Power of memory - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Power of memory - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Idiot's Guide to Baguio City

Two of my friends and I are heading north at midnight tomorrow for the 2011 Panagbenga festivities in Baguio. Yay! =D While I'm not particularly looking forward to braving the throng of tourists who are sure to be there (One word. ICK.), I AM excited to see the parade for the first time.

Now on its 16th year, this festival started in 1995, three years after we moved from Baguio to Lipa City down south. Since February is a school month, I never really got to see and experience it. After we moved, we only got to go to Baguio during our semestral, Christmas and summer breaks, so February (incidentally, also my birthday month) has always been ruled out.

After law school, I could finally afford to go to Baguio as often as I wanted without having to scrimp and save from my allowance, but I still somehow always ended up watching dvd's with my cousins at my aunt's house. None of us relish the thought of having to wade through the endless crowd and make ourselves obvious prey for pickpockets and whatnot.

BUT, before you raise your eyebrows, I HAVE been to the stores and stalls they put up in the middle of Session Road when they close the whole street down. That, in addition to watching the fireworks, constitutes the extent of my participation.

So anyway, we're going to try to get into the national football team training at the Benguet State University after the parade, but realistically, that's going to be a bit of a chore. Traffic, I predict will be horrible. I seriously do not know what I am doing this for, but I also want to be able to attend the whole shebang at least once in my lifetime. I mean, since I'm there all the time, I think I should be able to tick this one of my list of things everyone who goes to Baguio MUST do.

Anyway, since I'm putting together our weekend itinerary anyway, here's a list of some of the touristy things to do / places to visit in Baguio. I tried, as accurately as possible, to group them according to geographical proximity.

If you're coming from NAIA, you can take a cab from the airport to the Victory Liner terminal in Pasay City (along EDSA). It should take 30 minutes to an hour to get from the airport to Victory Liner.

When you get to Victory Liner, just go to the cashier to purchase a ticket. A trip from Pasay to Baguio costs Php440, and is approximately 6 to 7 hours. Buses leave every hour during lean season. During peak season (December to May), it could be as often as every 15 minutes. However, please note that during peak season, it is advisable to purchase a ticket in advance. You will also have to make hotel reservations in advance, as most decent places in Baguio will be fully booked.  

I recently learned that there is a local airline (ZestAir, I think) that flies from the Manila Domestic Airport to San Fernando, La Union. I'm not sure how much it costs though. The thing is, given the additional time it will take to check in, etc., travel time may net to about the same, so why pay more.

WHERE TO EAT

Casa Vallejo / Hill Station Restaurant - Click here for details. (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Casa Vallejo

Upper Session Road
Baguio City 2600
(074) 423-9100

(074) 424-3397

(074) 424-3370

info@casavallejobaguio.com

           Option 1: Park at SM, and walk to Casa Vallejo, located at the street below.

Option 2: Park along the street in front of Casa Vallejo (Upper Session Road).

Option 3: Park at the back. The parking entrance is along Lower Leonard Wood Road.

Cafe by the Ruins – Chuntug Street, Baguio City, in front of City Hall, which is also really pretty. (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Café by the Ruins
Chuntug Street
Baguio City

(074) 424-0101
info@cafebytheruins.com 

            Click here for map. 

PNKY Cafe - Click here for details. (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Click here for map.

Along Leonard Wood Road, a few houses down from the Brent Road intersection. If you’re coming from town, it will be on the left side of the road.

 

Sizzling Plate – Session Road, SM-bound side; Must try: sansrival (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Chocolate de Batirol – Camp John Hay, near the Baguio Country Club gate; try their bibingka and turon with the traditional hot chocolate (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Le Chef at The Manor – Camp John Hay. Everything here is good, but I particularly recommend their pastries (especially their cheesecakes) and cappuccino. (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Tea House – Session Road, market-bound side; Must try: Chona’s Delight (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Volante – Session Road, SM-bound side; good pizza

Zola Café – Session Road, market-bound side, after the Post Office hill, at the street that goes up the Baguio Cathedral; Good for cheap breakfast meals (around 70-80 pesos, with unlimited coffee)

50’s Diner – There’s one along Leonard Wood Road / Brent Road near Pink Sisters, and a new branch along Loakan Road, close to the Kennon Road intersection; good diner food

O’ Mai Khan – Otek Street near City Hall; Mongolian buffet (Php250)

Don Henrico’s – Session Road or 2/F SM Baguio; buffalo wings and lasagna

Mario’s – Upper Session Road Extension (near Victory Liner/Caltex); steak

Star Café / Rose Bowl  - Star Café is along Session Road, market-bound side. Rose Bowl is along Harrison Road, market-bound side. Chinese food.

