Or, if you’re just up for a random discovery of the beautiful Batangas, you can pick any of these daily adventures and mark your calendars as you wish!

This one’s really exciting, don’t you think? The clock’s ticking so go now!

30 Days to Explore Batangas

Day 1 Eat lomi
Day 2 Dive in Anilao
Day 3 Hear mass at the San Sebastian Cathedral
Day 4 Trek Mt. Gulugod Baboy in Mabini
Day 5 Climb up to Taal Volcano crater
Day 6 Go skimboarding in Nasugbu
Day 7 Have lunch on a balsa in Matabungkay beach
Day 8 Start your morning with a cup of kapeng barako
Day 9 Try halo-halo with lambanog in Casa Rap
Day 10 Speed up at the Batangas Racing Circuit
Day 11 Have bulalo for dinner
Day 12 Learn more about our Batangueño heroes
Day 13 Jose Rizal – Segunda Katigbak love story, one more time
Day 14 End your day with a bowl of goto
Day 15 Take sunset shots in Balete
Day 16 Learn the process of making Balayan bagoong
Day 17 Visit the Batangas Provincial Capitol Building
Day 18 Learn how to dance the ‘Subli’
Day 19 Visit the Jaybanga Rice Terraces in Lobo
Day 20 Cook sinaing na tulingan for lunch
Day 21 Learn 10 Batangueño words unfamiliar to you
Day 22 Witness actual cattle trading in Padre Garcia Livestock Auction Market
Day 23 Watch a panday make the famous balisong of Taal
Day 24 Visit the Calatagan mangrove forest
Day 25 Buy clay pots in San Juan
Day 26 Light a candle in Basilica of St. Martin de Tours in Taal
Day 27 Enjoy a boat ride to Sepoc Island in Tingloy
Day 28 Have a laidback by-the-beach weekend in Laiya
Day 29 Smile for some Batangueño sweets
Day 30 Experience the merriest Parada ng Lechon in Balayan

Talking about summer, the nice beaches of Batangas would not be missed in planning for short vacations. Laiya in San Juan, for example, is always packed with beach bums in the whole stretch of the summer season. Perhaps because it has the most random array of resorts fit for any budget.

The beaches of Calatagan, Nagsugbu, and Lian draw thousands of beach-goers to the western part of the province. Water sports are Calatagan and Nasugbu’s main attractions while the very Pinoy ‘balsa’ (floating beach huts) in Matabungkay beach in Lian is one fun way to spend summer on the beach, literally.

A lot of the photo submissions were taken in Calatagan, Nasugbu, Laiya, Lobo, and Talisay (with the most number of photo senders).

Here are some of the destinations that Batangueños frequently visit during summer.

Lago de Oro, Calatagan, Batangas
Photo by Marie Joyce Ann Reate

Stilts Beach Resort, Calatagan, Batangas
Photo by Albert Cueto

Estrellas de Mendoza, Laiya, San Juan, Batangas
Photo by Maricel de Torres

Anilao, Mabini, Batangas
Photo by Nini Calingasan

Matabungkay Beach, Lian, Batangas
Photo by Archie Landicho

Terrazas de Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas
Photo by Jerome Natividad

To view more of the summer vacation trips (well, it’s summer anytime of the year in Batangas) of our fellow Batangueños, browse more pictures here.

From senators to municipal councilors, we get to decide who among the candidates should be elected so, as cliché-ish as it may sound, VOTE WISELY!

This is the 2013 Philippine election by the numbers. Learn how many electoral posts are available throughout the country according to newsinfo.inquirer.net.

