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| The original members of Manila Youth enjoying the cold waters of Villa Bitoy's Resort in Rizal, Laguna. photo credits: Gilbert Galvez |
By: Dalisay Diaz
It was quite a
cloudy morning when my friend Iyay and I arrived in the street behind Kwadra
Bar and Billiards located at Lacson corner España, Manila. Upon
arrival we were greeted by former colleagues in Youth Development and Welfare
Bureau or as we call ourselves; The Manila Youth. Yes, we are the original
members of Manila Youth formed by former Mayor Lito Atienza and while we are
not looking as “youths” ourselves, this article is not really about politics.
This is about a beauty unrecognized to most of citizens of this region. I am
talking about the stunning and majestic place called Villa Bitoy’s situated at
Barangay Laguan, Rizal, Laguna.
If you want a quiet place away from home with the lush greens
that surrounds you and the mesmerizing sound of the birds, this is the place
for you. The place was called Villa Bitoy’s because apparently, that’s the
owner’s nickname. Obviously, you don’t need to travel that far if you want to
experience a convenient and peaceful get-away for the weekend. If you’re from
Manila, buses in Buendia are almost always available to take you in Laguna.
Villa Bitoy’s offer its house with two rooms, a common
bathroom, living and dining room, with kitchen and access to a dirty-kitchen
plus two additional common restrooms at the back if you happen to be a big
group for a very affordable price –free of gas and drinking water. You can also
rent the Videoke Machine which you can use anytime. Aside from that, a very
cozy and comfortable “bahay-kubo” can also be rented with basic necessities of
a home. Believe me, I slept on it and it was great. The boys can also play ball
on the half-court beside the house and girls can nap if it’s not a very sunny
day in duyans scattered all over the
courtyard.
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| Duyans are available in the courtyard where you can also set-up tents to rest-in. photo credits: Villa Bitoy's FB page |
Just when you think that this is all they have to offer, you
have another think coming. If you want to experience a good little trekking and
get wet after, Villa Bitoy’s offer its fantastic and very cold waters from a
man-made lagoon out of an active river. The water is quite deep but calm
because it is designed to be a pool. The water is filtered through that made it
looked like a mini-dam. Some tourists gets wet by soaking themselves through
the filtered waters of the river where the current is quite strong but seems to
have its appeal to the public because, well, I’ve seen it and my friends can’t
get enough of it. You can also try the balsa
which you can also rent an hour for twenty pesos.
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| Fish-eye view of the river made to look like a pool. photo credits: Villa Bitoy's FB Page |
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| The structure that holds the water from the river and serves as a diving spot and bridge to cross-over photo credits: Villa Bitoy's FB page |
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