Revisiting Bato Springs

Friday Midnight I receive a facebook message from My loving Aunt asking if i wanted to join them to Quezon - Specifically at Bato Springs. The past few weeks Facebook feeds a lot of pictures from friends who recently visited the place.  And Yes - It’s kind of an exciting experience and a great chance for me to revisit the place that I once love. 

For the past twelve years i visited Bato springs for roughly five times - the last time was wayback 2007, And I’m just as excited this time around as I was the first time. Over the years I've discovered there are generally two types of travelers - First are those who think life is too short to visit the same place twice and second are those who return to their favorite spots again and again. After over 15 years of travel, I’m definitely of the second type.

My Special thanks to my Aunt Siony for inviting me to visit Bato Springs.

How to get there:

Private

• Coming from Manila, take South Expressway to Calamba Exit

• Just take the Road bound to Lucena Quezon

• The next intersection has a sign leading you to Bato Springs take left, this road is bound to Dolores, Quezon.

• Look for the “Bato Springs” sign on the left.

Public

• You can take a bus at Cubao or Taft ave. terminal (JAM or JAC Liner) bound to Lucena, Quezon, the fare is less than 130pesos for an air-conditioned bus.

• You can drop off by San Pablo City, Laguna or the intersection bound to Dolores, Quezon

• From there, take a Tricycle to Bato Springs.

The Old Stone Church of Kalayaan, Laguna

A big factor in my decision of why I chose to visit Laguna was the rich history and culture the province holds. The preservation of old structures from ancestral houses to old churches is simply amazing.

In the town of Kalayaan, Laguna is the old stone church of Longos dedicated to San Juan Bautista. The Longos Church is located in Brgy. Longos, Kalayaan, Laguna.  Longos is a barrio of the town of Kalayaan, the municipality in between Paete and Lumban Laguna.

A short walk from the national highway is the Church compound with a garden surrounded with old trees. From the outside, it seems that the Longos church has retained its Spanish-era features.  Walking around you’ll see old stones that fit tightly together like puzzle pieces and create walls and structures that have stood the test of time.

The St. John the Baptist Church, built in 1669, has one of the most beautiful facades and bell tower in Laguna. Though its facade looks very much preserved, the rooftop portion is a different story. Locals says, due to typhoon Ondoy in 2006 its original roof was heavily damaged, thus it was replaced with iron roofs because Government lack support and funds to restore it. 

How to get to Longos, Kalayaan, Laguna

Ride an HM Transport bus (fare: P140)on EDSA, Cubao or Green Star Express bus  on Taft Avenue, Pasay City near LRT Buendia, alight in Sta. Cruz then ride a Siniloan-bound jeepney. Request the driver to drop you off in Longos.