A visit to the Philippines

The Philippines is a country regrouping over 7000 islands, located north of the Malaysian archipelago.  Here, the year-round tropical climate and varied landscape is home to a diverse group of people with ethnic backgrounds varying from Malaysian to Chinese, to Spanish, to American.  However, we found that the Philippines has a unique charm that it truly its own!

The country is traditionally divided into three large regions.  Luzon, the northernmost area, is known for its agriculture, particularly the impressive rice terraces in Banaue.  These stone plateaus and pathways were built 2000 years ago and are used to this day by the Ifugao people.  The unique, westernmost island of Palawan is also grouped into the area of Luzon.  Often referred to as “The Last Frontier,” Palawan distinguishes itself from the rest of the country by its rugged landscape and is home to a number of species of flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth.  The second region, the Visayas, is composed of numerous tiny islands including the famed island of Bohol where one finds the Chocolate Hills- intriguing geological mounds that turn brown in the sun- as well as the tarsier, a charming primate that would fit in the palm of your hand!  Some of the best diving sites in the world can be found in Palawan and the Visayas.  Finally, the region of Mindanao is the only area of the Philippines where there is a large Muslim population, the remainder of the country being primarily Catholic. Certain areas in this southernmost part of the country should be avoided due to terrorist activities which present a real danger to Filipinos and visitors alike.  Mindanao, however, possesses some must-sees including the highest peak, Mount Apo, as well as the city with the largest area in the world, Davao City. Many dialects are spoken throughout the Philippines, the most common languages being Visayas and Tagalog, which resembles Filipino, the country’s official language.  English is also spoken fluently by the majority of the population.

Eating in the Philippines is a fun and adventurous experience!  Like in most parts of Asia, rice is the base of the Filipino diet.  Most often it is served with grilled fish, pork or chicken.  Many Filipino dishes are either sautés or involve deep-frying.  Nothing is wasted, and many traditional dishes feature different organs or intestines.  Filipinos seem to have a sweet tooth, as rather than serving up spicy food, their meals tend to be quite sweet.  This is true for their bread, their spaghetti sauce and of course their fabulous desserts!  Fruits are always fresh and tasty in the Philippines, which cultivates and exports pineapples, mangos, papayas, bananas, coconuts… What a treat!  Each region of the Philippines has its own culinary specialties of which they are particularly proud!

Public transportation plays a crucial role in Filipino society.  Most individuals rely on this service, while cars and other private vehicles are rarely used outside the capital of Manila.  The most popular form of transportation, and consequently the least expensive, is the jeepney, a vehicle inspired by the American jeeps used in the Second World War.  Each jeepney is unique, multicoloured and decorated with a variety of stickers and knick-knacks that are often of a religious nature.  A sort of language seems to have evolved around this form of transport: different clicking sounds can get the driver to stop, start, indicate that payment is required, etc.  The tricycle is another popular way of getting around in the Philippines.  This is a small motorbike, usually well-aged, with a covered sidecar attached.  It is surprising the variety and number of things that can fit in a tricycle, from several people, to animals, to food, to construction supplies.  The unspoken rule is that there is always room for one more!

A thousand images of this incredible country will be forever etched in our memories: workers out in the hot rice fields with their carabaos or water buffalos… rows of huts selling wares along the roadside that seemed to stretch on forever… Mostly, however, we will remember the incredible warmth and hospitality of the Filipino people.  Their contagious good humor, sensitivity and kindness are more than touching and we returned to Canada with life-long friends!

Exploration

Talisay and Tagaytay, Luzon
May 26- 27, 2007

Our excursion to Talisay and Tagaytay gave us the chance to take public transportation on our own for the first time.  These two villages are located about two hours south of Manila, on the banks of Lake Taal.  In the center of the lake is the Taal Volcano which we climbed under an intense sun before finally swimming in its crater.  Our boat trip to reach this site permitted a glimpse of some of the fishing villages lining the edges of the lake.

Bohol
May 28 - 31, 2007

Our first stop on the island of Bohol was Panglao Island, where we ran into some of the only other Caucasians we saw during our entire trip!  We spent two amazing days taking in the fascinating ocean life.  We had our first experience SCUBA diving in the ocean- the incredible variety of coral and fish was a far cry from our SCUBA training in Canadian lakes!  The remainder of our stay in Bohol was spent lodged at “Nuts Huts”, small cottages lining the Loboc River, surrounded by lush green jungle and the sound of lizards at night.  The river’s green waters were perhaps a bit too inviting…  Swimming maybe wasn’t such a good idea after all!

Our short visit to Bohol could not have been complete without visiting the Chocolate Hills, (rolling mounds named for their characteristic colour during the dry season) and meeting up with the famous “tarsier”, the emblematic primate of Bohol.  These docile creatures could fit in the palm of your hand, and although their eyes are more voluminous than their brains, they are really quite charming!  Our visit to Bohol gave us many opportunities to make use of the different modes of public transportation available in the Philippines, including buses, jeepneys and tricycles.  Travel in and of itself became an exciting adventure!  One jeepney in which we found ourselves was equipped with a panel that lit up the words “Pray for us” each time that the driver pressed on the brake pedal!

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
June 3rd, Sabang, Puerto Princesa, Palawan

One of Palawan’s two UNESCO world heritage sites, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is a place of astounding beauty!  The river, with its unique rock formations jutting out from above and below, extends several kilometers into a mountain.  Visitors are greeted by the strong smell of guano and the sound of thousands of swallows that fly weaving their way through the labyrinth of river tunnels.  We left the river amazed by the enormity of it all, only to find ourselves face to face with a charming family of long-tailed macaques and two enormous monitor lizards.  The turquoise water lapped up against the pure white sand beach where we ate our picnic lunch.  Mother Nature seemed to know what she was doing when she made this place!

Island Hopping
June 9-10, Port Barton, San Vicente, Palawan

Finding ourselves faced with a long weekend and no vet to work with, we decided to take advantage of Palawan’s superb beaches.  After several hours packed tightly into a jeepney, we settled into a small cottage just a few meters from a virtually deserted, pristine white-sand beach. In the evening, a couple of carabaos helped pull the day’s catch back along the beach.  We were able to explore the area around Port Barton by boat, taking in the incredible coral and fish life through a mask and snorkel.  We returned having truly tasted paradise, with a good burn on the back of our legs to prove it!

Experiencing Family Life
Malagos district, Davao city, Mindanao
Thanks to the Oxales Family!
June 18 - 23, 2007  

We had the chance to stay with a wonderful, welcoming family during our placement at the Philippine Eagle Foundation.  This was truly a highlight of our trip, as the Oxales shared different aspects of Filipino culture with us that we would otherwise not have been exposed to. Our adoptive mother and very talented cook gave us the chance to taste some Filipino delicacies!  We had become accustomed to the generous nature of the Filipino people by this point, but we were still overwhelmed by the fact that although 13 family members (from three different generations) lived under the same roof, we were given one of the three bedrooms just to ourselves!  The Oxales family will forever have a special place in our hearts!

The Mountain Regions
Sagada and Banaue, Luzon
July 18 - 24, 2007

The Northern part of the country is distinguished by its mountainous terrain and therefore cooler climate.  Being a more distant and difficult area to reach, the Ifugao tribe was isolated from the rest of the world until only about fifty years ago.  The famous rice terraces of Banaue, maintained for the last 2000 years, is testament to the difficult and painstaking labour that is typical of these peoples’ daily existence.  Sagada is famous for its “hanging coffins” and for its rice terraces.  This area’s beauty is ruggedly striking and was a wonderful way to end what was an unforgettable summer.