12 – number of senators to be elected

233 – seats to be voted for in the House of Representatives

58 – for Party List representatives

80 – provincial governors

80 – provincial vice governors

766 – board members (Sangguniang Panlalawigan)

143 – city mayors

143 – city vice mayors

1,598 – members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council)

1,491 – municipal mayors

1,491 – municipal vice mayors

11,932 – members of the Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council)

1 – regional governor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)

1 – regional vice governor

24 – regional assemblymen

18,022 – national and local positions decided

For more information about the 2013 elections, visit the official website of the Commission on Elections. You might want to check out rappler.com as well as it has a quick guide on the list of all the candidates running for electoral posts (in case the COMELEC website loads on a snail’s pace on your browser).

Hashtag #BotoNgBarako on Twitter!
Twitter.com/wowbatangas

All items are on sale and you can get up to 60% off from the original prices! Not only that, credit card holders will surely smile at 0% installment for 12 months. There are several items on Buy 1 Take 1 promo as well.

But what’s more exciting in this End of Summer Sale are the bundle promos. You can purchase an entire dining room showcase, bedroom showcase, living room showcase, or the summer bundle promo of stylish random pieces for your home at very low prices! See tables below for details of the bundle promos.

Availing any of the bundle promos won’t give you a hard time putting furniture pieces together for either a home makeover or for furnishing a newly-constructed house. Now that’s both time-saving and money-saving, right?

This End of Summer Sale runs from May 1 to 31, 2013 in all Sylpauljoyce branches near you. Visit their main store at General Luna St., Sabang, Lipa City, Batangas. For inquiries, please call (043)784-1454.

Sylpauljoyce is also on Facebook! Like their page and get connected with the best furniture store in the region.

BUNDLE PROMOS

And check out more of the items on SALE!

D’ Intensity Breakers from Lipa City made it to the Top 12 of Pilipinas Got Talent Season 4. They amazed the nation with their stunts and unique dance moves.

The group got the highest percentage of votes during the quarter finals that automatically gave them a spot in the semifinals. Back in season one, D’ Intensity Breakers joined Pilipinas Got Talent Season 1 but they passed until the audition round only. If we join forces again, like what we did for El Gamma Penumbra last season, we can help bring D’ Intensity Breakers to the finals!

This group deserves a huge, safe to say from their moniker, an intense break in the entertainment industry. Let’s support D’ Intensity Breakers on the next round!

Watch their performance during quarter finals here:

Video courtesy of PGTOfficial on YouTube

We have featured Sepoc Island before, which can be found in Tingloy. The island is where a TV commercial for a popular corned tuna brand (endorsed by Kris Aquino) was shot and had also became the location for ABS-CBN fantaserye, Marina, topbilled by Claudine Barretto.

This photo story was sent to us by Julius Albert Cabrera of Lipa City. “Nagpunta kami sa Tingloy kasi ni-refer nung kabarkada namin na maganda mga white beach dun at maganda sa place na yun kaya na-try namin magpunta,” Julius shared.

My friends decided to travel to Tingloy, Batangas last May 2011 because one of our friends told us that the island has a lot to offer. And beside it’s just near and it won’t cost you too much.

This is a very scenic view at the top of Mt. mag-asawang Bato in Tingloy, Batangas.

We got there by a boat ride from Anilao.

Grotto and church in Tingloy

This is the long stretch of white sand shore in Masasa, Tingloy. We decided to camp and sleep here. The shore’s a little bit rocky because we went here just after a typhoon but it’s fine. It’s really amazing.

We happen to see a hermit crab while walking and it made me think that the place is really rich in biodiversity.

These are some scenic views while climbing and on top of Mt. Mag-asawang Bato. The mountain is not really that hard to reach because it’s very near the beach and I guess approximately 2-3 hours before you reach peak depending on what you are carrying. But nevertheless, the view on top will surely stun and amaze you. Tingloy’s natural wonders are simply amazing.

Some El Pasubat Festival 2013 events

It was not really the ‘quiet, no noise at all’ scenario at the time we arrived. Walking towards Taal park, we heard someone reciting something in full Tagalog over the microphone. We then found out there’s a play, where young Taaleños clad in barong Tagalog and baro’t saya were retelling stories of the lives of 5 important natives of Taal who made a mark in the Philippine history.

