The Backpack Adventures

Located in the Atimonan part of the Quezon National Forest Park in the province of Quezon, Cueva Santa is one of the highlights of the Mt. Mirador/ Pinagbanderahan hiking tour. Cueva Santa Cueva Santa Details If you'd Google it, little is only said about Cueva Santa  ( Saint's Cave ) except that it is one of the caves found near the route to Pinagbanderahan . However, it is actually the first of the two caves that you'd see if you're from the jump-off point (the other one is the Cueva Grande). Cueva Santa - Atimonan , Quezon   The Backpack Adventures inside Cueva Santa That is one deep hole... Its name is obviously derived from the Filipino words cueva which means cave and santa which means a female saint. I honestly don't know why the cave was given such a name (even our guide can't give an origin story). I have a theory though, that somewhere inside the cave is a rock formation that looks like an image of a saint. However, I was not able to p

It is a fact that most, if not all of the municipalities or cities in the Philippines pride themselves on dishes or delicacies that it calls its own. On the other hand, there are also some who prides themselves on a superior version of a common dish or delicacy. Veras' Ice Cream One example of this superior version of a common food is found in the municipality of  Atimonan  in the province of Quezon. The local ice cream produced by  Veras' Ice Cream  is said and believed to be the best not only in  Atimonan  but also in the whole of Quezon. Veras' Ice Cream - Atimonan , Quezon Mang Ente and his cool wife Madam Emma Mang Ente demonstrating how they make ice creams Veras' Ice Cream was founded in 1968 by Vicente Verasigue or Mang Ente, as he was fondly called by the locals, (Guess where the ice cream name came from)  who got the idea and passion of making ice creams from his older brother. In their first years in the business, Mang Ente used manual ice cre

Would you believe that this delicacy paved the way for thousands of men and women to end up together as a couple? Minukmok Minukmok  is a traditional delicacy in the province of Quezon. It is made from a variety of bananas called  saba . Making this dish is quite simple. You just need  saba,  sugar, margarine, and the traditional large mortar and pestle.  Minukmok  is also called Nilubak in Quezon province Note: This delicacy has several names in Quezon province. It is sometimes called Nilubak , Niyubak , etc. In other provinces, the minukmok varies by means of ingredients. Regardless, I will focus on the story of the minukmok of Quezon based on the stories I learned from the Experience Quezon 2016 Media Tour . Minukmok main ingredients... Here's how a minukmok is made: Peel the saba (s). Place the peeled saba(s) in the mortar and pestle. Pound it continuously until it is mushy. Add the sugar and then pound it again until it is well blended. So how does

The province of Quezon has always been close to my heart. As a matter of fact, my X chromosomes are from the bloodlines of the hardworking natives of the province while my Y chromosomes, on the other hand, are from the oragon people of Albay.  Experience Quezon 2016: Discovering New Destinations That's why, when I got an email from the Quezon Tourism Office inviting me to participate in a media tour of their province, I immediately said yes. For me, it's like coming back home and exploring each part of the hose more thoroughly. The 4-day event goes from May 13-16, 2016 Check out our bus! My media and blogger friends Experience Quezon 2016: Discovering New Destinations is a 4-day media tour event that aims to promote new and potential tourist destinations in the province. Aside from that, the tour also promotes the unique delicacies that the province has to offer. Check out the places that we visited, cuisines that we tested, and festivals that we joined in our 4-d