Contrary to initial belief, the Philippines is a country teeming with culture and heritage, often overlooked in favor of our Southeast Asian neighbors. Thanks to the steady resurgence of conservation groups and the various programs of the Department of Tourism, culture trips are quickly gaining the attention of modern travelers.

Near Metro Manila alone, one can easily list down a solid selection of historical landmarks and destinations actively preserving our rich set of culture and traditions. For those looking to confidently bring their balikbayan relatives and foreign friends to a place that best epitomizes the Philippines’ unique character, check out this partial list of must-see, culture-laden destinations near Metro Manila.

As I stood proudly on the deck of BRP Capones—a spanking new Japanese-made Parola-class patrol vessel belonging to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)—where we hitched a secure ride going to Tawi-Tawi to cover the Agal-Agal Festival, I quickly surveyed my surroundings. I saw the sacred mountain of Bud Bongao lording it over a picturesque coastal landscape, gently covered by the morning mist.

Yet, I was clearly able to spot the glowing silhouette of the town’s Mosque and the faint outlines of a modest village with fishing boats and passenger ferries that were just starting to stir the day’s activities. And then it finally dawned on me: I had successfully reached the southernmost province of the country. Tawi-Tawi, I have arrived!

“There’s only one country I haven’t been to. Nepal. I don’t know why—I just haven’t had the chance,” Don Ado told us after he overheard me asking my friend Karla, “Can you guess how many countries he has traveled to?” It wasn’t a question concocted out of the blue. I sincerely wondered about it after surveying the massive art, historic, religious, and souvenir collection housed safely inside Don Ado’s private ancestral mansion.