Palacio Real de Santo Niño Hotel in Malolos is known among heritage advocates and history enthusiasts as the Reyes-Tantoco House, a two-story residence that has stood since 1904. It was originally the family home of Hermogenes San Agustin Reyes and Teodora Tiongson Tantoco, heirs to two of Malolos’ most prominent families. Inside the hotel is the Las Mujeres Cafe + Restaurant which we visited for a birthday celebration.
Tag: Philippines
Abucay Church and the Doctrina Christiana
As the oldest church in Bataan and a cradle of early Philippine Christianity, Saint Dominic de Guzman Parish Church, more commonly known as Abucay Church, holds a place of exceptional historical importance in the country’s religious and cultural story. Established as a parish in 1587 and entrusted to the Dominican friars a year later, the church is not only one of the earliest centers of Catholic worship in the region; it is also directly linked to the beginnings of Christian education through print. It was here that the Dominicans established a pioneering press where the Doctrina Christiana, the earliest printed book in the Philippines, was produced, firmly anchoring Abucay Church to the spread of Christianity through both preaching and the written word.
Pawikan Conservation Center
The Pawikan Conservation Center in Morong, Bataan, stands on a stretch of coastline that has served as a natural nesting area for generations. It is not a large facility, but it plays an important role in keeping turtle eggs safe and in monitoring activity along the shore. Everything about the place feels practical and grounded, shaped by what is needed rather than what looks impressive.
Our Lady of Pillar Church of Morong, Bataan
Our Lady of the Pillar Church in Morong, Bataan is over 400 years old and stands as one of the oldest churches in the entire province. Founded in 1607, it has long been an important part of the town’s history, serving as one of the earliest centers of Christian worship in the area.
A Glimpse of Taal Volcano
Seen from a distance, the landscape looks almost poetic, but its geography is anything but simple. Renowned for its unusual setting, a volcano within a lake on an island inside another lake, Taal is one of the country’s most studied and closely monitored geological features. Its proximity to densely populated areas, coupled with its frequent activity, has made it both a scientific focus and a source of constant vigilance.
Perlas ng Silang
A visit to Perlas ng Silang Flower Park and Garden Restaurant this December felt more like a brief stop than a destination one would linger in. Located in Barangay Pulong Bunga, Silang, Cavite, the park is a 3.5-hectare flower park and dining destination that opened in 2022. Conceived as a blend of landscaped gardens, rare plants, and on-site restaurants, it has become a popular nature-and-food side trip for travelers passing through the Silang–Tagaytay area.
The Gingerbread House in Alfonso, Cavite
Inside the Gingerbread House theme park, candy canes, gumdrops, gingerbread figures, oversized teddy bears, and miniature gingerbread houses fill the surroundings. The design is clearly geared toward children, but the overall setup feels fairly basic. It doesn’t take long to go through, and the experience is more about visual cues and photo stops than any sense of immersion or discovery.
New Year’s Eve Mass at Our Lady of La Sallette Quasi-Parish
We attended the New Year’s Eve Mass at the Our Lady of La Salette Quasi-Parish, a quiet and meaningful way to close the year before returning home to prepare for the traditional media noche. The quasi-parish, established in 2021 under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos, stands in Barangay Muzon, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
Alegria Mercados
Located within Alegria Lifestyle Residences, Alegria Mercados Food and Lifestyle Market has gradually become a familiar weekend stop for residents of Loma de Gato and nearby parts of Marilao. Set inside a residential subdivision, the market opens its doors every Friday through Sunday from around 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM, inviting families, friends, and neighbors to gather for good food and easy company.
“Tanglawas”
At the center of the plaza, the iconic Oblation statue was illuminated by Tanglawas, the 2025 lantern installation by visual artist and UP College of Fine Arts Dean Toym Imao. The work drew attention to the pool at the Oblation Plaza, where figures of people in boats appeared to glide across the water. The title, a portmanteau of tanglaw (light) and lawas (body or gathering in Bisaya), points to the idea of light as something carried by people, not just displayed.
Zoobic Safari
Spanning 25 hectares of tropical forest within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zoobic Safari offers far more than a conventional zoo or theme park, it delivers an immersive forest adventure where visitors come face-to-face with some of the world’s most fascinating animals. Because of the park’s wide and spread-out layout, going around Zoobic Safari requires the use of our own vehicle
National Shrine and Parish of St. John Paul II
Along the provincial highway in Barangay Culis, Municipality of Hermosa, Bataan stands the National Shrine and Parish of Saint John Paul II, a sacred landmark of memory, mercy, and migration. The church was elevated from a diocesan shrine to a national shrine on January 29, 2023.
Amoj In Wanderland 