The Perfect Halloween

I'm sorry but I don't understand some holidays we have like this yearly pilgrimage to cemeteries that have become more and more crowded.  There are times, I feel a bit anti-Christmas as well for all the commercialism but then these are just personal musings.  This "undas" I was lucky enough to be in Calatagan jump starting a delayed and over-the-budget construction project that could still be reigned in with improved management at the last steps.

Just a few weeks ago, my teenage brother asked me how he can arrange an affordable student-price beach stay with his barkada.  I went to three resorts in the Matabungkay area which is just a few minutes from Calatagan, to be able to compare and get a good fit for his requirements and budget.  There was one resort that I saw and thought wouldn't mind trying out and the opportunity presented itself this holiday.

The Coral Beach Resort is owned by a group of foreigners from different countries and it seems like the only "nice, clean and decent" resort in a string of resorts which have seen their heyday. Most of the guests were expats who enjoyed the bit of exclusive enclave that the small resort offered.  Outside, there were vendors who pestered you with their products or rafts.  There was a stall selling illegal shells and corals.   There were noisy karaoke bars at night and there was a part of the beach which had shards of beer bottle glass which signaled to the stroller that it was time to head back to the safe haven.

It's sad when you see what the dangerous combination of over-tourism and improper resource management can do to a pretty place.  A few decades ago, this certainly was a much better place to visit but with no uniting force to protect the quality of the environment, it's easy to understand its economic, social and physical decline. Matabungkay, despite the onslaught of better competition, is probably surviving due to its proximity to Manila and there may still be life left in her yet.  As long as there are children like Joshua who love chasing the tiny, tiny crabs as they scurry across the sand down into the holes and their vast network of tunnels.