By Sophia Bain

Page 2

wheel and dart amongst the larger trees. My two caretakers carry off the supplies and baggage, down the woody path, past their own cottage and the banyan tree to the rear, about two hundred yards to the owner’s cottage - small, cozy, quiet, and right on the beach of the calm lagoon. The stainless steel water catchment tank is full from the rain and the small concrete cook-room off the kitchen is stocked with firewood. Fresh coconuts are stacked in the corner for refreshing drinks.

After settling in, unpacking, and a quick shower and snack, we drift along the beach to splash a little in the lapping waves, and go ahead and take that first swim in the four foot deep sandy bottomed, reef-tamed ocean water. Then the path leads inland to a clearing with banana and citrus trees, and two wells at the base of the hillside. The manual water pump calls me over, and I pump the handle to test the clear drinking water. Surrounded by miles of salt water- and here, delicious fresh water! A sense of security descends. Due to the size of the hill, there is plenty of fresh potable water here year round- many more wells could be dug to provide water for dozens of residents.

Soon the dusky skies turn dark and fill with a myriad of twinkling stars. More stars than I’ve ever seen! A campfire on the beach becomes the focus for evening conversation and the making of plans for the morrow. Shall we go cave exploring, kayaking, or snorkeling? Maybe hiking up to the lookout ledge near the top to look over the ocean and neighboring islands? Bird watching, or landscaping and gardening? That plan of using a little cement to make steps up to the top of the corner stone tower sounds luring, to make a vista to catch sunrise and sunset.

The night is spent without mosquitos- they must have missed this island, because their presence is rare and my mosquito net is still packed away. At first the crashing of small waves on the beach twenty feet away is keeping me awake, but soon it becomes a lull that ensures peaceful sleep. There are a few strange jungle sounds - particularly a dog like barking that can be attributed to a sort of forest pheasant.

The next day I end up just wandering around mesmerized by all the amazing rock formations that seem to be from Mars or one of Saturn’s moons, or maybe Tibet. It would be great if I could find a geologist to explain how so many of these varied things came to be on the same island. At the first of the four south towers there is an entrance on land at its base into a cave which turns and opens into the ocean. Waves roll in on a sandy bottom, and I wade out and walk chest deep along the tower’s ocean side rock wall to a fifty foot tall natural stone arch, where waves collide from entering on both sides. There are deep cracks into the rock wall wherein various shells have been jammed by storms, and as high tide advances, the waves get higher so I return to the beach.

Sitting under a tree looking at seagulls skimming the surf before me, I wonder who will be the new caretaker of “the island of no change.” Most Filipinos don’t seem to be aware of the beauty of their islands, and Dumunpalit was never settled. The locals prefer to gather in villages, and I doubted that a Filipino would be interested in the allure of a private island. It would be a foreigner, like me. Filipino law restricts foreign ownership, but with a Filipino spouse or a corporation with specific features, these restrictions are satisfied. A qualified real estate attorney is a must, like the one I was fortunate to locate in Manila.

But most Americans, Canadians, and Europeans think in terms of titled land and title insurance, even mortgages! None of these apply to Dumunpalit, which is “tax declaration,” a preliminary step towards full entitlement and recordation in the national lands registry. A moratorium on entitlement of Philippine islands was lifted in 2003, and now this is possible with 10 or more years proof of “tax declaration” status (which my attorney has). The reason Filipino islands are inexpensive is because of lack of full title (usually) and the ownership restrictions.

However, after studying the situation, I was convinced that there was no cause to fear for my investment, neither from squatters (none of which I saw or heard of in Palawan), nor the government, who is very keen to encourage foreign investors. There is an investor’s pmostermanent multiple entry residency visa with a $100,000 investment and the usual paperwork, police clearances, etc.

Most of the resorts in Palawan are foreign owned. Nearby Club Paradise belongs to a German- and the Sangat Resort near Coron is built on timberland status land, owned by someone from UK.

Filed under: Islanders