Showing posts with label CALABARZON (Region 4-A). Show all posts

🇵🇭 LUCBAN » 2020 Lucban Church Blog with My Family

Some netizens liked, commented, and shared this. Share your comment. Mag-reply ako once mabasa ko.

Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Sunday, April 12, 2020 0

Stories of town explorations.

"While Lucban continues to preserve the tangible and intangible remains of its past, the town also continues to embrace changes."

► I loved the changes... It did complement the past of Lucban, something that is still thriving in our present modern time.

► It was a gloomy day, but the mode of our family bonding was like sunny day!

[Lucban, Quezon Province, Calabarzon (Region 4-A), Luzon Island, Philippines]

▼ COVER PHOTO▼ YOUTUBE

| 1 | [LUCBAN] ► LUCBAN CHURCH GRANDLY STANDS IN THE DOWNTOWN OF LUCBAN WITH THE CLOUD-CLAD PEAK OF MOUNT BANAHAW AT THE BACKGROUND.

I have a big fascination for old/historical things. In Ilocos, I grew up seeing big old churches. As a kid, the old churches in my province were nothing but a normal public place. As I grew up, I learned the rich heritage and culture of the place where I was born. Because these are part of my identity as an Ilocano, my appreciation for the old churches in Ilocos also bloomed.

Speaking of old churches, I revisited the Lucban Church. It's my third time to visit Lucban as a tourist (for leisure). I had the chance to visit this town for several occasions now because there is a tour coordinator in my hometown targeting "religious older adults" for a pilgrimage.

While most joiners were our older aunts and uncles (titos and titas), millennials like me were also welcome.

| 2 | [LUCBAN] ► THE CHURCH OF LUCBAN FOLLOWS A STYLE OF BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE.

The organizer was not really marketing Lucban as a town to visit. She only offered a pilgrimage tour to Kamay ni Hesus. There is no real Lucban itinerary. The tour bus would leave Lucban for another pilgrimage site located in another province, after Kamay ni Hesus.

I've joined this pilgrimage tour for the third time now since 2014. For the succeeding tours, my main purpose was not really to visit the Kamay ni Hesus pilgrimage site anymore, but to explore the other side of Lucban—including the other towns of province. While joiners spent several hours at Kamay ni Hesus, I have always drafted with me a personal itinerary covering Lucban and beyond, which I did with my siblings in 2016, and now (2020) with my parents.

| 3 | [LUCBAN] ► THESE COLORFUL SMALL HUTS WERE DISPLAYED ALONGSIDE THE FENCES OF THE CHURCH SQUARE.

As the tour bus reached the destination (Kamay ni Hesus), I immediately figured out how to commute to the downtown of Lucban.

For our convenience (my parents are getting old), we just hailed a tricycle driver and took the trike to make it easier for all of us. Taking a jeep would be cheaper, but less convenient. Somehow, the 10-peso difference was not a significant damage for a working adult like me.

► What's New in 2020?

It's extremely interesting to witness the dynamism of a place. While Lucban continues to preserve the tangible and intangible remains of its past, the town also continues to embrace changes.

So what's new? My last visit to this church was in 2016. I noticed the red bricks installed around the church premises. The streets around were also changed into cobblestone (kind of, not sure but it looked like that).

| 4 | [LUCBAN] ► THIS STRUCTURE MADE OF LIGHT MATERIALS STILL STANDS BESIDE THE CHURCH, BUT IT'S NOW STANDING OVER RED BRICKS.

| 5 | [LUCBAN] ► THIS STREET IN LUCBAN HAS TURNED INTO A COBBLESTONE PAVEMENT.

I loved the changes. The changes applied, in my point of view as a non-historian/non-anthropologist, was pleasing to my eyes. It did complement the past of Lucban, something that is still thriving in our present modern time.

As a resident of a World Heritage City, I also noticed changes like these in my hometown; and they were very welcome.

► Bringing my Parents to Lucban Church

It's my father's first time in Lucban. It's my mom's third visit; and it's my youngest brother's second visit.

Prior to this, my mom called to inform me that the tour coordinator organized another trip to Lucban. She told me she would like to join the tour again not because she wanted to revisit Lucban, but because she wanted to see me here in Manila (aww, she missed me). With that, I told her to secure a slot for the five of us (whole family) and considered this a family bonding. Unfortunately, my other sibling wasn't able to join us due to work commitments.

| 6 | [LUCBAN] ► WE TOOK THIS FAMILY PHOTO (INSERT EDISON) IN FRONT OF THE LUCBAN CHURCH.

| 7 | [LUCBAN] ► EDISON WAS MISSING DUE TO WORK COMMITMENT.

| 8 | [LUCBAN] ► IT FELT GOOD TO HANG OUT WITH MY FAMILY. I'VE BEEN WANTING THIS BADLY SINCE I WAS BASED IN MANILA.

We skipped the Kamay ni Hesus meantime. We had ample time to visit Lucban. I didn't want to just spend all our time at Kamay ni Hesus when we could explore the downtown to find new food destinations and visit historical sites.

There was a wedding going on when we visited the Lucban Church. Although it was gloomy that time (it rained a little), we were not stopped to marvel on its beauty.

| 9 | [LUCBAN] ► THE DETAILS OF THE WALL OF THE CHURCH CANNOT GO UNNOTICED.

| 10 | [LUCBAN] ► MARCH BRIDE INSIDE. BEST WISHES!

| 11 | [LUCBAN] ► IT WAS A GLOOMY DAY, BUT THE MOOD OF OUR FAMILY BONDING WAS LIKE A SUNNY DAY!

Sadly, the clouds covered the beauty of Mt Banahaw. It would have been much better if we were able to see the beauty of the mystical mountain from the church.

► Taking Aerial/Drone Shots of the Church

I brought my drone in this trip with the eagerness to capture a different perspective of Lucban. At first, I was hesitant to bring out my drone because of the strong wind, but my drone managed to fly safely.

| 12 | [LUCBAN] ► CAN YOU SPOT US?

| 13 | [LUCBAN] ► MOUNT BANAHAW CONCEALED ITSELF FROM US.

| 14 | [LUCBAN] ► UP CLOSE WITH LUCBAN CHURCH'S FAÇADE

Prior to flying, I asked permission from the admin office of the parish if I could fly my drone. One of the personnel gave me an overwhelming positive response. I brought out my drone and launched its flight. Curious kids and some random individuals started approaching us. Curious kids were in awe. I knew they wanted to see what's on my screen but they seemed unsure what to do. I could see the amazement on their innocent faces.

I, too, was amazed to see the compact downtown of Lucban and to see the Lucban church serving as a majestic centerpiece of the town from the air.

This ends our family visit at Lucban Church. 💚 | end of story |

Maps Showing the Location of LUCBAN

If on mobile, tap map to reveal the color.

► FOOTNOTES, DISCLAIMERS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ETC

✈ This post was filed under the categories "Heritage" and "Churches". See more posts related to this below.

✈ The maps I used on this post are from maps.google.com.ph and Mike Gonzalez and Eugene Alvin Villar (of Wikipedia).

✈ All photos are mine.

✈ The insights, condition and name of places or properties I mentioned here are based on the facts and situation on the day of my visit. Take note that you may have a different experience when you try the activities or see the properties/places mentioned here. Names of places and properties may also change by time.

UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST
► 12-April-2020: This post was published.

LATEST STORIES COVERING [LUCBAN] | SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW

LATEST STORIES COVERING THESE CATEGORIES | SEE OLDER STORIES

MORE TOWNS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO EXPLORE:

HKMQCVSDBPBP P

NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.

[Tanay] All Asia CALABARZON (Region 4-A) FOOD TRIP Luzon Luzon Island Philippines Restaurants Rizal South East Asia Tanay

🇵🇭 TANAY • Handong: Vegetarianism, Nature and Religion Intertwined

Some netizens liked, commented, and shared this. Share your comment. Mag-reply ako once mabasa ko.

Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Tuesday, May 03, 2016 0

Stories of town explorations.

"It's vegetarianism on its face. No killing of animal life—it's primarily based on sustainable farming."

[TANAY, RIZAL, PHILIPPINES] ► There are just people who would fight for what they believe. Although some may give up the fight, some just have this insatiable drive to push their ideals that the end-result went bang just the way they wanted.

Nuns who were originally based in Metro Manila run this place. Their desire to own a property they can call their own was not a prayer instantly answered. It was a bumpy ride to their destination called success but everything was worth the bumpy ride. They were able to acquire a 13-hectare property in Sitio Aguho, Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal because they didn't give up. That blessing wasn't in disguise. It was a result of their faith mixed with hard work and prayers. So basically, they worked hands on to acquire this blessing.

This is the fourth installment of this series and if you cannot relate to some of the things I'm saying here, I would advice you to read the EPISODE 01 so that you can understand the flow of the story.

Anyway, the people who manage this place believe in vegetarianism. They respect nature so much (they don't want pollution - more on this below) and lastly, this is a pilgrimage site for Roman Catholics.

Vegetarianism

While exploring and touring the expanse of this 13-hectare property, my stomach is dying to grab some food to keep my physical body sane and working.

Within the property, there are helpful sign boards to assist visitors. In my case, I found the direction to an area they call as handong, an Ilonggo word for "a shady area."

