Visit the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, Bataan

Believe it or not, the Philippines spent US$2.3 billion from 1976 to 1984 to construct the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, Bataan. It could have produced 621 megawatts of power. This was the power plant that could have averted the power crisis in the early 1990s. It was never used.

But despite it never being used, the BNPP is intact and well-maintained by the Napocor personnel stationed there. And yes, because it was never commissioned, people can visit it.

Thanks to The Plaza Hotel Balanga and Roadtrippers, a trip to the BNPP was arranged for us. It's best to visit on weekdays during office hours. Weekend visits will require overtime pay and fees for the BNPP personnel. And note that visits are by appointment. You can't just show up at their doorstep and asked to be let in. But despite all that, a visit is definitely worth the long drive to Morong.

It was an interesting walking through the massive halls and rooms of the BNPP, with its unused but well maintained equipment. I'm sure this would make a fantastic backdrop for an industrial themed prenup or fashion shoot.

We visited the nuclear reactor. Not that this will require walking up several flights of stairs in warm and humid conditions. There are no elevators. But you get to see how well-designed the BNPP was.

The other highlight of the visit was the control room, which looks like a set from an Austin Powers movie! At the center of the room is a telephone which was a direct line to Malacañang. Protocol was that every time the nuclear reaction was turned on or off, a go-signal from the president had to be secured.

It took more than 30 years for the Philippine government to completely pay off its obligations in April 2007. Too bad we didn't get to use the power it could have generated.

To arrange a tour of the BNPP, contact Lee Llamas of Roadtrippers at (0917) 7828882 or via The Plaza Hotel, the best hotel in Balanga. Book your stay there (047) 2371037 / (0917) 3105083 / (0998) 5411741.

Bataan: Visita iglesia to Bataan's heritage churches

Holy Week is just around the corner. And if you happen to be in Bataan, here are some interesting colonial churches you can check out if you plan to do a visita iglesia in the province.


Orion Church probably has the best-preserved retablo in the province of Bataan. The marker outside the church mentions that Orion became independent from Abucay in 1667. The church was damaged during the 1852 earthquake and repaired in 1854. Cayetano Arellano, the first Filipino chief justice is from Orion. Francisco Balagtas, author of Florante at Laura, also lived in the town from 1842 to 1862.


Pilar Church is another interesting church, a well-preserved adobe structure with its belfry located on top of the main facade.


Balanga became an independent parish in 1739. The Balanga Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Balanga. Unfortunately, they layered the facade with new bricks thereby altering its character.


Abucay Church is a National Historical Landmark. According to the National Historical Commission, the spiritual ministration of Abucay was entrusted to the Dominicans in 1588. It is significant because a fierce battle between the Dutch invaders and the Kapampangan defenders was fought in the area surrounding the church on June 23, 1647. Nearly two hundred Kapampangans were put to death, and forty others, together with Spanish alcalde mayor and two Dominican priests, were taken prisoners to Batavia (Jakarta). The printing press of Tomas Pinpin operated in Abucay.


Samal Church seems to have the most-intact convento of all Bataan's churches. The parish was entrusted to the Dominicans in 1596. The church was destroyed during the Dutch Invasion and the Philippine Revolution. Dutch invaders attacked in April 1647. But the local garrison of Pampanga under the command of Alejo Aguas repelled the Dutch forces. The church and the convent were ruined during the invasion. In 1896, the church was burned by the Katipuneros to drive out their enemies in the convent. The church and convent was rebuilt in 1903.

For more visita iglesia itineraries, check out Visita iglesia to our heritage churches.

Bataan: Kilometer Zero and Freeport Authority of Bataan in Mariveles

The Freeport Authority of Bataan (FAB) in Mariveles, Bataan is working on rehabilitating its old tourist facilities. I visited early this year to help give suggestions. I also checked out the nearby attractions, the most popular of which is Kilometer Zero of the Bataan Death March.

Kilometer Zero is the starting point of the Bataan Death March. There are actually two of them, the one in Mariveles, and another in Bagac. The memorial in Mariveles is marked by a bayonet thrust to the ground. A few years ago, the Filipino American Memorial Endowment installed new kilometer posts from Mariveles to San Fernando, Pampanga and Capas, Tarlac, including one for Kilometer Zero.


