Liliw Church

Liliw Church, established in 1605 by Father Miguel de San Lucas, initially constructed from wood, was later rebuilt with rocks from 1643 to 1646. Partially damaged by a severe earthquake in 1880, it was reconstructed once more in 1885.

The Paintings of Jose Luciano Dans at the Paete Church

Inside the Paete Church were four 200-year old paintings made by a Paeteño artist, Jose Luciano Dans. He was commisioned by the Spanish friars to made these murals. Nothing is much known about Jose Luciano Dans except that he was born in 1805.

Visita Iglesia 2024

This year, we have decided to visit 7 churches in Laguna for our yearly practice of Visita Iglesia during Holy Week. It was my second time doing it there; the first time was in 2018. Laguna is home to the old and beautiful churches under the Diocese of San Pablo.

The Agoncillo–Mariño House of Taal, Batangas

The Agoncillo–Mariño House is a historic Spanish Colonial Era residence, constructed by Marcela Agoncillo’s grandfather, Don Andrés Mariño, around the 1780s, standing as one of Taal’s oldest homes. It was subsequently transformed into a public museum known as the “Museo nina Marcela Mariño and Felipe Agoncillo,” now recognized as one of the national shrines overseen by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Galleria Taal: The First Camera Museum in the Philippines

The camera museum finds its home in the Ilagan-Barrion Ancestral House, constructed in 1870 and once the residence of Domingo Ilagan, Maria Martinez-Ilagan, and their six children. In 2010, their grandson Emmanuel Inumerable converted the house into a public venue, establishing the camera museum known as Galleria Taal.

Brunei International Airport Mosque

Since we arrived at the airport very late, I didn’t notice the mosque next to Brunei International Airport until we were already leaving. The mosque, smaller than the grand ones we saw in Bandar Seri Begawan, boasts a striking big blue dome and three minarets. Despite its location at the international airport, it’s unfortunately not accessible to tourists.

Temburong Bridge

The Temburong Bridge, also called the Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) Bridge, holds the title of the longest bridge in Southeast Asia, stretching 26.3 kilometers across Brunei Bay, linking the Temburong district to Bandar Seri Begawan.

The House of Apacible

The Leon and Galicano Apacible Museum, an 18th-century residence, underwent renovation in the 1930s, adopting an art deco design. Subsequently transformed into a museum in the early 1970s, it was generously donated to the government in 1976. As the first museum and the sole art deco house in Taal, Batangas, it offers insights into the lives and contributions of the Apacible brothers—Leon and Galicano—and their roles during the struggle for Philippine independence in the late 19th century.

Brunei Maritime Museum

The Brunei Maritime Museum highlights the remarkable collection of artifacts discovered approximately 60 kilometers from Brunei’s coast in 1997, known as the ‘Brunei Shipwreck.’ This 500-year-old assemblage includes foreign ceramics from the 15th and 16th centuries, offering insight into the historic maritime trade between Brunei and China.

Somewhere in Seria

The Town of Seria holds historical significance as the site where oil was first discovered in Brunei back in 1929, subsequently evolving into a hub for the nation’s oil and gas industry. This pivotal moment marked a significant turning point in Brunei’s economic trajectory. The discovery of oil and natural gas not only bolstered the country’s political, financial, and cultural landscapes but also prompted amendments to the 1959 Constitution, leading to the abolition of the Resident System and laying the groundwork for Brunei’s eventual independence from Britain.