Cormorant weekend in Paoay, Ilocos Norte

I knew from my first visit to Ilocos Norte on my birthday last year that I would go back. I thought the province had a charm about it that made me feel at home right away. It was simple and unpretentious, but it radiated pride and quiet dignity.

I also think it is the perfect tourist destination. There's something for everyone--old churches, a distinctive cuisine, sunbleached beaches, sand dunes, and rarely reported birds. For those who fondly look back to the Bagong Lipunan era, it is here that they will find kindred souls everywhere. It seems that everything, from the infrastructure to the garden landscaping, has the stamp of the late Apo and his heirs, or was created as an ode to what this family represented.

I had a chance to go back when the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines was invited to participate in the 3rd Return of the Great Cormorant to Paoay Festival on November 20.

Ilocos-based WBCP members Pete Calope and Richard Ruiz, who showed us the Silky Starlings in Laoag last year, were the first ones to report sightings of Great Cormorants in Paoay Lake a few years ago. They then lobbied with the local government to include it among the town's tourist drawers, which include the historic Paoay Lake and the local cafe that invented the pakbet pizza. The annual festival is the result of their efforts.

Gina's endurance test
We initially wanted to take the bus, but fellow bird club member and volunteer Gina Mapua wanted to test her long-drive endurance, so we took her truck. Armed with a GPS and a roadmap bought from a gas station convenience store, we tracked our way to Ilocos, avoiding the usually busy thoroughfares and opting for the barangay roads with the idyllic countryside view. Counting the meal and gas stops and a couple of wrong turns, our travel time totaled 12hrs, which wasn't bad considering that bus trips normally take 10hrs. Gina is a speed junkie, it turned out. Which wasn't surprising since her other car is a Subaru, which she said can run up to 240kph without wobbling.

In Paoay, we stayed at Casa Emilia, perhaps the only hotel in town. It was nice and homey, and had a kidney-shaped pool. Too bad I didn't bring a swimsuit. It was right across the municipal hall and beside the famous Paoay Church. It was late when we got to town, so we got to see the church in all its halogen-lighted glory. The dramatic lighting actually made it look majestic, rather than spooky, which is what one would expect of a centuries-old structure.

We left for Paoay Lake early the next day. We wanted to be at the view deck before 8am so we could set up. But we did expect the program to start late because the governor, Ms. Imee Marcos, was guest of honor, and we didn't think the VIPs would be there by 8am. On our way to the lake, we went past a group of majorettes with their school band waiting for the parade to start. It was still a long way off from the lake, so we knew it would a while before the parade would get to the site.

Kids at the viewdeck
When we got to the view deck, Richard and Pete were already showing some kids the few ducks that were in the lake. I saw some of the kids had illustration boards, and I found out later they expected a drawing contest. But that wasn't part of the program. I just knew there would be a coloring contest, but our own coloring sheets would be used. I thought perhaps a drawing contest would be a good idea for next year.

While waiting for the parade participants and the VIPs to arrive, I helped Mike tape bird cutouts to coconut spines (used to make 'walis tingting,' the native broomsticks). We made quite a lot, and the schoolkids and their teachers loved them. Gina, who was to teach origami, also made paper crane prototypes.

When the parade participants arrived, the venue suddenly got crowded. People spilled to the middle of the highway, which I thought was dangerous, but then again very few vehicles went that way. I figured the traffic going to and from Laoag took the Batac route.

McDonald's Laoag was an event sponsor, so Ronald and Grimace were there, to the delight of the little kids. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and I ended up having my picture taken with the mysterious Grimace as well.

Everything was fun to watch--the little girls in their majorette costumes, little boys with their band instruments, basketball players in their team colors, school kids looking about with anticipation, and curious folks hanging around. It was a classic Pinoy barangay fiesta, but with the bird-themed decors, it had a unique environment-awareness twist.

Borgy's mom
Then the governor arrived. I didn't expect Borgy Manotoc's mom to look so young and lithe. She won me over with the huge sunshades and the Crocs flats. In her speech, she revealed that she suffers from ornithophobia, or the irrational fear of birds. She attributed it to seeing headless chicken running around their kitchen as a child. Her mom--the former first lady Imelda Marcos--would only eat chicken slaughtered in their own kitchen, and sometimes it took more than one cut in the throat to kill the birds.

On the other hand, her dad, the former president Ferdinand Marcos, had a love for birds, and in fact was instrumental in starting the Philippine Eagle Foundation, the co-sponsor of the 1st Asian Bird Fair.

In support of the municipal government's effort to promote birdwatching in Paoay Lake, she approved the release of fingerlings into the lake, which are expected to restock the fish population therein. She also announced that the provincial government would manage the view deck, as well as the planned boat dock that will be built somewhere on the lake shore. Overall I think she has great plans for Paoay. I just hope the good intentions will bear good fruit, and not end up paving the road to perdition.

Coloring and origami
After the speeches and the mid-morning meal of pancit and native snacks, we took over. Gina and her origami students moved to the next cottage, while I and Arnel took charge of the coloring contest. I gave a brief introduction of the six bird species that were on the coloring sheets. There were at least 20 participants, mostly grade schoolers. They looked serious as they were coloring, and I wished everyone would win a prize. And true enough, James, the representative of the municipal government, announced that everyone who joined would get a prize, and the top winners will be announced during the school flag ceremonies the following Monday.

The festival activities officially ended shortly after 1pm, with Gina and her origami class finishing last. Paoay Mayor Bobby Clemente then treated us to lunch at Herencia Cafe, home of the pinakbet pizza. We met the cafe's owner, who also happened to be a birder. earlier at the view deck, but his name escapes me now.

