The Gay Seas of Puerto Galera
By Frolic Tan Lopez
FIRST PUBLISHED: APRIL 2008
UPDATED: MARCH 2010

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WORDS OF WARNING

Now some words to caution you with.

• Prices can be expensive, especially during the Holy Week, with the businesses there tending to be opportunists in these times (opportunistic “straight” businessmen recognizing the pink peso).  How expensive, exactly?  Well, during off-peak season, accommodation prices can be as low as P500 per night for an air-conditioned room – that balloons to well over P3,000 during peak season (they claim this is because it really is the only time they earn money, which supplements them the whole year until the next Holy Week).  Solution: when visiting, go with friends so you can divide the expenses, especially as far the the accommodation is concerned.  As for the other expenses, e.g. food, drinks, et cetera, don’t frequent the seaside restos – instead, leave that for the evenings (when you have to see and be seen), and discover the venues inland at other times of the day.
  
  
• Beware of the sex workers (or self identified “straights,” both locals and those visiting) who are into “fun” for money (this started only around 2004).  Particularly, when visiting the landmarks, they tend to compete with other gay guys for your attention – except that, when something is about to happen, they demand some form of payment.  So beware…
  
  
• And be safe in every aspect.  For one, be careful of Puerto Galera’s infamous undertow since people have died while swimming in the beaches, so be careful (especially when drunk at night).  Secondly, bring sunblock with anti-something (e.g. jelly sting, sand bugs, et cetera) –they have a lot of creatures that bite in the water, causing breakouts or whatever that can ruin the look when it’s time to party).  Thirdly, bring condoms for protection (people tend to forget, especially when they’re drunk, that it is always needed, needed, needed).  Et cetera…

Overall, though, Puerto Galera, especially when enjoyed with friends, is a fun place to go to, indeed, during these days…

LAST WORDS

There are buses along Taft Ave., Buendia in Pasay City, and along EDSA that go to Batangas City pier, where bangkas abound to take visitors to the various parts of Puerto Galera, including the White Beach and/or Sabang (if you’re gay or simply want to have fun and visiting Puerto Galera during Holy Week, be sure to get off at White Beach, not Sabang).  The budget is around P600 (around P300 for the return bus fare, and another around P300 for the return bangka fare) – and this is, definitely, less expensive than Boracay (even RORO would cost from P1,200, though Boracay is also accessible via Oriental Mindoro, should you decide to go there instead).

It’s the other expenses that may just torture you, though, e.g. accommodation, food, drinks, et cetera, so either bring (extra) money since White Beach stupidly doesn’t have a single ATM, so those wanting to withdraw has to go to Batangas again, or to the other parts of the island (from 45 minutes to over an hour of rough road travel by tricycle and/or jeep), or, preferably, set the budget with friends who are joining you.  And, yes, friends, too, will make this trip nicer, not only helping cut your expenses but actually providing a company to swim with, walk the shore with, laugh at people with, get drunk with, et cetera (though, of course, you can – in fact, SHOULD – make friends when there).

In the end, remember Annie’s intelligent words: “You’re never truly dressed without a smile.”  Relationships have been formed in Puerto Galera (more than in Boracay, and even the grounds of Bed Bar), so better be always ready when you are looking or, who knows, being looked at.  Of course it helps to beautify before going there, but somehow, looking “open,” well, you’re sure to be almost there.

Go to Puerto Galera to experience the gay seas – and go there before the “straights” completely take over what used to be a predominantly LGBT (more gay, of course) space (they tend to do this once the LGBTs made the place fun and a must-visit).