A Church, A Museum, A Historical Landmark

Intramuros, Manila has many popular sites that have attracted its visitors and among them is the San Agustin Church. The building itself is a historical landmark and it has its own museum attached to it.

The Church of San Agustin is the oldest stone church in the Philippines. It was constructed from 1586 to 1606 under the consecutive supervision of Augustinian Fathers. The building was so stable that the periodic earthquakes produced minimal damage.  Terms for the surrender of Manila to the Americans by the Spaniards were discussed in the church in 1898. Damaged in the Battle of Manila in 1945 when the Americans liberated the Philippines from the Japanese. It was repaired years after the war. The first Philippine plenary council was held here in 1953. One of the four Baroque Churches of the Philippines inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993 by UNESCO.

It is located along Gen. Luna Street besides the CBCP building and just across the Casa Manila. The museum is on the right side where a monastery previously stands. Its visitors during hours where there is no mass are mostly tourist, even non-Catholic tourists. The museum charges 100 pesos for entrance fee.

The entrance room is not that stylish but still stimulates interest. The very first thing a visitor sees is the large bell at the center of the room. It is quite dark so some of the paintings are hard to see.

The museum is a two – story square gallery that you will walk clock-wise and is enclosing a garden with a fountain on the center. Visitors can take pictures with no flash along the walkway. There are a few rooms however where picture taking is not allowed. On the easternmost part of the museum is a burial chamber where the ashes of early Spanish conquerors and former priests now rest.

At the left of the first walkway is an entrance leading to the church. Figures of four saints are placed on this door.

The church walls and ceiling are elegantly designed. Images are artistically made and are on display on each corner of the church. The church choir has 68 carved molave seats with narra inlaid and an artistic book-stand.

The grand stairway of the museum only has a faint light.

The second floor has more lighting making it easy for me to take clear photos. Majority of the exhibits here are paintings but there is a separate room for artifacts. The religious library is also located here although its conservation and organization is still on-going.

The entire visit to the church and its museum will take about half to one hour, though it might take longer if you wish to know more about the details. Overall the visit to the church of San Agustin is a great experience, especially if you are a devoted catholic.

Nuvali boat ride and fish feeding

        We finally made our long anticipated trip to Nuvali, Sta. Rosa. Nuvali is Ayala Land’s project that combines commercial, housing, educational and recreational areas. We reached Solenad 1 which boasts its man made lake with a massive number of koi at around 10 am. The time is just right when the heat of the sun is not at its fullest but it would have been better if we arrived earlier.

        There is supposed to be not a lot of people going around in the morning but coincidentally, there was a school field trip at that time. With a lot of kids around, fish feeding has not been peaceful but we are not bothered because we also love a lively atmosphere. 

        All the kids endured the sun’s heat and enjoyed fish feeding. You can buy fish feeds at the booth near the lake for only 15.00 per pack.

        This was the first time we’ve seen so many koi. The energetic koi competes for better position in catching the fish feeds that is thrown at them.

        Another attraction of Solenad 1 is riding a boat around the lake. They charge 30 pesos per person. The mass of people wanting to ride the boat is plenty and the majority of them were kids. We were lined up in groups of 12 and patiently waited for our turn. 

        After a few minutes of waiting, we can no longer tolerate the rising heat of the sun. So, we hid under the ample shade of trees near the docks. I think that the administrators should have placed more shelters.

        Life jackets are provided for passengers. 

        The boat ride is approximately 15 minutes around the man made lake with a tunnel and several fountains as an added attraction.

        There are also restaurants, a shopping center and a small play area near the lake for visitors to refreshed up and rest when the sun’s heat is too much to take.

       Despite the heat, the visit to Solenad 1 in Nuvali was surely fun and we also met new friends. If you want to visit Solenad 1 in the future, I recommend to bring bottled water. If possible, arrived at early morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the extreme heat.

The UPLB Museum of Natural History

Do you want to see a tamaraw skeleton or a king cobra prepared to attack? Do you want to see an assembly of remarkable rocks and sea shells? These and other things that have formed Mother Nature can be found here at the UPLB Museum of Natural History!

The Museum of Natural History was established on September 30, 1976 by the University of the Philippines. It has a varied collection that showcases the Philippines’ rich biodiversity. It consists of preserved biological and zoological specimens, by-products of microorganism and serves as a reference for documentation, research, and information.

The Museum of Natural History is a continuation of our (me and my family) tour on Mount Makiling forest reserve. It is just a few meters away from the Makiling Botanic Garden and can be seen on the left side of the road when going up the mountain.

Curiosity to see the collections has brought us here. The museum at that time was really crowded. A school was presently conducting their educational field trip when we got there. Although jam-packed, we are not disappointed at the timing of our visit. The rooms filled with students have made it livelier.

The Museum is a two-storey building. At the ground floor is the cave biodiversity that exhibits bats and the marine biodiversity exhibit which features a large jaw of a sperm whale, different kinds of shells and marine life bones. Preserve animals and skeletons can also be found here.

Wandering around the museum is really entertaining as we are also being educated. The preserve animals were group together according to their environment, such as grassland, rain forest and beach forest. We are glad that we bring along our six year old daughter here.

