Where's your hometown?

[Besame Mucho 1]

My hometown is Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. Laoag is the Ilocano word for “light” or "clarity”.

Apart from being distinguished as the provincial capital, Laoag City is also the center of the fast developing North Luzon Economic Triangle. The city seats in a strategic area close to the economic centers of East Asia, reachable in 45 minutes by plane from Hong Kong and 30 minutes from the port city of Kaohsiung in Taiwan. Having critical infrastructure such as Laoag International Airport and the Currimao Port makes Laoag the port of entry of goods and services complemented by an extensive road and highway system that connects it to other cities.

Places of interest in Laoag include Fort Ilocandia Resort, Malacañang of the North, St. William Cathedral & Sinking Bell Tower and the white sand beach resorts of nearby Pagudpud.

[Jasman0717 8]

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I'm from Cebu City, Sugbuanon or Cebuano......

I love Cebu. We always stay at the Holiday Plaza over by Robinsons.

['my_destiny' 0]

Can I join? Hehehe!

I was born in Negros Occidental. My mother's hometown but raised and grew up in Paranaque City (Manila).

My husband was born and grew up in Riverside, California and we just moved here in Murrieta, California.

just corrected something..

[bluemist 0]

I am from Olongapo City,Subic Bay..born and raised there.

Currently living in Tallahassee,FL with my hubby and our daughter.

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

My fiancee hails from Moncada, Tarlac.

Moncada is located at the northern tip of Tarlac, by the Pangasinan province line. Moncada became briefly the seat of the "Philippine Republic" headed by Emilio Aguinaldo when he abandoned Malolos, Bulacan in the face of advancing American forces.

I've been to Moncada Tarlac in 2004 during a road trip with my friends. Nice place reminds me of my hometown. The residents speak Ilocano and Kapangpangan and Tagalog?

[Robert E Lee 0]

My fiancee hails from Moncada, Tarlac.

Moncada is located at the northern tip of Tarlac, by the Pangasinan province line. Moncada became briefly the seat of the "Philippine Republic" headed by Emilio Aguinaldo when he abandoned Malolos, Bulacan in the face of advancing American forces.

I've been to Moncada Tarlac in 2004 during a road trip with my friends. Nice place reminds me of my hometown. The residents speak Ilocano and Kapangpangan and Tagalog?

My fiancee is Ilocano and she says that the main dialect in a couple of towns in North Tarlac is Ilocano. Notable people from Tarlac province are the Aquinos and Gen Carlos P. Romulo, among others.

[Señorita Tessa 1]

Hello, friends. Many thanks for your contributions to this thread and I sincerely admire you for the dissertations on your respective hometowns. We hope to keep this thread open to those who have not yet responded and also, if we are not asking too much, to those who may want to expound further on matters related to their hometowns, such as places of interest, notable people, the weather, historical or important events, favorite foods, and other things that may make you proud or homesick of your hometown.

[muñequita linda 0]

More on my hometown of Baguio City: (From asiatravel.com)

Situated amidst the mountainous region of Cordillera, 1,500 meters above the sea, 250 kilometers north of Manila, Baguio City is one of the few place in the Philippines blessed with a cool climate. On average, Baguio is at least eight degrees cooler than any place in the lowlands. Not surprisingly, Baguio has become the "summer capital" of the country. It is gifted with a variety of cultural, historical and scenic attractions which make it an important and interesting destination. As early as March, tourists and locals take the six-hour trek up the zigzagging Kennon Road. Within a mile of the city, the sweet scent of pine trees and flowers already permeate the air.

It was the Americans, perhaps longing for colder climates who saw the vast recreational potential of Baguio. After building Camp John Hay, the Americans proceeded to carve Kennon Road from out of the mountains - and linked Baguio to Manila - and eventually to visitors of all creeds and races.

Baguio has a number of attractions to please the most discriminating of sightseers. More importantly, most of these tourist sports are easily accessible via taxi or jeepney from Session Road.

Burnham Park - Situated at the heart of the city, Burnham is the traditional venue of the city's numerous festivities. The park is named after the city's master planner Daniel Burnham. Its man-made lagoon is the site of many boating excursions, Bikers, hikers and skaters delight in the park's criss-crossing walkways. And of the romantic, a walk in the rose gardens is an absolute must.

Mines View Park - Over the years, the Park has been transformed into a shopping showcase of sorts. It's here where you can load up on the province's bounties: hand woven jacket and blankets, silver knickknacks and jewelries, and various jams and preserve. Of course, none of these goodies could complete with the Park's breathtaking view of the hills and valleys of the Cordillera and the gold mines of Benguet.

Camp John Hay - A tour of Baguio is incomplete without a bite of the Club's jumbo-sized burgers and sundaes. Formerly the R & R center of the United States Armed Force personnel in the Philippines, the Club features hotel type rooms, seven food outlets, an 18-hole golf course, six tennis courts, a six-lane bowling center, basketball and volleyball courts, a heated swimming pool plus more for a definitively sporty weekend.

Baguio Cathedral - Rising above the city skyline are the pinkish hues of the Baguio Cathedral. The cathedral is but one of a number of religious landmarks which dot the city. There is the Bell Temple, north of the city; the Maryhurst Seminary with its brilliant gardens; and Lourdes Grotto with its 252 steps to heaven.

Banaue - Although Banaue is nine hours away from Baguio by bus, the tourist who takes the time to see this marvel of culture and architecture would be greatly rewarded. Known far and wide as the eighth wonder of the world, the Banaue Rice Terraces were carved from the mountain ranges centuries ago by the Ifugaos, one of the oldest known mountain tribes of the province.

Sagada - One of the ten towns comprising Mountain Province is Sagada which is known for its numerous subterranean caves of their ancestors, the Sagadg area is a must-see for the archaeology buffs. Added attractions include the natural clear waters of Bokong Waterfall for a quick morning dip and the studio of renowned lensman Eduardo Masferres, whose collection of photographs of the Cordilleras is a photographer's envy.

Below is an image from Burnham Park:

[honneh 0]

Can I join? I'm from Bislig City, Surigao del Sur. Finished my secondary level at Butuan City and finished my college at IIT, Iligan City.

[Don José 2]

Here is some more info on my fiancee's hometown, Calinan, Davao.

Calinan is the biggest producer of durian in all of the Philippines. You may see lots of durian orchards there and also other fruit trees, such as mangoes, bananas, lanzones, mangosteens and dwarf coconuts.

Tourist attractions include the Philippine Eagle Center, Malagos Garden Resort and nearby Eden Nature Park.

Below is a durian orchard in Calinan.

[o0pink0o 3]

I am from Valenzuela City located at the Northern part of Manila (capital of the Philippines).

[maritoni 3]

I will add more overview about my province....

DESCRIPTION

The province of Apayao boasts its own collection of natural wonders that are otherwise not found in the rest of the Cordilleras. Little wonder that it has been dubbed as “Cordillera’s Last Frontier for Nature Richness.” Here, underground rivers, majestic waterfalls, magnificent lakes hug a unique land that is replete with captivating caves, picture-pretty parks, and exotic wildlife.

Delve deep into underwater splendor being offered by Malabisin Lake and Underground River as well as Waton Subterranean River. Come up the surface to gape at fish and wildlife, which are highly visible in the unpolluted waters of Apayao River. And do stop to admire the myriad of picturesque waterfalls of varying sizes that are found along the river.

Commune with nature and marvel at wondrous sights at the Agamata, Agora, and Anag-Sicapo wildlife sanctuaries. Scale the heights of Mount Solo, the highest peak in Apayao. Stumble into untold discoveries at Purit, Anganupan, Nalvo, and countless other caves that make Apayao a whole lot more than simply interesting.

GEOGRAPHY

The province of Apayao is located at the northernmost tip of the Luzon mainland. It is bounded on the east by the province of Cagayan, on the west by Ilocos Norte and Abra, and on the south by Kalinga. Total land area is 392,790 hectares or 21% of the total land area of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS

Apayao is made up of seven municipalities with 131 barangays.

POPULATION

Total population was at 74,720 as of 1995, showing a 1.34% increase from the 1990 population at 74,004. The Isnegs are the dominant ethnic group.

LANGUAGE/DIALECT

Ilocano is the dominant dialect spoken by almost half of the province's 26,812 households, followed by Isneg and Tagalog.

CLIMATE

The prevailing climate in the province falls under Corona's Type III Classification. It is characterized by relatively dry and wet seasons, from November to April, and wet during the rest of the year. Heaviest rain occurs during December to February while the month of May is the warmest.

INDUSTRIES

Updated records of the Department of Trade and Industry Provincial Office reveal that existing industries in the province are furniture, garment craft, food processing, gifts and house wares, and agricultural support.

