Baldemor Art Studio

Paete, Laguna
 For the first stop, we went to the
Baldemor Art Studio in Paete, Laguna,
home of the Baldemor family of artists –
more specifically, of painters, sculptors,
writers, illustrators, and other forms of
art. Manuel Baldemor, who was born on
March 26, 1947, who was best known for
his depictions of folk art in simple,
geometric forms, and Angelo Baldemore,

Fun Fact:
The humble town of Paete in Laguna has
engraved its name as the wood-carving capital
of the country. Generation after generation
has quietly yet significantly provided quality
work throughout history: from religious
objects, particularly in the 16th to 19th
century, to the carving of the awe-inspiring
six- feet tall murals.
Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de Turumba
Pakil, Laguna
 The second stop we went to is in
Pakil, Laguna - the Nuestra
Senora de los Dolores de
Turumba Church. Founded in
1676 by Saint Pedro Bautista, the
church was continously
renovated over the years due to
several factors, but most of which
due to man-made and natural
causes, which should have
destroyed the church almost
completely. On October 19, 2006,
The Parish itself would later be
declared as the now-named
Diocesian Shrine of Nuestra
Senora de los Dolores de
Turumba, and would be granted a
Special Bond of Affinity with the
Sancta Maria Maggiore Basilica of
Rome.
Pilillia Wind Farm
Sitio Bugarin, Pilillia Farm
 The next stop in our tour, the
Pillila Wind Farm, is a pretty
recent but important tourism
spot, as it is allegedly a major
source of power and
electricity in the region,
capable of empowering more
than 50,000 households. It is a
hilly area: windy and fertile,
overlooking rather beautiful
spots, and also making it a just
a really good area for
sightseeing in general.

Fun Fact:
A lane of 27 wind turbines stand atop
sloping hills at 300 meters above sea
level, towering over Laguna de Bay and
standing along the NW-SE line to
capture the Amihan from October to
March, whose speeds can reach
36km/hour. Each turbine can produce
2MW. The entire farm is estimated to be
able to generate almost 150 Gigawatt
hours of electricity every year.
Saint Jerome Church
Morong, Rizal
The last stop of our tour is the Saint Jerome Church - built for three years starting
1615 by Chinese craftsmen, as proved by various elements added to its interior
and exterior. Other unique features such as the lion structures and the entirety of
the facade itself contribute to the atmosphere one gets while inside.

Fun Fact:
St. Jerome Church stands high up in the town of Morong. It was built in 1615 by
Chinese craftsmen as evidenced by the Chinese-style lions at the entrance to the
steep driveway. It took three years to construct the church which was funded by the
people of Morong. The stone and mortar church has steps leading up to the front.
The cross on the tower is illuminated at night and can be seen clearly from the
countryside. It has a tower in front with a huge statue of St. Michael the Archangel.
The three-storey façade, which was built in 1850-1853 to support a new bell tower,
is one of the most splendid examples of baroque architecture in the Philippines. It is
in graduated levels, surmounted by a four-storey octagonal bell tower of European
influence, with paired columns at the four exterior corners. The ornamentation
consists of a long simple nave. The 14 Stations of the Cross are beautifully done. The
restoration of the ceiling has been done and old beams are now visible. An added
attraction in the church is the first-class relic of the town's patron saint, Saint
Jerome (Patron of scholars of the bible, a saint who translated the bible, feast day:
September 30). The relic (a part of the saint's body) was given to the parish in 2005
through the effort of then parish priest, Rev. Fr. Larry Paz (now assigned in Parang,
Marikina City, 2007-present) when the parishioners had their first pilgrimage tour to
Holy Land and the Vatican. The relic is publicly exposed every Saturday during the
anticipated mass, guarded by the knights of Saint Jerome's. The kissing of the relic
was done every last Saturday of the month. After 2 years, another relic, this time
bigger, was given to the parish as a gift from the main chaplain of the church of St.
Jerome's in Rome.
Submitted by:
Sabatin, Elaiza Joy
Dela Cruz, Simon