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.
We take the South Luzon Expressway all the way to Calamba. This is the shorter route through the rustic towns of Laguna to our first stop, Lucban.
We make a brief stop in Liliw where the streets are lined with small shops selling all sorts of footwear. Of course we can’t resist buying the pretty white slip-ons with pearl bead straps for P180 and the dainty baby pink and blue ones with lace-like cutwork for P250. The shopaholic within us satisfied, we drive on to Majayjay with the imposing centuries-old church, rippling brooks under small bridges and the occasional mini waterfalls on the mountainside.
FIRST STOP: Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center, Lucban
We pass through the town of Lucban. This is the site of the famed Pahiyas Festival celebrated every 15th of May. House facades are beautifully decorated from the ground to the roof with multi-colored kiping (rice wafers), fruits and vegetables during the festival. This is also where the delicious Lucban longanisa and pansit habhab are made. That's garlicky sausage and noodles eaten from a banana leaf to you innocents. I will take you to the town again next May to experience the festival but for now, we just buy the longanisa and pansit and move on.
Outside the town is the Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center. Even from afar, we can see the 50-foot statue of the Ascending Christ which stands on the hilltop. It is the third largest statue of Christ in the world.

At the foot of the hill is a charming church where we pause to say a prayer to the Lord and Mama Mary. We take a break by reading the testimonies of those who have been healed by Fr. Joey Faller. Hundreds flock to the church for his healing masses on Saturdays and Mondays.
Energized by the break and the cool mountain breeze, we climb the 200 plus steps to the top. It’s not as hard as we thought because we take the time to meditate along the Via Dolorosa where the 14 life-sized Stations of the Cross dot the hillside. Feeling like an ant beside Christ’s foot, we behold the surrounding countryside – the view is fantastic!
Unexpectedly, the climb up was easier than the climb down. But we excitedly descend because we see the other spots to visit. There’s the Garden of Eden behind the Church. And beside the Retreat House is the Rosary Hill where all the mysteries of the rosary are depicted. All these life-sized like the Via Dolorosa.
Our bodies a bit tired but our spirits bouyant, we wave good-bye to Kamay ni Hesus.

Next stop: Palaisdaan.

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