It all started with an invitation from long-time travel industry colleague and Quezon resident Annette Feliciano for us to visit her idyllic retirement abode, just in case any of us would eventually choose to enjoy our senior years away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis and spend them in similar surroundings. Our group is composed of a handful of former and current travel industry professionals who meet virtually every Wednesday to pay homage to the Almighty, after which we chat about anything and everything under the sun.
So there we were, one very early morning last week, heading for our respective assembly points, to start our fun-filled escapade, after more than two years of being kept hostage by the pandemic’s quarantine restrictions.
The “southerners”—Marian Vicencio (formerly of EgyptAir), Merle Villacorta (of Travel Counselors), Patti King (former International Air Transport Association Country Manager), Menchie Orobia (former Asian Development Bank Travel Manager), and Bessie Escalona (of Voyager Travel and Tours) started the day-long “excursion” using a de luxe tourist van from their meeting place in Alabang.
Those of us from the metro’s north, Mary Ann Bringas (formerly of the Macau Government Tourist Office), Chona Paredes (of the multi-airline general sales agency, APG), and I met at Ingrid Baltao’s (formerly of Thai Airways) massive Quezon City mansion and used her luxurious van for the smooth and relaxing 2.5-hour travel to the province, which is named after the first freely elected president of our country, Manuel L. Quezon.
Since the bond of faith and prayer is our common denominator, we decided to start our Quezon visit at the St. Francis of Assisi Church, also known as the Sto. Cristo de Burgos, in Sariaya.
This Barn-style Baroque house of worship has a very interesting history. Although the present church is 274 years old, the original structure was actually built 324 years ago. Earthquakes, floods, war, and fire made it go through two reconstructions, and the present one is actually the fourth structure.
Enshrined in the altar is the miraculous image of the Sto. Cristo de Burgos, a gift of King Felipe V to the natives. When the church was decimated by a Muslim invasion, the image remained unscathed. The residents then wrapped it in white cloth and wanted to ensure its safety by sneaking it up the slopes of Mt. Banahaw. Along the way, they rested for a while but when they continued their journey, they could no longer lift the small statue. It became so heavy that they took it as a sign that God wanted them to build the church right at that spot, where it now stands.
Visitors will marvel at the beautifully designed al fresco inner courtyard which has a life-sized replica of the Last Supper. Beside it are the Stations of the Cross, where our group decided to render our Lenten obligation, amid the breezy, cool environs of this sacred place.
One block away from the church is the famous Don Catalino Rodriguez Ancestral House or the Villa Sariaya. Declared by the National Historical Commission as a Heritage House, the 100-year-old abode of the former town mayor occupies an entire block and has now been converted into a museum where visitors may also wear period costumes and pose for souvenir photos for a reasonable fee. Rodriguez’s youngest daughter and her husband restored the house to its former glory, seeing to it that the beautiful art nouveau wall paintings and wood carvings are preserved.
Next stop was at the Kamay Ni Hesus, a very popular religious landmark in Lucban, built twenty years ago by the Ministry founded by the renowned healing priest, Fr. Joey Faller, and the Javierto-Brizuela Family. The 50-foot statue of the Risen Christ is perched on top of a hill, approximately 300 steps above the ground. Of course, none of us in the group had the spunk to make that climb. For us, it would probably have been like crossing the Rubicon.
The most awaited part of any excursion is the meal. Our lunch was at the well-known Kamayan Sa Palaisdaan in Tayabas. This 30-year-old unique seafood restaurant has a charming feel to it and has around 50 nipa “casitas” built on bamboo rafts floating on a large pond that is filled with koi fish. The cool breeze swirling around the native structures further increased our appetite for delectable and authentic Tayabas specialties cooked by local chefs. It was a one-of-a-kind culinary experience that certainly deserves an encore.
And what is a tour without shopping? Naturally, we spent the longest time in this particular activity, especially because I was with a gaggle of Travel Industry veterans who have toured the four corners of the globe and are all black belters in shopping, used to coming home with excess baggage of shopped goodies. I’m sure the province’s economy spiked that particular day, as we almost wiped out the bakery items and tasty specialties sold at the many establishments we stopped in.
On the ride back home, everyone’s energy level was still at its peak, as we reminisced on the fun activities we had during the day. We didn’t even reach home yet and we were already planning our next domestic adventure. I guess that’s what Travel people do when they’ve been “confined to quarters” for so long…that’s revenge travel at its best.
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YOUR monday CHUCKLE
VALID QUESTION: If flying is so safe, why are airports called “terminal?”