Vigan Voted as World Wonder

Wow! Isn’t that amazing? Vigan was voted as one of the “New7Wonders Cities of the World!” Isn’t that great? It was a great blessing that my family and I lived in Ilocandia for some 5 years and I had the privilege to visit Vigan so many times. Every time I passed by that place on my way from San Fernando, La Union to Laoag City and back, I was really fascinated to see the place. It’s always like going back in time. It’s like going back a couple of hundred years ago during the Spanish times when they had cobbled streets for horses and calesas.

A Tourist Destination

Despite the passing of many centuries the local Vigan folks have preserved its old buildings dating back to the Spanish times. Many buildings of course were already destroyed and even a few decades ago, some were gutted by fire. But I’m glad that many old buildings are still there. I was even surprised that some old buildings have been transformed into cozy hotels where I and my family were able to sleep overnight in one of the inns at one time. There was even a parking space for my car!

Vigan Museums

Aside from old Spanish buildings and a cathedral, there are also several museums where tourists can go and visit. One is the Crisologo Museum and the other one is the Burgos National Museum, the ancestral home of Fr. Jose Burgos, one of the Gomburza martyrs and one of our national heroes. It is fascinating to go back in time learning about history and learning about how people lived in the past, looking at old photos, old items like old telephones, beds, pots, pans, furniture and other interesting items of the past. Quite exciting and interesting for folks like me haha!

I remember that during my 5-year stay in Ilocandia, I always saw to it that I brought my visitors—visiting friends and relatives—to Vigan to see the place and be amazed. Hopefully, with this new recognition for Vigan, more and more tourists will visit the place and benefit the local community as well the whole country.

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to visit the Philippine Navy’s Sangley Point Naval Base in Cavite. It was a great opportunity that came my way and I really had a great time getting on board two military ships and looked with amazement at the big guns which I have never seen before.

Oto Melara 76mm Gun Used in 60 Navies

Before this visit to the naval base, I had no idea what those big guns were. But I was glad there was a poster placed on one of the walls of the ship and there I read several information about the ship and its armaments. I found out that its big gun is actually Italian made and it’s called an Oto Melara 76mm gun. It is used in about 60 navies around the world and it can be placed or mounted on small ships. What is even more amazing about this big gun is that it can fire at around 80 rounds per minute. It would surely be like “hell” if its rounds will come raining right over where you are!

Some two weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting Tacloban City ten months after it was devastated by typhoon Yolanda. As the multicab where I was riding slowed down due to traffic, an old man approached us begging for two pesos for his fare. He said he was a veteran and that he was now 96 years old. The driver jokingly replied that he only had a whole three pesos — no change haha! There’s actually no coin that is three pesos. He was just kidding. The driver actually gave him a 5-peso coin.

Whether he was truly a war veteran or not, I have no way of knowing. But one thing is sure, he surely is a senior citizen, an old man who has survived the worst typhoon ever. I wonder if he still has a family who’s taking care of him. Thousands lost their families during typhoon Yolanda. This photo of him will remind me of typhoon Yolanda and my visit there 10 months after the worst typhoon hit Tacloban.

When I visited Tacloban City about two weeks ago, I also had the opportunity to see children waiting for their Sunday school teacher. While they were waiting, the kids asked me to take photos of them. Of course, I was glad they asked me to. These kids went through the horrifying typhoon Yolanda experience which devastated their city some ten months ago. These all came from the neighborhood within the vicinity of the Life Development Center of the Grace Communion International. These kids look happy despite their poverty and sorry situation.

Some two weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting a remote Barangay Day Care Center in Basey, Samar. The national director of Grace Communion International – Philippines brought me along with him to see the place. My church is supporting the outreach activity.

It’s quite some distance from where I am right now in Pampanga. And while there, I once again enjoyed my hobby of photoshooting some barangay children as well as some adults. It was fun to capture life in a remote barangay far away from Manila.