Perfect timing

ON TIME. In fact, ahead of time. Exactly, 20 minutes before the expected time of arrival. That was Cebu Pacific flight 5J609 from Clark landing at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Thursday afternoon.   

That the very schedule of our media “lakbay-aral” flight was moved forward to 1:05 p.m. from 9:30 p.m. could have been a sign of this surprising, and most welcome, development, and could have set the tone for what turned out to be the fullness, aye fulsomeness, of time in our fully-packed itinerary.

A breeze from Mactan through Mandaue for on-time check-in at Radisson Blu Cebu which pampered us with the full measure of its 5-star status – from our rooms to the buffet breakfast of continental – cheese and bread, bacon and sausages, eggs galore; Chinese – dimsum, noodles and porridge, veritably Hong Kong’s; and Cebuano – crispy danggit, and surprisingly even crispier pusit.

Dinner buffet at the hotel’s Feria restaurant levels up to ambrosia – succulent fried duck, divine roast leg of lamb, juicy beefsteaks, and lechon Cebu but of course – for the main entrée.

Aye, timely tasting of the Radisson brand of hospitality which will soon be served  hereabouts via its Park Inn at the SM City Clark complex, virtually templated from the same hotel-mall synergy in Cebu.

Whirlwind sightseeing around the city made the time spiritually fulfilling with brief stops at the modern church of 100 walls dedicated to San Pedro Calungsod, the iconic Magellan’s Cross and the metropolitan cathedral with the shrine to the Sto. Nino.

It could not have been timelier: The media briefing on ongoing developments at the Mactan Cebu International Airport. That we automatically referenced from the announcements of a P15-billion fund for the development of the Clark International Airport, with P1.2 billion already earmarked by the NEDA Board only over a week or two ago.  

MCIA, now run by the GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., is a work in progress worth some P35 billion until 2022, so I got – hopefully not mistakenly – from Chief Executive Adviser Andrew Acquaah-Harrison.

No, the government has not provided a single cent for the airport, GMR-Megawide winning the bid for some P14 billion.

Yes, on-going construction and renovations make the airport look like an evolving success story for the public-private partnership policy.        

Some lessons to be learned from there, Pampanga media duly noted, immediately volunteering to broker a meeting between Harrison and CIAC President-CEO Dino Tanjuatco. Better yet, award the Clark terminal project to GMR-Megawide with just one proviso: Andrew Acquaah-Harrison a sine qua non in the package.

No time. To swim at the Bluewater Maribago resort, distinctive with decades- if not centuries-old trees all around its property. There’s always a next time, of course.

On time. The departure of the Ocean Jet ferry from Cebu to Bohol. But wrong timing for touring, one of the guys – was it Ashley Manabat? – said of our Saturday sidetrip to Tarsierland. The heavy clouds that enveloped our crossing the Cebu Strait turned to pelting rain as we disembarked at the Tagbilaran port.

Intermittent downpour forced us to pass up on Napoleon Abueva’s commemorative monument to the blood compact of Datu Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi that sealed the first international treaty entered into by a Filipino.

Soft drizzle welcomed us to earthquake-devastated Baclayon church, the long, painful process of its reconstruction most manifest in the steel frames around the remains of its façade, buttresses and walls, and the stacks of reclaimed limestone blocks that once formed the same.

A revelation inside – the total absence of destruction from the crossing to the apse and the altar. The magnificence and majesty of the retablos – behind the main altar and at each of the north and south transepts – inspiring reverential awe over what could have been but – by the grace of God – did not. One is  moved to kneel in deep prayer of thanksgiving.

No time though for the museum at the convent, with Loboc still some distance away.

In time for lunch, on boats cruising the Loboc River with musicians on board and a short stop by a wooden pier where school kids perform folk dances to the accompaniment of a rondalla.

The rains, now slight, enhancing the verdancy of the forests lining the river banks, and at the far end of the river bend the mystic scene of fog descending on the thick green foliage. The spirit soars, in nature’s sweet embrace.        

More natural marvel in the furry, fragile tarsiers sheltered from the drizzle by leaves, clutching at the branches, keeping still, impassive to the rush of curious tourists, both foreign and domestic, clicking away with their cameras and mobiles.

Aware of the depressive disposition of these smallest of primates, it was time to leave with the slightest of disturbance to them, to their habitat as well.

Precision timing. The rains had stopped, the skies had cleared. The hills were alive with the sound of tourists. For a panoramic vista, huffed and puffed up the over-200 steps to the observation spot where ravages of the earthquake have remained extant – collapsed walls, broken posts, cracked markers.              

So why were they called Chocolate Hills when there’s nothing chocolaty in their greenness? Duh! It is in summer when the grass covering them dry up and turn brown. Duh, duh!

In time for the ferry back to Cebu, travel time: two hours.

A great time for all of us lakbay-aral mediamen – the best for Deng Pangilinan, two days short of being Boy Golden – at STK Ta Bai, the acronym for sinugba, tinola, kinilaw over grilled tuna. Food, glorious food! 

On time. In fact, ahead of time. Exactly, 20 minutes before the expected time of arrival. That was Cebu Pacific flight 5J608 from Mactan-Cebu International Airport landing at Clark early Sunday morning.

As we departed, so we arrived. Timing perfection. Courtesy of CebPac. And Clark.