...the ultimate luxury resort

The ultimate luxury retreat in the Philippines

A Philippine private-island paradise, Amanpulo is the ultimate tranquil treat, says Matt Hryciw

Matt Hryciw | Standard.co.uk
14 November 2019

Any holiday that begins on a private plane is going to be exclusive from the word to go. Taking off from the Philippine capital, Manila, from a VIP lounge out of sight from the melee of the main airport set the tone for five days at Aman's showpiece private island resort, Amanpulo, a trip would create a new benchmark for me in understated luxury and personalized service.

What's left to say about a place that's attained nearly legendary status in luxury travel circles? An hour's flight southwest of the traffic-choked capital, Pamalican Island in remote Palawan province feels like another world, with all the trappings of a luxury resort including hilltop spa and gourmet dining, but also with an immediate sense that you've just landed in a tropical wildlife preserve. I stepped out of the plane into a relative cool after a  morning of welcome heavy rain and was greeted warmly by my personal guest assistant, Mark, who would be looking after me during my stay. He led me to a solar-powered golf cart where I hopped in for a tour of the 2.5km-long island. Around the first corner we slowed to let a four-foot monitor lizard lazily cross our path on our way to the island's turtle hatchery to check for the new arrivals, before pulling up to the beach that would be my home for the next five days. 

Laying eyes on the beaches of Pamalican Island for the first time is much of what makes this private isle such a draw. All the daydreaming poring over photos online of the famously powdery white sand and sparkling turquoise ocean still hadn’t prepared me for having all those expanses — 5.5km in total — of shore virtually to myself. This is where the use of superlatives to describe Amanpulo’s biggest asset seems unavoidable: if you’re a sun-worshipper or simply love floating in a crystal clear, shallow sea above schools of colourful fish all by yourself, this is unparalleled heaven. 

Guests at Amanpulo can choose from two types of accommodation. First there are the 42 private, stand-alone rooms like mine called ‘casitas’, which are either cleverly tucked behind the coconut palms along the beach or nestled into the island’s lush interior. For a proper splurge, go for the larger, family-friendly, ultra-luxe villa compounds that boast their own pools and come with a personal chef and butler — naturally. My beach casita became my tranquil oasis, where I’d look up from my king-size bed at vaulted hardwood ceilings or out over my private corner terrace with it’s two heavenly sun beds, down my very own sandy path to the beach. It was there that I really got a sense of the refined, ultimate privacy that’s so sought after at Amanpulo.

For a little more action, the Clubhouse acts as  a hub for the island and hosts the wood-paneled library for games of backgammon as well as South East Asian all-day dining with an elegant feel. This space hugs the vast main pool deck, all clean lines and gleaming all white sun loungers. Try the Philippine Dining Experience for an impressive introduction to the nation's best flavours.

My favourite spot for breakfast was in the breeze at the Lagoon Club, overlooking miles of coral reef, while a casual meal of pizza hot from the outdoor oven at tables in the sand made for a lunch light years from those back at my office desk. By Christmas, the revamped Beach Club on the opposite shore will take over as a show-stopping all-day dining venue and bar. 

Getting around the island’s gravel roads was fun, too. I got to keep my golf cart — no driving licence required — to zip to meals or to farther beaches. That’s the freeing thing about Amanpulo: since its the only gig around I had free rein to explore everywhere on the island that didn’t require a key to enter. The only roadworks I saw were jolly guys up an overhanging tree removing coconut hazards. Plus, 7am trips to the light-filled gym, with 360-degree sea and jungle canopy views, were easy on the mountain bike I was given for my stay, which added extra animal-spotting to my routine.

All of this is run with sustainably in mind. There’s a desalination plant for safe drinking water (no plastic bottles needed), treated wastewater keeps the island lush and many of the vegetables served are grown on the island. And I was taken care of by a friendly army of staff, many of whom live on the island year-round and know it inside-out.

What became clear to me during my stay was how much thought — and work — has gone into carefully creating this tranquil paradise and then perfecting it over the past 25 years. Experience it, if you can. 

...the PH zero-waste city

Ten zero-waste cities: How Taguig in the Philippines became clean

By Sonia Henam, Swati Singh Sambyal

downtoearth.org

Last Updated: Wednesday 13 November 2019

Can we imagine a city in India without waste? Arguably, no. Rather our cities are drowning in their own wastes.

It is a big challenge now to collect, segregate and manage our waste in cities and towns. But there are cities across the world, including in India that have become completely waste-free.

They did so by adopting the ‘zero waste model’. This model is all about significantly reducing waste, eventually completely eliminating it.

Most of what we now waste can be safely and economically recycled, reused, composted, or turned into biogas through anaerobic digestion. It also creates a large number of well-paying jobs. Informal waste collectors are brought into the net and provided with decent earnings and dignity.

This is a unique model of solid waste management — frugal and generating wealth from waste. And it is successfully being implemented.

Down To Earth has curated a list of 10 cities across India and the world which are now ‘zero-waste’.

Taguig’s fight to be clean

The first among them is Taguig in the Philippines, which became clean mainly by segregating waste at source and diverting it. 

A few years back, the city, a barangay or community of metropolitan Manila, was known for its dumpsite, a vacant plot, where heaps of mixed waste from its households as well as those in its affluent neighbours landed.

Perhaps the best example of how Taguig’s transformation took place is one of its own barangays, Fort Bonifacio. The youngest barangay in Taguig, Fort Bonifacio had a population of about 11,739 according to the 2015 Census. It produces about 0.32 kilogram per capita per day of waste.

In 2009, Fort Bonifacio officials were facing challenges on managing its waste. They had limited resources and no clue from where to start the process of managing waste.

In order to address the increasing issue of solid waste, the city officials approached Mother Earth Foundation (MEF), a Filipino non-profit, for assistance.

In 2011, under the guidance of MEF, Fort Bonifacio officials visited barangays with the best RA 9003 (a legislation in the Philippines on SWM) practices such as Barangay Bagumbuhay in Quezon City; Teresa in Rizal; and Puerto Prinsesa in Palawan.

They then proceeded with a self-assessment and baseline survey, visiting each of Fort Bonifacio’s eight zones to scope out problem areas where waste accumulated.

The MEF trained barangay officials and project staff on waste analysis and characterisation study (WACS) and ecological solid waste management (ESWM). It followed this by conducting an intensive information education communication (IEC) campaign and finally setting up a materials recovery facility (MRF).

MEF and Fort Bonifacio formally launched ESWM in 2012 and the barangay passed an ordinance in full compliance with the national law on ESWM.

This ordinance formally established the barangay ecological solid waste management programme, mandating correct segregation, collection, recycling, and disposal, as well as an MRF site for the barangay. In 2014, the ordinances were updated to respond to new developments. This further helped the work on ground.

According to the WACS, organic waste comprised 40 per cent of the total waste in Fort Bonifacio, representing the amount that could easily be composted and converted into fertiliser, and thus diverted from the landfill. This showed that there was a value in waste, if segregated.

“Eighty per cent of the waste collected is diverted at the MRF and has 95 per cent household compliance rate,” Sonia Mendoza, chairman of MEF, said.

 Waste Composition in Brgy. Fort Bonifacio (2012)

“During the pilot, 15 informal waste pickers were trained and absorbed as official waste collectors of the barangay. Now, the waste pickers earn about PHP 8,000 (US$ 186) as compared to PHP 3,000 (US$ 70),” she added.

Mendoza said this also reduced the number of city trucks collecting waste from the barangay, from the daily average of four trips per day, down to only one trip per day, resulting in savings of around P10, 000 (US $195) per day for the city.

According to the GAIA report on Taguig city, waste diversion serves as an indicator for both income — as recyclables are sold — and project success.

The project resulted in more efficient use of Taguig’s budget, saving PHP 800 (US$ 15) per cubic feet.

As the number of dump trucks dropped from four in 2012 to one per day in 2013, just a year after the project began, hauling expenses were similarly slashed by three-fourths, from PHP 7.3 million (US$ 141,200), to PHP 1.825 million (US$ 35,300) per year.

