Filipinas: Puerta de Oriente (Occidente en Oriente, The Western Orient)

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¡Hola a todos! Empiezo este hilo para conocer las ciudades, pueblos, cultura, gastronomía y todo lo relacionado con Filipinas.

El archipiélago filipino fue el enclave español más distante de la Península Ibérica. Descubierto por Magallanes en l521, el regreso de la Victoria con un rico cargamento de especias procedentes de las Molucas hizo renacer el entusiasmo por estas expediciones. Sucesivamente salieron de la Vieja y de la Nueva España varias armadas: Ruy López de Villalobos fue quien bautizó una de las Visayas, probablemente la isla de Samar, como isla Felipina, nombre que muy pronto se pluralizó y adoptó su forma actual: Filipinas.

Filipinas es un país independiente formado por 7,107 islas e islotes que forma el Archipiélago Filipino. Es un paraíso para los aventureros, ya que cuenta con grandes zonas de belleza natural virgen sorprendentemente muy poco visitadas.

Un buen video sobre la historia del país: http://filipinas.seacex.com/

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Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan Chapel



High Ridge



View from Highridge



Carmen Bridge



The Park Cafe



Divisoria Nigh Market



Cagayan de Oro's Aerial View



Gaston Park



St. Augustine Cathedral



Xavier Sports and Country Club



Xavier Estates



Xavier Estates Pool



Cagayan de Oro-Cogon Market

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St. Paul University

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Fuente Arroyo



Calle Real (formerly International Hotel) [Calle JM Basa corner Aldeguer]



Calle Real



Molo Church's belfry and dome



Aduana



La Paz business district



Rio Iloilo y Calle Muelle Loney



La Paz District



Downtown Iloilo City



Capitolio

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San Juanico Bridge





Rafael's Farm





Tacloban Convention Center (Astrodome)



Sto. Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum



Old Balyuan Amphitheater



New Balyuan Amphitheater



Sto. Niño Church



Leyte Capitol

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Sto. Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum, Tacloban City

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General Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine

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Paguriran Islands



















Bulusan Lake

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Mango Plantations

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Chinese pilgrims climb the 99 steps to the Taoist Temple in Cebu, Phillippines.


Lapu-Lapu Monument recalls Magellan's last stand.

The voyage of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, whose 16th-century mission for Spain was the first to circumnavigate the globe, took a tragic turn in 1521 when he was killed during a Custerlike attack on the local populace in Cebu, Philippines.

Today's explorers will find a more friendly welcome in Cebu than that received by Magellan, and they can walk in the steps of the great navigator without trepidation.

Cebu, the oldest city in the Philippines and the second in size to Manila, is a thriving metropolis of more than 3 million people. Yet unlike Manila, Cebu - called the Queen City of the South - retains a provincial, less frenetic quality than its northern counterpart.

History buffs will be well-rewarded, with glimpses of what life was like when the Philippines was a Spanish colony. Fans of sunbathing and water sports will find a marine paradise in Cebu's Mactan Island resorts, and gourmets will relish Cebu's delectable dishes - a combination of Spanish, Chinese and Polynesian cuisine, with some of the world's most exotic fruits mixed in.

A little more than an hour's flight from Manila via Philippine Airlines, Cebu's international airport on Mactan Island is close to an array of top beach resorts. These include the Maribago Resort, a stunning property with beautiful beaches and ample opportunities for canoeing, windsurfing, snorkeling and other aquatic pursuits.

Cebu attractions for day tours





- Magellan's Cross Located downtown outside the Santo Niño Basilica (itself a historic landmark), the wooden cross, now enshrined in a protective casing, was instrumental in bringing Christianity to the Philippines.



- Fort San Pedro Also downtown, this well-preserved fort was the bastion of Spanish power during the colonial period. You can see artifacts from sunken galleons and walk the walls much as the garrison did centuries ago. Interestingly, the corner towers mirror fortifications in Puerto Rico and other former Spanish colonies in Latin America.






- Casa Gorodo Another vestige of Cebu's Spanish colonial past, this palatial residence, once the home of the Catholic bishop, gives a glimpse of the lifestyle of the wealthy during that era. The house is worth visiting for its wood carvings alone.



- Lapu-Lapu Monument Commemorates the battle of Mactan, in which Magellan met his demise attacking a vastly superior force led by Lapu-Lapu, the Philippine chieftain. A heroic statue of the chief on the battle site and a mural depicting the attack make this a memorable attraction.







- Magellan Marker Located near the Lapu-Lapu Monument on Mactan Island, this structure was erected by the Spanish as a memorial to the navigator, whose body was never recovered.







- Heritage of Cebu Monument Located on Colon St. (the oldest street in the city), this huge sculpture, dedicated in 2000, depicts the history of Cebu from its pre-Christian trading days through the Spanish colonization, the American commonwealth period, World War II, independence and the modern era.



- Taoist Temple Located in Cebu's upscale Beverly Hills section, this beautiful temple is a place of pilgrimage for the city's large Chinese population. The view of the city from atop the temple's 99 steps is spectacular.

- There is night life aplenty in Cebu, as befits a thriving metropolis. Many of the nightclubs, bars and discos are concentrated around the Ayala Entertainment Center, adjacent to the huge Ayala Mall. There are also two government-operated casinos at the Waterfront Insular Hotels in the city proper and on Mactan Island.

For more information, go to www.wowphilippines.com.ph or call the Philippine Tourism Office in New York at (212) 575-7915.

