Trends and Spots

I used to see Potipot Island in Candelaria, Zambales only in photos. I already wrote one post about it. But yesterday (April 15) was one of the best trips I had. Our friends from the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL) and my sister Stef joined me in the trip to the amazing island. I enjoyed the ride from Botolan, Zambales to Candelaria which is only about 1 hour 20 minutes. As soon as we reached the village of Uakon, we rented a bangka (boat) for P400 to take us in a 10-minute ferry to the white-sand island. Most of the people in Uakon are fishers while they earn extra for boat rentals. One can also reach Potipot island via Barangay Dawal, where a small hotel can be found. It is the village next to Uakon. Potipot has fine white sand, which could be finer than Boracay’s and it seats in deep blue sea like a halo looking from atop. You can go around the island in just 25 or 30 minutes. The shoreline is perfect for beach lovers. You can play, sit, watch, relax or swim in

Holy Week. Destination Pampanga. This is the time and place of the mystic and tradition. Passion of the Christ, flagellants and crucifixion. At the foot of the hills of San Pedro Cutud, City of San Fernando, Pampanga, thousands witness the crucifixion of several men who pay homage to the death of Jesus Christ. In this part of the world, the faithful, fanatics and Catholic believers meet every Holy Week, especially during Good Friday. And every year, the crucifixions never fail to attract tourists and international media. Many Caucasians and Americans, intrigued and fascinated to this Filipino-Catholic tradition, excruciatingly endure the heat, humidity, blood spray, dust and mixed sweat during Good Friday just to watch the ceremony.

It is the longest march in the history of the Philippines and a bloody one at that. Some 60,000 American and Filipino soldiers walked to death in between railway stations from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac after the fall of Coredigor, the United Allies headquarte5rs in the Pacific during the World War II. And for the brave souls who fought against the Japanese in the ‘40s, the Philippine government has built a monument that will remind younger generations of this important event in history. The Capas National Shrine, located in Barangay Aranguren, Capas, Tarlac, stands as a memorial for all the soldiers who were part of the famous Death March. President Aquino proclaimed the shrine as a national memorial in December 7, 1991. It has 54 hectares of parkland, 35 hectares of which have been planted with rows of trees to represent each of the deceased. According to Wikipedia, in April 9, 2003, a new memorial wall and obelisk was unveiled. The 70-meter obelisk towers above the grounds of the forme