2012 Yearender Bits

There are many opportunities happened to me this 2012. Beside of all the struggles and challenges I encountered, 2012 was an enlightening year for me because of the realizations that after the struggles, there will be a new hope and blessings to come. In addition, a lot of memorable experiences that I encountered this year which made my 2012 a wonderful year. Here are the memorable moments that I had this year:

I joined in Saranggola Blog Awards where I had two entries. The first one is "Ako si Jonathan, Laking Cavite" under the Sanaysay/Freestyle or Essay category which tells about facts in Cavite which I am truly proud of it. The second entry is "Engrandeng Gala sa Timog Katagalugan" under the Maikling Kuwento or Short Story category which tells about the story of a young boy who made his grand tour of the Laguna Loop within one day plus the first time experiences he encountered there. I didn't win the contest but I will improve and join again this 2013.

I established my two new travel blogs in Blogspot. The first one is my Tagalog travel blog which is "Talaarawan ni Mister Commuter" which is originally in Wordpress but I decided to transfer it to Blogspot (hopefully in 2013 all the posts there are transferred). The second one is "Travel and Paper Perspectives" which is my travel blog for foreign readers where I used English as medium of communication. These travel blogs have the purpose of promoting tourism in the Philippines through the online world.

The first quarter of the year was filled with travel where I passed most of the towns in the Laguna Loop. Last April 2012, I had my Visita Iglesia in the Laguna Loop where I visited the Baroque Spanish-era churches of Pila, Santa Cruz, Magdalena, Liliw, Nagcarlan, Majayjay, Luisiana, Cavinti, Pagsanjan, Paete, Kalayaan and Pakil.

In addition, I also had a chance to visit historical places in Manila, Cavite, Laguna and Batangas. In February 2012, I visited Fort Santiago in Intramuros in order to took a glance of history in the Walled City to Luneta Park. I also had a tour in Taal, Batangas last April where I saw the largest Catholic Church in the Far East and visited the Spanish heritage houses in the town proper plus the religious pilgrimage to Our Lady of Caysasay Church. In May I took a roundtrip from Trece Martires City passing the towns of Maragondon where I visited the Bonifacio Trial House and in Kawit where I took a tour at the Aguinaldo Shrine. Then in June, I took a visit at Rizal Shrine and the tallest Rizal statue. (I will blog it for next year in my official travel blog)

I also had a chance to extend my gratitude of appreciation to my new friends in Twitter for retweeting my status and insights regarding reality shows plus the views from different parts of the world regarding my blog posts. This 2013 I'm looking forward for more posts and travels.

Navigating Laguna Loop: Majayjay

Majayjay is a highland town situated in the foothills of Mount Banahaw. The town stands 1000 feet above sea level and surrounded by the towns of Magdalena in the north, Liliw in the west, Luisiana in the east, and Lucban, Quezon in the south. 

Based on ancient stories, the town has no adequate roads but there are curved slopes and roads going to the gorges. In order to solve that problem, the conquerors hired laborers and porters. However, these people were having a hard time going to the town and one of them sigh and said "hay, hay, hay" while climbing the slopes of Mount Banahaw. That is why, they called the place Majayjay: " ma" means many and "hay, hay" which refers to the sound of sigh. It became a town in 1571 and Gaspar Osorio was the first leader of this town. In addition, Emilio Jacinto, the Brains of the Katipunan died in this town in 1899.

The welcome arch of Majayjay. 

The historical marker of Majayjay.

I went to a ten minute ride to this town via tricycle from the town of Liliw. The first thing I did in this town is to visit the town central where you can found one of the oldest and tallest churches in the province and a National Culture Treasure, the St. Gregory the Great Parish Church which was built in 1571. It was originally made of bamboo at burned in 1576 and the church made of stone was created in 1616 until 1649. The high structure of the church was built with the help of Father Jose de Puertollano which was renovated from 1711 to 1734. The church is also adjacent to the municipal hall where you can read the historical background of the town.

St. Gregory the Great Parish Church

From the town center, I took a five minute walk going to the place which is a product of forced labor. It is called as the Tulay Pigue (Buttocks Bridge or Puente de Capricho). This bridge serves as a shortcut to other barangays which lead you to the neighboring town of Magdalena. It is a very narrow bridge and you can go there after you passed the cemetery and the dumpsite where you will walk through the grassy slopes.

