Best Travel Blog in the Philippines

Mission: Sirang Lente, one of the Best Travel Blogs in the Philippines

Meym Dharzie, thirty-ish, Romblon! Previous part-time movie extra and full-time in BPO. I love historical sites, nature and outdoor activities like hiking and camping. At home, watching documentaries and Korean Dramas are my interests.

Why Sirang Lente?

Sirang Lente is a Filipino word which means “a defective lens,” pertaining to my camera lens. I know you’re thinking why I'm writing and proud having such a defective lens, correct? Here’s the reason: it was in 2012 when I started hiking and backpacking. That time, I don’t have anything expensive, like DSLR cameras, to capture high quality photos or even a knowledge in photo editing. What I have were old 5 megapixel Digital camera and a smart phone with 3.2 megapixel camera. They both have cracks on the LCD so I was thinking that they have defective lenses, but upon transferring the photographs to my laptop, images were beautiful. That's when I realized that there could be beauty in defects, it all depends in perspective.

 

I created this blog to list down the beautiful tourist attractions, tourist spots, tourist destinations in all the provinces I visited, upload great photos (must be raw and may not be in high quality) and tell my stories. I may not have perfect grammar but I do believe that: “learning is constant and practice makes permanent!”

For travelers, like me, Social Media is now considered as one of the must haves. Social media platforms, such as twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google Plus and many other social media sites and apps are best and simplest way to share your stories, travel itinerary and gorgeous photos to others. They are also being used to promote and inspire others to do the same.

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Namacpacan Church, La Union: History, Location, Wedding

The facade of Namacpacan Church in La Union

READ: PLACES TO VISIT IN LA UNION

Ozamiz Cathedral

The Ozamiz Cathedral houses the most significant relic and patroness of the city - the Our Lady of Misamis, also known as the Virgin sa Cotta, The Blessed Virgin of Cotta, and Birhen sa Cotta. Originally, the statue of the patroness was set up outside the walls of Fort sa Cotta, but fray Jorge Carcabilla moved it to this church. In 1975, the statue was stolen and was only returned on December 8, 2017. Also, Ozamiz Cathedral is the home of the second largest bamboo organ in the Philippines, after the Las Pinas Bamboo Organ. READ: SOLO-BACKPACKING IN ZamBaSulTa, Region 9, and Misamis Occidental 

Saint Bartholomew Church, Catbalogan City

Saint Bartholomew Church. READ: SOLO-BACKPACKING IN SAMAR 

 

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ABOUT ME: SIRANGLENTE

Daraga Church, Albay

We were still wishing that on our next destination, Mt. Mayon will show its perfect cone. Kuya Lijong brought us to the historical Daraga Church, situated on a hill. The location is also a perfect spot to see the beauty of Magayon which was playing hide and seek with us. The clearing was negative, so let's proceed to its history. The structure of Daraga Church has a Baroque design built by the Franciscan Friars in 1773. It served as the place of worship after the church of Cagsawa was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Mayon in 1814. Also, Daraga Church served as the station of Japanese soldiers during the Second World War in 1945. It was rebuilt from 1971 to 1973. READ: BACKPACKING ALBAY, SORSOGON, CATANDUANES

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ABOUT ME: SIRANGLENTE

Mt. Mayon

Mt. Mayon is definitely the top tourist spot in Albay and it was hiding in the clouds during our 2 attempts to visit Cagsawa Ruins. According to the metal plate: "The spiritual administration of Cagsawa from 1587 to 1595 was under the Parish of Camalig. An early church was burned, 25 July 1636, by the Dutch who ransacked the towns bordering Legaspi Bay. This church was built after 1724 by Fray Francisco Blanco. D.F.M., was buried by rocks and lava during the eruption of Mayon Volcano, on 1 February 1814. The authorities of Cagsawa meeting at Ligao, 6 July 1814, decided to incorporate their town as part of Daraga. The first centenary of the destructions of the church was commemorated 1 February 1914, with a huge pilgrimage to the ruins where high mass was celebrated."

Albay Cathedral: History, Mass Schedule

The Albay Cathedral is one of the top tourist destinations in the province and it was our first destination. It is also known as the Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great situated in front of McDo and beside Legaspi City hall. According to its historical data, this cathedral started as a chapel built in 1580s by the Spanish missionaries. The early structure was made from local products such as wood and nipa. Then, it emerged to a stone structure in 1800. READ: BACKPACKING ALBAY, SORSOGON, CATANDUANES

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ABOUT ME: SIRANGLENTE

VISITA IGLESIA: 9 HISTORICAL CHURCHES IN METRO MANILA

Guadalupe Church, Makati City - it’s a 400 years old structure with an amazing facade. Founded by the Augustinians, the construction of its foundation was laid in 1601 and was finished in 1629. Some parts of this church were rebuilt several times because of the earthquakes; and in 1880 the masonry roof collapsed because of the earthquake so it was rebuilt in 1882 by Rev. Jose Corujedo O.S.A. Later, this structure was burnt during the fight between Filipinos and Americans on February 1899. It was reconstructed and re-opened to the public in 1983.

