Boracay on our minds
Summer is beckoning, and many urbanites are planning their vacation getaways. A long-time friend sent me his musings on Boracay that he wrote after a visit in April last year. Having just returned from there, many of his observations resonate with mine. With his permission, I am pleased to share with you dear readers key excerpts from an unpublished article by John-Rene Fernandez, a bank manager and a professional photographer:
"Let me tell you about Boracay, before electricity (b.e.) and after electricity (a.e.). I first heard about Boracay in the late 1970s when I was in college in La Salle Bacolod. Curiosity and savings from a job in Manila brought me to Boracay for the first time. My timing was off. August 1987 was the worst time for beach. It was the height of the typhoon season.
"Notwithstanding the traumatic first visit to Boracay, I returned to the island every year after that, as if it was my ultimate refuge from a harassed corporate life in Metro Manila. I was proud to be the first — at least among my friends and relatives to visit the famous white-sand island. Suddenly, I was an expert on Boracay. I wrote a guide to Boracay in our company newsletter to entice more people to visit the island. To give you an idea what Boracay was like before electricity (b.e.), let me share with you portions of what I wrote then (circa 1990):
"BORACAY, The Sublime Paradise
"South of Metro Manila, there is a dot of an island with pristine white beaches that continues to attract tourists from all over the world. Foreigners defy rumors of coup d’etat, survive Ermita hawkers and rude taxi drivers just to spend a week or two in that enchanted paradise. It is unfortunate, though, that only few Filipinos have been to this place. It is not an expensive destination for a summer hiatus. A three-night budget of P2,500 is enough for the trip. Bring extra cash if you drink. Beer costs P8 to P15 a bottle.
"Boracay beach stretches for three and a half kilometers uninterrupted. The sand grains are as fine as flour and your soles will not get burned even at noontime. It is fashionable to walk around the island barefoot. Leave your cottage locked and bring only the essentials: Sunglasses, suntan lotion, towel and a P100 bill for lunch and drinks.
"Aside from swimming and sunbathing, you can rent a boat for a P350 half-day cruise around the island. Learn windsurfing or scuba-diving. Hike five kilometers up on the hills to Yapak’s famous puka-shell beach on the north. Explore the bat caves. Jog to the eastern barrio of Bulabog to watch the morning sun emerge majestically out of the deep blue sea. Bike. Play volleyball. Borrow a book from the library of Red Coconut. (If you are lucky, you can buy a secondhand Tom Clancy thriller for only P50 and a Gabriel Garcia Marquez epic for only P70.) The island’s interiors have fascinating rural sights few people see: coconut plantations, fishponds, rice paddies, shallow lakes, and a haunting lagoon of dead mangrove trees.
"Walk along the beach to watch the sunset. There is a lot of activities going around late in the afternoon — volleyball games, tourists coming home from whole-day swimming, children building sand castles, people milling around bars for milkshakes, beer and billiard. Return to your cottage for bath and rest. Have a quiet dinner. Mingle with strangers. Make friends with foreigners. Boracay is a relaxed avenue to make friends. It is advisable to go to Boracay between November and May. The waves turn wild from June to October.
"My last trip to Boracay b.e. (before electricity) was in 1990. For 18 years, I resisted returning there. I’ve been there, done that, I told newcomers to the island. I had good memories of that paradise at I wanted to preserve. Electricity wired the island in 1991. Boracay then blossomed into an obscenely popular leisure destination, with local tourists surpassing foreigners in numbers. Talk about commercialization.
"Finally, on April 2008, I accepted a photography job in Boracay. It was a modest assignment for a weekend professional photographer. Within my two-night stay, I observed two positive developments in Boracay a.e. (after electricity). The first improvement is the port of entry. Caticlan airport has evolved from a grassy airstrip to a concrete landing path with air-conditioned terminal. Now, docking is restricted in Manok Manok pier and a ticketing system predetermined the land fare for the specific destination in the island. It is very efficient.
"The second welcome sign is that the options for food, accommodation, leisure activities and entertainment have improved over the years. The souvenir shops offer more variety.... The sports options have also improved....
"On the negative side, I was alarmed at the deterioration of the environment.... I saw pollution and congestion. The narrow tricycle lane from at the back of Boat Station One all the way to Manok Manok used to be a dirt road with forests, ponds, birds, cool air and tranquility. Now, it is laced with buildings and concrete fences.... Restaurants, bars, inns, private houses, squatters, hardware, grocery stores are squeezed within every available space along the main road.
"Many establishments are invading the sea. There used to be a strict ordinance or a gentleman’s agreement that barred construction within 100 meters of the sea at high tide.... Now, restaurants and resorts have built seawalls that pushed tourists into knee-deep water while passing by....
"On my last day, I had the whole morning to enjoy the beach by myself. It was very quiet at 7 a.m. Except for a few joggers, everyone seemed to be asleep in the island. I listened to the waves. I smelled the sea.... My reverie lasted two minutes because slimy green algae starting clinging to my ankles. I rushed out of the water. My flight back to Manila was 1 p.m. I rushed out of Boracay at 9 a.m. I just didn’t want to stay an hour longer.
"Don’t get me wrong. Boracay is beautiful and fun for those who have never been there b.e. (before electricity). And the resort owners never promised a perfect paradise. What they offer is urban entertainment and comforts accessorized by sun, sea and white sands — at a price that can dent the pocket and a cost that can smear the environment.
