Feels Like the Netherlands: Our Wedding Anniversary Date in Crosswinds Tagaytay

Tagaytay — the city where me and My Beloved Wife has fond memories. This is the city, aside from Metro Manila and our hometown in Laguna, where we had our dates. Picnic Grove, Palace in the Sky, and many restaurants — we visited them all as a couple.

So, for our wedding anniversary, we went up to Tagaytay again for a date but this time we went to Crosswind Tagaytay.

Passing through the Gates of Crosswinds

I was actually shocked when we reached the entrance to Crosswinds Tagaytay as we are being asked to pay 500 pesos for the entrance fee!

I didn’t expect that Crosswinds Tagaytay is upfront when it comes money. I realize the reason why when a Google search revealed that this place is owned by Villar.

I didn’t let my shock ruin our date so enter the gates we go!

We were welcomed with pine trees and the beauty of nature that we couldn’t experience in our place in Laguna.

A few minutes drive later and we reached the place that “transported” somewhere in Netherlands.

There is a clock tower and even a windmill to complete the Netherlandish look.

Perfect for Instagram or FB DP.

There’s no other interesting spot in Crosswinds Tagaytay other than the view of the flatlands of Laguna and Batangas. Unfortunately, Taal Volcano is not visible from Crosswinds Tagaytay.

Dinner Date in Dear Joe

Of the few restaurants in Crosswinds Tagaytay, we chose to dine in Dear Joe.

The interior of this restaurant is stunning! It made me feel like being inside an old-style hacienda.

We chose to eat inside the restaurant. Although there is an option to dine al fresco.

Unlike other restaurants, Dear Joe requires customers to line up to place their order because they are short on staff and pay for their meal upfront maybe to prevent eat-and-run.

At least the long line gave me a good view of Dear Joe’s ice cream.

We ordered chips and roast beef, pizza, and pasta.

The food was great but quite expensive. The iced coffee, on the other hand, is so-so.

We had a great wedding anniversary celebration in Crosswinds Tagaytay. What made it special is that this trip just for the two of us since the kids let us go on our own so that we can enjoy each other (as per my daughter!).

Well I guess the Netherlandish view of Crosswinds Tagaytay added to that great experience.

.

Family Bonding in Tagaytay (Part 2): Going High in People's Park

After savoring bulalo in Taste Ride, our next destination is Tagaytay People's Park.

We rode the jeepney from Tagaytay Palengke to reach People’s Park. The ride is easy and there was no heavy traffic since it was a Friday. Heavy traffic in Tagaytay usually occurs during weekends and holidays.

Gate of Tagaytay People's Park

The entrance fee per person is 50 pesos. We were happy that kids below 7 years old are free of charge. So, we just paid the entrance fee for three people.

There is a jeepney near the gate for people who do not want to do the upward walk of around 300 meters to the “Palace in the Sky”. The jeepney fare is 15 pesos per person.

Road to the Palace in the Sky.

We decided to walk so that the kids will have some exercise and also for them to observe nature.

It was a tiring-but-in-good-way walk. The kids enjoyed looking at plants and trees, the birds flying above, the view of the lowlands, and the colorful wildflowers.

It seems like the absence of people during the pandemic allowed many plants to grow.

What didn't change is the "Palace in the Sky", which remained decrepit and abandoned.

Tagaytay People's Park in the Sky is also known as Palace in the Sky. It is indeed in the sky since it stands atop Mt. Sungay, which is the highest point in the whole Cavite Province. This mountain was a prominent landmark for ships navigating Manila Bay. It was topped with distinct rocks that look like horns, which is the reason for its name as Mt. Sungay.

The construction of Palace in the Sky, which was started in 1981 at the behest of Imelda Marcos, destroyed the “horns” of Mt. Sungay. The mountaintop was leveled and trees were cut. The farmers who were planting pineapples at the mountainside were driven away without any compensation.

The Marcoses decided to use the Palace in the Sky as accommodation for US President Ronald Raegan when he announced in November 1983 his visit to the Philippines. The visit did not push through and the government stopped the construction works.  

The construction of the palace truly ended when the Marcoses were ousted through People Power. What remained of what should have been an opulent palace is the unfinished shell that is now used as a viewing deck for tourists.

The Marcoses wasted $10 million according to the estimates of Chicago Tribune. It was said that President Corazon Aquino intentionally left Palace in the Sky abandoned to show to the public the excesses of the Marcoses.

President Fidel Ramos, seeing the tourist potential of the palace, approved its renovations. The place was made more tourist-friendly by adding benches, cottages, and interesting spots like the giant pineapple.

