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Philippine Odyssey 2009
By Jay de Leon
On the evening of May 18, 2009, Monday, I flew out of the Los Angeles airport (LAX) in southern California, on a direct flight on board Philippine Airlines (PAL) bound for Manila, Philippines.
I was with a group of relatives made up of my mom, Pacita de Leon, called Grandma Pacita, my sister Cris Rugprayoon, and Tracey de Leon, who is married to Cris’s son, Martin de Leon. Rounding out the party were two lively veteran travelers, Marissa and Sabrina de Leon, Tracey’s daughters, ages 5 and 2 years.
This saga will be divided into two chapters. The first chapter will consist of the first three weeks of our trip, wherein we all played tourist. With the ancestral house in Binmaley, Pangasinan (a bucolic town about four hours away north of Manila) as our base, we traipsed all over northern Luzon as well the Visayas for the next three weeks.
Everybody else except myself flew back home on June 10, 2009. I stayed an additional two weeks until June 24, 2009 to conduct business including martial arts obligations, and to meet up with old friends and classmates. The second chapter of this saga will chronicle this period mostly, decidedly not as exciting as the first part.
So just sit back and just enjoy our 2009 odyssey in the Philippines. Hope you enjoy the article as much as we enjoyed our trip.
Copyright, Jay de Leon, 2009
Photos by Tracey de Leon and Cris Rugprayoon
All Rights Reserved.
PART ONE
THE ADVENTURES OF PINOY FAMILY DE LEON
The Ancestral House
Binmaley, Pangasinan
Front part of the house, right side, where the gate and driveway are.
Facing the house, this would be the left side of the house.
At one time, orchids hung from the fence. For now,
we will settle for Sabrina de Leon giving us some color.
Jay and Grandma Pacita at the rear of the house.
The dining room.
Construction Project
Binmaley, Pangasinan
During trips like this, Grandma always has a project related to the ancestral house or lot. This trip, it was to rebuild, or more accurately, build another fence at the backside of the property. The old fence, eroded and weakened by water, was left alone and a new fence was built parallel to it.
Grandma (in colored blouse) and Rebecca conduct an inspection tour and talk to the workers. That is still the old fence. What the picture does not show is that the workers are knee-deep in water from the recent rains. The sand and gravel fillings are meant to solve the water-accumulation problem. The neighbor’s tall bamboos at the extreme left were later cut down because they were pushing the old fence down.
And voila, there is your new fence.
These laborers were paid P200 a day, or less than $4 a day,
without benefits but with free merienda (snacks) twice a day.
Life in Binmaley, Pangasinan
Tracey, Marissa and Sabrina de Leon just lazing away.
Sabrina and Marissa de Leon playing in the trees in the backyard.
Shrimp in a bucket—that would be Sabrina de Leon . Occasionally,
the kids would take their baths by the pump outside, instead of
the regular shower in the house.
The other shrimp in a bucket—Marissa.
This was the girls’ chauffeured limo while running
around town.
And of course, there was always the mall in Dagupan.
Covelandia Resort, Labrador, Pangasinan
May 26, 2009
Jong, Tracey, Marissa and Sabrina enjoying a dip in the pool.
Behind Tracey and Marissa is the Covelandia beach that surfaces
on low tide.
Tracey’s brother Jong and girlfriend Yay.
Marissa tops off her meal with a big halo-halo.
Baguio City, Mountain Province
May 28 – 29, 2009
Welcome to Baguio City, City of the Pines as well as
the Summer Capital of the Philippines.
Jay de Leon in front of the Baguio Cathedral...
…and in Burnham Park.
Jay de Leon, Cris Rugprayoon, and Tracey, Marissa and
Sabrina de Leon enjoy a boat ride on the lake in Burnham Park.
Tracey, Sabrina and Marissa go native at Mines View Park.
Marissa and Sabrina de Leon at Mines View Park,
on a horse with no name but with pink hair.
Tracey and Sabrina de Leon at a scenic spot
at Mines View Park in Baguio City.
That evening at the lobby of the Manor Hotel at Camp John Hay.
Manaoag, Pangasinan
June 1, 2009
The miraculous Our Lady of Manaoag.
Sabrina, Marissa and Grandma view some of the exhibits.
Sabrina, Marissa, Grandma, Tracey and Jay take a breather
outside the church.
Amarela Resort, Panglao, Bohol
June 5 – 7, 2009
The Amarela Resort in Panglao, Bohol.
Breakfast at the restaurant at Amarela Resort.
The pool at the Amarela Resort in Bohol.
The church entrance in Bohol.
At the entrance to the museum.
Grandma Pacita at one of the exhibit rooms in the museum.
On a warm sunny day on June 6, 2009, the Spanish expedition led by Don Adolfo Pallorina de Leon y Rovillos, in blue armor (with crew Dona Teresa De Leon y Narciso, and Marissa and Sabrina de Leon y Narciso) met up with Adelantado
Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in Panglao, Bohol, to witness the blood compact
with datu Sikatuna. On closer look, that conquistador from Binmaley,
Pangasinan looks more like the Chinese corsair Limahong than a
Spanish man at arms.
From left to right, Jay de Leon, Cris, Grandma, Sabrina and Tracey, with
Marissa in front of Cris at the “Blood Compact” site.
That’s a live tarsier intently eyeing Marissa.
That is a live butterfly on Tracey’s hair at the butterfly sanctuary.
This was a little rest hut in one of the paths at the butterfly sanctuary.
The highlight of the tour would seem to be the river cruise with lunch
and live entertainment on board.
The Loboc River.
You can see the buffet table behind Tracey and Sabrina.
There was also live entertainment along the shore.
The boat would actually dock and you can participate at any of the numbers.
Do something, Sabrina. I just made a huge donation (see box).
I guess I need to mention we did see the world-famous Chocolate Hills of Bohol.
For those interested in the geological explanation of this phenomena,
here, go knock yourself out and read for yourself.
The return flight back to Manila on board Cebu Pacific Air.
Tagaytay, Cavite
June 9, 2009
Cris Rugprayoon, Grandma Pacita and Jay de Leon
pose outside the casino entrance at Taal.
After a couple of hours at the casino, Grandma’s handbag
appears much lighter.
Lunch at one of the landmark restaurants overlooking Taal, but
Jay cannot see straight when he is hungry.
The consensus was that the food was delicious at this restaurant.
Sabrina, Tracey and Marissa de Leon, Grandma Pacita de Leon
and Cris Rugprayoon, with Taal Volcano in the background.
Metro Manila
June 7 – 10, 2009
From June 7 until Grandma’s group left for the United States on June 10, 2009, we all stayed at the Linden Suites on Ortigas Ave in Pasig, Metro Manila. During this period, there was a hodgepodge of activities, sometimes as a group, sometimes independently, including dinners, seeing old friends in Manila and of course, shopping for pasalubongs and more shopping.
Breakfast at Linden Suites.
Tracey’s friends dropped by for a mini-reunion and baby shower.
Impromptu shopping and dinner at Market Market in Taguig.
Tracey is happy, not sure if because of the shopping or the dinner.
Grandma’s group visited Philam Homes, in Quezon City, (where we used
to live), including the church…
…the crypt behind the church…
…where Grandma’s mom, Amparo Jimenea, is interred.
It’s mall time again, while waiting for flight time…
Mall rats Tracey, Sabrina, Marissa and Jong.
On the way to the airport with friends Josie and William Ramos.
On board PAL for the United States. Till the next odyssey…
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