The Philippines

Visited: June 1999

Duration of visit: 45 days

Capital city: Manila

Population: 78 million (1999)

The Philippines travel blog reading time: 16 minutes

• Relaxing in a hammock under coconut palm trees only meters away from the crystal-clear sea.
• Rice terraces, beautiful views, friendly Ifugaji locals and peace in Batad.
• Travelling on jeepneys – American jeeps converted into lively colorful buses.
• Walking through the muddy mix of stones and ashes on the river bank bellow Pinatubo.
• Uncomfortable and unsecure feeling in the capital Manila.

Though the Philippines is less visited than Thailand, Vietnam, or Indonesia, it offers breathtaking nature, welcoming people, and quiet escapes. There are so many highlights, places to visit and things to do, all made easy by widespread English.

The Philippines were part of the Asian Big Tour from Australia, through Southeast Asia and China to India. During this 15-months long trip I visited most of the countries in the region and spent 45 days travelling around several of more than 7,000 diverse islands of the Philippines.

I reached the Philippines by boat from northern Sulawesi in Indonesia. Two days aboard a cargo-passenger boat from Manado to Davao in the company of pilgrims and a few other travelers passed quickly. The food was basic, comfort limited, but the sea remained tranquil for the majority of the time. I arrived to the Philippine island Mindanao safely.

Despite the fact that the Philippines was a Spanish colony for over three centuries, the recent influence of forty years of American governance had a far more significant impact.

Aside from city names, surnames, Catholicism, and some Spanish loanwords in Tagalog, little of the Spanish era remains. There are virtually no landmarks left. American rule reshaped much of what the Spaniards left; just as the Spanish had earlier erased much of the original Malay heritage.

The Philippines doesn’t really have an identity of its own and is turning like a wind blowing; once to one side, once to the other. A great example of this is language and diet.

The official language of the Philippines is Tagalog, but in schools from an early age practically all subjects are taught in English. This also applies to debates in parliament, advertisements, newspapers and television programs. For foreigners, travelling is much easier because there are no problems with communication even in the most remote villages.

If someone asked me to describe typical Filipino food, I’d reply: “Western fast food.” Beside rare local specialties such as lechon (roast pork), arroz caldo (cooked rice with chicken, garlic and onion) and mum (soup with noodles of different flavors) the most popular dishes on the menus are hamburgers, hot dogs and pizzas.

The Aeta people, among the oldest Indigenous groups in the Philippines, live in remote parts of Luzon. They hunt small game, gather forest fruits, and maintain many traditional ways of life. Today, about 30,000 Aeta live in communities near Angeles, relatively close to lowland Filipinos but with limited contact with other groups.

The most recognized internationally are the Ifugaji, who built beautiful rice terraces in Banaue more than 2,000 years ago.

During my visits to these two regions, I engaged with both minority groups. It is hard to find any similarities between them.

For an authentic feel of the Philippines, riding a jeepney was one of the highlights I simply couldn’t miss. The local transportation that functions similarly to a bus.

Jeepneys are old American jeeps transformed into colorful local buses, used mainly in big cities but also on short intercity routes and rough mountain roads.

The history of jeepneys dates back to the period after the end of WW II, when the United States military withdrew from these territories. In addition to large military bases, airports and trucks, they also left behind military jeeps.

The ingenious Filipinos lengthened them, reinforced the chassis, and installed benches. They then painted them in vibrant colors and added chrome ornaments, stickers, lights, brass, mirrors, and every other decoration imaginable.

Jeepneys often carry 20 people on benches designed for 12, plus a few more packed into the front next to the driver. The speakers blast music at full volume. The driver speeds off as if he was in a Formula One race.

The worst feature of jeepneys is their exhaust system, which will certainly endanger their existence, if not adapted to modern ecological requirements. Exhaust gases combined with black smoke suffocate drivers and especially passengers in vehicles driving behind.

The cost of a jeepney ride was unbelievably low. I usually paid around 2.5 pesos (0.05 US$).

Money travels from one passenger’s hand to another until reaching the driver’s metal container. The banknotes are folded together for safety, tucked into the ceiling, above the jockey’s head.

In big, polluted cities, a small towel or scarf is essential for covering your mouth and protecting yourself from the fumes coming through the open windows.

There are no bus stops in the Philippines. Passengers enter or exit where they want and drivers stop at their call “para” or a punch with a coin/hand on the roof.

If I had to choose the most beautiful and most imaginatively decorated jeepneys in the country, I would opt for those in the city of Davao on the extreme southern island of Mindanao.

The most patient jeepney jockeys drive in Manila. They are exposed to unbearably polluted air and heavy traffic throughout the day (from 6:00am to 9:00pm). During this time, the average travel speed is only around 12 kms/h. A much better option during rush hours is offered by fast Manilla Metro system with 1 line and 13 stations.

Longer trips use standard buses, driven aggressively and helped by assistants who handle passengers. The driver focuses on overtaking all vehicles in front, while the assistant whistles for stops and punches entry and exit tickets.

You never know how much time the ride will take, since they all use worn tires that flatten all the time.

