NOAH'S ARK IN CALAMBA

The long hot summer is hereabout in the oil-price-increasing and corrupt-laden Philippines as the Lenten season just ended. Lent is “the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed by devout Roman Catholic, Eastern, and some Protestant churches as a period of penitence and fasting.”

Noah’s Ark in Lucban was the front page banner photo of The Philippine Daily Inquirer issue last Holy Wednesday, April 20, 2011. The photo-story occupied my Lenten reflections up to Easter Sunday - The Resurrection of “The Saviour.”

At the shoreline barangay Looc, in Calamba, Laguna, it has been a tradition among the young ones, for decades now, to converge at the vacant farmland by the edge of Laguna Lake from the night of Sabado de Gloria until the day of Linggo ng Pagkabuhay. They enjoy the night with their so-called salubungan revelry. Everyone was happy and hopeful to meet the new dawn of life along with the resurrection of Christ our Saviour.

The merrymaking was much-more merry and noisy this time with karaoke and juke box music introduced by an enterprising mechanic shop owner Jofer Villanueva. Jofer brought his generator engine to supply electricity thereabouts. Jofer’s buddy, Lek-Lek (my son), put up my two portable tents for his family and sold barbeque, sandwiches, drinks in his one-night kiosk.

The once-young Lolo Ome joined his grandchildren very early that Sunday morning and captured the joy of resurrection. Joyfully watching my grandkids (Zeus, Miles, and Kurt) and their parents (Lek and Ming) gathering tulya (clam shells) in the shallow lake, a big house afloat nearby appeared before the aging sight of this septuagenarian. The huge houseboat was filled with people enjoying breakfast (I surmised) in their own encounter with the new dawn.

Noah’s Ark in Lukban at the foot of Mt. Banahaw was still fresh in my mind. That early Sunday morning, what I saw instead was Noah’s Ark in Calamba, floating along Laguna de Bay, by the foot of the legendary Mt. Maria Makiling, with the majestic Mt. Banahaw as the fading backdrop.

This salubungan experience that dawn led me to a chat that same day with the boat owner and its master builder Rudy Pua, a native of Calamba (now a city), who lives near the Rizal Shrine.

Noah’s Ark
The surname Pua rings a bell with a flashback to the biblical story of Noah, grandson of Methuselah (Genesis 6:5-16). “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ... The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” And God said unto Noah: “I will destroy them with the earth. … Make thee an ark of gopher wood with rooms in the ark.”

And Noah built a huge boat – three-story-ark with water-sealed rooms according to God’s fashion: 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits in height; with one cubit window above, and side door. And it was loaded with plenty of foods for all the occupants to survive God’s deluge. And the ark held in safety and preserved Noah and his wife, his three begotten sons and their wives, including the pairs of every living thing of all flesh, male and female.

Pua’s Ark
And here is the story of Pua’s version of Noah’s Ark, that big houseboat I saw afloat laden with chosen people but less those pairs of all living animals, male and female. Chosen people are the local and foreign tourists who can afford to pay for a cruise around the lake.

Noah’s Ark in Lukban was conceptualized and built by “Fr. Joey” Joseph Faller, catholic healing priest. Noah’s Ark in Calamba was designed and built by an island father Rudy Pua. Pua is known in Calamba as an island father. He is the owner-developer of the three-hectare island that lies in the heart of Laguna Lake, about seven-minute speedboat ride from the Pantalan (pier). He has been slowly developing the island into a unique tourist hideaway the past decades. It is now known as Wonder Island Resort, a conference center for corporate planning activities, combining business and pleasure amidst pure nature ambiance. Its unique offer – cruising the Laguna de Bay aboard a houseboat by calling in advance reservation its Manila landline 520-8556, or 049-545-1766, 049-545-6491, 049-244-4948; or via fax 049-545-6492.

Boat making
“I want the boat ride to the island smooth and safe for people to better appreciate the beauty of the island, the entire lake and the surrounding view; and for them to keep coming back. Cruising is expensive that most people cannot afford the luxury. I want to share with our people this luxurious opportunity to experience the thrill of going on a cruise without spending a fortune going to other countries or owning their own yacht. I love to make people happy by providing them with a cheaper yet equally thrilling alternative – a safe and pleasurable trip around the lake.” This obsession has driven Pua to spend a fortune in boat making.

He has made over 20 fiberglass boats, sleek, durable and innovatively designed for safe cruising around the lake. He has one fully furnished houseboat for his family use, and for special treat to friends and guests. It can cruise about 100 persons around the lake safely and comfortably.

Pua’s latest achievement in boat making is the floating conference-cum-restaurant Pua’s Ark – the huge double-deck houseboat with over 200 person loading capacity, cruising Laguna Lake safely and comfortably, laden with food and group amenities. But he has to have a good pier where this huge one must dock in and out safely.

