Tagatay: Tierra de Maria

Tierra de Maria in Tagaytay City

Home of the 50-feet image of Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth.

The 50-feet statue of Mother Mary

The Wedding at Cana Wishing Well

so Catholic and so Filipino...
a place where you can light a candle, say a prayer
and ask for God's blessings for your intentions and wishes

I wanted to take photos of the chapel at Tierra de Maria but did not want to disturb the solemnity of the place.

Tagaytay: Bulalo sa Mahogany

This is the reason why we go to the Mahogany Market whenever we are in Tagaytay... the BULALO.

Bulalo, as we call it in the Philippines, is a soup made by continuously boiling beef shank and meat until meat is tender and the flavor comes out. The marrow inside the beef shank makes the soup so flavorful. You would just love a taste of this hot soup while enjoying the cool breeze of Tagaytay. Bulalo at Mahogany Market costs around P280.00 and is good for 4-5 persons.

Tagaytay: Taal Volcano

My son who is now on 1st Grade kept on asking "Mommy, saan ba may volcano?" (Mommy, where can you find a volcano?) and Tagaytay was the nearest we can go to and see a volcano. Though we were short on budget, my husband and I decided to bring the kids to Tagaytay.

Tagaytay is about an hour and a half drive from Metro Manila. People from the metro frequent this place because it is the nearest you can go to to experience a cooler climate, a very beautiful view of the Taal Volcano, with lots of interesting places to visit.

We took the usual route which was via SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) passing through Sta. Rosa, Laguna. As soon as we got to Tagaytay I pointed out to my eldest where the Taal Volcano was. He then asked "Bakit walang usok at yung pula na lumalabas sa volcano?" (Why is there no smoke and the red thing coming out from the volcano). He was quite expecting to see how the teacher described a volcano, an erupting volcano. :-) A little bit confused but he still insisted "Mommy, dapat kunan mo ako ng picture kasama yung volcano kasi ipapakita ko yan kay teacher." (Mommy, you need to take a photo of me with the volcano so that I can show it to my teacher.)

This was not the first time that we've been to Tagaytay but then it was quite a new experience again. Both my children are now more observant of the places we go to, naming landforms, asking questions on what they learn from school... This time our trip was a lesson on Civics... :-)

1st Coke Philippines International Coastal Clean-Up

Saw this event from a post made by Mr. Eric Tipon at www.mypinoy.com

You can also find more information at 

http://earthnews.pinaymom.org/2008/09/1st-coke-philippines-international-coastal-clean-up/

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_icc

Join the 1st Coke Philippines International Coastal Clean-Up on Sept. 20, 2008 SAT 6AM, and help start a sea change.

The International Coastal Cleanup, organized by The Ocean Conservancy, is the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind. Last year, 378,000 volunteers from 76 countries and 45 states cleared six million pounds of trash from oceans and waterways and recorded every piece of trash collected.

This September 20, 2008, Saturday at 6AM, Coca-Cola Philippines invites you, your family & friends to be one with us and thousands of volunteers world-wide in a globally-coordinated event, as we clean up an area of the Manila Bay in San Dionisio, Paranaque located near the Cavite Coastal Road to demonstrate our commitment to clean oceans and waterways.

The event is expected to begin at 6AM in the morning, and will finish before lunch-time.

To join, simply form a team of your friends and group yourselves into a team of FOUR (4) members each.

Among yourselves, please select a Team Leader with whom we can coordinate with and pass on the event-related materials, forms, and other updates.

There is no limit to the number of teams you can form!

Once you have formed your team, please send me a list of your team members complete with cellphone #’s and email addresses.

We would to like to get a headcount for this activity that we may coordinate better with the Ocean Conservancy’s Philippine Coordinating Organization, the International Marinelife Alliance Philippines (IMAP), and the DENR.

Once I receive your list, I will immediately send you a PowerPt Presentation which will provide you and your team more information on what items to bring with you on Sept. 20.

For more information, you can also visit The Ocean Conservancy Website at http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_icc

or contact me at the following :

Victor Z. Manlapaz

Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc.
Project Officer, Environment
Tel.: (02) 866-2582
Fax: (02) 866-2398
Mobile: (0917) 886-6054
Email: victor.manlapaz @ ccbp.com.ph

Tarsier

Picture Taken at Bohol, Philippines

Kamayan sa Palaisdaan (Part Two)

We visited Kamayan sa Palaisdaan again last Monday. As I mentioned in my first post on this place, table reservations and advanced food orders are highly recommended. Here are some of my not-so-good comments on this resto, still, the place is still worth visiting...

Does being a "famous" and "talked about" restaurant mean it's okay to sacrifice the quality of service??? Yeah, right, you have lots of customers... so, that does justify the poor and very slow service that you give your clients. Or does the word "SERVICE" even ring a bell to the management of this restaurant.

I just don't know how many times we have eaten in this restaurant, 10? 20? I guess more. It has been a traditional spot for families in Quezon to frequent the place because of its good food, reasonable price and relaxing ambiance. But during our visits, more than 60% of the time have we seen ranting customers complaining of the very slow service that they give, counting also the times that I was actually the one complaining. Personally, the slow service does not affect me anymore because we already got used to the system of calling in advance for table reservations and food order (as I have mentioned for the nth time in my posts). If you're a local of the place then maybe the poor service will not affect you that much anymore as you're already "so used to it".

It's just so sad to see people coming from faraway places just to visit the restaurant and end up very disappointed. How can we promote a very beautiful place that is almost a landmark to Tayabas, Quezon if the quality of service is just so poor???

Maybe I am just exaggerating but here are a few (very few of all that we experienced so far) examples of poor service in this restaurant and I'll let you be the judge:

• 30-minute wait to get a table
• 10-15 minutes to have a waiter visit your dining area and take your order
• almost an hour (if not an hour) wait for food to be served
• try to ask for spoon and fork (well, sorry but yes, customers sometimes still need spoon and fork even if it's supposed to be "kamayan" specially the ones with young children) and see if it will ever arrive. Yes, your request will be accommodated after asking for it 10 times and waiting for another 30 minutes. huh!
• ask for water and the same thing happens, wait another 15-30 minutes for it to be served!!! Yes, management of kamayan, your customers need "water" so that they will not choke to death.
  
• always check your bill before your pay for it... sometimes there are orders that gets placed under your bill even if it was from another table

Sad but true... these are my first-hand encounters in this restaurant. During our last visit, a lady I bumped unto in the washroom was so disappointed and furious that she was asking how can people even promote this place and be proud of it, SERVICE IS SO POOR, and that they will never ever return to this place nor will she ever recommend it to anybody! They traveled from Manila and ended up experiencing the stuff that sounded so familiar to me (the ones I mentioned above, hehe).

To the locals and frequent visitors of the place, please don't get upset with my post. I feel just the same as you do... I love the place, I really do, and it also hurts me when I see disappointed travelers and visitors ranting against the restaurant. I hope the management of Kamayan sa Palaisdaan will try to do something with the service that they offer their clients.

Well, as for me, I just don't complain. I have tried to talk to somebody from the management which I think was one of the managers or head of the waiters and expressed this concern.

As for the management of Kamayan sa Palaisdaan... I just hope you'll do something to improve the quality of service you give. Remember, you always boast of your Department of Tourism accreditation meaning you want tourists or travelers, may they be local or foreign, to frequent your place. How can they recommend your restaurant if your service is so slow and poor.

And to be fair with the Kamayan sa Palaisdaan management, the restaurant still has good food, reasonable price and worth visiting... just make sure you CALL IN FOR A TABLE RESERVATION AND ADVANCED FOOD ORDER!

Walang Ganyan sa States! - Photo Contest 2008

View my entries for the "Walang Ganyan sa States! - Photo Contest 2008" at www.photo.net.ph

• The Baptism of Jesus

http://www.photo.net.ph/displayimage-55627.html

• Kamayan sa Palaisdaan

http://www.photo.net.ph/displayimage-55626.html

• Luneta

http://www.photo.net.ph/displayimage-55615.html

• Tarsier

http://www.photo.net.ph/displayimage-55614.html

• Sunset at Malapascua

http://www.photo.net.ph/displayimage-55613.html

Destination Quezon: Kamay ni Hesus

Our family is Catholic by religion so every time we eat in Kamayan sa Palaisdaan our next stop would be to pass by Kamay ni Hesus in Lucban, Quezon. It was founded by the famous healing priest of Quezon, Father Joey Faller. Many Catholic devotees travel a long way to visit this healing center. Healing Masses are held usually every Mondays and Saturdays but it would be best to contact their office if you want to make sure that there would be a healing mass when you get there.

The first few times we've visited the place, there was only the grotto where you have to climb 292 steps to reach the top. At the top of the grotto you'll find the biggest statue of Jesus. My children were so amazed with the life-size statues of the Stations of the Cross. Good for my kids, they were able to climb the grotto. But as for me, I'd prefer to view them from afar. Imagine climbing those 292 steps!!!???

Recently, another section of the healing center was completed which was called "Luklukan ni Maria". This area of the center is dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, where you will find life-size statues representing the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Photos here were taken in Luklukan ni Maria. There were also several buildings in the area which I think are meant to be retreat centers.

This is a very ideal place for prayers and reflection.

Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center (Hands of Jesus)
Lucban, Quezon, Philippines
http://www.kamaynihesus.com/
Tel. No. +63 42 5403085

Destination Quezon: Kamayan sa Palaisdaan

If you happen to be in the area of Quezon Province, Philippines this restaurant is a "must" to visit and dine.