Tulay Pigue

The most popular natural tourist attraction in Majayjay is the Taytay Falls. Located in Barangay Taytay and you can get there by twenty minutes from the town proper. Then you will going to take a long walk to the canopy trail which leads you to the falls. When I was walking to the falls, I heard the splash of waterfalls from far away. Then, I was amazed on how the Taytay Falls looks like. It is a two-storey waterfalls in a remote location in which vegetation is abundant and it has a clear water flowing from Mount Banahaw. Before, it is a hard task to reach the falls because there were no marked trails during that time. In 2008, the World Bank supported the promotion of tourism in Taytay Falls.

The trail to Taytay Falls.

Taytay Falls, the main tourist attraction in Majayjay.

A rice field in Majayjay

Women were able to have their laundry in the river.

Therefore, my travel experience in Majayjay is one of the most memorable travels I need to treasure. First, the roads that you are going to pass is risky but exciting because of ascending slopes and intense zigzag which feels like a rollercoaster trip, that is why you need to become careful in driving. Second, I appreciated the rural life and simple ambiance in the town because of verdant mountains and forests and the traditional way of living especially using horses in transportation and women who made their laundry in the river. Lastly, Majayjay is such a town where you can experience the simple and rural life in the highlands. Let's aim high to Majayjay!

In The Island of Stars

My family and I got back from our trip to Palawan last year where we visit some of the tourist spots in Puerto Princesa City including Honda Bay. It is a perfect place for island hopping because the exotic and peculiar features of the islets and the panoramic view of the bay makes the tour more exciting. In addition, it is an ideal venue for snorkeling because of the abundance of marine creatures from shallow reefs to the deeper parts of the bay.

The shore of Starfish Island.

There is an island in Honda Bay where you can see a lot of stars. If you want to know about it, you can go to Starfish Island. You can travel there through boat, many less than twenty to forty-five minutes from the shore to the island. Boats can be rented in Sta. Lourdes Wharf, Barangay Tagbanua, Puerto Princesa City.

The lucid and clear water of Honda Bay from Starfish Island. You can see numerous starfish in this shallow reef.

A starfish found in the most shallow area of the bay.

The starfish teemed up with rocky reef and clear water of Honda Bay.

Starfish Island is famous for its fine white sand beaches, stony reef and pellucid water of the bay where many starfish are abounded in this area. In addition, this island is covered with mangrove trees. You can have your overnight stay by checking in to Sandbar Resort and some cottages which serve as lodging places in the island.

A lone starfish in the clear saltwater.

A starfish crawling to its next place.

A small hard coral.

A baby crab. This is the smallest crab I've ever seen in my whole life.

We spend in this island for almost twenty to forty minutes. We enjoyed our stay here by taking photographs and walking in the seashore to feel the natural beauty and discover the diverse creatures found in this island. The most memorable experience in this island is to see the numerous starfish scattered in the shallow and rocky reef of the bay. It was visually captivating to see many brown and orange starfish distributed in the clear and tropical water of Honda Bay. There are also few small gray sea stars in the bay. You can also found some creatures such as crabs, hard and soft corals, and some clownfish that dwell on sea anemone.

We also did fish feeding but only few were coming in the shallow part unlike in nearby islands where you can see colorful schools of fish. There are few fish with white, brown and gray colors are coming to eat the bread crumbs. In addition, you need to become cautious because of stonefish. They were able to camouflage which look like a rough stone under the sea that matches the rocky features of the reef. If you attacked by this creature, your whole leg up to your thigh will be in intense pain because of the neurotoxins released from their glands at the base of needle-like dorsal fin spines.

Aside from the abundance of starfish, there are lots of white shells in this island which look like a dollar coins. These creatures are called sand dollars. They are distributed from the seashore to the bay. But when we take a glimpse on these coin-like creatures, they were already empty. However, when sand dollars are alive, they have a substance which makes their brown color and they have their spines to move coordinately. We didn’t see any living sand dollars or else they are living underwater or in muddy areas.

As we walk along the moist and sandy seashore, we found a dead starfish which smells too bad because it was decaying. If a starfish is continuously crawling to the beach where there is no water, they will die. We saw other starfish in the shore. They were pale and dry due to too much exposure in air and sunlight. However, they are still living. In order for these sea stars to live longer, we take them back to their habitat in the bay.

Starfish Island is near in Snake Island where you can enjoy fish feeding and snorkeling where you can see colorful school of fish, coral reefs and clams. In addition, there are lots of small fish in the shallow reef of this island. You need to become careful also because there are triggerfish that will join the school of fish during the fish feeding and they can bite you with its strong-jawed mouth. In addition, tourists gather in this island for their lunch break and it can be joined by the souvenir vendors to sell their items for the tourists. Snake Island is named because of its shape is similar to  a slithering snake.

