RUGGED ANTIQUE: ADRENALINE RUSH FOR THE ADVENTURER

By Roger Pe

Business Mirror

February 28, 2018

When the word Antique is mentioned, what do you think comes to people’s minds? Most likely, one of these will show on the list. Evelio Javier, Arturo Pacificador, a province so far away, languishing in obscurity. A place some people never even bother to visit. You’ll probably even hear worse than that. But that’s barely scratching the surface. Dig deeper. Go beyond your outdated impression.

People unfamiliar with the place would often associate the province with the definition of “antique’ meaning “ancient” or “old-fashioned”. But for those who value ancient things, the word would mean precious, valuable, and priceless.

If you are still at a loss, you may want to ask why the ten Bornean datus landed in Antique. Datus Puti, Sumakwel, Dumangsil, Bangkaya, Paliburong and the rest of them must have been so enchanted they stayed awhile and eventually settled, right in the heart of the community, which would eventually become the capital town.

According to local folks, the Malay datus met the Ati chieftain Datu Marikudo and his wife Maniwangtiwan and offered the chieftain a ‘salakot’ (wide-brimmed hat believed to be made of pure gold) which included a golden necklace, earrings, bracelets and trinkets they wore when they fled Borneo.

Among other gifts were pearls and fine clothes as a display of respect and to buy the land from them to live. Datu Marikudo responded to the datus' generosity by giving the Malays the lowlands. The Ati tribes moved to the mountains as they are sacred to them. 

The island of Panay was then divided into three ‘sakups’: Hantik, Aklan and Irong-Irong. Aklan became the present-day Aklan andCapiz, Irong-Irong became Iloilo, and Hantik (also called Hamtik or Hamtic) became Antique. Hantik was named for the large black ants found on the island. Datu Sumakwel founded the town of Malandog, considered to be the first Malay settlement in the country. 

During the Spanish colonial period, the coastal province was vulnerable to attacks by Moro raiders. Under the direction of the Spanish friars, a series of watchtowers, like the 'Old Watchtower' in Libertad and Estaca Hill in Bugasong, were built to guard Antique.

Fast forward, the province of Antique is a paradise province, teeming with fish from the Sulu Sea, bountiful with fruits and vegetables from its rich fertile lands. Here, livestock and poultry grow abundantly. It is endowed by nature with gold, copper, chromite, limestone deposits and gemstones. Recently, an indication of oil deposit has been found in one of its islands. Its waterfalls, rivers, caves, white sandy beaches, caves and other natural attractions are just as spectacular as those in the most hyped of destinations in the Philippines.

But why is it still the most overlooked of all Panay island provinces? 

For one, Antique is isolated from the restbecause of its rugged mountain ranges. The geographical circumstance that also created a language and culture uniquely its own, added to its distance from the mainstream, more pronounced neighbors.

Situated on the western part of the island, the nearest Antique town to bustling Iloilo City is approximately 90 kilometers away. A trip to the capital town would take at least two hours by bus or a rented van. Oftentimes called “the land where mountains meet the sea”, the description continues to pose a challenging reality to its inhabitants.

The province has a total land area of 252, 200 hectares, about 73% of which is upland and 27% lowland. This explains why one has to pass through rugged terrains to reach it. The climate favors the growth of palay, making the province a major rice producer in the region.

Through the years, the province has not figured prominently on the tourism radar. It has always been Boracay, Iloilo, Bacolod and the province of Negros that get top of mind awareness and larger chunk of visitors.

Seemingly, Antique has been relegated to the background, like a younger sibling, a bit coy and scared to be introduced to the public.But the world actually iswaiting, wanting to embrace a gem that is slowly coming out of its cocoon and is emerging.

Ruggedly beautiful

My first time in Antique was in the late 70s. I was a freshman copywriter in advertising, working for a multinational advertising agency. We had to attend a regional raffle draw for a detergent brand promotion.To get to the capital town, we boarded a plane to Bacolod, took a ferry to Iloilo (to coordinate with local radio stations) and then travelled many kilometers to a place I have long forgotten. 

I still remember Antique’s rugged terrains, vast rice fields, ravines, and its signature dish that I still like today, “KBL”. We did not stay in a hotel (there were none) but in a pension house fronting a school where we enjoyed watching a three-man volleyball game.

Antique has come a long way. Today, the capital town is bustling with new businesses, and elsewhere in the province sprout infrastructure projects – resorts, hotels, bridges, cemented arm-to-market roads, renewable energy sources that aim to better the quality of life of Antiquenos.

When an international river kayaking competition was held in Antique in 1997, Antiquenos marched from all points of the province and gathered in Tigbiao town to fully support it. The event was nothing but festive. Joy was written on the faces of everyone. People from all walks of life, young and old, from the government and private sectors, all headed north, up in the mountains where the sparkling waters of Tigbiao River were to delight them.The atmosphere was reminiscent of the days when the province opened their hearts and homes to the ten datus eons of years ago.

