Manila: Sound and fury, signifying … shopping?

Driving from Clark to Manila is the worst. I’m telling you, you haven’t experienced traffic until you’ve been in the back seat of a car that’s driving on top of the lane line and a motorcycle rider is close enough to kiss your window.

Makati is a little more quiet on the weekends and has green space that’s a gorgeous place to be when it’s not pouring rain. (Photo by Taylor Danser)

Metro Manila (which technically is made up of 16 cities) is big but doesn’t really seem quite large enough to have the 12-million-person population that it does. That’s why its claim to fame is being the most densely populated city in the world. So people live and work there. But, what do they do there?

Well, what it’s really known for among Filipinos is its shopping malls. I kid you not, they are the main attraction. But there is more to Manila than malls. On a recent weekend, we stayed in Makati City (one of the 16 that make up Metro Manila) and I found it a quaint, clean urban place I would definitely prefer living in over Clark.

We also spent an afternoon taking in some history of Manila. A couple of hours was really all we needed to see what’s still standing. We decided to do it through Carlos Celdran’s tour.

There’s one major difference in taking a tour in the capital of the Philippines vs. that of Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan or Taiwan. In this Southeast Asian country, there’s a big hole: culture. In Taipei, you can visit a really good museum that shows the evolution of Chinese culture. In Indonesia, you can watch native dances.

But things are a little less straight-forward for Filipinos.

The reconstructed main gate of Fort Santiago (Photo by Taylor Danser)

That’s because this culture didn’t really have a chance to develop on its own: being controlled by Spain then the U.S., there wasn’t a real chance to, so said our guide.

Celdran did take us around to see Intramuros’ Fort Santiago and Plaza San Luis. The buildings that remained were good to see, and as he mentioned, much more entertaining than a shopping mall.

What really stuck with me, though, was that he also mentioned the lack of one cohesive culture in the Philippines. That doesn’t mean it culture doesn’t exist, of course. There’s just a lot of blending going on. “A person may have Chinese eyes, a Spanish last name, but inside they just want to be American,” he said.

He related the Filipino soul to Halo-Halo, a dessert that sounds nothing of the sort to you if you’re American. The concoction generally has shaved ice and evaporated milk. Oh, and jello, boiled beans, fruits, sugar palm, sweet potato, cheese and caramelized plantains. Whether this layered recipe is served in a tall glass or a regular bowl, I think it’s an acquired taste.

The dessert can have a lot of ingredients in it — all sorts of things that don’t seem related, but they come together in a dessert that people here love. And, as our guide said, that’s the culture of a Filipino.

Filipino fast food chain Chowking has a better picture of Halo-Halo than I do — photographing it in a short plastic cup doesn’t give it justice. (Facebook)

Bob Wagner finds his ‘own personal Valhalla’

If you make a trip to the Philippines, you’ll find that there’s not a whole lot of diversity among the population. Most people are around the same beautiful tan color. But every so often, you’ll see an older white guy, taking advantage of this place for retirement. The warm climate and inexpensive living has to be a lure for that.

Another place you’ll find an American man is maybe an unsuspecting place, a Spanish restaurant in Clark Freeport Zone. But Robert Wagner isn’t here for a relaxing retirement. He’s the kind of guy who introduces himself casually as “Bob,” keeps his head shaven because it can get so miserably hot here, and isn’t afraid to tell you what the heck he believes is upside down about this country he loves and now calls home.

Marine Private Robert Wagner joined the service in 1974.

He’s also someone who, in the 1970s, people would have called a bit crazy. He willingly joined the Marines and found himself in Vietnam. Coming from a long line of family members who were in the military, the then-17-year-old who attended Richardson High School, just north of Dallas, Texas, forged his mom’s signature to get enlisted. A little while later, in 1975, he floated in with his troop, which was evacuating fleeing Vietnamese to Subic Bay in the Philippines.

“I always knew I would come to the Philippines,” the now-58-year-old said.

What he didn’t know was that he would actually be stuck here: When he arrived, the rest of his unit went home to the States and he was in the infirmary being treated for malaria.

“You could call it divine intervention or what, I don’t know,” he said.

After moving around the world, consistently returning to the Philippines, Bob has made his home here in Clark with a mission to help the education system. His organization, humbly named The Robert T. Wagner Foundation, raises funds to introduce new computers and SMART boards to classrooms in schools that need them the most.

Students at Air Force City Elementary School take a look at the new technology Wagner’s foundation provided. Wagner (back, left) said he’s been able to provide more technology than he imagined so far.(Facebook)

He is five years into this 25-year effort and has put 800 pieces of these technologies into teachers’ hands, helping teach them how to use it to get students interactive and interested in learning. He says that’s more than he expected to accomplish in this time, and he already has plans to give more to a school in Pantao, Bicol, in the Philippines. Even so, he says it’s just a very small way to help a society that needs major revamping.

“It’s going a lot faster than I thought it would. I’m happy with my supply partners … but it’s difficult to ship,” he said.