Two large historical markers installed by the National Historical Commission in 1967 recount the ordeal of the Filipino and American prisoners of war. I felt that the park needed to be rehabilitated though and the landscaping professionalized. The standards of local government landscaping in the country are simply horrible. We really need to invest in proper landscaping in major urban centers as well as tourism attractions, parks and open spaces.

Unfortunately, I had to rush back to Manila. So I wasn't able to visit the nature attractions of FAB which I hope to see in a future trip.

Bataan: Anvaya Cove in Morong, Bataan

Last month, I got the chance to visit Anvaya Cove in Morong, Bataan. While the group left early in the morning, I had to finish some meetings in the office. So I said I would follow.

I missed the tour of the Anvaya Beach and Nature Club and the Nature Camp. But I arrived just in time for the spa treatments at Veda Spa! The spa facilities are one of the best I've seen in the country. Plus the massage treatment was really refreshing. Too bad we only stayed for a night.

Dinner, plus breakfast and lunch the next day was at Bamboo Cafe. I particularly enjoyed the Asian inspired buffet lunch which featured dishes from Japan, Korea and other Asian countries.


While Anvaya Cove is mostly a residential area, there are rooms, lagoon terraces and suites which you could book at. But you'll need to know a member to be able to make a reservation.

We got to explore the development the next day, particularly the residential areas which I found really classy. Before leaving, we were given the chance to walk around the beach and the pool area. I wasn't able to stay for long since I had to catch a graduation in Tarlac where I was commencement speaker.

Anvaya Cove
(02) 8415769 / 8485000
ask@ayalalandpremier.com

Top Philippine destinations for 2008

The year 2008 was a great travel year for me. As of today, I've stepped foot on 62 out of 81 provinces of the Philippines. Here are some of the highlights for this year. Since 2008 was also heavy on international travel, I'll come up with another entry on that!

1. Mt. Pulag, the rooftop of Luzon
I could not imagine myself 2,922 meters above sea level at the summit of Mount Pulag. But I was there! It took a lot of effort on my part but the view from the top was surreal and most definitely worth it. Is Mt. Apo next?

2. Adopting a sea turtle at the Pawikan Conservation Center
We visited the Pawikan Conservation Center early this year to adopt sea turtles. You can include it as part of any Subic itinerary. And this is a great help to efforts to protect the pawikan.

3. Journey across the Ifugao heartland
I was very lucky to join a rice harvest tour to Mayoyao, Ifugao this year which took me through the very core of Ifugao. It was a very enriching experience and it opened my eyes to the culture of our Ifugao brothers. I look forward to joing their planting rice tour this January. I made five entries about this great trip!

4. Trekking and 4x4 to Mt. Pinatubo
The crater lake of Mount Pinatubo is perfect for a swim especially when it is baby blue! It's easy to organize a visit through the Pinatubo Spa Town and when you get back, a sumptuous lunch and massage awaits.

5. Batanes, undiscovered paradise up north
Batanes is pristine and refreshing. It's a must in any traveler's list of places to visit in the Philippines. I'll be blogging about my trip soon.

6. Intro dive at Dive and Trek in Bauan, Batangas
Even if you don't have a license, you can still experience diving with the help of a dive master through an intro dive. And that's exactly what we did in Bauan, Batangas!

7. Ipo Watershed, Angat Dam and the La Mesa Ecopark
Any advocacy to preserve our cultural and natural heritage is close to my heart. Which is why we made a visit to the Ipo Watershed to support the advocacy of the UP Mountaineers to protect it.

8. Romblon, Romblon is a heritage town
Talk about the road less-traveled! Romblon was indeed a surprise. It was fun exploring the old town of Romblon since its heritage is unbelievably intact. I hope to visit again soon.

9. Anawangin Cove in San Antonio, Zambales
Another unbelievable beach destination so close to Manila, I most definitely enjoyed the surreal landscape of this Zambales beach. So remote it is that you need to hike several hours or take a pump boat to get to it.

