Ilocos is like a giant
diamond in the north and shining that never been seen from the south, however,
it takes some 8-10 hours drive from Manila to Ilocos and it would be easier to
get there if we have wider and no traffic roads, we have toll gates and
expressways and that is much easier and convenient but some bus companies like
Fariñas, Florida, RCJ, and Partas has different routes, so in regard to speed
and smooth drive I could recommend FARIÑAS as one of my best choices to go to
Ilocos, that is - they have newly made buses and you can also choose from
P700 –
First Class
P750 –
First Class with CR
P800 –
Super First Class (individual monitor)
P850 –
Deluxe with CR and Lazy boy seats.
P900 –
Super Deluxe (individual monitor)
I'm also planning right
now to go to Manila from here in Laoag to experience the Super deluxe so please
stay tuned on my YouTube channel and I would like you to see the Super Deluxe
bus of FARIÑAS TRANS: Please subscribe to my channel to see more of my videos
here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIRaM1QDZiLp_6_Jhb47qg
So what is new in Ilocos
(Laoag City-Vigan City) Let's start in Ilocos Sur, Vigan City is where you can
find the original Spanish colonial architectures, foods, and traditional
activities, I have been there a weeks ago May 16, 2019, and it's my first time
and with a long decision has been finally pin, you know I don't have much time
to go elsewhere anymore because I work at JAVA HOTEL - LAOAG CITY full-time and
I actually don't recognize Vigan to visit before but because I was wondering
how Vigan City looks like then I decided to go there on my own and
everything. If you like to see the video of my vlog in Vigan City please
check it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7soSIpcYD-4
JAVA
HOTEL LAOAG CITY
|
Next would be Laoag City
- I can tell you right now and you have to believe me that you will never
disappoint during your stay, Laoag is really amazing and beautiful like you've
never seen before and before anything else again I'm begging you please
come to JAVA HOTEL to stay for a long night and try our Ilocano foods, Japanese
cuisine and see our tourist attractions like the SINKING BELL TOWER, LA PAZ
SAND DUNES, AND AURORA PARK at the Ilocos Norte Capitol, In the northern part
of Ilocos Norte is the windmill farm in Burgos, Bangui, and Pagudpud, The
Oldest lighthouse in the world (Cape Bojedor) and the Kapurpurawan rock
formation this are the main tourist attractions in Ilocos today, from 300k
visitors last year, we have reached almost a million visitors just for the
summer of 2019. If you want to see my video then check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loCUTso1Nnc and also this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Bpqiw2EWc and another one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbLIT-6L3BE
1/10
I would rate Ilocos 9/10
because we speak Tagalog and English better than "very good", Hospitality,
Service speed and Friendly. The only 1 point that we don't have would be the
better transportation that can access you to an island or far away locations
like mountains and rivers so what you have to do is rent a boat or motorcycle
and another one is the better technology which Manila has today.
Empanada
Empanada is completely
one of a kind food that has been made ever! Empanada was brought here in the
Philippines way back Spanish colonials and you can only find the original here
in Ilocos Norte and the first city who introduce is in Batac City which is a
part of Ilocos Norte province (newly declared city 2012), Anyway!
there's a lot of flavours to choose from like the special one then the
malongay empanada, the savoury longanisa, and the sweet meaty flavour, other
unrecognized vendors of empanada has different flavours like dragon fruit
empanada (Dried filling of the fruit), puso nang saging (the heart of banana)
and many more, you can find empanada vendors on the streets around the city or even
barangay's and popular locations like Laoag city plaza and Batac city capitol,
don't worry it's only 20-25 pesos for regular order and 45-50 pesos for the
special one, the main ingredient of empanada is mongo, papaya or cabbage, then
of course egg, then the crispy dough of empanada is made of glutinous rice and
jasmine rice (ground) mix together to meet the best quality of empanada, and
don't forget to add the olive oil.
Cost of leaving
It's much cheaper in the
province but what I want to explain is that let me try to tell some example of
the cost of leaving in abroad to the Philippines and Manila to the provinces
First is that from
abroad they send money to the Philippines because we know it has higher
value just like Manila to provinces it has the same
value but the cost of living in the provinces is
cheaper, now what I want you to clear is that there are foreigners and
balikbayans who set vacations for a month or sometimes it takes a year so I
hope you get what I'm pointing to. Bakasyunista has much money and when they
came here in the Philippines from the USA(52.17) then I think they will
have more money because exchange rate from dollar to peso is much higher than
the other countries except EURO (58.10) and Kuwait (171.39), Philippines
provinces have always cheap prices except for electronics and industrial
products because some materials used to produce the product was imported from
other countries also, you will just think then that what if we produced our own
and never import materials or chemicals from abroad, that's the big mistake we
never thought before and we still suffer from the democracy that Aquino's did
to us. So let us go back to the prices from the provinces, now what I want you
to know is that provinces have much more resources when it comes to the
production of foods like fruits, vegetables, and rice, so whenever they say
that we are living in the provinces who are poor that's a mistake, actually we
are much richer than the people who are living in an urban city because we have
cheaper prices on foods and economically we have the same government workers
salary rage. Did you get what I mean? of course yes! a teacher who gets $1,000
in Manila is the same what a teacher gets in the province but has cheaper
prices of foods and rent of house also.
Quality of life
Quality of life in the
province is far a little in an urban however I know you have billions,
billionaire Villar is living in Manila but manny is from Gensan so that's a
province, anyway! were talking about the quality of life in the north. So this
is the answer:
1. Low cost of living in
the provinces makes us happier
2. Highways and bridges
are the same as before and still counting of constructions now that Duterte has
the best admin ever!
3. Education in the
north especially here in Ilocos Norte has one of the highest rates of education
index and professionalism
4. The income of every
household is increasing too
5. Everybody has N-max
lol! even a kid(13-18 years of age) they have it in Ilocos.
Whenever you go, don't forget to pray and make sure everything is ready, like power banks, pocket money or emergency cards, water? anything that it can help you with your travel.
