This article features some updates, guides, curated information, historical timelines, and significant events about Vigan's InfiniTea—Tamag Branch.

• Personal insights from my actual visits were included here, and this article will be updated periodically.

• My opinions and reviews are my subjective views during the time of my visit. My opinions and reviews may change by time depending on the circumstances. My opinions don't represent the opinion of my readers and friends.

🇵🇭 VIGAN, ILOCOS SUR

I am a matcha junkie, and the reason why I always go to InfiniTea is because they blend the best matcha milk tea and frappuccino in Vigan (my subjective preference). I discovered their matcha blends in their Bantay branch. However, I always go to their Tamag branch because it's the closest store from home.

As an avid customer of this store, I'd like to share my reviews, thoughts, and insights about this store. Below is my review categorized per tab.

• Operation hours: 8 AM to 7 PM
• Location: G/F El Señor Jesus Apartelle, Quirino Boulevard, Tamag, Vigan City
• Last Visit: 2023-September-08


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UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST
• 2023-September-11: This post was published.

My aunt Leah and I stayed in Hotel Sogo. It felt awkward to check in here with my aunt.

• To make the situation more awkward, we unwittingly entered the hotel from the backdoor.

• Checking for available rooms in Hotel Sogo at unusual hours translated into an awkward moment.

🇵🇭 MABALACAT, PAMPANGA

My aunt Leah and I stayed in Hotel Sogo. It felt awkward to check in here with my aunt. You know, there’s a certain image associated with Hotel Sogo. Being with my aunt at that time—while checking for available rooms in Hotel Sogo at unusual hours—gave me an uncomfortable feeling.

When we (me and my aunt) attempted to check in, all rooms were fully booked. I was amused by how in-demand this hotel was—considering that it had enormous rooms to fill.

To make the situation more awkward, we unwittingly entered the hotel from the backdoor (I didn’t know there’s a secret entrance in this Hotel Sogo branch), and this was the reason why I saw a line of successive rooms with parking spaces in each room. It seemed like a hotel “drive thru” where you pay, then drive directly into your secret room. However, I could be wrong. This backdoor could just be a plain parking lot. For someone like me who is not familiar with the mechanics in Hotel Sogo, I’m not really sure. I’m just sharing my scenario-based observation.

Anyway, the rate at that time was 575 pesos for our short stay, but let me bring you from the start. Why did we end up in Hotel Sogo? You may tap/click the images in this carousel to enlarge.

 ►  Why and how did we end up in Hotel Sogo?

We left ▼ VIGAN

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too early for our scheduled flight. We would fly out via Clark International Airport. Due to the existence of a growing network of expressways north of Manila, more buses are ditching the “passenger” route via Dau. This has caused some scarcity of buses from Vigan that usually have a stopover at Dau terminal going to Metro Manila. Since the two buses of Partas (originating from ▼ LAOAG

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) that stop at Dau Terminal were “chance passenger” buses, we opted to wait for the earliest bus for contingency planning.

To cut the long story short, our circumstances pushed us to leave Vigan very early relative to our flight schedule. We reached Dau at around 04:30 AM on 04 December 2023.

🇵🇭 VIGAN• ON BOARD A BUS, ME AND MY AUNT HAD NO IDEA WE WOULD END UP CHECKING IN HOTEL SOGO.

We reached Dau about 8 hours before our flight. Since Hotel Sogo is just beside the terminal (and was very prominent even at night), it felt easy to decide where to sleep that night. We had an ample time to kill before our flight. We stayed in Hotel Sogo in Dau. My aunt was not aware of the stereotypical image of Hotel Sogo, though.

🇵🇭 MABALACAT• AT THE HOTEL'S LOBBY WHILE WAITING FOR AVAILABLE ROOMS

 ►  How Did We Enter and Exit Hotel Sogo with Grace? 🫣

When I inquired at the counter, all the rooms were fully-booked. The frontdesk crew told me that the earliest possible vacancy would be around 6-7 AM. When I was about to look for another hotel because I badly wanted to sleep, a couple suddenly came out and checked-out. Hurray! So, we had a room to use. I fell asleep at around 5 AM and woke up at around 10 AM. 5 hours of rest was worth the 575 pesos for me. My aunt Leah (we call her Lalay at home) also had a good rest.

