I started 2016 with a glimmer in my eyes, and hope, and a fire I was so very much willing to feed. I had a feeling – the kind that makes you say, “I just know” – that this was going to be a great year. And, in summary, it truly was. But a great year isn’t a great year without some sprinkling of hardships, and 2016 hadn’t scrimped on the hardships at all.

In 2016, my relationship with the love of my life faltered. We were dancing for 8 years and there was a frightening moment when the music had seemed to stop. But the music hadn’t really stopped, it had only gotten a little softer, so we can improve our dance moves. See, up until that very moment, we hadn’t known that, yes, we were dancing together, but we were dancing to our own beats. And because of that variance in signature, we were bound to step on each other’s foot. It was only a matter of time before we get each other hurt. But the Universe had been kind, and our personal music grew quieter for our sake. In those hushed notes, we found our rhythm, and now our dances are more in time. We still have our own individual songs, but, now, we have both of it memorized. And everything that we’ve been through finally made sense. We held on. We’re here. We have created balance. We have created something beautiful. And it all happened this 2016.

Just when you thought Tanay had finally ran out of mountains, four more were opened to climbers. Located in Brgy. Laiban, the four peaks baptized as Laiban Quatro include Mt. Lubo, Mt. Toyang, Mt. Matang Ulang, and Mt. Ngusong Kabayo.

Last December 21, the initial 2-day  plan of going to Baguio then hiking up Mt. Ulap morphed into a dayhike in Tanay. Dennis and I, together with Gretchen – the person behind Filipina Explorer – and her daughter Lia, decided to explore one of the mountains in Brgy. Laiban. 

Mt. Ngusong Kabayo translates into 'horse's snout', and is so named because of the shape of the distinct limestone formation on its summit. It stands at 625 MASL while the Tangwa Peak is at 602 MASL. 

Related Adventure: DIY Guide to the Maysaway Circuit

The trail to Mt. Ngusong Kabayo's peak, starting at the Baranggay Hall, is less than 20 kilometers long. It passes through mostly minor inclines with hardly any tree cover. The trail is almost always flanked by tall cogon grass. Patches of bamboo forests also make up the path. There are also limestone caverns one has to crawl through around the summit of Mt. Ngusong Kabayo. 

This is the sixth installment of the Spread The Impact series – a collection of travel narratives and guides to less-traveled places in the Philippines, with the aim to spread human impact to the environment as well as uplift the lives of communities through tourism.

The fist class municipality of Mariveles, just like the province of Bataan to which it belongs, reeks of historical significance. In 1578, it was founded as a pueblo by a Franciscan friar. It used to be part of the Corregimiento of Mariveles along with Bagac, Morong, the island of Corregidor, and Maragondon in Cavite. But aside from its place in Philippine history, the first class municipality at present offers more surprises.

About a three-hour bus ride from Manila, Mariveles is perched on the tip of the Bataan Peninsula. Just 6% of its 150+ square kilometers of land area is used for residential and industrial use. The rest is either used for pasture and agriculture, or remains as forestland.

Often hailed as the "Batanes of the West", Mariveles boasts of beautiful landscapes that range from breathtaking views of the sea to panoramic coves and beaches. In its folds await many natural wonders for adventurers to discover.

Related Adventure: Spend Under 10K for 7 Days in Batanes

Get an Amazing View of the Sea
In Brgy. Sisiman, a grotto dedicated to the Our Lady of Manaoag can be scaled for just about 15-minutes. Farther up the altar, a wide grassland overlooking the vast sea will greet visitors.

Situated within the complex of a gasoline station alongside M. L. Quezon Avenue, near a residential subdivision, ACC is a nook of a café with bar stools and couches reminiscent of an old parlor. It’s decorated with colorful mason jars, tiny higantes papier mache, and an array of local artworks depicting Angono life. The aroma of brewing coffee fills the small space, instantly putting you in relaxed mode upon setting foot. If you’re looking for a date place or a somewhere to have an intimate conversation with a friend, this is the place to be.


Related Adventure: Street Food Takes Center Stage in Balwarte

Being owned by a certified barista, ACC’s specialty is their frappes. Flavors such as Milo Nitro, Blue Dragon, Butter Beer, Mocha Mint, Salted Caramel Mocha, and the much celebrated Matcha are all delicious and affordable for just Php100 an order.


Pair these sweet concoctions with ACC’s savory offerings such as their take on chicken wings (Php125) which comes in two flavors – Parmesan, and spicy. The servings are quite skimpy, just about 4 pieces, but both flavors are incredibly delicious and leave you wanting more.


There is also the Cheese Burger Shots (Php100) that comes with side of potato wedges – which you can order ala carte for Php110.


If you’re tagging your barkada along, opt for this pair of menu items that’s perfect for sharing: Clubhouse Sandwich (Php115), and Nachos (Php95). Both are packed with flavors and won’t leave your pocket with a gaping hole.


Related Adventure: Here Is Where You’ll Find the Largest Frappe in Rizal

This was part of the first Angono Food and Art Crawl media tour organized by the Tourism Office of Angono. 

In a family-operated restaurant in Angono, your favorite grilled street food get the spotlight. Ran by a family originally from Ilocos, Balwarte whips up simple, familiar, and affordable meals in a snug, airy place furnished with wooden tables and a brick wallpaper.

