Coron Sanitarium

Sanitarium 

Travel as Paulo Coelho writes in "The Pilgrimage"

Travel as Paulo Coelho writes in "The Pilgrimage" makes us see the world in a new light, " . . .  since all things are new, you see only the beauty in things and feel happy to be alive."

Ernesto "Che/Fuser" Guevara narrates a similar experience in the movie "The Motorcycle Diaries." Traveling with his biochemist friend Alfredo Granado in a motorcycle from Buenos Aires Argentina to the San Pablo leper colony in Peruvian Amazon in 1952, he asked himself towards the end of his journey, "Was my vision too narrow? Wandering around America has changed me more than I thought. I am not myself anymore. At least, I'm not the same me I was."

This is a turnaround from his earlier outlook on why he and his buddy are traveling. Asked by the hungry and jobless miners why they travel, he answered, "We travel just to travel." The miners were stunned as they travel to look for work so they can eat.

As a result of this experience that spanned over 6,000 kilometers in Latin America in more than a year, Che saw a different world; from a fun filled detached life to a world of oppression, injustice, pain and suffering. His two weeks as a medical volunteer at the San Jose leper colony made him see extreme anguish in all dimensions of man. The lepers, separated from the healthy by the river made him see that there are extreme separate worlds in Latin America. This moved him eventually on changing it by founding a revolutionary communist and Latino movement.

In a way, our visit to the Culion Leper Colony even without the patients can be likened to Che’s journey in the 50’s. Through the pictures at the Culion Museum, sighting of the hospital and the lecture of Dr. Arturo Cunanan, the head of the Culion Leprosy Control and Rehabilitation Program at the Culion Sanitarium, we visualized the pain the ostracized 7,000 patients underwent during their rehab. They were in an island detached from the rest by the Luzon Sea, over 360 kilometers away from their families. This travel challenged us to look beyond our comfort zones, seeing our world in another light.

Returning back to city from our weekend adventure, we can only be thankful that we have been spared of the pains of perpetual separation. If at the least the experience in Palawan awakened us that we should be empathetic to the sick, our Coron Waters Adventure then gifted us with a valuable treasure that could not be matched by all the sunken gold in the Philippine Seas. Yes, even the sick deserves to be happy and alive.

-Chito. Originally written 28 March 2005, modified 20 May 2005

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In the movie Kingdom of Heaven which was aptly described as the Kingdom of Conscience, the masked king of Jerusalem, King Baldwin who was afflicted with leprosy said to Balian (Orlando Bloom), “Leprosy is God’s vengeance against the vanity of our kingdom. As wretched as he is already, they believe that the chastisement caused by the disease is more severe and lasting in hell.” He complains “it is unfair.”

Culion Fortress

Grilled view from Culion Fortress 

The original infinity pool 

Mt. Tapyas

On top Mt. Tapyas 210 Meters ASL 718 steps

Culion Church

Church in Culion 

Lagoon Viewdeck

Viewdeck on the way to the Lagoon 

Ridges

Ridges 

Last Chance at the Last Frontier

26 participants had a taste of the last frontier of the Philippines through the Coron Waters Adventure organized and led by PALMC President Banny Hermanos this 13-16 May 2005. Ably assisted by PAL employees and affiliates, Dexter Macapagal and Bunzoi Anonuevo, this 2.8 day-revitalizing weekend (67 hours) was spent mostly on water; 52 hours in, above or under water, 15 hours on land. What is Coron Palawan but islands, water, diving, snorkeling, swimming, shipwreck spotting, trekking and eating that logged in about 75 kilometers moving around the group of Calamian Island. Count the adventures in this action-packed weekend: trek to Mt. Tapyas elevation 210 M ASL, 718 steps for the initiates, lapping at the Kayangan Lake, the cleanest in the Philippines still, snorkeling at the Twin Lagoon and Barracuda Lake, lunch at CYC (Coron Youth Club) island, dock at Banana Island, walk around the Culion Leper Colony, search for pearls at the nearby Pearl Farm, look for shipwrecks at Lusong, dive for giant jellyfish at Skeleton Island, snorkel at corals at Siete Pecados Marine Sanctuary. While at the Banana Island exclusively for us, a series of activities naturally happened aside from the usual tent pitching, seafood grilling, bonfire and socials. Would you believe, basketball, Frisbee throwing and competitive beach volleyball? To cool down the active bodies as we end the adventure Sunday afternoon, we were treated to a hot spring bath at the Makinit Hot Spring. Refueling the energy of the participants for the two days at the island were seafood preparations by Chinese chef Stephen, Boholana Virgie and initiate May. Cooking was done mostly while the group was in transit. Consider yourself disabled without a boat. Moving us around hopping from one island to the next was St. Joseph the Worker Boat captained by Toti and his assistant Tony. Readings by Lito Nazereno showed cruising speed of about 24 km per hour (slower than Super Ferry's 30 km per hour).

Travel like a time warp has a way of transforming us to the past. Our visit at Culion brought us back to the Spanish era in 1740 where the church served at the sanctuary of the soul and a fortress defending the land against the invaders. Visiting the Culion Leper Colony and the Culion Museum set us back to 1906 when the colony was institutionalized and supported through intervention of the American Governor General Leonard Wood. While snorkeling peeping at the corals, we recall in the not distant past that the corals then were more abundant and alive. We hope that as the people of Calamian Island preserved their historical artifacts, they will do the same to their fast dwindling natural resources.

In 2000, travel writer Amadis Ma. Guerrero wrote about enchanting, craggy Coron Island enjoining readers to visit it before its turns commercial, expensive and spoilt. This year, through the selflessness of ace photographer and club president Banny, we were able to catch still the pristine and natural wonder of Palawan for a measly P 1,000 a day. Do not tell that to the other excursionists we were with the WG&A. They spent a lot more and saw not as much. How else can we express our appreciation but say profusely our thanks. The next time we visit, we may not like what we will see. Timely, we were at the last chance at the last frontier of the Philippines.

-Chito 16 May 2005

For a sampling of fotos visit http://tochs.blogspot.com/

Everest, The Elusive Filipino Dream

Notes on Mr. Art Valdez' talk in the PALMC assembly on the First Filipino Ascent to Mt. Everest

This climb has ever since been a vision of the original MFPI founders. Its attainment remains to be elusive but the developments in the last century are slowly and painstakingly bringing them closer to realize the dream. This is with the help of the younger climbers in collaboration with the seasoned ones. The climb to Everest is a
climb via the traditional way: train and complete as a team. There will be neither be shortcuts nor fast tracks.

The process and hopefully the successful step is a testament to the faith in the Filipino, that yes, the Filipino can.

As the first Filipino mountaineer steps on the roof of the world for the first time in 2007, underneath that foot are the shoulders of the members of the Filipino team, the entire nation and the Filipino climbing community.

To climb this way, the climber must be prepared physically, psychologically, emotionally and financially. Of these, it is the financial that may be the most difficult to hurdle.

Art enjoins PALMC to support this grand endeavor. He invited Chairman John Fortes to organize a send off party at the base camp.

Chito at the PALMC Training Center 4 May 2005 with Mr. Fred Jamili and Mr. Larry Honoridez