Kamay ni Hesus Shrine of Lucban, Quezon

Quezon Province is a popular pilgrimage destination in Luzon. Reasons are 1) it is where Mt. Banahaw is situated which is considered to be as a holy ground and 2) it is a home to "Kamay ni Hesus" which is a healing church that has been founded in the year 1998 by Rev. Fr. Joseph Ayala Faller. And as for this blog post, I will be sharing my experience in this 5-hectare garden/shrine -- Kamay ni Hesus Shrine.

How to get there?
Going to Kamay ni Hesus is easy. From LRT-Buendia Bus Terminal, take a bus bound to Lucena. Inform the bus conductor that you will be off at Lucena Grand Central Terminal. As you reach Grand Central Terminal, transfer to a jeepney bound to Lucban. Advise the driver that you are going to Kamay ni Hesus church. Nonetheless, you will easily notice the place due to the large sign on the entrance and because it is a regular stop for jeepneys because most of the passengers drop here.

The chapel where healing mass are being hold

Kamay ni Hesus was built under the leadership of Fr. Joseph Faller, a well-known healing priest. It is located in Brgy. Tinamnan, Lucban, Quezon. Kamay ni Hesus is a healing center where a healing mass is being conducted in the chapel every Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9:30 in the morning.

Devotees...

But with a 5-hectare land area, you don't expect that it will only hold a church, right? Yup, there are other things in Kamay ni Hesus shrine aside from its church and chapel. It also depicts some of the story written in the bible in the form of statues. Huge/life-size replicas of Adam and Eve, Garden of Eden, Noah's Ark, and some animals in the story are scattered in the area. Kids and kids-alike will surely enjoy this place. People will also be educated about religion and stuff alike just by roaming and exploring the place.

Adam and Eve

The Eden Falls

One of the highlight in Kamay ni Hesus is climbing the 300++ steps going on top of the hill where a 50-feet tall statue of Christ lies. The statue is known as the third biggest in the world that can be seen miles away. I lost count when I went up so I just ask a caretaker of the place about the total number of steps. He told me that there are 310 steps. Though it might sound many and tiring, you will not feel much exhausted because as you go along, you will still encounter a life size statues, but this time it is about the 14 Stations of the Cross. They were planted in the area accordingly until you reach the top. Stopping, staring and offering a prayer on it makes you energized and keep you going.

Some of the scenes as you went up that hill

I feel glorified and blessed as I reached and stood on top. Seeing the statue of Christ in full size along with the astounding scenery while on top is really breathtaking. I felt like "He" was just right beside me that time. Maybe, I can say that I felt I was in heaven during my stay on top of that hill. It was spiritually refreshing.

I am actually at the foot of this statue (Photo from Edward Calugtong)

Even though its pretty crowded, we found spiritual peace on this place

After some picture taking and bonding on top of the hill, we decided to bid farewell to this place. But before we went back down, again, we offered a prayer...

Isn't it breathtaking?

Mass Schedule:
Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri - 9:00am
Saturdays - 5:00pm
Sundays - 7:30am | 9:00am | 10:30am | 11:30am | 4:00pm

Healing Mass Schedule:
Wednesdays and Saturdays - 9:30AM

If ever you'll visit Kamay ni Hesus, try their popular dish called Pansit Habhab. There are stalls outside Kamay ni Hesus that sold it. It is a must-try when visiting Lucban or any part of Quezon.

This is how you eat Pansit Hab Hab

Breakdown of Expenses:
Bus fare (Buendia Terminal - Grand Central Terminal, roundtrip) - 410 Pesos
Jeepney fare - (Grand Central Terminal - Kamay ni Hesus, roundtrip) - 40 Pesos
Food - **.**

Reminder: This is a religious site. Please observe decent clothes when visiting the place. Let's all respect the house of the Lord. Thanks! :]

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Cagbalete Island of Mauban, Quezon

Cagbalete Island is a "must-see" island if you're an adventurer and nature lover. The island is a complete paradise with rich marine life and full of unique plants species. Aside from swimming into the pristine and beautiful water of the island, Cagbalete is also a good spot for snorkeling, scuba diving, horseback riding, bird watching and fishing.

Shot at Pantalan Port

Cagbalete Island is one of the many paradise that can be found in the province of Quezon (Mauban, Quezon). It is a privately owned island with a diverse ecosystem. What makes this island special is during low tide, the water move far back that leaves the shore exposed. You will see amazing sand ripples and all the rock formation and corals that were underneath during high tide.

