Ferdinand, the tour guide in the Syquia Mansion, says the elegant mansion in the heart of Vigan is the first Malacañang of the North. He explains that the ancestral home of Doña Alicia, the former first lady and wife of Elpidio Quirino, the sixth president of the Philippines and the first Ilocano president (being a native of Caoayan, Ilocos Sur), was scene to various presidential affairs.

The impressive, nicely preserved Syquia Mansion is one among the heritage houses in old city Vigan, the capital of southern Ilocos.

Rarities such as paintings done by national artist Fernando Amorsolo and a century-old poster bed bespeak the affluence of the Syquias (a family of Chinese origins) and the Quirinos, who still get to live in the house while vacationing in Ilocos.

They don’t charge for entrance, but you can leave donations if you wish. It is situated along Calle Quirino.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

My free time in Adams was spent trekking to Anuplig Falls. It normally takes one and a half hours to reach the waterfall on foot. We cut the time in half by motorbiking up to Anat. By the time the rush of water was deafening, rain began to pour, cooling down my overheated system instantaneously. I regret that the cam wasn’t properly protected, so our plan to take a dip was set aside for next time.

Anuplig looks far more intimidating in reality. The raw stillness around was stupefying, the air so crisp, the pellucid waters invigorating.

There are spots that hit you in the heart like a piercing object. Kaingin (slash-and-burn farming) is always justified as a cultural facet of the indigenous peoples.

Photographed by Jermin and Blauearth
© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

Before the rainy season arrived, the LEAD Movement was blessed with the opportunity to tell their humble story of pioneering the Ilocos Norte tourism mainstay in the Philippines — sandboarding and off-roading in the distinct rolling sand dunes of La Paz, Laoag  — via Reuters, the international news provider.

How the LEAD Movement wish Benny Arce left us later, just a little later to watch himself tell the world his dream as a LEADer. Benny Arce passed away in the early hours of May 15. Please watch the video and say a little prayer for the fine guy.

LEAD Movement Executive Direstor Benny Arce said: “It would be nice to be called, the Laoag as the sand boarding capital of the Philippines. And maybe we can’t claim that for the whole world, maybe we could say, one of the best in the world.”

It will be remembered  that Manong Benny Arce worked so hard for a sand adventure park blueprint that was submitted to both the provincial and local governments. After one full term, we never got an answer from the leaders.

I quote young LEADer Ericke Tan, “Tito Benny Arce, your memory lives in every sand board track, every foot print and in every grain of sand in La Paz.”

Our heartfelt thanks to Thompson Reuters television producer Michaela Cabrera and cameraman Pedro Uchi. View this travel news feature on the Laoag La Paz Sand Dunes posted on Today.com.

Check out the LEAD Movement (The innovators of sandboarding in the Philippines) website. For sand adventure inquiries and booking, contact Reny Tan 0919-873-5516, 0917-841-5155 Facebook page.

Video via NTD Television on YouTube
Photographed by Sean Arce, Angelo and Blauearth
© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

I do believe in miracles. I also believe in goodness, humaneness, perseverance and above all, faith.

Today, I paid La Virgen Milagrosa a visit. I had to ask a local where I could see the miraculous Virgin Mary. It’s such a wonder the esteemed 400-year old image was at the St. John the Baptist Parish Church for there are days when she travels to places. She was crowned The Patroness of the Diocese of Laoag, Ilocos Norte, in 1980.

The downcast-eyed Virgin Mary (in a wooden box) together with another statue, Santo Cristo Milagroso, angels and a violin were said to have been discovered floating in the sea by fishermen in a village in Lugo in Dadalaquiten Norte, Sinait, Ilocos Sur.

Honesto, the catechist at the 200-year old church says that the image of the miraculous Crucified Christ and the violin were left in Sinait while La Virgen Milagrosa and the angels were entrusted to the fisherman from Badoc.

A kind dame, the 86-year old second curator of the Juan Luna Shrine and a Child of Mary, Nana Leonila Benemerito Arzadon (who I met after the church visit), says that there are times when it is impossible to move the image to a different location. “No di na kayat mabagkat ket madi.”

