Bit Torrent in White Water
Mike Banos
February 11, 2007
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Started over 12 years ago by members of the Northern Mindanao Mountaineering Society (NORMMS, now the NORMMS Ecological Foundation, Inc.) it is the Philippines' first and only year round river rafting course that is a mere 40 minute jeepney ride from the jump off point in downtown Plaza Divisoria.
"Although we were all into mountaineering, our members were also into other �extreme" sports like scuba diving, mountain biking and white water rafting," said Rupert Domingo, who started the first white water group with Randy Corrales, Rolly John Baretto, Julius Guioco, Ronnie Vidal and the late Manny Serina.
"Each of us chipped in P1,500 which we used to buy two Zebylor rafts at the Subic duty free shop," Mr. Domingo recalls. "We bought paddles for P20 each from fishermen in Bayabas but they proved too small for the job and we eventually had to design our own."
With virtually no idea of what they were getting into but spurred by the siren call of thrill and adventure, the group literally jumped into the Cagayan river with both feet first in their rickety boats which could only sit four and were not designed for rafting but fishing.
By 1994, the pioneers upgraded their flotilla with four Riken boats through a friend from the United States. The used boats were not much better than their original ones but were designed for river rafting, so the group plunged on, keeping the rattletrap boats together with Pinoy ingenuity like sticking sticks lashed with rubber bands in holes which the boats inevitably got from the battering of the raw amateurs who were learning how to tame the river wild as they went along.
"We started by rafting downriver from Taguanao," Mr. Domingo recalled. "When we had mastered that stretch, we started further upriver from Bayanga, and when we had mastered the longer route, we again started further upriver from Mambuaya (where the amateur or beginner's course now starts) thence to Uguiaban (where the expert/advanced course now begins)."
With no safety equipment like the helmets or life vests which are now mandatory for all rafters, they persevered, driven by the adrenaline kick inherent in white water rafting, until they eventually reached Tal-ubun in Talakag, Bukidnon which they are planning to develop as an advanced expert course which could run up to 12 hrs.
However, they still were not into commercial operations, charging only P50 per person to defray the cost of hiring a jeepney to ferry them to their "put-in" and pick them up later at their "put-out" sites. But when the traffic of friends and 'friends-of-their-friends' began to get out of control, they decided to go into commercial operations to sustain what had by now become an obsession.
"We bought four more used Riken boats for US$200 each from my friend in the US, which we water proofed by swishing paint around their interiors to plug the pinholes," Mr. Domingo said. In 2001, the group organized themselves into the Cagayan de Oro Whitewater Rafting Adventure, Inc. which became the first commercial white water rafting operator in the Philippines (there are now other white water operators in Cagayan Valley and Davao but these do not have year round operations).
Today, the company has 18 Korean-made 13' x 5' Zebec boats which they purchased online for US$800 each but due to the wear and tear inherent in white water rafting, only nine are now available. A 3 hr run from Kabula to Taguanao with 10 Class II-III rapids costs P800 per head (min. of 4 pax); Mambuaya to Kabula (3 hrs, 14 Class II-III+ rapids) is P1,200 per while the advanced/expert course runs 6 hrs. from Uguiaban to Kabula will set you back P2,000 (min. of 4 pax) and has 25 Class II-IV rapids.
Their first competitor didn't appear until five years later when Cagayan de Oro River Tours Corp. (The Red Rafts) started operations. Then, like the proverbial white water on which the industry literally rides on, competitors seemed to come in torrents, until by the end of 2006, there were six players crowding the Cagayan de Oro River's white waters.
"This shouldn't have been a problem until some players started dropping their prices from the standard P1,200/person per run to as low as P500," Rex Tapungot, operations manager of "The Red Rafts" said. "Competition is healthy, but when you have to pay P1,200 for the round trip on a jeepney alone, it puts the long term sustainability of our industry at risk."
The Red Rafts' started operations June 2006 with six Korean-made 390R (SB) and four 420R (SB) Zebec rafts. Each raft holds a maximum of six passengers and two river guides. Mr. Tapungot says the six companies now serving the white water rafting industry of Cagayan de Oro can deploy up to 56 rafts which can carry up to 336 passengers per run or 672 daily for two runs. He claims the "The Red Rafts" have served close to 1,000 visitors as of January, 2007.
