GALLIVANTING IN GUMACA

Travel buddies  on the day of the Arana't Baluarte festival of Gumaca, Quezon. Photo by Annie Obeya*

After two tries, I finally took up friend and fellow travel buddy Alan Pardilla Martinez' invitation to join a tour he himself organized to his hometown. Dubbed Magsaya! Mag GUMACA!, the tour was a historical and activity-laden visit to this first class municipality near the southeastern tip of the Province of Quezon. It was a 3D/2N adventure (itinerary shown below) the highlight of which was the Arana't Baluarte Festival on the 15th of May, 2017. Those who couldn't join the weekend trip left at dawn (1:00 a.m., actually) on the day of the event.

Official itinerary prepared by Allan Pardilla Martinez/phot by Mabelle Tenorio*

Day 1 (13 May, 2017; Saturday)

The first day of the trip was the mmet-up at McDonald's at Centris near Quezon Avenue. The van filled with 12 pax went ahead as they were going to pick up another passenger whilst Mabelle Tenorio's family owned L-300 was occupied by 6 pax: myself, Mabelle and husband, Tim Delez, Maricar Anatalio, Edgar Canete and Allan Pardilla Martinez. True, we weren't as packed with human bodies, but it was more than filled with humungous amounts of food. Traffic along the SCTEX made our exit to Sto. Tomas, Batangas a little slower than planned so as we reached our first stop it was probably half past eight.

Mabelle Tenorio, Myself, Tim Delez, Edgar Canete, Maricar Anatalio. Photo by Mabelle Tenorio*

The first stop was the church of St. John the Baptist in Tiaong, Quezon. It was also time for breakfast. so we unpacked our breakfast. Dried fish, tomatoes, sunny side eggs, loaves of monay and different spreads and even hot coffee was laid out on top of coolers. We visited the church while waiting for the other van that got lost along the way and had to turn back to find the site. 

St John the Baptist, Tiaong, Quezon

St John the Baptist is a mission style church with a brand new belfry that is architecturally incongrous with the style of the church. The facade has three levels framed by ionic pillars. the tympanum has a railing with  a cross on its apex. The pediment is adorned with  a central niche and stained glass windows on each side. The arched door has bas relief detailing. Sadly none of my photos came out from this church. Don't ask why... I have no answers. I do recall spending at least twenty minutes taking shots at the details.

The only other photo of the interiors, take note of the funeral cart in the foreground

Then we went to San Pedro Bautista in Candelaria, Quezon. The airy quadrangle is ringed by narra and april shower trees. The wide expanse of the patio now has an elevated stage area perhaps used for religious ocassions. San Pedro has twin belfries and a porte cochere that has been added on and has obviously blocked its original facade. The cruciform structure also has add-ons to accommodate more faithful. It was nicely maintained but also largely altered. The new touches tend to detract from the original structure. upper galleries have also been added on the extension and sealed off with iron grill work on the arches.

San Pedro Bautista, Candelaria, Quezon

It was getting hotter as mid-day approached so we headed off to Sariaya, Quezon. This town is a hot-bed for conservation and heritage conflicts against local government. Thanks to heritage advocates, some stately homes of prominent families have been saved from demolition with urban development getting shelved. The road noticeably narrows as the vehicles approach the town. Sir Eric Dedace gave a very interesting tour of the Don Carolino Rodriguez house in Sariaya, Quezon. As we toured the home, we were treated to stories of the art and culture of the prominent characters that made Sariaya what it is today. A musician in his seventies was on hand to serenade our party and finally, the local bootleg comes out. Lambanog is fermented coconut water that packs a punch- a strong one! Stories of the drinking culture were punctuated with a "Tagayan" which is the practice of passing a shot of lambanog using the same glass. Verses are exchanged between drinkers: both men and women. Women however, may be exempted from their turn if an amorous gentleman is willing to take a swig in her honor.

the sala of the Rodriguez Home

We were running late so we skipped the St Francis of Assisi church in Sariaya and the church of St Catherine of Alexandria in Pagbilao. Lunch was at Cortijo de Palsabangon. The working farm takes its name from the barangay it is located in. Guests are ushered into sawali (woven rattan) sided long sheds with long dulangs (low tables) forcing guests to squat. Everyone was hungry so the conversation over lunch was getting animated. When our order finally came we were so famished everything went down the hatch without a hitch. 

