Libotero Pampanga and Malolos Heritage Tour

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Betis Church, Guagua, Pampanga

When you mention the words “Church Tour”, some of the places that would first come to mind are Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Negros, Panay, Cebu, Bohol, Calabarzon and Bicol, not knowing that there are a lot of beautiful and well-preserved old churches in Pampanga as well.

Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast. Pampanga also lies on the northern shore of Manila Bay.

Having a grandfather who is 100% Kapampangan means that I have some Kapampangan blood in me and it’s a shame that I haven’t tried to explore my roots. For that, I booked a flight to Clark late last year just so I could explore some of the churches of Pampanga and I’ll be sharing them with you here one-by-one in the next few days so stay tuned!

Preparations before the flight. Here are some of the things I usually do before a flight:
- Place your valid identification card (I used my student ID) and air ticket in your hand-carry bag on the night before your flight so you won’t leave them behind.
- For carry-on baggage, liquids, aerosols and gels exceeding 100mL is a no-no so I bought small “made for air travel” containers so that I could include toiletries and other hygiene essentials in my carry-on baggage.
- Don’t forget your vitamins and first-aid needs, although you can opt to buy them when you arrive at your destination.
- Tripods and umbrellas cannot be carried on board so they need to be checked-in.
- For a comfortable travel experience, don’t bring a lot of stuff, especially if they’re totally unnecessary!
- The night before my flight, I fully charged my camera and flash batteries, cellphones and laptop so that I could ready the chargers in my bag and not leave them behind.
- For clothes, just bring enough and not too much. If your travel itinerary doesn’t involve a lot of “physical” activities, clothes could be recycled so as to reduce your baggage. Remember, carry-on luggage should not exceed 8 kilos!
- And yes, I did mention the word itinerary. Long before a scheduled trip, you should prepare your itinerary so that no time is wasted and your trip is maximized.
– If you’re travelling with a buddy, plan together.
– If you’re travelling alone, research, research, research and do not hesitate to seek help from friends who travel a lot and friends who live in the place you’re about to visit.
- Finalize your hotel bookings months or weeks before your trip.
- Buy maps (I recommend EZMaps) so it is easier for you to familiarize and navigate within a new place. Maps are really a big help as you could already visualize and cluster your target destinations even before your trip, it is another essential if you want to maximize your trip.
- Another thing you must not forget is CASH! Prepare some cash that would just be enough in case of a worst case scenario of having no ATMs available or ATMs bogging down at your destination. You may place your cash in an envelope in your bag. I don’t recommend placing big amounts of cash just in your wallet. My advice is to spread chunks of your cash, some in your wallet, some in your bag, some in some other places but do take note where you actually placed them as you might be scrambling around looking for your cash, that would be worse.
- And finally, the biggest preparation comes from WITHIN. Get enough sleep before your flight! That never happens to me as I always get too excited everytime I travel. The best thing I could get is two hours of sleep before a trip!

Here are the details of my Pampanga-Malolos Heritage Tour:

1. San Fernando Metropolitan Cathedral
2. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Guagua, Pampanga
3. St. James the Apostle Church, Betis, Guagua, Pampanga
4. St. Augustine Church, Lubao, Pampanga
5. Santa Lucia Church, Sasmuan, Pampanga
6. San Guillermo Church, Bacolor, Pampanga
7. SM City Pampanga
8. Barasoain Church, Malolos, Bulacan
9. MarQuee Mall, Angeles, Pampanga
10. 950 Condotel, Clark, Pampanga
11. SM City Clark, Angeles, Pampanga
12. Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, Clark, Pampanga

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One Comment

1. 

   Jason Paul Laxamana

   April 22, 2012 at 9:15 am

   too bad you failed to visit the Holy Rosary Parish Church in Angeles City (since you’re checked in Angeles anyway). It’s also one of the good-looking churches of Pampanga.

   Pampanga also has tourist spots for ecotourism, which I advise you to visit one of these days… That is, if you’re the adventurous type. It’s easier now since there are regular direct Clark-Cebu flights

   Reply