10:30 a.m.
“PALAWAN!”
That was the first word my officemates exclaimed upon our plane’s arrival at the Puerto Princesa Airport, July 17 Friday at approximately thirty minutes past ten - amidst the jubilant welcome of the “military band” that greeted every tourist as if we were Very Important Palaweños (VIPs).
With the unexpected first-hand hospitality, I expected much after the warm airport reception.
I was not mistaken. Our Travel Agency, 3B’s Tours and Travel, made our JHE Cluster embrace the warm-er VIP reception via their custom-made streamer, shell-adorned necklaces, and of course, that au natural Palaweño charm.
Talk about an all-out VIP experience in just the first thirty minutes of your trip.
I was not mistaken. Our Travel Agency, 3B’s Tours and Travel, made our JHE Cluster embrace the warm-er VIP reception via their custom-made streamer, shell-adorned necklaces, and of course, that au natural Palaweño charm.
Talk about an all-out VIP experience in just the first thirty minutes of your trip.
And so, our three-day VIP adventure began with…
12:30 p.m.
…hungry stomachs eager for some native cooking. Seafood and native restaurant Bilao at Palayok concocted the perfect ingredients for this craving.
Bilao at Palayok’s ambiance was exceptional, the mood relaxed with soothing jazz music fitted for a quiet conversation or two. True to its name, the restaurant boasts of a native atmosphere - a brief refresher to the quiet and laidback Palaweño lifestyle. My favorite part would definitely be the tribal statues and images strategically located in different parts of the resto. My fascination for Survivor still follows me wherever I am.
Food-wise though, the lunch was just great, not superb nor a must-try. Dishes served were as enticing as how they were presented, but the meal was, in Tagalog, “bitin.”
Either the serving in the bilao was just too economical or our stomachs wanted an upsurge from its recession.
Or Both.
I give Bilao at Palayok seven out of ten spoons.
12:30 p.m.
…hungry stomachs eager for some native cooking. Seafood and native restaurant Bilao at Palayok concocted the perfect ingredients for this craving.
Bilao at Palayok’s ambiance was exceptional, the mood relaxed with soothing jazz music fitted for a quiet conversation or two. True to its name, the restaurant boasts of a native atmosphere - a brief refresher to the quiet and laidback Palaweño lifestyle. My favorite part would definitely be the tribal statues and images strategically located in different parts of the resto. My fascination for Survivor still follows me wherever I am.
Food-wise though, the lunch was just great, not superb nor a must-try. Dishes served were as enticing as how they were presented, but the meal was, in Tagalog, “bitin.”
Either the serving in the bilao was just too economical or our stomachs wanted an upsurge from its recession.
Or Both.
I give Bilao at Palayok seven out of ten spoons.
2:30 p.m.To Puerto Princesa City we tour.
With our guide Edna B. De Los Angeles at hand, the tour around the main pueblo of Puerto Princesa began with some important facts about one of the cleanest city in the Philippines.
“…The largest Philippine city in terms of total land area, Puerto Princesa was named after a Spanish princess born in 1864. The place was initially known as Puerto de la Princesa, but was later change to its present name after the princess’ untimely death. The town’s bay area became center for Spanish naval operations during the conquestadors’ occupation.
The town was formally inaugurated provincial capital of Palawan during the American regime; then a Philippine city by 1970. Puerto Princesa and the rest of Palawan belong to the MIMAROPA region.”
Intrigued by these facts and more Palawan gossips shared inside the van, we ogled over what lies behind this Puerto Princesa vibe.
The city is a spectacle of progress, evident in small-to-medium-scale business establishment surrounding the pueblo. Of course, Jollibee was a sure sign of the development in this quaint town populated by the warm and amiable personalities of pure-blooded Palaweños.
Puerto Princesa is much like my old place back home. It imbibed the aroma of my Dipolog – quiet yet ambitious, serene but adventurous, cozy although expanding. This made me easy to embrace the beauty of the Princesa and the many pearls she has unraveled throughout the years.
Two of these magnificent pearls were the Immaculate Conception Church and the Plaza Cuartel – two adjacent reminders; one of faith, the other a testimony of it.
Situated a few yards from the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral, Plaza Cuartel is a grimful reminder of the Palawan Massacre of 1944. The note on the marker reads, “Sa pook na ito na dating taggulang militar noong ikalawang digmaang pandaigdig naganap ang pagsunog ng mga sundalong Hapon sa humigit kumulang 150 Amerikanong bihag ng digma noong 14 Disyembre 1944.”