When we checked out, I opted to leave Hotel Sogo via their main entrance door which is an “automatic door” that opens when someone comes close to it. The main entrance door faces the McArthur Highway, near the intersection with the Dau Access Road that connects to the NLEX.

🇵🇭 MABALACAT• MY AUNT HAD NO IDEA OF THE STEREOTYPICAL IMAGE OF HOTEL SOGO

I asked the property security guard how to commute to the airport. Unfortunately, the officer discouraged us to commute. I had an intuition that the security officer's discouragement had something to do with a middleman business. So, I anticipated that he would give an offer.

The guard did not recommend that we should commute to the airport. Upon seeing the transport situation in Dau, I agreed with him. Side note, the tito in me seemed like I could no longer endure traveling to the airport via jeep/bus with his luggages in tow. I used to love commuting when I was younger, though. Today is a different story. Comfort and convenience already became an utmost consideration in my travel budgeting.

Anyway, the security officer suggested that we should take a taxicab. He offered to call a taxi driver. At that time, my intuition was right then. It was an another middleman business, but I don’t complain about this. I am pro-diskarte, and the decision to accept the offer would still rest on me.

🇵🇭 MABALACAT• THE SECURITY OFFICER SECURED OUR LUGGAGE WHILE WAITING FOR THE TAXICAB

🇵🇭 MABALACAT• THE PROPERTY SECURITY OFFICER HELPED US WITH OUR LUGGAGE AS THE TAXICAB ARRIVED

Meanwhile, he contacted someone via Messenger video call and assured that the taxi would arrive in 5 minutes. We waited at the hotel lobby (inside the property) and left some of my luggages. The security officer offered to look after my valuables, and I was kind of hypnotized to trust him.. His last price was 500 pesos for an 11-kilometer ride. I closed the deal. I badly needed this. With the circumstances I had at that time, this was worth the deal.

🇵🇭 MABALACAT• LEAVING HOTEL SOGO WITH THIS TAXICAB CALLED BY THE SECURITY OFFICER

🇵🇭 MABALACAT• THANK YOU, HOTEL SOGO. SLEEP IS GOLD.

So that’s my Hotel Sogo-Dau story.

We're down to our next destination with my aunt. Where were we going? Why was my aunt traveling with me? What was the role of my aunt in this adventure? • To be continued...

Follow my @edmaration Facebook Page and get notified when I publish new travel blog stories. You can also check new travel blog entries via my @edmaration IG stories.

 ►  Realtime Ending Thoughts

I'm currently here in Mindanao as I write this post. I was a little afraid of starting a new blog series because most of the blog series that I started were never finished. The only series I was able to finish was my ▼ ALAB ORIENTE

🇵🇭 BONTOC • Alab Oriente: An Ancient Village With Sacred Grounds

Prehistoric mountain dwellers inhabited this place leaving a mark that became an evidence of their existence. series way back in 2012 (but I wrote it later in 2013).

Today is 123123 (12-31-2023). It's the last day of the year, but I want to remember this closure by opening a new series. I don't know when will I finish this series. This is definitely the longest vacation I ever had since I started travel blogging in 2010.

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UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST
• 2023-December-31: This post was published.

The cultural characteristics of Candon and its collectivist society are what make this city a birthplace for many organic community-based initiatives.

• I took the honor to talk about travel content creation—though my lecture was focused on the traditional form of blogging that became popular in the 2010s.

• I wrote my ideas on my phone, organized it, and made an outline while waiting for the event to start. [...] the ideas I'd be sharing that day were already inside my head naturally.

🇵🇭 CANDON, ILOCOS SUR

Content creation in the Ilocandias, particularly in Ilocos Sur's Metro Vigan area and the First District, is I think very individualistic. We do not have a well-established b/vlogger groups or communities in Ilocos Sur aside from random informal small groups of creators formed among friends. Compared to some regions outside Ilocos, blogger communities are well-established and are influential. They have formal organizations and regionwide participation and influence. What about Ilocos?

Candon is the de facto capital of the Second District of Ilocos Sur. While Vigan is somewhat a purist "Ilocano" city, Candon is quite different. Around the periphery of Candon are communities of culturally cohesive indigenous peoples like the Itneg, Bagbag-o, and Kankanna-ey. This makes Candon a very vibrant city and a melting pot of cultures.

