Carlo has written affectionately about the Sisters of Zambales. I myself first learned about them from fellow Omni pilots Mark from Tennessee and Mike from Hong Kong. They had spied on the beauties from the air. Then they were invited to do a touch and go on the elder sister, and they let me peek at the cellphone pictures they took.
I am, of course, talking about the Hermana islands. Carlo and I have overflown the islands, and have posted several aerial photos of the Hermanas here.
Both are privately owned. Hermana Mayor is owned by a very private family long associated with aviation. Then a member of the family, a fellow pilot and a real gentleman, invited me to fly to the island for a brief visit in October 2008.
We flew through cloudy skies near Mt. Pinatubo, then along the Bucao river valley west of Pinatubo’s crater.
The Bucao river drains its lahar-choked waters into the South China sea at Botolan, Zambales.
Busy Subic Bay, formerly a major US naval base in the Pacific, lies south of Botolan. We followed the coastline north to Iba, a historical World War II fighter airstrip, now an important training airfield in western Luzon.
When World War II started in the Philippines on December 8, 1941, Iba had the only radar station in the Philippines. The US 3rd Pursuit Squadron was based here, tasked with protecting Clark Field from aerial assault. Iba lasted all of one day, wiped out by the first Japanese bombing raid on December 8.
North of Iba stretches one of the most beautiful coastlines in the Philippines, rivaling that of the Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte provinces.
Palauig and Masinloc bays are like surreal art where watercolor has stained the painting in incredible shades of azure and blue, with underwater coral formations clearly visible from the air.
Finally we approached the Hermana Islands. Hermana Menor, also with its own airstrip, is 2.5 nautical miles directly west of the headland at Santa Cruz, Zambales.
Nearly four nautical miles northwest lies Hermana Mayor. My first impression was, Wow, that’s a pretty airfield! Manicured like a golf fairway, with a well-marked 1,000-meter x 60-meter grass runway.
Coming in from over water, I had to focus on the runway edge and ignore the optical illusion that I was about to land on the sea short of the runway.
I began to notice details — the main house, the breakwater protecting the runway end, stretches of dazzling white beaches. Self-confident as they are, pilots can’t walk on water, so I kept the power on during the approach.
The airplane ramp is protected by a stand of trees. The main house is relaxed, indigenous and comfortably appointed. You take a 4-wheel drive around the island, and it’s like driving around an aviary.
The island was everything I imagined. There is a boat house, guest cabanas and unspoiled interior wilderness, including jungle, a savanna, a fresh water lake, and spectacular beaches.
Like Madagascar or the Comoros or the Seychelles. Beautiful and dusky mysterious.
You could have a beautiful island wedding here. Limit the guest list if everyone has to find their own airplane ride. Mostly pilot friends. You can imagine the torches on the beach at dusk. Beige linen slacks and bare feet.
Too soon, it was time to leave. It was my host’s turn to fly, so I tossed him my keys to the airplane.
We circled the island, overflying the beaches, and then flew a low approach over the grass runway.
A wild deer ran across the grass runway.
Posted from Singapore, July 18, 2009
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it’s…heaven. For airmen of course. What more can you ask for?
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Agree! Remember the movie, Six Days, Seven Nights? Harrison Ford was a pilot, flying tourists to and from an island in near Tahiti. 1998. Anne Heche, David Schwimmer.
My dream retirement job.
Hermana Mayor would be the perfect place. Tropical island, “It’s an island, babe — if you don’t bring it here, you won’t find it here.”
Did you figure out the difference between heading, course and track? 🙂
.
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Now that’s the place where I’ll trade anything just to spend a week with my family!How’s the beaches over there sir tonet?:)
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thank you very much sir for posting the province of zambales specially the town of sta. cruz where my family lives…sir i am from iba zambales married to a sta. cruz woman who is a cousin of then judge maniago, their family name is merino-nagallo…..thank you sir…
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Hi, Jess, thanks for visiting Flying in Crosswinds. I love Zambales. Beautiful coastline, intriquing offshore islands, and then that historic airfield at Iba. Dates back to before World War II, and it lasted just a few hours during the war, before it was wiped out by Japanese bombers on December 8, 1941. There was also a big naval battle in Dasol Bay, where a Japanese heavy cruiser damaged in the Battle of Leyte Gulf was finally sunk by an American submarine.
Visit again here often, and you’re very welcome!
.
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You had a wonderful journey! I’d love to see the place too.
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I grew up in San Narciso now living in California. I would certainly love visiting Zambales again since I have never been back there since the 1990’s. I remember having excursions in high school to Palauig and we enjoyed the shoals of corals and sealife. It was a very beautiful place then and must still be.
