Libotero – Philippine Travel Photo Blog

Part 4 of the Libotero Baguio-Banaue Roadtrip series

DAY 1.

Inaugurated only last year, this 30-ft. Rotary Wheel by the Rotary Club of Hundred Islands (RCHI) can’t be missed when passing through the Marcos Highway in Pugo, La Union.

From La Union Province, one can take any of the 3 major roads up to Baguio City. These are the Marcos Highway (now the Aspiras-Palispis Highway), Naguilian Road and Kennon Road.

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Part 3 of the Libotero Baguio-Banaue Roadtrip series

DAY 1.

After our brief stopover in Luisita, Tarlac for breakfast, we immediately resumed our roadtrip. At 8:08am, we were at the roads once again.

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Part 32 of a series
DAY 4

We continued to drive south all the way to our home in Laguna and passed by these landmarks.

10:47am. St. Stephen Church in San Esteban, Ilocos Sur

11:08am. St. John of Sahagun Church in Candon, Ilocos Sur

11:14am. Candon City Hall

11:42am.The Amburayan Bridge, a reminder that we were finally exiting the province of Ilocos Sur.

11:47am. St. Christopher Bangarenos Church in Bangar, La Union.

11:55am. San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Balaoan, La Union.

1:02pm. St. William the Hermit Church in San Fernando, La Union.

1:17pm. Church in Bauang, La Union.

1:24pm. A fruit stand in Bauang, La Union.

1:49pm. Jose D. Aspiras Civic Center in Agoo, La Union

Town Square in Agoo, La Union

2:50pm. Urdaneta City Hall, Pangasinan

3:07pm. Villasis Town Hall, Pangasinan

3:19pm. Sprinklers, watering the farmlands in Pangasinan.

(…to be continued)

Part 31 of a series
DAY 4

After our visit to Chavit’s Baluarte in Vigan, we then headed to Bantay, Ilocos Sur, to check out its famed church and belltower.

Bantay, Ilocos Sur is a small town very close to Vigan City. One cannot enter/exit Vigan without passing by Bantay. The town is popular mainly because of its Bell Tower that is perched on top of a hill. You can’t miss it when you take the national highway going south of the province of Ilocos Sur. Bantay also has a beautiful elaborate church. It was built during the Spanish period (1530s). The architectural design was influenced by the Europeans although it was built under the Spanish regime by the local people. The church was built through forced labor and slavery during the Spanish period.

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Part 30 of a series
DAY 4

More of Baluarte: Animalandia.

The “first and only” white deers in the Philippines. Really?

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Libotero is back to regular programming. Here is the 29th installment to the Ilocos Roadtrip series, now on its final week!

Part 29 of a series
DAY 4

After breakfast, we readied ourselves to check out of Vigan Plaza Hotel.

We were already about to leave Vigan and officially end our escapades in Ilocandia when dad suddenly realized (God must have poked him. LOL.) that since we travelled so long just to reach the Enchanting Ilocos Region, we should make the most out of it so we decided to check out Luis “Chavit” Singson’s Baluarte (which was originally not part of our itinerary). And we did not regret our decision. Why?

BALUARTE, Chavit’s home in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, is one of the top tourist destinations in Ilocos Sur. It stands on a hill and provides an awesome panoramic view of the city. The Baluarte is approximately 20 hectares with a mini zoo, shooting range, and a chapel, among others. Access to the mini zoo, where Chavit’s numerous pets can be found is free for everyone, as the respectable gentleman considers this as a gift to the people. (There as signs in the park assuring us that access to the zoo shall remain free for as long as Chavit “can still afford its maintenance”. We can help him by buying pet food sold at the zoo. By doing so, we didn’t just help Chavit provide such a wonderful gift to the people but also experience the fulfilling feeling of feeding animals.)
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