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SAN MIGUEL, The Philppines: Tired of Manila’s relentless nightlife and mega malls, I left the city to check out the fishing village of San Miguel in the country’s north-east.
Situated three-and-a-half hours by bus from the Philippine capital and tucked in the coast of Zambales province, San Miguel is off the radar for most tourists. There are no shopping centres, spas or golf courses here, but there is plenty of beauty — in the land, the warmth of the people and oddly, for this is an obscure village, in the strains of classical music.
The music is thanks to Casa San Miguel, a community-based arts centre that nurtures the talents of local children in various disciplines. The centre is run by music director Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, an alumnus of the Julliard School of Music in New York and the University of Indiana.
The San Miguel experience starts with the journey. From Manila, the trip is a scenic one, with villages and verdant rice paddies making up the landscape. Along the coast, travellers will see the infamous Subic Bay — a former US naval base that saw numerous Japanese ships sunk in its water during World War II — as well as the clear blue of the South China Sea and lush green mountains.
The bus stops at the town of San Antonio en route to Olongapo City. San Miguel is a 10-minute pedicab ride away. The area is worth a three day stay for the bucolic atmosphere alone.
First up, hire a fishing boat for 700 pesos ($22) to reach Anawangin, a crescent-shaped island-cove better known to Filipinos than tourists. Many come from Manila to picnic and set up tents under the shelter of the soaring pine trees lining the beach. The sand is soft, the sea clear, with fish and turtles in abundance. It’s all very idyllic, the secluded location of the cove a boon for those weary of the tourist crowds.
Back on the mainland, the laidback island mood makes way for artistic fervour at Casa San Miguel. Coke, who heads the arts centre cum school, had quit his job as a professional musician in New York to set up the centre. It was his way of giving back to the community.
Situated on his family’s mango orchard, Casa San Miguel has a two-storey visual arts gallery, residences for artists, a hall that can accommodate chamber orchestra concerts and a 1,000-seat circular outdoor theatre set amid the cool shades of the mango trees.
The centre is where the young of San Miguel can get a quality education in the arts, be it visual arts, photography or music. Most of the students are children of fishermen and farmers from the village, but some hail from affluent neighbourhoods in Manila. Classes and workshops are conducted by Coke and volunteer Filipino artists.
The school’s alumni have gone on to win prizes in the Philippines as well as been talent spotted by agents from the Julliard School of Music whom Coke invites to the village’s annual showcase of artistry.
Indeed, the opening night of the 16th Pundaquit Festival of Music and the Arts on March 28 saw the Pundaquit Virtuosi — a string orchestra featuring gifted children from five to 15 — giving a stunning performance that would not be out of place at the best concert halls in the world.
The festival’s events run well into October. For a slice of local life, one will have to wake up at 3am, for that’s when fishing boats return from their 12-hour shifts at sea. As each fish or squid laden vessel lands on the beach, the male-folk — both young and old — rush to help haul it further onto land. For their services, each is rewarded with a small “catch of the day”. These are accumulated and sold for extra cash to supplement the family income.
The beach is a five-minute walk from Casa San Miguel. In the wee hours of the morning, it is packed with villagers, men and women waiting patiently for the boats to come in.
As the sun rises, lighting up the fishing village and the feverish activity on the beach, and as the waves crash and the roosters crow, it’s apparent that another kind of symphony is at play here.
For anyone who wants to experience the rural bits of the Philippines, there’s magic in such simplicity.
Getting there: San Miguel is not a common tourist destination but a trip is worthwhile. Various airlines fly to Manila. From there, take a coach from Cubao Bus Terminal in Quezon City en route to Olongapo City. A one-way trip on the comfortable, air conditioned bus costs 260 pesos ($8). Stop at the town of San Antonio and take a pedicab to the fishing village of San Miguel. This costs about 40 pesos per person.
Stay: Casa San Miguel provides freelodging to volunteer who contributes to its programmes. Otherwise, travellers can find guesthouses in nearby San Antonio.
See: The Pundaquit Festival of Arts and Music is held at Casa San Miguel from April to October and features music, film and visual arts events. All are free. - TODAY/sh
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