Trike drivers as tour guides

ANOTHER preoccupation of tricycle drivers in Baler, Aurora: Guiding tourists. ANDRE MEDINA/CONTRIBUTOR

Through a lingering gravel road, two tricycles treaded, engines snarling while struggling past rows of coconut trees and the occasional wooden houses.

Several sharp turns and wobbly ascents later, they finally parked near a cemented path that goes around a small plot of land. In the middle towers a mass of stocky moss-colored roots and branches that lead to a half-circle crown of emerald foliage.

The passengers stepped out, each taking a long-bemused pause before actually grasping what exactly they were looking at. “That is the Millennium Tree,” one of the tricycle drivers explained in Filipino, “the largest balete tree in Asia.”

Baler, the renowned “surfing capital” in Aurora province, fairly owes its ever-growing fame among nature lovers and tourists from the most unlikely of heroes—its tricycle drivers.

Rollymar Ramos, 41, has been a tour guide on tricycle for six years. He has already taken thousands of visitors to the diverse areas that make Baler a truly exceptional destination—from hanging bridges guaranteed to raise one’s hair, surreal giant trees straight out of children’s books and pristine sandy beaches perfect for strolls or a dip to waterfalls to awaken a strong appreciation, if not love, for nature.

Earning extra

A native of Barangay (village) Suklayin in Baler, Ramos saw the changes in his hometown over the last few decades. After graduating from college, he moved to Manila where he had worked. But barely earning enough to make ends meet, he decided to return to Baler and became a tricycle driver. He was even elected as an officer of the tricycle drivers’ association.

Starting his own family, Ramos needed a more lucrative means to make a living. “There’s the boundary fee and the cost of gas. There’s very little left for my family by the end of the day,” he said of his daily expenses as a tricycle driver.

In 2007 came an unexpected opportunity for him and his kind. Surfers and outdoor enthusiasts began flocking to Baler in increasing numbers, posing a challenge for the municipal tourism office to fully accommodate the visitors.

An ingenious program was drawn up. The tourism office rallied all tricycle operators to attend a series of training seminars on proper tour guide procedures as well as extensive information on all the tourist attractions in Baler and elsewhere. Those who passed the training were included in the official list of certified tour guides.

“Before, there were a lot who came to Baler without a tour guide,” Ramos said. “The local tourism office tapped into our group since we, tricycle drivers, are the first to greet the tourists as soon as they get off the bus.”

Suitable transport

The arrangement gave not only the tricycle drivers extra income but also Baler an excellent tour service. Since Baler’s natural attractions are situated far apart and most of the roads are unpaved and extremely rough, tricycles were the suitable mode of transportation.

Moreover, tourists are ensured safety as the guides-cum-tricycle drivers are directly supported by local officials.

Since the program was initiated, visitors to Baler have grown at an amazing rate. From January to June, roughly 200,000 tourists came and availed themselves of the services of the driving guides.

“I’m just enjoying myself,” Ramos said, “as long as I still get to tour, give a really good service to my guests. At least when they come back, they might want to contact me again or refer me to other tourists.”

Quite recently, Typhoon “Labuyo”  wreaked havoc at Baler, but with resilience and resourcefulness, the town is open to all guests once again. In fact, Ramos said tourists were still coming and had not been deterred—a confirmation that Baler will remain to be a destination to be explored and, most importantly, preserved.

Seeing how his work has made such a positive impact to his family and community, Ramos is certain that he and his fellow drivers would continue giving tours to Baler’s legions of visitors.