Dennis Roland Castanos at Cortijo de Palsabangon

Temporarily sated, the party started towards our destination passing through the bitukang manok (chicken innards) in Atimonan, Quezon. The rising twists and turns lead to a rest stop where travelers can freshen up or hike to the top of the mountain. We opted for a restroom break, photo ops, and more photos on the herb garden steppes. We also met the Mayor of Atimonan, Quezon; Mayor Tikoy Mercado. Quezon Protected Forest Park is also surprisingly a well-preserved wooded area. The herb garden area is also very interesting with its detailed description of the herbs on display and products and essential oils and homeopathic remedies to be purchased. 

As we reached the poblacion of Atimonan we stopped by Our Lady of the Angels church. Burned during the Dutch invasion in 1640, it was rebuilt three years later in stone then partially destroyed in 1648. In 1650, the church was again destroyed by an earthquake. Between 1687-1700, the current church was built and then destroyed by an earthquake in 1937 and then during WWII. the current church was restored in 1979.

the dome of Our Lady of the Angels

An added attraction was the Isko'ng Bantay Watch Tower in Atimonan, Quezon. The crumbling structure nearly got destroyed except for the efforts of the local government. It served as a sounding alarm for marauding pirates and dutch invaders. We actually went to the shoreline and had our first view of the ocean. The water was crystal clear and well... the coast was quite clean despite the settlers living there. From the beach we could see some of the islands and  piers that connect the municipality via the Roll On-Roll Off network of ships that ferry people and cargo to nearby provinces.

It was nearly dinner time when we checked in to our accommodations at Acasian Hotel. Six of us were staying in the family room. It was large enough to fit in three twin beds, plenty of storage, a kitchenette, a shower stall aside from a large bathroom. It was alright for budget travelers like us. Dinner was simple fare of smoked fish, adobo, chicharon, steamed eggplant, tomatoes, spam, and whatever else we could easily open. I was so tired that while resting on the bed I fell into a deep slumber only to be roused from sleep as it was dinner time.

Day 2 (14 May, 2017; Sunday)

I fell asleep again while watching TV after dinner. But since I had gotten some shut-eye. I was conscious by half past two in the morning. That gave me plenty of time to get ready for the activities of the day. Pretty interesting because I had signed up to witness sunrise at Lamon Bay. By four a.m. we had our gear ready for a short ride to the coastline. The residents are mighty proud of the clear waters of Lamon Bay and they protect the area by keeping a close watch on its cleanliness.

It was still quite dark when the first boat loaded some passengers, which unfortunately broke an outrigger, Gladly, it was just a few feet off shore to cause any alarm. There were also life vests on hand for safety measures. I was on the last batch to board and we headed straight for a pontoon right in the heart of Lamon Bay. The floating barge was made of bamboo poles strung together with an awning for shade and festooned with buntings. the structure was supported by iron frames that snugly incorporated plastic industrial drums. in the center was a square opening where guests can slip into the water or simply dip their feet while feeding fish. There were none that morning but the conversation was animated due to the early morning boat malfunction. I had my own mishap when one of my SD cards fell into the water. I was just impossible to retrieve... too bad...

Mabelle Tenorio in Bosque Cave (her photo)

We needed to get back and freshen up at the hotel for breakfast and head out to town for Sunday Mass. The group was divided into two for a trek to the Bosque Cave. Since it was a Sunday, I, along with Dennis Roland Castanos, Maricar Anatalio and Jakilu Tagailo opted to hear Mass at San Diego de Alcala by nine a.m. When we got there, the previous Mass was ongoing. It was Mother's Day so the celebration was a bit winded. While taking photos of the facade we came across Stephen Pamorada with our local guide Albert Fontanares Barretto and his girlfriend Princess.

