What's in a (Business) Name? Setenta y seis

It's nice to eat you.

Spotted by Aya of The Not-So Blank Page in
E-Park Building, A. Minoza Street, Talamban, Cebu City

For more amusing business names, please visit Go Random.

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