Light a candle for Anne Lorraine
It wasn’t hard to spot Edwin Macapagal’s campsite. A big Philippine flag was mounted atop his black Mitsubishi Triton Athlete pickup, fluttering in the breeze on that overcast sky last Feb. 6 at the highest point of Splendor Hills in Tanauan, Batangas. Beside his vehicle was the campsite. Edwin and his wife Anne Lorraine were set up for the entire weekend.
Edwin and Anne are seasoned hoteliers and nature lovers, who make it a point to go out and camp every chance they get. I first got to know about the couple in an online group chat with fellow overlanding enthusiasts and Triton Athlete owners, and they were willing to be interviewed for their ownership experience of their pickup and their outdoor lifestyles.
That day was the day I got to meet Edwin and Anne face-to-face for the first time. I went to their campsite in the morning to introduce myself, before leaving for another appointment in Sta. Rosa City in Laguna. After that appointment, I hurried back to Tanauan to catch the sunset with the couple, as they told me sunsets in Splendor Hills were quite breathtaking.
I did arrive well before sunset. Unfortunately, the heavy clouds wouldn’t give way. But I was treated to the next best things, the fading gloaming of the sun behind the clouds, with the view of Taal Lake and its volcano fading into the darkness, and the warm chitchat with the couple who took the trouble to prepare a pasta dish and cappuccino for their visitor. Not that they weren’t prepared: They had brought them everything but the kitchen sink: A coffee machine, a small refrigerator, stove, portable toilet, power stations, and adequate lighting. Their setup included a solar power system, complete with panels mounted on the Triton’s roof.
Edwin and Anne told me their overlanding stories. Edwin had retired from the hotel industry to become a restaurateur shortly before the pandemic hit. But it was through camping that he and Anne truly saw the beauty of the Philippines.
Their first camp was in 2017 at the West Philippine Sea island near Dasol in Pangasinan.
“Every Filipino may be able to go to any part of the world, but not all Filipinos can go to the best places in the Philippines. That’s so sad. Two weeks ago, we were in Cagayan, Tuguegarao. It was incredibly gorgeous. A week before that, we were in Sagada, and the route we used was the Ilocos Sur-Cervantes road,” Edwin said.
While Edwin told the stories, Anne was busy minding the kitchen and adjusting the finer details of the camp. Their setup was simple yet looked luxurious. Preparing to serve the pasta and her cappuccino, she asked me if I had brought my barista oat milk. Even here, I thought, Anne’s “professional hoteliering” was shining through.
Edwin then described their experience in Bessang Pass. “We drove to that historical area. It was so beautiful. Anne and I had goosebumps. Then we went to Cagayan to see the famous Gabur-Gabur Falls and Callao Cave in Peñablanca. We were amazed, but there were almost no other people in sight, even on a weekend. We only met one senior citizen who was born and raised in Piat in Cagayan. It was his first time reaching the place, even though it’s only a 45-minute drive from his home. I think there’s something wrong with our tourism communications. You don’t hear anything about these beautiful places in Cagayan. The roads are beautiful, with many bypasses connecting the towns.”
He described the challenging roads the family’s Triton Athlete had conquered. Their son Adriel wasn’t able to join this weekend camp due to an important school activity.
That dinner with the Macapagal couple would turn out to be my first, and last, interaction with Anne.
Anne Lorraine, only 39, suffered a heart attack the day after this interview and died the next day. She was interred at the Guillen family residence in Batangas, and was buried on Feb. 14.
As of this writing, overland campers across the country are expressing their grief and solidarity with Anne Lorraine’s family. They are offering prayers and will be lighting a candle on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.
Edwin wrote to the “Camping Ideas Philippines” group, which has over 600,000 members: “Camping brought so much joy, and our community meant the world to her. If possible, please take a short video and share it in all our camping Facebook groups as a tribute of love and remembrance, using the hashtag #AnneGanda.”
As I continue to process Anne Lorraine’s passing, I realize that we are just really passing through this plane of existence. Any time can be our time to be called. Until then, let’s make the most of it. Go to where nature is at its most magnificent, bask in it, and thank your lucky stars you had the chance in this lifetime to be part of a universe that wants to share its beauty and gentleness with you. And then be beautiful and gentle in return.