Of the enlisted prisoners-of-wars, only eleven men survived the massacre – most of them swam across the bay and were rescued by Iwahig Penal Colony inmates. Survivor Eugene Nielsen of the 59th Coast Artillery recounted that ‘the [Japanese] would laugh and shoot or bayonet the [prisoners-of-wars] in the stomach.’ Marine Sergeant Douglas Bouge revealed ‘the Japanese resorted to dynamites in forcing men out of the rocks where they hid.’ Meanwhile, Marine Glen McDole survived the massacre and an ‘apendectomy without anesthesia’ while hiding in the camp garbage dump with two other prisoners. (More stories from survivors on the link provided in Palawan: The Monday Adjective.)
After the short detour to history lane, we were lead to another local wonder – a vibrant masterpiece of the unique Palaweño craftsmanship
.
Binuatan Creations became the venue for a much-demanded pasalubong spree. The products offered were mostly ‘made of local fibers and grasses endemic in Puerto Princesa City beautifully [crafted] by women, out-of-school-youths, and working students.’ Some officemates even got a first-hand experience in weaving indigenous fiber-made mats, which sells for Php 20.00 to Php 30.00 per yard. The souvenir shop beamed with its native products – from colorful bags to practical table runners and accessories; to personalized notepads and even attractive wall decors.
I bought only few items though - three notepads, a bookmark, and one table runner were a good enough buy. Something told me to be rather stingy on that spree, knowing the next days may lead to better and cheaper deals. (As day three revealed, I was right all along.)
Of the enlisted prisoners-of-wars, only eleven men survived the massacre – most of them swam across the bay and were rescued by Iwahig Penal Colony inmates. Survivor Eugene Nielsen of the 59th Coast Artillery recounted that ‘the [Japanese] would laugh and shoot or bayonet the [prisoners-of-wars] in the stomach.’ Marine Sergeant Douglas Bouge revealed ‘the Japanese resorted to dynamites in forcing men out of the rocks where they hid.’ Meanwhile, Marine Glen McDole survived the massacre and an ‘apendectomy without anesthesia’ while hiding in the camp garbage dump with two other prisoners. (More stories from survivors on the link provided in Palawan: The Monday Adjective.)
After the short detour to history lane, we were lead to another local wonder – a vibrant masterpiece of the unique Palaweño craftsmanship
.
Binuatan Creations became the venue for a much-demanded pasalubong spree. The products offered were mostly ‘made of local fibers and grasses endemic in Puerto Princesa City beautifully [crafted] by women, out-of-school-youths, and working students.’ Some officemates even got a first-hand experience in weaving indigenous fiber-made mats, which sells for Php 20.00 to Php 30.00 per yard. The souvenir shop beamed with its native products – from colorful bags to practical table runners and accessories; to personalized notepads and even attractive wall decors.
I bought only few items though - three notepads, a bookmark, and one table runner were a good enough buy. Something told me to be rather stingy on that spree, knowing the next days may lead to better and cheaper deals. (As day three revealed, I was right all along.)
From a historical insight to Palaweño ingenuity, Puerto Princesa next showcased her natural wonder via the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center.
Founded in 1987 with support from the Japan International Cooperative Agency, the Crocodile Farming Institute was established with the aim ‘to conserve [two] endangered species of crocodiles, C. porosus and C. mindorensis,’ and ‘to introduce and develop suitable farming technology to uplift the socio-economic well being of the [country].’
Renamed Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, the institute is a sanctuary to wildlife species and a free retreat for stressed Makati associates with Mother Nature.
Among the activities in the Center included a visit to the Hatching House for newly-born crocodiles, the stimulating stroll to witness the motionless nocturnal adult reptilians take their lazy afternoon naps, and the immediate insight to the Nature Park, a clandestine haven for wildlife animals – from the graceful ostrich and the noble eagle, to the loquacious myna bird and the timid bearcat.
Founded in 1987 with support from the Japan International Cooperative Agency, the Crocodile Farming Institute was established with the aim ‘to conserve [two] endangered species of crocodiles, C. porosus and C. mindorensis,’ and ‘to introduce and develop suitable farming technology to uplift the socio-economic well being of the [country].’
Renamed Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, the institute is a sanctuary to wildlife species and a free retreat for stressed Makati associates with Mother Nature.