Viewing deck of Palace in the Sky.

The view from the palace is breathtaking. We were able to see three bodies of water: Laguna de Bay, Taal Lake, and Manila Bay.

Taal Lake and Taal Volcano from Palace in the Sky.

The kids oohed and aahed while they looked at the vast expanse of Laguna and majestic Taal Volcano.

Souvenir shops still occupy the ground floor of the palace.

My kids' favorite spot is…

…is the solitary pineapple that reminds our kids of Spongebob's house.

Near the pineapple is a real horse that visitors can have a selfie with for a fee. This reminded me of the disappointing selfie horse in Mines View Park in Baguio.

There is nothing much to do in People's Park other than relaxing and enjoying the good view.

Our visit to Tagaytay People's Park will never be complete without climbing the chapel for Our Lady, Mother of Fair Love.

On the roof of the chapel is the image of the Divine Mercy.

The statue of the Divine Mercy was sculpted by Marcial G. Bernales, who is a sculptor of religious icons and is well-known to santeros and icon collectors. He is considered a master sculptor and has been sculpting ivory for around half a century.

The rooftop is also a good vantage point overlooking Taal Lake. It is a good spot to take photos with Taal Volcano in the background.

Mt. Sungay was dedicated to Our Lady, Mother of Fair Love even before the beginning of the construction of the Palace in the Sky. In 1974, Hernan D. Reyes and four high schoolers from Opus Dei’s Lauan Study Center (now Lauan University Center) in Quezon City and a sculptor from a shop along EDSA (near West Ave.) installed a low relief image of Our Lady, Mother of Fair Love on the wall of a big granite rock atop Mt. Sungay.

It was a private shrine dedicated to Mama Mary that is only known to these high schoolers who frequented the inaccessible Mt. Sungay for excursions. According to Atty. Jose Sison, these high schoolers had a project of leaving Marian images atop the different mountains that they visited to show their veneration to the Mother of God. 

Our Lady, Mother of Fair Love

The huge granite rock blocks the good view of the planned Palace in the Sky. So the construction workers tried to destroy it, first by using their equipment, which did not work. They then used dynamites but the rock remained intact. The workers, after clearing the rock's surroundings, discovered the image of Mother of Fair Love previously installed by the high schoolers. The construction crew, probably awed with the discovery, understood why the granite rock is miraculously indestructible.

The image of Our Lady, Mother of Fair Love was copied from the image gifted by St. Josemaria Escriva to the University of Navarra in Spain. The image shows Mama Mary holding the infant or toddler Jesus standing on a pile of books. It was the perfect Marian image for students. 

The chapel was built to fully honor Our Lady, Mother of Fair Love. The chapel was formally inaugurated on February 14th of 2003 - Valentine's Day - by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who was the Bishop of Imus by that time.

The visit to the chapel completed our Tagaytay People's Park experience. And so we descended from the mountain and then went to our final stop: Tagaytay Picnic Grove.

- - -

Read more about our recent adventures in Tagaytay:

Family Bonding in Tagaytay (Part 1): A Taste of Bulalo in Taste Ride Tagaytay

Family Bonding in Tagaytay (Part 3): The Newly Improved Picnic Grove

---

References and Interesting Reads:

1. A Law Each Day (Keeps the Trouble Away) by Att. Jose Sison at PhilStar for the story on how the image of Our Lady, Mother of Fair Love reached Mt. Sungay.

2. Marcos' Mountain Palace is the House that Arrogance Built by Janet Crawley at Chicago Tribune, which told the story on how the Marcoses tried to build the Palace in the Sky. 

3. Palace in the Sky (Tagaytay City, Cavite) by Benjamin Layug, which tells the story of a visitor to the Palace in the Sky three years after the Marcoses were ousted through People Power.

4. GettyImages by Brent Stirton and "Tayuman store selling statue with ivory parts for P230,000" by Erika Sauler at Inquirer.NET, which provide interesting info about Marcial G. Berrnales (the sculptor of the Divine Mercy image in People's Park)

Family Bonding in Tagaytay (Part 1): A Taste of Bulalo in Taste Ride Tagaytay

Familia Ahab can now finally visit Tagaytay City!!!

Thanks to bloggers and vloggers, we are informed that Tagaytay now accepts visitors and their tourist spots: Picnic Grove and People's Park, allow kids to enter.

So, one Friday in the month of June, we climbed up to Tagaytay City. We chose to go to Tagaytay on a Friday to avoid the mass of weekend visitors and the heavy traffic that they bring. I didn't want to repeat our experience in the past when we walked more than a kilometer to reach Picnic Grove, or the agony of waiting for a jeepney going home.

