Where to Travel Next in the Philippines?

Lately I have been featuring about local travels here but this is a reminder that this is not a travel blog. This blog is about culture and heritage. Just that I guess there is really a thin line between these two niches that the more that I have to blog about culture and heritage the more I have to travel to places. My work is my biggest hindrance technically because I am in night shift and I even squeeze my ass off inside the office even holidays! 

Travelling is not my interest until I met a lot of people last year who travel constantly. January this year I went to Ilocos and February I went to Cebu. After 11 months of not going home last April, I made a surprise visit to my mom and siblings in Bicol for a day only. "You should have not gone home if you will stay this short." She said. That pinched my heart but I know what she meant is "I wish you can stay here longer with us." I told her that as much as I want to spend time with her at home I have work in Manila. 

My mom knows the pressure and how I am feeling so stressed in my work of nearly seven years in the same company and some personal issues that she told me to quit. I said I have learned to be an independent woman: I pay my own bills and fix my own mess. I told her If I stay in the province, I might end up as an old lady and I want to have a child when I reach 30's. There's one more that I enjoyed living independent is I can go out and go home anytime I want. Of course I can't tell this to her. 

I have fallen in love in Manila and thinking of staying here for a few more years. Then either I go back home or go somewhere. It depends where is destiny going to bring me. Based on my decisions right now I have no idea where am I heading to in the next few years. I am like in crossroads. Though it is my faith that keeps me going lately I have been bombarded by so many issues: mistakes, regrets & "naivety" that are pulling me down but here I am "miraculously" holding on. 

Back to the topic! The Philippines is composed of more than 7, 000 islands but I have been to only a few like most of the Filipinos. If I count these places: Baguio, Pampanga, Antipolo, Tagaytay, Laguna etc. it is not even more than the number of my fingers combined! Discovering our own country by seeing the places through our own eyes is like knowing our own housemates inside and out, more of a responsibility. 

June just started - made me a bit nonchalant telling me it is already half of the year! Wondering where to go travel next.  Somewhere near Manila as it is so hard to file a VL in our office today. Planning to go to Bataan but will avoid the usual tourist spots and immerse myself through Culture and Arts. Want to see antique houses in Bagac like the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Bahay Sining in Samal and Aeta Community in Abucay. Next I want to go to Zambales tto see the San Miguel art community and a house museum I forgot the name. Will also be accompanying a friend who invited me to go to an indigenous community in Nueva Ecija. I am not competing with other travel bloggers nor planning to visit the whole Philippines in the name of travel blogging alone. Travelling for me personally is my answer whenever I feel the usual routine I have been doing for years is killing me and I have to break that monotony before it kills me.