10. Tawi-Tawi, overnight in Bongao
In one month, I was able to visit the northernmost and southernmost provinces of the Philippines. Despite my short stay, the fact that I was able to set foot in Tawi-Tawi is worth mentioning. And I'm definitely making another trip to explore more!

Read also Top Philippine destinations for 2009.

SCTEx Clark-Tarlac stretch opens on Friday, July 25

The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway will be fully operational beginning Friday when the Clark-Tarlac portion of the 94-kilometer opens to the public. I got a sneak preview of the closed portion of the SCTEx today since we were given special permission to drive from Subic to the Luisita Exit in Tarlac.

With the SCTEx complete, travel time from Balintawak to Subic is now just about an hour and forty minutes. While travel from Balintawak to Luisita will be just one hour and twenty minutes. When it opens on Friday, motorists can drive from Subic to La Paz, Tarlac in just a little over an hour. Now that's progress!

Notes: I'll post more photos of my SCTEx Tarlac preview as soon as I get back to Manila. I was quite happy to see that they corrected the "MacArthur Highway" signs which I complained about in a previous post. I found out in San Francisco how the observation made its way to BCDA top brass and got the signs corrected.

Anyway, so much has been happening the past few months, I could barely update everyone about my travels. I'll try to get back in the groove within the next few days so expect a lot of updates from my recent trip to the US and the Mayoyao, Ifugao harvest experience last weekend.

Bataan: Adopting a sea turtle at the Pawikan Conservation Center

For the longest time, I had been wanting to adopt a pawikan or sea turtle. It took quite a while for me to find the contact number of the Pawikan Conservation Center in Morong, Bataan. And when I finally did, they said there were no pawikan scheduled to hatch yesterday. But they also told me that if it was warm and sunny, some of the turtles would hatch earlier than expected.

Since it's quite far, and I didn't want to risk disappointment, I decided to watch the longest Holy Week procession in the country in Baliuag, Bulacan in the evening. But I got a surprise text yesterday morning from the Pawikan Center saying that sea turtles had just hatched the night before and were ready for adoption. Since it's difficult to time a visit when there are hatchlings, I decided to rush there no questions asked.

We passed by the newly-opened SCTEx on the way to Subic. It's undoubtedly the most scenic highway in the country. After lunch at Meat Plus Cafe in Subic, we drove down to the Pawikan Center in Morong which was about an hour away.

When we got there, were met by Ate Nida who showed us around. The unhatched eggs were buried under the sand in an enclosed area. As soon as the pawikan deposit their eggs on the beach, volunteers collect them and transfer and rebury them in a secure area in the center for incubation.

They brought out the container with the little pawikan ready for release to the sea. And I got to pet some of them while waiting for the afternoon sun to cool down before releasing them. The best time to release the hatchlings are early in the morning or late in the afternoon so as not to stress them out too much with the heat. The adoption cost is PHP200 per turtle and you get a t-shirt as proof that you've adopted.

Anyway, we almost didn't make it back to the SCTEx in time. Since it's on trial stage, they close it at 5:30 p.m. But it's a good thing they still let us in since the sunset amidst the mountains was just surreal.

I tried to catch the Baliwag procession but got stuck in Pulilan and decided to turn back. So I guess I'll have to wait again for next year since I'll be in San Fernando this Good Friday.

Pawikan Conservation Center
+63 928 7185721 (Ate Nida)

SCTEx on test run until March 24

If you have not yet tried out the most scenic highway in the country, you have until March 24 to do so free of charge! The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway is on test run beginning today and is open from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Remember that they close at 5:30 p.m. and they won't let you in after that.

The SCTEx Exit is a few meters after the Dau Exit of the NLEX. There is a short spur road which will take you to the actual SCTEx. What I found amusing is the fact that there were several signs which had the wrong spelling of MacArthur Highway. To the silly person who did those signs, it's "MacArthur" not "McArthur" since the road is named after Douglas MacArthur! That's what we get for having too much of McDonald's.