San Diego de Alcala in Gumaca, Quezon

San Diego de Alcala is another gem of a church. Apparently, it is the biggest and oldest church in the province of Quezon. Built in 1582,  It was transferred to Alabat island in 1638 eventually succumbing to the Dutch threat when it was burned in 1685. Fr Francisco de las Llagas rebuilt the church in its former site and completed it in 1747. The church and convent were beautified by Fr. Francisco Corro in 1866. The upper portion of the belfry was destroyed in the earthquake in 1937, now restored. Msgr. Generoso Marasigan built the current rectory in 1980 though some of the older portions were incorporated into the structure.

at the tympanum of the San Diego church, photo by Jakilu Tagailo*

The small group got permission to climb the tower. I realized it was strategically located facing the bay. We had a great vista of the ocean along with new structures being built to promote Gumaca as a tourist destination. and why not? Gumaca has a little of everything, no... let me correct myself... a lot of everything. Clear waters, beaches, mountain retreats, caves, trails and an ever growing metropolis.

We had to text and call people to coordinate for our lunch reservation. We were at a seaside restaurant aptly called Kamayan sa Dagat waiting for the rest of our companions when we were told that there was a mix-up of sorts. We had to leave as the management thought our reservation was for three o'clock. Who schedules lunch at that hour? Really? So our lunch was uneventful!we had to go to the nearest bus depot and line up for our turn to be served. We just really wanted something to eat as we were famished from all of the morning's activities.

San Vicente Ferrer

Next on our itinerary was a visit to Bgy. San Vicente to visit the shrine dedicated to St. Vicente Ferrer and to sample a local delicacy called Puto Bao.  Apparently, a lot of the devotees of St. Vicente Ferrer flock to this nondescript community where a new shrine was built in the saint's honor. Done in the mission style, the church has a spacious courtyard and is visited by a lot of the faithful. The community is aware of this occurrence and banded together to assist visitors to the area.

Puto Bao

On a side note, we were treated to a cooking demo of the the native delicacy, the puto bao . Made of one third rice flour, one third cassava flour and a third of grated coconut and some violet food color, the batter is placed on coconut shells (bao) and steamed under a plastic cup until the batter is cooked. It is then inverted until the rice cake falls off from the coconut shell mold. I tried it and it was yummy! Good enough for a mid aftrernoon snack or merienda and perhaps even for breakfast.  The cakes have no preservatives whatsoever and refrigeration gives it a t least a week of shelf life.

For the lunch let down,our host more than made up for it in a very personal way. Allan Pardilla Martinez brought us to his home. What a surprise it was! Allan's father is a prolific collector. His collection is categorized in his various interests. There are designated zones in his house that are relegated according to the size of said artifacts. Many a TV network has expressed interest in his treasure trove- all of which have been turned away. I  would too, if I had half of his collection! I am amazed to this day at what I saw. It would literally be another entry on this blog site. Nonetheless I was totally pre-occupied poring through different items, marveling at antiques, awestruck with unique items, by the end of the afternoon Iknew I could never be a collector like Mr. Martinez. That's ok though, I don't have enough money to acquire stuff...

By four p.m. the entire party embarked on a City Tour of Gumaca. Like anything else, we went to the Public Market. Along the way, Albert was pointing out notable ancestral homes of Gumaca's wealthiest and most prominent families. Some that had been sold show terrible signs of wear and tear. whilst those that are much lived in are off limits to visitors. We had been going around town taking snapshots of these sites and all the while some of the barangays were assembling their respective Arana't Baluarte  that were in competition. Just about any available produce in the community were hung up, glued, pasted and lit up to decorate these wooden bulwarks. There was such a clamor for selfies and wefies in front of these structures that were worthy of posting on Instagram.

Walking along the street where the Arana't Baluarte were on display, we ended up at the end of the road where the last remaining Spanish fort in Gumaca was located - Kuta'ng San Diego. It was constructed under the helm of Franciscan Friar Francisco Coste as a look out for slave traders and Dutch invaders. It is believed to have a secret passage connecting the fort to the San Diego de Alcala church, now a cathedral. The well on its side is believed to be the access tothe secret tunnel (now closed). Some canons are still on the parapet of the tower. Kuta'ng San Diego is the only one out of four such structures that survive to this day.