The cultural characteristics of Candon and its collectivist society are what make this city a birthplace for many organic community-based initiatives. It's not a surprise that a community initiative of bringing content creators in Ilocandia into one event happened in Candon, and it was organized by community leaders of Candon.

 ►  An Invitation to Become a Resource Speaker

Due to changing priorities in my life, I haven't written any blog updates on edmaration.com for a while. You know, this blog has become a piece of me. I've invested a lot of time, money, and effort just to maintain my EDMARATION blog. Despite not being able to update my blog regularly, it's always in my heart and mind. The bonus here is that some people in my network of connections still associate me with being a blogger.

I was in Mindanao when a Candon-based connection—who happened to be a dynamic community leader—messaged me if I could be one of the resource speakers of the upcoming Ilocandia Content Creators Conference (ICCC). This is the first of its kind here in Ilocos Sur.

You know, blogging has always been a part of my local identity in Vigan (for those who know me), and I really wanted to attend this event; but I was still in Mindanao trying to finish a personal travel project in Cotabato province (while maximizing my travel flexibility) as a digital nomad because I'm afraid I may lost this status anytime.

Making a decision was really hard. I really wanted to speak at this event because to be completely honest, this event would add more to my credibility—and this is something that I'm continually working on. I want to leave a legacy to the new generation of content creators in Ilocos Sur; but at the same time, it's a little bit too early to go home in Ilocos without finishing my travel agenda in Mindanao, knowing that I also spent resources to accomplish my Cotabato travel goals.

THIS WAS THE PUBMAT THAT WAS CREATED FOR ME.

I replied to Niño Gadingan (the organizer) to give me time to think. So what made me decide to go back to Ilocos? I realized that this was the first of its kind in Ilocos Sur, and I would like to be part of history. The genesis of this event is only once in a lifetime, and I thought that I could always go back to Mindanao.

So, I packed my bags and went home to Ilocos after 3 months of staying in Mindanao. While I was in Manila, my flight back to Ilocos was delayed due to Typhoon Carina. At that time, I thought that I may not be able to attend the event anymore. However, due to the typhoons, the event was also postponed. I was stranded in Manila for a week. To cut the long story short, the event came into reality on 2024-August-10.

 ►  Meeting Fellow Resource Speakers

Meeting fellow Ilocano resource speakers was one of the highlights for me. I was excited to meet them because I also would like to hear their stories and their personal take on content creation.

The panel of speakers was diverse. We had a cartoonist/graphic designer, a beauty influencer/creator, a comedy creator, a culture and heritage creator featuring the Ilocano music, and a founder of a community-based online journalism page. I took the honor to talk about travel content creation—though my lecture was focused on the traditional form of blogging that became popular in the 2010s.

🇵🇭 CANDON• RESOURCE SPEAKERS WERE GIVEN THIS ID.

🇵🇭 CANDON• ME TAKING A SELFIE BEFORE THE EVENT STARTED

Hearing the stories and speeches of the other resource speakers made me realize how diverse content creation has become. As a "traditional" blogger myself, I think that I have been stuck to my niche and its related topics. I was confronted by the reality that the landscape has changed so fast that I couldn't catch up. I've been living in my old-school bubble. With the introduction of the vertical video, short video, and other social media formats, I found it strange—though I wasn't surprised—that many of the Gen-Z delegates weren't aware of how we did "blogging" back in the 2010s.

It was also a fascination to hear the perspectives of my fellow resource speakers. Their stories of how they built their online presence reflected their beautiful individual journeys in the realm of online content creations.

 ►  Random Thoughts About My Lecutre

I'm not going to write in detail about my lecture, but I'm going to write what happened in between. I think that I missed the best part of creating a powerpoint presentation. I knew that I didn't have to because everything I would say was already in my heart. It's something that I could confidently lecture spontaneously. However, upon seeing the presentation of my fellow speakers, I knew that I should have exerted a little effort for that.

In fact, I only made an index of my topics a few hours before the event. I wrote my ideas on my phone, organized it, and made an outline while waiting for the event to start. Like what I have said, the ideas I'd be sharing that day were already inside my head naturally. You know, I've been doing it for more than a decade. It's not hard to lecture about something that you really love doing for a decade.

