"Let us leave nothing but footprints, bring nothing but memories and take nothing but pictures. That's how you travel!"
When there is nothing to do, the best thing to do is to shop, play or eat. In Las Piñas, you can do a lot of things! Starmall would be your best choice if you want to buy something good yet cheap, play arcades and eat! That would be the same with SM Center Las Piñas. In SM, the products are a bit expensive but you can be sure about the quality.
If you only wanted to eat, there are fast food restaurants in Las Piñas. McDonald's is not only in America, Philippines has one too! And if you want something different, you can go to Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Chowking, Sbarro, KFC, Krispy Kreme, or Wendy's. A lot of things and places can be found in Las Piñas that can be used for leisure and relaxation. Convenience became a part of this city and so does the people.
Food is one of a person's craving on Christmas. And in Las Piñas, these two are known for their taste and unbearable desire to be eaten.
On the left is the 'puto bumbong', it is a mix of black rice, sweet or glutinous rice and plain rice then steamed in a tube to make cylindrical form. It is always topped with melted butter, coconut and muscovado sugar. It has a sweet and salty taste with a rough to a bit fine texture to the tongue. The only thing that I can say is, 'It tastes great!'.
On the right side is the 'bibingka', it is made from rice flour, coconut milk or water, eggs and milk (probably cow's milk) and is heated in a terra cotta. It has a soft spongy texture and when topped with cheese, sugar and salted egg, it'll create a sweet-salty taste just like the puto bumbong.
Both are equally tasty and the same, the two are rice cake delicacies. Though different from one another, the incredible taste that the two have are never different!
Christmas is the time of the year where people would celebrate, eat and have fun. But in Las Piñas, that is not the only celebration. They also celebrate the Lantern Festival wherein people will prepare lanterns or 'parol' for their areas. The streets will be filled with star-shaped lanterns hanging on the lampposts.
Usually, a group of children are seen performing in the streets with their star-inspired costumes prior to the activities that will be held at night. The kids are students coming from a nearby school that wishes to participate in the event. After the morning and afternoon activities, some are already preparing for the mass that will be held at the St. Joseph Parish Church and some are creating huge lanterns for a contest. At night when the mass has started, the helpers would light up the Christmas lights and the lanterns to make the ambiance of the church more pleasing and beautiful.
Right after the mass, volunteers will start presenting the lanterns that the makers made through dancing. They will dance and circle around the area to showcase the creations of the craftsmen. At the end of the program, tourists, citizens and even passers-by are taking their time lingering in the streets near the church for it is beauty that they can see. The cold breeze and the light that softly and gently flashes through the streets makes you breathe deeper and enjoy the Christmas Eve. We can say that, this could be the best festival and celebration that you can experience in Las Piñas City.