It was around noon when we reached the palengke (Tagaytay Market) so we decided to have our lunch there. Since we are in Tagaytay, My Beloved Wife searched for a place to eat yummy bulalo.

The place that we found is…Taste Ride.

Taste Ride is a small restaurant just across the Tagaytay Palengke.

We were the only customers during our visit so we got our orders fairly quickly. This is quite different from our previous experience with the bulalo restaurant across Picnic Grove that made us wait for more than 1 hour because they are still buying beef meat in the palengke.

My Beloved Wife, of course, ordered bulalo

Bulalo is a flavorful beef soup composed of the stock made by boiling beef shanks and bone marrow for many hours. Bulalo is different from a regular beef soup because of its fall-off-the-bone meat and the melted collagen and fat. Many people just go to Tagaytay just for a taste of authentic bulalo, in fact many dubbed Tagaytay City as the “Bulalo Capital” of the Philippines. Bulalo is My Beloved Wife’s favorite and she always order bulalo whenever we are in Tagaytay.

On the other hand, Samuel the Firstborn requested the calamares

Our bulalo and calamares from Taste Ride Tagaytay.

For me, the bulalo of Taste Ride is OK and much better than the ones that we tasted in another Tagaytay restaurant in 2017. My Beloved Wife, meanwhile, said that Taste Ride's bulalo is OK but it is not the "bulalo" she’s craving for. Well, I guess our search for the best bulalo in Tagaytay is still on.

Koorah-Koorah Restaurant (2017) is the restaurant that made us wait
for more than an hour for their bulalo.

The calamares is also OK and was liked by my picky-eater kids.

All in all we paid 880 Pesos for a big bowl of bulalo, calamares, 4 servings of rice, and a bottle of coke.

We had a nice experience in dining at Taste Ride, maybe we will be back again - or not since we are on a journey to find the best bulalo in Tagaytay City.

- - -

Read more about our recent adventures in Tagaytay:

Family Bonding in Tagaytay (Part 2): Going High in People's Park

Family Bonding in Tagaytay (Part 3): The Newly Improved Picnic Grove

.

Visita Iglesia 2020: Holy Cross Church (Noveleta, Cavite)

"And as they were leading Him away, they apprehended a certain one, Simon of Cyrene, as he was returning from the countryside. And they imposed the cross on him to carry after Jesus." (Luke 23:26)

It was just an ordinary day for Simon. He just returned to Jerusalem from the countryside to do, maybe, ordinary things. Suddenly, he was forced to  do the extraordinary and be part of a terrifying spectacle. The soldiers pressed him to carry Jesus' cross.

About three weeks ago, many of us were living our ordinary lives and then the government declared lockdowns due to Wuhan Virus. Suddenly, all of us were forced to carry additional burdens. Some were pressed to carry heavier burdens by being frontliners. Others have crosses that crush them to the ground, particularly the beggars and the no-work-no-pay employees. 

Just like Simon of Cyrene, our ordinary lives were disrupted and we are pressed to carry an extraordinary cross. The question is: are we like Simon of Cyrene who carry the cross with Jesus? This is a good point to meditate while we are still in Enhanced Community Quarantine. 

Today is Holy Tuesday and the church that I will feature today fits Simon of Cyrene's predicament. That church is the Holy Cross Church in Noveleta, Cavite. 

Located in downtown Noveleta and hidden behind commercial establishments is the town's parish church dedicated to the Holy Cross.

Compared to other churches in the neighboring towns, the Holy Cross Parish Church is relatively new.

The reason for this is that the town of Noveleta was a barrio of Cavite El Viejo (now Kawit) for a long time. It only became a separate town in 1868 but it remained under the parish of Kawit. Noveleta got its independent parish when Holy Cross Parish was established in 1937.

Holy Cross Church is cozy since only two columns of pews can fit in front of the altar. There are additional chairs at the side but it faces the side altars. This arrangement is similar to the one I saw in the parish church of the nearby town of Rosario, Cavite.

The church’s altar is simple with only the big image of the crucified Jesus in the center.

The tabernacle is missing at the main altar because it was placed at the side altar.

I saw the same arrangement in the parish church of Rosario, Cavite. I don’t know if this is the typical arrangement for churches in this part of Cavite.

The parish is placed under the patronage of the Holy Cross and St. Helena of Constantinople, who is known for her search for the cross of Jesus.

Also honored in the church is Our Lady of Porta Vaga, who is considered the Queen and Patroness of the whole Province of Cavite.

