North Cebu roadtrip

October 31st, 2005 | 2 Comments

After having been told by benjieordoƱez of flickr yesterday regarding the location of the old lighthouse in Lilo-an, I woke up at around 0515H this morning, prepared my things and left 0600H. The original plan was to take shots of the old lighthouse and go north to Danao City for that old and beautiful church. But since I was already there, I decided to continue with my journey: check out the churches of Carmen (the Spanish era church was demolished and replaced by a modern building), Catmon, Sogod and up to Bogo. However, I came up at a sign telling me the direction to Tabogon, and, why not (?), I detoured.

The road was rough and I wasn’t able to see an old church. I continued with my trip and didn’t realized that I was heading back south only to find out that I was already in Borbon. I checked my gauge and thought that I can still make it to Bogo (30KM away) but a few kilometers after, the gas seemed to be running out that I decided to go back my way. Besides, the weather was not good and church hopping should be rescheduled. On the way back, I visited the churches of Compostela and Liloan.

This trip would have been good if the weather was fine and, gasoline was cheap. Just imagine, I spent already around P800 for a few liters of unleaded gas but I just arrived home with a few kilometers left!


A beautiful sight at Bagacay Point in Liloan where this lighthouse, built in 1904 stands gracefully. I have often seen this one many times and its only now that I was able to go close. Unfortunately, the caretaker was not around and I wasn’t able to climb up.

Reaching this place might be confusing but what one should remember is that the sideroad (asphalted) leading to this place is only less than a kilometer from the main highway when one turns right infront of the church and afte the bridge where many townsfolk take a bath. Near this place, a high-end subdivision (Amara) is being developed.

A couple of meters infront of the church of Danao City is a port where huge motorized boats from Camotes dock and board passengers. I’ve tried riding these boats once a few years ago and its an experience especially if the waters are rough.

In Catmon, after taking photos of the church up on a hill, passed by this newly burned down area just along the highway. Families were back to sift through the burnt area for things that they may recover.

The mangroves of Borbon just near the main road bisecting the sea, forming a lagoon.

It was already almost 1300H that I passed by this place, the famous Titay’s. Here travellers usually stop to buy their bread and biscuits including the rosquillos, a sweet biscuit, flowerlike with a hole in the middle. When we were still children, my mother would buy this. For our evening snack, my sister and me would prepare Ovaltine, a choco drink, get a few pieces of rosquillos, submerge in the drink and wait for these to soften. A treat :-)

When one visits Titay’s, their meat roll (P25 each) is a must. Hot buns filled with pork with a slice of egg. Its really very delicious. I was able to consume two of these.


And I though budbud kabog can only be found in Dumaguete and in the Legazpi Village Sunday market(check the link) in Makati, but I was wrong. In the highway in Borbon, just near the church and a few meters to the north, several vendors are waving at cars holding these sticky rice delicacy. Its smaller than those sold at San Lorenzo but the same size as those in Dumaguete. One can buy these for P20 per pack of 5 or 3 packs for P50. I bought 6. And its really delicious.

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Flickr - Cebu meet: At the flower market

October 30th, 2005 | No Comments

Arrived in Cebu yesterday…

Its the first time for me to join the meet up of the Flickr - Cebu group. In observance of the todos los santos (All Saints Day, 1 November) and dia de los muertos (All Souls Day, 2 November), it was suggested by Farl at the Cebu/Sugbo Flickr group, for a meet up at the Busay flower market. And off we went this morning. However, instead of at Busay, we were at Cantipla 1, around 24 Km from Cebu City. The flowers were not that much as most of these were already brought down to the city in time for the preparations of the annual religious festivities that marks the 1st and 2nd day of November and some were already selling along the road in anticipation of people buying from them. Thus, the flower vendors were dispersed and scattered. But it was still a great time to meet new people that I’ve only known in the posts and comments in Flickr.


Posing: Wantet, Farl, benjieordoƱez, Gerald Yuvallos and me.

Lady flower vendor. Her flowers are priced from P25 - P35 per bunch.


Male flower vendor packing the flowers that I bought.

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Ilocos sojourn: Delicacies and pasalubongs

October 30th, 2005 | 6 Comments

A mention of Ilocos and images of Paoay, Marcos, Pagudpud are conjured. But don’t forget the food: bagnet, pinakbet, papaitan and those fit for pasalubong (gifts that one brings to friends and family when one comes back home) like chichacorn, longganisa (native sausages), bibingka (rice cakes) and other sweets.

