Konted's Make My Day 2: laguna de bay

Showing posts with label laguna de bay. Show all posts

Wednesday, 17 April 2019

7 Ancient Churches In 7 Lake Shore Towns

It was high noon. About 6 fishermen were in a huddle at a small port of Laguna de Bay. With one acting as the leader, they were discussing their task of setting up a fish cage. I was a plain kibitzer, looking at the fish nets. I was there at the port with two ladies, past their prime, tagging along and looking pleased with their lunch of fresh water fish at a nearby eatery.

I usually travel alone but, this time, the ladies were insistent in joining as I took the Manila East Road en route to Laguna de Bay. That early, we had visited the old churches of Morong, Baras and Tanay.

From the looks of it, St Jerome Church in Morong remains to be the most visited. It is the oldest in the province of Rizal, having been built by the Franciscan Fathers in 1615.

At the St.Joseph Church in Baras and at San Ildefonso de Toledo Parish in Tanay, we took the trouble of taking the narrow, steep stairs at the back of the retablo leading to the belfry.

With good roads, we easily traversed the mountain that connects Rizal province to Laguna. Atop a hill in Mabitac is the Our Lady of Candelaria Church. It overlooks the town proper and the wide green fields.

Two towns away is The Our Lady of Nativity Church in Pangil. As a religious practice, it being Holy Tuesday, most statues were then covered by purple cloth and my two female companions could not get a glimpse of The Pregnant Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I looked for the church helper and told him of our predicament. In no time, he acceded to our request to have a clear view of the much talked about icon.

Over at Pakil, also in Laguna, noteworthy was the retablo of The Our Lady of Turumba Church with 14 icons housed in it. Not to mention the side altars.

At the neighboring town of Paete, all doors of the old church of St. James the Apostle were open. Statues of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary, the Crucified Christ and the Two Thieves and Mary Magdalene could be seen.

At exactly 2:30 PM, we were counting. We had visited 7 churches and we had reached our target. After a brief walk at the town plaza of Paete, we boarded our bantam, turned right at the highway and headed home. It was a day well spent. And as I have always been saying, we surely will be back. Like the swallows of Capistrano.

Konted

Our Lady of Turumba in Pakil, Laguna

Our Lady of Turumba is also known as Our Lady of Sorrows.

Our Lady of Turumba Church's retablo and the side altars. The retablo houses 14 saints plus a statue of St. Michael at the top.

Souvenir shot

Hats for sale at Pakil's town plaza which is right across the church

Made of papier mache

St. James the Apostle Church in Paete, Laguna

Wooden religious carvings for sale in front of the church

Church interior

Most statues have been covered by purple cloth.

At the town plaza of Paete

The Our Lady of Nativity Church in Pangil, Laguna

The Pregnant Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Souvenir shot again for the two ladies

Our Lady of Candelaria Church in Mabitac, Laguna

Our Lady of Candelaria Church is perched on a hill.

For sale in front of the church

Church interior

Steep climb to Our Lady of Candelaria Church

St.Jerome Church in Morong, Rizal.

St. Jerome Church, or San Geronimo, is the oldest church in Rizal province.

Church courtyard

In deep prayer

Also in deep prayer

St. Joseph Church in Baras, Rizal

Church interior

Stairway leading to the back of the retablo.

San Ildefonso de Toledo Church in Tanay, Rizal

Their nth souvenir shot. Let them be.

San Ildefonso de Toledo Church in Tanay, Rizal is also known for their Stations of the Cross.

Beautiful retablo. It rivals that of Our Lady of Turumba in Pakil, Laguna.

Leading to the church's belfry

Famous for their fresh water fish. Since 1967.

Craving satisfied

Kanduli sa Miso

Ginataang Hipon

Pritong Dalag

Port of Laguna de Bay known as Parola

Also at Parola in Tanay, Rizal

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Saturday, 31 October 2015

Steaming Hot Bulalo At Aviles

Steaming Hot Bulalo At Aviles

Our craving for Bulalo was strong that day. Hunger plus intense desire for that Filipino dish made it a top priority that precise moment. Tender beef shanks, still clinging to the big bone, occupied a great portion of the big bowl of beef broth which was served piping hot. Wild onion leaves, cut into small portions, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper made it all the more tempting. And noticeable was a stick placed on top of the bowl used to take out the marrow.

Serving the best Bulalo in the Philippines is Aviles Restaurant located near the foothills of the famed Mount Makiling. As you turn left at the farthest end of South Luzon Expressway, Aviles Resto is at the left side of the national road as you approach the town proper of Calamba, Laguna. Ask any bystander or trike driver, for sure he knows the exact location. Aviles has become as popular as Jose Rizal's birthplace in Calamba.

As we were slurping the broth, which was really hot that it could burn your tongue, tawilis, skewered onto pointed bamboo sticks, were served. Tawilis is a small freshwater sardine that can be harvested only in Taal Lake in Batangas. With steaming rice and hot beef broth, the goodness of Taal's rare fish is enhanced. From time to time, pieces of beef shanks were dipped in soy sauce with kalamansi. And trying a bit of bone marrow was an experience in itself. It was a hearty meal and so good that everyone was talking about it as we continued to make the loop around Laguna de Bay.

- Konted

Aviles Resto's Bulalo

Tawilis

Bulalo and Tawilis make a good pair.

