On Sunday, it was clear that everyone had the same idea—to catch the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar de la Hoya fight, that is. We’d planned for a boat to take us dolphin-watching and then bring us to Balicasag for some snorkeling in the morning. One would expect the beach to at least have a dozen people lounging on it but it was virtually abandoned. Thanks to Pacquiao and De la Hoya, then, we had the beach to ourselves—and the dolphins too!
So here’s a direct, albeit somewhat positive, effect of the United States’ financial crunch on my family: my cousin Joey, a single mom, and her three-year-old daughter Jasmine are back from the States for good—for now. She’d been in the country for weeks already, but our schedules didn’t match. When it finally did, she and her daughter were off to Bohol for a weekend with my mom. So off to Bohol I followed—even if it meant not catching the Pacquiao-De la Hoya fight live!
I suppose the first sign that we were in for a good weekend was my seeing Bohol’s famous son Cesar Montano and his wife Sunshine Cruz at the airport. I was still thinking about missing the big fight on Sunday, but family time trumps anything anytime in my book. Seeing Cesar was good icing on top of the cake that was my impromptu two-day vacation!
The first time I went to Bohol a couple of months ago, we were asked, “Do you want to see Cesar’s house?” I think my mom pointed to a big house atop a hill, but she couldn’t confirm if it was the right one. This time around, our driver and tour guide Jun drove past his actual house—and no, it wasn’t on top of a hill. It was snug in a cozy turn, and you can only see the roof from the road. There was a water station near the entrance, with a young guy wearing a The Singing Bee shirt manning it.
I think I couldn’t have gone to Bohol at a better time. On Saturday, the day I flew in, we had lunch on the Loboc River Cruise before checking in at the Bohol Beach Club. The boat was full, so we had to share it with a young couple who were also from Makati. Joey asked them when they were going back, and the guy said they were leaving early because they were going to try to catch the Pacquiao–De la Hoya fight back in Manila.
On Sunday, it was clear that everyone had the same idea—to catch the fight, that is. We’d planned for a boat to take us dolphin-watching and then bring us to Balicasag for some snorkeling in the morning. One would expect the beach to at least have a dozen people lounging on it—we were told that the Bohol Beach Club’s waterfront and poolside rooms were fully booked—but it was virtually abandoned, despite the fact that the resort’s own live telecast of the match had had to be cancelled because of technical problems with their cable service provider.
Thanks to Pacquiao and De la Hoya, then, we had the beach to ourselves—and the dolphins too! The first time I went dolphin-watching, there were six or seven boats with us. This time around, we were the last of three boats to arrive, and the last to leave for Balicasag. Being the only one left chasing the dolphins at eight in the morning, which was pretty late, considering, we were nevertheless treated to the spectacular sight of twenty or more dolphins swimming close to our boat. Several times!
The road to the Bohol Bee Farm, at which we were scheduled to have lunch, was virtually abandoned. I think we only saw a dog or two. I could count in one hand the people I saw out working. Jun, who had also sneaked out to watch the match at a nearby carinderia, because it took us an hour to get ready to leave, said by the time he got there, all the food was gone and there were people who’d been drinking as early as ten in the morning!
On the road to the Bohol Bee Farm, however, my cousin in Manila, who was watching the fight in real time, texted us to inform us that Pacquiao had won via an 8th round TKO. Still, Jun, and most of the Bee Farm’s staff save for the girls who served us, retreated to catch the much delayed telecast on local television.
In my online social networks, people were abuzz with updates and celebrations about the fight results. I’d left my laptop behind on purpose, and I still have a mobile phone that’s antique by most standards. Therefore, it was a quiet, relaxing lunch for my mom, Joey, Jasmine and I in Bohol—amid the silent, but happy buzz of Pacquiao’s biggest victory in his career so far. I’ve had better days, but that was definitely a good one.
And then the cherry on top of the icing: Marc Nelson at the airport.
Email your comments to alricardo@yahoo.com or text them to (63)917-9164421. You can also visit my personal blog at http://althearicardo.blogspot.com.