Angeles Church, Pampanga

We were heading back to Manila when we passed by the Angeles Church, Pampanga. It was evening and we thought that this church is stunningly beautiful. So, we parked and explored the area. According to history, the first chapel of Angeles Church was established in 1812, however, the current Renaissance-style structure was built through "polos y servicios" or forced and unpaid labor under the supervision of the Spanish government from 1877 to 1896. Dubbed as "Pisamban Maragul," Kapampangan phrase for "big church" because it was the tallest church in Pampanga during that time.

Crystal Beach Resort

Crystal Beach Resort is one of the top destinations in Zambales because of  its gorgeous sunset, cool sea breeze, and relaxing ambiance. Although it's a 3 to 4 hours land travel from Metro Manila, you will be rewarded with a long fine sand beach that is absolutely good for camping and playful waves, perfect for surfing. Well, the area is surrounded by pine trees that cover the camping area from the UV rays which also provide a relaxing camping experience.

Puraran Surf Beach Resort, Catanduanes

Catanduanes is an island province in Bicol region, thus, it is surrounded by magnificent beaches and resorts. Puraran Surf Beach Resort is one of the cheap resorts in Baras where you can enjoy the crystal clear and calm water, cool and fresh sea breeze and emerald seas. The resort is surrounded by greens such as coconuts, banana and other ornamental plants. For accommodation, there are quaint cottages which are also Instagram worthy.

Magalawa Island, Zambales

After our outreach program was held at one of the Aeta Communities in Iba, Zambales, we proceeded to Magalawa Island, an island paradise in Palauig. It's almost three hours travel from Iba passing on the concrete roads by the beach. Since the province is located in the North West of Luzon, facing the Philippine Sea, a lot of gorgeous beaches are yet to be discovered. There are a few stretches of fine white sand and islands beaches that are picture-perfect.

Mt. Romelo + Buruwisan Falls, Laguna

Hiking Mt. Romelo and rappelling the Buruwisan Falls was fun and amazing experience because the area has rich bio-diversity, both flora and fauna. There is a body of water that flows on its terrain, thus, this mountain has a high concentration of trees and other plants. It can bring a good combination of adventure and relaxation. Having said that, Laguna, together with the provinces of Batangas and Cavite, makes the region the center for outdoor activities.

Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Lampas, Quezon Province

This generation, in just one click, you can easily see what to expect from a certain spot. Online, we found an itinerary for Kwebang Lampas and Puting Buhangin. Its beauty was intriguing because of its fine white sand shoreline, crystal clear waters and the ambiance seems to be relaxing. Situated in Padre Burgos, a four to five hours land travel from Manila, this destination is considered as one of the gems of the province of Quezon.

DAMPALITAN ISLAND, Quezon Province

Dampalitan Island is another top destination in Quezon province. It captured the eyes of so many travelers because of its fine white sand shoreline, crystal clear waters and stunning sunset. Its name was derived from Dampalit or "shoreline purslane" in English (Sesuvium Portulacastrum) which is a type of a perennial herb that grows in the coastal areas throughout the world, which is also visible in this Island.  According to the caretaker, they can actually create a sumptuous salad out of this herb.

Borawan and Dampalitan Island: A travel guide

Borawan Island is a small islet located in Padre Burgos, in Quezon Province. According to the caretaker I spoke to , the name of the islet was give by Father Vargas who discovered the islet. This islet is made up of a large stone in irregular shape, covered with grass and trees.

Mt. Hapunang Banoi

Mt. Hapunang Banoi is a dwarf and a hiking-friendly mountain in Montalban, Rizal which can give you a tantalizing view of nature's beauty. Together with Mt. Pamitinan and Mt. Binacayan, Hapunang Banoi is ne of the must hiked mountains in the area because it is also surrounded by lucius greens trees which makes the area looks relaxing. Plus the exhilarating terrains added an adventure to hikers. In the center of these mountains is Wawa Dam, a water reservoir built by the American. This area was chosen because it's a catch basin of the three mountains.

Mt. Pamitinan

Mt. Pamitinan is one of the most hiked mountains because it became famous due to it's accessibility from Manila. It's been a long time since we planned to visit Wawa Dam and hike the twin mountains, for some reasons, it resulted to "drawing." Hiking this mountain is a bit challenging but will definitely give you an amazing and wide view of greens surrounding Wawa Dam and part of Sierra Madre. Also, the area is famous because of the legend; according to stories: Bernardo Carpio used his super power to separate this mount from Mt. Binacayan, as a result, there's a space in between them, where Wawa Dam is situated.