Teamwork, PDIC & Wonder Island

Many more photos at end of article - All photos byFrank A Hilario.

Under the canopy of Wonder Island's all-white tour boat, during the cruise around the island, in the middle front row (in blue) is Ms Elizabeth E Oller, First VP, PDIC

By Frank A Hilario, guest blogger

TEAMWORK is what catapulted the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to become Outstanding in the eyes of the World Bank and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR); read my story ‘Al Gore Of Science’ (2007 July 14, americanchronicle.com). Here, Rated O equals a World Bank grant of US$2.4 M. That’s not the great value of teamwork – that’s only an example of the great value of what teamwork can do.

‘Strengthening working relationship’ is what the Insurance Claims Group (ICG) of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) went after at Wonder Island near the city proper of Calamba in the province of Laguna last July 13-14. The prize they went after: Teamwork.

How important is teamwork at PDIC? We can have a good idea of that when we consider that there are 18 groups that make up the PDIC, as according to Ms Eloida B Indorte, Coordinator of the ICG affair at Wonder Island; there were 80 of them from the ICG alone attending the two-day workshop. Thus, teamwork is not only important – it is indispensable. Such significance can also be appreciated considering the role of the PDIC, this according to the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) (iadi.org):

The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) is a government corporation established in June 1963 under Republic Act (RA) 3591. PDIC's role as envisioned by the Congress is to encourage savings in banks and draw idle funds into the banking system, protect insured deposits in the event of bank closures, help promote a sound and stable banking system, and foster public confidence in the banking system.

We were at Wonder Island on the last day of the ICG event, ‘we’ meaning me and Roman Romeo Nagpala, who owned the digital Kodak EasyShare camera and the Dell laptop we were using to cover the PDIC event in both print and visual media: I shot and we uploaded to the laptop, then deleted from the camera and got ready for another round of shots – I always shoot many more than I know I need, whether or not it is for a pictorial or a coffee table book.

Yes, we are a team of two. Romy is an excellent PR man who is always ready with stories and jokes right off his head that everyone likes to hear. And I am the writer, editor & publisher who is this time also the photographer and webmaster. He has been PR-writing for at least 32 years; I have been writing for about that long. Lately, we agreed to work together as a team of multi-media marketing consultants. If you hire us, you hire a team. That is only logical, as marketing is itself a teamwork of four: the promoter, the pricer, the positioner, the packager. Romy and I, the two of us are all of the four, simplifying marketing for your product or service. It takes two multi-taskers like us to team up beautifully for marketing in the electronic universe.

Teamwork is the word for the week. The event we attended at Wonder Island was called the ‘Annual PDIC-ICG Teambuilding Workshop (2007)’ and led by Ms Elizabeth E Oller, First Vice President at PDIC and the Officer-in-Charge of the ICG. Ms Lanie Pua-Almasan, daughter of Rudy Pua, owner of Wonder Island, had arranged with Ms Eloida, who is Assistant Manager of the Claims Settlement Department of the ICG, for us to be at the breakfast on the Wonder Island houseboat just before the cruise around the island.

The Insurance Claims Group is composed of three Departments, and they were all there: Presettlement Examination, led by AVP Luisito M Carreon; Claims Processing, led by AVP Atty Elaine B Deticio; Claims Settlement, led by DM Merlie M Cañaveral. The objective, says Ms Eloida, is ‘nurturing growth’ and the purpose is ‘to promote camaraderie and harmony among officers & staff of ICG, to further strengthen working relationships.’

At noon on the second day, we asked Ms Eloida about their stay at Wonder Island so far, and she said her group were all very happy: ‘Tuwang-tuwa sila.’ They enjoyed the workshop, they enjoyed their stay. They had games and such, and the island resort had everything they needed, including dormitory units, seminar-workshop facilities, including an overhead projector, karaoke – coffee that flows as long as you want it. Our breakfast this morning had longanisa (the Filipino tasty meat sausage), eggs sunny side up, tinapa (smoked fish), fried rice, papaya, pandesal (salted bread) with melting butter. A teamwork of food items like that made the day for the more than 80 of us in the houseboat, with which we circled Wonder Island after the meal.