"I’d rather keep Boracay as a utopia on my mind b.e. (before electricity)."/ Victor Caloma, Businessworld
"Let me tell you about Boracay, before electricity (b.e.) and after electricity (a.e.). I first heard about Boracay in the late 1970s when I was in college in La Salle Bacolod. Curiosity and savings from a job in Manila brought me to Boracay for the first time. My timing was off. August 1987 was the worst time for beach. It was the height of the typhoon season.
"Notwithstanding the traumatic first visit to Boracay, I returned to the island every year after that, as if it was my ultimate refuge from a harassed corporate life in Metro Manila. I was proud to be the first — at least among my friends and relatives to visit the famous white-sand island. Suddenly, I was an expert on Boracay. I wrote a guide to Boracay in our company newsletter to entice more people to visit the island. To give you an idea what Boracay was like before electricity (b.e.), let me share with you portions of what I wrote then (circa 1990):
"BORACAY, The Sublime Paradise
"South of Metro Manila, there is a dot of an island with pristine white beaches that continues to attract tourists from all over the world. Foreigners defy rumors of coup d’etat, survive Ermita hawkers and rude taxi drivers just to spend a week or two in that enchanted paradise. It is unfortunate, though, that only few Filipinos have been to this place. It is not an expensive destination for a summer hiatus. A three-night budget of P2,500 is enough for the trip. Bring extra cash if you drink. Beer costs P8 to P15 a bottle.
"Boracay beach stretches for three and a half kilometers uninterrupted. The sand grains are as fine as flour and your soles will not get burned even at noontime. It is fashionable to walk around the island barefoot. Leave your cottage locked and bring only the essentials: Sunglasses, suntan lotion, towel and a P100 bill for lunch and drinks.
"Aside from swimming and sunbathing, you can rent a boat for a P350 half-day cruise around the island. Learn windsurfing or scuba-diving. Hike five kilometers up on the hills to Yapak’s famous puka-shell beach on the north. Explore the bat caves. Jog to the eastern barrio of Bulabog to watch the morning sun emerge majestically out of the deep blue sea. Bike. Play volleyball. Borrow a book from the library of Red Coconut. (If you are lucky, you can buy a secondhand Tom Clancy thriller for only P50 and a Gabriel Garcia Marquez epic for only P70.) The island’s interiors have fascinating rural sights few people see: coconut plantations, fishponds, rice paddies, shallow lakes, and a haunting lagoon of dead mangrove trees.
"Walk along the beach to watch the sunset. There is a lot of activities going around late in the afternoon — volleyball games, tourists coming home from whole-day swimming, children building sand castles, people milling around bars for milkshakes, beer and billiard. Return to your cottage for bath and rest. Have a quiet dinner. Mingle with strangers. Make friends with foreigners. Boracay is a relaxed avenue to make friends. It is advisable to go to Boracay between November and May. The waves turn wild from June to October.
"My last trip to Boracay b.e. (before electricity) was in 1990. For 18 years, I resisted returning there. I’ve been there, done that, I told newcomers to the island. I had good memories of that paradise at I wanted to preserve. Electricity wired the island in 1991. Boracay then blossomed into an obscenely popular leisure destination, with local tourists surpassing foreigners in numbers. Talk about commercialization.
"Finally, on April 2008, I accepted a photography job in Boracay. It was a modest assignment for a weekend professional photographer. Within my two-night stay, I observed two positive developments in Boracay a.e. (after electricity). The first improvement is the port of entry. Caticlan airport has evolved from a grassy airstrip to a concrete landing path with air-conditioned terminal. Now, docking is restricted in Manok Manok pier and a ticketing system predetermined the land fare for the specific destination in the island. It is very efficient.
"The second welcome sign is that the options for food, accommodation, leisure activities and entertainment have improved over the years. The souvenir shops offer more variety.... The sports options have also improved....
"On the negative side, I was alarmed at the deterioration of the environment.... I saw pollution and congestion. The narrow tricycle lane from at the back of Boat Station One all the way to Manok Manok used to be a dirt road with forests, ponds, birds, cool air and tranquility. Now, it is laced with buildings and concrete fences.... Restaurants, bars, inns, private houses, squatters, hardware, grocery stores are squeezed within every available space along the main road.
"Many establishments are invading the sea. There used to be a strict ordinance or a gentleman’s agreement that barred construction within 100 meters of the sea at high tide.... Now, restaurants and resorts have built seawalls that pushed tourists into knee-deep water while passing by....
"On my last day, I had the whole morning to enjoy the beach by myself. It was very quiet at 7 a.m. Except for a few joggers, everyone seemed to be asleep in the island. I listened to the waves. I smelled the sea.... My reverie lasted two minutes because slimy green algae starting clinging to my ankles. I rushed out of the water. My flight back to Manila was 1 p.m. I rushed out of Boracay at 9 a.m. I just didn’t want to stay an hour longer.
"Don’t get me wrong. Boracay is beautiful and fun for those who have never been there b.e. (before electricity). And the resort owners never promised a perfect paradise. What they offer is urban entertainment and comforts accessorized by sun, sea and white sands — at a price that can dent the pocket and a cost that can smear the environment.
"I’d rather keep Boracay as a utopia on my mind b.e. (before electricity)."/ Victor Caloma, Businessworld
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