LILOAN Trippers

Fishing at Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon

2011-02-18T23:36:00.006+08:00

As promised here is the video that we took of somebody fishing a catch in Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon!

This one was fished off one of "Catch-and-Release" ponds. You couldn't cook the catch you made here. You have to release them back into the water. Good for sport fishing! Fishes are not as big as the game overseas though.

Liloan Trippers Visit Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon!

2011-02-17T22:42:00.006+08:00

As we have promised in our previous post, we are going back to Liloan to visit the ziplines that have been constructed in our dear second home. We had two choices, Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon and dPond. Since Papa Kit's is nearer to the center of town where Swerve and I usually meet, we decided to check it out.

Entrance was 100 pesos per person, and consumable in any of the two restaurants that are in the amazingly large property. There were plenty of things that you could do and these would include horseback riding and fishing at the lagoons/ponds. These have corresponding charges, but in my excitement, I forgot to take a picture of the charge schedule found right at the entrance.

There, of course, is the Zipline. As seen from the pictures below, they indeed cross a part of Silot Bay and it's not a simple feat. You have to climb a four-storey structure and once you get to the top, they attach you via a harness to the Zipline and flung you across Silot Bay. For only 200 pesos back and forth, you get to enjoy the beauty of Silot Bay from the sky. Swerver was enthusiastic about trying it, but I wasn't. However, there had been so many people in there as it was a Sunday when we visited so Swerve wasn't able to get his turn.

Oh, about fishing... there are four ponds in which you can fish. Two of these ponds are simply game fishing; when you catch the fish, you'd have to return them back to the pond. Fishing in these waters are no simple feat. The fishes are big! When we arrived, the fishes were right in front but were quick to swim away thus denying me a chance to take their pictures. This guy, however had a lucky catch.

I have a video of him hauling his catch from the pond, and it sure was a fight! I will upload the video to YouTube soon and embed it in a separate blog soon.

To get to Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon, turn right from the Church towards Catarman. The entrance to the property can be easily spotted at the right of the road, just before the road turns slightly left and before you reach the bridge crossing to Catarman. There is also an easily seen sign that indicates the entrance to Papa Kit's.

Don't hesitate to visit Papa Kit's! The experience is certainly worth it! It was for me and Swerve.

~Immortalundead

Support Project: Einstrider!

2011-02-01T18:12:00.002+08:00

It's been three years since the Liloan Trippers project had been founded. During the early days of the blog, we were operating with the intent of trying to grab the win for the blogging contest hosted by the provincial government of Cebu through the Mandaue Business Month event.

Swerve and I had been a practically "Johnny come lately" (in Swerver's own words) to the contest, with only two weeks remaining before judging. It was remarkable how many views and visits we were able to generate in just two weeks since joining; we even overtook the leading blog of that time in terms of visits. Read more about Swerver's recounting of the contest here.

All of that was possible through your support dear readers. Despite the fact that we only used Friendster's Bulletin pages and our Multiply pages Immortalundead and Swerver to promote this site, we were still able to garner a phenomenal response from our avid supporters.

Since then, Swerver and I had been involved in various projects both in and outside the blogging world. I had been involved with organizing and participating in a group of anime enthusiasts, while at the same pursuing my photography interests. Swerver had a lot of interesting exploits as well including his short film Sabongero where he plays Boyax, the lead character.

Watch Sabongero through Vimeo, and find more information through its Multiply page.

As for myself, I didn't expect it but I found myself involved in an independent film project as well. Well, not exactly a film project but a video project. Our project is called Project: Einstrider, a series of short films that revolve around a central story. The story revolves around a world where cybernetic implants are prevalent, giving people the ability to do superhuman feats. However, the approach is kind of like Heroes, where people with abilities still look normal people and lead lives the way normal people around us would.

Please support our project! We have released our first video, Project Einstrider: Ignition, where we show the characters that will be featured in the series of videos that we will soon be releasing within this year. Support us by viewing the video through our Youtube channel.

More information about Project: Einstrider can be obtained through our Facebook Fan Page. A blog is in the works, and would be launched as soon as possible.

Ziplines in Liloan?

2011-02-01T13:57:00.003+08:00

After a full two years of hiatus, the Liloan Trippers have heard of a new attraction at Liloan: The Zipline!

There are actually two resorts that offer ziplines for visitors of Liloan. One of these would be the dPond in Kawayanan, Yati, Liloan. The other one is the zipline owned by the Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon. Apparently, they are competitors.

Both ziplines were constructed in 2010. According to a report by the Philippine Star, the Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon zipline was sponsored financially by the family of Democrito Mendoza. Total amount invested in the zipline reached 3 million pesos. The article states that work on the zipline took only a month. The zipline was officially opened to the public on December 2010. They even got an assistant priest at the local parish to ride and bless the ziplines on the inauguration.

The Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon zipline is 800 meters in length, and crosses over a part of Silot Bay. The other end terminates on the island named after the ill-fated lady in the Liloan legend in this blog entry by Swerver.

On the other hand, the dPond zipline is only 200 meters in length. Nick Abella writes in his Wordpress blog that the zipline is 5 stories high and crosses over 3 large fishponds. The system also utilizes dual parallel cables. There are three options for those wanting to try dPond's zipline: the Mini ziipline (35 meters), Big zipline (200 meters) or the Superman-style zipline, which is also 200 meters.

Work on the dPond zipline commenced in September 2010 and was completed in December 2010.

For more information about dPond, check out Nick Abella's Wordpress blog. Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon's Facebook fan page should give you all that you need as well including information on rates and open times.

Liloan Trippers Pay Tribute to Benjie Ordonez

2009-10-09T18:50:00.003+08:00

On October 7, 2009, at 10:00 pm, one of the most active and skilled photographers in Cebu City passed away due to a stroke. He left behind a legacy of pictures, knowledge and a friend to most of the people that survived him. His name is Benjie Ordonez, an active photographer, as well as administrator of Istorya.net.

Indirectly, Benjie Ordonez helped the Liloan Trippers during the early days of this blogsite. We used one of his pictures in order to put a graphic description to the story of the American lighthouse as an introduction to the Liloan Trippers project. To view the blog, click here.

This is the picture that will continually remind the Liloan Trippers of this great photographer that now is in the warm embrance of our Lord.

~Immortalundead

Liloan Trippers: Advanced 1st Year Anniversary Outing

2009-06-22T21:52:00.012+08:00

As an advanced 1 year anniversary celebration, the Liloan Trippers organized a second tour of the town courtesy of Archie once again and his uncle last June 17. Unfortunately, Swerver wasn't able to participate as he got problems at the last minute. Work-related so he had to forgo this against his heart. We'll have another one soon.

This time I was with two new recruits: Christian and my friend Don.

We just came back from Mulao and having a late lunch, so please forgive the somber expressions we all had. We were bone tired.

Anyway, the tour started as it did when we first had it with Archie and Rolly way back. In a way, this brings back memories but this time, we have managed to snag our first foreigner (Don) and the third recruit to the town after Roniel in the person of Christian.

The first place we visited, just like last year is Silot Bay. What I found out there was that Silot Bay's waters have been cordoned off from the seafaring public because it is already a marine sanctuary. No one can get in there without the Bantay Dagat peeps firing warning shots at them. Here are some pictures (the place looks the same though).

After that, we went up to the former golf course in Appolo, where I saw the shrubs had grown up around that tree which I took a picture of last year. Check it out here for comparison.

Here are the pictures of the site now, including that tree:

We also were able to visit that wharf Swerver and I had been looking for. We were looking at the wrong direction. It was located just below the Appolo Golf Course, and only a few minutes from it. However, it was weird that we were not allowed in because we had an American with us. Anyway here are some pictures that I managed to take there:

Last but not the least were the rocks of Mulao. I really didn't want to go there, but Archie mentioned it and Don liked it since he saw the pictures. I had a negative experience there, but I won't let that dampen your interests. For merits, Archie found a shorter route to the Stone Boat, but though it was shorter those rocks still make for good obstacles to the destination. I was too tired to remember to take a picture of the Stone Boat. Oh well...

Last but not the least was the Parola. Now, no need to post pictures of these as I have been there a lot of times and took quite a lot in different lighting conditions. In Bagacay Light Point, we had two large Red Horse beers and relaxed after such a tiring trip especially after that experience in Mulao River. The halo-halo was forsaken as well since our American friend wanted beer instead.

There have been several things that we uncovered. Although we didn't visit it, we heard talk about a certain blue stone located forward of the Stone Boat. Like it is named, it is a stone of a blue color. However, since it is located in the same place as the Stone Boat, it seems like the Liloan Trippers might never see it in person unless we spend a lot of time preparing for it: i.e. jogging, stocking up on water, and getting the necessary equipment.

Happy Anniversary, Liloan Trippers!

~Immortalundead

What New, Bagacay Point?

2009-04-23T19:16:00.016+08:00

What's New, Bagacay Point?
By: Immortalundead

When you talk about Liloan, the first thing that comes to mind is: Bagacay Point. For those that do not know, Bagacay Point is the famous lighthouse that many people from even outside Liloan go to visit and have some relaxation. The place boasts of fresh air -- it is located just a few steps away from the sea.

Besides being a famous tourist spot, the lighthouse is also an important marker for traffic plying in and out of the northern tip of Cebu. Like its predecessor -- the old, dilapidated lighthouse sitting near the sea -- it has helped bring home sailors sailing in the night. For a brief background, check out our very first blog in Liloan Trippers. If you want to see and know more about the old lighthouse up close and personal, see this blog as well.

We wrote in our "Story of Two Lighthouses" blog that the way to the old lighthouse is comprised of tall ferns and grazing animals especially in the afternoon. However, my visit to the place yesterday with Roniel has yielded a few new surprises.

All these high plants that have been impeding our view of the path have been burned down or chopped down in order to make it easier for visitors to find the path.

What's more I found out that the path we had been following during our early incursions to the old lighthouse was not the original path intended by the caretakers of the property for the use of visitors. I noticed it was more dangerous, and Swerver and I agreed that some sort of guide would have to be employed by the property to steer visitors along especially at night. However, since the ferns and grasses were no longer high, Roniel and I found the other path that leads to the old lighthouse:

This is the path or entrance I'm talking about. I may be wrong, but I'm strongly confident because of the marker that stands in front of it. This is the safer place to go. However, we weren't able to use this path in the past because the only path we could see was the one that led to the cliffs and the sea. Not that it doesn't offer a good view; however, it is quite dangerous for some people to use especially at night.

