THE PICTURESQUE PHILIPPINES
Having now devoted a good deal of time to the consideration of
political conditions in the Philippines, let us turn our attention to
the islands themselves and consider their physical characteristics,
their climate and their commercial possibilities.
There has been much discussion as to the number of islands in the
archipelago. The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey has counted
them. Big and little they number thirty-one hundred forty-one, of which
ten hundred ninety-five are large and fertile enough to be inhabited.
The total land area is a hundred fifteen thousand twenty-six square
miles. The Philippines lie between 5° and 22° North Latitude and 117°
and 127° East Longitude. It follows that the lowlands throughout the
archipelago have a tropical climate, and in the past those two words
have been very generally considered to spell danger for people of
the white race. In this connection it should be said, first, that the
Philippines have one of the most healthful tropical climates in the
world, and second, that the results of sanitary work both there and
within the limits of the Panama Canal zone have largely eliminated
the tropical climate bugaboo. There is plenty of malaria in some
portions of the archipelago, but that is a matter of mosquitoes, not
of climate, and there is no difficulty in freeing any given region
from this disease if drainage is practicable.
The two great drawbacks to life in the tropics are admittedly heat and
humidity. Curiously enough the heat in most parts of the Philippines is
never extreme. We do not have in Manila anything approaching the high
temperatures sometimes experienced in New York or Boston. Humidity
in the atmosphere makes heat trying, and is responsible for what
we call "sultry" days. The dry-bulb thermometer shows how hot one
is, but it takes an instrument with a wet bulb to show how hot one
feels. Fortunately, the periods of greatest heat and greatest humidity
do not coincide in the islands. April and May are the hottest months,
while August and September have the highest humidity.
It must be remembered, however, that very extreme heat for a few
days, followed by cool weather, is not so debilitating as is a lower
temperature which is nevertheless continuously high. There are often
many days in succession during May when the thermometer stands in
the nineties, but there is usually a cool northeasterly breeze at
that season, and throughout the Philippines, except in the Cagayan
valley and in one or two other inland regions of the larger islands,
hot nights are almost unknown. Indeed, it is doubtless due to the fact
that the land area is broken into myriad islands, and is therefore
swept by the cooling sea breezes, that it has such an exceptionally
healthful climate. The heat is never trying when the monsoons blow,
and they blow much of the time.
Speaking of the islands in general one may say that they have a wet
season from July to October and a dry season from December to May,
the weather during June and November being variable. On the Pacific
coast, however, these seasons are reversed, and in the southern
Philippines they are not well defined, the rainfall being quite
uniformly distributed throughout the year. During the months of
November, December, January and February weather conditions are usually
ideal, with bright, clear days and cool and decidedly invigorating
nights. Comfort throughout the year is largely dependent on occupying
well-ventilated houses from which the winds are not shut off.
The following table shows for each month the highest temperature,
the lowest temperature and the average temperature recorded at Manila
from 1885 until 1912:--
Month Highest ° F. Lowest ° F. Average ° F.
January 93.0 59.0 76.8
February 96.1 60.3 77.5
March 97.2 61.2 79.9
April 99.9 64.4 82.8
May 100.9 68.7 83.3
June 99.7 70.9 82.2
July 95.4 70.0 80.8
August 95.4 69.1 80.8
September 95.5 69.6 80.4
October 95.2 67.3 80.2
November 93.0 62.2 78.6
December 92.3 60.3 77.4
The highest temperature ever recorded at Manila is 103.5° Fahrenheit,
in May, 1878; the next highest, 101.9° in May, 1912.
It should be remembered that there are no abrupt changes either
between day and night or from season to season, and that one can
therefore wear light, cool clothing throughout the year.
Far from being oppressive, the tropical nights are, as a rule,
delightful. I know of nothing more satisfying in its way than a stroll
in the moonlight on a hard beach of snow-white coral sand bordered
by graceful cocoanut palms on the one hand and by rolling surf on
the other.
The vegetation in the provinces is a constant delight. Unfortunately,
in the immediate vicinity of Manila it is less attractive than in most
other parts of the archipelago, but by crossing the bay to the Lanao
forest on the slopes of Mariveles Mountain, or by taking an automobile
ride to Atimonan, one may see it in all its magnificence. No word
painter, however skilled, can convey any adequate idea of it.
