Just recently, pride in our native land was questioned in the forum. Corrupt politicians, distressing work conditions, undisciplined drivers. Should we really feel proud that we are Filipinos? The answer is a resounding “YES!”
There are a lot of wonderful things about this country. Among these are talented and friendly people, rich culture, great food and beautiful sites.
Four of our beautiful sites have been nominated to the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest. This is an online search sponsored by Switzerland-based New 7 Wonders Foundation.

FOURTH STOP: Ugu Bigyan’s Pottery Garden, Tiaong

Traveling from Lucena back to Manila, we go through the town of Tiaong. Here, we make a detour to one of Quezon’s best kept secrets. It’s not a place that calls attention to itself with directional signs and well-placed advertisements. To my embarrassment as a Quezonian, I only heard about it from my professor who is from Manila.

THIRD STOP: Queen Margarette Hotel, Lucena City

Rising majestic at the outskirts of Lucena City is Queen Margarette, the premier hotel in Quezon province and the rest of Southern Tagalog. It is a luxury hotel with convention and banquet facilities and the venue for major events in the region. Business conferences as well as personal celebrations of well-heeled Quezonians are held here.

St Mark Square is said to be one of the most beautiful squares in the world. Even Napoleon called it the drawing room of Europe. Sometimes I don't see it when all I see are heads of tourists bobbing up and down the square to catch glimpses of the Bridge of Sighs, the Doges Palace and the basilica.Is it worth returning to time and time again?

Of course! No one ever gets tired of Venice and there is always something to discover in each trip. Here are the main places to see if you've got just a day to see Venice:

SECOND STOP: Palaisdaan, Tayabas
Hungry from the trip, we stop at Palaisdaan for lunch. This is locatedbetween Lucban and the town proper of Tayabas. The restaurant serves native cuisine with the special touch of Quezon, the gata (coconut milksauce), in some of its popular dishes.

We enter the restaurant through an arch where a veil of pink-tasseled vines cascade down to almost eye-level.

Around three hours from Manila is Quezon, my home province. Since it’s just a short hop away, I can easily go home for business or to be with family on special occasions. Last week-end, I did just that – wrapped up some business matters and attended my cousin’s birthday bash.
This homecoming was a little different. I wanted to bring my Ka-Pinays on a virtual tour of Quezon. For the first time I will be seeing Quezon through your eyes. So come on and let’s go cruising in Quezon.

The unabated rise in gas prices continues to make an impact on how we go about our day-to-day activities. Since we can’t stop using our cars, we have discover creative ways to beat the gas blues. Here are some of them…