Exploring Philippines 123 - Eastern Visayas (Post 1 - Pastrana and MacArthur Shrine)

I had an invitation from the family of Ron to visit Leyte.  I did not know that it was immediate.  I was surprised because they were the ones who provided for my plane ticket.  And my dream to visit the other islands in the Visayas did come true.

We were fetched by Ron’s father at the Tacloban airport and we immediately head straight to their home in Pastrana, Leyte.  Right after our late breakfast, we went around the town of Pastrana using Ron’s motorcycle.  Actually, we did not roam around the town proper.  Instead, Ron showed me what Pastrana is all about.

Pastrana, Leyte is a fifth class municipality.  Unlike the other towns of Leyte that lie within the coastal areas of the island, Pastrana is located somewhere in the middle – between the mountains and the sea.  And judging from its location and based on what I’d seen, there was nothing special about the town for the tourists to appreciate and enjoy.  Or so I thought.

I rode with Ron in his motorcycle.  We drove towards the remote areas of the town.  As we rode in a normal speed, the cool wind rushed against our faces.  Though it was high noon, the heat of the sun could not be felt and was not noticeable due to some high trees and most of these are coconut trees.  Our ride was a refreshing one which is a far cry from the city atmosphere.  The town is a perfect breathing place for a city dweller like me because of the pure and unpolluted air.  And I simply love the experience.

Pastrana’s main produce is copra.  This is evident with so many coconut trees wherever you set your eyes.  Rice is the next important produce where the open fields turned into a golden view when the rice plants are almost ready for harvesting. 

As we explore the place for more than one hour, from coconut plantations to abundant rice fields, the remote place of Pastrana offers a relaxing and rewarding experience for me.  Though the pace of life is slow and progress is far fetch, still, this could be a perfect dream place to experience life in a standstill.  I guess we used to appreciate something which is uncommon even in its simplest form.

Right after our tour of the town, we went towards the town of Palo.  It was almost five in the afternoon when we got there.  We happened to encounter a park personnel who was busy retouching the park’s signage for the upcoming Leyte Landing anniversary which would take place several days after.  That time, there were only few visitors in the park and we had our turn for picture taking in no time.  Aside from the Pintados festival of Tacloban, the Leyte Landing anniversary is one of the must see event in Leyte.  The highlight of the event is the reenactment of MacArthur’s landing in the very shore of Palo, Leyte. 

In the park, there is also a set of footprints of MacArthur.   I managed to compare the size of my foot with MacArthur’s and we almost have the same size.  Hehe. Unbelievable.