Cebu: The Philippine Taoist Temple is a Photographer's Delight

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Taoist Temple, located in the wealthy residential enclave called Beverly Hills subdivision, was first in our private city tour of Cebu. They say the temple was built in 1972, which is the second quarter of the century. It's the cultural center of the Chinese minority with many paintings and images of dragons, lions, altars and statues of the Buddha. There's the beautiful pagoda roofs and a pool adorned with Lotus flowers

Its 300 meters above sea level and multi-tiered with 99 steps to reach the top. There are three separate winding routes that you can take. Whatever way you choose, you would be fascinated to take photos of almost every spot within the Taoist Temple. Every area is purely Instagrammable to the max!

The Taoist Temple is the center of worship for Taoism - the religion which follows the teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tze. Taoist devotees perform the traditional rites and rituals with lighted joss sticks every Wednesday and Sunday. 

Taoists believe the "tao" (the way) which refers to the principle of the universe. An emphasis is put on remaining in harmony with the "tao" and with one's environment, which in turn leads to right behavior.

The temple is open to the worshipers and non-worshipers alike. You are allowed to takes photos of everything except the altar. There will be signs telling you taking photos of the altar is not allowed.

Benguet: Strawberry Fields are Forever at La Trinidad

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Every time you mention Baguio, the first things that comes into mind are pine trees and strawberries, aside from the Panagbenga Festival, the cold climate, and the sweet delicacies at Good Shepherd like the Ube Jam. Of course, there's the popular tourist spots like Camp Jon Hay, the Mines View, the Burnham Park, and the many emerging restaurant favorites like Oh My Gulay offering veggie dishes which we visited during our previous trip sometime last week of February of 2015.

You have to try their strawberry taho and ice cream but be warned that there's a big difference in the preparation where you buy it. It is highly recommended you buy them from places not in Baguio but near the Strawberry Farms of La Trinidad. Benguet.

It is here where you get to pick strawberries on your own together with the Ibaloi farmers. Just a friendly reminder that it will cost you twice the amount if you pick the strawberries yourselves. They say you're paying for the "awesome" experience and the delight in picking the best strawberries in the farm. Some will argue it should have been cheaper because they save on the labor or effort to harvest.

But the real reason why it costs more is because strawberries are actually very delicate compared to picking apples and oranges (like in other countries). The farm owners find it reasonable to ask for an additional cost when amateurs harvest the strawberries. Newbies would tend to damage the strawberry shrubs so half the cost was allocated for the risk. Prices will vary depending on the season. Of course it's a lot more expensive during the summer when a lot of tourists flock the already considered iconic site.

Boracay: Fascinated by the Iconic Willy's Rock

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An oddly shaped  volcanic formation that dominated the seascape of Boracay's White Beach at Station 1 just fifty or a hundred meters off shore (low tide and high tide respectively) is the most famous photographed landmark that's called Willy's Rock.

Residents say it was named after the Willy Gelito, the founder of Willy's Beach Hotel, which is located right across the formation. You can easily reach it during low tide but you'll need a snorkel during high tide.

It is during the Ber months when you can see the rock bottom of Willy's Rock without the seaweeds. Better go there during the early morning so that it's not too crowded with tourists who are also eager in taking several photos from selfies to professional photo shoots.

The Catholic devout local residents constructed several steps of stairs leading to and around the grotto where the shrine of the image of the glorious blessed Virgin Mary is situated adorned by flowers and candles, and along side are some plants and shrubs with some trees.