In long past, some people branded
Pagudpud, the famous beach town of Ilocos Norte, as Boracay of the North,
because of its wide and long shoreline and its pristine white sand. Almost all
write ups and promotional materials sold Pagudpud that way.
Many
Ilocanos were thrilled with Pagudpud’s association with the more popular beach
in the Visayas. Boracay, of course, was better known, more established, and was
the place to be seen. Stargazing is also more fun in Caticlan as celebrities
descend there, especially during summer.
Decades
after, some still refer to Pagudpud as “Boracay of the North,” but a growing
number of people are beginning not to be amused.
“Some
say Pagudpud is the ‘Boracay of the North,’… But do we hear people say Boracay
is the ‘Pagudpud of the South?’ Surely not,” laments Xavier Ruiz, who works
with the Ilocos Norte Provincial Tourism Office. The BS Tourism cum laude graduate of Mariano
Marcos State University explains that such branding is “an obvious
acknowledgement that what we offer our visitors are only second best with no
clear identity and are constantly clinging to more established destinations
thinking it would be the best marketing strategy.” The young tourism
professional says he thinks otherwise: “Our province is beautiful and
astonishing. I believe we can do better.” Ruiz’s boss, Ilocos Norte tourism
head Ianree Raquel, agrees. “We always strive to give our visitors a unique
taste of the North far from what they could experience in other destinations,”
he says in an interview.
April
Rafales, a reporter of the ABS-CBN regional station in Laoag City, shares the
view of the local tourism professionals. “We cannot be a prototype of
something; a place can only be its own best version, setting its own standards
and offering what it can,” she says, and warns that comparing Pagudpud to other
tourist spots can also set false expectations among tourists.
I share
the same sentiments, dear karikna. I have been to both beaches several
times, and I figured that each has its own beauty and charm. Each has its own
selling points. Boracay is for bored people thirsting for excitement. Pagudpud
is for the wary soul thirsting for serenity. Boracay offers an outrageous night
life while Pagudpud offers intimate spaces for bonding with family and friends.
It’s a choice between an overdeveloped resort and a relatively Spartan one.
It’s not unlike a competition between a virgin and a hustler.
Moreover,
you go to Aklan for the excellent beach. You travel to Ilocos Norte for
awe-inspiring beaches and more—from heritage structures and historical sites to
windmills and a lighthouse, from rivers and waterfalls to rock formations and a
viaduct. And, oh, our gustatory delights which I will not attempt to enumerate.
It is
different when you say Eddie Gutierrez is the Elvis Presley of the Philippines
or that Anne Curtis is the local Audrey Hepburn because those Pinoys
intentionally copy foreign personas, but how could Pagudpud copy Boracay? I
suppose God created the two beaches at the same time, or didn’t he?
On its
own merits and not because of its similarity to Boracay, Pagudpud has been
ranked by travel organizations, magazines, and critiques as one of the best
beaches in Asia, and in the world. In Forbes Magazine’s list of top beaches in
Asia, for example, Pagudpud’s Saud Beach is ranked number one not because it is
like Boracay, but precisely because it is not. Forbes notes Pagudpud’s “2 km
arc of blindingly pure sand bordered by the blue of the South China Sea.”
It is “uncluttered,” the high-end magazine notes, “unlike that famous
Philippines shore, White Beach on Boracay Island.” Forbes invites travellers to
“beat the developers, the hair-braiders and sarong-floggers—head to Pagudpud
now,” taking a swipe at overdeveloped Boracay.
I must
admit that Pagudpud remains a work in progress, but it will never realize its
full potential unless it capitalizes on its strengths, and go out of the shadow
of that beach down South. Starting with us, Ilocanos, and for our own good, I
hope we stop referring to Pagudpud as Boracay of the North. We have always been
known to be proud and confident of ourselves, now is time to show properly some
pride of our place.
Only politician to beat a Fariñas in LC passes away
When The
Ilocos Times was doing a feature on the Laoag City mayoralty candidates
in this year’s local elections, I insisted on including Cesar Ventura, a former
mayor who was regarded by many as nuisance. Naturally, my colleagues smirked at
the idea of putting him side by side with whom they believed were legitimate
candidates. I believed in fair play.
But I
had respect for the man, the only politician to beat a Fariñas in Laoag City,
for I grew up knowing him as a good mayor, a no-nonsense leader who made things
work. He was a builder. During his term, I had a one-week stint as a junior
city councilor. I was in high school then.
Even
after his political glory has faded, he always had this burning desire for good
governance. He would talk to me to make sumbong
everytime he had the chance, and I always intently listened, and thanked him.
Last
Wednesday, October 16, he succumbed to renal cancer after a long battle against
the disease. He was reportedly confined for a long time at the St. Luke’s
Medical Center until his family decided to bring the former mayor home to his
beloved city. He died at the Laoag City General Hospital.
Farewell,
mayor. Be a good citizen of heaven now.
And
please make sumbong
to God about the crooks down here.
riknakem.net
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