Weekend Ideas: Things to Do Without Leaving Home - Part 1

Who says you need to go far to have a good weekend? In Hilongos, joy doesn’t always come from long drives or plane tickets. Sometimes, it’s just a short walk, a bike ride, or a quick ‘adto ta didto’ from home. Here are some simple, ordinary, but life-giving things we can all do without leaving town.

1. Manumbay

Start the day by visiting friends, sibs, or mga relatives — whether in Santa Filomena or Santa Rita. Bring nothing but your smile and maybe a few pasalubong. In Hilongos, ‘pangumusta’ is already a full conversation, especially if it ends with ‘asa man ta mag-pakals?’

2. Managkot

Drop by the church, light a candle, and whisper a short prayer. Inside our old-cherished Church, you’ll find peace even on noisy days. Here, we reconnect with Someone larger than us, allowing us to travel deeper within.

3. Moduaw sa Menteryo

Head to the cemetery — maybe in karaan or sa bag-o — to visit departed loved ones. Bring flowers, candles, or just memories. The silence there reminds us that life goes on, and love doesn’t stop.

4. Modiretso sa Painitan

Nothing beats puto sikwate or budbud linambiran from our famous tiyangge. Sit by the wooden stalls, listen to gossip mixed with laughter, and feel the warmth of your sikwate as the morning fog clears.

5. Manabó

Go to Himoaw or Pontod to buy fresh fish straight from the fisherfolks. The scent of the sea, the splash of waves, and the sound of bargaining — all part of the fun. Who needs supermarkets when you can buy from the hands that caught the fish?

6. Magtagay

Gather the barkada, pull out the guitar or karaoke mic, and share a few drinks. Whether it’s in Bliss or Brgy. Tuguipa, the night always ends with someone singing off-key — and everyone clapping anyway.

7. Maglamaw

Visit your coconut farm in Lunang, crack open some buko, and enjoy fresh lamaw with few crackers. Yum! Grab some coconut meat for a dash of hisú for the hair later — nature’s own conditioner. Simple joys, straight from the tree.

8. Magpatoktok

Feed the chickens or those prized manok pangsabong. Their morning crows are the soundtrack of Hilongos life — reminding us that rural peace still has a little drama.

9. Mag-Gardening

Tend to your cacti, succulents, or flower garden. Others pull weeds, others talk to their plants — either way, it’s therapy. Green thumbs or not, nature always listens.

10. Mag-Barbecue

By late afternoon, light some uling, prepare Adidas, IUD or chicken wings, and grill by the porch. The smoke, the laughter, and the waiting — that’s the taste of home. You don’t need a resort when your backyard smells like barbecue.

11. Mag-Bonfire

If the moon is out, head to San Juan Beach, gather driftwood, and light a bonfire. Bring friends, a guitar, or just silence. Watch the fire crackle as the tide hums its song.

12. Mag-Campout

Pitch a tent on a hilltop or near the rice fields — maybe somewhere overlooking Mount Bacuit or by Roman’s garden by the roadside of Santa Maria. The stars here don’t need filters. Just you, the crickets, and the cool air of the night.

13. Mamalit ug Magsaysay

Grab that large sticky rice treat with cacao inside — the famous 'Magsaysay,' like a local suman-choco hybrid. Sweet, sticky, and perfectly Hilongos. You’ll finish one, then pretend you didn’t.

14. Sakay-Sakay ug Potpot

No Grab or Uber, no problem. Ride the potpot — that humble pedal trike — and see town at slow speed. You’ll find stories in every corner: kids playing, old friends waving, grandmas nagtakiang, dogs crossing like they own the street.

15. Bisita sa Kahumayan

Walk through the rice fields in Tejero, wave at farmers, maybe help plant or harvest if you dare. The smell of mud and sunlight will stay with you longer than any city perfume.

16. Panday sa Atop, Mamlantsa, Maglaba

Not all weekends are for rest. Patch that leaky roof, iron the week’s clothes, or do the laundry with the neighbors’ chika as background music. Work, after all, is part of living — and living well.

17. Mamista

When a nearby barangay has a fiesta, mamulhot ta! Food everywhere, music blaring, and old classmates you haven’t seen in years. It’s the social event of the month, and somehow, you always come home full — and happy. No need to go to Boracay; they drink it there!

18. Mag-Zumba

Early morning in the plaza, barangay gym or sa silingan gud, join the tita crowd shaking off stress to the beat of retro pop. Zumba isn’t just exercise — it’s chika, laughter, and community in motion.

19. Mag-Fishing

If the tide is kind, cast a line adto sa pantalan or by the Baywalk, and wait for your luck. Sometimes you catch fish, sometimes just stories — but either way, the sea always listens.

20. Mag-Rosaryo

Inig bagting sa kampanaryo, gimingaw ta ani nga praktis ba. Sit by the porch, gather the family, and pray the rosary together as dusk settles. The sound of beads and soft voices — it’s peace that no app can match.

The Point Is...

In Hilongos, ‘laag’ doesn’t always mean leaving. Sometimes, it means returning — to people, places, and simple moments. These are small things, yes, but they remind us that life doesn’t always need screens, likes, cellphones or notifications to feel full. So, this weekend, don’t go far. Just go home, stay analog or offline for a bit, and live a little louder and livelier right where you are.