For other suggestions, click here and here. 

TOURISTY PLACES TO GO

(A)              TOWN AREA

Burnham Park (Harrison Road, Baguio City) - Burnham Lake for boating; skating; biking; street food; flowers and plants and walking around

Baguio City Market – (Lower Session Road, Baguio City) Drop by the dry goods section, or to the Maharlika basement for food (strawberries, etc.) and souvenirs (man in a barrel, brooms/walis, and other native items).

Narda’s – (Upper Session Road Extension, near the Supreme Court Compound/Victory Liner (SM-bound side)); For souvenir items, native weaves and knits.

Session Road - restaurants (Sizzling Plate has the BEST sansrival. Tea House is known for their pastries. Star Cafe is also uniquely Baguio.), old buildings

Baguio Cathedral (Fr. Carlu Street, Baguio City – walk up the road after the post office hill, by the side of Zola Cafe) – For the religious, it’s a very solemn church. For the non-religious, it’s a pretty place.

SM Baguio – If necessary. It’s the only SM I like.

(B)               BOTANICAL GARDEN – WRIGHT PARK AREA

Botanical Garden (Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City) - lush vegetation and flora (no fauna), souvenirs at tourist prices (The cheaper ones are always at the places that tourists don't usually visit.)

The main entrance to the Baguio Botanical Garden is along Leonard Wood Road, between Teachers Camp and Wright Park.

Driving there: From Session Road, proceed along Leonard Wood Road. You will see the main entrance to your right, past Teachers Camp, to your right. You can park along the road.

By public transport: “There are many, many jeepney lines that pass Leonard Wood Road, all emanating from the Central Business District (Plaza) so ride one that indicates Plaza to the following places: Mines View, Pacdal, Beckel, Country Club, Navy Base, Tuding, Itogon. There are also many taxi cabs that you may take to and from Botanical Garden.”

(Directions c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

Business hours: Open daily, daylight hours).

Entrance fees: Botanical Garden is FREE for everyone's enjoyment; picture-taking with the natives would cost about Php20.00/person/photo.

Wright Park Riding Circle (Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City) – Horseback riding.

(See the section on The Mansion for directions.)

Wright Park is located across from The Mansion, the official summer residence of the President of the Philippines, with the beautiful, and much photographed Pool of the Pines. Wright Park Riding Circle is the flat and wide triangle below it where 200 horses are available for hire. - (c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

The Mansion - For the obligatory photo with The Mansion in the background.

It is located on the eastern part of the city along C.P. Romulo Drive (formerly a part of Leonard Wood Road) and right across from Wright Park.

Driving there – Proceed along Leonard Wood Road, past Teachers Camp and the Botanical Garden. When you reach Pacdal Circle, go towards the road which gently climbs uphill that is to the right of the Wright Park Riding Circle. You may park your vehicle at Wright Park Drive, which is directly across the Mansion.

By taxi cab -- just tell the cabbie to take you to The Mansion or even "Mansion House," about Php50.00 from Session Road.

By jeepney -- take the Plaza-Mines View jeepney from the Central Business District, about Php8.00/person

(Directions c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

Good Shepherd - Nice view, alfajor, ube jam, lengua de gato, peanut brittle, and other items (Best enjoyed outside of the tourist season.)

(See directions for Mines View below.)