According to Arch. Robert Arambulo, Taal Tourism Coordinator, the play is basically about “Sinaunang Taal” depicting the lives of Juan Maningcad (Mamalakayan ng Pananampalataya), Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio (Godmother of the Philippine Revolution), Marcela Agoncillo (Ina ng Pambansang Watawat), Don Leon Apacible, and Jose W. Diokno.

Walking around, we saw Mr. Dindo Montenegro (one of the prime movers in promoting the rich cultural-historical background of Taal) who informed us that members of the Camera Club of the Philippines (an elite group, we were told) were in town for the annual on-the-spot photo contest of the organization.

It’s the 4th time that they chose Taal as subject/location for their OTS photo contest. They were all to produce black and white photos – all showcasing anything about Taal. They can go wherever they want, take photos they want to do it for the rest of the day. As a pleasing treat, they will of course get to experience local Taal dining with the Heritage Town’s trademark dishes such as adobo sa dilaw, tapang Taal, suman, tamales, and tinindag (barbecue drenched in atswete marinade) to name some.

Moving a few meters from Taal park is the Escuela Pia where the exhibit of burdang Taal (Taal embroidery) was held. On display were Filipinianas with intricate hand-embroidered designs dating back the Illustrado years (1870-1900) up to the modern era.

Revisiting the Villavicencio Wedding Gift House

In the first El Pasubat Festival, we were able to join some group of tourists in the Visita de las Casas (visiting heritage/ancestral houses). This time it’s kind of different as we can go search for an open house as long as they’re participating in the event.

The Villavicencio Wedding Gift House got a tarpaulin of the event on its gate so we went inside and found a group with a foreign tourist doing the house tour. The house, which was built in 1870, was Don Eulalio Villavicencio’s wedding gift to his bride, Doña Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio.

We took some photos and just like the first time, I got amazed by the huge mirrors hanging on the wall, facing each other. In the middle, an exquisite chandelier fit for hotels and mansions. Then we went downstairs and were about to leave when this lovely woman in white called us and ask us where we’re from. That’s Jocelyn Quiblat, a direct descendant of the Villavicencios.

Ms. Jocelyn was so enthusiastic in welcoming us even after probably realizing that she’s got to repeat her touring and stories one more time for us. She’s so nice she made her storytelling so lively it’s like a midday energy pill.

The Villavicencio couple was active in supporting the Philippine revolution. They donated the Bulusan steamship – first ship of the fledging Philippine navy. Being a very affluent clan, the family financed the printing of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in Hong Kong. Their responsibility was to distribute copies all over Batangas.

Vicente Ilustre, the Villavicencio couple’s son-in-law, was the first Senator of the Philippine Commission and was the inspiration of Rizal in the character of ‘Isagani’ in El Filibusterismo. Yes, they’re like buddy-buddy.

Majority of what you see in the house were personally used by the family and were all original. During the American period, the house was converted into hospital and there is still a hospital bed in there now. Ms. Jocelyn started the restoration of the house in late 1998 until 2003.

Aside from the huge mirrors and chandelier in the middle part of the house, other features no one would miss are the detailed Victorian-inspired wall decals on the second floor, the authentic azulejos tiles from Portugal which can be found on the other house entrance leading to main stairway, and the photos of Juan Luna’s paintings as gifts to the Villavicencios by Juan Luna himself.

The current modifications are for their bed & breakfast service. Yes, if you are planning to stay in Taal for two days and will be looking for a place to stay in, you can book a reservation at the Villavicencio Wedding Gift House where 6 persons can avail the family room for P6,500. P500 for every additional person and the rate is inclusive of a Taaleño breakfast, of course!

Galleria Taal, a photographer’s Disneyland

If you are a photographer or someone who fancies owning a collection of cameras, Galleria Taal could be your happiest place on earth. Like Disneyland for your kiddo. That’s if you don’t turn green with envy. Haha.