Antiquenos are brave warriors like the datus they adopted as sons. They are also people known to always show solidarity for the common good, a trait that dates back long before the Spaniards came to the Philippines. More than that, it is the hospitality that speaks well of them, gracious hosts, giving it all, even way beyond expectations.

The big event that opened with a big bang and ended with the same magnitude in 1997, created bigger excitement ahead, a vehicle to spur more tourism activities in the dreary town. But to the words of FlordCalawag, Director of 2018 Tigbiao River Festival, the next few years were “Kaluluoy” (pitiful). The event was never sustained and almost died without even a whimper in a matter of two years. Aggravated by lack of a planning, tourism was in limbo, a frustrating fact when numerous attractions abound and are just waiting to be discovered, developed and announced to the world.

All of that seems water under the bridge now. Antiquenossad sentiments are beginning to recede from their collective consciousness.Today, one can feel the excitement once again. The province,which used to average only 36,000 visitors annually,registered 1.3 million domestic visitors last year, leap-frogging from the bottom to number two ranking in the entire Western Visayas region.

No less than the energetic Governor RhodoraCadiao confirmed it with pride when she graced the opening of the 2018 Tibiao River Festival, which featured extreme river-tub rafting competition participated in by tourists and trained athletes from all over the Phlippines.

Tibiao River Festival 2018

Dubbed as the eco-adventure capital of Panay Island, the town of Tibiao in Antique is a haven for thrill seekers and nature lovers.Its most popular attraction is Tibiao River, gentle at some point but menacing as it cascades among rocks and boulders. It snakes around the mountains of Antique and considered one of the best whitewater rivers in the country,and a favorite venue for local and international rafters.

Located in Barangay Tuno andjust a 15-minute ride from the highway of Barangay Importante, it rises on the slopes of Mt. Madja-as, the highest point in Panay Island. It then roars down magnificent hills and valleys, with a length of about23 kilometers of navigable water. 

Rafting is a recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or another body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water, and generally, represents a new and challenging fix for participants. 

Kayaking is an activity using a low-to-the-water canoe in which the paddler sits facing forward, legs in front, using a small boat called a kayak and a double-bladed oar.

Calawag’s Mountain Resort (he operates it together with his brother) offers visitors manyrecreational outdoor activities. For those who prefer Kayaking, here are the courses: Grade 1: Basic kayaking, which introduces first timers to paddling a kayak, Grade 2: For those who want to experience higher levels of skills while navigating rapids and around boulders, Grade3-4: For professionals who want to navigate against strong currents, big boulders and learn difficult maneuvers.

Once a provincial tourism officer, Calawag said, the river activities were designed to revive the festive atmosphere brought by the international river kayaking cup in 1997. Various resorts, like the Blue Wave Traveler’s Inn, Calawag Mountain Resort, Kayak Inn, and La Escapo Lodge, in partnership with the Department of Tourism, Department of Environment Natural Resources, the Provincial Government of Antique, the Local Government Unit of Tibiao, and University of Antique Tario-Lim Memorial Campus joined hands to make the festival generate word-of-mouth awareness and create buzz nationwide.

He said, this year’s festival was aimed attraining people in Barangay Tuno on water safety and rescue operations, as well as extreme river tubing techniques, showcase the culinary, natural, cultural, and historical heritage of Tibiao as well as promote and understand its huge tourism potentials.

The 1st Karay-a Food Cooking Challenge (open to all staff of resorts and restaurants in Tibiao) and Tree-Planting at the river bank of Tibiao were also held while the first TibiaoNational Extreme River Tubing Competition opened with four event categories: Trained tubers, male tourists, female tourists and LGBT tourists.

San Jose Airport improvement

When the upgraded San Jose airport is finished, visitors to Antique won’t have to pass by Iloilo and Caticlan airports to reach the town. Renovation of Evelio Javier Airport is undergoing and resumption of commercial flights between Manila and Antique is expected within two years.

The project involves lengthening of the runaway to accommodate bigger planes, expansion of passenger terminal buildings and installation of runway lights for evening flights. Commercial flights to Antique began in April 2003 bus stopped on June 30, 2006.The airport temporarily opened when President Rodrigo Duterte opened the annual PalarongPambansa on April 23, 2017. 

Marketable destination

Is Antique marketable? Western Visayas Tourism Regional Director Helen Catalbas said Antique is young when it comes to being a preferred destination. “Antique is for rugged travelers who want to experience extreme adventure like what Tibiao River offers. It has rugged terrains fit for those who seek something different than the usual sun, sea and surf,” she said.

“Because it has successfully hosted the PalarongPambansa, national SCUAA (State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association) meets and other national and international kayaking competitions, we are positioning the province as a sports tourism destination,” she said during an interview.

Catalbas reiterated that in order to market well, people must experience their own backyard well, know its locale well, from the municipal down to barangay level. “It must be marketable to its own residents, so to speak,” she emphasized.

What are the biggest challenges her region is facing today? She mentioned infrastructure as number one, the Boracay sewage problem and planning congestion, as well as one city being referred to as the “most shabulized.”

“We do not really worry about it. If we work hard, things will change and we will keep the industry afloat,inspite of name-calling. The attractions of this region are not the politicians,” she said.

She however stressed not to market destinations that are not ready. “We do not want disappointed visitors. We should do our own product development first and that refers to accessibility and accommodation,” Catalbas said.

Catalbas is optimistic that Western Visayas would reach its tourist arrival target of 6.1 million this year inspite of the challenges the region is facing. She said it is achievable as individual provinces are not stopping their own promotion efforts.

What does she think of Governor Rhodora Cadiao’s tourism program? She said the governor is much aligned with DOT’s implementation and comprehensive planning and the province is starting on the right foot. She describes the governor as “the only rose among the thorns, very unlike some governors who do their own way because of their own interests. As chairperson of Western Visayas Regional Development Council, I could say that she has a better grasp of the picture,” she said.

Side by side with Farm and Faith tourism, Catalbas stressed that these two have significant roles in making tourism in general grow big in Western Visayas. “Agriculture tourism, for instance, does not mean flowers and vegetables alone. It means feeding tourists with our own produce, food grown and harvested locally, not imported from abroad or other regions,” she said.

New wonder of Western Visayas

Antique is not Iloilo. Antique is not Boracay. Nor it is a combination of what western Visayas has to offer. Antique is Antique and it is unique.

As has been written in many articles and blogs, Antique province is quite special because of its natural beauty and diversity, according to detourista.com, for example. “It is nature lover’s paradise! I’ve already traveled to the province many times, but I keep discovering new reasons to come back,” blogger Mr. Detourista says.

Here are a number of reasons why Antique should be on your bucket list this summer.

Binirayan Festival. A 29-day festival when all towns in the province compete in the capital to commemorate the arrival of the ten Borneandatus. It has a permanent theme: “Retracing Roots, Celebrating Culture and Greatness.”

Mararison Sandbar, Culasi. If you hate crowded beaches, Mararison is the reason for you to come to Antique. Here you can experience a peaceful island life and be amazed by an abundance of pitcher plant gardens in the town, easily accessible, either from Iloilo or Boracay.

Seco Island, Tibiao. One of the Philippines’ most beautiful sandbars, a must-visit spot in Antique. Start your trip at break of dawn. Out in the sea, you might be able to spot dolphins that frequently follow boats headed to this stunningly beautiful beach paradise.There are no sophisticated resorts in this remote sandbar, but you can look forward to an expansive white sand beach and turquoise waters.

Bugtong Bato Falls. A multitiered waterfalls, which flows directly to Tibiao River, it has a natural pool formed by cascading waters, a favorite place for locals who love river rafting adventure and chasing the rapids.

Kawa Hot Bath and Fish Spa, Tibiao. After swimming in Tibiao River’s invigorating waters, take a relaxing hot bath in a giant wok. The water is heated by a fire underneath and is often infused with various herbal aromatics. Although it feels like you are being cooked in a giant ‘kawa’ (cauldron), it is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable activities worth checking out in Antique. They are located right beside the riverbank making the gentle stream lulls you to relaxation. After that, there’s Kayak Inn where you can find basic rooms and huts alongside with these giant baths.

Mamammia Italian and Filipino Restaurant

Unpretentious, this seaside joint is where you can enjoy one of the best pizza and pasta dishes in Antique.

Antique Rice Terraces, San Remigio

Move over Benguet, you have competition. Antique’s rice terraces is a 600-hectare wonder located in remote barangay of General Fullon, San Remigio. Getting there takes at least 3 to 5 hours on foot from the nearest village. According to detourista.com, the areas surrounding the Antique Rice Terraces only get two hours of electricity each day. Perfect if you are going on a retreat from the digital age.

Bagtason Weavers, Bugasong

High-quality products, vibrant multi-colored shawls and scarves are among the itemshandwoven here. The weavers sell beautiful textiles made in traditional pataydong fashion. 

PatnongonChurch and Convent Ruins

There are a number of Spanish-colonial heritage sites in town that are worth visiting including the old municipal hall. 

Rafflesia, World’s biggest flower, San Remigio

Borneo, Indonesia and Malaysia are not the only places where you can find this extraordinary plant. They also thrive in Antique and Iloilo. The Rafflesia blooming site in Barangay Aningalan is very easy to reach, thanks to recently paved roads. The hike from the road takes less than 5 minutes

Igbaclag Cave And Stone Castle

Located in San Remigio is known as the “summer capital of Antique” because the weather is cool all-year round. This place has a lot of potentials to be Panay’s next big thing in tourism. You can also find gem stores in San Remigio and Sibalom that sell gemstone crafts.

Igpasungaw Falls, Sebaste

The trek to this multi-level curtain falls takes around 30 minutes to 1-hour along an easy trail. Keep an eye out for the rare Amorphophallus, a carnivorous plant known for having the tallest flower bloom in the world.

