Although the so-called Queen of Short Film Indie Festival Cataleya Surio is a native of Catanauan, Quezon, she has moved around many neighboring towns in the Bondoc Peninsula.
One of them was San Andres town where she has so many memories of its seas and mountains.
“Ang ganda-ganda sa San Andres. Ang daming magagandang beach. Kaya nag-enjoy ako r’yan nang bumisita ako noong wala pang pandemya (San Andres is very beautiful. There are many wonderful beaches there. I enjoyed it so much when I paid it a visit when there was no pandemic yet),” recalled Cataleya.
Surio said that the COVID-19 pandemic has lent tremendous bad effects on tourism in San Andres.
“Ang daming nawalang pera sa turismo, sayang. Pero makakabawi naman ang San Andres (There are lots of money lost in tourism which was sad and regrettable. But San Andres can still rise up),” said Kat, Cataleya’s pet name.
“Babalik at babalik ako sa San Andres. Ngayon nga, ang sabi ng mga kababayan ko sa Catanauan, ang dami-dami nang turista ro’n kaya lang may health protocols kaya gusto ko nang pumunta. Matapos lang ang pelikula ko kay Neal ‘Buboy’ Tan, punta na ako ng San Andres (I will return to San Andres. Many of my fellow residents in Catanauan said that there are so many tourists in San Andres but they follow health protocols. That’s why I want to go there anytime. As long as I am done with my film with Neal ‘Buboy’ Tan I will go to San Andres quickly),” Surio chuckled.