Visiting the Capas National Shrine in Tarlac

04 November 2018

So on our last day in Tarlac, we didn't want to leave without going to places that we've never been and that's how we ended up going to the Capas National Shrine.

The Capas National Shrine used to be the Capas Concentration Camp where Filipino and American soldiers were detained and imprisoned by the Japanese Imperial Forces after the Fall of Bataan.  More than 30,000 of these soldiers died here and were buried in mass graves.   The Shrine was built to commemorate these fallen soldiers.

As we walked around the shrine, we saw the Obelisk, the Memorial Wall (with the engraved names of the fallen), the Esplanade and took refuge from the heat amidst the many trees.

Review: L Square Hotel in Tarlac City

04 November 2018

The L Square Hotel in Tarlac was our home for 3 days and 2 nights, from November 02 to November 04 due to a death in the family that brought us back to this city.

We had a pleasant enough stay and this post will highlight what we loved about the place and will also include some bits of it that could be improved.

L Square Hotel is located at KM 120, MacArthur Highway, Barangay San Rafael, Tarlac City.

Returning to Tarlac due to a death in the family

02-04 November 2018

On November 02, we all headed to Gerona, Tarlac to pay our last respects to our Uncle Bebot who passed away last October 30.  He was 70.

It's sad to think that we only really make time to see our distant family and relatives when there's a death in the family.   As I write this post, I realized that the last time we visited was in 2015!  Time flew so fast. 

Uncle Bebot, we are glad to have met you and spent time with you even if it was a short while. 

Travel: Tarlac Trip - Day 3, Monasterio de Tarlac

January 18, 2015

The Pool

Today was our last day in Tarlac and we still had a lot of fun even without the pool.  Though we woke up a little late because of our long day yesterday, we still had energy for one more road trip.  It also occurred to us to check how Manila was since Pope Francis was going to pass by our house but there weren't any posts about it on Facebook yet hehe.  So with time to kill, the kids just went around and took pictures. :)

We drove the Mazda 6 that Patrick used in the Canonball 1000 event.  As a passenger, it's such a sweet and comfortable ride.  But I can sense the responsiveness of the machine when Patrick changes lanes or when he has to overtake someone on the expressway.  But it's such a huge car that parking in our garage was cramped that the vehicles needed to touch noses to fit LOL Our garage is "old-school" meaning it's a relic of the past so it's cramped for big modern cars hehehe

"Sharknado"

Uncle Bebot's place had a lot of plants and we loved the flowers.  Some of them were dying from the cold though.

JR was the one who took us on today's road trip/tour since Ate Pinky and Kuya George's family went to Boracay :)  He had heard that we took a scenic drive yesterday and he recommended that we try a different route, this time with the Monasterio De Tarlac as the ultimate goal.  The Monasterio de Tarlac is located in San Jose, Tarlac and is known for having a Relic of the Holy Cross.  It also has a 30-foot statue of the Risen Jesus which is a favorite spot for visitors since it overlooks the whole area.

The drive to Monasterio de Tarlac took around 1 hour from Gerona.  We drove through Tarlac City where we took a right toward Uniwide Mall and then on to Carangian Bridge.  It's pretty much a straight drive.  We went in the direction of the Tarlac Recreation Center and the Tarlac Eco-Tourism Park in Bgy. Lubigan, San Jose, Tarlac.

At the Monasterio de Tarlac, there were a lot of people, primarily because it's Sunday and there were also exhibits of Pope Francis.  We weren't able to go around that much also because it was raining a bit.  We had to park a few ways away at a hill which was precisely why JR drove the Nissan Patrol.

After all that climbing, we headed to the snack shop/resto next to the souvenir shop.  We didn't stay long because there were a lot of people.  We just ate our snacks (siopao, chicharon and C2 iced tea) in the car.

The trip going back seemed to be shorter for some reason.  Still, we were hungry by the time we reached the Urdu restaurant in Tarlac City.  We placed our orders and in a short while we were eating really good and affordable food.  JR said that Urdu is mostly known for its catering services but we were still lucky that they haven't decided to close down their restaurant.

Dylan's order: Hamburger

my order: clubhouse sandwich

Patrick's order:  beef pot roast

This was the end of our road trip and we headed back to the house soon after.  JR had to go by the store while we got ready to go back home.  We did pass by the store to say goodbye to both JR and Tita Auring and to offer our thanks for letting us stay in their home.

On our way back, we stopped at the Shell of Asia and had dinner at Chowking.  We came at the right time since we already had our orders and were eating our hearts out when the people started converging and lining up at the counter.  It was really cold by then since it had been raining steadily since we left Tarlac.

When we were done eating, we walked around the place since it was our first time to stop here.  Patrick naturally went to the Puma Outlet store.  We stayed outside and waited for him to get Sharknado (that's what we named the Mazda 6) so we didn't have to get wet from the rain.

At the toll booth, Patrick decided to let Nodame (the teddy bear) drive LOL  There was a long line you see and he was getting bored LOL

For the trip back, we paid a total of  P380 on toll fees.  P58 for TPLEX, P104 for SCTEX and P218 for NLEX.

This was such a productive Tarlac trip and we're so happy and grateful for the experience.  Dana even commented while at the Monasterio that it was such a cool thing to do before she went back to school.

  

Travel: Tarlac Trip - Day 2

January 17, 2015

Yesterday, we found out that the swimming pool can't be used by the kids because the filter was broken.  Apparently, someone was rather lazy in cleaning the buildup on the tiles and was simply using a chemical to "clean" the pool.  This ultimately clogged up the filter totally causing it to fail.

However, I considered it a blessing in disguise because it meant that we had all the time in the world to explore Tarlac.  The kids were playing with their cousins and having a grand time even without the pool. So Patrick and I went to the Tadeos' market spot in the town square and we did a bit of walking around too.  

Gerona Public Market

Gerona Town Hall

This was the first time I've ever walked around Gerona but Patrick seemed to know his way around from previous trips when he was a kid.  He said there was a lot that has changed but essentially everything is still the same.

In the afternoon, Kuya George, Patrick and I went for a road trip.  Kuya George wanted to test the Mazda 6 for himself and it was a treat that Patrick was driving one for this trip.  From Gerona, we drove around Moncada with its quaint Spanish houses then went on to Paniqui and Camiling.  Kuya George wanted to show Patrick a new, shorter path in going to Lingayen, Pangasinan.  It was practical to know these things from someone who's a native around the place.  The drive was awesome!  Lots of scenic views, mostly of farmlands.  Every once in a while you'll see huge houses/mansions that were built by people who worked abroad.  As we reached Camiling, the mountain ranges of Zambales were clearly very visible.  Here is a short clip of the scenery we passed on the way there.

On the way back, Kuya George stopped at the St. Jose Maria Escriva Parish Church in Magaspac, Gerona, Tarlac.  It is the first and only Diocesan Parish of the Opus Dei in Asia.  The Parish was established in February 2003 but the construction of the actual Church began in 2010 and was blessed in February 14, 2014.  The Church was designed by Father Alex Bautista who was himself an architect before he became a priest.

The Church is simple and subtle on the exterior which is why you'll be surprised when you get inside.  It's bold yet not flashy.  It's extremely well-thought of and I especially loved the Baptistry.  It's private and can probably accommodate 50 people.

View from the back

Close up of the altar

The ceiling

Baptism Altar

Where the Child is Baptized

Close up of the Baptistry Font

Where you dip your fingers in Holy Water

The Confessionals

Because of the long drive, embarrassing as it is to admit it, we all needed a trip to the restroom.  I was so amazed at the completeness of the restroom that I couldn't help but take pictures of the interior of the girls' restroom of the Church.  It had a bidet sprayer, tissue paper, soap, strong running water and it was so clean!

To see more pictures and to know more about the St. Josemaria Escriva Parish Church, you can visit their Facebook site here or through the Tarlac website here.