Visayan island paradises making their comeback after disasters

Several months ago, the strongest typhoon in the world smashed into the central Philippines and left ruin in its wake. Around 8,000 lives were lost and some of the Philippines’ most popular tourist destinations were wrecked.

Yolanda ensured that the Philippines would miss its 2013 tourism target of five million visitors. Though many of the areas surrounding the ravaged areas remained unscathed, their tourism numbers also experienced sharp drops. But even as 2013 closed, these establishments were once again getting back on their feet.

However, as 2014 opened, new ways to revitalize the local tourism industry and boost rehabilitation efforts were drawn up—one such effort being Bangon Tours, which required participating establishments in 16 tourism hotspots to allocate five percent of their net income to their chosen NGOs or foundations involved with disaster-affected communities.

It would seem that the tourism industry is beginning to pick up again, six months down the road to recovery. GMA News Online researched and reached out to a few vacationers who flew out for a few days to Central and Western Visayas between January and May of this year to see what they had to say.

"No reason to hesitate' going to Cebu

Pam Luber and her boyfriend celebrated their second anniversary by staying four days in Cebu, from May 2 to May 5. On May 3, they went on a day trip to Bohol.

Their Cebu itinerary included: the Lapu-Lapu Shrine, the Cebu Taoist Temple, Magellan's Cross, the Basilica de Sto. Niño, Fort San Pedro, the Mountaintop Viewing Deck, Cebu Cathedral, Casa Gorordo, the Yap-Sandiego ancestral house and Mactan's beaches.

Pam noted that Magellan's Cross and the two cathedrals were already repaired, but were being fortified to ensure that they will stand future earthquakes.

“It was really great! Great people, great sights, great food, great souvenirs, great everything! Very affordable too, if you know what to book, that is,” she said of the trip. “You can learn and experience so much. It gives you a lot of pride as a Filipino. You need to see these places before you think of going abroad. We have so much going on here in the Philippines. Everyone will enjoy: beach lovers, history buffs, eco-tourism people, divers, et cetera.”

Pam also shared that there were plenty of tourists in both areas, especially Koreans and Japanese. There were also plenty of Filipinos and Europeans, with Germans and Russians making up a good portion of the latter.

Her hotel, she reports, was very cozy and appeared to have no electrical difficulties or water problems during their stay.

“No reason to hesitate going to Cebu or Bohol. They're doing really well now and the people are so nice. They really take care of the tourists and you could see that they love it when tourists appreciate their provinces. Also, you'd greatly help our fellow Filipinos whose livelihoods depend on tourism,” Pam said.

Tarsiers thriving in Bohol

For their trip to Bohol, Pam and her boyfriend booked a day tour package that included a tour guide/driver.

“Our driver's name was Hans. He was very accommodating and funny and knowledgeable,” she said. “According to him, for that particular day, they were fully booked—referring to all tourist drivers.”

Pam added that after the earthquake, tourist drivers were "suffering" because of the low tourism numbers. "But [starting] around January, tourism started to grow again and like before, they're always fully booked—which is good for the Philippines!"

In Bohol, the couple visited the Chocolate Hills, the Tarsier Sanctuary, the Butterfly Haven, the Man-made Forest, the Hanging Bridge, the Python Zoo, the Loboc River Cruise, and the different churches.

“The churches were obviously destroyed by the earthquake, but they are being repaired,” she reported. “They don't look like ruins anymore. The tarsiers are all right and being cared for by the sanctuary caretakers. The hills were absolutely breathtaking. They're not ‘kalbo’ anymore and they were chocolate-y. Basically, what you see in postcards.”

Pam and her boyfriend were not the only couple to have gone day-tripping in Bohol. Blogger Gretchen Gatan and her boyfriend made the trip in January, when there were still aftershocks from the Bohol earthquake in October.

In addition to the tourist spots the first couple visited, the second couple also covered Tagbilaran City, Panglao Island, Balicasag Island (where they went swimming and dolphin watching), and Pungud Island.

Gretchen stated in her blog that she realized two things about Bohol: that the province is organized about its tourism, and that its locals are “very makulit, but in a good way.”

“Tours are well-planned and organized—following strict schedules and timelines. They know how to accommodate guests really well. As soon as we arrived from the airport, and in all the places that we stayed in or visited, locals would boast smiles and offer to take pictures. Throughout my stay, I discovered why Bohol really thrives on tourism. The place is beautiful, but it’s the people that make it even more beautiful,” she wrote in her blog post.

Tourists with a cause in Tacloban

But vacations don't all have to be about your own pleasure, as one group proved with their “volunteer vacation” to Tacloban.

With tickets ready months in advance, Claire Algarme and her friends were planning their Sinulog itinerary for January (Leyte, Samar, and Cebu) when Typhoon Yolanda struck. But instead of being discouraged, Algarme and company quickly worked to make their festival trip into a volunteer trip.

Switching their trolleys for boxes, Algarme and 17 companions—some of whom were averse to traveling—arrived in Tacloban City with school supplies and books for kids. Their relatives even joined in, stacking up raincoats, umbrellas, and kitchen utensils for the storm-tossed survivors.

At the time of the phone interview with GMA News Online, Algarme—a PR officer for Summit Media—said, “Nakaka-recover na rin ang Tacloban.” She cited the water supply, electricity, and a bit of economic buzz such as sari-sari stores opening for business.

"Dinala namin lahat ng boxes, mga 27. Pinamigay namin sa tatlong barangay: isa sa B-52, Brgy. 67, at Anibong," said Algarme, who volunteers with several non-government organizations during her free time.

Using funds from their day jobs, the group organized play therapy for kids in between distributing their supplies. They were given one extra day to come up with more activities for their communities when their weekday flight was cancelled and moved for another day.

"Yung kasama namin, may contact sa barangay captain. We were able to distribute packages for moms. Another had a relative in Basey, so we were able to give adults and kids loot bags," recounted Algarme.

Despite launching their own campaign, Algarme said the three days they spent in Yolanda-hit areas was not enough to make a even dent in the needs of locals.

"Kids need to be taught how to deal with trauma, though most schools there were damaged... [At kahit] may water at electricity na, may konting problema pa rin sa ekonomiya," said Algarme.

She added that while it was safer to move at night, a lot must be done to make Yolanda-hit towns truly safe again.

Infrastructure, especially schools, must be restored and basic necessities made available to affected families. She said job fairs are needed for parents to provide their children with former comforts, while schools should follow Samar's example and make Sunday make-up classes necessary for children.

"We need more job fairs to stimulate the economy...we have to use certain creative means to come up with new businesses," said Algarme.

Whether they're born and bred natives, expats, or international volunteers, Algarme firmly believed that volunteer vacations would click with more people in the coming months.

If one cannot make spontaneous preparations like her group, she recommended hooking up with Hands On Manila's Hands On Volunteer Vacations (HOVV), a program targeted towards volunteers who wish to give a part of their vacation time to do service projects for local communities. — BM, GMA News

If you would like to help spread the good word with regard to vacationing or doing welfare work in some Yolanda-hit areas, email vida.cruz@gmail.com and we’ll add your travel experiences here.