The Backpack Adventures

Every Holy Week, my family and I go out of town on a pilgrimage tour to visit churches as part of our Catholic culture. This is also known as Visita Iglesia . For our 2017 Visita Iglesia , we headed south to the provinces of Batangas and Quezon . Unlike the previous years where we only visit Spanish-era or historical churches, we decided to have a mix of shrines and churches in this year's Visita Iglesia itinerary. 2017 Batangas - Quezon Visita Iglesia Here's where we went on our 2017 Batangas & Quezon Visita Iglesia : National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio  in Sto. Tomas, Batangas Because of the distance of our house from our target provinces, our three-car convoy left home early to avoid traffic and headed to our first destination which is the St. Pio National Shrine in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. It is a quaint shrine tucked in the inner part of town. We spent almost two hours here doing the Stations of the Cross and exploring its different structures. The bell tow

Located in the town of Agdangan in Quezon province, the Luminous Cross of Grace Sanctuary is a Catholic tower and sanctuary built beside the town's parish church. Luminous Cross of Grace Sanctuary Luminous Cross of Grace Sanctuary History Standing 120 feet tall, the Luminous Cross of Grace Sanctuary is the brainchild of Fr. Raul "Puti" Enriquez. The inspiration to build a sanctuary in Agdangan came to him sometime in 2003 during the time when  jueteng  (a local type of gambling)   and excessive drinking plagued the small coastal town.  Luminous Cross of Grace Sanctuary - Agdangan, Quezon The sanctuary is just beside St. Isidore Parish Church Reminds me of Seattle Space Needle Collective visions and dreams of several people about the sanctuary brought together important people who played a big role in the movement to build the sanctuary in 2004. Construction took a few years and was finished in 2007. According to our guide Ms. Yam Maglaqui , the sanctuar

The province of Quezon's location which is only 3-4 hours away southeast of Manila, makes it an ideal place for a weekend getaway. The province offers plenty of things to do, eat, and see that is perfect for those looking for an adventure.  Top 10 Things to Do in Quezon If it's your first time visiting the province, here's my Top 10 Things to Do in Quezon : 1. Go on a pilgrimage to  Kamay ni Hesus  in Lucban. 2.  Go food-tripping and try out Quezon's numerous delicacies. 3. Go on a  Visita Iglesia  to the numerous Spanish colonial-era churches of Quezon. 4. Learn how to surf in  the PaRK  in the town of Real. 5.  Have a quick stopover and take a selfie with  Atimonan's Sirena . 6. Check out the old houses in Sariaya 7. Hike Mt. Mirador aka  Pinagbanderahan  and check out its caves as a side trip.  8. Drive through the famous  Zigzag Road  aka Eme Road in Pagbilao and Atimonan. 9. Spend a night and fall in love with  Cagbalete Island .

Located in front of Zigzag Park in the Atimonan part of the Quezon Protected Landscape , Quezon Herbal Pavilion is one of the newest tourist attractions of the municipality of Atimonan. Quezon Herbal Pavilion Quezon Herbal Pavilion history The Quezon Herbal Pavilion was built on May 26, 2015, in what was once an ill-managed picnic area of the Quezon Protected Landscape . This project of Governor David "Jay-jay" Suarez aimed to improve that and also promote the benefits of herbs in preparation for launching Quezon province as the herbal capital of the country.  Quezon Herbal Pavilion - Atimonan, Quezon Welcome to one of Quezon's newest tourist destination Ready to walk up a bit? We frequently drive through the Zigzag Road (also known as Eme Road by the locals) on our way to my mom's hometown in Atimonan , Quezon. However, it was during the Experience Quezon Media Tour last 2016 that I first saw the pavilion. During that time, the pavilion was about 70-