There's something really great about taking a weekday off from work.

Traffic outside Manila is much lighter and you tend to have leisure places all to yourselves. Not to mention, it kind of helps when you know that you're out on holiday while everyone else at the office.

There's something really great about taking a weekday off from work.

Traffic outside Manila is much lighter and you tend to have leisure places all to yourselves. Not to mention, it kind of helps when you know that you're out on holiday while everyone else at the office.

So when we decided to look for another place to relax at, we decided to take Friday off.

Having been to Stilts in the South the last time, it was time to head North once more.

Although we had a bit of a tight budget this time, we ended up going around Subic Bay for just a day.

 

Subic Bay Then

Contrary to what many people think, Subic was actually founded by Juan de Salcedo, the Spanish conquistador back in 1542.

At that time, the name of the town was Huben, which meant "head of a plow." Legend says that Salcedo mispronouncing "Hubek" as "Subiq."

When the American occupation of Subic took place, they mispronounced "Subiq" as "Subig."

Sometime later, "Subig" became "Subiq" again. But by then the letter was replaced with letter c, bringing it to the present name of "Subic."

When the main Spanish naval base was taken over by the British, Spain was forced to look for another promising naval station.

And when an expedition returned with good news about Subic, King Alfonso II issued a decree in 1884 declaring Subic as a naval port. On March 8, 1885, an arsenal and ship yard was constructed the Spanish.

Being the year 2011 today, that would mean that it has been 469 years since Subic was discovered by Juan de Salcedo, who, incidentally, also happens to be the grandson of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

It would also mean that Subic Naval Base is 127 years old, if we trace it back to the decree of King Alfonso II.

When the Spanish were defeated by the United States in 1989, they took over the facility by raising the flag on December 10, 1899.

With the tension increasing between the United States and Japan, Hawaii eclipsed Subic due to its location and Subic took a back seat by becoming a small repair station.

Notwithstanding this, Subic Bay was utilized to prepare war ships and overhaul as many as 26 German ships that were used to transport American soldiers to Europe during World War I.

Two days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese took control of Subic Bay and Olongapo on January 10, 1942. The marines were ordered to withdraw to Bataan then to Corregidor during the war.

And after three years of brutal occupation, the Philippines was liberated and the American forces reoccupied the naval base on January 29, 1945.

The United States finally relinquished Subic Bay Naval after September 1991, returning it to the Philippine people for the first time in over a century

Since then, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, or SBMA, has been responsible for turning the area in to a place where private enterprises can establish themselves.

Other than local food chains, export oriented companies have set up shop in Subic as they enjoy tax holidays. And with lower salaries to pay, and an airport and shipping port within the base, costs are kept at a minimum.

Subic Bay Now

The entrance of Subic is still the same as I remember it to be years ago.

The trees on the sides of the smooth winding road going down are still lush and beautiful, making me feel like I am not in a major city.

I'm glad the local government resisted the temptation of cutting them down for their lumber.

And while there is a bit more, given that it is open to the public, it was still a lot lighter than the what I encounter in Manila.

The surprising thing is that even people from Manila who visit Subic follow the rules, instantly becoming better drivers when they enter the area.

At intersections, they will stop when seeing a sign. And in the absence of a traffic light, will follow an alternative pattern of crossing. This makes any traffic bottlenecks nonexistent.

Our first stop was at the Petron gasoline station at the corner of Rizal Avenue and Agronaut Highway.

We still had enough fuel in the car so our stopover was primarily to use the rest room. After that was done, we consulted our map for the places we could visit.

Unfortunately, Subic is such a huge place that people unfamiliar with the place can get lost easily.

There are hardly any signs and those that exist tend to be limited to the major places like the Ocean Park and the Jest camp.

Other than these, the signs to other locations didn't feel particularly helpful as they seemed to have been put up haphazardly. Instead of providing clear directions, they ended up blocking key things like street names and key buildings.

It is for this reason that I suggest buying yourself a detailed map before going to Subic.

Travel Costs

Having just traveled on the South Luzon Expressway, I was not prepared for the cost of travel to the North.

I was surprised to see that toll rates increased by quite a bit, with the cost being P369 from Manila to Subic.

The breakdown is as follows:

• North Luzon Toll Way, or NLEX, was P20
• There was an additional cost from the North Luzon Toll Way in the amount of P154
• Then the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway, or SCTEX, charges an additional P195

Since we made a slight detour returning to Manila, our return costs were a bit lower as we did not take the SCTEX entrance at Subic Bay.

Being the case, we'll just double the one way amount to get a total of P738 for toll fees alone.

Our total gasoline cost was P2,000. This included travel on the various expressways and moving around, not to mention getting lost, within Subic.

This brings us to a grand total of P2,738 for our entire trip.

 

 

Travel Time

While it may have cost a lot to travel on the expressways, they are worth the expense as they are very well maintained and smooth all the way.

Signs indicated that speeds should be between 60 and 100 kilometers per hour for both. I kept it at 80 so maximize mileage, but I would sometimes catch myself inching towards 100 due to the excellent condition of the roads.

Even at an average speed of 80 kilometers per hour, it took me and my loved one a little under three hours to get to the entrance of Subic.

Hotels

When Subic was first turned over to the Philippines, I remember that most of the structures were composed to corrugated steel for walls.

To compensate for the heat, the interiors were normally padded and were fully air conditioned.

They were completely functional by being cheap, light, and easy to construct. Unfortunately, they were lacking a bit in the looks department.

So it was a welcome surprise to see that a lot of new hotels mushroomed around the place.

We were given flyers at the tollbooth, advertising very reasonable rates for both weekdays and weekends.

These ranged from the Economy Room for P1,200 in one hotel to the Executive Suite going for P9,500 at another hotel.

One of ones we visited was the Camayan Beach Resort.

The last time we visited the area, the resort was still in the final stages of completion. Now that it is finished, we were glad to see that it turned out to be a nice, clean set of structures manned by friendly staff.

Four types of rooms are available with rates ranging from P4,500 to 10,000 excluding taxes. Only two people are part of this computation, additional ones will have P500 per head.

The rooms have two queen-sized beds, a television with satellite channels, W-Fi connection, and an emergency generator.

And while the beach may be a bit rocky, there was an on-going promo wherein guests get a 20% discount at the nearby Ocean Adventure, making it an attractive option for families.

The guarded parking is ample and provides a nice view of the sea and surrounding land masses.

And if you have a sharp and quick eye, you'll even find large colorful fish darting around the edge of the wharf.

Shopping Then

One of the things that Subic Bay and Clark Airfield used to be known for was it PX, or duty free, goods.

Not only were they very cheap, but the hard-to-find items would only be available in these areas. Everything from Kellog's Sugar Corn Pops to clothes all the way down to used military equipment could be purchased easily.

When the bases were turned over to the Philippines, the PX shops remained. In fact, their numbers increased substantially.

I recall one of my classmates back in high school purchasing a scope for his air rifle from Clark back in the early 80s.

If I remember correctly, it was a brand new unit with 4x magnification. And while this may now pale in comparison to the high magnification of today's scopes, this was considered one of the best and one most expensive back then.

In my case, going to Subic allowed me to buy Kellog's Sugar Corn Pops and Frosted Flakes. Not only where they fresh, they would come in large boxes, complete with surprises inside.

For my relatives, the draw for them were the clothes, specifically swim attire, as they usually had the latest versions and the best quality back then.

Yesterday's visit to several stores still had Corn Pops, instead of Sugar Corn Pops on their shelves. And while they are probably the same thing, nothing is as nostalgic as having the word "Sugar" on it.

Shopping Now

It's been years since the bases were returned to the Philippines and much has happened around the world in the case of trade.

Free trade pacts with other countries made these items common at nearby malls and groceries, heavily encroaching into the markets of the PX stores located in the bases.

And while some of the PX stores do have the same items at cheaper prices after the Peso-Dollar conversion, the high cost of travel tends to make it just about the same if you don't buy in volume.

Sadly, this has had the effect of seeing some of the popular stores close down over the years.

When we were at the Petron gasoline station for our first stop, one of the staff was kind enough to let us know that the two most popular places were the Puregold and the Royal Duty Free Shop.

Puregold

The store in Subic offers both local and imported items in fully air conditioned store that is right across the Petro gasoline station we stopped at.

The imported ones normally have their prices in US dollars. If you opt to pay in Pesos or via credit card, the total Dollar price will be converted to Pesos using the store's internal exchange rate; while all local items are listed in Pesos.

Of all the stores we visited, Puregold seemed to have the most competitive prices. Many of the items could be found at other stores but cost a few US cents more.

On sale at the time were Libby's Vienna Sausages, which came in a box of eighteen pieces. Lay's Potato chips were also at 50% off, but you need to make sure you can finish it sooner than later as their expiration dates were close.

Perhaps the best bargain we got from the Puregold facility was the Pizza from the S&R Food Service.

Since it was a Friday during Lent, we abstained from eating meat by getting single slices of the Shrimp and Garlic Pizza as well as the Cheese Pizza. We then topped it all off with an Ice Tea.

Well, when the pizza arrived, we were shocked to see that it was a huge slice. It was so big that it was cut in to two to make it easier to eat, had we wanted to use our hands. The Ice Tea was also huge; being enough to satisfy both our thirsts.

By the time we done, we were stuffed and feeling pretty pleased with ourselves. Not bad for a meal under P300.

Royal Duty Free Shop

The last place we did our shopping was at the Royal Duty Free Shop, which was one street down the road from the Petron-Puregold intersection.

If you're coming from Manila, the Petron gasoline station will be to your left. You'll need to turn right at this traffic light, then right again at the next street.

You'll then be greeted by the store's large parking lot.

