The pleasures of Poro Point

As the sun sets, the crowds gather on the rocky shore and choose quiet spaces where they can observe one of nature’s most watched wonders. The sea is calm, its blue sheen broken only by a solitary fishing boat heading out to deeper waters. From chalky grey to flaming orange, the sky changes hues every minute, until the glowing orb in the distance sinks below the horizon.

 

It’s the perfect place for muni-muni, a colleague told me before I went to Poro Point, a former US base in La Union, for the second Sillag Festival of Lights last month. And she was right, as the droves of sunset watchers facing the endless sea swelled just before dusk fell. Even as some school kids kept up their mindless chatter, many were content to simply absorb the view, wrapped in calm thoughts.

 

A hilly peninsula jutting out to the West Philippine Sea, Poro Point used to be off limits to locals from San Fernando City in La Union when it was still managed by the Americans as the Wallace Air Station. These days, the only remnant of that bygone era is the Voice of America transmission facility on the northern tip of the rocky promontory.

 

But the place remains an enclave, with all vehicles getting checked before they can enter what is now the Poro Point Freeport Zone. Since last year, however, locals have been able to get free access through what has been billed as the only nighttime festival in the country, celebrating the century-old lighthouse that serves as the main landmark of the dramatic seascape.

 

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority invited a small group of media guests from Manila, including GMA News Online, to the Sillag festival last month.

 

Inside the zone, the centerpiece attraction is the Thunderbird Resorts, patterned after the distinctive blue-and-white architecture of Santorini island in Greece. Scorching tropical temperatures at daytime may banish thoughts of Mediterranean holidays with a mild climate, but it’s still an idyllic setting for shooting the breeze with friends and family. 

 

Gambling and golf aficionados come here for the casino and the scenic nine-hole golf course, but most pleasure seekers, it seems, are content to stroll along the seaside promenade especially during sunset. This is the best time to catch a glimpse of shore birds – colorful kingfishers, the stately grey heron, raucous starlings, skittish pied trillers. Take a deep breath as day turns to night, and all seems right with the world.

 

One of the highlights of any visit, of course, has to be a climb up the 76-foot lighthouse. Perched near the edge of a fenced off cliff, the modern solar-powered structure was built in 1979 and provides panoramic views of the West Philippine Sea on one side, as well as the San Fernando Bay on the opposite side. Goats graze in what little vegetation is left in the parched fields below, while the VOA buildings looked like giant golf balls near the precipice. The heat of the sun keeps visitors from staying in the tower too long, but even on a cloudy day, the strong winds will drive you away soon enough.

 

Beside it, the original lighthouse built in 1889 was rusting away, a hollow cylinder now serving as a playground for children. Between the old and new beacons of light stood the caretaker’s house, its faded glory quite evident from the crumbling columned porches and streaked capiz windows.

 

Somehow, amid the frenzy of construction and trappings of wealth, it’s the relics of the past that makes one ponder the future of this rapidly modernizing economic zone. Travelers who prefer the simple joys in life can only hope that among the grand plans for Poro Point’s development, there will still be room for tranquil spaces and nature’s raw beauty. – GMA News