Aviles Resto in Calamba, Laguna

Tawilis can be found only at Taal Lake in Batangas.

Sunday, 6 January 2013

Old Churches In The Towns of Rizal

Old Churches In The Towns of Rizal

Last Tuesday was supposed to be my brisk walking exercise day. A day when I was scheduled to walk along the riverbanks and through the streets of Marikina to shed off some pounds. But my Achilles tendon was still hurting and I felt somewhat sluggish. I opted to skip it and instead headed for the Manila East Road which would take me to the ancient churches located in the towns of Rizal province.

Ignoring somebody's remark that I was prone to making spur-of the -moment decisions, I reached the Binanganonan-Cardona boundary at exactly 2:00 PM, just when the temperature was at 36 degrees. I had made brief stopovers in the old churches of Cainta, Taytay, Angono and Binangonan. And as I negotiated that steep winding road, Laguna de Bay appeared on the horizon. Much as I wanted to stop on the road shoulder, I could not do so as there were two buses following me and that would surely flare up the temper of the bus drivers.

I continued driving and took my time until I reached an intersection where an arrow pointed that Koala Bay Resort was to my right and, for me, this was a clear indication that I was on the right track. I got there in less than 2 minutes but I couldn't pass through a steel gate where a burly security guard was manning the entry and exit points. I had no sticker, no nothing, to show the guard but quickly made the pretext that I was looking for a big venue for my youngest son's wedding scheduled for next month and would he please help me. Much to my delight, he made the hand signal to proceed to the summit where the office was supposed to be located. And reaching that point, I was captivated by the panoramic view of Laguna de Bay.

It was a vantage point where one could see numerous fish pens with Talim Island in the background. I could feel the breeze on my face. I reached for my digicam and began shooting. You see, I love my digicam more than I love my wife. I take to my camera as hunters to their rifles. I took about ten successive shots. It was an accidental good discovery which some writers term as serendipity. And I was to learn later that the place is owned by radio broadcaster Joe Taruc. Nice find, indeed.

My next stop was at the historic Morong church. It is the oldest in Rizal, having been constructed in 1615. It has a tropical baroque architecture and bullet marks are evident on its walls caused by intense gunfire exchanges between the KKK and Spanish soldiers. There was an activity inside the Church where two people were singing alternately but I couldn't comprehend what they were uttering. The religious icons were being cleaned and the only one visible was the statue of Jesus Christ carrying a heavy cross. I took the middle aisle as I headed for the exit, projecting a face that looked forlorn.

With Baras as the next town, I had to ask for directions from trike drivers as to the location of the old Baras church. This Church was a favorite of movie actor Fernando Poe, Jr. when doing scenes where the townspeople were shown carrying torches and running after an outlaw who sought refuge in the church belfry. The interior of the church is well kept and has quaintness as its major description. It was erected in 1686. But at the town plaza, I saw a big statue of a gladiator atop a big horse. Were there gladiators in Rizal province in the olden times?

Fifteen minutes away was the Church of Tanay with San Ildefonso as patron saint. Tanay Church owns the distinction of having the most number of religious icons at its altar but, at that moment, they were veiled in shiny, smooth suede. There is a hidden passage at the back of the altar that leads to the belfry. It reminded me of the mythical hunchback who would stay there for countless hours, and even days, and his primary duty was to remind the faithful of forthcoming masses and novenas. Though he was a regular fixture, most youngsters feared him for his looks.

Glancing at my watch, it had been two and a half hours of driving and moving around and I thought, for my last itinerary, that I might as well drive to the Lighthouse of Laguna de Bay which was just a few minutes away. Local residents call it Parola and it is here where wooden bancas are moored near its jetty. I chanced upon two fishermen unloading buckets of Big Heads as helpers of a fish cannery were mixing crushed ice to these highly perishable items. Gazing at the tranquil waters of the lake, I sat quietly in my car, listening to sax music by various artists........Can't Be with You Tonight, Right Here Waiting, Wonderful Tonight, Autumn Leaves. Something in the Way She Moves, The Way We Were, etc.

And to cap my day, I walked to a nearby seafood eatery and asked for Sinigang na Kanduli sa Miso and fried porkchop. Kanduli sa Miso is the specialty of the house, and true enough, it was delectable and much better than the ones you eat at Barrio Fiesta or Kamayan. Nothing was left to what was served and after washing, I asked for my bill. You know how much I paid? P127. And how much was my gasoline to and from Marikina? P400 !! Everything indeed was a bargain on that Tuesday afternoon.

And as I was manuevering my car, teenage boys were playing basketball. I stopped for awhile. One was a dead shot. He was scoring with impunity from the outside. Knowing I was watching, he turned conscious but I gave him the thumbs up. I started moving and headed for the national road for my 45 km trip back to Marikina. All by my lonesome.

- Konted

The Our Lady Of Light Church in the town of Cainta

While the church had undergone renovation, the old facade has been retained.

Cainta Church's new altar

Golden Shower tree at the church courtyard

St. John The Baptist Church in Taytay, Rizal is perched on a hill.

Retaining its old facade

Church interior has been remodeled.

Painted window glass panels

Story of the Church of Taytay

Native birds for sale in front of the church

St. Clement Parish Church in Angono . Construction of the church started in 1877. There is a fluvial procession in honor of St. Clement during the annual fiesta celebration.