It seems now that the property is no longer government-owned, or at least not wholly owned by the government. It seems like Gothong has some ownership in the place as well judging from this marker in a seneguelas tree. Never mind by the spelling please:

By the way, this tree is located along the way to the old lighthouse.

Roniel and I also spent a few seconds on top of the old light house -- yes, seconds because the drizzle started after we started taking pictures from atop the structure. However, we couldn't help but notice how brittle the structure is: we felt like it just needed a little prodding, and what remains of the "Parolang Putol" may collapse utterly. We urge the municipality and whatever private entity that manages the property to take that into consideration. Given visitors' tendency to climb up the structure, this fact can be dangerous.

Last but not the least, is the revived Sugba sa Parola. We have been here the last time, but we weren't able to take pictures because Roniel and I didn't bring any camera. At last, we give you pictures of the new establishment in town:

So there you have it. Those are the changes that you can find in Bagacay Point, in Barangay Catarman, Liloan, Cebu. That stage you see up there in the pictures is where people who want to sing videoke can sit and face the audience. There is a TV facing up to the singer, giving him the appearance of a big-time performer in front of a crowd? You wanna try it? I definitely don't lol.

It had been quite a trip, snapping pictures of just about everything we can see. At the end of the day, we treated ourselves to a bottle of Red Horse courtesy of Sugba-Sugba sa Parola. It wasn't free, of course:

* all pictures were taken by me and Roniel.

Liloan Trippers is No. 6 at Google's Results

2009-04-23T18:26:00.004+08:00

Liloan Trippers is No. 6 at Google's Results
By: Immortalundead

The response had been quite phenomenal when the Liloan Trippers was first launched as per our participation in the Mandaue Business Month's "One Cebu" project, wherein we joined the blog writing contest.

As everyone can recall, even though we lost that contest, we still were able to enjoy the phenomenal support of our contacts in Multiply and in Friendster. Even my neighbors who happened to chance at my Friendster bulletins also viewed and read the blog (although I wonder if they understood or appreciated what they were reading). As a result, we were still able to put up a good stand even though we joined only a week or even less from the supposed date of judging. We were even able to outrank the other two participants' ranking in topblogs.com.ph, all of it thanks to your wonderful support.

For a week, Swerver and I visited a total of five sites in Liloan and wrote about them, namely the famous Lighthouse in Catarman as well as its predecessor, the Spanish lighhouse, and other places such as the Bay of Silot, the Stone Boat in Mulao, the potteries and the landang factories. Swerver and Darmae were also able to visit Titay's Rosquillos, but I was not able to join at that time because of weather and work issues.

We could've visited other places if we had time, but when the contest was over we had to turn our attention to our freelance jobs since it is where we earn our dough from. Noble had our intentions for Liloan been, but reality bites: we still had to earn a living.

From time to time, we do visit Liloan to take some pictures or just relax and have some of that delicious halo2x. I have managed to recruit another person into the fad, namely my friend Roniel Flores from Lapu2x. However, we still haven't found any time yet for visiting those other places we saw in that handbook the municipal office lent us, like the Suzuki Cave.

It has almost been a year since the end of the contest, yet I still continue to post updates or write some supplemental articles to our previous articles because of one reason: Liloan Trippers holds the number 6 spot for search results for the keyword "Liloan" in both Google.com and Google Philippines. It's too good to let go, so I will continue to make research through the Internet and perhaps conduct a few more interviews if I could in Liloan. I can't say I'm good at that though; I suck at interviewing but there's always a first time.

Both of us had been quite busy for some time. Swerver is now both an actor, a writer and an active blogger in Multiply. I myself had been swamped with some projects early on at the start of this year, for which I am thankful for. Hopefully, there will be a time when the two of us -- and perhaps the four of us including Eyean and Roniel -- will be able to explore and research once more about the lovely town of Liloan.

Liloan's town fiesta is next month. Anybody planning to come along?

A Curious Twist to the Cave Fish Story

2009-03-05T13:47:00.004+08:00

Last year, when Liloan Trippers first started, one of the things that Swerver and I wrote about was the story of a primordial fish living under the San Fernando Rey Church. This was said to be the kugtong, a giant fish that can swallow a man whole. It is one of the two reasons cited in this entry about annual disappearances of a bather in the Suba Channel, right next to black fairies.

Swerver expressed doubt that the specie ever existed in history of man. Actually, I found out that it is merely an abomination of the delicious delicacy called pugapo, a type of grouper fish. Doesn't ring a bell does it? How about lapu-lapu? Yes, folks, according to folklore as cited in this blog by Rankm the early Filipinos believed that the kugtong was a giant pugapo or lapulapu, and it swallowed men whole.

So, we could say the kugtong exists but in a smaller scale.

Last night, the co-founder of the Cebu Anime Manga Society that I am currently spearheading made a few comments about the kugtong legend. She lives in Opon, just like Swerver. And just like Swerver, she also been to Liloan many times. She said something about the kugtong that I didn't expect to hear.

One is a detailed description of how the kugtong looks like. She said it's merely a giant lapulapu, but with a twist: it has razor sharp teeth with which it tears apart its prey. Perhaps the normal pugapo does have that, but the kugtong has bigger ones. The other description is that its scales are as hard as the barnacles that stick to the columns that you see partly submerged in water at the pier. To be brief, you can describe the kugtong from now on as a huge, armored lapulapu.

This has led me to speculate on the exact size of the kugtong. Since it can swallow a man whole, it could be as big as a great white shark or perhaps even bigger. Who knows? What we can say is that the kugtong is so big that it ends up living underground and not moving around.

As if this wasn't scoop enough, Ren13 shared another surprising revelation about the kugtong. She said there is a kugtong that lives below the General Milling Corporation compound in Mactan Island, and that she was surprised to read that it is also found in Liloan. This is quite curious because, the way I look at it, there are two kugtongs in the islands of Cebu province.

Now, this is merely my interpretation of the story. At first glance, you will think that it is just the same story spoken in different places. It's entirely possible, because we're dealing with folklore here and not facts. However, I cannot help but speculate that, somewhere in time, there may have been more than one kugtong that traveled the deep waters of the Tañon Strait.

Let us look at the similarities. First, both live in underwater caves. In the case of the GMC kugtong -- which I dub it thus -- its cave terminates right below the GMC compound. The Liloan kugtong on the other hand lives right below the San Fernando Rey Church. Ren13 again shared something with me which she got from her late uncle, that there is a big hole in the basement of General Milling Corporation covered in glass. As the Trippers have heard from some stories in Liloan, there is also a supposed hole in the San Fernando Rey Church.

Swerver tried to interview Fr. Eric Jecong of the local parish but, typical of the Catholic Church, the priest shut the story down and denied the legend. This is the Catholic Church we're dealing with, after all. You can read Swerver's entry here, for a recap.

Here comes the differences. They are quite subtle. According to Ren13, there is rarely an incident that somebody disappears from the seas adjacent to the General Milling compound. According to her, the kugtong is fed by a whole live pig annually to prevent it from swallowing someone whole that year. If that doesn't happen, it's either the GMC kugtong throws a fit and shakes the ground, or -- you guessed it -- some poor soul will disappear from the waters of the Strait.

In Liloan, however, it is already part of folklore that somebody will disappear each year. They attribute it to two reasons: the black fairies or the kugtong, as mentioned in our earlier blog. If the body is not found, then it's the kugtong who has taken that poor soul. If you compare it to the Mactan version of the kugtong legend, the difference lies in the sacrifice. The Catholic Church will not condone such superstitious actions as it is not part of the doctrine, an inaction which one can attribute to the yearly disappearance in Suba Channel if we treat the kugtong as a real, living creature and disregard the black fairy version entirely.

I couldn't help but speculate. Are these two stories separate or just one story that was spread down to other places. How come, however, we don't hear such stories in other northern towns like Danao, etc.? What's curious is that both kugtongs live in similar conditions, yet act differently. Could there be something behind this? Are these two kugtongs separate and are actually long-lost siblings that have been driven to seclusion because of the rise of modernization and advancements in technology?

Come to think of it, how deep are the waters of the Tañon Strait exactly? I seem to have heard vague rumors years ago that companies can drill for oil in its waters. I'm not sure, but isn't that very deep enough indeed, almost like the sea or ocean? Who knows what secrets the Tañon Strait has beneath its waters? One thing is for sure: there are still creatures there, like the kugtong, that live deep down as they are more acclimated to the cold and frigid temperatures of the deepest parts of the sea.

And so, the legend lives on...

- Immortalundead

Liloan Trippers Goes to Bebot Alegre's Shop

2009-02-21T15:57:00.000+08:00

... I wonder if we'll be called Opon Trippers because of that? Ultimately, we'll turn into the Cebu Trippers when we start touring more and more places within the province. Not really, I think. Liloan Trippers is a trademark, or a brand, that marks our nature as travel bloggers because that is what we really are: Trippers at heart.

Actually this is just a plan that is being hatched. This is educational, as usual. We're planning to go to Bebot Alegre's guitar shop in Pajac, Lapu Lapu City. I have been there two Sundays ago as described in a previous blog that I limited to certain contacts because of the things I described. I'm still going back despite my negative experience with my companions, because of two reasons:

First, the Liloan Trippers have been inactive lately and we need a new adventure. Second, I've always wanted to write about how guitars are made ever since I saw the workshops beside Bebot Alegre's showroom. I thought this coincides with our Trippers project: although the trademark will always be connected to Liloan, this can be taken as an extension of our interest to within the entire Cebu province as a whole.

Plans are still being made, but I'm making sure this will definitely push through. Keep your fingers crossed.

Immortalundead of the Liloan Trippers

Reunion with Liloan, a New Fan and Future Plans

2008-12-09T03:22:00.003+08:00

As mentioned earlier, the Liloan Trippers composed of Swerver and me went back once again to Liloan on November 22nd. Eyean sadly was not around because of a photoshoot in Dumaguete that necessited his skills. However, Darmae joined us as well as a newfound fan: my friend Roniel, also from Lapu-Lapu.

