A tropical paradise - Sketches

In 1870 a Belgian named J. de Man visited the Philippines, publishing a book about his trip five years later. Recollections of a Voyage to the Philippines was translated from the French by the National Historical Institute and published in 1984.

De Man wrote about a province that "is to Luzon what Switzerland is to Europe; that is to say, it is the picturesque portion of the island." No, he wasn't writing about Baguio -- it would take about 40 more years before the Americans would start developing that area into their summer playground. De Man was writing about Laguna and some towns around Mt. Banahaw.

I am put off by De Man's description of Filipinas as "pretty chocolate-colored creatures," and I don't know if I should believe his account of "Indian girls" sitting on duck eggs for "excellent" hatching results in Pateros. But his glowing account of his journey around Laguna, its lake (plus the "enchanted lake" within a lake), fiestas, lantern parades, and a boat ride through a river to reach a mysterious waterfall in the heart of a jungle makes you feel proud of the beauty of this country.

Sadly, this beauty is fading. I've been to Banahaw and around Laguna and I know many of the sites greatly admired by De Man are now irretrievably lost.

During the Holy Week break some relatives and I had the chance to visit the towns around Laguna de Bay, from Rizal to Laguna. Our destination was Lake Lumot, beside Lake Caliraya. We passed through Antipolo, which was littered with garbage on both sides of the main road. Then on to the next towns, through a winding road with a panoramic view of the lake. The panorama, unfortunately, was blurred by pollution. Each Rizal town also seemed to have a roadside dump; burning garbage marred the scenery.

Laguna still has enormous charm, but visiting the province will make you realize how underdeveloped our tourism industry is. In another country, a place as picturesque as Lake Lumot, with numerous islets dotting the lake, would be a major tourist spot, complete with all the amenities tourists need.

From Lake Lumot we took the opposite route via Los Baños, which De Man also visited. Even Los Baños and other better known tourist destinations in Laguna, such as Pagsanjan Falls, can use some upgrading to make them more visitor-friendly.

There are people who prefer to visit underdeveloped sites, who hate commercial destinations and tourist kitsch. This is fine if we can preserve the virgin splendor of our environment. But pollution is destroying Laguna de Bay and there's hardly room to row a boat with all the fishpens in the lake. The forests of Laguna are dwindling, making room for development. Los Baños is a commercial area anyway, so why not improve its facilities?

There's such a thing as ecotourism, and it has proved successful in Palawan. This should be the thrust of our tourism industry. Ecotourism may save the eroding rice terraces of Banawe and its aromatic mountain rice.

Laguna is not the only place that has great potential for ecotourism. There are many other areas in this country that can be developed to enhance its image as a tropical paradise.

Many of us Filipinos know so little about the beauty of our islands. How many people have visited Batanes, that quaintly exquisite northernmost island? I was surprised to learn that we have megaliths in Bukidnon -- a province, by the way, that has been likened by its local leaders to Switzerland (that comparison again). In China I was awestruck by the extensive limestone caves in Guilin -- a place that reminds you of a breathtaking Chinese painting -- and I was surprised to be told that we have similar caves in Bohol.

The Department of Tourism can't handle this task of ecotourism development alone (especially when its head is fighting for survival in the Cabinet). It needs coordination with local executives, environment and public works officials, the private sector. But it must be done soon. Otherwise this tropical paradise will be paradise lost.

BUZZ: You can tell who's President Erap's fair-haired boy. Finance Secretary Jose Pardo turned 61 yesterday (coinciding with his department's anniversary). Part of his birthday celebration was lunch and dinner with the President.