The one-hour cruise takes the diners to an hour-long lunch buffet with the great view of the Looc river. Onbard the covered raft, a sumptuous Bohol-inspired dishes paired with a pair of musician and singer combo for entertainment. 

The cruise will pass thru and dock on another flaoting raft (balsa) with an orchestra of ukolele players and dancers singing local songs while tourists are enourage to join in the revelry. One of the more challenging dance moves include the tinikling. 

Loboc is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is mere 24 km away from Tagbilaran City, the provincial capital of Bohol. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 16,299 people. It is the Music Capital of Bohol.

Loboc is known for its floating restaurants along the scenic and winding Loboc River. Tourists also come to see the tarsier, a small nocturnal animal with large eyes, one of the world’s smallest primates in the world.

You might wonder why the river water looks yellowish-green. This is because of the soil content that’s mixed with rainwater flowing down the mountains (some sort of algae that turns greenish when exposed to the sunlight).

Organized by the country’s oldest orchid and plant society, the exposure and wellness trip aims to treat the members as well as guest to one of Southern Luzon best kept secrets that few people knows.

Itineraries: Gintong Talulot Orchids and Ornamental Plants Farm (Laguna). This farm is one of the largest producer of semi-terete and quarter terete vandas for cutflower and top cuts in Laguna, the farm is also known for its high quality ornamental plants.

Golden Petals Orchids and Ornamental Farm (Sto. Tomas, Batangas)

One of the leading supplier of strap-leaf vandas in Batangas and adjacent areas, The farm also boast of native orchids such as Phalaenopsis schilleriana or Tiger orchid as well as other rare ornamental plants such as anthuriums and birds nest fern .

Earth Keepers Organic Farm and Garden (Tiaong, Quezon)

The farm boast of organically grown vegetables, fruits and organically grown farm animals such as pigs. Experience how traditional massage relieves tensions and relaxes your mind and soul.

Ugo Bigyan Potteries

Traditional Filipino potteries and the art of making these pots. Exported to Japan and other parts of the world. See and experience how these magnificent pots are created.

Fee: P 800 for Philippine Orchid Society members and P1,000 for non-members
Tour Date: March 29, 2008 (Saturday)
Assembly Place and Pick-up Points: Manila Seedling Bank Compound at 5:30 to 6:00 am
Magallanes Station at 6am to 6:30 am

Trip is inclusive of breakfast, lunch and merienda

Contact information :
THE PHILIPPINE ORCHID SOCIETY Headquarters
Unit 209 Delsa Mansion, Scout Borromeo corner Scout Torillo Streets,
Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City, Philippines
JENNY RIVERA – Executive Secretary at (0917)848-5468
or (02)929-4425
Lawrence Chan- Corporate Secretary (0919)390-1671
Email: philorchidsociety@yahoo.com

Dubbed Viajeng Cucina Matua (The Old Kitchen Tour), the food trip is slated this July 22, 2007.

The Kapampangan cuisine is highly regarded as one of the most delicious in the Philippines . Discover their age-old secrets and explore the rich culture of Pampanga through this one -of-a-kind cultural culinary experience.

Itinerary

Departure from M.M. (6:30 )
Breakfast – Cucina ng Atching Lillian Borromeo
Merienda – Betis Crafts
Lunch – Cucina ng Kong Andy qng Alvis Farm
A Glimpse of Betis Church – dubbed as the Sistine Chapel of the Philippines
Merienda – Villa Epifania

Ocampo-Lansang Delicacies

Dinner – Cucina nang Atching May qng Gosioco House
Departure from Pampanga
Arrival M.M. ( 10:00PM)

Like they always say, the best dishes are the ones made at home – and we will bring you straight there.

Tour Fee is at Php 2, 500 for the whole food trip and cultural tour inclusive of the transportation and travel insurance.

* This also serves as a YTRiP fundraiser. If you would like more details and for reservations, please email youthtrip@gmail.com, clareamador@gmail.com, or text 0918-521-1087. Thank you!

Most of my friends tell me that one of the must-visit places we should check out is the strawberry fields as farmers would allow us to pick the strawberry ourselves. So, even if the strawberry plantation was a good 45 minute taxi ride (and I have to shell out Php200 per hour to the taxi driver), we head off to see the place for ourselves.

Unfortunately, there was nothing to pick — maybe because they all had to harvest early to avoid the fruits being damaged by the continuous rain. Not sure really so we had to contend with ones already in their baskets.

Must really be a bad month for starwberries as the ones we got were not really that good and weren’t cheap at all (I think it was Php 280/kilo). I don’t eat strawberries though.

[tag]Baguio City, Strawberries[/tag]

The Biscocho bakeshop has been there for decades and it hasn’t changed much. Their stores are almost always packed with people buying Ilonggo delicacies from butterscotch, barquillos, piyaya, banana marble, and of course the ever famous biscocho (toasted bread coated with milk and sugar).

One of the older and bigger shops can be found in the district of Jaro, just across the road from Jaro Plaza and Cathedral. If you are in a hurry for your flight, you can get some of them at the Iloilo Airport itself.

SM and Gaisano supermarkets may also have them but they might not be as freshly baked as the ones you buy from the main branch.

When you visit the island of Guimaras in the Western Visayas region, you will see hundreds and hundreds of mango trees planted along the provincial roads. A majority of these plantations are found in the municipality of Jordan and the newly constituted municipality of Sibunag just west of the island.

The National Mango Research Institute has been doing a lot of research studies with the Guimaras variety which grows to just around 25 to 30 feet, unlike the bigger carabao mango varieties.

The local mango is being aggressively protected by the provincial government and local laws have been passed to prevent contamination of the strain. Up to today, no individual is allowed to bring in mangoes into Guimaras for fear that fruit diseases and bugs might infect the local variety.

Guimaras mangoes are processed locally and are exported directly to Europe, US and Japan fresh, or processed (candied, syrup, flavored delis and chips). A kilo of green mangoes can be bought at about Php25 to Php35 per kilo depending on the time of the year. However, these prices would shoot up to 3 to 4 times its local price once they are shipped to Metro Manila.