THE CAVES OF ZAMBALES...,..

As I explained previously, part of our assignment was to shoot some of Zambales' tourist spots. The group then headed to a series of caves, the most famous of which is called the Sagrada Familia.

According to some locals we have asked, the cave is a favorite place of local pilgrims, especially during the Lenten Season. People who seek solitude actually go the the cave and contemplate. However, some local youth also use the cave as a place to hang out in. These kids apparently often leave evidences of their activities inside the cave. Bottles of liquor, empty plastic bags and cigarette butts are some of the refuse that had been collected from the site.

But what really devalues the place are the presence of names written on the walls of the cave. These were apparently written by the visitors of the cave which serves as a memento of their visit. If only these people knew that writing on the walls of caves is prohibited by law.

THE CHURCH OF SANTA CRUZ, ZAMBALES

The next day was a day of travel for us as we went to Santa Cruz, Zambales. Usually the first thing we take pictures of when in an unfamiliar place is the parish church. However, we were unfortunate since the church was closed for the morning. Hence, the picture above is the only photo that I took of this church.

INA POON BATO SHRINE.....

We headed to our next location to see a unique church. The problem was, the sun began to set that we even had to stop momentarily to take a sunset shot.....


The Sun Sets.....




Thanks to my friend Bless' driving skills (and amazing memory recall), the group was able to find the shrine of Ina Poon Bato. Legend has it that before the Spaniards came over Philippine shores, Aeta natives had discovered a wooden image carved on a large rock and called it Apo Apang (little queen). It is also believed that Ina Poon Bato performed miracles.


The Cross.....




A Station Of The Cross.....




Picture Up Close.....




Ina Poon Bato.....




His Cross.....




From The Outside.....




The Altar.....




The Exit.....

ZAMBALES CHURCH NUMBER TWO.....

St. Monica Church of Botolan, Zambales.....






The Belfry.....






The Guardians Of The Narthex.....








The Nave Of The Church.....






Baptistery.....






As soon as we were finished shooting the activities for the morning program, the group decided to explore the neighboring towns to find places worthy of being captured in digital file. So we went to Botolan, Zambales to visit its church, The Parish Of St. Monica. The church was built in 1700 out of coral blocks that the townsfolk painstakingly carried from the sea. It is also believed that this church is considered the oldest church in the country.

My only wish for our nation's old places of worship is that locals should try and preserve the original structure and not alter the appearance in case the churches need repairs. These edifices are part of our history after all.

ZAMBALES DAY TWO.....

The Place Where We Stayed.....




























Building Sand Structures.....





















The group stayed in Mr. Farin's beach resort, the Sand Valley Beach Resort. The place is filled with antiques, which the former vice mayor inherited from his ancestors. The place though has seen better days. Since I went there as a guest, I am not going to elaborate its flaws like a tourism reviewer does. Rather, I'd like to dwell in its uniqueness. The resort for one seems way out of the way from the town proper. But it has a reason, an airstrip is in front of the resort's compound. From what we gathered through the pictures displayed in the resort, the owner's father (or was it grandfather) used to be a an Air Force pilot and then switched to become a commercial pilot. Perhaps the patriarch used to own a light aircraft that necessitates an airstrip (imagine building a driveway for your garage). Today, a private company uses the airstrip for its flying school business. Too bad we just couldn't find the time to put into use our photo op within the runway, a jump shot of the group with a plane about to take-off as a background!

The second day, we went to the beach side to watch the sand castle making contest. The sand castle makers are still miles away from the talent of those who do the job in Boracay. But such contests should make the locals broaden their creativity more and produce better artworks. The only drawback of covering this event was the sweltering heat of the sun! Bless and I practically covered ourselves in sunblock! We even asked each other about the SPF of our lotions.

In the afternoon, we went to the neighboring town of Botolan and shoot the old churches. It is rather sad to see though how most of the churches seem to sport a modern look which contrasts its old fashion facade. These parish priests must realize that to improve a church is more about the structure itself and the history it contains and not more about themselves and the perceived legacy that they shall leave behind to their parish. An exception though is a shrine that we had trouble locating. It is the Ina ng Poon Bato Shrine. The shrine is made of stones and placed by hand until the structure is formed. Apparently, the builders were locals who formerly lived at the mountainous region of the Cordillera. As we all know, those people in the highlands are known carvers and toolmakers. The structure is a refreshing deviation from the usual architecture of churches here in the country.


The drive going to the shrine was difficult enough for us so we even ask directions on how to get there but the road returning to the resort proved to be more difficult as darkness began to set in. I for one had trouble seeing the surroundings, there wasn't enough streetlights to provide illumination on the road. To Bless' credit, her driving skills are amazing! She can practically remember every nook and cranny that we passed by as we returned to the resort even in the darkness. This is why I always enjoy the trip when she is at the helm of the car.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO ZAMBALES?

Up, Up And Away!!!!!





"Hurry Up Guys, We Only Have A Few Minutes Left...."





The 29th Mango Festival.....






Fixing The Decor.....






The Municipal Hall.....






The Start Of The Street Dance And Parade.....






















One of NAYON's past supporters recently had an ex-deal offer that the club could not refuse. He was thinking of promoting Zambales as a tourist attraction and wanted the club to photograph the picturesque spots with the photos to be used as advertising materials to promote its tourism program. In return, board, lodging and transport shall be sponsored by our benefactor. The task shall take five days and people who can go on a moments notice will be the ones to go. And the lucky ones were Boyet, Peter, Buboy, Bless and me. Club president Gigi actually was supposed to go to Pangasinan for a business matter but we brainwashed her to proceed first to Zambales and join us in the shoot even for a day.

I've been to Iba, Zambales before, but that was ages ago. It was during my cousin, Manong Elmer's wedding to his wife (until now) Manang Sandra, since she was from Zambales. I can't remember details of that event other than most of my cousin's relatives in Ilocos Sur made the trip. Oh, I also recall my Aunt Veron being one of the principal sponsors during the wedding.

The province is actually known for its sweet mangoes. In fact, the province celebrated its 29th Mango Festival last April 23 until April 26, 2008. As with other festivals, the province has week long activities to commemorate the event.

I traveled with Bless (we were the only females, hence I rode in her car) and the men travelled in Peter's car. We arrived at Iba, Zambales town proper a few hours before noon. Our host, ex-Mayor Jun Farin briefed us about the day's activities while we had lunch. At 12 noon, we were about to proceed back to the town plaza when out of nowhere, it rained quite hard! The winds were strong, it blew off the tents of the participants of the fair and tore of the banderitas hanged near the municipal building. As soon as the rain stopped at 3 pm, the crew immediately repaired everything and the street dance started at 3:30 pm. That goes to show that for the people of Zambales, in times of bad weather, the show must go on.