Galleria Taal is a camera museum, the first of its kind in the Philippines, is owned and managed by Mr. Manny Inumerable. Before it was transformed into a museum, it was the ancestral house of the Ilagan’s of Taal. Domingo Ilagan and Maria Martinez built their family here but years later, one of their children, Candida, got the sole ownership of the house after paying off her siblings.

Candida married Antonino Barrion, a lawyer and a delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention representing the 3rd district of Batangas and had three daughters including Nellie B. Inumerable, Sir Manny’s mother. When Candida passed away in 1975, the house was leased to tenants. Through the years, it got severe damages and in 2004, Sir Manny asked his mother to stop leasing the house and he’ll restore it instead.

What is so amazing here is that even the very old and apparently huge box cameras are still working! Around 100 different cameras from different eras (from 1800′s to 2000′s), brands, and places of origin are displayed on the second floor of the house.

Probably the collection that’s most precious? His Leica cameras. Leica is considered the mother of all cameras and according to Sir Manny, it’s like the Hermes of camera brands. Of course, there’s an extensive collection of Nikon, Canon, and other brands you may not have heard of before.

But it’s not just his camera collections that will leave you awe-inspired. Have you seen a genuine photograph of Jose Rizal’s execution? If you’re trying to be a historian, you should see that photo hanging on the wall of Galleria Taal.

See Manila in the year 1940s down to the time of the first EDSA Revolution. The old photographs show how old some people’s passion for photography is. And how our history is worthy of being unraveled, documented, and captured through the lens all these years.

If you wish to visit Galleria Taal, you may contact Sir Manny Inumerable at mannyinumerable@yahoo.com and +639189124051 or Dolores Bautista (museum caretaker) at +639067632449.

And that’s all for El Pasubat 2013 experience. Hope you’d get to re-visit Taal one more time as well.

April is Cancer in Children Awareness Month and in line with this, Mary Mediatrix Medical Center conducted a health talk earlier at the Lilian Magsino Hall with pediatrician and hematologist, Dr. Jocelyn Rosita, as resource speaker.

The discussion focused on leukemia in children. I got to converse with Dr. Rosita before the talk as she gave out an overview of the difference between leukemia in children and in adult.

“The clinical manifestations are the same but it differs with the treatment and the response to children. Usually, children are responsive to chemotherapy unlike adults. We can cure leukemia in children.”

“In leukemia, you don’t have stages. You just have types – acute and chronic – and then risk stratification. So you have to risk stratify them if they are good risk for treatment or they are poor risk for treatment. So that’s how we treat children.”

Although it is labeled as acute, this type of leukemia can be fatal if no treatment is done. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is common in children while acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the classification common among adults.

Clinical manifestations of leukemia include replacement of normal marrow elements, anemia, bleeding, infection, production of physiologically active substances, leukostasis and tissue infiltration.

Based on the 2005 Philippine Health Advisories Report from the Department of Health, leukemia is the leading cause of cancer among kids between 0 to 14 years old. The peak incidence of which is between 2 to 5 years of age.

Leukemia should be considered in a patient with fever, bleeding, lymphadenopathies, hepatosplenomegaly, and bone pains. Chemotherapy treatment will be from 2 1/2 to 3 years. Early detection and treatment is always the best way to survive the battle with leukemia and 70 – 80% of good risk patients can be cured if given proper treatment.

Students from St. Augustine School of Nursing – Lipa, parents who have children diagnosed with leukemia, and one of Dr. Rosita’s patient who is being supported by the Cancer Warriors Foundation, attended the discussion. This event is part of Mary Mediatrix Medical Center’s monthly health awareness seminars.

Keep posted for more health talks in the coming months only from MMMC.