The Bay Walk
As land developer he slowly developed into a small pier, for his boats and also for the public use, one-hectare foreshore land duly titled under his name. Thousands truckloads of boulders, rocks, soil and various filling materials excavated from other resources and real estates converted into subdivisions were hauled and dumped into this private property.

Today, guests and also the general public use the stretch of driveway he built to reach the loading and unloading area for his boat, and for all kind of boats plying Laguna Lake as well. The boarding point changes with the tide in the lake.

The pantalan is now a promenade for anyone to breathe the fresh lake air. It becomes a big parking lot for free. It is an instant fish market during early mornings as the fish catch from the lake awaits transport to market destinations. The community’s barangay tanod secures the area. Aerobics aficionados gather here for their week-ends sessions. The place is now called “Bay Walk,” after the City Council under Mayor Joaquin Chipeco, Jr. (2004-2013) completed its lighting, fencing and improvement project.


“I envision a small fish port, food stalls, and curio shops for tourists at Bay Walk to uplift the living conditions and livelihood of our fisher folks. This way, more people would be attracted to the area and the communities here can have a better way of selling their products. The market would come to them and they could sell their produce directly to consumers without the middlemen,” disclosed Pua. And as this lake tourism economics works wonders, other shoreline municipalities would follow, Pua added.

Pua confessed: “All my efforts, time, and resources are geared toward a dream of developing Wonder Island as a competitive tourist resort and conference center and putting Laguna Lake into the world map of tourist destinations.”

Pua recalled the usefulness of the lake since time immemorial: as trading route of early Chinese merchants to the shoreline villages; waterways by our coastal resident forefathers to reach barangays around the lake up to Manila; and pristine site for leisure ferryboat cruise by the likes of our national hero Jose Rizal.

Pua said: “Why can’t we now use this lake as alternative waterways to help ease traffic situation in Laguna, Rizal, and Metro-Manila?” This is why instead of using traditional wooden boats I invest in fiberglass boat making for decades now to have sturdier boats adapted to the lake, Pua added.

Pua foresees modern day ferryboats plying the lake clear highways loaded with local and foreign tourists on their way to Pagsanjan Falls, and other Laguna tourist destinations. Water sports like jet skiing, board sailing, balloon sailing, and regatta would soon be regular lake scenery to attract more tourists.

The realization of this vision, hopefully, would be supported by government entities, e.g., LLDA, Department of Tourism, Provincial governments of Rizal and Laguna, tourism associations, CREBA, and NGOs.

Representatives from these groups have visited Wonder Island. Two former Philippine Presidents (Estrada and Arroyo) had been here and they liked what they saw.

Laguna Lake is not yet dead contrary to the proclamation of various sectors. Laguna Lake has been included in the official list of the world’s living lakes August 2, 2001. The Philippines’ LLDA representative attended the world’s living lakes conference February, 2002 in Japan, as the 18th partner-lake in the International Lakes Network.

Laguna Lake would be host to similar world lakes networking conference in the not far distant future. By then, local and international delegates would cruise the still living Laguna Lake (hopefully) on board Wonder Island’s “Noah’s Ark in Calamba.”

Pua believes the local community would see that his development activities are not solely for his vested interest. All these, he said, would redound to the benefits of the shoreline communities, Calamba City, Laguna province, and our country as well.

Pua prays for better governance to support his development plans to finish his dreams that would uplift the plight of the shoreline communities from the present marginal existence and provide them with livelihood opportunities from lake tourism, as the economy reels from poverty due to rampant corruption. He firmly believes the righteous path of governance is here for all to tread under the present dispensation of President Benigno Aquino III.

"I am, therefore, honestly inviting His Excellency to experience cruising around Laguna de Bai, on board 'NOAH'S ARC IN CALAMBA'," Pua concludes.

The rainbow
As the bow in the cloud that misty Sunday morning completely became a beautiful rainbow, to the delight of Zeus, Miles, and Kurt, I recalled that the rainbow is the biblical symbol of God’s everlasting covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:12-15). “And God said, this is the token of the covenant which I make between me and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: … And I will remember my covenant, …..; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

Noah’s Ark in Lucban is for tired, lost souls. Noah’s Ark in Calamba beacons people with the new hope of dawn to capture the bliss of the lake in a cruise around Laguna de Bay, not only in the season of reflections for tired lost souls, but moreover, whenever mother nature’s weather so permits; and more so when the colorful God’s rainbow arcs the blue horizon.

The waters of Laguna now beckon to one and all to wade in and enjoy this long, hot summer; meditate and pray for everlasting joy, prosperity, abundance, and world peace. So help us God; and may God Bless us all in the name of Jesus, Amen.