"Kamayan" is a Filipino term that would mean "eating by hands" and "Palaisdaan" means fishpond. The restaurant's unique ambiance is what it boasts of. Here you will be able to experience dining in huts floating on a pond. The restaurant is situated in Tayabas, Quezon where they always have a cool climate. Lush vegetation surround the place that makes it very relaxing for the busy mind.

The restaurant only serves Filipino dish but for sure you will be more than satisfied with the fresh fish that they will serve may it be inihaw (grilled) or ginataan (cooked in coconut milk). Our order whenever we dine there would consist of "inihaw na spareribs" (grilled spareribs) as this is very famous to the kids, inihaw or ginataan na pla-pla (fish) and ginataan na suso (snails) with pako (fiddlehead ferns).


One advise though, if you're planning to visit the place on weekends or peak days such as local holidays, be ready to wait for long serving time. This happened to us several times already. I also strongly suggest to call them for table reservation and advance food order during peak season.

Kamayan sa Palaisdaan
Brgy. Dapdap Tayabas, Quezon, Philippines
Tel. No.: (042) 793-3654
email: info@kamayansapalaisdaan.com.ph
www.kamayansapalaisdaan.com.ph

Destination Quezon

I've been raised in the hustle and bustle of the city in Manila. It is only during vacation trips that we get to see scenic places of the rural side and feel the freshness of the air. But when I got married I also adopted a second hometown... Quezon.

My first few trips to Lucena were exciting and fun since the place was all new to me. But as we frequent the place, I had to explore new destinations in Lucena or the nearby towns to make our stay in Quezon more enjoyable. My next few blogs will most probably be about places in Quezon that we've visited. I hope you also get to go there and enjoy the places.

San Miguel By the Bay

This is one of the favorite places that my children love to go to. It's like an improved version of Baywalk in Roxas Boulevard before and is more family-centered. Large spaces bounded by steel fences and several playgrounds in different spots makes it child-friendly. My children can run around, play and just have fun...


But, of course, the place won't be as much fun if there were no food places around. There are quite a number of restaurants now offering a wide variety of cuisine. There is the famous "Seaside Palutuan" where you get to buy fresh seafood from the market and have them cooked and served the way you like it. You will also find here the American bar and restaurant "Hooters" and several other bars such as Padi's Point and Pier One. Many other restaurants are mushrooming in the area and the last I noticed was of course a "Starbucks" soon to open.

Best thing in the area are the clean and well-maintained restrooms. Security personnel are also very visible everywhere which makes you feel safe and secure. There is also now a tram that services people who want to avoid the long walk of the whole San Miguel by the Bay strip.

Passing Down Our Heritage

Many people nowadays, specially the younger generation, miss the real meaning of the Rizal Park also known as Luneta Park. They now think of it as a place where only "lovers" stroll around for a date, the younger ones would say it's "baduy"(pinoy slang for low-class; uncouth; unfashionable; having mass appeal; similar to jologs) to go there, or worst, a place for pimping prostitutes. This is very sad as this place is an important part of our cultural heritage.

Last Sunday we decided to bring the kids to Luneta instead of going to the mall. I have not been to the place for the longest time and I was so happy to see that the landscaping of the place is still well-maintained. Flowering plants surrounded the park. Security guards roam the place to make sure that the place is safe from common street crimes. The park was clean and rubbish-free though we did not get to see if there's a clean restroom in the area. There is a light and sound show of the martyrdom of Rizal and the Chinese Garden which you can visit for a minimal fee (no idea how the places were since we did not go inside). My husband and I took turns explaining to the children who Jose Rizal was and why he became the Philippine National Hero. What made me really so happy was seeing other families doing the same thing as we were, touring the place and informing the young ones the real meaning of this historical landmark. Wow, our visit was just like a school field trip, bringing memories of those educational trips when you get to see Luneta Park year after year as it was always included in the field trip itinerary during our grade school years.

The idea of bringing my kids to Luneta came to mind like two weeks ago. We were driving by Taft Ave. on our way to a friend's house in Fort Bonifacio after hearing Mass in Quiapo Church. The kids and I were looking at the places that we pass by and I eagerly gave them a brief introduction of the places which were new to them. We passed by the Philippine Post Office with its majestic fountain, Manila City Hall which is very remarkable with its big clock then the Luneta Park. I told them that the Luneta Park is where Jose Rizal was shot and asked them if they knew who Jose Rizal was. "Oo, mommy, siya ang may-ari ng school namin." ("Of course, he is the owner of our school"), a quick and excited answer given by my son which made me and my husband laugh so hard. But after the laughter came the concern (very typical of a mom...hehe). How can my son, who's in 1st grade in a school named after our national hero, don't know who Jose Rizal is??? So I told my husband we should take time to bring the children to places where they will learn and appreciate more about our country's culture and history. This way we can pass down our cultural heritage to the younger generation.

Thanks to pinoyslang.com for the definition of "baduy". :-)