From the depths of our waters, to the heights of our mountains, the Philippines is in a class all its own. This June, when my kids got out of school, I took them to Tubbataha. I had heard all the accolades about the place — but I did not expect it to be such a spiritual experience.
The place was awesome — from the bright splendour of its colours, to the seemingly infinite variety in the color and shape of fish there. We saw schools of sharks, schools of barracudas, giant turtles, stingrays. It was exciting to see the eels hiding in the crevices. I even made eye contact with a thick-lipped “princess” guarding a shipwreck. I was elated when I felt the excitement of my 13-year-old Benjamin in discovering the wonders of a different world.
But what touched me the most was the feeling of the deep blue sea. And the deeper I went, the more profound was the feeling. I have dived in other places, but the stillness of the deep blue in Tubataha is different. It’s in this stillness that I could feel the divine. It had a deep impact on my meditation. It had a “cleansing” effect on my subtle bodies (or auras), so I could feel the bigger part of me. And I carried this feeling for days after.
Two days later I brought my kids to Banaue, then Sagada. That was another experience altogether, but equally profound. I loved walking through the rice terraces, and feeling the “bigness” of the space. I felt that resting on this bigness had an uplifting effect on me. In Banaue the high point was the hot water springs. This is the real thing: out in nature, the smell of sulfur, and reallly hot water bubbling up from the ground. Sitting in the springs, amid this mountainous splendour, soothed my muscles and gave me the energy I needed — and more — for the walk back through the rice fields.
Sagada. Ah, Sagada... what can I say? The last time I went there was 30 years ago, and back then I remember dirt roads. Now there are quiant eating places, a number of inns exist, but I was pleased to feel that the place had not lost its charm (unlike Baguio, which is no longer the Baguio of my childhood summers). It was amusing for me to see more foreigners than Fililpinos. And interesting for me to note that a few foreigners have come to love the place so much that they have settled there.
My experience of Sagada is that the place holds your heart. It is soothing and nurturing. The high point for me was the trip to the cave. Going 500 feet below ground, I was surprised to feel the pristine sharpness of the air and the crystal clarity of the water. At the very deepest point, together with Roseann Belmonte, we meditated together, surrounded by the sound of rushing water and awesome rock formations. The moment I closed my eyes, I became “lost in vastness.” I was being held by the bigness of the space. I felt the part of me beyond my physical body, and I felt totally supported by the presence of the cave. It was amazing. I could have stayed for hours and hours, but we were scheduled to go back to Baguio.
The space lingers with me up to this day.
We have so much in this country. We are blessed, and many of us don’t even know it. My unflinching stand is that whoever becomes president must take on the environment as the number one agenda. The environment affects all classes, all sectors. Taking care of the environment will be good for the economy. It will be good for our quality of life. It will even be good for our soul. And it is what God has given us. It is our greatest strength... our unique advantage. It is our path to joy, and it is how we can reclaim our glory.