Backpackers Hostel – An Introduction

A backpackers hostel, which is a small hotel aptly named Island Vacations Country Inn, is established to cater to the billeting needs of backpackers and island getaways aficionados intending to spend on the beach holidays and go sight seeing on the fantastic caverns, seaside lagoon, seaside waterfall, and a view park and visit the giant mangrove forest and Colorum Uprising landmarks as well as observe the rich culture of peope helping people in Bucas Grande Island, Socorro, Surigao del Norte Philippines. Located just 100 meters away from the Socorro Port, the backpacker hostel also aimed to accommodate medium-end tourists.

Backpackers Hostel – What The Island Vacations Country Inn Can Offer

Three months after I had featured in my blog the various natural attractions of Bucas Grande Island, I received numerous emails from my readers expressing interest in visiting the island. First and foremost of their query was the availability of affordable backpackers hostel with internet access. I promptly answered to the email senders that there indeed were available world-class vacation resorts within the vicinity of the Sohoton Cove but they catered to high-end tourists and hence, were pricey beyond the budget of medium-end tourists and backpackers notwithstanding the absence of internet facilities. I thought that the interest would just die down. However, contrary to my expectations, the queries on the same subject had become more frequent as the days passed by.

Meanwhile, it has been my dream to let the world know that there exist a variety of eco-tourism destinations in Bucas Grande Island. Moreover, I dreamed of telling the world the the fact that only in Bucas Grande that the Filipino Bayanihan culture of people helping people is practiced by heart. This is being done by way of an annual month-long Tinabangay activity, wherein, able-bodied men has to leave the privacy of their lives and offer their services for free for 30 straight days, except Sundays, spanning from July to August to work in the house construction and collective farming activities with the house and farm owners only shouldering the food and material cost. Such deeply-rooted tradition did not just occurred by chance but was developed as an aftermath of the Colorum Uprising which culminated on the attack on Bucas Grande Island by the mighty US Marines and Filipino Constables on board the patrol gunship USS Sacramento in 1924. An e-book on the uprising from the point of view of a grandson of one of the local defenders shall be released by this writer soon.

The campaign to visit Sohoton Cove has had slowly gained acceptance as evidenced by the growing influx of tourists in the area. Nevertheless, the absence of an affordable backpackers hostel in the place had forced a number of tourists to just hop to the southern side of the island and return to their destination afterward thereby missing in the process the opportunity to visit the other equally alluring tourist destinations and historical sites situated near the Socorro town center. Moreover, the chances for the tourists to mingle with the local folks and observe their rich bayanihan culture were also lost.

It is for this reason that I and my wife had decided to establish and operate a backpackers hostel on a leased property owned by my elder brother in preparation for the travel and tours that we will be operating in the very near future. After a few months of construction works, I felt satisfied that a small hotel and country inn was inaugurated on July 31, 2011.

Allow me then to bring you to a walk through to the Island Vacations Country Inn. Upon arrival at the Port of Socorro from any port of origin such as Surigao City; Barangay Hayangabon, Claver in mainland Surigao del Norte and Dapa, Siargao Island, you will be greeted with this sight . . .

The modern Socorro Municipal Feeder Port. On the right is the entry point for outbound passengers while the incoming passengers shall pass through the Welcome Arc on the left.

After passing through the Welcome Arc, this signage on the right side of the street at the edge of the Municipal Public Market would surely catch your attention . . .

An imposing Island Vacations Country Inn tarpaulin guiding visitors on the exact location of the small hotel

Just a few minutes walk and you will notice this imposing structure on the first street corner . . .

The Island Vacations Country Inn standing proud at A. Taruc Corner Burgos Streets in Socorro town center.

The facade of the backpackers hostel with the signage bearing good news to internet savvy-travelers . . .

The Free Wifi Wireless Internet Access notice in the signage would surely catch the attention of laptop-bearing visitors.

A few more steps would bring you to the hostel entrance situated at the other side of the building . . .

The entrance door of the Island Vacations Country Inn with the Socorro Port Welcome Arc seen at the background.

After entering the backpackers hostel and climbing through a stairway lined with elegant   hard wood balusters, this alluring sight would greet your eyes. . .

The comely Island Vacations Country Inn front desk . . .

Ask your self if your senses will not be captured by this lovely smile . . .

The amiable receptionist manning the hostel front desk . . .

Conspicuously displayed within the vicinity of the front desk of the backpackers hostel are two important information age gadgets . . .

A flat-screen cable TV and a state-of-the art wireless router supplying 24/7 free wireless internet access to guests.

You can chose from an array of accommodations, the first being the ordinary room provided with an electric fan and a separate comfort and bath room . . .

Sturdy double-deck beds providing comfort to weary travelers . . .

