01 Devotion is so much alive in Batangas. Your first stop should be at the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio in San Pedro, Sto. Tomas. Offer flowers and prayers for your intentions. 02 Apolinario Mabini is marking his 153rd birthday on July 23rd. Know more about this genteel hero at the newly-revitalized, high-tech Museo ni Apolinario Mabini in Tanauan. One of the biggest museums under the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, this museum exhibits the life and heroic deeds of Mabini. It is open from 8 AM to 4 PM Tuesday to Sunday. 03 Get on a banana boat ride or try your hand at rowing a dragon boat in Taal Lake. Want a twist? Gather the squad and try a unique tug-ofwar (or tug-of-oars, if you please) on a dragon boat. 04 Are you a cycling enthusiast, a devotee, or both? Get on your bike and head out to visit the beautiful churches of the Batangas Lakeshore District for a unique Bisikleta Iglesia. 05 Enjoy a huge bowl of Batangas lomi swimming in hot soup thickened with cassava flour. This local noodle dish first became popular in the ‘80s and is served in carindenrias that dot the roadsides. The best place to eat Batangas lomi? Head over to Lomi King in Lipa. 06 A pilgrim’s haven, Lipa City is dubbed the “Little Rome of the Philippines” for its numerous Catholic churches, convents, seminaries, and retreat houses. Take time to visit any one of these religious destinations for a glimpse of Catholic devotion.
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07 Admire the beautiful Romanesque architecture of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian (San Sebastian Cathedral), established by Pope Pius X as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa in 1910. 08 Visit the image of Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace, now enshrined at a side chapel within the grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of Carmel of Lipa, where the supposed 1948 apparitions and the shower of rose petals happened.
01 At the bee farm. 02 All aboard for the Taal Lake Adventure Tour. 03 After a day of touring, spend a relaxing time at the deck of Lima Park Hotel with cold bottles of beer. 04 Bisikleta Iglesia: Pedal your way to faith and fitness.
09 Attend a novena mass to Our Lady of Perpetual Help at the Divino Amor Chapel Redemptorist in Lipa. The Redemptorist in Lipa started attracting devotees when the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was said to have appeared in a tree trunk that was cut by a church worker in 2009. 10 Visit the Casa de Segunda heritage museum in Lipa, the ancestral home of Segunda Solis Katigbak who is the first love of Philippine hero Jose Rizal. 11 Take a spin on your bike through the winding, picturesque trails of Balete, known as the Biking Capital of Southern Luzon.
05 Have your sweet dreams and wake up to beautiful mornings. ISSUE 55 — 065