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During the San Jose port Spanish colonial period, the human heart-shaped emerald isle bordered with fine, ivory beaches in the southernmost tip of Tablas Island in Romblon was called Isla de Carabao because during that time it was grazing land for carabaos and cattle.

Now called the town of San Jose, the 29 square-kilometer big island that is divided into five villages retained it sobriquet, Carabao Island. The waters that surround it are the Sibuyan Sea on its eastern coast and Tablas Strait on its western side.

Its downside is that being geographically isolated from the rest of Romblon,san Jose is one of the most depressed municipalities of the island province famous for its world-class marble. Its upside though is, due to its distance from the rest of Romblon, Carabao Island is still inits pristine condition, with powdery, white sand beaches comparable to that of Boracay’s famous west coast.

Its advantage over its world-renowned island neighbor though, is that Carabao Island’s talc-fine sandy beaches are 4.3-km. long on its east coast vis-à-vis 3.5 kilometers in the island “paradise” of Boracay, plus another 2.5-km. of the fine, white stuff on the west side of San Jose aka Carabao Island, whose fine terrain is characterized by lowlands in the northern and eastern sections, and by rolling hills in the central and southern part of the islands. What’s more it is three separated by a 3-km channel south of Carabao.

“I conceptualized an international airport at Carabao Islandd as an alternative to the small Caticlan Airport in the town of Malay in Aklan way back in 1989, but started negotiating for the land acquisition totaling 120 hectares only in 2004,” says Steve Tajanlangit, one of the pioneer resort hotel developers in Boracay Terraces Hotel on the northern end of White Beach.

“The ideal place to develop an international airport to expand the Boracay corridor is at Carabao island,which was mentioned by GMA in her SONA in 2006, as one of her major airport projects, together with Busuanga and San Vicente in Northern Palawan, because Carabao is located between Boracay and Tablas Island in Romblon, which has its own attractions, like a big lagoon, which can be developed into a yacht marina,” explains the Ilonggo tourism visionary who, as early as 1979, saw Boracay as a major tourist destination in the near future when small groups of backpackers descended on the pristine island whose grain of white sand is a mere 500 microns in size, making its 3.5-km white beachcomfortably cool even during high noon.

“From Carabao, a group of beautiful islands in Antique is just 30 minutes away, and beyond them, you’ll reach another new tourist destination, Coron in Northern Palawan.”

The envisioned P5-billion Carabao Island International Airport, with a runway 3.7-km. is long, enough to accommodate wide-bodied jetliners like the A-330. When finished in 2012, it will be much bigger than the present Iloilo airport-already considered the biggest in the Visayas, with the exception of the Mactan Cebu International Airport. The flight from Manila to Carabao Island will only be 40 minutes by plane, and 30 minutes from Cebu.

“Right now, Caticlan airport’s existing runway is only 900 meters, not long enough for even a 72-seater turboprop ATR passenger plane used by Cebu Pacific in its missionary routes,” says the vice chairman of the Boracay Property Holdings, Inc., the main proponent of the Carabao airport project.” Even if you level the hill (blocking the runway’s northeastern tip), you can only have an additional 800 meters or a total of 1.6-km,” points out Tajanlangit.” But, an international airport needs a 3.5-km runway.

“That’s why Carabao is an ideal alternative, considering that the area being considered for an airport development is flat,” avers the swarthy real estate developer. “We can promise, due to its favorable terrain, that we can have an airport by 2012, which comprises the P3-billion phase one, which includes the runway, tarmac and passenger terminal that can accommodate 2 million passengers a year,” he continues. “then, we implement the P2-billion phase 2, that is to expand the terminal further as the need arises.”

Considering that Caticlan can only accommodate 2,000 passengers daily, it can only fill in 1,000 hotel rooms (at twin sharing) in the island. But, Boracay at present has more than 7,000 rooms and this will balloon, with the continous expansion of resort hotels in the island, to 10,000!

“In 2012, we can bring in big planes to Carabao loaded with tourist from China, Korea, Japan, even people from Hongkong, who can have a nice weekend in Boracay,” says tajanlangit. “More tourists will come if we already have Carabao airport because at present, if a foreign tourist is going to Boracay, it’s a big hassle for him to fly in to NAIA then transfer to the Domestic Airport, then fly to kalibo, take a 1-1/2-hour bus trip to Caticlan, then a 15-minute ferry boat transfer before reaching boracay, wasting almost a day of unnecessary travel.

