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Stories of town explorations.
The reason why I like the town of Santa is because much of its land area is covered by a national park—meaning, the town has a spectacle of forest reserves, pristine mountain ranges, low-key springs, and biodiversity that probably is unknown to an average Ilocano (including me).

• What a great way to reminisce about my pandemic experiences. I realized that it was not a bad season at all. I came to understand and learn about my province more intimately.

• My context for this blog [...] is the story of Santa in relation to the Manila North Road (MNR) during the pandemic..

• [...] the Manila North Road [...] facilitates us to have a glimpse of the panoramic townscapes and adventures awaiting a curious town explorer.

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ SANTA, ILOCOS SUR
EDMARATION

From the excruciating process of obtaining my travel documents in Makati to a private van ride back home in Ilocos, many of my significant pandemic stories are all in my hard drive. Of course, breaking free from the stringent regulations of mobility at that time was also a process worth keeping in my hard drive. Even the smallest hint of freedom gave me chills of excitement. It was like a "there's no mountain high enough" or "I will cross the ocean for you" moment to finally break free even for a moment.

Note: MacArthur Highway and Manila North Road are the same. In Ilocos Sur, we simply call this road as "highway" because this is the only national highway in our province that directly connects us to Manila. The official name MacArthur Highway or Manila North Road is not commonly used in Ilocos Sur.

 ►  Backstory: I am breaking free!



I'm writing the opening spiel of this blog post today—2024-November-02; and I couldn't be any happier to finally lessen my backlog of pandemic stories. This story happened on 2021-December-19. My pandemic memories were intentionally saved by me in a format where I could revisit the actual events. As much as I want to store everything in my brain, it's not just possible for me to remember every detail. So, my significant pandemic memories of being locked in ▼ METRO MANILA

LATEST STORIES COVERING METRO MANILA

until the day I went home to Ilocos were all documented and saved in my drive.

Because of these circumstances, our random ride on 2021-December-17 led us to the town of Santa while plying the almost empty ▼ MANILA NORTH ROAD

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ LUZON ISLAND • MacArthur Highway or Manila North Road (Local Guide + Review)

This is a travel blog feature, local travel guide, review, and curation dedicated to the Manila North Road as a subject matter.
(MacArthur Highway). This is the only primary highway that connects my province Ilocos to the rest of the world on the ground.

LUNA HILL, SANTA, ILOCOS SUR
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ SANTA • In the photo is my brother waiting for me on the seawall along the Manila North Road with the view of the Luna Hill at the background.
Even though I've been to Santa countless times—countless enough that the town has become so usual and ordinary in my perception—my pandemic imprisonment opened me to another perspective. At that time, I saw the town of Santa from a different light. Its idyllic beauty, the majesty of her mountains (my favorite in Ilocos), and the sparkle of its sea exuded more meanings.

It's only 15 minutes away from ▼ VIGAN

LATEST STORIES COVERING VIGAN

on a scooter, but my Vigan-washed view of things changed differently.

 ►  Manila North Road: a window to the charm of Santa



As a local of Ilocos Sur, I am pretty much familiar with the nooks and crannies of the MacArthur Highway segment of Ilocos Sur. I probably know more detail than what an average Ilocano may know. This is because I'm fond of paying attention to details, and I document them in my notes for future reference; and if someone would ask me which is my favorite part of the MNR aka Manila North Road (another name for MacArthur Highway), that would be the total stretch of Santa and a segment of the road up to Sulvec Bay in its neighboring town of Narvacan.

MANILA NORTH ROAD IN SANTA, ILOCOS SUR
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ SANTA • The Manila North Road is a gateway to the wondrous corners of Santa.
The reason why I like the town of Santa is because much of its land area is covered by a national park—meaning, the town has a spectacle of forest reserves, pristine mountain ranges, low-key springs, and biodiversity that probably is unknown to an average Ilocano (including me). This vast area makes the town of Santa a poetic destination for creatives and those who appreciate the kind of character that Santa has. The great thing here is the presence of the Manila North Road that facilitates us to have a glimpse of the panoramic townscapes and adventures awaiting a curious town explorer. While on this road, the external glory of Santa's natural masterpieces can be seen closely, yet so far; clearly, yet elusive.

Meanwhile, the people of Santa live in a narrow plain—dissected by the Manila North Road—in between the gigantic mountain ranges and the mouth of the Abra river. The people of Santa live in a paradise they may have not recognized—maybe because it’s a “normal” thing for them. I have other reasons why I like the town of Santa, but that's a story that deserves another spotlight. My context for this blog by the way is the story of Santa in relation to the Manila North Road (MNR) during the pandemic.

• Luna Hill

To be honest, the look and location of the mountains located along the highway of Ilocos Sur are very familiar to me; however, I didn’t really know the name of some mountains that could be seen from the Manila North Road.

The specific mountains in Ilocos Sur that I could name are the Mt Bullagao (at the Abra-Ilocos Sur border), My Tupira (in Bantay), and Mt Gusing (in Narvacan). All of these mountains are visible from the highway. The name of the rest of the mountains are unknown to me.

LUNA, HILL, SANTA, ILOCOS SUR
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ SANTA • The Luna Hill is one of the prominent mountains alongside the Manila North Road in Santa.
Thanks to this website Peak Advisor for allowing me to decode the mystery of the mountain’s name. Its rich graphic data is very helpful to me in learning more about my province—especially our Ilocos mountains.

According to the Peak Advisor website, the name of the mountain in the photo above is Luna Hill. It rises 486 meters above sea level.

Luna Hill, Santa, Ilocos Sur

In fact, the MNR runs through a portion of its slope in Magsaysay District. The slope of the Luna Hill extends down to the shoreline of Santa. Luna Hill is the epicenter of the Northern Luzon Heroes Hill National Park which occupies much of the terrestial area of the town of Santa.

This mountain is very visible from the MacArthur Highway.

• Santa Seawall

Another notable site along the MacArthur Highway is the Santa Seawall. The highway runs on top of this seawall serving two purposes. My brother and I dropped here to take photos of the beautiful landscape of Santa. This is also one of my favorite spots along the MNR segment of Ilocos Sur because it’s loaded with the wondrous view of the municipal waters of Santa and the gigantic Luna Hill on the other side.

SEAWALL ALONG THE MANILA NORTH ROAD
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ SANTA • The Santa Seawall protect this segment of the Manila North Road from coastal erosion.

• Magsaysay District Beach

From the Santa Seawall segment of the MNR, you can also view a portion of the ▼ COASTLINE OF MAGSAYSAY

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ SANTA • Magsaysay District Beach (Local Guide and Review)

This is a travel blog compilation of the Manila North Road (MacArthur Highway).
. From the highway, I descended to the beach area for documentation.

MANILA NORTH ROAD
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ SANTA • The Manila North Road runs alongside a portion of the Magsaysay District beachline in Santa.

 ►  Post Scriptum



What a great way to reminisce about my pandemic experiences. I realized that it was not a bad season at all. I came to understand and learn about my province more intimately.

In regular days, a ride along the Manila North Road is more like a necessity or synonymous to daily grind; but during the pandemic, a ride on this highway was a poetic luxury. The natural landscapes that decorated the route are worth every moment during the pandemic—a takeaway I carried with me even after the pandemic. That’s the reason why I’m writing this story now.

▬ END OF STORY ▬

LATEST STORIES COVERING SANTA • SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW
MORE BLOGS YOU MIGHT LIKE. SEE TABS BELOW.

▼ ILOCOS SUR ▼ ROADS AND HIGHWAYS ▼ INFRASTRUCTURE

 ►  More 'Ilocos Sur' Blogs



MORE STORIES COVERING 'ILOCOS SUR' | SEE OLDER STORIES

 ►  More 'Roads and Highways' Blogs


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 ►  More 'Infrastructure' Blogs


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LI C T M V P B SC IS L

UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST

2024-December-03:
• Related posts configured and added.

