Lucban's Religious Attractions: Lucban Church and Kamay ni Hesus

Lucban's green surroundings and pleasant climate is not only perfect for a stroll and relaxation, somewhat it also contributes to making someone in the mood for deeper spirituality. I am a believer that God is everywhere and is always with us, maybe I just feel his presence stronger in places like this.

St. Louise Bishop of Toulouse Church (Lucban Church)
located in the heart of the town

This church that was built with lime and cement will surely have you glancing twice when you pass by. The uneven tone and the intricately designed arches and sculptures of the facade  are evidence that it was built in a different era here in the Philippines. Moss and tiny plants growing into its walls only added to the charm of this church.

The present church is the fourth that was constructed in this area, with the first three ruined in fire. It was completed in 1738.

The bell tower is a three tiered structure just right beside the church. Looking at it reminded me of Crispin and Basilio from Jose Rizal's 19th century novel, Noli Me Tangere.

Getting inside the church, I admired the wide arched windows and ceilings. Contrary to the old looks of the facade, inside it felt a bit modern, perhaps with the colors used on the walls. It still looked impressive though with the lit chandeliers that added to the grandiose of the interior.

Kamay ni Hesus Church
Brgy. Tinamnan

In about  a 15 minute ride from Lucban town, you will reach this famous religious attraction in Lucban. I wasn't really excited going here when I'm making our itinerary for this Quezon trip but things changed when I set foot in Kamay ni Hesus.

I was expecting a church and a long flight of stairs leading to the top of the hill where the a gigantic image of Jesus Christ is erected. What I didn't expect is the nature feel of the place. I am a hardcore nature lover - and wherever I feel the soft wind brushing my skin, whenever I inhale the grassy smell on air, that already feels like heaven to me. :) This is how this place appealed to me. We walked into a vast hilly and sloping terrain, landscaped with numerous plants and trees. It was a cloudy and a bit foggy when we went there with occasional drizzles and I couldn't even ask for a better weather.

Kamay ni Hesus has a church where healing masses are held. The administration also offers retreats and . I believe that the place is perfect for those purposes. I am not a religious person but I know that this place is perfect for a meaningful quiet time and recollection. Staying overnight isn't a problem since there's Noah's Arc, an accommodation facility added to shelter pilgrims. Kamay ni Hesus is also a park that features important Biblical Symbols and events.

One important thing to take note though, during masses, people aren't allowed to climb the grotto, the gates are locked preventing anybody from entering the entrance and you have to wear the "proper attire" (anything not short and sleeveless) if you're planning on hiking the grotto, otherwise, you won't be allowed to. It might have slipped my sister's mind that we're also visiting this place other than the beaches of Pagbilao Quezon so my sister only brought shorts and not the "proper attire". Naturally, she wasn't allowed to enter the grotto, after waiting for an hour for the mass to finish. She took it well and totally understood since she's a church choir member in Singapore and is familiar with the rules. I'm the one who felt bad for her though specially she's the one who really looked forward visiting this place. But that's life, and I want to say, that's the Catholic Church. So all three of us didn't pursue hiking the top. It was more than enough that I've said my prayers. :)

Accommodations in the Heart of Lucban Quezon

After spending the afternoon swimming in the crystal clear waters of Puting Buhangin in Pagbilao Quezon, we arrived in Lucban tired and salty, not having been able to rinse in fresh water before we left. Lucban has a cold climate especially since it was raining when we arrived and I was looking forward to taking a warm relieving shower from the day's  exhausting but enjoyable itinerary.

 There are two accommodation options in the heart of Lucban. One is Patio Rizal which is a more luxurious hotel that I'm guessing offers more facilities or amenities that would make someone's stay enjoyable and comfortable. It is located right beside Patio Rizal Park in Quezon Ave. which is the main street in Lucban, just beside Rizal Park. I chose the second option though since I'm a backpacker by heart and I'm the one who's never willing to spend too much on accommodation except for special occasions.

So I, together with my sister and Nikko pressed the buzzer of this red colored two story-like building located at the back of  St. Loiuse Bishop of Toulouse Church. A middle aged man opened the gate for us and we're led to a wooden stairs headed to the reception area and a numbr of rooms. We checked the rooms and since the price is thrice  much cheaper compared to Patio Rizal, we agreed to stay. We paid a total of Php800 for the room of which Php200 is for the third person charge.

We stayed in a basic fan room. There's a double bed, a dresser, a chair and we were provided a thin cot to lay on the floor for the third guest. Everything inside the room, even the blanket felt moist. Imagine lying down to a cold damp bed, haha! Thinking of the price though, I realized that maybe, it was just reasonable and considering we'd just stay for a night, it wouldn't matter much. Everything changed when it was my turn taking the shower. The bathroom is too small. I am a very petite person yet I had a hard time moving around the bathroom, actually it wasn't easy to move at all. The shower is broken and I needed to use a pail and a dipper. We also had to endure bathing with ice cold water, only when I was the one showering, I shouted whenever I pour water in me just to control my shivering. I hope I didn't scare the owner of the pension house, lol! I then knew, I had been to better cheap accommodation in other places. To be fair, should I have visited Lucban in a sunny and hot day, I probably would have a different experience staying in Summer Capital Inn. After all, the caretaker is nice, the room is basic but alright and the location is truly accessible. It is just the bathroom that they can probably improve to give a more pleasant experience to happy guests.

