Anton remembers spending most of his childhood summers outdoors, in the Carag Baguio summer home, among dogs and horses, forging passes through difficult terrain in the mountains. But growing up, finishing school and striking out took him into the thick of city living with its attendant diversions. It was only in 1993, while up north in Tuguegarao, Cagayan Valley – from where the Carag family hails – that he rekindled a love for the great outdoors via paddle boards and boats. What started as a fling with the river escalated into a full-blown love affair. Subsequently, a full-fledged and now-thriving business called Adventures and Expeditions Philippines Inc., a company that operates adventure tours such as whitewater rafting, kayaking and spelunking, was born out of this passion and has afforded him unlimited time being surrounded by what he loves most.
The river, capricious and unpredictable, is Anton’s mistress: at times demanding, irrational and turbulent; at others, calm, passive and pristine; but always, always, bewitching. Anton says he has great respect for it because its changing face is testament to the forces of nature, something that one can never conquer, but must merely survive and, at all times, respect.
Anton, who spends his days in outdoor wear, sports a daily uniform of khaki shorts and breathable cotton shirts or waterproof river gear when doing his river runs. So it was truly a leap of faith for our team to transform this river king into a modern-day, dapper gentleman in that famous, cutting-edge, Hugo Boss polish.
Anton strolled into our photo shoot straight off the plane from Africa, where he had vacationed for a month, on safari in Tanzania and braving the Class 5 river rapids of the Nile out of Uganda. He was in his jungle khakis, a bush shirt and all-terrain sandals. He sported baubles, bangles and beads on his neck and wrists and wore several strands of anklets in silver, turquoise and rope. The challenge was for fashion stylist Pia Rojas and hair-and-makeup artist Omar Ermita to transform him – a Pinoy version of Crocodile Dundee – into double 0-7.
Immediately after the shoot, Anton said, "I had forgotten the feel of a good suit, especially if it is well-made." Such is the magic that Hugo Boss weaves on its wearers.
What is it about the river that draws you?
In the beginning it was the exhilaration, the thrill, the adrenalin of completing the river runs knowing that anytime it can take you. But now it has evolved into something different; it is sharing the experience with other people that gives me satisfaction.
What do you think of fashion?
I don’t. It’s not my priority.
Where do you shop?
Online.
What kind of clothes do you like to wear?
Anything that keeps me warm and comfortable in the river.
Where do you have your hair cut?
At my corner barber shop in Tuguegarao. It’s called Kiosy.
How often do you have it cut?
Every three weeks. This is a growth of almost two months since I didn’t have it cut in Africa.
What kind of food do you enjoy?
Bicolano food, Chinese food, anything barbecued, I’m a happy camper.
What do you do when you come here to Manila? Catch up on the latest movies, eat in new restaurants and play golf in decent courses.
If you were given one night with any woman in the world, who would you choose to spend it with? Mother Teresa. Hopefully, some of her saintly attributes would rub off on me.
Your name: Anton Carag.
Your favorite qualities in a man: Leadership.
Your favorite qualities in a woman: Patience.
Your favorite qualities in friends: Reliability.
Your biggest flaw: Impatience.
Your favorite occupation: Mine.
Your idea of happiness: Being outdoors.
Your idea of misery: Not being able to do what I am doing.
If not yourself, who would you be? (Antarctic explorer) Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Where would you like to live: Alaska.
Favorite color: Orange.
Favorite flower: Phaleanopsis.
Favorite author: Michael Crichton.
Favorite composer: Mozart.
Favorite painter: Juan Luna.
Favorite hero in real life: My parents, Tony and Carmen Carag, for putting up with me.
Character in history you dislike most: Hitler.
Reform you hope for: Conservation.
What gift from nature would you like to have? Children.
How would you like to die? On the river.
What is your present state of mind? Satisfied.
For what fault do you have the most toleration? Ignorance.
Your favorite motto: No ID, no entry. –Based on the Marcel Proust Questionnaire