Pico de Loro (Part 2)

Click here to read Dayhiking Pico de Loro (Part 1).

After a quick lunch at the waterfall campsite, we headed for the summit at exactly 1:00 PM. Had it been under normal circumstances, it would be a very hot climb. So I don’t know if we would thank the bad weather for that. Trees shield most part of the trail from the sun but just the same, if it was not as cloudy, we would be drenched in sweat by the time we reached the summit.

After a few minutes of walking, the trail became steeper. As usual, I was behind the group, not that I wanted to be a sweeper but I always want to take my steps slowly but surely. (And I won’t admit I run out of breath.) Besides, the three teens I was with were all Energizer bunnies who won’t even stop for a break. But, of course, they take a mandatory rest whenever I tell them to stop. LoL!

After an hour and twenty, we reached the campsite. We actually wasted time in deciding whether to turn right and take the downward trail, or left and take the upward one. Normally, when you’re heading for the summit, you would logically think that the upward trail is the right one. But Kenneth, who was at the same mountain last September but couldn’t seem to remember the right path because it was a night climb, decided that we take the right turn. And that’s after turning left and going up a bit.

Good thing the downward trail was the one leading to the campsite near the summit. We got there at exactly 2:15 PM.

The summit’s view from the campsite was breathtaking. The shape of the parrot’s beak was all the more evident up close.

There were a bunch of mountaineers from UST busy taking pictures of one another when we arrived. Luckily, they left after a bit and the four of us were able to own the campsite and the beautiful, beautiful view for quite a while.

And did I say we took pics to our heart’s content?

Ino called Gerald’s phone while we were busy taking pictures to remind us it’s getting late. It’s Saturday and according to him, buses leave earlier than the usual 8 PM last trip because there are less passengers going to Manila on weekends.

But we haven’t gone to the summit yet! Just as we were preparing for the assault, two young mountaineers arrived at the camp site. After exchanging the usual greetings, I asked for the way to the summit. LoL! One of them pointed the way but reminded us that it’s quite dangerous to go up with bags.

We tried bringing our bags cuz there’s no one to leave them to at the campsite. Halfway, though, the trail became steeper with nothing to hold on to but short grasses so we decided to tie the bags around a tree somewhere in the middle and continued the assault with only the cameras and Kenneth’s hydra which I was carrying at that time.

I was the last to reach the summit, poor me, cuz I had to stop on several occasions cuz my legs felt like giving up. When I finally reached the top, clouds were starting to gather toward us, fogging the view of the towns below. I immediately took pictures of the famous rocky tower before it got so cloudy.

Up there, the 360-degree view of the surrounding towns made me once again realize how great God is; how He made nature so beautiful; how He made the mountains so high so developers wouldn’t be able to bring civilization in, thereby preserving them for the nature lovers like us. But then every true mountaineer knows that if we stop being responsible climbers, even the mountains will soon be devastated.

Anyway, we were doomed on our summit moment because we thought the clouds would disappear. So we waited… until it rained! We wouldn’t wanna stay at the summit with the rain cuz the summit was just as big as a bedroom and the trail going down was so steep we feared landslide! LoL! So we had a quick photo op with the barely visible rocky tower and immediately slid our way down.

It was good, though, that we started our descent at that hour. It was 3:52 PM and had it not been for the rain, we wouldn't be going down the summit yet. We were surprised, though, that when we got back to the campsite, a lot of tents had already been put up. We then learned that the two young mountaineers we saw earlier were part of a 31-person group who would spend the night there. And then there’s another group of 20 on the other side of the campsite surrounded by bamboos.

Halfway down, it started getting dark. We feared the night in the mountains cuz we didn't have any headlight or flashlight with us. Aside from the fact that it gets dark early during this time of the year, the clouds made it even darker.

But thanks God for cellphones with flashlights. Gerald and Kenneth’s phones saved us from the darkness of our descent.

Creepy, though, that there’s a candle in the dark trail. We actually saw 2 of these.

We reached the jump-off 6:10 PM, more than 2 hours after we left the summit. We cleaned ourselves at the DENR station where Ino and his tricycle were patiently waiting for us.

Since the four of us were all hungry, Ino took us to a carinderia near the bus station. But since I had a case of allergies and something else the previous week, I was afraid to eat anything other than my Nanay’s food. Good thing I still had a leftover from lunch and just bought a bottle of mineral water from the carinderia.

