Looking for a place to have a romantic date with your loved one this Valentine’s Day without having to spend too much?
If you are into countryside scenery with the sound of water flowing in a river, you don’t need to go far outside Metro Manila as the town of Angono in Rizal offers a quick escape from the city’s noise and pollution, especially this Heart’s Month.
At the DOMSA (Don Mariano Santos Ave.) Spring and Picnic Park, located in Sitio Labahan in Barangay San Isidro, one can enjoy an early morning or early afternoon picnic in bamboo cottages by the side of a river.
All you need to do is bring in some bag of snacks and bottles of refreshing drinks and a couple or family can spend a relaxing time listening to the sound of the cascading water from the river.
Fernando “Nanding” Clutario, a community leader at Sitio Labahan where the park is located, told Manila Bulletin during a quick tour at the picnic park recently that local tourists started to visit the place when the municipal government developed the area into a quick summer getaway during the term of then Mayor Gerardo Calderon.
Picnic sheds made of bamboo were constructed by community residents themselves after tourists started frequenting the place a few years back.
A few hikes uphill from the spring, one can have a selfie or group photos at an unfinished concrete bridge of which one of its end leads to the bushes, while another to a flattened portion of a hill.
According to Clutario, the bridge was believed to be constructed in the late 1990s exclusively for use by subdivision homeowners whose houses are situated two hills apart from each other and separated by the river.
The locals said because of the green scenery and typical province setup of Sitio Labahan, the area has been a favorite location for television and film scenes. Tricycles can be hired for a special trip to the park.
The DOMSA Spring and Picnic Park, which offers free entrance, can be reached by private vehicle either from Manila East Road for those coming from Metro Manila or via ML Quezon Extension St. in Antipolo City.
Barangay Kagawad Aaron Orca, however, cautioned visitors to always practice health protocols to ensure everybody’s safety.