I was buying something from a sari-sari store somewhere in Bataan, a quick stop before we go to the site of this year’s Pawikan Festival, when the proprietor suddenly pulled up a basketful of pawikan eggs. Do I want some, he asked. I didn’t know what to say. I was shocked, to say the least. We were, after all, celebrating these gentle creatures' existence and promoting their welfare. The exchange was a total opposite of why we were here.

A SEA TURTLE HATCHLING, OFF TO THE SEA

But this is not new to me. I actually know someone close who used to eat pawikan eggs as if it were the norm. Well, to be fair, it was something natural to them, his uncles and aunts, heck, the whole town, was doing the same until it was banned. They really didn’t know that the practice wasn’t good until someone told them so. Now, they know otherwise.

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One of the things that made its lasting mark on me during our Vietnam trip a few years back is banh mi; a bread snack hawked along the sidewalks of Ho Chi Minh. Imagine this; French bread sliced in half and filled with all sorts of veggies, meat, pâté, and cheese (Laughing Cow, at that), all for almost next to nothing. Never, in my wild imaginings that I would be mouth to mouth with this Vietnamese delight once again during our Pawikan Festival trip in Bataan.

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LOLENG’S SIMPLE STREET FACADE

Loleng’s Hu Tieu-an is a humble non-descript eatery located on one of the narrow side streets of Barangay Binaritan in Morong. The place is not air-conditioned, the furnishing is very simple, and its floor—left unfinished. You’d hardly take a second look if not for its peculiar name and the number of people going in and out of its door.

I’ve passed through the town of Morong in the province of Bataan a few times over the years, but I never knew it harbors a colonial church worthy of a visit. During the second day of the Pawikan Festival, we checked out a curious church en route to our hotel, Brizo Resort, for a brief respite from the festivities of the day.

THE LICHEN-COVERED WALLS OF BATAAN’S MORONG CHURCH

Morong Church, not to be confused with the a similarly named Morong Church in Rizal, is very squat. Situated on an elevated patio, the façade is broad but not very tall. I somehow find its proportions to be unsettling, being used to churches with towering heights.

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The town of Morong became our base of operation during our three-day tour around Bataan and Brizo Resort became our camp. The trip coincided with the province's Pawikan Festival and our accommodation of choice was perfect, being only a few minutes’ drive away from the festival grounds.

VIEW OF THE POOL AREA AND THE SEA FROM THE RESTAURANT

OPEN VERANDA FROM THE ROOMS OVERLOOKING THE POOL

Brizo Hotel & Resort is a relatively new beach-side resort in Morong. The paint job still seemed fresh as we walked into its open-aired mini-lobby and were assisted by its friendly crew to our second floor room.

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