Monday, January 24, 2011

Bacolor: Town Down Under (Your Feet)

Sunday is officially roadtrip day. I am definitely a lover of sleep, but making my Sunday a productive one is NOT a bad idea at all specially if i get to visit some places. First on my list was my Hometown (Bacolor). It is the place where i spent most of my childhood years before the town got all covered with lahar. 

That terrifying experience was still vivid to me until now. We were on the top of our house roof including other families while the "boiling cement like fluid" lahar washed away all other houses during the first eruption. It was the first time I felt so much fear. 

To most of you, it's the famous Barrio of "Santino", well as for me it will always be my "HOME". Can't wait to go back there again.. after 20 long years. Memories came rushing in when i visited our place, nothing left though, nothing to see but tall grass since everything was washed away including our two-storey ancestral house. But happiness and excitement really filled my heart upon my visit. sooon Bacolor, soooon we'll be reunited again. 

I took some pictures of the San Guillermo Church, our small parish in San Vicente and some houses covered with lahar. These are some of the lahar ruins you'll see when you visit the place. Half of the San Guillermo Church was buried in lahar. They preserved the place and rebuilt what's left of it. 

Big thanks to my brother for being my partner in crime for the day. Can't wait for more roaaaaadtrip sundays! Who's in? 

San Guillermo Parish Church
Some itsy bitsy MUST KNOW FACTS about the Church and our Hometown.
At the Church museum...

    
 A painting of the Church, this is how it looked before the volcanic eruption.
Some relics at the little museum.

Ang "Kampana" (The Century Old Church Bell)
Inside the restored Church.
San Vicente Parish (They had a day care before at the back of the parish. It was my first school.)

 These are just some of the lahar ruins you'll see when you visit Bacolor. It's more than 20 years now after the eruption. I hope they try to preserve them.
One of the secret passages you'll encounter. You won't believe that there is a "way" that will lead you to newly built houses (returning locals) and barrios.

How to get here: 
Bacolor is just a 30 minutes drive from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Clark) and only an hour drive from Manila.

Via Commute: From Manila, You can take any Bus going to Olongapo and tell them you will alight at SM Pampanga (San Fernando). From SM you can go to the jeep terminal near Starbucks and take the jeep going to Betis-Guagua. It will pass near the Bacolor town proper and the church is just blocks away. 

From Clark Airport: Ride jeep or taxi going to SM Clark. Then you can take any jeep bound to SM Pampanga (San Fernando) or San Fernando. If coming from Mac Arthur Highway you can alight at San Fernando Intersection, Near Mcdonalds. There is a jeep terminal going to Betis or Guagua. Tell them to drop you at San Guillermo Church, Bacolor. 


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! Amazing! How do you get to this place? I really wanted to visit historical places all over the Philippines and get to know their background.

Kara said...

Bacolor is the next town after San Fernando. You won't have a hard time finding it. From Manila, pass NLEX then take San Fernando Exit. Just go straight to Olongapo Gapan Road then you'll see some road signs leading to the place. You'll definitely enjoy the place and you can also go to Bale Marangle if you love exotic foods. Hope i can blog about that soon. I just need that "push" to eat in that resto. haha

ResyRosita said...

hi baby! hehe! :) good job on the first 2 entries! keep it up!!! :)

Kara said...

Hi baby! thank you so much. now i'm inspired to make a new entry. haha! miss you much.

Anonymous said...

Thanks! I'll try to remember that. Hope I find time to check that out.