 The magic circle of stars in Honda Bay. Brown and orange starfish gathered together in a circle.

Starfish Island is such a peculiar tourist spot in Honda Bay. It was a surreal encounter when you see numerous starfish in the clear, tropical waters of the bay and their way of living in this island along with other creatures. Although we stay there for less than an hour, it was an exciting thing to discover more of the small islands in Honda Bay which has peculiar and exotic features and it proves that our country is such a beautiful place to live.

Honda Bay Island Hopping

The Honda Bay postcard I bought in Palawan.

Palawan is one of the best tourist destinations in the Philippines because of different natural wonders such as limestone formation of caves, diverse flora and fauna, verdant mountains, lush rainforests, fine beaches and tropical blue waters of the sea. In addition, it is an ideal place for your summer getaway because of the clean environment, beautiful tourist spots, and the abundance of natural resources in the island province.

I got back from a trip to Palawan last year where we visit some of the tourist attractions in the province. One of the places we visited was Honda Bay. It is an ideal venue for island hopping and snorkeling. In addition, this place is known for white sand beaches, the blue and crystal clear water and the richness of marine creatures in the bay. Honda Bay is located 12 kilometers east of Puerto Princesa City and composed of several islands within the area. The bay is used for commercial fisheries and recreation. Boats can be rented in Sta. Lourdes wharf in Brgy. Tagbanua, Puerto Princesa City. These boats can be used for travel to nearby islands, many less than 45 minutes from the shore by boat. 

Sailing across the Honda Bay.

During our island hopping in Honda Bay, we visit two islands and one diving spot. Our first stop is in Pambato Reef where corals are abundant in this area. According to other travel blogs, there is a huge fish density and underwater visibility in this diving area. I wanted to see the coral reefs during that time, but I was afraid to go in the reef because I don’t have enough experience to swim in the deeper part of the bay. Besides, there are tourists who injured because of corals. So you need to be careful in swimming and do not step the corals. 

The colorful school of fish in the shallow reef of Snake Island.

After forty-five minutes, we proceed to Snake Island. This place is known not because there are many snakes in the island, but it is named for the shape of the island which looks like a slithering snake. We spent for almost one hour and enjoyed our stay in the island covered with mangrove trees. First, we saw a lot of tiny fish with white and brown colors in the part of the bay that almost reaches the shore. Besides, I had a lot of fun in snorkeling. But the most unforgettable encounter in this island happened in fish feeding.  It was a surreal experience because there are schools of fish with bright colors of black, white, blue and yellow were surrounding around me. Also, there are two to three medium-sized fish wants to join the group in feeding the bread crumbs. While waiting for our lunch, I saw a small crab with a shell in its back (I think it’s a hermit crab). I try to look at this crab and touch its shell until it runs fast and hides in a small hole in the sand. Then, we had our lunch and picture taking in this island. Also, my sisters and friends helped the pasalubong vendors in making accessories and souvenirs. 

The sandy seashore of Starfish Island.

The lucid and tropical water of the bay from Starfish Island.

The fine white sand, rocky reef, and clear water teemed with starfish.

The circle of starfish.

Our last stop is in Starfish Island. When we landed in the island, it was amazing because of fine white sand and clear water that teemed with the numerous starfish scattered in the shallow reef of the bay. We spend our time there through taking photographs and walking in the seashore to discover other creatures aside from starfish. In addition, there are plenty of empty and white shells which look like a dollar coins. These creatures are called sand dollars. In fact, these sand dollars are color brown when they were living. We also found a dead starfish, decaying in the shore. They died due to continuously crawling to the beach which is a dry place and out of the water. Because of what we saw, we decided to save some starfish in the shore by getting them back to the bay in order to live longer. You need to become cautious also because there are stonefish found in this island. They are able to camouflage which looks like a rock under the sea. But, if you attacked by this creature, your whole leg up to your thigh would be numb and be in intense pain. We also continued our fish feeding but there are few fish with colors of brown and white fed the bread crumbs and stay away;  unlike in other islands where there are colorful schools of fish. 

A place similar to the Exile Island in hit reality series Survivor.

Lu-li Island

Taking a glimpse of the bay before we go back to the wharf.

