By Sol Jose Vanzi
Published: April 14, 2013
Situated between mountains and the seas, Zambales is definitely the perfect destination that balances learning and leisure. (Photo by Vince Lopez)
The vast differences between good and bad hotels and resorts provided brief moments of joy and several annoying diversions when I travelled last weekend to the northernmost tip of Zambales with Asia Bureau Chief Barbara Demick of the Los Angeles Times.
Our story was on the Scarborough Shoal conflict which involves Chinese para-military boats chasing off Filipino fishermen from Bajo de Masinloc, a shallow reef that has traditionally been rich fishing grounds for Class A fish varieties: Tanigue (Spanish mackerel), Lapu-Lapu (grouper), Loro (tile or parrot fish), white and red snappers, Talakitok (yellow jack) and Dorado (Mahi-Mahi).
To be closer to the persons we needed to interview, we needed to book rooms in the town of Masinloc which has jurisdiction over the reef. Failing that, we had no choice but to look for lodging in adjacent towns, guided by internet blogs and travel sites.
As our first night out of town was Easter Sunday, when all the vacationers should have checked out, I had thought booking rooms would be a breeze. I was wrong.
Barbara’s first choice was the Rama International Resort, which had good internet reviews. She booked us rooms via the resort’s website, and the resort confirmed the booking on condition that a deposit was made online. That’s when problems began. Could be because of the long holiday, but the payment could not be made online.
I phoned the resort, identifying myself as the Philippine correspondent of the Los Angeles Times and requested that our room reservations be confirmed. The lady confirmed our booking.
A couple of hours later, however, the Rama Resort desk clerk texted that she could not confirm our booking as her manager still needed to get reservation payment online. It was Good Friday, all banks were closed; I could not deposit cash into the resort’s account.
I scrambled for backup booking, and was assisted by the Masinloc Tourism Board head Marc Aranas, whose cell phone number I found via the town’s website. He recommended the Dawal Resort in Candelaria town, just a few minutes north of Masinloc; he also forwarded the resort’s phone number. Dawal Resort readily confirmed our room reservations by phone without requiring an online advance deposit.
VICTORY LINER’S EFFICIENCY – Our first interviews were not until Monday, so I opted to take the bus to Zambales to join Barbara, who had gone by car a day ahead to do some writing.
Commuting to Zambales is a breeze, thanks to Victory Liner, the giant bus company that seems to be everybody’s recommendation for inexpensive, fast and dependable public transport to Zambales.
As is my wont, I booked and paid for a specific seat on a specific bus trip in advance. Although Victory Liner accepts advance bookings and payments by internet, it is more reliable and cheaper in my case to simply take the Monumento-bound jeepney from Mabini in Malate and get off right at the gate of the Victory Liner’s main Caloocan terminal. The jeepney fare was less than P20; it would have cost me a minimum of P200 by taxi.
BUS ADVANCE BOOKING ADVANTAGE – For several years now, I have tried to secure, and pay for long distance bus seats in order to avoid chaotic bus terminal queues and be able to plan my itinerary with confidence.
It is baffling that very few Filipinos take advantage of this arrangement and insist on showing up at the bus terminal on the day of the trip, even during the peak seasons of Holy Week and the Christmas-New Year season.
I first learned about this practice four years ago, when I could not fly to Ilocos Norte for news coverage because of the weather. Friends had recommended the Florida Liner bus company, which has a terminal near the UST campus. A son bought my ticket early in the day.
I arrived at the bus station 20 minutes before scheduled departure, boarded the midnight last trip to Batac and slept comfortably throughout the 10-hour trip. The seat I selected, behind the bus driver, had a lot of leg room plus space for my overnight bag. This advance seat purchase ought to be adapted for all long distance bus travel.
UNREASONABLE RESORTS CHARGES – The last trip of Victory Liner, which left Caloocan at midnight, dropped me off at Dawal Resort in Candelaria, Zambales at 5 am, a good five hours before our first interview. The Dawal front desk clerk advised that if I wanted a few hours of sleep that morning, I was going to be charged a full day’s room rate for early check-in. That was an unreasonable charge, considering that the resort was almost empty on that Monday after Easter Sunday.
I asked how much discount I would get for being a senior citizen, and was advised they do not grant senior citizen discount on rooms, a flagrant violation of the Senior Citizens Law. The other resort I had talked to, Rama International, had also told me that they give no senior citizen discount on rooms.
CONCRETE JUNGLE – Dawal Resort, like many in the provinces, appears to follow the dictum that concrete is better than wood, grass and greenery. Almost all the grounds are cemented, and the cottages/rooms have very small windows. It’s like being in the center of the city.
Stopping by the famous White Rock Resort in Subic on the way home, I noticed the same flaw: thick concrete walls, very tiny windows and concrete paths and walkways everywhere.
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