Good Shepherd Convent
15 Gibraltar Road, 2600 Baguio City
Telefax (074) 424 11 09 - Convent;  Telefax (074) 442 3865 – Center

You will find the Good Shepherd Convent in the Mines View Barangay. Its main entrance is along Gibraltar Road and it is within walking distance from the souvenir shops at Mines View Park. (c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

Mines View (Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City) - There are souvenir shops here too. Now here's where we part ways. END. OF. FRIENDSHIP. In my personal opinion, unless you really really hate yourself and/or extremely confident that the people you're with are EXTREMELY PATIENT, do NOT, repeat, DO NOT, go during long weekends or other tourist-rich times. Traffic will be TERRIBLE. And parking is a major headache. On average, you'll have to park a looooooooong way from where you're going.

Driving there: From Session Road, climb up and turn to Leonard Wood Road, past Teachers Camp and the Botanical Garden, past the Pacdal Rotunda, and go straight up C. P. Romulo Drive past Wright Park Riding Circle and the The Mansion.

As the road climbing up curves left you will be on Outlook Drive (you will see Baguio Townhouse to the right and do not take the road going straight down to Itogon, Benguet) and Mines View Park will be at the top.

An alternate route will be to pass Gibraltar Road, which is to the left of Wright Park Riding Circle. When you see the Good Shepherd Convent to your left, Mines View Park is just a few meters away. This route is actually more direct, but C.P. Romulo Drive is way prettier, and you get to pass by some more popular Baguio attractions along the way

By Public Transportation: Public jeepneys are also available using the Plaza-Mines View line. You may also hire one of our many taxis cabs to take you there, and contract the driver by the hour or for the day. If your group is large, it may be better to hire a jeepney instead.

(Directions c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

(C)               JOHN HAY AREA

Camp John Hay - BEST Starbucks in the Philippines. The Manor. Cute cottages. Flora (no fauna). Pine trees. Golf. Cemetert of Negativity. Butterfly Sanctuary. Scout Hill. Historical Core. EcoTrail. Chocolate de Batirol.

Located on the south eastern side of the Summer Capital of the Philippines, its Main Gate is now located on Loakan Road, a 5-minute drive from its old location at the Upper Session Road-Loakan Road-South Drive rotunda.

Camp John Hay has a second entrance accessible via the Baguio Country Club road, which is closer to the other major tourist attractions of the City of Pines.

(Directions c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

Baguio Country Club - The BEST banana cake EVER. Heated lap pool and jacuzzi. Nice view.

See map here.

Philippine Military Academy - I find it sad that you now have to go this far to enjoy the Baguio view. When I was a kid, all I had to do was look out the window. =(

Located at Fort Gegorio del Pilar on Loakan Road, visitors to the City of Pines are welcome to explore the grounds, view the cadets performing their drills, and explore the PMA museum and walk around its manicured grounds to see vintage tanks and other historical military weapons.

Driving there -- pass through wooded Loakan Road past a fork in the road (to the right will be Loakan Airport), keep going straight until you see the Fort Gregorio del Pilar gate on your right. About 10 km from Burnham Park and Session Road.

By taxi cab -- you may hire a taxi cab for Php200/hour to tour you around Baguio CIty, or maybe just to take you to and inside PMA and back so you can tour the grounds by car and partially on foot.

By jeepney -- take the Plaza-Loakan-PMA jeepney from the Central Business District.

(Directions c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

Lourdes Grotto (Mirador Hill, Baguio City) - Looooooong climb up the steps.

Proceed out of town to Naguilian Road, past the public cemetery.

(D)              TAM-AWAN VILLAGE AREA

Tam-Awan Village - Take Bokawkan Road behind Camp Allen, turn right at Ferguson Road, turn right at Tacay Road (which goes uphill). At the top of the hill, turn right going to Tam-Awan. if you go straight along that road, you'll end up in La Trinidad.

Driving there - From Burnham Park: Harrison Road-Abanao Road-Naguilian Road. From Naguilian, turn right to Quezon Hill Road 2, which connects to Tacay Road. On Tacay Road, keep going straught till you reach a fork on the road, Take the road on the left and keep going until you reach Tam-Awan Village. 

By taxi cab - give the driver instructions to take you to Tam-awan Village, Pinsao Proper.

By jeepney - take the Plaza-Quezon Hill-Tam-awan jeepney or the Long-long via Tam-awan Jeepney from Kayang Street, behing and above the Baguio City Market.

