Puerto Galera : Gay Mecca of the Philippines

So you want to wear your newly purchased swimwear?

              So you want to experience a white beach near Metro Manila?
                      So you want to involve yourself an overnight beach party?
                                 You want to dance the night away without inhibition?
                                          You want to find a lover or for one night only?
                                                   You want to… “book”?

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“You should experience Puerto Galera during Holy Week”- This was the statement of my friend Mike who always come back this place in Mindoro. “Even once in your life, you should go there”, he added.

Mike’s word makes me feel intriguing towards the place…… “Why?”I asked. The only he uttered was “BASTA”.

Until time emanates that I discovered the hidden stories about this long white beach of the island. Let me share you ….

At the beginning of my travel (right at the port in Batangas, ) I noticed that majority of the passengers of the ferry boat were all men. I was wondering why? Well, there were few women but I must say that 95 percent were men- there were groups, solo and partnered passengers. I observed at them and obviously I knew that these men were not straight – I was not born yesterday (and I heard some feeds and information online that Puerto Galera especially the white beach is MSM oriented place.)

When I arrived, I noticed that the crowds speckled at the beach were all men too. It seems that the stretch of the shoreline is a catwalk for men bikini competition due to the various swimming trunks with gorgeous bodies sauntering around.

Crucifix Party ( Photo By Mike Tan ) : There was a  Crucifix in the middle of

the party -  Mike says while capturing this "Perhaps (finally) recognizing 

that organized religion is losing out to the vacation mode many have

 during Holy Week in Puerto Galera, some Christians saw it fit to inject

 religiosity in partying. As for the effectivity of the approach, 

the jury is still out.."

Who would expect that Philippines is now adapting the Western Gay Concept – gay man with masculine aura and a gorgeous body. And you will find it in Puerto Galera during Holy Week. Indeed, Puerto Galera is the Gay Mecca of the Philippines because MSM people are likely to visit the place during Lenten Season rather than doing “Visita Iglesias” of Churches.

“ Grabe mga bakla ngayon, ang gaganda ng mga katawan, talo pa mga lalaki (Amazing !Gays nowadays are sexier than those straight-claimed men” ,as a resident of the island said it to me while having short conversation with them.

“Ang mga bakla na nagpupunta dito hindi para mag beach bumming, kundi para makabooking at umaura (Gays opted to go here not to indulge the beauty of the beach, however  they just go here to look for one night stand and display their body” my roommate Paul said. Indeed, as I meandered around during day time, naked men were just roaming around – they were like displaying their body with swimming trunks.

You want to dance the night away without inhibition? : This
is the scenario of the beach party - RAVE , WILD and HOT.

I went out for night party with Mike, Paul Dante and other friends, and it was totally different experience compared to my Boracay days. I can’t describe how wild and liberated the party was. It was like a place wherein I lost my inhibition – and so others. Drink and get drunk... … The crowds were all gay men – flirting, kissing and etc... I got tanked-up... And oh did I forget to mention that recreational drugs also exist in this place during night party. So be careful and be cautious to those who offer you a glass of drink or else you will see yourself lying in another room.  Hahaha .  

Once the inhibition evaporates, the drunkenness will leads you to get a random partner from the crowd and bring him to the “LANDMARKS”. The landmarks mean the “Jurassic Park” and the Rockwell (when facing White Beach’s water, that’s to the scrublands in the extreme right, and to the rocky formations in extreme left, respectively). What happens there? One word: CRUISING. This is best experienced to be appreciated. And, oh, this is where the BOOKING (as earlier mentioned) happens in Puerto Galera. (Don’t worry guys, I will be writing what Jurassic Park and Rockwell is all about on my next post.)

Yeah. It was fun.. For me.. a new environment ( Imagine the GCircuit Songkran Party in Thailand)   – hehe and the rest was part now of my history.

This Image is captured by Micheal Angelo ( My Friend  and a travel blogger ) during the party 

Truly, now I understand why Mike persuades me to visit the place as a traveler, I shouldn’t neglect and I must include Puerto Galera in my bucket list during Holy Week. Because Puerto Galera is worth writing for. There are colorful stories that you can witness in the middle of the darkness ( or sometimes you got involved with it) – life changing stories, tales that later on, it makes you laugh while remembering those stupidity you've done. Stupidity which reminds us that once in our life we had our youth and we enjoyed it.

In the same manner, Puerto Galera is an eye opener to me – to embrace and respect diversity without any judgment and condemnations that religion does. Now, I understand why Gay people escaped from the city and create this Mecca – to avoid the society, the society who dictates the norm. And to experience the sense of belongingness.

My Puerto Galera Chronicle Part 1
My Puerto Galera Chronicle Part 2
My Puerto Galera Chronicle Part 3
My Puerto Galera Chronicle Part 4
My Puerto Galera Chronicle Part 5
My Puerto Galera Chronicle Part 6
My Puerto Galera Chronicle Part 7
My Puerto Galera Chronicle Part 8