Onboard our chartered
30-seater Dornier aircraft from Platinum Skies, I steadied my eyes towards the
window as our plane circled Calayan Island. I quickly gazed at the azure
colored waters of Cibang Cove, recognizing it instantly from memories of my
first visit here four years ago.
As our airplane’s wheels kissed the runway to signal the historic arrival of the first plane on Calayan Island, thrill reigned over me as I catch sight of the crowd lined up at both sides of the runway. They were all waving and clapping even after our plane rested on the apron.
As the door opened and we
stepped out one by one, I heard drumming beats and saw a group of locals
adorned in colorful garbs dancing to merry tunes. It dawned on me how special
this day is for the residents of Calayan.
Sustainable Tourism Boom, Urged
Beside the makeshift stage
set-up on the apron of the airport, local performers strutted to a number of cultural
performances. First was a Komedya, a
play consisting of a battle dance depicting both the Christians and the Moro
and a dazzling choreography featuring young women dressed up mimicking the piding, a flightless bird endemic to the
island.
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| The locals prepared a short program featuring cultural performances |
After the performances,
Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines (TPB) COO Venus Tan and Calayan
Mayor
Alfonso “Al” Llopis took the stage to deliver a speech celebrating the
momentous occasion.
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| TPB COO Venus Tan (center) calls for sustainable tourism practices on the island |
"Your source of livelihood won't be limited anymore to agriculture and
fishing, it will now include tourism. This will be part of your alternative
livelihood", Tan stated as she also lauded the efforts of Calayan LGU
in fulfilling the long-standing dream of building an airport. Venus Tan also
pledged the full support of TPB in marketing the
tourism potential of the island, as she stated the importance of practicing sustainable
tourism.
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| The locals were brimming with happiness at their new airport |
“Sustainable, ethical and responsible tourism
or SER, should be practiced on this island. We, at the tourism department
believes in the importance of not only preserving the environment but also our
culture. Our unique culture that will attract the interest of many people” Tan
added.
A Labor of Love
While the new Calayan
airport is expected to herald in new tourism, commerce and basic services development,
Mayor Al Llopis likened the airport to the townsfolk’s resolve of achieving
what seems to be a lifelong dream.
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| Calayan Mayor Al Llopis |
“My grandfather Benedicto Llopis, who was Mayor in the 1960s originally
envisioned building an airport. But decades went by and we weren’t able to
secure funding from the national government”, Mayor Llopis narrated.
Finally, before Mayor Al
would finish his last term, the LGU was able to secure a loan from a bank and
additional funding from the provincial government. The airport now gives
Calayan residents a safer mode of transportation compared to the 7-hour
lampitaw that usually braves the forceful waters of the Philippine Sea.
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| With fellow travel writers and vloggers together with friends from TPB |
“Many lives have already been lost. I cannot afford for the next
generation, to have the lampitaw as their only option of transportation,”
Llopis said.
The man responsible in
arranging the first flight to Calayan, Wakay Air Transport CEO Jerry Cabalce is
hoping smaller aviation players would soon fly to Calayan. Both he and Mayor
Llopis and with the help of the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines, are
now starting to draft a tourism master plan that will ensure the rawness that
make Calayan Island a dream destination of most travelers, will remain as it is
despite the expected influx of tourists.
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| The Calayan airport runway as seen from above |
As the program ended and the
locals started lining for a tour inside the Miss
Universe plane from Platinum Skies, I felt the significance of the day becoming
more magnified. As I recounted the sight of the airport’s 800-meter runway from
the air, it dawned on me how it looked like a line drawn by a hand from the
heavens. Because after all these years of waiting, the stars finally aligned to
gift the people of Calayan the airport they truly deserves.
