The whole activity was fun. The group left the campus at around 11 in the evening with 5 buses full of excited Humanities 2 students. The group arrived at Vigan 12 in the afternoon the next day and proceeded with the trip after some hours of rest. Most of the sites were part of the Philippine history. The stay at Vigan, particularly at Cordillera Inn gave the students an idea of how the Philippines looked a century ago. For two nights, the students get to experience how it was like living in the streets of the Philippines more than a hundred years before. It also gave the students time to mingle with other people.

Although the whole trip was quite tiring with several itineraries lined up, everything is worth it for the beautiful artworks and structures that were visited by the group, not to mention the beautiful sceneries that can be seen in places that were visited during the trip. What made the trip more fun is the absence of rain. It never rained during the course of the trip. The group only experienced rain when it was time to go back home. We visited churches, pottery, weaving place, the windmills, museums and other places where art and history can be seen.

The churches we visited were those that were built during the Spanish colonization. The church bell tower of Bantay Church which stood several meters away from the church itself and the very large church at Ilocos Sur. The churches were decorated with several saints and sculptures and images of saints and the Holy Family. The edifice of the church is characterized by the presence of various arcs and curves made of bricks stacked up together to form somewhat an altar of saints and the Holy Family. The statues that were installed are statues made together with the church. The interior was wide and even the altar was full of saints. The Baroque art is very distinct in this church as can be seen in the configurations of the inside with many arcs and curves and is inspired by religion. The church altar appeared to be lit in a very peaceful and calming way to create an aura of peace and holiness inside the church. The poles stood high supporting the well decorated ceiling of the whole church. The influence of the Baroque art in this church and the rest of the churches being visited is because these structures were built during the Baroque period. The Augustinian church at Paoay stood marvellously and was included as one the World Heritage sites. It is so huge that I think even a whole barangay can gather and fit in there. Unfortunately, I was not able to visit the inside due to the limited time and because I was so tired already. The whole structure was made up of brick and beside the church stood a bell tower which is already closed I think. This bell tower-church tandem is typical during the Spanish colonization since people are called during mass and this is done by ringing the bells or when there are important religious services, the bells are also rung. My personal favourite though was the windmills we visited. They are lined near a sea where there are strong wind currents capable of moving the windmill’s propeller-like structure. These propeller-like structures face the sea to catch wind so that in every movement of these “propellers”, electricity is generated for the energy and power supply of their region. I was amazed at this structure because it is so beautiful even under the searing rays of the sun and that not only is it is beautiful but also because of the use the people can have for it. I always imagined windmills very different from what I have seen and that was cool.

Most of the itineraries visited were focused on the life Filipinos lived during the colonial period. From the structures of the churches to the houses lined up in Vigan. Filipinos lived as Christians under the influence of the Spanish friars when they introduced it to the Filipinos. It was the Christianization of the Filipinos that were being depicted in the structures left by history and made it to the history of the country and its people. Filipinos would have been very religious during the Spanish colonization period since huge churches and architectural structures were built during the period. Monuments of some saints can also be seen along the roads. Art therefore in this period were focused mainly on building religious structures and artworks were inspired by religion specifically by Catholicism. Filipinos also lived in fear of the Spanish colonizers since most of the houses that were visited during the trip had firearms kept in it and that there were also secret places possible to be hideouts or meeting places for Filipinos plotting for the revolution. They used their art to conceal such places to make them appear as nothing more than a common room and the firearms were carefully concealed in some areas of the town. The dress of the Filipino women was also affected by the influence of the Spanish colonials. The typical Maria Clara is a Spanish inspired costume for the Filipino women. But still it did not lose the Filipino touch. The beautiful dresses that Filipino women wore were works of art and these were used in social gatherings and during special occasions when people meet to celebrate something special. At present the artistic skills of the Filipinos are often used as a means of survival. Filipinos use their art for livelihood activities such as weaving and pottery. They sell their finished products and earn money from it. The materials used for their production are abundant in the area so access to production materials is never difficult for them. For several years, there are Filipinos who focused and gave dedication to their art and are still practicing their art at present. This has harnessed their skill resulting to better if not best products of their trade. We even met a Filipino National Folk Artist for pottery and he even gave a free demonstration on how pottery can be a very fun endeavor though we never tried in on hand. The weaving place that we visited also was already there for more than thirty years. I never imagined how difficult it was to weave. They sell their finished materials as handkerchiefs, table cloths and even beddings and curtains. These products, a result of Filipino art are of high quality and aesthetic value. Filipinos are very artistic and they make a lot from it too. The place where we stayed was also beautiful especially during at night when the streetlights are lit. We stayed at Cordillera Inn in Vigan and we witnessed how it was beautiful and pleasing to the eyes to be living in such area. Vigan itself is a World Heritage Site. The infrastructures were still there although some were converted to souvenir shops and to hotels like the Cordillera Inn but the “historic ambiance” was never lost. I also enjoyed the tour in their town riding the “kalesa”. The “kalesa” was decorated with artistic designs form paint to artificial flowers to give it a picture of elegance similar to Cinderella’s ride to the party at the prince’s castle. This was the primary transport during the colonial period and only a few rich Filipinos can afford this ride. Later on cars were also used since there were some vintage cars in the houses at Vigan that we visited. A P50 tour around the whole town riding a “kalesa” is cheap. Aside from the “kalesa”, most people there used motorcycle as a means of transportation since most of the roads there cannot accommodate two cars going in opposite direction. This gave us a hard time the first time we arrived at the place. And we had to walk around the city under the heat of the sun. But it’s okay since we get to see the village anyway.

The whole trip was a very enjoyable one and culminated in an activity at the Pagudpod Beach in Ilocos which is a white sand beach and very clear water where everyone will surely enjoy swimming there. Though it was tiring, everything paid off as happy faces and wonderful smiles is reflected among the students who joined the trip. I even made friends during the course of the trip. I really enjoyed the whole trip.