(Last Of Two Parts)
The bangkeros of Pagsanjan sport an unrivaled dedication to their craft. Their work is passed down through generations – all the adult men in their families partake, we learned from our two bangkero guides. Over 2000 of them are called on rotation, each seeing action every couple of weeks.
If there aren’t enough visitors, they only earn a few thousand pesos each month – far below the poverty threshold in Calabarzon, and plainly unacceptable for those who enable the enjoyment of so many.
One of our guides turns to farming during his downtime.
Pandemic Hit Them Hard
The pandemic that shattered many hopes hit the ferrymen much harder. Their livelihoods depend on people's eagerness and ability to explore; and when travel dried up, so did their source of income.
But help was on the horizon.
In May of last year, as the 50th anniversary of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) drew close, the Philippines Chapter prepared to celebrate.
“When we were planning the fashion gala night where the industry icons and stakeholders had a chance to model their modern Filipiniana,“ Ms. Paz Alberto, chairwoman of both PATA and Ark Travel Express Inc., said. “I was asked who should be the beneficiary.”
“I thought of the Pagsanjan and Cavinti boatmen who lost so much during the lockdown.”
Ms. Paz and PATA launched the "PATA Gala – A Fashion Show with A Heart."
Travel executives from all over the country gathered in Manila to champion causes, chief among them the rehabilitation of Pagsanjan back to its rightful place as one of the country's most-visited attractions.
Scholarship For Kids
“We asked some of the boatmen what they would prefer as means of support. They said school subsidy,” Ms. Paz recounts. This led to PATA funding scholarships for the children of the bangkeros.
Fast-forward back to 2024: at the shack near the waterfall where we stopped for drinks, we met the senior bangkero. He recognized Ms. Paz and expressed his gratitude; PATA’s heartwarming effort had benefited his grandchildren.
Travel in the Philippines has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. But it's well on the way. After reaching rock bottom in 2021, we have seen formidable surges, and 2024 is shaping up to be one of the best years in Philippine travel history.
Initiatives like PATA's go a long way towards jumpstarting recovery and building a brighter future for both the industry and the country. A rising tide indeed lifts all boats.
A Toast To Bankeros
We raise our glasses to PATA for being there for a community in need, and to the bangkeros themselves who gave us the experience of a lifetime – as they do for tourists time and time again, at great risk, to provide for their families.
It’s a potent reminder that tourism is nothing without the self-sacrifice of the people who make it possible. (Contributed by By Vincent James)
#WeMakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonColumn #TravelBlitz #ColumnbyArleneDFoz