Naranjo Water Park, Pandan

A new dining and adventure destination if you are on your way to Malumpati Spring.

Bugang River

This is a haven for those who love nature, many-times awarded as the greenest and cleanest river in the Philippines where Naranjo Water Park is located.

With Antique’s amazing rugged beauty and DOT’s all-out support to promote its attractions to the world, the country hopes to achieve its tourist arrival target this year. Let’s join our hands in supporting Antique and the rest of Western Visayas.

How to get to Antique: Accessible from north by Roll-On, Roll-Off (RORO) from Manila via Caticlan. From Kalibo, Aklan buses ply the route to Pandan and San Jose de Buenavista. Buses and vans to and from Iloilo take two main roads: the mountain and the coastal road networks. There are two major seaports in the province, the Lipata seaport in Culasi and San Jose. Tricycles are numerous in all towns of Antique while buses and jeepneys provide service for inter-town travel.

PRECIOUS TREASURES: LAS PINAS, PARANAQUE, MALABON APPETIT

By Roger Pe

February 8, 2018

Business Mirror

The three-city tour was fast, ran in clockwork precision, very organized. There was no time for waiting and we didn’t waste time second-guessing what was going to happen next. Inside the blizzard-cold coaster as we began rolling on Edsa, the atmosphere was warm, and surprise, very quiet. Far different from previous tours we’ve attended, where our ears would bleed from people tirelessly talking throughout the entire trip.

I had gingerly slid my back on the seat, ready to coil, and doze off to catch sleep (it was going to be one and half hours travel I was told) when I heard two girls giggling and kept uttering the word “Elpipicheya.” 

On the fourth mention of that strange name, I began to get curious and listened carefully. Were they going to hand out pieces of “pichi-pichi” or “chichiriya”? Did I get it rght, I asked myself again. Afterall, we were heading to Malabon, and you know what the city is known for – glorious ‘pancit’ and other wonderful ‘kakanin”. 

Grabbing my travel bag, I learned that “Elpipicheya” was actually LPPCHEA, acronym for Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area, the vast, elongated stretch of coastal patch of land off limits to the public before because it was uninhabitable, choked by garbage and had a sensitive ecosystem. It’s the same mangrove forest you see while your airplane descends to Manila. Yes, it is the most beautiful thing that happened to this lonely patch of land, a welcome respite from a sea of buildings that suffocate the metro.

Before LPPCHEA was cleaned and almost vacuumed to the last piece of trash, it was gasping for its last remaining breath to survive. Now, there’s hope. Visitors could soon be flocking to this ‘No Man’s Land’, by boat or by land, to see a once dystopian place now miraculously sprouting different species of Philippine trees, bamboos and shrubs. 

On its shores and branches of abundant trees, around 84 species of migratory and endemic birds have turned them into their habitat. In this oasis, just a stone’s throw from Mall Of Asia and Naia Airport, nature is reasserting itself and telling us, “you need us.” The cycle of life has returned.

Manila’s last natural bastion

In 2004, Mike Lu and members of Wild Bird Club of the Philippines discovered a new birdwatching site along Coastal Road in Paranaque, specifically, an islet ringed by mangroves beside a shallow lagoon that teemed with thousands of birds during low tide. 

They recorded the number of species, and to their amazement, LPPCHEA emerged as the only site in Metro-Manila with the largest on record, while the rest have shrunk to pitifully low.

The following year, WBCP partnered with DENR-NCR to conduct a census of waterbirds flocking in the area. Researchers carried out an in-depth survey and found out that it's home to an amazing rich ecosystem and has a number of avian species. The list would make you fall off your seat.

Among them were Philippine Duck, Yellow Bitern, Black and Grey Night Heron, Great Egret, Western Osprey, Barred Rail, White-Brested Waterhen, Pacific Golden Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Spotted and Zebra Doves, Philippine Pied Fantail and many more.

Eco-kindred souls have replanted Philippine trees to resuscitate the fledgling lungs of Metro-Manila. Now you see juvenile Kamagong, Narra, Molave, Kamuning, Bignay, Madre Cacao, Malabulak trees abound in the area. They will be become beautiful, sturdy trees in twenty-years time.  Near the beach, where large flocks of herons and egrets rummage for food, there is also a hectare of land devoted to different species of bamboos.

Birdwatchers Lu-Ann Fuentes and Mads Bajarias who also wrote about the importance of LPPCHEA, said: “An increasing number of urban planners are realizing the importance of green spaces in creating livable and sustainable city. Modern cities are investing to preserve and protect their biodiversity hotspots for aesthetic, recreational, disaster-risk reduction and educational purposes. Hongkong’s Mai Po Nature Reserve and Taipei’s Guandu Nature Park are two examples of these that Metro-Manila can emulate.”

The 175-hectare 

site received a global recognition and was declared a wetland of international importance in 2013. A source of pride and joy by its number one protector, Senator Cynthia Villar, LPPCHEA has been getting well-deserved attention in recent years, joining the list of other places in the Philippines recognized by Ramsar.

The Ramsar Convention (on wetlands of international importance, especially as waterfowl habitat) is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands named after the city of Ramsar in Iran where the convention was signed in 1971.)

Iconic Philippine jeepney

When US soldiers left many Willys jeeps in the Philippines at the end of World War II, they were reconstructed and converted into the “Kings of the Road” we see today – with distinct Filipino design and artistry. Over the years, small local companies started to produce newer versions of them by importing engine parts and reassembling them locally. Since then, they have become part of the Filipino culture.

In Manila, a Las Pinas trip would not be special without a sidetrip to Sarao jeepney manufacturing plant where fleets of multi-colored jeepneys are meticulously handcrafted. The company was a small automotive shop put up by the elder Leonardo Sarao in 1953. A mechanic and former calesa driver, Sarao built his company from a budget of seven hundred pesos to a multimillion corporation. 

Sarao jeepneys eventually ruled the streets of Manila and outnumbered other names by nearly 7 to 1 during its peak, making the name synonymous with the vehicle, eventually becoming it a symbol of Filipino pop culture. 

The Sarao jeepney has a rich, colorful history, among them being exhibited at the Philippine pavilion of the New York World’s Fair in 1964 and traveled from Manila to London and across Europe in 1971, as part of London-Manila Express, a roadshow sponsored by the Philippine Tourism and Travel Association to boost the country's tourism and industry to European countries.

How are jeepneys in the modern era? Today, they are embattled and operators, including manufacturers, are on tenterhooks. Some of them are still on the road and a DOTr report noted that they are responsible for vehicular traffic and contribute 80% of air pollution in Philippines.

We were able to catch Eduardo Sarao, second generation of the famous family for an interview. Prepared to answer a barrage of questions related to the smouldering issue of “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” and transitioning to modernize the jeepney, Sarao said his company is ready to follow whatever the government wants to implement. 

In fact, he said, Sarao has already made a prototype of zero-emission jeepney as early as 2014, manufactured an e-jeepney the following year and focusing on a third this year. Asked whether the e-jeepney will take off, Sarao said, “We were still kids when this modernization thing was being talked about. My opinion is that we will still build the traditional jeepneys (‘Dyan tayo nakilala’) but we will be ready for the future and make next generation jeepneys that will be relevant to the changing times.”

Bamboo organ

Tuesday, January 30, 2018, was special because it was the day I experienced the solemn grandeur of Las Pinas’ Bamboo Organ playing for the first time. I regretted having ignored it all these years, thankful now that I joined the DOT media familiarization tour. Had I said “no”, God knows when will I ever set foot on the doorsteps of St. Joseph Parish Church. 

As soon as we arrived, we were ushered upstairs to listen to a medieval song. Right then, I felt an adrenaline rush, and as the organ played, it transported me to the days of Romeo and Juliet. I was as if watching Shakespeare’s play, Act 2, Scene 1 where Romeo was waxing poetic with his cousin Benvolio listening.

Were those pipes really made of bamboos? I moved to the back to play like a sleuth. Oh, yes, indeed. Father Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen, a priest from Spain, was the builder of both the church and the famous organ. Records show that he was the parish priest of Las Pinas from 1795 to 1830. Back then, locals portrayed him as a gifted man, natural scientist, chemist, architect, community leader, as well as an organ builder.

Cerra built a number of organs and chose bamboos for most of them, except for the trumpet parts. The choice of bamboo was probably for both practical and aesthetic reasons. He began work on the organ in 1816, while the church was still under construction. The organ took many years to become playable, and that happened only in 1821. It was finally completed in 1824, after he decided to use metal for trumpets because he could not replicate certain musical characteristics using bamboos.

Food tourism

The South is wildly famous for myriad of food havens but few come close to the food wonders that BF Homes offer. So off we went, from Midas Hotel, our Roxas Boulevard meeting place, to Container Turf, where we were supposed to have dinner. 

We passed through the newly constructed Naia super skyway and within an hour, Aguirre Street beckoned, and after a few minutes, we’re inside BF Homes’ favorite chow and fun stop, Container Turf.

From the name itself, the food stalls in this hip food park are located in individual shipping containers. The colors around the three-level food hideaway will definitely brighten your mood. 34 shops, each with its own distinct persona and character will liven up your tastebuds. 

Here’s a rundown of must-try food stalls: Pothead Pig, Swig and Guzzle, El Chapo.s, Eatnam, The Steak Joint, Fromagerie, Red Buffalo, Wok Your Way, Smoke Grill House, Noona’s, Melt, Ayan’s Rumah Makan, Zig-ah-Zig and Dip n’ Dough.

“We have a large community here, in fact, the biggest subdivision in Asia. That explains why we have a wide array of local and international cuisines. In addition, we will have the original “paluto” from the famous “Dampa”, a hawker-style shop of Singapore and more,” Jovic Susim, the tall, dashing and handsome owner of Container Turf, said.