(Directions c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

Tam-awan Village

366-C Pinsao Proper

2600 Baguio City

Philippines

Tel.: (074) 446-2949

Fax:  (074) 442-5553

                                                                                                                                                                              

Entrance fee: Php50

8am to 6pm (5:30 last entrance)

Arko ni Apo - Across from Tam-Awan Village

Right across Tam-awan Village is Philippine sculptor Ben Hur Villanueva's gallery-workshop-cafe and residence, where everyone is welcome to see him and his works of art.

Having retired to Baguio after 30 years of teaching at the Ateneo de Manila University, Ben Hur Villanueva is a genial, lovely man, generous with his time, knowledge and experience, and simply a wonderful person to get to know.

(Description c/o the Tam-Awan Village official website.)

Easter Weaving Room - It is located near the compound of the Bureau of Plant Industry and is easily accessible by taxi. From the downtown area of Baguio, take Abanao Street towards Camp Allen and turn right to Bokawkan Road at the vicinity of the PLDT building. At the lower end of Bokawkan Road, turn left to Easter Road and you will find the Easter Weaving Room compound to your right.

Driving there: From Burnham Park, which is at the heart of Baguio City, climb up Abanao Road, past Camp Allen and at the stoplight turn right to Bokawkan Road, head downhill and turn left to Easter Road, travelling for a few hundred meters more until you see Easter Weaving Room to your right.

By taxi cab: All taxi drivers in Baguio City know the location of Easter Weaving (or Easter Road for that matter) so just tell the driver where to take you. The cost should be about Php50 of USD1.00 from the Central Business District (Session Road or Burnham Park)

(Directions c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

(E)               BENCAB MUSEUM AND SURROUNDING AREA

BenCab Museum - http://bencabmuseum.org/

Woodcarvers' Village

“Three kilometers of independent indigenous wood carvers. The works of these carvers range from very small figurines to huge statues. It is located on Asin Road on the way to the Asin Hot Springs.” - c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

Asin Hot Springs

“Actually outside city limits, but considered a Baguio resource, it contains natural hot springs. Some resorts have sprung up in recent years and the area is pretty much underdeveloped but is still a place that tourists should visit.” - c/o http://www.gobaguio.com)

Nangalisan River

Photo courtesy of http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb100/cordiartistscentral/2009%20ATPS%20CAC/bencabmuseume-invite.jpg

• Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary - The Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary is located at 25 North Santo Tomas Road, Campo Sioco, Baguio City. To go to the sanctuary you can take the BGH-Campo Sioco bound jeepneys which are parked beside the Harrison Road overpass stairway, take a taxi, or drive your own vehicle. From the downtown area, proceed to the rotunda across the Baguio General Hospital then take the road to the right towards the direction of Marcos Highway. After passing Lina's Mart look out for the Amway and Agua Vida signage where you turn right and follow the road until you reach the Maryknoll gate.

• Bell Church

Anyhow, as for the schedule for the Panagbenga 2011 festivities, click here for the website, or check the schedule posted below:

 Happy weekend guys! =)

NOTE: Directions and some descriptions sourced from http://www.gobaguio.com or the establishment's official website unless otherwise indicated.

28 in 2011

To make up for my lack of any activity on the actual date of my birthday (February 17th), my friends and I scheduled a ton of stuff for the weekend. Well, that's if you subscribe to the idea that skipping work, fermenting in bed and watching a ton of dvd's don't count as "activity". =p

ACT ONE

Comida Espanola

SM Mall of Asia
2nd floor, Entertainment Hall
Pasay City, Manila Philipines
with a breath taking view of Manila bay.

For Reservations Call us at:
+632 804-08 37

Reservations For a minimum of 50 persons. We provide for Trio los Panchos for live acoustic music any day of the week.

Experience live Spanish acoustic music every THURSDAY to SUNDAY Dinner time.

Operating time: 10:00am - 11:00pm daily

 My birthday weekend began with dinner at Patio Guernica with Anna and Mia. None of us relish the thought of having to go to the Mall of Asia, as we all share the opinion that it's just too big. And not in a good way. (Wink wink) Anyway, I hear there used to be a Patio Guernica used to be along M.H. del Pilar Street, but I'm not sure if it's still there. 