Located just a few steps from the Municipal Gym, Balwarte is one of those cozy hangout places that start to pop up in town. It has wooden tables and white wallpaper accented with a brick design. It has a glass door. It doesn’t have air-conditioning but there is a couple of wall fans to keep diners cool. There’s also a TV mounted on one wall to keep one entertained. The counter is simply decorated with a chalkboard listing the menu perched right above.

It’s the perfect place to grab a quick snack with your friends!

Related Adventure: Superb Food on a Budget at the Art Capital Cafe

Aside from grilled isaw (chicken intestine; Php18/pc) and grilled balun-balunan (chicken gizzard), Balwarte also offers sizzling pork steak with rice (Php110). The recipe is an original concoction by the head of the family passed onto the kiddos that manage the place hands-on.  This dish is tasty and is generously portioned – perfectly paired with rice!

There are also the cleverly named chicken wings. There are three levels of spiciness you can choose from, and each is named after the supposed stages of falling in love and getting your heart broken. Nagmahal (fell in love) is mildly spicy, Nasaktan (gotten hurt) is medium, and Nagpatiwakal (committed suicide) is super spicy. An order of chicken wings, regardless of level of heartache, erm, spiciness, costs Php130.

For the finger-food and chichirya lover out there, Balwarte’s Nacho Overload (Php120) is also a bang for the buck. There’s just the right amount of cheese and meat for the chips to maintain crispiness. The nachos also look photogenic AF.

Also on the menu is another wittily named dish “Neck Neck Mo” which is glazed chicken neck. Other menu items grilled liempo, tuna panga (jaws), and bangus (milkfish).

This was part of the first Angono Food and Art Crawl media tour organized by the Tourism Office of Angono. 

Aside from being known as the Art Capital of the Philippines, Angono is also known as the home of a gigantic celebration: the Higantes Festival – where giants made from fiber resin is paraded around town in celebration of the residents’ larger-than-life imagination. And in keeping up with the over-sized theme the town has got running, here comes Lava Mocha with a dessert that represents what Angono is all about.

Found on one of Angono’s main thoroughfares, Lava Mocha is a two-storey restaurant that used to be a store called Popsy’s which sells school supplies. Now, it is decked with local artist Nani Reyes’ distinct artworks plus an assortment of mismatched upholstery that surprisingly adds to the place’s quirky feels. Upstairs, more couches line the space, and an improvised photo booth – complete with fun props – are free for diners to use. It’s a great way to pass the time while waiting for your orders!

Related Adventure: Street Food Takes Center Stage in Balwarte

Lava Mocha has a varied menu that includes meryenda favorites such as nachos, and buffalo wings. They also have a wide selection of rice meals. But what makes the place so popular among locals is their collection of desserts, particularly their delectable frappes.

Lava Mocha is credited for creating the original Higantes Frappe (Php280) – a mouthwatering one-liter jug of utter sweetness. It comes in three flavors: Chocolate, Strawberry, and Cookies and Cream. It’s highly advisable to share this with your friends, but if you don’t want to then, to echo Pope Francis, who am I to judge?

Aside from the gigantic goodness in a jug, Lava Mocha also has a DIY Frappe where you get to choose the flavor and the toppings which range from cookies to chocolates.

This was part of the first Angono Food and Art Crawl media tour organized by the Tourism Office of Angono. 

Founded by spouses Perdigon and Luzviminda Vocalan, Balaw-balaw Restaurant is one of the most visited sites in Angono. Offering traditional Filipino cuisine and the eponymous exotic dish similar to bagoong, this place also doubles as a museum housing works by Perdigon Vocalan and other local artists.

Consistent to Angono's identity as the Art Capital, Balaw-balaw Restaurant also doubles as an art gallery displaying the works of the late Perdigon Vocalan. The dining area is festooned with papier-mache higante heads and sculptures, and exudes a Filipino fiesta atmosphere.

For foodies looking for extraordinary grubs, there is balaw-balaw – a dish made from fermented shrimp and rice, similar to bagoong. Adobong uok, fried frog, and ginisang hantik, are also available at the restaurant.

Aside from this, new items on the menu like the addicting (so I've been told; I am allergic) Toasted Alamang (fermented shrimp), and Cream Dory Wrapped in Alagaw Leaves with Mango Sauce. Alagaw is an herbal plant popularly used to treat stomachache. There is also the savory Sizzling Tapang Kabayo (horse jerky), and the infamous Soup No. 5 (cow butt-and-balls soup) but this time it was creamy like sopas. Another addition to the menu, which I wasn't able to try because I'm allergic, is the Tahong with Buro (mussels with pickled rice). It has cheese in it and looked really yummy.





A must-try when in Balaw-balaw is Minaluto - a photogenic blend of rice, fried chicken, water spinach, crabs, fish, pork, salted eggs, squid, and Angono's prized kanduli - a fish caught in the town's side of Laguna Lake with a tasty and versatile meat.

For dessert, options such as halo-halo, and their take on the classic Pinoy meryenda turon are sure winners.

Related Adventure: Consistency is What Makes Wings On The Go an Angono Favorite