SOME 192 kilometers away from the Bacolod-Silay International Airport is the rustic town of Sipalay City in Negros Occidental.
While the more than four-hour drive from the airport might be a bit long, its unspoiled environment and humble way of life quickly grab a hold of travelers once they enter the city.
The city has no pretensions of ever presenting itself as a party destination, as most of the island beach resorts have become all-too-popular destinations for tourists these days.
Instead, it welcomes travelers who are looking for a laid-back vacation away from the maddening crowd and wanting to commune with Mother Nature.
But Sipalay’s growing reputation as an alternative tourism destination would not have been possible if not for one man’s belief that its natural wonders are worth showcasing to the world.
Swiss Arthur Mueller, who co-owns the Artistic Diving Resort with his wife Evalyn in Punta Ballo has been long considered as the person responsible for bringing tourism to the collective consciousness of the city.
“When mining stopped, people turned to tourism. I was responsible for bringing in tourists. The diving sites here are much bigger and better than Boracay,” Mueller said.
He said that in Punta Ballo today, there are still a lot of open spaces; mountains are still green; and the accommodations are cheaper.
How it began
Mueller first visited the Philippines in 1995. It was a holiday vacation in Boracay.
“The Philippines had a reputation as a good diving destination,” Mueller said, while adding that he had a friend who married a Filipina, who was living in Boracay at that time.
His initial visit left him a lasting impression, and he kept coming back the next two years. Eventually, he lived in Boracay, while also offering diving lessons to tourists.
During that time, he also explored other diving spots in the country, including those in Batangas. It was then that he saw that life here in the Philippines is very much different from what he has grown accustomed to in Europe.
“I have experienced traffic. I rode jeeps. There were lots of people around, unlike in Europe. It was new to the eyes,” Mueller said.
He then realized that it was on the islands where someone like him, who had traveled the world, felt more at home.
“I was feeling better on the islands, and not on the cities. The weather is very ideal. I got familiar with the surroundings. It was another life,” he said.
Back in Switzerland, Mueller was involved in the motorcycle business. He was first a mechanic specializing in big bikes before eventually becoming head of sales for a bike factory.
Mueller said there was no hesitation on his part when he left his 15-year career in Switzerland.
Build it, and they will come
Mueller found out about Sipalay City through a local connection back in 1998. He remembered that his first visit to the city was an excursion to remote areas where no one goes.
“It was 200 kilometers of dirt road from Kabangkalan to Dumaguete,” he mused.
So it came as no surprise that his decision to construct his own resort in Punta Ballo was basically a leap of faith.
“We were the first here. Back then, there were no power, road, water supply and telecommunication. Basically, there was no infrastructure for tourism,” he said.
From the 2-hectare land that Mueller bought, he initially developed 150 square meters of it.
“I spent $100,000 for the main building,” he said, while adding that during the early days of their operations, except for friends, nobody came to their resort.
He, however, acknowledged that the local government of Sipalay City was very supportive of him from the very start.
“The mayor was very supportive of the idea. But the government then was not prepared for tourism, and the term diving was not known,” Mueller said.
But the road was tough for them, even when in 2001 Artistic Diving was already being mentioned in travel guide books, including Lonely Planet.
By 2003, he sold a portion of his property, because he wanted to have a neighbor in the area. And by 2004, he gave serious thoughts about giving up the whole operations, as it was only what he termed as private funding that made them survive.
“I asked from my family. It was only enough for us to live,” Mueller said. He further augmented their financial needs by going back to Switzerland for brief periods to work in the construction industry.
But one key event slowly turned things around for them. Mueller said they decided to build a swimming pool in their facility.
From there, more people came. From the moment the swimming pool became open for public use, children came.
And by 2005, when the Philippine government started promoting the Philippines more aggressively as a tourist destination, Artistic Diving welcomed more tourists.
By 2010, Mueller said they already got their return on investment.
“I enjoy it that things are getting better for us,” Mueller quipped. He said they do yearly renovations, while adding a bit for the tourists who will be coming to their resort.
He added that from only four staff in 1998, they now have 30. From having zero room accommodations, they now have 17 bungalows and villas. At the same time, they also now have four boats.
Still, Mueller is not resting on their success. He still works 18 hours a day on their resort, dividing his time as a dive instructor, manager, engineer, plumber and electrician for the resort.
“The original plan was to open a dive shop and not a resort. There is satisfaction in what we do,” he said.
The power of the Internet
Today there are now six resorts in Punta Ballo, but Artistic Diving remains ahead of the pack because of Mueller’s marketing acumen.
“The Internet came, and there is mobile phone now. It changed things a lot. The most important thing is to have a sign worldwide. We have packages available on the Internet,” he said.
Mueller said mobile-phone networks only became available in their place in 2009, and they might not be operating anymore if not for them.
He also said the Internet has given them a platform where they now can compete with other tourist destinations not just in the country.
Mueller added that today foreign tourists, specifically those from Switzerland, Germany and Austria, are booking their December-to-May stay at Artistic Diving in advance. Filipinos, on the other hand, frequent their resort during April and May.
Mueller said some of the tourists stay in their resort for two weeks. He added that it is the Swiss holiday style.
Looking back at their humble beginnings, Mueller believes that Philippine tourism will have no other direction but to continue on its path of growth over the long term.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano