I would like to share with you a rough draft of my outline for the OAP book. The emphasis is on “rough” since this is my personal brainstorm list of the experiences that really wowed me or the things that I can’t wait to experience. I would like to get the collective thoughts of OAP Friends about what you think about the outline and what are your inputs/feedback. The list is focused on three awesome aspects of life in the Philippines: food (food trips, and restaurants), travel (beaches and fiestas) and spiritual experiences only in the Philippines.
My simple objectives are:
1. To honor the best experiences Only in the Philippines
2. To inspire Filipinos to experience them and realize how beautiful the country really is.
3. To immortalize the Filipinos behind these experiences.
It will be a 100% ad-free book and it will be our family’s contribution to a better Philippines. I’ll put a facility to give Donations if you want to contribute financially to the OAP book. Donors will be appropriately acknowledge in the book.
100 Awesome Experiences Only In The Philippines
1. Bale Dutung Experience
2. Isla Naburot
3. Halo Halo Food Trip
4. UP Food Trip
5. Experiencing Coron
6. 7 Day Bicol Trip
7. Rustic Beauty of Batanes
8. El Nido, Palawan
9. Ligligan Parul Fiesta
10. Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
11. Foodie Haven of Pampanga
12. Chocolate Hills, Bohol
13. Kota Beach, Bantayan
14. Batad Experience
15. Viaje del Sol
16. Forever Tagaytay Secrets
17. Walking San Juanico Bridge
18. Donsol Whale Sharks
19. Daet
20. Caramoan
21. Surfing in Baler
22. Siargao Experience
23. Rafting in CDO, Davao, Kalinga, Cagayan
24. Road Trip CDO-Iligan-Osamis-Dakak
25. PSI Experience
26. Bora Night Life
27. 4 hours Massage
28. Masscara of Bohol
29. Sinulog Cebu Festival
30. Dinagyang Iloilo
31. Blue Lagoon, Pagudpud
32. Baguio
33. Callao Caves, Tuguegarao
34. Mayaoyao Harvest
35. Romblon
36. Apo Reef Experience
37. Tubataha
38. Underground River Palawan
39. Romantic Restos of the Philippines
40. Lea Salonga and Joanna Ampil
41. Bohol Beach Club Bumming
42. Milo Marathon Experience
43. Pangasinan Loop
44. World Pyro Olympics
45. Anawangin
46. Mall of Asia, Biggest Mall
47. Balesin Experience
48. Cagbalete
50. GK Volunteer Experience
51. Penafrancia Pilgrimage
52. Manaog, Dagupan
53. Flower Festival of Baguio
54. Mt. Pinatubo Trek
55. Chef Popit and Artist Chef Experience
56. Carinderia Tour of the Philippines
57. Pagsanjan Falls
58. Healing Centers of the Philippines
59. Sister Raquel & Father Suarez
60. Homily of Fr. Armand
61. Be inspired by Why Not Forum?
62. Kerygma Feast
63. Inner Child Retreat
64. Laguna Loop Tour
65. Antonio’s Tagaytay
66. Climbing Taal Volcano
67. The Beaches of Cebu
68. Lighthouse Tour of the Philippines
69. Corregidor Island
70. Amanpulo
71. Lengua of Chef Ed Quimson
72. Salcedo and Legaspi Weekend Market
73. Wake Boarding in Camsur
74. Surfing La Union
75. Old Manila Walks
76. Tina Decal’s Tours
77. Pink Beach, Zamboanga
78. Beaches of Tawi Tawi
79. Kadayawan, Davao
80. Sunset Paraw
81. Mt. Pulag Climb
82. Anilao Diving
83. Giving Birth @ Asian Hospital
84. Buko Pie Trip
85. Puto of the Philippines
86. Pansit of the Philippines
87. Suman of the Philippines
88. Bukidnon Monks
89. Surfing Purar-an
90. Quiapo Devotion
91. Divisoria
92. The Farm 7-Day Detox Experience
93. Artist Haven of Antipolo
94. Delicacies of the Philippines
95. Amanpulo
96. Ateneo Food Trip
97. Flavors of La Salle
98. Virtual Tour of the Philippines
99. Romantic Resorts in the Philippines
100. Massage Havens
hi anton! im so happy you’ve included the pink beach in zambo! 🙂 thanks thanks!
lovely list, Anton! will you include Sagada in the “Batad experience”? it’s also one of the best sights (and food trips) in the country. 🙂
btw, thanks again for La Boheme! definitely enjoyed it! 😀
Ahem… Intramuros?
hi..Our Awesome Planet
Please make sure i get one of copy of your book.
(keep me update) so when i start exploring ur country it will be easy on me.. hehehe
Keep up..
(”,)
this sounds great..Good for you! looking forward to grabbing a copy =)
Glad you find Cebu as one of your awesome experiences in the Philippines. I truly love my hometown, if you need more info, drop me a line. Good luck to your project.
nice list 🙂 i think Amanpulo was listed twice, though–#70 and #95. looking forward to the book!
good choices!
when do you plan to release this book on the market?
you are featuring a lot from bicol..yey! makes me sooo proud to be a bicolano..maybe you may want to add the bicol foods as well 🙂 whenever i bring my friends in bicol, they cant stop raving about the foods..
Hi Anton, good list! Surprised to see that you have PSI there (I am PSI grad also). It’s not really unique for the Phils because this course is offered in other countries. 🙂
Why not expand #93 to include Angono which also has many artists and higantes too? And maybe a visit to the home of Manansala too.
Hi Anton,
How about tempurahan in Dumaguete? do check it out.. Dumaguete is really a nice Place, try Bahura Resort
If I am to choose what interests me among your 100… I would rather not include the 4-hour massage, Chef Popit and Artist Chef Experience, and Lengua of Chef Ed Quimson… because somehow these (and a few more, sorry) do not make for an Awesome Philippines….
And then there’s one place I was looking for but isn’t on your list … and somehow I’m glad.. because then it will remain unexplored….
Great idea to confine the awesome experiences to 100, as I’m sure there’s enough awesomeness in our country to go way over that.
I’ll comment again when I have time to think of more, but I have to agree with Carlos that you should include Intramuros, and in general, more cultural/historical experiences within Metro Manila. Otherwise, you might confirm the view of many foreigners — that Manila is only a jump-off point for the rest of the country, but not worth visiting in itself.
I also agree with Dee above that PSI and similar seminars don’t fit the list, since it’s an international organization and didn’t even start here.
Finally, I was thrown off by the “Giving Birth @ Asian Hospital.” While I can understand promoting local hospitals, by limiting it to just childbirth, and only Asian, it’s meaningless to tourists who would be one of the best markets for your book. Medical tourism is a big thing in Asia, and is something that should really be encouraged here, since we have some amazing Pinoy doctors (without bias, of course) and, if you know where to go, world-class hospital facilities. Maybe you could change that entry to write about that, instead? Because otherwise, parang hindi siya bagay.
Good luck on this, Anton! I laud your continued efforts to celebrate the Phils. 🙂
Three suggestions to hopefully merit your interest. 🙂
1. Batanes – cuisine, traditional houses/headgear, winter without the snow
2. Tricycle of the Philippines – 81 provinces in the Philippines may likely mean 81 different versions of the tricycle. I’m sure you have noticed that.
3. Pan de regla – that local bakery favorite, tinapay na may pula sa gitna.
Cheers!
I love 96 and 97:
“forever are intertwined,
like peas in a pod,
inseparable buttcheeks.”
my Haiku for Ateneo and La salle.
hahahaha
5-7-5 daw ang haiku sabi ni Basho.
oh well,
enjoy it anyway,
my brother la sallian “,)
ill be looking forward to that OAP book. pde bang request ng autographed copy? hehehe!
you mentioned “amanpulo” twice…
im looking forward on the release of your book.
thanks for promoting our dear country.
Hi Anton! Have always loved what you do for the country! I’m so excited for your book!! I’m sure it will be a hit! 🙂
I think what our country lacks is an official website/ guidebook for tourist information on the Philippines. [I’m not sure if there are existing sites already, but everytime I travel around the Philippines, I still have to consolidate professional bloggers’ entries and recommendations from friends.] Take a look at visitsingapore.com! It has everything! All the places you can visit in SG, how to get there, admission rates, maps, FAQ’s and any other question that a tourist could possibly ask. I love it! Not even the WOWPhilippines website is as detailed as that. OUR COUNTRY NEEDS ONE!! 🙂 It would entail hard work, comprehensive research, connections and even the help of the government, but we could start with baby steps.
That’s why I think your book will be a hit! But think of the possibility of launching a website that has everything about the Philippines, from A-Z. 🙂
Just a thought. 🙂
Let me begin by saying that I enjoy reading your blog very much, and admire you for being a fresh air for all of us Filipinos with your passion to promote our beautiful country. I only have one (friendly, yet unsolicited) advice with regards to your book… Seek the assistance of a professional writer / editor. While your writing is sufficient with blogging, a book is a more complicated vessel and would require somewhat sophisticated sentence and paragraph construction. I say this from experience, nothing more. 🙂
I continue to wish you well… You are a man with a big heart and a beautiful family. Looking forward to seeing your book in the bookstores. Godspeed, Anton.
yey! UP Food trip! hhehe
Its really cool to see cagbalete up there:-) i’ve been going to that island since i was a kid… nice that people are finally starting to appreciate its pristine and rustic beauty. let me know if you’re gonna visit with your family, we’ll be happy to host your stay. or, check out cagbalete.com… that’s my dad’s cousin’s web site for his resort. good luck with your book!:-)
Saguijo, 6Underground, and other places where local artists perform should be in the 100.
Will there be a ranking?
I’m not sure if I can rank them since they are different experiences. I plan to have a 100 to 1 with the top 10 having the best awesome experience.
What do you think?
no ranking.
just classify.
My only strong suggestion is that you have your book professionally edited/proofread. There is nothing so disconcerting and off-putting as bad grammar or awkward english in a piece about the wonders of this great country of ours.
I’m looking forward to this!
Hi Anton,
Can’t wait to get a copy. Goodluck!
Anton,
Bro, hope you can somehow include Lucban. I’m sure lots of Lucbanin can give you tips on how to enjoy Lucban (and neighboring towns) more, like going before San Isidro (instead of the very day) and stay at least a night or two to experience the suprising cool (summer) nights.
How about not “100 Awesome”?!
How about “Awesome Pilipinas” or something like that instead???
… coz I believe 100 is not enough??? ^_~
How about from North to South… cover each and every single good stuff that we have in our country???
Eh, too much work maybe, or too much for a debut…
But why not?! ^_~
Just thinkin’ out loud.
Stay blessed Mr. Anton!
for food kesong puti wrapped in banana leaves is on top of my list! Suggestion on making d book, use mypublisher.com – so ur fans like me in u.s. can order this great book that we can hand down to generations. Peace.
hi anton.. how about promoting the christmas experience in the phils? bibingka.. puto bumbong.. simbang gabi.. etc..
Anton, Sana you can include Kulinarya and the people behind it. Individually, they have been proponents of Filipino food and now, with the help of Asia Society, they’ve come together as a group to promote and somehow organize (standardize would be too regimental a word)our cuisine, without sacrificing the individual styles we Pinoys love to show in our cooking. Some of the people behind Kulinarya are Claude Tayag, Doris Magsaysay Ho, Gaita Forres,Glenda Barretto, Jessie Sincioco, Myrna Segismundo, etc. Their cookbook is out. I can show you my copy so you can see how well it fits with your dream (You have such a noble and wonderful dream!).
Hello fellow archer! what would be a nice camera to buy? i am going home in a few months and i am planning to go to some of our breathtaking beaches.. what would you recommend?
i won in one of your contest and you promised me to give me the first copy!
i am sooooo excited anton!
I am sure it would be a hit, just like your blog!
Hi Anton! Your blogs about your travel around the Philippines have been helpful to me and my family. Your objectives for making the OAP book are not just simple but great! So, how’s it going? Please let me know when your book is going to be launched. I must not miss that. Well, God speed!
Oops! Sorry, I mean blog entries…anyway, I was hoping to get some tips from you of what not to miss at the hundred islands…company outing namin this summer 🙂
Calamares at Maxine at the sea, snorkeling to see the big clams in Quezon
Island, and jumping into the lagoon in Marcos or Imelda island
I’m targeting to launch it in December 🙂