MANILA, Philippines - If you’re tired of the usual beach itinerary, here’s a more accessible, stress-free alternative.

There’s more to Laguna in the south of Metro Manila than its famous lanzones and hot spring resorts. A recent day tour gave us a glimpse of five tourist attractions in the towns of Pila, Pagsanjan, Lumban, Paete and Liliw.

Pila

First stop was Pila, in the southern shoreline of Laguna Bay. Home to historical attractions, the town has long been recognized as a center of culture and trade since as far back as the pre-Hispanic period. The Pila Historical Society Foundation, Inc. should be commended for its effort to preserve the town’s heritage. In May 2000, the town was declared by the National Historical Institute as a National Historical Landmark. Cora Relova, one of the Foundation’s movers, brought us around this tour.

The Pila Church, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, is a popular pilgrimage point for devotees.

Another attraction in this town is the Pila Museum. The 300-sq m property has a collection of the town’s treasures and artifacts. The museum is open to the public from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. with entrance fees of P5 (children) and P10 (adult).

The centuries-old houses along Rizal Street in Pila, a remnant of the Spanish colonial period, have also become a major draw among visitors.

Pagsanjan

Some 15-minute drive from Pila is Pagsanjan. Here, you can find an array of stalls selling native delicacies for pasalubong.

Best bread: Frequent travelers may be familiar with the town’s Ilaya Bakery on Rizal Street (049-8084225). The 50-year-old bakery, famous for its quality breads, is owned and managed by Milagros Leyros. Its bestsellers are the Bulkan Pasas, sold at P20 per pack; Biscocho de Cana, also at P20 per pack; and the signature bread of the Leyros called Aray at P20 per pack.

Best halo-halo: One favorite destination of halo-halo aficionados is Aling Taleng’s Halo-Halo, also in Pagsanjan. Relatives of the late Aling Taleng, who now run the halo-halo business, revealed that the freshness and proper ratio of ingredients are what account for the unique taste of their halo-halo. Ingredients include beans, monggo, macapuno, nata de coco, ube, leche flan, milk, kundol, and the halo-halo’s “secret” ingredient, the tumbong ng niyog. The halo-halo is sold at P40 per glass.

Best kakanin: At 73, Emma Zalameda Aguilar continues to do what she’s done best for more than 50 years now—sell native rice cakes and delicacies. She owns and runs “Aling Emma’s Kakanin and Special Pasalubong.”

The store is famous for its bibingka, kalamay with kundol, suman (rice cakes) and buchi with kundol filling. It also sells espasol and uraro (cornstarch cookies).

Best lutong-bahay: Now, if you want delicious, filling meals, go to Emcee’s Binalot sa Dahon, a 15-year-old restaurant owned and managed by Marivic Caballe. The restaurant serves lutong-bahay wrapped in the traditional way—with banana leaves.

Among the restaurant’s bestsellers are the Binagoongan, Pork Steak and its homemade tocino. Other choices include chicken/pork adobo, fried bangus and tilapia. Each rice meal includes tomato and itlog na maalat on the side. A rice meal is reasonably priced at P60.

Lumban

Next stop on our trip was Lumban, known as the embroidery capital of the Philippines. Here, you will find shops selling beautiful handmade embroidery products. More than half of Lumban’s population is engaged in embroidery.

Ailyn del Moral owns the “Jusi and Piña Barong and Wedding Gown” (Brgy. Sto Nino, Rizal St, tel. 049-8220334), an embroidery shop, which has been supplying famous Manila designers for years now.

Its products are sourced from Aklan and Iloilo. Kalibo, the capital of Aklan, is the biggest producer of piña in the Philippines. So, you can be sure that the fabrics used here are 100 percent pure piña.

According to Ailyn, the manufacturing process of piña cloth, made from pineapple fibers, is done by hand in the traditional way.

Her shop sells hand-embroidered products and native crafts which are also ideal for pasalubong.

Paete

From Lumban, you can drive straight to Paete, where the age-old craft of woodcarving is still thriving.

You can find an array of stores selling religious images, from the Virgin Mary to the images of different saints. These stores are as ubiquitous as sari-sari stores in the area.

On Quesada Street, there’s Lino Dalay’s 14-year-old heritage shop called “Ang Buhay at Hugis sa Paete.”

Among the interesting items here are the famous Paete masks, Mexican-inspired papier mache items, hand-painted bakya sandals, and a variety of woodcarvings. You can buy an item for as low as P35 and as high as P350,000.

Liliw

Some travelers claim that a tour of Laguna would not be complete without a visit to Liliw, the footwear capital of the province.

Two of the pioneering names in the town’s footwear industry have kept their ventures alive—the Socialite and Entrada. The Socialite Footwear on Tayao Street, known for its quality and low-priced slippers, has been in the footwear business for more than 53 years now. It is owned by Emma and Frankie Camello.

Here, you can buy three pairs of slippers for as low as P100. The designs, styles and colors vary. Materials can be fabric, leather or leatherette, while soles are usually made of wood, some are made from abaca.

Arabela
On Rizal Street in Liliw, you will find a restaurant café called Arabela, owned by couple Bobby and Tonet Camello. It serves delicious pasta dishes, salads and pizza. The ambiance is pleasant and welcoming, the design an effective solution to the rather limited space.

The prices are affordable: a big serving of Chicken Galantina goes for only P180; Seafood Putanesca at P130; Seafood Marinara at P130; Babyback Ribs at P200; Bread-pudding at P55; and a sinful slice of Blueberry Cheesecake for only P85.

If you want a more intimate and secluded setting after a day tour, where you can relax and get connected with nature, you can book an overnight stay in Balay Selena resort, managed and operated by Vic Camello (tel. 049-5632495 or 0926-6891854). It has a breezy garden setting that is also perfect for special occasions and family gatherings.

E-mail the author at bbondoc@inquirer.com.ph