*CAR CAMPING setup of Zernan Canonigo, who created the Facebook page that launched a big following.* The call of the outdoors continues to gather people, mostly families, to go car camping.  For those who have not yet heard of this leisure activity, it’s enjoying the outdoors, sleeping in a tent, and bringing a vehicle which becomes the extension of one’s comfort zone.  It’s up to the camper’s imagination to convert a vehicle into a mini bedroom, or a kitchen, or both. The birth of this nature trip has been traced to the dark days of the pandemic when socialization was prohibited, and keeping one’s family bubble was encouraged.  Driving the car to a campsite, setting up camp, and enjoying the open air – far enough from other campers –  quickly attracted a following. Car Camping PH (CCPh), a Facebook page created by long-time camper Zernan Canonigo in December 2020, now has a membership of more than 52,000, only three years after it first appeared.  The number could easily have reached 65,000 but the club rules are strict – about 30 percent of applicants for membership are disapproved, hundreds have been dropped after continuously disobeying club rules, and there are 3,970 applications still pending, said Lawrence Dy, club moderator. Managing the club are Luz Pena-Canonigo and Alex Gonzales as administrators, and Dy.

Variety of members

The Facebook page of CCPh is now a lively display of photos of fields, rivers, mountains, trees, camp setups, pets, food, and stories on experiences. Lolo and Lola Campers page is one of my favorite story-tellers.  Lola has shared dozens of tips on how to prepare for a camping trip, including a reminder to bring cooked food for one’s first meal as the first few hours will be needed to set up camp. She’s also initiated an unofficial seniors group of campers who have met in campsites several times. Zernan points out that sub-groups have been unofficially created because like-minded people read each other’s comments, and then meet up in a campsite. “That's why groups such as senior campers, beige campers, Team Kahoy, kiddie campers and other groups happen because members look for companions with similar interests.”
*ZERNAN AND WIFE LUZ enjoy time together at the campsite. Both are nature lovers who started as hikers and then moved to car camping when their first child came.*

Camp and Plant-A-Tree

Last June 10-11, CCPh held an official activity which gathered a large number campers. That was the “Camp and Plant-A-Tree” at Santillana Hillside Farms in Arayat, Pampanga. *HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM - Zernan and Luz Canonigo plant a tree during the Car Camping Ph event recently.*
“The group planted mostly native trees and its variations. After the tree planting event, there was a short program. Of course, the activity will not be complete without the raffle.”

Growth and development of campsites

Naturally, the number of campsites has also grown. Zernan, who goes by the Facebook name Anthony Stark, said a local tourism app estimates about a hundred around Luzon.  He said that does not include resorts and idle lands that have been converted into campsites after the pandemic. “A member of our group AJ Garrigues of  Lakbay Ko-Camper App did some research which showed that from 2020 - 2023, there has been a 70 percent  growth in the camping industry here in the Philippines.  That shows how popular is camping now here in our country,” he said. *STARTING THEM YOUNG - Canonigo with son, Zean.*
Since he’s been into camping long before its campsites sprouted, Zernan observed how those have developed. “One basic standard today is the availability of rest rooms. In the early nineties, that was not a big deal. But today toilets in a campsite is one of the major requirements of campers. And those are with showers. It is not because campers are picky, but because they bring their family, which includes elderly parents and very young children,” he said.

Favorite campsites

What are his family’s favorite campsites? “My family enjoys Camp Aurora, in Cavinti, Laguna. It’s the exclusivity and the peaceful atmosphere that makes our weekend there worth it. Camp Hiatus in Tanay is also good for the many trees, the riverside camping, good rest rooms, and huge space for our kids to run and enjoy the area,” he said. Zernan and his wife, Luz, were hikers until their first child came and hiking was not practical. “We decided to shift to car camping to bring all the necessities of our kid, and still be able to enjoy nature.” “We first tried car camping with our baby at Taal Lake Yacht Club on New Year’s Eve of 2010. Since then, we’ve been car camping. We even tried New Year’s Day camp in the foggy mountain of Benguet, and camping in one of the isolated islands of Hundred Islands of Pangasinan. Today, when my family wants to escape the busy city life, we go to one of our favorite campsites. Camp Aurora in Cavinti Laguna,” he said in an interview. The couple has not stopped driving out of the city to go camping.  Zernan prefers to bring an SUV to camp.  “It has a lot of space for my gadgets which I can easily access without going out of the car. The high ground clearance is needed when we traverse rough roads or rivers.” So what gadgets and gear does a professional camper like him bring to a camping trip? “A tent high enough for me to stand; cot beds, cooking sets, high-capacity power banks for short trips, but a power station for trips of four days or more; two-way radio and mobile phones for emergency communication.” You can only understand the pleasure of camping after you drive out to a campsite, and you set up camp.