THE FOUR Fords that led the AAP Ilocos Norte Caravan—a Focus TDCi, two Fiestas and an Everest—in front of a wind turbine in Bangui
Over the last weekend, a convoy of 37 cars from Metro Manila snaked into Region 1 not only to visit the tourist attractions of the Solid North, but also to gather signatures for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety Pledge. The Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) Ilocos Norte Caravan organized by AAP director and Tourism Committee chair Mina Gabor was the third AAP Drive Tour activity, but the first to last three days and two nights and the first to include the ambassadors of four countries.
Fueled by Pilipinas Shell Petroleum, the 37 vehicles were divided into two groups, with the first group led by a Ford Everest SUV and the second by a Ford Focus TDCi compact hatchback. Two frisky Fiesta subcompacts served as sweep cars. Immediately behind the Everest was Mina Gabor in a Great Wall Hover SUV, followed by three journalists, an AAP driver and me in a Hyundai Grand Starex Limousine, next were Malaysian Ambassador and Mrs. Datu Seri Dr. Ibrahim Saad in a Mercedes-Benz S350, Pakistan Ambassador and Mrs. Mohsin Razi in a Volvo S80, Greek Ambassador Polyxeni Stefanidou and her husband, a retired rear admiral, in a Nissan Teana 350XV and Brunei Ambassador Malai Halimah Yussof, the Brunei Embassy’s Second Secretary and other staff in a Toyota Grandis and Toyota Fortuner.
Everywhere we went, we were welcomed by local government officials, thanks to arrangements made by Department of Tourism (DoT) Region 1 Director Martin Valera. Plus the fact that as the DoT Secretary during President Ramos’ term, Mina Gabor gained many friends and contacts in the government and tourism industry nationwide.
Road Safety Pledge
After loading full tank at the NLEX Tabang Shell station, our first stop was the Sison Auditorium of the Pangasinan Provincial Capitol Complex in Lingayen, the biggest, most beautiful and best-maintained capitol complex in Region I. Vice Governor Jose Calimlim Jr. and Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan welcomed us on behalf of Gov. Amado T. Espino Jr. and led the LGU officials, police officers, LTFRB and transport group leaders in taking and signing the Road Safety Pledge, after which they were awarded the Decade of Action for Road Safety tag designed for the United Nations.
After lunch hosted by the Pangasinan provincial government at Lingayen, we proceeded to the La Union Provincial Capitol high up on a hill for the Road Safety Pledge signing led by Gov. Manuel Ortega and Vice Gov. Aureo Nisce, Provincial Board members, transport groups and DoT Region 1 Director Valera. As she did in Lingayen, Mina Gabor presented a certificate of appreciation and complimentary AAP membership to the governor.
The AAP caravan made a brief pit stop in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, before proceeding to Laoag, Ilocos Norte, where we checked into the Plaza del Norte Hotel. Early the next morning, the third and last Road Safety Pledge signing took place in front of the Provincial Capitol in Laoag, after which we motored to windy Burgos to see the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, the dazzling, massive white rock jutting out into the South China Sea that shows the power of wind and sea water to shape rocks and corals. The best way to view Kapurpurawan is to climb up the grassy hill overlooking it.
Wind Turbines
The next scenic stop was Bangui, another extremely windy seashore where 20 wind turbines deliver power to the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative in Laoag via the Luzon grid. The Bangui Wind Farm is the first and only wind turbine power generating plant in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
We arrived late for lunch hosted by Pagudpud Mayor Maja Sales at the Saud Beach Resort. Pagudpud is famous for its creamy white sand and beach—no undertow, Mayor Sales assured us.
Greek Ambassador Stefanidou, who has her photo taken dipping her feet in the sea at every beach she visits, happily hurried down to the beach for this purpose. Each of us was awarded a certificate certifying that we had stood at Pagudpud, the northernmost tip of the Philippines where the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet.
After a tour of the San Nicolas Church, we drove to Batac to visit the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum, which appeared to be not so well maintained. The highlight of Day 2 was dinner in Paoay at the Malacañang of the North (overlooking the beautiful Paoay Lake, it was the official residence of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos and is now a museum) hosted by Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, who had just flown in hours earlier from a conference in Singapore.
The ambassadors enjoyed chatting with the Governor Marcos over dinner. Ever the gracious host and savvy politician, Governor Marcos posed for a photo op with any caravan participant wanting to have a photo with her—and there were many. She informed me that Paoay is a municipality and there are only two cities in Ilocos Norte: Laoag and Batac.
Mass in Paoay
The morning activities scheduled for Day 3—sand boarding and 4WD adventuring or the La Paz sand dunes and bird-watching at Paoay Lake—had to be canceled because of rainy weather. Instead, some of us attended a special 11 o’clock Mass at the historic St. Augustine Church in Paoay. After lunch, it was souvenir shopping time at the plaza beside the Herencia Restaurant.
After viewing and photographing the coral rock formations in Currimao beside the sea, we headed back to Manila, dropping by Vigan for late afternoon snacks at the Buluarte farm of Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson, who was out of town.
This is where Governor Singson has his official residence and keeps a zoo of wild and domesticated animals including a tiger, ostriches, deer, Shetland ponies and a black Vietnamese pot-bellied pig that performs tricks.
The trip back to Manila from Laoag took us eight hours with a stopover for fast food in Pampanga. Had the caravan not been preceded by a police escort (changing guards at the Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan borders) all the way down to the Tarlac border, it would have taken us longer because of the numerous repairs being done on the national highway.
The Ilocos Norte tour was exhausting but so enjoyable and eye-opening that all those who joined it, including the four ambassadors, look forward to the next AAP Drive Tour Caravan.