Should you need to stay in Lucban, you may call Summer Capital Inn at +63 (042) 540-3421. Rate starts at Php600. Patio Rizal is another choice and you may contact them at +63 (042) 540-2107. Price ranges from Php2100 to Php4000. If you won't mind traveling about 15 minutes to the town proper, there's a resort hotel in front of Kamay ni Hesus. I originally planned on staying here but thought I'd just do on my next trip when I have enought time to enjoy the rest of the resort. You may check them out at https://www.facebook.com/batisaramin

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Food Tripping in Lucban Quezon

Right after we basked into the cold, clear and beautiful beach of Puting Buhangin in Pagbilao, Quezon, we rode a mini bus headed back to Lucena City. From there, we hopped into what I call a jumbo jeep (because it's higher and wider) going to Lucban Quezon where we stayed for the night. We paid Php50 each and the three of us were seated in front beside the driver who entertained us in a friendly chat. After several minutes, sleeplessness and tiredness consumed me and i started to close my eyes hoping to catch a nap. I felt the jeep moving swiftly in a dark zigzag road yet it still felt like forever before we reached Lucban. It should just be about a 40 minute ride.




I didn't realize Lucban is Baguio city cold or maybe it's just when we went there. The cold is almost uncomfortable even after I wore my jacket. There were rain showers and everywhere is damp. I then realized that’s maybe because the town lies near the foot of a majestic mountain, Mt. Banahaw. We then checked in in Summer Capital Inn, took a quick freezing shower and had dinner right in our room. It was really cold that we needed a hot drink to feel relieved.

Tablea Tsokolate of CAFE SAN LUIS
located along San Luis St.




So we walked around Rizal Plaza and found Cafe San Luis few blocks away. It is walking distance from our Inn which is located at the back of the church. It is a cafe built in a garden of an old house along San Luis St. Their fence looked like rock walls with some moss and plants growing in it. When we went there, I noticed that most of the tables were occupied by young patrons, maybe college students. It gave me a feeling that maybe this is a favorite hang-out of the locals at night, to sip a cup of coffee or relax with a bottle of beer.






Sitting in my chair waiting for my order, there's this rustic feel about the place. It is unpretentious yet cozy. The dim cafe is illuminated by the subtle lights radiating from the cute lamps just perfect to get you in the mood for a relaxing conversation.




I couldn't say much about their menu since we just dropped by for coffee but for what we ordered, (my sister's cinnamon tea, Nikko's milk tea and my tablea chocolate) we each give a thumbs up especially the tablea.

Pansit Habhab of MUSTIOLA'S
San Luis St. corner Regidor St.




The following morning, we woke up early and planned to attend the mass in Kamay ni Hesus. We retraced our fotsteps in the direction of Plaza Rizal where Buddy's is located (a restaurant famous for Pansit Habhab) to have breakfast but to our dismay, they don't open until nine in the morning. Pressed for time, we decided to look for another place to get a taste of pansit habhab and our feet brought us to Mustiola's.




It is a self service restaurant serving local food. It is located just across Cafe San Luis. This restaurant's ambiance is a winner, it definitely has a character. Both the facades and interiors are painted in bright yellow. When we got inside the restaurant, I was amazed at how they transformed the ground floor of this old house to a restaurant. Old is mixed with new, bricks made up a part of the wall yet modern tiles made up the other side of the floor. Wall decors consist of art crafts that looked like school projects. The place looked bright with natural light beaming from the wide open windows.








I also couldn't tell much about their food since all of us ordered the same thing, pansit habhab and coffee. Hearing one needs to pour a bit of vinegar in the sauted noodles before eating it, I never imagined I'd like the taste of Pansit Habhab. Since I'm in Lucban though, and this is one of the famous food there, I really wanted to try it.





Mustiola's version of this noodles just left me craving for more once I got back here in Manila. Up until now, I'd like to go back to Lucban just because of that food. I just spent Php35 for it.

Kalissa Almama of GROUND ZERO




Ground Zero has two stores in Lucban. One is just near Mustiola's and Cafe San Luis along Regidor St. It is also a famous hang out since it doubles as a bar. There's another one located in San Luis Street, just a block or two away from the first one. It is located along Quezon Ave, corner of San Luis St. where we had lunch before leaving Lucban. It is said that Ground Zero offers the best pizza in town and since we're all pizza addicts, we wouldn't say no in trying them out.




Ground Zero has a festive interior, I could almost imagine Pahiyas Festival with the colorful decorations hanging from the ceiling. Capiz lamps transmit yellow lights all over the place.




We were all ready to order pizza but noticed that all the tables have ordered an empanada looking dish. Out of curiosity, we all ended up ordering the same thing, lol! It turned out, it is a pizza folded in half so the toppings became the filling. Then the pizza sauce is poured on top of the dish. They called it Kalissa Almama available for only Php75.






My bf and sister really enjoyed it, I on the other hand felt sated just after I've eaten half of it.  As expected, we left Ground Zero with a full stomach.

Before going home, we shopped for pasalubong. Lucban is also famous for Longganisang Lucban (Lucban Sausage) which has a strong garlic taste. It is available in many stores surrounding the church. It typically comes in small sizes unless you ordered in advance and requested them to make it bigger for an additional cost. A dozen costs Php60 for the regular sized sausage.




Also right at the side of the church is a store that sells Budin that looks and tastes the same as a cassava cake, only what we bought is smaller, more chewy and not too sweet. While you're shopping, include broas (lady fingers) and merengue in your list, food products that Quezon is also known for.





Before you get carried away of buying too much to take home with you though, remember to bring an extra bag or a sturdy paper bag to keep everything you shopped. Lucban has an ordinance that doesn't allow the use of plastic - from restaurants, markets to stores - and it is strictly implemented. Everything you buy will be wrapped in a brown recycled paper, probably the reason why Lucban is one of the cleanest towns I've been here in the Philippines.

Lucban is a food haven, no wonder why whenever I hear about the town, I start to have cravings. The good thing is, once you're there, you don't really need to spend a fortune to be gatronomically satisfied. :)