Backpacking Philippines: Suggested Metro Manila Holy Week Activities: Visita Iglesia et al

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Flight chronicles of the backpacker Tutubi, with travelogues, pictures/photos/videos, travel guides, independent and honest reviews, affordable, recommended resorts and hotels (including inns, guesthouses, pension houses, lodges, hostels, condotels, bed and breakfast and other cheap accommodations), commuting guides, routes (sometimes street maps and GPS coordinates/waypoints) and driving directions to answer "how to get there" questions, information and tips on tourism, budget travel and living in Philippines, Exotic Asia and beyond!

Backpacking, independent travel, and flashpacking are cheaper than the "cheapest package tours" and promotional offers around but you can also use travel information for family vacations, even romantic honeymoon destinations.

More than the usual tourist spots and "places to see," this blog advocates heritage conservation, environmental protection, and history awareness for Filipinos, foreigners, and ex-pats wishing to explore Paradise Philippines and Exotic Asia!

Suggested Metro Manila Holy Week Activities: Visita Iglesia et al

As you know, Tutubi's stuck in Metro manila for the Holy Week for a change. This is his first time to spend Holy Week in Manila and just the third time he'll miss Holy Week in Paete, Laguna, his hometown.

Suggested Activities for Holy Week in Metro Manila (a city without the people and traffic)

1. Visita Iglesia in Manila: Visit seven churches according to traditional bisita iglesia itineraries. Here you can see many people walking to churches some barefoot, avoiding riding public transportation, as a form of penitence. (for sure the LRT and MRT trains will stop operating during Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday and Easter Sunday and the Pasig River Ferry may also do the same due to lack of people so you're stuck with buses, jeepneys and taxis)

The historic, old church of Malate, usually part of visita iglesia itineraries

2. See fishes and other marine animals at Manila Ocean Park, open throughout the Holy Week from 9am to 9pm.

3. Complete the 14 Stations of the Cross at Nayong Pilipino in Pasay City (it's been ages singe Tutubi visited the place). Starting April 6 (Holy Monday) up to April 12 (Easter Sunday) from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Nayong Pilipino will be opened to the public. The same is true for Nayong Pilipino Clark.

4. Sightseeing tours of Manila: Quiapo, Luneta (Rizal Park), Binondo, Lawton (Liwasang Bonifacio), Sta. Cruz (Q: Is Manila Zoo open during Holy Week?)

5. Drive around Quezon City: Circle, Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife, even visit the Lung Center Sunday Market.

6. Cool down at Wawa Dam, something refreshing and cheap too, in Montalban, Rizal, just an hour from Tutubi's home. Nearby resorts in Antipolo and other Rizal towns are good too.

7. Visit SM and other open malls on Black Saturday and Easter Sunday for those availing of free air-conditioning to escape the searing summer sun...nagpapalamig lang :P

8. Staycation: stay at home vacation - cheap and comfortable with the air-con at full blast.

Do drop by later which of these activities Tutubi did for Holy Week 2009. One thing's for sure, he won't visit the malls for he's not a mall-rat unlike most Filipinos :P

Related Posts:
Manila Visita Iglesia
SM Malls Operating Hours during Holy Week
How to Get to Manila Ocean Park

Labels: Holy Week

posted by GingGoy @ 1:21 PM,

8 Comments:

At Apr 6, 2009, 12:45:00 AM, carlotta1924 said...: so, this your first time to spend holy week in manila? for sure you'll enjoy the non-traffic then! yey! ;) driving around metro manila on holy week is like heaven. heheh.

as for me i plan to do number 4 sometime this holy week. been too long since i've visited the old manila area. =)
At Apr 6, 2009, 1:03:00 PM, Jo Tan said...: hey, you might want to try completing the 14 stations at Balai Taal.

http://jotan23.blogspot.com/2009/03/balai-taals-secret-garden.html

It's really really nice :)
At Apr 6, 2009, 6:44:00 PM, GingGoy said...: carlotta, baka makita pa kita sa manila nyan :P

jotan23, nice place there...need more details though
At Apr 6, 2009, 6:59:00 PM, Marco said...: Hi Kuya, your blog is one of the best! Keep it up!
At Apr 7, 2009, 7:22:00 AM, Bambit said...: Thanks for the heads up! Haven't walked down Nayong Pilipino in a while, this opportunity is not to be missed.
At Apr 8, 2009, 1:28:00 PM, Anonymous said...: i work in a profession that requires me to come in to work all day of the year, including holy week, so i've been spending holy weeks in the metro for the past couple of years. it could get a bit boring, with nearly all business establishments closed, but the major upside is the fact that metro manila is beyond decongested, with virtually no traffic whatsoever. even chaotic commonwealth avenue is almost like a ghost town. see, its just holy wednesday and already the silence of the city becomes ever more palpable.
At Apr 9, 2009, 4:14:00 PM, yase1222 said...: Hi tutubi!

kudos to you and this site!and thanks for the tips and activities you gave on this posting. i needed these as i am not going out of town too. i might do the visita iglesia with my kids and family. or maybe just alone. but then again, i am just excited about going downtown manila sans its usual "sceneries."
At Apr 9, 2009, 7:20:00 PM, GingGoy said...: marco, thanks for the "award" :P

bambit, i drove around manila moments ago but got as far as malate...probably tomorrow ;P

anonymous, EDSA today (good thursday) was not a ghost road...no traffic but fast moving vehicles and cars. even found Walter mart open :P

yase1222, good luck on your trip around the metro :P

Suggested Metro Manila Holy Week Activities: Visita Iglesia et al

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