SOUTHERN CHARM

There’s more to Laguna than its hot springs and buko pies. Take a trip down south

and unravel the myriad of possibilities through viaje del sol – a road less travelled by but a lot

of surprises await those who will take this path.

SOUTHERNCHARM

Photos and text by

It was Friday when a childhood friend came to visit me and my brother at our house. We had a lot of catching

up to do but we stumbled talking about our supposed to be out-of-town-trips which never happened because of our different schedules. “What are you going to do tomorrow”, I asked my friend Mike. Without even answering my question he excitedly replied, “Roadtrip?” Triggered by our spontaneity we invited my brother and another friend to go on a roadtrip to Laguna via the viaje del sol route. Viaje del Sol is a roadtrip guide map to the town of Laguna, Batangas and Quezon. It is a strategy to promote tourism in the said provinces by visiting interesting points, restaurants and art galleries in the guide map.

The following day, with sleep less than 4 hours we started our trip down south. Good thing I was able to prepare my iPod with a road trip playlist to keep us awake during the trip. The sun was just about to rise as we were driving from SLEX and our adventure was also yet to start. After almost an hour, we finally arrived in the city of San Pablo in Laguna but we decided to go on with the trip to Liliw and have our stops in reverse. Following the Viaje del Sol route, the first stop would be San Pablo, Nagcarlan then Liliw. From San Pablo, it took us approximately an hour to reach Liliw, known to be the Philippine’s Slippers Capital. u

VIAJE DEL SOLA roadtrip to Laguna

VIAJE DEL SOL (“the way of the sun”) is a guide map that combines three provinces in southern luzon (Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon) as unique destination for road trips. The guidemap features interesting points to visit such as restaurants, establishments, art galleries, and even bed and breakfast inns to those who want to spend an overnight in these towns.

PHOTOS ABOVE (L-R): Parish of St. John the Baptist in Liliw, Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, Pandin Lake in San Pablo City

mADE IN

LILIWWelcome to the Tsinelas Capital

of the Philippines!

Photos and text by the Walks of Kulot

The Slippers Capital of the Philippines

Approximately 100 km from Manila is the peculiar little town of Liliw in Laguna. After driving past a welcome banner that says: “Welcome: Tsinelas Festival 2010, August 29, 2010”, we finally knew we’re in Liliw. Colorful triangular flags hanging from trees welcomed us but unfortunately the town just celebrated their annual Tsinelas festival weeks before our visit. It was a normal day again for the people in Liliw. We stopped by a nearby tricycle outpost and asked for directions where we could find stores selling the town is known for - slippers. Following the directions from the friendly tricycle driver, we finally reached a long stretch of

road with stores selling slippers. The town was quiet with few visitors from nearby towns. “Bili na po kayo, may pang-lalaki”, a vendor asked me to check out slippers to buy for myself. I wanted to check out the other stores so as a gesture of respect I just nodded with a smile. Slippers, sandals and flip-flops are sold in different designs and colors. I realized women would enjoy splurging their money here to satisfy their footwear fancy. I entered a store with a huge signage in red bold letters saying “Gawang Liliw” then I remembered my first pair of slippers from Liliw which my grandmother bought me before. “Gawang Liliw yan, di yan madali masira!” (That’s made from Liliw, it won’t wear out easily!”) she told me. True enough it lasted till I’ve outgrown it. u

Via San Pablo City: Take a jeepney from the town proper. You will be passing the towns of Rizal and Nagcarlan through a national road before reaching Liliw

Via Sta. Cruz, Laguna: Take a bus at Buendia or Cubao going to Sta. Cruz, get off at the Sta. Cruz bus station and wait for jeepneys going to Liliw. Or take a bus going to Lucena, get off at San Pablo and follow directions above.

PHOTOS FROM L-R: Sandals for men can also be bought in Liliw, Colorful slipper magnets are great souvenir items from your trip, A statue of Gat Tayaw stands at the center of the town plaza. He is known to be the founder of the town of Liliw.

