The Philippines will host the galleon Andalucía - a replica of a 16th/17th century Manila Galleon. Berthing at Manila Harbor, guests and visitors will be able to board the ship and walk through history. With the exception of two diesel engines (for times when there is no wind) and minimal other modern navigation & communications technology, the galleon Andalucía is sailed in almost exactly the same way as the famed Manila Galleons of four hundred years ago.

In this first UNESCO-endorsed Día del Galeón Festival year, the Philippines will reclaim its rightful place as one of the centers of global trade and cultural transmission.

For 250 years the Manila Galleons, which traveled twice a year between Manila and Acapulco, took with them goods from four continents. Bounties of the Earth such as gold, silver, pearls and chocolate; exquisitely made items such as porcelain, silk and pina were traded in Philippine and Mexican ports. From the typically Filipino Barong Tagalog dress-shirt & the typically intoxicating tuba (coconut wine), to vocabulary like bundok (in English “boondocks”), the Manila Galleons ensured that a little piece of the Philippines has reached every corner of the World.

Like many global trading ships today, the Manila Galleons’ crew were typically up to eighty percent Filipino. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Día del Galeón in partnership with the Fundacion Nao Victoria of Spain, have collaborated and will bring a piece of world seafaring history to Philippine shores once more.

The replica galleon Andalucía was built in Punta Umbria, Huelva, Spain, in December 2009. With a crew of 40, she sailed from Seville, Spain, 21st March, crossing the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean to the Shanghai International Expo in China. The galleon Andalucía is 52 meters long. Weighing in at 495 tons, and with a reported capacity for up to 5000 people, she has ten cast-iron cannon - reminiscent of days gone by when a trading ship had to defend herself against pirates (much as ships sailing around the Horn of Africa are inclined to do today).

One of the goals of Día del Galeón Festival is to bring history to light. Philippine national and cultural agencies have pooled their resources together with the Philippine Ports Authority, MARINA, Philippine Coast Guard, and the Philippine Shippers Association to plan the arrival of the galleon Andalucía. The galleon Andalucía will be in Manila from 5th - 9th October; the Día del Galeón Festival runs from 15th September to 9th October; and, the official UNESCO designated Día del Galeón is 8th October.

The Honorary Chairperson of the Día del Galeón Festival is Senator Edgardo J. Angara supported by Cecile Guidote-Alvarez as the Festival’s Director General.

For more information about the Día del Galeón Festival contact:
Ms. Charisse Aquino-Tugade
6F NCCA Building, 633 General Luna St., Intramuros, Manila
Telephone: (632) 527 2192 local 616
Email: diadelgaleon@yahoo.com
Facebook and Twitter: “diadelgaleon”

Links:

The Día del Galeón Festival webpage at NCCA

View Manila Bay now, via webcam

Believed to be a World First, Cloud 9, Siargao, will be open for night surfing, 365 days a year, from October, 2010. Philippine Vice President Jejomar C. Binay has confirmed that he will break a ceremonial surfboard at the venue to publicize the Cloud 9 Night Surfing project.

Construction of a lifeguard & floodlight tower commenced this week along the reef and is scheduled for completion before the end of October. Every night, nine thousand watts of floodlighting will illuminate the World famous surf break at Cloud 9 to allow for safe surfing under the watchful eye of lifeguards. It is also planned to install an Internet connected IP camera at the site, so if you can’t get there you will be able to watch those who do.

Cloud 9 Night Surfing is the brainchild of Scott Down, from down-under, who has recently opened a resort on Siargao Island of the purpose of promoting the area as an international surfing mecca. Scott confirms, “the municipality is totally behind the project and we are getting indications of interest from both Philippine and international sponsors for the various elements.

“For safety reasons we plan to control the number of surfers at any one time on the break at night and we will have a safety boat and three lifeguards on duty for each session. The floodlights will be angled so that they do not impede the surfing but at the same time illuminate the Cloud Nine break so that spectators and lifeguards can see what is happening and can act instantly if someone gets into difficulties.

“Safety is our number one priority . . . we want Cloud Nine to be famous for all the right reasons”

Night surfing itself is not new - there are a number of regular night surfing competitions around Europe and elsewhere – but what makes Cloud 9 Night Surfing different is that it is designed to take advantage of the varied year-round surfing conditions at Cloud 9. Scott explains, “if you surf Cloud Nine in the September to December period you will find the conditions most suitable for intermediate and experienced surfers.

“But at other times of the year both beginners and intermediate surfers can practice their skills at Cloud Nine and wear an ‘I surfed Cloud 9′ T-shirt with pride . . . doing it at night is something that is totally unique and something that will put the Philippines firmly on the global-tourist map for surfing.

“With the presence of Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay here on 24th September to break the surfboard and launch the night surfing project on the World’s press we are expecting that the tourist season will come early to Siargao and stay throughout the year.”

If you need one more thing to add to your bucket-list then Cloud 9 Night Surfing should be the one.

You can either, fly direct from Mactan Cebu International Airport (Cebu) to Siargao Island or, fly from Manila or Cebu to Surigao airport (Surigao Del Norte), then take the daily before-noon-ferry to Siargao Island – I personally like the ferry to Siargao because it gives me four-hours to imbibe the tropical islands, coral reefs and local aquatic wildlife.

Accommodation on Siargao Island, between General Luna and Cloud 9, varies in price and form – from around Php500, for a basic off-beach-fan-room, to Php5,000+ for prime, air-conditioned beach-front villas.

Links:

Cloud 9 Night Surfing website

Fly to Siargao Airport / Surigao Del Norte

The nearest webcam to Siargao is Cebu Yacht Club, Mactan Island

The Día del Galeón Festival celebrates the unique journey of the Manila galleons and their place in maritime history - spanning the globe and linking the Philippines with Mexico and Spain. For 250 years (from 1565 – 1815) the Manila galleons were a conduit for global trade and cultural exchange between Europe, the New World and Asia.

In October 2009 UNESCO recognized the unique part the Manila galleons played in the globalization of trade and cultural exchange by declaring 8th October as the international “Día del Galeón” (day of the galleon). Motivated by Senator Edgardo Angara, the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in conjunction with the embassies of Spain and Mexico, spearheaded the creation of a month-long series of events that will span the traditional galleon trade route through the Philippines.

The Día del Galeón festival runs from 15th September to 11th October and is expected to be an annual event that will entertain and educate Filipinos and rest of the World, and encourage a greater understanding of the impact the Philippines has had on the World of global trade. An international grand celebration is also slated for 12th October in Paris.

The 8th October was chosen by UNESCO as the Dai del Galleon to commemorate the arrival of the first Manila galleon in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1565. The first Manila galleon, the “San Pablo”, was piloted by Father Andres de Urdaneta, using nothing but a compass and his knowledge of wind & tide for navigation. To reach Acapulco, the San Pablo sailed North from Cebu, to approximately Latitude 38, then turned East towards the New World, and Mexico. Regrettably, due to the unexpectedly long journey (129 days) and inadequate provisioning by the then 15-year old Captain Felipe de Salcedo, most of the crew died before reaching their destination.

It is uncertain exactly how may Manila Galleons were built – some authoritative sources say as few as 110 while others indicate many hundreds. The vast majority were built in the Philippines, using renowned Philippine hardwoods; at least eight are known to have been built in Acapulco, Mexico. Cavite, in Manila Bay, was the location of the largest shipyard building Manila Galleons: up to 2,000 tons and as long a 160-feet; others were built in shipyards in Marinduque, Masbate, Sorsogon and Camarines.

The number of Manila Galleons that sank en route, in weather related mishaps or by force of arms from British and Dutch privateers, is also not clear but as many as 40 Manila Galleons are known to have sunk. Of the Manila Galleons that sank, most perished during their exit from the Philippine archipelago, with a handful being wrecked along the California coast upon arrival in the New World. Few wrecks have been found, partly because: of the deep and or treacherous waters in which they sank; and, Philippine law discourages active exploration of historic wrecks.