Today, 95 per cent of Taguig’s households segregate their waste before it is collected. The city is now clean and free of litter, and has shown remarkable progress in the fight against waste.

It was recognised as the ‘cleanest barangay in metro Manila’ in terms of solid waste management (SWM) in 2015.

...the Filipino language in German University

Leading German university launches Filipino language course 

Philippine Star 

12 November 2019

 

MANILA, Philippines— The Embassy of the Philippines in Berlin, Germany recently announced that one of the leading Germany universities, Humboldt University, would be offering a Filipino language course for the first time.

 

The course was launched during the first week of November by the Advancing Philippine Studies Program.

“Filipino language will be offered as a full module for the first time at the institute,” the organizers of the Advancing Philippine Studies Program in HU said on a Facebook post.

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Advancing Philippine Studies Program, launched in July 2019, seeks to advance and promote Philippine and Filipino studies in HU "by developing academic programs, projects and activities related to the culture, society, and history of the Philippines and the Filipino people."

These projects are conceptualized and managed by Filipina sociocultural anthropologist and assistant professor at the Department for Southeast Asian Studies, Rosa Cordillera Castillo.

The Filipino language course, would be offered for the Winter term and would serve as one the major components of the Philippine Studies program.

It would be would be administered by Filipino language instructor Antonio Galang Jr. from the University of the Philippines.

The Philippine Studies program is overseen by HU's Institute of Asian and African Studies in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in Germany.

It is funded by a donation offered to HU through the office of former Sen. Loren Legarda and npw De[ity Speaker Loren Legarda and the Philippine Embassy in Berlin under the Cultural Diplomacy funds of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

HU, founded in 1810, is Germany’s premiere tertiary-level educational institution. It currently ranks 120th at the QS World University Ranking.

In May 2019, the Supreme Court ruled with finality that Filipino and Panitikan or Philippine Literature can be excluded as core subjects in college in the Philippines. —Rosette Adel

...the Beauty Influencer of 2019

Bretman Rock won Beauty Influencer of 2019

Gabriela Baron
Manila Bulletin
11 November 2019

Filipino internet star Bretman "Da Baddest"Rock was named The Beauty Influencer of 2019 by the E! People's Choice Award (PCA).

The Hawaii-based vlogger dedicated the award to his dad who he said “supported and loved him unconditionally.”

“I love you so much and I will always be grateful for allowing me to express myself and defended me whenever haters said anything. This one is for you Papa. I hope I make you the proudest,” he shared on Instagram.

The online sensation also thanked those who voted for him.

“This means the absolute world to me. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I’m just lost for words,” he added.

Bretman Rock won against James Charles, Nikita Dragun, NikkiTutorials, Jeffree Star, RCL Beauty, Desi Perkins, and Jackie Aina.

...the Philippine Sports Champions

Philippines Rising: 3 World Champion in 1 month!

New Worlds| George Siy
Manila Times
10 November 2019

“For everything there is a season”, and it seems to be a winning season for the Philippines — three world championships within a month! And more exceptionally, they are in areas of excellence the Philippines has not achieved in the world arena before.

“Kuya Caloy” Yulo winner of the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship, got his start from, perhaps, a doting grandfather who saw him playing at tumbling and brought him to the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines. In an unusual story in Philippine sports, and much to her credit, head of gymnastics Cynthia Carreon perceived Carlos’s exceptional talent and discipline, and worked to obtain special support for him, who started training five hours a day, 6 days a week, staying in Japan under Coach Kugimiya for three years before winning this championship. President Rodrigo Duterte, Manny Pangilinan, Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso have given cash rewards and recognition to the young star who, at 19 and still below his peak, is already seeded No. 1 in gymnastics in the coming Olympics.

