Sunnytoast

Lucban, 3-4 hours south of manila, is an upland town in the province of Quezon :one of the largest Philippine provinces in terms of land area. The province is Postcard perfect itself and still has the provincial charm with the distant shadows of the mighty Mount Banahaw and rolling farmlands in the background. It was a long drive, good thing I secured one magazine and phone are loaded with good music. It helps  me when things get boring down the road. One thing I hate about this travel is that we are not able to reserve a room online. All hotels are fully booked so we drive through one town to another and good thing lady luck is with us. I love the hotel we stayed in, for a moment I though I was in bali as I stepped out of our hotel. Waking up, seeing the manicured garden, neat pathways and bali inspired structures make me knock my head off. I took so much pictures of the hotel and until now I can’t decide to what picture to post. Sorry if there is no picture of bed, I’m bad whe...

MANILA, Philippines — The Pahiyas Festival is one of the most popular, colorful, and lavish events in the Philippines. Held annually in the farming town of Lucban, Quezon, it is the local folks’ gesture of thanksgiving for a rich and bountiful harvest. Lucban is located on the foothills of Mount Banahaw. The festival, whose name is derived from “hiyas,” started as the local farmers’ celebration of harvest in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, peasants, and laborers. It began as a simple offering to the “anito” (pagan god) to invoke a bountiful harvest. The farmers and their families would gather their crops inside the small worship place where they would celebrate with food and a local drink derived from coconut. Over a century later, the local folks, incorporating their Christian faith into local practices, brought their finest crops to a much bigger church where the priest would bless and offer the crops in thanksgiving. Manila Bulletin The festival start may...