Only 26 years old, Susim and his business partner were dining in a Congressional Avenue food park two years ago when an idea popped up his head. “Why don’t we put up something like this in BF Homes?,” he asked. 

He then went on hunting for a spot. To make the story short, he bagged the contract because his idea was innovative and the design he submitted was category breaking. Today, his pet project has become synonymous to delicious food, great family bonding place, fun hangouts for groupies and concert venues for millennials looking for a feel-good experience.

Life is a feast

Ordinary folks only know about floods in Malabon. But extraordinary people know that the city has one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, well preserved heritage houses in the entire country, plus excellent food treats.

The city folks of Malabon gave us a rousing welcome inside a 404-year old church that looked like the Pantheon of Rome from afar. When we arrived at San Bartolome Church, city tourism officials, all garbed in different shades of pink ushered us inside. DOT Secretary Wanda Teo, together with city mayor Lenlen Oreta were already mingling with foreign tourists who were all amazed at how the church’s Baroque interior has survived since the construction began in 1599.

“The ceiling is amazing, only the paintings of Michaelangelo are missing, otherwise you’d mistake it as the Sistine Chapel,” one tourist was overheard as saying. Outside, three huge 17^th century bells lie as mute witnesses to a glorious past. A few steps away, an antique fountain serve as centerpiece of the beautiful adobe-covered courtyard.

Here’s a little bit of history as provided by Malabon City Tourism Office. Malabon came from the words “Maraming Labong” (lots of “labong”, meaning edible bamboo shoots). Originally called Tambobong, Malabon was founded as a “visita” of Tondo by the Augustinian friars on May 21, 1599 and remained under the administrative jurisdiction of the province of Tondo from 1627 to 1688.

The city boasts of a rich economic history by playing an important role in the late 19th century. It was the site of La Princesa Tabacalera in 1851 and the Malabon Sugar Company in 1878. The former was under the corporate umbrella of Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas, which was owned by the King of Spain, while the latter pioneered the refined sugar industry in the Philippines.

The newspaper La Independencia was first printed in an orphanage in Malabon’s Asilo de Huérfanos, 

The first Mayor of Malabon was Don Agustin Salamante, a spanish mestizo originally from Cavite.

For 70 years, Malabon was a municipality of Rizal until 1975 when it became part of the National Capital Region.

Tricycle heritage tour

DOT wanted to start the year with big bang and did it with an auspicious, uniquely Malabon start to promote emerging destinations in the Philippines, jewels in their own right, but hardly publicized. 

No less than Secretary Wanda Teo and Asec Ricky Alegre joined the barnstorming as they participated in Malabon’s tricycle tour of the city’s heritage house treasures. Teo gamely hopped inside a quaintly decorated trike, and as she, the mayor and members of media snaked through narrow, busy streets. 

Our first stop was the Syjuco Mansion. Once inside, our world turned back to the days of the Katipuneros. Malabon, being close to Caloocan, the hub of Andres Bonifacio’s campaign against Spain during the 1898 uprising, was also part of that tumultuous chapter in our history.

The mansion is a virtual repository of a storied past. Photos, furniture, curtains, resplendent floors, sturdy balustrades, intricately designed window sills, paintings of Katipunero blood compact, medallions and other mementos of a bygone but not forgotten era abound in this gem of a house.

City Mayor Oreta was very proud to tell us that ever since Malabon’s “Tricycle Tours” were launched, more and more tourists were coming in. “The most notable was a group of students from Harvard University last year. Culture, history, the best food in the Philippines, we all have it here, so help us promote our beloved Malabon,” he said.

Teo, on the other hand, said: “By promoting emerging destinations that are hardly on the consciousness of people, we will also be able to help the local community, notably, tricycle drivers and those working in the tourism industry. We will definitely support and help promote them.”

Want to avail of Malabon’s Tricycle Heritage Tour? Here are some of amazing places you’ll see: San Bartolome Church, the Nepomuceno, Ibaviosa, Rivera and Raymundo Ancestral House,  Syjuco Mansion, and El Casa Katipunero, which also includes a tour of Artes de Paseo Art Gallery owned by Angel Cacnio. They are priced at PHP250 per person, Food Trip Special Tour at PHP750 and combined Food and Heritage tour at PHP900 per person.

The city tourism office then brought us to experience what many people are raving about - the city’s “Lugaw Experience”, a hole-in-the-wall eatery that is always packed with customers. So how was the dish? The “lugaw” was indeed, delectable, you could ask for another serving. 

The place is located just infront of another famous heritage house, the Ibaviosa Mansion, the house that “patis” (fish sauce) built. Oldtimers say, this was the birth of the original “Patis Malabon” that spawned a lot of other brands. 

Next stop, the Angel Cacnio Art Gallery and Residence. I immediately noticed Cacnio’s University of the Philippines’ School of Fine Arts diploma signed by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino in 1954. The artist’s gallery had many paintings depicting Katipuneros at war. 

