IMAGINE sitting comfortably on a wide boat platform – actually a floor or ‘hut’ built over two bancas, and being pulled by a third – shaded and comfortable, and drinking coffee and chatting with eight or nine friends as you move slowly down the beautiful Bacungan River, through the mangroves, in almost pristine wilderness. Suddenly the boat rounds a curve and the river opens up into Honda Bay! The boat moves out into the bay, and comes to rest at Pambato Reef, that most wonderful new snorkeling site, developed and protected (like the river cruise) by the community involved – ecotourism at its best.
Then imagine you do a little swimming and snorkeling, along with whoever else is so inclined (in this case only my friend Jack Finlay would join me.) Then you get out of the water and back into the boat, refreshed and hungry and just in time to sit down to a lovely lunch, prepared by some of the women and community leaders of San Carlos (who are also on board.) Chicken tinola, grilled samaral, sautéed shrimp, maja blanco (in this case prepared by my friend Elsie Castrence). There is a small rondalla on board – two middle aged men from the community – and they play and sing old songs and are absolutely delighted that this boatload of seniors, many of whom are FilAms, join in the singing. Leron Leron Sinta, Bahay Kubo, Dahil Sa Iyo – even Ploning.
The most genteel, relaxing, delightful way to visit Honda Bay ever devised!
The river cruise is another ABS-CBN Bayani Juan project, spearheaded by Gerry Ortega and the community members of San Carlos. The community members actually built the boat, with minimal funding necessary, and they run the boat and give mini lectures on the mangroves and how important they are and how they must be cared for. Some of the women in the community do the cooking – not only lunch but merienda as well, and tea and coffee anytime. And then the singers sing. But all the community members have been taught to treat the visitors as they would guests in their own homes, and that they do. We all enjoyed their company, exchanging recipes with the women, hearing stories of their children who study in PSU (where my husband and I both teach), hatching new ideas and projects together. The community has a day care centerfor very small children, which some of us got interested in working with, precisely because the people of San Carlos know how to work together, and know how to help themselves – they are confident and self-starting.
While we were eating lunch near the reef, some of the people on our boat joined the people on the boat that floats over the reef for a little fellowship. They are a good match, since both groups are engaged in Palawan’s new ecotourism programs and they have shown us all – city officials, tourists, ordinary folks from Puerto Princesa – that tourism can be respectful of nature, and can be handled by the local people of the area with no middlemen, and can still provide wonderful experiences.
When we were back on shore in San Carlos and ready to go home, one woman in our group commented that this was the first time she had ever visited a poor community that she had not felt sorry for and that had not filled her with sadness. I’m pretty sure the community members also went home happy.
***Written by Dr. Susan Evangelista for her Leap of Faith column in Bandillo ng Palawan. Published in Bandillo issue # 7 this year. For more information about the author, please visit her on Facebook.
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