A fine hotel in Batangas City

Restaurateur Ricky Gutierrez of Chateau 1771 fame is building a new paradigm for Philippine business. He is showing the way for a new breed of entrepreneurs to trust their gut feel in opening new business ventures despite the hard times. After all tomorrow is a better day and having faith in the country is the only way we can ever move forward.
This is what Gutierrez and his savvy partners did when they started to build their dream hotel in 2001. The terrorist attacks on New York City’s Twin Towers had just occurred and global business, especially those related to travel and tourism, was at an all-time low. Undaunted, Gutierrez and company ploughed on and went ahead with their plans, firm in their belief that “there will be better times ahead.”
Gutierrez’s message to his countrymen is to believe in the “goodness and excellence of the Filipino.”
“We can’t possibly dig our own pit. We can’t always beat ourselves up and say we’re not good enough,” he notes. The result of his optimism is Hotel PonteFino in Batangas City, a quaint four-storey structure which is showing the way to five-star hospitality down South. It opened in September of last year.
Gutierrez & his partners at Hotel Concepts Inc. are undoubtedly banking on the country’s reputation in the service industry. Filipinos are everywhere in the world working in restaurants, resorts, cruise ships, hotels and the like.
“But while Malaysia has its Shang-ri La, Singapore has its Raffles, and Indonesia has its Aman chain, the Philippines does not have its own hotel set-up utilizing 100 per cent Filipino talent and all-Filipino standards, policies and procedures. Hotel PonteFino is it! We aim to showcase the best of Filipino warmth and hospitality which is the strongest asset in our culture,” Gutierrez stressed.
A step out of the ordinary is the group’s choice to locate the flagship Hotel Ponte Fino property in Batangas City. The group noted that the market is already saturated in most major cities such as Metro Manila and Cebu; the Mindanao region, on the other hand, posed problems with peace and order.
It was therefore inevitable to look southward and Batangas City became a wise choice because of its thriving economy. It happens to host the country’s three biggest power plants, the Shell oil refinery, and a host of multinational companies. Among travelers, the city is well-known as a jump-off point for ferries going to Boracay and Puerto Galera. Its port is also of international standard and is touted as the next biggest alternative to Manila.
PonteFino is far from grand. It takes pride in being known as a “boutique hotel,” cozy and full of the charming touches of home. Its architecture and interiors are a pleasing fusion of Filipino and Spanish influences – from the yellow stucco walls with terracotta bricks to the modern Filipiniana design of the bedrooms.
The hotel has 60 rooms equipped with all the amenities to suit the discriminating tastes of families and businessmen-on-the-go. Some of the little details are worth noting: native slippers, the spacious couch in the living room which transforms into a bed, microwave oven in the suites, broadband net connection, Claude Tayag paintings on the wall, and my favorite sleek bath tub for taking long, warm baths.
You also go to this premier hotel not just to rest but to sample the wide array of food selections in its two restaurants. With brilliant young chef Dennis Edillon at the helm, Pontefino is now known as the purveyor of the “New Batangas Cuisine” This came about as a result of adding a new twist and improving on local flavors while maximizing ingredients indigenous to the province.
We were fortunate enough to sample some of Chef Dennis’ specialties such as the ever-popular Batangas bulalo, Balayan Caesar Salad, the Batangas crepe topped with panutsa (peanut brittle), as well as the best-selling Pontefino pasta which is spiced up with flakes of native steamed tulingan. For fine dining, Pastorelli Restaurant is the place to try out the chef’s so-called “Asian Freestyle Dinner.” Here, one can have a fill of fancy, fusion-style dishes like macadami-crusted tilapia with smoked duck, beef carpaccio, Chicken Teppan and juicy Prime Rib.
Just when we thought that we’ve had our taste of the hotel’s sumptuous culinary offerings, we found soon enough that its massage treatments were equally extraordinary. I particularly found the Four Hands Taal Hot Lava Stone Therapy unforgettable: it involved two attendants kneading my tired skin while applying hot lava stones at various trigger points on my body. The feeling is that of being “ironed” like a piece of clothing but it is safe enough because the skin adjusts to the heat and the result is ultimate relaxation.
When it’s time to head to the great outdoors, guests can choose from a selection of Hotel PonteFino’s Discovery Tours aimed at exploring Batangas City and its environs. One can choose to go on a Visita Iglesia and admire the centuries-old churches of the province or admire nature with the Calumpang River cruise and the Nagtuon River ecological trek. For first-timers, we recommend the heritage tour of the historic town of Taal. This includes visits to the ancestral houses of historical figures Marcela Agoncillo and Leon Apacible, the Shrine of Our Lady of Casaysay with its miraculous well and the beautiful Basilica of St. Martin de Tours which is reportedly the biggest in East Asia.
After our weekend visit, Batangas City will not just be known to me as the place to ride the next ferry boat to the beach. I will think of it in terms of Hotel PonteFino and how it has stimulated my five senses!

( Hotel PonteFino is located in Gulod Labac, Batangas City. For more information, check out www. pontefino.com.ph)

WOW Lanuza! A Wealth of Waves

People usually equate their travels with well-kept hotel rooms looking out into perfectly-manicured lawns, sparkling swimming pools and the availability of every conceivable amenity that makes being a tourist in this day and age such a cinch.
It was therefore an eye-opening experience experience when I ventured to faraway Lanuza, Surigao del Sur last December to check out a surfing tournament in the area. Our plane first touched down in Butuan City before we embarked on a grueling six-hour or so land trip that took us through the quaint, undeveloped towns of Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and finally Surigao del Sur.
Arriving in Lanuza, we realized soon enough that this was no place to play the role of the city-bred tourist. There were no hotels (yes, not even pension houses), no cellsites, no telephone and no internet connections. What was immediately evident though was the warm hospitality of the residents who greeted us with leis and treated us to a modest Pinoy feast in time for the surfing event’s opening.
According to Dr. Algerico Irrizari, the town’s indefatigable mayor, Lanuza prides itself in being a consistent winner in the Cleanest and Greenest municipality contest conducted by the Department of Interior and Local Governments every year. The town has certainly come a long way since it hogged the headlines in the mid-1980s after its municipal hall was attacked by communist rebels. Today in Lanuza, there is only peace amid its calm green sea, verdant surroundings and tree-lined boulevards.
If there’s one thing that will make Lanuza a tourism byword in the future, it is the watersport of surfing. The good mayor notes that surfing in Lanuza - discovered in the early 70s - came earlier than Siargao, which is now known as the country’s premier surfing destination with its world-class Cloud 9 waves. However, problems with peace and order and the development of the proper infrastructure have prevented Lanuza’s surge into the national stage.
“With political will and the cooperation of all residents, we are now laying the groundwork for Lanuza’s transformation as a sought-after surfari,” Mayor Irrizari said.
A step in this direction was the holding of the First National Lanuza Surfing Festival which was graced by no less than Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon and was participated in by the country’s top 32 surfers. The venue was the Doot Poktoy Sand Bar Resort. We found it very unique because it was bounded by a natural river on the right and the seawater on the left.
There are ten surfing grounds in Lanuza, all boasting of a wide variety of waves which are ideal for long board surfing. The waves can go up to 15 feet and the best time to surf is from November to January, when heavy rains occur. Unlike other places in the Philippines, it rains in Lanuza in December . The rest of the year, however, the whole area only has a seven percent exposure to typhoons.
Damien Cusho, a 28-year old Australian surfer, said Lanuza should be the country’s next surfing hotspot. “I like it here because it’s not crowded, the people are very hospitable and it’s got one of the best beach breaks that I’ve surfed in all of the Philippines.”
Beach breaks? Who cares about beach breaks? When I tried standing up on the surfboard, I realized soon enough that it was as hard as doing a sky dive. The spirit was willing but the waves were strong. And so what I did was lie down hugging the surfboard while the big waves of Lanuza hit me. We couldn’t stand up on the surfboard like what the professionals did. However, I thought that just a few more sessions and we will be surfing masters (talk about guts!) After all, that’s how the teenage surfers of Lanuza (some as young as 12 years old) started. We all agreed that surfing was indeed an exhilarating experience if you’re a thrill-seeker and love the sound of approaching waves crushing your back in perpetual motion.
More than its waves, however, Lanuza has other gems to show by way of its wonderful eco-tourism. We had fun wandering through the estuarine and wetland park, the marine park and sanctuary and the Magkawas Falls where our group took a refreshing dip surrounded by lush vegetation. The trip was also memorable because I was able to take my first spelunking adventure in Campomento Caves where we gazed at centuries-old stalactites and stalagmites while negotiating through all the steep,rocky crevices. The well-preserved sights certainly showed the strength of the town’s commitment to protecting the environment.
Now, who says city-bred tourists need hotels? I thought the best part of my trip was experiencing Lanuza’s one-of-a-kind “homestay” program. Under this program, local residents open up their houses to visiting guests and feel up close the distinctive Filipino hospitality . Our gracious and warm host, Mrs. Barcelida Pejero who lived with her equally charming family in a two-storey, made sure we sipped our hot cup of coffee each morning and retired with our crisp bed linens at night.
Five years from now, Lanuza will be a much different place. It will probably be enjoying the benefits of tourism and doing brisk business. I feel lucky to have been one of the few outsiders to explore its unspoiled beauty and of course, its wealth of waves.

A secret hideaway in Cavite

Aerial view of Caylabne
Originally uploaded by ajay1.

