dreamer, where my dreams became realities and where my heart was made tougher through time.

They say life here is designed differently, always fast, always wanting for more. but looking back, it was a life chapter I can never forget. Manila always feels home.

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More information on the video. Check it out!

Thank you LGU Asturias for having us. In the photo is Ms Era (Tourism Officer), Mr. Jan (Owak Brgy Captain), Ms Magett Cece (#1 SB Councilor) and Ms. Dawn (Tourism Aide).

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The adrenaline was rushing all throughout my body the moment the paragliding pilot told me “Sige, ready na ka? Ig dagan nako, dagan napud. diretso ra ug dagan, dagan ug kusog. Walay hunong hunong, unya ig abot sa pangpang, ambak.. Ok? 1,2,3…” (Okay, are you ready? When I run, you run also. Run straight, run fast, and no stopping, when we arrive at the cliff, jump… Ok? 1,2,3…”

“Ay, wait sa kuya. Taymsa.” (Wait for a while big brother.) Trying to process what he just said with a half-baked smile. After a few minutes, Okay, I’m ready. – or I think so?

The fresh wind rushed through my face when we finally took-off at the peak of the town of Daanglungsod. While on air, I didn’t move and was closing my eyes for awhile. I can’t believe I was swaying my two legs freely at great heights. It terrified me for a while but after a minute, I decided to open my eyes and enjoyed the alluring scenery of Oslob, Cebu.

My fear of heights disappeared few minutes after, and I enjoyed the rest of the experience… especially the landing. It was awesome.

Here is the video made by our team for the Cebu Provincial Tourism Office. It was part of the travel promo of the tourism team.

Thank you to those who made this experience possible – Province of Cebu, LGU Argao, Visayas Paragliding Club and OCPD.

I hope you enjoyed the video.

For more of the paragliding experience in Oslob, Cebu, visit this page: Oslob Cebu Paragliding.

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The ambience of the place, the architecture of the villa,  and the aura of the people feel so inspiring and so pure. It was, for me, a creative retreat.  

This arts sanctuary is located inside Grand Heights Subdivision, a quiet hillside subdivision in Antipolo, Rizal with a wide 1.2 hectare property. This Santorini-inspired dwelling place houses 7 modern and contemporary art galleries, an indigenous art museum, sculpture gardens, a chapel, 2 cafes, and not to mention, a private residence inside this welcoming art space. Such kind owner, I may say, for opening it to the public for arts appreciation.

I fell in love with the place to an extent that I want to only keep it for myself, but unluckily, it was not I who fell in love first. Everyone who has visited the place fell in love with it since its day of opening in 2010. Thus, writing about this fine discovery — for everyone to love (and visit) too.

Welcome to Pinto Art Museum.

Owner and Collector Dr. Joven Cuanang erected this place to exhibit his well loved collection of artworks from famous and promising local artIsans. Designed by famous architect Antonio Leano, every gesture you make will certainly direct you to an interesting discovery of treasures and masterpieces. 

The art galleries have themed collection of art pieces displaying a variety of modern and contemporary paintings, sculptures and art installations.Pinto Art Museum houses 7 art galleries, so expect a rather overwhelming visual treat.  

Get a glimpse of our culture’s richness here in The Museum of Indigeneous Arts, as you discover the beauty of our ancestors way of living before the influence of western culture. 

Enjoy the vibrance of Pinto and spend the whole day appreciating and exploring the creativity this place has to offer. If there is something here that is more than the artworks, it is definitely the architecture and the landscape of the place.

Pinto Art Museum is open 9AM to 7PM, Tuesdays to Sundays, and is located at No. 1 Sierra Madre Street, Grand Heights, Antipolo City, Rizal. For more information about the art museum, you may call them at (02) 6971015; or visit their Facebook at Pinto Art Museum. 

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The first time I visited this unassuming town at the South of Cebu, I was with my friends. We travelled long for approximately 2 hours just to reach this place from Cebu City, but then we’re all captivated by the interesting history and culture of this town when we arrived. The Cabecera de Argao is a testament itself. 

And just recently, I came back. Aside from appreciating their history again, I came back for one thing — for food.