Everywhere, both on land and at sea, one sees matchless greens and
blues,--greens in the vegetation and in the water, blues in the water
and in the sky. The cloud effects are often marvellously fine. I had
begun to think that perhaps my prolonged residence in the Philippines
had made me forget what was to be seen in other countries, but in
1913 I took the distinguished English vulcanologist, Dr. Tempest
Anderson, on a trip with me, and his enthusiasm over the cloud views
knew no bounds.
Philippine sunsets are unsurpassed and unsurpassable. I have repeatedly
noted one remarkable effect which I have never seen elsewhere, namely
the complete reflection in the east of the western evening sky. On
the occasion when I first witnessed one of these extraordinary sights
I could hardly believe my senses. I was at sea, and had taken a late
afternoon siesta. When I awoke familiar landmarks showed me that I was
looking due east, and yet I saw a magnificent sunset with wonderful
beams of rays radiating from a dark cloud behind which it seemed
that the sun must be hidden. A glance to the westward furnished the
explanation of the mystery, for the view was duplicated there. I have
seen similar wonderful sights several times.
A typhoon, or tropical cyclone, is often dreadfully destructive
but is a most imposing thing to watch from a safe viewpoint, and
the weather service in the Philippines is so excellent that if one
observes such a storm from an unsafe viewpoint it is usually one's
own fault. The rush of the mighty waves at sea and their thunder on
the shore, where they may dash up the cliffs for hundreds of feet,
are awe inspiring. The resistless sweep of the wind, which sometimes
attains a velocity of a hundred twenty miles an hour, or even more,
makes one feel one's insignificance. If one chances to be in the region
over which the centre of the storm passes, there comes a sudden lull
in the terrific gale, followed by a dead calm. Often the sun shines
for a brief interval, and then, without warning, the wind renews its
relentless assault, coming from a direction diametrically opposed to
that from which it was blowing before the lull. The rainfall is often
enormous. At such times rivulets are converted into roaring rivers,
valleys into lakes.
If one is near buildings with galvanized roofs which may fly through
the air in pieces, or trees which may blow down, it is best to keep
under cover, but after the storm there are always to be seen curious
and interesting freaks of wind and water. When the northern district of
Manila is flooded, as not infrequently happens during severe typhoons,
the people turn out for a regular water fiesta as soon as the wind
moderates, and go paddling about the streets in dugout canoes, wooden
tubs, or on rafts extemporized from old barrels, pieces of bamboo,
or the stems of bananas which have been blown down.
Due warning of the approach of a typhoon is given by the Weather
Bureau at least twenty-four hours in advance, so that the damage
done may be reduced to a minimum. Houses of light materials are apt
to suffer severely, but serious damage to strongly built houses is
comparatively rare, as they are constructed with a view to meeting
just such conditions.
Waterspouts are among the most imposing and picturesque of nature's
phenomena in the Philippines. I have repeatedly had the good fortune
to watch them form, and start on their stately march across the sea,
but to my everlasting regret have never had a camera available on
such occasions. They sometimes produce a rain of fishes.
The scenery is never monotonous. At sea one views a constantly changing
panorama of islands, many of which are picturesque in the extreme. On
land one may travel over long stretches of level, fertile plains,
but there are always fine mountains in the background, and once among
them what pleasures await one! Some are grass-covered to their very
peaks; others are buried from base to summit in the rankest tropical
growth. On yet others, pine forests begin to cover the slopes at four
thousand feet, and are in turn replaced by oak forests at five or
six thousand feet. The numerous rushing streams and waterfalls are
a joy in themselves. In one short day one may go from the tropics to
the temperate zone, and come back again.
Active and extinct volcanoes form a striking feature of many Philippine
landscapes. Of the former, Mayon, in the province of Albay, is the
delight of the vulcanologist and of the layman alike on account of its
exquisite form, which is that of the theoretically perfect volcano. It
rises to a height of seventy-nine hundred sixteen feet from an almost
level plain, and the extreme outer periphery of its base measures
approximately a hundred twenty miles. An excellent automobile road
extends completely around it, well within the peripheral line above
mentioned, and the trip, which has no equal in its way, may readily
be made in half a day.
