Constructing and Maintaining a Beach Resort in Bohol by a Swiss Architect

Yuchengco Museum in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy Manila is presenting a series of lectures from November to January. Wondering what has Switzerland has something to do in the Philippines history? Three reasons: one Jose Rizal spent 3 weeks in this country and wrote here some of his literary pieces during his stay in Europe, second the Rizal monument in Luneta Park was done by the Swiss, Richard Kipling who won the second prize for the design competition of this monument and Switzerland opened its first Consulate in all of Asia in 1862 in Manila. These lectures are actually about the excellent reputation and high profile of Swiss architecture and engineering today that the local scene can get idea from.

Seeing a Ray of Hope

Really getting emotional for the past few weeks as I see my blog traffic has fallen down to the extreme! I was checking my Google Analytics and  seeing a few signs of improvement  for one or two traffic from Google on keywords I don't expect much to get from. The blog posts and keywords that give life to this blog are nowhere to be found in the first pages of search engines now. I just went back to zero. My Google PageRank Checker has returned a zero rank for now. My TopBlogsph link - a directory for blogs in the Philipines that measures traffic with 1 as the highest is showing me rank 364 . Before I was at 129 nearly approaching my target rank of at least 100 by the end of this year. But way, way to go! Need to keep going now matter what!

Getting Tested to the Fullest

I know this is the time I am being tested to the fullest of whether I end up quitting this blog and pursue other things because I am not getting any younger anymore. I want to go back to this language school, learn some vocational skills whatever blah blah... because I am not getting any younger anymore. In exactly three months from now I will be having my 29th birthday though I feel like my 28th birthday just happened yesterday.

Have to let go this time!

I am writing this in the 37th floor where I have a breathtaking view of Manila's skyline from four different angles (Makati, Ortigas, Pasig and Mandaluyong) trying to catch some fresh air.  I just came from Ilocos the other night and a few thing in my list was never done.  Worse is I am in my point on deciding which ones to keep and which ones to give up.  The traffic of my blog until now is at its worst as I check my Google analytics and Feedjit widget. This blog means so much to me as the time I have spent here are really huge!

I was thinking of using this blog as my portal to the path of entrepreneurship. This is the only way I know so far to be free from this seven year imprisonment within the four corners of a workstation that requires me to report to work on a scheduled time and even on holidays! I have been joining events to enrich my knowledge and trying to get to know successful people whom I can get an idea from. I can talk all day how I am inspired by these people really who are into coworking, collaboration, entrepreneurship etc. If anyone of you reading this and has been following my drama here on my blog I'd love to talk to you. Please send me a message and tell me anything. Don't care if it's bad or not I am here to get feedback or violent reaction maybe. Or if you are within Manila we can have some chamomile tea or light beer maybe.

ICOMOS International Conference on International Tourism in Vigan, Ilocos 2012

The ICOMOS International Conference on International Tourism is the reason why I am back to Ilocos. If you ask me personally I will whisper you my answer "the durong (malunggay flavored) pandesal, poqui-poqui pizza and vigan longganisa"!  Held in Ilocos Sur Provincial Capitol, I praise the management because of the excellent free wifi for me because I literally live online.

Here are the tidbits of info worth remembering for this day:

Sandra Millar, ICOMOS President International Cultural Tourism Committee reaches out to the audience to "involve more young people for not only heritage is for old people but for the future generation ". She also gave a hint of what is the next world heritage of the future could be a place in Canada where people are engaged into break dancing knows?

Augusto Villalon, President of ICOMOS Philippines explains the Intramuros Master Plan on the problem about informal settlers (squatters) community that is an eyesore.  It is all about making the problem a solution. First is a resettlement area that is 2 hours away from Intramuros and a free ride back to those who need to work back in the area. Second is to build them houses that bears the design of "unique Filipino architectural style" of old houses we see in Intramuros itself, Vigan, Iloilo, Bacolod and the rest of the country.


Philipine Tourism however cannot be explained in any way possible without acknowledging the cultural tourism aspect. Felipe de Leon, Chairman of National Culture and Arts challenges everyone on issues about erasing Asian memories instead of instilling local identity of the place like why is Legazpi City named after its colonizer and not the local chieftain who earlier founded a "government" in the place? On the second day another one also asked why is it that Plaza Salcedo in Vigan was also named by another "colonizer". It is like asking why our country is named after the king of one of our colonizers. DFA Assistant Secretary Fariñas calmly answered the question these issues of the past that we need accept as part of our Philipine history. What we need to do is move on and focus on the present.

Why call these old houses of "unique Filipino architectural style" NOT the usual "Spanish houses" we are used to? 

There is a dissertation study by a Spanish native himself, a former director of Instituto Cervantes Manila - a Spanish language School from Spain and which yours truly was a former student. I will research about this soon and make a blog post separately.

Why Vigan was the only Spanish colonial town spared during WW 11?

Because of a love story.  It is about a local woman, Belen Castillo and a Japanese general, Maj. Sakae Narioka who got married and had kids. During the World War II when the Japanese comrades are already losing against the Americans, they were ordered to leave and bomb every city or town they are stationed. But because Narioka loved his family, he asked his fellow soldiers not to destroy the place. His family remained safe but he was killed in the battle.

Holding on to the challenge!

Few days ago a student from Cologne, Germany who is doing her thesis about Chabacano language varieties Preserving the Chabacano Language in Zamboanga sent me a message. While it is very usual for me to receive emails from any parts of the world for so many reasons this one is I appreciated the most. The sudden domain change of my blog practically halted the traffic it gets from Google temporarily and I left “hanging” my avid blog readers without any notification. The most important are the blog links that have been attached by known authorities online that bring considerable topic to this blog are gone as well. One is Wikipedia where the official biography of Jose Rizal cited my post “Uncovering Controversial Facts about Jose Rizal”, Rappler on “Social Good Summit 2012 in Manila” and a million more reason.

Yes I am holding on!

As a matter of fact I am with a heavy heart will try to contact these websites and blogs who linked me in their pages. Do some petty explanation and to beg to update their listing. Yeah I know it is hard because this is requesting for an additional favor and will eat MUCH of my time. I have started volunteering as a freeware review editor to this tech site recently and I know I need to balance my time for everything in between.

Changed my domain to mariaronabeltran dot com!

This will be the most “emotional” post I have had so far. I feel like a part of me died. I am like a kid who is crying nonstop because her favorite toy was taken away from her. My blog domain that I’ve been using for years now belongs to somebody else. My traffic is back to zero. My blog posts that are ranking one and two in google are not visible anymore. These posts are priceless to me because these are reasons that give life to my blog. I mean what is the use of a blog without readers? One of the posts also fueled me to start offering a local tour package after receiving a growing number of email inquiries. I have already attended a one day seminar on how to set- up this kind of business even in the early stages of having this registered legally. My visit to Vigan this Nov 6 – 9 will also be meeting with my partner tour guide to get to make all things clear professional-wise aside from attending an international conference on cultural tourism. I have so much, so much more plans for this blog and now I feel like all things freeze for a while!

Iloilo Tourist Spots: Where to go, what to do and what to eat

If you only have a whole day to explore Iloilo like me when I went there, then this post is for you. Start by tasting Iloilo’s cuisine through a breakfast of an authentic La Paz Batchoy (noodle soup, garnished with pork innards, crushed pork cracklings, vegetables, shrimp, chicken breast or beef loin, shrimp broth, chicken stock and round noodles or miki) either at Ted’s or Deco’s. These restaurants have been around early as in the 19th century and can be found all over the city. The management may not even care about their stiff competition that in front of SM Iloilo, they are next to each other! So clueless which is better I stepped inside Deco’s and yes one big bowl of this soup plus a small complimentary bowl of the same soup in case you want more is enough to strengthen you for any physical activity until you reach lunch.

For Bacolod tour, Iloilo and Guimaras tour inquiries, please email 
mariaronab@gmail.com 
1. Let us know how many people are joining

2. Your complete flight details: TIME and DATE of arrival and departure 

After taking a heavy breakfast I am sure you’re now ready to get lost in Iloilo! First, head to the Provincial Capitol’s Tourism Office for information because Iloilo has lots to see so take some time to reflect which ones are worth your time and interest. What is your Iloilo visit if you won’t see the Saint Thomas Villanueva parish or the Miag-ao Church? It is said to be the only church in the Philippines that is showcasing a painting of a biological façade of 4 local plants in its upper front part. The Miag-ao Church is also one of the five Baroque Churches of the Philippines that is a Philippine World Heritage Site accredited by UNESCO. Like most of our heritage churches it is also a restored version and is situated in the town’s proper, not from where it’s originally located.

Your next stop will be two old houses along the way back to the town’s centro : Bahay na Bato and Mamay’s Sinamay. Just tell the driver of the jeep or bus you are in he surely knows these places because they are located next to each other. Bahay na Bato in English literally translated as Stone House is another ancestral house that opens its door to anyone. If you go there in a group of more than 5 if I am not mistaken, they can cook tsokolate (hot chocolate from cacao) and home-made bread for P150 each and with pancit molo for P200 each.

Just a few cartwheels away is the Mamay’s Sinamay that sells local hand-woven stuffs like shawls, shirts, skirts, & handkerchiefs etc that are only done by senior citizens in the area. According to the Tourism Officer I spoke with, the management preferred hiring the elders to do this work because they tend to do it more superb than the young ones. If you wish so you can tell the one in charge in there and take you to their place where the elders do their stuff. One laminated letter caught my attention that is hanging in the walls of this old house is a letter from Princess Diana acknowledging that she received and she liked one of the stuff that was given to her from Mamay’s Sinamay! What is so beautiful about this old house is it still a home to the owners of the house so not all of the parts can be visited there are off-limits to the public.

There is also a local pizza store that caught my stomach when I was in Iloilo that in my two days I was buying their pizza from morning snack then I go back before I go to sleep after I am done with my dinner! There is nothing super duper unique with their pizza just that it is filled with grated cheese. The name is Love n Kisses Pizza. The clerk that I think I made friends in two days said that they don’t have website yet and just have 4 stores in Iloilo yet.

Check these spots I want you to see and find out 

Nuestra Señora dela Candelaria National Shrine

It is said the only church in the Philippines where the bell tower is located the farthest in the other side of the street! The reasons is its strategic location for watching any incoming enemies say the Morros that time from on top of the tower.

Iloilo Museum

Just two blocks away from the Provincial Capitol's Tourism Office. If you want to have a few minute glance of Iloilo's history you may drop by here.

Javellana Old House or Casa Mariqui

This is a home to two paintings which costs P17M and P13M respectively. One of it was painted by the National Artist Fernando Amorsolo.

Molo or the "Athens of Iloilo"

You’re correct! This place has a few resemblance of the Athens in Greece that is why it is nicknamed this way. There is a church here that the statues are ALL female saints only. Feminist church eh? And yes I read your mind as well. There is also a church that features ALL male saints but this is not located here, it is near the Ledesma Old house and Lopez Jaena museum.

Nelly’s Garden

A very old classic and romantic mansion that can be rented privately but need to notify the management three days prior so if you got an extra money to impress your loved one or your love ones this is a perfect place.

Biscocho Haus

This house is a one-stop shop. They offer affordable and great tasting breads for pasalubong and in the other side they also offer authentic Iloilo meals and snacks. At the back, gatherings and events can be held. In the second floor, rooms for as low as P600 are available. Take note: you will be staying in a Filipino ancestral-style home now that experience is one of a kind.

One cannot talk about Iloilo without adding its own streaks of festivals. It is only in Iloilo that festivals are celebrated back to back all year round. They have Kasag Festival, Carabao Carroza Festival, Tinuom Festival, Kahilwayan Festival, Pintados de Pasi Festival and the most popular is the Dinagyang Festival.

Iloilo is also very rich in eco-tourism adventure because it is graced with abundance of natural resources. You may check Sambrano Cave in Barutac Nuevo, Imoy Falls in Leon and Marbuena Resort in Ajuy. When it comes to beaches well Iloilo won’t be behind. See the Bulubadiangan Island, Pan de Azucar and Tambaliza Island in Concepcion, Betita beach in Carles and Gigantes Island.

How to go to Iloilo

From Manila to Iloilo via airplane is approximately an hour. The New Iloilo Airport is in Cabatuan about 18 km from the city proper and accessible to jeepneys, busses and taxis. Iloilo City is where the port of entry for sea transport is located and five minutes away from the city’s main commercial district. Iloilo City is 20 hours from Manila sailing 12 times a weeks and 14 hours twice a week from Zamboanga or Cagayan. Cebu is only 12 hours with daily trips. Fastcrafts from Bacolod City takes only an hour at most.