More Things To Do — Philippines
A couple days back I gave a little rundown on a typical day for me here in the Philippines. Probably sounded a little boring to some. This past Saturday we drove up to San Marceline, Zambales to visit Mita’s small land holdings, collect our annual rent from Gloriosa, the farmer who has taken care of the family lands for years and visit our uncle Luis.
On the way we passed through the Subic Bay Freeport, both coming and going, and I was really amazed by the construction I’ve seen just in the past few months. Things are booming. Can’t do business in the Philippines, you know. Right. You not only can do business sin the Philippines, a great many people are.
One of my stops in the Freeport was the BLOOM gas station, one of about 5 on the base. their diesel was about two pesos per liter cheaper than any other station I saw on the trip, so I figured I’d go ahead and fill up. In addition tot the decent prices this business, and many others on the Zone offer the convenience of paying in US Dollars … in fact the pumps read out in dollars … $20.59 for my fill up, converted on the spot to PhP 1017. Everyone always seems to want to know the latest gas prices here, so that’s an update on diesel (worked out right at $3.06 per gallon this day) , gasoline is always a couple pesos per liter higher.
I know that the BLOOM organization which operates this station is a women’s civic organization based in adjoining Olongapo City. I went looking for information about the group and instead got sidetracked by this list. here’s just a few of the people making money on Subic, the employers active and paying taxes to the Subic bay metropolitan Authority.
Quite an impressive list I thought. The Philippines is a backward, third-world country. Everyone has to leave to work overseas because there’s no opportunity in the Philippines, etc. I’m sure you’ve all heard that. Frankly I want to find the perpetrator who started that negative nonsense. There’s plenty opportunity here in the Philippines, I check on many operations daily. If you think you can’t make money in the Philippines, no doubt you are right, but if you want to, you certainly can.
Just passed through Subic, yet again. Someday I have to stop at some of the places where people are earning an honest dollar providing things for visitors to do there. Here’s just a few of the things I didn’t do Saturday:
APALIIN TRAIL
Hike through the trails of Apaliin and discover the wonders of the Subic Forest. Awe at the panoramic view from the tip of Apaliin Point, and enjoy the sight of Subic Bay on a banca ride back to the Central Business District.
BAT KINGDOM
Get mesmerized at Subic’s Bamboo Bats and Flying Foxes. Over 10,000 fruitbats, the biggest of its kind in the world roost in the protected forest reserve of Subic along with the Bamboo bats, which are the smallest in the Philippines.
BAT HIGHWAY
Marvel at the beauty of the bats in flight as they pass through this narrow strip at the setting of the sun.
BICENTENNIAL PARK
Enjoy outdoors with family and friends at these scenic picnic grounds. Native fishing gears are available for those who would like to try their hand at fishing in the man-made lagoon.
CAMACHILE PARK
A perfect near-the-bay stop shaded by numerous Camachile trees, best for picnics among tour groups.
GRANDE ISLAND
Live through the grandeur of Grande and enjoy the amenities of a beach resort in an island setting. Enjoy a scenic ride to the island on board a motorized banca.
HILL 394
Subic’s most popular peak takes you 394 meters above sea level and offers a spectacular view of the legendary Mount Natib and Subic Bay, in the northwest. Visit Hill 394 and let its beauty speak for itself.
JEST (Jungle Environmental Survival Training) Camp and Butterfly Garden
Familiarize yourself with jungle survival techniques from Aeta trained US Navy and US Marines. Visit the Mini Zoo and discover Subic’s diverse biological resources or see how the butterflies live and flourish at the Butterfly Kingdom.
MALAWAAN PIER
Spend the day shoreline or day fishing at the designated fishing areas, or take a peek at SBMA’s Seaport Operations.
MANGROVE GRAVEYARD
The sight of these giant driftwoods may surprise you, or simply leave you breathless. These dead dipterocarps are remnants of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. Unable to stand the high sulfur content spewed by the volcano, the mangrove graveyard bears witness to one of the worst calamities to hit the country.
MT. PINATUBO CRATER TREK
Sense a relaxing mood while kayaking at the crater lake of this mountain. Discover hotsprings, cool mountain pools, lahar fields and canyons as you take a trip or trek to see remains of towns destroyed by the mudflows.