Philippine Día del Galeón events include:

Artes Talleres: The Workshop

15th September - 8th October
Artes Talleres: The Workshop is a three-week interdisciplinary festival of workshops, demonstrations, exhibits, and performances with participants from the Philippines and all
the continents with the Galleon Trade experience
· Workshops on arts and heritage
· Collaborative workshops on cultural exchange
· Theatrical production of Miguel Sabido¹s Juana la Loca
· Literary and visual art exhibits and broadcast features

Juana La Loca

6th - 8th October
A play by Mexican playwright Miguel Sabido, Juana La Loca, depicts the romantic reign
of Spanish Queen Juana. The play will fuse Spanish and Filipino languages in
a unique intercultural dialogue involving a multinational cast.

Encuentro

8th October
Encuentro features an intercultural dialogue and culminating activity for workshop participants and guests; these will include presentations, creative industry exhibits, and declarations for a global and unified action for the preservation of cultural diversity and heritage, advancing the welfare of the seafarers, and climate change consciousness. It can serve as a public hearing for a legislative agenda on education and culture.

Viaje Del Galeón

8th - 11th October
Viaje Del Galeón is a four-day educational voyage aboard the Superferry 20, from Manila to Cebu (via Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Negros and Northern Mindanao) with on-board activities and tours around Cebu upon arrival. The conference and workshop participants will lead the activities, to be shared with youth passengers
· On-board seminars
· On-board interactive performances
· On-board exhibits
· On-land Galleon Trade significance reenactments protecting biodiversity and climate change
· City and heritage site tours

For more information about the Día del Galeón Festival contact:
Ms. Charisse Aquino-Tugade
6F NCCA Building, 633 General Luna St., Intramuros, Manila
Telephone: (632) 527 2192 local 616
Email: diadelgaleon@yahoo.com

Links:

The Día del Galeón Festival webpage at NCCA

View modern day Manila Bay now, via webcam

View modern day Cebu now, via webcam

UPDATE 7TH AUGUST 2010: THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED

[Originally published June 2010] The Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational surfing cup on Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, is the most eagerly awaited surfing event in Asia – mainly because of the uniqueness of the Cloud 9 break but the idyllic tropical island location, combined with the laid-back Siargao Island lifestyle, has a lot to do with it.

An international cast of surfers from Australia, Bali, Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Africa, Hawaii and the Philippines are the typical line-up for international surfing cup events at Cloud 9, Siargao, and if a typhoon happens to pass by then everyone will be literally on Cloud 9.

The Cloud 9 break is made exceptional by Siargao’s close proximity to the Philippine Deep – the second deepest ocean trench on Earth – where Pacific Ocean swells, that start their travels far beyond Hawaii, are suddenly stopped by the small angled coral formation on Siargao’s East coast, walking distance from General Luna town. The result is the flawless, hollow, barreling waves of Cloud 9; a typical Cloud 9 barrel is 1-1.5 meters high and can travel for 2-300 meters. Add a typhoon over the Pacific Ocean into the mix (as happened at the start of the 2009 Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational surfing cup) and the swells will consistently produce 2-3 meter high barrels.

Siargao Island is below the typhoon-belt, meaning it does not receive direct hits by Pacific Ocean typhoons. However, if a typhoon is brewing out near the islands of Guam or Yap, during the southwest monsoon season (June to October), then significant ocean swells roll towards Siargao. Siargao Island’s unique location, and Cloud 9’s unique topology, mean that the swells rise high and mighty at the Cloud 9 break and the southwest monsoon breezes hold the face of the waves up until the very last minute, creating the famous barrels that, for the aficionado, is a must-ride.

At the opening of the 2009 Siargao surfing championship the reigning Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational champion was Edito “Peso” Alcala (Philippines): Peso was barreled out by on-form Australian Jamie O’Brian (pictured at the head of this surfing news item) in the quarter finals; Jamie was in turn out-surfed by Australian surfer Garrett Parkes (Byron Bay, NSW, Australia) in the semi-finals; Garrett went on beat Hawaiian Makua Rothman, in a man-on-man surfing final (Rothman broke two surfboards during his challenge) to raise the 2009 Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational surfing cup.

The 2010 Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational surfing cup, 24th - 30th September, 2010, will offer similar spectacle and international talent. Whether there will be a typhoon around to spice up the barrels is the only variable that is impossible to predict at this time.

If you have any interest whatsoever in surfing, action sports photography, tropical island paradises, get-away-from-it-all vacations, island living then you need to visit Siargao during the 2010 Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational surfing cup.

To get to Siargao you can fly direct from Mactan Cebu International Airport (Cebu) or, fly from Manila or Cebu to Surigao airport (Surigao Del Norte) and then take the daily before-noon-ferry to Siargao Island – the ferry to Siargao offers a four-hour vista of tropical islands, coral reefs and local aquatic wildlife.

Accommodation on Siargao Island, between General Luna and Cloud 9, varies in price and form – from around Php500, for a basic off-beach-fan-room, to Php5,000+ for prime, air-conditioned beach-front villas.

Links:

Contact information for Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational Surfing Cup

Fly to Siargao Airport / Surigao Del Norte

The nearest webcam to Siargao is Cebu Yacht Club, Mactan Island

Living Asia, one of Asia’s premier travel & tourism promoters, spent a week during May discovering the travel & tourism investment opportunities and activities in the province of Davao Del Norte. Their production will premiere in the Philippines and Asia-wide on cable and television channels during August, 2010.

The Living Asia crew traveled throughout Davao Del Norte and: experienced, the beautiful rivers, beaches and waterways; learned the myriad of ways to use bananas (ripe and ruined), grasses and other fruits; explored plantations, factories and ports; and, they discovered the sometimes surprising history of this vibrant and culture-rich corner of the Philippines.

From the rain forested mountains and cacao plantations of Talaingod and San Isidro to the beaches and waterfalls of Samal Island; from the limestone caves and cascading rivers of New Corella to the vast expanse of banana plantations surrounding the cities of Tagum and Panabo.

Having seen the first-cut of the production it is evident that the Living Asia crew, despite being tasked primarily with promoting Davao Del Norte as a modern investment and tourism destination, were more than intrigued by the rich history that takes every visitor back into the mists of time, to the culture of the indigenous people’s of Mindanao - before Muslin invaders from Malaysia and Indonesia during the 1300s, before Christian invaders in Spanish colonial times and before the latter-day invasions from Luzon and other parts of the Philippines.

The Living Asia crew have extracted the indigenous and modern, life and essence of Davao Del Norte and presented if for your edification. The final production will air within August on the following channels (dates/times to be published later):

Metro Manila (all major cable television systems and satellite)

Provincial Areas

Overseas

   East China - Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Tianjin, Jinan, Fuzhou, Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin; Japan; Korea; Taiwan; and, the Philippines

Web Access

Links:

Webcam in Davao Del Norte Hof Gorei Beach Resort, Samal Island

Fly to Davao Del Norte through Davao International Airport

The All Souls Regatta 2010 in Puerto Galera will be the largest All Souls Regatta yet organized, the news that the Philippine Hobie 16 fleet (from Taal Lake Yacht Club) will be joining the racing & cruising keelboats and multihulls is a guarantee of extra color and fun during this legendary sailing event.

The All Souls Regatta was first held in Puerto Galera, in 2004. It was specifically designed to be the first sailing regatta of each Philippine racing season. The Philippine racing season starts with the arrival of the drier northeast monsoon in October and runs until the following May, when the wetter southwest monsoon blows in . . . competitive sailing still continues throughout the year around the Philippines but the southwest monsoon weather keeps some of the less hardy sailors at home.

The concept of the All Souls Regatta was to give all boat owners, from all of the country’s yacht clubs, a competitive event to start the season where they could shake out the cobwebs and let their hair down with maximum fun and minimum protest. Every year sailors and boats from Subic Bay, Manila, Puerto Galera, Cebu and Palawan come to join in the fun; on alternate years the sailors from Taal Lake Yacht Club bring their Hobie 16s for a parallel series of races, following the same courses as the keelboats and cruising multihulls.