Among the activities in the Center included a visit to the Hatching House for newly-born crocodiles, the stimulating stroll to witness the motionless nocturnal adult reptilians take their lazy afternoon naps, and the immediate insight to the Nature Park, a clandestine haven for wildlife animals – from the graceful ostrich and the noble eagle, to the loquacious myna bird and the timid bearcat.
But the main highlight was the photo-ops with the kid crocs, tagged reasonably at Php 30.00. I did not dare hold those crocodiles though, even if that stranger ordered me to. Their skin would just remind me of snakes, and (argh) I fear snakes.
The visit to the Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center revealed the vulnerable side of being a ‘buwaya’, contrary to its usual connotation with greed and selfishness. In that, the buwaya and the rest of wildlife deserve our utmost respect.
The visit to the Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center revealed the vulnerable side of being a ‘buwaya’, contrary to its usual connotation with greed and selfishness. In that, the buwaya and the rest of wildlife deserve our utmost respect.
Freedom within walls, instead outside of, has been exemplified in our next stop, the Iwahig Penal Colony. Dubbed ‘the world’s largest prison without bars’, the Iwahig Penal Colony was established in Palawan in 1904 to serve ‘as a depository for prisoners who could no longer be accommodated at the Bilibid Prison in Manila.’ The tour guide narrated that the inmates today are subdivided into three major groups: minimum (identified with brown shirts), middle (blue), and maximum (orange) security inmates.
The inmates are given livelihood programs during their term. These include farming, fishing, forestry, carpentry, and hospital paramedical work, to name a few. These projects would probably explain why most inmates choose to live within the communities near the Colony once they are emancipated.
“Mas mabuti na dito sa Iwahig kasi may ikinabubuhay sila; mahirap maghanap ng hanapbuhay sa labas kaya dito na rin sila namamalagi kung nakalaya na,” explained our tour guide.
The inmates are given livelihood programs during their term. These include farming, fishing, forestry, carpentry, and hospital paramedical work, to name a few. These projects would probably explain why most inmates choose to live within the communities near the Colony once they are emancipated.
“Mas mabuti na dito sa Iwahig kasi may ikinabubuhay sila; mahirap maghanap ng hanapbuhay sa labas kaya dito na rin sila namamalagi kung nakalaya na,” explained our tour guide.
As a gesture of respect towards the inmates, no pictures were taken within the facility. Products handcrafted by the inmates were purchased instead.
From the Penal Colony, we proceeded to our next destination that redefined ‘picturesque viewpoint.’
The retreat house of former House Speaker Ramon V. Mitra, Jr. displayed the untouched scenery of Palawan and painted lush greens perfect for cattle grazing. The house is reflective of the former House Speaker’s long-time involvement with cattle, particularly his post as a Chairman of the Farm Management Enterprises Corporation which operated farm cattle ranches.
From the Penal Colony, we proceeded to our next destination that redefined ‘picturesque viewpoint.’
The retreat house of former House Speaker Ramon V. Mitra, Jr. displayed the untouched scenery of Palawan and painted lush greens perfect for cattle grazing. The house is reflective of the former House Speaker’s long-time involvement with cattle, particularly his post as a Chairman of the Farm Management Enterprises Corporation which operated farm cattle ranches.
Mitra was elected Palawan congressman for two terms, 1965 until 1973, but resigned during midterm. He became senator in 1971, and after the EDSA revolution in 1986, was appointed Agriculture Secretary. He later became Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1987.
A sneak peak for day two’s itinerary, the Hunda Bay, can be seen from the retreat house.A quick stop at the Baker’s Hill stamped the final wonder for day one.
Baker’s Hill has became a local tourist spot not only for their local pastries and delicacies (their Halo-Halo sold at Php 60.00 is a guaranteed must-try) but also for their unique decorations, mostly figures from our favorite cartoons, ornamenting the place. An officemate even confirmed the reasonableness of one piece. He was more than satisfied.
Much has happened during the first day of our Palawan adventure. Needless to say, the first day was only a primer to the incredible escapade of days two and three.
Writing-wise, my hands gave birth to Fundador, the love child of that stranger and the hypnotic breath of alcoholic liquid. See Palawan: Fundador for this post.
Off to day two. Or should I say, tayo na’t magbabad sa mainit na alon ng ikalawang sikat ng araw.
Writing-wise, my hands gave birth to Fundador, the love child of that stranger and the hypnotic breath of alcoholic liquid. See Palawan: Fundador for this post.
Off to day two. Or should I say, tayo na’t magbabad sa mainit na alon ng ikalawang sikat ng araw.
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