We are blessed with idyllic islands, bountiful beaches, cool mountains, pastoral plains, breathtaking waterfalls, majestic caves, (endangered, but surviving) rainforests and a host of attractions that other countries envy. The problem is our lack of hard infrastructure and now, and an alarming lack of soft infrastructure, such as well-trained tour guides and tour programs that ensure the basics of safety and security.
Palawan is one of the country’s prime tourist destinations. With 1,700-plus islands, the insular province is a veritable paradise. For one family this summer, though, their tour – which started off well enough – eventually became one of peril, not pleasure.
I received a letter from BEH, which goes:
"My family and I availed ourselves of a Palawan Adventure Package. Palawan is touted as a sports and tourism center. A humongous billboard at the Puerto Princesa Airport announces that. It is also called the Philippines’ last frontier. It is, indeed, clean and green, the tourist sites are very interesting, the beaches are beautiful and the prevailing atmosphere is one of peace and calmness.
"We had fun the first two days and saw a lot of unique and interesting sites. Our package included a half-day city tour that included visits to the Crocodile Farm, Iwahig Penal Colony, Butterfly Garden, the Mitra house and Baker’s Hill. On the second day we went island hopping at Honda Bay. We stopped and snorkeled at Snake Island, Starfish Island and Luli Island (luli meaning lulubog lilitaw).
"On the third day, we went to the Underground River (a UNESCO heritage site). Because the tide was high, we had to go overland to get to the Underground River. Now… here’s the downside of our trip. The road trip to the Underground River was one hour of good roads and one and a half hours of very rough roads. It would be better if all the roads were maintained so that we can have faster travel. There was a curve that was unpaved, where our van and the vans of other travel agencies were grounded (balaho).
"Toilets at stops are mostly Antipolo type (buhos type) and a conspicuous donation box is placed at the entrance. Toilet paper (if at all available) is not in a tissue holder. This, to say the least, is unsanitary.
"Most jarring of all, we had a horrible experience with an incompetent tour guide who made us trek to the Underground River without assessing if we could manage the trek safely and without advising us on what to bring. This sad experience diminished our appreciation of the Underground River.
"Our harrowing experience started late. Our pick-up time was supposed to be by 7 a.m. We were picked up at 8 a.m.! We arrived at Sabang 10:45 a.m., where we were informed that, because of big waves, no banca could take us to the Underground River and so we had to trek. We were not informed by our guide that there would be three mountains to climb. We were not told how much water or essentials to bring. We were not advised to wrap our cameras to prevent damage. We were not assessed as to whether or not we could manage the climb based on our health, age, clothes, etc.
"In our group of seven, three were 50 years and above. The guide gave us some hope that we would be picked up by a banca at the Underground River so we would not have to trek back to Sabang. Our trek to the river lasted three hours. We arrived at the Underground River past 2 p.m. Our lunch had not arrived, so we went on to the river tour. After the river tour, lunch arrived (at 3 p.m.!) and we then were told that no bancas could pick us up. We had to trek back to Sabang!
"We started back at 4 p.m. A 61-year-old female teacher passed out after 30 minutes. The guide did not know any first aid. The guide did not have a first-aid kit! She did not even know CPR!
"To make this long story short, we were rescued by park rangers and boatmen. They arranged for a paddleboat to pick us up at the mangrove forest. The rescue was completed at 7:30 p.m. It was very dark and scary already. Remember that we were not forewarned, nor are we seasoned trekkers.
"What made us angrier was the apparent ignorance and arrogance of the guide. She even wanted to board the rescue boat ahead of us! My husband told her to stay and wait for the last person out. She offered no advice on how to mange the trek. She even insulted my daughter (who was worried for me), saying, "Mahirap talaga umakyat pag malaki ang katawan"! If she knew this, why then did she not reveal the risk of the trek before beginning the climb?
"Still, the sight of the Underground River and the surrounding landscapes and seascapes was indeed worth a visit. It is unfortunate that on our last day, we had to go with an incompetent guide. We could have lost our lives. Our material damage includes a digital camera that fell into salt water and credit cards that became unreadable because they got wet. Our bodies suffer from muscular pains up to today. We have cuts, bruises, lesions, hematomas, insect bites, twisted ankles and, to say the least, trauma from that tour.
"We hope the connecting banca ride to the Underground River can be re-assessed so that appropriate boats for high tide can be used. That way, the jungle trek can be an option for younger, more able-bodied tourists.
"And, to cap our trip, the Puerto Princesa Airport had no air-conditioning the day we left. I hope we can plan to compete globally with more efficient practices and support infrastructure. If we do not do something about our tourism-support infrastructure, we will forever risk being compared to our Asian neighbors and probably always lose out."
It is bad enough that we have inadequate airports and dilapidated air terminals (our supposedly new NAIA III is crumbling before it can even – if at all – open). We have only a fifth or a sixth of the number of hotel rooms other countries have. Un-navigable networks with inadequate directional signage mar our road travel. Our inter-island ships have a reputation for sinking. Our buses fall into ravines. We have no rail transport to speak of.
Then there’s all this incompetence and utter disregard for the essentials of tourism – the safety and security of travelers. The story of BEH is symptomatic of a widening gap in our tourism capacity. All the marketing that energetic DOT Secretary Ace Durano is doing will not cover up for the lack of tourism infrastructure or for this worrying disregard for the physical well being of tourists.