I don’t remember any other country where we had to change tires so often. A few times we ended up with no spare left after multiple flats happened only minutes apart.

Drivers and assistants were forced to stop the passing buses to lend us their tires until we until we made it to the nearest mechanic.

The phenomenon of the island Bohol is also an attempt by moto-taxi drivers to get as many people as possible into the extended motorcycle seat.

On a record-breaking ride with seven people on one motorcycle, the driver sat on the fuel tank while the others clung to him like monkeys, desperate not to fall off.

To travel between islands, I used everything from fast speedboats to small wooden canoes. Shipwrecks are common in the Philippines, mostly caused by overloaded vessels or poorly maintained boats.

I never felt unsafe on the water. In fact, my first boat ride between Mindanao and Bohol felt almost luxurious compared to Indonesia. Everyone had their own bed, people watched TV in peace. I ate instant soup instead of plane rice, trash went into bins instead of the sea. Even the rats seemed less disgusting in the Philippines.

Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is a metropolis of over 10 million people at the end of the second millennium, fourth on the list of the most polluted cities in the world. It is a mix of slums, a modern business district, Chinatown, middle class residential areas, nightclubs and casinos. For a capital this huge, it’s surprising how limited the places to visit or things to do truly are.

Like most other metropolises in third world countries, misery and wealth walk hand in hand: simple slums, luxurious business districts with modern buildings, beautifully landscaped parks, old buses and high-end Mercedes cars.

In Manila, the distance between the extremes is even smaller, as it is all mixed up in a significantly compact area, because the city was expanding without proper planning.

The remnants of Spanish rule in the walled city of Intramuros, travelling in a jeepney through the chaotic streets, watching the latest American movie at the cinema, window shopping in one of the big shopping malls and walking around Rizal Park were my main activities in addition to exploring the colorful nightlife.

To see both extremes of life in Manila, I took a short drive between Forbes Park in the upscale Makati district and the Tondo ghetto, just nine kilometers apart. In Forbes Park, security guards didn’t even allow me to walk, as I was the only person without a car. In stark contrast, around 200,000 poor Filipinos live in roughly 17,000 makeshift barracks packed into the 1.5 km² area of Tondo.

Walking there with a camera or some tempting dollars in my pocket could easily have drawn the attention of pickpockets.

Manila was one of the few places in Asia where I felt unsafe even during the day. I stuck close to other pedestrians and avoided straying from the crowds, especially in parks.

The remnants of Spanish rule in the walled city of Intramuros, travelling in a jeepney through the chaotic streets, watching the latest American movie at the cinema, window shopping in one of the big shopping malls and walking around Rizal Park were my main activities in addition to exploring the colorful nightlife.

I explored the remnants of Spanish rule in the walled city of Intramuros. I rode jeepneys through chaotic streets, watched the latest American movies, browsed giant shopping malls, and wandered around Rizal Park. When night came, I also checked out Manila’s colorful nightlife.

For me, a visit to the Philippines isn’t complete without seeing the Chocolate Hills, relaxing on one of the many white-sand beaches, and walking along the miraculous rice terraces in northern Luzon. Observing, or even climbing one of the country’s impressive volcanoes is a also a must-thing to do.

Banaue rice terraces were made 2,000 to 3,000 years ago and rise up to 1,700 meters high. If terraces could be connected in one line, they would reach a length of 20,000 kilometers.

Each terrace is 60 to 250 cm high and connected among levels by stone stairs – or rather with large stones stuck to the terrace wall. The terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand.

Locals up to this day still plant rice and vegetables on the terraces, but probably hospitality industry and tourism will eventually become more lucrative and less demanding.

Walking along the terraces, hopping over narrow water canals, and constantly searching for the right path quickly became a challenge for me. More than once, I happily accepted the help of locals who guided me in the right direction for a few pesos.

After a half-hour jeepney ride and a two-hour walk from Ananei, I reached the small village of Batad. The rice terraces, stunning views, friendly Ifugao locals, and deep sense of peace feel unchanged from 2,000 years ago. The nearest road is still a two-hour climb up steep stone steps, electricity hasn’t reached the village yet.

The Ifugai people were famous as hunters of human heads in the past, but today they are hosting foreign visitors, bringing much-needed money to the valley.

Their houses are adorned only with pig skulls or bull horns, previously sacrificed to the gods in traditional ceremonies. Human skulls have been replaced by bull horns and pig heads.

In some wooden houses covered with dried rice grass, bones of important ancestors, especially males, are still stored. Simple huts are slowly being replaced by modern houses made of concrete and covered with metal roofs.

Considering the fact that everything, except rice, needs to be brought to Batad by porters or donkeys, the village looks extremely well maintained and clean. Unlike many Philippine towns or villages, the buildings here are logically organized.

The rice terraces ascend in the shape of a semicircle reminiscent of a Greek theater, reaching several hundred meters in height.  Their enchanting appearance inspires me and provokes a multitude of intriguing questions:

“Why and how did they originate right here?“

“How many years, energy and stones did it take to build them?”

Beyond the attraction of the terraces themselves, I was also impressed by the extraordinary kindness of my hosts and locals in general.