Kuta'ng San Diego

Buffet Dinner at Leon Bugtali Blvd. was our last itinerary for the day. Everything in and around the fort was decked out for the big event for the next day. Tents were set up to accommodate all sorts of vendors. Souvenirs, T-shirts, novelty items were up for sale in these stalls, beer, coffee  not to mention foodstuff and copious amounts of the local alcoholic brew - Lambanog! It's a potent drink made from fermented coconut water.

Dinner at Leon Bugtali Blvd. with Tim Delez, Maricar Anatalio, myself, Dennis Roland Castanos, Mabelle Tenorio, Edgar Canete

Day 3 (15 May, 2017), Arana't Baluarte Festival

locals arranging the chandelier of produce

This was the big day for the entire group! Coinciding with the feast day of Lucban's Pahiyas Festival, Gumaca conceived of celebrating via the Arana't Baluarte. There was another group set to arrive the morning of the event composed mainly of the ladies from Advocates for Heritage Preservation. They left at one a.m. to get to Gumaca by six. They made it safe and sound to Acasian Hotel to freshen up and have breakfast. Photos were taken of the whole "contingent" prior to departure for the poblacion. the first item on the itinerary was a courtesy call to Mayor Erwin Caralian. Unfortunately, the mayor was already tied up with the festivities where his presence was required. the vice-mayor stepped in to meet and greet us and we were delighted to get that precious time with him. As early as eight in the morning, all the carozas and the participants, mainly school children and teachers were in the parade. Drum and bugle corps, colorful costumes, native dances were the rule of the day.  

We were given an opportunity to do a tour of the Town Hall and took photos of an existing well that is still being used by the government office. The people who went up Bosque cave had this morning to do a Convent Tour of San Diego de Alcala. We gamely accompanied them and spent the whole morning taking in the festivities and mingling with some of the participants for photos.

Lunch at Linang with the AHP Ladies, photo by Allan Pardilla Martinez*

Since it was a fiesta, the whole entourage came together  for a well- deserved lunch at Linang, What a feast it was! The Martinez family made sure all the guests were satisfied with all the food they offered. It was a whole lot, complete with freshly harvested coconut straight out of the tree and a creamy local mango flavored mantecado ice cream.  We were exchanging pleasantries while gorging on the fabulous lunch spread laid out by Mr. and Mrs. Martinez. As we bid them goodbye, we were grateful for the fun and hospitality the family showed us. 

We only stayed a short while for the rest of the afternoon activities. It was getting really hot at mid afternoon and we decided to beat the traffic along the other towns we were going to drive through. we didn't stay for the agawan where anyone can join the fun by snatching the produce that were hung from the bulwarks. We had to get supplies of water from the  7-11 and did our washroom break before heading back to Manila. Then we stopped for photo ops along the boundary markers and along the Atimonan zigzag. There's a plan to do it again next year.

 Allan Pardilla Martinez would like to thank the ff:

**SARIAYA*

Mr. Eric J. Dedace

*GUMACA*
Admin. Elmo Caralian
Coun. Marilou Mendoza
Vice Mayor Elchor Caralian
Mayor Erwin Caralian

Gumaca LGU
Ms. Pamela Oribiana
Ms. She Maraña Orata
Mr. Ralph Domalaon

Sangguniang Barangay of Brgy. Villa Mendoza
Kag. Gerald Satira
Mr. Edgardo - This guy is highly commendable. Salamat for assisting us throughout our journey at Bosque Cave.
Kag. Merilio

Sangguniang Barangay of Brgy. Calumanguin Capt. Ellen Lomenario

Sangguniang Barangay of Brgy. San Vicente Kag. Enrico Gendrano

Kalipunan ng Lahing Maksaysayan
Albert Vincent Fontanares Barretto
Princess Mhay Villaraza Hernandez
Maria Almira Oribe

Sariaya Heritage Councilinc

Quezon Province Heritage Council, Inc.

My Family
Lilian Martinez
Amando Martinez Jr.

Mr. Jhon Gorme | Disenio Gorme
Mr. Density Tagailo | Glyphonic Media