Mayon is a storehouse of titanic energy which has frequently broken
forth in the past with destructive violence. During the last eruption,
which occurred in 1900, lava flowed into the sea at a distance of some
fourteen kilometres [155] from the crater. During previous eruptions
whole towns have been destroyed by lava flows or by falling volcanic
ejecta. Mayon is quiet at present and has been repeatedly climbed of
late. The trip is dangerous because of the steepness of the slopes and
the unstable nature of the material composing them. It takes two days.
Taal Volcano, situated on an island in Bombon Lake, and distant but
thirty-nine miles from Manila, is of special interest on account
of its destructive eruption on January 30, 1911, which killed some
fourteen hundred people within the space of a few moments. It is very
easily climbed, the elevation of the lowest point of the crater rim
above the lake being only 369 feet, and the ascent gentle.
Other important active volcanoes are Apo, in Mindanao; Catarman, on
the island of Camiguin; Canlaon, sometimes also called Malaspina, on
Negros; Caua, in northeastern Luzón; and Claro Babuyan, on the island
of the same name. A considerable number of the volcanic peaks of the
Philippines, including the one last named, have never been ascended.
It goes without saying that in a country where there are so many
active, dormant and extinct volcanoes hot and mineral springs are of
common occurrence. On the slopes of Canlaon there are three of the
former, known respectively as "the chicken killer," "the hog killer"
and "the carabao killer," on account of the supposed destructive
powers of their waters. The Tiwi Spring, near the base of Mayon
Volcano, is famous. The water of Sibul Spring, in Bulacan Province,
has medicinal properties of undoubted value, as do the waters of
various other mineral springs, including those at Itogon and Daklán in
Benguet. The scenic surroundings of some of them are most attractive,
and doubtless important watering places will be established in their
vicinity in the course of time.
Gigantic limestone cliffs are among the most striking features of many
of the more mountainous regions, and in some parts of the islands,
especially along the coast of Palawan, rise directly out of the
sea. They take on wonderfully beautiful, and sometimes very weird,
forms and are often full of caves in which may be found the famous
edible birds' nests, so highly prized by the Chinese.
A range of limestone mountains ends at St. Paul's Bay on the west
coast of Palawan. The bay takes its name from a majestic peak, with
a wonderful limestone dome, which looks like a cathedral. Near it
is another remarkable mountain called Liberty Cap, on account of
its peculiar form. Beneath this range lies the scenic wonder of the
Philippines, the famous Underground River, up which a ship's launch
can run for more than three miles to what is called the "stone pile,"
caused by the falling of a great section of the roof. One may climb
this obstruction, and utilizing native boats dragged over it by my
party in August, 1912, may continue for a distance of half a mile,
to a point where the roof of the cave drops to the level of the
surface of the water, and further progress becomes impossible.
A trip up this river is an experience never to be forgotten. There
is no danger of getting lost, as the three short side passages which
run off from the main cavern all end blindly. The channel has been
mapped by the Coast and Geodetic Survey and is plainly marked at all
critical points.
One's launch should be provided with very powerful acetylene lights so
arranged as to give a general illumination. Stalactites and stalagmites
occur in every conceivable form. There are vaulted chambers which are
full of them, and there are long straight passages which lack them and
have roofs and walls resembling those of a New York subway. In places
the cavern is full of edible-nest-building swifts and of bats. The
air in the main passage is fresh. During the rainy season water runs
from the roof in many places, and one must expect an occasional shower
bath, but this is the only discomfort attendant upon the trip.
Unfortunately, the mouth of this river is quite fully exposed to
the heavy seas stirred up by the southwest monsoon, which heap up
sand, forming a bar on which the surf breaks heavily; but during the
northeast monsoon the current often opens up a wide and deep channel
through this bar.
There are several other underground rivers in the Philippines. An
adventurous soldier embarked in a banca on one in Samar, and passed
completely under a large mountain. Judging from his description of
his experiences, this trip would be remarkably well worth taking.
In the limestone caves we may some day find remains which will throw
light on the history of the early inhabitants of the Philippines,
as many of them have been used for burial purposes in bygone times.
Pleasurable river navigation is by no means confined to underground
streams. In Mindanao there are two rivers which offer strong
attractions to tourists. One may ascend the Rio Grande de Cotabato
through fertile plains, to a remarkable series of lakes swarming with
great tame crocodiles and with a wonderful variety of waterfowl. On
this trip one will see the Moros at home. The Agusan River, which
rises near Davao Gulf and empties on the north coast of Mindanao,
is the largest navigable stream in the islands. During ordinary
weather it is strictly confined between well-marked banks. The dense
forests which cover them have been cleared in a few places to make
room for Manobo villages. Exquisite orchids and beautiful ferns
abound. After ascending the river for one hundred twenty miles one
comes to a remarkable submerged forest in a region which subsided a
few years ago during a great seismic disturbance. Formerly it was
very unsafe to enter it without taking an experienced guide, as
the original river bed was completely destroyed and the many small
streams flowing through the sunken area formed a very complicated
maze. Now, however, two clearly defined canals have been opened up,
both terminating in the immediate vicinity of the town of Veruela,
and a trip through either of them will not soon be forgotten, for
here tropical vegetation is seen at its very best.
During a portion of the year one may ascend the Rio Grande de Cagayan,
the great river of northern Luzón, in a good-sized stern-wheel steamer
for a distance of one hundred twenty miles, passing through a sparsely
settled but potentially very rich agricultural district which now
produces the best tobacco grown in the islands.
It is a common thing for temporary residents in the Philippines
to quote the foolish saying that the flowers are without odour
and the birds without song. There is no more delicious fragrance
than that given off in the evening by the shrub known as dama de
noche. [156] The perfume made from ilang-ilang flowers goes all over
the world. That extracted from the blossoms of the champaca brings
fabulous prices. Jasmine is produced in abundance. If one wishes a
heavier odour, tuberoses furnish it, while many species of trees make
the whole forest fragrant when in flower.
Some of the birds are sweet singers, while others brighten the
landscape with their vivid colours. A row of snowy egrets, perched
on the back of a carabao, presents a striking picture. One constantly
hears by day the plaint of the limócon, a wood pigeon which exercises
a most extraordinary influence over the lives of many of the wild
people, for they believe that the direction and the nature of its notes
augur good or ill for the enterprises which they have in hand. The
crescendo shriek of a great black cuckoo, called by the natives bahów,
commonly heard at night, is likely to cause alarm to one not cognizant
of its origin, and has led many a sentry on a wild goose chase into
a mangrove swamp in the belief that he was hastening to the rescue
of some human being undergoing dreadful torment.
One of the most interesting of the feathered denizens of Philippine
fields and forests is the inconspicuous tailor bird, which carefully
unwinds the silk from cocoons, and using it for thread, stitches
together the edges of living leaves and then builds its nest in the
green pocket thus formed.
The insects are as varied and interesting as are the birds. There
are very numerous species of ants, and the manifestations of their
extraordinary intelligence are well worth careful observation. The work
of the huge flocks of locusts which sometimes devastate the fields
is worth seeing, although the sight is not a cheering one. There are
butterflies and moths of great size and of the most brilliant and
varied hues. Some of the very gaudily coloured species disappear as if
by magic when they alight, because the under surfaces of their wings,
exposed when they close them, perfectly resemble dead leaves. Other
protectively coloured insects look marvellously like green leaves or
dead twigs.
After all is said and done, the most interesting study of mankind is
man, and man in most varied form is to be found in the Philippines,
beginning with Manila itself, where the mixture of Chinese, Japanese,
Spanish, English, German and American blood with that of the original
Malay invaders has produced a wonderfully varied series of types.
Many of the women are bravely decked out in the gayest of colours,
which harmonize well with their raven black hair and brown or yellow
skins.
Manila is a very interesting city. North of the Pasig River are several
native residence districts which have changed comparatively little in
a century. Old Manila, lying just south of the river, is one of the
best remaining examples of a walled town, and it has many buildings
which have withstood typhoons and earthquakes for centuries. Its
churches are of especial interest. The acoustic properties of the
cathedral are excellent, and if an opportunity to hear fine music
there presents itself it should not be missed.
At the University of Santo Tomás and at the Jesuit convento there are
good museums. The insular government has a museum on Calle Anloague,
where may be seen very interesting ethnological collections and an
important and striking exhibit of the products of the Philippine
forests.