The cut on her chin, Honesto says, was from an attempt to desecrate her, but survived the whack, and all the calamitous events in the past. The old golden crown was stolen some decades ago.

What used to be a convent is now the St. Elizabeth Elementary School.

Nana Leonila lives in this beautiful 1928 house inherited from her father, Bibiano. It stands out in the neighborhood.

She’s a “balasang” and lives with two younger ladies, perhaps her nannies. She suffered a stroke and had to quit work. I asked if she ever had a boyfriend or boyfriends and she giggled. “Sika a! Madi daguita idi.” I love the woman! It so happened that she knew my lolas and aunts in Batac and Paoay. I think also my dad and mom, back in the Cursillo and Daughters of Isabela days.

She hesitated to be photographed, but changed her mind when I said I will also be in the frame. The photo turned out blurry, yet I like it. When I kissed her goodbye, she uttered “Ammum, college ak iddi ag-usu ti shorts.” I asked, “Agso–shorts ka met ngarud iddi a, lola?” “Haan,” she said giggling.

She says, by the grace of God, she survives. I noticed her extra-long “pidit-pidit”. Told her, she should reach her 100th birthday ‘coz I’ll be going back to photograph her.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

A prominent figure in tobacco country Ilocos back in the 60s up to day he was assassinated while in line for communion at the St. Paul Cathedral in 1970, Congressman Floro Crisologo was known for authoring the Tobacco Law and the creation of the Social Security System (SSS) and the first state university of the North, the University of Northern Philippines.

According to the Vigan website, “Before he was killed, the congressman was in the process of having a bill approved to abolish the death penalty because he believed that death was not the solution to stopping crime.”

His century-old house in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, was converted into a museum after his death. On display are antiques and memorabilia including the unwashed clothes he was wearing the day he was shot dead.

Other photos taken on the streets of Vigan

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

Dim sum is said to be originally Cantonese. Cooks from the province of Guangdong are run-after for their traditional Cantonese cooking. At King Chef, 3-5PM is the best time to enjoy cha (tea) and a filling of your most favorite dim sum fare. Why? Dim sum is half off! On normal hours, every little bamboo basket would be anything but cheap.

The King Chef at Lucky Chinatown is huge, the feel very Chinese, the contemporary interior design reminiscent of big tea houses abroad.

The menu is extensive. Beyond the dim sum we had, I was most happy with the steamed rice and topping. The juices of Chinese sausage combined with chicken and notes of herbs and subtle spices enveloped the fragrant, very warm long grain rice. So ambrosial (especially when it’s the first meal of the day)! In fact, I wanted to sample all the other steamed  rice variations  (however, not included in the dim sum promo). Imagine rice cooked in salmon juices!

Their fatter pot stickers like kuchay (chives) and hakaw  (shrimp) were essentially ticklish, the seasonings were light yet so finely balanced.

However, I didn’t quite like their version of the radish cake. Perhaps ‘coz I’m so used to the unscorched type with lots of hebi (hibi/hibe/dried shrimps).

I think King Chef has other branches like the one on Banawe St. in Quezon City.

It’s past 3PM… am missing Manila!

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

No Christmas is complete without this beautiful vibrant disk of sapin-sapin from Malabon specially from Dolor’s Kakanin. The kakanin sampler is a top-selling product, reaching the provinces, also the homes of Filipinos living abroad. A pack of toasted grated coconut comes with every box of  assorted rice cakes consisting of biko, maja blanca, ube halaya, kutsinta and galapong bibingka.

Dolor is Dolores Guevarra,  one of the siblings of pioneering kakanin makers putting across their colorful kakanin in the Malabon market and the streets of La Loma since pre-WWII. Today, they have their own stores in Malabon and outlets in Metro Manila.

Holiday or non-holiday, Dolor’s sapin-sapin and other sticky stuff such as puto, cassava bibingka, pichi-pichi and newer varieties such as lite, made-to-order sugar-free, etc. stay on, bringing traditional kakanin flavors, surviving the emergence of a slew of adulterated, modified, mutated or commercialized Pinoy cakes in the market.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

“Do not look at the world through your head; look at it through your heart.”
– Ketut Liyer

Though I’ve never been to Bali, it has left an indelible imprint in my mind. Beyond its gorgeous beaches and fascinating culture, it was Ketut Liyer, Bali’s most famous son (after his name figured hugely in Liz Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love) that did it for me. This post is not about the medicine man though. It’s about this lovely Balineseque resort, south of Laoag, named Playa Tropical.