🇵🇭 CANDON• ME AT THIS CORNER WRITING MY OUTLINE ON MY PHONE 2 HOURS PRIOR TO THE START OF THE EVENT.

🇵🇭 CANDON• THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN BY XHIAN VLOGS, ONE OF THE DELEGATES.

🇵🇭 CANDON• PHOTO OP WITH THE ORGANIZERS, NIÑO GADINGAN AND TEAM

I was the only one among the speakers who used a traditional old-school blog as a platform. I also have an inkling that none of the delegates uses a website/weblog platform in creating contents. Truth to be told, I really didn't know how to explain SEO, Search Engine ranking, and website monetization in the least complicated way possible. Most (if not all) of the delegates are creators on Facebook and YouTube. In fact, many of them are successful on Facebook that some of them have 100,000+ followers.

I certainly didn't lecture on how to grow followers on social media because that's not my forte for sure. I focused on the qualitative side of blogging like branding, story-telling, longevity, and creating quality contents that leave an impact despite having a little social media following online. I told them that the articles I wrote 10 years ago are still being read up to this day and still ranking high in search engines.

 ►  Ending Thoughts

Content creation is for everyone. However, the relevance and impact you build on content creation are usually not for everyone. While everybody could be a content creator, not everyone will be given a chance to be recognized as a community leader. To be fair, everyone could be successful in their own way defending on the goals we all set for ourselves.

To be honest, the delegates who joined the conference are community leaders and impactful creators. I'm humbled to see that the delegates are successful in their own ways—that I also learned something from them.

To be vulnerable about it, accepting the task to be a resource speaker also comes with the risk of the pressure from the public that I should be more successful—but no. Being a resource speaker doesn't necessarily mean that I am the most successful and influential in my field. In fact, there are a lot of creators in Ilocos that are better than me miles away. It's just that, public speaking is another skill set. You can be the most successful creator, but you may not have the skill for public engagement. So, we need to compartmentalize these things.

I'd like to note my gratitude to Niño Gadingan and the Star Power Media family for trusting me in this endeavor. This event was also not possible without the host Hotel Van Gogh of Candon. Its cutting-edge concept on hospitality elevated the elegance and quality of the venue of the first ever Ilocandia Content Creators Conference.

▬ END OF STORY ▬

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UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST
• 2024-October-01: This post was published.

This is a travel blog compilation of the Manila North Road (MacArthur Highway). This post is inspired by the format of encyclopedia or wikipedia curation. The only difference is that: (1) this content is enhanced with photo galleries and (2) the set of articles are based on my personal experiences, perspectives, and POV as a travel blogger—not based on other people's work that were combined together like Wikipedia.

• Take note that this documentation is an ongoing personal journal project. This page will be updated intermittently. My goal for this curation is to create stories, reviews, and documentation about the Manila North Road based on my actual visits.

• To view more photo details and contexts (like location, date taken, and camera used), you may put your mouse cursor over the image if you are using a PC. If you are on a mobile browser, touch and hold the image until a window pops out.

• All photos included in this article are actual photos of the highway taken by yours truly. Photo thumbnails could be enlarged by tapping or clicking it.

🇵🇭 LUZON ISLAND

Below are FAQs (frequently asked questions) about the MacArthur Highway.

What is the other name of MacArthur Highway?
• MacArthur Highway is also called the Manila North Road, MNR, or MaNor.

Where does the MacArthur Highway start and end?
• MacArthur Highway starts from Caloocan City in Metro Manila and ends in Aparri, Cagayan.

Where is the MacArthur Highway located??
• MacArthur Highway is located on Luzon island. It runs through the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, and Cagayan—making this road the second longest in the Philippines after the Maharlika Highway (Pan-Philippine Highway).

This article is divided into subsections organized in separate tabs (scroll down below). The subsections are works in progress. Once I gathered more data and materials for specific topics, I will add additional tabs. Take note that I already have materials for this highway stored in my hard drive since 2010. Aside from writing updates about this highway, I will also write about my old travels covering the MacArthur Highway in their historical contexts when I have more time in the future



▬ END OF ARTICLE ▬


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• 2024-October-01: This post was published.

This beach area is located at the foothills of the Northern Luzon Heroes Hill National Park—a protected landscape in Ilocos Sur due to its biodiversity and historical significance.

