Posts Tagged ‘Vigan City Philippines’

Like the month of April in the Philippines, a Philippine May festivity also starts at very first day of the month. But May 1 is not a really boisterous festivity in the Philippines, for as we know it, it is a Day of all the workers not only in the Philippines but also to other countries in the world. It is day of political and social demonstration of the workers who wanted to voice out their voice to their respective governments. Most Filipino workers take advantage also of this special day to protest complains.

Coincide with this May 1 Labor Day demonstration and protests of the workers of the Philippines, is an Aliwan Grand Fiesta celebration being held at CCP Complex at Roxas Boulevard, Manila Philippines celebrating the Philippines’ 16 Regions in all grandest with floats and carnival-style parades, fireworks, and all the pride products of the 16 Regions of the Philippines all in displayed.

Moreover, alongside with this Aliwan Grand Fiesta celebration at Roxas Boulevard Manila Philippines is a similar float parade competition at Davao Oriental Philippines. This May 1 Davao celebration is called “Davao Gulf Regatta”. This celebration features decorated bancas and vintas in celebration of Davao gulfs.

May 1 is also the start of Flores de Mayo or Santacruzan in the whole month of May in the Philippines. All the regions of the Philippines held this kind of parade procession. It is the reenactment of Queen Elena of Constantinople in her search for the holy cross of Jesus. Queen Elena is said to be collecting all the memorabilia of Jesus. Similar with this religious festivity that is also held during May 1 is the Antipolo Pilgrimage which is held at Antipolo Rizal. This religious festivity is a long pilgrimage or like the santacruzan, from Manila Philippines to Antipolo Philippines. It is religious pilgrimage for Our Lady of Good Voyage.

Another solemn festivity during May 1 in the Philippines is the Viva Vigan Festival of the Arts held, of course at Vigan City Philippines, Ilocos Sur Philippines. It is a festival commemorating and reminiscing the history and cultural treasures of Vigan City.

May 1 festivity in the Philippines does not end at Vigan City, it still extends to Calape Bohol Philippines that celebrates Pahinungod Festival, the Pilipinyan Festival at Tagaytay city Philippines, the Balangay Festival at Butuan City Philippines, the 100 Island Festivals at Aliminos Pangasinan Philippines, the Araw ng Santiago at Santiago city Philippines, the Pista ng Produktong Pilipino at Subic, Olongapo City Philippines, the Boa- Boahan “Alinsangan “ Festival at Nabua Camarines Sur Philippines, and the Magayon Festival which celebrates Mt. Mayon at Albay Philippines.

Following the May 1 festivity is Dayaw Dalan Festivity held during May 2 at San Jacinto Ticao Philippines, simultaneous with Holy Cross Festival at Alitagtag and Baun Batangas Philippines. Then on May 3 the Carabao-Carroza Festival is held at Iloilo city Philippines where of course decorated carroza being pulled by carabaos. On May 3 also is the Feast of the Holy Cross held at Sta. Cruz Marinduque Philippines.

Like May 1, May 3 also is full of festivity in the Philippines aside from what I mention above,on May 3 also the Sublian Festival is held at Batangas City Philippines as well as the Garlic Festival at Sinait Ilocos Sur Philippines.

This a continued article from “Flights to Philippines Part 1”, in that we discuss flights to particular Philippine destinations, if one is planning to have a Philippine vacation and Philippine travels and if one is coming from Manila Philippines. In that article we have discuss flights to Philippines most tourist destination, namely, Boracay Beach Island Resort Philippines, Baguio City Philippines, and the cultural Vigan City Philippines. In it also we discuss bus travel if one prefers it in their Philippine travels. And now for a continuation of our discussions, let’s begin with top number four most visited tourist Philippine vacation destination.

The second most tourist visited Beach resort in the Philippines following Boracay Philippines is the Pagudpud Beach Island Resort at Ilocos Norte Philippines. Some tourist loves to visit this Island Beach because according to them, Pagudpud is a resemblance of Hawaii or it is like Hawaii due to its long shores and secludedness.