We rented the Casa Agua when Playa Tropical was still building the adjacent hotel. Each casa has its own private pool, creating that uttermost privateness if it is what your looking for.

Though Alexa will always be the family’s baby, she’s no longer the princessy tiny toddler (see the old photo above). Yesterday, she was practicing her mermaid moves.

Playa Tropical is owned by Toni Carag, my co-tourism officer in the early days of the new provincial administration. There are so many things I admire about this refuge. The well-planned details. Also the one thing that connects all the tiny details which is the Balinese inspiration. Btw, the resort hotel was designed by the same team that designed Java Hotel.

Although the chill spot is set in Ilocos Norte, in Victoria, Currimao, to be exact — Playa Tropical fits into the whole milieu. It is an ideal relaxing place, faraway from the roaring concrete jungle, yet ideally located between heritage city Vigan and evolving Laoag.

A sense of perfect timing, SOOC! There are more beautiful photos, but this post is getting photo swollen:)

It’s the first day of school, I hope my fellow moms will be able to effortlessly adjust to their new work sked. Have a nice year in school, studes!

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

If all you have is a day to spend in the Dagupan-Calasiao area, I have two sure winners for you. First, the Panaderia Antonio by the Seens. The establishment is from the same couple that created the growing Plato Wraps franchise. It’s not your typical bakery, though bread is the star of this cozy, “maaliwalas” spot in sweltering Calasiao. You can just sit and order a refreshing glass of fruit shake or milk tea and take pleasure in the aroma of hot bread diffusing in the air, and then if a waitress hands you the menu, you just might go for a total pig out.

In addition to pick-me-up beverages and snacks, Panaderia Antonio serves contemporary and traditional breakfast and all-day meals such as pancakes, steaks, pastas, pizzas, sandwich meals, and the essense of Dagupan — bangus. Also appetizers such as sisig and chicharon chicken skin.

Bought a whole lot of bread to bring home, but it is the butter cupcakes (in the photo above) that sent me to nirvana. It’s a dense type of butter cake with a slightly crusty top.

For lunch or dinner, only Dagupeña Restaurant. I have already featured it in the blog (here) and I will never tire out of their Fisherman’s Soup with gay marrungay. I could eat only that.

Of course, the crispy pata, crispy fried hito with Pangasinense buro, Thai-style crabs, char-grilled teriyaki bangus, Dagupeña pinakbet and dinuguan were all excellent.

Desserts at Dagupeña are unique, like the mango crepe has two different sauces and the sans rival is an ice cream concoction with caramelized cashews on the side.

The De Venecia Road is the island in a sea of bangus (milkfish) ponds. Don’t forget to buy Calasiao puto. And if you need another alternative restaurant, just look for Matutina’s, also a good place to enjoy the bounties of the sea.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

Ilocos is so huge that there’s no way one can explore the two provinces in one weekend. Not even in a lifetime for some. Like I just discovered Vigan’s take on the centuries-old chicken pipian that traces its roots back to the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade, from 1565 to 1815. We had it at Kusina Felicitas inside Grandpa’s Inn on our way back from Dagupan 2 weekends ago.

I’ve been raring to try pipian after I sampled Chef Nic Rodriquez’s epazote plant (pasotes) in his Bistro Candon backyard. The minty, slightly citrusy epazote is a staple in traditional Mexican cooking, lending aromatic flavor to mole sauces. Apperaing similar to the achuete-tinged Vigan pipian, the Mexican pipian is made from a more complex recipe, customarily including different spices, ground squash seeds, nuts, cilantro, chili peppers, among many others. Though Vigan uses ground rice as a thickener in the same manner it is used in kare-kare, I realized how strange it was described to me by a waiter at a restaurant in Laoag as arroz caldo-like, add to that a seemingly unenthusiastic expression on his face when I asked if he would recommend it to me and my foreigner guest.

After rabidly falling for the chicken pipian at Grandpa’s, I’m absolutely endorsing it as a must try Ilocano dish, the one in Grandpa’s to be clear.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

The sunny side of the National Highway in the Ilocos Region belongs to dried/smoked fish vendors and stalls lining the length of Damortis in Sto. Tomas, La Union. Call it any name you want, daing, tinapa, or danggit, a beaming Filipino breakfast like no other registers there and then. The specialization of Barangay Damortis in preserving bangus, espada, pusit, sapsap, dilis, alamang, basosong, monamon, padas and others radiates, especially with good government support by way of tangible projects such as a mariculture park, with a market in the Damortis Fish Port and Ice Plant, a research center and an institute offering diploma courses in aquatic technology.

I photographed one vendor, then there were four, and then everyone wanted to smile before the cam, hahah, and the ladies on the other side of the road didn’t want to be left out!

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

Reny and I found ourselves in Sinait, Ilocos Sur, on a Sunday morning. It was our initial visit at the Sto. Cristo Milagroso Sanctuary, St. Nicholas of Tolentino Parish. A fine day!

Devotedly referred to as Apo Lakay, the Miraculous Statue of the Black Nazarene and Badoc’s  La Virgen Milagrosa were believed to be drifting in the sea when they were discovered by fishermen in Dadalaquiten, Sinait,  in 1620. The story of the two statues will very well fascinate you if you are an avid follower of the Catholic faith. In the time the Virgin Mary was moved to Badoc, the Apo Lakay remained in Sinait and keeps attracting pilgrims from across the country.

Across the old church, we walked to the hilera of turo-turo eateries. They are the same carinderias that travel to the “Dayo” of Badoc and Batac on certain days.  Have I told you, turo-turo means point-point? Literally, you point to the viands of your choice. The food is native Ilocano, with lots of meat alongside monggo gisa, pinakbet, inabraw, native pancit, rabong and a lot more. I satisfied myself with a hot bowl of sinanglao (a term used by the south for paksiw) at Luzminda’s Kitchenette. I had to ask around for good sinanglao. The pieces of beef were rather chunky. The sourness of the soup was typically Ilocano with a lavish dose of sukang Iloco. The lady let me taste her beef tapa. Yum! It didn’t look fried like we do ours.

I hope you’ll like the photos. A beautiful week ahead, everyone!

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

As Ericke says, home is where the waves are. And so is unspoilt beaches. I am reminiscing the blithe times  I’ve had with the family at the beaches we frequent. Click here to see my other beach posts.

Photos of the beach transfer a sense of calm. Nature is engrossing. I thirst for the blue expanse of the sea and sky and the bouyant feeling, amplified by the sound of rushing waves and warmth of the sand.

Sexy Beach, though underrated, is always magical and serene every time we’re there. My most viewed and faved photos on Flickr were taken there. (Check them out here.) This brings to mind it’s been a long time since our last interlude at this memorable refuge.

Beachwear has become a staple when you live in the far northern end of the Philippines. Excitement naturally sets in for beachy things I stumble upon in the net! At the moment I’m ogling some stuff. Shoes in zalora perfect for beach and the yearlong summer in Ilocos!

While Ericke and Eugene always enjoy surfing the waves, I have yet to habituate myself on a surfboard. My board is a sandboard. Check out what we’ve been up to the past few years in this video. Surfing the sands has grown to be one of the thrills in Ilocos.

Kite surfing? Perhaps one of these days!

The beach. please! In blauearth lingo, Pasuquin, Calayab, Pangil, Bobon and Banniaran beaches are the family jewels. Don’t you love a little alone time at the beach?

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

An unexpected short trip with the hubby to Manila afforded me time for new food adventure. Not brand-new, though never been blogged here, is a revisit to my favorite Spanish restaurant along J. Nakpil in Malate. It was an unforgettable than long crab dinner with friends several years back that haunts me from time to time. We had too many crabs that night that I vowed never to order them again at Casa Armas. So for lunch on a roomy Saturday, my sister-in law and I were on the same mind. Instead of  squid-inked paella negra, which is the last thing you’d want to order in the daytime, we got a half paella marinara, gambas ajillo and a tabla Casa Armas special with all the mouthwatering, delish Spanish cold cuts.

