Welcome to Oriental Mindoro |
SuperCat's St. Laurel |
The Automobile
Association Philippines (AAP), through its wholly owned subsidiary, AAP
Travel, in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT), has been
undertaking caravans in various provinces to boost domestic tourism and provide
income opportunities in the countryside.
Last February 6 to 9, the
7th Drive Tourism caravan, with 40 participants in 13 cars, was held at the
Cordillera Autonomous Region province of Ifugao and was dubbed as "A
Journey From Land to the Sky."
A warm welcome at Calapan Port |
Our police escort |
Upon the recommendation of
Ifugao caravan participant Mr. Ramon "Mon" Rocamora, the
next Drive Tourism caravan was held from May 1 to 3 at Oriental Mindoro, Mon's
home province.
Dubbed the "Oriental
Mindoro Cruise Drive Caravan: Escaping the Urban, Sailing the Southwest,
Enjoying a Roadtrip Adventure to Paradise," it was sponsored by the
Oriental Mindoro provincial government and Petron and 23 participants
joined the caravan, some of them veterans of the previous Ifugao
caravan.
Lunch at Benilda ng Bancuro Resort & Restaurant |
An array of Oriental Mindoro products |
Joining this caravan were
AAP president Mr. Augusto "Gus" C. Lagman with wife
Ms. Tess Lagman; Ms. Clotilde "Clocel" Marquez;
couple Mr. Edgar Tam and Ms. Bethzaida
"Beth" Tam with grandchildren Edritz "Aja"
Abon and Eyveth "Vea" Abon; sisters Ms. Ming
Ming Dy and Ms. Lai Chun Uy; Ms. Frisca Tan with
daughter Ms. Sharon Tan; couples Mr. Roosevelt
"Ross" Segundo and Ms. Edita Segundo, Mr. Rogelio
"Roger" So and Ms. Helen So and Mr. Lorenzo
So and Ms. Leandra So.
Also with the group were
AAP Travel Vice-President Ms. Eva Carmona; AAP Travel staff
Ms. Maricel "Cel" C. Quiestas (Project Officer) and
Mr. Michael "Mike" Quiterio (Project Assistant); AAP
travel writer and photographer Ms. Sheena Ferrer; DOT
representative Mr. Gabby Gonzales; and yours truly. At the last
minute, AAP Director Ms. Mina Gabor had to back out from
the trip due to illness.
Participants at Simbahan Bato |
Mr. Orlando Tizon of Provincial Tourism Office |
The participants all met up
at the ferry terminal of Batangas City International Port. May 1 being close to
the weekend, the port was teeming with foreign and local tourists leaving for
either Puerto Galera or Calapan City. We were all destined for the
latter, leaving on the 11 AM SuperCat fast ferry St. Laurel.
After a trip of a little
over an hour, we safely arrived at Calapan Port and were all welcomed by a
marching band, welcome leis and Provincial Tourism officials led by Supervising
Tourism Operations Officer Mr. Orlando "Oti" Tizon.
Our 6-van caravan was accompanied by a police escort and the route
facilitated by members of the Motorcycle Riders Club of Oriental
Mindoro. They were to accompany us throughout our 3-day caravan.
Participants at Bonifacio Monument in Naujan Plaza |
Naujan Mayor Mark Marcos (left) with participants at Naujan Plaza |
It being noontime, our
first stop, after a 34-km. (30-min.) drive, was Benilda ng Bancuro Resort &
Restaurant in Naujan where we had lunch.
After a filling repast, we
toured its facilities - restaurant, swimming pool, overnight accommodations and
a beautiful garden with numerous trees and ornamental plants, a wishing well
and huge statues of the Three Wise Monkeys.
The caravan's arrival at Filipiniana Calapan Hotel |
Suite at Filipiniana Calapan Hotel |
From the resort, we next
proceeded to the nearby Bancuro Church Ruins, the old, roofless ruin of what
remains of an Augustinian Recollect church and priory that was built in the
1690s but was burned to the ground by Moro pirates in 1824.
A small, native-style
chapel (literally “a church within a church”) was built within its
massive walls.
Donnyland Resort |
Provincial board member Paul Luna |
From the church ruins, we
made a 30-min. drive to the Naujan town proper where we paid a courtesy call on
Mayor Mark N. Marcos at the town plaza. The plaza has a
huge monument dedicated to Andres Bonifacio done by noted sculptor Nemesio
R. Miranda, Jr. (Nemiranda). Free film showings and zumba sessions are
also held here. Before leaving, we were treated to a merienda of
delicious bibingka.
From Naujan, we made our
way back to Calapan City, this time to check in at some of the 50
stylishly-appointed rooms of the 4-storey, 4-star Filipianiana Calapan Hotel,
the best in the city. After settling in and freshening up, we left the hotel
at 7 PM for dinner at Donnyland Resort. Here, we met up with Mr. Mon
Rocamora and Ist District Provincial Board member Mr. Paul
Luna.
With the Pandang Gitab Dance Troupe |
Clocel hitting the notes with the videoke |
During dinner, Oriental
Mindoro singing idol Mr. Rjay S. Arellano serenaded us and we
were also treated to the Pandang-Gitab dance. Coined from pandanggo
(fandango) and dagitab, which is synonymous to “light,” it adapts the basic
steps of Pandanggo sa Ilaw (Dance of Lights) which was said to have originated
in Lubang, Mindoro Island.
The caravan participants were enjoined to try it, following the graceful,
shallow gyrating of the dancers' hips and torso and the gentle, side-to-side
swinging of their hands, careful not to drop their candle-on-glass on both
palms and on their heads.
