WELCOME TO CHATEAU DU MER BEACH RESORT

If this is your first time in my site, welcome! Chateau Du Mer is a beach house and a Conference Hall. The beach house could now accommodate 10 guests, six in the main floor and four in the first floor( air conditioned room). In addition, you can now reserve your vacation dates ahead and pay the rental fees via PayPal. I hope to see you soon in Marinduque- Home of the Morions and Heart of the Philippines. The photo above was taken during our first Garden Wedding ceremony at The Chateau Du Mer Gardens. I have also posted my favorite Filipino and American dishes and recipes in this site. Some of the photos and videos on this site, I do not own, but I have no intention on the infringement of your copyrights!

Marinduque Mainland from Tres Reyes Islands

Marinduque Mainland from Tres Reyes Islands
View of Marinduque Mainland from Tres Reyes Islands-Click on photo to link to Marinduque Awaits You

Monday, October 1, 2012

Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines

Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines National High School. Me and My sister (Amor) in front of the Sign at the entrance of the school showing our mother's land Donation to the School

If you have not heard of this place, I do not blame you. It is a 4th class municipality about 60Km North of Iloilo City, Iloilo. Iloilo is one of the four provinces in Panay Island. Panay Island is part of the Western Visayas Region of the Philippines. The Visayas Region is the Central Part of the Philippine Archipelago. You may ask me why I am writing about Barotac Viejo, Iloilo (BVI) . Let me explained.

BVI is the town where I grew up. It is the town where I finished my elementary school years. It is also the town where I finished high school. In 1951 I graduated valedictorian of my high school class. It is the town where I have both pleasant and unpleasant memories of my childhood and teenaged years.

My childhood memories of the American-Japanese war occurred in the town proper, foothills and jungles of this town. ( http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com). My memories of my elementary and high school years as discussed in my autobiography , http://theintellectualmigrant.blogspot.com , (Chapter 2 and 3) also occurred in this town.

When I left BVI in 1951 to pursue my college degree in Iloilo City and later in Diliman, Quezon City, BVI was a 4th class town with less than 5000 residents. Today, Wikipedia states that is still a 4th class municipality, but with around 39,000 residents. When I left BVI in 1955, there was the elementary and high schools, public market, Cockfighting Arena, the Catholic Church, the Post office and one gas station, a couple of hardware stores, a Chinese bakery and may be 100 residential homes in the town proper. Today it is still a 4th class town with more buildings both for business and private homes. The local high school was named to be a national agricultural high school. Part of the land for the school was donated by my uncle ( Jose Balleza) and my mother Paz Balleza ( see photo above). There is a beach resort ( Balaring Beach) about 5 Km from the town proper.

When I left the town in 1955, the mayor of the town was Luis Tupas, a relative of my mother. Today the local politics, are still controlled by the Tupas family and their clan. When I left the town, my parents bestowed me a 12 hectare parcel of rice land as part of my inheritance, as discussed in my blog http://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com. Today that land has been land reformed and I have not received a single centavo from the Philippine government. What was left of my inheritance is a 2-hectare parcel in the upland area without water irrigation and almost useless for crop growing.

So after all this years, almost 57 years, the town has not really changed. I found a Facebook Page about the town last year. Searching in Google, there is not much information about BVI. If you click on the Image Section, two of my pictures are in the first page.

In 2005, my wife and I accompanied by my sister visited our parents grave in the cemetery of BVI.Me and my wife and sister Amor at the Cemetery. Our old house (located at the back of the Post Office) was gone. The only thing that remained was the foundation stone with the engraving Dolce Building, 1952.

Tears from my eyes flowed like a gentle rain, when I saw that foundation, recalling the pleasant memories of my teen-age years. The house is gone but my memories of BVI will live forever. I wish for a better future for BVI and its residents. If you know of someone from Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, I will appreciate your comments.

Trip Adviser Review

Popular Posts

Search This Blog

Blog Archive

Total Pageviews

Beach Wedding at Chateau Du Mer Slide Show

Beach Wedding Slideshow: David’s trip from Citrus Heights, California, United States to Marinduque, Philippines was created by TripAdvisor. See another Marinduque slideshow. Create your own stunning free slideshow from your travel photos.

Travel Site Catalog

Travel Sites Catalog

ABOUT ME

I am a retired (Chemistry Team Leader from USFDA) Filipino-American who loves writing, gardening and photography. My wife (of 58 years) and I enjoy our snowbird lifestyle between the US and the Philippines. We have a small but very private beach resort (above video) in the beautiful island of Marinduque, Philippines. I have several blog sites(ten), a personal blog, blogs about Marinduque and our beach resort and conference center-CHATEAU DU MER. I also write for www.squidoo.com now owned by Hubpages.com

I will appreciate very much any comments on my postings.

Gardens of Chateau Du Mer Slide Show

The Gardens of Chateau du Mer Slideshow: David’s trip from Citrus Heights, California, United States to Marinduque, Philippines was created by TripAdvisor. See another Marinduque slideshow. Create your own stunning free slideshow from your travel photos.

Sunset from CDM Beach Resort

Sunset from CDM Beach Resort
Click on Photo to link to Marinduque Blog

Recent Photos of Orchids in the Gardens of Chateau Du Mer

A dark Yellow Vanda A dark pink Vanda A Small light yellow Phaelonopsis A reddish Vanda A pinkish-white Vanda Another favorite Vanda My twin blue Princess Mikasa One of My Favorite Vanda The above photos are some of the orchids blooming in the gardens of Chateau Du Mer from January to April, 2011. I hope you like them as much as I do! I have a dozen more plants that are blooming, but it will just be too boring to publish them all in this blog. Your comments will be appreciated.

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort
Beach House, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

Blue Orchid - Chateau Du Mer

Blue Orchid - Chateau Du Mer
Princess Mikasa-My Favorite Variety

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort Logo

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort Logo
Chateau Du Mer Logo-Click Photo to link to Life in US

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort
Beach House and Bridge

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort and Conference Center

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort and Conference Center
Conference Center and Multi-Purpose Hall

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort
Beach House Balcony at Night

BlogCatalog

Coral Reefs of Amoingon Coast

Coral Reefs of  Amoingon Coast
Click Photo for Link/Details