Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of the Philippines on the Cultural Heritage of the Catholic Church

The Holy See and the Republic of the Philippines,

Acting, on the part of the Holy See, in accordance with the declarations of the Second Vatican Council on religious liberty and the relations between the Church and the civil society, as well as the norms of Canon Law, and, on the part of the Republic of the Philippines, with the principles of its Constitution and applicable laws,

Considering that the cultural heritage of the Catholic Church in the Philippines constitutes a very significant part of the cultural patrimony of the Nation;

Realizing the need for close cooperation between the Church and the State as regards the ecclesiastical cultural heritage;

Have agreed as follows:

Article I
The Holy See and the Republic of the Philippines, each within its competence, are committed to cooperate for the protection of the cultural heritage of the Catholic Church.

Article II
This cooperation includes the movable and immovable cultural heritage of artistic and historic significance, comprising the colonial churches declared as legally protected by the Republic, museums, archives and libraries, belonging to ecclesiastical institutions and organizations.

Article III
The two Parties shall cooperate for the conservation, appreciation and proper use of the cultural heritage mentioned in Article II.

Article IV
The Holy See, through the Apostolic Nunciature and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, and the Republic of the Philippines through the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) shall together agree upon the provisions for the conservation, appreciation and proper use of the cultural heritage of artistic and historical significance owned by ecclesiastical institutions and organizations, harmonizing the implementation of Philippine legislation with the norms of Canon Law and the exigencies of the pastoral activity of the Church.

Article V
The Holy See and the Republic of the Philippines shall proceed by mutual accord to resolve any difficulties that should arise in the future concerning the interpretation or the implementation of the present Agreement.

Article VI
This Agreement requires ratification. It shall enter into force on the day of the exchange of the instruments of ratification.

Done in Manila on 17 April 2007, in two copies in Italian and English, both having equal force.

For the Holy See
FERNANDO FILONI

For the Republic of the Philippines
ALBERTO G. ROMULO

(Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of the Philippines on the Cultural Heritage of the Catholic Church entered into full force on 29 May 2008, following the exchange of the instruments of ratification between the Holy See and the Republic of the Philippines.)

Pampanga: Birdwatching at the Candaba Bird Sanctuary

Birdwatching at the Candaba Bird Santuary has always been in my wish list. But to really appreciate the visit, you have to be with expert birders. And since it was a "weekend of everything that flies," we visited the Candaba Bird Sanctuary to do some birding!

To make sure the experience was even more enriching, we tagged along members of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) together with their equipment to guide all of us around the place. It was Birdwatching 101 for all of us.

They introduced us to the different species of birds found at the reserve area in Simang, Candaba which is actually the property of the mayor. And with the special spotting scopes brought in by the club, we were able to see and appreciate the birds "up close." I'm definitely going back!

The only downside is when there are big groups, especially media groups, the local "managers" of the place would fire shots in the air to startle the birds so that they would put up a show for visitors. Great for photos but bad for the birds!

Media is to blame here since the photographers don't care if the birds get disturbed so long as they get a good shot for the papers. So those wonderful pictures you see in the newspapers most probably are a result of guns fired in the air, no thanks to impatient photographers who can't wait for the birds to do it naturally and at their own pace. Several shots were fired while we were there to the dismay of the WBCP members who were guiding us.

Anyway, to get there, it's advisable to exit at Pulilan since the roads are better. Make your way to the Baliuag (you'll pass by SM City Baliuag), and make a left under the flyover. You make a right when you see the Barangay Hall of Bahay Pari, Candaba. Below is a video I took while we were there.



Related entries
Wandering around the Candaba Bird Sanctuary
Sunset at the Candaba Swamp Reserve

Pampanga: 14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (Day 3)

We found ourselves up and about early in the morning in time to catch the lift-off of the the hot air balloons at the 14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark Freeport. Our tour group left Manila at 3 a.m. and got there before the crowds arrived.

Anyway, it wasn't as sunny as the first time I got to watch this event. But there were more unique balloons this year including one in the shape of an elephant and another in the shape of a Coke bottle.

Related entries
14th International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Day 1 at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Day 3 at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2008 in Clark Field, Pampanga
Are you going to the 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta?

