BATAAN TECHNOLOGY PARK INC.
The Bataan Technology Park is also situated at Morong, Bataan where the former United Nations Philippine Refugee Processing Center is situated.

The Philippine Refugee Processing Center (PRPC) was established and funded by the United Nations as home to many refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and ethnic minorities (Chinese). The PRPC is like a small city, complete with hospital, school, restaurant, place of worship, and market. Its main purpose is to hold the refugees, teach them English language until such time that they are ready and accepted for resettlement in countries such as Canada, Norway, United States of America and France.
Now, the former PRPC has turned to an eco park, the Bataan Technology Park, Inc or the home of Atmanda Eco park. The BTPI museum, library and archive can be found inside the eco park that features the PRPC.
Here, you can see the original boat that was used by the Refugees who came here in the Philippines. Approximately 60 persons were aboard on the said boat.

In this museum, you can also see some of the refugees’ different paraphernalia that they already left.



You can also see here the replica of their bunk house where they usually live. It can accommodate 5-6 persons.

A replica of the prisoner’s jail is also presented here. They called it monkey house.

In the museum, you can also find the photos that show how the Vietnamese boat was rescued from the Bataan shores.


Inside the premise of the BTPI, you can also find the refugee’s place of worship, their Buddhist Temple. It has a nice view, overlooking the mountains. This is the place where the refugees meditate.

The overlooking view that you will see while at the meditation area of the Buddhist Temple.

Inside the Buddhist Temple where the refugees pray.

This is the meditation area of the refugees. The place is quiet ad has a nice overlooking view.

Also, inside the BTPI, is the shrine commemorating Blessed Pope John Paul II, who came at the PRPC and celebrated mass. The “Lolek Garden”, which named after Pope John Paul II, (nickname of Pope John Paul).

The center walk way is believed to be holy because this is where Pope John Paul II walked going to the shrine.

An image of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built inside the PRPC. According to the staff of BTPI, the image was built by the Vietnamese Catholics to thank the Blessed Mother for their safe arrival in the Philippines.



Our visit to this place gave us information on the time that Vietnamese refugees went here in the Philippines by accident. The Filipinos (maybe most were from Bataan), have become way for them to learn English language and prepare them to what country of destination that they will go to. But now, Vietnam is getting ahead of our country, Philippines. Isn’t ironic? =)
For more information you may visit http://www.bcda.gov.ph/freeport_and_ecozones/show/13

This entry was posted in Travel and tagged #bataan, #travel, Atmanda Park, Bataan Technology Park, BTPIC, Morong Bataan, Morong Pope john Paul Shrine, Philippine Refugee Processing Center, Places to visit in Bataan, PRPC.

Pawikan Conservation Center

Posted on June 6, 2014 Updated on August 15, 2014

PAWIKAN CONSERVATION CENTER
Nagbalayong Morong. Bataan
The Pawikan Conservation Center was organized to protect and conserve the pawikans (marine turtle)which are now considered as endangered species. The shores at Nagbalayong, Morong in Bataan became the nesting ground of the pawikans in our country. Nesting usually happens on the months of November to December, wherein numerous pawikans swam onto the shore to lay their eggs.


The people at the center do their rounds at night time to check on the eggs and bring it at the Hatching section of the center. The eggs were buried into the sand for incubation. It will take 2 months until such time that the baby pawikans will dig up through the sand and reach the ground. The next day, the baby pawikans are released onto the shore, at least 5 meters away from the water. This is for the baby pawikans to remember where they came from. There is only 1% of those that were released will survive. It will take another 25 to 30 years for the female pawikans to lay their eggs, and it is amazing that they will go back to the place where they were hatch to lay their eggs.
When we visited the place, it is off season, there are only 2 hatching nest.

A net is placed around its nest to prevent the baby pawikans to go out once hatched. Each nest has approximately 200 eggs.

The Pawikan Conservation Center do not preserve pawikans, they only conserve it. It is still preferred to let the pawikans live on their natural habitat for them to be able to learn to survive. There is 1 big red pawikan, 1 medium sized pawikan and the smallest pawikan, The red pawikan was surrendered to them by a concerned citizen, it was spotted that it was being sold to anyone.

The biggest pawikan.

The smallest pawikan

The Pawikan Conservation Center also offers room accommodations for those who like to witness the pawikans swam onto the ocean at night and come along with the patrol group to get the eggs or witness the releasing of baby pawikans and experience it for themselves. The center has a nice beach area with properly maintained shoreline. An entrance fee of 20.00 is charged for adults, kids are free of charge.

the beautiful shoreline of the Pawikan Conservation Center

Though we did not see many pawikans as we imagined, we enjoyed our short visit. The caretaker that we have spoke to, unselfishly shared informative details about the pawikans. I hope that we can go back and be a part of the releasing of baby pawikans and see them crawl from the shore and swim into the ocean. :-)
 

This entry was posted in Travel and tagged #bataan, #bataanbeach, #bataanshore, #beautifulshore, #morong, #pawikan, #PawikanConservationCenter, #travel.

Loleng’s Hutieu-an – the famous Vietnamese Carinderia in Morong Bataan

Posted on June 5, 2014 Updated on February 13, 2015

After the exhausting and tiring sightseeing, we  dined at Loleng’s Hutieu-an (Vietnames Foods), the famous Vietnamese carinderia in Morong, Bataan.

I learned this famous Vietnamese Carinderia from one of the local tv shows. The owner used to work at the Philippine Refugee Processing Center (PRPC); from where the owner learned how to cook the Vietnamese noodle soup, which up to now, Loleng’s Hutieu-an carinderia is continuously satisfying its customers with Vietnamese noodles and banhmi.
Banhmi is a Vietnamese sandwich with ham, a little of tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber which costs 25.00 The banhmi tastes good and we liked it which ended up on ordering again.

Hutieu, is a Vietnamese savory noodle soup with rice noodles which costs 50.00 for the small size. It is like a chicken mami noodle soup.

We also ordered Bun-cha-gio, it is a spring roll with noodles paired with vinegar which also costs 50.00.

We also ordered their palabok which also costs P50.00, sorry wasn’t able to take a photo of it.
Going to the place is quiet difficult, especially us who are first timers but thanks to waze that we found the place. But Loneg’s carinderia is popular in the place, you can ask the locals and ride a tricycle and you will be brought there.