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i wish na makapunta din ako jan
sa hermana mayor !!
SANA !
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Hi Yvonne, keep looking at the pictures of the island and maybe one day… 🙂 I never thought I would see this place, myself!
Welcome to Flying in Crosswinds!
T.
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Hermana Mayor, an island in the middles of the sea. My siblings and I have very good memories of Hermana Mayor growing up. My father was the Chief private pilot for the family that owned the island as well as PAL. Many, many great memories. I was browsing the pictures of the island, and it is just how I remembered it. Facts, I remembered were it is popularly known as “The Miss Universe Island” since it was the place where the candidates for the Miss Universe Pageant in 1974 had their photography sessions. Big name politicians (Marcos family), famous celebrities local and international were among the guests of the private island. My family and I got to meet them and be a part of it. Best of all, I am so very greatful for the family that owned the island, they were awesome people and treated their pilots and their families as family. Thank you.
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You’re very welcome, Jojo. I think I know your Dad. Yes, it was indeed known as the “Miss Universe Island”, and Amparo Munoz won the crown that year 🙂
A member of the family invited me to fly my airplane there, and he was very gracious and hospitable at the island. It is indeed a beautiful place, with very friendly people!
Thanks for visiting Flying in Crosswinds!
Tonet
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Zema disse:A louca corrida pelo sucesso às vezes nos deixa cegos diante de tantos valores existentes nas pequenas coisas, como disse o Gatinho, pegar os filhos na escola ou ir a uma praça no final da tarde.As lições da vida são duras e devem ser apadiendrs. O Gatinho é um bom menino e Deus vai conduzi-lo à cura plena. Tenha fé no Senhor, meu camarada.
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I will share your website to my family and friends. Thanks for posting those beautiful pictures. What an awesome adventure you both have. I would love to retire and just enjoy the beauty of traveling (by plane). Keep posting, I will continue to browse your site every now and then. Best regards.
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Thanks for your nice comments, Jojo. I responded to your email just this evening, here in Bangkok. Stay in touch, and give my suggestion some thought 🙂
Keep visiting here!
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Thanks Tonet for sharing and bringing back memories of Hermana Mayor. My sister Jojo sent me this and it gave me a lot of fun memories. Brought back the good memories of my Late father Capt. J. Molina. That place is beautiful. We were fortunate to have visited the island multiple times. It is a very private island, very relaxing. The owner of the place treated us like family. Wish I could visit the place again. Your clip of this segment is priceless!
Thanks again!
Bea (Molina) Quint
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Hi Bea, thanks for your nice comments, and for visiting Flying in Crosswinds. I hope Hermana Mayor is indeed developed in the right way, so that its beauty is preserved. I was only there for a few hours, but it was truly magical!
Thanks for visiting, and do come back here often!
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Hi Bea,
I have very fond memories of Capt Molina, who was Tito Peping to us. He flew the king air like the plane was an extension of his body. I had the privilege of sitting on the right seat many times and watch Tito Peping fly with such finesse. The familiar “beep beep” of the stall warning a split second before the landing gear kissed the runway was the signal that we had just arrived on a little slice of paradise.
Tito Peping was very special to us and I think of him often.
Best regards to you and your family.
Toñico Climent
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its a beautiful place. my tito worked there. 🙂
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I totally agree! What did your tito do?
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its a beautiful place. 🙂
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Hello there! First I want to thank you for a very inspiring and informative blog post. I realize this post was made 3 years ago but it did provide us with hard to find information about Hermana Mayor island.
I would like to know if you can tell us who to contact to get an invitation to the island. My boyfriend and I simply spotted it through Google earth and we think it would be a good spot for our sport (kiteboarding) so we’d like to visit and check it out.
If you can help us out, that would be super! 🙂
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Hi Denise, thanks for your comment. The island’s owners are very private and will probably not be keen to have casual visitors come in. It’s owned by a family, and they do have plans to develop it a bit. For now though the prefer to keep it secluded. It is beautiful — fine beaches of crushed coral, spectacularly clear water, and wildlife in the interior. The day I flew there, we had deer crossing the runway. I’ll ask my friend who invited me there, and let you know via your email address!
Meanwhile, I understand there is kiteboarding at Boracay, and also on Lake Caliraya on Luzon, which is closer to Manila. I know someone who did a run from Batangas to Puerto Galera, though I’m not sure if kiteboarding is what he did. You probably know a lot more about these places already than I do.
— Tonet
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hi denise do you want to go to hermana island i am a resident here in sta. cruz zambales i can help you to there if you want
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Hi, my husband is from Botolan and we’d like to go there this coming April. Hermana Mayor is the only island that we’ve never been to. I’m very much looking forward to spend time there, even just for a day!
