Soulprints - Amyline Quien Ching

Booths, Boons, and Booty

A Boracay summer for the hydrophobic and the insomniac
Text and photos by Amyline Quien Ching

[I, too, don't know how to swim. But it didn't matter because I enjoyed Boracay just the same. The products there are just amazing. If you want unique items that you can brag about in Manila, check out the Mariit stall and the Django Leathershop. By the way, the word 'booty' here meant 'loot' and not 'buttocks.' A lot of people were pretty surprised to see the word because I don't seem the type to use words like that ;-)]

With its clear waters and white sands, you’d expect people in Boracay to be in their wet suits all the time or strapped by the string to a speedboat. But during summer, this island paradise offers the hydrophobics and the swimming class dropouts some solace besides a life jacket and a 4-feet kiddie pool. Believe it or not, you can keep yourself entertained for three straight days without necessarily getting your feet wet!

Booths for the bored

From sun-up to sundown, Bora has activities lined up (literally!) for the inexhaustible tourist. From inspiring photo exhibits to exciting sports competitions, the beach is brimming with booths and pocket events both brandished about, on and off the island.

“Because of the number of people vacationing in Bora, companies have used the island as a launch pad for their summer marketing campaigns and new products. They hold events, special promotions and parties,” says Zero-in Concept and Production managing director Jennifer Maliwanag, who recently spearheaded Beached: The Summer Adventure and Party Series at the La Carmela de Boracay Hotel beachfront.

What’s great about these events: you get to win prizes, even by doing something as inane as lifting a surfboard or singing a one-liner from a jingle. Freebies and product discounts also abound. So irresistible are they that you won’t even realize that you bought things that you don’t really need.

Most talked about at that time were the free Havaiana floaters that were bigger and taller than most people. They were colorful and comfy enough to make some wish they shelled out that extra hundreds for an original pair. Some even went as far as buying a pair right there on the beach. Ditto with the free printing of pictures at the Canon booth along with the chance of taking home a PIXMA iP3680 Printer for DSLRs and the SELPHY CP760 for point & shoots with their promo Capturing the Smiles of Boracay. But of course, those pale in comparison to winning cold hard cash.

Boons for the brave

It was not surprising then that everyone set camp in front of La Carmela de Boracay Hotel one night just to see who would bring home the 15k prize pot for the GSM Blue Flairtending Competition. Flying bottles and in one instance knives whizzing past their heads did not deter the crowd from staying until the awarding. Those already sleepy were sure jolted awake by the intermission, a parade of Bora’s hottest bods for the San Mig Coffee Bikini Open. In the end, Rico Paolo Cronolognia’s David Blaine trick (which up to now still mystifies this writer) triumphed over runners-up Bamboo Bar and Restaurant’s Novemar Peroja and La Carmela de Boracay’s Gerry Ubal.

Another memorable beach event was the I-ON Energy Drink Extreme Games that had eight teams kicking an egg like it was a football and doing the caterpillar walk on their butts. It was fun to watch the participants, especially the foreigners who joined, as they each ended the mini obstacle course.

There was also the San Mig Coffee Sand Castle Making Contest and the SEAIR beach volleyball tourney, where models and celebrities like IC Mendoza and DM Sevilla joined in. Their star powers were however no match to the skills of locals Francis Delan and Joel Delos Santos, who each took home two round trip tickets to Manila.

Booze and sounds

The evenings are no exception to the flurry of activities. Some nights, one, two or even three parties battle it out for sound supremacy, notwithstanding the bar music and the bands playing in restaurants. It is no wonder songs are often barely recognizable with a whole cacophony of notes competing with each other.

Just recently, a couple of beach parties opened in Bora. One of which was the much-anticipated BigFish event that featured Blake Jarell of Armada along with local turntable pros Erwin Edralin and Anton Ramos. Alexander Gotinga aka Maxspeed of Magic 89.9 also injected some spirits with his spins during the SEAIR Beach Party. There were also the Philip Morris and Marlboro parties as well as the GSM Reggae Party, where local reggae group Saling Lahi performed.

Shopaholics’ booty

With parties heating up the white sands ‘til the wee hours of the night, insomniacs and night owls certainly thrive in Bora; But the same can be said of shopaholics. Shopping time is almost on extended hours with malls and the talipapa operating until midnight. Some restos keep the same flexible hours as the bars while most stalls outside open by dusk and then close whenever, depending on foot traffic.

If you are the meticulous shopper, one day will not be enough to fill your shopping booty. Not to be missed is the D’Mall is Station 1, which houses a mixture of high and low end shopping choices. You’ll find delectable beach fashions in PJ Arañador’s boutique, Bogarte and Island Girl. There is also the Bagtas slipper shop, Funky Lighting and Langperong.

For unique local finds, go to Plazoleta in Station 2 where you will find stunning art pieces translated into everyday wear. Visit Django Leathershop which sells leather goods that would make boho-maven Sienna Miller proud and the Silver Mine, Silver Clay Workshop Studio, where you can buy silver jewelry pieces and learn how to make them at the same time.


With the outside stalls, check out Mariit, located in front of the Mandarin Island Hotel. It’s sells products done by a group of local artists in the island. Their jewelry with semi-precious stones and snake bones bracelets were just amazing. The same goes with their wood carvings and dream catchers.

Who says Bora is only for the wake-boarding-parasailing-beach-bums? Even if the last time you ever swam was in your uncompleted summer swimming class back in Grade 3, you can still enjoy the island. Just walking on its fine white sand and seeing its sunset is orgasmic enough to keep you coming back for more, next summer.

(Special thanks to local event coordinator Rory Merino, Boy So & Mon Perez of La Carmela and singer Eric Santos.)

posted by Amyline Quien Ching @ 5:49 PM