The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west. It contains the largest number of graves of the US military dead of World War II, a total of 17,191, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines. Among them are 570 Philippine Nationals who were serving alongside with the US Forces.

The chapel, a white masonry building enriched with sculpture and mosaic, stands near the center of the cemetery. In front of it on a wide terrace are two large hemicycles. Twenty-five mosaic maps recall the achievements of the American armed forces in the Pacific, China, India and Burma. On rectangular Trani limestone piers within the hemicycles, are inscribed the Tablets of the Missing containing 36,286 names.

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Manila American Cemetery
McKinley Road, Fort Bonifacio, 
1634 Taguig City, Philippines
Phone: 011-632-844-0212

The Manila Chinese Cemetery, popularly known as “Millionaire's Row” and ”The Beverly Hills of the dead”. The Manila Chinese Cemetery was built in the late 19:th century and was designated as the resting place for the Chinese citizens who were denied burial in Catholic cemeteries during the Spanish colonial period. ​A plot in the Manila Chinese Cemetery can easily cost up to 50 million PHP for a 25 year lease, after which another leasing fee must be paid or the body will have to be moved to another place.

When it comes to cemeteries I had never seen something like this before! In Sweden, a cemetery is basically a designated area for the dead, where you put up a headstone with some flowers or other plants to honor the dead. But here! The Manila Chinese Cemetery is like a community of spectacular mansion-like tombs that are equipped with everything from kitchens to air-conditioning and bedrooms to running water! The reason is so relatives can be near to their deceased at all times. They would often visit the dead in their homes during weekends, and offer food and light incense sticks.

Ma Mon Luk, was a Chinese immigrant best known in the Philippines for his eponymous restaurant and the creator of mami (a noodle soup) and siopao (a steamed bun based on the cha siu bao). Arriving penniless in Binondo, Manila, Ma decided to peddle his own version of chicken noodle soup. He would soon open his first restaurant with the name “Ma Mon Luk Mami King”. He would promote his restaurant by giving away free samples of siopao. After Ma’s death, his children would continue the restaurant expanding to as many as six branches during the 1980s. Today two restaurants remain and are operated under the family owned Ma Mon Luk International Corporation.

At the end of the street you see the Ruby Tower Memorial. This memorial is dedicated to Chinese-Filipinos who were among the 260 people who perished in the collapse of the six-storey Ruby Tower building in the Manila suburb of Binondo during the deadly "Casiguran" earthquake that hit the capital city on 2 August 1968. ​The memorial is located just in the rear of the famous Lee See Tong Martyr's Hall.

The Manila Chinese Cemetery
Santa Cruz, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: +63 2 253 4202

How to get there
​Take the metro LRT to Abad Santos then walk or take a tricycle (P25) to the south entrance.

Where to have a good meal for reasonable prices in Tagbilaran city? Try the JJ's Dimsum and Restaurant along the Carlos P. Garcia Ave. It's a Chinese style restaurant 5 min walking distance from BQ mall. They have many dishes on the menu and some of them would be suitable for vegetarians. But as always in the Philippines, ask specifically if it's meat in the vegetarian dish you plan to order. I noticed too many times there can be meat in so called vegetarian dishes. 

Around lunch time they serve these delicious small rice toppings for just 50 PHP each. There are different toppings with rice beneath. If you are hungry like me, just order two or more and you will be set for the day!

The menu is extensive and you can choose between chicken, beef, pork, fish, vegetables etc all in Chinese style. As the name of the restaurant indicates, they also have a variety of dim sum. For example the Siopao which is common everywhere in the Philippines as street food. Siopao literally means "steamed bun" and is the Philippine version of the Cantonese steamed bun called cha siu bao. Siopao does not require utensils to eat and therefore perfect to be consumed on-the-go. 

Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Food 
4 Service
5 Value
4 Atmosphere

JJ's Dimsum and Restaurant
135 Carlos P. Garcia Ave, Tagbilaran City, 6300 Bohol, Philippines
​Phone: +63 38 411 3306

San Juan is in the western side of Siquijor. Many resorts, restaurants, bars and shops are located here in this particular area. Here you will also find Charisma Beach Resort quietly located near the beach. I ended up here, stranded for a couple of days due to the rough weather. The location is very nice less than 50 m from the sea with a nice beach. If you don't want to swim in the sea they have a fairly large swimming pool as an option.

The restaurant is with a nice sea view. They serve a wide variety of meals ranging from breakfast to dinner. My favorite quickly became the Baby Squid Adobo. So, so yummy! The breakfast was also delicious with everything a hungry person can wish for. 

Charisma Beach Resort
Solangon, San Juan, Siquijor, Philippines
Phone nr +63 908 861 9689

Rating for the resto:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Food 
4 Service
4 Value
5 Atmosphere

​Rating for the accommodation:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Location
4 Sleep Quality
4 Rooms
4 Service
5 Value for the money
4 Cleanliness 

Lechon Manok is Tagalog and the meaning in English is roasted chicken. It is said that the Filipino people consumes more chicken meat than any other meat. I believe that is true because you find Lechon Manok basically everywhere in the Philippines. One of the top 5 chicken franchises in the Philippines is Sr. Pedro which have more than 300 branches scattered allover the country. But I didn't find Sr. Pedro in Siquijor. But if someone knows if there is a Sr. Pedro in Siquijor, please feel free to update me.

Due to strong winds and rough sea I was stranded in Siquijor for several days more than planned. It was difficult to get updates from  the ferry company if they were going to resume the schedule or not. So I decided to stay at the Belleview hotel near the pier and the ticketing office. In that way it was more easy for me to inquire about the schedule. Just across the street of The Bellevue hotel I found Joel's Lechon Manok. Every evening it was a bustling activity outside the place which made me curious. To my humble opinon, if the locals go and eat there, the food must be good!

Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Food 
4 Service
5 Value
3 Atmosphere

Joel's Lechon Manok
​Poblacion, Siquijor, Siquijor
6225 Siquijor
Phone: +63 905 376 1290