The Town of Santa,
Province of Ilocos Sur,
PHILIPPINES (Dec 1, '06)


Location: Poblacion, Sta. Maria, Bulacan, PHILIPPINES

Composition: Copied from a Rough Draft written weeks after the fact.




There are many beautiful and unique views that will greet you as you arrive by car at Santa, Ilocos Sur from the south.

You will first notice that from your highway perspective, the vast blue ocean to your left (South China Sea) seems a lot lower. Unlike La Union's sandy resort beaches, Santa, Ilocos Sur's coastline is predominantly high cliff that drops down to a rocky beach which is protected from the surf by treacherously sharp reefs. Unsuitable for swimming, but at least this leaves it largely unspoiled by tourism.

The second thing you'll notice is that the Ilocos Range mountains - foothills of the Cordilleras - that earlier in the trip was further off in the horizon, would now be right there, right beside you.

And because of this unique location where the available habitable space is sandwiched between the unrelenting sea and the majestically imposing mountains, the densely populated parts of Santa as result (although geographically triangular in shape), ended up being mostly elongated with little girth. Unlike the usual practice of having the town capitol (Poblacion) more or less in the geographical centre, with the barangays (smaller independent villages) radiating outwards in all directions, Santa snakes itself from where the mountain meets the Sea from the South, to the Abra River in the Barangay of Banaoang to the North.


You will notice all of these that which makes my Mom's hometown so unique and memorable every single visit - and I mean every single visit - as you roll in by vehicle from the South.


Note on the name of "Santa"





But unfortunately, I arrived at night - seeing only what the car headlights illuminated in front.

No memorable sceneries and images were going to be reaffirmed, but a new one, unique to this occasion was going to be created.