Rough Groove

Series 41: A trip to Guiuan, Samar

Twenty photos taken of my trip from Cebu to Guiuan, Eastern Samar already started at Binary Silver.

Trip to Guiuan, 5 - Leyte delicacies

Just right before I boarded the bus for Ormoc, a trip in Tacloban is not compete without the usual moron and binagol delicacies.

Moron, a sticky rice delicacy wrapped in banana leaves and steamed is native to Tacloban and rather oily. It is also found in Ormoc which is a little bit drier compared to the former. I was also told that it is found in Butuan in Mindanao too. What sets this apart from the usual suman delicacies of other Philippine provinces is that it has a choco mixture, right.

Another delicious and sweet delicacy, binagol is made from taro, with a caramelized mixture at the bottom blended with peanuts. A small coconut shell is where the edible parts are placed and then wrapped with banana leaves and bound with a string.

Related posts:

Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 1 - Supercat

Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 2 - On the road

Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 3

Its been six years since I’ve been back to Guiuan. The last time I was here was just to transit and collect beetles and butterflies in Homonhon Is. Well, nothing much has changed except maybe that it has mobile communications already and the road leading to the town is well paved. Other than that, its still the same.

Pedicamb drivers infront of the church waiting for passengers (left). Right, a nonfunctioning male urinal most probably inspired by the MMDA male urinals in Metro Manila. Fortunately, its a cool shade of blue compared to the original pink.

My real intent for going to this town was to photograph the lovely 16th century church of the Inmaculada Concepcion. The structure stands on the grounds of a fortress, considered during the mid 1600 as the 2nd best after Manila and one of three that are heavily fortified (Manila and Zamboanga are the other two) that was built to protect the town from Muslim raiders, usually for the slave trade in Sulu. The belltower, built a few meters from the church has the Franciscan insignia.

Other than the wonderful facade, what makes this church special is the mosaic of different kinds of shells that adorns its baptistry and a side chapel that cannot be found nowhere else in the country. Just imagine cone shells, corals, bivalves, nautilus and many other shell species that just make up the beautiful design of butterflies and flowers.

Unfortunately for me, I was not able to take photos inside as the parish priest forbids taking of photos since a few years ago, a rash of thievery befell the churche’s furnishings and antique statues. The towns people are equally defensive.

The beautifully carved and intricately done front doors of the church that, as what the Lonely Planet guidebook for the Philippines wrote, Imelda Marcos once offered 2 million pesos to buy these for her collection.

This church is really a jewel and has been nominated for inclusion for the UNESCO World Heritage Site list under Baroque churches of the Philippines.

Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 2 - On the road

From Ormoc, it was a liesurely bus ride to Tacloban where I rode a provincial bus for my destination, Guiuan. It was really a trip down memory lane. The route has been all too familiar for me as I was travelling from time to time in this area a few years ago for business (my area covered Eastern Visayas –> includes Samar and Leyte) and for liesure (collecting butterflies and beetles and just for the heck of traveling).

Left, I intentionally rode a bus, not the V Hires (vans that are used as public utility vehicles) that ply the route fastest. There’s this kind of slowness that comes with riding in one. You get to see more of the countryside and the people. Its frequent stops sometimes just makes you exasperated but then, come to think of it, you can also take more photos. Right the view of the San Juanico bridge connecting Leyte and Samar islands.

Left, a view of one of the many islets that is what the town of Marabut is famous for. Right, the Tacloban - Borongan highway via Basey. A few years ago, this road was badly maintained and dusty. Now, its wide, well kept and shortened the travel to Borongan and Guiuan with less traffic.

Related posts:

Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 1 - Supercat