I adore everything Spanish and historical, so anything Spanish AND historical is a little slice of heaven for me. This place is really pretty. I love their interiors. For a small place in a monstrosity of a mall, pretty good. Obviously, since it's in MOA, it's not exactly a historical place, but I love the -ahem- very flattering lighting, the dark wood-panelled interiors and the padded seats. Nos encanta charlar, y por eso, necesitamos sillas muy comodos.

Photo courtesy of http://www.patio-guernica.com

Photo courtesy of http://www.patio-guernica.com

Photo courtesy of http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2753376534_a280eee2e8.jpg?v=0

Photo courtesy of http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/2753376568_7d0688de09.jpg?v=0

O.C. me also loved the clean restroom. 

Oh, and check out the cool menu:

Anyway, a teeny bit of trivia about Patio Guernica from their website:

GUERNICA in its old tradition in cooking Authentic Spanish Cuisine and fine dining service remains the same 53 years ago. Opened in 1955 by Senor Jose Ma. Hormacchea, a Spanish national, and a well known jai-alai player. His alias as a player was "Guernica" as he was born in the historic Basque town of GUERNICA. After he resigned as a player, he and his wife Vera Kogan opened a restaurant in M.H. del pilar which he called GUERNICA's. It is the First Spanish Restaurant in Manila which has a Trio singing folk songs entertaining guests at dinner time. In 1973, Senor Hormacchea retired and sold the business to Mr. Romeo "Romy" Bauzon, an antique collector married to Ms.Inge Horn of Ulm, Germany, and Australian partner Mr. Bruce Bernnie. Mr. Romeo Bauzon a well known antique collector was reluctant at first to run Guernica's since he does not know anything about the business, and yet he saw the opportunity thus he accepted the challenge and excelled as a restaurateur. Romy had worked in a Japanese Firm Nisho Iwai where he gained management skills. On its initial operation Senor Hormacchea assisted in the overall operation to continue the tradition in Spanish cooking, all secret recipes are transferred to the new management in 1973.

Guernica is a member Les Toque Blanches-international chef club. In 1983 Chef Peter Pfister the F&B manager of Guernica, started as a cook at the age of 16 in a famous ski resort in Switzerland, at 23 a chef at Hong Kong Holiday- Inn and later Fujian Hotel before joining Guernica. He was responsible in the over-all operation of the restaurant from weekly training and motivating staff and personally handles customer relations.

Its atmosphere and ambiance of romance is in a Spanish inspired setting, its rustic decorated place, authentic Spanish dishes and live acoustic music lured many well known residents (locals) and tourists.

In March 2008, Ms. Inge Horn-Bauzon went into retirement and transferred the restaurant to its management employees that have worked with the company for the past 20 years to continue the old tradition.

Now, the third generation of GUERNICA, with the same atmosphere, ambiance, authentic Spanish cuisine and live acoustic music will surely be cherished and remembered by its guests.

Especialidades de La Casa ranges from sopas, tapas, ensaladas, paellas, lengua, rabo de toro, entradas mariscos and pescados, steaks, and stocks of wines. You can also try our sweet sensations; Mango Jubilee - enjoy how fresh ripe mango is cooked in flames right at your table or Francescano - deep fried ice cream, a specialty you shouldn't miss! and for the perfect ending, try our Spanish Coffee, brewed coffee with Spanish brandy, cream and kahlua.

GUERNICA is currently managed by Rustico C. Apostol-President, Loida P. Lobo-VP Treasury, Rodrigo De Jesus-VP F&B and Customer Relations and Anthony Bauzon -Kitchen Operations. The new management will continue Guernica's tradition and with a vision to expand the business through a co-management franchise partnership model in select key locations by year 2009.

Cool eh? We're taking a one-month break from our Spanish classes, since it's been six months and cinco niveles since we started mid-2011 (Yes, right after the World Cup. I love mis hombres espanoles.), and we needed a semestral break of sorts, just so we don't end up gagging. Too much of anything is never a good thing, see. Anyway, it's been less than two weeks (I just checked my calendar) but it feels like so long, and I miss it. So meanwhile, comida espanola will soothe my Spanish craving.

