Travel Bites: Blessed with beaches

(Last of two parts)

THE Philippines is blessed to have over 7,100 islands – depends if it’s high tide or low tide (smile) – which also means an unprecedented number of beaches as well.

There are beaches great for just bumming and sunning, some for swimming and snorkeling, and quite a few for surfing and skimboarding.

Continued from last week (See “Travel Bites: Summer fun in the country’s best beaches,” March 25, 2013), here are the rest of our choice beaches from all corners of the country.

6. Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan

The long beach in San Vicente, Palawan boasts of soft white sand and shimmering crystal-clear waters. Unfortunately, there are still no hotels nor resorts by the beach. Maybe things will change when the San Vicente airport is finally completed. (Photo from http://www.beachresortphilippines.net)

This cream-colored beach in Brgy. New Agutaya is reputedly to be the longest in the country at 14 kilometers. (Whew! Imagine walking that stretch from end to end - Boracay’s four-kilometer-coastline is faltering enough for me!)

It is a must-see if you want totally deserted beaches. On a good day, which is the usual on this beach, you won’t bump into any other soul except the locals. There is nothing here except the beach and the calm waters so perfect for swimming, oh! and the towering coconut trees.

Accommodations are in the town proper – a good five-10 minutes away by local motorbikes, although I hear beachfront properties are selling briskly these days as investors await the completion of the San Vicente airport and scheduled flights by carriers.
There are other beaches and coves in San Vicente, some with even finer powdery sand similar to Boracay’s – here’s crossing our fingers the local government there will regulate the building of resorts in those beaches to protect the environment from overcommercialization.

Getting there: Take any commercial flight to Puerto Princesa, and ride a public bus or shuttle van from the bus terminal in San Jose to San Vicente. A habal-habal or a motorcycle used for passenger commute, can bring you to Long Beach. Just go down the main drop-off point and walk to the beach along a marked trail. Needless to say, bring your own provisions for food and water.

7. Dicasalarin Cove, Baler, Aurora

This is private beach owned by the Angara family but guests of their resorts are allowed to visit it. Those who are checked into other resorts only need to pay P300 per head at the Bahia de Baler to be able to stay at the beach for a day. (There are no accommodations onsite, just the beginnings of an artist’s village created by Sen. Edgardo Angara.)

Nestled at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountain range, Dicasalarin is also favored with rocky formations, and a river that carries fresh water out to sea. So if you’re not feeling the salty waters of the Pacific Ocean, you can also take a dip in the cool river delta instead.

The views here are stunning, with the lush foothills at your back, the Pacific blue in front, and the white sand squishing under your feet. Have a picnic at the shaded tables on the beach, down some cold beers, and enjoy the sun and surf. From October to February, waves at the cove reach heights that would delight even professional surfers.

Getting there: Unless you are bringing an SUV, most Baler locals don’t recommend a road trip as there is still a portion of unpaved road along the highway. Take a private coach instead via Genesis Transport’s 28-seat Joy Bus which has a restroom on board, snacks and water, an Wi-Fi connection. It also has the regular type airconditioned buses going to Baler (T#709-0803/421-1425). 

From Baler, hire a tricycle to take you to the river outlet adjacent to Sabang Beach (the main surfers’ area), then charter a pump boat to Dicasalarin (about 45 minutes). You can also rent a private van or car going there (30-minute ride).

Dicalasarin Cove is nestled amid lush hills and the Pacific Ocean. (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

A tricycle can likewise take you directly to the foot of the hill where an abandoned Pag-asa weather station is located, and you can hike to the beach from there. It will be a tiring uphill climb even for most experienced hikers, before you get to the main trail going down towards the beach. But the sight is breathtaking which makes all the effort worthwhile.

8. Malapascua Island, northern Cebu

This is another island which has been catching the fancy of a number of foreign and local scuba divers because its deep waters are teeming with thresher sharks.But the island also has an immaculate white beach with crystal clear waters which allow you to see through to the bottom. This is another gem that has seen commercialization grow although at a slightly slower pace than other more well-known vacation islands. There are still spots of seclusion away from the maddening din of the disco or karaoke bar in the resort row.

Accommodations here attract the beach bums and divers alike and offer beachfront cottages that give you a full view of the sun gently peeking through the clouds as it rises from the horizon  (or a grand orange-filled sunset sky, depending on your resort’s location).

Getting there: Most major airlines have daily multiple flights to Cebu City from several major points in the country (e.g. Manila, Clark in Pampanga, Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Davao, etc.). From the airport, take a cab to the Northern Bus Terminal (near SM) and book passage on a Ceres bus going to Maya port. From the port, you can hire a private or a public boat (which you share with other passengers) to Malapascua.

After a few days in Malapascua, you may also want to drop by Kota Beach, in Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island which is about 2.5 hours away by motorized banca. The white sand beach is a mixture of fine white and crushed coral.

There are hardly any people to bump into at the beach unless it’s Holy Week which attracts even the Cebuanos from the mainland. The waters are calm and limpid, turning to turquoise farther away from shore. Accommodations here are varied, fitting every budget. The sunrises here are uplifting and herald the beginning of great lazy days at the beach.

Instead of returning to Malapascua, you may want to stay a night or two on Bantayan then go back to Cebu City. From the Sta. Fe port, take the ordinary or fastcraft ferry to Hagnaya port then a bus back to Cebu City. (Some travelers do it the other way – go to Bantayan first, then to Malapascua, and back to Cebu City.)

9. Sugar Beach, Sipalay, Negros Occidental

Trust the Europeans to find the remotest and most serene beaches in the Philippines. They’ve staked their claim on Sugar Beach running resorts with basic amenities in the area, with their Filipina wives.

The beach sand is a coarse tan in appearance, much like raw sugar, which is probably why it’s named so. Sugar Beach receives but a handful of visitors which keeps it peaceful and tranquil. It’s quite a distance to travel to thus it attracts mostly Negrenses, European backpackers, and other hard-core beachgoers.

Most of the time, it will only be you and the coconut trees just soaking up the sun. Even during the peak of summer, the sea is just wide open with only a smattering of swimmers.The waters are pristine and teeming with fish such that it’s quite normal to see fisherfolk in the area hauling in their nets filled with the day’s catch.

Getting there: You can reach Sipalay by either public bus (Ceres) or private car/taxi from Bacolod City. By bus, the trip will take about five hours. By private car, the ride will take about three hours. If you have a reservation in any of the resorts, most will send a boat to pick you up from Sipalay. If not, just take a boat to Sugar Beach from Sipalay. (You can also reach Sipalay from Dumaguete, Negros Oriental but there will two bus transfers; so traveling from Bacolod is more convenient.)

All major airlines fly daily to Bacolod. (For more information, click on http://www.sipalaycity.gov.ph/)

10. Dahican Beach, Mati, Davao Oriental

Dahican Beach is the skimboarding and surfing central for the Davao region, a good three hours away from Davao City. (Photo by goofyazooo via Tripadvisor)

Dahican Beach has become a mecca for skimboarding and surfing in the Davao Region, as its stunning coastline receives swells up to 10 feet high from the Pacific Ocean.

It’s also a popular destination for swimmers because its cool powdery white sand stretches for seven kilometers along  the crescent-shaped coastline dotted by lofty coconut trees, and  into its clean and invigorating waters.

A portion of Mayo Bay whose directly waters feed the beach has been declared a marine sanctuary to protect the dolphins, sea cows, and sea turtles that reside or swim through the area. It’s common to see these sea creatures frolicking in the distance.

There are very few resorts along the Dahican coastline – most are located a kilometer or two away from the main beach. But there are simple cottages available for rent from the locals to store your beach gear or for picnics. It’s best to bring your own food and bottled water.

Getting there: Major airlines have daily flights to Davao City from Manila, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro. Airconditioned and non-airconditioned buses regularly ply the route from Davao City to Mati – the trip will take almost five hours (or three to four hours by private vehicle.) From the city proper of Mati, Dahican Beach is only a tricycle ride away.

(For other information about Dahican and other places of interest in Mati, contact the City Tourism Office at +6387-3883-234, or via email: matitourismoffice@yahoo.com)

(This piece was originally published in the April 1, 2013 issue of the BusinessMirror. So tell me, what's your favorite beach in the Philippines?) 

Travel Bites: The sweet spots of Negros Occidental

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy

Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high

Oh, your daddy’s rich and your ma is good-lookin’

So hush, little baby; don’t you cry.…”

WHENEVER I think of Negros Occidental, I hear Ella Fitzgerald singing that song so languorously in my head, with Louie Armstrong at the trumpet.

The province once evoked a similar vibe and atmosphere as the colonial southern United States, except that sugar was the commodity that fueled the often rich and indulgent lifestyles of the hacienderos of old.

The sugar crisis of the 1980s, which led to a virtual collapse of the industry, took away some of the wealth, but not the joie de vivre of its people. In fact, its famous fiesta, MassKara Festival, regularly held around the time of Bacolod City’s charter day (October 19), was created amid those horrendous years, to inspire the residents to get back on their feet and triumph against all odds.

Reminiscent of the carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the MassKara Festival features street dancers in artistic displays of handcrafted masks and colorful costumes, beauty contests, food festivals, trade fairs and sports events.

Aside from Bacolod’s MassKara Festival, the entire province whoops it up during the Panaad Festival—where all the cities and municipalities of the province gather at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City and showcase their wares. There will be a lot of drinking, dancing and eating during this weeklong festival, which will be held from April 8 to 14 this year.

Of course, everything is still about sugar in Negros, and most of the sights will still remind you of its once-glorious sweet past. And then there’s the food—just gems of culinary flavors that make Negrense cuisine arguably the best in the Philippines.

Masskara Festival in Bacolod (Photo courtesy Department of Tourism)

Must-see’s

On the whole, the province has been able to preserve most of the vestiges of its past including heritage homes and the facades of old churches.

Known as “Paris of Negros,” Silay City is a treasure trove of well-preserved ancestral homes.  Balay Negrense (Cinco de Noviembre Street, Silay City), which was built by sugar baron Victor Gaston, is a typical bahay na bato (stone house) It has since been turned into a museum and furnished with authentic period furniture from the 19th century.

Another heritage home in Silay worth seeing is the Hofileña Heritage House because the owner, Ramon Hofileña, still lives there and regales his guests with stories of the old Silay. It also features his private art collection and family heirloom pieces. Call 034-495-4561 for bookings. (For more on Silay’s heritage, contact the Silay City Tourism Division, Green House, Generoso Gamboa Street, 034-495-5145.)

In Bago City, there is also the ancestral home of Gen. Juan Anacleto Araneta who led a revolt of locals versus the Spaniards. The house has also been turned into a museum and a repository of the family’s memorabilia and furniture.

Most of the centuries-old churches in Negros Occidental may be intact but most their interiors had been restored with a modern touch. Still, worth a look-see are the San Sebastian Cathedral in the provincial capital Bacolod City   (constructed in 1876), the Saint  Mary Magdalene in Hinigaran (1881) and Our Lady of the Guadalupe (1851) in Valladolid.

While not heritage churches, the Church of Cartwheels in Hacienda Rosalia, Manapla, is uniquely designed using farm tools and implements, while the Church of the Angry Christ in Victorias features the mural of an angry Christ by local artist Alfonso Ossorio who wanted to portray Judgment Day.

The Ruins (Talisay City) is what remains of the European-style mansion of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson. According to local history, it was burned down during World War II by the American forces and local guerrillas to prevent Japanese forces from using it as their headquarters. It is a picturesque reminder of what was once a romantic and opulent time in the province’s history. Wine and dine at the restaurant within the property or play a round of mini-golf. (For particulars call  0917-8326-003 or 034-4764-334.)

The Ruins in Talisay City (Photo from www.theruins.com.ph)

Have a picnic at the Mambukal Mountain Resort (Barangay Minoyan, Murcia) and try to reach all seven waterfalls that run throughout the property. It also has a bathhouse fed by hot springs, known to have therapeutic properties, as well as gardens and a lush forest. There are also cottages available for those who want to stay overnight. (http://www.mambukalhaven.com/)

Must-do’s

Chow it down. Aside from the chicken inasal or barbecue chicken (Aida’s, Manokan Country, SM City reclamation area), Negros Occidental is also popular for its seafood (served grilled at Aboy’s, Golden Field Commercial Complex, Bacolod City); kansi, slow-boiled tender beef shanks in broth soured with batuan, a local fruit (Sharyn’s Cansi House, C-58 Narra Avenue, Capitol Shopping Center, Bacolod City); and lumpiang ubod, a spring roll with heart of palm filling (El Ideal Bakery and Refreshment, 118 Rizal Street, Silay City).

For fresh diwal or Angel Wing’s Clams, drive out to Valladolid where vendors have set up stalls along the national highway; piaya, barquillos and barquiron from Sugarlandia (Yulo-Lizares Street, Bacolod City); and sweet treats like napoleones and half-moon from Pendy’s (25th and Lacson Street, Bacolod City), cakes and pastries from Felicia’s Cafe (6th Lacson Street, DOLL Building, Bacolod City).

The best of Negros cooking is really whipped up in the kitchens of the old families of the province. Many of these families have handed down their recipes through generations and keep these as closely-guarded secrets. So if you ever find yourself invited to the home of local residents, do not pass up the opportunity!

The succulent Diwal (Angel Wing Clam) is just one of the tasty seafood available in Negros Occidental.

Swing it! Negros Occidental hosts three world-class golf courses—Bacolod Golf and Country Club (Alcabaza Street, Bacolod City), Victorias Golf and Country Club (Vicmico, Victorias) and Negros Golf and Country Club (Bata Subdivision, Bacolod City). Except for Victorias, which has an open policy, the other two are private golf courses and thus, you need to be accompanied by a member to be able to play as a guest there.

Environmental check. Ecotourists will want to visit the Danjugan Island Marine Sanctuary in Cauayan (http://prrcf.org/danjugan-sanctuary) run by the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc. for snorkeling, kayaking and other marine activities, or the Mount Kanlaon Natural Park for hiking and mountain climbing. Hiking permits must first be secured from the park management at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources office (Cascuela Building, Gatuslao Street, Bacolod City T# 034-7085-637).

You can also scope out the water birds at the Pulupandan (Sitio Cavan, Barangay Tapong), where some 46 species have been surveyed including some that are on the globally “threatened” list. Visitors should register at the Pulupandan municipal office, which will provide a guide to the birdwatching area. The best times to see the birds are 4-6 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. (For more tourism ideas and tour packages, http://tourism.negros-occ.gov.ph/)

Where to stay

Bacolod City is the most convenient area as a base even while traveling throughout Negros Occcidental. But one must not expect four- or five-star accommodations. At best, most hotels approximate three-star accommodations but guests are rewarded with the most accommodating staff and the friendliest of smiles, after all, Bacolod is the City of Smiles.

East View Hotel (Circumferential Road and E. Diola Street, Bacolod) is not exactly centrally-located, but taxis are always available to take guests to the city center. Its rooms are spacious and always kept clean, a good selection of dishes from its buffet breakfast, and staffare friendly and always accommodating. (For inquiries, click http://www.eastviewhotel.com)

Because it is relatively new and centrally located, Avenue Suites (Corner 12th Lacson Street, Bacolod City) is a nice choice as well. It has good-sized rooms with LED TV screens and its beds are comfortable. Only downside is that guests have to take their free breakfast at Pancake House although it is within the hotel premises. But there are better restaurants all within walking distance that can perhaps offer more Bacoleño breakfast dining options. (Checkhttp://www.avenuesuites.com.ph/ for booking details.)

Getting there: All major carriers fly to Bacolod City daily.

Getting around: Either drive yourself or hire a private car and driver. Check out Nyala Tours (http://www.nyalatoursbacolod.com) or MECA-J Rent A Car, 034-433-6948 or  0918-9282-560.

(This piece was originally published on March 11, 2013, in the BusinessMirror.)

Namets is namit

MIGGY and I caught the last showing of Namets at the Robinsons Galleria on Feb. 3 .

The plot is simple: Jacko (Christian Vasquez) incurs a gambling debt to the local kingpin Boss Dolpo (Peque Gallaga). To pay off the debt, Jacko turns over his Italian restaurant to Boss Dolpo. But Boss Dolpo wants Jacko to stay on as chef, at the same time, he wants the restaurant to become a moneymaker. In comes Cassie (Angel Jacob), who studied in the prestigious Les Roches in Switzerland but curiously works as a caterer in Bacolod (ngek!), and whose food Boss Dolpo enjoyed at party. The latter takes her on as a restaurant consultant. (Btw, I wonder if the name "Jacko" was a play on the Ilonggo word "dako" meaning big. Mmmm...Vasquez sure gives me the shivers.)

Right off, we already could smell some history between Jacko and Cassie and that they would probably fight w/ each other but still end up back in each other's arms. (Predictable but oks lang. This is after all, a Pinoy movie so predictable plots and storylines are a given.) All this time, Oscar (Dwight Gaston), Boss Dolpo's right hand man, provides the one constant thread of humor in the film as he makes his boss' wishes known to all. (Boss Dolpo keeps stuffing his face w/ food so he can hardly speak. It is only Oscar who understands him.)

(Christian Vasquez as Jacko. Sorry ladies, he is completely clothed in this movie.)

Namets isn't really a serious film of great historical or cinematographic importance. But it's a sweet little film wrapped in all good things Ilonggo or Negrense - the food, the people, the sweet singsong/lambing of the dialect - which unfortunately, makes its audience too limited. Throughout the film, only Miggy and I were laughing out loud at the touches of wit and Negrense humor. The other two in the audience were strangely silent; perhaps the humor didn't translate well to English.

True the writing needs some polishing as some scenes appeared contrived. Like one of the vignettes showed a man teaching his children how to eat chicken inasal/sugba and what dipping sauce one should use - I thought this was an excuse to show the audience what inasal is all about. Or the part were Jacko's mom gives him the recipes of his lola, which miraculously transforms his character into someone who found Negrense food "boring", into someone who believes it's God's gift to humanity!

I also thought the characters needed to be fleshed out further. Jacko cooks, he owns a restaurant, he is Negrense. How could he not know that the special souring ingredient used in kansi (beef stew) is batuan, a small green fruit endemic to the Western Visayas region? Cassie, the Swiss-trained chef, had to be the one to show him the ingredients to this yummy broth! The irony here was that the supposed irony in the said scene failed to be ironic. I have yet to meet an Ilonggo who doesn't know what batuan is and what it's used for.

Those little inconsistencies aside, Namets is cute. There was just something comforting about hearing people talk in one's dialect. The acting was effortless for most of the cast – Dwight Gaston was positively brilliant, so was the girl who played Jacko's sister, Ronnie Lazaro as a man trying to feed his children by slaughtering their pets, and remarkably, even the kid who played Lazaro's son perpetually screaming as he tried to prevent his father from doing the deed. What was troubling though was that Vasquez, despite being a Negrense himself, seemed uncomfortable and a bit stiff in his performance. But Jacob was a pleasant surprise - I didn't she could act as I always see her hosting, although in a few scenes she did tend to be shrilly and OA.

Some of my Ilonggo friends were critical of Jacob because she didn't speak like a Bacolodnon (or as MAR Roxas says it, "Bacolodian," LOL!), but then she is not an Ilongga, unlike the other cast members. Still, I thought she gave it real effort and pasable na sya. (I'm not a native speaker myself having grown up in Manila so perhaps I'm a tad kinder to her attempt at speaking the dialect.)

(Angel Jacob plays Cassie. Photos from Namets web site.)

Being a small budget film, understandably Namets wouldn't be able to attract bigger name celebrities who could've help expand the audience beyond the limited Ilonggo market, which is unfortunate, because the film was truly respectable in its intent, w/c was to showcase Negros and its food. I wouldn't put it exactly on the same level as Babette's Feast, Eat Drink Man Woman, or Like Water for Chocolate, but the film's limitations considered, I think this was a great effort on the part of Director Jay Abello to show other Filipinos or cultures how our food bonds us together. I think people should see Namets when it gets shown again. Miggy and I enjoyed it, laughed at the jokes, salivated over the food (and marveled at how Peque Gallaga has grown even bigger).

I haven't seen Bacolod since the 1980s and watching the film made me miss it tremendously. The last time I was there, McDonald's didn't have a branch yet, and the best hotel was still Sugarland, yikes! Oh I miss the piaya, the kansi, the batchoy, the napoleones, sigh...

Congratulations to Abello and cast for making a heartwarming film. I look forward to seeing more Ilonggo films in the future.