The three teens, though, didn’t have anything in their bags to eat anymore so they bought food from the carinderia. Anyhoo, I don’t have anything against carinderia/street food. It’s just that my tummy has always been sensitive and I can’t really risk it especially when I’m far from home.

A few minutes after we finished eating, a bus headed to Baclaran arrived at the station. We decided to just take the Baclaran route instead of Alabang. If we chose the latter, we would first go to Zapote, take a jeepney to Alabang then another jeepney going home, not to mention the fact that we’re not familiar with Zapote.

It was a two-hour bus ride from Ternate to Baclaran. And the bus’s aircon was freezing. I wanted to sleep but I couldn’t take my attention away from the cannibal movie the bus was showing.

Anyway, it was another one-hour jeepney ride going home. And it was in the jeep where I felt the soreness of my body.

I reached home 10:30 PM to an uber excited Princess and a tilapia dinner courtesy of my Nanay. And I’m telling you, she knows how to pamper a sore mountaineer.

HOW TO GET TO PICO DE LORO (from Alabang):

* ride a van going to Tanza and asked to be dropped off at the Jollibee branch near Tanza Municipal Hall
* ride a Maragondon-bound bus, you will be dropped off less than a kilometer before the Ternate Welcome Arch (or you can wait for a Ternate-bound bus and drop off at the bus station in Ternate so you’ll have a lesser tricycle fare – 70 pesos - going to the jump-off)
* hire a tricycle to take you to the jump-off at Magnetic Hill for 100 pesos per head
* register at the DENR station for 20 pesos per head
* register again at the Base Camp 1 (which is along the trail) for another 20 pesos

*Note:
The trail splits into two near the summit. On our way down, we noticed several mountaineers got lost by taking the uphill trail to the left instead of the downhill trail to the right. The arrow sign that points to the downhill trail is just etched in a tree trunk which is barely visible especially when it’s dark.

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Pico de Loro (Part 1)

Before laziness take away my urge to blog about my recent hike (just like what happened with my Lucban, Majayjay, and Mt. Maculot posts which are still non-existent until now), imma blog about it now.

Two weeks ago, before I even got the allergies and stuff that doomed the first two weeks of my October, I already planned going up Pico de Loro. For one, I wanted to introduce two of my friends to mountain climbing (cuz if they liked it, I’d have more climbing buddies in my future hikes). Secondly, it already felt like eons since I last climbed a mountain (Sept. 20, 2010/Mt. Maculot).

Thursday, after my successful visit to the doctor, I already told Gerald (who’s always too willing to tag along) about the climb on Saturday. I normally go out-of-town Sundays but Princess had a vet follow-up Sunday, plus the fact that I don’t wanna miss the Sunday mass anymore. Dan, another friend of ours, wanted to go but was hesitant because he partied Thursday night which emptied his wallet.

Kenneth, on the other hand, had a postponed Anawangin climb because Zambales was in a state-of-calamity due to the recent typhoon. He’s training for the MLQU Stallions Outdoor Club and Anawangin was supposed to be their third and deliberation climb. Upon knowing that it’s postponed, I immediately invited him to join us. And since Kenneth was coming, Dan wouldn’t wanna be left out.

The agreed 5 AM assembly became 5:30 AM. I knew it, I should’ve said 4 AM. We reached the Alabang terminal 6:15 AM but the waiting for the van to leave felt like forever. By 8:30 AM, we were dropped off near the Tanza City Hall since there’s nothing in Alabang that would take us directly to Ternate.

From there, we boarded a bus that took us to Maragondon. At 9:15 AM, we were already negotiating with Ino, the tricycle driver. His price, though, was fixed (yes, he wouldn’t be moved) at 100 per head.

From Maragondon, he took us to the magnetic hill where the jump-off was but first dropped us at the DENR registration office which was farther along the road than the jump-off. So if you have your own ride you can just skip DENR, but then you won’t have a place to park your vehicle. LoL! I kid. But I guess jeepney and tricycle drivers are instructed to bring the hikers directly to the DENR station (and those who brought their own vehicles don’t have a choice cuz they will really need a safe place to park). I’m just joking about skipping the DENR registration, though. It’s just 20 pesos per head. So small an amount to have a record of your whereabouts.

It was drizzling when Ino brought us back to the jump-off with his tricycle. It’s just a 10-minute walk from the DENR office to the jump-off but he’s going back that way anyway so he decided to just wait for us while we registered and changed our clothes.

