Travel time with Susan Calo-Medina

At the onset of every summer, the first person that I always remember is Susan Calo-Medina. And for good reason: A whole generation of TV viewers had already associated her with trips and vacations — having hosted Travel Time since 1986.

After 24 years of doing her docu-magazine show that has won for her countless awards and citations, she has featured practically every part of the country and will always be regarded as TV’s Queen of Travel. She deserves the title for promoting local tourism and is proud of the fact that when the show first went to Bohol in 1989, no one bothered to visit the island province — but look at it now.

While she had always made Travel Time look like a vacation for the viewers, the show actually entails a lot of hard work to put together and at times had to risk her life (and those of her crew members) to feature interesting destinations on television.

The most dangerous assignment in their travel book took place in 1996: They were in Basilan documenting Yakan culture and in the next mountain our Armed Forces were fighting the rebels.

Another time, they almost got caught in the middle of a cross fire during a clan war in Jolo all because they wanted to buy durian. Horrors — that would have been a senseless ending for them, but for all the effort they put into the job, can you blame them for enjoying some of the perks offered by the profession?

Yes, they reward themselves with food (Susan sees to that) to provide them with the stamina while on the road. So what was the best gustatory delight Susan has experienced in all those years of hosting and producing Travel Time? The answer comes quickly: A piece of durian fruit that just fell off a tree in Tawi-Tawi during a shoot (a native of Butuan, she is obviously a durian freak — to the point that she is willing to risk her life for it). She claims that it tasted different and insists that there was a distinctive clarity to its sweetness — although I’m still trying to figure out in my head what she means by that because the native variety she prefers isn’t even the type I enjoy eating (too bitter for my taste) and always go for the bastardized ones — fleshy and yellowish.

But I do envy her for having had the experience of savoring some truly exotic dishes (I am open to those). Topping her list of exotica are the eggs of red ants in Abra that when sautéed taste like cow’s brains (I’ll pass on this one though). However, I would have killed for that lechon with cactus stuffing (also served to them in Abra).

All that eating and traveling (it’s tiring —I’ve been on a trip with them thrice and we hardly slept), fortunately, hasn’t taken its toll on Susan. At 68 (she does pilates), her doctor’s prognosis on her is that she is “medically boring.” Enviably, she is still in the pink of health and doesn’t look her age at all.

Admittedly, her pacing is more relaxed now (thanks also to the efficiency of Yoyet Tungol, her executive assistant who had been with her for more than two decades) and doesn’t even bother to fret about the ratings (not that she did) of Travel Time, which airs on ANC every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. — with replays on Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. (They still have a large following among TFC subscribers abroad — all hankering to savor even just on TV the beauty of the Philippines).

Even in her family life, there is less stress at home (for a while, husband Johnny had a bout with cancer of the tongue, but by God’s mercy won the battle). All three kids are scattered in London: Eldest Ching, who took up interior design at St. Scholastica’s and, later, in Florence, is busy mothering two kids. Son Marc is finishing his MA in Oxford, but has left behind a profitable ensaymada business (sold in Salcedo Market) that is now basically operated by a trusted help, Mercedes Mandac, who also knows the recipe that originally came from Medina matriarch Dedeng, but had been improved through the years. Youngest child Louie, a painter, has also tucked in her masters and hooks up with her older siblings in London.

Susan’s schedule is less hectic these days and has even found time on the side to serve as project director of Mabuhay Guides (Tourism Secretary Ace Durano’s brainchild), which trains local tour guides — in the most professional manner possible.

 At the moment, Susan is also acting as the executive producer of the Pasinaya project of Bel-Air, which had been home to her for decades. Starting out as simple community affair in 1993, this event has drew public attention in the past decade because it had grown into a three-day festivity that features food, products and programs that showcase the best of Filipino fiestas all over the archipelago. It’s Bel-Air’s contribution to the preservation of Philippine culture and the arts.

Bel-Air barangay chairman, businessman Jun Gomez, is in-charge of staging the 2010 Pasinaya and he and his committee have tapped Startalk director and multi-Palanca winner Floy Quintos to put up the shows that will feature the performances of the residents of the area. Eric Cruz of the CCP is doing the stage design.

Scheduled from April 23 to 25 at the Bel-Air park, the ages of the participating dancers range from five to 80-plus. Being part of this community festivity is what gives Susan joy and satisfaction at this point of her life.

Oh, when asked what pasinaya means, she points to Dez Bautista as the one who suggested to call their affair that: An award-winning production designer from Malolos (he has done everything within his capacity to preserve our heritage), Dez says that pasinaya means thanksgiving.

Yes, Susan should really get involved in their Pasinaya activities. Given her orderly family life and a TV career that now spans a quarter of a century, she should be rejoicing and giving pasinayas at every chance she gets for the abundance she had been enjoying on this earth.