3/27/08
I was probably 7 or 8 years old when I last visited the Hundred Islands. Trying to dig deep into my memory arsenal, I remember in washed out color (like the color of stale photographs from the 90’s) short, white sand shores and clear waters.
I didn’t remember being next to a billion cars and seeing a billion bancas cramped in a murky substandard pier. I just haven’t been in a tourist-overrun place in a long time.
Seeing the Hundred Islands is an easy affair. They have a centralized information booth where you can book bancas to suit your tour group. Since there were only 4 of us, we hooked up a small boat which cost us P1,400 (P350 each) for a drop-off and pick-up arrangement since we planned on camping on one of the islands.
The tourism officers at the information booth would tell you that the island hopping tour only includes visits to 3 islands: Governor’s Island, Children’s Island and Quezon Island. These are the three islands which are “developed.” They would also tell you that camping is only allowed on these islands. Relying on my almost-sepia memories, we happily cruised on.
We first figured into Governor’s Island which even from afar, did not impress us. There were lots of bancas already docked all around the island and people, with all their trash and shit, were everywhere. They had some sort of a cave there which despite the presence of a restroom, functioned as a urinal. On the other side is another tacky development, the Big Brother house they used for the ABS-CBN reality show of the same name. The beach, minus all the people, would be okay I guess. The view deck, which requires a little climb, provides a great view of the neighboring islands. This was Governor’s Island’s saving grace.
We’ve also noticed that corporate sponsorships were spread like sari-sari stores in the Hundred Islands. It is just so TACKY. I’m sure there’s a way for this eco-tourism site to be financially sustainable without making a quick and ugly buck from branding. All the islands have markers with Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs on them. I like TJ hotdogs just as much as the kid next door, but not on island markers. Sheesh.
Children’s Island is a lot like Governor’s Island only, they have a better swimming beach and it smells much filthier. There was no way it was gonna be our campsite. No freakin way.
Of the three developed islands, I may have some sort of a soft spot for Quezon Island because it had a sand bar which opened up to two adjacent beaches. But then again, I may have felt this because this was our last island on the itinerary and I didn’t get to explore its developed parts which interpolating data from the last 2 islands, would be another tragic disappointment.
On the way to the 3 dumb islands, we kept on passing smaller, undeveloped coves and islands which held our eyes the most as they had enormous potential for our campsite for that night. The problem was we were unsure whether the tide would claim the shores which would be potentially dangerous for us and our precious stuff.
Our campsite on my next post. Woot!
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