Posts tagged with Zambales

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April 3, 2010

Lakbay Norte 2010: Stop over at Masinloc, Zambales

The controversial coal-fired power plant sits along a bay with half a dozen marine sanctuaries and coral reserves


January 29, 2010. From Pangasinan, we drove southwards along the South China Sea into Zambales. Before proceeding to our next stop, Subic, we stopped over the town of Masinloc.

Masinloc may sound familiar to some of us, as the town plays host to a giant coal-fired power plant that was subject of a controversy a few years back, as the government was trying to privatize the facility and sold it to a dubious company.

Ironically, the town also hosts half a dozen coral reef sanctuaries and marine reserves along its coast, very near the power plant. I don’t know how they co-exist with each other, but when I asked an officer from the marine sanctuary office, he said the existence of the power plant has not affected the marine sanctuary.

Because of the town’s marine sanctuaries, Masinloc is also considered as having some of the few dive sites in Central Luzon. We were supposed to hop on a boat to one of the off-shore islands and visit one of the marine reserves and observe the giant clams sanctuary, but due to lack of time, we were just presented with a short video presentation of what the town has to offer in terms of eco-tourism.

Also in Masinloc is the San Andres Church built in the 1600′s and is considered one of the country’s few national cultural treasures. The baroque church features a white facade, made up most probably of coral stones. I’m not really into churches, so I don’t know how else to describe San Andres.

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March 17, 2010

Lakbay Norte 2010: Where to stay in Subic & Olongapo

January 29-30, 2010. During the Zambales leg of our Lakbay Norte caravan, we were accommodated at the White Rock Resort Hotel near Olongapo. It is a 150-room hotel in a vast estate along the beach. It is also a resort and waterpark with two giant wave pools where visitors can ride the tides. They also have a bowling alley and an entertainment center.

A few minutes drive from the Subic Bay Freeport, it maintains its own peaceful isolation from the rest of the commercial centers in Subic and Olongapo, though it’s close enough for guests to enjoy night-outs in the restaurants and bars in the freeport.

Families can also stay at the Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotel, one of Subic’s newer deluxe hotels, and apparently one of its pricier ones. It is located in Subic Freeport itself, and is along the beach, so it is just walking distance from the restaurants, bars and shops in the area.

The management of the hotel generously hosted our breakfast and lunch during our stay in Subic.

We were supposed to be toured around the bay onboard a yacht, but we ended up in a Subic bay coast guard speedboat, which was not bad at all. Around the bay, we were oriented to the new seaport facilities and major infrastructures (not by the government, but privately built, by the Koreans I heard) that have been built to accommodate the plan to make Subic a major economic hub.

Before leaving Subic, we also dropped by Mountain Woods Resort Inn, still in the freeport. It is a boutique hotel (with only 28 well-appointed guest rooms) tucked in the lush foliage of Subic’s mountains, and provides an alternative to the usual beach and seaside resort accommodations in the area.

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March 5, 2010

Lakbay Norte 2010: Subic & Olongapo

Subic Bay Freeport was once home to one of the largest overseas naval bases of the Americans. Since the abrogation of the bases agreement in the early 90′s, Subic has been transformed into a premiere freeport with a robust business and investment climate.

Subic attracts hundreds of thousands of local and foreign tourists who flock to the freeport for its duty free shopping, its nature and adventure activities, and its excellent convention facilities. Reports even claim that the freeport received more than two million local and foreign visitors in 2009, making it the top tourist destination for locals and foreigners.

One of Subic’s newest attractions is the Subic Tree Top Adventure in the virgin forests of Subic. Visitors can try out their Superman Ride where one is suspended horizontally along a zip line that transports one from one tree top to another hundreds of meters away in a matter of seconds. Other exhilarating activities include the canopy walk on the wooden trail on top of the forest’s 60-foot trees and rappelling down the canopy. One may also enjoy a trek through the trails of the forest. They also have their own cafe and restaurant where visitors can enjoy their meals amidst towering greens.

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