2024-December-02:
• This post was published.
NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.

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Stories of town explorations.
"This article features updates, guides, curated information, historical timelines, and significant events about Santa Cruz Public Market in Ilocos Sur."

• Personal insights from my actual visits were also included here, and this article will be updated periodically.

• My latest blogs about this place will also be added here when I write a new one.

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ SANTA CRUZ, ILOCOS SUR
SANTA CRUZ (ILOCOS SUR) PUBLIC MARKET

This article is divided into sections, organized in separate tabs for context-based navigation. All of the sections are works-in-progress. Once I get to gather more data and materials for specific topics related to Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur public market, I will update this article.

▼ ACTUAL VISITS AND REVIEW ▼ OVERVIEW ▼ HISTORY AND CURRENT EVENTS ▼ WHAT TO BUY?

This section is where I will post any new original materials I obtained related to Santa Cruz Public Market. It could be a blog or a visual/photo update.


 ►  2023-July-13 (Blog Review)



• Context of visit: Me and my brother went to Baguio from Vigan when it suddenly rained. We dropped in this site for shelter and also to look for a raincoat. On this day, I've noticed that the 7-Eleven store on the ground floor is gone. For the full story, check this link: ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ STA CRUZ • (Ilocos Sur) Why Did I Visit their Public Market?

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ STA CRUZ • (Ilocos Sur) Why Did I Visit their Public Market?

It was almost 05:00 PM when it rained hard. We went to this public market to look for a raincoat.


STA CRUZ, ILOCOS SUR PUBLIC MARKET
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ SANTA CRUZ • We visited Santa Cruz public market spontaneously because of the heavy rain on our way to Baguio on a scooter.
• Accessibility: Like most public markets in the Philippines, the Santa Cruz (Ilocos Sur) Public Market is conveniently located along the National Highway (or the ▼ ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ LUZON ISLAND • MacArthur Highway or Manila North Road (Local Guide + Review)

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ LUZON ISLAND • MacArthur Highway or Manila North Road (Local Guide + Review)

This is a travel blog compilation of the Manila North Road (MacArthur Highway). This post is inspired by the format of encyclopedia or wikipedia curation.
that runs from Aparri to Caloocan City). I like the fact that this public market was able to provide us an immediate shelter and catered to our needs conveniently during this visit.

• Parking: The property has a wide parking space which provides additional convenience for market shoppers who bring their vehicles.

• Well-ventilated: The dry market section of this property is well-ventilated. It also has a spacious atrium. During this visit, it was raining; and the market was not crowded.

• Safe shelter: Like what happened to us, this property became our safe shelter when it rained. It is a public property; hence, we could drop by for a rest. We also used this public market as a shelter when we were caught in trouble (heavy rain) along the way. While some public markets are crowded with limited "clean" space conducive for resting from a tiring travel, the atrium of Santa Cruz Public Market is very spacious and relatively cleaner to safely loiter around. I haven't tried dropping by here at night time, though.

This section is a repository of established facts or significant data about the Santa Cruz Public Market.


 ►  General Information

• Location: Santa Cruz Public Market is a property of the municipality of Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur located at the National Highway, Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur. See location on Google Local Guides: https://maps.app.goo.gl/C9HEcuHvUF4M7a1r9



• Public Funding: Based on the 2012 COA report, 7,901,995.36 pesos were spent in the construction of this public market. A separate amount of 4,161,934.59 pesos were also spent for the concreting and continuation of this public market.

• Market Day: Every Thursday

• Navigation: The dry section occupies the front sections of the building. The wet market is located at the rear (back) portion of the building.

 ►  Notable Tenants



• Landbank of the Philippines ATM (ground floor) | Status: active tenant.
• 7-Eleven Convenience Store (ground floor) | Status: permanently closed
Big Brew Coffee Shop
• nmb RAGASA Pharmacy (ground floor) | Status: active tenant as of my 13-July-2023 visit

HISTORY OF SANTA CRUZ PUBLIC MARKET
(TIMELINE OF EVENTS)


 ►  History and Current Events



• 2024-July-20: On this day, a public document was signed showing that the Santa Cruz Public Market and the slaughterhouse were allotted a total of 6,175,354.60 pesos for debt servicing. As of this date, project completion was 33% complete with running cost incurred at 3,352,139.23.




