Palawan 1 and 2
Aurora Blvd., Quezon City

More than Meets the Eye
By Kiki Tan

Talking about the Western idea of gay clubbing*, there was a time when it could only be done in Metro Manila in Malate in the City of Manila, where everything gay abound, e.g. Joy Bar, Mint, Red Banana, Babylon, and Biology Café.  Many closed, and many opened in their places, but for a while there, it was all Malate, Malate, Malate, so that the place was closely identified with everything gay (just as Ermita, also in the City of Manila, was associated with prostitution, being Metro Manila’s red light district once).

Makati City soon followed suit with Blue Avenue (this was a sex club, though), Club Government, and (even if it’s in Taguig) The Embassy (which, even if most will say isn’t gay, just gay friendly, really wouldn’t have made a name because of the gay support).

Thus, even if Quezon City always had gay venues, e.g. Big Papa, Hercules, et cetera, but – for emphasis – these weren’t clubs for clubbing’s sake, but were strip bars largely promoting stereotypical homosexual roles.

Nothing much happened even if there were efforts (e.g. The Deep, near ABS-CBN Compound).  At least not until Palawan 1 and Palawan 2, these two places in Cubao, Quezon City, which have become the must visit venues these parts of Metro Manila.

PALAWAN 1

Palawan 1 is actually just a sing-along bar – however, unlike the traditional sing-along bars in the Philippines, wherein gay and female impersonators host shows interjected with the singing of customers watching them, nothing much happens here but singing (you wait for your turn, since your request is punched into the system after you list them down and then pay P5 per song for these songs to be played) while drinking.

Why the appeal?

For one, there’s the lack of gay attitude – honestly impossible, I guess, because the place is basically rundown/dilapidated, so going there means you are willing to put up with such wreckage and the company of others comfy in such venues.  Secondly, and truth be told, there are no gay (or – okay, fine! – bi) venues for gays (and – okay, fine! – bis) in these parts of Metro Manila, so that Palawan 1’s clients include not just those from Quezon City, but also Marikina City and Valenzuela City.  Thirdly, everything is dirt cheap here – five Colt 45/San Miguel Light/San Miguel Pale Pilsen bottles for P148 (that’s including the compulsory platito of peanuts and five repackaged Wet Ones.  Compared to, say, Bed Bar, a bottle of beer costs P100 – and that’s excluding cover charge, which Palawan 1 doesn’t have (except for special days).  Fourthly, this is the place to see new faces (see second reason) before they go mainstream (i.e. before they become gay clones of Malate and Makati) – and you can try tasting them, too, even if not in the dark car park beside it (it used to be a sex area, though not much so now), then at least in one of the short time motels in Cubao (there are around four beside Palawan 1 itself).  And fifthly, this place is good for ego boosting – try going there dressed like you would go out in Bed Bar or Club Government, and you’ll be the queen for the night, making you feel oh-so-beautiful, even if you’d be the least beautiful person when going out in Bed Bar and Club Government themselves.

PALAWAN 2

The sister club a few blocks away is the dance venue, especially on Friday and Saturday; basically the area’s response to Bed bar and Club Government.

Why head there?

Firstly, secondly, thirdly, fourthly, and fifthly, see above (in Palawan 1).  Add these: 6) This is one of the okay places to catch okay drag shows, especially on Saturdays, when the shows go on for hours before dancing is allowed; and 7) There are special events that turn the place worth going to, e.g. when the Task Force Pride (TFP) holds gatherings that merit the community’s support as these have to do with the promotion of LGBT rights.

SOURCES OF DISCONTENT

For both venues, however, there are quite a lot of WTF mistakes, including:

1. Both places’ dilapidated states – should there be a fire, this could very well be Ozone in the making with lots of gay guys barbecued to death for sure, considering that they attract more people than they can accommodate, and they have only one or two emergency exits (and the exit signs not prominently displayed, too).
2. The lack of medical support – well, not that Palawan 1 and 2 are the only venues without medical support in hand, just in case something untoward happens to its clients; but it’s only in Palawan 2, in particular, where I saw someone collapse in the middle of the dance floor, with no one seemingly knowing what to do (worse, hours after he was finally rushed by nobody knows who, the report, whether true or not, that reached those who were still in the club was that the guy died on the way to some hospital).
3. Self importance of the venue – just because people from around the area do not have anywhere else to go to, doesn’t mean this place can (and it does, too, at times) demand P200 cover charge.
4. The distance (well, for Manileños and Makati locals, particularly).  It is, basically, in the middle of sullied Cubao, so you have to really want to be there to go there.  Meaning, related to above (number four), you might as well pay P200 since you’re already there, anyway.
5. Fear of Cubao.  Even with the Aranetas’ yuppie Gateway, this is still the place where the term bakal boys originated to refer to the sex workers standing by the steel railings surrounding Araneta Coliseum.  So always, caution is needed – very, very needed.

Yeah, yeah, these aren’t the best places in the world.  But it is worth a visit – there are more to these places than meet the eyes.  Enjoy, but you have been warned...

*Traditionally, gay clubbing in the Philippines was limited to watching self-identified heterosexuals (usually sex workers) strip dance, with gay people ogling them in gay clubs that charge for the shows.  This is mainly because of the stereotyped perspective of gays wanting to be women, and will thus only sleep with “real” men, not with their fellow gays.  Changes have been introduced, however, so that there are now gay venues a la the Western clubs, wherein gays pick up other gays (or self-identified bi to bi).