Wonder Island has sports facilities with minimal fees: volleyball, table tennis, billiards, darts. It has aqua sports facilities, with three rates per hour: Wave Runner I, II & III. It has kiddie pools, adult pools, water playground and a children’s playground. All of these come together beautifully like teamwork. Strictly by reservation.

The PDIC went to Wonder Island to work out their teamwork more. Because of its unique location (just off the lakeshore of the City of Calamba), near Manila, its particular configuration (a whole little island that can exist entire of itself, with generators all over the place for electricity), because of the teamwork of intelligence and technology, Wonder Island gave the ICG the perfect place for their workshop. These photographs should be enough proof of that.

Where's the island?

By Frank A Hilario, guest blogger

Never mind the heads ‘cut off’ by the photographer (that would be me) – mind the items that the three boys are minding while squatting on concrete with a tricycle waiting nearby. There is commerce going on; there is buying and selling on a concrete island in the middle of somewhere.

You are looking at an island figuratively; the concrete is bounded on three sides by water, because this is the wharf built by the owner of Wonder Island, Rudy Pua, who wants the wharf populated by promenaders and hawkers of goods like these – it’s a pleasant walk in the morning and in the afternoon when you can look at Wonder Island from a distance; it’s a pleasant feeling to watch a leisurely, noiseless display of wares for the passerby to buy or simply look at.

This is a street scene which dramatizes one of the concerns of Rudy, which is to help his city-mates derive extra income from the traffic going to and from his island, the traffic of vehicles and people – a small contribution from a small island in the middle of a big lake.

Rich Man, Poor Man?

By Frank A Hilario, guest blogger

In the background: That’s the boat coming in from Wonder Island as it nears the wharf; in a little while, it will be ready to ferry passengers to that little island in the middle of that big lake.

In the foreground: That’s a man trying to reach for his snack? bait? even as he has his hook, line and sinker in the water near the side of the wharf waiting for a fish to bite.

The wharf has been built by the man who owns Wonder Island. Because he wanted to help his people in the City of Calamba enjoy themselves as well as do something productive like fishing. And that's only a little part of the story of the Island Father (read Lourdes Jiz de Ortega's article 'Island Father' in the Manila Bulletin of 2000 June 18).

This one looks like a photograph badly composed. In this one picture, there seems to be two different stories, right? Right. And they are not related to each other, right? Right.

And wrong. In fact, the story is the same, and I want to call it The Waiting Game. Both the boat and the fisherman are waiting for something to happen. The boat is here, hoping for some passengers to arrive; the fisherman is here, hoping for some fish to bite.

There are always passengers who come; there are always fish who bite. But: Suppose no island visitors come today? It's okay - Wonder Island is always there, waiting. Suppose no fish bites today? It’s okay, if I were the fisherman. I would have enjoyed the very act of fishing on a wharf overlooking an island in the middle of a lake, with mountains all around me. The owner of Wonder Island is rich. The fisherman is rich -just enjoying Mother Nature makes one so rich.

Island in the Sun

By Frank A Hilario, guest blogger

This is my island in the sun, and nobody can take it away from me. I will forever keep this picture in my mind, if not in my flash drive and/or hard disk.

That is what I hear someone say early morning today, July 12; we’re on the wharf where you take the boat ride going to Wonder Island in the middle of the lake that even the Calamba boy Jose Rizal loved.

Are we in Barangay Palingon or Lingga? I don't know. It doesn't matter. While I myself look at this island, I imagine Harry Belafonte singing:

Island In The Sun
(Harry Belafonte and Lord Burgess)

This is my island in the sun
Where my people have toiled since time begun
I may sail on many a sea
Her shores will always be home to me.

Oh, island in the sun
Willed to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters, your shining sand.

When morning breaks the heaven on high
I lift my heavy load to the sky
Sun comes down with a burning glow
Mingles my sweat with the earth below.

Oh, island in the sun
Willed to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters, your shining sand.

I see woman on bended knee
Cutting cane for her family
I see man at the water side
Casting nets at the surging tide.

Oh, island in the sun
Willed to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters, your shining sand.

I hope the day will never come
That I can't awake to the sound of drum
Never let me miss carnival
With calypso songs philosophical.

Oh, island in the sun
Willed to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters, your shining sand.