The Spanish colonizers left an indelible mark in Filipino cooking. The pronounced affluent flavors are occasionally recreated in our lengua estofada, lechon de leche, arroz a la Valenciana, salpicao, bacalao a la vizcaina to name a few.

Casa Armas offers authentic Spanish cooking, with Señor Jesus Armas at the helm.

- Honest-to-goodness gambas ajillo is simplicity in shrimps and loads of garlic in olive oil and spices.

- Authentic paella derives its color from saffron.

- Separate photos of Imelda Marcos and Bongbong Marcos are among the old  framed photographs of celebrities adorning the walls.

Throughout all the 17 years Casa Armas has been satisfying customers for authentic Spanish food cravings, the same dishes retain those homey, indulgent flavors of Spain we’ve grown to love.

The staff — Rose, Mary Ann and Jocelyn — having savoir-faire, were all warm, apparently enjoying making certain diners have a pleasurable dining experience.

Casa Armas Tapas Bar Y Restaurante,  573 J. Nakpil St. cor. Bocobo St., Malate, Manila. Tel. Nos.: 523 0181 •  536 1839 • 523 5763

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

If Luneta could talk, it would tell an outstretched volume of words, like a fabric spun out in threads of momentous historical events, intertwined with stories of ordinary lives.

An important tourist landmark located adjacent to Manila Bay, the park is home to several points of interests in the historical, educational, science, arts, recreation and sports areas.

It was renamed Rizal Park in memory of national hero Jose Rizal who was executed practically in the spot where his remains now lie, reminding each and every Filipino that death does not matter if one dies for love of country and others.

Failing to escape my attention on T.M. Kalaw Avenue is the belle epoque facade of the Luneta Hotel, a testament to the old splendor of Manila. A WWII survivor and a National Historical Landmark, the edifice (designed by Spanish architect/engineer Salvador Farrel and completed in 1918) is undergoing a much-awaited makeover.

On Roxas Blvd, right across the Rizal Monument is the Kilometer Zero marker of the Philippines, which  serves as the point from which road distances from Manila are measured.

Below is a photo of the “Ang Bagong Pinoy” sculpture by Olympic artist/sculptor Jose “Joe” Datuin.

A short walk away from the Rizal Monument is the oldest premier hotel in the Philippines. Designed by New York architect Wiliam Parsons and built in 1909, the Manila Hotel retains its stately elegance. It was home to Gen Douglas MacArthur (from 1935 to 1941) and visiting VIPs such as JFK, the Beatles, John Wayne, Sammy Davis, Michael Jackson and so forth.

Unlike Rico J’s version of  The Way We Were, I had money left in the pocket for salted duck egg ice cream, a specialty at the hotel’s Mabuhay Palace. More in the next post.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

Going to the Manila Hotel for ice cream only is an oddity, but not anymore when the ice cream is flavored with salted duck egg.

At the Mabuhay Palace Chinese restaurant, I finally reveled in the ice cream of my dreams! Saltish morsels of firm yolk colliding with toasty bits of black sesame seeds in a lush base, reminiscent of the curious flavors of moon cake and toasted sesame seed cookies. At first bite though, what came to mind was a Chinese version of cookies and cream with a cheese twist. A happy surprise!

The serving is tiny I could have easily finished another shot. The frozen dessert is a creation of Sous Chef Josephine Yu Tanganco-Candelaria.

I was slightly distracted by Shirley’s green malunggay ice cream with chewy bits of banana chips, oozing with unexpected Pinoy flavors. Sweetish like avocado ice cream, though a little more restrained

- Crispy wonton chips

By the Mabuhay Palace door is a week long celebration of the 15th Philippine Eagle Week, with photos of  the rarefied eagles at the Philippine Eagle Center, a Philippine eagle cake by cake artist Penk Ching and collectible dolls dressed in Filipiniana by fashion designer Renee Salud on display.

- Checking out the Cafe Ilang-Ilang buffet.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

The hubby and I were treated to dinner at Bon Chon, the Korean fastfood with more branches in the Philippines than in Korea. I hear the name often from Martine and Ericke.

