The Backpack Adventures

Located in Las Piñas City, Las Piñas Church is known for its nineteenth-century pipe organ made entirely from bamboo. The organ, popularly known as the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ Church, is declared as a National Cultural Treasure of the country. Las Piñas Church, also known as St. Joseph Parish Church, was founded by Augustinian Recollects on November 5, 1795. The construction was started and supervised by Father Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen.
Father Cera was known as a very gifted man. Aside from his inborn leadership skills, he was also known as an artist whose forte was building organs. He was known for the organs that he built for the Manila Cathedral and San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Intramuros, Manila. In 1816 Father Cera constructed the Las Piñas Bamboo organ and completed the instrument in 1824. Father Cera served as the parish priest of Las Piñas Church until May 15, 1832. He died on June 24, 1832, in Manila.
Although the church was built in an Earthquake Baroque arch…

Located in Mahinog in the island province of Camiguin, the Mahinog Ostrich Breeding Farm or simply Ostrich Farm is the only one of its kind in the country. Kids, animal lovers, and fun loving individuals would surely enjoy a visit to the Ostrich Farm. If you're lucky enough to visit during the breeding season you might actually witness an ostrich laying its gigantic egg or an ostrich chick coming out from its egg.


Keep in mind that the Ostrich Farm is not a zoo but a breeding and production center. It also serves as a research center used to improve the quality of farm animals. (Expect a variety of other animals in the farm.)

You'd be happy to know that you'd only pay P5 entrance fee. (Some shampoo sachets cost more that the entrance fee.)

What I like about the Ostrich Farm is the knowledge about farm animals that I learned from interviewing some farm workers. Plus the fun fact that you could touch the ostriches and their gigantic eggs. (make sure not to anger them, they …

One of the must-visit natural attraction of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte is Kabigan Falls. Found deep in the forest of the province, this 120-foot waterfalls offers visitors a revitalizing allure. 

Visitng the falls is quite challenging, specially if you're on a backpacking tour. Well unless you know Pagudpud like the back of your hand, it would be better to hire a local tour guide to bring you to Kabigan Falls. In case you don't know any, I would highly recommend Kuya Jomar Villaluz. He was our tour guide when we had our Pagudpud road trip. Hence, the memorable and safe trip.






Going back to our featured destination, keep in mind that Kabigan Falls is included in the Pagudpud North Tour.
The best time to visit the falls is from 11 to 12 noon. If you availed the Pagudpud North Tour, it's highly recommended to have your lunch stopover here. These suggestions are based on several reasons which are:



1. After checking out all those tourist spots in Pagudpud and walking 30 minutes to the …

Located in Barangay Bonbon, Catarman in the western side of the volcanic island of Camiguin lies the ruins of the Old Gui-ob Church.



Probably the oldest Spanish church in the province, the church was constructed sometime in the 16th century.
However, on the night of May 13, 1871, the nearby Mt. Volcan erupted with much ferocity. The eruption destroyed Cotta Bato (former name of Catarman) and claimed countless lives. Plato might have been in Camiguin that faithful day for what happened next was strikingly similar to his description of the final hours of Atlantis. During the catastrophe portion of the town slipped under the lashing waves of the sea.
Gui-ob Church was partially spared. Although it did not join most of its parishioners underneath the sea that day, the wooden and weaker parts of the church either burned or crumbled to the ground.

When the volcano calmed down and the fires died out. The beautiful town of Cotta Bato was almost flattened to the ground. One of those that remai…