Destinations

El Nido, Palawan: Postcard Perfect

The appeal of the province of Palawan may be mainly its being a largely untouched place. But as M.D. dela Cruz Tan discovers, there’s more to this place than meets the eye.

Published

14 years ago

February 4, 2012

M.D. dela Cruz Tan, MDC

PHOTO BY O. ROMERO, COURTESY OF JINGJING ROMERO

The first time Australian D.J.M. Winters stepped on the shores of Miniloc Island, in El Nido, north of Palawan, to visit the country’s “Last Environmental Frontier,” as well as “check out what business ventures may be there,” he noted that “it was like stepping on a photograph come to life,” he says. “Everything seemed too good to be true. Palawan is almost surreal for its beauty.”

Winters’ amazement is understandable, what with Palawan long considered a land of clichés, at least as far as the image of a stereotypical tropical paradise is concerned. Sandy white beaches stretching for miles, incessantly kissed by the crystal clear waters that mirror the blue sky, or reflect rolling clouds as they pass, seemingly lovingly blown by the whistling wind, just as they make the tall palm trees by the beaches bend, dancing to a tune only they can hear – all of them are in Palawan. And so much more, actually.

“It most certainly is full of surprises,” Winters says.

RICH HISTORY

Not largely known is the province’s rich history, best exemplified by the antiquities that abound there. Underwater or on the ground, however, Palawan has something to offer everyone.

Named after the nests of swiftlets (the main ingredient in the world-famous Nido Soup), El Nido (Spanish for the nest) is a 50,000 hectare-town of 18 barangays populated by some 27,000 people “very overprotective about their settlement,” notes Winters. “Rightly so, though, what with the place’s ecological treasures – all deserving of superlatives, but all fragile, and seemingly always in threat.”

Among Winters’ “favorite occurrences that are bound to be reminisced time and again” include kayaking from island to island, “my concentration broken only by the flapping wings of sea hawks, sighting unseen preys as they circle limestone cliffs formed millions of years ago;” bird watching, especially since El Nido’s forests are home to over 100 species of birds, many of them endemic to Palawan; stargazing, “realizing how small we are in the scheme of things;” island hopping to “see that here, seeing beauty never stops;” and simply admiring nature, such as “observing the peculiar looking pitcher plants that, to better their chances of survival, evolved to hang ever so low, almost touching the waters as they dangle from the rocky cliffs, waiting for whatever it is that will get trapped in their cavernous carafes to sustain them,” Winters says. “Nature 101.”

Amazement is, indeed, everywhere in Palawan.

In Miniloc Island, right off the pier is a rich marine world teeming with life, so that those snorkeling are literally inundated by swimming groupers, fusiliers, parrot fish, and other fish species that are normally only seen in, say, Animal Planet. In Lagen Island, mangrove tours, especially before at the break of dawn, right before the sun starts bathing with golden color everything under it, wild birds, many of them migratory, fly from their nests, their graceful motions mirrored by the waters under them.

In Matinloc Island, there’s the not-so-secret Secret Beach, worth visiting for a “glimpse of the sense of total seclusion,” Winters says, even if it is only accessible by snorkeling through a small crack in the limestone walls that envelope it.

And then there are the Big and Small Lagoons, both welcome retreats, with their pristine waters seemingly contradicting the roughness of their source, the “unruly sea” right outside their confines. There, it’s a different world altogether, filled with rock formations that resemble elephant tusks, a praying Virgin Mary, the caped crusader Batman hiding behind some rocks, phallic idols – “whatever,” Winters says. “It’s more like a cloud, actually, wherein you see them as what you want them to be. Like a fantasy, you can tailor-fit it to suit what you want. El Nido’s cliffs are like that, too. A hark back to the times when nature was magical.”

LAND OF BOUNTY

No wonder, thus, that “I’m looking at staying here for good,” Winters says with a laugh. The same appeal has actually already made ”regular inhabitants out of many who visited Palawan,” says Mickey Castaño of Belcas Realty Corp., which “recognizes the place’s great potential.”

Enterprise Magazine earlier reported (Paradise Found, March 2006) that there are opportunities to buy beachfront properties, or even entire islands, in the various towns of Palawan – and all at very affordable prices. In El Nido, for example, lots sell for about P1,500 per square meter, while small islands can be bought for as low as P200 to P300 per square meter. Adds the online publication Offshore and Real Estate Quarterly (escapeartist.com), beachfront properties with a frontage of approximately 300 feet (90 meters), and a total area of under two hectares cost less than P175 per square foot – roughly equal to 20 US cents, or less than $2.25 per square meter.

“This makes it an ideal time to invest,” says Castaño, who stressed that there is, however, “an urgency in investing since local officials (recognize) that in order to preserve Palawan’s beauty, over-development should be avoided, (and so) only a limited number of developments are allowed.”

Again in El Nido, only 32 resort developments are allowed, “making it good for those who invest in the place, what with less competition, but, more importantly, preserving the place’s appeal, which is its largely untouched beauty,” Castaño says.

On the bangka (dinghy) that carried him from Miniloc Island to the pier right by the local airport, where some brightly-clad locals were singing farewell songs in the local Cuyunin language, Winters was already “in a nostalgic mood,” he says. “You just want the experience to last.”

As if catching himself from turning mawkish, he laughs. Palawan, Winters says with a hearty laugh, is cliché personified. “It’s almost poetic, I tell you. And even that (claim) is admittedly cliché, too. Just as I tell you you’ll keep coming back here once you’ve already been here.”

*First published in Outrage Magazine in January 2009; reprinted with permission.

Related Topics:ecotourism El Nido green tourism Palawan travel

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M.D. dela Cruz Tan, MDC

M.D. dela Cruz Tan is the founder of Zest Magazine. And no, the initials (i.e. M.D.) do not make him a "medical doctor" (as many have erroneously thought in the past); he is actually a graduate of Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) of the University of Newcastle in New South Wales Australia (just don't ask when, he says), and Master of Development Communication from the University of the Philippines-Open University. He can: photograph, do artworks with mixed media, write (of course), shoot flicks, community-organize, facilitate, lecture, research (with pioneering studies under his belt)... this one's a multi-tasker, who is even conversant in Filipino Sign Language. Cross his path is the dare (read: It won't be boring).

Destinations

Checking the wind turbines of Pililla… since there’s not much else being offered

The Municipality of #Pililla promotes #pilillawindfarm #windturbines as tourist attractions… and nothing else, becoming a #touristtrap as checked during this #LGBT visit.

Published

2 days ago

May 26, 2026

M.D. dela Cruz Tan, MDC

As a tourist, there are two ways to look at the Pililla Wind Farm. On one hand, you head there to see how we’re making use of nature to propel progress. But on the other hand, you go there because… there’s nothing else worth checking out in the area; we are so tourist site-deprived that we end up glorifying not-even-pretty gigantic turbines.

Anyway, we headed there, yes, and here are some observations.

@outragemag Municipality of #Pililla promotes #pilillawindfarm #windturbines as #tourism… and nothing else, becoming a #touristtrap as checked during this #LGBT ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is really only accessible for those with private vehicles. If you’re commuting, you can take a tricycle to and from the nearby Tanay Public Market. But don’t expect to be able to just hail sasakyan while there.

Ikalawa, open from 7AM to 6PM every day, you’d see 27 wind turbines operated by Alternergy Philippine Holdings Corporation there.

Standing atop hills at 300 meters above sea level, overlooking Laguna de Bay, each turbine can produce 2MW, with the entire farm generating almost 150 Gigawatt hours of electricity per year. To put this in perspective lang, ha, it could provide power for approximately 90,000 to 100,000 households… assuming, of course, na what’s produced is provided cheaply to the people.

But yes, you’d see “science in action” here… in a very, VERY limited way, of course.

Ikatlo, even if the Pililla Wind Farm doesn’t charge fees, everything is still for profit here – e.g. parking, stuff you can use while walking (like umbrellas), access to some viewing areas, and so on. The greed is most apparent in the access to toilets; here, all the shops have “PAY CR” since Pililla Wind Farm itself doesn’t have similar publicly-available facilities.

So… should you visit? If you have a car, daan lang siguro, quickly drop by. Or just enjoy those windmills from afar siguro. Because either/or, there’s not much to gain while at the Pililla Wind Farm – e.g. no people to discuss with you how farming the wind works, no glimpses of how this particular wind farm actually works, no picnic areas to stay at while enjoying the views, and so on.

Of course, if you really just want to take pics din, then yeah… head there. Pero kami, off we go for more LGBTQIA+ discoveries…

The Pililla Wind Farm is located at F8CX+VJW, Manila E Rd., Pililla, Rizal Province.

Destinations

Checking the café vibe of Filipino-ish Yellow Bird resto

#Breakfast-hunting in #Antipolo led us to #YellowBird #restaurant that offers #Filipinofood, Italian dishes, #cafe goodies, atbp. But… is it worth checking out?

Published

2 weeks ago

May 17, 2026

M.D. dela Cruz Tan, MDC

Antipolo has, particularly lately, been trying to make a name as a must-check place for foodies. If most places in Metro Manila close at night, Antipolo has 24-hour venues that boast not just not-bad food, but views of cities of Metro Manila as they succumb to darkness.

