|
You are visitor no.
|
My Adventures in the Philippines
|
(click to enlarge)
|
In the years 1997 and 1998 I've spent a
lot of my time in the Philippines. At first I went to Kalibo,
Aklan on Panay Island to install a trial system for our
customer ISLACOM. We connected almost 300 wireless
subscribers in the area around Kalibo and gave technical
training to the Philippine engineers of our subsidiary and
ISLACOM.
Kalibo is a tourist place, famous for its Ati-Atihan
festival in January. The Kalibo airport is the gateway to
come to Boracay Island - a true tourist's paradise with blue
waters and white sands.
Our business hotel was the BeachComber Inn - a friendly
place with great hospitality. Just a few meters next to
there is a swiss restaurant and speciality shop. The owner,
Albin Markwalder, and his Philippine wife serve the best
steaks, meats, vegetables, fries and fruits. We had a
wonderful time there - and a lot of San Miguel Beer...
An other nice place is the hotel Hisbiscus Garden, owned by
a swiss guy, too. This hotel is located within palm trees
and hibiscus flowers. The restaurant offers local and
international cuisine.
|
|
Three months later we started to travel
all over the middle Philippine islands (Visayas) for site
surveys. I visited the places of our coming telephone
systems on the province and island Bohol. The provincial
center is Tagbilaran City - a typical Philippine city with a
small airport, a harbor and basic business.
I lived for one month in the Bohol Tropics Hotel and Beach
Resort. They had nice wodden houses and an open air
restaurant with asian cuisine and very good seafoods. The
waiters are a little lazy there, a general problem with the
Bohol people. In Bohol, life seems to work slower than in
other provinces. The most conspicuous buildings in Bohol are
the old spanish churches like the Baclayon Church. Other
very interesting sights are the Chocolate Hills and the wonderful beaches on
Panglao
Island.
|
(click to enlarge)
|
|
(click to enlarge)
|
After three months of site surveys we
started the ISLACOM project in the Visayas. We installed
almost 40 radio base stations in the provinces of the
Visayas area. Our local engineers became a very reliable team and closed friends
of mine. We visited many interesting places and had a lot of
fun together.
We were based in Cebu City - the biggest city in the Visayas.
In January the Cebuanos celebrate the famous Sinulog
festival - a colorful and loud fiesta in honour of Sto.
Nino.
Our business hotel was Eddie's
Hotel, an American style hotel with a great steak house
restaurant.
Beside the ISLACOM project we had other activities with MTSI
in Coronadal, South Cotabato in Mindanao. Mindanao is the
big island in the south of the Philippines. Some places
there are a little dangerous, muslim rebels often kidnap
people to get money for their independence fight. Anyways we
had good times there and found good friends in the MTSI
people.
The province South Cotabato is famous for its volcanos and
the pineapple farms.
|
|
After almost two years I was the last
German project engineer and I left the Philippines in
September 1998. Our friends in KCI and ISLACOM are now able
to do a very reliable job. We inaugurated a new office in
Cebu City. Melvin is the manager for the local support
services. His team - Alfred, Ermin, Gines, Edgar and Raymond
- is experienced and motivated. The office background is in
the beautiful hands of two secretaries, Myrna and Johana.
I found very good friends,
some of them could visit Germany. Raymond and Melvin came
and enjoyed the German winter - a very new experience for
them. Once I invited Rachel and Malu, two engineers of
ISLACOM Bacolod, to visit Germany. We had a weekend turn to
some interesting sights in the middle of Germany and they
enjoyed it really.
|
(click to enlarge)
|
|
(click to enlarge)
|
It's quite some time ago that I met my
Philipine friends but I'm very happy that we always have
contact by email. Here are the latest news, Ermin and Melvin
have now their own family.
It's very nice to see them, isn't it.
Gines had two kids already when we had been there. Also
Edgar and Alfred are now a proud fathers. |
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)