An electrifying roadtrip

Any invitation to visit Boracay is always welcome. Yet a recent one by Nissan Philippines had a particular catch: we had to go by land.

Nonetheless, we quickly said yes as we would be guests of the Department of Tourism as part of their Safe Trips campaign in cooperation with Nissan. Serving as a follow-up to previous trips to Baguio and Ilocos, the Boracay leg hopes to promote safe and responsible travel to support the revival of the tourism industry as they ease restrictions.

The trip entailed sampling Nissan’s lineup of travel-friendly vehicles, from the all-new Almera to the new Terra 4x4, and even their fully electric vehicle, the LEAF.

The first leg was an 80-km trip from Quezon City via Skyway Stage 3 to Petron Km75 along the STAR Tollway, our designated meeting place with the Nissan crew and other participants. We then drove another 34-km to get to the Batangas Port where we would drive onto a ferry that would take us to Calapan, Mindoro in roughly two hours.

Once we arrived at Calapan Port around 2 a.m., our convoy of Nissan Navaras, Terras and Almeras led by the LEAF EVs, drove to a quick breakfast at Vencio’s Garden Restaurant before we drove another 134-Km to Bulalacao Roro Port. By this time, at 8 a.m., we had driven over 200-km through the night and the port wouldn’t open until 10 a.m. So we headed across the road to the “By The Sea Hotel” where we had brunch.

Here, we were shown the Nissan LEAF’s capability to power appliances like a refrigerated water dispenser and a coffee maker while another LEAF was charging out of a 220-V wall socket with an adaptor.

At 10 a.m., we went back across the road to Bulalacao Port and filed aboard for our final four-hour ferry ride to Caticlan. At this point, we would offload the vehicles and head to our accommodations at Shangri-La Boracay.

Upon arrival on Boracay island, we had to have our Boracay Health Declaration QR codes scanned and our government issued ID’s documented. These were requested before we even drove off the ferry, but it was all clear after that.

On day two, after breakfast we crossed from Boracay back to Caticlan. We drove around Aklan to see more of its notable destinations. Our first destination was a public white beach called Hinugtan Beach in Buruanga which was less than 15-km away from the port area.  It was a sight to behold, way off the beaten path. There weren’t many people; just a handful renting rooms in beach huts.

We hit the road again and made our way through scenic coastal roads to Tangalan. For those of you familiar with the drive to Kalibo airport from Caticlan, this takes you on that route. It’s a shame it’s often ignored as the views are awesome. We headed back to Caticlan by the end of the day.

On the morning of day three, we crossed the beach from Shangri-la to Movenpick, a neighboring hotel. Here, Nissan showcased the LEAF and its capabilities to the Mayor of Malay. Aside from the mobility the vehicle offers, the Nissan LEAF is capable of powering appliances or even a house with a suitcase-sized device called a Power Mover. It attaches to the car and draws DC power to converts it to AC. This process allows it to power appliances or even send power back into the local grid.

At the event, the LEAF powered the AV equipment and coffee maker to show just how practical it is. Nissan Philippines President and Managing Director, Atsushi Najima presented the Malay Mayor, Frolibar Bautista with a symbolic cup of coffee brewed by the power generated by the LEAF.

With the phase-out of internal combustion vehicles in Boracay, EVs can be the literal and figurative vehicles of change. Shifting to EVs like the LEAF and electric charging infrastructure can carry Boracay into the future.

Boracay is a much-loved destination and proved to be the perfect destination for the finale of the first year of the Safe Trips campaign, it allowed us to find out how tourism and travel can work in the ‘New Normal.’ It also showed us that land and sea travel is also an enjoyable alternative to air travel, especially with the right vehicle. With Nissan’s lineup of enjoyable vehicles —the Almera, Navara, Terra and the electric LEAF — you can be sure to make it from Manila to Caticlan with no problems at all.