Travel: Appreciating Art at Ben Cab Museum

Going to Baguio City, one of our list is to visit Ben Cab Museum. Actually it was Roxy's recommendation to visit it.

For more information please visit the website http://bencabmuseum.org/.

Ben Cab Museum is located at Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadiagan, Tuba, Benguet. A 15 to 20 minutes drive if you are coming from fr Baguio City.

Benedicto Reyes Cabrera — or BenCab, as he is more popularly known is widely hailed as a master of contemporary Philippine art. He was born in Manila on April 10, 1942. BenCab began carving a niche for himself in Manila’s art circles shortly after receiving his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines in 1963. A painter and printmaker, he has exhibited widely in the Philippines and in Asia, Europe, and the United States. He has won several major art awards in a career spanning four decades. In 1992, he received the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining (Cultural Center of the Philippines Award for the Arts). In 2006, he was conferred the Order of National Artist for Visual Arts by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacanang Palace. Source: http://bencabmuseum.org/.

The museum is open to public from Tuesdays to Sundays (closed on Mondays, Christmas Day and New Year's Day) starting from 9:00 am to 6:00pm. 

Admission tickets cost:

• P100 - General admission
• P80 - student or Senior Citizen (with valid ID)
• free for child smaller than 42"

Most of the museums, cameras are not allowed. Luckily in Ben Cab Museum, you are allowed to take pictures, however your camera should set into no flash.

As you would see, there are lots of different cordillera arts displayed inside. On my analogy, Mr. Ben Cab promotes the cordillera artists. Different paintings and sculptures were all displayed, to show the culture of Cordillera Region.

Travel: Experience Pagudpud:Boracay of the North

This has been my peg for many years, but believe me, all my qualms about long travel and road trips changed when I was convinced by travel documentaries and write ups to go to a supposedly gorgeous beach right at the tip of Ilocos Norte in the Philippines, known as Pagudpud.

Going to Pagudpud is also one of the highlights when travelling to Ilocos Region. It is know for its white fine sand, because if its white sand, it is also called as "Boracay of the North."

Way back in year 2009, when I first visited the said town, it was summer time. Does it is the best time to go there. For my second time, it was year 2011, where there was a typhoon on the northern part of the Philippines. It was also my first time to experience, we were typhoon chasers, a way back then and it was very difficult to go there.

Pagudpud is about 350 miles away from Manila. After we left Vigan, we proceed to Laoag City. From Laoag city, we took a bus going to Pagudpud. On our way, the beauty of Ilocos and its surrounding waters already made me so thrilled that I ended up taking the trip. 

The beach, the sun, the sand and the gorgeous water were just as what I had hoped for and pictured them to be. The scene was like a painting, it was the most gorgeous view that I have ever seen. The sand was very fine which gave the impression that I was walking on a carpeted floor. The water was so clear and blue, it made me think of past times swimming across the South China Sea. The sun was so inviting that I did not hesitate to soak up all the sunlight I can get. 

My favorite part of our Pagudpud trip was year 2009, when we have the beach all to ourselves. The sand was white powdery soft but my feet were still happy. We sat on the beach enjoying the sound of the waves, the cold water touching our skin as they reached the shore.

We stayed in Saud Beach and Resort which owned by Mayor Sales. I think this was my ultimate beach bumming experience.