THE PAMILACAN FOLK VILLAGE PROJECT AIMS TO ASSIST LOCAL BUSINESSMEN AND WOMEN IN REAPING BENEFITS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE BEAUTY AND BLISS OF PAMILACAN ISLAND, BOHOL, PHILIPPINES. THE STRUCTURE SERVES AS A WELCOMING PIECE OF MASTERY IMMEDIATELY NOTICEABLE UPON ARRIVING ON THE ISLAND’S NATIVE SHORE.
PAMILACAN IS ENDOWED WITH WHITE-SAND BEACHES AND PRISTINE WATER THAT DRAW TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT IS IDEAL FOR SNORKELING, DIVING, AND DOLPHIN AND WHALE WATCHING. THE MAIN DRAW FOR VISITORS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE A VARIETY OF MARINE LIFE AND TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SLOW-PACED AND SOUGHT-AFTER ISLAND LIFE.

THE PAMILACAN FOLK VILLAGE TROPICAL ARCHITECTURE IS THE BRAINCHILD OF AR. ERVEN DIGAL. IT IS AN OPEN-PLAN RESTAURANT NESTLED BY THE BEACH. WHEN THE OWNERS COMMISSIONED THIS STRUCTURE, THEY WANTED SOMETHING PRACTICAL WITHOUT COMPROMISING VISUAL AESTHETICS. AR. ERVEN SAW THIS OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE LOCAL BAMBOO AND TURN IT INTO SOMETHING THAT WOULD MANIFEST GASTRONOMIC INTEREST AND GRANT A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE FOR VISITING TOURISTS AND LOCALS ALIKE. THEREFORE, PAVILIONS AND WORKSHOPS ARE FREE, SPACIOUS, AND VOID OF BARRIERS TO ACHIEVE THE SCENIC VIEWS ALONG THE WHITE SAND BEACH, WHERE PEOPLE CAN WALK AROUND BAREFOOT AND ENJOY THE TEXTURE IN EVERY CORNER OF THE ISLAND. THREE MANTA RAY-LIKE STRUCTURES ARE USED PRECISELY TO MIMIC THE SHAPE OF THE ISLAND, FOR THEY ARE KNOWN TO HAVE ABUNDANT CREATURES IN THEIR SEAWATER.
BAMBOOS ARE KNOWN FOR BEING SUSTAINABLE, VERSATILE, STURDY, AND FLEXIBLE. THEY PROVED TO BE AN EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR REALIZING THE DESIGNER’S VISION FOR THE PROPOSED PAMILACAN FOLK VILLAGE. THOUGH LOCAL BAMBOOS ARE UNDERRATED, NEW METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES ON HOW TO TREAT BAMBOOS ARE BEING INTRODUCED TO MAKE THE STRUCTURES SUITABLE AND SPLENDID ON THE BEACHFRONT. ONE OF THE CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES WAS FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE THE BAMBOO CONNECTIONS SINEWY AND STRONGER WHILE USING FEWER METALLIC CONNECTIONS THAT RUST. SKILLED FISHERMEN DEMONSTRATE THEIR ABILITIES BY KNOTTING NYLON FISHING STRINGS TO BAMBOO CONNECTIONS IN A TRADITIONAL MANNER. OVERALL, THE MAGNIFICENT PROJECT IS THE RESULT OF THE MERGER OF TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES AND NEW METHODS OF CONSTRUCTING TROPICAL ARCHITECTURE.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF PAMILACAN FOLK VILLAGE IS NEARING COMPLETION AND IS NOW ALMOST READY TO CATER TOURISTS, BOTH LOCALS AND FOREIGNERS, WHO LOVE TRAVEL AND ADVENTURES JUST IN TIME FOR THE LIFTING OF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS WHICH HALTED MOST BUSINESS INDUSTRIES WORLDWIDE.
THE STURDINESS AND SUPREMACY OF LOCAL BAMBOOS AS CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS WAS NOT ONLY PUT TO A TEST BY THE LAPSE OF TIME DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT ALSO BY TYPHOON ODETTE (RAI), WHICH DEVASTATED THE ENTIRE ISLAND OF VISAYAS, PARTICULARLY PAMILACAN ISLAND, LEAVING SEVERAL HOMES AND STRUCTURES IN A COMPLETE WRECK.

DESPITE ALL OF THESE, PAMILACAN FOLK VILLAGE WEATHERED THE STORM AND ONLY MINIMAL REPAIRS WERE MADE TO SOME PARTS OF IT. THE PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND CONTINUE THEIR DAILY ROUTINE ACTIVITIES AS TOUR GUIDES, VENDORS, AND HOSTS SHOWCASING RESILIENCY JUST LIKE BAMBOO THAT BENDS BUT NEVER BREAKS; IT IS WHAT FILIPINOS ARE KNOWN FOR.

-DENEB, BETHANY TAN