Therefore, there are other islands in Honda Bay which are interesting to visit due to its peculiar and exotic features. There are islands which are known for the richness of marketable creatures such as Canon or Cowrie Island where you can found many cowrie shells in the shore and Señorita Island which serves as a breeding site of lapu-lapu fish. We also have Lu-li Island which coined from the first syllables of two Tagalog words Lulubog meaning sinking and Lilitaw which means showing up, where one part of this island is sinking during high tide. Also there are islands named after a flying mammal and an endemic plant. These islands are Bat Island where it is the home of fruit bats that coming out of holes during sundown for their evening feed and Pandan Island where it is named after a native plant found in the island and an ideal place for snorkeling. Lastly, we have islands known for its resorts like the Arreceffi Island where you can found the Dos Palmas Resort and Meara Marina Island where you can have your overnight stay in this island because of its resort.

This island trekking experience is exciting and relaxing because you will appreciate the abundance of natural resources, the beauty of the islands and the captivating scenery of the bay. If I were given a chance to come back to Palawan, I want to complete my island trekking experience in Honda Bay in order to explore the uniqueness of every island and the panoramic beauty of the bay.

  

Photos by: Diesta Family (jondiestaportfolio.blogspot.com)

Text by: Jonathan B. Diesta

Other Sources: http://www.puertoprincesa.ph

My Interests in Writing: The Beginning

Every people in the world has its own talents and skills granted by God. The Philippines is a third-world country but every citizen is endowed with spectrum of talents in various genres. Lastly, I am a Filipino, born in Cavite, a province located in the Philippines, possessing my own talents and skills.

I am a young guy who has a wide imagination. I love to read and study. I like to share my knowledge through teaching. I am a talkative person who tells a lot of stories which is interesting but majority of it is non-sense. Most of all, when I am quiet, there are lots of ideas running in my mind that I like to share to others (sometimes there are moments that I talk to myself alone or in my inner thoughts). These ideas are diverted into writing.

Before, I was a type of person who is not fond of talking too much. However, because of the influence of people who has a gifted skill in conversation, I am willing to share my experiences also. But there are times that you cannot please everyone to listen in what you are saying because they have different interests.

*****

I really love to write. When something comes into my mind which enlightens or entertains me, I will write it. I love to have my pen and paper in my stuff. I am also interested in looking at everything around me, writing in my journal, watching TV, reading books, and browsing the Internet where I get inspiration and ideas in writing.

During my younger days, I am fond of reading fairy tales, history books and even my books in school. Until now, I still love reading books: from humorous books of Bob Ong to Alex Lacson's "12 Little Things That Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country" and even inspirational books like "Kokology" by Professor Isamu Saito.

I am interested in politics, TV shows, entertainment, travel, feature articles and personal essays. I am fond of writing essays but not skilled in writing poems. In addition, I want to experience writing a short story or a play.

I write when I have distinct ideas come into my mind that is interesting and I want to share it  to others. First, I write it on a paper, then encode it in a computer, edit or revise and print. After printing, I will share it first to my circle of friends and keep it in my folder. This is my routine and process in my writing skill.

*****

I  didn't expect to get compliments from other people because of writing. It was started in sixth grade, when our teacher is finding a representative for our section to join the essay writing contest about health and nutrition. Two of my classmates said that I am the one to join in the  contest. Although I don't have any idea what an essay is until I agree to participate for our section. When the contest starts, I found out that an essay is a form of writing which brought together groups of paragraphs from one topic. I just write anything about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and nutrition for kids. Until I got the third place in the said contest.

In high school, I still continue to achieve the dream but it stopped due to busy in studying. However, there are still written activities in some subjects in school. During our senior year in high school, my friends and I were able to submit an article to our school paper but we're failed to make it.

When I came to college, I was motivated to pursue the dream once again. In first year college, I joined the Essay Writing Contest during the National Language Week (Linggo ng Wika). I wrote an essay about our national language and how it evolves and used it in everyday life and its reflection in our culture, using Filipino language as a medium of communication. Therefore, I achieved my very first medal which I got the second place in the said contest. In my junior year in college, I also join in our campus publication. However, due to lack of funds, our articles were not published. It is also the first time when I hooked up to blogging through Friendster. I express my thoughts through blogs but it is hard to convince people because they judged your work by criticizing it.

