To continue with the very successful CALABARZON Philippine Experience Program (PEP), we proceeded to Quezon where the provincial officials were waiting for us with another treasure chest of interesting discoveries we made in their province.
I have to say that, by just looking at the façade of the Quezon Provincial Capitol, any visitor will easily see that it represents its residents’ proud heritage and rich history. Once we got settled inside the building, we were treated to a colorful and lively cultural fashion show of traditional wear, modeled by the candidates of the Ginoo and Binibining Niyogyugan 2023. After the show, the limelight focused on the province’s various products, like the tsinelas from Liliw, and on local delicacies and food products that the province is known for.
An interesting segment bannered the food heritage tour by renowned culinary guru, Maria Cristina Decal, through her Kulinarya Tagala Program where we learned more about the traditional coconut wine ritual, the Tagayan.
The following morning, we were all excited as we prepared for a thrilling activity that I’ve done before and have been looking forward to doing again — shooting the rapids at Pagsanjan. I find this better than a roller coaster because I am more relaxed knowing that there is no massive height to contend with, in case of an accident. Besides, I know that the skilled boatmen handling tourists are all DOT-accredited and have passed the essential safety prerequisites.
The scenic boat ride along the Magdapio River en route to Pagsanjan Falls is where the excitement lies as the expert boatmen “shoot the rapids” by maneuvering the banca through the river’s turbulent flow over large rocks scattered along the way. Of course, once the banca reached the falls, we had time to have a relaxing swim in its cold waters. Some of us even went under the falls into the small cave behind it, just to experience the thunderous sound of being right under a waterfall.
After a quick change of clothes, we found ourselves at Calle Arco, a 70-year-old ancestral home in Pagsanjan which is now a trendy restaurant serving traditional Filipino dishes. The interiors, typically that of an old house, have a very homey feel to them, a very relaxing ambience.
After all the excitement at Pagsanjan Falls, we easily devoured the restaurant’s specialties – Binagoongan Crispy Pata, Garlic Chicken, and their special Pancit Pagsanjan. For dessert, their Camote de Leche brought me to heaven!
After lunch, we drove to Paete, to have a closer look at the masterpieces created by their famous woodcarvers. Woodcarving has been the town’s thriving industry from the Spanish era up to now. Several generations of these extremely skilled woodcarvers have etched their legacy in the town’s history, which is why popular Manila-based interior decorators always go to Paete whenever they need artistic and beautiful wooden accents for whichever house interiors they are working on.
Our next stop was Lumban, popular for its intricately embroidered barong materials. We were treated to an embroidery demonstration by the town’s womenfolk and I sat there mesmerized by the beautiful embroidery patterns they created. It was like they were verbalizing delightful poetry through the detailed rosettes and other floral patterns they skillfully handcrafted on the barong material.
Of course, I had to buy some of the finished products for myself, my way of honoring this age-old Filipino traditional cottage industry, and also because they are more affordable at the source compared to those sold here in Manila.
As we were having an early dinner at Ted’s Kitchen in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, which is popular for its heirloom recipes and dishes native to the province, I was ruminating on how lucky we Filipinos are to have such diverse attractions that we can really be proud of. I have to thank Department of Tourism Region IV-A Director Marites Castro for having expertly put together this interesting and fun-filled itinerary and, of course, our Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco for having come up with this concept of introducing little-known attractions to tourists.
This quick visit to the different sites in CALABARZON made me realize the bounty of blessings we have as a people. I am overjoyed by these charming “little discoveries” this trip revealed to me…definitely adding more reasons to LOVE THE PHILIPPINES.
YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE:
I always wanted to marry Mrs. Right.
I just didn’t know her first name
was going to be “Always.”
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