Shoes for the wet season

My go-to pair during the wet season is from Merrell. They've proven themselves again the past weeks when we had heavy rains due to the typhoons and monsoon.

My go-to shoes for the wet season are also my preferred ones for field work

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These are water resistant (proven in my experience) and I usually get the ones with the Vibram soles.

The treads on these provide good grip on most surfaces I’m on whether in the office or in the field.

To me, their shoes have been very dependable and durable, and I’ve had maybe 5 or more pairs over the more than 2 decades I’ve used them. That’s about 4 years per pair even considering my shoe rotation (I also have other shoes, of course. ) I would say that they’re better than the Adidas Terrex shoes I’ve also had and perhaps at par with the GT Hawkins I had when I was a student in Japan. I hope the quality is maintained for these durable shoes that is my preferred pair for the wet season and for field work.

Dimsum on a cart - Hao'Chi @ Gyud Fud Hub

I almost forgot about these photos I took of the dimsum cart at the Gyud Fud Hub at UP Diliman. Here are a couple of photos from about 2 months ago before the wet season set in.

Hao'Chi Dimsum cart serves a variety of dimsum delights that you can eat as side or main dish to your meals.

Siomai and other dumplings are priced at and average of 80 pesos per serving

We usually order one or two servings to add to our lunch meals. They are a satisfying side or appetizer to our main meals. 

 

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Sukiya at SM East Ortigas

A couple of weeks ago, I spotted a new restaurant at SM East Ortigas. There were few customers then but we already had our lunch when we got there so we were only up for some dessert, which usually took us to Caramia. The name of the restaurant was very familiar to me and I just had to check if this was the same one in Japan. It was and I promised to myself that we'll be back for a nice meal.

Fast forward to last week and we go to eat lunch at Sukiya. I went for the unagi bowl with beef and was very happy with my meal. This time, the place was full of customers and there was a queue. So we decided to have a late lunch and we went to get some items at the department store first. When we came back, there were fewer people and we easily got a table for three.

Menue showing their special combination bowls

Gyudon is their bread and butter just like Yoshinoya so this was a must try for the wife and daughter. Similar to their branches in Japan, you can upgrade your meals with other add ons like miso soup, karaage, salad and drinks.

I was very happy with my unagi and beef bowl.

The wife and daughter had their gyudon.

We'll be back for more though we also want to try to the other new restaurants at SM East Ortigas. At least, we now have our go-to place for lunch or dinner there. 

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Our Lady of Peñafrancia Minor Basilica and National Shrine, Naga City

We made sure we were able to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia the last time we were in Naga City. It is actually a jeepney ride away from the hotel we were staying at but we chose to go there as part of our morning walk. And we were pleasantly surprised to see a lot of people also walking and jogging on the church grounds including priests and nuns who probably walk as part of their health routine. One can actually do some meditation while walking. People weren't noisy and were just going about their business.

Sign at the entrance/main gate of the basilica, which is a pilgrim church of the Archdiocese of Caceres

The basilica's main grounds are spacious with wide roads that are also used by people walking or jogging around the area.

Side view of the basilica showing the bell tower, which is to the right if you were facing the main door (shown in another photo)

One of the large stained glass windows as seen from the outside

Side view of the basilica

The basilica as seen from the lawn fronting it

The gazebo features stained glass at the central part of the dome

The front of the basilica featuring the bell tower at the right. It was difficult to get a clear shot as many people usually take photos here.

A peek at the basilica's interior from just outside the main door

A view of the church interior from the main door

A view of the church interior showing the vaulted ceiling, the stained glass windows, and the main altar.

A close-up of the main altar of the basilica with the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia prominently featured.

The grounds are definitely more spacious than the old shrine and also more spacious than the cathedral grounds. There were a lot of people walking or jogging at the basilica grounds including a few nuns we spotted who were also doing some exercise. We thought that allowing people to do their morning exercises there also strengthens the church's relationship with the general community. The grounds and the church welcomes everyone including non-Catholics.

 

I just wanted to post this before I forget about the photos. I am actually heading to Naga City again in early August as we continue on our project there. I am not sure I would be able to visit the basilica the next time we visit. And it is getting close to the fiesta in September so perhaps they would have started sprucing up here and the older church in time for the celebrations, when a lot of people are expected for homecomings. 

 

[A bit of history - During the Spanish Period in the Philippines, there were 4 original Dioceses established by the Roman Catholic Church that eventually became archdioceses. These are Manila, Cebu, Nueva Caceres (Naga) and Nueva Segovia (Viga). The use of 'nueva' here is similar to its use while referring to towns or provinces in Spain. There is a Caceres and Segovia there as well as an Ecija and a Vizcaya.]

