Tuesday, October 31, 2006
















October 29th saw the 2nd official reunion of Joey's extended family the Gelito clan. The celebrations were held at the Manoc Manoc school and according to organisers more than 1500 people attended (still only half of the island's Gelito family members).
For some odd reason the party started at 7am - most likely to get the obligatory prayors, songs and speeches out of the way (these can go on for hours). We arrived late as usual, and luckily most of the food had been eaten, so I avoided having to chew on plates of fatty pork and pretend to like it! Filipino party food tends to consist of lechon baboy (spit roasted pig) and buffet foods such as cold sweet spaghetti and pancit canton (noodles with mystery meat and vegetables). not my cup of tea.
Instead we were handed glass after glass of local brandy and coke, which was a little tricky at 3pm on a hot day. Thankfully the sun wasn't out or it would have been scorching.
Pete and I were the only foreigners present, and we recieved quite a few funny looks wearing our Gelito clan t-shirts (Pete's partner is Joey's cousin Raquel Gelito). But we were both made extremely welcome, and much hilarity ensued as the brandy began to kick in.
As the party ended around sunset, we repaired to cousin Welbec's bar (Club Paraw) for more drinks to the sound of a lively reggae band.
This recent article from the Panay news is an eye opener:

"BORACAY – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Aklan called for a stop to the series of “bad publicities” the island resort of Boracay has been getting lately.

“These deliberate demolition job against the island and misleading statements would hamper the tourism growth of this famed resort island,” Vice Gov. Ronquillo Tolentino told Panay News.
He also expressed dismay over the “the uncalled statement” of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano about Boracay.


Durano had said Boracay was in “critical condition” due to its “uncontrolled development.”

He “is sending a wrong signal to our investors and tourism players,” said Tolentino.

During the SP’s joint out-of-town session here over the weekend with the Sangguniang Bayan of Malay, local legislators passed a resolution requesting Durano to refrain from making statements “that would downgrade and destroy the top tourist destination of the province.”"

As a resident of Boracay, I have to say I agree with Secretary Durano's comments 100%. Development here is uncontrolled, and he should be applauded for saying so instead of perpetuating the myth that all is fine. There is a conspiracy against telling the truth about the situation in Boracay, and we will all suffer because of it.
Sadly what these officials fail to realise is that by supressing the facts about the "critical condition" of this once pristine island they risk damaging Boracay (and it's tourism industry) permenently.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Before - Lush and Green


After -


All these lovely plants have been ripped up. It's unbelievably sad. I've been seriously depressed since this happened. Despite the fact that we removed the driftwood and seats from the beachfront according to the ordinance paperwork we were issued, the police still insisted on smashing up all the plants we'd left there, out of spite it seems. How can they call the destruction of a beautiful garden 'progress' or 'beautifying the beach'? These local officials have no souls. All the love and energy Joey put into creating a beautiful space for everyone to enjoy, wiped out.
This is what the 'powers that be' call "upgrading" and "beautifying the beach". Their next pointless project apparantly is to pour concrete over the sandy beach pathway. What a joke.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Before:





























Our Lovely Driftwood Garden...



Gone!

Red Pirates regulars will no doubt be saddened to learn that our unique driftwood garden is no more. In their infinate ignorance the brainless beaurocrats have decided that it will in some way benefit the island if tourists are not allowed to sit down (at least not during the day) and all chairs, tables etc have been removed from the vegetation area.

No longer can you get a fruit shake, a snack or a beer and enjoy it sitting outside under the coconut trees - not until after 5pm. Most tourists do not come to an island such as Boracay only to be forced to sit inside to eat, and many are questioning the logic of this decision.

Worried that our benches and driftwood would be hauled away be overzealous policemen, we had to take action and dismantle out little garden. Better that than risk the officials tearing it apart themselves.

If beautifying the beach is their objective then they would do better to start with the most obvious eyesores - the ugly advertising banners which festoon the island during high season, the stray dogs roaming the beach and the unpleasant neon signs, to say nothing of the noise pollution from some of the bigger nightspots which can often be heard for miles around.

Joey's garden had such character and was a much loved part of the area. A little more of Boracay's magic has been lost.

