BACK TO THE FUTURE

A great experience of like having back in time during Hispanic era, still astounded that due to long period of time, this City was able to survive from any devastation and test of time.

7 WONDER CITY OF THE WORLD

A World heritage site that recently acclaimed and officially included in the new 7 wonder city of the world for its preservation of antiquated structures that still stands enduring and remain intact. Calle Crisologo is a renowned made of cobblestones passable only by karatelas. Delineated as third oldest City of the Philippines.

PROVINCE OF ILOCOS SUR

Vigan is a fourth class city and capital of Ilocos Sur province, Capitol hall is just across the plaza salcedo. Comparable to Luneta park, Plaza salcedo offers also dancing fountain every night to entertain both tourists and locals.

SAINT PAUL METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL

Plaza Salcedo is just across Vigan church, after buying pasalubong from Calle Crisologo, try to visit the church,  interior is fascinating that they able to conserved the remains. This plaza was built to attract more tourist, you can sit and relax while watching the well lit dancing fountain in full colors. It is a must to venture an experience here in Vigan City.

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UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Paoay church was declared as National Cultural Treasure by Philippine government in 1973 and tagged as Unesco World Heritage Site under the collective Baroque churches of the Philippines in December 11, 1993 for its distinct old architecture and structure made of stones and bricks. Part of its structure are the 24 huge buttresses having a dimension of about 1,67 meters thickness protruding from its exterior wall designed to support from the destructive earthquake.

Paoay church was started to built in the early 1694 1704 by Augustinians Friar Father Antonio Estavillo and it was inaugurated on the 28th day of February 1896. The numerous huge buttress are an evident of sturdy support and tenacious to shaking. In the early historical records as early as 1593 the parish was founded by Augustinian missionaries. "PAOAY" was originally called as "BOMBAY" a community that belief to be an early inhabitant of the area came from India. 

BELL TOWER

Bell tower was built separately adjacent from main building in protection from earthquake in domino effect. The three storey tower is made of coral stones which started to built on 1793,  serves also as Pagoda and used as watch tower against the insurgencies.

THE INTERIOR

Visit more about Ilocos

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THE CAPITAL

Laoag City is a first class City and capital of Ilocos Norte region. Part of Ilocos tour, laoag has offered tourist spots. Old structures are an evident remnant of Hispanic era, others were already gone under renovations, but modification from its old design are highly restrained. This City embraces old culture in a modern time.

SINKING BELL TOWER

This venerable bell tower structure built of bricks and lime stone is a famous landmark of Laoag City. It is notable that this structure is sinking an inch every year, it was then acclaimed a tallest and most solid bell tower in the Philippines before it eventuate sinking. Now its main door is a half way buried, come and visit this remarkable sinking bell tower while still passable.

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ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI OR ALEGRIA CHURCH

Alegria is a small town situated at the southern most of Cebu province, a remnants of Spanish era, where old structures are mostly still preserved. St. Francis of Assisi church were known to its long stretch of structure inward, with a single belfry in front that its picturesqueness is an art of old and well planned structure. An architecture that preserved with a lively detailed of its Gothic design aged in time. The church was duly recognized as one of the old churches in Cebu, built on 1857, once a garrison during Japanese invasion.

THINGS TO KNOW

• Language
• English
• Can able to understand and speak since most of schools and local offices use it as medium language.
• Tagalog 
• Can do speak and understand
• Cebuano
• Local dialect use
• Good Morning - Maayong Buntag
• Good Afternoon - Maayong Udto
• Good Evening - Maayong Gabi-i
• Let's eat - Mangaon ta
• How much? - Tagpila?
• Transportation
• Air
• From manila you can do access only by plane, in Mactan airport take a taxi cab to South Central terminal for an estimated cost of P250.00 to P300.00
• Land Bus
• Ceres Bus
• P131.00 make sure to remind the conductor that you have to drop off to Kawasan falls.
• Non-aircon Bus
• P115.00 if you are not that much looking for comfortability and up for a budget, non-aircon bus is also serves the area  
• Foods
• There's no class "A" restaurant here but the foods are good.
• Where to stay
• Beach resorts are mostly the easy way to get for accommodation, along the way several of resorts can be found.
• Financial Establishments
• Banks is in Cebu proper, Remittance centers are anywhere in nearby town.
• Local Tour Guide
• P 150.00 to P200.00 depends on how you negotiate.
• RICKY LUAGUE - 09262824060
• Just tell him you have read my blog (LAKAT) and you can ask him a guide fee for as low as P100.00

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CEBU MACTAN BRIDGE OR MARCELO B. FERNAN BRIDGE

Bridge that connects the main island of Cebu and Mactan traversing the channel of two islands to decongest heavy traffic of growing population of Cebu and easy access to Mactan airport, considered as one of the longest bridge in the Philippines. This bridge was duly financed and built by Japanese government, completed and inaugurated on August 1999.

Best to see and witness the beauty of this architecture during sunset, as like this photos have visioned the colorful background on its busy traffic and lighted structure.

You can go under this bridge take some photos as souvenir from Cebu. Under Marcelo B. Fernan bridge has a small plaza where most of the tourists and nearby residents doing exercise and resting time. Brace you self get ready with your camera to witness the best view of sunset in Cebu.