On the way to Subic from Clark, the only open exits in the SCTEx are the ones in Dinalupihan and Subic. The SCTEx ends right at the entrance of the Subic-Tipo Tollway so it's really convenient for those going to Subic.

We tried it out on the way to Subic today and it was worth the trip. Imagine arriving in Subic from Clark in just 35 minutes! I still remember the days having to pass through all the traffic in Sta. Cruz, Lubao, Pampanga and other busy intersections along the Gapan-Olongapo Road (now Jose Abad Santos Highway). Finally, smooth travel all the way!

I hope they finish C6 - Lakeshore Expressway soon. The proposed expressway will connect Cavite City to Marilao, Bulacan as well as the SLEX to the NLEX so that you need not travel through chaotic Metro Manila.

Add to that the fact that the highway is so scenic. It passes through the untouched countryside in Porac and Floridablanca, Pampanga. The drive itself is an attraction you should not miss! Enjoy it while it lasts because I could already foresee development creeping in as the different exits are constructed and opened.

And if you make it just in time for sunset (we were almost not allowed inside since we were a few minutes late) the views are nothing but surreal.

North Luzon Expressway
(02) 35000

Bataan: Dambana ng Kagitingan in Bataan

Every year, April 9 has always been among the much-awaited public holidays in the Philippines. This year, it fell on Easter Monday giving everyone a five-day vacation which I'm sure kept resorts nationwide filled to the brim. But, aside from it being a holiday, do most Filipinos know what Araw ng Kagitingan is all about?

On April 9, 1942, approximately 75,000 Filipino and United States soldiers, commanded by Major General Edward "Ned" P. King, Jr., formally surrendered to the Japanese army under Lt. General Masaharu Homma. Over the next few days, these prisoners of war were transferred to Camp O'Donnell in what would become the Bataan Death March.

To commemorate the gallantry of these troops, April 9 of every year was declared Araw ng Kagitingan. The Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) was also built on top of Mount Samat in 1966 in memory of the soldiers who saw action during the Second World War.

The most distinct feature of the shrine is the Memorial Cross, a 92-meter marble, steel and concrete structure built 555 meters above sea level. At the base of the cross is a sculptural bas relief that depicts important historical events and battles in the Philippines. An elevator takes visitors up a viewing deck in the arms of the cross.

Every April 9, the President together with the ambassadors of the United States and Japan, leaders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and surviving WWII veterans visit the shrine to commemorate the said surrender and the start of the Bataan Death March. Although she was scheduled to join the ceremonies this year, President Arroyo had to beg off due to the medical situation of the First Gentleman.

Anyway, to remember this day, here is the transcript of "Bataan has fallen" which was written by Salvador P. Lopez and read from the Malinta Tunnel in Corregidor on the Voice of Freedom radio broadcast: Bataan has fallen. The Philippine-American troops on this war-ravaged and bloodstained peninsula have laid down their arms. With heads bloody but unbowed, they have yielded to the superior force and numbers of the enemy.

The world will long remember the epic struggle that Filipino and American soldiers put up in the jungle fastness and along the rugged coast of Bataan. They have stood up uncomplaining under the constant and grueling fire of the enemy for more that three months. Besieged on land and blockaded by sea, cut off from all sources of help in the Philippines and in America, the intrepid fighters have done all that human endurance could bear.

For what sustained them through all these months of incessant battle was a force that was more than merely physical. It was the force of an unconquerable faith--something in the heart and soul that physical hardship and adversity could not destroy! It was the thought of native land and all that it holds most dear, the thought of freedom and dignity and pride in these most priceless of all our human prerogatives.

The adversary, in the pride of his power and triumph, will credit our troops with nothing less than the courage and fortitude that his own troops have shown in battle. Our men have fought a brave and bitterly contested struggle. All the world will testify to the most superhuman endurance with which they stood up until the last in the face of overwhelming odds.

But the decision had to come. Men fighting under the banner of unshakable faith are made of something more that flesh, but they are not made of impervious steel. The flesh must yield at last, endurance melts away, and the end of the battle must come.

Bataan has fallen, but the spirit that made it stand--a beacon to all the liberty-loving peoples of the world--cannot fall!