Maogma ang Heart

If an international travel youtube vlogger asks me to take me to interesting places around Naga, I would probably draw a blank. Then, after some evidently lengthy span of minutes, maybe, I would say, they should try kinalas, this resort up Mt. Isarog where they have very hot pools and very cold pools. Oh, there are beaches, and there’s Caramoan. But because of my brain fog that took me too long to respond, the vlogger would have probably lost interest, and considered to look for someone else to help them. Now, that’s why I don’t work in tourism or related fields.

Of course, I love this place. But, I know it’s not Baguio, Tagaytay or Cebu, or Hong Kong or Singapore or Tokyo. Nature is beaches and falls up the mountain. Cuisine is kinalas, pinangat, halo-halo at Ice Blink, and rice cakes of different sorts. Yes, I know there’s a lot more.

Naga is the Heart? Let me say that again. Naga is the Heart! Now, that’s much better. Isn’t this just a close cousin of the Naga City: The Heart of Bicolandia slogan? But, we all have to admit, it has a certain Gen-Z ring to it. When you hear or read it, your mind starts asking, what’s the heart, but then quickly assume that whatever the heart is, it’s definitely something good. Yes, yes. In the 80’s, Coca-Cola went by the slogan, ”Coke is it”. Well, what is it? But, yes. We just agreed that “it” is something good. Nike has been telling us to “Just do it”. Do what? They never told us if “it” was something good or bad, but we just agreed that it must be something good. They told us that “It’s more fun in the Philippines”. What kind of fun? Kiddie fun? Adult fun? Party all night, get drunk and bad hangover the morning after fun? Well, whatever, we just agreed that it’s good fun. So, if they say that Naga is the Heart, yes, we’ll agree that indeed, Naga is the Heart. It’s short, sweet and subjective. It could cater to all people from the ordinary to the obscure. Like I said, it has this K-pop Gen-Z ring to it. I get images in my head of teens and early twentyish kids doing heart symbols with their fingers.

Incidentally, this tourism branding is presented to the public together with the 1st Isarog Hot Air Balloon & Music Festival. Have you gone there? How was the parking? If you don’t have a car, how did you catch a ride? (Thank you for calling it “Isarog” because the venue is at the base of the mountain. If they called it “Naga Hot-Air Balloon and Music Festival, it would be tiring to the ears already.) Thanks to Mayor Leni’s friendships with showbiz personalities, Vice Ganda was in the event. If you don’t want to strain your neck and eyes by staring at floating colorful balloons, you might want to enjoy some comedy and music.

Then, we have the Kaogma Festival coming up next week. The provincial government has been holding Uptown Kaogma Nights since the end of March until the Kaogma Festival proper. I heard that these are pre-Kaogma Festival series of festive weekend celebrations happening every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which starts in the late afternoon. They say, there are food, live music, night markets and rides. Despite the controversies that are connected or being forcibly connected to these activities, at least on paper, this sounds like an ingenious idea. The weekend activities would build anticipation and hopefully increase participation and of course, income, which should peak on the Kaogma Festival week. It’s like having a countdown to Christmas in the form of smaller activities, building up to the big event. So, it looks like local tourism is looking good. Who said, gas is expensive? Car owners managed to crowd the parking areas of the venues. Now, the ball is on the local entrepreneurs to jump and plunge and take advantage of these. (But, I hear the fees for vendors are wildly expensive. Oh well, maybe, we can think of something else.)

Despite the municipal/city boundaries, city charters and provincial jurisdictions, we’re all in one place. It’s a whole expanse of land of Camarines Sur. We’re basically neighbors. So, the good things that happen in one place overflow to the next-door towns. (Inversely, the bad things in one place would also overflow to the adjacent areas.) So, let the economic opportunities overflow that they may trickle down to the most modest of our neighbors.

Wait, since they have a venue for the hot-air balloon festival at the Metro Naga Sports Complex in Pacol, maybe, they could hold the carless activities there, instead of blocking major downtown streets.

Romans 12:10: “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.