THINGS TO KNOW

• Language
• English
• Can able to understand and speak since most of schools and local offices use it as medium language.
• Tagalog 
• Can do speak and understand
• Cebuano
• Local dialect use
• Good Morning - Maayong Buntag
• Good Afternoon - Maayong Udto
• Good Evening - Maayong Gabi-i
• Let's eat - Mangaon ta
• How much? - Tagpila?
• Transportation
• Air
• From Manila to Mactan airport
• Going Cebu City you can pass by this bridge
• Land 
• Jeep
• P8.00 take a jeepney ride to mandaue ask to drop off in Marcelo B. Fernan bridge.
• Taxi 
• P50.00 estimated cost since the place is near to the airport  
• Foods
• No problem on foods everywhere you can find the well known fastfoods nearby.
• Where to stay
• Mactan, Lapu-lapu, Mandaue and Cebu City have numerous of accomodations you can find from a budget cost to a first class accomodation.
• Financial Establishments
• Banks are anywhere you can find.
• Local Tour Guide
• I have known this person while looking for a vantage point to get the sunset, he is very accommodating and assisted me near the bridge, it is very important in every place you have to go, meet and befriend in locals who have well known to the area, if you happen to visit here just text and he is welling to assists you just mentioned (LAKAT) and you have read my blog.
• Rodelito Gaco - 09472254457
• A small tip in kind is appreciated

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SAN JUANICO BRIDGE

MAC ARTHUR PARK

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SAN AGUSTIN CATHEDRAL

Taken during golden hour after sunset. Came from a work visit, I was able to do my itinerary to visit the churches of CDO as many as i can. A church that is located at the heart of the city and a home of Archdiocese of Cagayan De Oro, near city museum and park, serves also as a city's main catholic church. One of Hispanic era built church, that has been destroyed during American siege in 1945 war. The church was originally built on 1845 by the Augustinian friars, the wooden cross in front is the only left standing and survived during the war and is preserved up to now.

San Agustin church was then later rebuilt on 1950's by the American missionary FR. James T.G. Hayes S.J. with inspired of an old Gothic architectural design, its stained glass is also a century old materials from an old church donated by the American catholic missionaries from New York City, USA.

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH CHURCH

After a visit from San Agustin cathedral, Our lady of Mt. Carmel was in my second destination. Upon visiting of this church i have observed a beautiful details of its exterior and interior design, you can go here by a tricycle route going to this place or a taxi cab, don't have estimated budget going here. I was just hired a single motorcycle for a P 100.00 to roam around to the different churches i can visit in CDO. Locals are very familiar for all the places you want to go, make sure you will clearly have to dealt first with them for your itinerary to make your time compact.

SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA CHURCH

OUR LADY OF FATIMA PARISH CHURCH

Last in line, I was looking for a church authorities to have some interviews for the history details of this church but since it's already late night there's nobody i can find. It was a near full moon and cloudy when i took this photo, the moon lit so bright and gave a bluish color of the sky with a streaking clouds from a long exposure.

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THINGS TO KNOW

Follow Here for the other details of Gingoog City

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BASILICA MINORE

THE PRESENT STONE CHURCH

No definite data is available with regards to the construction of the present church. All references however point to the belief that it was Bishop Isidro Arevalo who built around the year 1750. His coat of arms engraved in the upper part of the western side of the church, justifies this stand, accepted by Msgr. Gainza himself. The old people say that the Chinese community of the locality donated the façade. They were ardent devotees of the Virgin as proven by the fact that they were the ones shouldering the expenses of the pagoda, the nicest seen in Naga, and all their children were usually baptized in the Peñafrancia church. As a consequence, the façade was entirely of Chinese art with pots, plates, jars, and etc. engraved on it. That was the façade previous to the present. THE HISTORY OF PEÑAFRANCIA by Rev. Dr. FLORENCIO C. YLLANA

THE PRESENT FACADE

Perhaps few Bishops among those who governed the Diocese of Nueva Caceres had more devotion in, and demonstrated more interest for the Virgin of Peñafrancia and her church, as did Msgr. Francisco Gainza, an acknowledged luminary of the Dominican order. Not only did he write the history of Peñafrancia, the first one to be ever published, and edited a novena to the Virgin, but he also tried to make the Peñafrancia church a more worthy abode of the Mother of God. He introduced changes in the church, made it around 5 meters longer on the front and finally he constructed the present imposing thou simple façade. Bicolandia will never forget him and his memory will forever be linked with history of the Peñafrancia church. THE HISTORY OF PEÑAFRANCIA by Rev. Dr. FLORENCIO C. YLLANA

Our Lady of Peñafrancia Church 

was built in 1711 by Rev. Miguel Covarrubias. It houses the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. He constructed this church in fullfillment of the vow he made during his youth. The second church was built in 1750 by Bishop Isidoro de Arevalo, repaired and improved in 1876-1877 by Bishop Francisco Gainza. The image was solemnly crowned by the Rt. Rev. Guillermo Piano on September 20, 1924.

The concept for the building the Basilica Minore came from Archbishop Pedro P. Santos in 1960. Construction began on April 18, 1976, but was delayed for a number of years due to finance problems and was not completed until September, 1981.

On May 22, 1982 it was dedicated as The Church of Nuestra Señora de Peña de Francia and it wasn't until May 22, 1985 that the church was given the title of "Basilica Minore" from Rome after a request from the third Archbishop of Caceres, Leonardo Z. Legaspi.

The Peñafrancia Basilica Minore houses an image of the virgin Mary that was sculpted in 1710. It was commissioned by Miguel de Cobarrubias who moved to the Philippines from Spain with his family and believed that the virgin Mary had helped him numerous times in his life. By Wikipilipinas

THINGS TO KNOW IN NAGA CITY? Follow  Here

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