CITY dwellers tend to ignore or underestimate travel destinations that are so near Manila. I, for one, have this impression that I have to board a ship or a plane in order to savor nature in all its grandeur and splendor. Views of caves, white-sand beaches, the deep blue sea framed over azure skies and imposing mountains glimmering above the horizon are the elements of my ideal getaway.
It was by a stroke of luck or simply serendipitous discovery that I found myself one weekend in the rugged coastline of Ternate, Cavite for a taste of paradise in Caylabne Bay Resort. Setting foot in its pristine surroundings, I immediately fell in love with its breathtaking natural scenery that boasted of secluded coves, a white sand beach (so rare in these parts!) looking out into the South China Sea and more! We find out later that people keep coming back to Caylabne for the privacy and relaxation it provides. First-timers like me, on the other hand, treat it as a jewel waiting to be unraveled. A day is simply not enough to indulge in the myriad of activities to be enjoyed here.
It helps that Caylabne Bay is a mere 90-minute drive from Manila. The mystery of Caylabne is slowly unveiled as one goes past the concreted highway into the adjoining forest that is one of the last remaining watersheds of Cavite province. The road leading to the resort borders the Mt. Palay-Palay Mataas na Gulod National Park which is preserved and protected by the government due to its ecological importance.
The loveliest view in Caylabne is also one that greets visitors upon arriving. This is Café Buenavista which has a commanding view of the sea, the cove and the most beautiful sunset south of Manila. One can also see here such historic places as Corregidor and Fort Drum, a concrete structure built by the US forces on El Fraile Island to protect Manila from invasion.
At the terrace of the café, we were welcomed by resident manager Ramon Topacio and his gracious staff who promptly greeted us with seashell leis and ice-cold drinks. Little did I know that this was just a glimpse of the incomparable service the officers and staff would accord us in our two-day stay.
Aside from the sights, food is one unforgettable component of any person’s stay in Caylabne. We saw that management really went the extra mile in ensuring that their guests and patrons savored only the best. Their executive chef, Joshua Canilang, had extensive experience with Shangri-La hotels which is part of the Kuok Group.
We had a native lunch at El Patio Restaurant which boasted of a Mediterranean-inspired seafront ambiance. My colleague, JR, couldn’t have enough of their chicken binakol which is like tinola, only that it’s simmered in buko juice. On the other hand, I feasted on the tinapang tilapia and the chicken caldereta which was delectably seasoned with generous servings of cheese. We all agreed that the buffet at El Patio was not “overflowing” like other hotels but had the right combination of foods to make up a truly unforgettable meal.
Thankfully, we were joined at the table by Caylabne’s affable sales and marketing director Christine Ibarreta and Sara Akim, homeowner relations and sales officer of the neighboring Las Casas De Cala Buena Golf and Leisure Estate. Christine and Sara provided us good company as our group enjoyed our desserts and sipped steaming cups of coffee. We immediately set a date for merienda upon Christine’s recommendation that their pizza was a must-try. This is because the pizzas are baked the old-fashioned way in a wood-fired oven. As we sampled five pizza varieties and calzones that afternoon,we adjudged Caylabne’s pizza as comparable indeed to the authentic restos in Italia.
Dinner was again spent at El Patio. This time, we feasted on healthy servings of their poolside barbecue. There was a whole crowd of foreigners gorging on inihaw na tuna, assorted sushi, pasta and other specialties. What more, they were treated to a delightful presentation of the Philippines’ native dance, the tinikling. We ended the day by dancing and singing the night away at the Marina Bar, so called because of its strategic location near the breakwater.
The next morning, we had the opportunity to walk around the beach and smell the breeze. We saw tourists having the time of their life jetskiing,kayaking,windsurfing, fishing, cruising around the bay and riding the “banana boat” which is similar to the one in Boracay. My friend Anna and I had fun riding the aquabike which we maneuvered through the waters like a bicycle. We capped it with a dip in the swimming pool which was also equipped with a water slide. It was truly glorious!
After all the action, it was time to rest and retreat to the privacy of our rooms. Caylabne has Spanish-Antillan structures made even more attractive with dainty courtyards and flower paths. There are a total of 113 rooms with all the amenities. We heard the suites even have jacuzzis! Guests who want pampering can have a soothing massage from any of the resort’s professionally-trained attendants. I was lucky enough to avail of the services of Mela who was on loan that day from Orient Day Spa. Her expert touch was just what I needed to drive away all the stresses and complete an enchanting vacation!
My verdict: Caylabne is worth coming back to over and over again. Whether one’s celebrating a special occasion or is simply seeking a respite from the pressures of daily living, this is the place to go to when one wants a little bit of everything without having to travel far.

(For more information, log on to www.caylabne.com.ph)