On my second visit, I had the chance to meet three of the country’s culinary geniuses: Nina Daza-Puyat (Author, TV Host and daughter of the iconic chef Nora Daza), Nancy Reyes-Lumen (Philippine’s Adobo Queen) and Ige Ramos (Editor-In-Chief of Rustan’s Supermarket Sansrival Magalogue, Influential Cookbook designer). They were there to judge a culinary competition in the town.

Known as one of Cebu’s culinary destinations, they were all so excited to try out the local dishes of the Argaonaons and in fact, their first morning was spent in the town’s palengke buying local produce, and even had their breakfast in the nearby karenderia trying out local Adobo, Tinola, Linat-an na Baboy, Humba, Ngohiong and some Kakanin.

After the stroll in the palengke, we’re about to get familiar with the culinary preparation of Argao’s Torta, Tablea and Tuba.

We first visited one of Argao’s popular Torta maker, Jessie Magallones, in her modest home where she also runs her Torta business. It’s interesting that Jessie’s technique in Torta making remained traditional; and this is why local folks and tourists prefer her tortas more than any other tortas in the town though equally delicious.

Jessie’s Torta

Jessie shared that her mother introduced Torta making to her and that her mother started cooking Torta in the 90’s on special occasions especially during town fiestas.

With a 2-week shelf life, Jessie’s Torta contain white sugar, melted butter, tuba, genuine flour, egg yolks and mantika sa baboy (pig’s oil).

This is how Jessie’s Tortas are made:

1. In a basin, pour enough sugar
2. Add fermented Tuba (Coconut Wine) and leave for 4 hours. This is to make tuba and yeast mix faster.
3. Add big native chicken yolks that is half month prepared
4. Add Evaporated Milk
5. Add enough amount of flour using one cup then mix together until creating a creamy texture. Jessie shared that her cup was still from her mother.
6. Add some Mantika sa Baboy (pork lard). They use a 1 year old pork lard from last town fiesta.
7. Mix using hands and prepare
8. Cook in Hurno (Clay Oven)

Guilang Tablea

In a small house-like building filled with tablea  in Barangay Canbanua, Argao, we visited a 91 year old tablea maker named Nanay Miguela Higrimosa Lanotan, the owner of Guilang Tablea.

In a small house-like building filled with tablea  in Barangay Canbanua, Argao, we visited tablea maker named Nanay Miguela Higrimosa Lanotan, the owner of Guilang Tablea and in her early 90’s. 

Nanay Miguela shared that they started their tablea business when she and her husband got married in 1908, but officially started with tablea making in 1948. Nanay is proud to share to us that they only use pure cocoa which makes their process different from the others. Her grandson is now managing her tablea business but still oversees the operation.

Nanay Miguela’s Tablea making follows a process of cleaning with flowing water, roasting using traditional charcoal and local woodchips methods and grinding. Selection and fermentation that last for 5 to 6 days of beans are processed in Davao.

Bahal Max Sukarap

Our third and last stop is here in the Tuba place, Bahal Max Sukarap.

Tuba maker Randy Sedon warmly welcomed us in his tuba place, Bahal Max Sukarap in Barangay Talaytay, Argao. Tuba is a local wine made from fermented coconut sac. Randy proudly sells his Coconut Wine which is made from Sapot Coconut Sac, finely fermented for more than two years. He shares that if the coconut wine is still new, we call it tuba. A week later, the tuba now tastes somewhat sweet and we call it bahal. To add a bitter taste to the wine, they add tungog. After a year, we call it Tinuig. The coconut wine contains 12% to 14% alcohol content.

The tuba business in Argao started in the 1970’s, even before the Spaniards came in the locality. Due to the demand of Tuba, with Tuba as a main ingredient in Argao’s Torta, Randy decided to join the business. 

Aside from Tuba, Randy also sells Mango Wine and Sukarap, a coconut vineger. 

If you wish to try out Authentic Argaoanon tuba, come to Randy’s Bahal Max Sukarap and inside is a chill place called Chico Bar where you can stay and enjoy a glass of Tuba.

As much as our guests, Nina, Nancy and Ige had a great time, I was equally having a great time. I will definitely come back to Argao. Our stay was brief but we definitely had a wonderful time exploring and discovering the local taste of this town. 

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