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Am a little late coming into this. But I was still very young when my grandfather, Dr. Arturo Garcia, owned the island before the Todas. (My dad’s side of the family, the del Fierros, hails from Iba. Speaking Zambal died with my father 3 years ago. ) So I never set foot on the island; just heard legendary things about it.
Hey coldplay, if I may be so bold, maybe if I take you up on your offer to tour me around when I visit? I don’t know when; but I think we still have some relatives in Palauig.
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Hi! I am a researcher for a publishing house and i would like to ask permission to use your photo of the river delta above in a grade 4 book to be published next year. Please email your reply at maritescui@gmail.com. Thank you and God bless.
Marites
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Hi Marites, please go ahead and use the photo as you requested. If possible just credit it to me and my son, Tonet and Carlo Rivera.
I’m sorry for the late reply, but I have been traveling non-stop away from home since September. I hope I have replied in time.
Tonet
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Hi Tonet! thanks for this wonderful pictures from Hermana Mayor. i’m a native of Sta. Cruz Zambales and we call Hermana Mayor “Pulo Island.”
@Myles Garcia, your right Garcia owned Hermana Mayor before the Toda’s.
@Coldplay are you from Sta. cruz too?
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Brian, I am SO sorry about spelling your name wrong!Jay also comes up with lists, but she keeps them secret. She just does them, and I find out later when she comes out to Bangkok to go over our bits.And in those cases, SHE brings the chaoelctos 🙂
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First of all,. I would like to offer my condolences to the Molina Family. Capt. Molina was one of my earliest inspirations in flying! Secondly, I resonate the sentiments of those who has been in the island and captivated by it! The memories of Hermana stays with you, and so do the kindness and wisdom of B. T!
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Thanks for our note, Cricket!
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Hello,
I am so pleased to find your photos. In 1968, when I was 10 years old, my family spent a heavenly weekend as personal guests of the owner of this beautiful island (H. Mayor). I have wonderful memories – of the beaches that were raked beautifully every night, of the gorgeous main house, of the beautiful church where we attended the evening service. The water was crystal clear and blue-green, and there were little colorful shell fragments on the beach that had been rubbed smooth by the waves. This island and its incredibly generous hosts gave me memories of paradise. As my son is now serving in the Peace Corps in the Philippines, I thought I would try to find some information on the island. I’ll take this opportunity to say thank you to any who worked on the island and to the owners who might read this. And thank you, Tonet, for allowing me to relive some of the best years of my childhood. Of course, I’m dying to see any photos you might come across of the island as it was in the 1960s. I will get out my Dad’s old slides and post what I can find (if that would be acceptable to the owners). Thank you again.
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I tried taking a look at your website in my blbkraercy and the format does not seem to be correct. Might want to check it out on WAP as well as it seems most cell phone layouts are not working with your website.
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I was so fortunate to be able to spend a month in Hermana Mayor with my family. My father was the island manager at that time and he took us to see and experience the place where he works. It was so awesome. The beach is very clean and light cream in color and the sea is so clear. The main house has bamboo walls and floors and capiz shells on the sliding doors. I was so impressed by the fridge and freezer running the length of the kitchen wall. I was 15 years old that time. I believed it was custom made. That was in the 1970’s. The guests/friends of the owners and island staff were all friendly. The owners were kind and gracious people. I will never forget them and the island.
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One of the family members invited me to visit the island, and it truly was a jewel. It would be nice to fly there again. The grass airstrip was as smooth as a golf green. And the beach was fine, powdery sand and sparklingly clear water.
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Hi Jo,
I remember your father well. We would just call him “Tormo”. He was always so nice to us kids. He took very good care of us and gave us a lot of attention. I remember his quarters was a camper trailer.
I have very fond memories of your father and he was a big part of my childhood.
Best regards,
Toñico Climent
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Hi arrow2/Tonico Climent!
Thank you for your kind words about my father. He is indeed caring and attentive to everyone around him.
We just celebrated my father’s 83rd birthday last November 2015 and also my parents 60th wedding anniversary last December 2015. I am happy to let you know that he is doing well, still physically strong and mentally alert. I will mention you to him and I’m sure he will remember.
Best to you.
Jo Tormo
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Hi Jocelyn,
That’s great news. Please give my best regards to your dad. I hope he remembers me. I have very vivid memories of him.
Regards,
Toñico Climent
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Hi arrow2/Tonico,
My father reacted happily when I mentioned your name and your comments about him. He said you were just a little kid that time. He also sends his best regards to you.