During the time when I don't have a work, I'm always staying at home, spending time with my parents and in front of computer. Until I'm addicted to Facebook notes and Blogspot. I wrote some essays covers different topics including extraordinary experiences and views about current events. The most unforgettable thing happened to me during that time is when I become part of the Online Writing Contest in OfficiallyPhilippines.com. I wrote about Filipino food during summer entitled "Cool Pinoy Delicacies for Hot Summer." It was published in the said website where the contest held, in my Facebook and Blogspot account. Also, it requires online votes because it is a nationwide contest. In the end, I didn't win and I still continue to pursue my dream as a writer.

As of now, I am still writing with the help of paper, pen, television, computer, blogs, imagination and even imaginary friends. I am not yet a well-known writer. I'm still a neophyte in this field. Although it is just a beginning, I am eager to reach it for those who believe and support in this talent. Thanks for those people who believe in me. I cannot write this without your moral support. Most of all, I would like to extend my appreciation to Our Lord because You gave this skill that I have to share with other people. This is a humble beginning for a novice like me.


(This blog entry was translated with the help of Google Translate and revisions by the author. The original title is "Ang Aking Hilig sa Larangan ng Pagsusulat: Isang Pagsisimula")

Summer Getaway: Freelance Writing Workshop

The certificate I received from the workshop.

I have a different summer experience this year. Aside from the typical summer outings in beaches or mountains, having a Visita Iglesia or even staying in home with my family, this year is different. It was a summer getaway in Makati City where it is educational and relevant for aspiring writers like me.


I attended a two day workshop entitled "Jumpstart Your Freelance Writing Career 4.0" last April 30 until May 1, 2011 in Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4, Makati City. Before, I wanted to attend the preceding workshops and events of Writers Block but I missed it due to the location and lack of expenses to attend the events. This year, I was able to attend due to family support and I paid in the early-bird rate discount of the workshop. One day before the workshop, I was thinking that I would not attend this workshop because of financial expenses, transportation concerns where I am going to travel from Cavite to Makati plus the prediction of having a traffic jam in the Metro which I hate the most, and the jitters because I was intimidated and nervous at first.

However, when I made it to the workshop, everything was in good flow. I experienced a smooth-sailing trip from Cavite to Makati and I made it two hours early to the workshop (afraid of getting late in an appointment). My classmates in the workshop were very nice which allows us to exchange our ideas and experiences about writing. The facilitators of the workshop were so accommodating and knowledgeable. In other words, I feel comfortable in this event.

Therefore, the most important thing there is the investment and the long hours of travel, definitely WORTH IT! I learned a lot from the speakers, the topics and the activities in the workshop, I realized my strengths and weaknesses which contribute to my skills as a writer, I received a lot of giveaways and a certificate plus the soft copy of the topics discussed in the workshop, and I met new friends with the same interests in writing.

10 Things I Learned from the Workshop:

1. Freelance writing is not a RAKET!
2. Making a writing pitch is the first step to please your editor to publish your work. Be creative and technically concise about your pitch. In addition, critiquing our pitch by the speakers of the workshop is the most exciting part because I need to know the things that I need to improve.
3. Media ethics which helps importantly to become a disciplined writer.
4. The seven steps in creative process which is applicable not only to writers but also to other artists.
5. Dealing with writer's block. 
6. Different styles applicable in freelance writing. (I found out that travel and entertainment are my top 2 interests in writing).
7. Different writing techniques and the art of interviewing.
8. The Life SWOT where I learned to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses which contribute in writing skill and how it affect the threats and opportunities in freelance writing.
9. Writing is not easy. It takes a special skill to communicate with effectively and a write-up should be based on research and facts. 
10. Sharing your articles to your circle of friends.

Therefore, I would like to extend my appreciation to the speakers and founders of Writers Block Philippines Nikka Sarthou, Ana Santos and Nina Terol Zialcita for this great opportunity to handle a workshop for aspiring writers, to the guest speakers Tweet Sering and DJ Vince Golangco, to my family (especially my sister and my mom) who gave me financial and moral support to make it on this event, to my workshop classmates and new friends I met, keep up the good work to achieve our dream in writing (see you soon in the upcoming workshops of Writers Block), and most of all, to God thanks a lot for this wonderful opportunity that I achieved in order to improve my writing skills and I will share it to my friends and people who are willing to become a writer someday.

I would like to close this note by asking this question: after I made it on the workshop, is it the way to step out from being a personal blogger to a freelance writer? The most important thing running in my mind is keep on writing to achieve my dreams.

