Mt Samat National Shrine in Bataan

Enroute to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, we made a quick visit to Mt Samat National Shrine.

Mt Samat National Shrine
Pilar, Bataan
Daily 8AM to 5PM
Admission fee Php 20

On Mt. Samat in Bataan stands a memorial for the US and Philippine Armies' last stand against the Imperial Japanese Army in the early months of 1942.

In Mt Samat National Shrine, a written account of the Battle of Bataan is found on the walls of the marble colonnade. We took a moment (a 10-minute long moment because it was two walls long) to read this important piece of our history.

Colonnade

Reading about the Battle of Bataan

Along the perimeter of the colonnade are marble sculptures depicting the battle, including the Bataan Death March, when, after the surrender, the Japanese made the Philippine and American soldiers march for 106 kilometers under intense heat, starvation, and torture.

Beneath the colonnade is a small museum with a collection of war artefacts, a 3D map of Bataan, and photographs. The power was out when we visited and there was no backup power generator. Despite the lack of electricity, we ventured inside the museum and looked at the exhibits in the dim light of our mobile phone. We almost jumped out of our pants when a voice rang out from some dark corner (it was very dark inside the museum!) scolding a guest for attempting to take a picture (no flash photography inside the museum!).

Steps leading to the large cross

Behind the colonnade are steps leading to the shrine's 92-meter tall cross. I had been to the shrine once before, eons six years ago. At that time, we were able to go up to the observatory on the arms of the cross via an elevator. But on this visit, the elevator was out of order (how long has it been out of order, I wonder) so we just took a look around the base of the cross which had sculptures depicting important events in Philippine history.

92-meter tall cross

Locked, we can't go up the observatory :(

History class was bottom on my list when I was in high school. This visit encourages me to read and learn more about our country's past.

From Manila to Bataan by Ferry

What's the shortest distance between two points? A straight line! And that is what 1Bataan Integrated Transport System has brought to the people: a faster option (a little over an hour) to get from Manila to Bataan. From Esplanade Seaside Terminal MOA (Manila) to Port Capinpin in Orion, Bataan (and vice versa) to be exact.

Photo from Budget Biyahera

This service has been running for less than a year (it made its maiden voyage on December 11, 2017). The ferry is very clean, the aircondition really cold. If you watch the movie that they show during the journey, expect to walk out of the ferry freezing and wondering what happens at the end of the movie. Freezing if you sit right in front of the TV which has the AC above the TV and wondering because the journey is just a little over an hour and the movie take at least 1.5 hours. Which is what happened to us, the staff had to call our attention because we were too absorbed in the movie to notice that we were the only guests left in the ferry, everyone else had disembarked!

Inside the ferry

Although taking the bus would be cheaper (about Php300), taking the ferry would be faster, traffic free, and more comfortable. The ferry ticket costs Php450 (one way) when booked online, but way more expensive when booked at the terminal at Php799 (one way).

Daily Schedule
(As of August 6, 2018; Please check 1Bataan Integrated Transport System's website or facebook page for updates)
Manila to Orion 7AM
Orion to Manila 9AM

Ang mga Pancit sa Bataan

Did you know that pancit is from Hokkien pian i sit which means "something conveniently cooked fast"? Now you know. Thank you wikipedia.

Pancit #1

Pancit Luglog from Mang Kulot and Aling Aida's in Balagtas, Orion, Bataan

(Near Orion National High School and Orion Public Market)

(047) 244 5028

 

 Mang Kulot is not so kulot now, is he?

 A bilao of Pancit Luglog good for 15 people (Php 350)

Pancit luglog is like pancit palabok but with thicker noodles. It is topped with that orangey sauce, shrimps, and hard-boiled eggs.

 A simple menu

Mang Kulot and Aling Aida also offers spaghetti, sphabok (which I think is palabok using spaghetti instead of bihon), and sandwiches. But it looks like their specialty is the pancit luglog. The pancit luglog/spaghetti/sphabok can be ordered per plate (Php 25 to 35) or by bilao that can serve 6 (Php 200) to 35 people (Php 700).