We had the tapas sampler (gambas, champignones, lamb meatballs and calamares), paella valenciana, their house iced tea, and for dessert, mango jubilee and the fried ice cream. Everything was soooooooooo goooooooood.

Photo courtesy of http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3358/3284186879_7ea7cf07bd.jpg

And while all of this was going on, the in-house musical group serenaded us with Filipino, English and Spanish ballads. When they took a break, a pianist took and played a couple of songs.

Photo courtesy of http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/7f/4c/49/pasay.jpg

And, of course, nothing beats good company. =)

ACT TWO

An Attempt at Culture

While I was going through the TicketWorld website, I chanced upon the page for Don Quixote. I'd seen the poster at the Instituto Cervantes, but I never really considered it because I thought it would be too expensive, especially considering that the, errrrr, other tickets we were getting, were a tiny bit outside of our budget on a normal sunny day. One would think that ballet tickets would be outrageously expensive, but as it turns out, they're actually very affordable. Although I still regret not having found out that enrolled students at the Instituto Cervantes were entitled to a 50% discount. But then again, we were able to get a 10% discount because I charged everything to my BDO credit card. We were able to get matinee orchestra center seats (Row Q) for 550 each. Not bad at all.

We were supposed to meet up at 2, but as our luck would have it, Anna woke up late and we ended up sneaking into the CCP Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo fifteen minutes after the first act had started. It's been ages since I've been to a ballet, and it really helped that this one was something I was familiar with.

Photo courtesy of http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lffcru83xG1qcivhfo1_500.jpg

We're thinking of getting season tickets to the ballet. For the matinee, it's only Php1,700 for orchestra side, and Php2,000 for orchestra center. The next Ballet Philippines season at the CCP starts September. I'll post the schedule once I retrieve my program from Anna's car tomorrow.

Oh, and we're also going to watch ZsaZsa Zaturnah at the CCP next month. Sounds fun. 

ACT THREE

Take it ooooooooooooofffffffff!!!

Uhuh. We did.

I have groped a Chippendale. I can die now.

FYI, they did that number last night. Sooooooooooo hotttt.

Photo courtesy of http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/chippendales_3.jpg.

Think of all the situations you might imagine a stripper to be in, and they did it. They did road crew, construction worker, navy boys in those A Few Good Men uniforms, James Bond, man on a motorcycle, man fresh home from work, man on a bed. You name it, they did it.

Photo courtesy of http://i.wp.pl/a/f/pjpeg/18392/chippendales05_450.jpg.

I can't wait for next year's show. We are sooooooo getting VVIP seats next year.

Photo courtesy of http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l05whuoynB1qa1oc9o1_400.jpg.

Next up: THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER. Or at least we hope so. =p

Nacho Nacho Man: Nacho Figueras in Manila 2011

Well, what a happy birthday indeed.

Now, I've known for weeks that Nacho Figueras would be in Manila, courtesy of my friend Lorraine, who has quite the unhealthy obsession with him. (Hi Lorr! See, I stake no claim.) BUT I was still pretty excited when my TweetDeck notification flashed this tweet earlier today:

@nachofigueras Nacho Figueras

In Manila getting ready to play the Aguiire Cup next Sunday.

So anyway, we don't have any concrete plans yet, but this is exciting. This time last year, who would've imagined that THE Nacho Figueras would set foot in Manila, right?

Now for those who are not fortunate to have friends like mine who have a way of tracking down the best-looking men in the world, THIS is Nacho Figueras:

(Photo courtesy of Nacho Figueras' Facebook Page.)

(Photo courtesy of luvgiambattista.blogspot.com)

Nacho is a polo player from Argentina who currently plays for the team Black Watch, and incidentally, also models for Ralph Lauren.

(See Nacho on the Oprah Show and Nacho Figueras for Ralph Lauren Polo Black)

Sorry girls, Nacho IS happily married, often tweets about it, and his family fittingly looks like a Ralph Lauren ad.