How to get to Liliw, Laguna

Southern Charm SerieS: LILIW

The Red Church of Liliw

Just across the giant slipper installation near the Liliw Municipal Hall is the Liliw Church, also known as the Saint John the Baptist parish. The church was restored after being burned during the Spanish colonization here in the Philippines. Upon entering the church gates, white-washed statues of famous Catholic saints and martyrs stand as if they were silent guards of the church. The church’s façade was striking in its red brick walls. It emanated a feeling of being transported back to the old world. I entered the church and I saw a few visitors offering their silent prayers. The altar looked regal with its intricately designed golden carvings with an army of saints standing behind glass windows. I stopped for a moment to offer a prayer for the safe trip we had. u

“It emanated a feeling of being

transported back to the old world.”

Southern Charm SerieS: LILIW

Southern Charm SerieS: NAGCARLAN

UNDERGROUNDCEMETERY

NAGCARLAN’S

A trip to the cemetery might be an eerie experience for some, but I find Nagcarlan cemetery inviting - with its well tended lawns, baroque architecture and rich history...

On our way back to the city of San Pablo, we made a quick stop at Nagcarlan’s Underground Cemetery

which was along the highway accross a Petron gasoline station. From the outside, an archway welcomed us as if we’re entering a dfferent world. A brick pathway lead to the main chapel where the underground cemetery was situated. A trip to the cemetery might be an eerie experience for some, but I find Nagcarlan cemetery inviting - with its well-tended lawns, baroque architecture and a rich

history which dates back to the spanish era. The underground cemetery was built in the year 1851 by a Franciscan missionary and only the rich and influential people during that time are allowed to be buried inside. Not until the end of the Spanish colonization when the government opened the cemetery to the locals of Nagcarlan and nearby towns. Today, the cemetery is under the preservation of the National Historical Institute and is considered as a national historical shrine. u

Photos and text by The Walks of Kulot

UNDERGROUNDCEMETERY


CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The archway entrance of the cemetery, Dozens of whitewashed tombstones inside the cemetery, A tombstone with a flower offering, The façade of the chapel where the underground cemetery is situated.

Going down the crypt

After listening to the caretaker/guide gave her spiels about the crypt, we hurried going down the granite steps. “No flash photography please,” were the guide’s final words to us, maybe she knew we would take photos from the dangling cameras on our necks. The air was humid down the vault and suddenly the air smelled like soil digged from the earth. The crypt gave a different feeling compared to the tombstones outside. I couldn’t hardly read the names written on the epitaphs because of the poor lighting below - yellow lights from small light bulbs illuminated the whole place and a measly amount of sunlight coming from the only window below. The tiles were worn out and some parts of the walls were engraved with vandals. I closed my eyes and I could imagine the number of weeping families who went down there to lay their loved ones to final rest. I opened my eyes and I felt I was renewed, grateful to be alive. u


The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Entance is free of charge, but donations are welcome for the maintenance of the cemetery.

PHOTOS BELOW: The entrance to the crypt, The only window inside the crypt where sunlight passes through RIGHT PHOTO: Staircase going up the chapel.

The City

Back on the road, we travelled for about 15 minutes to Brgy San Lorenzo in the town of San Pablo, where one

of the famed seven lakes can be found. We almost drove past the worn out tarpaulin banner which says “This way to Pandin Lake” which we couldn’t barely read because of its faded colors. A friendly lanzones vendor who also seemed to be the parking attendant asked us to park our car in an empty lot just beside the highway. We obliged and as we were about to get down from the car, the woman – who was trying to plaster a smile on her face – approached us with her basket of lanzones. Trying to be polite, we told her that we’ll buy after we’ve seen the lake. She gleamed with a smile and said “Mamaya ha, diretso lang kayo dyan. Malapit lang. (Don’t forget to buy later. Go straight ahead, the lake is near).“ Following her directions, we went straight into a pathway with tall grass and horse dung along the way. It wasn’t near

after all; we trekked for almost 15 minutes until we’ve reached an uphill path. I can almost hear the splashing of water as I felt cold from the fresh breeze. “We must be here.” I murmured and with just a few more steps we finally reached an elevated platform overlooking the lake. The view was just amazing – a treat for lazy trekkers like us.

