The Backpack Adventures

Located in Caridad, Cavite City in the province of Cavite, Don Ladislao Diwa Shrine is the resting place of Don Ladislao Diwa - one of the founders of the KKK (Kataastaasang, Kagalanggalangan, Katipunan) which is the revolutionary group that fought for independence of the Philippines.   Don Ladislao Diwa Shrine Don Ladislao Diwa Shrine History It was on November 30, 1996, that Don Ladislao Diwa's mortal remains were transferred to the mausoleum on the grounds of what is now known as Don Ladislao Diwa Shrine . During my visit to Cavite City, I brought with me a list of places to visit in the said place and the shrine was one of those that I highlighted and planned to visit.  Don Ladislao Diwa Shrine - Cavite City Since I was not using GPS at that time, I had a hard time locating Don Ladislao Diwa Shrine . The funny thing was, the locals seem to not even know about its location too. Lucky for me though, I got to ask an old lady who remembers very clearly the unique-looking sh

I have been to a lot of places and experienced a lot of different adventures in my 28 years of existence. However, my recent trip to the province of Abra redefined my idea of what adventure really is. Operation Angalo 2015 This memorable trip happened last June 2015. I was invited by my good friend  Terence Sy  of  Skunkworks Customs  to join a  group of 4x4 enthusiasts for a Medical Mission to Abra dubbed  Operation Angalo . Since I don't have a customized 4x4, (my Ford Escape lacks needed modifications) I hopped in and joined Terence's crew in his modified Nissan Patrol. Operation Angalo 2015 Preparing for the long trip ahead Here's my ride for this operation Passing through Abra Arch   Stuck and flat - summary of our first river crossing Sabnangan Footbridge at Luba, Abra One of the 4x4s crossing the river (on a raft) We left Manila on a Thursday afternoon and met up with the other teams in Pasig City. We then pushed on and drove the whole nigh

Our mountaineering adventure today takes us to one of the most famous (and destructive) volcanoes in the Philippines - Mt. Pinatubo .  Mt. Pinatubo Mt. Pinatubo Details  Located in the provinces of Tarlac, Pampanga, and Zambales, Mt. Pinatubo is actually a volcano that once stood at about 1,745 meters above sea level. However, its powerful 1991 eruption reduced it to almost half its size. It now stands 960 meters above sea level. Mt. Pinatubo - Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales Speaking of Mt. Pinatubo 's historical 1991 eruption, Here are some trivia about it. Prior to the 1991 eruption, the last recorded eruption of the volcano happened some 500+ years ago. Ash from the eruption is said to have reached as far north as Russia. Ash from the eruption damaged several airborne planes. Ash from the eruption also caused massive casualties and damages to the nearby provinces when it got mixed with rain from the monsoon season. This deadly mixture is known as  a lahar . Speaking