True to our cause of putting Liloan on the map, I invited Roniel along to introduce him to the wondrous halo2x of Liloan. The only reason I planned this return to Liloan was for me to relive the experience of Liloan's halo2x along with revisiting some sites. The itinerary seemed apt as we were introducing the place to Roniel who admitted "passing through the city without a thought" on the way to the other northern towns; no different from what I was before in relation to Liloan.

Swerver had told me and Eyean that there had been some changes to the Liloan lighthouse. The Sugba sa Parola has been renovated. Darmae said the renovation and rehabilitation was financed with funds coming right from the municipal government. The place has a high chance of recovering its fame; the lighthouse once again would be an ideal nightlife den. Yeah, one of the changes there is that you have to stand on stage if you plan to sing in the karaoke. I'd like to try that one day.

We introduced Roniel as well to the old lighthouse. It seemed appropriate to visit the old lady while visiting her daughter, so we did the same to the two lighthouses. Something funny happened though... we almost lost the way but a young cow that we had seen on the road earlier followed us. It seemed as if he wanted to show us the way because he kept calling us. The moment we realized we were lost, we turned and the cow was walking through another path. We decided to follow it. The cow remained behind when we found the right path. Coincidence? You judge, but we did say our thanks to the cow.

We spent a few minutes on top of the old lighthouse, strong winds and all that discussing what we could discuss. Roniel and I made plans to return with another friend but just lately we scrapped the idea because the guy had expressed desire to jump from the cliff and into the rocks below. After that, we went down and went to where I originally intended to go: Hanz Halo-halo.

While we ate our dinner and our halo-halo, we realized the world is round as the conversation revealed that we had a few common acquaintances between us, all of them from the University of the Philippines where Swerver graduated from college. We made plans to return again, since Swerver and Roniel both wanted to take a dive in Suba Channel. Swerver originally wanted to dive, but the water had a lot of dirt so Darmae talked him out of it. Next time, they said. Well, definitely not my cup of tea lol.

Besides, we still have to find that missing falls in Liloan that one of Swerver's contacts had pointed out to us earlier.

~The Immortal Undead

The Return of the Liloan Trippers

2008-11-08T14:34:00.001+08:00

Finally, after more than a month of inactivity, the Liloan Trippers together with swashbuckling photographer Eyean will be hitting the road once again to that dear town we call our second home: Liloan.

Itinerary has not yet been decided, but word is, the Liloan lighthouse is lighted up once again at night. Plus, word has reached us that every Monday, Wednesday and Friday there is some kind of festivity in the vicinity of the lighthouse. Thus, true to our promise of showing the world the beauty that Liloan is, the Trippers are going there to witness first-hand these new developments in our beloved second home.

We'd be going there sometime next week, on November 21, 2008. Personally, I'm excited!

~Immortalundead

What Happened to the Liloan Trippers?

2008-10-09T01:59:00.007+08:00

It's been a month since the Liloan Trippers ever made a post in our beloved Liloan travel blog. Main reason is, we have never been to Liloan in a span of a month. That's because Swerver and I had been too busy attending to our individual jobs. Yes, the pressures of the Mandaue Business Month contest are gone but it doesn't mean we've forgotten about Liloan. We obviously haven't forgotten about our quest to put it on the map along with the other municipalities of Cebu.

As for me, Immortalundead, I have been tasked with so many jobs (thank God) these past few weeks. Right now, I still have Liloan on my mind with all those delicious halo2x and the relaxing breeze from the sea. Personally, I want to go back to Liloan. I'm sure Swerver does. Eyean probably does too. Well, as soon as we straighten out our schedules we'd go back there. Perhaps we might even go to other Cebu municipalities.

The contest may be over, but I still feel flattered with all the support that the people in both of our networks showed us. I still feel flattered each time I read all the comments in this blog about our posts being so informative. The best news I've had from this blog is that a group of students actually found our blog so informative that they included us as part of their references for their cultural mapping project.

This group plans to explore Liloan as soon as they have the time. Swerver, Eyean and I certainly wouldn't let this opportunity pass.

Please hang on, dear loyal readers. It doesn't matter how many you are, but we are very grateful for all your continued support.

~ The Immortal Undead

The Golden Boat of Mulao

2008-09-09T14:19:00.002+08:00

By far, Mulao has been the most intriguing place in my list of spots in Liloan. Yes, despite the fact that we spent 2 hours wading in the river and climbing rocks, I still find the place worthy of some thought.

First, the boat-shaped stone. Even if it is perched precariously on two rocks separated by a 2-meter space and the fact that the two bases are cracking under the boat's weight, the stone maintains absolute and perfect balance. I think I've heard Charlie say that the stone has remained despite strong currents and flash floods from the mountains. Wonderful, and wonder-inspiring.

Mulao, however, is not only known for one boat. The place has stories of another, more awe-inspiring boat.

They say that in the river, once in a while, there floats a golden boat. I didn't get the details of this story because I was just catching snippets of talk from our three tour guides, so busy was I trying to take a photograph of the boat-shaped stone. What I remember clearly is the fact that the golden boat does not take lightly to anyone witnessing its passage. One resident of Mulao who had been blinded years ago would say that the last thing he saw was a glistening golden boat floating in the river.

Scary, isn't it? This boat is the least severe of them all, I think, since I remember a comment in Swerver's Multiply saying that, in the Davao River, a golden boat that appears only to drunks swimming in the river will kill whoever sees it.

Sights and Scenes in Liloan

2008-09-03T21:21:00.025+08:00

Buddy and photo guy Eyean's masterpieces during one of our trips all over Liloan.

Liloan Trippers:After the Contest

2008-09-02T01:33:00.005+08:00

First off, we thank all for the support and enthusiastic responses. Never did we expect such kind and amount of audience for a then virtually unknown town in so short time. Liloan Trippers entered the competition more than a month later than any other participant. Perhaps we were even the most inexperienced bloggers. For instance, we didn’t realize the importance of “strategic tags” at first. We had to learn a lot of stuff super-fast as we went along.

Yet, in just a matter of 15 days, the interest shown by people from all walks of life had been phenomenal. Against the then-leading site, we were behind by almost 400 unique views when we started. (For the first two days, only Swerver and Immortalundead visited the site as we couldn’t even make our Mommas proud for Liloan Trippers’ layout design.) When the blogging competition ended yesterday, we were almost 400 unique views ahead of the closest second. Based on contest rules, the popularity of a site makes up for a whopping total of 70%. We don’t think any other site (save one which was incidentally the eventual winner) was able to really challenge us in the popularity department. We only have you guys to thank for that. By the way, the remaining 30% goes for blog design, aesthetics and perhaps the content. We also don’t think we fared low, by any standard, for the 30%. We can even say with full confidence (and all due respect) that we came up with more and pretty interesting entries, not the normal Wikipedia-like contents from other participants.

Still the same, the hard truth now is that Liloan Trippers lost. This may sound like a sentimental sourgraping but we still couldn’t understand it how come. Why?

Maybe the contest organizers added new criteria late in the game and we didn’t know about it. Maybe the judges did not receive it well that we mainly blogged about one Cebu town, instead of the whole Cebu province. But we made known of our intention from the beginning and they didn’t give a word that it was a wrong move. We stated our decision even in some Liloan Trippers posts that while we focus on Liloan, inevitably, other places in Cebu also get to be featured on the side. You can never separate One Cebu. Liloan is still part of Cebu Province. Hence, a good advertising campaign for Liloan is good for all of Cebu Province. Liloan is in the countryside. Thus, promoting the town's tourism will further the shared goal of blogging organizers and Cebuanos in general to highlight the strong partnerships for development of a bustling industrial metropolis utilizing resources from a vibrant countryside.

“We feel that Liloan is one of the most underrated towns in Cebu. Given enough exposure, Liloan will provide a significant option for potential Cebu tourists.”

We also said in earlier entries that Liloan Trippers (being a Johnny-come-so-lately) didn’t expect to win at all. But the win for top prize unexpectedly and suddenly came as clear as Liloan’s sunrise as the days went along. Maybe they took the former statement too seriously and it was completely okay for them to deny us the win. We hope that the blogging judges actually read all Liloan Trippers’ entries and checked our hits. Why were there winners already on August 30 if the contest culmination was supposedly August 31? Why was Liloan Trippers not included in the official list of participating blog entries? We formally joined the contest and they even asked us, which we did, to include their default and sponsorship widgets. Ultimately, we just wish that we lost for the right reasons.

Despite it all, and in all honesty, the Liloan Trippers are overwhelmed with the turnout. We have checked the other participants’ sites and we couldn’t help in asking ourselves who promoted Cebu more. We are proud to note that foreigners from as far as Arizona, Egypt, New York, U.K., etc, have been keen readers of the site and have shown genuine interest to give Liloan a visit if given the chance. Mainly through the help of friendly networking and linking, we believe we have achieved something great. That is, if being able to make some foreigners to add Filipino words such as “halo-halo,” “lilo” and “habal-habal” in their vocabulary counts. In view of this, Liloan Trippers will stick to its original plan of featuring Liloan and Cebu past the blogging contest. Again, Liloan Trippers is not in any way paid to do so (or not yet anyway). ;-) We are doing this for the sheer fun of being trippers and having to enjoy Liloan’s rosquillos dipped into halo-halo once in awhile.

-- Liloan Trippers (written by Swerver)

p.s. Tomorrow, in fact, we will be in Liloan again to have more pro-level pictures courtesy of Eyean. Do check out for that! Ciao!

p.p.s. I don’t know why but this whole thing makes me miss Serena Dalrymple. Remember that cute girl in old Jollibee commercial who said to Aga Mulach “isa pa, isa pang chicken joy”?

The Landang Story

2008-08-31T23:14:00.010+08:00

Do you know what landang is? Landang is a very important ingredient for binignit, a local dish and snack staple in the Philippines.

Do you know how landang is made? No, it is not grown like most of the ingredients for binignit. Well, the raw material is grown, however, the final product is manufactured through a process that is as old as our grandparents.

