Quirino or Banaoang Bridge

This was our last destination for our Ilocos trip. The famous Quirino bridge, a tourist attraction and an iconic symbol of Ilocus Sur preserved by it's local government is a sight not to miss when visiting Ilocos region. We opt not to stop and view the bridge from the view deck but rather drive through it, stop at the other side and take a short walk along the bridge. The symbolic bridge was built to honor the late President Elpidio Quirino but was damaged during one of the super typhoons to hit Philippines. The Macapagal government built a new bridge just beside the old one and is now accesses by travelers as well as locals.

Approaching the bridge along side the mountain was as scenic as the bridge itself. Traversing the Abra river, the bridge connects the town of Santa and Bantay. Surrounded by magnificent mountains it certainly is a beauty. Arriving there early in the morning, the morning sunshine hits the mountains majestically giving a certain dramatic lit over the river and the bridge.

Praised as one of the strongest bridges by withstanding the bombings from World War II, it is certainly a relic the Ilocanos can be proud of. The bridge offers a great panoramic view for photographers as characterized by its grand architectural design.

Our time spent in the bridge was almost like magical. Enjoying the gust of air across the bridge, it was calm and silent almost giving me chills and goosebumps while enjoying this incredible feat of engineering. Along the way I urge you to take a walk along the bridge, take time to contemplate and enjoy the view.

They also have a zipline and it was 1 kilometer long like the bridge. They offer affordable prices and I'd like to try it because I haven't tried any ziplines before! But then again we don't have time we need to go home to Olongapo City.

Hidden Garden of Vigan

Hidden Garden in Vigan, Ilocos Sur

Hidden Garden sells plants and clay pots they call as burnay jars. They have a chinese restaurant and a coffee shop as well. The clay pots can be used as decorations or as your plant pots. Eating in their restaurant is really awesome because of the lovely and relaxing environment. The landscape is properly designed and there are plants and flowers everywhere.

After eating or buying something, you can also stroll around the place. If you love plants or if you just want some fresh air, walking around the area would be really great. Aside from the plants and decorations, there are also animals in Hidden Garden like white cockatoos and gecko lizards.

Let’s take a look what’s inside:

The Grotto

Clay Pot Tower

The Entrance to the Garden

The Bonsai Corner

A Bonsai Tree

The Pathways in the Garden

Tables and Chairs with Some Millionaire’s Vines Hanging

The Bird Cage

The Elephant-Shaped Plant

The Well

The Nippa House

The Specialties of Lilong and Lilang’s Coffee Shop

The Restaurant Counter

Some Wine Bottles

A Statue

Lover's Corner

I want to eat there I was starving they have delecious foods waiting for me. But we don't have time we need to go back to our bus. It's alright I'll be there next time. :)
And gotta eat'em all! LOL

Watch my vlog below...

How to Get There

From Vigan city, you can rent a horse-carriage or kalesa just like when you’re going to Baluarte. When I went there, I first visited Pagburnayan then I told the driver to take me to Hidden Garden.

Pagburnayan: Old School Pottery in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

After a blast from the past at the Birthplace of Pres. Quirino, we proceeded to the Pagburnayan. Our immediate reaction was wonder what "Pagburnayan" was but a few moments later we were already at this place where countless pots were piled up and lined up. I was thrilled with the idea that we could be throwing pots.

It didn't happen.

The Pagburnayan area is in Barangay VII. The coolest thing about this place is that workers here still use old-school pottery methods. I’m not sure where the name Pagburnayan came from.

The workers invited us to join them make vases but no one wanted to volunteer. I guess no one wanted to get down and dirty with them at the moment. LOL.

Watch my vlog below...

And this is how they create jars.

Birthplace of President Elpidio Quirino

THE OLD Ilocos Sur provincial jail, where former President Elpidio Quirino was born, now houses precious paintings and artifacts of the Ilocandia.

Many Filipinos want their presidents to end up in jail. But who is the only Philippine president to be born in one?

Mariano Quirino was a warden of the provincial jail in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, when his wife, Gregoria Rivera, delivered Elpidio on Nov. 16, 1890, in a room on the second floor of the complex. Fifty-eight years later, the baby would become the country’s sixth president.

The jail, located behind the provincial capitol and beside the Burgos Museum, still served its purpose until last year when it began its transformation as the new art center of Ilocos Sur.

The National Museum returned the 14 paintings of Esteban Pichay Villanueva of the 1807 Basi Revolt and assembled them in a wing of the former facility. Beside the paintings, a new exhibition was created to highlight the “basi,” the quintessential Ilocano liquor made of fermented sugarcane juice which caused the regionwide revolt when the Spaniards decided to monopolize its production and sale.

The Syquia Mansion on Quirino Boulevard, which housed the Quirino memorabilia, also donated five large paintings of Quirino and his wife, Alicia Syquia, all done by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, and a bust by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino, which is displayed on the other wing.

Ilocos Sur officials and National Museum Director Jeremy Barns opened the new art center during the recent Kannawidan Ylocos Festival.

Jail makeover

The jail makeover was initiated during the term of then Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson in 2013 when talks with the National Museum started.

Museum officials pulled out the Basi Revolt paintings from the Burgos Museum and had these restored. The works were then exhibited at the National Museum in Manila last year and returned to the province early this year.


The provincial government, meanwhile, transferred the provincial jail to nearby Bantay town and rebuilt it into a Spanish “centro” (town center) with a fountain, a garden of giant yam (“bigaa,” where Vigan supposedly got its name), arched windows and cobblestone passageways.

Naif style

The 14 Basi Revolt paintings, the oldest secular Filipino set of paintings and one of the cherished treasures of the Ilocandia, now stand out in the white stucco walls, unlike the more subdued red walls of the National Museum’s Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines (FCCP) Hall.


Done in the naif style by Villanueva in 1821, the paintings were done in earth colors with superstitious symbols, such as comets and dark skies, but these were unflinching in depicting violence, such as decapitation and spearing.

A SCENE from the Basi Revolt is painted on a wall of the new museum.

Guide notes

The guide notes were done in Ilocano, Filipino and English. The supplementary exhibition shows the making of basi and how the local wine shaped Ilocano history and culture.

The Quirino wing is equally resplendent with the towering Amorsolo portraits of Elpidio and Aurora flanking the entrance.

Another notable portrait is that of Quirino, with the words “QUIRINO FOR PRESIDENT” in bold face. Long before posters and tarps, this painting was paraded on the streets during the 1948 presidential campaign.


Singson’s son, incumbent Gov. Ryan Singson, said the museum would soon feature more Ilocano artifacts. With a report from Leoncio Balbin Jr.,  contributor

Here are some pictures that I have taken inside: