Borongan City welcomed the participants of The Great Philippine Overland Loop, an expedition that aims to travel around the Philippines in 20 days, at Baybay Beach last Saturday, Oct. 7.
The convoy began its journey at the Kilometer Zero marker at the Rizal Park in Manila last Sept. 24 and has passed several other provinces in Luzon, Mindanao, Leyte, and Samar before dropping by the city on its 13th day. It will then head back to Luzon to complete the route.
Neil Palabrica, publicist of organizer Mototesto Overland Equipment Philippines, said that the goal was to show the interconnectivity of the Philippine islands through overland travel, a way to fully immerse oneself in the food and culture of each destination.
“We don’t see the Philippines as a group of islands but as one connected country. We wanted to show that the Philippines isn’t just a group of islands. It’s really one country na puwede mong puntahan anytime you want to. We wanted to show everyone that you can travel the whole Philippines and it’s much better to travel it by overlanding instead of the usual na from point A to point B na mag-eeroplano ka,” said Palabrica.
“If you are going to Iloilo and you take a plane, magbi-breakfast ka sa Manila, pagdating mo sa Iloilo, kakain ka ng batchoy. Pero if you came from Manila at mag-ooverland ka, magbi-breakfast ka sa Mindoro, they have their own specialty. Then you have lunch in Caticlan where they have their own specialty also. Then mag-dinner ka ng batchoy. So along the way, we were able to experience not just the food but the culture as well,” he added.
Twenty-three 4×4 vehicles, customized for comfortable living on the road, joined the convoy that will next head to Bicol, Pampanga, Cagayan, Ilocos and Pangasinan before returning to Manila.
A coffee table book and a four-part video series on Youtube will be released about the overland adventure that encompasses around 6,500 km of travel across 38 to 40 provinces in the country.
“Overlanding is a unique way of experiencing different destinations. It’s more on the travel, not the destination. It’s about the bonding, the cooking. ‘Yun ‘yung concept ng overlanding,” said Palabrica.
Borongan was chosen to be a part of the itinerary upon the suggestion of Joey Reyna, one of the participants who hails from Tacloban City. The plan was to visit the northernmost, westernmost, southernmost, and easternmost parts of the Philippines.
The team has visited Guiuan, the easternmost part of the Visayas region, prior to making a quick stop for lunch in Borongan.
Palabrica, who used to only hear about Borongan City in the news during typhoon season, said that he and his companions enjoyed their brief rest here. They particularly liked the food served by the stalls along the stretch of Baybay Boulevard. Meanwhile, the sports facilities along the beach, particularly the goals for beach soccer, caught the eye of Palabrica as those reminded him of Brazil’s love for the sport.
“We enjoyed the colorful stalls, the food. Naglabas na rin kami ng sound system doon, nagpapatugtog na kami. Sobrang chill. I also saw ‘yung pang-beach soccer. Sabi ko sa kaibigan ko, ‘Uy, para tayong nasa Rio (de Janeiro, Brazil).’ Mahilig sila sa football, eh. That’s the [vibe.] I don’t see a lot of beaches na may ganyan,” he said.
The participants, composed of businessmen, were treated to a lunch buffet, that included staples lechon and kinilaw, by the city government.
Provincial tourism officer Neil Pinarok and City Information Office special operations officer Cynthia Arceno welcomed the guests. Reginald James Lorico, executive assistant to the mayor, represented Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda.
#FunBorongan