The raw material for landang is derived from a tree called buli, which looks almost like a coconut tree except that it doesn't have fruits. According to our local guide Rolly, the buli blooms and releases thousands of pellet-sized seeds. Trees are allowed to bloom before they are chopped down, they said. A buli tree grows to maturity after 30 years, our other tour guide Archie added.

Another interesting fact is that the different parts of the buli tree when harvested are useful in the entire process of creating landang. Here's how it goes.

First, the bark is scraped off the trunk of the tree. This bark then serves as firewood to fuel the fire that is used to boil the raw material for landang, which is the final step of the process. After the bark is scraped off, the inner skin of the tree is then harnessed and this serves as the raw material for landang.

This is the raw material for landang. At first, it takes a wood-like appearance but this is refined later on to the powdery form you see above. The refinement process involves the raw material being pounded with mortars until it reaches the desired consistency. Check photos below.

After the material is pounded to pure dust-like appearance, it is then mixed with water. There even is a "landang pool" where children swim just to stir the material and make sure the powder is dispersed evenly in the water. Unfortunately, we were not able to take pictures of this pool but we did take pictures of the small-sized pools where the material is stirred by hand.

All in all, the entire process take eight hours to complete until the binignit-ready landang is produced. We were not able to see how the landang is coagulated to its final form, but we were explained that it is heated. Besides, we already know what landang looks like.

~ Immortalundead

Inside San Fernando Rey Church

2008-08-31T16:08:00.004+08:00

By the sweats of forced labor, the church of Liloan was built in 1847. As previously blogged, we asked the parish priest's permission to take pictures of the underground tunnel. The priest couldn't know where the opening of the tunnel is.

It was reported that during the American offensive to liberate the Philippines in WWII, the US Airfoce dropped bombs to destroy the church. It was absolutely an easy target yet there were no hits (only big holes in the ground). It was as if the bombs were like "thrown stones deflected in their flight by a sword."

Was it because Liloan Church's patron saint was a warrior king?

Take a look at the well-designed and highly furnished interiors of the church.

Rosquillos

2008-08-31T09:25:00.019+08:00

We can never talk about Liloan if we don't mention the mouth-watering and sweet-tasting cookie called rosquillos from Titay's. For many Cebuanos, Liloan is even synonymous to rosquillos. If Carcar has ampao and "itlog mo noy orange", Liloan's perennial pride has been the rosquillos. The truth of the matter is that when Liloan joined Pasigarbo Sa Sugbo's Festival of Festivals, the town showcased its uniqueness and pride by featuring the Rosquillos Festival to all onlookers.

Rosquillos is a cookie curiously shaped as ringlets. The Spanish word “rosca” means ringlet. The ingredients for rosquillos include flour, egg, sugar, shortening and baking powder. But many people have felt that there must be a secret ingredient why rosquillos tastes so good.

Titay’s Rosquillos traces its roots all the way to 1907 (the year before UP’s founding), when Margarita “Na Titay” Frasco one day got bored and started experimenting with her baking ingredients and all of a sudden made her new culinary creation. Like a real scientist, Na Titay used her neighbors and passerby as lab rats who were offered the snack as a freebie for every purchase of a bottle of soda. The yet-to-be-named cookie was “baptized” by then Cebu governor Sergio Osmeña, Sr., who called it rosquillos in reference to the Spanish wine ring cookie known as Rosquillos de Vino.

After more than a century of home baking tradition, the patented secret family recipe has been passed on to the next Frasco generations paving the way for Titay’s to continue making delicious and one of a kind rosquillos. People going to northern Cebu have made it a habit to drop by her store to buy and enjoy the rosquillos. Titay’s Rosquillos gains the prestige of being known domestically and internationally. For foreign nationals who want to get a taste of rosquillos, most Filipino stores abroad have a display of this cookie wunderkind.

While Titay’s is synonymous with rosquillos, the family baking business has expanded to an array of homemade delicacies ranging from galletas de bato, torta, peñato, binangkal, polvoron, mamon, monay, otap, caycay, CPA (chicken pork adobo), bao-bao, elorde and a lot more mouth-watering pastries.

But before you taste other different animals, you got to try out rosquillos first for its charming tongue treat. And because rosquillos recipe can never be replicated in any other home than Liloan.
Group Presentation - Festival Queen - Rosquillos Festival 2008.mp3 - Liloan

Street Businesses in Liloan

2008-08-30T22:29:00.008+08:00

It is normally in the poblacion area of small towns where all sorts of commerce converge and human activities mingle. Liloan is no exception except that the town’s poblacion area is, by all definitions, a truly one-stop-has-it-all.

If you stand at the town rotunda (there’s a lighthouse replica in the middle), you will be surrounded by the plaza; municipal hall; the Liloan Church; gymnasium; and perhaps the biggest private school of Liloan (La Consolacion College). The Liloan Public Market, beach area, Balay Pilapil, sizable tennis court, and Suba Channel are all few walks away.

All around the poblacion teems with street businesses of all colors and sizes. For gastronomic needs, you won’t encounter any problem at all. Let the pictures tell you about what’s a cooking in Liloan’s main thoroughfare… from yummy halo-halo to motorcycles to little pizza stall to peanuts to fresh fruits to native rice delicacies known as "pa-init" to chicharon to Jollibee to lechon manok… ahh… Liloan... a place like no other!

Twin Towers of Liloan (naming game)

2008-08-30T15:26:00.006+08:00

Let’s have a little breather here. We are already aware that Liloan has two lighthouses. The first one was erected by the Spaniards in 1857, making it older than the Ateneo de Manila University. The other one was constructed through the order of then Governor General William H. Taft in 1904, making it older than the University of the Philippines. Sad to say, only the American version stands high and mighty. The Spanish parola is now left to ruins and rubbles, only its base part remains for the curious eyes.

The Liloan lighthouses should not be neglected further. The twin towers of Liloan, as we like to call them ala Lord of the Rings, have played a significant role to the whole province being the knobs of the old Cebu doorway by the sea. You can just imagine how the structures have helped brought home many a lonesome sailor to the arms of waiting wives and children. Liloan Trippers humbly suggest for the restoration of the Spanish lighthouse (the two lighthouses have quite distinct designs and material structures).

Sure, the lighthouses are relics of a sad past. But it should not stop the people of Liloan from putting off the light of vigilance. It is through looking back at the past that we can determine better ways to navigate the future. There must be a concerted effort by concerned individuals to restore and preserve these structures back to old glory. The lighthouses will not only show the way for ships, but also serve as the town balcony. If it isn’t possible nautically to have two lighthouses in one place, then at least have the Spanish parola for keepsake. Liloan Trippers also suggest for decent lighting around the lighthouses to encourage more tourist visits especially at night, as well as for a guided tour of the old lighthouse for safety and tourism purposes.

In the words of one Liloan chronicler, the lighthouse is “full of light, a vigilant guide to the eye that blinks but does not sleep on duty”.

And, finally, for the breather… I think we could convince the bureaucracy more to speed up its moves with respect to the lighthouses if we put names to the twin towers. For instance, they’d say “gee, they do really care because they are treating the lighthouses like their babies!” So, help us with the job of coming up with names for the twin towers! Of course, the most popular suggestion will win the naming game and one glass of special halo-halo from us (fare ticket not included).

You can vote through this post by making a comment. It’s not hard as you think. You only need to press that little comment icon and place your log-in Gmail/Blogger account. You may opt to comment as “anonymous” if you are that shy. Hard enough? The second and much easier option for voting is to go to “Interact with the Writers” widget at the side of this site. Type in your comments at the “message” space and put your name. The space for “website” is optional. That easy and we will then tally the results.

I once blogged in my Multiply page that if ever I’ll have my own male twins, I would name them Engelbert Humperdinck and Fra Lippo Lippi. My Pa loves their songs, that’s why. But I couldn’t use those names for the twin towers, lest I won’t have originality anymore with my baby twins. I’m thinking of exotic names for the twin towers like Isla Marcheline and Amelie Jane. But no, Angelina Jolie used them already. What cha think, guys? Please help us! ;-)

-Swerver

The Mulao Adventure

2008-08-30T00:15:00.006+08:00

Once again, the Swerver-Immortalundead tandem (better known as Liloan Trippers) braved the perils and hindrances and found themselves once again in Liloan, with our fellow freelancer and photographer Eyean tagging along.

I will not enumerate the places we traveled here, because I've already done so in a previous blog. Instead, I will tell you about the (mis)adventure we had in the rivers of Mulao in our quest to find the boat-shaped stone that people were talking about.

The trip started in earnest around 12:30, just after lunch near Wiggy's Beach Resort. The Liloan Trippers, together with our tour guides and transports Archie and Rolly, started motoring off to the far-flung and elevated barangay in Mulao. Once there, Archie picked up another guide, his friend Charlie. Charlie had warned Archie that the trek to the boat-shaped stone was a tough one but Archie thought Charlie was joking. The end was history.

After a few minutes' motor trip up the mountain, we started descending towards the river. Once there, we learned that we were going to wade into the waters, dressed in jeans and all. It's a good thing that we were lent slippers or it would have been more dangerous in shoes. All unprepared, the Liloan Trippers still chose to go forward with the adventure.

An hour's worth of currents, rocks and stones, and soft soil, we found ourselves in front of the awe-inspiring, dark colored boat-shaped rock. Our three local friends went through the obstacles like Legolas skipping lightly over snow, but the Trippers lagged behind blaming our unpreparedness. Still, we refused to give up. I wasn't able to take pictures because of the fear of getting my camera damaged since it didn't have a sling, but Eyean was able to. His pics will be shared later.

A few minutes were spent at the stone ship, where Archie decided to take a dip while Swerver, Eyean and I eyed the ship. It was a wonder. The three-storey structure precariously perched on two rocks with an approximately 2-meter gap between the two bases. What's amazing is that the bottom of the stone ship was shaped exactly like the bottom of a real ship. On close look, the thing was shaped like a Noah's Ark, which led may have led to its nickname "The Stone of Faith."
We decided to pack up and go back the way we came after a while. The trip was smoother this time, because the Trippers were now confident of their traveling skills. However, we still lagged behind because our legs felt like rubber and were heavy as steel. But the trip was shorter this time. At the end of the road, our three guides got us some coconuts to replenish our lost salts and water.

