Tanauan Institute Field Trip 2023

Tanauan Institute Field Trip 2023

May 14, 2023, Tanauan Institute held an “Lakbay Aral” at Pampanga. We have the wonderful opportunity to be a part of this educational trip to the former U.S. Air Base -- Clark Field in Angeles City Pampanga, Dinosaur Island, San Agustin Church and the biggest Sky Ranch in San Fernando, Pampanga. This all-day excursion was organized by the SGB office and officers of Tanauan Institute. With many busloads of eager and excited college students, the group left with an assigned tour guide on each bus and off we went on an almost 4-hours joy/tiring ride.

First Destination: Air Force City Park, Andres Bonifacio Avenue, Clark Freeport Zone.

Air Force City Park is a recreational complex that features real helicopters, fighter jets, and aviation equipment used by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States. It is located within the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga, 96 kilometers north of Manila.

The park is the perfect place to marvel at aircraft that served the country as a visit here will allow you to see a UH-1H Iroquois or a HUEY, a Vought F8 Crusader, an F5a Jet (which is also popularly called the Freedom Fighter), a T-28 Trojan, and a T-33 or a Thunder Bird, which was the country's first aircraft, ushering the Philippine Air Force into the jet age. Aside from a history tour, the park also offers shaded areas for visitors to have picnics or naps. Its wide space with a play area is also perfect for kids to run around and have fun.

Air Force City

Second Destination: Dinosaurs Island – Clark, Pampanga

Dinosaurs Island in Clark, Pampanga is a fascinating attraction that takes you into an era that existed millions of years ago.

This prehistoric-themed amusement park gives you a good feel and idea of what it’s like to stand close to the ancient giant lizards because the sizes of these model dinosaurs are based on their actual fossil sizes.

This attraction started out as a business of exporting dinosaur mascots which then became Philippines’ first ever dinosaur's animatronics theme park. Dinosaur Island is a jungle vibe theme park that will take you to the kingdom of dinosaurs and insects. Enjoy two main attractions in this theme park: the Dinosaur Island and the Insectlandia with six sub-attractions for Dinosaur Island and three sub-attractions for the Insectlandia.

This Dinosaur theme park reminded me of how delighted I was in reading children’s books about dinosaurs and how I enjoyed watching old-school cartoons like Dino-Riders and Dinosaucers during my childhood days.

Finally, end your Dinosaur Island tour with a chill walk, and take photographs with life-size replicas at the Wonders of the World as if you are there.

Lighthouse of Alexandria

Lighthouse of Alexandria, also called Pharos of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most famous lighthouse in antiquity. It was a technological triumph and is the archetype of all lighthouses since. Built by Sostratus of Cnidus, perhaps for Ptolemy I Soter, it was finished during the reign of Soter’s son Ptolemy II of Egypt in about 280 BCE. The lighthouse stood on the island of Pharos in the harbour of Alexandria and is said to have been more than 350 feet (110 metres) high; the only taller man-made structures at the time would have been the pyramids of Giza. Much of what is known about the structure of the lighthouse comes from a 1909 work by Hermann Thiersch, Pharos, antike, Islam und Occident. According to the ancient sources consulted by Thiersch, the lighthouse was built in three stages, all sloping slightly inward; the lowest was square, the next octagonal, and the top cylindrical. A broad spiral ramp led to the top, where a fire burned at night.

Colossus of Rhodes

Colossus of Rhodes was a statue that stood tall as it watched over a harbor at the entryway of Rhodes town. It was wearing a crown as it gazed at the sky above to the sun and his right hand kept his eyes protected from the rays of the sun. The bronze statue of a man was extremely tall and became a symbol of victory and unity that stood more than 2,000 years ago. The Colossus of Rhodes was also among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Even though the statue was already destroyed, and the remains are no longer available today, you can still imagine the structure if you look at the Statue of Liberty that stands at New York’s harbor. The Colossus was truly a one-of-a-kind piece of art and even though it didn’t live that long, the construction techniques used for it and the colossal structure itself continue to amaze the whole world to this day and age.