Aside from the Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Porta Vaga and St. Helena, the people of Noveleta also honor Jesus Christ through the symbol of the Holy Cross.

Holy Cross during a procession in Noveleta. (Source: Holy Cross Parish FB page)

The cross is the symbol of shameful death for the pagan Romans. But for us Christians, we considered the cross as the victory of Jesus Christ and the symbol of our salvation. This Holy Week, may we put into our mind Jesus’ death on the cross and may we obey His command that we take up our crosses and follow Him.

- - -

Those who wish to contact the parish priest of Holy Cross Church should call telephone no. (046) 438-1921 or go to the Holy Cross Church Facebook page.

- - -

Prayer to the Holy Cross

Beautiful wood on which my Lord died, to give me eternal light and free me from the contrary one, before You I humble myself and reverently implore my Lord Jesus Christ, for the sufferings that over you He received in His Most Holy Passion, that you grant me the spiritual and corporal goods that may profit my soul.

Elevated before the world you are a luminous lantern that gathers around you the Christian faithful to intone songs of glory to Christ the King, the God-Man who, being the owner of all that was created, allowed Himself to be crucified on you for the redemption of the human race.

Over you an astounding mystery for the redemption of the entire World was performed which, since then, frees the Christian from original guilt and allows him to be called son of the Eternal God and aspire for Celestial Glory.

Blessed you be!

For centuries, you were among the pagans a symbol of battle and affront and yet today you are the emblem of the Christian and the hope of being forgiven by the sublime sacrifice of my Lord Jesus Christ, Whom we wait to serve and honor for all eternity. Amen

Holy Cross of my Jesus, He expired to give us light; today I give you my reverence.

O, Precious and Holy Cross!

The path that you mark for us in this world, we will follow, and may the Cross we always embrace, and with your symbol, overcome the world. At your feet today I find myself, my Divine Redeemer, make it so that with holy patience, I carry in the world my own cross.

May Thy Holy Cross descend and extend itself over all evil and danger; may the Holy Cross defend us.

O Omnipotent God, who suffered on the Cross death so as to redeem us from our own sins:

O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, be my true light.

O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, have pity on me.

O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, be my hope.

O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, distance from me all fear from death.

O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, overflow in my soul everlasting good.

O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, distance from me all evil and misfortune.

O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, make me enter into the path of salvation.

O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, preserve me from all temporal and corporal accidents so that I may adore you always as my Nazarean Jesus, to whom I implore to have mercy over me.

Make it so that all visible or invisible malignant spirits flee from me for ever and ever. Amen

In honor of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ and of his most painful death; in honor of His Resurrection and his Divine Incarnation through which He leads us to Eternal Life; that, just as it is most certain that Jesus Christ was born on Christmas, that He was crucified on Holy Friday, that Joseph and Nicodemus removed Jesus Christ from the Holy Cross, and that Jesus Christ Ascended into Heaven, that He deign to free me from the attacks of my enemies, visible as well as invisible, from today forward, for ever and ever, Amen

All most powerful God, in your hands I place my soul, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Anna and Joaquim, my Jesus, for the bitterness you suffered for me, on the most Holy Cross, principally when Your Sacred Soul separated from Your body, have pity on my soul when it separates from this world.

O Jesus, grant me the valor to bear my cross in imitation of Yours: teach me to carry with patience all the sufferings and my fear, and may they all be transformed into virtue.

May the Omnipotence of the Father deign to cover me with the Love and Wisdom of the Holy Spirit; deign to receive and lead my soul to Eternal Life, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. So be it. Amen

- - -

(Source: My Catholic Life)

We are now in the second church for our virtual Visita Iglesia so we pray the:

Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross

Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

If you missed the earlier stations, I suggest that you visit the churches that we featured earlier in this year’s virtual Visita Iglesia:

Palm Sunday: Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord

Holy Monday: Our Lady of Sorrows Church

- - -

References:

Devotion to the Holy Cross of Jerusalem from Catholic Truth
Holy Cross Church Facebook page

.

Historical Cavite: The Casa Tribunal of Noveleta

There is an old house that always arouses my curiosity every time I visited my in-laws in the town of Noveleta. It is not the age of the house nor its Spanish architectural style that makes me wonder but its being out-of-place in the town of chaotic concrete.

The house in question is the Casa Tribunal, which is not a house but actually the former municipal hall of Noveleta. This was once the town’s center of authority during the Spanish Period until after the end of the Second World War when the municipal mayor's office was transferred to a new building a few meters away.

