church of sta. monica, sarrat, ilocos norte






With the exception of the group of students on a field trip, we had the place to ourselves. The church was opened. But then it was very overcast outside, with a slight drizzle. It was too dark to take any pictures inside the church. This was the church where the Araneta-Marcos was held in the'80's. At the rectory, were were some pictures of the reception held at the church grounds. Now the place is very quiet. Apparently, the church had been destroyed in an earthquake and it was reconstructed for the purpose of holding Irene's wedding. The brick makers of Laoag were asked by General Ver to supply the bricks used in constructing the church, allegedly gratis et amore. At the lower floor of the rectory I found a room containing Santos and old chasubles. On one end of the room, there was a label indicating that this was the garrotte chamber. The garrotte was a form of capital punishment that dates back to the times of the Holy Inquisition. In Ilocos, it was used to deal with those with more rebellious nature during the time when Las Islas Filipinas was part of the vast Spanish colonies. As a lighter counterpoint, I also found a nikelado jeepney bearing the name of the church's patroness. all photos © 2005 daddywasabi, all rights reserved

san nicolas






San Nicolas is probably the next town after Laoag. The church front picture is a puzzle I put together using several photographs. Inside the church is we lit so I was still able to take pictures using natural light with the use of my trusty tripod. I was not as lucky when we got to Sarrat where the interior of the church is pitch black. Beside the church of San Nicolas is the market where my sister ordered her supply of bagnet and ilocano longganiza that we would hand carry back to Manila. all potos © 2005 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.

planting rice








One of the songs we were taught in grade 1 is "Planting Rice" my apologies if that is not the correct title. But I could not recall the lyrics anymore. Anyway on the way to Pagudpud, we saw endless green fields of rice with people being very busy working the farms. I also noticed that most of those working the fields were men with very few women working the land. Buddha said it was the second planting season. I told him that I have read that it is much better to let the land rest for a season before planting crops once again and using chemical fertilizers on the land.

Today I read an article in INQ7 talking about the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Ilocano workers who went to Hawaii to work the sugar fields over there. Most went there so that they could make enough money for their dowry. Others chose to live in Hawaii for good. It would not be surprising to find out that most of the ethnic Filipinos in Hawaii at present came from these Ilocano workers. The Manongs who went to Hawaii toiled the land for long hours while the sun is shining.

Ilocos is a very hard place. The land is difficult, the weather is harsh. Sometimes Ilocanos are called the Scots of the Philippines mostly because of their thrift and industry. But given the conditions they live in, they really did not have much choice otherwise their survival is at stake. Ironically, it was under President Marcos, an Ilocano that the country started to amass massive foreign debt for which the country does not have much to show for. all photos © 2005 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.

pagudpud the day before and after



As if nature was teasing us. On the single day we were spending in Pagudpud, rains was lashing the place. The wind was very strong. I was trying to get a closer shot of the rock with a hole yonder in the upper picture but the wind was quite strong and we had to flee to the safety in one of the huts near the beach. The next day, the sky was gloriously clear with the sun shining. The sky and the sea was blue. The white sands of Pagudpud was empty but for the women selling their sea shell crafts. I just consoled myself with the thought that as a photographer, I should be able to take pictures no matter what the weather for each situation offers great opportunities. all photos © 2005 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.

cathedral of st. paul, vigan, ilocos sur






Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the exterior of the church with the exception of the girl eating ice cream. The light was quite harsh at noon time and we did not have time to come back later in the afternoon. However the interior of this cathedral is quite beautiful. The church manangs were very busy waxing the floor and they were in the process of completing the christmas decorations inside the cathedral. all photos © 2005 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.

