Things to do in Philippines
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Philippine Discovery
15 days (Manila)
by Intrepid
Jump into the adventure of lively Manila city, Be left breathless by the Banaue terraces , Take a village trek through lush rice paddies, Be mystified by the…Not LP reviewed
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Negros Museum
The lovingly curated Negros Museum houses displays that focus on the island’s rich history, from Spanish missions to cane plantations and revolution. Dominating the main exhibition hall are the sugar-hauling Iron Dinosaur steam engine and a replica of a batil (cargo boat), laden with bananas, bags of sugar and a few anachronistic items such as San Miguel beer and Tanduay rum. The museum also has a small art gallery and cafe.
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Museo ng Maynila
The Museo ng Maynila is in the former Army & Navy Club, a once-posh US officers’ retreat. It reopened in 2007 after being closed for several years. The museum’s ground floor has a modest photo exhibit of Manila during the American period, but the main reason for visiting is to check out the building, a classic piece of American-era architecture. The tennis courts and swimming pool at next-door Seafood Wharf were once part of the club.
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Casa Manila
Casa Manila is a beautifully done reproduction of a Spanish colonial house that offers a window into the opulent lifestyle of the gentry in the 19th century. It was built from scratch by Imelda Marcos to showcase the architecture and interior design of the late Spanish period (the ceilings were made much higher as Imelda is a well-above-average 178cm). The house may not be authentic but the stunning antique furniture and artwork are.
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Good Shepherd Convent
A short walk from the park is the Good Shepherd Convent, where sales of the convent's famous ubi (purple yam) jam and other preserves go toward advocacy programmes for single mothers. While you're up here take in the impressive view from Mines View Park's lookout. You'll be hard pressed to spot any mines, but a few small rice terraces are visible on the steep slopes across the valley. To get here take a Plaza-Mines View jeepney from Otek St.
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Negros Forests & Ecological Foundation
A zoo with a difference, the Negros Forests & Ecological Foundation is a ‘wildlife rescue and captive breeding centre’ that seeks to preserve endangered animals endemic to Negros. Staffed by volunteers, it houses about 15 different species, including deer, wildcats and birds of prey. Now that only 3% of the island’s original forest cover remains, this could well be one of the most precious pieces of land in the Philippines.
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Ima’s Vegetarian
The husband and wife (Ima) team are a warm, soft-spoken couple dedicated to healthy living through better eating. Laminated articles and magazines focused on nutrition and natural diets are available for your perusal while waiting for delicious dishes sans additives, preservatives or any other chemicals. The bok choy, ginger and mushroom rice, bean burrito or tofu burger (60) are recommended. Wash it all down with a juice or shake – no sodas.
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Quezon Memorial Circle
Quezon Memorial Circle is to Quezon City what Rizal Park is to Manila. Particularly on Sundays, people come here to stroll, jog, cycle, fly a kite or practise some ballroom dancing. One can spend the day contentedly reading a book, having a picnic or just relaxing amid the restful greenery. In the centre stands a towering monument honouring Manuel L Quezon, President of the Philippine Commonwealth, who died in exile in the USA during WWII.
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Carbon Market
No, it’s not a Philippine emissions trading scheme. Urban living in the raw, the Carbon Market is Cebu’s oldest and biggest produce market – where racks of clothes and baskets snuggle cheek-by-jowl with stalls of fish, live chickens, drying intestines and digital media of dubious origin. There’s not a lot to interest tourists, which is why you won’t get harassed by vendors. Most jeepneys heading downtown go to Carbon.
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Ayala Center
You can buy authentic brand-name clothes in Manila for a fraction of the prices charged in Europe, Australia, Japan or the USA. Locals happily note that the designer stores stock this year's collections, so you won't have to worry about looking like last year's sensation. Look for them at Ayala Center, a vast complex of interlinked buildings, shops, hotels and enclosed malls, which at times seems to have taken over the entire town.
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Bohol Travel & Tours
For something even more special, you can go on a Cambuhat Village Ecotour, a cruise up the mangrove-lined Daet River from Buenavista to the village of Cambuhat, where you’ll see an oyster farm and raffia weaving, and enjoy a delicious seafood lunch. The tour takes six hours, costs P750 (less for group bookings) and includes transfers from Tagbilaran. Contact Bohol Travel & Tours in Tagbilaran.
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Kadlagan Outdoor Shop & Climbing Wall
For gear rental, guides and tips on hiking and climbing, Kadlagan Outdoor Shop & Climbing Wall is the place to go. Shop owner Jojo Villareal is a wealth of information, knows all the local rocks and routes (and won’t recommend those he thinks are overused) and is usually here in the evenings. He can organise guides for hikes up Mt Isarog and occasionally takes groups to the Caramoan Peninsula.
