This last holy week was my first time to be away from my family. I usually spend holy week at home or sometimes at my ninang’s house in Bataan. I remember, when I was in my elementary days, when I spend holy weeks in our home, I usually play tumbang preso or patintero across the street together with my neighbors and cousins. That was our only time to take control of the whole street. 
But of course, we still observe holy week. We only play during Wednesdays and a bit sometimes on Thursdays. We were always reminded that we should not be celebrating or making fun during these season; that we should reflect. While in our province in Bataan, they observe holy week, as far as I know (because I was a kid back then), by having pabasa. I also witnessed penetensya where several devouts were hitting theirselves on their back.
Our original meeting time was 8pm but because I was on overtime, I asked them, then they said that they will wait for me. I arrived at the bus staion at around 12 in the midnight and board the bus at around 1am. I truly apologized for being the cause of our delay. We arrived at Tarlac at around 5:30 in the moring.
Anyway, this time we stayed at a friend’s house in Matangarem, Pangasinan which is at the border of Tarlac. You can imagine the place as having a typical provincial life —some nipa huts in the community, the sari-sari stores are very very few and are quite situated very apart from each other, having a poso, the people sleeps and wakes up early, … and it is worth mentioning that the sun strikes very bright there.
To be honest, our purpose there is to visit the Hundred Islands and to get to Manaoag. We also planned to visit a resort but we were not able to look for one.
Holy Thursday: We went to Hundred Islands in Alaminos. It was almost a two-hour trip to Alaminos. I was expecting to see each of the island but I eventually thought that would be long. We got a little hard time looking for a good island to stay because the most popular islands (because they are commercialized) were somehow a bit crowded.
looks like a whale in the middle of the sea
(from top to bottom, left to right) Wahr, Gem, Angela, Maki, Tet, Marion, Pie, Lester, Gino
Good Friday: We just stayed inside the house. We planned to attend the mass at Manaoag but one of us is not feeling well. We also wandered why our mothers told us that we cannot take a bath during Good Fridays after 3 o’ clock in the afternoon. Apparently, we took our baths before that time, but we took a shower before going to sleep.
Black Saturday: Pie’s birthday! We woke up early hoping that we can attend the mass. This time, we only took public vehicles to commute to Manaoag and it was a very long trip. It took us almost four hours to get to Manaoag. Unfortunately, there were no mass during the time we arrived. We just lighted up candles and prayed to God.
After that, we bought pasalubong/delicacies and then decided to go home. Both Pie and I thought that it was the longest trip of our lives especially when we were going home because we were very tired and not feeling well, parang dugyot na kami sa init at oilyness.
having the longest trip of our lives - gone crazy, haha
Easter Sunday: We went to a nearby river (that is very shallow, maybe it is a creek or something). And since the water is only below the knee level, we went to a local swimming pool — a hot spring. Surprisingly, it was a protected area by the DENR, but is open to the public.
there are many rocks but the water is clear and cold
Right after lunch, we prepared to go home to Manila. As expected, there was heavy traffic since there were also other people who spent holy week at their provinces. At the SCTEX toll gate, there were guys that give sample Oishi products, maybe to take stress away from the heavy traffic (and of course to market their products).
at Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway
