I have long wanted to write about greener choices when it comes to tourist destinations because it’s not only a good thing to do for Mother Earth, but a smart thing to do. And I am excited to tell you about Barangay Marang Marang in Isabela City, Basilan on the Indigenous People and women side, and Banwa Private Island on the other end of the economic spectrum, being an exclusive location worthy of being in the 100 best places to visit list.
They share many commonalities except for price. Marang Marang is reachable by boat from mainland Isabela and is amongst mangroves where we were served Basilan’s pride – pure Excelsa coffee, brewed right on the rafts where the women of Marang Marang entertain visitors. We were afloat rafts with comfortable seats, plenty of tables and delicious local fare. Along with coffee we had rice cakes, sweet potatoes and bananas. The women of the community regaled us with stories of how they live catching shrimps and other seafood found in the river/mangrove areas.
I wanted to recommend the community to be part of the Slow Food movement, as they were preserving local heritage, local food culture, which is the women association’s main source of business. Their first international recognition, however, is being a Green Destination. And they surely passed the bar to be named such as I had observed when I last visited Basilan.
On another island, Palawan, we drove through clean highways from Puerto Princesa airport to Roxas, a nice, comfortable two-hour ride until we reached the north side to get our ride across to Banwa private island. A one-of-a-kind amphibian they call the Iguana brought us to this paradise on the Sulu Sea. It is a dot on the map, a mere eight hectares of unspoilt beauty where the owners decided it should be a liveable, breathable and the epitome of sustainability.
First off, they found drinking water – digging 500 feet into the ground and after several unlucky tries, they found the source of good water. They then found a company who could filter and bottle and even make a sparkling version of this wonderful much-needed resource.
Next, they managed to remove the mosquitoes, which is a tourists’ nightmare in the tropics. They invested in over 70 mosquito catchers spread all around the island, which ensures that no mosquito will bother the guests. That already spells paradise to many. Another pesky beach companion are sandflies or niknik which they also managed by gathering all the seagrass near the shore, which becomes breeding ground of these flying pests. By gathering the seagrass and putting them in sacks to be disposed off somewhere in the sea, the sandflies have nowhere to breed on the island.
Next item on the list is food, of course. Every tourist or guest would have preferences and food allergies to avoid. The chef, a young man named Gian who trained long enough in Finland and Manila, creates menus from vegetables found in their own organic farm (across the island), local seafood and an occasional steak or lamb chop, but mostly seafood.
Breakfast starts with lamayo, a local marinated fish -prepared along with eggs and garlic rice. Or you may want house baked croissants or pain au chocolat, also prepared by in-house pastry chef Christian.
Lunch is set either at the main dining or on the shore, depending on weather conditions. In the villas – and there are only six in the whole island – you may also prepare your own coffee, tea and drinks and savor house made cookies like cashew sable, chocolate barks and little fruit-infused bonbons.
Dinner could be a freshly-caught local lobster or local fish like snapper or grouper. The salads are well-made with local cheeses from Davao, Brazilian spinach from their farm and a variety of freshly-made house dressings. I was surprised that they even had fresh sambal, as one of the chefs did train in Malaysia and in Arabic kitchens.
The menu is thought of with sustainability in mind as all the ingredients are sourced locally and using these local fruits and nuts, the chef is able to prepare even ice cream with a touch of cashew (abundant in Roxas) or local Robusta and Arabica coffee beans. The chocolate bonbons either have langka (jackfruit) or ube (purple yam) and a Robusta coffee ganache.
Next on the list are their strict rules on conservation. Not only of local plants like mangroves and other island species, but of marine life. A recreation manager named Bernard can lead you on a ‘low tide’ walk where you can see stingrays, eels and sea cucumber and the whole food chain of fish as you wade noisily and actively in the shallow water. You need to make your movements felt so the creatures you may step on accidentally can get out of harm’s way. There also is a chance to snorkel and see more water inhabitants, as well as serious scuba diving for some guests (not me, unfortunately).
The owners are strict observers of conservation and founded a non-profit called Aquos Foundation to do just that – conserve what you find on the island and off it. They also make sure the communities are taught marine conservation and sustainability, lest they forget these in the pursuit of tourist dollars.
In our first example, Marang Marang, the city government of Isabela City in Basilan is the prime mover and enabler of the coastal community. In both these examples, although far from each other in price points, the idea is the same – conserve Nature and think of sustainability.
Green destinations are truly possible in this country and I can imagine 7,000 more islands doing the same. Palawan as seen in Puerto Princesa can be the shining example of political will to keep a province or city clean. Children are born into clean culture and grow up practising this ‘no littering’ concept and living it. ‘Kaya pala,’ we all said. That simply means ‘it can be done.’ Every island can indeed be a green destination.