My mother was born and raised in the Philippines and she moved to the U.S. when she was 21 years old. As someone who is half-Filipino, and passes as Filipino or as mixed race, people constantly asked about my racial background growing up. (Interested in mixed-race identity? Check out my thesis!) Once I explained to people I was half-Filipino, the next question I would get is, "Have you ever been there?" And the answer was always "No." Until Thanksgiving 2019, I was able to travel to the Philippines with my mother and brother for ten days.
The Flight We found flights through Air China for under $600 roundtrip from Newark, NJ. (Insider Tip: Usually tickets are at least $1,500, but flights during Thanksgiving can be much cheaper. Plus, it's during the dry season & not super hot season). After a 15-hour flight to Beijing and a 5-hour flight to Manila, we finally arrived at The Manila Hotel, a historic hotel that opened 110 years ago. Extremely jet-lagged, (13-hour time difference), we headed down to the pool to relax with pineapple smoothies in hand.
The Party
That day, one of my mother's high school friends invited us to a party she was hosting. After sitting in the Grab car (Insider Tip: Download the Grab app, it's basically Uber in the Philippines) for maybe an hour to only go a few miles (the traffic is pretty insane), we arrived at a quieter street with large homes tightly nestled together. Inside the brightly lit home, about 25 women in their late 50's were sitting around fold up tables, which were lined up as one long dining table. They turned their heads, saw my mother for the first time in almost 30+ years and shrieked with excitement.
The next thing I know my mother is being paraded around, like a car in a car wash, everyone is hugging her, asking her questions, and the rest who can't get in to talk to my her are ooh'ing and ahh'ing at my brother (who's 27 at the time) and me. It was a sight to see - I don't think I stopped smiling the entire party. I was handed the freshest mangoes I've ever had, (Insider Tip: Filipinos are proud of their mangoes - Make sure you try them when you visit), and I got to know some of my mother's friends. Many of these ladies are doctors, nurses, and lawyers - they are all so impressive, so hospitable, and so welcoming.
Manila
Seeing Manila was eye-opening. There were metropolitan areas buzzing with shopping malls (Insider Tip: Head to Makati for the best shopping), the University of the Philippines (where my mother studied Nursing) with beautiful landscaping and architecture, and there were also some areas that were extremely poor. But, one thing I noticed, was that most of the people I saw were smiling, singing, dancing, and appreciative of everything, and so incredibly hospitable.
And I would describe this part of the trip as second-hand nostalgia. It was as if I could see the memories popping back into my mother's head as she traced her hands over her wardrobe in her childhood home, or met with friends and family she hasn't seen in decades.
Tanay
A 3 hour drive from Manila is the country side of Tanay. This is where my Lolo's twin sister lives. (Lolo is grandfather in Tagalog). Here I met my second cousins for the first time. Many were around my age, and it was fascinating to see this other life I theoretically might have lived, if my mother were to have stayed in the Philippines. People's attitudes just seemed so different here than New York - it was a much slower pace, there wasn't a sense of competition or comparison. Their way of life seemed simpler, and family came first, and higher education was something that everyone valued and obtained. They took us to the top of the mountains to see the sunset. And then they took us on a boat ride. It was just really simple and beautiful.
El Nido, Palawan
I have to admit, I loved Manila and Tanay - the family history, getting to know the culture and where my mother grew up was absolutely incredible and I will most definitely visit again. But, (Insider Tip: For anyone who wants to see the more tropical beachy islands of the Philippines, I would suggest heading straight to El Nido on Palawan Island.)
We stayed at the El Nido Garden Beach Resort, which can't get any closer to the ocean and is right in the heart of the downtown area with nightlife, restaurants, and local shops layered in. Breakfast was made fresh every morning, including fruits, omelettes, and rice.
Every morning, dozens of catamaran boats would arrive and take groups of people to enjoy the many islands El Nido has to offer. It was only about $20-30 a person for a 6 hour boat ride, which included the most incredible tour guides, and basically your own personal photographer. (Insider Tip: Bring water shoes & waterproof bags for your phone. They also sell them on the beach.)
Our first boat ride was one of my highlights of the entire trip. They were two brothers who've lived in El Nido their whole lives. They were singing, playing the ukelele, and were able to bring a group of strangers together in a way I've never seen before.
Looking Back at the Philippines
From Manila, to Tanay, to El Nido, the Philippines felt like home. Even though it was the first time visiting, I learned about my family's history, and I learned even more about myself. With or without a familial connection to the Philippines, it's truly a beautiful place with amazing people, and I couldn't recommend it more.
Opmerkingen