Casa Vallejo

Learning history is important for us to understand and appreciate the present. If we don’t know our history, we would be like a hand that doesn’t know it is part of a body. Well, it was exactly because of its rich history that attracted me to Casa Vallejo, one of Baguio’s 10 oldest institutions that survived World War II. Prior to that, it served as a German prisoner of war detention center in 1917, and a British and Indian refugee center in 1940.  Maybe that’s why the ghosts of the past still linger in this place until now.

Originally built as Dormitory 4 in 1909 for the employees of the Bureau of Public Works, and developed in 1923 by Spanish soldier immigrant Salvador Vallejo as a hotel, Casa Vallejo is now a cozy boutique hotel but still managed to retain its old American rustic charm and structure. More than that, it also houses a fine-dining restaurant (Hill Station), spa (North Haven Spa), bookshop (Mt. Cloud Bookstore), and mini-cinema (Cinematheque of the Film Development Council of the Philippines).

But beyond all these, the 1909 signage was the main reason I got fascinated with the century-old hotel. Pagdating sa numero, di kasi sila masyadong nagkakalayo sa alma mater ko na tinayo nung 1908.

Casa Vallejo

Upper Session Rd., Baguio City

Tel. No.: (074) 424-3397

Secret Garden Restaurant and Café, Baguio

“I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,

in secret, between the shadow and the soul.”

- Pablo Neruda

Chicken vegetable salad

Cream dory in basil cream sauce

Shrimp chili pasta

Apple crepe

A semi glass house cafe with homey wooden interiors set in a lush garden setting. This place though not that secret, made it to my great collection of happy memories.

Secret Garden Restaurant and Café

#34 Paterno St., South Drive

Baguio City

Aquino Museum, Tarlac

“I kissed Ninoy for the last time on August 24, 1983 as he lay in his coffin. It was then that I promised Ninoy that I would continue his work in the non-violent struggle to restore our rights and freedoms.”

- President Corazon Aquino

Replica of Ninoy's prison cell at Fort Bonifacio

Ninoy's vintage car

Relive the life, love and sacrifice of the two pillars of Philippine democracy whose story continue to inspire and haunt the Filipino people. Until now, the grotesque photos of Ninoy after he was shot at the Manila International Airport tarmac, and the sea of people on the streets of EDSA in 1986, empowered after his death, ready to topple the 20-year rule and authoritarian regime of Marcos, give me chills.

The museum, which houses the remnants of Aquino legacy, is a must-see for all Filipinos, whom according to Ninoy, are worth dying for.

Aquino Museum

The Aquino Center, Luisita Industrial Park

San Miguel, Tarlac

Tel. No.: (045) 985-0968

Utopia Resort and Spa

“Kakabog ang dibdib mo, kikiligin ang kalamnan mo at kikirot ang puso mo. Kabog, kilig, kirot. Kapag naramdaman mo ang tatlong K, umiibig ka.”

- Para kay B

Utopia is where everyone aspires to be. It has always been just a concept to many because the painful bite of reality always reminds us that we live in a world far from the state of perfection. Well, that is until I entered the doors of Utopia and discovered a secret paradise, maybe comparable to that elusive concept.

Utopia is a new luxury resort in Puerto Galera overlooking verdant green mountains and clear azure waters of Varadero Bay. It is owned by a wonderful and hospitable couple Jennifer and Kelvin who wanted to offer their guests a taste of utopia or total bliss. 

The resort only has seven suites ensuring privacy and peaceful seclusion. The rooms are simply inviting, complete with a mini ref full of loots, microwave oven, flat screen TV with cable, digital weighing scale and free wi-fi. They even have a balcony, where you could laze around reading your favorite summer book or simply enjoy watching yachts during sunset. The room is like a magnet that won’t let go of you that easily. And I tell you, the feeling would be mutual.  

Their amenities are also quite extensive - free shuttle ride within the vicinities, a deep pool good for divers (since Kelvin is also a co-owner of another dive resort in Sabang), an exquisite spa using signature Pevonia Botanica products, a café and bistro bar to delight the taste buds. I had a taste of my first infamous Mindoro sling, which they offer for free during unlimited cocktail hour.

Prices may be a little steep compared to nearby resorts in the area but I assure you that it would be worth every penny you spend. As they say, you can’t easily buy happiness – and this is what Utopia has best to offer. The place really lived up to its name!

PS.

In a way, naranasan ko rin ang tatlong K sa lugar na ito, hindi nga lang siguro sa paraang iniisip mo.

  

Utopia Resort and Spa

Brgy. Palangan, Puerto Galera

Oriental Mindoro  

Tel. No.: (043) 287-3681, 0918-5555720

You don’t drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there

Having a turbulent day? Place your hand over your heart. Feel that. That’s called purpose. You’re heart’s still beating for a reason. Don’t give up. Trust that everything will be okay in the end. Because if it’s not okay, it’s still not the end.

Sitio de Amor: Oasis of Love

The best relationship is one in which love always far exceed the need for each other. Because when you love what you have, you have everything that you need. It is like watching two happy people sitting side by side, hands intertwined, reliving their yesteryears and still looking forward to the remaining days of their lives.

Well, I’m happy to meet such wonderful couple - Jorge and Amor, whose love for one another and mutual passion in building a sanctuary tucked away in a lush surrounding minus the city and karaoke noise, is simply amazing.

Named after Jorge’s wife, Sitio de Amor is a 4.5-hectare farm in San Pablo City between the mountains of Banahaw and Cristobal, where guests can simply relax in the company of birds and horses, take a refreshing dip in the pool with salt water or man-made lagoon with fresh mountain water, marvel at the heirloom pieces and antiquities all over the place, and enjoy fresh and delectable Filipino food and hospitality (especially of the couple and Ate Magda, the all-around amiable lady of the Sitio).

With the help of Igorots, the entire hacienda was beautifully landscaped, with solid rocks almost everywhere, also functioning as chairs. Villas and rooms are named after fruits and trees, which are abundant inside the hacienda. During the Rambutan Festival season, guests can pick and eat the fruits straight from the trees.

With the latest acquisition of the couple – the vacation house of Thomas Morato, Sr. from Calauag, Quezon – restored ancestral houses are soon on the rise. When I told Jorge that his hobby of collecting old houses is quite expensive he said that it doesn’t matter. He said that what matters is the self-fulfillment and happiness you get in achieving whatever you desire and want in life. Boy the man is admirable. I want to be like him when I get old. But I need to get rich first!

A place of love and wonder, Sitio is truly beyond the usual experience. 

Sitio de Amor Farm Resort

Km. 88.8 Maharlika Highway, Purok Paraiso

San Antonio I, San Pablo City, Laguna

Tel. No.: 401-7344, 0908-8842730