Pilipinas: St. William's Cathedral, Laoag Belfry & Macy's Diner

The “Pilipinas” series is this blogger’s way of expressing how beautiful the Philippine Islands are. This is a detailed account of his experiences while backpacking through the majestic islands of The Pearl of the Orient.

I woke up to the sounds of the bells of St. William’s Cathedral. My intention for the early rise was to capture the sunrise silhouetting the belfry. I grabbed my jacket for it was really cold at that time. After passing a block, I witnessed an amazing picture of the belfry. Too bad the electrical lines got in the way of my shot.

After grabbing breakfast at Mc. Donald’s, I went back to the hotel to prepare my stuff. I was scheduled to visit the windmills that day. Before boarding the bus to Pagudpod, I availed of my free breakfast courtesy of Tiffany’s (Breakfast at Tiffany’s!). I really need to be full for the long travel ahead. I was instructed to go to Macy’s just right below.

Macy’s is not your ordinary food park. It’ll remind you Pop Tate’s Cafeteria made famous by Archie Comics. Macy’s also has James Dean memorabilias all over the place. I had Ilocos Norte’s famous longaniza and boy was it good! Its longaniza is much firmer compared to Pampanga’s. Plus, the unique garlic taste makes it more “katakam-takam” among others.

Pisamban: Church of St. James, Bolinao, Pangasinan

"Pisamban" means "Church" in Kapampangan. Philippine Catholic Churches have always been fascinating not just because of their historical significance, but also because of their grand structures which symbolize the strong foundation of the Catholic faith. Come and join this blogger as he documents the Catholic Churches all over the Philippines.

The Church of St. James was built by the Augustinian Recollects in 1609. Located at the town’s center, it also served as a fortress for protection against pirate attacks.

The church’s façade has positioned columns alternated by windows with arches on the side. You can see wooden statues of saints properly positioned on the façade.

The church features a special antique side altar which contains sculptured faces which are Aztec-like in nature. Its monolithic wooden door was beautifully carved with floral designs.

Bolinao is 348 kilometers north west of Manila.

Pilipinas: Laoag City & The Heritage Town of Paoay

The “Pilipinas” series is this blogger’s way of expressing how beautiful the Philippine Islands are. This is a detailed account of his experiences while backpacking through the majestic islands of The Pearl of the Orient.

I have always wanted to go to Ilocos Norte. The province is very rich in culture and heritage. Good thing I was able to avail of Cebu Pacific’s P1 fare. While Senator Trillanes was busy in his latest A-Class Hotel hopping, I was busy preparing for my own personal vacation. This would also be the first time I’ll be traveling with Wiks.

My flight was delayed for an hour (yes, they still get delayed). That gave me an opportunity to see what kinds of people are in the passenger waiting area. I noticed that most of those bound for Laoag City were Chinese businessmen. It seems that the article I read about Ilocos Norte as a casino haven was right after all. After flying for an hour, my plane landed on very rough tarmac.

Laoag International Airport was built from red bricks giving tourists an idea how old school the province is. Also, Ilokanos are known for crafting really nice pottery.

I boarded a jeepney after getting my baggage. Making things a little spontaneous, I decided not to book a hotel beforehand therefore missing an opportunity for a free airport transfer. The jeepney driver and his son provided me assistance in locating my preferred hotel. The driver was so nice he addressed each passenger as either “madam” or “sir.” This strengthens the notion that Ilokanos indeed are one of the nicest peeps here in the Philippines.

It was a good 15 minute ride from the airport to Laoag City proper. Before entering the town proper, you’ll be welcomed by a huge arc before the bridge. The town proper is not that huge but very urbanized compared to other provincial cities.

Because most reviews I read promoted Tiffany’s as the ideal place to stay in downtown Laoag, I decided to book there. Its proximity to the plaza is a plus. Also, there is a Jollibee nearby which is open for 24 hours. I was also excited to have breakfast there… because breakfast at Tiffany’s is always cool. >

Tiffany’s interiors were frolicked with old Hollywood pictures. The rate for an overnight stay in a single room was P675. My room rained with blue, orange and purple spots. It somehow looked like a hospital room to me though.