• If this beach could speak, I’m pretty sure it has intriguing stories to tell.

• My admiration for this beach became more profound when I learned the history of its surrounding area.

• ...such a phenomenon is a product of supernatural art created by a supernatural artist.

🇵🇭 SANTA, ILOCOS SUR

It was pandemic period when this story happened. The boredom of being caged due to outside threat and the depression of staying home in the context of quarantine have heightened my yearning to revisit my old self—someone who finds joy in the outdoors, traveling to learn and create new life stories, and journaling based on my adventures. These things define my source of a healthy dose of dopamine activation that add more vivid colors to my life.

 ►  Back Story

When the quarantine regulations eased, this beach became one of our spontaneous destinations when we had a quick ride to Santa. You know, this is my favorite spot along the Ilocos Sur segment of the ▼ MACARTHUR HIGHWAY

🇵🇭 LUZON ISLAND • MacArthur Highway or Manila North Road (Travel Blogger's POV)

because of the intertwining of the steep mountain slope and the sea, dissected by the MacArthur Highway (Manila North Road).

In my personal standpoint, such a phenomenon is a product of supernatural art created by a supernatural artist. This beach area in Magsaysay District has always left me in awe everytime I see it on my way down south of my home province. Not everyone may necessarily appreciate this place, but I really find this place special.

🇵🇭 SANTA• THE MOUNTAIN INTERTWINES WITH THE SEA. ON THE LEFT SIDE IS THE SEAWALL THAT PROTECTS THE MACARTHUR HIGHWAY.

🇵🇭 SANTA• JACKSTONE BREAKWATER PROTECTS THE COASTLINE FROM FURTHER EROSION.

🇵🇭 SANTA• THIS IS MY FAVORITE SECTION OF THE MACARTHUR HIGHWAY IN ILOCOS SUR. IT PROVIDES A GOOD VIEWPOINT OF THE MAGSAYSAY DISTRICT BEACHLINE AND THE MOUNTAIN RANGES ON THE OTHER SIDE. IT'S THE BEST VIEWPOINT FOR BOTH WORLDS: MOUNTAIN AND OCEAN.

This beach area is located at the foothills of the Northern Luzon Heroes Hill National Park—a protected landscape in ▼ ILOCOS SUR

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due to its biodiversity and historical significance. It’s great to note that this beach is an extension of a national park.

This beach has no official name though. Since it's located in the Magsaysay District of Santa, I'd like to call it the Magsaysay beach. My admiration for this beach became more profound when I learned the history of its surrounding area. Near the beach is the Pideg Pass that was created by the Franciscans in 1600. It was later renamed to Diego-Gabriela Silang Pass. History told us that Gabriela Silang, the Ilocano freedom fighter, was captured in Pideg Pass by the Spanish forces.

🇵🇭 SANTA• A VIEW OF THE DOWNHILL FOOT TRAIL GOING TO THE BEACH AREA CAN BE SEEN FROM THE SECTION OF THE MACARTHUR HIGHWAY LOCATED AT THE HIGHER POINT ON THE SLOPE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

🇵🇭 SANTA• A NARROW SECTION OF THE MOUNTAIN SLOPE SEPARATES THE ROAD FROM THE SEA.

Learning this history, my brain couldn't help but to think if Gabriela Silang swam in the waters of this beach when she was stationed at Pideg Pass. What did Gabriela Silang think about this beach? I have many scenarios in my head, and these scenarios make this beach more intriguing.

If this beach could speak, I’m pretty sure it has intriguing stories to tell. Did the Spanish forces at that time guarded this beach? Did Gabriela Silang attempt to escape from this beach?

 ►  During This Visit

The beach was adorned by natural decorations like the creeping vine we call "Kadena de Amor," bearing bright pink flowers that provide contrasting colors against the ocean and the sky.

From the elevated section of the MacArthur Highway, I went down to take photos of the beach. There was a concrete stair to access the beach more safely because the terrain here is very steep.

No one frolicked on the beach when I visited. It seemed like none or just a few of my fellow Ilocanos would intentionally visit the beach area for leisure purposes. In my case, I visited the beach area because I want to document it in both written narratives and visual storytelling.

🇵🇭 SANTA• WOULD YOU DARE SWIM IN THE BEACH WATERS?

