Quick three-day road trip in Central Luzon for your #barkadagoals

 

Admit it: the thought of yourself sitting in front of your office desk for eight hours (or more) can be very depressing sometimes. “Why can’t I just go out and have fun under the sun?” “Why are there five working days and just two days of break?” “What should I do to have at least three days worth of vacation?” These are just some of the questions that you, for at least once in your life, have probably asked yourself already while filling tabs with numbers, encoding, transcribing, or whatever. Don’t deny it!

So, if you’re one of the hardworking employees who are given only a few days of Christmas break, you’re probably asking yourself how you can maximize those three exciting days of no-work and all-fun, right?

Well, you’re in luck. Because for us in “Biyahe Ni Drew,” we always find ways of enjoying a trip despite having limited means--may it be company, money, or in this case, time.

It’s a good thing that just a few-hours drive from Metro Manila, you can already have a helluva Central Luzon road trip that can be, for sure, a fantastic addition to your #barkadagoals!

Our first stop: Subic!

Meet Enzo, Drew’s new friend. Uy, sobrang cheesy naman niyan!

Here in Subic, your barkada can do a lot of things that scream fun. In fact, at Ocean Adventure (Camayan Wharf, West Ilanin Forest Area, Subic Bay Freeport Zone), you can actually play with the dolphins and other animals! It’s so exciting that Drew Arellano couldn’t help it but go play with one of the cute dolphins, 13-year-old Enzo, in Southeast Asia’s first open-water marine park!

If your barkada wants some selfie by the seaside (with sunset in the backdrop… perfect!), then you’ll love Subic. After all, Subic is known for its beaches that are famous among local and foreign tourists.

Aside from water activities, of course, a trip to Subic wouldn’t be complete without restaurant-hopping! Subic, for one, is also known for its eateries by the bay. That’s why Drew says, “Isa sa mga rason kung bakit ‘kumpletos rekados’ ang Subic para sa’kin [ay dahil ang] dami mong puwedeng magawa!”

One of the restos that caught Drew’s attention is Chopsticks (R.K.Hotel, Rizal Highway, Subic Bay Freeport Zone), which offers a wide array of different cuisines. There’s Chinese, Italian, and Korean food, among many others. For just around P350.00 only, you can already have a plateful of delectable food from their buffet-style serving such as fried rice, pancit canton, yakisoba, bihon, pad thai, Korean vegetables, and many more!

“Korean food [is] colorful, flavorful. So much selection!” says Drew. “I love grilled stuff… Kain na tayo!”

Our next stop: Tarlac!

Approximately 125-kilometers away from Metro Manila, Tarlac is said to be the most multicultural of all the provinces in Central Luzon because the locals here are a mix of Kapampangan, Ilocano, Pangasinense and Tagalog, given its geographical location of being in the heartland of Luzon.

Tarlac is most commonly known for its flavorful gastronomy and wide rice plantations. But nope, Tarlac is not just about agriculture. Because during our road trip here, we discovered that the province is also starting to be a favorite go-to place of kart-racing enthusiasts!

Ready your helmets and safety gears, Biyaheros, because there’s no way we’re not trying this out!

Girls or boys, grownups or kiddos, brave or feeling-brave, Kart City Tarlac is definitely the place for everybody who seeks for their need for speed!

The barkada--or even the whole family, if you’re coming for some quality #fambam time--will definitely like it at Kart City Tarlac (McArthur Highway, San Roque, Tarlac City, Tarlac) because of the many features available, including of course the two race tracks, adult and kiddie go-karts, food trucks, and even a picnic area. There are also multipurpose rooms that are great for those who are coming in big groups for a company event, and even some sports bars where you can play billiards and darts.

Fair warning: You’ll definitely go hungry after trying out all those intense activities. The good news is you don’t have to go far anymore just to look for a place to eat. Because inside Kart City Tarlac is Chaps Diner, where Drew got to try out many dishes such as crispy pata, pinakbet, pancit canton with orange quail eggs, stuffed squid, marinara, kare-kare, and sinigang!

The appropriate hashtag? Of course, it’s #YouLoveMyJob!

Who would mind the two-hour trek if this is what you’ll see in the end, right?

Once you’ve already filled up your tank with enough gas (and your stomach with enough food), then you’re good! Because the next item on our to-do list: Go on a trek in Mt. Pinatubo!

Okay, so who here needs to be introduced to Mt. Pinatubo? We assume no one, right? Because Mt. Pinatubo is known globally, having produced the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century, specifically on June 15, 1991.

But despite that unfortunate event, Mt. Pinatubo is now one of the most famous volcanoes among trekkers because of its relatively easier trekking path--perfect for beginners.

“Hindi naman ganoon kahirap ang trek pero medyo may kalayuan. Mula sa starting point, aabot din daw ng halos dalawang oras ang lakaran,” says Drew.

So his #BiyaheroTip: “Magbaon ng tubig, kaunting snacks, pasensya [at] tiyaga! Pagdating sa dulo, sigurado akong malilimutan [mo] lahat ng hirap na pinagdaan ninyo!”

Our last stop: Pampanga!

After all those tiring (but fun!) activities, you must be looking for some relaxation, right? If yes, go on to Pampanga because here, you can find a lot of hotels that are waiting to pamper you and your barkada!

One of the hotels that caught Drew’s barkada’s attention is @thePad (Sarmiento Street, Angeles, Pampanga), where you can stay for about P2,800.00 per night. This includes the room’s amenities (“Wow! Hindi ko ine-expect na ganito kaganda!”, says Drew), with free breakfast for two.

Drew trying out some of the finest Kapampangan dishes at @thePad.

Of course, we wouldn’t cap off a trip without going on a food trip! Here at @thePad, the food is pretty different. And epic. During our visit, they served us chicken sambal, black cheeseburger, seafood and lemon grass soup, mixed seafood in aligue, fried adobo, and fillet mignon in lava rock *drools*! After all, Pampanga is known as the Culinary Capital of the Philippines because of Kapampangan’s amazing dishes!

Before saying goodbye to the region of Central Luzon (group hug later!), let’s not forget that we’re having this road trip because of our Christmas break. So what better way to celebrate Christmas here than participating in San Fernando, Pampanga’s annual Giant Lantern Festival, right?

WOAH! They weren’t kidding when they said we were going to the "Giant" Lantern Festival, huh?

This annual tradition has been going on for about 30 years now. This year, 11 barangays are competing. Because of the hype and popularity of the festival, the city has been affectionately dubbed as the Christmas Capital of the Philippines already.

So yup, that’s a good way of wrapping up our holiday road trip! Being surrounded with giant lanterns, being in the country’s Christmas capital, and being in the company of good friends who all agreed to join you in this fun-filled road trip, what else can you ask for?---Juju Z. Baluyot/BMS, GMA Public Affairs