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Red Box
One place where you can see all the cultural forces behind karaoke in overdrive is Red Box. Ray Charles, Kylie and Prince are all represented on the vast playlist at this slick place. There are public and private spaces for you to belt out your tunes. Entrance fees (to P500) include drinks, food and music. Even if you’re only passing by, check out the posted lists of the most requested songs.
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Village
For high-class, international-style dining you can't go past the two minimalls in the 'foothills' of the Waterfront Hotel, the Village and Crossroads. A metered taxi from Fuente Osmeña will cost you around P50 to around P60. The Village is a little downmarket of Crossroads. It features a range of schmick, look-alike restobars including Yo! Latino, with a Spanish/Mexican menu and live bands every night.
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National Gallery of Art
This proud museum, which reopened in 2008 after being closed for four years of renovations, contains many of the Philippines’ signature works of art, including Juan Luna’s stunning Spoliarium, which provides harsh commentary on Spanish rule. It’s in the old Congress building designed by Daniel Burnham, across the street from its sister National Museum of the Filipino People.
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San Agustin Church
The San Agustin Church was the only building left intact after the destruction of Intramuros. Built between 1587 and 1606, it is the oldest church in the Philippines. The present structure is actually the third to stand on the site, and has weathered seven major earthquakes, as well as the Battle of Manila. It’s an active church and much in demand for weddings and other ceremonies.
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Ayala Museum
The modern and excellent Ayala Museum has ethnographic and archaeological exhibits on Filipino culture, art and history. At the heart of the collection is a brilliant exhibit consisting of 60 dioramas tracing the nation’s violent history. The museum’s rotating art exhibits tend to showcase Filipino masters like Luna and Amorsolo. Guided tours of the museum are highly recommended.
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Naomi’s Bottle Museum & Book Club
When global warming eventually catches up with the precarious waterside structures of Moalboal, there is at least one place whose legacy is guaranteed well into the future. Marooned above the dive centres, bars and rampant commerce of Panagsama Beach is Naomi’s Bottle Museum & Book Club, where you can cast off your preloved paperbacks and pluck words of wisdom from a bottle.
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Memorare Manila
At its height, Intramuros instilled fear in Spain’s enemies as a mighty European city, the only one of its kind in Asia. By the end of WWII, the walls here were almost all that remained of the once-proud city, and 150,000 Filipino civilians had perished in the crossfire. Check out the simple but moving open-air Memorare Manila which shows before-and-after photos of the battles.
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Syquia Mansion
The Syquia Mansion on Quirino Blvd was recently turned into a museum filled with old furniture and exhibits dedicated to the life of Vigan native Elpidio Quirino, the Philippines’ sixth president. Quirino was born in the nearby provincial jail, where his mother worked. He rose to political prominence after marrying into the fabulously wealthy Syquia family.
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Fort San Pedro
Built in 1565 by Miguel López de Legazpi, conqueror of the Philippines, Fort San Pedro has served as an army garrison, a rebel stronghold, a prison camp and the city zoo. These days it’s retired as a peaceful, walled garden and handsomely crumbling ruin. It’s a perfect retreat from the chaos and madness of downtown Cebu, especially at sunset. It also has public toilets.
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Squido’s Restaurant
Reminiscent of many traveller spots in southern Thailand, the widescreen TV at this popular restaurant is never turned off – it’s a perpetual screening of Hollywood action movies and music videos. That said, Squido’s serves some of the best food in El Nido – at the very least, the largest variety including specialities like chicken goulash, stuffed squid, baked mussels and t-bone steak.
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Fresh Café
A pair of recently self-exiled Arizonans have opened up this restaurant, a welcome breath of fresh air for those weary of fish and Filipino cuisine. An informal survey declared Fresh’s the ‘best burger in Palawan’ but there’s other good comfort food like chilli, country fried chicken and mashed potatoes, lasagne and burritos. Imported beers and brewed coffee round out the highlights.
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Plaza Miranda
In front of the Quiapo Church lies Plaza Miranda, where the common folk came to watch beauty contests, political rallies and various events and festivities, until it was destroyed by a bloody bombing in 1971 that preceded Marcos' imposition of martial law. After many years of neglect, Plaza Miranda has been renovated into a Roman-style square with pillars, arches and decorative urns.
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Bamboo House Restaurant
The closest thing Port Barton has to a full-fledged restaurant, Bamboo House is near the Caltex station and Elsa’s Beach Cottages. It’s a friendly family-run place with several tablecloth-clad picnic tables and a few small nipa huts in the yard. Seafood dishes like the fish curry and shrimp sinigáng are especially good; another winner is chicken schnitzel with French fries.
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Greenbelt Complex
Across Makati Ave is the Greenbelt Complex, an upscale development that encircles pretty little Greenbelt Park. Amid the commerce is the Ayala Museum and the open-air Sto Niño De Paz Chapel. This is the high end of the Ayala Center and there are scores of delightful cafés and restaurants. The development is separated into four main shopping malls: Greenbelt 1, 2, 3 and 4.
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