Halcon Bar & Resto |
Merl's Native Delicacies |
Breakfast, the next day, was served at at the hotel's Halcon Bar & Resto, facing the free-form swimming pool. From the hotel, we made a stopover at Merl's Native Delicacies where we all did some pasalubong shopping (okoy, suman sa lihiya, native coffee, pastillas, yema, banana chips, etc.).
The next two days were to be Puerto Galera, the province’s No. 1 tourist destination but, prior to going there, we were treated to a cool and refreshing swim and a delicious lunch along a developed portion of the Lantuyang River in Baco.
A long picnic table, filled with grilled specialties (pork chops and chicken), vegetable salad, labong (bamboo shoot) salad and salted duck eggs, plus pineapples for dessert, was prepared for us on banana leaves.
Dining al fresco on boulder tables and chairs |
Crossing the Lantuyang Hanging Bridge |
After lunch, we all continued on our way to Puerto Galera. Halfway along the road, we made a short stopover at Tamaraw Waterfalls, the largest waterfall in the province, for some photo ops.
Tamaraw Falls |
We all arrived at the Puerto Galera municipal hall by 2:45 PM and we were supposed to pay a courtesy call on Mayor Hubbert Dolor. However, an unexpected emergency prevented him from meeting up with us.
With Ms. Aileen N. Bareng (Senior Tourism
Operations Officer of Puerto Galera), we next visited the Talipanan
Iraya-Mangyan Village where we welcomed by caretaker Fabian
"Pabling" de Jesus.
Puerto Galera Municipal Hall |
Iraya Mangyan nito weavers |
We also toured the numerous projects covering education, livelihood development, housing management and health that the Ayala Foundation, with the help of Ms. Beatriz “Bea” Zobel (wife of businessman and philanthropist Don Jaime Zobel de Ayala), have been implementing for these Iraya-Mangyans.
Caravan participants exploring the village |
Suite at Marco Vincent Resort |
Come evening, we all met up for dinner at the beachfront Aqua Bar & Restaurant where, while dining, we were treated to a fire dance performance.
Marco Vincent Resort's 75 sq. m. swimming pool |
Fire dancer |
Come morning of the last caravan day, after breakfast at Marivelles Restaurant at the top floor of Marco Vincent Dive Resort, we were driven to the town’s seaside tourism information office.
Dinner at the beachfront Aqua Bar & Restaurant |
Infinity Resort |
Here, big outrigger boats
were docked to take us to Boquete Island. Ms. Susan E. Cruz (Tourism
Operations Assistant) and Ms. Sienna May R. Manongsong, both of the
Oriental Mindoro Provincial Tourism Office joined us.
Boarding boat for Boquete Island |
Fridays Boquete Beach Resort |
Of those who availed of the banana boating, half opted for its milder form (no overturning) while Eva, Cel, Mike, Sheena, Gabby and yours truly went extreme and were rewarded with three dunkings, the last one when we were returning to shore.
Participants riding the banana boat |
The underwater cave |
Of those who availed of the latter package, only Sheena and I were able to visit the underwater cave because of the long queue to get in. We were also the last boat to return. After a quick lunch, Sheena, Sienna, Gabby and I boarded our boat back to the mainland.
Sheena posing by the cave's skylight |
Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City. Tel: (632) 655-5889. Fax: (632) 655-1878. E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.
AAP Travel: G/F, Sea Tower Bldg., 2332 Roxas Blvd. cor. Arnaiz Ave., Pasay City. Tel: (632) 551-0025. Fax: (632) 551-0014. E-mail: info@aaptravel.com. Website:www.aaptravel.com.ph.
Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol, Calapan City, Mindoro Oriental. Tel: (043) 286-7046 and (043) 441-0306.
Benilda ng Bancuro Resort
& Restaurant: Brgy. Bancuro, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. Tel: (043)
208-3628 and (043) 208-3218. Mobile number: (0999) 177-8762.
E-mail: benilda_resort@yahoo.com.
Filipiniana Resort Hotel
Calapan: M. Roxas St.,Brgy. Sto. Niño, 5200 Calapan City, Oriental
Mindoro. Tel: (043) 286-2624 to 25 and (043) 288-2460. Fax: (043)
286-2622. Mobile numbers: (0932) 977-8900 (Sun), (0918) 975-1558 (Smart) and
(0916) 677-0184 (Globe). Manila booking office: 7/F, RGV Bldg., 5470
Osmena Highway, 1233 Makati City. Tel: (632) 887-0063, (632)
887-1501, (632) 887-1502, (632) 664-6510 and (632) 843-1279. Mobile number:
(0923) 800-6379 (Sun).
E-mail: filipinianahotel@yahoo.com. Website: www.filipinianacalapan.com.
Merl's Native Delicacies: 146
Ubas St., Brgy. Lalud 5200, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. Tel:
(043) 927-4350 and (043) 286-7684. Fax: (043) 426-4784 and (043) 920-2018.
Mobile numbers: (0917) 707-4803 and (0922) 847-3458. Open daily, 7:30 AM
- 8 PM.
Marco Vincent Dive Resort:
White Beach: 5203 Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental. Tel: (043)
287-3590. Website: www.marcovincent.com.
Calapan City booking office: Marco Vincent Residence Inn, Boniifacio
St. Tel: (043) 441-0235. Fax: (043)
441-0239-40. Batangas City booking office: Batangas
Pier. Tel: (043) 723-0983. Manila booking office:
Unit 503, Cityland 10, Tower II, 156 H.V. De la Costa St., Salcedo Village,
Makati City. Tel: (632) 813-6329. Fax: (632) 892-0309.
E-mail: reservation@marcovincent.com and sales@marcovincent.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment