Across the Hall

One thing that always amazes me during my Bicol trips is the fact that it still follows the old Spanish set-up of having a plaza across the City Hall.

Having studied this back in HS and College, the centre of old Filipino towns would have the trifecta of government, religion and commerce. Thus, there would be a city hall, a church and a market situated around the town plaza.

The plaza across the city hall in Tabaco is always bustling with activity and people. Whether it's joggers in the morning, students hanging out in the afternoon, or couples in the evening - there's always some sort of activity happening there. 

And when you're in Bicol, do as the Bicolanos do. That's why I'd hang out in front of the city hall wheneer there's free time.

Ah, the joys of provincial life.

Cheap Thrills: TakoYummy!

Before we even checked in, one thing caught my eye. Across the hotel was a small restaurant that sold "Authentic Takoyaki and Freshly Squeezed Lemonade."

Had a light dinner on purpose. Had to make space for the Takoyaki and Lemonade.

Went to the restaurant, ordered the Overloaded Takoyaki and Honey Lemonade.

This combo was SO GOOD!

What made it even better? The fact that it was just P95!

Oh, the joys of the provincial life.

Chickening out

During my weekend trip to Bicol, there's one thing I realized.

You know you're in the province when you have chickens in your backyard.

And yes, we had geese and turkeys, too.

Can I cry fowl now?

Everything's coming up Roxas

This year's first domestic destination is Roxas City in Capiz. 

I've read about its rustic quality, and rustic places always appeal to me. That's why I was so interested to see what Roxas City had to offer.

Even if I just stayed there overnight, the place didn't disappoint. There were a lot of elements that made it feel like a quiet, provincial town. Some parts actually reminded me of Bicol, which is always good in my book.

First, it had a lot of old houses that they turned into shops.

It follows the old Spanish layout where the town plaza is in the middle and is surrounded by a church, the city hall, and a commercial center.

The statues have a vintage vibe to them. Check out this statue of former President Manuel Roxas.

The city's main bridge is about a block long. But it doesn't keep it from being photogenic.

Old churches. I love them. And they have it here.

There's also a rotunda with a water fountain where all vehicles pass through going to the city.

Roxas City is definitely a place I'd like to explore some more. Too bad I only had a weekend there. 

But hey, I'll take that as my cue to come back to Roxas City soon.

This provincial life: Memories of Sundays past

When we were kids and we'd visit our grandparents in Bicol, we'd always look forward to Sunday because that's when we'd go to Tabaco.

Compared to Bacacay and Malinao, Tabaco was the city area of Albay. It was the place with a "mall" and the most restaurants. Back in that day, it was considered a modern place, and it was just a notch lower than Legaspi.

During our Tabaco visits, Lola would always go to Bamboo Grill to play mahjong, and the rest of us would hang out in front of St. John the Baptist Church, which was just outside the grill.

I visited the church last week when I went to Bicol, and it was nice to see that the church hasn't changed after all these decades.

 The belfry

 The facade

 Another view of the facade

The plaza where we'd usually play

In this world of constant change, it's great to see things that still look exactly the way I remember them.

This provincial life: We are (a big) family

The reason I went to the province was to attend the golden wedding anniversary of my Uncle Coye and Auntie Mila. The Regalados from all over were invited - some coming from California, Texas, and Switzerland. And if our cousins from abroad could attend, their cousin from Manila should be there as well.

Despite the fact that we were able to fill in the entire frame, this is just about half of the Regalado clan! Talk about a big, happy family.

This provincial life: Local flavor

While I was in Albay, I took the opportunity to visit Tito Ting and Tita Dolly in Bacacay. When I got there, I was shocked to see that Tita Dolly's sprawling garden was gone. Typhoon Glenda ripped apart her trees and plants, and all I could see were stumps and leaves scattered all around.

Despite that, Tita Dolly was her gracious self. After a brief chat, she invited me to the kitchen to have merienda. Since she's a good cook, I was excited to see what she prepared.

First, we had pancit. I'm not sure what type of pancit this is, but it's a fixture in all Bicolano celebrations. The look and taste is just as I remember it as a kid.

The second was caramelized gabi. Initially, I was a bit wary about eating gabi for dessert, but it turned out to be really good. I ate a few pieces while waiting for my other cousin to arrive.

I don't know if it's the ingredients, or the process, or the memories, but food in Bicol is more than food that feeds the hunger of the stomach.

It also feeds the hunger of the soul.

This provincial life: Where's the beef?

As I was walking around Malinao, this food stall immediately caught my eye:

Imagine, hamburgers at P10.00! Not only that, it's cheaper than a ham sandwich, and even an egg sandwich!

I wonder what kind of beef those hamburgers are made of.

This provincial life: Homecoming

It's been more than a decade since I last spent the night in my Mom's hometown. My first reaction was: "why does everything look smaller now?" 

The answer, of course, is one that can be part of the script of a  homecoming drama film: "No, they're still the same, you just became bigger."

So, on my first morning in the province, I retraced the steps that I took as a young boy, and revisited the places that were a huge part of my summer childhood.

The Regalado ancestral home where we'd spend the summers with Lolo Doring and Lola Pining.

The corner where we would wait for Lolo Iking's car - aka "The Pony" - to pick us up and bring us back to the beach.

The view of Mayon Volcano from the veranda.

The portraits of Lolo and Lola - both former Mayors of the town.

The Municipal Hall where Lolo and Lola worked. And the statue of the soldier which was our sign that we've arrived in Malinao.

The market or "saod" where we'd buy snacks and soda as kids.

The school where my cousins went and where my Tita taught.

The church in front of the school where Mom and Dad were married.

 The tower where the Easter Salubong was held.

The rice fields where we used to play. (Which now has an eerie carnival.)

That 30-minute walk I took was worth decades of memories.

I'll do this again sometime soon.

This provincial life

You know you're in the province when there's a collection of ceramic "arinola" in the bathroom.