Ambon-Ambon Falls (Groto)
Barangay Miranda, Talisay,Batangas
April 11, 2012

Ang Ambon-Ambon falls (Groto) ay matatagpuan sa Brgy. Miranda Talisay, Batangas. Last Ala Eh! Festival 2012 sumali ako sa photocontest para maipakita pa ang meron sa bayan namin at napili ko ang Ambon Ambon falls or ang tinatawag ng mga taong bayan sa amin na “GROTO”.

Naisipan kong umakyat ng bundok ng ako lang mag-isa para masaksihan ang view sa taas ng barangay ng Miranda. Halos naglakad ako mula sa amin ng 2 o 4 oras para makakuha lang ng pang-entry ko sa photo contest. Kahit hindi man eto nakapasok, nagpapasalamat parin ako na nakita ito ng mga mata ko. Dahil bawat kuha ng camera ko, para bang nasisiyahan ako sa nakuha kong view mula itaas. At nabigyan ko to ng description ayun sa [nasa] isip ko na gusto kong ipahiwatig sa makakakita nito at makakabasa para ma-inspire sila na bigyan halaga ang kalikasan at pati ipagmalaki ang meron sa bayan nila. Sa paglalakad, nag-isip ako ng mga salitang gagamitin upang ilarawan ang nakuhang picture.

Paraisong tinatago ng Lawa ng Taal (11/12/12)

Luntiang kapaligiran kasabay ng asul na kalangitan yumayapos sa kahalihalinang bulkang Taal at ang kabuuan nitong kagandahan ay lalong sumisilip sa pusod ng lawang likas ang kariktan. (Napayong Island, Bubuin Island, Taal Volcano, Mt. Maculot)

Natatago’t natatanging ganda (11/12/12)

Ragasa ng tubig na waring nagpahiwatig na ang kalikasan ay dapat iniibig, hindi ka na mapapalingon pag iyong nasilayan ang ganda ng talong Ambon-Ambon.

Bawat nakikita ng akin mata gusto kong bigyan ng nakaka-anting na kahulugan at dito ko naipapakita ang pagpapahalaga ko sa bawat nilikha sa ating mundo

Isang taon ang nakalipas, April 11, 2013:

Napakasarap balik-balikan ang falls kung may mga kaibigan kang handang masaksihan ang kakaibang falls na makakita pala sa Bayan ng Talisay, nag-try akong magvideo para maipakita ito sa mga Talisenyo na hindi pa din halos alam ng iba na meron nito sa bayan namin.

Nag-interview ako sa mga tao sa Brgy. Miranda ayun sa kwento nila kung bakit tinawag ding Groto ang Ambon-Ambon falls ay dahil nuon daw ay dinadasalan ito at may nakatayong groto, subalit ng dumaan ang bagyong Rosing, nasira ito.

You’ve read, heard, seen a lot of things about how we can protect Mother Earth and hopefully, we all get the sense of joining fun runs in support of environment protection and registering to non-profit organizations that promote eco-friendly projects.

If Batangueños don’t take such environmental protection moves seriously, we’d be losing a lot. Batangas is endowed with natural gems that we all take pride of. But it must not end there. Loving everything we have does not end in being proud of the natural wonders of the province. Being a responsible inhabitant of this piece of paradise we call Batangas is above all, the most important contribution we could extend to Mother Earth.

If in health matters we say prevention is better than cure, perhaps for nature we can say preservation is better than restoration, right? So that we’d still be able to see all these loveliness for as long as we’re here.

It’s time we do our part. Happy Earth Day!

Taal Volcano crater | Photo by Junel Mendoza

Calatagan beach | Photo by Aris Vertucio

Mt. Batulao | Photo by Maria Nina C. Leonoras

Lobo beach | Photo by Roel Valencia

Naambon Falls | Photo by Marilou R. Cuevas

Sunset in Nasugbu beach | Photo by John Henry Macalalad

The photos in this article were submitted for the B.E.S.T. (Batangas for Every Summer Trip) Photo Contest.