~ Immortalundead

Holes in Cave Fish Story

2008-08-29T20:56:00.010+08:00

It is highly believed that there’s an opening to underwater cave (or amphibious cave) at the back of Liloan Church’s altar. In the old days (perhaps until the early 1970s), the cave opening was left open for public viewing. If you throw something in the hole, it would send off a hollow sound suggesting a sizable hollow space. Some brave souls even went as far as going down the hole.

The underwater cave could be man-made and used as escape route during the marauding days when Spaniards ruled the town. Or maybe it is just a freak of nature and nothing but a black hole. The actual opening of the “cave in a cove” is some meters from the shore at the back of Liloan Church. It runs underneath towards Suba Channel and back to the altar of the church or elsewhere. In any way, there’s a huge tourism potential for it. The cave could contain past secrets and other unveiled beauties.

Deep inside the underwater cave, as blogged earlier by Immortalundead, there were reports that the inhabitants down under are ancient sea creatures. Giant fish called cogtong? Octopus? Mermaids? We don’t know. And there’s not much available literature about it even in Internet archives of folklores.

So we asked around. The older Liloanons we interviewed failed to provide conclusive answers. Wanting for authoritative take, we went several times to hear words from Church people. A few days ago, we were able to finally “corner” Fr. Eric Jecong, the parish priest of Liloan. He is one cordial priest and appears very animated when he talks. He allowed us to take pictures inside the church but not beyond the altar.

Swerver: “Can we have a look at the hole for a sec, father?”
Father Jecong: Why?
Swerver: We would only take some pictures… very quickly. We won’t go down inside for sure. If the hole is padlocked, we won’t ask anyone to open it…
Father Jecong: Dong, I’m just new to this parish. I don’t really know where’s the hole or if there is really a hole.

I know he’s a good and sincere priest. Father Jecong is. But something tells me there was an apparent “air of discomfort” with Church people whenever we talked about holes. Something fishy?

-Swerver

The Latest Escapades of the Liloan Trippers

2008-08-29T13:49:00.011+08:00

Yesterday the authors were offline and unable to make updates. But do you want to know what the authors were up to yesterday? We went to Liloan -- once again -- and toured the town the whole day.

First, we revisited Suba Channel for the sake of our latest recruit, Eyean, who also brought his camera just for the trip. His photos will be uploaded and used soon.

Next, we went to the Landang factories where we learned about the manufacturing of landang, a very important ingredient for binignit.

We visited that former golf course above the memorial gardens where we saw the "lamakan" and an overlooking view of Punta Engaño and the Lighthouse.

Afterwards, we went to some of the potteries and ceramics makers in the area.

Then, we went to Silot Bay. God, the place was beautiful.

We visited Wiggy's Beach Resort before lunch...

Last but not the least, we braved the rocks of the river in Barangay Mulao...

... all the way to the boat-shaped, gigantic, piece of rock.

More blogs about these later. We have a lot to tell.

~Immortalundead and Swerver

What’s Innit, Silot Bay

2008-08-28T01:48:00.011+08:00

Silot Bay is the most enchanting part of Liloan where many lives – past and present -- thrive. A shallow tidal lagoon, with mangrove swamps, fishponds and two islets, Silot Bay is all over in the heart of Liloan. Silot Bay is vital to both livelihood and recreational purposes of Liloanons.

The bay is connected to a channel that is abundant with sea urchins, a huge area of mudflat where locals gather seashells during low tides, and a productive fishing ground. It is also a feeding area for herons, egrets and other birds. During weekends and holidays, Liloanons from as far as the mountain barangays go to the bay to have a swim. The more daring ones have the option to dive from the concrete bridge (it used to be made of wood) down to the whirling waters called lilo.

The soothing atmosphere of Silot Bay, ironic considering the presence of whirlpools in the mouth of the bay, has rendered many a lives to find inner peace and respite during gracious sunrises and sunsets. (It is not saying though that there were no “troubled” lives lost who felt the troubles were worth a dive from the bridge.)

Silot Bay is also the cradle of all stories, myths, legends, folklores or whatever you call it. If you believe any of them, it is where Liloan has begun. Liloan’s own Garden of Eden.

One story, which I previously related in more details here, tells that long time ago a defiant couple found refuge for their love near Silot Bay. There is abundance of fish so good for business. And indeed they did make business from their catch, although no coins yet then, by bartering it to nearby villages. When people asked them where the heck did they get it, the lovers would say “sa may lilo” (near the whirlpools). And thus born the name “Liloan”. The current location of Balay Pilapil is widely believed as the probable site of where the couple used to live.

Another version of that same story and couple has a more violent ending. After their defiance, the couple were cursed and punished or something like that by their family and community. One native Liloanon told us that the couple were thrown to the sea and died instantly. The whirlpools are said to be a reminder of their passionate love, defying all odds. And thus born the name of the bay “Silot,” a Cebuano word for punishment.

Another story is more Disney-like. Once upon a time in Liloan, mermaids were very friendly to humans. In fact, they mingled, played or even dined with people on some occasions. The mermaids possessed of bejeweled utensils, perhaps made of pearls, and they were kind enough to lend some of them to their friends. Lured by material wealth, some humans did not return their borrowed plates. The mermaids politely pleaded for the return of the plates but found no ear. This caused the anger of the mermaids, who unbeknownst to humans were more vicious in wrath than any other creatures. The mermaids left the place of “human interaction” but not without causing great tidal waves. The whole community near the sea got wiped out. The whirlpools remain to this day as ripples of those great waves.

Yet another story is fantastic to people’s standards. Liloan used to be a home of black fairies or “dili ingun nato” (not like us). Human settlements caused them to retreat somewhere else. (The bloggers don’t know their exact location as of press time.) In retaliation to their forced eviction, them wicked dili ingun nato would claim at least a life each year. Some well-meaning residents reported to us that there has never been a year without a missing bather who would get mysteriously lost even during calm waters. Some days later, the lost soul would float lifeless somewhere far. The residents would then just sigh and resign to the thought that the sea claimed that poor life.

And the final story that we were able to gather tells that Silot Bay is haven to one primordial, giant fish called cogtong (we don’t know if the specie actually existed ever in history). It is so huge that it could swallow at least three people in one instance. The cogtong could have its nest in the underwater cave (there’s a real amphibious cave in Liloan, yes) which traces all the way to the altar of Liloan Church. The same modus operandi with them dili ingun nato: the cogtong would swallow at least a human body each year. The twist is that with the cogtong, the poor human body would never be found again.

Scared yet? No, these are just stories. The bloggers will find it for themselves first if any of these were true and post about it here (that is, if one of us would come out alive during encounter). But, I tell you the actual view around the whole expanse of Silot Bay is breath-taking. And once you’re in the bridge, it is so nice to jump straight to the whirlpools. With my girlfriend’s permission and watch, I will jump from there one of these days. I don’t know with Immortalundead. ;-)

-Swerver-

The Story of a Sea Creature Living Below the Church

2008-08-28T00:40:00.011+08:00

Like I mentioned in an earlier blog, the Church of San Fernando Rey in Liloan is the subject of a few myths and urban legends. Well, perhaps not just the church itself but the general vicinity of the church. Let me say first that these are just stories, passed down from generation to generation, that some of the things I have heard might differ from those that you might have heard.

Most importantly, it has not been proven that such stories have some truth to them. I will not claim anything for that mater.

For years, there have been stories that an underground cave network or tunnels exist beneath the foundations of the San Fernando Rey Church and the immediate grounds. It is said that when you try jumping on the grounds behind the church, near the sea, you'd find that the sound is hollow suggesting the presence of a tunnel below it.

I've heard stories from people there that this supposed underwater cave terminates right below the altar of the church itself. What makes it more interesting is the legend of something big, a sea creature, living right below the altar in the underwater tunnel. Of course, Swerver and me hasn't seen it, and I doubt anyone did and lived through it. All we know are the stories.

There have been several versions of what creature is supposed to live there. Some say it's a big fish, maybe a primordial fish called a cogtong in the local dialect. Still, some of the current generation of Liloanons were told that it's a giant squid or octopus. Whatever it is, the creature is said to spit something out from time to time into the church. It is said to eat something, and then regurgitate it the same way anacondas do with their prey. In another version from another person that Swerver interviewed, though, the cogtong's catch is never found.

And, yes, the cogtong is known to swallow a person whole. Not much unlike the anacondas in the Anaconda movie series, to give a more vivid description.

Even the nearby Suba channel is linked to the story of this underwater creature. One of the people we talked to in one of our visits told us that, once a year, there is a very big whirlpool in the channel. Legend says that it is a sign that the creature below the church is pulling something -- or someone -- to eat. Scary huh?

Then again, legends are legends. It may or may not be true. However, this makes the Liloan all the more interesting. I can't help but think what other interesting stories does this wonderful town have for the imaginative and the inquisitive?

~Immortalundead

The Woman Without a Face

2008-08-27T21:54:00.008+08:00

If you thought Kris Aquino’s love life is the most colorful one in showbiz, you haven’t heard of Pilar Pilapil. She is perhaps the Marilyn Monroe of the Philippines or the “It” girl. I don’t have to defend that claim much than by enumerating some of the men (when I say some, I mean it) who for one time had gone crazy for Pilar Delilah "Lailing" Veloso Pilapil:

* Fernando Poe, Jr.
* Dolphy
* Former VP Salvador “Doy” Laurel, the father of Pia Pilapil
* Eugenio Lopez Jr.
* Bolivian painter Benjamin Mendoza
* Spanish journalist Michel Ponti

In other words, all the great and powerful men of Pilar’s prime wanted to love her, if not just to bed her.

Pilar Pilapil belongs to a Castillan clan in Liloan, Cebu. Hers is one of the earliest influential families in Liloan. She grew up in Liloan and perhaps used to swim with her nine siblings in the whirlpool-filled waters of Suba. The family compound of the Pilapils is just some steps away from where whirlpools and the Suba Bridge are. A true blue Liloanon, Pilar is.

In 1967, she put pride to her town and the whole Cebu when she won the Binibining Pilipinas title at such young age of 16 (she faked her age to 18 so she could join the pageant). At the age of 17, Pilar entered showbiz and, in the words of Ricky Lo, is one of the loveliest and most visible faces to ever grace the silver screen. She was a fine actress and once won a best actress plum at the Manila Film Festival. While in showbiz, she rocked the house not only because of her classic beauty, intelligence and wit but with her daringness and liberated attitude as well. The seemingly perfect face was not without faults as she was hooked early on with drugs and older men and her long-drawn bouts with depression.

Such a character, Pilar is. Even after her regular showbiz stint, she remains fixated to the limelight. What with her suicide attempt with sleeping pills, failed senatorial bid under nuisance presidentiable Eddie Gil and her turn of affairs with younger men.

And then after some dusts appeared to settle down, and having found her God, Pilar wrote a memoir in 2006. It was oddly titled “The Woman Without a Face”. Written in candid and revealing style, Pilar said that the book is dedicated to young women just starting their lives so “they can learn from what she’s been through.”

On why that title? Pilar wrote in the last chapter of her book:

"Looking back, I tried very hard for many years to look for the love of a father and find happiness by doing what I wanted, and what everyone wanted me to do. I did what my parents wanted. I did what my directors wanted. I did what my fans wanted. I did what my men wanted, but most of all I did what I wanted! I soared to the highest levels of success that this world had to offer, only to find when I got there that I was empty, did not know who I was, and even despaired of life itself. I really did not have a face of my own."

She confessed that after finding her God, Pilar has found herself and she has found peace. She has found love in the person of a younger man named Leo Peñas whom she married in 2002. Pilar and Leo are both Christians and share the mission in life to spread the Word of God. The woman without a face finally has found a face again. And that oh-so pretty face was first seen in Liloan. Perhaps even jumping on the waters of Liloan.

* Copyrighted pic from here.

Liloan Launches Official Site

2008-08-27T17:33:00.005+08:00

Last July 3, Liloan has joined the biggest village in the world by launching its official corner: its own Web site. The site, still in its initial stage, aims to provide Liloanons abroad with updates on current events and developments in the town they call their home. The going-ons in each of Liloan’s 14 barangays are as well featured in the site.

“The website will also give a brief history of Liloan, information for potential investors, the profile of the town officials, projects and programs, and financial statements of the town,” Mayor Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco of Liloan said in an interview by Cebu Daily News.

The Web site will also feature various products and sites in Liloan such as the lighthouse that is more than a century old, its industries, and the current programs of the municipal government.
The site can be viewed here.

What Makes the Liloan Church unique?

2008-08-27T12:08:00.007+08:00

The San Fernando Rey Church in Liloan, Cebu is only one of the many churches in the whole province. Yet, it is one of the most intriguing and unique among all of them. What exactly does the church have that makes it unique?

History and Name

The church was built in 1847, two years after the formal creation of Liloan as a parish. It was named after Saint Ferdinand III, a King of Castile and Leon in Spain. Ferdinand III is credited for much of the recapture of Spain from the Moors, a conquest in which Ferdinand III spent most of his time as king.

Orientation

Perhaps the most puzzling feature of this church is its orientation. Its back is facing the sea, while the front door is built facing the mountains. If you look carefully at as much churches as possible in the Philippines (the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva and Basilica del Santo Niño in Pardo and city proper, respectively, are examples), you'll find that most Catholic churches built during the Spanish era are built facing the sea but yet San Fernando Rey is built differently.

There are many theories put forth about the orientation of the church, yet none of them has been proven or has been accepted as official explanation. One of the widely known theories -- and the most plausible -- is that the church's designers may have intended that to shield people from the glare and heat of the rising sun during morning services.

We may never know the reason behind this, but this is what makes San Fernando Rey interesting.

Size

Another interesting feature of the church is its size. By the time of its construction, Liloan had significantly lesser population than Mandaue, of which it used to be part of. Yet, the San Fernando Rey Church was built to be bigger than the church of that city. Curiously, these days, more than a hundred years since its construction, the church still has a lot of space for the faithful even though Liloan's population has grown exponentially after a century. Because of this, some people consider the builders and designers of San Fernando Rey Church as having extraordinary vision and foresight.

Myths

The San Fernando Rey church is the subject of many local myths, myths which have been passed down from older generations and still survive to these days. More about these in a later blog.

~ Immortalundead

How Much Would It Cost To Get to Liloan?

2008-08-27T02:33:00.003+08:00

In the face of the overwhelming and flattering positive responses to our 10-day old blog, Swerver and I had been facing the most common question of all: how much does it cost to get to Liloan? Most local people know the answer to this, of course, and for that consideration I am making this post out of respect for the foreigners that have expressed heartfelt interest in visiting Liloan after visiting our blogs.

I don't want to insult anyone by explaining how to get to the Philippines and to Cebu, because it is pretty much self-explanatory. Instead, I will start to explain the process from the arrival in the Mactan Island airport.

The first thing you should do is to check yourself in at a hotel. This would depend on how well you know Cebu. Personally, I would recommend Mango Avenue. There are a lot of hotels there and there are a lot of places that the party-going tourist could frequent on his stay in Cebu. Mango Avenue is also located strategically in the center of Cebu. You could get a ride to any place in the City from there.

To get to Liloan from Mango Avenue, you have three options: take a cab, take the public transportation, or charter private transportation. The third option is very convenient and safe, but it also denies you the experience regarding Cebu's transportation culture. With that in mind, first, I will discuss taking a taxi.

There are actually two ways that you could take a taxi. The first one would take you all the way to Liloan, while the other means you have to get off at Hi-Way Mandaue, right across the street from the San Miguel Brewery compound. We couldn't give you any definite figure how much a cab ride would cost because it is dependent on traffic, and until where you would want to ride the taxicab.

If you opt to take a jeepney, you can take a 21-B jeepney from Mango Avenue until Hi-way Mandaue. This option would cost you 12 Philippine pesos from Mango until Mandaue.

Mandaue is the bridge to Liloan, like Swerver said in this blog. No matter what you ride to this place, we could give you a very definite figure on how much you'd have to spend to get to Liloan excluding the ones already discussed about getting to Mandaue itself. From Mandaue, you could ride any of the multicabs that head off to Liloan and the other towns after it, i.e. Danao, Carmen, Catmon, etc. From Mandaue, the trip would cost you about 15 Philippine pesos to get to Liloan itself.

There is another option. You can take either a taxi or the 21-B jeepney to White Gold, near SM, where there are jeepneys bound for Liloan and the other northern towns. I wouldn't recommend this approach though because riding in these jeepneys are extremely uncomfortable. Passengers are tightly packed together like sardines. These jeepneys also don't leave right away until they are full. I haven't tried this approach as well, so I cannot give you any prices about this.

I am not from Mactan Island, although I have been there a lot of times. Swerver can explain more specifics about getting to Liloan from Opon, where the airport and a lot of five star hotels are located. We look forward to having you in Liloan!

~Immortalundead

Interview with the Festival Queen

2008-08-27T01:58:00.010+08:00

Cebu is an island of festivals. In celebration of its 439th founding anniversary, Cebuanos witnessed different festivals from 34 participating towns and cities last August 9. It was a glorious event of festivities, festival queens, street dancing and colorful display of pride by the people. The participating towns and cities showcased their signature festival with much fanfare and bravado. Bantayan Island was adjudged as the grand prize winner and bagged a cool million pesos for the win with its Palawod Festival. The town of Daanbantayan with Haladayan Festival and the town of Alcoy with Siloy Festival were runners-up.

Not to be outdone, Liloan also amazed the crowd by parading its own Rosquillos Festival. Rosquillos is a globally-exported biscuit in Liloan.

We are lucky enough that Ms. Darmae Maningo, Liloan’s current Festival Queen, accepted our invitation for online interview. Darmae, a third year student from the University of the Philippines, admits to being a Math whiz. She adores pikachu among the pokemons.

Liloan Trippers: Hi. What’s up with you lately?
Darmae: Nothing much. Busy with school.

Liloan Trippers: You won as Liloan’s Festival Queen last May, how was it?
Darmae: It was cool. Although it had been my (and my aunty’s) dream to become Ms. Liloan, it was totally unexpected until the very end.

Liloan Trippers: How did your family feel about your win?
Darmae: They were proud of me, of course. My mom, who’s from a relatively far-flung barangay in Tayud, felt especially elated that I was able to put her small barangay on the map of Liloan.

Liloan Trippers: And the town also joined the Festival of Festivals some weeks ago. How was it?
Darmae: The event was really grandiose. I came to know of the best of the best from both ends of Cebu. All towns tried their best to showcase awesome talents and products to promote their own place.

Liloan Trippers: In comparison to other Cebu towns, do you think Liloan has an edge? What? Why?
Darmae: Yes, because Liloan has been able to keep its heritage and then getting the better end of the stick for it. For instance, the rosquillos. Instead of buying foreign snacks, the people of Liloan have made the effort to patronize their own rosquillos and make it known internationally. At the end of the day, even those Liloanons abroad have something to look forward to when they get home.

Liloan Trippers: What are Liloan’s current concerns that you feel should be given top priority?
Darmae: I think the education sector should be given topmost priority right now. There are only few public high schools in Liloan and many people cannot afford for private education. Even some of my backup dancers during the festival are not in school. This encourages waves of other problems such as drug addiction and teenage pregnancy.

Liloan Trippers: Five reasons why should I go to Liloan.
Darmae: Oh, boy, you are giving me a hard time here. Well… 1) Interesting historical background like the parolas and the old church. 2) Great food: rosqillos, masi in Yati, landang in Lamac and budbod in Tayud. You name it. 3) Unlike in the city, you have available fresh foods like fish, fruits and vegetables. 4) Beautiful beach, intriguing lilo and you can even enjoy the sea by diving from the bridge. 5) Of course, what we have here are warm and friendly people.

Liloan Trippers: Any tips if ever I go to Liloan?
Darmae: Prepare yourself for the expected things! (laughs) Town adventures of all sorts, long walks, riding habal-habal and muddy paths if it rains. Don’t forget also to try rosquillos!