However, the project had a long gestation period. Conceptualized in 2003, it was only in 2005 when Mr. Tapungot managed to convince investors of its viability and plunk down an initial P1.4-million for the rafts and other equipment. The rafts were ordered in February 2006 under the auspices of the Dept. of Trade and Industry's "One-Town, One-Project (OTOP) program and arrived in April.
But it took another two months before the enterprise was ready since its 14 river guides had to undergo and pass a grueling training program which included first aid and basic life support/CPR under the Phil. National Red Cross (PNRC), river running for 2.5 months with a certified trainor from the International Rafting Federation (IRF), Mabuhay Host/Frontline Servicing under the Dept. of Tourism Region 10 and Cagayan de Oro Historical Walkthroughs with the city tourism and historical commission.
Like most of the six players, The Red Rafts offer two types of runs: the beginners or amateur course runs 12.9 kms. with 14 Class 2-3 rapids and lasts 3.5 hrs. (including side trips) while the advanced or extreme/expert course is longer at 18.6 kms and can take up to 5 hrs with 22 Class 2-4 rapids.
The beginners course costs P900 per person (minimum of five persons) and includes a cavern side trip, jeepney transfer to the rafting area from the Park Café in Plaza Divisoria, briefing on rafting, provision of safety and protection equipment, river and rescue guides, and a fresh shower and change of clothes at the disembarkation point. The longer advanced/extreme expert course costs P1,300 per person (min. of five persons) with much of the same amenities.
Rafters are provided with safety and protection equipment including a certified rafting helmet, life vest certified for white water sports, paddle which can also serve as a safety tool in emergencies, and throw bags with ropes with which a dunked passenger be hauled in from up to 10 meters away by rescuers.
Additional safety measures include the deployment of a rescue raft manned by two experienced river guides with every run, first aid kit, and emergency rescue vehicle which can bring any accident victim to the nearest hospital in 20-25 minutes.
"Our guides are professionals, some are nurses, still others are volunteer trainors of the Philippine National Red Cross for First-Aid, Basic Life Support and Water Safety," Mr. Tapungot said.
Rafters are advised to wear comfortable close fitting shirts, preferably quick-dry; short pants preferably light and quick drying, and strap-on sandals or aqua shoes. Other mandatory stuff experienced rafters bring along are extra clothes and under garments, towel, swimsuit and sunscreen.
Value added services include photo/video documentation using 9.0MP DSLR camera with an unlimited number of still photo and action video shots, sumptuous lunch package, and team building facilitation (for corporate HR programs). However, rafters who would want to record themselves are advised to bring water proof equipment and are provided with waterproof bags for protection of their valuables.
One of the Johnny-come-latelies is Great White Water Tours, which also uses six Zebec rafts from Korea like The Red Rafts. Bimbo Uy, who put up an initial P1-million with his partners (a dermatologist and a businessmen, like him both in their early twenties) says they are charging P1,200 for the basic beginners half-day tour but would not drop their prices just to match their competitors.
"We offer the longest tours and our passengers have seven more rapids to cross," said the young entrepreneur, who together with wife Roxanne Paras also runs two restaurants, P.Joe's Diner in Limketkai Center and P.Joe's Junior at SM City.
"Our passengers also get more value added, especially the extreme sports aficionados who sometimes request us for controlled flipping," he added. "Most operators consider flipping dangerous, but some people find it fun, and we can do it safely under controlled conditions with our trained river guides."
Great White Water Tours claims it utilizes river guides who are residents of the barangays through which the white water river runs. "They are farmers and fishermen when they are not with us, so they know the river very well and that's our added safety and fun advantage," Mr. Uy said.
As of the moment, both young entrepreneurs are in the forefront to organize all operators into the Cagayan de Oro River Outfitters Association with the blessings of the City Tourism Office. The proposed association would standardize safety and security measures, and perhaps equally important, standardize rates and services among the players.
"Over 90% of our passengers are beginners or first timers so their safety and security is our paramount concern," Mr. Tapungot said. "But we should also standardize our rates and services for their sake to give them value for their money and equally important, ensure the sustainability of our industry."
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