INQUIRER.NET reporter Erwin Oliva gives a quick tour of a roro (roll-on, roll-off) vessel, a boat that can carry vehicles across islands.
It took at least an hour to get from Hagnaya wharf to the town of Sante Fe on Bantayan island.
By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net
THE FRESH, cool, and crisp air of the province welcomed us as we were on our way to Nagcarlan, Laguna. Away from the towers in the metro, our eyes were refreshed by the greens of the trees and farmlands. Long trips can make your legs numb but it can make your brain wander in a wilderness of thoughts and daydreams.
Numbness went away when we started exercising our legs and feet for a walk to the underground cemetery in Barangay Bambang, Nagcarlan, Laguna. Though All Souls’ Day is in November, people visit the graveyard because it belongs to the list of our country’s National Historical Landmarks.
The brick and stone walls and iron-gate gave the feel of baroque architecture. As we went towards the old chapel, the tour guide talked about how the underground cemetery became a national landmark. She said the crypt below the chapel served as a secret meeting place of the Katipuneros during the Spanish rule. It was believed that the pact of Biac na Bato was first planned in the said area.
Here’s a video we took of the underground cemetery.
By Candice Montenegro, Contributor
INQUIRER.net
FOR SOMEONE like me who lives right smack in the middle of Quezon City, the Alabang area is practically unknown territory. Malls, restaurants, and other commercial establishments are within a 30-minute drive, so except for the occasional road trip to visit friends, there usually is no need for me to travel down south.
Café Año gave me a reason to.
The quaint little restaurant is hard to miss. Located in Westgate, Filinvest Alabang, Café Año is right next to Alabang Town Center and is just a few kilometers away from nearby village Ayala Alabang.
I interviewed Café Año president Dionnie Guerrero. Check out the video.
By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net
ASK for a P1,000 bill. Browse your old Araling Panlipunan book. Surely, you will see the sketch of the Banaue Rice Terraces. Yet seeing the greens with your own two eyes would mean a guessing game on which is which. You will be surprised to see many terraces in Banaue, Ifugao.
The one sketched in a P1,000 bill is the terraces located in what they call the view deck, near the town proper of Banaue. You would not only have the chance to see the staircase-like mountain, but you may also walk directly into the rice paddies.
The view deck at Banaue View Point can be easily accessed through a short tricycle ride from the town proper.
By Fung Yu, Contributor
INQUIRER.net
Author’s note: This article uses Apple’s QuickTime and Adobe Flash in providing an immersive experience by means of virtual reality technology. QuickTime and/or Flash are required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.3MB each.
“A LOT of hot air!”
That was what I told my friends when they asked me after I got back from attending the 12th International Hot Air Balloon Festival. They were supposed to go with us that morning, but the thought of waking up and being on the road at 3 in the morning was surely a tough one.
The pleasant drive towards Clark Freeport Zone, where the festival is always held, took about an hour from Manila. Officially, this was my third time to attend the balloon festival.
For the uninitiated, the balloon flight always takes place early in the morning or late in the afternoon. This is because in order for a balloon to generate lift, there should be a significant difference in temperature between the ambient air and the air inside the balloon. With hot air being lighter than cold air, the lower temperature early in the morning and late in the afternoon serves to make the balloons more buoyant.
INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla went to the Port Area in Manila to check out the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s Gwapotel inn, the country’s version of Japan’s capsule hotels, a type of cheap accommodation.
So, is Gwapotel any good? Watch the video and judge for yourself.
INQUIRER.NET multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla checks out the different attractions Tiendesitas has to offer — and ends her tour with a kalesa ride. Video taken by Luigi Gonzalez and Erika Tapalla.
Plus here’s a video of the pet store that sells exotic animals which Erika visited at Tiendesitas. Video taken by Ayo Supangco.
By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net
CEBU, Philippines–I have never been to an SM mall this spacious. Not even that overly hyped Mall of Asia sitting near (no, on top of) Manila Bay.
While covering a Smart event held at SM Cebu, I got to kill some time in the recently opened North Wing. The picture above was taken from the second floor. Also this one below but from the other side — and on a different day, spot the difference yet?
ONE of the organizers of the Salcedo Community Market, Tricia Lichauco, recounts how the market was established and gives INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla a tour.
For more videos, visit INQUIRER.net VDO.
By Fung Yu, Contributor
INQUIRER.net
Author’s note: This article uses Apple’s QuickTime and Adobe Flash in providing an immersive experience by means of virtual reality technology. QuickTime and/or Flash are required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2MB each.
DOULOS (from the Greek word meaning “servant”), the “floating library,” visited the Philippines for two months — initially for the annual dry dock maintenance in the port of Batangas, then in Manila and Subic Bay for the onboard book fair and other community activities.
Built in 1914, just two years after the sinking of the RMS Titanic, the M/V Doulos is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest active ocean-going passenger ship.
I caught up with the Doulos on a fine Saturday as she was docked at the port of Subic Bay; having missed her in Manila last December, this could very well be my very last chance to tour the ship. The first thing you notice when you step aboard is her friendly crew; a smile at every turn, a greeting in every corner. With a crew composed of various nationalities, bringing to the fore social and cultural diversity, it is indeed a heartwarming sight to see them working toward a common purpose.
