A Bothered Day In Paradise

Since this writer got back from the island paradise of Bohol for a two-day jaunt in the new Honda City (billed as the Honda City Paradise Experience), he was definitely blown away by the scenery – and improvement, infrastructure-wise – of Bohol. And since he was given the opportunity to drive – and ride – in the new City, no doubt he had a great time.

However, he’s bothered by a number of things.

It’s not the Clarin ancestral home in Loay, Bohol. 20-23 minutes from Bohol’s capital of Tagbilaran, the house was the start of the Honda City Paradise Experience. The residence of Don Aniceto Velez (former governor of Bohol), and his son Jose Butalid Clarin (former Senate president), it has an ambience that harkens back to the 1800s. That’s not surprising, considering that the house was built in 1840 and retains much of its Old World charm. The living quarters are located on an elevated floor made of huge wooden planks, the roof is made of nipa, the bedrooms have richly carved wooden beds (made by the reknowned artisans of the time), and a collection of baro’t sayas and barongs. The house also has a small library where one can find books containing histories of the Philippines, legal works, a large dictionary of the English language (circa the American colonization period), and a copy of Hitler's "Mein Kampf." The windows around the house can be opened thus allowing sea wind (the house is along the seawall) to circulate and ventilate the residential area. Antique jars, lamps, and rocking chairs, a huge pot filled with American era centavo coins; kitchenware and furniture adorn the house. Plus, the abode is also the dwelling of Café Olegario. Originally part of the house’s ground floor, the restaurant is known for its hot chocolate and a bevy of desserts. Problem is, although declared by the National Historical Institute as a heritage site (with the descendants of the Clarin family maintaining the house), the residence still is in urgent need of some repair. Some of the ceiling beams are seriously damaged by termites, and definitely needs to be replaced.

It ain’t the Baclayon Church also. Actually the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon, it is considered to be one of the oldest churches in the Philippines and one of the best preserved. The first Spanish doctrineros (missionaries) in the region - Fr. Juan de Torres and Fr. Gabriel Sanchez - first settled in Baclayon in 1595, and soon after their arrival, a visita was erected on the spot. Although Baclayon was the first seat of the Spanish Jesuit missionaries, fear of Moro mauraders soon forced them to move their headquarters more inland to Loboc. It was only in 1717 when Baclayon became a parish, and construction of a new church commenced. Some 200 native forced laborers constructed the church from coral stones, which they took from the sea, cut into square blocks, and piled on to each other. They used bamboo to move and lift the stones in position, and used the white of a million eggs as to cement them together, with the building completed in 1727 and it getting a large bell in 1835. In the Baclayon church is a dungeon, which was used to punish natives who violated the rules of the church.

It’s not the Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers, either. Both were simply too much to pass up, be it the former or a sanctuary for the latter (which was 10-15 minutes from the Clarin ancestral home). The roads (read: highways) leading to both venues provided lots of opportunities for both City variants (1.5 E A/T and 1.3 S A/T) to stretch its legs, reaching up to 160 kph for the latter. During his time behind the wheel of the 1.5 E, this writer found out that powerband entry is at 3,200 rpm, with the i-VTEC waking up by 4,000 rpm. Its five-speed A/T is willing to downshift at half throttle, but for overtaking you have to stomp on the gas or put the a/t stick in “(S)port” mode and use its paddle shifters (particularly third gear) since shift points are much higher. On the other hand it was discovered that the 1.3 S A/T has powerband entry is at 3,500 rpm, with the i-VTEC waking up by 4,250 rpm. However, you can’t get gingerly on the gas; for best acceleration results you have to put the a/t stick on “D3” – meaning only three gears are used - and floor it.

It’s not the exterior or the interior, too. The former is a creative expression oasis, with the “arrow-shot” concept for the overall look making the car look larger and sportier than it really is, particularly when matched with the five spoke 15-inchers on the 1.3 S A/T variant. The front end is similar to the current Honda Accord due to the front grille, and the tailights are similar to the present BMW 3-Series. It’s particularly edifying when the City is matched with an aesthetic wonder like Bohol’s Chocolate Hills. On the other hand, the interior is pure bliss, given its subcompact car designation. Everything is logically placed, making them easy to read or reach for all occupants, whether the unit’s on the long stretches of highway around Bohol or through Tagbilaran (Bohol’s capital) traffic. The gauge cluster has the same red backlighting and small gear indicator fonts as its Honda Jazz brethren. The much heralded external MP3 player/iPod-ready audio entertainment that was a godsend on the trip’s long stretches of highway driving may not have faithful tone replication as that of the Honda Civic, but it does have clarity that can rival it. An example would be to play Charles Gounod’s Funeral March of A Marionette, where at 1:43-1:59 you can clearly hear the triangle being struck amidst the wind and percussion section.

It’s also not the City’s ability to handle occupants or cargo. It’s very comfortable for four to five, and this writer managed to easily doze off occasionally at the rear area while playing backseat driver due to the comfortable fabric seating. Put two five-foot-nine folk in front, and average folk in the rear have a fistful of kneeroom and legroom left. The cupholders around the handbrake and in front of the a/t stick can hold a one liter bottle of water, while the trunk can fit two golf bags and two large duffel bags.

It’s not the handling and steering, too, but they can be problematic. They became the proverbial snake in paradise, particularly on the twisty roads leading to and from Bohol’s man-made forest. However, they are more annoyances than bases for outright anger. The steering is light, but not as sharp as that of the new Honda Jazz. You occasionally tend to move the wheel a few more degrees to either lateral side on hard turns just to get the line right. The Goodyear GT3 175/65R15s on both variants have little grip (breaking traction by 80 kph), and emit a loud hum by 70 kph. The handling doesn’t do justice to the vehicle’s sleek and low stance and you feel that the lateral speeds could go a little higher, but Honda claims that the City is more for comfort than cornering. And indeed it’s true, as there was no ride harshness. Also, the City has very strong active safety elements (read: strong brake/handbrake grip), the headlights are bright and the side mirrors offer lateral viewing up to the second lane of sight.

So what is it that bothered this writer upon his return to the urban jungle?

The fact that he only had two days to experience Philippine paradise, all via a subcompact sedan haven.

The Honda City Paradise Experience

Text: Jude Morte / Photos: Jude Morte

posted April 03, 2009 19:17