It’s difficult to be overshadowed by the popularity of Miag-ao and its church. Miag-ao church’s making it to the Unesco World Heritage site simply didn’t give the next town of San Joaquin a chance to get even a small portion of the number of tourists who visit Miag-ao.
But when CNN Go announced its list of Asia’s 25 Unseen Destinations in 2011, only one from the Philippines made it to the list: the rustic town of San Joaquin. There were several reasons why San Joaquin was chosen: t has the only church in the Philippines with bas relief depicting a military battle scene, it has one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the country, and it has a lovely secluded coast perfect for diving and snorkeling. Six years after this town made it to the CNN list, San Joaquin is slowly getting a steady increase of visitors, especially with the opening of Garin Farm and its unique “heavenly” attractions.