Editors’ Note: This article was first published in the Enrich Magazine, June 2019; and another version was published in Bicol Mail that same year.

Ever since we could afford to travel, we have made it a point to take cruises on rivers and lakes, for a more relaxed pace, for different views of the places we visit, and to see quaint, picturesque towns. I look back fondly at the river cruises we took to Ayuttayah in Bangkok with young children in the 1990s, on the Rhine and on a fjord in Oslo for a silver wedding anniversary tour in 2000, and in recent years, between Wellington and Picton on South Island in New Zealand, on Lake Windermere in Scotland, and on the Neva and Moscow Rivers in Russia.

In the Philippines, the best cruises we have taken are the Loboc River Cruise in Bohol, the Seven Lakes tour in San Pablo, Laguna, and the firefly tours on the Buhatan River and in Donsol in Sorsogon.

Now that I am in a volunteer group SULOG, Inc. working to strengthen citizen participation in river governance, it is heartwarming to note that the smallest town in Camarines Sur has organized its own cruise of the Bikol River as a tourism project. Camaligan and other riverside towns were bustling once upon a time, when the Bikol River was the main highway for people and goods. There are many reasons why most are now poor, among these, heavy commercial trawl fishing, a network of roads, and a wrong concept of development.

Last February, MB Camaligan took off for a sunset cruise downstream toward the neighboring town of Canaman and back. We were served a snack and a buffet dinner while a band played Western music. The trip was quite relaxing, with a mainly rural landscape unfolding on both sides of the riverbanks. The sunset was stunning; no tall buildings or reclamation project marred this view. The view of the fully lit esplanade on our way back was also spectacular. We were happy to note that the barge was fully booked for the following week and that there was a waiting list of interested customers. We congratulate the Camaligan local government, for this project that could lift this fifth-class rural town out of its economic doldrums.

Since we have been on quite a number of river cruises ourselves, we suggest the following best practices, not only for Camaligan, but also for all LGUs that invest in such projects:

• Involve the families that live along the river. This way, they may feel a sense of ownership for the project as well as pride of place. This should help them be more conscientious about keeping the river clean since it is a source of livelihood. The Buhatan Firefly river cruise in is a good example of a barangay-owned ecotourism project. The village itself takes care of the river and the boats and make a living from the tours. There is much to learn from the success and awards of these cruises for beginners, not least of which is that grassroots involvement helps in getting funding eventually.
• Prefer local to foreign fare. Tourists seek out local flavor. In the Loboc River Cruise, a rondalla regaled us while we feasted on a buffet lunch. There were more local cultural presentations and sales of native items at points where the boat docked along the river. For example, music need not be only the traditional songs, but also modern pieces in Bikol, Filipino, and English performed by local talents. Camaligan is fortunate to have one of its councilors as a member of the local band 4rk Barrel.
• Still on the local, how about Bikol food on the menu? Pad Thai is served on the Ayuttayah cruise, German wine and beer from Oberwesel to Boppard on the Rhine, vodka on the Neva and Moscow Rivers. Crab paste from Gainza on pasta or rice or soda crackers is much tastier than caviar and may be washed down with baligang (blackberry) wine. River food also if possible, such as fish from Canaman, or at least the best Bikol dishes with ingredients sourced from the local wet market. A choice of Western or local dishes may be offered during the reservation process for those who prefer a kind of cuisine and to avoid food waste. The dishes could be served on placemats, trays, and baskets made of water hyacinth and other native material woven by locals, not only for a native aesthetic touch but also to aid a cottage industry of weavers.       
• A local tour guide can give a short spiel or snippets about the river. Humor is essential! The script, whether in English and Filipino, may be culled from stories of senior citizens about the river and from a local history book about the town. Eventually, tours around a theme could be organized, such as one based on the Bikol epic fragment Ibalong, the galleon trade, or World War II. Cultural workers and historians can help out with this and local tourism graduates can be given some employment.
• For the long term, community-maintained mini-forests or parks with native trees along the riverbank easements would be wonderful. This might even help prevent erosion of the banks. Priority should also be given to finding funds for a dry dock for the boat when typhoons hit. Camaligan could strengthen links with neighboring Gainza and Canaman for supplies and labor. A longer cruise all the way down to the San Miguel Bay during the summer could be planned, together with other LGUs along the route.
• Finally, an oversight body with civil society among the members could help monitor donor-assisted projects.

Overall, MB Camaligan is not only a tourist attraction, but also a save-the-river environmental project, a heritage and arts and culture project, and a community development and socio-economic program.

“Build it, and they will come” works very well for projects such as the Camaligan River Cruise as it did for that longed-for baseball diamond in “The Field of Dreams.” Camaligan has built its wharf and esplanade and launched its cruise, and we see it as a blogger and tourist destination very soon. We hope that it is made sustainable, so that it withstands typhoons as well as the vagaries of local politics.

Editors’ Note: The header photo, cruising at sunset with the Bicol River banks on view, March 2023, courtesy of Camaligan River Park FB page. As of this writing, Bicol River cruise packages are being offered by venue or by pax. For more information including reservations, please visit the FB page of Camaligan River Park. CLICK HERE TO VIEW