These are Kenneth and Dan's feet. Notice their colorful ponchos. We actually started the trek with ponchos on.

It was exactly 10:15 when we started the trek, our ponchos shielding us from the rain. A few minutes into the trail, though, I felt so loved by nature when the rain stopped. It’s harder to walk with a poncho on, not to mention the heat inside one is torture.

Forty-five minutes after, we passed by the Base Camp 1 where Ino’s cousin, a woman named Yolly, approached us with a logbook in hand. The two registration sites/fees were already explained to me by Ino while I was seated behind him on the tricycle (aside from telling me that the woman at the second registration/Base Camp 1 was his cousin). So that’s another 20 pesos per head, which makes going up Pico de Loro cost 40 pesos.

Yolly further explained to us that they were the rightful collector of registration fees because 25% of their collected fees go to the local barangay. I quite understood it, though, when she told me in passing that the jump-off as well as the DENR office are part of Ternate, while the Base Camp 1 is on the side of Maragondon where Pico de Loro actually is. It doesn’t justify the 2 registration fees, but it kinda explains that Ternate also wants something out from the mountaineers since the jump-off is in their town even if the mountain itself is part of another.

It was an easy trek after the base camp to the falls, though it took us exactly an hour before reaching the campsite near the falls due to photo ops and a little rest by the stream just before we entered the what seemed to be a fenced private property.

We reached the campsite near the waterfall 11:50 AM. From there, we clearly saw the summit and it's famous parrot's beak shape.

And since the sound of the waterfall could be clearly heard from the campsite, we immediately rushed to see it, ignoring our grumbling tummies for later.

And the three teens I was with couldn't help but jump in the cold water for a quick swim. As much as I'd like to, I didn't dare swim cuz I had a fever the previous night (thanks Biogesic, by the way).

And then there's the mandatory back pic. LoL!

This post, though, is getting long it's gonna be hard to read. Imma post the 2nd part of my Pico de Loro climb tonight. But the truth is, I still haven't gone to vote. Today's the Barangay Election and I only have 2 hours left to do it.

Edit:
Click here to read Pico de Loro (Part 2).

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Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center

Posting on Facebook where you’re going proves helpful if you’re looking for a travel buddy. You don’t really have to say you need a company, they’ll ask to come with you.



In my case, I actually planned on going to Lucban alone. I just wanted to see Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center in Brgy. Tinamnan, and from what I have read, it’s a worry-free destination even if you’re alone.

But a friend named Rachel – who used to be a neighbor - saw the post and wanted to go. Why not? I love going to places alone but it’s always fun to have a friend for company.

So we met at the bus terminal in Alabang at 5:30 AM last September 12th. She had this Deuter daypack on her back and a Canon G10 slung on her neck. So posh. A far-cry from the Sandugo backpack and Kodak C813. LoL!

Anyway, our bus left Alabang at exactly 6 AM and arrived at Lucena Grand Terminal exactly 9 AM. The trip could have been shorter if not for the stops Manong Konduktor demanded to look at merchandise that fancied his eyes in the shops along the road of Sariaya, Quezon. Three times. Not to mention the slow downs everytime they’d pass a bunch of friends killing that early Sunday morning on waiting sheds. And they seemed to have as many friends as my Facebook account. (Okay, that’s exaggeration but it really felt like eternity waiting for the driver to finish talking to his friends and speed up.)

The jeepney ride to grotto (that’s Via Dolorosa grotto slash Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center) took just a little more than an hour. I was expecting more people than what we arrived to, actually, because of the internet articles that say the place is always crowded on weekends. The church was full and there were plastic chairs outside to accommodate churchgoers but it’s not really crowded as what was initially imagined. I’m kinda sure, though, that Holy Week attracts more people to this place so I think it’s not a good idea to go during Semana Santa, unless you have a vow or something.


Garden of Eden, entrance to the hill

You have to go find the Garden of Eden if you wanna go up the hill. And, of course, the garden won’t be complete if there’s no Adam and Eve:


Adam and Eve

Anyway, the hill looks high and the stairs look endless in pictures but it’s really not. I’m sure even my 70-year-old nanay would be able to climb to the top twice in a row.


Last Supper

The statues are so colorful it’s like being in a kids’ playground. They don’t have the church-ey quality of being carefully sculptured to look so holy. And perhaps it’s also the color palette that gives the playground feel. After all, it’s a favorite spot for field-trips of elementary and high school students. Oh, wait! My niece had her field trip here when she’s already in third year college in Adamson.


