Very hospitable people and great food, this is what I can say about Jaro, Leyte.
I went for a vacation at the house of my wife’s grandmother last week which is in Jaro, Leyte wherein they are also celebrating the feast of their patron. It’s an hour flight from Manila to Tacloban then another hour by jeepney from Tacloban to the town proper. I travelled without my wife, as she needs to take care of our little baby in Manila.
I’ve really gained weight staying there as I had a taste of a lot of food:
- sisi - small clams placed in a jar full of vinegar
- kabog - wild bat cooked in coconut milk
- binagol - Sweetened shredded gabi tuber with coconut and condensed milk then cooked in coconut shells and wrapped in banana leaves
- bahalina - fresh coconut sap/toddy (a local wine)
- moron - rice flour cooked in coconut milk flavored with cocoa and wrapped in banana leaves
- native lechon - roasted native pig
kabog
Eating During Feast in Jaro
native lechon
We were also invited by the mayor of Jaro, Leyte - Hon. Rolando T. Celebre to visit his place for breakfast and for a tour of his RTC farm, not so sure but of my calculation, around 150-hectare land containing a poultry farm (around 400-500 game fowls), piggery (with 80 sow and huge number of piglets), coffee farm and more.
RTC Farm in Jaro, Leyte
me at rtc farm
Poultry Farm
Piggery
Coffee Farm
Rice Mill
I have also visited Carigara, Leyte wherein we bought some fish in the public market.
Carigara Market
Buying Fish in Carigara, Leyte
Buying Newly Catched Fish
It was a really wonderful place to stay at. Though you can’t find a Jollibee or a mall in there, you won’t be bored as there are lots of place to go to. If you don’t have a car, their primary means of transportation is the pedicab.
Pedicab
Us at the Jaro Market
Jaro River
And here is my wife’s ancestral house and relatives:
House in Jaro, Leyte
I’ll be back in Jaro, Leyte by May of 2009, that time with my wife and our kids.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Eligio // Sep 26, 2008 at 7:26 pm
laki ng farm nyo major ah. Favorite ko letchon!!!
2 Laarni // Sep 30, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Nice. Gusto ko din magbakasyon!
3 orest cabrera // Oct 5, 2008 at 8:39 pm
hi my name is orest and I am so interest to visit jaro after I see those picture and the roasted lechon I would like to go over there next year I american person but I like culture phillipines is posible to find any hotel or rent house over there please
4 korthz_20 // Nov 6, 2008 at 8:21 am
Jaro is simple and nice place to live in, i was born and raised in jaro, just plenty of good things to discover, most especial season to visit is the month of september, if you go there be prepared for some extra strenght for eating, yes eating, its siesta time and people their are very friendly that they will invite you to join them in their HANDAAN, what a fiesta we have their.. for you orest, if youd like to go there, i suggest that you go there by that season, for a place to crash on, i have heard that one resort their, a pool resort, have a nice and comfortable lodges for anyone to crash into, its just outside the town proper, bout 3 km’s. 5 minutes ride by PEDICAB, i just dont know the price for each stay but im sure its not that expensive… but if you want a much better hotel to live in, you can find it in the city itself, TACLOBAN city, a 1 HR drive north from jaro, ride a jeepney going tacloban and you can find a good place ti live in their.. and if ever you go there in jaro, dont forget to take some souviners…. so, jaro, our place, my place. i hope id be home before the summer starts.
Leave a Comment