“When the Carabao airport is finished in 2012, we can pump up economic activities not only in Boracay, but also in Aklan, romblon, where Carabao is, Antique, southern Mindoro Oriental, and even Marinduque,” state Tajanlangit, who also operates the 7107 Islands Cruise liner that plies the so-called ‘tourism golden triangle’-that starts from Batangas City to Coron in Busuanga and on to Boracay, and vise versa.

“We can now compete with other major tourist destinations in Southeast Asia like Phuket in Thailand and Bali in Indonesia; which can accommodate one million tourists while we are just dependent on Boracay,” concludes the Ilonggo tourism expert. “So, how can we attract 12 or 15 milllion tourist a year, the Carabao airport when it’s finished will attract that much visitors due to direct flights from their respective countries to our tropical paradise, and beyond.”

The multibillion-peso Carabao International Airport project will be modern and state-of-the-arts as envisioned by its developers. It will be designed by the same company that designed some of the best airports in the world. Fifteen hectares of  the land will be devoted for terminal facilities alone. A component infrastructure of the Carabao airport is a modern port that will serve twin-hulled catamarans and other big, fast craft that will ferry tourists and from Boracay.

“Vietnam is hitting 5 million a year, while we could barely get 3 million,” explains director Reynaldo dela Rosa of the Boracay-based Eminent Persons Group (EPG), a government agency under the Office of the President tasked to oversee the sustainable development of tourism in the island and has the rank of undersecretary in the Department of tourism (DOJ). “With the right tourism master plan for Carabao Island, we can compete with any destination in the region because our beaches here are better than those in Bali.”

So, in 2012, the heart-shaped Carabao Island will start throbbing to give life to the still slumbering and undiscovered scenic islands with alabaster beaches in Northern Panay, Southern Mindoro, Romblon, and northern Palawan, which will complement tourist arrivals in Boracay, the philippines’ diamond in its crown jewels of island tourist destinations. – Randy V. Urlanda – Philippine Panorama – Nov 7 Edition

As a first-time visitor to Iloilo City, my knowledge about the place is practically zero except for the fact that chicken inasal and batchoy are delicious food that supposedly came from that place. So when the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation Inc. invited the media for a 3-day familiarization tour of the city, I was raring to go, eager to discover what Iloilo is all about.

 Iloilo is about food.

Iloilo as I would come to discover is really about food. The Lingoes love to eat, nay they live to eat. For them eating is a way of life. Unlike in Manila where we often wolf down our meals to get on with our other activities, in Iloilo, meals are relished and seen as a social event among family and friends — a time to catch up on each other’s lives over servings of binnacle and nasal. During our lunches and dinners, we (writers from Manila) would already be getting our desserts while our Lingo friends seemed to be just getting warmed up. Our tour guide Eugene Tamerlane shares how it is in their house during weekend lunches — they would linger on the dining table way after lunch sharing stories, that before they realize it, they’d already be having marina, then later after that supper. He adds that in Iloilo they rarely use the sala to entertain guests, instead they just whisk them off into the dining room for a sumptuous meal or maybe a marina of sumac dipped in muscovite and home-made hot chocolate (made from tableau or cocoa tablets and endlessly stirred with a batgirl).

Another thing that makes Lingo cuisine different from other places like Manila became more evident on our third meal. I just realized none of our gracious hosts served us anything that’s fried, only broiled, steamed or grilled. Yes, the Lingoes love their food grilled. While grilling is something we do at home during special occasions, in Iloilo they grill on a daily basis. The grill, whether it’s a Hibachi or just an old chicken wire on top of rocks, is an integral part of the Lingo dirty kitchen. From fish to clams to the ubiquitous chicken inasal that can be found in restaurants on every block, the Ilonggos like them smoked and browned to perfection. Speaking of which, the Ilonggos are crazy about chicken too — more than pork or beef. Stands to reason that while in Manila Andok’s Lechon is but a small kiosk selling take-aways, in Iloilo it’s a huge semi open restaurant that’s always packed with people come dinner time. And not to mention that Mang Inasal, now easily the most popular and biggest grilled chicken restaurant chain in the country originated from Iloilo.

Other original Ilonggo specialties that have gained national popularity are pansit molo from the district of Molo and La Paz batchoy from the district of La Paz. Try Deco’s version of batchoy together with puto for a truly satisfying merienda. While there, you can also get your pasalubong from their store next door where you can choose from a wide array of Ilonggo pastries and delicacies.

