Northern exposure
ty SensBy Paulo Alcazaren
The Philippine STAR 10/29/2005
From
Aparri to Jolo, we never really fully appreciate our beautiful
Philippines. Despite the damage we know is happening to our once
pristine environment, there is still much left, in terms of natural
wonders and man-made heritage, that pleases the eye, satisfies our
historical and cultural curiosity and fills our appetite for travel.
I’ve not done Jolo, but recently I did reach as far north as
I’d ever been. I hopped on a PAL flight a few weeks ago to visit the
surprising province of Ilocos Norte. I’m from Cebu, so my sojourns have
been centered on the Visayan Islands. This is that part of our
archipelago most local and foreign tourists associate with sun, surf
and sinugba. There is, however, more of that everywhere in the
country. Ilocos Norte proves that attractiveness is not limited to
Boracay and bordering islands – there’s as much and more in bagnet country.
First off, there are almost no phone banners and the ugly
billboards that blight almost every other destination nationwide. That
alone is worth any trip for me. After landing, I took the road from
Laoag to almost all the towns in the province – Batac, Paoay, Sarrat,
all the way up to Pagudpud. Wonderful scenery was all around, blessed
with a dis-abundance of roadside billboards. I could actually see trees
and the green countryside, not pictures of half-naked models or
hamburgers.
Next, there are numerous and wonderful examples of heritage
architecture from the Spanish and American colonial periods. Many are
well preserved (save for the awful new roof of the Laoag Cathedral, the
beautiful timber trusses were replaced with banal steel which destroys
the ambiance not to mention compromises the structure itself). The
Paoay Church is a must-see with its massive earthquake buttresses and
generous setting, which is now enhanced by a cafe and souvenir complex.
The Sarrat Church and its dungeons, the Laoag Provincial Capitol, the
leaning bell tower, the Bojeador farola (lighthouse) should be part of
any itinerary.
The Laoag Museum is also a delight (curated by architect Rene
Luis Mata among others). Visitors will be amazed at the richness of
Ilocos culture and the various diverse influences from China, Spain and
even the Americas. A visit to any of the town markets yields much in
terms of souvenirs and arts and crafts – blankets, longaniza, empanada, tobacco products.
Even more contemporary settings are of touristic interest. I
stayed at Fort Ilocandia, which is going through a renaissance of sorts
because of the influx of Chinese tourists. They come mostly for the
gambling, of course, but nevertheless they also tour the countryside
and imbibe more than the drinks at the gambling table. The "Fort"
itself has matured nicely. Originally it looked (at least from what I
recall of tourist brochures then) chunky and unfriendly. The trees and
shrubs have now matured and cover the original structures with a green
flower-embellished patina that is quite appealing. Amenities are quite
generous, including a 50-meter pool, driving range, dunebuggy rides,
shooting range and ski-doos make the Fort a stand alone destination.
Two places of note at the province’s northern border need to
be brought to everyone’s attention – the windmills and the beaches of
Pagudpud. I requested a special trip up to see the giant windmills.
This Danish/Filipino joint venture is amazing. Seventeen wind
generators, each 23-storey high, create enough energy to power close to
half of the province’s needs. Each three-pronged blade is equivalent to
the wingspan of a Boeing 747. Amazing! What’s more amazing is the fact
that, of course, it uses up no fossil fuels, is self-regulating and
needs only a compliment of five engineers to monitor it. Sensors in the
windmills send data digitally to Denmark and Manila. The mills make
little sound except for low whooshing sounds only when you get close
enough, otherwise they are silent power generators. We should turn to
this type of alternative energy source for the rest of the Philippines
(along with alcogas, cocodiesel, natural gas and plain old pedal and
foot power).
Finally, let’s talk about Pagudpud. Boracay, move over! White
sands, coconuts, friendly coves, Hawaiian-quality surf, blight-free
surroundings, and ready access from the international airport in Laoag
make the place a serious alternative to congested Boracay. There is
tremendous potential in developing the whole stretch of coast in Ilocos
Norte to cater to the local and foreign tourist market. The port at
Currimao also holds great potential and planned inter-provincial
highways lead to greater connectivity to attractions nearby like Vigan
and the world-famous Banawe rice terraces.
I believe all the north needs is more exposure. Marketing is a
key approach and the next strategy is actually to not do too much,
especially with heritage and nature. I hope the north keeps as much of
its heritage as possible and shores tourism up with more
accommodations, an improved transport infrastructure and conservation
of intangible cultural heritage. All this will lead to tangible
benefits in the local economy while contributing to the national good.
See you up north.
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Feedback is welcome. Please e-mail the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.