Liloan Trippers: Describe Liloan in less than three words.
Darmae: World class… soon (giggles)

Liloan Trippers: Parting words?
Darmae: Padayon Liloanons and world peace!:)

Group Presentation - Festival Queen - Rosquillos Festival 2008.mp3 - Liloan

To Let a Hundred Cebu Blogs Bloom

2008-08-26T20:50:00.001+08:00

Liloan Trippers is officially part of the blogging contest sponsored by the city of Mandaue in annual celebration of Mandaue Business Month (MBM). The MBM comes as a celebration every August by the business sector, local government of Mandaue City and the Province of Cebu to highlight the strong partnerships for development of a bustling industrial metropolis utilizing resources from a vibrant countryside.

Mandaue, a perennially booming city, is a very important neighbor of Liloan because you can never get to Liloan without passing through Mandaue highway. Mandaue City is the “bridge” to Liloan. (Unless, you go to Liloan through Camotes Sea or you are from Danao City.) More important than that, the people of Mandaue and Liloan interact so much economically (and otherwise) and share fond history together. Liloan, in fact, was part of Mandaue until 1845. It was that same year when Liloan created its own parish and separated from then municipality of Mandaue to become its own “Pueblo de Lilo-an”.

According to the contest rules, the participating blogger has to create a new blog about Cebu. Existing blogs with already entries or traffic are not allowed. The blog contest will start on July 16, and will end on August 31, 2008. However, the writers of Liloan Trippers only knew of the blogging contest at a much later date so we are practically the youngest participant. The contest rules in full here.

The writers decided to focus on one town, instead of the whole Cebu, because:

a) Liloan is still part of Cebu Province. Hence, a good advertising campaign for Liloan is good for all of Cebu Province.

b) We feel that Liloan is one of the most underrated towns in Cebu. Given enough exposure, Liloan will provide a significant option for potential Cebu tourists.

c) Liloan is in the countryside. Thus, promoting the town's tourism will further the goal of highlighting the strong partnerships for development of a bustling industrial metropolis utilizing resources from a vibrant countryside.

d) While we focus on Liloan, inevitably, other places of Cebu also get to be linked and featured on the side. You can never separate One Cebu.

Now after just around 10 days of formally introducing Liloan Trippers, we have received overwhelming responses from people all over. Thanks to all of you! Keep eating halo-halo! ;-) The writers mainly use their Multiply and Friendster sites as launch pads to what this site is now. We are also grateful to various bloggers who linked, or at least pimped, this site. And, look now, we have pure foreigners (hi there: Sara, Toby, Frank and Robert to name few) who frequent this site and some of them even confess interest to “pack bags for Liloan”.

Win or lose, we are overjoyed enough already that we are helping a little to put Cebu on the map. We won’t stop our efforts even after the contest. We are just starting with Liloan…

(picture of Mandaue City, taken from here)

On Blogging Liloan

2008-08-26T17:33:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, in the street of Liloan, a very prominent student from UP-Cebu asked me why we decided Liloan to be our “town for blogging”. He knows for a fact that I don’t live there.

Well, why not Liloan, I initially thought of telling him. But I did give him a short response anyway for which he deserved being a true lover of his hometown.

“It’s in small towns where you feel strongly the warmth of people, the culture and the individual souls coming more into one form of pride for what they have. I think Liloan has that. I think there’s so much more to Liloan than what people actually know. I’d like to contribute a bit to that end. It still makes me wonder about what other stuff Liloan is made of. Liloan is an old town and hearing stories about its places and history is a joy in itself. The fact that an old, intriguing town is very much accessible from the city is a huge plus as well. And, see, you have good air here.”

The prominent UP student later toured us to Silot Bay, where according to one tale was the place it all begun. There will be a good entry and pictures about that later. (Too bad for other pictures as we went there at night.) Meanwhile, the first picture is me at Hanz Refreshment, one of the highly-recommended halo-halo stalls. The second is a picture of habal-habal, a mode of transportation used in more hilly and remote parts of Liloan. Immortalundead previously blogged about Liloan's transportation.

-swerver

What Swerver and I Had For Transportation Around Liloan

2008-08-25T15:24:00.000+08:00

This is a tricycle. It is simply a mode of transportation that consists of a motorcycle and a cab that is attached to the cycle. It can hold about eight persons, driver included. This is the primary mode of transportation that you can ride when you want to go around the town of Liloan.

A Brief Background

Contrary to what some Filipinos might think, the tricycle is not unique to the Philippines. In fact, several countries -- mostly in Asia -- have tricycles plying their roads. There a lot of versions of tricycles around the world, including these:

I think though that the Philippine tricycle has something unique that makes it more special than the ones in the other parts of the world. Why? It's because I think tricycles in other countries are built that way. The Philippine tricycle, on the other hand, is a convertible. If you wish to use only the motorcycle you can detach it from the cab, and then reattach it if you wish to drive a tricycle around and earn money.

The Liloan Experience

You can encounter tricycles anywhere in Liloan. However, you can find the majority of them parked in a mini-terminal in the town center near the municipal hall and the Church. This is where you should go to as a starting point in your journey anywhere around the town. As such, Swerver and I took one of these when we headed off to the lighthouse and back to the center of town.

I don't know how much they charge per head because Swerver and I made "pakyaw." For a fare of 50 pesos, we had the tricycle to ourselves on the way Bagacay Light Point. As a tourist, you should take advantage of the experience and ask the drivers questions about the town. They are natives, and they should be able to give you some useful information about Liloan. Personally, Swerver and I were able to inquire about some of the other famous spots of Liloan like the boat-shaped rock that we are yet to check out.

I am a native of the Philippines. However, I couldn't get enough of these tricycles because of the experience and comfort that they afford the passengers compared to jeepneys that are always jam-packed that you cannot move your legs around while riding. If anyone new to the town especially foreigners decide to visit Liloan, I strongly suggest you ride the tricycles than charter a van or use a private car. The experience will be truly unforgettable.

Secrets of Liloan’s Halo-Halo Revealed

2008-08-25T02:10:00.002+08:00

As far as we can tell, Liloan’s halo-halo is one of the well-kept treats of the town. Why so? Because only those lucky few who actually tried Liloan’s halo-halo believe this.

Halo-halo (in English, "mix mix") is a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits. It is served cold in a tall glass or bowl.

Upon mixing the ingredients of this dessert, the rule is that there ought to be no rules. There is no specific recipe for halo-halo and the order in which the ingredients are added varies widely. Anything goes inside the glass as long as it’s not chicken feet or brick walls.

Primary ingredients generally include:
* boiled red mung beans,
* kidney beans,
* garbanzos,
* sugar palm fruit (kaong),
* coconut sport (macapuno), and
* plantains caramelized in sugar.

Other components (mostly fruits) may include:
* jackfruit (langka),
* tapioca or sago,
* nata de coco,
* purple yam (ube)
* leche flan,
* ice cream
* condensed or evaporated milk
* papayas,
* avocados,
* kiwifruit, and
* bananas

Most preparations also include ice cream on top of halo-halo, likely the icing on the cake in other speak. Our favorite ingredients are jackfruit, lakatan banana and red mung beans. Anywhere in the Philippines, you can get to taste halo-halo in nearby cul-de-sac and carenderias. Halo-halo is hugely popular mainly due to the country’s tropical climate and abundance of fresh fruits. During the hot summer months (March-June), no normal human being can resist a glass filled with colorful fruits and melting ice cream on top.

Halo-halo as a whole has long been construed as an apt metaphor for the nation. East Meets West. No other country on Earth can thoroughly make that kind of claim. Philippines is a hodge-podge of influences being under the rule of Spain for three centuries, three decades under the Americans and three years under the Japanese Imperial Army. Before those foreign invaders, Malay-Indo settlers and Chinese, Arab and Indian traders frequented the country. It’s like a tour around the world with halo-halo, to cite a few: red mung beans is from China; garbanzos from India; leche flan from Spain; and shaved ice from the U.S.

There is something extra-special with Liloan’s halo-halo. We’re not very sure what that is, but we thought about it long and hard and we came up with these hypotheses:

1) The level of sweetness is just about right like the position of North Pole.
2) The price is way cheap for the mouthful of pleasure you get.
3) The halo-halo vendors in Liloan serve the dessert smiling.
4) The halo-halo vendors in Liloan shave the ice with much gusto and passion. But never rough.
5) The shaved ice is evenly done.
6) The mixture of ingredients is perfect. No overkill.
7) You get to see real people walking and vehicles running as view while eating halo-halo. It makes the whole thing, uhm, people-oriented.
8) If you have enough money, you can’t get enough of just one glass.
9) There is no eggplant in the mixture.

Liloan Halo-Halo Tips:

1) The price difference of plain halo-halo and special halo-halo is minimal so go for the special at Php25. You will have a scoop of ube ice cream for that. If you have a rich uncle, go for super special halo-halo and have two scoops of ice cream. We can’t vouch much for super special, however, as we never tried it yet.

2) Have someone with you to enjoy life conversations with halo-halo. But never share a glass with another fellow (refer back to Hypothesis No. 8). If your companion can’t afford to buy one, let him/her do the mixing for fair participation.

3) Think of happy thoughts while eating halo-halo. Trash debts and worries.

4) The best halo-halo in Liloan is located in an eatery with balcony. But the best of the best is located in the first floor of the eatery with balcony, not in the balcony part itself. There’s a difference so don’t get confused and note this down.

5) Don’t use fork or put ketchup.

6) At the bottom half of the glass, drink the melted ice cream and milk all the way down.

7) When you get home, tell Mom about your halo-halo experience. Hug her.

Fast Facts About Liloan

2008-08-23T15:56:00.000+08:00

As you are already here on this site, it’s quite a given that you have some interest about the town. It is recommended that you equip yourself with basic facts about Liloan so you might not get lost somewhere in the whirlpools (so to speak).

Again, Liloan is a town in Cebu, Philippines. If you don’t know where that is… Philippines is in the Pacific side of the Earth. The climate here is tropical. The people in Liloan speak Cebuano, although English is highly spoken and understood as well.

Annual Income: 65 Million (Php)
Town Classification (based on income): 2nd Class
Population: 92,181 (2007)
Registered Voters: 42,202
Land Area: 5,210 Hectares
No.of Household: 13,381
No. of Barangay: 14

An Intriguing Town of Lighthouses, Whirlpools, Myths and Legends

2008-08-23T12:54:00.000+08:00

Aside from real lighthouses and whirlpools that are present in town, Liloan is a stuff of history, legends and myths. The name “Liloan” itself is an intriguing piece of folklore as it supposedly came from a story of forbidden love.