In one corner hangs several glass-encased modern-day peso bills he designed. Now having a difficulty to speak clearly, Cacnio proudly told us that he never commercialized his paintings and brought them outside of the country. “I painted for the Filipino people and for the Filipinos only,” he said.

Our Malabon tour ended with a grand lunch at the grand Borja-Gonzalez Mansion. The residence, located right beside a heavily populated area, was everything grand - from the grand staircase to the grand piano to the grand art deco mirror, grand ballroom and, of course, grand long table, grand ceilings and turn-of-the-century memorabilia.

As soon as we stepped into the living room, a couple garbed in Filipino-Spanish outfit depicting that era greeted us and danced to the tune of “La Jota Moncadena”. Crispy Pata, Morcon, Pancit Malabon, wide array of “kakanins” were then served. What a feast! 

Promote emerging destinations

“The Philippines has many attractions for the world to discover. Metro Manila alone has hundreds of “emerging” tourist destinations offer not only the usual sun and beach recreation, but widely diverse fun experience and they deserve publicity. We want media to promote them so that foreign as well as local tourists would come in,” Teo told the media members, emphasizing the importance of domestic tourism.

“Thailand has “Tuktuk”, Indonesia has “Bajaj”, and Vietnam has “Cyclo”. Ours is very unique. There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world. We should make an effort to promote this touch of local color,” said Teo, after she herself took the Malabon Tricycle Tour.

Malabon City Mayor Lenlen Oreta was very thankful to Secretary Teo for visiting Malabon City. The dashing mayor hosted the “Lugaw Xperience” for Teo’s media entourage with the eatery’s specialty, Chicken Arrozcaldo.

Brighter tourism future

Meanwhile, Chinese tourists propelled the Philippines’ tourism industry in 2017, by registering a whopping 43.3 percent (968,447 arrivals) increase. With that figure, the country’s tourist arrivals jumped to 6.62 million, exceeding the 6.5-million target of the Duterte administration under its National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP).

The Philippines sees an even larger increase in Chinese visitors when Philippine Airlines (PAL) brings in tourists from Xiamen to Puerto Princesa starting February 10. More flights are scheduled on February 14, 18 and 22. DOT is also working on developing a Tianjin-Puerto Princesa route in time for the Chinese New Year on February 16. 

Corollary to this, DOT Asec Ricky Alegre said: “We are looking forward to the resulting effects for the country’s tourism industry once all the massive infrastructure projects are completed under the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration. To complement this, the DOT is undertaking its “Promote, Promote, Promote” program to entice more foreign tourists to come to the country. It must be three times harder to promote the Philippines now.”

“We have to keep the momentum going now that we are in the implementation phase of the Tourism Development Plan for 2017-2022, which aims to unleash the potentials of our tourism industry and make it more competitive,” Teo said.

WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED IN ADVERTISING

By Roger Pe

Business Mirror

January 20, 2018 issue

Print was one of two of the most loved media up to the last days of 2005. Because we handled a telecom account, doing a print ad excited us no end. For one, the waiting time of seeing the fruits of our hardwork was short. It would surely come out on the coming weekend, and whoah, humongous – no less than full page or centerspread.

The cycle went on and on, especially when the battle of telco giants raged like wildfire and reached its peak. Media agencies got rich, while we, creators, happy enough to see our masterpieces come out in its full glory. Along with the fast pace of handling an account that required you to churn out ideas just as fast, we also worked on ad agency initiative ads fit to compete in awards shows. Bread and butter clients. Soul and spirit assignments. You’ve go to be on your toes round-the-clock, even at home. Frenetic? Yes. Exhausting? No. We loved our work.

Naturally, we needed more brains. Instead of hiring from other ad agencies, we thought training people straight out of college would be the best thing to do. And so, one morning of a fine day, I was greeted with the news that a new graduate from Ateneo would drop by the office, and train in my department.

Noah Valdez wanted to be an Art Director. “If that was the case, I will make you think visually rather than draw figures literally,” my advice to him when we first met.

I gave him a deathly 'boring' assignment every single day for one month: Restructure a tagline and allow him to craft his own based on that sentence. That was all he needed to do every morning and come up with the same batch in the afternoon. Sounded crazy but the idea was for him to turn boring moments into day-altering mindful exercises, and allow his mind to wonder. I thought, it was not very often that one gets the chance to sit and relax, and I believed, that when people are given tasks that give them a chance to daydream, they're more likely to be creative.

Noah turned the mundane tasks of many days into magical moments writing copy. He made himself productive. We immersed him into the Bill Bernbach culture and exposed him to bunch of reels from our New York Madison Avenue office. We brought him to pre-production meetings and shoots. Our senior art directors took turns in handling him, working on Apple computer softwares.

We had our weekly “Ads from all over the world” viewing and internal Cannes competitions. Soon, the young man became adept at great layouts, clean, uncluttered, minimalist, ads without copy and headlines – ads I had hoped he would do. He eventually became part of our daily grind.