So one morning, after a night shift, we decided to grab something at any of their breakfast nooks… which was how we ended up at Yellow Bird Café X Kitchen.

@outragemag #Breakfast-hunting in #Antipolo led us to #YellowBird #restaurant that offers #Filipinofood, Italian dishes, #cafe ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place isn’t hard to find for those with private vehicles; Google Maps or Waze will lead you there easily. But noticeably, we didn’t notice public transportation during our visit.

Ikalawa, the actual place was… airy, thanks to the glass walls/windows. But while this may also be a steakhouse/Filipino restaurant/Italian-ish restaurant/and so on, look-wise, it’s more a café that happens to serve some food. Rustic also came to mind, thanks to those dried flowers everywhere…

Ikatlo, the staff’s deadma; no one was friendly enough to stick to mind. They just tell you where to sit, take your order, deliver your food or drinks, then… kebs na. No small chitchats on what’s good or not, or whatever.

Ika-apat, how was the food?

The ₱140 Americano was… forgettable. Mag-tubig ka na lang while waiting for your food.
The Sinigang na Baka (₱525) was actually a surprise – that is, this isn’t your typical sinigang, Using kamatis (tomato) instead of bayabas (guava) or sampalok (tamarind) or miso, the broth was tasty without being overpowering. Yes, the meat could have been softer/more tender, but at least it wasn’t chewy. And the serving could have been bigger, considering the asking price. But yes, this one’s worth checking out.
The Munggo & Chicharon (₱295) wasn’t bad at all… but there’s nothing special about this as it’s no different from the munggo (beans) that you’d get from some carinderia.

That sinigang may have been a pleasant surprise (and this is even if the meat needed more time to boil), but I doubt that’s enough to lure us to head back anytime soon. This isn’t a bad place at all, but when in Antipolo, a place that has more food venues to discover, we – or you – may as well check others…

So off we go, as we search for more lafangan venues.

Yellow Bird Café X Kitchen is located at Blk 2, Mission Hills Blvd, Antipolo, 1870 Rizal Province.

Destinations

Checking Cavite’s Lolo Claro’s

It claims to sell over 400 pieces of #friedchicken per day, so Lolo Claro’s must be good, no? We checked the former mami house turned restaurant in #Cavite during a quick #LGBT wandering.

Published

1 month ago

April 26, 2026

M.D. dela Cruz Tan, MDC

So… if a resto claims to sell as many as 400 fried chickens a day, you’re bound to think that what they have may be really good. So we checked Lolo Claro’s Restaurant in Cavite City, one of those restos that can claim that it was built by, yep, friend chicken.

How was Lolo Claro’s Restaurant for us?

@outragemag It claims to sell over 400 pcs of #friedchicken per day, so #LoloClaros in #Cavite must be good, no? We #LGBT checked this former #mami house turned #restaurant ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, as background, this place is somewhat historical. Started over 25 years ago by Bernie Ilagan in honor of his late kutsero (horse carriage driver) grandfather, it used to just be a food stall that sold mami, among others, but eventually grew to have multiple branches.

Ikalawa, the branch we visited was easy to find, as it’s along a major road in Cavite City. Yeah, public transport passed the area. And there’s ample open-air parking for those with private vehicles.

Ikatlo, the resto is luma (antiquated). This should also serve as a warning since there, tabletops are peeling, corners are soiled, walls have who-knows-what prints, and so on. The squeamish may say it borders on… dirty, and they won’t be completely wrong.

Ika-apat, the staff was perfunctory – e.g. you have to pester them to clean a table for you, or follow-up an order, et cetera.

Ikalima, how were the offerings?

Claro’s Fried Chicken (₱275 for half, ₱475 for whole) was similar to Max’s chicken – e.g. not that big and not over-fried, but not that tasty and quite dry.
The chopsuey (₱290) was… peculiar. Think deconstructed, and you’d have an idea of their version – i.e. the veggies were steamed or boiled, and the sauce was just poured on top before serving. Good for those who just like steamed veggies; but for those who want chopsuey the traditional way, this isn’t gonna please you.
The kare-kare (₱360) needed more oomph; kulang sa lasa. But at least you get enough laman, from the meat slices to the veggies. And yeah, the bagoong (shrimp paste) was good… even if they didn’t serve a lot.

Lolo Claro’s Restaurant was packed when we visited; we actually had to wait for a table to be vacated before we could eat. So this is a popular resto, indeed. I can’t, and won’t, justify this; to each his own. But we have reservations… with the venue, the staff, the food… And so off we go in search of more lafangan venues…

Lolo Claro’s Restaurant is located at Governor’s Drive corner Naic Indang Road, Cavite City.