A leisure trip to San Pablo
In the midst of this summer, we went on a leisure trip to the dive capital of the Philippines, Anilao in Batangas. Our vehicle of choice for the trip was the Toyota Hilux (courtesy of Toyota Motor Philippines) that made heads turn on the highway. More importantly, it was a very comfortable ride with plenty of room to spare for our weekend trip.
That was actually when we initially embarked on a new series for our TV show Business & Leisure this year, dubbed Leisure Trip. This is where we showcase the local destinations that are accessible by car and it is our small way of helping out in our national drive to boost our tourism industry. Before we sell our country to foreign tourists, it would do well for us to know and enjoy our local destinations north, south, east and west of Metro Manila.
Last month we continued with our Leisure Trip series. We decided on San Pablo, a first class city in the southern part of the province of Laguna. It is the largest city here, a mere one-and-a-half hour’s drive from Manila. This time, our vehicle of choice was the new Mitsubishi Montero Sport (courtesy of Mitsubishi Motors Pilippines), gleaming in the summer sun, another head-turner on the highway. More than looks, however, it is the ride that is of prime consideration for long-distance travel, and the Mitsubishi Montero Sport delivered excellently in this area such that we were still fresh and energized when we arrived at our destination. Cool, safe and comfortable.
Not too many people know that San Pablo was placed under the jurisdiction of the province of Batangas in the 1700s until it was returned to Laguna in the 1800s. The City Charter of San Pablo approved by President Manuel L. Quezon formalized San Pablo’s sisterhood. It is also known as the “City of Seven Lakes”, the biggest of which is the Lake Sampaloc which we were not about to miss. But first, like in most of our previous trips, a stopover at the San Pablo Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Parish of St. Paul the First Hermit.
History tells us the church traces its beginnings to the 16th century, but over time it underwent several re-construction until it was completed in its final form in the 18th century. It was rebuilt from 1948 to 1954 and the parish church became a cathedral in 1966, now with a diocese of over two million. It is an old church, quaint and not too big for a cathedral, but it is rich in history and it is the pride of the people of San Pablo.
Next stop was the Lake Sampaloc. Legend has it that an old man once asked for some of the fruits from a giant sampaloc or tamarind tree that grew in the orchard of a selfish old woman for his sick child. The cruel old woman turned him away and the old man, who was in fact a “diwata”, left with a curse that turned the orchard into a huge pit filled with water, the beginnings of Lake Sampaloc.
Lake Sampaloc, located behind the munisipyo, is actually an inactive volcano, a very big lake indeed where we saw locals fishing patiently at the edge of the water. We saw a small boy walk away with about six large and small tilapias and other fresh water fish strung on a pole, their dinner for the day perhaps. Anyone can fish in Lake Sampaloc and in the six other lakes as well: Lake Palakpakin, Lake Bunot, Lake Muhikap and Lakes Pandin and Yambo. We were told the local government ensures the abundance of tilapia seedlings in the lakes, which thrived very well and tilapia fishing has been a popular past time here in San Pablo with a yearly “Tilapia Fest” to boot.
San Pablo is also rich in fruits. We were fortunate to chance upon the locals harvesting mangoes from a big tree just beside the lake. The trees are owned by the city and traders negotiate to harvest a whole tree for a fee. Seven young men were up in the tree to pick the fruits, and in the time that we were there, they had already filled several “kaings” but the tree was still heavy with fruit. We bought one “kaing” for P300.
Since we were barely 30 minutes away from Liliw, the footwear capital of Laguna, we decided to go for it. Navigating pretty narrow roads, we found ourselves in Gat Tayaw St. where some 70 to 80 stores made brisk business selling locally-made shoes and slippers. One will be amazed, as we were, at the modern designs the shoemakers are crafting from leather, synthetic or native materials. The Liliw folks are proud of their craft, much like the Marikina folks, and they constantly upgrade and catch up on the latest trends. We had a heyday buying shoes and slippers, lucky store owner!! My wife Babes even got pretty slippers that one can go to town for only P40 each. Leather shoes or sandals can be had for P200 — P400 each.
Our home for the short weekend was Sitio de Amor Farm Resort, tucked away from the bustle of the city. It has tall iron gates which, when opened, will reveal an entirely new world of nature at its best. It is a multi-hectare farm with only seven one-room villas, some adjacent to each other, the single villas located several meters from each other to ensure privacy. The farm resort, owned by Jorge and Amor Bondad (hence the farm resort’s name) is a sanctuary far removed from others because it was meant to be that way. The stillness and tranquillity, the fresh air as only a rural farm can give, the lushness of greens — this is a farm resort at its best such that Sitio de Amor merits another space in this column at a future time. Suffice it to say we had a restful evening in our cool villas that night after an excellent home-cooked dinner.
We were scheduled to leave after lunch the next day, but not after we scoured the big public market for some good dried fish like bolinao, which Manila folks are crazy about. On the way home, we bought some fruits — lanzones season was just starting, so we had some of those, along with guyabano, papaya, even langka and durian. Be careful though, be sure to compare prices with the nearby stalls. I bought lanzones, which turned out to be close to double the price offered by another stall. It was probably the sight of our shiny brand new vehicle that merited such a high “turing” (initial price bid). Lesson learned. Times have really changed?
I have always been a proud product of ABS-CBN. It was there where I acquired most of whatever knowledge I now have about the different facets of radio and television broadcast, like production, marketing, journalism and on-the-air announcing. I also imbibed the professional work ethic the Lopezes have always been known for. And the most I cherish is their culture of putting so much weight on loyalty and honesty. I remember what I was clearly told on my first day of work as a DJ for the network by a long-time veteran executive, “Here you may fumble on your work and be given almost infinite chances to learn from your mistakes, but steal a peso and you’ll be out of here faster than your boss can say, you are fired.”
But have things changed at ABS-CBN? I sincerely hope not, but I’m now inclined to think so after I heard this tale of woe from Coach Joe Lipa, an icon in Philippine basketball. It’s a long story, which I’ll try to shorten as much as I can. Coach Joe Lipa and his group partnered with ABS-CBN to revive the former’s defunct basketball league with several changes that would better ensure its survival on its rebound. The network agreed to provide the TV coverage, while Coach Joe’s group composed of my brother Rey Gamboa as chairman and lawyer Boy de Borja, as the league’s commissioner, would go through the tedious process of gathering the teams to form the league, firming up the different game venues and their schedules, the crafting and implementation of the league’s rules and everything else needed to set up the league. It’s worth mentioning here that the aim of the league is to give the much-needed experience and exposure of many Pinoy basketball talents from the collegiate leagues who would otherwise not make it to the limited line up of existing pro leagues, to keep their hopes alive while continuously learning the ropes.
To cut a long story short, with all the preparations done and a whole slew of commitments made and schedules firmed up and with the participating teams having spent a fortune in acquiring players, logistics for practice games, etc., ABS-CBN, without even the shadow of a hint of its intentions and with only a few weeks to the opening, suddenly decides to back out of the MOA. They cited financial difficulties as their reason for the cancellation.
No, this is not the ABS-CBN that I knew. I couldn’t believe my beloved alma mater, with its iconic corporate values of public service and integrity, is capable of such corporate insensitivity. On the other hand, I’ve known Coach Joe Lipa, and I’m sure many, if not all in the local basketball circles can attest to his honesty and reliability, someone who values his name and his word. I’m in a deep quandary now over this sad development, sad for the organizers and sadder for the provincial lads who have built their hoop dreams on this new league. Whatever, I still have my utmost respect for ABS-CBN. Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino. For inquiries and comments (email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com