By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon
POWDERY WHITE SAND, CRYSTAL blue waters, lush vegetation, rock formations, marine life and yes, fabulous sunsets—these are scenes from “Koh-Lanta Caramoan,” the French edition of the popular TV reality game show “Survivor,” shot entirely in the Caramoan Peninsula in Camarines Sur and now showing on YouTube.
Another website features a breathtaking view of Caramoan from a helicopter—the contestants’ first glimpse of the peninsula. Other tourist spots in the country are featured like the Mayon Volcano in Bicol, the Banaue Rice Terraces, the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, and Donsol, which is promoting itself as the butanding (whale shark) capital of the world.
Caramoan has been getting a lot of attention since the French edition of “Survivor” started airing in the first week of July. Already, tour packages to the peninsula’s white sand beaches and pristine islands, have proliferated on the Net.
Internet-savvy Kristina Gadaingan, who hails from Bicol but works in Manila, has already seen some episodes of the latest season of “Survivor-France” on YouTube.
She is excited to see the show because it was shot entirely in Caramoan, touted as the next Boracay.
“I’ve always wanted to go to places like Boracay or Palawan. I never knew there’s such a beautiful place close to home,” says Gadaingan of Legazpi City.
“Koh-Lanta Caramoan” started airing this month in French-speaking countries across Europe and in Canada. At least 10 million people are expected to watch “Survivor-France.”
Filipinos, who may not be able to see the French edition of the reality game show, are turning to the Internet to access what they can through the popular video-sharing site, YouTube.
Early post
A quick search of YouTube listed several interesting videos—some are trailers of the French reality game show while others are clips from actual episodes.
One of the earliest clips which was posted by user “kohlanta20081,” a week after the pilot episode aired in the first week of July, has been suspended, probably due to copyright infringement.
Another user, “kohlanta20083,” has posted two 30-second teasers of the latest episodes last Tuesday. No one knows, however, how long this could evade copyright watchdogs.
Longer clips
If you prefer longer clips showing more of Caramoan’s beauty, then check out http://2008-koh-lanta.skyrock.com. The blog has more clips of “Survivor-France” and more information on the contestants, however, since the site is in French, it may be a little difficult to navigate.
Another site, http://vodstream.tf1.fr/tf1divertissement/koh_lanta_8/episode_1/catchup1_ WMV9_464Kbit_etf1_169.wmv, opens with aerial views of Caramoan shot from a helicopter. Again, it is in French.
If you’re lost in translation, the site, http://babelfish.yahoo.com, translates foreign web pages into English and vice versa.
Virtual tours
Try googling “Caramoan” and you will find many references and links. First on the list is http://caramoan-paradise.blogspot.com.
Click on the link and this is what you get: “Need a worry-free, fun, exciting and adventurous stay at Caramoan? Been wanting to experience Philippine’s Secret Paradise? Eager to explore Camarines Sur? We can help you make your travel special. Please get in touch with me and let us start planning on your stay.”
YouTube user “danymous” has posted random video clips of Caramoan, added some music and the result is a music video showcasing the peninsula’s scenery—a musical virtual tour, so to speak.
YouTube user “TomFRules” has listed 10 of the peninsula’s best islands and beaches in his clip titled “10 reasons to go to Caramoan.”
Poor town hopeful
With all the exposure Caramoan has been getting, Mayor Constantino Cordial Jr. says he foresees his fourth-class municipality achieving second-class status within five to 10 years.
According to Cordial, Caramoan residents are also looking forward to the P320-million infrastructure projects pledged by President Macapagal-Arroyo through the Camarines Sur provincial government.
According to the mayor, the amount will cover expenses for the road networking, seaport repair and airport construction.
“We are in favor of all the development projects. But we have only one plea—that nature be preserved at its best,” says Cordial in a mobile phone interview.
Gota beach, which was closed to the public by the provincial government last summer because of the “Survivor” taping, has been reopened to the public.
However, Caramoan residents are now charged an entrance fee of P150 and tourists, P300. Cordial says the amount is quite expensive especially for the locals.
Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund Villafuerte has said that once development projects are in place, the entrance to Gota beach may not always be free.
He also says Caramoan residents will benefit from the development of Gota beach in terms of employment opportunities.
Second time
Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, during his visit to Caramoan on May, said this was the second time “Survivor-France” chose the Philippines for its location.
“Survivor,” a popular TV reality game show produced in many countries, isolates its contestants in the wilderness to compete for cash and prizes. They are divided into tribes and they vote off other contestants until only one is left.
The show is known to choose locations in exotic environments.
Last year, “Survivor-France” was shot in Palawan and after it was aired, the number of French tourists arriving in Palawan increased by 23 percent, Durano said.
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