Wesley So was not so lucky… taught chess by his father, playing in localities, he became our national chess champion at 14, and ninth youngest grandmaster in history. Going through personal and family issues, he had to live through very lean times, and had to consider giving up chess. Eventually he was adopted by Filipina actress in the US, Lotis Key and her partner Kabigting, who supported Wesley in his career. Winning competition after competition, he won the US Championship in 2017, skyrocketed to No. 2 in the world, and began gunning for No. 1. Just this past October, he faced the world chess champ Magnus Carlsen “mano y mano,” in the Fischer Random World Chess Championship.

Random Chess, a variant that allows for the shuffling of the pieces in the onset, was promoted by Bobby Fischer whose goal was to eliminate what he considered the complete dominance of openings preparation (it is standard for the top players to have memorized the first 15 to 20 moves) in classical chess, replacing it with creativity and talent.

Raw talent. Wesley crushed Carlsen by four wins, 2 draws, no losses, for a total 13.5 to 2.5 score. Stunning was not only the turnaround of positions, it was a breathtaking display of talent, creativity, resilience — a true story of winning above tremendous starting odds.

It is sad that he had to play for another country, his talent was not sufficiently recognized and supported here. There are many others unrecognized in different fields of sports, sciences, arts, academe, etc.. It is an established and accepted practice to have a “sports nationality,” which athletes can choose, without giving up your original nationality, and this is accepted by the US and the International Olympic Committee and most countries. While we are proud of their wins, it also brings a sigh, and to some perhaps some tears that we have to let top athletes, scholars, and so many of our countrymen go elsewhere to have a better or even a decent life, or treatment.

Wesley has indicated the care he still has for the Philippines and the chess players here, although we rightfully should hear of the areas where improvements are needed in both amount and organization of support. We have to work to better the circumstances in our own country.

The problems are beyond money alone, as sports associations positions are often seen as rewards to give out, or posts to put friends or people owed to, out of major harm’s way politically, with some budget and power to play with. Appointees are often not knowledgeable about the sports or crafts, and cannot identify who are the true talents, and who are just early or late bloomers. Even when recognized, sports is replete with stories of athletes selected by the officials because of personal preferences, and politics rather than ability. Budgets often go to perks rather than training or competition. Private enterprises are now getting more active in support of sports, scholarships, etc… and partnerships are sorely needed. Both organizations and athletes may need to know better how to raise support and glamorize a sport to the public, but still retain the essence of excellence in sports.

Another world champion for the Philippines this month: Dr Calixto Chikiamco and Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) won the Atlas Network Templeton Award, one of the world’s top prizes in — in a field you would not normally think the Philippines to be a power in — think tanks’ advocacies. FEF is made up of the top economists in the country, the past, present, and perhaps future ones, and some friends. Romeo Bernardo, Virata, Climaco, Medalla, Karl Chua, Calixto, Olivar, etc… thinkers of different stripes, from different administrations, but all nationalists studying, pushing, hoping for the country.

This year’s winning project was for the successful liberalization, with the help of government, of restrictions on land patents, which will allow millions of farmers, owners around the country, to monetize, capitalize, utilize in different ways their lands, releasing billions of dollars worth of value for redeployment, increased investment, output, opportunities.

“What the Foundation for Economic Freedom has achieved in truly epic,” according to Dr. Tom G. Palmer, executive vice president of Atlas Network.

The new question is: Enablers are valuable, but the people still have to use newfound powers wisely… will they? People will need help. Our country needs so many moves planned and executed at the same time, continually, to catch up for our decades lost.

All three champions this month, and the people, organizations who supported them deserve our congratulations. We need to get down to how we can produce more champions in all fields. They are sources of inspiration for excellence for our people. We need more enhanced selection, support, and training happening, rather than the stories of the discouraging difficulties most have to go through to get even get decent support or treatment, or even just attention.

Is this season of triple triumphs just a moment in time, or are there better times to come? We wont say the “best is yet to come…” because that implies a decline after that peak. Senator Sonny Angara recently filed the bill for Philippine High School for Sports, which is now on the Senate floor. We not only look forward to, we should all work for “ever better years to come!” Better times are not a matter of luck or “weather” as the Filipino saying goes, “pana-panahon.” Let us plan, organize, work together and execute, not just critique!