When I travel I usually do it via jeepney. I go to a new place. Look for the main Catholic church, the municipal/city hall, the market (if it’s nearby), Rizal’s monument and ancestral or old houses. These 5 elements usually is found in the town center (Poblacion if the town is Spanish-era).
When I was in Kalibo, Aklan I saw that there’s a jeepney ride to a town called Balete, Aklan. It’s a new town for me so I visited it. The main church is besides the town hall and Rizal’s monument. The market is located elsewhere and there’s not much old houses in the area.
If I have time, after visiting these 5 elements, I check Google Maps to see a tourist attraction nearby. I saw Basura Garden and it’s walking distance from the plaza. I visited it and to my surprised, it’s a museum and school rolled into one. The artist recycled some materials which you can find in a file of trash or basura and converted it to works of art. When you’re in Kalibo, this place should be on your checklist.
Basura Garden is affiliated with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA) and is a school for living tradition.
BASURA GARDEN – The name of this place is derived from the owner’s collection of artifacts, antiques, including recyclable garbage materials from the native Baleten-on folks. Among those that were transformed into works of arts the observer would gape at are a broken shoe that was subsequently turned into a beautiful flower vase, an ordinary stone framed to portray realities which many oftentimes ignore. The artworks are setup inside the private garden purposely to create a haven of inspiration for the owner’s family, to evoke their innate creative nature or talent. Hence, friends and guests who enter the place likewise get inspiration, announcing to the outside world there is a small haven of art that exists in this town of Balete, for all to see. Source
Souvenir items you can buy at Basura Garden
A Christmas tree made of recycle materials
An old poso
Baeay Baleten-on: Enhanced school of living tradition
Old clocks
Several trophies and certificates of the artist
Old newspaper clippings
A chest x-ray
The artist and owner of Basura Garden in Balete, Aklan
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