Sampaguita Gardens, New Washington, Aklan

When I visited the Aklan Museum, I got a brochure showing the different tourist spots in Kalibo and in the province of Aklan. One of the attractions that caught my eye was the Sampaguita Gardens in New Washington, Aklan.

Sampaguita Gardens offers a great view of the sea

After visiting the main church (Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish) in New Washington as well as Rizal’s Monument, Jaime Cardinal Sin’s monument, some old houses and the municipal hall (the market is located somewhere else), I rode a tricycle and asked to be dropped off at Sampaguita Gardens. It’s a short distance from the town proper.

True enough, the place is wonderful. It has a Mediterranean theme (and offers a great view of the sea) as well as Christmas theme. There’s an entire house that has a wide ranged of Christmas decorations. All around the place, you’ll see Christmas decors and angels. The entrance fee is affordable and almost all corners are instagrammable.

The sprawling 2.6 hectare property features 48 Guestrooms and Suites; three restaurants; Convention Facilities; Business Center; Spa and Fitness Center; 2 swimming pools; Circus Rides; a 43 Ft. Aquarium; Oriental Garden, Precious Moments Gallery; the Samuel J. Butcher Mansion with its vast antique collection and stunning pieces of bric-a-bracs and other Orientalia; Precious Moments Meditation Chapel and Jojo’s Christmas Cottage, a Victorian cottage showcasing Precious Moments collectibles and the unique JCC Museum of Christmas. Source

You may check their website here.

In Sampaguita Gardens, everyday is Christmas Day

A house straight out of a fairy tale

 

 

 

 

 

All sorts of Christmas decorations are on sale

 

 

 

Lots of rooms for visitors

Sampaguita Gardens also has a chapel

Everywhere you look, there are angels in Sampaguita Gardens, New Washington, Aklan

Cute turtles that the kids would love

Noah’s Ark for the kids

Sweetest way of saying “Thank You” to the visitors of Sampaguita Gardens, New Washington, Aklan

Flickr Tags: Sampaguita Gardens,New Washington,Aklan

Basura Garden, Balete, Aklan

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

Flickr Tags: Basura Garden,Balete,Aklan

Museo it Akean (Aklan Museum) in Kalibo

The Museo it Akean (Aklan Museum) is located along Martelino Street in Barangay Poblacion (downtown Kalibo). It is housed in an old building with the year 1882 on its façade / doorway. I love going to museum and when a city or province has an extensive collection, you’ll know how it’s local value their history and culture.

 

As you enter the two-story museum, you’ll see these words (with translation to the local dialect):

“The Museum of Aklan is a credible “story teller” about Aklan and her people, their cultural and historical heritage, their economic and social achievements. It becomes a challenge to her leaders and her people to dream and aspire for greatness as their forefathers did”.

Museo it Akean features the Aklan culture and history. It has focus on the Kalibo Ati-Atihan Festival, as well as its famous people like Godofredo P Ramos (father of Aklan), Archbishop Gabriel M Reyes, and Anita Victoria Ramos-Antonino, location of paintings, santos (figurines of saints), church leaders and religious books, traditional clothing, old furniture, cooking and ironing equipment, sewing machines, among others.

If ever you’ll visit Kalibo, make sure you’ll drop by the Museo it Akean (Aklan Museum).

The Code of Kalantiaw, whose authenticity is questioned

The famous festival of Kalibo – the Sto Niño Ati-Atihan Festival

 

Early fishing and planting equipment

Prehistoric jars

Ati-Atihan costume

Typical Filipino clothing of the past

Photo exhibit of life in Kalibo

Painting of an Ati-Atihan participant / dancer

 

Godofredo P. Ramos – Father of Aklan

 

A magnificent painting of baptism during the early days of Christianity

Old santos or religious statues with the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

 

Memorabilia of Archbishop Gabriel M. Reyes

Second floor of the Aklan Museum

Dolls wearing traditional Filipina cloths of the past

Piña weaving explainer

An old sewing machine

 

 

 

 

Flickr Tags: Museo it Akean,Aklan Museum,Kalibo