In the botanical and zoölogical collections of the Bureau of Science
specialists will find a wealth of material.
The Philippine General Hospital richly repays a visit. It is the
largest and most complete institution of its kind in the Far East,
and within its walls American and Filipino physicians, surgeons and
nurses work side by side for the relief of suffering humanity.
I have only hinted at a few of the interesting sights which may be seen
without leaving the city limits. The open country and the provincial
towns are made readily accessible by splendid automobile roads. To
the north one finds great mango trees with their solid hemispheres
of beautiful foliage, and endless rice-fields in the cultivation of
which the people still employ the methods of bygone centuries. The
good sanitary condition in many of the towns shows that American and
Filipino health officers have not been idle.
To the south the automobile road runs straight away to Atimonan
on the Pacific coast, distant one hundred twelve miles. It passes
near Banájao, one of the most beautiful extinct volcanoes of the
Philippines; is bordered for long distances by cocoanut groves,
and extends for many miles through a most beautiful forest.
No visit to the Philippines is complete without a trip to Baguio,
the summer capital. It is reached by train and automobile in less
than a day. Here one is just at the edge of the wild man's country
and may go to villages of the Benguet Igorots in an automobile.
Starting at Baguio, one may take one of the most wonderful horseback
journeys in the world over the "Mountain Trail" to Cervantes in the
neighbouring sub-province of Lepanto and thence to Bontoc, the capital
of the Mountain Province. Here dwell the Bontoc Igorots, who were
famous head-hunters until brought under American control. Four or five
days more will suffice to make a trip north to Lubuagan, the capital
of the sub-province of Kalinga, inhabited by another most picturesque
tribe of head-hunters. They are physically a wonderfully developed
people, and their personal cleanliness, brightly coloured clothes,
and striking feather ornaments make them especially attractive.
On the way one is sure to see women clad in skirts extemporized from
banana leaves, camote tops, or ferns, of a type popularly but wrongly
supposed not to have been in style since the days of mother Eve.
From Bontoc one rides to the eastward over the Mount Polis range and
descends along the wonderful terraced mountain sides of the Ifugaos,
finding everywhere abundant evidences of the extraordinary industry
displayed by the people of this head-hunting tribe. At Quiangan the
traveller will be amazed to see beautiful buildings of cut stone,
and when informed that they have been erected by Ifugao schoolboys
under an American foreman will doubt the possibility of such a thing
unless he is fortunate enough to see the boys at work.
From this point one may return to Baguio by way of Sapao, and the
Agno River valley, or may continue his journey to the eastward, coming
out on the fertile plains of Nueva Vizcaya. Before the return to the
lowlands of Pangasinán from this province one may make a short side
trip of half a day into the country of the Ilongots, but I do not
recommend such an expedition to persons not familiar with the ways
of savages who are sometimes inclined to be a bit treacherous. The
Ilongots have harmed only one white man, but they still occasionally
murder each other, and it is hard always to know what they will
do next.
There are comfortable rest houses at frequent intervals along the
excellent horse trails over which one rides in making this trip, so
that all one really requires is a good horse and saddle and necessary
clothing. Baggage is transported by Igorot carriers or pack ponies. It
is always well to take one's own blankets. Good thick ones will be
needed, for the Mountain Trail reaches an elevation of seventy-five
hundred feet, and at this height the nights are cold.
Until within a short time it has been impossible for tourists to
travel with comfort in the Philippines. There was no good hotel
even at Manila. This latter difficulty has now fortunately been
remedied. The old carriage and cart roads were impassable during much
of the year. Their place has been taken, in many provinces, by heavily
surfaced automobile roads serviceable at all times. Accommodations
on the inter-island boats were atrocious. They are still far from
first-class, but are rapidly improving, and on a number of the
steamers are now very fair. There is good prospect that a number of
new and up-to-date steamers will be put on inter-island routes in
the near future.
Meanwhile it can safely be said that the world does not afford
more attractive ground for yachting than that to be found in the
Philippines. The scenery among the Calamianes Islands and in Bacuit
Bay and Malampaya Sound is beautiful beyond description. That of the
famous Inland Sea of Japan does not compare with it. Safe, quiet
anchorages are to be found at frequent intervals, and the weather
during the winter months usually leaves nothing to be desired.