Sad the time, I'll ever miss
The gay colored skirts as they turn and twist
Let me always hear soft guitars
And a maiden's voice 'neath a thousand stars.

Oh, island in the sun
Willed to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters, your shining sand.

Many people have visited this island before; I haven't. Someday I will. I will.

Wonder Island, bookings & inquiries

Wonder Island, offshore of Calamba City

Whole-day package, 8 AM to 5 PM only

Rate includes boat transfer (2 ways); use of swimming pools, picnic umbrellas, picnic huts, pavilions; managed buffet meals: morning snacks, lunch, afternoon snacks. Adults P784; Kids P700; Senior Citizens P690.

Overnight package, check-in 2 PM, check-out 12 noon

Rate includes boat transfers; use of swimming pools, picnic umbrellas, picnic huts, pavilions; managed buffet meals (dinner, breakfast, lunch); air-conditioned rooms.

Room Types	Minimum Occupants	Rate Per Head (P)
Twin Sharing	2 persons	2,380
Double Sharing	2 persons	2,380
Family Unit	6 persons	2,212
Dormitory Unit	8 persons	1,652
Bamboo House	12 persons	1,792
Dormitory Unit	12 persons	1,512
Dormitory Unit	14 persons	1,492
Dormitory Unit	18 persons	1,465
Extra Person/Bed		1,540

All rates are VAT-inclusive and subject to change without prior notice.

Advance reservation and down-payment are required.

Other packages are available upon request.

For booking and inquiries, visit or contact us at 211 Rizal Street, Calamba City. Call Laguna lines: 049-545-1766 / 545-6491 / 545-6492. Manila line: 02-520-8556. Mobile phone 0922-503-3151

We're more in love than before

By Frank A Hilario, guest blogger

Here’s a letter from one of our recent visitors:

Dear Wonder Island,

I did thoroughly enjoy my two-day stay in your wonderful resort together with my girl friend. Especially your Jacuzzi, your swimming pool. The breakfast was swell too, in fact it was very good. And our last night together was the best of all, cruising Laguna de Bay just the two of us (almost). Sheila thinks we have not enjoyed ourselves together just as much we did in your place. We’ll remember our hours together there when we raise a family and come visit your beautiful island in the near future. Because of the loving atmosphere in your island, I think we’re more in love with each other than before.

I remember our calling your booking office at 0800 hours and getting a very prompt response from your secretary. That made us feel good, knowing that you care about your clients by observing your own rules. It’s so frustrating calling an office during office hours and nobody answers.

There is one thing, though, that we noticed, I hope you don’t mind our telling you. To describe Wonder Island as ‘a perfect island hideaway’ is inaccurate in that it’s really very public, not very private – notice that your brochure shows the swimming pool, the picnic area with the many umbrellas close to each other. In any case, Sheila and I were alone together and felt the whole island was ours simply because we are in love, and will always be.

Bobby, Australia

Bobby, we thank you for your kind words. Rest assured that we will always be there for our guests. As to the matter of our resort being ‘a perfect island hideaway,’ I’ll put it this way: it was simply a metaphor. - Wonder Island

I wonder who is the Godfather?

By Frank A Hilario, guest blogger

We have among us a ‘silent’ Godfather, someone who has the heart of a boy and the head of a father who loves his family, his extended family, and especially the poor who live near and around his dream island.

Well, it used to be a dream island; now he owns it, this little-big island in the middle of a legendary lake being watched over by a lady of legendary beauty and love. He fell in love with the lady – and the island, not necessarily in that order.

When he was a boy … watch for our series of true stories about and related to Wonder Island.

Wonder Island: What's in it for me?

By Frank A Hilario, guest blogger

Can you imagine a resort that has a thousand and one appeal? This one has a hundred and one:

Has the quiet for writers of books, biographies, autobiographies, anthologies

Has the facilities for the conduct of modern workshops with the use of desktop computers as an integral part of the proceedings

Has the ambiance for honeymooners who would like to stay on an island for a day or two

Has the amenities for family gatherings and reunions, including golden wedding anniversaries

Has the scenes for great pictorials whether for fashion or for tourism purposes

Has the religious atmosphere for getting married, being baptized in a chapel on the hill

Has romantic lights for many romantic nights

Has enough rooms and spaces for workshops of almost any kind

Has a multiplier effect in terms of jobs created, such as more fishing, more growing of vegetables, more raising of animals, more cooking – jobs and undertakings related to tourism

Has everything for company affairs out of the office, including celebrations and trainings.

