A bull’s-eye in Masbate

As our Asian Spirit plane gracefully descended down the wind-swept islands of Masbate, pasture lands as far as the eye could see, where cattle grazed and barns with red and green roofs out of a Grandma Moses painting, beckoned. John Wayne westerns served as a theme in this land as true-to-life cowboys and cowgirls, clad in rawhide leather hats, vests and boots, showcased their talents in cattle-raising and a variety of rodeo events, as well as tourism and investment potentials

The 11th Rodeo Masbateño Festival proved to be a smashing success. This year’s theme was "Peace and Unity for Progress." Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano remarks, "We are promoting the annual staging of rodeo events because these attest to the fact that the Masbateños have cleverly and gainfully utilized the pasture lands along most of the mountain ranges and rolling hills, which account for 81 percent of Masbate. These pastures have been most suitable for ranching and cattle-raising, a trademark of Masbate."

Masbate Governor Antonio Kho adds, "A tribute to the province’s many cattle farmers, cowhands and the many thousands who depend on this industry for a living, such rodeos portray a truly Filipino way of life, a daring attitude, a thinking stance while putting oneself against the brute force of nature."

Organized by the Rodeo Masbateño Foundation, a group of local ranchers and prominent businessmen that was founded in 1993, and the Cattle Ranchers Association of Masbate Inc., the rodeo festival has helped the province gain more confidence for its one-of-a-kind socio-cultural event. It has attracted a crop of homegrown rodeo artists, as well as the interest of international bull riders and cowboys to compete for prizes in the various competitions

Masbate City Mayor Socrates Tuazon and tourism committee chair Hamelgar Arregadas of the Masbate provincial board joined our group as we watched this unique festival. We joined hundreds of spectators in the arena as men and women in cowboy outfits competed in rodeo events, like lassoing and cattle wrestling on foot and on horseback, carambola/scramble, casting down, bull riding and whipping, tug-of-war, load carrying and cattle bareback riding. At the end of the weeklong competition, the winners were: In the open category: Del Monte Rodeo team; and school category: Benguet State University Highland Cowboys and Cowgirls Team A. Owen Madelo of Capitol University and Clavel Niez of Xavier University Rodeo Team were adjudged Rodeo King and Queen, respectively

When the Spaniards came to Masbate in 1569, they found a couple making chocolate from cacao. When they asked the couple the name of the place, they thought the foreigners wanted to know what they were doing and answered "Mas bati," meaning to "mix vigorously." The expedition’s chronicler recorded "Masbate" as the name of the island

Masbate lies exactly at the center of the Philippine archipelago. The main island looks like an arrowhead with its tip pointing to the north. Its southern portion encloses the Asid Gulf, while the Jintotolo Channel separates it from Panay Island. Ethnically, the province is part of the Sibuyan Sea group of islands that include Romblon, Marinduque and many small islands. This accounts for the mix of cultures in the area and its dialect, which is an interesting blend of Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Bicol and Waray.

We checked in at the Rendezvous Resort, a quaint, cozy hotel by the waterfront. The hotel’s general manager Cokie Medina and his lovely wife Weng recently opened this haven that boasts 13 fully air-conditioned rooms with brand new TV sets and hot and cold water for shower baths. We had a sumptuous welcome dinner of grilled tangingue, Bicol express, seafood pansit, sinigang na sugpo and sweet mangoes. ANC’s Carolyn Howard and DOT’s Tito Umali sang romantic duets as red wine and Bailey’s liquor flowed incessantly

The next day two days were filled with exhilarating activities. From the balcony of the third floor of a bank building, I joined the other judges for the best cowboy-themed float, most handsome horse and best-dressed cow competitions. My favorite grand prizewinner, a beautiful Brahman cow adorned with an arch of colored paper roses and ethnic fabrics, gained the sobriquet "Cadena de Amor."

Since I had just arrived from Tibet where I was influenced into turning vegetarian, I shared a hearty laugh with Bicol Tourism director Nini Ravanilla when we were served piping-hot bulalo soup, which is a specialty in Masbate. Over lunch, she shared her dynamic vision to promote the region via the three-day, three-night Rodeo Mysteries of the Islands Experience. This Masbate tour package includes a cattle farm visit where visitors are taught how to lasso cattle and how to fish for shrimp and milkfish. A sumptuous roast- beef lunch and seafood dinner at the DOT-accredited Bituon Beach Resort, with its powdery white sand, azure waters and cozy lodgings, are added treats. Island hopping includes a trip to the Gato Snake Isle, a seabird sanctuary in Borobancaso, and a visit to the Bongsanglay marine sanctuary reserve.

Known as Cattle Country of the Philippines because of its abundant grazing pasture and its status as the country’s primary beef source, Masbate also teems with beach resorts, springs, caves and waterfalls. Together with Cokie, Neil Almario and Mark Tambal of the Masbate Provincial Tourism Council, we explored this nature’s natural wonders. Members of the four-year-old SAGKA Masbate Mountaineering Club, Clark and Jerome Bunceras, Norvin Florista and Ian Tito Danao, expertly guided us on our trek to the Bongsanglay mangrove forest eco-trail. Other must-sees include the Kalanay Cave in Aroroy, where 10th-century porcelain jars were excavated in the 1930s from the ruins of cave-like dwellings, lighthouses built during the Spanish and American colonial era, which should be turned into bed-and-breakfast accommodations, and the stone church on Burias Island built in 1959.

A major highlight of this trip was a visit to the four-hectare manta ray marine sanctuary located just one kilometer from the old Hispanic town of San Jacinto on Masbate’s Ticao Island. Mayor Emilio Aris Espinosa says, "We are fully aware of conservation efforts for the manta bowl, which will definitely generate income for tourism. During our manta ray diving tours, butandings or whale sharks occasionally pass the bowl."

Mayor Ben Espiloy of nearby Monreal town and Mayor Espinosa formed the technical working group and have tapped the expertise of Bicol University to study the behavior of these creatures for their preservation.

We explored the palm tree-lined beaches of San Jacinto leading to the antique anchor by the statue of Dr. Jose Rizal at the San Jacinto Elementary School and two centuries-old cannons at the San Jacinto National High School from a galleon believed to have sunk in Ticao Pass. Among the survivors of that galleon was a Franciscan friar named Alfonso Jacinto, after whom the town of San Jacinto was named. It is believed that Fr. Jacinto, the apostle of Masbate, survived his ordeal as he held on to a bust of the Sto. Cristo de Burgos and a retablo afloat at sea

A trip to Masbate is never complete without visiting the cattle ranches just an hour’s drive from the city. Like a mighty kingfisher swooping down to catch an unsuspecting prey, a burly cowboy showed off his prowess as he successfully lassoed the largest bull in the herd without a hitch. As the lasso landed, the captive bull only tightened the noose during its struggle. Our jovial group in unison exclaimed, "Holy cow! That’s what you call a bull’s-eye!"

Only in Masbate, the rodeo capital of the Philippines.

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Asian Spirit flies to Masbate every day. For flight details, call 851-8888. For inquiries on Rendezvous Resort, e-mail cokiemedina@yahoo.com

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