The second floor is where we found the collection of mushrooms, rocks, insects and by-products of microorganism. I did not enjoy looking at the insects though I loved the collection of amazing rocks.

For the preservation of some of the exhibits, the only part of the Museum with air-conditioning is the marine life exhibit. So I advice those who want to visit the Museum to bring refreshments with you.

The Museum is open Mondays to Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Museum accepts walk-in visitors. For advanced booking / reservations for large groups such as class field trips, please contact their Booking Coordinator:

Ms. Lita Borromeo
Administrative Officer
+63 (049) 536-3669

Or email mnh@uplb.edu.ph or mnhuplb@gmail.com
Rates
Adult: P 20.00 (High school and college students, professionals and other adults)
Children: P 10.00 (Pre-schoolers and grades-schoolers)

The Museum of Natural History also accepts donations for the maintenance and development of more interesting exhibits in the future.

How to get to there:
By Public Transport:
1. Board a bus ( BLTB Bus, Green Star Bus, JAM or JAC Liner) at the terminal in Cubao or Taft Avenue bound for Sta. Cruz Laguna.
2. Get off at Los Baños Junction.
3. Ride a jeepney to UPLB College of Forestry and tell the driver to drop you at the UPLB Museum of Natural History.
Tip: Raise your index finger (aka pointer finger) as a sign for jeepney drivers that you will go up along the College of Forestry.

By Private Transport:
1. From Manila drive to South Luzon Express Way (SLEX) and take the Calamba Exit.
2. Take the National Highway to Lopez Avenue in Los Baños.
3. Turn right onto Lopez Avenue.
4. Continue onto Jose R. Velasco Avenue.
5. Turn Left onto Narra.
6. Continue onto bridge.
7. Continue onto Domingo lantican Avenue.
8. Turn left onto Makiling

9. You will see the sign "Museum of Natural History" at your left side.

Makiling Botanic Garden

If you are a nature lover and currently around the province of Laguna, The Makiling Botanic Garden is a must see destination. It is a part of the Makiling Forest Reserve and is located at the lower elevations of the Molawin-Dampalit watershed. It is home to many species of tropical rain forest trees, palms, bamboos, plants and flowers. It serves as a research site on the preservation, conservation and development of forest and natural resources as well as recreational and tourism for the general public.

On our visit, a large concrete sign on the right side of the road informed us that we have reached the place. Vehicles are not allowed inside the garden. There is a space provided near the concrete sign to park the vehicles.

Once inside, the first thing we see is the recreational area. It has a pavilion, fountains and picnic areas. Though there is an abandoned swimming pool at the back of one of the picnic areas. It seems the administration has chosen not to maintain it.

The recreational area has a wide space and the trees around it provides shade, making the area perfect for picnics and for children to play and run around.

Walking ahead, we noticed a stair going down the Molawin creek. We went down carefully for some parts of the stairs are slippery.

We come across a tourist on the creek taking pictures of us and we took pictures of them in return. They are really friendly. The water on the creek is clean but has a grayish color, maybe it's because of the minerals for Mount Makiling is a dormant volcano.

We found concrete trails on different parts of the garden where we really enjoy nature while keeping in mind our safety and being alert for falling branches.

At the middle elevation of the botanic garden, two things are noticeable. The abandoned comport room filled with vines and a tree with fruits that smells like bananas.

Roaming around the garden, we have seen a lot of flowers and butterflies. And as we are about to leave, we have been lucky to see a group of birds called Tarictic Hornbill. These species of birds is one of the many birds of Mount Makiling.

We are tired of walking up and down the slopes but are satisfied with our experience.The Makiling Botanic Garden makes its visitors remember and realize the importance of preserving our environment and natural resources.

Makiling Botanic Garden also accepts school educational tours. For field trip bookings, guided walk arrandements and use of facilities, you can contact through telefax: (049) 536- 2637 or email: makiling.bg@gmail.com.

The Makiling Botanic Garden is open daily except holidays from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Entrance fee: P 20.00 per person.

How to get to there:
By Public Transport:
1. Board a bus ( BLTB Bus, Green Star Bus, JAM or JAC Liner) at the terminal in Cubao or Taft Avenue bound for Sta. Cruz Laguna.
2. Get off at Los Baños Junction.
3. Ride a jeepney to UPLB College of Forestry and tell the driver to drop you at Makiling Botanic Garden.
Tip: Raise your index finger (aka pointer finger) as a sign for jeepney drivers that you will go up along the College of Forestry.

By Private Transport:
1. From Manila drive to South Luzon Express Way (SLEX) and take the Calamba Exit.
2. Take the National Highway to Lopez Avenue in Los Baños.
3. Turn right onto Lopez Avenue.
4. Continue onto Jose R. Velasco Avenue.
5. Turn Left onto Narra.
6. Continue onto bridge.
7. Continue onto Domingo lantican Avenue.
8. Turn left onto Makiling
9. You will see the sign "Makiling Botanic Gardens" at your right side.

For more information, you can contact:
Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems
College of Forestry and Natural Resources
University of the Philippines Los Baños
College, Laguna, Philippines
Telefax: +63 49 536 3572
Email: mountmakiling.cfnruplb@yahoo.com