First nationwide caravan reports ‘DISCOVERIES’

The WOW! Pinoy Caravan ’04 completed its pioneering 40-day nationwide journey on the road, culminating last June 9 with a re-enactment of the Higantes Festival in Angono, Rizal.

The town was the last stopover of the caravan’s third and last leg back to Manila from Davao City, complete with a series of visits to its galleries of arts and handicrafts that showcase the town’s rich cultural heritage.

The first of its kind in the country and a most daring event in terms of scope and magnitude, the Caravan "conquered" the entire archipelago in one sweep — from Pagudpud and Aparri up north of Luzon, all the way to General Santos and Davao City down south. Island-hopping voyages were on board RORO vessels. Also, this is the first caravan to be tracked by satellite through the facilities of Webcast Technologies, Inc.

The adventure, divided into three legs, covered all of the 17 regions of the country, including 50 provinces, 79 cities and 347 municipalities. It was a grueling but fun-filled and adventure-laden summer escapade.

Much of its success is attributed to Convenor Group chaired by Rozel "Alex" F. Mar Santos who has confirmed that this will now be an annual event.

Through the event, the participants learned that the entire Philippine archipelago is indeed blessed with majestic attractions including world-class tourist destinations and warm, hospitable people.

Most noteworthy is the fact that there is no raging war in the whole of Mindanao. There was neither military hardware nor troops spotted in the entire route covering this land of promise. Instead, there were bustling communities with wide concrete highways providing very pleasant driving experiences and scenic views. Participants could not even grasp the notion of traffic in most of the towns and cities!

The beaches and landscape may be the same from province to province but the cultural diversity and warm hospitality marks the distinction. There were many "discoveries," especially on eco-tourism that are yet to be explored.

Most remarkable among these is the bird sanctuary in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat. It now has a flock of over 15,000 starting with only four of them in 1996. More than half of these are annual migratory birds, about 2 kilos in weight, called "black-crowned heron" from North America and Canada. They have decided to stay in their newfound habitat of mostly kakawati trees within a two-hectare private property that used to be a black pepper plantation.

One of its fulfilling highlights is a side-visit to the Caravan’s "adopted" town of Calbiga in Samar, to underscore one of its major thrusts of discovering, identifying and promoting new destinations with tremendous eco-tourism potentials. Ironically, unknown to most of our compatriots, this has been granted a bursary award by the United Nations held in Netherlands last year besting over 236 global entries as the "most livable community in the world." It was the remarkable vigilance of the local communities with the support of its local officials and unwavering determination to protect and conserve their natural resources and environment that merited the nod of jurors for this prestigious international award.

Limasawa Island of Southern Leyte is mystifying but hardly visited due to unbelievable neglect despite its tremendous religious and historical significance. This was where the first mass was held signifying the entry of Christendom in the country.

Of equal tourism potential, international experts recently discovered that the province might have "the best diving spots in the world" among its cluster of islets in San Francisco town.

Likewise was the discovery of a private museum of an outstanding and patriotic man, Salvador "Boy" Abiera of Maasin, Southern Leyte. His collection could rival any of its kind and very well be a national pride in terms of its historical, cultural and even anthropological values that are even worldwide in scope.

The nine island-hopping segments along the entire route were aboard RORO vessels along the Strong Republic’s Nautical Highway. The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) facilitated the hassle-free port passage and boarding of both the entourage’s vehicles and participants. Everyone had a grand time relaxing during the cruise as the much-needed respite from the grueling travel on the road, while enjoying the sights that occasionally included dolphins, inviting islets and enticing white beaches.

The partnership of the Philippine Jaycees, especially its network of local chapters nationwide, with the Department of Tourism, Transportation & Communications and Trade & Industry assured the success of this summer spectacle for the laudable cause of the principal beneficiary, the Social Housing Movement, Inc. – a non-government organization dedicated and with strong advocacy in housing for the urban poor.

The local JC chapters, the local government units and the local regional offices of the DoT accorded warm receptions at the stopovers and overnight destinations. They showcased the cultural, historical and religious heritage as well as their native products, trade and industries.

Globe Telecom and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum are the major sponsors of the event.