2 men and a book

By Frank A Hilario, guest blogger

They came, Ben and Alex, with a book to rewrite, Ben’s autobiography, who was already 83 years old. They were welcome to Wonder Island as old friends, those kinds that visit you only once in many months. Ben brought his trusty laptop computer, the one he used to write, all by himself, the first edition of his book, The Lonely Ones (about the many loves of his life). Alex brought his own desktop personal computer, because he wasn’t at all comfortable with the laptop. Ben and Alex will be writing separately, but for the same book. Ben would jog his mind of old memories to put more meat into the first book. Alex would revise the first book into his own narrative style. They would do that for one week, that’s the plan, comparing notes at the end of the day or early the next morning.

When he wasn’t typing or thinking, Alex would roam all over Wonder Island as if to gather some thoughts from the air. It was that too. It was also for physical exercise. Ben preferred to be swimming all the time in the pool, with his girl companion. She wasn’t the wife. They needed each other, one for comfort, the other for the comforts that money can bring.

Then they were gone.

Learning to swim? Enjoy the view!

By Frank A Hilario, guest blogger

Compare the waters of Wonder Island and Laguna De Bay or Laguna Lake. The island’s water is drinkable; the lake’s water is unfit for human consumption. You can swim in both waters if you like, but you would prefer the warmth and clean feeling you get at the Wonder Island huge swimming pool. The denuded hillsides surrounding the lake all contribute their everyday load of organic matter to the lake; Wonder Island continues to upload its contribution of clear, clean mineral water to the surface of the earth.

While swimming in the island’s pool, you will note with delight that you are surrounded, literally, by the wonders of nature. Water, water everywhere. Mountains to the east and west, residences dotting the lakeside from here to eternity, and then back again.

You know you can bring the kids to this resort island so that they can learn to swim and/or enjoy themselves in and out of the water. They will enjoy the water while you will enjoy the view.

Wonderful letters

Frank A Hilario, guest blogger

We do receive more letters than we expect; here are selected ones from our guests in the last few days. Among other things, these letters make us realize that Wonder Island has its own special attraction to each and everyone of our guests.

I’ve just been to Wonder Island and I’ve been amazed at its transformation. I was there about 5 years ago, when it was just being developed. I got much better service this time. – Jimmy D

The little chapel on the hill is what I remember most of my solo trip to your island resort. You see, I’m still single and I like to travel all by my own, savoring the delights of places and the warmth of friendship of people. I like to think I’m religious myself and I appreciate your putting a special place for people to attend to the needs of their faith, if only occasionally. – Shirley B

Boy, did our family enjoy your warm spring water! We had a grand time splashing each other in the pool. We hope to come back soon for such watery pleasure. – Cora F

The boat cruise of Laguna De Bay will remain in my memory for a long time to come. It was a beautiful moon, and the stillness of the evening was disturbed only by the splashing of the water on the side of the boat. A lovely evening! – Duran

If you want a different experience and a little adventure out of the ordinary, I suggest you go visit Wonder Island, which is located south of Manila, in the countryside City of Calamba. Before you embark on your island discovery tour, why not drop by the shrine of the national hero Jose Rizal who was born in that city? Wonder Island, it’s called; Wonder Boy I’d call the young Jose Rizal, as I learned that he wrote a patriotic poem when he was only 8 years old, ‘Sa Aking Mga Kabata’ (To The Kids Of My Own Time’), the same which has been translated in English and interpreted differently by Frank A Hilario, a writer who creates intriguing, insightful essays and never seems to run out of ideas even on old topics. As to Wonder Island, you will discover more than you thought you would on a little island surrounded not only by water, of course, but also historic and majestic mountains. – John Bill M

Wonder Blue

By Namor G Nagpala

Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer of March 12, 2000. Original title: ‘Wonder brewing on Laguna Lake.’ Revised.

It was once a tear drop of the legendary goddess Maria Makiling, she who now guards the mountain named after her. On a clear day, you can see her beauty almost anywhere on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Centuries ago, this tiny island lay at the bottom of Laguna De Bay. But now it is afloat and very much visible from the shoreline of Calamba, Laguna, like the mythical Fantasy Island beckoning to visitors.

It was affectionately called ‘Isla De Calamba’ by no less than our national hero himself, Dr Jose P Rizal. But to local residents, it has long been known simply as ‘Pulo’ (island).

The three-hectare Pulo is now being developed as the Wonder Island Resort of Calamba.

According to developer Rodolfo ‘Rudy’ Pua, drilling operations for potable water on the island have yielded interesting results. In the initial diggings, conducted by workers of the island’s first private owner, the late Lucas P Paredes, salty water was pumped out despite Laguna De Bay being a freshwater lake. With this phenomenon, the name ‘Wonder Island’ was conceived.

From subsequent drilling under Pua’s supervision, reaching 200-400 feet below ground level, emerged rust-colored water, as well as layers of debris of various seashells (including suso, the traditional shell feed for the once thriving duck-raising industry in Laguna), wood particles, sand and soil, small rocks and pebbles.

Further drilling to 600 feet down produced water with yellowish color and also layers upon layers of similar debris.

At 900 feet, warm, potable and clear water – bluish and fresh-tasting – flowed freely. Pua said samples of this water would be submitted for laboratory tests, for possible curative effects. I suggested that we call it ‘Wonder Blue.’

And Wonder Blue now feeds the island’s swimming pools, giving these a lukewarm temperature. It also supplies the regular requirements of the whole island resort.

Drilling operations to reach 1,000 feet are underway at the northern tip of the island.

Pua was born and raised in Calamba. His vision for the area includes a modernized boat service to ferry local and foreign tourists across the lake. And he would like to see fisherfolk augmenting their family income by serving the needs of the tourists.

He is also planning fishports, wharf facilities and boat service gas stations along the lake shore, to pave the way for the economic growth of the resident communities.

Fast, sleek and sturdy fiberglass boats now ferry the island passengers rain or shine. Since five years ago, Wonder Island Resort has been engaged in developing fiberglass boats.

The present fleet is composed of 7 boats, each with a capacity of 20-50 persons, and a leisure houseboat which can hold more than 100.

The houseboat serves as a floating restaurant, cruise vessel, and, weather permitting, venue for meetings and seminars. One such seminar was that conducted by the Vice Governors League of the Philippines on February 6-9.

A bigger houseboat is in the making.

The available guest facilities at the resort may be booked through reservations only. Interested parties may call (049) 545-1766 and 545-6491.

Apart from a little chapel and a restaurant, there are two air-conditioned dormitory units with a capacity of 20 persons per unit; two family units (for 6-8 persons in a unit), with 3 air-conditioned rooms each; and a complete 2-story bamboo house (maximum capacity: 12 persons).

There are also a view deck, 6 swimming pools of various sizes and designs, 2 jacuzzis, a 2-story conference hall for seminars and social functions, and a sports hall.

Ponder the Wonder.

How did this bamboo hut get here on this small island in the middle of a lake? It was brought by the loving hands of Rudy Pua, the owner of Wonder Island, who wants the island visitor to enjoy the beauty and the bounty of nature.

It’s about 3 hectares all in all, this island resort called Wonder Island. When you have visited all its nooks and crannies, won’t you run out of stories to tell? Not this website.

Wonder Island invites the creative writer to take the tourism angle to a higher level.

There is the challenge to relate Wonder Island to Laguna Lake and not merely repeat what has been written before.

We can tell you the endless advantages of the place over other resorts in Laguna as well as in other provinces near Metro Manila.

We will feature stories published before and are worth the retelling.

Perhaps we can call Wonder Island the Island Paradise in a Sea of Blue (the sky) and amid a Sea of Green (the forested mountains).

This is the lake that the national hero Jose Rizal wrote about when he was just a little boy of 8.

Laguna De Bay used to carry passenger-carrying boats from Manila to the provinces of Rizal and Laguna and back.

What about all those visitors in the past? Each one is worth one story.

What about stories of some famous people visiting the place?