What makes the All Souls Regatta more fun is that the races are run in a common-finish format instead of the usual common-start. This means that all the boats arrive back at the yacht club at around the same time with the winner already known, which means that the party can start in earnest, with the banter focused on berating the handicapper instead of filling the air with negative waves of miscalculated expectation. Of course the berating requires a thick-skinned-handicapper but Puerto Galera seems to be able to find one, every year, almost without fail.

The All Souls Regatta is known internationally as the Asia’s friendliest regatta and sailors travel from across the Seven Seas to Puerto Galera for the camaraderie and the fun parties as much as for the sailing itself. Many come to the regatta without a boat upon which to sail - the yacht club can always find a boat that needs an extra able crew member.

Finally, the All Souls Regatta is a special place for action sports photography. Whether from aboard a boat or from along the beaches, sailing yachts are always a fascinating subject for pixel gurus. If along the beaches then billowing spinnakers can be captured best near Sabang and Lalaguna beaches while on-deck action is usually best observed from Luca’s Pizzeria on Talipanan Beach.

Whatever your interest in the sport of sailing don’t miss out on the parties every evening at the Puerto Galera Yacht Club and near environs.

The All Souls Regatta 2010 will take place from 30th October to 1st November. If you want to sail then be at the yacht club for the skippers’ briefing every morning at around 08:30hrs (8.30am).

GetWet Tip: book your resort early for the All Souls Regatta 2010; don’t know where to stay in Puerto Galera? use the link below.

Links:

Where To Stay in Puerto Galera

Contact information: All Souls Regatta 2010 Puerto Galera

The nearest webcam to the Puerto Galera Yacht Club is Puerto Galera Webcam, Muelle Bay

The Puerto Galera Yacht Club

Competitive sailing flourishes in Subic Bay in August with two weekend regattas: the Lighthouse Marina Resort Ninoy Aquino Anniversary Invitational Regatta; and, the Philippine National Hero’s Day Invitational Regatta. The best of the racing and competitive cruising sail boats will be in Subic Bay for these events.

Organized by the Saturday Afternoon Gentleman Sailors (SAGS), supported by The Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotel and the Subic Bay Yacht Club, these two regattas will feature races around Subic Bay and possibly (weather permitting) to some of the nearby islands outside the bay area. Winds in August can be somewhat unpredictable so courses will be set on-the-day to suit the forecast conditions.

The Lighthouse Marina Resort Ninoy Aquino Anniversary Invitational Regatta will be sailed during the holiday weekend of 21st - 22nd August; the Philippine National Hero’s Day Invitational Regatta will be sailed the following holiday weekend of 28th - 29th August. Both regattas will include classes for IRC racing yachts and PY handicap for cruising keelboats, sports boats and multihulls. Boats that have never sailed in Subic Bay before will be welcomed with open arms and given a PY rating appropriate to their comparative potential performance.

If you enjoy competitive sailing but are not sure whether you would like to bring your boat to Subic Bay then you need to know that there are keelboats and sports boats (Platus) for rent during the events. Similarly, if you don’t have a boat but still want to go sailing, contact the organizers in advance as there will definitely be crew places available for anyone with some modicum of experience in sailing.

Subic Bay is located about two hours drive northwest of Manila or, about 45 minutes West of Clark / Angeles City. If you are flying into the Philippines for one or both of these regattas then getting transportation from Manila (NAIA) is relatively easy and inexpensive, with a choice of air-conditioned public buses or private-hire taxis and mini-vans. From Clark it is a little more involved because there are only private-hire taxis direct from Clark International Airport (DMIA) to Subic Bay, unless you first go into Angeles City where the choice expands to air-conditioned tourist buses as well as air-conditioned public buses.

Accommodation in Subic Bay in August is also relatively easy and low-season rates abound. We recommend the Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotel.

If you are bringing your own yacht to the regattas then the Subic Bay Yacht Club and Watercraft Venture both offer pontoon marina facilities at reasonable rates. You also need to know that the Philippines’ largest yacht chandler - Broadwater Marine – is headquartered in Subic Bay; and, a basic range of yacht chandlery and supplies can also be found at Watercraft Venture.

If you get bored between regattas then you can charter the Subic Seaplane to take you to almost any corner of the Philippine archipelago during the intervening week.

Links:

Contact information: Subic Bay Regatta Events

The nearest webcams to the two sailing regattas are:
-    Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotel, Subic Bay webcam
-    Broadwater Marine, Subic Bay webcam

The Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotel Moonbay Marina, Subic Bay

Broadwater Marine The Philippines’ Largest Yacht Chandler website

Watercraft Venture Marina Berths, Boat Sales website

Every day at sundown, when all God fearing citizens of the World are contemplating retirement to the safety of varietous shelters, the 1.8 million inhabitants of the Monfort Bat Cave are just waking to the opportunity of emergence into a night-long feast on their favourite prey: nectar and fruit . . . lots of nectar and fruit. The Monfort Bat Cave on Samal Island is home to the largest colony of fruit bats in the world (see previous World record article).

On one not-so-moonlit evening in June the GetWet camera crew braved torrential rain to bring you this 2-minute video-segment of the “bat emergence” – an event that actually spans approximately three hours, starting with one or two fruit bats gingerly inspecting the fresh air outside the cave entrance and then calling back to their friends and colleagues with a semi-audible “all-clear”.

[The reason the video is only two minutes is because before the video time there were too few fruit bats and after the video time there was too little light – click the bat image and watch it, you will get the idea]

The “all-clear” is repeated by the next, larger group of departing fruit bats and then repeated to the next, larger group of departing fruit bats and then repeated by the . . . . the ultimate result of such a cascade of semi-audible sounds is a stunning excess of audibility. The volume builds; the sky fills with dark shapes darting across the light patches of clouded sky, still visible between the trees.

Standing close to the cave exit, the rainy irritant evaporates as we watch in awe the wave after wave of one of nature’s most efficient dispersers-recyclers-fertilizers vanish into the gathering gloom, sucking with them, from the very bowels of the cave, invisible clouds of potential olfactory-overload and mutual warmth that almost overwhelms.

Background: Before the interlopers arrived in the South of the archipelago in similar waves - during the 1300s (Muslims from Indonesia/Borneo) and the 1500s (Christians from Mexico/Spain) and the 1900s (Christians from Luzon/North America) - the indigenous peoples of Mindanao, the original inhabitants of these bountiful isles, understood the value of the bats and worked with them since time immemorial – harvesting the bountiful fruits by day and the guano by night (while the bats are away). Samal Island, and the surrounding limestone hills of Davao Del Norte, contained many bat caves but today only a few caves are left that contain more than a few hundred bats.

Now, in the 2000s, once a year the Samal Island Bat Festival celebrates the history, the culture and the irreplaceable benefit afforded by the cuddly fruitivore residents of the Monfort Bat Cave. Modern-world-inhabitants come to the Monfort Bat Sanctuary and dance and sing and stumble about, like bats with their ears plugged - mostly lacking comprehension, but at least they come; maybe enough understanding will resonate, enough perhaps to protect both the bats and Mother Nature’s fruity forests upon which we all ultimately depend.

Long may the nightly fruit bat emergence at the Monfort Bat Cave continue!

GetWet Tip: Come to Monfort Bat Cave on the full moon for the best photography

Links:

The nearest webcam to the Monfort Bat Cave is Hof Gorei Beach Resort, also on Samal Island

Fly to Davao International Airport

The new airport - Laguindingan International Airport - under construction in barangay Moog, Laguindingan, is currently a scar on the landscape on the northern tip of Misamis Oriental. It is expected that this new airport will become a major hub for export of agricultural and trade products, and for the import of tourists to the areas around Cagayan De Oro and Iligan City.

As you fly North from Davao to Cebu you may see Laguindingan International Airport off the port wingtip (you have to sit in an “A” seat). The photograph accompanying this new airport news item was taken just a few weeks ago and shows the runway all but complete, with only the runway direction numbers missing.