Laidback afternoon in Lake Pandin

We went down the hill to have a closer view of the lake. A few houses made from bamboo stand on stilts hovering over the mouth of the lake. The green murky water is accentuated with pink stems from a gathering of lotus plants floating in the surface of the lake and from afar the mountains seemed to look like as if a giant green carpet was covering it. A small community live by the Pandin Lake. When we arrived, a group of children was enjoying an afternoon swim. It might be their

of LakesPhotos and text by The Walks of Kulot

PHOTO ON THIS PAGE: Lake Pandin is one of the cleanest lakes in San Pablo PHOTO INSETS ABOVE (L-R): The grotto of the Our Lady of Lourdes in Lake Pandin, Kuya Sion, our boatman plies through the lake.

daily routine, which can be seen through their tanned skin and amazing stunts as they make somersaults in the air straight to the deep waters of the lake. Swimming in the lake seemed to be inviting, so without any plans of swimming we rented a bamboo raft with Kuya Sion who served as our boatman and guide.

Our Lady’s Grotto

Plying through the lake, I was actually afraid that our raft might tip over. Although I know how to swim, the lake might have daunting creatures beneath its dark green waters. “Safe po lumangoy diyan Sir. Walang piranha dyan tilapia lang.” (It’s safe to swim there, Sir. Don’t worry there’s no piranha just tilapia”) was Kuya Sion’s giggly reply when I asked him if we could swim. We were in the middle of the lake, when Kuya Sion reached something from the water – it was a black rope connected to a branch of a tree on the other side of the lake. We helped him pull the rope as our raft moved forward gently. When we reached the other side of the lake, an image of Our Lady of Lourdes stand on rocks at the foot of the mountain – the expression on the image’s face seemed smiling at us. I suddenly jumped from our raft, feeling safe that Our Lady will be watching over us.

The Couple Lake

“Mag-asawa kasi tong Pandin at Yambo, yun ang sabi sa alamat.” (According to legend, Lake Pandin and Yambo used to be a couple) Kuya Sion explained on our way to Lake Yambo. Lake Yambo was just on the other side of Lake Pandin divided by a mountain in between. We climbed through a muddy and slippery pathway with coconut trees thriving on the sides of the mountain to have a better view of Lake Yambo. The lake

Southern Charm SerieS: LAKES OF SAN PABLO

PHOTO ON THIS PAGE: Fishpens breeding tilapia in Lake Yambo PHOTO INSETS ABOVE (L-R): Visitors having a picnic at the middle of Lake Pandin, Residents that live near Lake Pandin spend their afternoon siesta at the lake.

was bigger compared to Lake Pandin and according to Kuya Sion, the lake is used as a breeding ground for tilapia fingerlings. After a few minutes, we went down the mountain and went back on shore to visit another lake in San Pablo City.

The Sampaloc Lake

Just in time before sunset, we arrived at the Sampaloc Lake – the largest and most famous among the seven lakes in San Pablo City. From the white balustrades overlooking the lake, I watched the sky change in a medley of different colors – from blue and violet to yellow and orange – as the holy Mt. Banahaw served as a perfect backdrop against the still Lake Sampalok. Light from the sun highlighted the soft edges of the clouds. I couldn’t help

but stare at the sky, because I wouldn’t want to miss its rare transformations. As this happened, everyone in the park was glued at the view of this magnificent phenomenon. It was a typical Saturday in the town of San Pablo. Families, lovers, group of friends flocked the park near the lake to enjoy a laidback afternoon. Then, I realized how simple life was in this small little town – kids spending their weekend afternoons near the lake with their friends; sharing stories; playing games like piko, patintero, or habulan; lovers cuddling under the mango tree; and families having picnic near the lake. Lake Sampalok seemed to be an important place for the people in San Pablo. More than the scenic sunset and the lake, it’s a place they keep coming back to because of the significant memories they’ve shared with their family and friends. u

THIS PHOTO: The Sampaloc Lake with Mount Banahaw in the background. PHOTOS ON THE RIGHT: Spectators

watching the sunset in Lake Sampaloc


“More than the scenic sunset and the lake, it’s a place they keep coming back to because of

the significant memories they’ve shared with their family and friends.”


QUICK TIPS:Call Mandy Mariño at 0917-5016694. He offers a historical tour of San Pablo’s seven lakes.

CONTACT Kuya Sion, our Lake Pandin boatman and guide at 0929-9789565.

PHOTO ABOVE:Sunset at Lake Sampaloc

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SOUTHERN CHARM