Monday, October 16, 2006




In honour of our friends Max and Nina (who met on a sailing trip to the waterfalls with us 5 years ago and have since married) we decided it was high time to throw another BBQ party at Red Pirates. Aside from our usual fare of grilled fish, chicken and pork with salad and new potatoes, Malou and Nina made delicious spaghetti with tuna & cream sauce and a spicy Thai curry, and Rolly made his special kinilaw - my favourite.

Friday, October 13, 2006



With high season just around the corner, I have to confess I am dreading the return of the the 'telecom wars'. Every year 2 or 3 of these phone companies compete with each other to festoon our little island with as many ugly banners as they can, and even the paraws don't escape this relentless ad campaign. Last year, the sailboat association of Malay accepted a large sum of money from one of the said companies in exchange for a promise that every boatman would display the corporate logos on their sails. This was not to be done on a voluntary basis, mind you. All boat owners were told that they must comply or risk losing their working permits. Most boat men were happy to accept the free sails and the cash payment offered to them, but those who did not want to deface their paraws with this kind of ugly advertising were bullied and threatened with expulsion from the association. Joey and I stood our ground and refused to display the sails, and thankfully the association backed off after I threatened to submit an article to the local press about their appalling behaviour!

Considering that all the tourists and expats I have interviewed strongly dislike this kind of all-pervasive advertising, some thought should be given as to why it is allowed to continue. It ruins the view of our beautiful beach, and makes the island look cheap and tacky. Who benefits? No-one but the telecom companies (and whoever they are bribing on the island in order to be allowed to deface it in this way). Who suffers? Everyone who has to look at these ugly banners day after day. Last year the CocaCola logo even made an appearance on the sails. What's next? McDonalds? Is that really the image that the island wants to project?

Let's keep Boracay beautiful - ban the banners!

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

The local 'English' newspapers here in Boracay can be a source of great amusement, as anyone who has read one can confirm. Many of them appear not to have been proof-read in any way whatsoever, and you can find a great many funny mistakes. For example, a recent article stated that a member of hotel staff had been 'placed on a rooster'. This conjures up quite a picture, but I'm assuming the unfortunate maid was in fact placed on a 'roster'. I do hope so.
Even correctly spelt articles can display a strange logic - as displayed by the wording of a recent article which stated that two teenaged boys had been arrested for theft. The first was named as "Jose Rodriguez, 14 years old, single..." Single? Since when is the marital status of a child worth a mention?
And way back in the classifieds (along with the 'prayor which has never been known to fail') I discovered an advertisement which stated "Driver Wanted. Male. 25-35 years. Must be able to drive". Really? Would that help then, do you think? Duh.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Thankfully Tropical Storm 'Neneng' seems to have burnt herself out, and again the weather is calm. Here's hoping it stays that way as I haven't been out for a sail in ages.
Skimming through Google I just discovered a lovely Boracay blog with a great review about Red Pirates:

http://stefandpaul.blogspot.com/2006/09/philippines-very-pleasing.html

It's nice to be appreciated!
.
Boracay's Rare Green Turtles
.


Few people know that Boracay is home to a nesting colony of Green Turtles, locally known as Pawikan.
As well as the endangered fruit bats which roost there, Banyugan Beach (also known as Punta Bunga) also plays a role in the life cycle of these rare creatures, which are in grave danger of extinction.
So you'd think the local authorities would consider the survival of these creatures, and try to protect them - particularly as they nest in a 'marine reserve'. Not so.
Banyugan beach, along with neighbouring Panoly Beach, is currently being destroyed to make way for a huge resort complex. The forested hillside has been shaved almost bare, and the wildlife which lives there (including monkeys and tropical birds) has virtually no place to go. No-one in a position of power seems to have any interest in protecting the turtles, and their survival on the island now seems unlikely.
Sadly, this is just another example of the greed of these relentless developers, who, if allowed to continue unchecked will not stop until there is nothing left to destroy.
It is a shame that those who have the power to protect Boracay also stand to gain the most by spoiling it. The long term future of the island is overshadowed by thoughts of short term profit.