After parking my things in the hotel, I was off to Paoay Church. On my way to the terminal, I noticed that Calesas here are quite wide. I boarded a jeepney and paid a fare of P25 to Paoay. I discovered that jeepney passengers in Ilocos Norte pay only upon arriving to their stop that’s why drivers here make sure they have enough coins for change. The ride to Paoay is approximately 35 minutes with stops at Batac Public Market, which I heard was the largest in Ilocos Norte, and General Ricarte Park.

Paoay Church is heavenly! No wonder it was classified as a heritage treasure by the UNESCO.

At the side of the church are benches made from original Paoay bricks. Behind the church is a tennis court (Ilokanos sure love to play tennis) and a basketball court. I even took a picture of Paoay hoops!

Across the road fronting the church is a souvenir shop. I bought some Ilocos Wine and tried some of its famous empanada. I found out that they use the same breading for Kwek-Kwek. I tried tuna. It took them 10 minutes to cook my order but it was all worth the time.

On my way back to Laoag, I met Vicente Ocol. He was kind enough to make a stop in front of Immaculate Conception Church in Batac for me to take a picture. He also shared a ranting about our country’s current political system and how abundant life was in Ilocos Norte during Macoy’s time. I find him very educational and will share his story on another blog post.

Manong Vicente dropped me in Laoag’s “Barangay Liga Gym” located beside the city hall. I witnessed the championship game between St. Joseph and the team wearing FEU Tamaraw-ish uniforms. I can tell you that they got game. The fans were also very supportive yet very organized. I miss that type of fan support in Pampanga.

I visited St. William’s Cathedral after the pre-Sunday mass. The lighting was superb inside which very well supported the church façade. I saw some of the passengers from the morning’s flight visiting the cathedral.

Outside the church were talented skateboard junkies. The kids were about the age of 7. They reminded me when I got my first skateboard. It was then that I also realized how peaceful it is in Laoag City. If you do those skateboard stunts in the streets in Manila, you’ll get ganged up.

I was excited to try Macy’s Diner below the hotel. Unfortunately, it was too late for me to discover that restaurants here close at 8PM. I had no choice but to grab my Chickenjoy. It was a first for me to have Jollibee on my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Before I went to bed, I watched the Suns burn Superman and his Superfriends. It was an awesome first day for me.

Revitalizing my Benedictine Blood

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet Maureen, an old friend from Palawan. Actually, it was just our first time to hang out with each other since NFJPIA’s 20th Annual National Convention held last 2003 at Puerto Princesa City where her school acted as host. I also wasn’t able to see her during our CPA review days.

Mau is currently studying Law at San Beda College. She invited me to hear mass at San Beda Chapel since Fr. Africa, her Seminar Professor, was the presiding priest. Mau mentioned to me before that Fr. Africa’s sermons were very good (Later, I found Mau’s story about Fr. Africa very true since his homily did not disappoint me.). She also stated that Fr. Africa is the spiritual director of the San Beda Red Lions, the school’s basketball team. The Red Lions are required to attend mass every first Sunday of the month that’s why we were lucky enough to see the likes of Pong, Yousif, and Sam.

San Beda Chapel was designed by the Swedish architect George Asp, whose works include the first buildings of Holy Ghost College (now College of the Holy Spirit) on Mendiola Street and St. Theresa’s College on San Marcelino. The church was completed in 1925 and dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus on January 13, 1926.

The chapel was described vividly in San Beda College’s web page:

“The monastic community calls it the Abbey Church while the school population calls it the College Chapel, for it serves the Abbey and the college, and is a source of pride for both. The monks sing the Divine Office and celebrate the Conventual Mass daily in the sanctuary, and students, teachers, administrators, and workers gather for Masses that celebrate various events in the life of the school.”

It was described that once a person enters the nave, he experiences the sudden expansion of space and an unexpected profusion of color. Cool huh?

The paintings are also the most famous and most admired feature of the church. The paintings are the works of Fr. Lesmes Lopez, OSB, while the decorations around the paintings were done by Bro. Salvador Alberich, OSB. Both are Spanish monks.

On the walls of the sanctuary are representations of The Nativity, The Circumcision, The Holy Family at Nazareth, Jesus with the Teachers in the Temple, The Adoration of the Magi, The Presentation in the Temple, The Flight to Egypt, and The Annunciation.

Outside you can see the abbey gardens.


After hearing mass, my desire to attend law school flamed once more. I hope, with God’s blessing, I can achieve my dream of becoming a lawyer soon.