For group travelers, this dormitory-type air-conditioned room would surely fit your taste . . .

A view of the single and double-deck beds suited for guests traveling in group.

The other side of the dormitory-type air-conditioned room. . .

Foremost to be considered in selecting a backpackers hostel or any other public house is the quality of its comfort rooms. Here at Island Vacations Country Inn, you can be assured of a modern toilet and bath facilities with reliable water supply . . .

An elegant toilet bowl with hydraulic-driven cover . . .

Excellent quality sink and telephone-type shower facilities . . .

For couples, the family room of the backpackers hostel with toilet and bath facilities identical with the air conditioned dormitory type room is an excellent choice . . .

A simple yet elegant matrimonial bed . . .

With cabinet cum working table . . .

And now, the rates . . .

Booking Terms and Conditions:

1.) One day (24-hours) rate shall commence on the check-in time. A fraction of 24 hours is considered as 1 day;

2.) Booking can be done by directly contacting the mobile number +639199897331 or +639088842056 or by email at admin@islandvacations.me;

3.) Full payment in cash or through the Western Union is required to finalize the booking. If payment is not received by option date, the reservation will automatically be released without penalty and without prior notice;

4. ) Any change in the booking made after payment is received shall be accepted and be re-booked to another available date. In case of refund, a refund fee equivalent to 15% of the booking amount shall be deducted;

5.) A minimum of 2 guests at a time is required for  the dormitory-type air-conditioned room. A single occupant shall be billed PhP 500.00 per day;

6.) Children 2-6 years old  in excess of 2 guests in the family room is allowed whie  7-11 years shall be charged 50% of the extra bed rate. Children 12 years old and above are considered adults and shall be charged adult rates for extra bed.

7.) Only bath towels shall be provided. Soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste etc. shall be provided by the guests themeselves.

Backpackers Hostel – Final Thoughts

Security and comfort are key ingredients that a traveler will consider in selecting a public house for temporary shelter. For tourists coming to Bucas Grande Island for sightseeing into its rich natural and man made attractions and observing the rich culture of its people, you can be assured that  the security features, amenities and services  of the Island Vacations Country Inn are tailored fit for a quality backpackers hostel ready to accommodate modern-day tourists and travelers like you.

While on board the tranvia on our way to our next battlefield tours destination, my attention was divided between listening to the historical, and sometimes funny,  accounts of our guide and taking pictures at every Corregidor Island scenery which I found interest in. But I put my Nikon D7000 DSLR camera off, sat upright and focused my attention to her when she told us that we were heading to the east entrance of the Malinta Tunnel.  But I could feel my heart beating faster when she narrated that construction of the tunnel was started in 1922 and was finished in 1932. Further, she was telling us that the US Army Corps of Engineers constructed the tunnel without the benefit of funds appropriated by the US Congress due to the conclusion on February 6, 1922 of the  Washington Naval Treaty which led to an effective end to building new battleship fleets . The Philippine Scouts worked as foremen and clerks. But, the labor was provided  as counterpart by the Philippine Commonwealth in the form of 1,000 convicts from the Bilibid Prisons in Manila. Candidly, the last statement had sent shivers down my spine. What I heard since my childhood that my grandfather had worked on “forced labor”  in Corregidor for being convicted of sedition and brigandage being one of the combatants in the 1924 Colorum Uprising in Bucas Grande Island, Socorro, Surigao del Norte, Philippines, was corroborated by the historical facts being narrated by the guide. Being herded to Corregidor in 1924, my grandfather was surely among the 1,000 “forced laborers” being offered by the Philippine Commonwealth as  equity in the construction of Malinta Tunnel Project. The information I got had made me ecstatic to see the place. As our tranvia came to a complete stop, I literally run to this signage to have a glance on its message. . .

After getting tickets for me and my wife for the Malinta Channel Lights and Sounds, we proceeded to the East Entrance. . . then marched deeper into the tunnel . . .

My thrills and excitement about the tunnel were appropriately reciprocated by the vividly staged Light and Sound Show dubbed  “The Malinta Experience” scripted by national artist and film director Lamberto Avellana. The experience started with a voice over welcoming us to the Malinta Tunnel describing it among others as the marvelous achievement of engineering skill and  a subterranean passageway cut from solid rock. Our first stop was at the junction on the first lateral on our right where I had the chance to admire  the  great  sculptures made by national artist Napoleon Abueva of President Manuel L. Quezon being welcomed to the island by the fortress commander Major General George F. Moore on December 24, 1941. As we moved inside, we were shown with the other events of World War II including the evacuation of President Quezon and General Douglas MacArthur on board the Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three  from Corregidor to Mindanao where they were later flown to Australia. Other scenes of the Pacific War were being shown but what shocked me most was the portrayal of the re-taking of the island by US forces in 1945, wherein, Japanese soldiers who held out inside the Malinta Tunnel began committing suicide by detonating explosives within the bowels of the tunnel complex on the night of February 23, 1945. These collapsed laterals resulting from the said explosions have never been excavated . . .

The audio-video presentation’s finale was  the playing of the Philippine national anthem. Our trip to the 835 feet long,  24 feet wide and 18 feet high at arch top main tunnel had ended when we  made an exit at the West Side of the Tunnel . . .

As what I have done before entering, I hurriedly headed towards this signage . . .

As the tranvia was speeding away, I glanced back and got a view of the tunnel entrance on the foot of the 118.87-meter Malinta Hill. No wonder it is dubbed as the most unimpregnable fortress in the Philippine Islands as it offers complete protection from artillery or air attack.

I was smiling intently while on board the tranvia for reasons that I traced the historical connection as well as  my personal sentimental attachment to the tunnel. Never did I know that a historical joke of our guide would ruin my mood. She was telling us that:  “Malinta was derived from the local dialect for “leech,” as the place was full of leeches during its construction and even during the time of its occupation. Nevertheless all the leeches were gone after the bombing of  the Japanese inside the tunnel during their suicide spree. But, fortunately or unfortunately, some of the leeches were resurrected and managed their way to the House of Representatives and the Senate.” We the Filipino tourists were just smiling, or  grinning, but the American and Australian visitors occupying the seats in front of me were laughing with their hearts out. And I said to myself: “Is this the right form of tourism… portraying our officials… the hallmark of the vibrance of Philippine democracy… as bunch of leeches in the eyes of the foreigners?

Corregidor  is a rocky, tadpole-shaped, three mile-long and 1 ½ miles at its widest point,  island strategically located at the entrance of Manila Bay facing the China Sea and flanked by the provinces of Bataan and Cavite. It’s name came from the Spanish word “coregir” meaning to correct, since the island was a checkpoint for vessels entering Manila Bay during the Spanish and American occupations before it was heavily fortified to serve as first line of defense against the invaders of the capital city of Manila. Other writers affectionately call the place “The Rock” in reference to the Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay in the United States as the island was allegedly used as a penitentiary and corrections institution, a claim which I strongly believe to be true judging from the experience of my grandfather who was herded in this island for his “forced labor” tour of duty for playing an active role in the 1924 Colorum Uprising in Bucas Grande Island, Surigao del Norte, Philippines. For historical and sentimental reasons, the island has become the most visited place in the country especially among the battlefield tours enthusiasts.

Corregidor Island Map by junylapott

The island is divided into three parts: “Topside” or the “Head” in reference to the tad pole, “Middleside” or the “Body” and “Bottomside” or the “Tail.” There were a total of seven (7) tranvias, colorful early American-era couches, servicing us visitors on board the Sun Cruiser II Ferry. Tranvia No. 1, where we boarded as well as Tranvia No.7, choose the “tail-to-head” route in touring the island. After dropping by the Lorcha Dock and Mc Arthur statue, we proceeded to our next stopover: The Filipino Heroes Memorial.

Along the way, our guide told us to glance at our left to see one of the 80 Japanese-made caves strategically located around the island being used as hiding area of their suicide boats named “Shin’yō,” which literally means “Sea Quake,” as part of the Japanese Special Attacks Unit Program against the Allied Forces during the 1941-1945 Pacific War.

Truly, I felt very much inspired when my feet touched the grounds of the Filipino Heroes Memorial as I had seen the breath taking view of an elevated concrete platform housing the Filipino heroes’ memorabilia including the accounts of their struggles for freedom with the triumvirate bronze statues of President Manuel L. Quezon (President, Philippine Commonwealth and 2nd President of the Philippines, In Office from November 15, 1935 – August 1, 1944); President Sergio S. Osmena (4th President of the Philippines, In Office from August 1, 1944 – May 28, 1946) and; an unnamed Filipina on the foreground as if guarding the memorial from intruders…

A closer look at the three bronze statues is really inspiring … the inscription at the pedestal of the two presidents revealed that they were once, and are still,  the symbols of Filipino men’s struggle against foreign dominion. The words inscribed beneath the woman’s statue are equally exalting …”In Honor Of The FILIPINO WOMAN Who Was Involved In The Many Events In Our History And As A Symbol Of Peace And Inspiration To Our Gallant Men In Their Fight For The Preservation Of Our Honor And Freedom.”

Pres. MANUEL L. QUEZON

The FILIPINO WOMAN

Pres. SERGIO S. OSMENA, SR.

Touring at the Filipino Heroes Memorial, I felt nostalgic with the sight of a granite tablet cemented on the wall in between plastered Mactan stones with the following inscription: “Dedicated to the Filipino who knows how to die for love of freedom and liberty.”

Murals carved in bronze depicting the various struggles of the Filipino people in defense of freedom were adorned in four concrete walls. From the Battle of Mactan in 1521 . . . to the Datu Sirongan And Sultan Kudarat Revolts In Mindanao in the 16th and 17th Century. . .

The Battle of Mactan

The Datu Sirongan & Sultan Kudarat Revolts

The Guerilla Movement in the Pacific War

The EDSA People Power Revolution

Participating in battlefield tours has always been my dream since childhood. Being a war history aficionado, I dreamed of visiting the battlefields, war graves, memorials and the last resting places of the fallen heroes. There are a lot of battlefields in the Philippines but I prefer to visit the island of Corregidor  not only for historical but more of a sentimental reason. Truly, the island is known as the last stronghold of resistance among the American and Filipino forces against the Japanese invaders during World War II. But for me, Corregidor was more than what has been written in history books. It is the place where my grandfather had spent the prime years of his youth working on “forced labor” starting in 1924 until his death. You might ask me point blank this question: Was your  forebear a hardened criminal that the Americans herded him to toil his labors in fortifying the island? To that question I would categorically answer that my Lolo Teodoro Sangco was a convict but he never was a criminal.

To give justice to my grandfather and his comrades, I will dedicate some lines of this post on some important historical facts about my home in Bucas Grande Island, Socorro, Surigao del Norte, Philippines. In 1919, scores of families belonging to the Cofradia de Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, a group with religious proclivities from Leyte under the abbotship of Alejandro “Andoy” Lasala had arrived in the island to seek for greener pastures. The Catholic hierarchy in the area had embraced the group and praised its members for being devout followers of the mother church. However,  things had changed in 1922 when the Cofradia had been converted to the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. As a natural reaction, the Catholic parish priest in the neighboring town of Dapa got mad and reported to the authorities that there was a clandestine “colorum,” which literally means unregistered, group being organized in Bucas Grande to rebel against the government. Constables were sent to the place to investigate but found the natives to be law-abiding and God-fearing. Nevertheless, the lawmen, who were used to the Guardia Civil manner of treating suspects, had committed atrocities among them the burning of religious statues  in front of the stunned parishioners, the near-death beating of the local leaders when they denied the accusations that they were up in arms against the government and many others. The dam broke loose and the islanders fought back resulting to the death of two lawmen. The Provincial Commander, his aide de camp and a number of constables attacked Barrio Pamosiangan on the western side of the island but were repulsed and killed by the defenders. The American government, who was then in control of the Philippines, reacted by sending US Marines on board the USS Sacramento and bombarded Socorro in January 25, 1924 which culminated the oft-ridiculed ”Colorum Uprising.” The local defenders fought in that one-sided battle but later decided to surrender. They were herded on board the US Coast Guard Cutter M/V Polillio amidst the pleadings and wailings of their wives and children, tried and convicted of the crime of sedition and brigandage, and were imprisoned in the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa. A number of the local defenders were granted clemency in the later years and managed to return to the island. However, the other defenders including my grandfather were unfortunate as they died while serving their prison terms. When I was still a child, I was told by Mr. Agapito Galanida that they were tent mates with my Lolo Teodoro during their “forced labor” stint at Corregidor Island. Since then, the mention of Corregidor really rung my bells and every story being told about the historic island would shoot my appetite up to visit the place someday.

That fateful day happened on March 6, 2011 when this island vacations enthusiast together with my wife Vanjie decided to go to Corregidor Island on a battlefield tours.  We arrived at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Bay Terminal in Roxas Boulevard, Manila at exactly 7:00 in the morning. After the usual preliminaries at the office of the Sun Cruise Tours, we were told to board this shuttle jeep. . .

The jeep was tailored-fit for Filipinos like us. But for the foreigners, it’s a sort of punishment. I really got pity with an Australian man who was in his senior years who had to kneel on the jeep floor while boarding so that his head would not bang on the roof. After a couple of minutes, we stopped at the docking point of our ferry, the Sun Cruiser II . . .

We were cruising on the calm and placid waters of Manila Bay for an hour en route to Corregidor. The trip was lively, thanks to Armando, the witty guide who admittedly had spent months memorizing history lines and was expert in cracking jokes at the appropriate time. A number of tranvias are waiting for us at the Corregidor port. We decided to board Tranvia Number 1. . .

Our first stop was  General Douglas McArthur’s departure point for Australia, the Lorcha Dock . . .

I was fascinated with the sight of General McArthur’s statue with his famous “I Shall Return” promise engraved in the pedestal . . .