Marinduque: the Heart of the Philippines

Marinduque is a heart-shaped island located in the southern part of Luzon- south and west of Quezon province, east of Mindoro, and north of Romblon.

the beauty of Marinduque

It is surely one of those remaining islands which is shrouded by mystery and gifted with natural beauty. Unlike the other tourist spots, this place has preserved so much of its natural treasures, rich history and culture .



Marinduque is famous for their Moriones Festival which is held every Holy Week. With this very old tradition fishermen and farmers commonly parade the streets wearing roman soldier costumes and heavy wooden masks of bearded faces. The festival is based on the story of Longinus-a blind soldier who punctured the sides of Jesus with a spear. As drops of Christ's blood went to his eyes, he was able to see again. Unfortunately, i wasn't able to witness the Moriones festival.

my version of Moriones..lolz

Another popular custom of the locals for guests and friends is the Putong. This tradition involves women who sing and dance to honor and welcome their guests. the honorees sit while they are crowned and given flowers. Petals and coins are thrown also for long life. It has the way of touching one's heart. My mom almost cried. This tradition just shows how hospitable the Marinduquenos are. I am a living witness to that. People here are really nice. I strongly believe that the crime rate in this province is really low. The Gas stations are left unguarded at night. Chickens and animals roam the streets freely. You can pick fruits from trees along the streets. People leave their houses and cars unlocked. No need to worry about theives and burglars. The people here know each other. They are uncorrupted.

Torrijos

The island of Marinduque has 6 municipalities-the capital of Boac, Mogpog, Gasan, Buenavista, Sta. Cruz and Torrijos. We stayed at the town of Torrijos. The town is located south of Marinduque and is surrounded by sea. During low tide, it's really fun to walk around the long shore, collect shells and find creatures such as butete or blowfish, baby octopus, sea urchins, small fishes, crabs and the like. It is a really nice place to relax. Time was really slow while we were here. The food is great- fresh fish, crabs, shrimps and many more. yum!

their version of Luneta-Freedom Park

at low tide

Poctoy White Beach

This beach front has white sand and a very nice view of Mt. Malindig. It is a very popular place for picnic and swimming.

the cast of Dyesebel.. kidding!:p

A lot of fishing boats arrive hourly full of fresh fish!

sashimi, anyone? :)

i wanted to see the Gasan sunset and Tres Reyes("Three Kings", composed of 3 islets-Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar) but we didn't have much time. Aside from swimming along the beaches, there is still sop much more to enjoy in this precious island such as camping, hiking, going to hot springs and a whole lot more.

Getting there:
from Manila to Dalahican Port Lucena, Quezon: ride Jac Liner Bus(located in Kamias)
Ave,)
Dalahican to Balanacan port at Mogpog, Marinduque- fast craft or by RO-RO (Roll on-Roll off)