Capiz is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Capiz, which is famous for stories about aswangs and other creatures of Philippine mythology, is also the home of capiz shells that are used to make home décor—one of the biggest exports of the Philippines.

There are a lot of places in Capiz that haven’t been discovered by tourists and fellow Filipinos. For one, there’s the Baybay beach which is 16 miles long, one mile wide and is the 15th natural bay in the world. It is located in Roxas City, the capital of Capiz province. They say that the beach’s warm sand is therapeutic and very soothing. This makes the water ideal for swimming at any time of the day which is good since most of us think that the water’s cold at daytime. Some beachgoers bury their body in the sand which can actually be an alternative to high-end spa’s saunas and jacuzzis.

Capiz has long been believed to be a place where Manananggals and other scary creatures frolic but in reality, when you get to visit Capiz you won’t really find any of these scary creatures but what you’ll discover is a place with bountiful natural resources and sceneries that are very captivating. Capiz is now known to be the seafood capital of the Philippines and slowly, the scary folklore about Capiz is turning to dust.

The seafood here is a reason enough for you to come and visit. They are really tasty and surely you just can’t get enough. Restaurants all over Capiz are offering their customers with delicious seafoods that their precious little can offer.

There are not that many places in Luzon where you could enjoy beautiful beaches with clean and clear water. In Camarines Sur, you won’t only get to enjoy basking in the sun and swimming on their crystal clear water, you could also try out a new and exciting sport, wakeboarding. You can try cable wakeboarding, waterskiing and wakeskating and let out that adventurous side of you.

The Camsur Watersports Complex opened last May of 2006. It has different accommodations that fit your budget such as the very economical ecovillage and Villa del Ray Containers as well as the classy mansion suites, Villa del Ray cabanas, and Villa del Ray Villas. Whether you’re on a tight budget or you want to have the vacation of your life, this is the best place to go especially if you love wakeboarding.

A 6 point cable ski system is being offered that can fit the needs both of the beginners and the professional wakeboarders. If you’re afraid of the sun, you can still enjoy wakeboarding because the park is equipped with spotlights so you could enjoy wakeboarding even at night.

The Philippines is blessed with vast natural resources and a number of popular tourist destinations. And one of the most-visited spots in the country is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean National Park, formerly known as the St. Paul Subterranean National Park. It was later changed by President Estrada to its current name under Proclamation No. 212. Through this proclamation, the area was increased from 3, 901 hectares to 22, 202 hectares to include the offshoots of the underground river and the park was also declared as a protected area of the Network Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) Act of 1992.

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is situated 50 kilometers north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It can be found in the Saint Paul Mountain Range bordered by St. Paul Bay to the north and the Babuyan River to the east. Entry to this beautiful subterranean river can be found from the little town of Sabang.

This spectacular place has been declared a premier ecotourism destination and included in the prestigious UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List. It is now considered as one of the sites with “outstanding universal value” due to its intense beauty and natural importance.

Tubbataha Reef is currently one of the nominees for the New Seven Wonders of the World. I will tell you more about it so that you can see why Tubbataha Reef should be included as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Tubbataha Reef, also known as Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, has become one of the Philippines’ protected marine sanctuaries ever since it was established on August 11, 1988 through Proclamation No. 306, which prohibits fishing and collecting of corals within the 33,200 hectares of its reefs and surrounding areas. It is located at the Cagayan Ridge in the central region of the Sulu Sea which is 181 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. This magnificent coral reef is administered by Cagayancillo, a municipality of Palawan.

Not only is it protected by different Philippine organizations like the Department of National Defense (DND), Provincial Government of Palawan and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), but it was also declared as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1993, thereby acknowledging its exceptional worldwide value in relation to its rich and diverse marine life species.

Tumbang Preso (Pronounced as: tum-bahng preh-so) is a game that most Filipino kids play. It’s quite popular in the past when there were still no video games and when kids were relatively more active. But despite all the new technology and the increase of couch potatoes, the tumbang preso is still being played by the more active kids of today. Even adults sometimes play it too, bringing back memories of the past.

Photo by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado of http://photos.the-protagonist.net

When you are in the Philippines, especially during summer, most likely you would encounter some halo-halo stands on the streets. This is because halo-halo is the favorite cool refreshment of Filipinos. Basically, halo-halo is a mixture of milk and shaved ice plus different types of fruits and beans and sometimes, ice cream is even added for the halo-halo special. Because of the tropical climate of the country, fresh milk is not used but instead, evaporated milk or condensed milk is used.