Zambales: Subic bats at Cubi Point

I've been driving around North Philippines like crazy the past week. While at the Subic Freeport, I made sure to check out the bats at Cubi Point. Years ago, they used to hang out at the top of Cubi near the hotels. But for some weird reason, they transferred along the main road in front of FedEx. So if you want to check them out too, just go to the FedEx building.

I have not seen them fly out before so I waited for them to wake up right after sunset. What a sight! Below is a video I took using my Sony Ericsson C905. When it gets darker, that's when it gets really exciting!

Top day-trip destinations near Metro Manila

Here is a list of my favorite day-trip destinations near Metro Manila. With summer just around the corner, it's time to plan your trips!

1. Beach hop in San Antonio, Zambales
Call them San Antonio's Big Five - Anawangin Cove, Camara Island, Capones Island, Nagsasa Cove, and Pundaquit! And you can reach all these great beaches from the jump-off point in Pundaquit. I most definitely enjoyed the surreal landscape of Anawangin. So remote it is that you need to hike several hours or take a pump boat to get to it. Nagsasa Cove is just as pristine!

2. Taal Volcano trek
You've always seen the Taal Volcano from Tagaytay City. Have you ever tried visiting the island itself and hike or ride a horse to the crater lake? This is a one day-trip option you can do together with a culinary tour of Tagaytay.

3. Mt. Pinatubo trek
All it takes is a drive to Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac to begin that breathtaking journey to Mount Pinatubo's crater lake. A one hour 4x4 ride, plus a one hour trek across some of the most unusual and unbelievable landscapes makes the journey there even more exciting. 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 don't forget to get a massage after the trek!

4. Corregidor Island day-trip
As I mentioned, this is one of those day-trips taken for granted. Reliving the story of Corregidor is a very enriching experience. The Sun Cruises tour includes round-trip ferry transfers, buffet lunch and a guided tour around the island. You get to visit the various war memorials and the surviving gun batteries which formed part of the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays. You can also opt to stay for the night and explore the Malinta Tunnel in the evening and do a morning trek among the less-visited batteries the next day.

5. Road trip around Mount Banahaw
You've all heard about the Viaje del Sol route and the wonderful establishments along the way. But go the extra mile by completing the loop around Mt. Banahaw. Along the way, you can visit the seven lakes of San Pablo, Laguna. You'll pass by the grand Art Deco mansions of Sariaya and the magnificent churches of Tayabas and Majayjay, both National Cultural Treasures. Don't miss the Underground Cemetery in Nagcarlan. Plus you can munch on Lucban's famous longaniza and pancit habhab. Slipper addicts will have a blast in Liliw, Laguna! You can stretch this trip another day by staying a night in Pagsanjan and doing the next suggested day-trip.

6. Shooting the rapids in Pagsanjan
This one you should try at least once in your life. It was exciting and exhilarating. I personally enjoyed the raft ride that takes you right under the falls. So make sure you have extra clothes. The only catch is that the boatmen will pressure you to give hefty tips.

7. Pampanga culinary adventure
You haven't been to Pampanga if you haven't savored its food, both local and international cuisine. San Fernando is home to Everybody's Cafe where everyday Kapampangan food is as exotic as it can get. Angeles City is the birthplace of sisig and make sure you taste the original at Aling Lucing's. At the Camalig, Kapampangan pizza is topped with longaniza, salted duck eggs, and pickle relish. And Fields Avenue near Clark brings you around the world with its international restaurants, my favorites being C' Italian Dining, Zapata's (Mexican), Subdelicious (American), Cottage Kitchen (Cajun/Creole), Red Sea (Lebanese), Hana-mi (Japanese)... the list is endless! Now obviously, you can't eat at all these places in one day since that would be gluttony! So why not stay another day?

8. Road trip around Laguna de Bay
We all know about the visita iglesia route which will take you to Pakil and Paete in Laguna, and Morong, Baras and Tanay in Rizal. But there's more! Make sure you also visit the heritage town of Pila, Laguna and stop over at Lumban to check out their wonderful pina cloth emroidery. Have you ever considered stopping over at Daranak and Batlag Falls in Tanay, Rizal? Well, you should! End the day with a sunset dinner high up on the ridge in Antipolo.

9. Intro dive in 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! It's a different world down there and all I could say is, "Wow!"

10. Plant trees at the Ipo Watershed
Now this is travel with a cause. Just contact the UP Mountaineers to find out if you can join one of their reforestation trips to the Ipo Watershed. 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!