Best
Jo Tormo
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Thanks for sharing this wonderful island Sir Tonet, it’s truly a paradise. I was looking for an island, which will be a prospect site for my proposal, and I thought this would be fitted for my thesis proposal, by the way I am an architecture student. I am aware that this is a private island and casual visitors are not allowed. But Sir, may I ask permission from the owner to use his island as my proposed site? Thank you.
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ive seen this island ,the main house, guest house, managers house ,power house motorpool,light house , i think it got 8 generators 7 on the main house 2 on the beach house .nice island.deer infested. deep blue waters .with a sand bar
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just thinking of it makes me smile, riding on that austin mini moke (its like a mini cooper with a jeep body same engine) ,thats the place were i learned how to drive, the runway full of glowing deer eyes at night.the cent of pine trees and deer poop, they even got a pond were migratory birds from china take a rest before going to the main land and sweetest coconut ive ever tasted
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It started snowing at 4am here in Denver. Looks disturbingly like last year out there. Cozy inside though. My girlfriend gifted me some roel.rseMlrry Christmas Fritz.Robert
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ashraf ramadan قال:Warning: Missing argument 2 for wpdb::prepare(), called in /home/meflyn/public_html/wp-content/plugins/world-flags/includes/functions.php on line 53 and defined in /home/meflyn/public_html/wp-includes/wp-db.php on line 990 اريد اÙادتى بعروضكم ÙÙ‰ الÙتره المقبله لانى اود السÙر ÙÙ‰ نهايه مارس القادم الى القاهره
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guys can anyone tell me the physical details of the runway and navigational aids (if any) in order for a pilot to determine the suitability to operate various aircraft types into and out of the island .
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The runway is about 1000 meters long. Originally it was a crushed coral runway, but now it coral and grass. It used to have runway lights but i think they are no longer operational. There used to be papi lights too if i remember right. Aircraft up to an HS 125 600 series, King airs, piston twins and cessnas have used the runway.
Hermana Mayor is a private island so permission would have to be obtained to go.
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Is it true that the island is now being developed by Ayala Corp? What a great news to us from Sta Cruz, Zambales and nearby Infanta Pangasinan. It will definitely invite tourists and surely it will be of big help to the town’s economy.
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paradise lost…
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I wish. Maybe I should fly over there the next chance I get and see if anything is going on.
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Hi Tonet Just stumbled onto this site. I first met the owner and his wife a dozen years ago and got a standing invitation to go to the island. Been to his house near Ayala a number of times. At one time, less than ten years ago, he intended to drive over from Manila to the island and we had arranged to meet at San Fernando in the morning as I was then staying at Angeles. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it in the end. Since then no opportunity had arisen as my trips to the Philippines though often were too short, but I will make an effort to finally set foot there in January next year. Will try to arrange with him when I next go to Manila this coming August. Regards.
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Just do me a favor and keep writing such trnnehact analyses, OK?
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Good day sir… I am from Iba, Zambales. I just want to know if my husband could give quotations on hardware and contruction materials. He owned a store here. Please give us referral. Thanks
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I am from longos, sta cruz just an hour from the Hermana Mayor (now resides in Olongapo City), during my high school days I used to to hitch ride on a fisherman’s boat to visit the island and totally amazed with the very clean white sandy beach, when develop surely this will be the most beautiful beach in the world. I been all over the Caribbean, from Miami to Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, Jamaica, Bahamas, Key Wests, Private Islands in the keys, Barbados, Martinique, Aruba, Bermuda, etc. worked at the Carnival Cruise Lines based in Miami, Florida for almost 20 years. With this experience and knowledge, I wished I could be a part of developing the most beautiful tourist destination for local and international guests or surely this will be one of the future Cruise destination in Asia.
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Further to my comments on May 2 upthread, I just visited my friend the island owner in Manila two weeks back. Finally taking up his offer to visit Hermana Mayor, in 5 month’s time. He will drive me there. He confirmed that development is going on but his “home” area there is untouched.
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[…] My first impression was, Wow, that’s a pretty airfield! Manicured like a golf fairway, with a well-marked 1,000-meter x 60-meter grass runway. The island was everything I imagined. There is a boat house, guest cabanas and unspoiled interior wilderness, including jungle, a savanna, a fresh water lake, and spectacular beaches. Read More: https://tonetcarlo.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/hermana-mayor-zambales/ […]
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[…] My first impression was, Wow, that’s a pretty airfield! Manicured like a golf fairway, with a well-marked 1,000-meter x 60-meter grass runway. The island was everything I imagined. There is a boat house, guest cabanas and unspoiled interior wilderness, including jungle, a savanna, a fresh water lake, and spectacular beaches. Read More: https://tonetcarlo.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/hermana-mayor-zambales/ […]
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