Lester V Ledesma takes the road less traveled and finds paradise on a long, leisurely drive across panay island
photography by lester v ledesma
Call it a weakness or even an obsession, but there are few things more inviting than a long, winding country road leading to the horizon. It’s that fabled highway of freedom, an endless stretch of possibility where adventures are born from dust, asphalt and a healthy dose of the unknown.
This is the stuff that road trips are made of – and this is precisely what I experienced one balmy weekend on the island of Panay, in the Philippines’ Western Visayas region.
With sun-stained wanderlust fi lling my head and my hands on the wheel of a Nissan X-Trail Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), I sought to traverse the country’s sixth largest land mass.
PLOTTING THE DOTS
My plan was simple: fl y from Manila to Iloilo City on the island’s southeastern tip, and take the vehicle up Panay’s western coastline all the way to the village of Caticlan in the northwest.
The route took me past three provinces and spanned over 250km of highway (that’s about fi ve hours of non-stop driving). While it may not have been the most epic of distances, the scenery, as I happily discovered, made it a most memorable adventure.
Upon arrival in the beautiful Iloilo City, it was my intention to savor the journey and meander along the scenic route to my destination. I was determined to soak up the best this island had to offer.
My local travel companion, Sonny met me at the airport with the keys to the X-Trail SUV. The fi rst order of the day was breakfast, which we devoured in true Ilonggo (Iloilo native) fashion at Ted’s, a restaurant long famous for its delectable batchoy. This is a peppery noodle-and-meat soup that, when eaten with puto coconut-rice cakes, makes for a tasty introduction to the region’s food.
GLORIOUS SONG OF OLD
Well-fed and watered, we rolled off to explore the city. “There’s a lot of old glory in this place,” my buddy remarked, as we maneuvered through streets crawling with pedestrians and commuter vehicles.
Sonny was referring to the ornate buildings that line many an avenue, most of which date back to the early 20th century.
So prominent was this city, it was once the commercial hub of the Visayas, its port hosting trading ships from all over the globe.
Today, however, Iloilo has reverted to its sleepy provincial roots, with only the grand, aging structures reminding visitors of her illustrious past.
SHOP STOP
From the crowded city, we headed out to the suburbs to do a little shopping. First stop was the Western Visayas Sanitarium in the Santa Barbara district, home to a livelihood center that produces masterpieces of delicate bobbin lace.
Sister Veerle Ingelbeen told us how the Belgian skill of Kant embroidery has provided income for many women, former patients of the sanitarium. We heard the same story at Asilo de Molo, an orphanage in the Molo district, famous for handwoven embroidery that is featured on catwalks and in magazines.
BEAUTIFUL CHURCHES
After splurging on this wearable art, it was time to head west along the national highway.
The province of Iloilo, with its Spanish colonial roots, boasts some of the fi nest Catholic architecture in the Philippines, as seen in the communities along the way. Majestic Baroque churches dominate the town plazas of Tigbauan and Guimbal, their facades relatively unchanged over the centuries.
At Miag-Ao, we gawked at a stunning UNESCO World Heritage church featuring rare native-styled murals on its massive triangular-shaped structure – a design that was infl uenced by its dual purpose as a fortress against marauding pirates.
Lunch followed at Doming’s (by the highway entering Miag-Ao – get a bucket of oysters for PHP35 (US$0.70)!), after which we made our way to the Tiolas Junction, not far from the border of neighboring Antique province.
A ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Here, we literally took the road less traveled. Whereas most motorists would have taken the direct and easy route towards the next town of Hamtic, we decided to detour towards the coastal road that passes the town of Anini-y, at the southwestern tip of Panay.
The decision was well made as it turned out, for as we drove, civilization gradually disappeared. The wide highway transformed into narrow pebble pathways while nearby houses began to show more wood than concrete.
I navigated the bucking X-Trail SUV over the uneven road, and pretty soon we found ourselves by the coast, staring at scenery that had more outrigger boats and carabaos than people. The sea glistened outside our window like shiny sheet-metal, silhouetting numerous coconut trees standing in neat rows by the shore. We were, quite simply put, inside a landscape painting!
In the company of this spectacular scenery, we powered on, grateful that we’d made that fateful left turn. The sandy beaches later gave way to rock-strewn coastline, pounded by waves. I kept driving as the road slowly elevated and civilization once again made its presence felt.
AMBLING ALONG
“That was certainly the best drive I’ve ever done!” I exclaimed to my companion as we re-entered the highway. That detour of detours may have set us back an hour and a half, but I would have turned back and done it all over again.
By this time, we were heading north and approaching San Jose de Buenavista, capital of Antique province. We made a quick tour around the city (“nothing very interesting here,” quipped Sonny) and then continued pushing north.
With three hours and 160km to go, it seemed like a good opportunity to hit the highway in classic pedal-to-metal fashion.
I fed more gas to the SUV, and we roared down the asphalt, watching the scenery change from sleepy townships to verdant green rice paddies and lush mountainside.
We overtook rust-encrusted jeeps, buses overfl owing with passengers (they stood on the bumpers), and the occasional carabao lumbering by with a farmer in tow.
From time to time, we encountered patches of swampy mangrove forest, which we learned all about at a stopover in the town of Pandan, where we chatted, over soft drinks and chips, with local fi shermen who obligingly took us on a mini-tour of the Bugang River and regaled us with tips on the art of fishing.
BORACAY, AT LAST!
By the time we reached our fi nal destination, it was already past sundown. We made our way to the pier at Caticlan where a boat awaited to take me to that island-paradise called Boracay, located just 15 minutes offshore. Here, I was to spend some time before returning to Caticlan to catch a bus to Kalibo and a fl ight home.
I bid goodbye to my companion and the car to which I had grown accustomed. Barely 30 seconds after boarding the water taxi, I was already missing the feel of the pedal under my foot and the leathery texture of the steering wheel in my hands.
Nevertheless, in a country of 7,107 islands criss-crossed with countless miles of concrete and blessed with endless acres of stunning landscape, I knew I would never be far from yet another scenic drive.
That evening, I found myself lounging in front of a beachfront cottage, with a cold beer in hand, staring wistfully at the white beach that sparkled incessantly in the moonlight.
It was the perfect end to a perfect journey.
GETTING AROUND PANAY ISLAND BY CAR
The most popular destinations in Panay are Iloilo City on the island’s southeastern tip, and the village of Caticlan in the province of Aklan, on the island’s northwestern tip, which is the jump off point for Boracay. You can fly into Kalibo or Roxas, along the northern shore and do the journey in reverse.
* Those wishing to drive from one end to the other may take either the east or west coastal highways, or the central road which bisects the island. The average traveling time is five hours. Because of its slightly longer distance, however, the west coast route as described in this article is the least popular of the three options.
* For those itching for some serious road time, companies like Nissan Iloilo (tel +63 (033)320-4051/54) offer self-drive car rental packages ranging from PHP5,000 to 10,000 (US$100 to $200), depending on vehicle type and the duration of the lease.
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