Visible sand ripples during low tide

See how pristine the water is?

How to get there?
You can take JAC Liner at Buendia going to Lucena Grand Terminal. The bus ride is around 3-4 hours and costs 210 pesos. Once you reach Lucena Grand Terminal, take the ordinary bus going to Mauban, Quezon. The fare is 50 pesos and about 1 1/2 hour trip. The 1 1/2 hour bus ride will take you through a long stretch of Quezon's scenic views of  lush-green environment so just enjoy the whole ride. Upon reaching the Mauban Terminal you may take a tricycle and head first to the wet market where you can buy your island supplies and foods before heading to the "Pantalan". The fare is 14 pesos. At the Pantalan Port, look for the ferry boats going to Cagbalete Island. Note: There are only 2 schedules per day going to the island so be there on time. The first trip is at 10:00am and the last trip is at 4:00pm. The fare is 180 pesos and it will take almost 1 hour to reach Cagbalete.

Local boatmen

Once you reach Sabang Port (Cagbalete Island), you can either trek for 15-20mins or rent a boat to reach the resorts. As for our trip, we decided to trek and get a child as our guide. There are 3 known resorts in the area - Villa Cleofas, Pansacola Beach Resort and MVT Sto. Niño Beach Resort.

Hotlines:
Villa Cleofas -   0919 220-5000 (Ed Jacob)
Pansacola Beach Resort -   0928 505-8633
MVT Sto. Nino -   0921 727-5398 (Fely)

We chose Villa Cleofas and decided to pitch a tent there. We paid 300 pesos for an overnight stay.

Cooking time! There's a grilling area however you need to bring your own charcoal

Tour highlights
Bonsai Island - is an islet that only shows up during low tide and disappears when high tide.
Baliscar Island - is a small rocky islet with a lighthouse standing on it. There is no port to the island however tourists can still land and explore Baliscar.

Baliscar Island

Lots of birds are nesting in Baliscar Island

Snorkeling/Diving - ask your boatman to bring you to the best diving/snorkeling site. Trust them because they're familiar to the place. You can rent snorkeling equiptment at Villa Cleofas.

Eteng, Baron and I together with our boatmen Tatay and Kuya Roldan

Snorkeling with my buddy Baron

others: Fishing, picnic/camping, frisbee, beach volleyball, horseback riding...

Meet our bankero - Kuya Roldan

Over exposed shot in a good way

There's something wrong in this jumpshot...

I suggest have a little chitchat with your boatman to know the must see places in Cagbalete. Waste no time. There are lots of beautiful spots in the area.

Acting 101 - My models 

Tip: Explore the whole island. There is a hidden river in this island. The river is connecting to the ocean which I found amazing. It is like a fusion of 2 bodies of water. It is also a good spot to take photographs.

with the children of Cagbalete Island

My type of gym exercise hehe

Lil Miss Philippines creative shot :P

Say WILD!!!

What are we trying to do here?

Pole dancing at Cagbalete

Aside from the river, you should also not miss star gazing during night time while in the island and as well as the beautiful sunrise.

The sun is up!

Going back to Pantalan Port
There are only 2 trips going back to Pantalan Port per day. The first trip is at 8:00 in the morning and the other one is at 1:00 in the afternoon. These public boats can fill out quickly so be sure to be at Sabang Port 30 minutes earlier to secure seat back to Pantalan Port.

Favorite shot of mine in this trip:

emo??? weh?

Favorite group shot:

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Atimonan, Quezon: Mt Pinagbanderahan and Bantakay Falls

A mountain inside a national forest park - That is how I describe Mt Pinagbanderahan. Located in Atimonan Quezon, this mountain is inside a forest park that was built during the American period. Mt Pinagbanderahan is a historic site so people who wanted to visit the place should avoid destroying stuff and maintain the cleanliness of the area. This is a good climb for first timer since it is considered to be a minor trail in terms of its difficulty. It will take 2-3 hours of trek from the jump off point up to the peak; and back again to the jump off point.