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Bulusan Lake lies at the heart of the Bulusan Lake National Park which covers an area of 3,672 hectares. The serene and cool lake has a circumference of 2,006 meters at an elevation of 2,084 feet above sea level with a geological age of about 374 years.

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Farther ahead of Bacon beach resorts, and past the remote districts of Bacon, your trip ends in a beautiful and extremely serene village of Sawanga- the home of the unknown Paguriran Island. It is a little island where its little lagoon in the middle gets filled with sea water flowing from the sea at high tide, while powdery white sand connects the little island to the shore during low tide.

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Photos by Michael Kimmig


Photo by archgerardo

The natural wonders of Ticao
By Ephraim Aguilar
Southern Luzon Bureau

Being in the news for intense political rivalries and armed conflicts, one would think Masbate is nothing but a land of chaos. But who would think that it has a serene side waiting to be discovered? Ticao Island, one of the three major islands, is home to natural wonders. Monreal, one of the four towns considered the Manta Ray Capital of the Philippines, has a good number of potential tourist destinations. Lying in the southeastern extremity of Luzon, it can be reached by motorized pump boat in two hours from the port of Pilar in Sorsogon. Pilar is a 45-minute ride from Legazpi City. An alternative route is from the port of Bulan in Sorsogon, which takes less than an hour of sea travel. From mainland Masbate, it takes two and a half hours to reach Monreal.

Untouched beauty

Monreal is bounded northeast by the Ticao Pass, southeast by the Samar Sea, northwest by the Burias Pass, and southwest by the Masbate Pass. Not many resorts and tourist facilities are found, but the natural beauty of the place could just as well be its greatest asset. Aside from its manta bowl and coral gardens that are perfect for diving, it has mangroves, white-sand coastlines, clear waters, caves, fish and bird sanctuaries, falls and huge rock formations. It has the Baladingan coastline, a five-kilometer stretch of white sand with mostly virgin green terrain in the background in Barangay Famosa. It extends up to the boundary of the neighboring town of San Jacinto, where Ticao Island Resort is located. Baladingan cradles stones and shells and shallow coral reefs near the coast.

No resort has been put up in it. Silence covers the untouched and uncommercialized beach. The Guinlatayan Rock at Barangay Sto. Niño is a bird sanctuary. It is one of the huge rock formations along the Masbate Pass that has shrubs and trees on top serving as havens for different species of migratory birds. The Bojo Cave at Barangay Togoron is another attraction. It takes a 45-minute hike to reach this cathedral-like cave, which village chief Pal Duano estimates to be 200 meters long. It serves as home to many bats, stalactites and stalagmites that glitter when lighted upon. Duano said other newly discovered caves in Togoron were still unnamed.

Luba Islet in Barangay Guinhadap has a small beachfront of powdery white sand with sprinkles of reddish sand. The three-hectare Burabangkaso Islet and Halea Island Resort in Guinhadap also have white coral sand and magnificent rock formations. The waters are so clear one could actually see corals on shallow portions of the sea. A century-old lighthouse can be found at Guinhadap, accessible by a 300-step stairway. The parola, which is on top of a terrain, is said to have been built during the American period in 1901 and served as guidepost for sea vessels. Shipwrecks are found around the parola’s terrain.

Some artifacts have been recovered by residents of Monreal. The Gueta family of Barangay Poblacion has showed the Inquirer their collection of ancient jars and utensils which, they said, they had recovered from the wreckage. Coral and shell particles have stuck to one jar’s surface, indicating that it was under the sea for many years. Duano said tourists could also enjoy wall diving at St. Jerome’s Rock near Togoron or wind surfing in the waters of the Masbate Pass from September to March, when the northeast winds are strong.

Read Full Article Here

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Golden Heritage
Source: asianjournal.com

MANILA, Philippines - Camarines Norte has billed itself as the "Land of Gold and Golden Opportunities," perhaps winking at its reputation for having gold resources. But the gold could lie elsewhere. It could lie, for example, in the natural and cultural riches of the province.

The province's potential is seen on Calaguas Island, which has a beach that's boasted as better than Boracay's. Artist Joaquin Palencia, who hails from Camarines Norte, pointed to the fine white sand of Calaguas. It is a rare virgin island worth the two-hour boat ride from the capital city of Daet.

Calaguas may look surreal at first glimpse. The main beach is called "Mahabang Buhangin," referring to the island ís extremely long beach length.

The crystal-clear water stretches offshore and the waves are perfect for surfing. There are no resorts to be found but there are a few friendly locals willing to help guests set up camp.

A day is obviously not enough to enjoy Calaguas, but it is not the only attraction offered by Camarines Norte.

Tourists can visit Vinzons Catholic Church, said to be one of the oldest in the country. It contains a replica of the Black Nazarene, which is honored during the Capalonga fiesta.

For those who don't like the idea of going on a two-hour boat ride to Calaguas, there is the Bagasbas beach, about five kilometers from downtown Daet. The white-sand beach passed the international surfing standard of the Department of Tourism. It is an exceptional place for swimming and picnic.

Camarines Norte also produces some of the sweetest queen pineapples in the country. This must have been the inspiration behind the Pineapple Island resort, a one-of-a-kind waterpark in Bicol suited to family getaways.

During a courtesy call of the media, Gov. Jesus Typoco and Rep. Renato Unico Jr. expressed their optimism about the potential of Camarines Norte to become a top tourist destination in the country.

Considered as the gateway to the Bicol region, the province has a lot to offer especially to those who are looking for something new and are seeking adventure, tired of the overcrowded summer beach destinations.

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National Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag

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Ayuntamiento de Zamboanga