MANILA, Philippines - A month ago, my friend Drea told me about an arts and music festival in Puerto Galera called Malasimbo. She said it was going to be held Feb. 18 to 19 and that we should double date with our boyfriends for a perfect Valentine’s celebration. I had never been to Puerto Galera and it sounded really tempting. I did a little research and when I saw photos of the festival grounds, I instantly wanted to lie down at the foot of Mt. Malasimbo. I wanted to be sandwiched between the beautiful grass and the shade of the giant trees.
I told our other friend, Val, about it and from a double date it became a 12-person trip for her birthday weekend. A ticket to the two-day festival cost P1,500 and each ticket sold was equivalent to one tree planted. Apparently, 2011 is the international year of forests and the festival’s goal was to raise enough money to fund a reforestation in the area. Beautiful sights bring in tourists, tourists bring in money, and money helps sustain the Mangyans and their homes.
What amazed me about the Malasimbo Festival was the fact that it was organized by Frenchman Hubert d’Aboville (the other French guys called him “Ooh-behr”). The idea of a foreigner promoting tourism in a country that is not his own is inspiring. It reminds me that our country is naturally beautiful and Puerto Galera’s eco-cultural heritage is an example of how we can choose to use natural resources to prevent further damage that our modern habits have caused.