more of laoag






Laoag is a small city. It is the capital city of Ilocos Norte so both the city hall and the provincial capitol are sharing the same plaza. Thankfully Laoag still retains a lot of its old charms. We are not yet seeing the mallification of this countryside. However according to Buddha, a major shopping mall is being planned near Laoag. Of course you can find Kentucky Fried Chicken, Jollibee, Max's in the city center. Our first night we had a great dinner at La Preciosa where we sampled typical Ilocano dishes. Afterall the whole point of visiting a place is also to sample the local cuisine. Ilocano food agrees with me because of its simple and spare home cooked food. They do not have the elaborate sarsas that is present in the Pampango food that was fiesta fare in my parents' home town. Of course there is bagnet which is the Ilocano version of the lechon kawali, which I can only now manage just to taste. But I feasted in pinakbet, dinengdeng and there was one heavenly dish that had a name that sounded like the vernacular name of the female sex organ said twice over. Oh, before I forget, we did pass by Marcos's home. The museum was closed indefinitely. They however had a small display of his pictures near his maosoleum. I had to surrender my camera to Buddha when we entered the maosoleum which automatically plays a dirge when the doors open. I commented to my sister that the body of Marcos looked very waxy. Later we were told that a lot of people suspect that what is being shown is made of wax. Perhaps this explains the sign outside which says " No cameras and hard objects allowed inside". The work of just one vandal will be enough to reveal the truth. As far as Marcos is concerned, there are still many potential vandals. The biggest hotel to stay in is still Fort Ilocandia near the Laoag airport. However you should try some of the smaller places. Balay ti Blas was a place that offers good value and is located within the city of Laoag itself. The breakfast alone makes the stay worth it because it is oversized and will fill even someone who has a huge appetite. When visiting the North, it is best to stay in Laoag because Vigan is just an hour and a half away. After all you do not need to spend days to see the old town. Around Laoag are interesting churches the most prominent of which is the church of Paoay. From Laoag you can drive north to go to Pagudpud or even onto Aparri or Claveria in Cagayan. I asked Buddha if there are boat trips from Aparri going to Basco Batanes. He said there is none. I am assuming that this has something to do with the rough waters in that part of the country.

all photos © 2005 daddywasabi, all rights reserved

suba





It was a lonely beach. Perhaps no one was in the mood to go out. It was windy and the sky was overcast. We did not see anyone on the beach except for women collecting shells for their dinner. There was a solitary banca and two stumps of driftwood along the way. Behind us was the sand dunes with only a few grass was growing. Yonder were the huts, perhaps of the fishermen that are now staying away from the sea because of the strong waves. It was lonely, it was melancholy. Only our footsteps and the waves.

all photos © 2005 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.

lighthouse in burgos







This lighthouse, from the account of the caretaker dates back to the 1890's. His earliest recollection of the place was when his lolo (grandfather) took him to visit the place when he was a little boy. The lighthouse is still in use because Northern Luzon is prone to bad weather. While commercial ships are now equiped with radar equipment, the small fishing vessels going into the South China seas still need this lighthouse to guide the fishermen into safety. On the roof of the lower building near the lighthouse, I noticed some solar cells. I was told that the electricity gathered during the day is enough to power the light at night. The lighthouse compound is also equiped with a spanish style kitchen. It was really nothing fancy. It just meant that there was a few wood fired stoves, over it was a hood so that the smoke is enclosed and goes up the chimney. Nowadays, bats reside under the hood so the kitchen does not smell that nice. I wonder if it was really put into use in the lighthouse's early days. Perhaps in those days the cartakers families would stay in the compound and meals would be prepared in this kitchen. Now only one caretaker stays here. His son has left to go to school in Manila. Perhaps a couple of his relatives are in working in foreign countries just like me. all photos © 2005 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.

vigan, ilocos sur














Vigan prides itself of one of the oldest preserved towns in the Philippines. I think, the prewar Intramuros would have been much more magnificent, only it did not survive the bombing during the war of liberation of Manila in WWII. The streets of Vigan are lined with old adobe houses in varying stages of repair or disrepair. The main street is lined with shops selling handicrafts and faux antiques. However, for a small place, there does not seem to be a lot of market segmentation. After a while of walking around, I started feeling that all I am seeing are more of the same thing. There is also the matter of the persistent calesa driver who kept of following me even if I told him that I am not interested in taking his fare. Not that I mind but the smell of horse shit was starting to get the better of me. On the whole where the old house are maintained, the architecture is still very interesting. The houses are tall. Perhaps they have the entrecuelo that is commonly found in houses in the 19th century. My sister and I even visited on of the well preserved houses complete with the old furnishings they had. These houses did not have living rooms but had ballrooms! There were anterooms, formal dining rooms, azoteas etc.

Life goes on for the residents of the town, most are oblivious of the tourist moving from shop to shop. I even spotted a group playing mah jong. However I was wondering if they had a quorum because there were only three of them playing. I saw an old pump where a little girl was trying to get some water to clean her face with. It seems that she got dirty with playing in the street and her mother told her to clean up. I was smiling as best as I could but it seems that I scared the poor child when I was trying to take her picture. Perhaps it is not the old buildings that makes Vigan interesting but the fascinating people that are still choosing to live there and make their living.

all pictures © 2005 daddywasabi, all rights reserved.