The freelance writing class of Jumpstart Your Freelance Writing Career 4.0 held at Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4, Makati City. (Source: Writers Block Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/writersblock.ph)

Friendster Reformat

Friendster changes into a social entertainment site

Friendster is a pioneer social networking site in 2002. There are 98 million users of Friendster worldwide and Philippines got the highest number of users with 20 million people. It is also the social networking site that introduces to keep in touch with your friends through messages, comments and testimonials, uploading photo albums, posting shoutouts and bulletin boards and participating in forums and groups about a particular topic of interest.

However, when Facebook enters the online scenario, it has 500 million users around the globe. It features not just photos, groups, shoutouts and blogs, you can also chat with your friends, like a fanpage, and enjoying in various applications in this networking site.

This May 31, 2011, the social networking site Friendster will have its major reformat to social entertainment site where you can enjoy listening to music and playing games. On the other hand, all of your account contents including photos, testimonials, comments, messages, blogs, forums, groups, and shoutouts are no longer part of your account starting May 31. But with the help of an application called Friendster Exporter, you can recover your account contents and download or export photos and blogs securely to third party sites such as Flickr, Blogger and Multiply. However, your account will not be deleted. You still have the same email login and password and your basic information and friends list will be preserved in the new Friendster.

Author's Note:

I started to become part of the social networking site when I was in first year college. It was 2005. My first social networking site where I became part of it was Friendster. It was cool and exciting to use where I meet new friends, getting updates from famous personalities (if they are not posers), sharing your photos and blogs and keeping in touch with your friends in other places. I was active in Friendster for five years and when Facebook came in the virtual online world, it was also exciting as well as Friendster. 

Being hooked in Facebook gives you more time to spend on the Internet through using applications, chatting with friends and liking a fanpage and I still have time to visit my Friendster. I hooked up in Facebook for two years since 2009 and in Friendster for almost seven years. (Although others don't have time to check their Friendster because they said that it is boring and Facebook is more advanced in terms of networking and interaction with online friends) This coming May 31, they will have a major reformat from social networking site to social entertainment site where they can enjoy listening to music and playing online games. Hopefully, Facebook, Friendster, Blogger and other websites keep on improving their assets to attract more online users. Keep it up! 

- Jonathan Diesta, 21, Cavite -

Source: Friendster to delete users’ content by May 31

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/218782/technology/friendster-to-delete-users-content-by-may-31

You can also check this website where my article published: http://www.newsaroundus.com/2011/05/friendster-changes-into-social.html

Visita Iglesia

Every Holy Week, there are different customs commemorated in dedication to the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of these traditions is Visita Iglesia. It is a tradition during Holy Week where people can visit seven to fourteen churches where they can pray or accomplish the Stations of the Cross. According to other beliefs, if they complete the fourteen churches, there will be a miracle happen including their wishes will be granted. On the other hand, Visita Iglesia is also a travel experience where you can visit churches in different places and it is one way to enrich our tourism.

The experience of participating in Visita Iglesia began last 2008 along with my sisters. We visit churches in different towns in Cavite such as Silang, Dasmarinas, Tagaytay City, Mendez, Indang and Trece Martires. At first, it was a hard trip because we transfer from place to place and it requires a lot of budget due to expenses in transportation by riding a jeepney, tricycle or even a bus. In addition, we don't have time to eat during the pilgrimage and we drink water to quench our thirst. In the end, it was an enjoyable trip as I learned to discover different churches in several towns.

Last April 21, 2011, I experienced to have a Visita Iglesia on my own. I visit churches in different town in Cavite (Silang, Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Carmona), Laguna (Binan, Santa Rosa City, San Pedro) and Muntinlupa City. 

Having a Visita Iglesia is one way of observing the Lenten Season through reflections of all the things that we have done, asking our prayers for ourselves and someone who helps us and having a close relationship to God through prayers and commemorating this tradition is a way where we remember what Jesus Christ sacrificed for all the people to forgive our sins.

The church in Tagaytay City in our Visita Iglesia last 2008.

The Risen Christ Parish Church in my hometown in Bulihan, Silang, Cavite.

The church of Holy Family in Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.

San Vicente Ferrer Parish Church in Binan, Laguna.

Sta. Rose de Lima Parish Church in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

The Saint Sepulchro Shrine in Landayan, San Pedro, Laguna.

There are many people who visit the church in Landayan because they believed that this church is miraculous due to the old relic called Lolo Uweng.

Saint Joseph Parish Church in Carmona, Cavite.

San Isidro Labrador Church in Binan, Laguna.

Saint Peregrine Church in Muntinlupa City.

San Pedro Church in San Pedro, Laguna.