How to get there?
From Cubao, ride a bus going to Lucena Bound. Don't forget to instruct the bus conductor to drop you off at Lucena Grand Terminal. The bus fare is  215 pesos and 3-4 hours will be rendered for the ride. From Lucena Grand Terminal, ride again a bus going to Atimonan Lopez. This time tell your bus conductor to take you at the drop off point going to zigzag road. Additional 1 hour for this trip and 30 pesos as for the fare. As you reach the drop off point, you need to walk until you reach the Atimonan Tourist Information Center. That is the jump off point of Mt Pinagbanderahan as well as the registration area. The reason why you need to walk up to the tourist information center is because there are no public vehicles you can ride at the zigzag road. Tip: If you're in going in large group, I suggest you rent a jeepney to take you from Lucena Grand Terminal going to Atimonan Tourist Information Center to avoid the walk and reach the jump off point the shortest time possible. Actually, this is what we did.

Paul bargaining this trip

Mt Pinagbanderahan has this rain forest environment which makes the trail covered in shade and lessen the heat coming from the sun which is actually great for a hiker like me who hates being burned by Mr Sun. Another characteristic of Mt Pinagbanderahan is, its trail is cemented. Yup, if I'm going to put it in figures, almost 90% of the trail is cemented. It is like you're already in the peak of the mountain and instead of stepping on the grass or ground/soil, you are still stepping on a cemented trail.

cemented trail of Mt Pinagbanderahan

There are also caves you can explore along the way. As we went inside the cave, my excitement to explore the cave slowly changes until I felt disgusted. Disgusted to the people you wrote names and non-sense things on the cave's wall. These kind of people don't know how to respect and appreciate the value of nature. Argh!

Sir Paul exploring the cave

Inside the cave, don't know what they're looking at

Moving on, reaching the peak of Mt. Pinagbanderahan you will see a panoramic view comprises of Mt. Banahaw, the islands of Marinduque and Mindoro, as well as the major towns and cities of Quezon, like Lucena, Pagbilao, and Tayabas. We had a photo op before we went down back to the Information Center.

Alvin as he goes up to the view deck of Mt Pinagbanderahan

view at the summit

We still have a lots of time so we decided to have a side trip tour at Bantakay Falls.

Crossing a river - way to reach Bantakay Falls

How to get there?
From the Information Center, take the road leading to the Atimonan side (Since the old zigzag road is under 2 municipality, Pagbilao and Atimonan). You can ask for a hitch or trek all the way down to the diversion road (Atimonan). When you reach the diversion road, take buses going to Lucena which cost 8 pesos. Tell the driver to drop you off at Brgy. Catalina or simply tell them you're are going to the falls. A banner with a statement "Upland Reservation" denotes that you are already in the jump off point of Bantakay Falls. Going to Bantakay Falls will only take 15-20 mins. Again, if you have followed my tip above you can just simply negotiate to your driver for this side trip.

Before you proceed your trek at Bantakay falls, you need to register first at Mr Bebot Alzula's house. You can also get your guide there. Trekkers are encouraged to get a guide because the trail going to the falls are misleading. Guide fee ranges from 150 - 200 pesos.

Edward, cleaning his slippers

We had the trek to the falls during the night which makes it difficult. Aside from without having a clear vision of the trail, the way going to the falls is wet which makes the soil change into mud. Having a guide is a wise choice because aside from assisting you they are also familiar with the place.

As soon as we reach the falls, we started setting up our tents, cleaning ourselves and preparing our dinner. After some socials we decided to rest and charged up for day 2 of our Atimonan trip.

I celebrated my 21st birthday at Bantakay Falls

We don't have a clear vision of what the falls looks like when we got there since it was late in the night. So when we woke up the next morning, we were amazed how beautiful the falls is. We started to swim, taking photographs for souvenirs and exploring the area.

I had a blast playing with my camera's shutter speed

The environment of the falls is very refreshing. I couldn't stop pushing my camera's shutter button.

Mother Falls of Bantakay

We had our breakfast and lunch there before we went back again at the jump off point.

At the jump off point, you can clean up at Mr Bebot's house. Then you can wait for buses in the highway (with a banner stated "Upland Reservation") going back again in Lucena. Bus fare is 24 pesos.

Note: There is no registration fees for trekking Mt Pinagbanderahan and Bantakay Falls.

Breakdown of Budget:
Bus fare (MNL to Lucena, roundtrip) - 430 pesos
Bus fare (Lucena - Zigzag road) - 30 pesos
Bus fare (Atimonan Information Center - Brgy Catalina) - 8 pesos
Guide fee - 300 pesos (group contribution)
Bus fare (Brgy Catalina - Lucena) - 24 pesos
Food - ***

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