The edited version was published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer, 30 August 2013.
Baler, the renowned “Surfing Capital of the Philippines”, fairly owes its ever-growing fame among nature lovers and tourists alike from the most unlikely of heroes, its tricycle drivers.
Track: Mannish Boy (Muddy Waters)
Baler, the renowned “Surfing Capital of the Philippines”, fairly owes its ever-growing fame among nature lovers and tourists alike from the most unlikely of heroes, its tricycle drivers.
Through
a lingering gravel road, two tricycles treaded. Their struggling engines made snarling noises as they passed
rows of coconut trees and the occasional wooden houses. Several sharp turns and wobbly ascents
later, the tricycles finally parked near a cemented path that goes around a
small plot of land. In the middle,
towered a mass of stocky moss-colored roots and branches that lead up to a
half-circle crown of emerald foliage.
Passengers of the tricycles stepped out and each had taken a long
bemused pause before actually grasping what exactly they were looking at.
“That is the Millennium Tree,” one of the tricycle drivers
explained. “The largest Balete tree in Asia.”
“But 'kuya' Rolly." said one of the passengers. "Is it alright to climb it?”
...
...
Rollymar
Ramos has been a tour guide for 6 years.
He has already taken thousands of eager visitors to the diverse areas
that make Baler a truly exceptional travel destination -- From hanging bridges
guaranteed to raise anyone’s hair, to surreal giant trees straight out of
children’s books, to pristine sandy beaches perfect for strolls or a momentary
dip and to waterfalls surely to awaken a strong appreciation, if not, love for
the natural world
A native son of baranggay Suklayin in Baler, Rollymar
witnessed the changes that had transpired in his hometown for the last few
decades. After graduating from
college he moved to Manila where he had worked in both the private and public
sector. Not nearly enough to make
ends meet he decided to return to Baler and landed a decent work as a tricycle
driver. He was even elected as an
officer to the local tricycle drivers’ association. However as time passed and he started to have a family of
his own, Rollymar needed to find a more lucrative means to make a living.
“There’s the boundary fee and the cost of gas. There’s very little left for my family
by the end of the day" mentioned Rollymar on his daily expenses as a tricycle
driver.
In 2007, an unexpected predicament presented a very
interesting opportunity for Rollymar and his fellow tricycle drivers. Baler’s popularity among surfers and
outdoor enthusiasts had increased dramatically and as much as it was very
advantageous for the municipality itself, it was still quite a challenge for
the local tourism office to fully accommodate the rising number of
visitors. Devised was an ingenious
program wherein the local tourism office rallied all tricycle operators and
held a series of training seminars.
They were educated on proper tour guide procedures as well
as extensive information on all the tourist attraction within and around
Baler. Those who were successful
in passing the training were included in the official list of certified tour
guides and were provided official ID’s.
“Before, there were a lot who came to Baler without a tour guide,” clarifed
Rollymar. “The local tourism office tapped into our group since
we, tricycle drivers, are the first to greet the tourists as soon as they get
off the bus.”
The arrangement not only paved the right set of circumstance for the tricycle drivers to earn additional income but provided Baler with an excellent tour service as well. Baler’s natural attractions are situated remotely from each other and most of the roads are unpaved and extremely rough even today -- Thus, making tricycles the suitable mode of transportation. Furthermore, safety for the tourists is ensured given that guides/tricycle drivers receive the utmost priority and direct support from local officials.
Since the program was initiated, visitors to Baler have
continually grown at an amazing rate.
It was estimated that from January to June this year (2013) roughly
200,000 tourists have come and availed the guides/tricycle drivers’ services.
“I’m just enjoying myself,”
said the 41 year old. “As long as I still get to
tour; Give a really good service to my guests. At least when they come back they might want to contact me
again or refer me to other tourists.”
Quite recently, typhoon “Labuyo” (Utor) wreaked havoc over at Baler but with resilience and resourcefulness this municipality is open to all guests once again. In fact, Rollymar had disclosed that tourists are still coming and have not been deterred -- Confirmation that Baler will remain to be a destination to be explored and most importantly, preserved. Seeing how much his work has made such a positive impact towards his family and community, Rollymar is very much certain that he, along with his fellow drivers, would carry on giving tours to Baler’s legions of visitors on their three-wheeled steed for years to come.
- Basic trike/tour guide fee is 800.00 Php (200.00 Php each for 4 persons)
- Aurora Tourism Office, Provincial Compound, Baranggay Suklayin, Baler, Aurora / (+63)921-320-7015
- Rollymar Ramos, Trike/Tour Guide(+63)939-467-9464
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