Tanay Adventure Camp

If you're looking for a remarkable activity, Tanay Adventure Camp is a perfect place you can visit, just two to three hours from Manila. In 2014, I was invited to join the TAC Attack, an annual anniversary celebration held at the camp. And this year, they have added a lot of activities such as the ultra-marathon and outdoor cook fest. Since we a had problem with our availability, we opted to travel by 7 in the evening and arrived at the camp around midnight. Upon arrival, we met and greeted a few people at the event, feeling superstar kami eeh, then, set our camp and had our dinner. By 2AM we proceeded to the Maharlika Hall and witnessed the start of the 1st Conquer Ultramarathon.

Berlin Wall at Philippine National Museum

After seeing on Facebook that the National Museum of the Philippines has FREE admission for the whole month of May 2016, we chose to spend the whole day inside the museum rather than watching TV, with the hot election in the mainstream. It is better to be in front of historical artifacts than listen to some people for their political agenda.

National Museum of Fine Arts

A few days after my solo backpacking at the Museum of the Filipino People, it is the second part of Oktubre ang Buwan ng mga Museo. These two buildings of the National Museum of the Philippines are just a few steps away from each other. Also, they both have historical values in the country and played a huge part in preserving and restoring the ancient and modern artifacts of the Philippines.

Marikina Shoe Museum

Photo of the old Shoe Museum in Marikina.

History:

The Marikina Shoe Museum was conceived in 1998 under Mayor Bayani F. Fernando on the assumption that the City, being the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, can be a significant venue for nurturing the historical and cultural values of its shoe industry. It was opened on February 16, 2001, and was initially called the Footwear Museum of Marikina. Information courtesy: Marikina City Website

Boracay Island, Backpacking and Commuting Tips

From the NAIA International Airport, take a flight bound for Kalibo International Airport, the travel time is about an hour. Beside Kalibo International Airport, there are different modes of transportation that you can choose to go to Boracay Island via Jetty Port. Instead of booking private transport, I asked the guards or sales ladies at the airport about the public utility vehicles to Jetty Port. As instructed, I rode in a van bound for Jetty Port for 200 pesos and the travel time is about 2 hours. On the other hand, another option is via Batangas Port where you can board with 2Go Ferry to Caticlan, travel time is within 7-9 hours.

The Sound of Las Piñas Bamboo Organ

If I am not mistaken, the Las Pinas Bamboo Organ was our topic when I was in grade four in Sibika at Kultura. The subject was interesting, so the history of the Las Pinas Bamboo Organ remains fresh in my memory, even with the long name of the man who created this majestic organ. Fray Diego Cera Dela Vergin del Carmen was a Spanish missionary born on July 26, 1762, and was the first parish priest in Las Piñas during the Spanish era. He is the man behind this national treasure - Las Piñas Bamboo Organ. He actually came from Graus, now Huesca, a town in Spain, but still, his heart loves the Philippines. F. Diego Cera is also a man of titles; he is a Musician, Architect, Organ Builder, Botanist, Physician, Painter and Geologist.

Fort San Pedro, Cebu City

The History of Fort San Pedro

The Fort San Pedro, also known as Fuerza de San Pedro, is situated inside the Plaza Independencia, Cebu City. It is a military defense structure built by the Spaniards and the locals of Cebu under the command of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a Spanish conquistador r. The date of its construction wasn't sure, but there are claims that Jesuit Antonio Campioni built the fort in 1600. Like the other century-old churches in the Philippines, there were a lot of major renovations in the 19th century for the structural improvements of Cebu.

Casa Gorordo Museum

The Casa Gorordo Museum, also a residential house, shows how a prominent family lived during their generations. From the floor, artistic walls, windows, rooftop, toilets, etc. - all parts are really gorgeous. At the main entrance of this house, its historical background was written and here's what it says: "This house was built in the mid-19th century by Alejandro Reynes y Rosales and was bought by Juan Isidro de Gorordo, a Spanish merchant, in 1863. Four generations of the family lived in this house, including the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu, 1910-1932.

Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House

Photo: Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House.

The Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House was initially owned by Chinese merchants Don Juan Yap and Doña Maria Florido. It is one of the oldest residential houses in the Philippines. It was built between 1675 and 1700 and was made from coral stones; egg whites were used as glue, and "Tigas" or clay was used for the roof. The wooden parts of the house were made of "balayong" and "tugas" or molave, the hardest woods in the country.

Cebu Cathedral Museum

Cebu Cathedral Museum is an ecclesiastical museum of the Archdiocese of Cebu. The building itself doesn't have exact information about when it was constructed because the archdiocesan archives were burned along with the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace during the trial bombing of the U.S. forces in September 1944. However, some historians believe it was built by Bishop Santos Gomez Marañon during the mid-1800s. Bishop Marañon was known as a church builder. He designed the Metropolitan Cathedral and other religious structures in the province of Cebu.