Because it was a weekend, and the cafe was already full-packed when we got there, we had to wait a while for our food. I knew everyone was hungry because the corn bits (local name: 'kornik'), also a local specialty, on our table kept disappearing. But I appreciated the fact that the restaurant was fair to the diners who got there first, and served their food ahead, even if the mayor was on our table. He, too, had to wait like the rest of the paying customers.

But when our food finally came, it did not disappoint! It was well worth the wait. All the exposure I had to Ilocano cuisine was at my cousins' place here in Tandang Sora, but they are mixed Ilocano-Ilonggos who grew up in Mindanao, so their version may have been more fusion than authentic. Also, I generally avoid salty food, so dishes with bagoong and patis rarely make it to our table.

Pakbet pizza
But at Cafe Herencia, I knew what I was eating was the real thing, and I was having it right at its birthplace. The pinakbet pizza was good, and Doc Pete showed us how to eat it with patis or bagoong, instead of catsup. But I still liked mine with chili sauce. The dinuguan looked like crumbly pudding, and in it were bits of crunchy bagnet. There were two vegetable dishes that looked similar to me, and they registered similar shades of salty and bitter to my not-so-discriminating palate, but apparently they were distinct. I don't recall what they're called now, but one was soupy and the other was somewhat dry.

I tried to just have a little bit of everything so I don't overeat, but because there was so much food I still ended up eating more than I wanted to. Arnel wanted to walk around the park and the churchyard, and have a latte at the neighboring coffeeshop, but I was too full to move around. The afternoon heat also made me sleepy and long for the AC in our room. So we decided to postpone the walk and the coffee and head back to the hotel. We agreed to meet Mike at the lobby at 4pm, then we'll go exploring.

And so after our nap, we proceeded to the lobby, and the mayor's driver was already there to pick us up for our tour. But the place Mike wanted to go to, the patch of sand dunes we saw on the hotel lobby map, required a 4x4. The driver left to look for a more suitable vehicle, but it took him so long to come back. Meantime, we walked around the plaza and checked out the new landscaping of the churchyard. There were champacas and sampaguitas planted around the church lawn. Both have white, pleasant-smelling flowers. This was Madam Imelda's idea, and she also provided the funds for it, according to Mike. That figures, I thought.

By the time we got our 4x4 vehicle, we had a different driver, and it was already getting dark so we couldn't go to the original destination anymore. Instead the driver took us to a nearby sand dune patch just 10mins away. I expected to be disappointed, but when we got there the sun was just about to set, and the landscape was awesome!

Sunset at the dunes
There were shallow ponds on the sand reflecting the tangerine sunset. There were also clumps of grass that looked like they could be harboring wildlife. True enough, nightjars were already starting to stir and call out to one another, and we figured they were hiding inside the grass clumps. Good thing Arnel brought his flashlight. He trained light on one of the clumps, and we saw some bright spots, which turned out to be the eyes of a couple of Savannahs. The birds took off a few meters from where we stood, and that was my first time to see this species in flight up close.

We also checked out one of several ponds there, and it was teeming with yellow toads. We didn't know what species it was, so we took some pictures for ID later. James of the Paoay LGU, who was also our guide, gave a tentative ID during dinner back at the hotel, but I can't recall it now.

We left the sand dunes when it got too dark to see anything. We had another Ilocano-cuisine meal at the hotel, then we went out for a walk. Nights were already getting cool in Paoay, but not too cold to be uncomfortable. In short I loved it! We went to the coffeeshop where earlier I saw a WiFi sign. The coffee was good for its price, and the proprietor took pains to present it nicely. I appreciated the effort. And of course, WiFi meant I was able to log on FB.

The following morning, we left early to meet up with Doc Pete and Richard in Laoag. We were supposed to go straight to our meeting point, but we got waylaid by Paoay Lake, which looked magical in the sunrise. We hoped to spot some Cormorants, but were disappointed. Still, the sight of the lake with the rising sun mirrored on its peaceful surface was worth the stop. Later, we were told that the Cormorants came by shortly after we left. Oh well.

Laoag birding
Upon meeting Doc Pete and Richard, we proceeded to the Laoag Chinese Cemetery, hoping to spot the Silky Starlings. But they were not yet around. We did see a Blue Rock Thrush and a big flock of Red Turtledoves (or some other pigeon... I don't recall now). We also checked out the grasslands near the viaduct, which turned out to be a promising birding spot for beginners. I think we saw more Turtledoves there. The grass, which Doc Pete called 'Tambo,' were taller than an adult human. I figured the same grass species must have been abundant in the former grasslands in Tambo, Paranaque, where the SM Mall of Asia now stands.

We then went to Doc Pete's place where he and his wife hosted breakfast for us. I liked his place a lot. It was overlooking a small rice paddy, which was actually a toy farm. They had a lot of bird-themed stuff around the house, including table napkins with Cardinals on them. After breakfast at Doc Pete's, we proceeded to the Batac market to buy Ilocano goodies.

By 9am, Gina, Arnel and I were off for Manila. Mike was taking the evening flight so he had more time to go around. Our trip back to Manila was less eventful because we didn't take any wrong turns. Gina was also driving faster because it was daytime and she could clearly see the road. We got stuck in traffic in some barangay road because of a fiesta, which upset Gina, but other than that the trip went smoothly. We were tired and feeling fluey when we got to Manila, but the wonderful weekend was well worth it.