Just like the previous years, I treated Valentine's Day as another ordinary day and date on the calendar. I'm not a Valentine grinch, but knowing that most places will be chaotic and crowded by couples who are out on romantic dates, I opted not to travel to cities like Mandaluyong, Pasig, or Quezon City, where most recreation areas are. Instead, I used the occasion to go on a quick day tour to two different towns in Rizal.

From my hometown in Angono, I travelled first to Morong and immediately headed to St. Jerome Parish. I did not have to wait for Holy Week this year to do the Visita Iglesia. Given that I have a Pilgrim's Passport since last month, and in time for the Jubilee Year, I thought of visiting two churches on Valentine's Day.

It was in 2016, when I first visited St. Jerome Parish. I was still preparing for the Civil Service Exam that time. And while a number of things have changed (such as how the altar of the church looks now), some things still remain, like how picturesque the bell tower is and the funny coincidence that I witnessed another wedding held in that place, much like how a similar ceremony was what I witnessed during my first visit almost 9 years ago.

After a quick lunch at Jollibee, I took another jeepney ride and headed to my intended destination that day, which is Tanay, Rizal.  

It wasn't my first time to visit this town either, as I was here just five months ago when I attended a community involvement activity, and I somewhat memorized this landmark. I arrived at the church around lunch time, but I decided to explore the vicinity first while waiting for the requiem mass to finish.