How to get to Lucban, Quezon

I recently visited Lucban, Quezon with my friend K last month for the famous Pahiyas Festival. (Read about my Pahiyas 2012 experience here.)

There’s a Sta. Cruz route but we opted for the Lucena route since I frequent that part and I think it’s the easier one for commuters. Just my opinion, though.

We wanted an aircon bus cuz we left so early in the morning and we wanted to sleep through the trip to Lucena but the aircon one would leave at 5:00 AM so we opted for the ordinary bus which would leave sooner.

A & B Liner left Alabang at 3:30 AM. Despite the hard seats, K and I were still manage to sleep through most of the trip. We were charged P147.00 each. K could have gotten a discount for being a student but the ticket has already been printed by the time he said “estudyante ‘yong isa.”

We reached Lucena Grand Terminal at exactly 6:30 AM and rejoiced to know that Jollibee was open.

Past 7:00 AM, the Lucban-bound jeep we boarded in the same terminal departed, and we were already roaming the streets of Lucban a little past 8:00 AM.

It was quite an experience with all those colorful houses and festive mood. It was also such an experience eating pancit habhab and that heavenly buko shake.

Anyway, on our way back to Manila, we boarded an aircon Dela Rosa bus and K was quick to say that he’s a student. He was charged P144 to Alabang, while I paid P180. There’s a catch to that, though, cause we were three suspicious-looking men who boarded the bus in different stops but they were somehow looking at one another every so often. We decided to drop off somewhere in Tiaong, Quezon and we didn’t argue anymore about fare refund.

We boarded another bus and paid another P99 to Alabang.

K was the first to notice the suspicious men. One was actually sitting across the aisle from me, the other at my back and the third three to four seats front of us.

The one across the aisle from me was burly, and he would look at us everytime K would try to tell me something. One more thing, he had this big black bloated duffel on his lap, but we could tell the bag wasn’t full because it like deflates when he puts his hand on it. And he was careful not put enough weight on the bag with his hand so it would remain looking full.

The minute K told me about his suspicions, I reached inside my backpack where my DSLR was and carefully removed the memory card. It was funny but if my camera would get stolen, I would really plead to have the memory card back. Lots of memories in there.

K, meanwhile, had with him his father’s 40k Canon DSLR so he was really nervous. Of course, his father wouldn’t kill him for that, but I’m sure he’d wish he’s dead if that happens.

Anyway, here’s the very short summary of how to get to Lucban, Quezon from Alabang:

- Board a Lucena Grand Terminal-bound bus – P147.00 for non-aircon; P180 for aircon
- In the same Lucena terminal, board a jeepney going to Lucban – P35
- Walk to town or opt to ride a tricycle (P10)

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Revisiting Kamay ni Hesus

As a side trip to our Pahiyas Festival 2012 trip, I took K to Kamay ni Hesus. I had been there two years ago but it’s always a good thing to come back and be a tour guide to a friend.

It was the middle of the day, the sun was shining oh-so-brightly and I was feeling like fainting. We’re so used to climbing mountains at that level of heat, but it’s really different when you’re up several MASL than when you’re enduring heat in the lowlands.

The Noah’s Ark was still under construction when I first visited the place but it was all done now and being used as a retreat house.

We didn’t have any tripod and it was a good thing someone asked me for a favor of having their group photo taken. I also asked her to do the same for K and I at the doorstep of Noah’s Ark.

Despite the heat, we proceeded in climbing the steps towards the Ascending Christ, which is the third biggest in the world.

We passed by stations of the cross along the way but we didn’t pause to pray due to the scorching heat. Climbing the steps at that temperature was sacrifice enough, really.

And as a self-confessed photog wannabe, I took assuming shots. LoL! I kinda played around with  Photoshop so forgive me for the pics if you didn’t like them.

 

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Pahiyas Festival 2012

Pahiyas Festival is celebrated by the people of Lucban, Quezon on the 15th of May every year. It is in honor of their patron saint San Isidro Labrador (St. Isidore the Labourer), who is also the patron saint of all farmers.

Lucban was described as a quiet farming town, and the Pahiyas Fetival started in the 16th century to celebrate a bountiful harvest and to give thanks to their patron saint.

The Lucbanons during the early Spanish times used to give an offering to an anito asking for a good harvest. After harvest season, they would gather their produce in a church and they would eat and drink together. Their belief is that this kind of merry-making would please their gods and in turn bless them with good harvest the following season.

The celebration has evolved overtime and has become the famous festival foreign and local tourists flock to during the summer month of May.

Residents on the designated streets would decorate their houses with agricultural products as well as the famous kiping (leaf-shaped decorations made of rice). Judges would go to each house and the best decorated house wins.

Not all of the houses in Lucban decorate their house during the festival. A certain route is determined and only the houses along the route are obliged to do so. However, some people with houses outside the route choose to adorn their houses out of free will just for fun.

And why the route, you may ask? Because it costs a lot to decorate the houses that it would be so hard (financial wise) for a homeowner to shell a big amount every year.

Most homeowners allow tourists to enter the house, look out the window to have pictures taken with the decorations. Some houses yeterday, however, were closed. An indication that the owner didn’t want any uninvited guests.

Almost all of the houses were grand, but, of course, some were more festive than the others as they try to outshine one another for the coveted title of having the most beautiful decoration this year.

Below are photos of the houses that I found so appealing.

This street was the most-packed yesterday morning, and the house in the foreground was most photographed (also shown third pic from top).

And Jollibee also has a house in Lucban!

Popo was dancing in front of the house, to the delight of kids and kids-at-heart, when we passed by.

This man was having a last-minute touch-up.

St. Louis de Toulouse (Lucban Church), home of San Isidro Labrador, the town’s patron saint.

It was bustling with activity yesterday. So glad I had a more quiet time visiting the place in 2010.

In front of one of the corner houses along the Pahiyas route, a band was playing. I couldn’t actually understand a word in their songs, but they repeat the word “haribon” over and over.

We left a little after having lunch of the town’s famous pancit habhab (because there’s no fork you have to eat it directly from the palm-sized piece of banana leaf) and buco shake. We didn’t wait for the parade anymore cuz Kenneth still wanted to drop by Kamay ni Hesus.

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St. Louis de Toulouse Church

MY NIECE, APRIL, messaged me on Facebook to ask for details on how to get to a certain place in Laguna. I had been there almost two years ago, and wanting to give her the exact info, I searched Profound Bliss for my post regarding that place. And then I realized I wasn’t able to blog about it. Good thing I still have the photos, and the notes of my visit is still intact in one of my many little notebooks.

IT WAS IN that rainy day of September 12, 2010. A friend and I first went to Kamay ni Hesus in Lucban, Quezon, but knowing it wouldn’t take all day to tour the place, I brought with me a list of nearby places to visit.

By 11:30 AM, we’ve seen all there was to see in Kamay ni Hesus and we’re already inside a tricycle that would take us to the town proper of Lucban to see the old church. We paid the driver ten pesos per head that time, I wonder how much more expensive it is now.

The St. Louis de Toulouse Church was built in 1595. It was ruined in 1629 and was rebuilt between 1630 and 1640. The second church, though, was heavily damaged by fire in 1733. It was again rebuilt in 1738 to what it is now. The convent was completed in 1743. The World War II lightly damaged the church but the Historical Commission restored it in 1966.

Above was the NHI marker put up in 1939.

Going to places as old as this church makes me wonder what it was like back in the days. I’m sure it was such a picturesque scene, especially on Sundays, with the Indios in their native saya and kimona for the women and colorful camisa de chino for the men, and the Spaniards in their European clothes – top hats, umbrellas, fans, Sunday hats with feathers. (Forgive me, though, if I have mixed the eras in clothing my imaginary characters.)

And then Sisa would come looking for Crispin and Basilio in the belfry… now that’s Noli Me Tangere!

The church was closed at the time we were there. There was an open side door blocked by an office table and there was a woman behind it but she was eating her lunch so we didn’t bother asking if we could come in. What we asked her, however, was where to have our own lunch (LoL!) and the directions to the jeepney station going to our next stop (which was the place my niece was asking me about).

To be continued…

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Bulag

I love dogs, and dogs everywhere seem to love me, too.

I was in Pagbilao last Wednesday to revisit my favorite secluded beach Kwebang Lampas. As the caretaker opened the gate, a local white dog came out of the gate to welcome me. No barking. Just a quiet but nevertheless warm welcome of circling around me and sniffing me with no threat at all.

Her name was Bulag (blind), taken from her right eye that couldn’t see. I also think there’s something wrong with the right side of her face as her right ear was smaller and her nose was slightly upturned to the right. I don’t remember seeing her during my first visit, though.

Alone I might be that time, but Bulag didn’t leave me one bit – stayed not so far while I was swimming, went with me as I walked along the beach, waited patiently while I took pictures, and posed for me when I wanted to take a picture of her.

I think the highlight of our meeting was when I gave her one of the two chicken legs I brought for lunch, which she happily ate. Then she stole the gravy container, perhaps noticing that I haven’t touched it at all.

What’s so touching for me, however, was when she walked me to the waiting boat some half kilometers away from the resort’s gate.

I scratched her nape to say goodbye before hopping on the small boat. But she didn’t leave the shore just yet. She just stood there and watched as the boat took me away.

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Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center

Posting on Facebook where you’re going proves helpful if you’re looking for a travel buddy. You don’t really have to say you need a company, they’ll ask to come with you.



In my case, I actually planned on going to Lucban alone. I just wanted to see Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center in Brgy. Tinamnan, and from what I have read, it’s a worry-free destination even if you’re alone.

But a friend named Rachel – who used to be a neighbor - saw the post and wanted to go. Why not? I love going to places alone but it’s always fun to have a friend for company.

So we met at the bus terminal in Alabang at 5:30 AM last September 12th. She had this Deuter daypack on her back and a Canon G10 slung on her neck. So posh. A far-cry from the Sandugo backpack and Kodak C813. LoL!

Anyway, our bus left Alabang at exactly 6 AM and arrived at Lucena Grand Terminal exactly 9 AM. The trip could have been shorter if not for the stops Manong Konduktor demanded to look at merchandise that fancied his eyes in the shops along the road of Sariaya, Quezon. Three times. Not to mention the slow downs everytime they’d pass a bunch of friends killing that early Sunday morning on waiting sheds. And they seemed to have as many friends as my Facebook account. (Okay, that’s exaggeration but it really felt like eternity waiting for the driver to finish talking to his friends and speed up.)

The jeepney ride to grotto (that’s Via Dolorosa grotto slash Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center) took just a little more than an hour. I was expecting more people than what we arrived to, actually, because of the internet articles that say the place is always crowded on weekends. The church was full and there were plastic chairs outside to accommodate churchgoers but it’s not really crowded as what was initially imagined. I’m kinda sure, though, that Holy Week attracts more people to this place so I think it’s not a good idea to go during Semana Santa, unless you have a vow or something.

Garden of Eden, entrance to the hill

You have to go find the Garden of Eden if you wanna go up the hill. And, of course, the garden won’t be complete if there’s no Adam and Eve:

Adam and Eve

Anyway, the hill looks high and the stairs look endless in pictures but it’s really not. I’m sure even my 70-year-old nanay would be able to climb to the top twice in a row.

Last Supper

The statues are so colorful it’s like being in a kids’ playground. They don’t have the church-ey quality of being carefully sculptured to look so holy. And perhaps it’s also the color palette that gives the playground feel. After all, it’s a favorite spot for field-trips of elementary and high school students. Oh, wait! My niece had her field trip here when she’s already in third year college in Adamson.

Statue of the Ascending Christ, third largest Jesus Christ statue in the world

The statue of the Ascending Christ at the top of the hill was impressive in its size. I’ve read somewhere that it’s the third largest statue of Christ around the world with its height of 50 feet.

Signs like “Bawal Mag-Date Dito,” “Bawal Kumain Dito,” and “No Smoking” can be seen at the little area behind the big statue. There were so many bawal signs that I thought the only thing missing was “Bawal Pumunta Dito.” (Now that would summarize all those bawal signs up.)

An hour was all it took for us to finish touring the place. And it’s not even lunch time when we found ourselves outside the gates of Kamay ni Hesus. Good thing Rachel was the kind of adventurous woman who’s always willing to go somewhere else that’s not part of the original plan. And where else we went that Sunday? Now that’s another story.

Check out my other pics of Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center here.

How to get to Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center:

* Ride a Lucena-bound bus and drop off at the Lucena Grand Terminal (fare for a non-aircon bus from Alabang is Php118.00).

* In the same terminal, ride a Lucban-bound jeepney and ask to be dropped off at the grotto (fare is Php30.00).

(transportation costs sited are as of September 12, 2010)
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