Blast from the past

MANILA, Philippines - The rustic mystique of the town of Pagsanjan is not likely to be forgotten by anyone who has experienced the splendor of its most famous of attractions – the Pagsanjan Falls. When last I experienced its majesty, I was an idealistic young student from the University of the Philippines. That was all of 20 years ago, in 1991. So when Isuzu Philippines sent out the invite to go out on “a journey that matters” about a month ago, I readily accepted the invitation.

The town of Pagsanjan itself is quite accessible. A mere two hours away from the hustle and bustle of the maddening streets of Metro Manila, our journey was made much more pleasant by the bevy of Isuzu Alterras that we took en route to one of Luzon’s most popular tourist attractions. Despite the pouring rains brought about by a raging Typhoon Ramon, we reached our nearby destination – the La Vista Resort in Pagsanjan – sans drama or fanfare.

On the day of our trip, I asked Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) SVP Art Balmadrid why IPC decided to push through with our little road trip despite the recalcitrant weather. His reply was simple and straightforward as it was sensible. “We at IPC pride ourselves in being ‘your responsible partner’ in transporting you to and from your destinations. We are confident that our vehicles can and will transport you comfortably and safely to any destination, through any weather conditions. Besides, the beauty of Pagsanjan is best appreciated when the rains cooperate in stressing nature’s balance of ferocity and tranquility,” he said. Indeed.

As we alighted from our vehicles, I felt a gnawing sense of déjà vu – a tingling sliver of excitement that brought back fond memories of my days as a wide-eyed youngster eager to discover. Once my companions and I got onto our tiny bancas, the memories came flooding back in. Shooting the rapids in Pagsanjan is an experience every Filipino has to go through at least once in his/her lifetime. It is literally exhilarating to devour the experience of embracing nature’s display of power and elegance – all in one fell swoop. It’s a virtual feast for the senses – the lush greeneries of the carved mountainsides, the raging waters that splash with frightening urgency against hapless rock formations, the calming serenity of the mists created by the awe-inspiring waterfalls… For a brief moment back in Pagsanjan, I was a child again.

After what turned out to be a beautiful nostalgic journey (at least for me), our group indulged in a gastronomic feast for the books. At the Comida Exotika restaurant not five minutes from our take-off point, we feasted on a traditional Filipino meal spiced up by some delightfully tasty exotic dishes like tapang usa and adobong baboy damo. The cuisine was exquisite enough for our entire group to momentarily forget that the word “diet” ever even existed! Were it not for the opportunity to this time be the one behind the wheel of the Isuzu Alterra that we took (I just love driving through long provincial roads), I’d have indulged in a hearty afternoon nap. I would later find time to do just that at our next destination – the Kartini Spa located at the Alabang Town Center.

This last destination of ours, I must stress, is uniquely Isuzu. I say this because historically, IPC sends us journalists – and many of their valued clients – on journeys that are a combination of the familiar and the new. As such, you can trust the company to introduce a new venue along with an old, nostalgia-inducing one like Pagsanjan.

As I slipped in and out of consciousness through a massage that felt more like a reward for a long, exhausting day more than anything else, I thought to myself how my short day trip turned out to be much more than just a day of work outside the office. The massage and dinner at the Kartini Spa in Alabang was a refreshing way to end a day trip that had me going back to a much farther place than most of my companions did that day. As I gorged on the absolutely delectable steak grilled to perfection by perhaps the most friendly restaurant staff I’d ever encountered, I smiled as I realized that Isuzu Alterras aren’t just great, all-around vehicles – they can also be pretty darn good time machines!