🇵🇭 SANTA• THIS SECTION OF THE MACARTHUR HIGHWAY DISSECTS THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SEA.

During this visit, I’ve seen some vacation houses/resorts erected at the safer sections of the coastline of Magsaysay. I can see the potential, though. The section of this beach at the Imelda Park is secluded and beautiful, too. But for this particular visit, I only checked the open beach section directly below the MacArthur Highway.

 ►  Ending Thoughts

I'm writing these ending thoughts at 09:55 PM of 2024-Nov-28. It's been 2 years since this experience happened. However, stories are everlasting; so I don't mind publishing this narrative 2 years after.

I’m glad that I found the motivation to write again. It’s a long weekend for me. It’s Thanksgiving Day in the US, and I’m joining their holiday schedule because my work schedule follows theirs.

I’d like to maximize this long weekend by writing stories and updating my blog. Of note, today is a happy pay day because I also received my 13th month pay.

🇵🇭 VIGAN• REAL TIME PHOTO AS I BLOG THIS STORY.

▬ END OF STORY ▬


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UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST
• 2024-November-28: This post was published.

This is a travel blog feature, compilation, and curation dedicated to the Magsaysay Beach as a subject matter (in Santa, Ilocos Sur).

• Take note that this documentation is an ongoing personal journal project. This page will be updated intermittently. My goal for this curation is to create stories, reviews, and documentation about the Magsaysay beachline in Santa.

• To view more photo details and contexts (like location, date taken, and camera used), you may put your mouse cursor over the image if you are using a PC. If you are on a mobile browser, touch and hold the image until a window pops out.

• All photos included in this article are actual photos of the beach taken by me. Photo thumbnails could be enlarged by tapping or clicking it.

🇵🇭 SANTA, ILOCOS SUR

This article is divided into sections, organized in separate tabs for context-based navigation. All of the sections are works-in-progress. Once I get to gather more data and materials for specific topics related to Magsaysay beachline, I will add additional tabs. I have also collected various materials for this beach stored in my drive. Hence, aside from writing updates about this beach, I will also write about my previous visits in this beach.

The reason why I like the town of Santa is because much of its land area is covered by a national park—meaning, the town has a spectacle of forest reserves, pristine mountain ranges, low-key springs, and biodiversity that probably is unknown to an average Ilocano (including me).

• What a great way to reminisce about my pandemic experiences. I realized that it was not a bad season at all. I came to understand and learn about my province more intimately.

• My context for this blog [...] is the story of Santa in relation to the Manila North Road (MNR) during the pandemic..

• [...] the Manila North Road [...] facilitates us to have a glimpse of the panoramic townscapes and adventures awaiting a curious town explorer.

🇵🇭 SANTA, ILOCOS SUR

From the excruciating process of obtaining my travel documents in Makati to a private van ride back home in Ilocos, many of my significant pandemic stories are all in my hard drive. Of course, breaking free from the stringent regulations of mobility at that time was also a process worth keeping in my hard drive. Even the smallest hint of freedom gave me chills of excitement. It was like a "there's no mountain high enough" or "I will cross the ocean for you" moment to finally break free even for a moment.

Note: MacArthur Highway and Manila North Road are the same. In Ilocos Sur, we simply call this road as "highway" because this is the only national highway in our province. The official name MacArthur Highway or Manila North Road is not commonly used in Ilocos Sur.

 ►  Backstory: I am breaking free!

I'm writing the opening spiel of this blog post today—2024-November-02; and I couldn't be any happier to finally lessen my backlog of pandemic stories. This story happened on 2021-December-19. My pandemic memories were intentionally saved by me in a format where I could revisit the actual events. As much as I want to store everything in my brain, it's not just possible for me to remember every detail. So, my significant pandemic memories of being locked in Metro Manila until the day I went home to Ilocos were all documented and saved in my drive.

Because of these circumstances, our random ride on 2021-December-17 led us to the town of Santa while plying the almost empty Manila North Road (MacArthur Highway). This is the only primary highway that connects my province Ilocos to the rest of the world on the ground.

🇵🇭 SANTA• In the photo is my brother waiting for me on the seawall along the Manila North Road with the view of the Luna Hill at the background.