Pancit #2

Pancit Guisado from Estrella's Eatery

63 Naval St., Cupang North, Balanga City, Bataan

(047) 237 4935

 A bilao of Pancit Guisado good for 15 people (Php 400)

Estrella's Pancit Guisado is topped with veggies (carrots, stringbeans, cabbage), hard-boiled eggs, and the diced and deep fried pork rind (kinupusan in Visayan).

 

The other pancit offerings of Estrella are luglog, spabok, canton, pancit malabon, lomi and mami. The former four, including guisado, can be bought by bilao (Php 300 to Php 500).

 

Clockwise from top left: Monggo, ube, and mais kalamay ng Cupang

Had too much pancit? You can also try the Kalamay ng Cupang at Php 10 each at Estrella's Eatery. They have monggo (mung beans), mais (corn), and ube (purple yam). All topped with (Tagalog) latik.

Eating Pampanga in Bataan

I am bad with geography. Having lived in this archipelago of more than 7000 islands all my life, I never bothered to learn which province was whose neighbor especially in Luzon and Mindanao. Slowly I piece together the Philippines thru travel and food.

Did you know that one of Bataan's neighbors is Pampanga? Knew that since you were in grade one? Good for you! But a great discovery for me just a week back, all thanks to the sisig and kakanin my friend fed me while I was visiting her in Bataan.

Driving along the hiway in Pilar, Bataan, we stopped by a roadside barbecue stand for some sisig. If you're not from there, you'd probably dismiss it because it doesn't look special at all (it doesn't even have a signboard). But come 6PM (or as early as 530PM), there will be several cars parked at the shoulder of the hiway lining up for some sisig, isaw, pork barbecue, chicken barbecue, or grilled hotdog...but most especially for sisig.

 

Getting grilled

Being a fan of sisig, I know (heard somewhere really) that sisig originally came from Pampanga. I would have loved to have gone hunting for the sisig inventor, but since I am in Bataan, not Pampanga, this will have to do: a sisig place where the people preparing it are Kapampangan.

 

Chop it up real good!

Sisig, according to wikipedia, is a Kapampangan term which means "to snack on something sour". I cannot verify if that is true since I do not speak Kapampangan. But I do know this was one good sisig. "Good" in my opinion is not having large chunks of liver (I do not like liver, itty bitty diced ones will do) but has a good deal of onion and just the right amount of sourness.

Tada! Sisig!

I am not sure how they cooked it, all I saw was that they grilled the pork, chopped it up real good along with one whole onion, put it all in a pan and brought it in the back kitchen where they poured their magic. My friend said there was liver in it, I just didn't see it coz it was mashed. :))

One serving costs Php 170. A bit pricey you say? Wait til you dig thru it...it can feed three people.

This is just along the highway of Pilar, Bataan, beside Britt Home Builders Center, across Balor and Tapang Construction and Trading and Ronakiel Restaurant, Bar, and Hotel. They're open 6PM (or sometimes as early as 530PM) ...until supplies last ;-)

Another hint of Pampanga in Bataan is Susie's Cuisine, which claims to have "The Best in Pampango Kakanin". Of course, not having tried Pampango Kakanin before, I will have to take their word for it.

 

They sell other stuff but I thought I'd just take a picture of their kakanin menu.

My gracious host bought almost everything I haven't heard of (except for the puto and cuchinta): aleya ube, tibok-tibok, tibokmais, kalame duman, moche. Aleya Ube is just mashed ube. Tibok-tibok is made from carabao's milk and tastes kinda similar to maja blanca. Tibokmais is made with, guess what, carabao's milk and corn. Kalame duman is made from young rice. Moche is made from rice with monggo filling. All these kakanin, except for the moche, is to be topped with (Tagalog) latik before eating. Moche is to be eaten with kalame (sweetened coconut milk). Of all the kakanin, I like tibokmais most (or maybe I am just biased when it comes to anything corn). Duman to me tasted like rice only a bit sweeter...according to my friend, it tastes like gummybears.

From top to bottom, left to right: aleya ube, tibok-tibok, tibokmais, kalame duman, moche, puto, and cuchinta

We got all these from Susie's Cuisine at Don Manuel Banzon Ave. in Balanga City, Bataan [contact numbers (047) 451 5360 / (047) 237 0066]. They also have a branch in Orion, Bataan, and in many parts of Pampanga.