Destinations: Warm welcome -- Local entrepreneur introduces Barbara Wood and her husband to the Philippines Destinations: Warm welcome -- Local entrepreneur introduces Barbara Wood and her husband to the Philippines (December 22, 2004)

By Barbara Wood

Special to the Almanac

When I remember the trip my husband and I took to the Philippines this summer, the thing that stands out is not the incredible food we ate, the history we absorbed, the awesome natural beauty, or even the bargain shopping.

What stands out is Roy.

Roy Tan and his wife, Susan, made our trip to the Philippines one to long remember. They took my husband, Dan, and me into their home and introduced us to their extended family, showed us a view of an active volcano in the middle of a lake from an exclusive resort and golf club, gave us a private tour of Manila, and showered us with hospitality and food.

And who is Roy? Well, he's a business acquaintance of the sister of the Filipino woman my brother-in-law recently married. So, really, not much more than a complete stranger. At least at first.

But Roy, an entrepreneur who owns a few small businesses and builds homes, loves to meet new people and to share his country. So, soon after he was introduced to us at the wedding reception we had gone to the Philippines to attend, Roy invited us on an excursion.

Since Manila had been hot and humid and its air foul since our arrival in late July, we jumped at the chance to get away to Roy and Susan's country house in Tagaytay, less than an hour away. Tagaytay is at an elevation of 2,000 feet, and its mild climate, tropical beauty and its own volcano make it one of the most popular vacation and weekend destinations for Filipinos.

Roy and Susan took us to Tagaytay Highlands, a members-only resort and golf course, where we viewed the Taal Volcano, in the middle of Taal Lake, from a viewpoint high on a mountainside. The volcano, which last erupted about 35 years ago, can be visited up close by boat, and, for the adventurous, hiked up. We just looked.

From the viewpoint we could also see the entire Highlands development, including two 18-hole golf courses, sports center, spa, 25 food and beverage outlets, petting zoo, pony carts, horseback trails, trout fishing pond, several exclusive housing developments, and on and on. My favorite was the "camping" area, where families stay in palm leaf huts, near a huge swimming pool surrounded by jungle.

We stopped to buy some organically grown vegetables at the Highland's gardens, which produce food for its world-class restaurants as well as to sell. We had a drink in one of the clubhouses, where one of us had to wait for her order of coconut milk while the coconut was picked from a nearby tree and a hole drilled for the straw.

Roy and Susan's country house was a few miles away in a different gated community of American-style houses. Their house, which Roy built, was decorated like a Colorado lodge, complete with mounted deer heads, skulls, a cowboy boot lamp and log furniture, but surrounded by a tropical garden.

Before we headed back to our hotel for the night, Roy arranged to meet us in Manila a few days later and take us sightseeing.

In the meantime, we took a trip on our own. Through the travel agent who worked at our hotel, we arranged for a driver to take us to Pagjansan Falls, where native oarsmen took us up a river gorge where scenes from "Apocalypse Now" were filmed. At the end of the journey we were pulled along a rope to inside the waterfall where we stepped off into chest high water and into a cave.

The day trip, including driver and van, lunch and boat ride, came to about $100 for both of us.

Almost everything in the Philippines seems like a bargain, from food to clothing to hotels and services. A movie, in a plush mall theater with reserved seating, was $3, with food delivery to your seat optional. A two-hour manicure, pedicure and foot massage in an immaculate salon was $8.

Shopping seems to be something of a Filipino national pastime. American-style malls are everywhere, perhaps because they are so much nicer to hang out in than the heat, humidity, and air pollution of the outdoors. Some are huge and some even incorporate the old-fashioned village market with booths of handcrafts, art, jewelry, clothing and "authentic" faux designer handbags, shoes and more.

Eating seems to be the other favorite Filipino pastime, especially at buffets. It is possible to get almost any type of food in Manila, and most of the buffets we visited had sushi, traditional Filipino dishes such as adobo and imported seafood, as well as western favorites. I don't know how this nation has so many thin people.