Therefore, if you happen to be at Manila Philippines or Metro Manila Philippines, if you prefer flights to Philippines’ Pagudpud, chances are you will buy a ticket for Laog city Philippines. As I know so far, this is still the well means to get To Pagudpud if you prefer flight travel. This is quite similar if you want to go to Vigan City Philippines. You can ride the Philippine Airlines (PAL) or Cebu Pacific Airline that travels to Laog City. You could check their flight package at their respective websites.

However, if you prefer bus ride or land transportation, you can ride at this terminal if you happen to be at Manila Philippines. Go to Partas Bus Company which is located at Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City in the Philippines which caters travels to Laog City. It is approximated to have 10 hours of travel. Then, if you are already at Laog city, you could ride another bus going to Pagudpud.

Another favorite tourist Philippine vacation destination is Palawan Philippines. If you are from Manila Philippines and wanted or prefer to buy an air ticket going to Palawan Philippines, you could ride the Philippine Airlines or Air Philippines that will took you directly into the heart capital of Palawan Philippines which is Puerto Princesa city, which is only a one hour and five minutes trip. However, if you wanted to go directly to a specific location at Palawan, like El Nido, Cuyo Palawan, Busuanga, or your desired specific destinations at Palawan Philippines, there are flights you can choose to ride depending which location in Palawan you would like to visit. Examples of these alternative flights to different locations in Palawan are the Asian Spirit Airlines, SEAIR Lines, Pacific Air Lines, and the Soriano Airlines. You can inquire about their flight package in their respective websites or hotlines.

However, there is also transportation by sea going to Palawan from Manila Philippines. But it is a twenty hours trip. If you prefer this, you could buy a ticket at WG&A Shipping Company.

There is no by land transportation means going to Palawan if you happen to be at Manila Philippines because Palawan Philippines is an island far away from Metro Manila Philippines.

If you are going in a Philippine vacation into the Philippine archipelago or rather to a particular island in the Philippines, you should consider some flight package rates before packing your bags and accessories and fly into the Philippines. Yes, of course, I know you already knew that, however, I am here to give some ideas about your Philippine vacation or Philippine travel or flights to Philippines.

Let us begin this by where in the Philippines you are planning to stay or to have a vacation. And then from where you will land in the Philippines or rather from what airports in the Philippines you will be coming from. This will assess your flights to Philippines or your budget.

For example, if you happen to be at Metro Manila Airport or at Nino Aquino International Airport:

1. If you are going to Boracay City Philippines, You can ride to SEAIR Airlines. This airline is the fastest and most advanced aircraft going to Boracay Philippines if you are from Manila Philppines or Metro Manila Philippines. It has a daily flight from Manila to Caticlan Philippines or to Caticlan Airport. Just look for flight schedules at SEAIR website or inquire about it at their hotlines. To inquire about how much is their flight package; you can browse their flight package at their website with respective rates at specific destination or location at Boracay.
2. However, if you like cold weather or if you are going to Baguio City Philippines, you can instead ride a bus going to Baguio city than booking for a flight. It is cheaper to go to Baguio city by land. You can ride a bus going to Baguio city at this following bus stations: Dagupan Bus Lines, which is located at New York Cubao, Quezon City Philippines; Partas transport, which is located at Aurora Boulevard Cubao. Quezon City Philippines, and at Victory Liner, which is located at EDSA, Pasay Metro Manila Philippines.
3. If Cultural adventure is your trip and you like to go to Vigan City Philippines, you can either choose a flight or a bus ride. If you choose a flight, you could buy a ticket at Philippine Airlines (PAL) which flies three times a week to Laog City Philippines. You can browse their flight package at Philippine Airlines website. Then, having landed to Laog city, you can commute a bus or by land transportation there going to Vigan City. It is estimated that Laog City is 8o kilometers away from Vigan City Philippines, or that is one and a half hour trip.

If you prefer to ride a bus, you can ride at these bus stations: Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines, which is located at Rizal Avenue, Manila Philippines or at EDSA; Dominion Bus Lines, which is located at New York Street Cubao, Quezon city Philippines; Partas Bus Company, which is located at Aurora Boulevard, Quezon Philippines; and at Maria De Leon Transit, which is located at Dapitan corner, Gelinos Street, Sampaloc, Metro Manila Philippines.

By bus transportation going to Vigan City from Manila Philippines is approximately a seven hours trip, so you should bring your pillows if you prefer to travel by land.

Within our Philippine travel, Ilocos Sur Philippines is more depicted as the most cultural province in the Philippines and most popular cultural tourist spot in the history of Philippine tourism, due to Vigan City is at its center. However, Ilocos Sur Philippines is also rich in Philippine beaches and resort, a beach lover could enjoy. Its beach resorts are also one of the best Philippines resort and Philippines vacation destination.

Let’s take for example the Cabugao Beach Resort which is said to be the small Boracay Philippines of the North or Northern Luzon Philippines. Cabugao Ilocos Sur is second last municipality in the borders of Ilocos Sur Philippines. This Beach Resort is simple, quiet, and beautiful beach and inexpensive to unwind and relax yourself. It has white sand like to Boracay Philippines and Palm trees and a swimming pool in front of the beach itself, in case you are afraid surfing the waves you can instead swim at the adjacent swimming pool. Cabugao Beach Resort has its own restaurant which serves a free delicious breakfast to those tourists visiting the resort. Cabugao Beach Resort is formerly known as Cabugao Public Beach and Park, it is a municipality-owned beach resort at Cabugao Ilocos Sur Philippines.

However, aside from Cabugao Beach Resort you could found at Cabugao Ilocos Sur in the Philippines, there a private owned beach resort also which is, the Ponce Del Mar and Restaurant Beach Resort.

These two beach resorts at Cabugao Ilocos Sur in the Philippines are collectively known as the Pug-os Beach. These beaches were along the highway of Cabugao Ilocos Sur Philippines at barangay Pug-os.

However, there is an alternative beach resort at Cabugao aside from Pug-os Beach that is the Salapasap Beach. It is said this beach resort has cheaper rates that Pug-os Beach.

Aside from beach resort one could enjoy at Cabugao Ilocos Sur Philippines, there is this Salomague Island which is a favorite Port of seafarers, merchants, and traders from various Asian countries long time ago. This island is said to be best for scuba diving and sports fishing.

There are a lot of things you can do at Cabugao Ilocos Sur Philippines which I could no longer state here.

Other popular beach at Ilocos Sur Philippines is the Santiago Cove beach Resort; it is not a white sand beach but golden sand along the shores. It is indeed a unique and beautiful rare golden sand beach. Its resort is complete with amenities. Of course, it is located at Santiago Ilocos Sur Philippines. However, some thought the sand is white but actually it is really golden in the sense.

Another unique beach at Ilocos Sur Philippines is the Sulvec Beach. This Beach has a rocky shore and has a grotto atop a rock. This beach is favorite stop-over of commuters and those who are at Narvacan Ilocos Sur.

There are other two beaches one could visit at Ilocos Sur Philippines, namely, the Apatot beach resort where the beach is surrounded with apatot trees, and the Candon Beach.

Aside from beaches, Ilocos Sur has a mini-zoo park which is called Baluarte. It a 20 hectare land developed by Chavit Singson. This mini-zoo is located at Vigan City Philippines.

Aside from Vigan City Philippines’s ancestral homes, Sta. Maria Church, Tirad Pass National Shrine, and Bessang Pass, there are cultural heritage sites one could visit and witness at Ilocos Sur Philippines, namely, beautiful museums and churches.

One of these is the Bantay Church or the St. Agustine Church and the Bell Tower aloof only a few meters away from it. Both the St. Agustine Church and the Bell Tower were said to be built during 1530s at Spanish occupation in the Philippines. They were just reconstructed after they were hit by the calamities brought by World War I and II. St. Agustine Church and Bell Tower can be found at Bantay, Ilocos Sur Philippines.