The new airport’s 2.5 kilometer runway is reported to meet international standards for modern wide-bodies jets, even though it is apparently 300 meters shorter than the runway at Lumbia Airport, in Cagayan De Oro City, that it will replace. The fact that Laguindingan International Airport is on a promontory, only meters above sea level, means that it will be low-cloud-free for 99% of the year and the main runway has completely unobstructed landing approaches over the sea from both directions, which means that it can function as an international standard all-weather airport – low-cloud and obstructing mountains are the current challenges at Cagayan de Oro, Lumbia Airport, the second busiest airport in Mindanao after Davao International Airport.

In May, 2010, it was announced that the entire Laguindingan Airport Development Project (LADP) is more than 65% complete and is on schedule for completion in December, 2010; the first commercial flight operations are expected to begin in January, 2011. Hopefully by then some of the excavated ground will have had time to established some grass-cover and shrubs (and some perimeter trees perhaps?) to prevent the area developing into a dust bowl.

The Laguindingan Airport Development Project has been on the cards for more than a decade and its momentum now is reportedly a result of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s close cooperation with Korean investment interests. The main contractor is Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction (HHIC) and the loans for acquisition of the navigation facilities and equipment are from the Korean Export-Import (Kexim) Bank. Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction is known to many as the major locator in Subic Bay, where its factory has continued to churn out enormous cargo and tanker vessels in defiance of the recent global recession.

There is some confusion over the name of the new airport because, according to the LADP project manager, Engr. Della Capicenio, Laguindingan International Airport is not actually designed to be “international”. Even when complete it will lack many of the functional elements of an international airport, especially car park facilities, customs and immigration control screening facilities and certain security infrastructure. Engr. Capicenio asserts, Laguindingan International Airport is “a domestic trunkline airport” and should be correctly called “Laguindingan Airport”. However, enthusiasts point out that the missing elements would be easy to add at any time in the future, when finances are available. If the missing elements were added then Mindanao Island would have a total of four international airports: Francisco Bangoy International Airport, in Davao City; Zamboanga International Airport, in Zamboanga City; General Santos International Airport, in General Santos City; plus, Laguindingan International Airport.

It is planned that Laguindingan Airport will immediately replace Lumbia Airport, in Cagayan De Oro City, which will be retired. In the future it may also replace Maria Cristina Airport, in Iligan City, as Laguindingan’s all-weather capability and its ability to handle modern wide-bodied jets will make it more attractive to most airlines who operate routes into the vicinity. The only question unanswered at the time of writing is whether the new Laguindingan Airport will take the IATA designation (CGY) from Lumbia airport or whether it will acquire a new one.

Laguindingan Airport sits on a 4.17 square kilometer site in barangay Moog. More than 300 families were displaced before airport construction could begin and all have been given new homes, in nearby barangays, plus other compensation for their relocation. Laguindingan Airport is 46 kilometers from the existing Lumbia Airport, in Cagayan De Oro City.

If you are not familiar with this area of North Mindanao then here are some of its more famous attractions:

• the Cagayan De Oro River is perhaps the best place in the Philippines for whitewater rafting and attracts thousands of Philippine and international tourists every year to experience the category 3 to category 4 (whitewater rafting terminology for exciting to bordering on the dangerous) whitewater rafting rush
• a monument at Macabalan Port, Cagayan De Oro City, commemorates the arrival of General Douglas MacArthur from Corregidor Island during his departure from the Philippines in March 1942, it is in Cagayan De Oro he first uttered his oft misquoted quotation “I shall return”, he actually said “I came through and I shall return” - General MacArthur flew out of the Philippines from nearby Del Monte Field a couple of days later and upon arrival in Australia he repeated his commitment “I said, to the people of the Philippines whence I came, I shall return”
• Lake Lanau is one of the World’s 15 “ancient lakes” (meaning it is more than 1-million years old), it is the deepest lake in the Philippines, Lake Lanau is the best place in the Philippines for lake-scenery photography and Lake Lanau has been home to the Muslim Maranao people since AD1300s (the Muslim Maranao people displaced the indigenous peoples of the area, who migrated into the mountains surrounding)
• Camiguin Island, accessible by ferry from Cagayan De Oro City, is famous for its beautiful beaches, birdwatching in the lush forested hillsides and exploring volcanoes – Camiguin Island has the most volcanoes per square kilometer of any island in the World, Camiguin’s seven volcanoes also outnumber Camiguin’s five towns

