Vistamar - a view of the sea

I write this in all the comforts of home, except that I am in a resort in Anilao, Batangas ready to leave behind business in favor of leisure. Yup, it’s the tail end of summer, and nearing the end of May, we’re barely making it to our annual sojourn to Vistamar Beach Resort & Hotel, our home away from home every summer.

For those who still have not heard of Vistamar, it’s the home of many scuba fanatics and beach-loving families, home to many corporate outings and planning workshops. Come summer time (or any other time of the year for that matter), Vistamar is alive with varied groups for a generous dose of sun, sea and sand.

The STV (Sunshine Television) family is here now for a few days of R & R and the staff has lined up a string of activities, for a pleasurable change. Previously, the outings were a succession of frolicking in the beach, a few laps in the clear azure waters, lunch, a dip in the shaded pool to wash off the brine, an evening of videoke after dinner then a few beers before calling it a day. The next day was basically a repetition of this one, though in a company of family and friends, one can’t really complain about the routine.

This year, some bright ideas swirled around the office staff and a consensus was reached: our outings need a make-over. With young, fresh talents in the pool, this was inevitable. To start off the new line-up of activities, they thought of a luau, complete with props like leis of kalachuchi and floral get-ups.

The luau kicked off the activities, and I’m glad the “old” souls in the office, those who have ticked off decades in their seniority claim, did not resist the change. A long table was set up for the simple yet hearty barbecue meal prepared for dinner. The table was lined with fresh banana leaves, the barbecued liempo, chicken barbecue, binagoongan, grilled bangus and tilapia, inihaw na talong, crisp green mangoes with bagoong, and salted eggs were heaped in generous portions across the table. Purposely, no dinner plates and flatware were laid out — this simple fare, served generously, was going to be eaten boodle-style, like an authentic luau should be!

The first dinner was an instant success. The boodle fight was a friendly but rowdy exercise. Sharing food in one big plate that is a banana leaf is stimulating and fun, and for some reason, the banana leaf imparts a certain homey flavor to the gustatory treat laid out before us.

The liempo was cooked in the marinade before it was grilled, so the thick pork with inlaid fat was sweet and tender, while the chicken quarters, cooked over charcoal, tasted like an “inihaw” should—smoky and flavorful. The fish was more to assuage our guilt feelings over the cholesterol-laden treat, but the big bangus pieces and the tilapia were surprisingly fat and delicious, the fats sizzling on the coal as they were roasting. The red eggs and the “binagoongan” provided the saltiness to balance off the simple fare—tender pork simmered in salty bagoong, eaten best with the green mangoes. Eaten against a background of the sea, the sound of waves gently lapping the shore, and a gentle breeze fanning the sweat off our brows, this decidedly Filipino treat was a princely feast.

It took at least two hours to let our digestive enzymes do their work, but soon enough we had our games going for a full night of camaraderie, prizes, laughter, fun, and more prizes. Simple games like the “Pinoy Henyo” borrowed from a noontime TV show elicited howls, charade and other more physical parlor games provided the evening’s rowdiness.

Only the first dinner of the outing was strictly planned – the rest was spontaneous, proceed as you like, but nonetheless just as much fun. This summer outing is an annual affair with us, like with most companies, but I found that with a few changes in the routine, an outing need not be ho-hum, and some of the old timers in the office tend to be blasé about these office affairs. This time around, I found some of them participating actively in the fun, with some just contentedly belly-aching with laughter in the background. Still, there was a hundred per cent active participation, a bonding that is welcome before they return to the work place.

Vistamar offered the perfect venue. For one, they have the biggest land area among all the resorts in this scuba-crazy town, so parking is never a problem. They also have the most number of rooms, so if you’re a big company, you can’t run out of rooms which have all the amenities of a good resort – big, spacious, fully-air conditioned, with a TV and ref. Outdoors – there’s a long stretch of clean trash-free beachfront and the waters are always cool and clear. The owner, Charlie Leobrera, an expert diver himself, is also a dedicated environmentalist, and his staff regularly cleans up the waters of debris.

There’s also the videoke by the pool which my kids and their friends use till they croak themselves dry for the night.

During the day, learn more about sea shells at the CARFEL Museum here where rare shells are on display, or spend a few minutes in prayer at the chapel, all within walking distance in the vast property.

It’s not only in summer that you can experience and enjoy what Vistamar Beach Resort & Hotel can offer. It’s a year round destination for your R&R.

It’s going to be a big mistake!

I implore the PNP leadership to check the intriguing crime rate decrease in the US despite the economic challenges it is hurdling presently before they get really serious about considering implementing a total gun ban in the entire Philippine archipelago even after June 9, 2010 — the official termination of this year’s election gun ban.

To the PNP think about this — majority of the states in America, a country with police manpower and logistics second to none, have conceded that there aren’t still enough to totally protect its vast citizenry from day-to-day crime — murder, assault, muggings, holdups, drive-by shootings, etc. Thus the issuance of “concealed carry permits” for civilians to provide self-protection to the citizenry was adopted by many and states with a lot more following in their heels. And with the crime rate in the US presently on the decline, the anti-firearms lobbyists have their “guns” silent.  

Aside from really having something to defend one’s life with in that ultimate moment, the possibility of people being armed is a psychological deterrent to random crimes — the criminals would have to think twice or more before any attempt is made — he might be armed!

But with a total gun ban — only the criminals would be armed, leaving the law-abiding citizens to their mercy.

PNP, please think about it.  

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.       

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