By the end of our 10-day trip, instead of having breakfast we headed to a Starbucks or a clone (which are everywhere) for coffee and pastries. One memorable meal was at Max Brenner's Chocolate Bar, where for $6 each we had the afternoon special: a three-tiered server with three sandwiches and three desserts for each of us.

Roy took us to brunch at the Mandarin Oriental Manila, another buffet where we spent several hours trying to taste all the specialties of the hotel, from sushi to prime rib and tables of desserts.

Stuffed, we went on to the Intramuros, the Spanish walled city founded in 1571. We visited the San Agustin Church and Museum, featuring a wide array of historical and religious objects and a great place to learn some Philippines' history. The church, the oldest in the country, has the distinction of being damaged by the British in 1762, the Americans in 1898 and the Japanese in 1945, before being restored and made into a museum in 1973. The Philippines is the only Asian country that is primarily (90 percent) Christian, with 80 percent Catholics.

Nearby was Fort Santiago, once the seat of Spanish military power. It is now a memorial to the Philippines national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, whose 1896 execution on the site by the Spanish inspired generations of independence fighters.

Roy insisted Dan and I take a kalesa, a horse-drawn carriage that tours the streets of Intramuros. We saw up-close views of the area's famous stone walls, some of the remains of buildings damaged in World War II and sights as unique as full-scale dinosaur replicas peeking over a wall.

Since the usual Philippine traffic is a cacophonous snarl that leaves passengers in constant fear of fatal collisions, the horse cart was a pleasant respite, especially since cars are banned from many of the streets in the Intramuros.

After a drive-through tour of Chinatown, we had a drink and snack at the Harbor View restaurant, a Filipino restaurant that sits in the bay on a pier. Most of the tables are open air and when a downpour hits, as it did while we sat outside, plastic walls are rolled down, keeping the wind and rain out but none of the noise.

The next night, Roy offered to cook us dinner at his home. There we met his children, parents, grandchildren and other assorted relatives, and, once again, were fed Filipino and Chinese delicacies until ready to burst. Roy and Susan have promised to come and visit us next time they're in the U.S. so we can at least attempt to reciprocate their hospitality. I'm sure it's not possible, but we'll try.
Barbara Wood is a resident of Woodside. Her column, Dispatches from the Home Front, appears in the Almanac the third week of the month.

Facts of the Philippines

Money. Recently, $1 U.S. was worth about 55 pesos. Hotels range from $15-$30 for budget accommodations to $45 for upper mid-range and $200 and up for western-chain luxury high rises. Meals can be as little as $2 with $20 being the price of a gourmet dinner. Labor is cheap in the Philippines, with a live-in housekeeper or nanny earning room, board and $50 or $60 a month. ATMs are everywhere and take most American bank cards. Language. The Philippines is the third-largest English-speaking country in the world. English is the second language of most people, learned in school. Tagalog (tah-gol-og), also called Pilipino, is the common everyday language. Almost all street signs and advertising are in English. Geography. The Philippines is a little larger than the British Isles, made up of more than 7,000 islands, with only 2,000 inhabited. Luzon, home to the nation's capital city of Manila, and Mindanao are the largest islands, accounting for more than 65 percent of the country's land area. Taiwan and Indonesia are nearby neighbors. History. First colonized by Spain and then taken over by the Americans after the Spanish-American War (1898), the Philippines did not gain its independence until 1935. The Japanese invaded in 1942 and were driven out by the Americans in 1944. Independence was re-established in 1946. Ferdinand Marcos was democratically elected in 1972, but declared martial law and ruled as a dictator until hounded out of power in 1986, after a rebellion by followers of assassinated opposition party leader Benigno Aquino Jr. Aquino's widow, Cory, ruled until 1992 and several presidents have followed her. Gloria Arroyo is now serving her second term as president. The country continues to be plagued by corruption and unrest, and some outlying islands are terrorized by Muslim extremists. Weather. Hot and humid all year, with two seasons -- dry (September to May) and wet (June to September). December through February is slightly cooler. Visiting during the dry season is advised, especially for travel between the islands, which can be dangerous during the wet season.

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