STROLLING IN SAN PABLO

The Advocates for Heritage Preservation went to San Pablo on the third week of October to experience what San Pablo has to offer as far as tourism is concerned. San Pablo is a first class city and one of the oldest cities in the province of Laguna. It may not be top of mind as a weekend getaway for a group of family and friends, which is a pity, because San Pablo really has many points of interest to offer.

Located in the south of Laguna, San Pablo is nestled at the foot of three mountains: Mount Banahaw, Mount Maikiling and the Sierra Madre Mountains which provide many natural wonders aside from a fertile landscape that allows lush growth of flora. Known by a monicker as the City of Seven Lakes, many visitors go to tourist attractions in San Pablo that are more popularly known and more expensive, when one can just stroll around the city and admire the heritage and natural beauty of the city. San Pablo's seven lakes are : Sampalok Lake, Bunot Lake, Palakpakin Lake, Muhicap Lake, Yambo Lake, Pandin Lake, Kalibato Lake. This visit only allowed us a visit to Sampalok Lake which had a promenade are and some select areas for souvenir shops and quaint little cafes. The view along the boardwalk was divine. But I'm getting ahead of my story...

The tour of San Pablo was organized by AHP members who are from the area. Mark Alvero Fule, Earl Gamboa, and his grandfather who we fondly call Lolo Naning.  The first stop was at the Prudencia D. Fule Memorial National High School. A large part of their ancestral home remains standing in disarray because some families under the employ of the school have used this ancestral home for their own use. The school being established on the site was said to have been made possible through a land grant by the venerable Dona who never married.

Our next site visit was the Fule- Malvar Mansion.  Previously owned by Eusebia Fule and  Potenciano Malvar, the mansion is a study in  successful heritage preservation. The stately mansion was purchased by an insurance corporation and repurposed as their headquarters in the area. On special occasions, the mansion is opened to the public. We toured the house and its manicured grounds which was picture-perfect for the AHP visitors.

Fule-Malvar Mansion

After the mansion, the group went to the Asinas heritage home. Nestled amid lush fruit trees and stag- horn ferns is a well restored old home purchased from another town in Laguna (Lumban to be precise) in lieu of a Barong Tagalog by its new owner in the person of Mike Asinas. It was an auspicious day for Mr. Asinas while visiting Lumban. The former owner sold the home lock, stock and barrel including the contents of the home. He transplanted the home to a family lot within the boundaries of San Pablo City. This is however, not open to the public. We were special guests for the day. and what a lovely acquisition it was... It  seems that this home and another recent acquisition had been there for a century or two... The more recent one Mr.  Asinas reconstructed in his lot was purchased right across the Prudencia Fule Memorial National high school.

Asinas Home

New acquisition

Lunch was at Sulyap Café, not too far from where we were. These re-purposed homes had an old world charm that was perfect for the restaurant's native cuisine. We lunched on  Pako salad (edible fern) with slivers of salted egg and slices of tomato and onion served with a vinaigrette dressing, eggplant omelette,  grilled pork belly and some rice. We also had some time to view the cafe's collection housed in a mini museum. Some personnel served as guides to the museum which had an extensive collection of  houseware and furniture. I think they are also in the process of  organizing their own bed and breakfast soon.

Sulyap Cafe

After lunch we headed to the old Municipal Hall of San Pablo which is now a museum. This beautiful art-deco building sits on a hill overlooking the entire town with a view of Sampalok lake. Discovered by Juan de Salcedo in 1571, the village  became a parish by 1586 and then a municipality in 1647.  It was named San Pablo de los Montes after St. Paul the first hermit. placed under the jurisdiction of Batangas in 1756, it was returned to Laguna in 1883. They then established a municipal government under Atty. Inocente Martinez in 1899 and Marcos Paulino in 1902. The locals worked for independence of the province from Laguna froom 1926-1940 until on the 7th of May 1940 the charter  bill sponsored by Assemblyman Tomas D. Dizon was signed by President Manuel L. Quezon under the City Charter of San Pablo or Commonwealth Act No. 520.

We were feted with a couple of local folk dances by school kids from San Pablo and allowed to meander around the museum and perhaps purchase some local delicacies and souvenirs. Then we walked towards the Sampalok Lake to enjoy the view and relish in the cool breeze around the lake. We spent a lot of time taking snapshots of the post-card pretty scene and then we motored off to the St. Paul the Hermit Church.

Sampalok Lake

As a last stop, the church did not disappoint. I even got comments from a friend that the duomo resembled Rome. The outer impasto was done in a rose/ brick tone. It had three levels on the façade. Each segment has a series of columns and a railing on top of the pediment. Niches adorn the ground and second segment with flourishes and statuary.  On the left side is the bell tower accented by arched windows and ending in a turret with a cross on top.  What a fitting final stop to a great tour. The promise of an overnight stay looms...

BATAAN AT ITS BEST

I don't always get to visit Bataan. It's quite near Manila; at least 3-4 hour drive, but I don't always have a proper reason to drop everything I'm doing and go there. Recently, I was invited to go on a day trip to Bataan... Bagac, Bataan to be precise.

The fun thing is, everyone on this day trip knew each other. Huddled in two vans, all 24 of us wanted to visit the sites on the itinerary: Mt. Samat, Dunsulan Falls and Las Casas Filipinas Ciudad de Acuzar. The call time for rendezvous was at 4a.m. You'd think that was early? It was just the right time. It was good enough to catch some sleep en route to the sites.

Dambana ng Kagitingan Main Hall

Our collective prayers were somehow answered. The tropical storm had veered away on that day. But it was still rainy and dreary. But because everyone was in high spirits, no one complained about the rainy weather. On the contrary we were prepared for it. We had parkas and umbrellas so rain or no rain, we had decided to make the most of the trip.

Museum

Mt. Samat was the first site we went to. I'm no stranger to Mt. Samat. My father would go every year during independence day on account of him being a war veteran. 1787 feet above sea level, Mt Samat is located in the town of Pilar, Bataan and its parent peak is Mt. Mariveles. Mt. Samat is a parasitic caldera of an extinct volcano and it is situated on the edge of the caldera.

The Dambana ng Kagitingan in Mt. Samat stands as a testament  to the Filipino soldiers' bravery in WWII. The main hall has marble flooring and an altar that serves to be a venue for high mass and stained glass backdrop. The left chamber leads to a WWII museum of artillery and artifacts of WWII. At least 78,000 exhausted and sick soldiers under the command of Maj. Gen. Edward P. King surrendered to the Japanese forces  after 4 months of fierce fighting in battle. On its peak is a Memorial Cross that has a viewing deck on its arms. Unfortunately, on the day we visited, the elevator was under repair. The picnic area was where we all shared in a sumptuous breakfast before we departed for the next stop.

Dunsulan Falls

Dunsulan Falls is located at the foot of Mt Samat. It is located on the NE of the mountain in barangay Liyang, also in the town of Pilar.This is where the streams and gulleys of mount Samat drain out. On this particular day, the rains added a larger volume of water to the drainage. The water was quite turbulent due to continuous rains the previous night so it was quite a dangerous swim. We then headed to our third stop right after a sumptuous lunch.

Las Casas Filipinas  Ciudad de Acuzar is a site where Manila's ready-to-be-demolished old homes have been given a new "lease" in its existence. Owned and operated by a man whose passion is rebuilding old homes to its former glory, Las Casas as it is commonly called is a park and bed and breakfast that restores, re-purposes and in some cases rebuilds the Bahay na Bato concept adapted by Filipino builders during colonial times.

It has become a tourist attraction that features some on the country's stateliest mansions that would have ended up in a pile heap. Thanks to Manny Acuzar's vision, these homes were dismantled brick by brick, plank by plank and re-located in a coastal area in Bagac, Bataan.

Hotel Oriente

Day tours are arranged in such a way that guests are led on a tour of the most noteworthy restored homes by tour guides dressed in period costume. Some weddings are held in Las Casas for a very picturesque and unforgettable ceremony.

Alberto Mansion

Some homes are let out for wedding parties, weekend getaways, corporate gatherings and events. Costs vary according to the historical relevance and grandeur of the buildings. After a long day of going around the compound, one can either have a dip in the pool or take a dip in Bagac's coastline fronting the Las Casas Complex. If a day trip doesn't do it for you, you can stay for the week end... or longer...

Casa Byzantina

ANAWANGIN AT OFF PEAK

Zambales coast taken from Capones island

Finally, I got to go to the beach! It's not during peak season, but at least, my inner merman got a well deserved break.

Capones island beachfront

The trip was early in the morning and the group I went out with met up at a burger joint along Quezon Avenue at dawn. By six a.m. we reached the Zambales coastline to board outriggers to Anawangin.

love that shoreline... Capones island

The boat ride would have taken just a few minutes but we went on a side trip to Capones island passing through Sapatos island along the way. We were a thrill seeking group of weekend travelers pursuing different career paths. But we were all one in seeking that few days of rest and recreation away from the demands of work. Either that, or we just needed to feel salt water and sand on our skin. High waves not withstanding.

Anawangin shoreline

But once we got to Anawangin, we all jumped off the banca, waves seeping up our thighs to set up camp. I knew I had to waterproof all my stuff so my dry pack was very handy. The good thing about travelling off peak is that we get to enjoy the place all to ourselves. 

Agoho forrest

The sand was mostly white in the islands we visited. Anawangin's coastline, however, is green and lush with Agoho trees that quite resemble pine trees. The barreling waves brought about by the weather system made swimming an adventure... like swimming in a washing machine! Oh, but what fun!

waterfalls in Anawangin

We trekked inland to swim  in a waterfall pool as well. Our young guides were only too willing to take us to some secluded spots earning a little pocket money for school on the side. The next morning was a trek up the hill to view the lovely coastline. I skipped this one, though. I wanted to luxuriate in the almost empty shower rooms that must be teeming with users on any given summer day.

There are areas that are privately operated as lodging sites. So there are choices as far as accommodations are concerned. If you're on a shoes string budget, camp out. There are also beach huts that go for P350.00/day. There are also open fire pits where one can cook but do the grocery in town lest you grow hungry. There's lots to do and see and before I knew it, the weekend was over...