Surrounded by sea in the Philippines

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Published in Vietnam News

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=10SUN241206

by Hoang Mien

We knew that the Philippines is a nation with more than 7,000 islands and nearly 86 million people, but we could not never have predicted the dream-like beauty of the country.

We didn’t arrive at Niloy Aquino International Airport in Manila until midnight, delayed by the fury of Typhoon Durian, or Reming, as it’s known in the Philippines.

Taking off in a 19-seat aircraft, we landed at El Nido Airport after about an hour and a half flight and were then transported to a Miniloc Island by a motorised outtrigger boat. The stress from our journey melted away at dawn the next day, when we glimpsed our first sight of the Philippines’ clear blue sky and inhaled the fresh ocean breeze.

Miniloc Island, one of the most famous tourist destinations of the Philippines, is located in the El Nido Palawan archipelago, 430km southwest of Manila. After one hour and 45 minutes of flying and 50 minutes of cruising, we found ourselves lost in the tropical landscape, with craggy limestone mountains, valleys covered in virgin forests and clear seawater teeming with schools of fish.

The Philippines’ tourism industry involves a pleasant combination of modern amenities and rich cultural immersion. Traditional music greeted tourists when their canoes approached the port. The warm smiles of tanned singers and dancers in colourful traditional costumes welcomed tourists on their way to their rooms.

The method seems to work like magic: Angelo Alon, a tour guide on the island with 23 years of experience, informed us that Miniloc Island generally has no vacant rooms as there are many tourists year-round.

Located on the mainland of a wide and beautiful strait, Miniloc Island is a complex composed of 40 rooms, a floating house and a few ranch houses under the canopy of a tree.

There are no signs of invassive construction here as houses are built by incorporating surrounding nature in the homes’ structure.

At twilight the next day, we boarded a boat to go fishing 3km from the island. Wriggling cuttles served as bait for optional bottom fishing, and the super-fresh catch was then prepared as sweet-tasting sashimi for our breakfast.

Back at the resort, Joe Ulanday, the scuba diving guide, led us 100m under the ocean’s surface to view colourful coral formations and touch fish peeking out of caves.

After that, we continued our adventure with the aptly named Small and Big lagoons. Scientists hypothesise that the small strait was originally a cavern inside a limestone mountain. Due to geological changes, the roof of the cavern collapsed, creating a wall on two sides and clear water beneath, where each fish or sparkling shell can be seen clearly. We rowed through the canyon, which was just wide enough for one boat, to enter the strait.

Nap time

Next, we indulged in a lavish lunch on Pangulasian Island, a 30-minute boat ride away, before taking a nap on a beach chair under the shade of a tree. We had to recover the energy to continue our itinerary, since climbing to a peak 190m above sea-level was our next plan.

We began our climb in the mildness of the tropical forest. The pungent smell of decaying leaves in the thick forest floor followed us each step of the way. At the peak, a wood hut offers tourists a place to rest and admire the view.

Those days on the island had removed us from modern amenities like TVs, radios and mobile phones, but desperate tourists could still make contact with the outside world with international phone calls, at US$5 per minute.

Philippines in a nutshell

Filipinos hold a great deal of respect and love for their national hero Dr Jose Rizal, who devoted his life to fighting for the nation’s freedom. Rizal became a martyr when he was killed by Spanish colonialists at the age of 35. After his death, the Philippines rose up to expel the Spanish from their country. In addition to the nation’s 350 years under Spanish occupation, they also spent 50 years under US control, before the country became the Republic of the Philippines. As a result, traces of Western influence are still present here and there.

Jeepneys

In Manila, for instance, modern cars share the roads with colourfully decorated Jeepneys, which are produced and assembled domestically. The citizen love these cars, called “bus taxis” because of their cheap price (17 pesos per ride) and their easy ride system: passengers just have to knock three times and say “mama” to be let off.

Next to the old Intramuros quarter, where buildings with traditional Spanish architecture date back more than 500 years, is the Manila Skyline on Ayala Avenue, with modern skyscrapers like the Stock Exchange Centre, known as “Little Wall Street”.

Although agriculture is a major economic staple, the Philippines economy also relies upon outsourcing and exporting electronic products. The amount of money earned by Filipinos outside of the country comprises a significant share of the nation’s gross domestic product, which totalled $451.3 billion in 2005.

In spite of facing an average of 20 powerful, if not destructive, storms each year, the Philippines has a dynamic economy with an average income of $5.10 per head per day, the 108th highest in the world.

On the last day of our trip, we heard that the Reming (Durian) storm had caused not only economic loss but also a mudslide which killed more than 1,000 citizens.

After taking such delight in this beautiful country, I found myself saying a silent prayer that the forces of nature would take kindly upon it and its people. — VNS