For authentic chicken inasal, try Tatoy’s Manukan where they use only native chicken and is one of the more popular restaurants frequented by politicians and celebrities. Just a few meters away is Breakthrough which specializes in seafood specialties such as lobsters, blue crabs and various clams and shellfish that are mostly found in this region. It is situated along the beach so you’ll be dining amidst the sounds of the waves and the scent of the sea breeze, enhancing your tropical dining experience.

If fine dining is more your taste, visit Al Dente restaurant at the Sarabia Hotel for their boneless take on chicken inasal and the hearty Binakol (chicken soup with coconut meat and water) served inside a fresh coconut. On the cheap end, there is a small fast food restaurant called Roberto’s that is famous for its halo-halo and jumbo “King” siopao that is one of Iloilo’s best kept secrets.

They know how to have a good time

If you think Iloilo has nothing to offer like Manila by way of nightlife, you’d be surprised. Though the Ilonggos appear to be simpler and more conservative than the Manila folks, it does not mean that they don’t know how to have a good time.

Head over to Smallville, their smaller version of Eastwood City to sample the food and entertainment provided by the different restaurants and bars that make up this hip and happening complex. From dining, to disco, to videoke or live bands, you only need to walk around to find the place that’s up your alley. The place is crawling with families, students, and employees every night and closes later on weekends.

There is no Starbucks here, but they have their own Iloilo – based Coffeebreak which is not only cheaper but has the ambiance and taste that will give the franchised coffee shops a run for their money. Coffebreak along with the other restaurants in the same area are the brainchild of restaurateur whiz Johnny Que who is also behind Waffle Time which started in Iloilo and is now 423 outlets strong all over the Philippines.

Iloilo is more urban than you think

Iloilo City is a fast – growing metropolis fueled by the increasing number of Business Processing and Outsourcing (BPOs)/ call centers that have set up shop in the city. As the province’s educational hub, with 13 colleges and universities, Iloilo becomes an ideal investment site for skills-required and English-proficient job employments. Though Iloilo City may not have the high-rise buildings of Makati, it is not that far behind in terms of infrastructures, facilities, and standards of living either. In some aspects Iloilo is even better off. Iloilo City seems to have lesser traffic, wider streets, lesser potholes and garbage and a cleaner waterway. I did not find any shanties or squatters within the city either. With better infrastructures and a new coal – powered plant set for completion in 2010, Iloilo is poised to attract even more investors and visitors.

A jump-off point to Guimaras

With a modern airport in Sta. Barbara and the city being strategically located, Iloilo stands as a gateway and jump-off point to other tourist destinations. Just 15 minutes from the Iloilo wharf by boat is the island of Guimaras, known for its export quality mangoes, pristine beaches and scenic landscapes. Alubihod Beach in Nueva Valencia is the more popular resort known for its white sand and clear water ideal for swimming and other water activities. When in Guimaras be sure to drop by the Trappist Monastery where you can ask for the monks’ blessing and you can get dried mangos, jams, jellies made from fruits they grow and harvest themselves.

Iloilo’s rich cultural heritage

Iloilo’s rich cultural heritage can be best gleaned from the old churches, mansions, and buildings that are evidence of the city’s once glorious past of being the textile capital of the Philippines more than a century ago. Architecture students will have a field day studying the old buildings along Calle Real that retained the various design standards of the time: art deco, Spanish, European, etc. Nelly’s garden in Jaro is one of the finest examples of residential mansions owned by the most prominent families of the province. The mansion’s facade looks like it was cut out of a postcard and looks even better when lit up for Christmas. Jaro Cathedral and Molo Church are not only magnificent structures, with Jaro having its Belfry separate and across the street and Molo with its Neo-Gothic style, but they are also unique because Jaro Cathedral only houses male saint sculptures while Molo as its counterpart only has female saints.

While Iloilo is no longer known for weaving, there are still some locals who keep the tradition and art of the loom alive. One such place where you can buy quality sinamays or hablots is in a heritage house in Arevalo where you can find shawls and placemats made from the finest jusi or pinya fibers.

My first Iloilo City experience was a journey of discovery. I look forward to going back to experience the Dinagyang Festival in January as three days are not enough time to really know Iloilo… and there’s a lot more to discover.

(Cebu Pacific flies to Iloilo five times daily from Manila, 18 times weekly from Cebu, and daily from Davao.) – mb.com.ph