Temple of Artemis

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was located on the western coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and built in the 6th century BCE. Such was its tremendous size, double the dimensions of other Greek temples including the Parthenon, that it was soon regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Destroyed by a deliberate fire in the 4th century BCE and then rebuilt, the great Ionic temple survived until Late Antiquity and the Gothic invasion of c. 267 CE. Once again rebuilt, in 401 CE it was torn down for the last time by a Christian mob. Today only the foundations and a solitary column stand as a reminder of the site where once stood the greatest temple in the ancient Mediterranean.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece

Statue of Zeus, at Olympia, Greece, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The statue was one of two masterpieces by the Greek sculptor Phidias (the other being the statue of Athena in the Parthenon) and was placed in the huge Temple of Zeus at Olympia in western Greece. The statue, almost 12 m (40 feet) high and plated with gold and ivory, represented the god sitting on an elaborate cedarwood throne ornamented with ebony, ivory, gold, and precious stones.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is a well-known Archaeological Site and more after being selected one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in July the 7th, 2007. Chichen Itza welcomes over 2,500,000 visitors each year and you can reach the archaeological site by car, bus or with different tours. Chichen Itza is beautiful and magnificent just as you must have already heard, and it has plenty of Mayan Ruins to visit and get to know about its history. Chichen Itza is divided in Old Chichen and Chichen Itza where you can find 6 Mayan Ruins in the Old Chichen section and about 20 Mayan Ruins in the New Chichen or Chichen Itza, making it a total of 26 Mayan Ruins to see on the Mayan Site. The main Mayan Ruin is the Chichen Itza Pyramid or El Castillo, but there are other equally important as El Caracol or Observatory, The Temple of The Warriors and the Mayan Ball Game.

Great Wall of China

The Great Wall was continuously built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern border of the country as the great military defense project of successive Chinese Empires, with a total length of more than 20,000 kilometers. The Great Wall begins in the east at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province and ends at Jiayuguan in Gansu province to the west. Its main body consists of walls, horse tracks, watch towers, and shelters on the wall, and includes fortresses and passes along the Wall.

The Great Wall reflects collision and exchanges between agricultural civilizations and nomadic civilizations in ancient China. It provides significant physical evidence of the far-sighted political strategic thinking and mighty military and national defense forces of central empires in ancient China and is an outstanding example of the superb military architecture, technology and art of ancient China. It embodies unparalleled significance as the national symbol for safeguarding the security of the country and its people.

We arrived there at 10AM and left at 11:40 AM. That includes watching their dino dance. During our 1 hour and 40 minutes stay, we also have some short breaks because of the tiring walk.

Third Destination: San Agustin Parish at San Fernando Pampanga

The San Agustin Parish Church (Spanish: Iglesia Parroquial de San Agustín), also known as the Lubao Church, is a 17th-century Neo-classic, Spanish stone and brick church located at Brgy. San Nicolas 1st, Lubao, Pampanga, Philippines. In 1952, a historical marker bearing a brief history of the structure was installed on the facade of the church by the Historical Committee of the Philippines, precursor of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. In 2013, the church has been declared by the National Museum of the Philippines as an Important Cultural Property.

The famous Philippine series "May Bukas pa" most of the scenes are taped in San Guillermo Parish Church or what we call San Agustin Parish, in Barangay Cabambangan & Municipal Hall of Bacolor in Barangay Calibutbut of Bacolor, Pampanga.

Last Destination: Sky Ranch Pampanga

Sky Ranch has opened its second branch dubbed as Sky Ranch Pampanga last November 2014. It is the newest theme park in Luzon situated near SM City in San Fernando City, Pampanga.

The theme park has total of 22 rides which can be enjoyed by everyone though, there are rides which are available only to adults, and kids (of course with adult supervision). Adults who are searching for breath-taking rides can try Loop Roller Coaster, Space Shuttle, Super Vikings, Bungee Jump, and a lot more. Kids can experience fun with the Double Decker Carousel, Safari Train, Express Train, Wonder flight, and Planetarium.

The main feature of this amusement park is its gigantic Ferris wheel, Pampanga Eye which is reportedly the tallest and the biggest there is in the Philippines (yet). It is somehow similar to Sky Eye in Tagaytay. It has a height of 65 meters and 50 meters in diameter. It has 32 air-conditioned gondolas; each can accommodate a maximum of 4 persons. The riding experience can take up to ten minutes.