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Day 2 – Filipino Family Reunion Travel to Santa Rita, Samar – A Journey of Healing, Food, and Family in Philippines: Love and Peace Family Reunion Travel – The Ultimate Wellness Experience
- Thizztv Publisher
- May 18
- 5 min read
Arriving in Santa Rita: A Homecoming 20 Years in the Making
After a powerful spiritual start at Quiapo Church, the next leg of our journey would take us far from Manila’s constant motion. Our destination lay in the province of Samar—a region known not just for its natural beauty, but for the deep family ties that had been waiting to be restored for more than two decades.
Lily, a native Filipina, was about to return to the hometown of her mother, Santa Rita, Samar. This was more than just a stop on a map—it was the place where childhood memories, family stories, and generational connections were rooted. A place she hadn’t walked in over 20 years.
Filipino Family Reunion Travel – The Ultimate Wellness Experience in the philippines
Flying to Tacloban: The Gateway to Samar
We boarded an early morning flight to Tacloban City, known to many as the city that rose from the devastation of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013. As we descended, the aerial view of the San Juanico Bridge—the longest bridge in the Philippines—welcomed us like an open arm stretching from Leyte to Samar.
Tacloban’s airport was small but alive with movement. We were greeted by familiar faces—family who had traveled ahead to meet us, their smiles filling the space between what words could not yet say.
The Drive to Santa Rita: A Scenic Route Through Leyte and Samar
We loaded into a private van, making our way across the San Juanico Bridge, whose graceful curves stretched over sparkling waters.
Below, fishing boats drifted quietly, locals casting their nets as they had done for generations.
The road to Santa Rita wound through hillsides, rice fields, and small barangays (villages) where children played beside the road, waving at every vehicle that passed.
If the chaotic streets of Manila had opened our journey with noise and motion, Santa Rita, Samar welcomed us with something much deeper—family, remembrance, and peace.
This small but beautiful barangay, tucked between coconut trees and rice fields, was the place Lily had not seen in more than 20 years. It wasn’t just the home of her childhood—it was the final resting place of her father, who had passed away while she was living abroad.
The visit to his grave was emotional. Alongside her sisters, Nolita, Tess, and Lyete, Lily stood in silence as they paid their last respects, touching the marker with reverence. For the first time since his passing, she was able to say goodbye in person, surrounded by the very family who had stayed behind to keep his memory alive.
The moment was quiet, heavy, and sacred—a long-overdue closure to a chapter that had remained open in her heart for two decades.
Afterward, the family gathering shifted to the home of Lily’s cousin, whose yard had been transformed into a lively space of celebration. Extended family members, many of whom Lily hadn’t seen since she was a young woman, arrived one by one.
Children ran freely, their laughter filling the air as neighbors gathered to watch, quietly whispering about our arrival into the tight-knit community.
I found myself swept into the energy of it all—dancing with Joy Joy, one of Lily’s bright-eyed little relatives, along with her siblings, their bare feet moving in rhythm on the packed earth.
Long tables were set with traditional Filipino dishes—lechon, pancit, adobo, and fresh seafood, lovingly prepared by family members who seemed to know this day would come, even if it had taken 20 years to arrive.
Everything—the dancing, the food, the tears, and the joy—is now part of Philippines: Love and Peace, a journey captured through photographs and words that honor not just places, but the people who make returning home so meaningful.
The Reunion: Sisters United After 20 Years
The front yard became the stage for what words cannot fully capture—five sisters, separated by distance, now standing face to face once again.
Laughter broke through first. Then tears. Then embraces so tight they seemed to collapse time itself. The sound of family reuniting after 20 years apart echoed through the neighborhood.
This is the true meaning of Filipino family reunion travel—a wellness experience that no spa or resort can offer. It’s the healing power of coming home.
This emotional reunion is captured in Philippines: Love and Peace, where every photograph tells the story of love rekindled and family restored.
The Feast: Filipino Food as Family Tradition
No Filipino reunion is complete without food. The family gathered around a long table filled with lechon (roast pig), pancit (noodles), adobo, fresh seafood, and rice wrapped in banana leaves.
Lily sat with her sisters, sharing stories over steaming bowls of sinigang and crispy fried fish, her laughter blending with theirs like music long forgotten.
We captured these moments in 360-degree video, preserving not just the faces, but the sounds, movements, and atmosphere of what family wellness looks like in its purest form.
Protecting Every Moment: Why Travel Insurance Still Matters
As beautiful as these moments were, the journey to get here reminded us that travel isn’t without risk. From flight delays and lost baggage to health emergencies in remote areas, travel insurance remains a traveler’s best safeguard.
What Every Reunion Traveler Should Have:
Trip Cancellation and Delay Coverage
Medical Emergency Coverage in Remote Areas
Lost or Delayed Baggage Protection
Emergency Medical Evacuation Services
24/7 Travel Assistance Support
Whether visiting bustling Manila or the quiet hills of Samar, being prepared ensures that nothing stands in the way of moments like these.
Captured in Philippines: Love and Peace
Every laugh, every tear, every plate shared with family in Santa Rita, Samar is part of the bigger story told in Philippines: Love and Peace—a journey not just across places, but across time and memory.
Next Stop: A Visit to Tacloban’s Wounds and Wonders
Tomorrow, we return to Tacloban City to walk the streets that once lay in ruin after Typhoon Yolanda. We’ll meet the people who rebuilt their lives and visit the sites that stand as symbols of both tragedy and resilience.
Stay with us as the journey continues, and experience every moment in Philippines: Love and Peace, now available for readers seeking the heart of the Filipino family story.
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