VIGAN City – We arrived at Laoag International Airport after circling the skies for about fifteen minutes – no thanks to the zero visibility on the ground that made it difficult for the pilot to land the plane! It was the longest fifteen minutes for some time now, haha!
We started to wonder why we’re not descending at all even if the pilot had earlier announced our descent. So, we were flying and flying and after watching many documentaries on airplanes and flights, I couldn’t help but wonder about the following: a) What if the airplane runs out of fuel – well, it may be unlikely because an aircraft always keeps reserve fuel but what if?; b) What if a flash of lightning hits us because the skies lit up whenever a lightning occurred – too much documentaries, huh!; c) The chances of a plane crashing are greater when it is airborne! I told you, too many documentaries. And so, we finally landed roughly, haha, and clapped for the pilot. He deserves it!
The aircraft that carried us to Laoag was the same airplane that flew us from Bohol-Panglao International Airport to Manila resulting in our affinity with the flight crew. That’s a good start. We disembarked amidst the night drizzle and did some photos – sometimes these photo sessions are darn exhausting, but one needs to “feel the moment” so off we posed!
A van transported us to a hotel in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. Hotel was industrial-inspired, very retro, but the hot shower wasn’t working. We didn’t mind the tiny inconvenience because we were staying for only a night. The breakfast wasn’t good either – it was all oily and I couldn’t tolerate oily food. Hmm I should have instructed to serve steamed rice.
The hotel van brought us to Vigan where we passed by some tourist attractions. We couldn’t help but pose by the Paoay Church. It’s just too inviting. The church building is out of this world! It’s not only picturesque; it is ethereal, like a postcard in real life. San Agustin Church or Paoay Church, built in 1694 by Augustinian Friar, Father Antonio Estavillo, and completed in 1710, is picturesque! Just by looking at it, you feel transported to another era in another lifetime.
The vast space providing the church’s canvass, gives the structure its distinct ethos. You can’t help but thank the Spaniards for the churches in the Philippines! If we can go back in time while being in the present, I wonder how we would respond to the cruelty tempered with love because many Spaniards married local lasses and birthed mestizos and mestizas – what kind of love transcends race at the time?; the hard labor to build churches balanced with the heritage churches we so admire today; the death of many locals vis-à-vis the courage that led to insurrections and revolts producing our national heroes. It’s the stuff of stories and yet, we easily forgot the language even if Generation X and prior generations had mandatory Spanish language subjects in university. It seems like Spain serves only as a heritage for us Filipinos while the US is our passage to the modern world.
If we can go back in time, shouldn’t we have honored the beautiful Spanish language like we made American English our second language? Perhaps this question is best directed at the department of education whose education policy changes from one secretary to another. Our kids are always the subject of experiments every time a new president sits in Malacañang.
Arriving in Vigan City and settling in our heritage but brand-new hotel, the first order of the day was to eat a late lunch and rest. The following days – today, Thursday, is column-writing day – will be devoted to more tours although yesterday was a day-long guided tour courtesy of the city government of Vigan. Next week, I will write about those tours. I figure I will do it by phases. But for now, I want to thank the local government unit of Vigan City through the Vigan City Cultural Affairs and Tourism Office headed by Edgar de la Cruz, department head, Jo-Anne Margarita R. Gutierrez and Cyrille Precious Mae Cachola, community affairs assistant I, and city government driver Kevin De Guzman for the special treatment! The day was truly a blast! Vigan City Mayor Jose Bonito Singson, Jr., agyaman!
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The writer hosts Woman Talk with Belinda Sales at 91.1 Balita FM Tagbilaran City every Saturday, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. She can be reached at belindabelsales@gmail.com. Twitter @ShilohRuthie./PN
