Bataan

Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north. The peninsula faces South China Sea to the west and Subic Bay to the north-west, and encloses Manila Bay to the east.



The Battle of Bataan is famous in history as one of the last stands of American and Filipino soldiers before they were overwhelmed by the Japanese forces in World War II. The Bataan Death March was named for this province, where the infamous march started. This is also a location of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant located in Municipality of Morong .

- from Wikipedia

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Bataan is the home province of my wife's mom. We visited their old house in Balanga and her uncle in Batac. We also saw the war memorial at Mt. Samat.

Cebu

Cebu is a city on Cebu Island in the Philippines. It is known as the Queen City of the South. It is one of the most popular destinations in all of the Philippines for foreign tourists. It is the largest sea port in the nation, the second largest Air hub and the second largest city in the country. It is the fastest growing large city in the nation with an annual growth of over 5% per year.

Cebu is a booming metropolitan area with all the conveniences of a modern city. At the same time, it boasts of natural resources like countless of white sand beaches (both commercial and untouched), as well as historical sites that reflect its cosmopolitan past: from the birth of Christianity in Asia, to early commercial trade with Mexico and China, to vestiges of the American colonization of the Philippines.

- from WikiTravel

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The 2011 WONCA Conference will be in Cebu. If my schedule permits, I can see Cebu in February 2011.

Bacolod

Bacolod City - the Cleanest and Greenest and the Most Livable City in the Philippines. The capital of the Province of Negros Occidental which is the Sugarbowl of the Philippines. Bacolod City serves as the entrance of the sugar-rich cities and towns of the Province. Visitor’s facilities abound, modern means of in-land transport can take guests for business or leisure to any point in the island of Negros.

Bacolod will charm you with the genuine warmth and hospitality of her people in harmony with their lilting melodious accent. The Bacoleños will delight you with food and cuisine that is as vigorous yet as subtle as the legendary Ilonggo gentility and taste for the good life.

- from the Official Website of Bacolod City and Flickr

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My family also has an invitaton from a friend to spend a vacation in Bacolod.

Bohol

Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of 4,117.3 square kilometers (1,589.7 sq mi) and a coastline 261 kilometers (162 mi) long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines. To the west of Bohol is Cebu, to the northeast is the island of Leyte and to the south, across the Bohol Sea is Mindanao.

Chocolate Hills

Loboc River

The province is a popular tourist destination with its beaches and resorts. The Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formation, is the most popular attraction. The island of Panglao, located just southwest of Tagbilaran City, is famous for its diving locations and routinely listed as one of the top ten diving locations in the world. Numerous tourist resorts dot the southern beaches and cater to divers from around the world. The Philippine Tarsier, considered the second-smallest primate in the world, is indigenous to the island.

- from Wikipedia

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I can’t wait to see Bohol. With my wife’s friend living in Tagbilaran, all we have to provide is our plane ticket. I hope I can leave my clinic.

Palawan

Palawan is an island province of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Puerto Princesa and it is the largest province in terms of land area.

It is one of the few places left in the archipelago that have not been `logged-out'.

The most common local language is Cebuano, but many speak English and a group of ex-patriate Swiss operate a shortwave radio network using swiss-German.

The island of Palawan stretches from Mindoro to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea in the northwest and Sulu Sea in the southeast.

Palawan is considered to be the Philippines' last ecological frontier. The province boasts of many splendid beaches and resorts and it is where the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is located.

- from WikiTravel and Flickr

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It was in Puerto Princesa where we had our honeymoon back in 2003. The last place I visited riding a plane.

Tagaytay

TAGAYTAY, 70 km south of Manila, perches on a 600-metre-high ridge overlooking Taal Volcano, and because of its cool climate – on some days it even gets foggy – is a popular weekend retreat from the heat of the nearby capital.

- from Yahoo! Travel

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One of the places I see every year. I like Tagaytay for the cool fresh air, delicious food and it is near Manila.

Masbate

Masbate is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. Its capital is Masbate City and consists of three major islands: Masbate, Ticao and Burias.

The island of Masbate lies at the center of the Philippine archipelago between latitudes 11^o43’ north and 123^o09’ east and 124^o5’ east. It is bounded on the north by Burias and Ticao Pass, east by San Bernardino Strait, south by the Visayan Sea, and west by the Sibuyan Sea. Relative to mainland Bicol, the province faces the southwestern coasts of Camarines Sur, Albay, and Sorsogon.

- from Wikipedia

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I have been in Masbate when I was in high school, back in 1978. I stayed in my uncle's ranch for 2 months.

Baguio City

Baguio, also known as City of Pines or City of Flowers, lies on a plateau 1400m above sea level. It was built by the colonizing Americans as a recreational and administrative centre, from where they could preside over their precious tropical colony without working up too much of a sweat.

- from Yahoo! Travel and Traveltipid.com

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Baguio is one of the first place I ever seen outside Metro Manila. I was just 11 years old when our family first went up to Baguio. I have been there for more than 5 times but the last dates back in 1989. Baguio surely have change since that time.

Philippine Archipelago

The Philippines constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area of approximately 300,000 square kilometers (116,000 square miles). It is located between 116° 40', and 126° 34' E. longitude, and 4° 40', and 21° 10' N. latitude, and borders the Philippine Sea on the east, the South China Sea on the west, and the Celebes Sea on the south. The island of Borneo is located a few hundred kilometers southwest, and Taiwan is located directly to the north. The Moluccas and Sulawesi are located to the south-southwest, and Palau is located to the east of the islands.

The Philippines is divided into three island groups: Luzon (Regions I to V, NCR and CAR), Visayas (VI to VIII), and Mindanao (IX to XIII and ARMM). The port of Manila, on Luzon, is the capital city and the second largest city after Quezon City.

Most of the mountainous islands were covered in tropical rainforest and are volcanic in origin. The highest mountain is Mount Apo, located in Mindanao measuring at 2,954 meters (9,692 ft) above sea level. There are many active volcanos such as the Mayon Volcano, Mount Pinatubo, and Taal Volcano. The islands are also located within the typhoon belt of the Western Pacific, and approximately 19 typhoons strike per year.

Located on the northwestern fringes of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines have experienced frequent seismic and volcanic activities. Around 20 earthquakes are registered daily, though most are too weak to be felt. The last major earthquake was the 1990 Luzon earthquake.

The longest river is the Cagayan River in northern Luzon. Manila Bay is connected to Laguna de Bay by means of the Pasig River. Subic Bay, the Davao Gulf, and the Moro Gulf are some of the important bays. Transversing the San Juanico Strait is the San Juanico Bridge that connects the islands of Samar, and Leyte.

- from Wikipedia

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Welcome to the Philippines. Come with me as I guide you to the Philippine Paradise Islands.