[Tahoma 2,291]

My fiancée was born and raised in the "city of smiles", Bacolod City. Bacolod City is located in the province of Negros Occidental, on the island of Negros, in the Visayas.

My fiancée is a proud Ilongga. Her mother's side of the family is from Ilo Ilo, Aklan. Her father's side of the family is from Bago, Negros Occidental, about an hour from Bacolod City. My fiancée's first language is Ilonggo. She is fluent in Tagalog and English as well. She can also get by in the Bisayan dialect.

Among other things, the island of Negros is known for it's sugar production and for it's rice fields. We were pleasantly surprised when we were vacationing on the beautiful beaches of Boracay, Aklan Province...when our resort served our coffee with little packets of organic brown sugar from Bacolod.

Bacolod City is also famous for it's chicken. My favorite is Bacolod chicken inasal, which is marinated, grilled chicken on a skewer. I especially love the tasty sauce that we dipped the grilled chicken into. As a matter of fact, I liked the sauce so much that, for a while, I was dipping everything in it.

I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, in the great pacific northwest. I live in a pedestrian-friendly inner-city neighborhood...not too far from the University of Washington and the University Medical Center. Within six blocks of our home you will find a major grocery store, many shops of all types, two movie theaters, countless ethnic restaurants, numerous coffee shops, a post office, and more. Two things that we don't have in our neighborhood are a Filipino grocery store and a Filipino restaurant. If we want to eat at a Filipino restaurant or shop for Filipino food, we will need to go across town.

Here is the approximate recipe for the delicious sauce that I mentioned above:

> Two parts fresh calamansi. Make sure to squeeze the calamansi through a fork in order to catch the seeds.

> Two parts soy sauce. I'm not sure what brand of soy sauce we used.

> One part of spicy vinegar. The spicy vinegar is simply vinegar with garlic, peppers, and other spices in it.

Also, if you visit Bacolod, the Negros Museum is not to be missed. You can get a guided tour and learn all about the history of Negros for only P50. The museum is a great way to learn about the history of sugar on the island. There are lots of wonderful handicrafts as well. If you ask the guide enough questions , you can also learn something about the past exploitation of Negros by the Spanish, the Japanese, and the Americans.

[xylide 2]

Me= Malolos City, Bulacan

Hubby = Calumpit, Bulacan

Purong Tagalog po. Kawawa naman kmi wala kming alam na ibang dialect.

I was born in Cabanatuan City.. part of Central Luzon.. i spent some part of my childhood in Meycauayan,Bulacan..

Purong Tagalog din po.. hirap ng walang ibang alam na dialect no??

[Señor Bonito 2]

My fiancée was born and raised in the "city of smiles", Bacolod City. Bacolod City is located in the province of Negros Occidental, on the island of Negros, in the Visayas.

I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, in the great pacific northwest. I live in a pedestrian-friendly inner-city neighborhood...not too far from the University of Washington and the University Medical Center. Within six blocks of our home you will find a major grocery store, many shops of all types, two movie theaters, countless ethnic restaurants, numerous coffee shops, a post office, and more. Two things that we don't have in our neighborhood are a Filipino grocery store and a Filipino restaurant. If we want to eat at a Filipino restaurant or shop for Filipino food, we will need to go across town.

I have spent a little time living in the Iloilo/Bacolod area in the early 70s. And I remember those days when I have to take the Negros Navigation ferry between the two cities. Very idyllic, the ferry ride was! I wonder if your fiancee knows the Javellana family, who were my friends in Iloilo and Negros and were prominent sugar cane planters during that era. I also fell in love with a girl belonging to the Ledesma/Montinola clan. Sad to say, it did not last as my employer had to transfer me to Davao City. My heart was down, my head was turnin' around, I had to leave my girl in Jaro town! (With apologies to Harry Belafonte.)

Ah, Seattle, Wash., lovely place indeed! I like it, except that it probably rains too much and my arthritis worsens when the rain goes on and on. My job requires me to visit Seattle every now and then. I always stay at a hotel in Kirkland by Yarrow Point and as I drive on the floating bridge over Lake Washington, my heart quivers at the beauty and the greenery of the landscape. Water, water everywhere! You mentioned the University of Washington, the football stadium is quite a site from the bridge and the 520. I wonder if you live close to 45th Street, by the Safeco Tower.