Once upon a time, there was a couple whose marriage was objected to by their parents. The lovers, defying traditions and daring the perils of the unknown, had to sail to the big sea and flee somewhere else. They came to settle in a place with abundant supply of fish. Later on, they took to fishing and bartered their “catch” in the nearby villages. When asked where they caught the fishes, they would say “sa may lilo” (in the vicinity of the lilo). It is not clear whether the couple had a “happy ever after” but the couple certainly had found a refuge to fulfill their undeniable love for each other. The couple’s refuge is now known as the town of Liloan and “sa may lilo” refers to the presence of whirlpools in Suba River.

My first exposure to the town came three years ago. Fresh from grabbing my college diploma, I went to work in an outsourcing firm based in Liloan. It was thrilling for a first job as it involved a thing I always love to do – writing. But I was intrigued why my first job had to be, of all places, in Liloan. For one, Liloan to me was just one of Cebu’s more than 50 towns with a name. Prior to my first job, I couldn’t recall an instance that my family had actually dropped by at the town. We had trips in some parts of northern Cebu, particularly in Danao and Bogo, but Liloan always came as a passing town. There was nothing extra special about Liloan. It struck to me as a drab-looking, old and sleeping town -- full of vintage memories but had nothing exciting to offer. Or so I thought three years ago.

Hunting in vain for better words to say now, Liloan is such an intriguing place with a myriad of options for the thrill-seekers. Next to my hometown Opon, there is no place else to love than this town which was built by the Spanish conquistadores in 1845. It’s funny how cosmopolitan ways had influenced my wrong notions about Liloan. See, the first reason that endeared Liloan close to my heart was because of its halo-halo (iced mixture of fruits and root crops) sold near the town plaza’s stalls. For a cheap price of 25 bucks, I have never tasted a more delicious halo-halo from anywhere.

But, of course, Liloan is not all about yummy halo-halo. The town can claim a rightful venue for all town adventures which we will little by little show why here.

-Swerver-

The Children and the Whirlpools

2008-08-23T11:44:00.000+08:00

Suba is one of the known places in Liloan. It is the place where the first inhabitants of the town of Liloan landed, and it is the place from where the town got its name. However, I will not talk about that in this blog. We'll talk about it later. Right now, I want to share with you my experience of the place known as Suba.

Curiously, "Suba" also means river, but there is a no river there. Instead, there is a channel that is connected a bay known as the Bay of Silot. More about that in a separate blog.

I once passed through this channel at night aboard a friend's car, en route from our trip to the lighthouse in Barangay Catarman. As such, I was not able to take a close look at what the place has to offer because I was in a moving vehicle and it was night. I did, however, get to see the different Coast Guard yachts parked at the mini-harbor.

Now, these are the real treats of Suba: the whirlpools from where Liloan got its name. By whirlpools, you might be expecting something big and nasty swirling in the water but, no, they are far from that. The whirlpools of the channel are small, yet their size masks the strong vacuum and current in the water. What amazed me, however, were not the whirlpools but the children who were bathing in the waters. Children, but yet they are very good at surviving the current and the vacuum (called "suug" in the local dialect) that the waters of the channel have.

Curious, Swerver and I approached these children and asked them what they do about swimming through the vacuum. They probably didn't know what to say, so they just went and gave us a demonstration. I noticed that after hitting the water, they just let the current drift them a bit away before they started treading water. This makes sense, because people end up getting drowned if they try to fight the current. So that's the trick, I thought to myself.

Swerver then asked them how it feels when the vacuum is pulling them. One of them said, "Anad na mi ana kuya." (We're used to it.) Yet another one of them said, "Makuyawan ka." (You'll be scared.)

Another curious thing about the whirlpools is that they don't start forming until after seaward side of the bridge. Swerver and I took a look at the other side of the bridge, and it turned out that the waters there were as calm as the Pope. There must be an explanation for that, but I didn't want to think too much about it lest I ruin the experience.

At the end of the day, Swerver and I bid goodbye and thanked the kids for their support, but not without taking a few more pictures:

How to Get There?

2008-08-23T00:50:00.000+08:00

First off, let us try to settle the spelling issue. “Liloan” is the more current and formal form, but “Lilo-an” is also being used as an alternate spelling. Either way, it's still the same town.

Liloan is a strategically-located town in northern Cebu because of its proximity to the three biggest cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu. The town is just a ride away (30 minutes) from Cebu City. More specifically, it is 19 kilometers away from the city but it can be sooner than that as traffic is never a concern going to the area. Liloan straddles on the northeastern seaboard of mainland Cebu province. It faces the Camotes Sea, a sealane for ships plying to and from the busiest port in the Philippines.

Why go to Liloan? Of course, it’s not good for us to enumerate all the reasons in a single article as you won’t dare read all the entries here. But a bit of teaser: Liloan’s cool air and the small town atmosphere can provide needed respite for hustling and bustling city-folks. The location largely accounts for the “good wind” of Liloan.

So how do you get to Liloan?

If you are from abroad, Philippine Airlines offers international and connecting flights to Cebu. Once you arrive at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, ask the cabdrivers to transport you to Liloan.

If you are from the Philippines, go to Cebu. Once in Cebu, ask from people around what jeepney to ride going to Liloan. If you are a Filipino, you won’t need further tips for sure how to get around with jeepneys. ;-)

Now you’re in Liloan. Liloan’s major mode of transportation is the tricycle, a curious breed of a motorcycle with a cab attached. The motorbike -- called habal-habal -- itself is also a suggested vehicle to witness all intriguing sites of Liloan in an hour or two.

The Story of Two Lighthouses

2008-08-19T18:01:00.000+08:00

The Story of Two Lighthouses

Almost two hundred years ago, the Spaniards erected a lighthouse near the cliffs of Barangay Catarman, Liloan, Northern Cebu in the Philippines. This lighthouse was made of coral stones, and stands to guide home fishermen of the age.

After several years, almost a century later, the Spaniards left and the Americans came. The old lighthouse was respectfully put out of use, and a newer, large one was built just near it. This new lighthouse was made of concrete, stands 72-feet tall, and was more technologically advanced. Its light can be seen 17 nautical miles away, and serves as an important maritime marker for ships coming in and out of Cebu's northern sea lanes.

The two lighthouses are stark contrasts to each other. The Spanish one is now old, broken and left in ruins; the American one is new to the eyes, proudly standing tall, and continually maintained. However, the Spanish lighthouse represents the bygone days of the Spanish occupation, where Filipinos were called "Indios" by our Spanish oppressors. Hence, it is an important landmark, a reminder of our history that should not be forgotten.

The road going up to the American-commissioned lighthouse is a fairly easy one. You only need to ride a motorcycle or tricycle from the town proper to get there.

From there, you can see the ruins of the old lighthouse from a distance, standing forlorn amongst the tall grass and ferns that have grown around it. They are so tall that they have literally engulfed the sign pointing visitors to the way to the old lighthouse.

The road going there is tough, another contrast with its newer counterpart. You have to descend to and cross a Savanna-like grassland for about five minutes, with the grasses and ferns tickling your arms and face. Along the way, you'll find man-size excavations that are quite deep enough to get you into trouble if you fall into one of them. You may also meet cows and goats grazing.

At the end of this road, you will reach a low cliff that dangerously leads to the rocky waters below. The cliff has a path made of rocks that turns to the left, a path which you have to follow for a minute or two until you reach the stump of coral stone that marks the Spanish lighthouse, circa 1857.

The place has an eerie, aged feeling to it. It looks more like an old war bunker than a lighthouse, with blackened coral stones that serve as its walls, and with a huge crack on one side that somehow functions like a door through which you can enter into the structure and view the inside of the lighthouse. The only sounds you'll hear are the sounds of the surf lapping against the rocks below, and the sea breeze. Anyone visiting the site would think that he has stepped into a different time, because the ambience of the place is as old as the delapidated building that stands in the vicinity.

Bagacay Light Point is undeniably famous amongst both tourists and Filipinos alike, with the excellent view it commands of the sea. However, it should not also be forgotten that before Bagacay Light Point was ever constructed, there existed another, less modern outpost that faithfully served the same purpose, and now stands sadly as a mere shadow of its former self.

The Lighthouse of Liloan

2008-08-15T18:49:00.001+08:00

Besides its delicacies, the town of Liloan is best known for the towering structure found in one of its barangays: the Liloan lighthouse. Formally known as Bacagay Light Point, the lighthouse is an important nautical waypoint and a favorite hangout for people who like to drink while breathing the fresh sea breeze. Over a hundred years old, the lighthouse has been declared as a National Historical Landmark on August 23, 2004.

History

William Howard Taft, the governor general of the Philippines in 1904 during the American Administration, ordered the construction of the lighthouse in Barangay Catarman, Liloan. The lighthouse was intended as a replacement of a similar yet older structure built by the Spaniards in 1857 in the same location.

Technical Details

The lighthouse is made of concrete and is shaped like an octagon. The builders decided to paint it white. It is over 72 feet tall, and has a focal plane of 146 feet. Its white light flashes every 5 seconds, and can be seen from over 17 nautical miles away. The lighthouse is solar powered.

Location and Travel Guide

Bacagay Light Point is located 22 kilometers away from the main highway. You can find the lighthouse by following the “This way to Amara” signs in Liloan or by following the road from Cebu and Mandaue Cities until you reach Liloan town proper and then following the road to the right side of the lighthouse replica in the plaza. The latter road takes you across the Suba Channel, another attraction offered by the town for its visitors.

The lighthouse is located on an elevated piece of land, which means aside from the lighthouse you get to enjoy a view of the Tañon Strait while visiting the place. The place is best viewed at night, where you get a not-so-elevated view of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge and the lights of Mactan Island.

Right beside the lighthouse is a drinking joint, where you can sing videoke in an open-air setting while chugging down your favorite beer. You can also just sit and enjoy the fresh air of the strait while looking up at the stars. For a lot of years, young and old alike have visited this place not only for the sights it offer, but also for the enjoyment the drinking joint gives them.