[TANAY] ► HANDONG IS REGINA RICA'S AREA FOR DINING.

[TANAY] ► PLENTY OF TALL TREES MAKE THE AREA SHADY.

[TANAY] ► ME WHILE WALKING AROUND HANDONG.

I finally reached handong after a brisk walk-in-the-park moment. I started to feel a cooler atmosphere with fallen browned-by-time leaves all over the ground where I'm stepping on.

I felt closer to nature really; and what a gorgeous idea to dine under the trees (though there are gazebos or huts where you can dine). But it seemed like the gazebos were for visitors who brought food with them. In my case, I'm looking for a restaurant or a store where I can buy food.

I continued to walk until I found a restaurant.

[TANAY] ► THIS SCENE WELCOMED ME IN THE RESTAURANT.

As I enter the restaurant, a wooden box filled with green grass (or herbs, I'm not sure) welcomed me. The floor is also made of wood. I didn't bother to ask what is this but my theory is that this will attract insects, hence, keeping them away from the visitors dining inside the restaurant.

There were other customers inside, mostly in group. Me? I'm all alone. Anyway, I asked for the menu and one of the crew informed me that their restaurant doesn't sell meat, so it's a vegetarian restaurant. Well, it's not an issue for me because I prefer vegetables over meat 75% of the time.

[TANAY] ► THEIR MEATLESS LOMI, NO PORK

[TANAY] ► MEATLESS LOMI, MY MEAL THIS TIME

[TANAY] ► A COMMUNE WITH NATURE

Nature and Religion

One of the interesting things I learned in this destination is their love for nature. I mean, they do not want pollution. I said they do not want pollution because they prohibit smoke-spewing vehicles to go beyond a certain point. They want the air inside this sanctuary fresh and clean. Aside from the latter set-up I am talking about, it's really part of their advocacy to protect nature and you'll learn about this if you visit this place because every visitor is encouraged (if not obliged) to attend the visitor orientation.

Their love for nature reflects to this restaurant I am featuring now. It's vegetarianism on its face. No killing of animal life—it's primarily based on sustainable farming.

[TANAY] ► RELIGION: THIS DEVOTEE BELIEVES THERE'S HEALING IN THIS FOUNTAIN.

[TANAY] ► RELIGION: A WELL WITH HEALING WATER, AS SOME BELIEVE

[TANAY] ► NATURE: A THICK VEGETATION OF TREES

[TANAY] ► NATURE: AUTUMN FEEL

[TANAY] ► A HILL WITH MAHOGANY TREES

It's also worthy to note that this is a religious place. It is managed by nuns who consider this property as sacred. Basically, their religion (Roman Catholic) interconnects with nature and vegetarianism. This only applies to this sanctuary though. It's just a matter of concepts put together as one.

It's time to leave Tanay and I'm off to my next destination. I have this instinct that the next destination would be the opposite of Regina Rica: different set-up, different location, same pilgrimage site. | to be continued...|

[LUZON] ▬ Faces of Pilgrimage Sites: Tanay and Quiapo

[LUZON] ► TRAVEL BLOGSERYE

STORIES OF TOWN EXPLORATIONS
"Faces of Pilgrimage Sites: Tanay and Quiapo"

| | | EPISODE 04 |

SERIES TEASER: PILGRIMAGE SITES WERE ALL MADE FOR THE FAITHFUL. THEY HAVE THE SAME PURPOSE BUT THEY MAY DIFFER IN MANY THINGS. JOIN MY TRAVEL TRAILS FROM TANAY TO QUIAPO AND DISCOVER THE INTERESTING THINGS I PERSONALLY LEARNED FROM THESE PILGRIMAGE SITES. TANAY AND QUIAPO ARE TWO OPPOSITE VARIABLES ON THEIR OWN.

14 MARCH 2015: REGINA RICA
ME INSIDE REGINA RICA, A PILGRIMAGE SITE IN RIZAL PROVINCE, PHILIPPINES.

[TANAY] ► HELLO! WELCOME TO REGINA RICA!

► FOOTNOTES, DISCLAIMERS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ETC

[1] This post is filed under the category "Restaurants." This is a category here on my blog where I write my experiences, note down my insights and post photo essays about restaurants I've seen or visited then I weave them into travel stories. There is a section below where you can see other related posts from this category.

[2] All maps I used on this post are the works of Eugene Alvin Villar and Mike Gonzalez published on Wikipedia. Source: 1 | 2

[3] All photos are mine. You may not use it without my permission.

[4] The insights, conditions and name of places or properties I mentioned here are based on the facts and situation on the day of my visit. Take note that you may have a different experience when you visit Regina Rica. Names of places and properties may also change by time.