CALABARZON CAvite, LAguna, BAtangas, Rizal and QueZON Composed of five (5) provinces; Located at the south western

portion of the island of Luzon Capital: Calamba City, Laguna Cavite, Laguna and Batangas are three of the eight provinces that first revolted against Spains colonial rule Batangas Capital: Batangas City Best known for being: a beach holiday destination in Luzon (San Juan and Lian) a dive site for novice (new) divers ( a nature destination a cultural destination Attractions: Natural: Mahabang Buhangin Beach located in the town of San Juan, the area boasts of having a white sand beach and a colony of living corals Taal Lake and Volcano South Luzons centerpiece attraction, the volcano is touted be the smallest in the world. Both the lake and the volcano are situated on the crater of an extinct volcano. Mt. Maculot one of the highest and most prominent mountains in the province, the mountain is a favorite for mountaineers. Its name (Maculot = kinky) was derived from the curly-haired aborigines (natives) found in the area. Historical Apolinario Mabini Shrine situated in Tanauan, Batangas, it houses the remains and personal belongings of Philippine hero Apolinario Mabini (Dakilang Lumpo and Utak ng Katipunan) Cultural Taal Heritage Site this village conforms to the old town layout of olden times combining hallschool and church arrangement

Escuela Pia this centuries-old Spanish edifice (large building) used to be an educational institution in Hispanic times, and is now an architectural legacy in the plaza of Taal Religious Basilica of St. Martins de Tours / Taal Church built as a devotion to the patron saint of Taal, the church is unique in its combined patriotic, religious and artistic influence. The faade (front face) resembles that of the St. Peters basilica in Rome. Church of Our Lady of Caysasay one of the provinces distinct cultural artifacts for some of the priceless relics of the Spanish colonial period. Punta de Santiago Lighthouse built in 1890, it is one ofhe earlist lighthouses that still functions today Festival: Parada ng Lechon (Balayan, Batangas), Lechons, or roasted pig sucklings are paraded and decoratively dressed in accordance with the theme of the festival and capped with a grand viewing of the lechons at the town plaza. This festival coincides with the Festival of Saint John the Baptist of San Juan and Manila. Special Interest Activities: Diving: Anilao a famous dive site for novice divers with rich coral reefs in the area. Sombrero Island resembling a hat underwater hence the name sombrero, this dive site is just 15-minutes by boat from the town of Mabini, and where youll find soft corals, turtles, rays, jacks, snappers are abundant Verde Island the drop-off offers excellent visibility and abundant soft corals and a variety of fish. The best area is the Drop off which is at 0 300 ft and a Spanish galleon Ligpo Island the area boasts of different types of corals and huge gorgonians abound in the area Golf Evercrest Golf Club Resort and Calatagan Golf Club Air Sports (extreme outdoor sports) Mannny Baradas Air Strip is the official jump-off point of the Parachutist Association of the Philippines fit for skydiving activities. Products: Batangas fan knife / blade locally known as a balisong

Pineapples abound the province and whose leaves are harvested and processed to become the fabric known as jusi, to be used in the national costume the Barong Tagalog Cavite Capital: Trece Martires City (Thirteen Martyrs) Kawit, Cavite site where the first Philippine Flag was raised in June 12, 1898, and thus was known to be the Birthplace of Philippine Independence Attractions: Historical Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine site where the first declaration of Philippine Independence from Spain and the raising of the Philippine flag was made. Emilio Aguinaldo was the first president of the Philippine Revolutionary Republic. Tejeros Convention in Tejeros, Gen. Trias was where the national convention was held in March 1897 and was known to be the Tejeros Convention, that established the Revolutionary government, a forerunner to the first Philippine Republic. Corregidor a tadpole shaped island that is the largest of five islands guarding the entrance to Manila Bay. It became the final arena of the combined Filipino and American forces before it fell to the Japanese army. Corregidor was re-taken by the American forces from the Japanese in 1944. Tourist Tagaytay City second summer capital of the Philippines to the cool climate of the area, especially during the first quarter of the year. Viewpoints in the area offer breathtaking sights of the famous Taal Volcano and Lake. Peoples Park in the Sky standing on 4,516 sq. meters of solid ground and overlooks four bodies of water namely Taal Lake, Balayan Bay, Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay. It is the highest point in Tagaytay City. Picnic grove and Livelihood Complex managed by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), this tourist complex is most suitable for picnics, horseback riding and sightseeing. Tagaytay Highlands a prime residential and golf complex combined with world-class amenities is designed for premium leisure

Festivals: Independence Day - during the festival, a re-enactment of the historic proclamation of the Philippine Independence is made at the mansion of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Pahimis Festival - coming the local term pahimis or thanksgiving, the coffee festival is staged to promote the town of Amadeos thriving coffee-growing industry. Special Interests: Golf Thriving world-class golf courses in Cavite include Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club, Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club, Riviera Golf and Country Club.

Laguna Capital: Sta. Cruz Resorts Capital of the Philippines largely due to the presence of huge amount of underground water resources in the province (hence the presence of countless water theme parks and water resorts) One of the most-populated provinces in the Philippines; Named after the Spanish term lago meaning lake, having the province almost entirely surround the biggest lake in the country Laguna de Bay Birthplace of our national hero Jose Rizal Cabuyao is the newest city (plebiscite in July 2012) Rizal Shrine a Spanish vintage house (bahay na bato) that is a replica of the old Rizal ancestral house (which was burned during WW II), that used to house the family of the late national hero, Jose P. Rizal Underground cemetery (Nagcarlan) built during the 18th century, the underground cemetery was the place where the Katipuneros met and plotted against Spanish rule. Pagsanjan is a town that dates back to Spanish times and lies at the confluence of two rivers the Balanac and the Bumbungan rivers. It is likewise the site in Laguna known for the famous Pagsanjan Falls and Rapids, one of the most famous tourist attractions in the region (if not the

whole country). The falls are reached by a river trip in a dug-out canoe and known as shooting the rapids. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) located at Los Baos, Laguna, it is the worlds most complete center for research on rice. Much of the research involves changing the architecture of the rice plant, the staple food of millions of people in the world U.P. Los Baos Museum of Natural History the museum is a repository of biological specimens for scientific reference. It has a diverse collection of more than 200,000 preserved Philippine animals, plants, cultures of living micro-organisms, and ecology of the region that showcase the countrys rich bio-diversity. Mount Makiling this mystical mount is actually an inactive volcano rising to about 1,109 meters above sea level. The vegetation consists of approximately 2,048 different species of plants. Its slopes are shaped to resemble a woman reclining and legend has it as the sleeping Maria Makiling, a mythical goddess. Mount Banahaw (situated between Laguna and Quezon) a famous mountaineering destination and for the mystical holy ground or Banal na Lugar especially during Good Friday of the Holy Week. San Santiago Apostol Church / Paete Church built during the early Spanish period, this church is famous for the religious images that were carved and painted by the residents as a testament of the woodcarving industry here. Lake Caliraya a man-made lake built by American engineers in the 1930s in order to provide hydro-electric power to the region. It is situated in three towns Lumban, Cavinti and Kalayaan.

Special interest: Most famous product is the buko (coconut) pie Wood carving and paper mache industry is found in Paete, Laguna Liliw is a famous town known for its slippers-making industry Lumban is famous for its embroidered fabrics and finery that is used for the national costume barong tagalog Laguna is also known for its decorative plants, cutflowers and fruit preserves

Rizal

Capital: Antipolo City Named after the national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal Antipolo City is the only city within the province of Rizal while Angono is known to be the artists capital

Attractions: Angono Petroglyphs discovered in 1965, this cultural heritage site deates back to 3000BC and is the most ancient prehistoric Filipino work of art. The site is famous for its rock engravings, 127 drawings of human and animal figures. Nemiranda Arthouse and Gallery is a repository for collections of the artists paintings masterfully employing figurative realism in his artworks, portraying rural life and folklore art. Ang Nuno Gallery and Balaw-Balaw Restaurant this charming restaurant-cum-art gallery offers guests with a variety of native food and exotic cuisine. Our Lady of Antipolo Shrine home to the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, the icon for safe travel. During the month-long festival in May, thousands of devotees come to pay homage to the icon. Avilon Montalban Zoological Park in Rodriguez, Rizal, it contains landscaped pocket gardens, man-made lagoons and more than 3,000 animalsbelonging to over 500 species. Festival: Feast of San Clemente (Higantes Festival) in Angono, Rizal, this festival is done in honor of San Clemente, whose image is borne by male devotees in a procession and accompanied by parehadoras (devotees dressed in local costumes, wooden shoes and carrying boat paddles) and higantes (giant figures made out of bamboo and paper mach). Special Interest (Golf) Valley Golf and Country Club ( Sumulong Highway, Antipolo, Rizal) East Ridge Golf Club (Binangonan, Rizal) Products: Rizal is known for bountiful harvests of fruits and fish catch from Laguna de Bay Cainta is known for its coco jam During summer, hot cashew nuts, sticky rice delicacies (suman) and duhat (local blackberries) are sold near churches

Quezon Capital: Lucena City Formerly known as Tayabas (province) but was renamed to Quezon in honor of the late Pres. Manuel L. Quezon Manuel L. Quezon is the father of the Filipino language (Ama ng Wikang Filipino) Three to four-hours away from Manila (by bus or land transportation) Attractions: Villa Escudero - presenting itself as a destination to experience life in a rural setting, Villa Escudero is a self-contained coconut plantation-cum-tourist resort founded in the 1880s by Don Placido Escudero and Doa Claudia Marasigan. It is a showcase of the Philippines cultural heritage, and offers a glimpse of history, cuisine, dress, customs, and natural landscape San Diego de Alcala Fortress recognized as a national treasure, it was built to warn and protect the people in Gumaca from pirates and other invaders Claro M. Recto Shrine an esteemed statesman and staunch nationalist, he is the father of the Philippine Constitution. He was born in Tiaong, Quezon Mt. Banahaw (situated between Laguna and Quezon) is an extinct volcano that is famous for its mystical attributes (Banal na Lugar) especially during the Holy Week. Quezon National Park it has an intricate system of caves, waterfalls, springs, creeks, gorges, and ravines against a quaint backdrop of lush greenery. It is also the site for the Pinagbanderahan, where the Filipino revolutionaries planted the Philippine flag in their fight against the Spanish forces. Pagbilao Grande is a group of islands located at Tayabas Bay that has white sand beaches (Puting Buhangin Beach) and rich fishing grounds. Lamon Bay the body of water that connects the northern part of Quezon to the Pacific Ocean. It bounds the coastal towns of Atimonan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Lopez and Calauag, and the islands of Alabat. It is a rich fishing ground and home of various living corals. Minasaw Bird Sanctuary in the northeastern part of the province, the 4.5 hectare island is off the town of Jomalig and was established as a sanctuary to protect the bird population in the area.

Bird Island which was once a huge coral formation, and over time, became an island, and now is a bird sanctuary in Polilio Island at the northeast part of the province Polilio Coral Reef this huge coral reef has a length of about five kilometers and a width of about two kilometers. Located in Polilio, Polilio Island, the reef is a great spot for snorkeling and diving. Festival: Feast of San Isidro Labrador / Pahiyas Festival in Lucban (May) in honor of the patron saint of farmers, this festival is celebrated as a thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest that farmers had received. This festival boasts very colorful pahiyas (dcor) dubbed as kiping, rice cakes, fruits, vegetables, rice grains, rice stalks and other farm produce, to go along with various festivities all over the town. Feast of San Isidro / Agawan sa Sariaya almost the same as the one in Lucban, though the dcor of the houses consists of fruits, vegetables, candies, breads and other food either thrown or given to people after the patron saint has passed them (during the procession). Feast of San Isidro / Balwarte sa Gumaca this festival highlights arches that are decorated with various agricultural products. As with Agawan festival, the crop dcor are only pulled down only when the patron saint has passed their house. Other San Isidro Feasts being emulated from the above three are the Mayohan sa Tayabas and the Pasayahan sa Lucena

Products: The main produce of the province is coconut; while rice, corn and other tropical fruits are also widely grown in the province. Other products include fish and pond-raised crabs and prawns. Two famous delicacies include the pancit habhab and the Longganisang Lucban Lambanog, a local liquor is actually made from fermented and distilled coconut flower sap.