Delving into the flavors of this KFC, as expected the chicken parts are loaded with a combination of sweet and spicy flavors. Glazed with soy sauce and fried to perfection, it’s a departure from the salty breaded chicken were so used to. They say their chicken is cooked twice. Really yummy but too skinny, as if trying to say it’s all about crispy skin on bones. Betty got us the group meal with chapchae noodles, sweet potato fries and iced tea. Chapchae is a love. Happily, the potato noodles were done in true tradition.

Fried chicken Koreanified or is it the other way around?

At Bon Chon, there’s a lot more to discover than Korean fried chicken, crepes are crackling and coleslaw gets dressed up in red chili.

Is there really a battle between Chicken Joy and Chicken McDo?

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

Ilocos Norte welcomes celebrity chef/restaurateur/gourmand Sandy Daza, host of FoodPrints, a crisp lifestyle show that opens on the Lifestyle Network, the 7th of September. So mark that in your calendars, folks, 8:30 PM!

Being the proud Ilocano that I am, I’m excited that the show arrived in the northernmost province first. Beyond that, their eagerness to unearth the hidden gems of Ilocano cooking, braving the sultry midmorning sun, the erratic rains and the long road from the south to north and vice versa.

Chef Sandy, although he was president of a tomato paste plant in Sarrat for 3 years, it’s just in this trip that he discovered the “ang-sarap-ness” of KBL (kamatis, bugguong and lasona) with chicharon aka bagnet. Facts such as that. Apparently a fully-loaded adventure for him! Hahah, and the wonders of dragon fruit!

More BTS next!

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013

They came, they traversed the extreme northern province. I hope the Ilocos Norte down-home food culture will leave a mark in their hearts and minds.

I don’t mind repeating the solid 5-day food adventure if I’m going to do it again with the FoodPrints production team, and of course, the innate entertainer, fair and candid chef Sandy Daza, who’s been schooled in Paris and the “heir apparent to mom,” as how  mom veteran chef Nora Daza fondly refers to him, according to Sandy.

In the drivers’ seats are Lifestyle Network production manager Giselle Interior (who’s been with Probe way back the early days of LEAD Movement’s Adams ecotourism project and the La Paz sand adventure, pre-sandboarding, I came to know in this shoot), and Jennie Celdran, executive producer of RedBalloon, who does global events and production on the side. BTW, she’s the perky and stylish other half of David Celdran.

Rio Grande, (overlooking the Padsan River) of Atty. and Mrs. Constante Caluya was the Foodprints’ home in Laoag for the entire duration of the shoot.

You know, based on my account of the Foodprints shoot. Filming is not as random as you come here, and then guides/hosts take you to places and feed you with all sorts of food. There are so many things to consider like logistics for one, Exploration starts even before they set foot in Ilocandia. The acccidental others are the chicharon on top.

Together with Lifestyle Network EP Alina Co, Director Kristina Bilbao, scriptwriter Nikki Alfonso, PA Melanie de Leon and the camera and audio guys namely Rommel Diaz, Pen Mulingbayan, Neil Laygo and Christian Flores, the whole team worked more than they ate, but when they ate, they ate with much gusto and appreciation. Thank you so much, in behalf of Ilocos Norte!

On the 6th day, I was starting to miss Doc Glory and Jennie.

Btw, reunited for a day with local tourism people Joegie Jimenez and Arnel. I also met Ivy and Elaine ot the PGIN for the first time.

Extra-pasensiyosa Director Kris Bilbao at the Museo Ilocos Norte. Thanks, direk, for the kindness:)

There’s Giselle, my constant ka-istorya about kids, moms, vertical rappelling, trekking, etc.

Hahah, Rommel Diaz is the brother of the country’s number 1 blogger Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet!

The group’s baby,, sweet and pretty Nikki.

These guys are chill!

I call this the first supper (shot in Saramsam Nuevo).

Please don’t forget, peeps, Lifestyle Network (channel 52 if you are on Sky), September 7, 8:30 pm. Enjoy the ride! (More on Foodprints in Ilocos Norte here.)

(My personal thanks to everyone! Warm Wishes to to Sandy and Foodprints,)

Photographed by Pen Mulingbayan,  Jeng de Leon and Blauearth
© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2013