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| Moriones Statue |
Marinduque is pronounced as "Marin'Duke" in Tagalog and part of MIMAROPA (Region IV-B) in the Philippines. Municipality of Boac is the capital of this province. It is considered as the Heart of the Philippines in accordance to its Heart-Shaped appearance as an island and aside from that, Marinduque is also considered as the geographical center of the Philippine archipelago by the Luzon Datum of 1911 (the mother of all Philippines Geodetic Survey). It is situated between Tayabas Bay in the north and Sibuyan Sea to the south. The island of Marinduque is separated from the Quezon Province (east) and Mindoro Island (west).
By Water (Transpostation) The easier and cheaper way for you to get to this island is to ride in a Ro-Ro from Dalahican Port (Lucena, Quezon) to Balanacan Port, Marinduque. Starhorse and Montenegro are two shipping lines that offers a ride going to Balanacan.
By Air (Transportation) Zest Airways (formerly Asian Spirit) is the only Airlines that serves direct daily flights to-and-from Manila. The Marinduque Airport is located in Brgy. Masiga (between the municipalities of Gasan and Boac).
TRANSPORTATION
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FROM
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TO
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FARE
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TIMEFRAME
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Bus (Jac Liner)
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Cubao (Kamias)
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Dalahican Port
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Reg (Php 227.00)
Senior/Student
(Php 182.00)
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4-5 hours
(w/ waiting and delays)
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Starhorse/Montenegro
Shipping Lines
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Dalahican Port
Lucena, Quezon
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Balanacan Port
Marinduque
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Reg (Php 260.00)
Senior/Student
(Php 186.00)
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3-4 hours
(w/ waiting and delays)
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Van/Jeepney
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Balanacan Port
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Sta. Cruz
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Reg (Php 80.00)
Senior/Student
(Php 70.00)
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1-2 hours
|
Note : Never be late. In our case, we're late for about 10 minutes so we missed the first trip that left the port at exactly 4 AM. Additional 3 hours was consumed in our itinerary because of this unwanted scenario. The next trip left around 7:30 AM and we arrived in Balanacan Port at exactly 10:30 AM.
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| Montenegro Shipping Lines |
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| Starhorse Shipping Lines |
We were welcomed by this Statues in accordance to the famous Moriones Festival of Marinduque. There's also a relic statue of Our Lady of Virgin Mary placed in the sea and can be seen from afar and a closer look when you arrived in Balanacan Port.
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| Moriones Statues in Balanacan Port |
Kawa-Kawa Falls was the first destination we visit during our first day of our vacation. It is located in Brgy. Bangcuangan Sta. Cruz, Marinduque. We stayed in our Uncle's house and we're happy that we met them again after a long time (15 yrs. I guess?).
You can also visit this link for more details. Travel Guide | Kawa-Kawa Falls
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| Kawa-Kawa Falls |
On our way to Sta. Cruz Bayan, we were amazed by the views in Brgy. Landy. Rice fields, Coconut trees and the unexpected sea of clouds are the reasons why we enjoyed our road trip. We went to the place where our parents married each other.
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| Sea of Clouds |
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| Scenic Views |
It is located in Sta. Cruz (Bayan) near the municipal hall. Sta. Cruz Church is the oldest in the province. It was first erected in 1714. The church itself was renovated excluding the original tower and the old paintings and sculptures are the main features of the church.
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| Sta. Cruz Church (Side View) |
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| Sta. Cruz Church (Front View) |
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| Different Saint Statues inside the Church |
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| Stunning Ceiling of the Church |
After the mass, our family had some time in taking pictures together and the beautiful structures near the church. We went to market where we bought our foods and pasalubong for our relatives and friends in Manila. Before we leave the market, my brother asked me if I want to join him in exploring the Bagumbungan Cave also known as San Isidro Cave. I said YES of course!
The main terminal going to other places in Marinduque is located beside the market area
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| Main Terminal |
It's a funny but very thrilling experience because we need to aboard on top of the Jeepney because it's already full. The last trips to-and-from specific place is earlier than your expectations so better ask the local people to avoid delays. Bagumbungan Cave is located in Sitio Puti Brgy. San Isidro, Sta. Cruz Marinduque.
You can also visit this link for more details. Travel Guide | Bagumbungan Cave
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| Travel Brother |
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| Bat Area |
We went to our relatives in Boac, Marinduque and we're amazed by the old houses in town. Almost 70% of the houses maintained it's Spanish appearance despite of changes in our time.
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| Boac Town (Bayan) |
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| Old Houses |
You can't come home without trying these authentic delicacies in Marinduque. Adobong Dilaw was actually made by my Uncle who lives in Boac. It's my first time to see an Adobo in color Yellow with chili leaves. I already knew that "Luyang Dilaw" (Turmeric) was the reason behind its color then taste was like the typical chicken in coconut milk (I don't know how why?) I loved the taste of authentic Pilipit of Marinduque because it's not that sweet and the bread itself is softer than the usual Pilipit that can be buy in Manila.
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| Adobong Dilaw |
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| Authentic Pilipit |
I saw these old equipment that were popular during 90's era. I can still remember that this kind of vintage razor was my father's personal thing before. It's so easy to assemble this because it is only composed of 4 parts (holder w/ screw, bottom metal, blade and the top steel bar).
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| Pang-ahit (Razor) |
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| Tapayan (Jar) |
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| Pangkuskos (Scrubber) |
Before I end this article, I would like to introduce my family who lives here in Marinduque. It was my second time here (my first visit was 15 years ago!) but most of them was my first time meeting them. I'm so glad that this trip turned into something very memorable and not the boring vacation that I thought before. Thank you Auntie and Uncle ! Next year again :)
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| My Tito Jaime and Tita Baby (Brgy. Aturan, Sta. Cruz) |
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| My Tita Lita and Tito Vicente (Boac) |
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| Our relatives in my mother side (Brgy. Bitik, Sta. Cruz) |
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| Our relatives in my mother's side (Brgy. Bitik, Sta. Cruz) |
Additional must see attractions in Marinduque you should not miss!
Sta. Cruz Area
- Moriones Festival (during Holy Week)
- Maniwaya Island (Palad Sand Bar)
- Polo Island
- Mongpong Island (Ungab Natural Arch)
- Bathala Cave
- Python Cave
- Busay Falls (Brgy. Pag-asa)
Torrijos Area
- Poctoy White Beach
- Pulang Lupa Shrine
- Hinulugan Falls
- Freedom Park
- Mt. Malindig
Mogpog Area
- Luzon Datum 1911 Rock
- Relic of Our Lady of Virgin Mary in Balanacan Port
- Ulong Beach
Boac Area
- Boac Cathedral
- Pugutan Site
- Tres Reyes Islands (Melchor, Gaspar, Baltazar) in Gasan
--Reminder--
As a Travel Blogger, I am sharing all my experiences, guides and the expenses in every trip I have been so that you can also experience this trip to specific place with your friends or family. Be responsible enough by: following the rules and regulations of the place, learn to protect and maintain its genuine beauty, be nice and respectful to local people, observe cleanliness, leave no trace
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