Please don’t travel to Palawan. It is not easy for me to say this. As much as I want to guide you and show you the beauty of our nature, I can’t in good faith tell you to go out into the world at this moment.
The last few days have been very confusing and incredibly challenging. It feels like I woke up from a bad dream only to realize that I’m not really dreaming. It was just as if yesterday I was on a boat tour and enjoying the company of my guests. COVID-19 is a serious thing. It’s now clear to us how the Corona Virus has deeply impacted our livelihood and community. Some of us have to find another work. Some of us have to stay at home. Some of us have to figure out how to survive and support our families. For most, it will be a struggle. But as locals of the island, we believe in our strength to live with what little we may have and rise above this unforeseen circumstance.
“But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” ― Martin Luther King, Jr.
At this moment, we are still virus-free here in Palawan, but honestly, we don’t know for how long. The region undergoes extreme measures to keep the public safe. On the other hand, we are not blind to the effect of this pandemic to thousands of lives around the world. We keep ourselves informed and do our part to value our fellow human beings first.
Palawan Alternative just started a year and a half ago with nothing but a vision. An adventurer myself, I handcraft unique experiences for those who are hungry for new adventures. I’m excited to spend time with my guests and show them the unparalleled beauty of our home. I thought, if not this then what? This is all that I live for. For me, this is not just a venture. This is Passion. You can just imagine how the pandemic has deeply affected not just our livelihood but our spirit.
It’s going to take a while but this moment will pass. Soon you will travel again. Soon you will be able to explore our natural wonders. Soon you will bathe in the emerald waters or stare in awe at the towering limestone cliffs. Soon you will be able to see our welcoming smiles. One thing is for sure, we will not come out of this time unaffected and unchanged.
“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” ― Pablo Neruda
What I can only tell you is that the day to go on adventures will come. I know you are hungry for the sights of a far-flung destination or a culture that teaches you to appreciate the simple pleasures in life. This day will come and I will be here waiting, like an old friend. May you travel with a new perspective and a deeper appreciation of the world. This pandemic will pass, but your adventurous spirit and thirst for life will remain.
In the meantime, we will connect to unique places outside your four walls. We will continue to share Palawan’s nature and inspiring messages to uplift our guests, followers, and friends from around the world.
Let us just consider this time period as our nature’s much-needed break. To break free from the consequences of mass tourism. For our nature too, needs to recharge, and hopefully come back to its pristine state.
May this global crisis help restore our faith in humanity. Corona Virus has pushed us into one such moment. One moment that we can collectively unite and say, we got this, together. From around the world, we can now witness the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. In today’s uncertain times, I still believe that kindness and love will prevail. May we rise above this and turn something good out of the darkness.