Even though I've been to Santa countless times—countless enough that the town has become so usual and ordinary in my perception—my pandemic imprisonment opened me to another perspective. At that time, I saw the town of Santa from a different light. Its idyllic beauty, the majesty of her mountains (my favorite in Ilocos), and the sparkle of its sea exuded more meanings.

It's only 15 minutes away from Vigan on a scooter, but my Vigan-washed view of things changed differently.

 ►  Manila North Road: a window to the charm of Santa

As a local of Ilocos Sur, I am pretty much familiar with the nooks and crannies of the MacArthur Highway segment of Ilocos Sur. I probably know more detail than what an average Ilocano may know. This is because I'm fond of paying attention to details, and I document them in my notes for future reference; and if someone would ask me which is my favorite part of the MNR aka Manila North Road (another name for MacArthur Highway), that would be the total stretch of Santa and a segment of the road up to Sulvec Bay in its neighboring town of Narvacan.

🇵🇭 SANTA • The Manila North Road is a gateway to the wondrous corners of Santa.

The reason why I like the town of Santa is because much of its land area is covered by a national park—meaning, the town has a spectacle of forest reserves, pristine mountain ranges, low-key springs, and biodiversity that probably is unknown to an average Ilocano (including me). This vast area makes the town of Santa a poetic destination for creatives and those who appreciate the kind of character that Santa has. The great thing here is the presence of the Manila North Road that facilitates us to have a glimpse of the panoramic townscapes and adventures awaiting a curious town explorer. While on this road, the external glory of Santa's natural masterpieces can be seen closely, yet so far; clearly, yet elusive.

Meanwhile, the people of Santa live in a narrow plain—dissected by the Manila North Road—in between the gigantic mountain ranges and the mouth of the Abra river. The people of Santa live in a paradise they may have not recognized—maybe because it’s a “normal” thing for them. I have other reasons why I like the town of Santa, but that's a story that deserves another spotlight. My context for this blog by the way is the story of Santa in relation to the Manila North Road (MNR) during the pandemic.

• Luna Hill

To be honest, the look and location of the mountains of Santa are very familiar to me; however, I didn’t really know the name of some mountains that could be seen from the Manila North Road.

The only specific mountain in Ilocos Sur that I could name are the Mt Bullagao (at the Abra-Ilocos Sur border), My Tupira (in Bantay), and Mt Gusing (in Narvacan). The name of the rest of the mountains are unknown to me.

🇵🇭 SANTA • The Luna Hill is one of the prominent mountains alongside the Manila North Road in Santa.

Thanks to this website Peak Advisor for allowing me to decode the mystery of the mountain’s name. Its rich graphic data is very helpful to me in learning more about my province—especially our Ilocos mountains.

According to the Peak Advisor website, the name of the mountain in the photo above is Luna Hill. It rises 486 meters above sea level.



In fact, the MNR runs through a portion of its slope in Magsaysay District. The slope of the Luna Hill extends down to the shoreline of Santa. Luna Hill is part of the larger group of protected landscapes called the Northern Luzon Heroes Hill National Park which occupies much of the terrestial area of the town of Santa.

This mountain is very visible from the MacArthur Highway.

• Santa Seawall

Another notable site along the MacArthur Highway is the Santa Seawall. The highway runs on top of this seawall serving two purposes. My brother and I dropped here to take photos of the beautiful landscape of Santa. This is also one of my favorite spots along the MNR segment of Ilocos Sur because it’s loaded with the wondrous view of the municipal waters of Santa and the gigantic Luna Hill on the other side.

🇵🇭 SANTA • The Santa Seawall protect this segment of the Manila North Road from coastal erosion.

• Magsaysay District Beach

From the Santa Seawall segment of the MNR, you can also view a portion of the coastline of Magsaysay Beach. From the highway, I descended to the beach area for documentation.

🇵🇭 SANTA • The Manila North Road runs alongside a portion of the Magsaysay District beachline in Santa.

 ►  Post Scriptum

What a great way to reminisce about my pandemic experiences. I realized that it was not a bad season at all. I came to understand and learn about my province more intimately.

In regular days, a ride along the Manila North Road is more like a necessity or synonymous to daily grind; but during the pandemic, a ride on this highway was a poetic luxury. The natural landscapes that decorated the route are worth every moment during the pandemic—a takeaway I carried with me even after the pandemic. That’s the reason why I’m writing this story now.