Blog #117: The Town of Ginatilan

Hey Hivers!

When I stayed in Samboan for a month, I also travelled to the neighboring coastal towns. Last tuesday, I went to Ginatilan (another small coastal town of the south) to see the beauty of it and to buy their delicacies.

I woke up at 4:30 o'clock in the morning because my landlady told me to come early in Ginatilan if I wanted to try their delicacies. It is only available every tuesday in the farmer's market. We called it here "Tabu" where farmers will gather together and display their fresh produce.

I arrived in Ginatilan at around 5:30 o'clock in the morning. As I arrived, vendors were busy displaying their products. I asked someone where could I buy their delicacies but someone told me I should wait for an hour because the seller will arrive by 7:00. I arrived too early.

Strolling Around Ginatilan Church.....

While waiting for the vendor of delicacies to arrive, I strolled around and took photos in the street.

I don't know what's the name of this street. I hiked and passed through this street until I was able to reach the parish church of Ginatilan.

A glimpse of 174 year old St. Gregory Church....

According to the book "A Brief Survey of what was and what is the Diocese of Cebu in the Philippine Islands" translated into English by Azucena L. Pace and printed by the University of San Carlos Press. Ginatilan's parish was established by Diocesan decree of October 5, 1847, through superior approval of August 9 of the same year. It is under the patronage of St. Gregory the Great and it was separated from its mother parish Samboan.

Fr. Felipe Rolando, the author of this book first published in 1886, described the church then as a transept structure made of strong cut coral stone and lime mortar masonry. Roofed with tiles, it measures 30 fathoms long, 8 fathoms wide, and 61/2 fathoms high. At the same time of the report, the bell-tower and baptistry on the side of the portico facade was underway.

Its rectory was made of hardwood and cut coral stone and lime mortar masonry, including the ground floor while the upper portion is of "tabique pampango" attached to the sidenof the church; it is roofed with galvanized iron sheets.

Eventhough the church and the bell tower were already old but they were still look beautiful.

Ginatilan's Millennium Park

I went to Millennium's Park after strolling around the church. No one was around inside the park yet because it was too early. The Ginatilan's Park is just small and the children's playground is also small.

I saw a lighthouse few meters away from the park. I walked a little bit so I could get closer to the lighthouse.

The Importance of Lighthouse

Lighthouses are towers with bright lights located at important or dangerous locations. They can be found on rocky cliffs or sandy shoals on land, on wave-swept reefs in the sea, and at the entrances to harbors and bays. They serve to warn mariners of dangerous shallows and perilous rocky coasts and they help guide vessels safely into and out of harbors.

Farmer's Market

I enjoyed hiking around the park and as I checked the time, it was almost 7:00 o'clock. I went back to the farmer's market to check if the delicacy seller was already arrived. She was not still around yet.

While waiting for her, I enjoyed checking the displays. The price was more cheaper compared to the public market price. The vegetables were fresh and chemical-free. Look at the parsley and the lettuce they were so fresh.

I bought 1 pack of lettuce and it costs php50.00/pack. Actually, it was not included in my budget but since it is one of my favorites, I bought 1 pack of it.

I went to the other stalls and checked the other products. While walking, I've noticed that the numbers of the people arrive in the farmer's market were slowly growing. And they were busy choosing and buying vegetables and other products.

The vendors too were busy catering their customer's needs.

Although, I waited few hours for the delicacy seller to arrive but I had never felt bored because I enjoyed talking with the other vendors and checking their products.

How about you? Have you also supported the small farmers? Drop a comment below.

Thank you for reading and see you on my next blog. Cheers!

Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.