A few more months, and he was part of my New York Festivals world medal winning ad, “Stamp”, and countless more. As I wrote on my last day in the office before taking on a Malaysia assignment, “he would be one of the great boys of the Philippine ad industry.” True enough, he is on his way.

Noah moved to Bates 141 in 2008, handled by other award-winning creative directors. He returned to Tribal DDB after four years then rejoined Bates CHI and Partners as Creative Director on same year. In 2015, he reached the top and was appointed Executive Creative Director, handling Wyeth, NBA, Pizza Hut, among others.

Noah and his team were responsible for the successes of Wyeth’s growing-up milk brand, Bonakid Pre-School. Musically inclined (it runs in the family), he helped develop a catchy tune that grew into a viral hit. The campaign eventually spawned many dance videos, parodies and spoofed by a well-known local tv show.

Tireless, passionate, eager, and most of all, always strategic, Noah was in the team that won the Pizza Hut business in the Philippines. If you see those all those Pizza Hut commercials on tv, he had a direct hand creating them. He’s gone a long way and attended a number of regional ad conferences and built a career through sheer hardwork.

How is he doing these days? Let’s take a closer look at the millennial hotshot who is rocking his agency and steering it to more successes.

BUSINESS MIRROR: You have been in advertising for quite some time, what made you stick?

NOAH VALDEZ: I’ve always considered myself an Adman by accident and I’ve been very lucky to have great mentors all these years. I guess what really made me stick to Advertising is the opportunity to learn from new people every day. I also love the excitement and rush that you constantly get with the chance to handle different types of brands both local and international.

To be successful in advertising, what do you think people should have and cultivate?

It’s really about patience, persistence, excitement and an undying passion to learn and create. Without these traits, you’ll never make it.

What is creativity to you?

Creativity doesn’t just pop out of nowhere in fact, it takes a lot of work to be Creative. I believe that when it comes to ideas, you can only contribute what you’ve exposed yourself to. So yeah, before you ‘become Creative’, you have to love being inspired first.

What do you look for in a person who wants to work in your department?

I’m always on the lookout for someone who can bring something new to the team. Someone with a different point-of-view, a different background, a different writing or art style - someone I can mentor but someone I can learn from as well. 

People say advertising is not what it used to be, let’s focus on Pitching or acquiring new business. If you agree or disagree, why and why not?

I think it’s more competitive now when it comes to pitches. There are a lot of smaller and younger shops that are definitely capable of nabbing new business wins against more established, multinational agencies.

What is your style of creative management?

I always try to make sure that creativity isn’t forced. True, our daily lives are filled with deadlines but as much as possible, I want my team to always be inspired to create great work. So I constantly share tidbits of amazing work ranging from the best of the industry to the best of what people are doing to change the world. Thank God for Facebook Groups.

How do you begin your day in the office?

I love coming to work before everyone else. The calm and quiet relaxes me and prepares me for the day ahead. I usually start off with a cup of coffee and a light snack, preparing my game plan for the day as I engage in a staring contest with my Calendar.

Describe yourself in a few words:

Alone, at home and at work.

The 5 things you like in advertising?

1. The competitive nature of the industry

2. It’s constantly changing and never boring

3. Working with different types of talented people

4. The opportunity to handle great brands

5. Being exposed to inspiring work from all over the world

The 5 things you hate about it.

Just 2. 1. The late nights (of course) 2. Stress eating

Traditional or Digital? We’ve heard so many discussions about the two, your views?

I’m all for the discipline of Traditional Advertising but I’m absolutely excited about the potential of Digital Advertising.

What medium do you think will give a client much value for his marketing money?

Broadcast TV is still king but it also requires a king-sized budget. I feel that, if done correctly, Social and Digital can give clients so much value for their money because of all the specific parameters you can set.

What’s your favorite medium?

Print! Although it’s a medium that’s slowly dying, I love the challenge of having to figure out how to best capture your target audience with one strong piece of communication without you getting the chance of presenting. It’s all or nothing when it comes to print.

Do you get intimated when faced with big names in the industry, let’s say during a pitch?

I find myself excited with the challenge of going up against people I look up to and respect.

What do you think industry people should do more to keep it more vibrant, relevant and attuned with the times?

I think the industry should continue educating and inspiring the next generation of Admen. A lot of the best in the industry have invested time in teaching in Universities, which is absolutely admirable. These people are keeping our industry relevant. Hats off to them.

How did you start your advertising career?

I started my career not knowing much about Advertising or Art Direction so I’ll always be grateful for than one person who gave me a shot - my first boss. So I basically learned everything on the job; from using Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Freehand back in the day to understanding what it took to win new business and awards. And I’m proud to say that I learned how to source stock photos the hard way by scanning images from Gettyimages Books. Yes. There was no website back in 2003. You young Art Directors are so damn lucky. Cherish it.

Your greatest achievement?

Marrying the one that got away, of course.