The municipal government does not know what to do with Casa Tribunal after it vacated its premises. Casa Tribunal became a school then turned into a library and children’s clinic. After being vacant for many years, Casa Tribunal became the provincial library and then become the office of the Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas or the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), which also vacated the place eventually.

Nowadays, Casa Tribunal is always closed or at least closed whenever I was in town. Thus, I was only able to take photos of its exterior.

It was unfortunate that I was not able to enter Casa Tribunal. The house holds plenty of cultural and historical treasures as seen in this Youtube video. 

Inside Casa Tribunal featuring a painting of the Battle of Calero Bridge. (Source: Noveleta Town Youtube)

Casa Tribunal is the last standing heritage building in the area. All the buildings around it are made of modern concrete. The palenque, the new municipal hall, and even the town's church are of modern architectural style.

Holy Cross Parish Church in Noveleta, Cavite.

It is sad that Casa Tribunal is relegated to the side, hidden and ignored by the current residents of Noveleta. Its condition is a far cry to its major place in the history of Cavite. Casa Tribunal is the place where Tagalog revolutionaries tasted one of their major victories.

While Andres Bonifacio and his katipunero battled it out with the Spanish colonial forces in Manila and Bulacan, the Caviteños made their move on the 31st day of August 1896. The Tagalog revolutionaries simultaneously attacked the government forces in General Trias (formerly San Francisco de Malabon), Pasong Kalabaw, Kawit, and Noveleta. The attack is now called as the “First Cry of Cavite”.

The katipunero of Sangguniang Magdiwang attacked the government forces stationed in Noveleta. The attack was commanded by Mariano Alvarez, who is the capitan municipal of Noveleta and also the head of the Magdiwang faction. He is also the uncle of Gregoria de Jesus, who is Andres Bonifacio’s wife. Pascual Alvarez, Mariano’s nephew, led the attack in Casa Tribunal, where they killed Capitan Antonio Rebolledo and Tenyente Francisco Naval of the Guardia Civil. They also captured some soldiers of the Guardia Civil.

Cuartel de la Guardia Civil occupied by revolutionaries, 1897. (Source: ABC Foto)

Mariano Alvarez is now considered a great hero of Cavite. In fact, the town of GMA is named after him. The Battle of Noveleta is not his first brush with the Spanish authorities. He was earlier placed on the death row after he gave an Spanish infantry officer a dirty water to drink. He was sentenced to death but was released through the intervention of the provincial governor due to the protest of the townsfolk. Later on, he was suspected to be part of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny. The authorities placed him in solitary confinement with his neck and feet chained to the prison walls. He was sent to Manila to be executed but was released.

Mariano Alvarez (Source: GMA Municipality)

Mariano Alvarez managed to return to the good favors of the government, thus he was able to be elected as capitan municipal of Noveleta. I bet that the Spanish forces in Noveleta were surprised by the attack because they thought that the alcalde is on their side.

Artillery bombardment during the revolution in Noveleta. (Source: Foro Policia)

The katipunero’s victory  was so decisive that Noveleta was free from Spanish control during the whole course of the revolution. The town became the seat of the Magdiwang faction, which stood in opposition to the Magdalo faction of Emilio Aguinaldo. The Game of Thrones level of struggle between these two factions led to the dissolution of Katipunan and the death of its Supremo.

The current condition of Casa Tribunal just reflects the fact that Noveleta has already forgotten its past. Its history was only recalled from time to time whenever there's a centennial celebration or other big historical commemoration. I guess the current condition of Noveleta’s Casa Tribunal fits its place in history as the seat of the Magdiwang faction. In the course of the revolution, the Magdalo faction obscured the Magdiwang faction. It is quite fitting then that the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, which is the seat of the Magdalo faction, obscured the Casa Tribunal of Noveleta.

Emilio Aguinaldo waving the Philippine flag.

- - -

References:

Ang Casa Tribunal ng Noveleta in Cavite Info
Battle of Noveleta, Mariano Alvarez in Wikipedia
A Tribute to General Mariano Alvarez in General Mariano Alvarez website

- - -

Read more of my post about the Province of Cavite:

Visita Iglesia: Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Queen of the Caracol Church (Rosario, Cavite)
The Historic Aguinaldo Shrine
A Peek in the Historic Halls of Aguinaldo Shrine
More on Pink Sisters' Convent in Tagaytay City
Return to People's Park, Tagaytay
People's Park, Tagaytay City
Picnic Grove, Tagaytay City
Why Don't They Fix Picnic Grove Tagaytay?
A Visit to Pink Sisters' Convent, Tagaytay City
.