Another cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur in the Philippines is the Father Burgos Museum. This Museum was erected in memory of Father Burgos or one of the three known martyred priest. The museum which is of course the former house of Father Burgos is full of memorabilia’s of Father Burgos as well as classical paintings Of Esteban Pichay Villanueva depicting the times of Father Burgos or 1800s. The museum is filled with antique collections, a library, dioramas, archeological and ethnological treasures and other artifacts. Father Burgos Museum is located at Vigan City Philippines.

Another cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur at Vigan City also is the Archbishop Palace and Museum or the Palacio Del Arzopispado. This archbishop palace is the only surviving 18 century palace in the Philippines which miraculously survived the vehement blows of World War II. This archbishop palace also serves as headquarters of Emilio Aguinaldo during 1898 and a garrison place during 1899.

There is a Museum within this palace, which is the Museo Nueva Segovia. It is a museum that preserved a large collection of ecclesiastical artifacts and relics from all the region of Ilocos Sur.

Another cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur Philippines is the Crisologo Museum which is also of Vigan city Philippines at Liberation Boulevard. It caters Crisologos memorabilia’s. By the way, who are the Crisologo? This ancestral house turn into a Museum is a former house of the former congressman of Vigan, which is Floro Crisologo. In the Museum you could see a lot of paintings and pictures of the Crisologos and their vintage car that almost eaten up by rust but however, preserved in any way. Moreover, you could also see a vintage vehicle there which is somewhat a modern calesa with four to six seater on the back.

Another Cultural church in Vigan city Philippines that is beautifully crafted is the St. Paul Church or St. Paul Cathedral. The Cathedral has an earthquake baroque architecture style with white cream in color. Aloof a few centimeters away are its separate Bell tower. Its present baroque style is only a reconstruction of the original church during 1574 which was damaged by an earthquake during 1600s.The reconstruction took place during 1800s.

Another cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur is the Leona Florentino House and Statue where a large Statue of Leona Florentino was erected in front of the house. I guess the house already houses the Max restaurant. Leona Florentino is a famous Ilocano poet, satirists and playright artist during the Spanish times.

When Filipinos heard the word “Ilocos”, they already Know what the word connotes, that is, Pagudpud beach, Vigan ancestral houses, Laog city Philippines, Fort Ilocandia, Ilocos homes and architecture,Paoy church, the Qurino Bridge, former President Ferdinand Marcos or Sarrat Ilocos, ceramic products, Ilocos garlic and bagoong, etc.

As we or as Filipinos knew, Ilocos in the Philippines is divided into two regions, namely Ilocos Sur Philippines and Ilocos Norte Philippines. Ilocos Philippines is located at the northern part of Luzon Philippines, somewhere at the top of Baguio Philippines and La Union Philippines.

Ilocus Sur Philippines is closely adjacent to La Union Philippines or the southerpart of Ilocos in the Philippines. It is part of Ilocos Philippines that features cultural heritage or Ilocos Sur Philippines is so-called the Heritage Village of the Philippines. This is due because, Ilocos Sur Philippines capital is the well known Vigan City Philippines where the World Heritage Known Ancestral Homes where situated. Vigan City Philippines, as we all know boast of its 16^th century old ancestral homes where UNESCO World Heritage have noted it and included it on their List of World Heritage places in the world.

Another cultural heritage one could see at Ilocos Sur Philippines is the Sta. Maria Church. This church is an ancestral fortress of the Philippine Revolution during 1896.This church is a landmark church, thus you could immediately saw Sta. Maria Church the moment you foot set upon Ilocos Sur in the Philippines, specifically at the Municipality of Sta.Maria Ilocos Sur where Sta. Maria Church is located.