GPS Location of Laguindingan International Airport

N 8.612° E 124.461°

Links:

Fly to Lumbia Airport Cagayan De Oro City before it changes to Laguindingan Airport

The nearest webcam to Laguindingan is Cebu Yacht Club, Mactan Island

The 1st Asian Bird Fair will be held in Davao City later this year in conjunction with birdwatching clubs from: Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, China and Singapore. The plan is to promote birdwatching as a eco-adventure, recreational sport and to: encourage international friendship, collaboration and the exchange of experience & best practices among the birdwatching clubs of Asia; foster bird-watching as an eco-tourism activity; highlight bird festivals, bird fairs and bird races in the Asia region; and, promote the host cities/countries – their natural beauty, eco-adventure activities, wild bird conservation and cultural heritage.

In conjunction with the 1st Asian Bird Fair, a birdwatching adventure tour will take place in the forests and wetlands of the provinces of Bukidnon and Surigao del Sur, to the North & West of Davao City.

The 1st Asian Bird Fair will be held in Davao City, 23rd - 26th September, and will incorporate the 6th Philippine Bird Festival. Organised in partnership with the Philippine Eagle Foundation and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, birdwatching events in Davao will be open to participants and will include trips to the Philippine Eagle Foundation and Eden Garden Resort, plus other events held at the Marco Polo Davao & Waterfront Insular hotels in Davao City.

The follow-on birdwatching eco-adventure tour, named the Kitanglad Bird Festival Tour, will first go to mountains & forest around Mt. Kitanglad, Bukidnon, and then to the lowland birdwatching areas of PICOP, Bislig, Surigao del Sur.

Special birdwatching attractions at Mt. Kitanglad will be evening sightings of endemic night-birds such as the Bukidnon Woodcock, Mindanao Scops Owl and Philippine Frogmouth; daytime highlights to include the Great Philippine Eagle (one of the biggest raptors in the World) and endemics such as the funky-looking Apo Mynah, flowerpeckers and sunbirds - Olive-capped Flowerpecker and Grey-hooded and Apo Sunbirds, Black and Cinnamon Fantail, Cinnamon Ibon, Mindanao Ibon (Blackmasked White-eye), McGregors’s Cuckoo-shrike, Yellow-bellied Whistler, White-cheeked Bullfinch.

Birdwatching highlights at PICOP, Bislig, will be Writhed, Rufous and Mindanao Hornbills, Blue-capped and Silvery Kingfishers, Black-faced Coucal, Red-bellied and Steere’s (Azure-breasted) Pitta, Celestial and Short crested Monarchs plus Black-chinned Fruit-doves, Amethyst Brown-dove and a good selection of imperial pigeons.

By the way: PICOP - covering more than 180,000 hectares, with 40,000 hectares devoted to plantation-forestry, including logged and primary forest - stands for ‘Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines’, a company that gave the port town of Bislig the name “The Philippines Paper Capitol”.

Participants of the 1st Asian Bird Fair Davao and the Kitanglad Bird Festival Tour who wish to partake of birdwatching in all locations (Davao, Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro) have the option of flying to Davao International Airport for the 1st Asian Bird Fair, taking the Kitanglad Bird Festival Tour and then either, returning to Davao or, flying out from Cagayan de Oro airport. It is possible to fly direct to Davao International Airport from other Philippine international airline hubs in Cebu and Manila or, fly to Davao direct from Singapore.

Links:

Contact information for 1st Asian Bird Fair Davao

The nearest webcam to Davao City is Hof Gorei Beach Resort, Samal Island

Fly to Davao International Airport

Cagayan de Oro Airport information