And while Puregold's parking was a bit small, the parking lot of the Royal Duty Free Shop looked large enough to include the entire Puregold store area. So it was still a bit of a surprise to see that more than three fourths of the lot had cars in them.

Prices here were about the same, with some being just a few cents more than Puregold. However, the selection of this store was slightly wider than all of the other places we visited though.

We bought a few pasalubong here, all of which were not available at Puregold. Their conversion rate was also a few centavos higher.

The Outlet

The other place we did our shopping in was in a store called The Outlet.

I'm not sure, but if I remember correctly, this building it is occupying used to house a different store back then.

Unlike the old general store, The Outlet sells brand new shoes and some other forms of clothing.

When we were there the Sebago shoes were on sale at 10% off. One of the shoes, a pink and gray one, looked reasonable at a bit over P3,000.

But it was the non-descript store beside the outlet that had the best shoe bargains.

It is also owned by the Outlet but provided bigger discounts.

Due to the large mark-down of prices, my loved one ended up buying Ipanema slippers for her officemates.

Discounts could also be availed of for rubber and office shoes, but they were not as attractive as the offers on the slippers.

 

Other places

We took a look at a few other places as we went around Subic.

One was DFS, or the Duty Free Superstore, had grocery items, watches and perfume for sale.

The other was the Freeport Exchange, which had a large number of bags hanging on their racks.

Both these places are right across The Outlet, with all three having ample parking space for cars and buses.

Things to do

For me, Subic Bay is most famous for its Jungle Environmental Survival Training Camp or JEST.

Back in the day when the bases were still under control of the United States, locals would train their elite forces on jungle survival.

I took a one-day tour with my family a while back and it was really good.

Some of the things that even the average person can learn include starting a fire with forest sticks, preparing and cooking rice using forest materials, preparing a sleeping area in the roots of forest trees, getting water from the hanging roots, and even using organic plants as soap and shampoo.

I understand that JEST people can also teach people to find North without having to depend on the sun. Since the sun is difficult to see from the forest floor, directions can be ascertained by observing the surrounding foliage, making it possible to know one's direction even at night.

The Ocean Adventure is a relatively new attraction at Subic Bay, at least when compared to JEST.

With the help of dolphins and seals, people are taught the importance of keeping the world's ecosystems safe. And the intelligence they exhibit tends to be a big hit for both children and adults.

The Adventures of Olongapo Jones is the newest attraction, having opened on August 28, 2010.

Being part of the Ocean Adventure Park's line up, the show is set at the edge of a forest with towering cliffs.

The show's mascots and high flying trampoline acrobats all come together to provide a fun way to learn about the environment.

By visiting the different beaches and hotels located around Subic Bay, other activities are available as well.

These include kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, and even racing about on jet skis.

Final Thoughts

Well, when we set out for Subic last Friday, we were considering staying for the night.

Having been to Subic several times in the past, I was not expecting to see coconut-inspired resorts. This is Subic Bay, a well-developed industrial site that was once a naval base.

If you are looking for native-inspired resorts, you'll need to continue going up North into the less developed areas.

Majority of the hotels in Subic are well-developed structures of steel and cement. The newer ones are certainly clean and have a good range of amenities to choose from.

Based on the flyers we got and the places we visited, Subic Bay offers a wide range of prices. Whether you are looking for air conditioning, WiFi, LCD televisions, cable, you'll find something to suit your budget with a little bit of patience.

Personally, I was looking for the hotel that had one of those eight-nozzle showers I heard about years ago. But after checking out the internet, I could not find any reference to the old place anymore.

Despite the disappointing news, my loved one and I still looked forward to spending the night in one of the new places that recently popped up.

Alas, shopping, the increased cost of gasoline, and a higher than expected toll rate depleted our already-tight budget. So instead of staying the night, we opted to head home by the late afternoon.

But then that's alright as it didn't feel like a loss at all.

At the end of the day, we still ended up buying a lot of pasalubong for friends and family.

So instead of enjoying the trip just by ourselves, were able to spread a bit of it around this time.

 

Service Type	Beach Hotel and Restaurant
Name	Camayan Beach Resort
Address	Camayan Wharf, West Ilanin Forest Area, Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Area	Zambales
Country	Philippines
Contact Numbers	+63 (47) 252-8000, +63 (2) 706-3344 to 46, and +63 (2) 706-3435
e-Mail	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website	www.camayanbeachresort.com
Service Type	Entertainment
Name	Ocean Adventure
Address	Camayan Wharf, West Ilanin Forest Area, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales
Area	Zambales
Country	Philippines
Contact Numbers	+63 (47) 252-9000 and +63 (2) 706-3344 to 46
Website	www.oceanadventure.com.ph
Service Type	Training
Name	Jungle Environmental Survival Training Camp (JEST)
Address	Freeport Services Corporation Amusement Park, Building H8211 Burgos Street Corner Causeway, Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Area	Zambales
Country	Philippines
Contact Numbers	+63 (45) 499-1179, +63 (45)-499-0695, +63 (917) 392-3759, and +63 (928) 504-6769