Another cultural heritage that can be found at Ilocus Sur Philippines is the Tirad Pass National Shrine. Tirad Pass is known as the last stand or last defense fortress of General Emilio Aguinaldo’s revolutionary forces. The young Filipino general whom General Emilio Aguinaldo has appointed to head over the forces to defend Tirad Pass is the young General named Gregorio Del Pilar. This National Shrine is located at Municipality of Conception which now known as the Municipality of Gregorio Del Pilar.

Another cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur in the Philippines is the Bessang Pass. Bessang Pass is the last stronghold of the Japanese occupation in the Philippines which fall at the hands of the forces of the United States. Actually, Bessang Pass is a controversial place at the time of Marcos Regime. This is so because President Ferdinand Marcos then claims that he is the “real hero” of the Bessang Pass which sparks shocks among the real Filipinos who suffer and fight at the place itself. Even the guerillas then were shock because they never see any President Ferdinand Marcos trace at the site. They even thought that President Ferdinand Marcos was at Nueva Viscaya Philippines then. But President Ferdinand Marcos then insist that he is the real hero behind it, and since he is dictator leader then no one can rebuke him. But until a late military man named Col. Bonifacio Gillego who becomes a congressman then make a probe of President Ferdinand Marcos claim. He has discovered at the archives of US military that indeed President Ferdinand Marcos is a big Liar or a real fake hero of Bessang Pass.

The Nostalgic Vigan City Philippines

The moment you step in into this city, a nostalgia of Spanish era in the

Philippines will flashback your soul in this era in the Philippines as if you

immediately return into the past life and settings of the Philippines during the

Spanish times. That is the thrill Vigan City Philippines will give you once you

visit this city. Both local of the Philippines and foreigners who visit this

place were awe by the nostalgic beauty of Vigan City Philippines and exclaim “It

is a place no other”.

The landscape of the whole city or town is all dressed up during the Spanish era

in the Philippines. The town is filled with antiquated houses with a blend of

Spanish, Latin American, European and Asian architecture with cobbled narrow

streets and calesas. However, these ancestral houses were built by the Chinese

taipans at that time but manage to survive during World War II. You could see

these 180 ancestral houses and other historical landmarks strung altogether at

Mestizo District.

Moreover, did you know that Vigan’s historical town was place by UNESCO World

Heritage Convention side by side with the Pyramids of Egypt, Taj Mahal of India,

The Great Wall of China, and other famous world heritage? Yes, you heard it

right, UNESCO World Heritage Convention did. At December 2, 1999 UNESCO World

Heritage Convention inscribed Vigan City among the list of World Heritage

Cultural Properties for the exceptional and universal beauty of Vigan’s historic

town.

So, where is Vigan City in the Philippines located and how to get there? Vigan city

Philippines is located at the northern Luzon Philippines at the province of

Ilocos Sur Philippines. It is 408 kilometers away from Manila Philippines, 139

kilometers away from San Fernando La union Philippines and 80 kilometers away

from Laog city Philippines.

Once you get there, you can either ride their calesas or jeep or tricyle to tour

the town. Moreover, if you like to stay for few days in Vigan’s historic town,

you can pay for board and lodging there at the historical town. For some

ancestral houses there were turn into hotel for the accommodations of some

tourist who want to stay for few days at the area. However, there are also hotels

in Vigan city which of rural settings if you don’t like to stay at the ancestral

houses. However, there are also resorts accommodations in rural settings if you

don’t want to feel the nostalgia effect of the town.

Aside from nostalgic Vigan’s historical town, you could also witness the Burnay

Industry or Vigan’s earthenware jars process how a potter’s hand molds

earthenware. Is that exciting to see? Moreover, we could also see the art of

“abel-weaving”. Abel-weaving is the art of making fabrics using a wooden handloom

and other accessories use in it to produce clothings, blankets, etc. It is one of

the industrial prides of Vigan City aside from earthenware jar making.

There is also the “damili” industry or the terra-cotta craft which indigenous

people of Vigan city in the Philippines made and produces cooking pots, water vessels, charcoal-fed

-cooking stoves, etc.