A few weeks ago the President issued another executive order proclaiming additional holidays for this year during the Ramadan season. Last week we feasted on long weekends brought about by Araw ng Kagitingan which was moved to April 6 and the observance of the Holy Week. Indeed this administration has become popular for its so-called holiday economics.
With longer weekends to travel, I do hope that Filipinos also have the financial capacity to take advantage of these vacation periods in the midst of the global economic crisis.
Is it possible for a family of 6 to enjoy a road trip for less than P 2,000.00 these days? Mulling over this question we decided to take my nephews and niece to a day trip to Bataan province, retracing the Death March route and awakening our senses on cultural wonders.
We loaded 500 pesos worth of unleaded gasoline at the Shell Station along Jose Abad Santos Avenue in San Fernando en route to Bataan. After reaching the town of Hermosa we decided to take Mac Arthur Hiway to see the historic churches in the towns of Orani and Abucay.
Luckily for us, lunch was spent in Balanga City with our relatives in Bagumbayan. We feasted on delectable seafood like alimasag and shrimps, with green mango salad topped with bagoong. Other affordable places to eat in Balanga are Big Papa’s Kitchen which serves bulalo and a branch of the famous Dulang known for its eat-all-you-can at 99 pesos.
Whenever in Balanga it is always a must for our family to stop at the public market, which is not only organized but offers a lot of cheap but quality seafood fare. For a little over 500 pesos we were able to buy 50 pesos worth of bagoong, 20 pesos worth of rock salt, one half kilo of tuyo for 125 pesos, one kilo of alimasag for 70 pesos, half kilo of balanak for 60 pesos, one half kilo of shrimps for 125 pesos and one kilo of hasa-hasa for 70 pesos. This quantity will keep a family well-fed for a good couple of days. Of course it is advisable to bring your own cooler with ice to keep the seafood fresh throughout the drive home.
From Balanga City we headed to Mt. Samat in Pilar town to see the Dambana ng Kagitingan, a National Historical Shrine. This is a good way to educate kids about history. I had my nephews and niece read the epic of Bataan, which is etched in marble, for them to appreciate the heroism of Filipino and American soldiers during the Second World War. The museum, which has pictorial reproductions and war artifacts, is also open for public viewing.
The base of the cross itself features sculptural works depicting famous scenes and personages from Philippine history done by National Artist Napoleon Abueva.
The Dambana ng Kagitingan will set you back around 30 pesos per person, including the fee for the elevator ride in the 92 meter-high cross where the view itself is magnificent. Add another 30 pesos to that for parking fee.
On the way home we decided to drop by three more heritage churches: San Agustin in Lubao, Santiago de Apostol in Betis, Guagua and San Guillermo in Bacolor. These are cultural resources that we may avail of for free or for a minimal cost if you decide to give a little donation.
San Agustin Church was renovated some years back for the wedding of presidential son Mikey Arroyo to Angela Montenegro but is really one of the more beautiful and historic churches in the province. The Betis Church is known as our local version of the Sistine Chapel with its intricate ceiling paintings and main altar. It is also one of the 26 churches listed as National Cultural Treasures in the entire Philippines. San Guillermo in Bacolor is popular because it has withstood the onslaught of lahar and more recently, because it is the setting for the television series “May Bukas Pa”.
Back in San Fernando I computed the expenses for the entire day, including the snacks and meals for a very hungry bunch, and much to my delight we spent less than two thousand pesos for a whole day’s explorations. Thank goodness for the simple economics of a holiday.
With longer weekends to travel, I do hope that Filipinos also have the financial capacity to take advantage of these vacation periods in the midst of the global economic crisis.
Is it possible for a family of 6 to enjoy a road trip for less than P 2,000.00 these days? Mulling over this question we decided to take my nephews and niece to a day trip to Bataan province, retracing the Death March route and awakening our senses on cultural wonders.
We loaded 500 pesos worth of unleaded gasoline at the Shell Station along Jose Abad Santos Avenue in San Fernando en route to Bataan. After reaching the town of Hermosa we decided to take Mac Arthur Hiway to see the historic churches in the towns of Orani and Abucay.
Luckily for us, lunch was spent in Balanga City with our relatives in Bagumbayan. We feasted on delectable seafood like alimasag and shrimps, with green mango salad topped with bagoong. Other affordable places to eat in Balanga are Big Papa’s Kitchen which serves bulalo and a branch of the famous Dulang known for its eat-all-you-can at 99 pesos.
Whenever in Balanga it is always a must for our family to stop at the public market, which is not only organized but offers a lot of cheap but quality seafood fare. For a little over 500 pesos we were able to buy 50 pesos worth of bagoong, 20 pesos worth of rock salt, one half kilo of tuyo for 125 pesos, one kilo of alimasag for 70 pesos, half kilo of balanak for 60 pesos, one half kilo of shrimps for 125 pesos and one kilo of hasa-hasa for 70 pesos. This quantity will keep a family well-fed for a good couple of days. Of course it is advisable to bring your own cooler with ice to keep the seafood fresh throughout the drive home.
From Balanga City we headed to Mt. Samat in Pilar town to see the Dambana ng Kagitingan, a National Historical Shrine. This is a good way to educate kids about history. I had my nephews and niece read the epic of Bataan, which is etched in marble, for them to appreciate the heroism of Filipino and American soldiers during the Second World War. The museum, which has pictorial reproductions and war artifacts, is also open for public viewing.
The base of the cross itself features sculptural works depicting famous scenes and personages from Philippine history done by National Artist Napoleon Abueva.
The Dambana ng Kagitingan will set you back around 30 pesos per person, including the fee for the elevator ride in the 92 meter-high cross where the view itself is magnificent. Add another 30 pesos to that for parking fee.
On the way home we decided to drop by three more heritage churches: San Agustin in Lubao, Santiago de Apostol in Betis, Guagua and San Guillermo in Bacolor. These are cultural resources that we may avail of for free or for a minimal cost if you decide to give a little donation.
San Agustin Church was renovated some years back for the wedding of presidential son Mikey Arroyo to Angela Montenegro but is really one of the more beautiful and historic churches in the province. The Betis Church is known as our local version of the Sistine Chapel with its intricate ceiling paintings and main altar. It is also one of the 26 churches listed as National Cultural Treasures in the entire Philippines. San Guillermo in Bacolor is popular because it has withstood the onslaught of lahar and more recently, because it is the setting for the television series “May Bukas Pa”.
Back in San Fernando I computed the expenses for the entire day, including the snacks and meals for a very hungry bunch, and much to my delight we spent less than two thousand pesos for a whole day’s explorations. Thank goodness for the simple economics of a holiday.