He flies products around in his own aircraft. Bob likes to tell the story of how when Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan got here (before he was killed by natives) he stayed overnight then found supplies stolen the next morning. He later would refer to islands in the area as a land of thieves.

“Things get stolen a lot around here,” he said. “If you take a look at the Filipino politicians, plenty of the country’s finances, the same could be said today.”

Bob believes he can maybe make an impact by helping the improve education and bring a few situations to justice. He’s been here a while and has settled in as a community leader with the Clark Development Corporation. Among his varying interests, Bob Wagner owns and runs D’ Tapas, a Spanish restaurant that has been open here for about two months.

He chose the cuisine because he misses the Cuban food he had enjoyed in his youth, before his family moved to Richardson. He says he’s gotten a great response so far from expatriates and locals for the menu designed by Cuban chef Pedro Carbajal. He’s even been told that the food is better than most restaurants in the area. (This is probably true. Not just because his food is good, but because so many restaurants here have quite terrible excuses for meals.)

Wagner’s latest interest is in his tapas restaurant in Clark.

It’s also one of the few places you can find real iced tea in the area. Locals around here drink a lot of Nestea, and, boy, do they like the stuff sweet. But he brews good-old-fashioned Lipton, letting it sit in the sun like his grandmother did when she lived in Georgia.

Wagner (far right) doing flight training out of Ormond Beach, Florida last year.

Bob’s plans for now include keeping the restaurant functioning and keeping the funds coming in for his foundation. He also has a fun bash planned for an American Fourth of July celebration, the first year for the event that will have a picnic, band and all of the American goodness (prepared and performed by Filipinos) that we’ll all be craving once July comes around.

“The Philippines has never had the will to get things done,” he’ll say. But, still, he loves this place. “I would die if I were forced to live in the States,” he said. “This here, in the Philippines, is my own personal Valhalla.”

Chocolate hills, resort-style living and big-eyed primates: This is Bohol

Cracks on sides of buildings, trash piled up on the sides of roads and a target for natural disasters. Is that what you think of when you think about the Philippines? Or do you think of cute forest creatures, secluded beaches and welcoming people? You’d be right if you thought of each or all of those circumstances. But for now, I’m going to introduce you to more pleasant scenarios in the form of some experiences on the island of Bohol.

A cruise takes you down Loboc River in Bohol. (Photo by Michael Danser)

To tell you the truth, this entry was almost something along the lines of “Here’s what you need to know about the Republic of the Philippines” to give you an introduction to these islands. But, I’m not from here, have only been here a few weeks and am not a good expert for you. Google if you want to find more. But I will tell you that Bohol is one of the more than 7,000 islands that make up this country. It’s also a location that’s worth a “tourist destination” label. Locals are aware of this, as there are plenty of beach-side resorts. If you want a really quiet one with a view below, check into Anda White Beach Resort. (It’s so secluded, your driver from the airport might not even know how to find it.)

The sand is white and person-less at Anda White Beach Resort in Bohol. (Photo by Michael Danser)

Sorry, those aren’t giant mounds of dark and milk-chocolate morsels. They’re still cool to see, though. There are about 1,268 of these formations of limestone, which you can see by air with an airplane tour or by land. A convenient viewpoint has been constructed for you to visit, you just have to climb the 214 steps — not a set you want to slip down on. In these photos, you’ll see they look green because they’re covered in grass. At the end of the dry season, they turn more of a chocolate brown — hence, the name.

“Legend has it that the hills came into existence when two giants threw stones and sand at each other in a fight that lasted for days. When they were finally exhausted, they made friends and left the island, but left behind the mess they made. For the more romantically inclined is the tale of Arogo, a young and very strong giant who fell in love with an ordinary mortal girl called Aloya. After she died, the giant Arogo cried bitterly. His tears then turned into hills, as a lasting proof of his grief.” – bohol.ph {Photo by Michael Danser}

If you find tarsiers during the day, they’ll probably be sleeping. (Photo by Michael Danser)

If piles of land aren’t your thing, take a look at this weird creature: the tarsier. This little tree animal is native to the Philippines and is technically a primate, despite looking like some kind of a rodent. Each of these nocturnal animals is about the size of your hand. These small animals are protected now, so you can find them in their natural habitat at the Philippine Tarsier Foundation. It might feel touristy, but it’s your chance to see their oversized eyes as they crouch in the trees. Maybe I’ve buried the lede, but I might’ve saved the best for last. As I mentioned earlier, the Philippine islands get their share of natural disasters. No doubt you remember the typhoon last November. Just a month earlier, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Bohol and did some major damage to historic churches. The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. The first structure of the compound was built in 1595, and the church’s building is from 1727. There’s now a museum there, which you can visit for 50 pesos (about 1.12 USD). The slideshow below doesn’t have photos from the artifacts in there (photos weren’t allowed), so, you’ll have to visit those yourself. However, there are more than enough opportunities to photograph the sanctuary. Take a look for yourself to see a bit of history:

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