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On fruits falling from the trees

A couple of days ago, I came upon a pomelo fruit at the roadside along my usual walking route. The fruit was in great shape and I assumed it fell from a nearby tree that grew along the fence of one of our neighbors. One thing going for the pomelo or suha as it is also called is that it has a thick skin/shell that doesn't easily break should one fall from a tree. That's true even if it fell to the concrete pavement.

The pomelo I found was in great shape and I assume was already ripe from the tree (hinog sa puno)

Other fruits are not as fortunate. Our neighborhood streets are full of ripe mangoes that are crushed upon hitting the pavement.

We could not reach the mangoes that grew from the top branches of the tree at our home. Many just fall in our garden beyond the net that we set-up to catch old branches and leaves from the tree.

Other fruits in our neighborhood end up like the mangoes in the previous photos. When in season, there are a lot of crushed kaimito, avocados, and santol on our streets. Is there a way to save these, probably harvest the fruits and put them up for sale? Revenues can be shared among resident-owners of the streets and whoever will be making the effort to help harvest and coordinate with owners of the trees.

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Sunflower season at UP

It's that time of year again at the University of the Philippines. Weeks before the recognition rites and commencement exercises at the Diliman campus, rows and rows of sunflowers are planted and grown until they flower just in time for the ceremonies. Here are a couple of photos of some of the sunflowers in UP that I took after the University Council meeting that endorsed candidates for graduation for the Diliman programs.

 

I haven't been able to take some photos of the sunflowers along the University Avenue yet. Hopefully, the flowers are still in the condition where I can still take some nice photos. The thing with sunflowers is that when the seeds grow, the flowers become heavy and eventually droop. You won't be able to get good photos by then so there is this limited window of opportunity for good photos.

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Not so durable? a quick review of a pair of Skechers GoWalk

I got a pair of Skechers GoWalk for my daily morning walks last April 2025. Based on my typical use, they are not as durable as my previous Adidas footwear. Here are some photos I took last weekend:

The bottoms are worn out.

The right shoe is already ripped where the upper meets the sole.

There is also already a tear on the left shoe.

The shoes are still usable though I am already wary that they will continue to deteriorate while I use them. The shoes are comfy to wear and use but the materials are not as durable for the purpose I bought them for. I only use these for my morning walks. I have other shoes I wear to the office or when we go out. I didn't expect them to be worn out like this in less than 4 months.

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San Francisco de Asis Parish Church, Naga City

While the nearest church to our hotel was the cathedral, not so far was the San Francisco de Asis Parish. San Francisco de Asis, of course, is St. Francis of Assisi, who founded the Franciscan Order that later also branched out the Poor Clares and the Capuchins. [I attended school at a Capuchin run institution for my Elementary and High School education.] The parish was along the way to the PNR Station that I wanted to see and is located across Quince Martires Plaza.

The church's frontage makes you think this is a small church. In truth, it is a large one with a long aisle leading to the main altar.

One of the minor altars to the right of the main altar.

A close-up of the icons of the minor altar shows a crowned image of Our Lady, angels and an image of what seems to be St. Veronica holding the cloth used to wipe Christ's face on his way to Calvary.

The main figures of the main altar shows St. Francis of Assisi embracing the crucified Christ, whose one arm is stretched towards Francis. This is very familiar to me as I studied at Lourdes Mandaluyong where our church and school features the same in the main altar and logos.

A view of the stained glass windows and pews of the church

Schedule of liturgical celebrations at the parish church.

More on the churches in Naga City soon!

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Mayon in the horizon

Traveling from Naga to Legazpi, one eventually reaches a section of the highway where you have a view of Mayon Volcano in the horizon. Here are some snapshots while we were traveling along the highway en route to the airport.

We were slowed down by a motorized trike

The volcano was shrouded by clouds. 

The 'most perfect' cone can be discerned despite the clouds.

More photos of Mayon including it finally revealing its form! 

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The old shrine to Our Lady of Peñafrancia

The old shrine Our Lady of Peñafrancia is along Peñafrancia Avenue. It is still visited by many people and like others like it, there is supposed to be an hourly Mass. It is very accessible as it is along the national highway and you can easily get there using public transportation. Here are some photos I took last June 21.

Most of the grounds are paved and typically used for parking.

The old shrine is smaller and though there's some space on the grounds that's usually used for parking.

Historical marker at the church

The main altar of the shrine

There is a stage there that I assume is used for special occasions including the feast of Our Lady.

The carriage used in transporting the image is parked here.

I took this close-up of the relief displayed as a backdrop at the stage. It depicts the devotion of the citizens of this city to Our Lady. The larger figures are probably prominent people in Naga's history who are linked to the devotion to Our Lady.

I tried to get a nice photo of the shrine with Mt. Isarog in the background. The power lines were in the way though.

I tried to get another, car-free photo of the shrine but it was impossible considering the constant arrival of people on cars.

I usually light some candles at the churches I visit. 

 

More on my recent travels to Naga City on my posts this month of July! 

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