Bicol's Beckoning Beauty
By Ariel Allosada
Allera
My favorite movie Kailangan Kita (I Need
You) was shown on PBO recently. Claudine Barreto and Aga
Muhlach were right on the money. Not only did they justify their
lead roles, they likewise made perfect partners in promoting
tourism in Bicol, where the film was entirely
shot. Most scenes visited me, reminding me of the wonderful memories I have of my
Sorsogon-Albay sojourn a few summers back—courtesy of Cebu Holiday
Tours and Travel's Ricky Tio.
The journey from Cebu to Masbate to Sorsogon seemed
eternal. But all the stress paid off when
I arrived in Donsol town, province of Sorsogon,
excited to have the first leg of my tour which was the
Butanding interaction.
I hadn't any idea what a Butanding
was, until I was sent out to the middle of the deep
blue see where---too late for me to back out---I was to dive and,
worse, swim alongside a school of whale sharks which before me
looked as huge and grayish as an aircraft sinking since time
immemorial. Said to be the world's largest fish, they
are found collectively in the waters of Donsol where every
Bicol-bound tourist ought to get by and experience the
Butanding interaction.
Still consumed by a sense of fulfillment for having conquered my
fear of sharks, I wasn't the least bit ready for my
next stop, San Benon's Mateo Hot and Cold Springs in
Irosin town. But the sight of rock-tree pools sitting in different
sizes/shapes beckoned another Bicol experience to behold. Having
been in Donsol's cold waters, I had to dip in the
warmth not really of the pool's but also of the
hospitality of Bicolanos.
They gave me a red-carpet treatment, washing away my
previous perception of Sorsogon. Laidback, yes; but backward,
no. The downtown is cleanly and orderly, whilst their suburbs clean
and green. They have dandy restaurants like Casa Dominga
and posh hotels like Fernando's, where I was
billeted in during my first night.
For having underestimated their province below the
belt, I said sorry to Mrs. Cecilia Duran who was the
hotel's general manager, chairperson of Sorsogon
ProvincialTourism and vice-chairperson of the National Tourism
Council. In between a square meal of Bicol express and snatches of
Pili nuts, Director Maria "Nini" Ravanilla of the
Department of Tourism-Region V discussed Sorsogon tourism.
The information that there was more we could
see, such as the Rizal Beach, the Bulusan Lake, Mt. Bulusan, the
Barcelona Church, the Irosin Church and others, made
me more than unwilling to call it a
day.
Like it or not, the early morning's wake-up call had me
head for the province of Albay. But knowing that I was en
route to the very place where Carl (Aga) insinuated to Lena
(Claudine) of her impeccable beauty by looking over
the comparatively beautiful Mayon Volcano gave me too good a
reason to yield to my call of departure. Wouldn't I be excited
enough to see it for myself, to kiss the foot
of Mayon in Cagsawa Ruins in Daraga town, and leave
a mark of prayer for the thousand and one souls who were
buried under what is now a blackened church tower? (Note: The
Volcano erupted February 1, 1814 and sent lava
flows which cascaded down its side. The worst of all its 40
eruptions since 1616.)
Today, the Ruins provides a magnifecent view of Mount
Mayon which then grinned seductively, impatient to be
explored by this hopeless romantic.
A European visitor whom I asked a favor to take my
picture said, "The erased place of Cagsawa and its weathered
ruins are part of a park and a highlight for tourists like me and
our cameras." Visibly abroad around the park are
souvenir shops as well as Pili nut sweets
and orchid stalls, so are a children's
playground, a swimming pool, and the Ayuntamiento Art Gallery that
is open to the public every day.
The silhouette of Mount Mayon's triangular
shape dominates the panorama of the eastern landscape of
Albay. From the Mayon Skyline nestling almost at
the tip of its near perfect cone, I was
afforded the spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean, the
different towns, lakes, villages, fields, and other mountains. The
hanging clouds plus the cool, invigorating air have makes
it an ideal summer resort with just about similar
temperature as Baguio at 28 degree Celsius. It erects
majestically at 2,700 feet, 2,462 meters from a broad base, about
10 kilometers in radius. It has a notched rim where a high and
mighty mountaineer can find a pool of hot lava boils and rich
coal deposits.
The name Mayon is derived from the Bicol word
magayon, meaning "beautiful." An American writer
described the Volcano as an overly perfect backdrop painting
of a Hollywood jungle movie, while a couple of Japanese
visitors likened it to Mount Fuji in Japan
and said, "Maybe, even more
beautiful."
Feeling uncontainably happy for that equally beautiful
opportunity of being in Bicol, I went back downtown,
jauntily, and displayed an almost maudlin expression of
gratitude to the Lord inside Our Lady of
the Gate. This church was built on top of Daraga
hill in 1773 by Franciscan missionaries and is one of the
oldest in the country. Its rich baroque architectural designs,
with archaelogical remains of saints and rare religious seals
ingeniously carved throughout the entire facade, make it a
priceless relic for art afficionados.
At once I wondered there was something
I hadn't noticed in all the church's awe
and splendor. On the way to my hotel in Albay's
capital city of Legazpi, my mother wit told me to stop
by Albay Freedom Park fronting the City Hall and
Provincial Capitol Building, as though the answer to my
question was there. I racked my brain, wished to the
Liberty Bell Monument, and before it could liberate me
from my perplexed conscience I caught myself awed by the
splendid sight of the Albay Cathedral Parish which seemed
there had been a wedding ceremony a while
ago.
At the garden outside more guests were frolicking, some wiping
their tears, mostly tossing their wine glasses. Then I saw
a kalesa (horse taxi) coming out of nowhere,
carrying a lovely couple, and running
past this passionate
writer.
Bicol's Beckoning Beauty by Ariel Allera
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