Trip to Taal

JOY RIDE!!

Last August 16, 2016 we had a trip to Taal for our school immersion. We were instructed to meet up at Laurel Community Park from 4:30 – 5:30 am. By 5:45 am we were already on our way and with every bus there is an assigned tour guide to brief us about the places we were headed to.

The bus ride

First Destination

We first arrived at the Ruins of the Taal Church (San Nicolas, Batangas) and it was said that it was called the “Ruins of Taal Church” because it was destroyed by the biggest volcanic eruption of Taal volcano. Nevertheless the place was amazing and very beautiful, there were Taaleño’s who were keeping the place in good condition and we actually had the chance to have a conversation with some of the locals. Some of the structure was still intact and they told us that it was made with corals and egg whites.  

Taal Lake

What is the English of Balisong??

Next we went to Ona’s Balisong (Brgy. Balisong Taal, Batangas). Balisong means “butterfly knife” in english, and on the way we were told of the history of Ona’s Balisong. This shop started in 1999 and that it was said to be the trade mark of Batangueños, in front of the shop was a six-foot long balisong that served to promote their industry. A lot of foreigners actually have acknowledged Ona’s balisong and have personally purchased their own butterfly knife. Making this type of knife is not easy and that the craftsman to make this balisong has to have 20/20 vision to ensure that is it made properly.

Mother Of The Philippine Flag

To our next destination we had to walk and actually had a chance to appreciate the streets of Taal. We went to Marcela Agoncillo and Leon Apacible’s Ancestral Houses, these houses are actually the governments’ property now. First with Marcela Agoncillio’s house (now a museum) we were greeted with a tour guide and we were offered to sit first and watch a clip that explained to us the essence of this museum. The museum was full of antiques and the tour guide explained and showed us how their life was before. The museum had a lot of features that intrigued us to roam around the museum ourselves. With this visit I learned that Marcela Agoncillio actually played a big role for the history of the Philippines.

Leon Apacible Museum

Then after that, we went to Leon Apacible’s ancestral house (also a museum now) and we were asked again to watch a clip that showed us the purpose of making this house a museum. A lot of notable items were displayed and furniture from the 19th century were seen to be well-preserved and the workers at the museum were doing a fantastic job with keeping the place in good condition. As the tour guide have said that the house was home to the Apacible family for 4 generations and was remodeled only twice. The museum still had the original floor boards and the original interior which makes the  museum experience come to life.

Biggest Church In Asia

When we were done with the ancestral houses’ we went on to the Basilica of St. Martin of de Tours, which is also known as the largest Catholic church in Asia. The first thing that people would notice is the big letter word structured at the  front of the church in whereas a lot of tourists have had their picture taken. The tour guide explained that this church has went through a lot of reconstructions and the last was on 1856. With its famous historical value there is no doubt that this church is a famous tourist destination.  With extra information from the tour guide she said that this church was really well-known for couples who wanted to wed and wanted assurance of their chosen partners.

Taals’ Sweet Delights

After all the walking, we were relived to know that our next destination was Beth’s Panutsahan. When we arrived it is seen that everyone was busy and every employee were doing their best to accommodate and answer our questions about how they make their famous panutsa. As one of the employee explained to us that the vessels they use are custom-made and that the materials used are really old kinds of wood.

 

Truth or Bluff?

Then to the next stop we went to the Our Lady of Casaysay Shrine, the shrine has an interesting story behind it. One of the locals told us all about the history of this shrine, it was said that a fisherman named Juan Maningcad who was just fishing and had captured the 12 inch image of the Our Lady of Casaysay in his net, and eventually took it home with him. The tour guide said that the story in different countries and regions had their own versions so it was hard to determine which story is more accurate.

Miracle of a Well

And our last destination was the Binukalan Shrine, and besides the shrine there was a well placed outside the church. The well also has a beautiful story behind it, the time we spent at the church was talking to the tour guides’ and the locals which they have told us amazing stories about their place and some historical events that occurred at Alitagtag , Batangas.

#Taalisgoals 

This day was so overwhelming for me and I was so happy to experience exploring and discovering something about my homeland. Taal is such a wonderful place, it was my first time seeing a town that still has its ancestral roots intact to their culture. All of the places that I have visited were amazing and maybe someday in the future I would have a chance to visit most of Taal by myself. Taal also contains historical value because it still has shown the influences of the Spanish. The trip was not boring at all and I enjoyed every bit of it.