A SHORT VISIT TO SUBIC BAY - (Part 2)

By Rene Calalang
Scarborough – Canada
April 25, 2018





MY SECOND TRIP, in the company of some relatives, was a bit different as we were able to see other places inside the former military base and discover what was there that, at one time, we were not allowed to see them.


Visiting a place close to Cubi Point is a place called Pamulaklakin Forest Trail. Here, in its dense rainforest, which is home to the biggest tree (I think it’s a balite tree) I ever saw in the Philippines, we were part of a group, who participated and watched in awe some of the jungle survival techniques used by the Aetas (Note that the Aetas used to train the US Marines on jungle survival techniques during the Vietnam War) such as how to start a fire without using a match or a lighter. Other demonstrations we watched were how to hunt for wild boar and other animals using homemade tools or weapons. They also showed us how to extract water from a branch of a tree, which, if this applies only to a specific kind of tree, I am not sure.

But deep in my heart, my admiration was not on the demonstration, but rather on the people who were doing the demonstration, the Aetas or the Negritos. I admire them for the kind of people they are: kind, honest, and do no harm to others. They live on their own simple ways, surviving on what nature has to offer. No wonder they don’t want to mix with us, perhaps they do not to be influenced or corrupted. And I don’t blame them.

Walking through the trail, we passed by so many creeks with water so clear and clean, that we saw many, including some foreign tourists, bathing. Again, seeing this creeks with clean and clear water reminded me of my childhood, that once upon a time, before industrialization destroyed our river, we too used to bathe in clean and clear water of the irrigation and the canal of the rice farm in our barrio.



“The creek at the back of our old house used to be as clean as this,” I told my nephew who I know is conscious about the environment.

“Why happened? How come it’s so dirty and polluted now?” he asked.

“When we were young, the population of our barrio was probably about twenty percent of what it is now. And because the population is low and they don’t generate as much garbage, the creeks, the irrigation, and the canal remained clean.”

“What do you mean, they don’t generate as much garbage? What do they do with their garbage?”

“First of all, plastic bags and other plastic products were almost non-existent then; but now, everything is almost made of plastic.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing really, if we know how to dispose or recycle them. But we don’t, and a lot of plastic bags with garbage on them are getting thrown out on the waterways, which then, will impede the flow of water.”

“If plastic bags were almost non-existent then, what do you use?”

“We used environment friendly materials like coconut leaves to make “bayong” (bags made from weaved coconut leaves) and baskets made from bamboo strips and rattan.

“Is it still possible to bring back those creeks, irrigations and canals to what they used to be?”

“Nothing is impossible. But it will take a very strong leader and environmentally conscious leaders to do that?”

“Are you telling me that we don’t have that type of leaders right now?”

“You be the judge. But Filipinos will follow if we have good leaders. Also, one time I remember reading on the newspaper that every municipality has a budget with regards to the environment. In short, if what I just said is true, all we have do is use that budget properly. If not, I am pretty sure there are government agencies that are responsible for this.”

NEXT we traveled to Zoobic Zafari. Here, we joined the Tiger Zafari Ride, and while riding in an armored jeepney enclosed by metal bars and screens to protect us from tigers on the loose (and they were all over the place) with some of them in physical contact with the jeepney, with one of them even climbing the roof.

We then went to the Croco Loco, home to the crocodiles in Zoobic, bought some fresh meat and fed them to the hungry crocodiles. Deep in my heart, I felt sorry for these animals as there are so many of them in so small an area.

We then walked and watched in awe many animals once upon a time a tropical paradise has to offer: many kinds of exotic birds, snakes, deer, rodents, monkeys, wild pigs, etc.

As we don’t have that much time, we were not able to visit the whole Zoobic Zafari, as this place is huge - 25 hectares in area is a big place to visit.

In reality, for me and being honest to myself, it was not as exciting experience I thought it would be, as I try to convince myself that if I had my choice, some of these animals should not be here, but rather they should be in their natural habitat, free from the maltreatment, we, the smartest creation of God, are giving them. I mentioned this to my nephew.

“It is not true that they are being maltreated,” he said.

“Of course, they are,” I answered.

“In what way,” he asked.

“Look, they are caged. Just imagine yourself being in a cage. And what have they done to deserve this?”

“Nothing really, except we, the people and the government need money.”

“That’s it, money. We destroy everything because of money.”

The Zoobic Safari Adventure was the end of my second homecoming to Subic Bay.

Note that this article is not all you can see at Subic Bay, but rather a very small portion of it, as Subic Bay is huge, perhaps bigger than the whole area of the city/state of Singapore.

We drove towards the main gate and exited the Freeport. As we again crossed the bridge, and start travelling along Rizal Avenue, the memories of the place where I used to live suddenly came into my mind. I felt very sentimental about it. And since it was still bright, and even if on our way home, it would be dark, I was pretty sure, everything would be fine.

“What the heck,” I told myself. “We are already here. Why not maximize my visit.”

And so the decision to see my old place of residence was made.

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TO BE CONTINUED