BALUARTE

BY: CHERRY ANN ANGCAY

Baluarte” or “fortress” —it’s name emblazoned on a rise for all to see. As of this writing, Chavit has a collection of exotic animals which include about nine tigers and a lion, ostriches, deer, a yellow snake, ducks, a stable full of miniature horses and on the softer, gentler side, a butterly garden of over 500 varieties. It’s open to the public and there are still no entrance fees at this time. All you need do is to tip the guides generously for the time and trouble it takes to bring you around. Be warned that not everyone is given the privilege of touring the innards of his private house. It’s a selective process and largely the luck of the draw. The grapevine tells me t VIGAN has plenty of other points of interest to offer. Go see Chavit Singson’s hat occasionally, the man who is seen frequently with Manny Pacquio, if he is in the mood, conducts the tour himself. I suppose that depending on the timing, the volume of the crowds and how you come across to the guide on the day you visit, you may be given the chance to explore Chavit’s Baluarte, which is appropriately named. It sits atop a strategic high point of Vigan real estate, that can give advance warning of the approach of enemies from the ground and air, in times of war while affording a magnificent nearly 180 degree view of the horizon where the sky and the South China Sea merge and meet seamlessly in deep shades of shimmering blue during quiet times. Chavit’s older house sits on a bluff and can be accessed by stairs carved in stone from the reception area where Aries, our guide, gave us a comprehensive tour of Baluarte and its features. There’s a lot of thought that went into this house and it shows. Chavit Singson is the colorful, controversial self-proclaimed “Tiger of Ilocos” and two color photo cut-outs of Chavit cuddling with two of his pet tigers meant to greet visitors to his enclave make sure you remember that image of power, strength and wile clearly. You somehow wait and listen for the movie soundtrack of Rocky’s “Eye of the Tiger” to play off the sound system dramatically to complete the presentation. There’s nothing of the sort though. For the moment, you forget the controversy he was embroiled in, the “Jueteng gate” that helped topple one Philippine presidency years ago as you explore his lair, or come to think of it, perhaps this is just one among others. After all, a really smart tiger in a jungle full of foes, must have two strongholds at least, one public and another one, far beyond probing eyes. A chapel stands just before the approach to the house and grounds itself. You can’t help noting a rich man’s toy— a bright yellow 2-man submarine gathering dust like a fish out of water— splayed hopelessly just beside the cooped up South American alpaca probably wondering what the heck he is doing in Vigan instead of grazing an Andean mountainside. Ostriches strut about chasing a flock of ducks on the grounds. A “tiger” such as this one with the financial clout and strong and loyal political base can always hold his own jostling and moving with the powers-that-be while surrounding himself with a coterie of armed bodyguards for self-preservation. It takes serious money to build, maintain and preserve a place such as Baluarte.