Statue of the Ascending Christ, third largest Jesus Christ statue in the world

The statue of the Ascending Christ at the top of the hill was impressive in its size. I’ve read somewhere that it’s the third largest statue of Christ around the world with its height of 50 feet.

Signs like “Bawal Mag-Date Dito,” “Bawal Kumain Dito,” and “No Smoking” can be seen at the little area behind the big statue. There were so many bawal signs that I thought the only thing missing was “Bawal Pumunta Dito.” (Now that would summarize all those bawal signs up.)

An hour was all it took for us to finish touring the place. And it’s not even lunch time when we found ourselves outside the gates of Kamay ni Hesus. Good thing Rachel was the kind of adventurous woman who’s always willing to go somewhere else that’s not part of the original plan. And where else we went that Sunday? Now that’s another story.

Check out my other pics of Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center here.

How to get to Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center:

* Ride a Lucena-bound bus and drop off at the Lucena Grand Terminal (fare for a non-aircon bus from Alabang is Php118.00).

* In the same terminal, ride a Lucban-bound jeepney and ask to be dropped off at the grotto (fare is Php30.00).

(transportation costs sited are as of September 12, 2010)

view from the top

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Mt. Romelo - Buruwisan, Old Buruwisan, and Lansones Falls

I woke up around 3:30 AM that August 1 morning, so excited to go to a waterfall in Laguna which boasts of its freezing-cold water. Gerald, the friend who went with me to Kwebang Lampas last month, was also supposed to go with me on that waterfall trip. I texted him before I took a shower telling him to get his lazy butt out of bed. We agreed the night before to meet at my house 4:30 AM so we could start early. Ever so excited, I was all set to go a few minutes before the agreed time. But when I checked my phone for his reply, I found none.

By that time, I kinda knew something was off. I started calling him to wake him up, thinking he overslept. I rang his phone over and over for 2 hours. Nanay left for church at 6 that morning and she reminded me not to leave if Gerald wouldn’t make it.

But then I was all set wearing my new Penshoppe shorts, and with my rucksack packed especially light, I didn’t want anything (read: being stood up) to get in the way of having an eventful Sunday.

So I left home to go out alone. It was already 6:30 AM and I didn’t have any specific place to go. I didn’t wanna go to that waterfall-with-freezing-cold-water anymore because I heard it gets so crowded with local tourists on weekends. Going there alone, in the midst of people having fun swimming and picnicking, would be so sad.

While commuting towards the bus terminal in Alabang (you can always start your waypoint at the bus terminal), I fished out my tickler which I always keep in the rucksack mesh pocket, and searched in my list of destinations (something like a wish list) that I have. And since it was supposed to be a waterfall day, I wanted to keep it that way. I have another waterfall on my list, and I heard not many people go there even on a weekend – the Buruwisan Falls in Mt. Romelo.

At 7:30 AM I boarded a bus to Sta. Cruz, Laguna. After two hours, I was already seated beside the driver of a jeepney bound for Siniloan (pronounced Si-ni-loo-an). It was almost an hour ride, passing by the towns of Pakil, Pagsanjan, and a couple others I’m not familiar with. At 10:30 AM, which was quite late considering I still have to climb a mountain to reach the falls, I was dropped off across the road from a Jollibee branch and boy, was I happy! I crossed the road deciding to have a quick brunch, but once inside the store, something on the other side of the road caught my eyes.

Sts. Peter & Paul Parish, Siniloan, Laguna

I was even happier because I wouldn’t have to ask the locals for direction to their local parish anymore. Across the road, actually it’s the side of the road where the jeep dropped me off, was the Saints Peter and Paul Parish of Siniloan, Laguna. I left Jollibee and went to the church first, almost forgetting my promise to visit a church first thing upon arriving at my destination.

After a quick round of the church, I immediately left, not dropping by Jollibee anymore because it was almost 11 AM.

Mt. Romelo Jump-off Point in Barangay Macatad

I quickly hired a tricycle to go to the jump-off point in Barangay Macatad. I thought it would be a problem getting a guide, but with my rucksack and all, people at the jump-off already knew where I was headed and they all offered to be my guide. I chose a 46-year-old man who was shorter than me but looked good-hearted and talked with much zest.