Paoay Church, Ilocos Norte

Paoay Church or the San Agustin Church is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines. The structure comprises baked bricks, coral rocks, tree sap and solid lumber. The 24 buttresses were also placed on each side of the church for support; the reason why it is still standing after the earthquakes in the 17th century up to this generation.

Bacolor Church, Pampanga

Bacolor Church (San Guillermo Church) in Pampanga is considered as the Cagsawa of the North. More than twenty years ago, Mt. Pinatubo erupted and many municipalities were left devastated, including Bacolor. This church was built in 1576 and was named after their patron saint San Guillermo Ermitaño. Destroyed by earthquakes and fire then was rebuilt in 1886.

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral is the center of the Archdiocese of Cebu City.  It was established as a diocese on August 14, 1595 and became the metropolitan archdiocese on April, 28, 1934, with its first archbishop Gabriel M. Reyes. The construction of the structure was interrupted due to the lack of funds and other circumstances. The facade features a trefoil-shaped pediment decorated with floral carves.

Magellan's Cross

Magellan's Cross is a historical landmark and the most visited tourist spots in Cebu City. It is Christian cross made up of wood erected by Ferdinand Magellan (a Portuguese explorer) during his exploration in Cebu, Philippines on April 21, 1521. This cross can be found inside an octagonal chapel in front of Cebu City Hall and beside Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. This one of the most prominent tourist spot in Cebu. But, the current cross is a tindalo wood where the splinters of the original cross were encased. The wood of the original cross were deteriorated because the people were chipping some parts and making it as a souvenir in the belief that it's miraculous.

Basilica Minore del Santo Niño

The Basilica Minore del Santo Niño or Minor Basilica of the Holy Child is one of the minor basilicas in Cebu City. It is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in the country. Its current structure is situated on the same spot where the image of Santo Niño was found in 1565 by the Spanish explorers led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The said statue is the same with the statue given by Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon, 44 years later, as a gift during their baptism on April 14, 1521 at the exact location of Magellan's Cross today.

Molo Church

Molo Church or the St. Anne Parish is situated in front of the town plaza.  Molo is actually one of the seven districts of Iloilo City which formerly called Parian (Chinatown) because the residents here were mostly Chinese. Then it was changed into Moro because of the frequent arrival of Muslim pirates from Mindanao, but later evolved in this name – Wikipedia.com.

Jaro Cathedral

Jaro Cathedral is another example of the historical baroque architecture in the country. Built in 1864 by the order of Mariano Cuartero, who is the first bishop of Jaro. In 1948, this structure was destroyed by an earthquake and was restored in 1956 by the order of the first archbishop Jose Ma. Cuenco. The famous orator, Graciano Lopez Jaena was baptized in this church. In 1976, this church was proclaimed as Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute.

Guimbal Church, Iloilo

Guimbal Church is situated by the highway of Guimbal, Ilo-Ilo, and can easily be recognized because of its unique facade. After my visit at Miag-Ao Church, I traveled around 30 minutes to Guimbal. According to my research, Guimbal Church or St. Nicholas of Tolentino Church doesn’t have any record to when I was erected or established, however, it was completed between 1769 and 1774 under Friar Juan Campos. In 1893, it was further enlarged but later destroyed by fire during the Revolution in 1896 to 1898.

SAN SEBASTIAN CHURCH, MANILA

San Sebastian Church or Basilica Minore de San Sebastian is a Minor Basilica in the City of Manila. The very first structure of this church is situated on a land donated by Don Bernardino Castillo, a devotee of Saint Sebastian, in 1621. It was made up of wood, but was burned in 1651. So it was then replaced by a structure made of bricks but was destroyed again by fire and earthquakes.

Manila Cathedral, Intramuros

Manila Cathedral or the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica is situated in the district of Intramuros in Manila. Originally, this church was the "Church of Manila" which was established and under the management of the Diocese of Mexico in 1571, but later in 1579 it became a separate diocese. 

San Agustin Church, Manila

San Agustin Church in Manila is considered as the oldest church in the Philippines, recognized by the NCCA and UNESCO historical landmark. Like the other old churches in the Philippines, this church faced several natural disasters like earthquakes and was burned several times. The very first structure was built in 1571 made of nipa and bamboo but was destroyed by fire during the invasion of Limahong, a Chinese pirate, in 1574. The same spot, a new structure was built and was made of wood. In 1586, a new structure made of adobe stone was constructed, lead by the Augustinians.

La Union Tourist Spot

The Province of La Union is the surfing capital of the North. The gigantic yet friendly waves make this place a paradise for surfers, well, let's include those beach addicts. The beach has a long stretch of fine grey sand with a clear view of the golden sunset. The sand has a mixture of shells and colorful corals. For people who are afraid of the waves, like me, having a wide view of the emerald water with surfers dancing on their boards is just amazing.