Ever since I’ve tasted this Laoag longganisa, I have always made it a point to eat one or two whenever I’m in Laoag. It was love at first bite! What with the spicy and garlicky flavor that is so unlike those I have eaten in most parts of the country that is somewhat sweet. Here, one can get it at the market (as posted in the photo above which was taken in the stall at the third floor of the public market) or at streetside eateries being cooked over hot coals. The saltiness is just alright and with less fat compared to the rest. As for the Vigan longganisa, I first tasted it in Sagada, Mt. Province but when I’ll come back to Vigan sometime next month, I will definitely try it again.


Empanada is, like the longganisa is obiquitous in most foodstalls around the city of Laoag and Vigan. These two cities, while they have the same shape and color (that from Vigan is paler compared to Laoag), its the stuffing inside that differs:

- Laoag empanada have for its filling mung beans, longganisa Laoag and egg
-Vigan empanada have for its filling cabbage, longganisa Vigan and egg

Of the two, I find those from the former to be filling and somewhat heavy but both are tasty. A visit to these two cities is never complete without partaking in this delectable streetfood.


Royal bibingka of Vigan is somewhat different from the usual rice cakes that I have tasted in Manila (like in Cafe Via Mare), Laguna (near the Southwoods exit , and anywhere else in the country including my home province in Cebu. Its texture is akin to a cassava cake. Compared to the one I’ve tasted near the Southwoods exit along SLEX in Laguna, I prefer the latter.

Chichacorn, chicharon (pork rind that is fried to a crisp) conjoined with corn to denote, what else, crispy fried corn kernels in different flavors. My officemates very much like these in different flavors: barbecue, cheese, plain salted and garlic. Its a popular pulutan (bar chow) or just as a pica-pica food.

When I get back to Vigan, I would want to taste their: okoy (shrimps in batter fried to a crisp, special tupik (a sticky rice, sugar concoction) that is placed inside bamboo tubes just like the dudul or durol of Sulu, kalamay (sticky rice and sugar with, I guess, coconut milk) and other Ilocano delicacies.

Related post:
A brief sojourn to Ilocos
Ilocos sojourn: La Preciosa

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Ilocos sojourn: La Preciosa

October 29th, 2005 | No Comments

We would have gone to Planet Ilocos but did not find it. Instead we went to La Preciosa Restaurant (+63 77 7731162) for those original Ilokano cuisine. The place has already transferred to its new location along Rizal St., in a converted 1950s house and has been featured in the national dailies for its great food and one of the most go to places when in Laoag City. Other than Ilokano, it also serves Filipino, American, Japanese and Spanish cuisine.

The signage near the entrance.

The spacious restaurant with its homey feel.


Bagnet or crispy fried pork was just delectable.

I’m not so fond of pinakbet but their’s is great that I just have to eat it.

Bagoong (fermented small shrimps) rice was unexpected but delicious.

The new location of the restaurant, a 1950s house.

Related post:
A brief sojourn to Ilocos
Ilocos sojourn: Bangui windfarm
Ilocos sojourn: Delicacies and pasalubongs

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One Light - Tom Epperson, a photo exhibit

October 28th, 2005 | 2 Comments

I was on my way to Powerbooks Greenbelt when I caught a glimpse of people portraits at the Ayala Museum. It’s Tom Epperson’s One Light photo exhibit of around 55 portraits of people: the movers, the shakers, the ordinary in black and white as well as colored until the 2nd of November.

This is the topnotch and much sought-after print and advertising photographer’s first solo exhibit. It is entitled such since the photos were taken with just a single light source (except for one) all done in film. From the likes of the Zobel de Ayala brothers posing with their BMW motorbikes or jumping, in business suits, on a trampoline to Tim Yap lying on a bed, colorful, fashion models and designers, athletes, musicians to ordinary folk.

A very haunting portrait of Pepe Smith, probably one of the best in the exhibit.

Other photos at the Museum with the Ayala Center buildings at the background.

Additonal photos at the exhibit: Maksim at the left, Pepe Smith at the right and one member of a local band.

Tom Epperson’s calling card. There were three kinds and I liked it.

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