The ever-so-kind guide, Ray Suplado

His name is Ray Suplado. I actually thought he was kidding with the surname but eventually found out that it was real.

The Registration Area

Anyway, I’ve already read about the official mountaineer guides at the registration but was also aware that the locals ask for a cheaper fee so I decided to just hire someone from the jump-off.

Muddy Trek

I must say that I underestimated Mt. Romelo, with its 240+ MSL and being the mountain that newbie mountaineers climb. I actually thought it was an easy trek, but it was not. The mud was horrendous. What with the tropical storms that hit the country and the almost daily afternoon rains that that part of Luzon (including Metro Manila) gets? I wouldn’t wanna dwell, though, on the hard climb because it being my first real mountain climb (I also climbed a quarter of a mountain in Laurel, Batangas some 10 years ago and it was not a climb at all when compared to Mt. Romelo), I know I could go on forever detailing how hard it was to walk up a slope on a slippery mud and how harder it was to cling on those small cement posts they had put up on the very steep parts of the trek.

A Very Steep Descent to the Falls

After almost 2 hours of walking, I felt so excited when I heard sounds of the water rushing. I knew it was the falls. And after one very steep descent, I was rewarded with this view:

Buruwisan Falls

There were around 6-8 persons about, swimming and taking pictures. One group was rappelling. I wanted to try to rappel but I was informed by my guide that you have to bring your own rappelling stuff and do it at your own risk. So never mind that.

I told my guide that I wanted to finish touring the place before we eat lunch so we headed off to Lansones Falls by following the flow of the water from the Buruwisan Falls. A few feet from the Buruwisan Falls, there was another river that connects to the one coming from the falls. We trekked the side of that river, going against the flow of its waters.

The River Coming From Lansones Falls

Rock formations were so picturesque that I stopped numerous times to admire their beauty.

Lansones Falls

Arriving at Lansones Falls, I gladly found out there was not a single mountaineer in sight. Me and my guide were alone and he told me to swim even just for a bit. I didn’t wanna swim because I was so tired but realized it was better to swim there than at Buruwisan Falls where a group of photogs was present. LoL!

So I took all my valuables from my pockets and neck and put them at the mesh pocket of my rucksack. After swimming, I forgot to take my beloved Cherry Mobile phone from the mesh pocket and that’s how it got lost. Walking in the water, jumping from one rock to another, I so many times lost my balance, bending over and stuff and that’s how the phone fell from my bag. I really should have put on the rucksack's rain cover but it was already too late when I realized that.

Old Buruwisan Falls (My Sandugo sandals just have to make a cameo. LoL!)

My guide also took me to the top of the Old Buruwisan Falls. Coming from the Lansones Falls, we trekked back to where the Lansones river joins the Buruwisan river and followed the water until the drop.

The Camp Site on top of Buruwisan Falls

After that, we climbed back up the very steep path we descended earlier to have lunch at the sari-sari store situated at the camp site which was near the drop of the Buruwisan Falls, near the rappelling spot. The guide told me we could ask the tindera to cook for us, but to our dismay, there was no rice at that time. We just settled for four packets of Lucky Me Pancit Canton which cost 13 pesos each. How much was the price of having it cooked? Depends on how much you'd be willing to give. I asked if a hundred pesos was enough for the 4 pancit canton and a bottle of Mountain Dew that cost 23 pesos, and the store owner said it was. The canton and softdrink already cost 75 pesos. 25 pesos wasn’t bad at all for the cooking, plus plates and forks. I had Hansel biscuits in my bag and I gave two of them to my guide.

The Way to Batya-Batya Falls

I knew there was a waterfall called Batya-Batya on that mountain and I asked my guide to take me there. We tried, but the water was so deep we would have to swim. The guide tried to show me how deep it was. A few steps into the blue-green pool and it was already neck-deep. Swimming wasn’t a problem at all. The problem was my bag which I didn’t pack water proof. I would have done it, though, if I knew I would be mountain climbing that day.

There was a trek in the mountain going to Batya-Batya but it was so steep my guide was worried I wouldn’t be able to descend Mt. Romelo and get to Sta. Cruz in time for the last bus bound for Alabang. It was almost 4 PM that time. He, though, offered his house for me to spend the night if I really wanted to see Batya-Batya Falls and another one named Sampaloc Falls, but I declined. Nanay would kill me. There were no cellphone signals on that part of the mountains. No Smart, no Globe, no PLDT Landine +. I knew she’s already worried that I went out nature tripping alone, what more if I didn’t go home without even a text or call?