In the evening, rather than sitting in front of the television, we gathered around a table filled with delightful dishes. Famous pop stars were replaced by local artists, who entertained us late at night with a guitar and singing.

Two thousand years after being constructed, the terraces and their simple water system still work the same. Climbing the steps between them is tricky, and even dangerous when rain makes them slippery.

I started to climb terraces early next morning, as the heat during the day is an additional challenge that can take a lot of energy. First, I climbed over the suspension bridge to one of the surrounding hills. The kids on the way to school guided me to not get lost from the main path.

Somewhere at the top, while observing the terraces, I was disturbed by a simply dressed elderly gentleman, who asked me for a cigarette and sat down next to me.

Near the top, an elderly man in simple clothes asked me for a cigarette and sat beside me. He showed me a small house he uses while working in the fields, since climbing up from the valley every day is too difficult. I gave him a lighter, and he revealed a hidden staircase leading back to Batad.

I took the shortcut between old and new houses and returned to the guesthouse, where the host prepared a tasty lunch.

Mayon Volcano is known for having the most perfect cone shape of any volcano. Even its name, Mayon, which means wonderful in the local language, shows how beautiful it is.

Constant lava eruptions every 10 years bring the entire area of ​​southern Luzon to its feet, and many residents need to be evacuated over and over again. In the last mayor outbreak in 1993, 70 people lost their lives and 50,000 residents of the surrounding villages had to be relocated.

Although the dormant period allows a strenuous two-day climb to the crater’s top, I opted to observe the perfect cone from a distance.

Another striking volcano is located just two hours’ drive north of Manila, near the sex capital, Angeles.

The eruption of lava and ash, which rose from the volcano Mount Pinatubo on the 15^th June 1991 and covered a wider area, is considered to be the second-largest terrestrial eruption of the 20^th century after the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Alaska.

The gray mix of stones, ashes and soil reached a thickness of 20 meters in some places and today offers an interesting opportunity for trekking.

In the rainy season, the area around Mt. Pinatubo becomes very dangerous. I hired an experienced guide to walk along the riverbed, avoid quicksand, and watch for slippery rocks.

It was a thrilling adventure. The guide was using a stick to verify the hardness of surface, which seemed pretty solid most of the time.

I didn’t realize how dangerous it was until the guide screamed:

“Rok, stop! Don’t walk any further!”

He picked up a heavy stone and threw it just 2 meters from our feet. It sunk immediately in quicksand and disappeared deep into the mud.

We kept walking cautiously for another two hours before finally reaching the point where it was too risky to continue. Walking in the area surrounded with meters of soil and ash from the last eruption was a highlight and an incredible experience.

We kept walking cautiously for two hours before finally reaching the point where it was too risky to continue. Walking in the area surrounded with meters of soil, covered with ashes from the last volcano eruption, is an incredible experience.

The Chocolate Hills are a formation of more than 10,000 symmetrical hills, up to 50 meters high, on the island of Bohol that turn brown during the dry season. This unique landscape has become a major landmark of the Philippines.

Legend says the hills are the tears of grieving giants, while science points to fossilized remnants of an ancient sea. Their smooth, grass-covered slopes look perfectly trimmed. An illusion created by the hot sun drying the grass until it turns brown.

To complete my travel in Bohol island, I sought out the world’s smallest primates – the tarsier monkeys. They measure only about 13 cm in body length, with tails that can be twice as long.

As I walked through the sanctuary at dusk, I saw the tarsiers become active. Their big eyes looked even larger in the dim light. Using their long tails for balance, they moved quickly through the branches to catch insects, lizards, and small snakes.

I wanted a quieter, more remote place.

On Malapascua Island north of Cebu, I found peace, friendly locals, and delicious seafood cooked by a local grandma. When I visited in 1999, there were only a dozen beach cottages and no restaurants or other tourist facilities.

I agreed with a local fisherman to use of his personal canoe to discover the island from the sea. He gave me some basic instructions and warned me about shallow spots and hidden rocks. It took me about half a day to paddle around Malapascua Island, giving me a chance to enjoy the peaceful scenery and watch local life from the water.

The next morning, I walked through the village looking for a cook that could prepare me lunch or dinner. It didn’t take long until I ran into a strong lady, who was willing to set aside a table, cook the catch of the day for dinner and host me. When we agreed on price, cooking method and species, we were all set for a delicious dinner.

In the evening, she set up a simple table outside and served generous portions of fish in coconut sauce, rice, and salad. The food was delicious, cheap, and memorable.

I am certain the island will change in the coming years, as the influx of tourists will affect its pristine environment.

During a month and a half, I thoroughly explored the Philippines, visiting multiple islands and using various forms of transport. I also participated in a wide range of activities and met welcoming people from both rural and urban areas.

From beautiful beaches with clear blue water and palm trees, to thousands of years old mystic rice terraces and underground caves to perfectly shaped volcanos, huge shopping malls and diversified night life … the Philippines have it all.

A significant drawback of the country is the elevated crime rate, numerous pickpockets and general pollution feeling in Manila

I’m glad I visited the Philippines before natural disasters, overpopulation and too many tourists will change it for the worse.