The Philippines

I love my own, so I will start with my country.

The Philippines is comprised of more than 7,000 islands. We have a mixture of foreign influences and a fusion of culture and arts.

We have many beautiful beaches known worldwide, such as Boracay in Aklan and El Nido in Palawan. I am proud to say that we have places listed on the World Heritage Sites, including the Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras, Puerto Princesa National Park in Palawan, and some baroque churches, to name a few. My favorite church is the Miraculous church of Simala in Cebu city. It is a shrine and known as Cebu's Castle church.

Simala Church, Cebu

Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Batanes Island is one of my favorite places. It is also known as the New Zealand of the Philippines because of its amazing cliffs. Batanes is special to me because it is the home of the first lighthouse I've seen and my last frontier before immigrating to the US. Visiting the Basco lighthouse was the beginning of my passion for a lighthouse. 

Batanes

Basco Lighthouse

I have conquered Mt. Pinatubo with former friends and colleagues from the embassy.  Its eruption was one of the biggest volcano eruptions in the history of the world. I still recall it was the year 1991 when I was pregnant with my first son, Mt. Pinatubo erupted. I have also hiked the perfect cone volcano trail, Mayon volcano, with my former CNN iReporter friends. That was fun. 

Mt. Pinatubo volcano, Zambales

Mayon volcano, Albay

Other favorite places include Baguio, Sagada, and Tagaytay. These are the country's coldest places. Baguio is the Philippines' summer capital, and further north is Sagada, another primitive yet beautiful tourist spot to visit. Tagaytay is where you can find the smallest active volcano, the Taal volcano. It is the flower capital of the Philippines and a famous place for weddings.

Banaue Rice Terraces, Cordillera

Big Falls, Sagada

Tagaytay City

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is where I lived and worked for almost half of my life, where I built many friendships, experiences, and memories.  Manila bay is famous for its sunset and my personal favorite. Walking on Manila Bay in nice afternoon weather, you will see a captivating sunset on the horizon. Just like me, people will stop just to watch the sunset. 

Manila Bay

Of course, I won't forget my hometown, Batangas City. Batangas is known for their beautiful beaches and snorkeling places. They also produce one of the best coffees in the country. We call it "Barako" coffee.

There are still many nice places I haven't seen in my own country,  but I've visited some good ones so far. And I hope to visit some more in the future.

The Philippines is a beautiful country. Our people are hospitable, friendly and will welcome you.  Filipinos will feed you and entertain you. I invite you to see my country, experience the unique culture, and have fun. And please let me know your experience. 

I love my heritage and proud of where I came from. 

Batangas City

Mabini, Batangas beach