 

(Photo credits: http://www.beautyandthedirt.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Nacho-Figueras-and-his-family.jpg)

 (Photo credits: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOioZ-eJfThvVr41HzBRC84WmOrc1YDQUKg4is_k1i5BAsN2tQxalxiI-iWbNevR_53MQ__stZN239BQXtLMf99SVweKWCldkfkVxtThuOS46HuaRS8N9nQu7HA-CAWYGP_j20hEs3M2c/s1600/Nacho+Figueras+family+photo+via+Miguel+Flores+Vianna.jpg)

So anyway, now I'll go pester Lorraine for the details of Nacho's Manila stint. Meanwhile, you can follow @nachofigueras on Twitter for updates.

My (sort of) whirlwind romance with football

Well now. After a couple million years, football has finally entrenched itself in the realm of public consumption sports in the Philippines, a category that has largely been monopolized by basketball. Now, I will not resort to any snide comments about basketball and its popularity, as I know how exciting it can be to watch and be part of the whole experience when one develops an affinity for the sport and/or for a team. When I was in high school, I cheered wildly from our couch every time Ginebra played, and more particularly when they played against Alaska. I still remember that wild shot that Bal David took waaaaaaaay past the half-court line that, if I remember right, won the game. In college, I again unpacked the vocal chords for Ateneo-La Salle UAAP matches. My senior year in college, we finally won the UAAP Championship. (Yay!)

Now I will not go so far as to say that I am in any way an expert in the sport of football (or soccer, if you prefer to call it that). First of all, I never played. Appreciation for the sport just kinda rubbed off on me by force of circumstance. In high school, I had friends who were on our varsity football team. My best guy friend then was a midfielder, and another close friend eventually became goalkeeper. An assortment of other friends also played for the La Salle Football Club. My favorite teacher and extemporaneous speech coach had been coaching the team for as long as anyone could remember.

Second, I was always more of a passive spectator than an active participant. I knew the general rules of the game, but I never really paid attention. I was familiar with the names of the teams, but I never really became passionately involved with any of them. In fact, I was in Eastwood with my then boyfriend and our friends' parents for the World Cup Final in 2002, but I have no recollection of who played, nor do I remember who won.

Law school drifted by in a blur of books and cases and an assortment of bad recitations, drunken stupors, and melodramatic episodes. I was vaguely aware that 2006 was a World Cup year because Woowie from the bar batch that year decided to defer taking the bar exams because he was to preoccupied with the World Cup.

And so another four years passed. I graduated, reviewed for, took and passed the bar, started working, moved jobs twice, and then 2010 came along, and on the prodding of friends who had been ogling football players for months, I began looking through their stables. Yes, I admit, my interest in football was rekindled by its, errrrrr, face value. The thing is, I guess no matter what one's reasons are for developing (or rekindling) an interest in or for the beautiful game, one will learn to love it for itself. (Although, I do have to admit that players like Cesc Fabregas, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso do make watching infinitely more interesting.) By the World Cup finals, I had fallen in love with the game. I even read the FIFA Rules and all the team profiles, and enrolled in Spanish classes at the Instituto Cervantes in a bout of post-World Cup inspiration.

Now here I am, a full year later, still hooked on the sport, and still following La Liga and the EPL, although the Spanish League I have only been following online, since none of the locally available channels have seen it fit to cover the matches.

Thus you can imagine my excitement when the Philippine National Football Team began to gain attention from the local media after they won over Vietnam in the Suzuki Cup, and recently over Mongolia. Prior to the Suzuki Cup, I doubt that most people even knew we had a football team. Fast forward to 2011, the German league has granted the PFF funding and assigned us a new coach. FIFA is even giving us a grant to build an artificial pitch! Numerous websites dedicated to the Azkals have popped up, and the names of the players have become household names. Well, at least Etheridge and the Younghusbands.

Far be it for me to judge people who take an interest in the sport solely for the players. As my high school's football coach wrote, no matter what people's reasons are for developing a liking for the sport, if it will increase awareness, and lead to the betterment of the state of football in this country, I am all for it. At the moment, we are far from qualifying for the World Cup, or even winning a gold at the Southeast Asian Games, but who knows, maybe by the time the 2022 World Cup comes along, we might be able to qualify. So here's to hoping that this hype isn't shortlived, that the funds do not mysteriously disappear into thin air, and that the local talent get the attention and the funding that they so truly deserve.