CEBU/BOHOL/CAMIGUIN

DESCRIPTION

Cebu is the traveler’s dream of a tropical island come true-balmy weather, pristine beaches and luxurious resorts with all the frills of modern living. The Island-province of Cebu is where the sweetest mangoes can be found and where Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan planted the Cross of Christianity in the name of Spain 1521.

Metropolitan Cebu, the country’s second biggest metropolis, is the political, economic, educational, and cultural center of the Visayas. Hotel, shopping malls, entertainment halls, casinos, and golf fairways are present in the metro to cater to every tourist’s whim.

East of Cebu is Bohol, with its rolling hills and plateau and crystal springs and beaches. The country’s tenth largest island, it is a picturesque province replete with ancestral homes and centuries-old churches. Bohol is home to the world-famous Chocolate Hills and the world’s smallest monkey, the Tarsier. Other equally exotic flora and fauna can be found in the province’s forests.

The site of the 1565 blood compact between Rajah Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, Bohol’s historicity is evident in the province’s relaxed, laid-back pace. Excavations in ancient burial grounds reveal artifacts dating back to China’s T’ang dynasty, revealing strong trading ties with the Chinese long before the Spanish set foot on the Philippines.

CEBU/BOHOL/CAMIGUIN

BEST SPOTS

MAGELLAN’S CROSS. On April 14, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan planted a cross to mark the spot where some eight hundred (800) natives were baptized into the Catholic faith. The original cross is now encased in a hollow hardwood cross and can be found in a roofed kiosk along Magellanes Street.

SINULOG. The Sinulog is Cebu’s biggest fiesta in honor of the Infant Jesus or Señor Santo Niño held every third (3^rd) Sunday of January. In a choreographed movement, tribes clad dazzling costumes hold aloft images of their patron. The prayer-dance is synchronized to the beat of drums and shouts of “Pit Señor! Viva Santo Niño!”

CHOCOLATE HILLS. Consisting of one thousand two hundred sixty eight (1,268) haycock hills with heights ranging from forty (40) to one hundred twenty (120) meters, the Chocolate Hills is one of nature’s wonders. The dome-shaped, grass-covered limestone hills dry up and turn brown during the summer, transforming these into rows and rows of Chocolate “kisses.”

SMALLEST MONKEY. In Bilar, a three kilometer (3km) man-made forest is sanctuary to the province’s endangered species including the tarsier, the world’s smallest monkey.

ISLAND OF IMAGINATION. Derived from the word “Kamagong,” the name of a tree in the ebony family, Camiguin is a pear-shaped volcanic island in the Bohol Sea. Marvel at the island’s wide array of flowers and taste the juiciest “lanzones” in the yearly Lanzones Festival. Explore majestic volcanoes, hot springs, magnificent waterfalls, and its famed underwater cemetery.

DAVAO

DESCRIPTION

Davao’s topography dazzles with a variety of picturesque landscapes. Fruit plantations and orchid farms mantle volcano-fed hills and valleys. Virgin forests nurture rare wildlife. Coral Islands lie on mirror flat water. And the country’s highest peak, Mt. Apo, magnificently lords over the hinterland.

Just as enchanting is its brilliant tapestry of harmony, woven from the diverse cultural threads of its people. In Davao, the contemporary fuses with the traditional as migrant settlers from all over the country peacefully co-exist with a sizeable expatriate community and numerous ethnic tribes who continue to live as they did centuries ago.

Davao is home of the majestic Philippine Eagle, the country’s national bird and considered the largest eagle in the world. It also boasts of the most prized Philippines orchid specie like Vanda sanderiana and some of the most exotic fruits like durian and mangosteen.

Davao is an anchor tourist destination, a natural haven for both sedate and daring products. It is the jump-off point to satellite destinations on the island of Mindanao.

DAVAO

BEST SPOTS

ISLAND GARDEN OF SAMAL. The Island Garden City of Samal is a group of Islands in the Davao Gulf. The largest, also called Samal, has a number of excellent resorts, including one that was once a pearl farm. There are also fine beaches, with good opportunities for snorkeling and scuba diving.

MARAGUSAN. With its cool mountain weather, Maragusan in the province of Compostella Valley is Davao’s traditional summer capital. The ethnic Mansaka community lives in the coffee-growing valley amidst waterfalls and cols springs.

KIDAPAWAN. The provincial capital of North Cotabato, Kidapawan City is two hours by bus from Davao City. It is the main gateway to the ascent of Mount Apo and hosts the ten (10) day Kalibongan Festival, a showcase of old ethnic rituals, songs, dances, and sports of the Manobo and other Mindanao tribes.

DAVAO ORIENTAL. The province of Davao Oriental has atleast forty (40) tourist spots. The town of San Isidro is home to Tinagong Dagat (or Hidden Sea), a mysterious lake; the highest waterfall in the country, the three hundred thirty eight (338) meter-high Aliwagwag Falls, is found in Cateel; in the old town of Caraga is a moss-covered seventeenth (17^th)-century church.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY. GenSan is the tuna capital of the Philippines, where over two thousand four hundred (2,400) species of marine can be found, including the yellow fin tuna, skipjack, and mackerel. GenSan can be reached by a three (3)-hour bus ride from Davao City.

LAOAG/VIGAN

DESCRIPTION

Ilocos Norte, the northwestern tip of Luzon, is wedged between the steep Gran Cordillera Central in the east, the rugged Ilocos Mountains in the northeast, and the Ilocos Range in the south.

The centuries old churches that dot every town of Ilocos are testimonies to the colonial past. They formed part of the nucleus of the plaza complex town planning instituted by the Spanish colonizers.

Which a coastline that stretches to 90 status miles, Ilocos Norte is blessed with rich marine life – shells, giant turtles, seaweeds, tuna, and various of fishes.

Below Ilocos Norte is Ilocos Sur, situated along the western coast of Northern Luzon, bound by Abra on the northeast, Mt. Province on the east, Benguet on the southeast, La Union on the south, and the China Sea on the west. Ilocos Sur’s topography has elevations ranging from ten (10) to one thousand seven hundred (1,700) meters above sea level.

Though unmistakably foreign in form, the churches of Ilocos Sur reflect a distinctly Ilocano character. The hardiness and strength of the Ilocanos are reflected in the massiveness and sturdiness of the structures

LAOAG/VIGAN

BEST SPOTS

OLD CHURCHES. Spanish colonial churches are a must-see in Ilocos Norte. The Paoay Church, originally built between 1699-1704, displays ingenuity in the use of corals, mortar, bricks and molasses. The Laoag Cathedral, massive, short and barn-like, was constructed between 1650-1700. Watch out for the Sinking Bell Tower. Dingras Church, set in the midst of expansive rice fields, was built by natives in 1680 using red bricks. Ilocos Sur’s famous churches include the St. Paul’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Bantay Church, Sta. Lucia Church, and the Sinait Church.

BEACHES. Fort Ilocandia Resort and Hotel is located in the midst of fetching sandhills in coastal Calayab, Laoag City. Some twenty six kilometers (26kms) south of Laoag Cit is Currimao, lined with beautiful beaches dotted at times with corals. The White Beaches of Pagudpud, the farthest end of Ilocos Norte towards the Laoa-Alacapan Road, are a veritable paradise.

MUSEUMS. Ilocos Sur’s national museum, the Padre Jose Burgos House, contains the memorabilia of the martyr-priest Jose Burgos and Ilocano artifacts and the ethnic arts of the Tinggians, while the Masingal Museum is a repository of Ilocano heritage featuring collections of pottery and porcelain artifacts.

ANCESTRAL HOUSES. Kamestizoan District in Vigan is replete with ancestral houses with ancient tile roofs, massive hardwood floorings, balustrades, and azoteas in varying Spanish-Mexican-Chinese architectural styles.

METRO MANILA AND ENVIRONS

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The heart and the soul of the Philippines – the capital of the Philippines – is Manila. It sets the archipelago’s rhythm and is a pulsating hub that blends the Oriental with the Occidental, the quaint with the modern, the mundane with the extraordinary.

At the heart of Manila Cathedral with its detailed stone carvings and stained glass mosaics; Fort Santiago, the site of torture chambers and dungeons; and the favorite wedding spot, the San Agustin Church.

Greater Manila, made up of fourteen (14) cities and three (3) towns, is where the country’s most prestigious business addresses and the trendiest leisure establishments are found. Fashionable hotels, restaurants, discos, music bars, boutiques, and specialty shops converge around the sleek Ayala and Ortigas Centers.

Other major cities include Quezon City, also an entertainment hub as well as government cities; Marikina City, the shoe center of the Philippines; Parañaque City, known for its dry goods and seafood markets and restaurants; and Las Piñas City, which houses the world’s merely bamboo organ at St. Joseph’s Parish Church.

Calabarzon, comprised of the five (5) provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon, is only a few hours away from Manila. The area boasts of great destinations and leisure activities for day trips or overnight getaways as well as export processing centers.