• 2024-May-17: On this day, this vlog posted that the price of chicken, pork chop, and tilapia were 150 pesos/kilo, 270 pesos/kilo, and 160 pesos/kilo respectively.

SANTA CRUZ, ILOCOS SUR PUBLIC MARKET SANTA CRUZ, ILOCOS SUR PUBLIC MARKET SANTA CRUZ, ILOCOS SUR PUBLIC MARKET

WHAT TO SHOP IN SANTA CRUZ (ILOCOS SUR) PUBLIC MARKET? This section covers local products, pasalubong items, and other commodities for daily life that you may find in Santa Cruz Public Market. The availability and price of these products may change by time. Be sure to check the descriptions and the date for a time-based context of the products or commodities..


 ►  Flowers

Santa Cruz Ilocos Sur Public Market

• 2024-November-01: On this day, a Facebook post revealed that flowers are available in Santa Cruz Public Market as of 2024-November-01. Flowers are in-demand commodities in Ilocos during the "undas" season (every November 1-2) due to the cultural practices of the Ilocanos in remembering their deceased family members and relatives.


 ►  Pork Chop

SANTA CRUZ, ILOCOS SUR PUBLIC MARKET

• 2024-May-17: On this day, this vlog posted the presence of pork chop products at the wet section of the market.

Date

Item

Price

2024-May-17

Pork chop

270 pesos/kilo



 ►  Poultry

SANTA CRUZ, ILOCOS SUR PUBLIC MARKET

• 2024-May-17: On this day, this vlog posted the presence of poultry products at the wet section of the market.

Date

Item

Price

2024-May-17

Poultry

150 pesos/kilo



 ►  Fish

SANTA CRUZ, ILOCOS SUR PUBLIC MARKET

• 2024-May-17: On this day, this vlog posted the presence of tilapia at the wet section of the market.

Date

Item

Price

2024-May-17

Tilapia

160 pesos/kilo



▲ ▲ ▲
Scroll up to see more contents under each tab.

LATEST STORIES COVERING SANTA CRUZ • SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW

MORE BLOGS YOU MIGHT LIKE. SEE TABS BELOW.

▼ ILOCOS SUR ▼ LOCAL GUIDES AND REVIEWS ▼ UPDATED GUIDES AND REVIEWS

 ►  More 'Ilocos Sur' Blogs



MORE STORIES COVERING ILOCOS SUR | SEE OLDER STORIES

 ►  More 'Local Guides and Reviews' Blogs


MORE STORIES COVERING PUBLIC MARKETS | SEE OLDER STORIES

 ►  More 'Updated Guides and Reviews' Blogs


MORE UPDATED REVIEW AND GUIDE BLOGS | SEE OLDER STORIES

MORE TOWNS AND LOCATIONS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO EXPLORE:
V IS L HK M QC SD B P B


UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST

2024-December-02:
• Added new entry (2024-May-17 update) under the history and current events tab
• Added new entry under the overview tab (market day, navigation)
• Added new entry (2024-July-20 update) under the history and current events tab
• Added new entries (flowers, fish, pork, poultry) under the WHAT TO BUY tab/>
2023-August-03:
• 'Updated Guides and Directories' label was replaced with 'Updated Guides and Reviews'.

2023-July-31:
• Proofreading applied. 'Feature Posts' and 'Public Markets' tab removed and were replaced by 'UPDATED REVIEWS AND DIRECTORIES' and 'Local Guides and Reviews' lables respectively. Removed from "All" label.

2023-July-30:
• Added html codes for recent posts under the label [Santa Cruz - Ilocos Sur]

2023-July-27:
• Lay-out for related stories modified. Proofreading applied.

2023-July-25:
• This post was originally published on this date.
NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.
CULTURE
FOOD TRIP