Isla Verde Drinking tuba under the palm trees, relaxing in a world-class resort

A 45- minute boat ride

from the coast of

Batangas City brings

travelers to an

untouched island

blessed with long

stretches of white sand

beaches and

unexplored caves.

Isla Verde, which lies in the Verde Island Passage

between the provinces of Batangas and Oriental Mindoro,

was originally called the Crocodile Island by the Americans

because of its shape.

This 1,625-hectare island is inhabited by 8,000 people,

mostly engaged in fishing and farming. However, it is the

buri palm trees growing wild on the island that the locals

find most useful.

The buri tree is very versatile. The locals use these trees

for shelter, food and source of livelihood. They make a

variety of drinks and delicacies from its sap and mats from

its dried leaves.

At a certain age, the tree

produces a sweet sap

that can be gathered at

its top by the buckets

four times a day. The sap

is turned into either an

alcoholic wine called tuba

(much like the Cordillera’s

tapuy) or a candy called

pakaskas.

In making pakaskas, the sap is cooked for three hours

until it thickens, turns golden brown and hardens. Then it

is spread onto a circular container made from the buri

palm leaves. A big cooking pan can produce 800

pakaskas. The finished products are exported to Calapan

City and Batangas City. It is sold in packs of five at P10.

Pakaskas-making has also become a social gathering for

the locals. After making enough of the delicacy for the

day, they usually get together and drink tuba.

The buri palm leaves are also used as another source of

income. The women dry the leaves and weave them into

quality mats or banigs. They sell for P100 each.

Tourism was far fetched for the locals until the Verde

Island Resort opened in early 1999. Found at Subukin,

Barangay Antonio, it is owned by bamboo furniture-maker,

Lito Pastor, from the affluent Pastor family of Batangas

City.

Pastor’s 55-hectare property within the island is mostly a

bamboo plantations. Surprisingly, he didn’t build his

bamboo furniture factory in Isla Verde. He harvests the

bamboo and then transports them to Batangas City to be

processed.

Aside from farming bamboo, he turned the island into a

tourist destination. His dream started when he was in an

international conference to showcase his bamboo-made

furniture abroad, and his friends encouraged him to build a

first-class resort in an unexplored island. It didn’t take

long before he built the Verde Island Resort.

Although the resort is quite pricey at US$60-100, it well

worth it. The amount covers transfers, welcome drinks, all

meals, accommodations, use of the resort’s recreational

facilities such as swimming pool with hydro massage,

beach volleyball court, table tennis, badminton, dart, card

and board games.

Guests can also use water sports equipment like water

bikes, banana boats, kayaks and even water skis. The

resort also provides daily scheduled activities to visitors

like bird watching, island trekking, picnic lunch, island

hopping, fishing, sunset cruise, snorkeling, horse back

riding and a village tour.

The resort also features a 205-step stairwell that leads to

a view-deck where one can get a good vantage point of

the deep blue sea and Isla Verde’s surrounding islets.

The resort tries to keep the ambience as close to nature

as possible. All the cottages are found on the beach and

are made of bamboo materials. Each has its own

airconditioning, private bathroom and comfortable beds.

The resort’s restaurant, Comida de Pastor, is open all

hours during the day and offers delicious Filipino cuisine.

It is the only establishment on the island that has

electricity and running water.

All these amenities have packed the island with foreign

guests and balikbayans that come by the busloads during

summers.

It is not very common to find an unspoiled island so close

to the city and yet has managed to keep its purity and

beauty. Isla Verde’s rustic atmosphere can be a perfect

alternative for home in the city anytime.