An exciting 300-kilometer journey

MANILA, Philippines- Drew Arellano takes you to an exciting journey with GMA 7’s summer special titled 300 Kilometro: Isang Paglalakbay on May 29, 10:15 p.m.

The News & Public Affairs Sunday Night Box Office Special will feature Drew in a one-of-kind and unforgettable immersion in Sitio Latag located in Abra de Ilog in the mountainous terrain of Mindoro Occidental. 

Drew traveled for almost 13 hours to reach his destination. He walked for four painstaking hours which left him with blisters on his feet. Drew’s exhaustion completely disappeared upon reaching Sitio Latag when he saw the picturesque view on top of the mountain.

At first, he had apprehension that the natives of Sitio Latag might not accept him but they received him wholeheartedly. This is where he met Gabin, Roman and Bidoy who were brave enough to descend from the mountain to learn the ways of life in the city and to somehow be inspired by what they will see and bring change to their community.  Isabelle Daza became their friendly tour guide.

It was a totally unique experience for Drew. Deep in the mountains, there are no restrooms and food gathering is only by hand.

“It’s called 300 Kilometro because that’s the total distance we traveled. I had an unforgettable experience doing the special. We took a van from Manila to Batangas port and then we rode a RoRo going to Mindoro. We rode a boat to go to the other side of Mindoro. It was roughly a four- to five-hour hike. We walked through rice fields, under the coconut trees, crossed the rivers, and climbed mountains until we reached the valley where an isolated Mangyan tribe lives. There were no electricity and cellphone signals. My initial concern was how the natives will welcome us. Luckily, the tribal leader said it was okay for us to stay among them. I had a taste of what life is in the mountains together with the natives. I had fun playing basketball, fishing, and eating with them.”

Drew learned valuable lessons while doing the special. “You’ll realize that there’s an isolated tribe 300 kilometers from Manila. I could describe it as simplicity at its finest. There’s no electricity and the people were happy just by learning how to blow the balloons I brought with me. For us, it’s simple but for the natives I met during my stay there, those things mean a lot to them. They do specific things and they do it good. While we do so many things, they focus and devote their time in a particular thing in a day.”

The aim of News & Public Affairs in this journey is to gather inspirations and learnings from one another whatever the distance is — be it a 300 kilometer or more. No Filipino should be a stranger to his own country.