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Tamulong Beach (Storm Signal No. 2 only)

Real Ivatan Cowgirl!

Another Real Ivatan Cowgirl!

TORONTO -The summer of 1999 visit that took place after almost 2 decades of not visiting home was followed by a couple of visits in relative quick succession: one in 2001 with my father and the other in 2002 with my family.

It has always been a dream to show my children the Philippines and Batanes, but circumstances are that it could not be much earlier. Establishing roots in another country is never easy and before you know it, decades have gone by. [Knowing what I know now, I would have been so scared to leave the Philippines (the country in general was a much better place when I left, I think), although things were not all that bad where I'm now after all.] In addition, with the extended family no longer in the Philippines, there's not much compelling reason to visit.

Manila. In Manila, we stayed for a few days and visited some tourist spots and the university belt. The institutions of higher learning where I spent the best years of my life have changed, and not for the better, but what more would we expect.

The children witnessed Manila's pollution and congestion but it was better than they thought. They were expecting the worse. Their perception of the city prior to the visit was based mainly on news reports of heavy traffic and polluted creeks and rivers, although we did try to prepare them for what they've never experienced before.

There were crime stories when we were in Manila but to us: What crime? I guess we were lucky.


                                     Are we the only Ivatans here? Are we with strangers?

Batanes is still the land of the Ivatans, but we can tell Basco and Batanes are getting cosmopolitan which is good for as long as we preserve our Ivatan heritage. Walking around town in Basco and taking public transportation to the other towns, we hear people speaking to one another in English, Filipino, Taglish, et cetera, in any tongue but Ivatan. There's nothing wrong with that and welcome to our world. Vive le difference, but they make us wonder: Are we the only Ivatans here? Are we with strangers? Where are the Ivatans?

              . . . the hills can wait some other time, if ever there is another time. Who knows,
                    maybe never, but their memories of Batanes will always be with them . . .

We watched some Ivatan cultural presentations. We walked the beaches and visited family and friends, but never had the chance to climb the hills. It was too humid at the time. I guess the hills can wait some other time, if ever there is another time. Who knows, maybe never, but their memories of Batanes will always be with them for the rest of their lives.



                                                               Laoag City has advanced

We didn't have advanced reservations at Fort Ilocandia and so the only accomodation available were upscale. We were appalled, more than amazed, by the opulence. Are we in the 1st world? We visited Laoag's tourist spots: historical churches, the Malacanang of the North and even the Marcos Mausoleum. Laoag City has advanced and it's almost a Western city except for the tricycles. There's even a drive-thru McDonald's. We left for Baguio City.

The bus ride from Laoag to Baguio was an experience in itself. It was great! It was a weekday and the bus was not crowded: half-empty or half-full. It surely beats a crowded Toronto bus or subway train. It surely beats an almost fully-booked trans-Pacific flight. The climb up to the summer capital was amazing. There were even moments along the stretches of winding road when the clouds were below us and yet we're solidly on terra firma.

                                                                 Baguio is congested!

We arrived at Baguio and how it has changed. It was not the Baguio that we knew in the 70s and 80s. What was once fresh mountain air is now replaced by heavily polluted air. Baguio is congested! We visited some tourist spots including a tribal village. Then the climb down to Manila through the modern Marcos Highway. Another world?

with our luggage. We tried to be fair with them and all is well that ends well, but it's certainly not for people inexperienced with Manila's daily bustle and hustle.

Back in Manila, we toured more historical sites, but surprised to know that access to Malacanang Palace was restricted. I was surprised because at the height of Martial law and even as late as the early 1980s, people with proper identification could still have access to the palace grounds. What went wrong?

                . . . amazed (if not appalled) by the modernity of the streets and office towers

We toured Manila's Makati business district and amazed (if not appalled) by the modernity of the streets and office towers. Overkill? Are we in a 1st world country? Yet on our way back to the hotel we passed by street kids and shanties along riverbanks and railway tracks. What's going on? What's the Philippine gini coefficient?

We toured Corregidor and the Malinta Tunnel and noticed the almost absence of foreign tourists. The seats in the tour boat tell that all is not well with the tourism industry. Tourists were mainly Overseas Pinays/Pinoys, but foreign tourists are also needed if we're to revive the tourism industry.

                    Unfortunately, the progress or advancement of a country is measured not
                      so much by its malls as among other indicators by its infrastructure and
                                         how it cares for the less fortunate of its citizenry

Oh, yes, I almost forgot the modern shopping malls, and not because I almost lost my wallet in one and was propositioned in another. Anyway, there's no question they can compare with the best in the world. They would have been impressive if not for the knowledge that majority of the workers in those places are receiving below-subsistence wages. They would have been impressive if not for the knowledge that the business activities in those places are driven mainly by the toils and sufferings of OFWs. Nevertheless, I appreciate the fact that in this sector we can compare with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the progress or advancement of a country is measured not so much by its malls as among other indicators by its infrastructure and how it cares for the less fortunate of its citizenry.

                                       We missed the Philippines and its wonderful people

We left Manila for Toronto by way of Nagoya and Vancouver. We missed the Philippines and its wonderful people. On the way back the difference in infrastructure between the 3rd world and the 1st world was evident. Obviously, the hardware or infrastructure are better in the more advanced countries, but the software or people are much better in the Philippines - and to many of us, it's the latter that matters most. How true, indeed, is the proverbial "we cannot have the best of both worlds."

                        They were appalled at how polarized the socio-economic conditions
                               are in the Philippines - extreme wealth and extreme poverty

Overall, the children enjoyed the Philippine trip. However, not used to seeing a significant gap between the rich and the poor, they didn't enjoy witnessing apparent plenty in the midst of want or need. They were appalled at how polarized the socio-economic conditions are in the Philippines - extreme wealth and extreme poverty. They can only be astounded. There's not much they can do, much as they want to do something and much as they abhor the situation.

Time flies. It's now winter in Toronto and today the streets are shrouded with freshly fallen snow, but the Summer of '02 in Batanes will always be on our minds. It's just unfortunate that in a country of wonderful people, all is not well economically. I feel sad seeing our country sliding down fast into the abyss. Still, never say die! Mabuhay! - vbc, December 2002

The Batanes Resort

Now, they're going to see it for themselves

Nevertheless, the children must see the Philippines and this dot in the map called Batanes. I remember one day as I arrived from work and my pre-school daughter said to me: "I was looking at the atlas and I saw Batanes but there was nothing there." I told her that it's that dot in the map but that it's a big world out there in that our little corner of the world. Now, they're going to see it for themselves.

We took the direct flight from Toronto to Tokyo and then onward to

We left for Batanes.

They liked Batanes and were amazed by the scenery, but even more so by the people (except that there was murder in Basco when we were there, but by a transient worker). The food was fresh (straight from the garden) and good, but we were somehow surprised that even in Batanes the Ivatans were drinking bottled water from Manila. Something wrong with the natural spring waters of Batanes? We don't know.

. . . Batanes
more than a dot in the map, a big world out there . . .

Now, it's true that Batanes is more than a dot in the map, a big world out there in that our little corner of the world.

We left for Laoag City. We decided to retrace the route I used to take when I was a student leaving Batanes for Manila except for the detour to Baguio City.

We arrived at Laoag City and stayed there for a few days.

Across the Central Plains we passed by all kinds of houses and people: small houses and big houses, poor people and rich people. There was heavy traffic in the bigger towns and cities, but the main freeway as we approached Manila makes one believe that one is in a more advanced country except for the houses underneath the elevated stretches of the highway.

We reached the big city and at the bus station overenthusiastic porters or helpers or luggage specialists scrambled to help us