The descent from Mt. Romelo was a breeze. I was actually surprised to find a group of mountaineers resting in front of an abandoned hut on their way down.

The Mountaineer's Stop-Over

By 5 PM I had already cleaned-up at the Mountaineer’s Stop-Over which asks for a 20-peso-fee for the use of the toilet and bath. I wasn’t able to use the toilet, though, because look at what you would have to go through if you have to do number 2:

Anyway, by 5:25 PM I was already at the Siniloan town proper, in a jeep bound for Sta. Cruz. I reached the Sta. Cruz bus terminal by 6:30 PM and was in Alabang by 8:20 PM.

Perhaps I was really destined to learn the art of travelling alone that first day of August 2010. If Gerald had come with me and we went to that other waterfall with all the local tourists who wanted to swim in its freezing waters, I wouldn’t be able to climb Mt. Romelo and see 3 waterfalls all in a day.

Now I can say that I have travelled alone to a new place, and can again travel alone in the future if I have to. Travelling with a buddy is fun, but travelling alone also has its perks and advantages. For one, you can visit three different falls one after another before you even have lunch and no one will complain (the guide didn’t, anyway). Two, your time is in your hands. You don’t have to worry about going home early because your friend wants to. Three, you can go wherever you want. I have originally planned a Mt. Romelo climb but Gerald has asthma and it can attack him while climbing.

Posing at the Lansones Falls (Thanks to Kuya Ray for this pic)

How to get to Mt.Romelo/Buruwisan Falls (from Alabang):

* Ride a bus to Sta. Cruz, Laguna (fare of a non-aircon bus from Alabang is Php77.00). Drop off at the Sta. Cruz bus terminal which is the end-point of that ride.

* Across the road from the terminal, take a jeepney bound for Siniloan (fare is Php35.00). Ask the driver to drop you off in front of Sts. Peter & Paul Parish or Jollibee.

* Beside Jollibee are tricycles you can hire to go to Mt. Romelo’s jump-off point in Brgy. Macatad. Special ride costs Php60.00.

* At the jump-off, you have the option to hire one of the locals as guide (mine asked for Php250.00 one-way so I paid Php500.00 because I didn’t wanna descend alone). If you don’t want a local, you can proceed to the Registration Area to get one of the mountaineers there as guide.

* If you decide to get a guide at the Registration Area, just follow the road until you reach the Mountaineer’s Stop-Over. Facing it, turn left and follow the road lined with trees. You will reach a river, cross it and follow the grassy path until you see a small house (pictured above) that is the Registration Office. Pay Php20.00. They’ll give you an ID if you’re staying at the mountains overnight, and not if you’ll just do a day hike.

(If you’re from Manila, make sure to schedule your descent so you’ll have enough time to reach the Sta. Cruz bus terminal to catch the last bus going to Alabang at 8:00 PM. Tricycles that will take you to Siniloan town are owned by the locals so there’s no problem with that. I was told, though, that jeepneys from Siniloan going to Sta. Cruz are only until 7:00 PM.)

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Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Siniloan, Laguna

I went to Siniloan, Laguna last Sunday and upon arriving at the town proper, I immediately looked for the local parish. It's one of my personal rules to first and foremost visit the local church of wherever my destination is, to give thanks for arriving there safe and to pray as well for the safety of those I left at home.

Since I wasn't really prepared for a Siniloan trip (I was scheduled to go to Majayjay that day), I wasn't able to search the net for its local church beforehand. Anyway, I was sure a local or two would be willing to give me directions to their local parish if I'd kindly ask.

I didn't have to ask anyone, though, because when the jeepney driver dropped me off in the intersection where I could hire a tricycle to go to my destination, it was in front of a church.


It's not facing the road, like most churches. It's turned sideways and is flanked along the road by all sorts of stores. It's still prominent, though, because it's way higher than the shops fronting it so you won't, by any chance, miss it when you're at the area.


When you get inside, the first thing you'd notice are the life size angels holding the Holy Water stoups.


The aisle is long enough for a descent bridal walk.


And the stained-glass windows give the lighting inside the church some drama.


I wasn't able to attend mass, though. I arrived at Siniloan around 10:30 am and the Sunday services were already finished. If it's in my local Taguig parish, that time would still be so busy with the church bursting with well-dressed ninongs and ninangs for the binyag.

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