PAMULAKLAKIN FOREST TRAILS/ PASTOLAN AETA VILLAGE
Take part in the Ecology Tour and trek inside the forests of Subic with the help of a native guide. Immerse yourself in the culture of the Aetas. Educate yourself in the various types of medicinal plants. Camp in the heart of the forest or simply have a unique picnic in the deep parts of the jungle.
REDONDO BEACHES
Behold the beauty of this undeveloped beach and explore the riches of a newfound land on the shores of the Redondo Peninsula.
SHIPWRECKS
Delve the magnificent underwater world of Subic Bay and come face-to-face with its rare marine inhabitants. Explore relics of history that date back to the Spanish and American eras. (Oryoko Maru. Seian Maru, USS New York, USS Rochester, LCV Landing Craft and LST).
SUBIC BAY OCEAN ADVENTURE
The first and most astounding nautical sanctuary in the country that showcases some of the world’s most amazing sea mammals like dolphins, false killer whales and sea lions in their inherent habitat. Dive with them. Frolic with the whales!
SUBIC BEACHES
The sun. The sand. The sky. And a vast stretch of marvelous sea waiting to be explored - Dungaree, Officers’, All Hands, Miracle, Nabasan, Hidden, Grande Island.
TRIBOA BAY MANGROVE PARK
Drive through Subic’s low-lying forest through the mangroves, via boardwalk to the Triboa Bay Marine Park. This bay is home to a nursery and breeding site for clams, crustaceans and fish.
WATERFRONT BOARDWALK
Watch the majestic rising and setting of the sun, as it unfolds all its beauty over the Subic Bay. Complementing the grandeur of the mountains of the Redondo Peninsula, it is truly a sight to behold.
ZOOBIC SAFARI
Zoobic Safari is one attraction you will find at Subic Bay Freeport’s Forest Adventure Park. Embracing a 25 hectare land - local and foreign guests can expect an astonishing sight of diverse exotic animals roaming and frolicking in their natural habitat. It features a wide range of habitats present in the forest due to the terrain, presence of streams and fringing grasslands. These represent the major habitats for varied exotic animals featured in Zoobic Safari Forest Adventure Park.
SUBIC BAY’S FLYING FOXES
This camp of over 10,000 fruit bats, readily seen at the Subic Bay Freeport, is one of the last large bat colonies of its kind. Found only in the Philippines, the Golden Crowned Flying Fox (Acerodon jubatus) and the Philippine Giant Fruit Bat (Pteropus vampyrus lanensis) are the largest bats in the world, with wingspans up to 2 meters. Bats such as these eat only plants and are critically important to the health of tropical forests in the Philippines.
By dispersing the seeds of forest fruits and spreading pollen between the forest flowers they visit, fruit bats maintain and restore forests by aiding in the reproduction of forest plants. Many fruit crops important to people, such as durian, wild banana, and kapok, also rely on fruit bats for their reproduction. Their cute, puppy-like faces add to their appeal. Despite this, fruit bats are heavily hunted, and the loss of their forest homes has made many of these bats endangered with extinction.
SUBIC BAY’S BAMBOO BATS
The bamboo bat, Tylonycteris sp., is the smallest bat found in the Philippines. With a total wingspan smaller than a child’s hand length and weighing only about 2 grams, it is just slightly larger than the world’s smallest bat. Both of the world’s two species of bamboo bats are found in the Philippines, and Subic Bay with its large bamboo forests is an important host to these bats.
There’s more but that should hold people’s interest for a few minutes at least.
Related posts:
- Places in the Philippines That Get No Respect
- Good Places at Subic Are Not Always On Subic
- Get Out And About
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November 18th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Hi Dave,
Good blog today. Lots of information. Now everybody will want to come. Ever thought of applying for work at the Bureau of Tourism?
November 18th, 2008 at 9:00 am
@John in Austria: Ha ha I doubt there is much chance of me working for the DoT, John, but I could be talked into a position with the Subic Bay Metro Authority if the price was right. They do have amarketibg staff there and they do make some creditable efforts but in general they don’t do that good a job at appealing to/informing foreigners about the opportunities there. Like I always say, there’s plenty of scope to succeeed in the Philippines, that’s for sure.