Photo shows Cocomangas  friendly delivery man with an x-large family size  pizza .Delicious pizza,  hot and fresh, delivered to your door anywhere on Boracay.

Over the years of owning and managing Cocomangas Shooter Bar , I’ve learned some very important things about  running this business.I’ve learned over the years to always listen to the customers wants and needs .On many different occasions and from many different customers , they kept asking if I could deliver the delicious pizza of Cocomangas  around Boracay.Some cusotmers even asked me to bring the pizza to Manila by setting up a pizza joint in the big city.I’m not ready to live in Manila after so many years in paradise ,  but i was ready to  set up the delivery service.

Over the years we’ve sold  ton’s of pizza out of Cocomangas but we never delivered.That was until late 2006 , when i decided to invest in the pizza delivery service . I bought three motorbikes , hired another 5 employees,and have built up a solid pizza  delivery business.Cocomangas delivers anywhere on Boracay for free , rain or shine ,from 10am until 2am daily. The x-large Halo Halo,family size (16 slice), is the most popular pizza at Cocomangas.The tasty Halo Halo pizza has all the toppings and it can easily feed a family or group of friends.

The other most popular pizza at Cocomangas is the Boracay Classic (pepperoni,bacon , and tomato), and the Cocomangas House Special (shrimps,tuna,mushroom,and tomato).All Cocomangas  pizza comes in three sizes , small(4 slices) , large(8slices) , and x-large(16slices).So if you’re hungry sitting in your hotel room or at home to lazy to cook , give us a call on the pizza hot-line at  288 4455 and we will deliver a delicious , hot and fresh Cocomangas pizza to your door.

Have a great lazy holiday.

Yours Truly,

John Munro

The record holders pictured together . Norwegian Roy in the middle with 37 still standing’s and Canadian kevin  on the left with 12 still standing’s .Both making their nation’s proud.

Last night, November 26, while working at Cocomangas Shooter Bar I met  an old customer / friend from Norway , Roy Jansen,who was wearing a custom made Cocomangas basketball jersey with the number 34 , and under the number the word”times” was written. This is a jersey I custom made for Roy a couple of years ago after he drank the  “Still Standing after 15..” for his 34th time.

Actually, he has drank the infamous list of  15 shots on 37 different occasions over the past 10 years and for that he is the record holder for most still standings ever drank.I wonder what he did with all those t-shirts.He said , ”I’ll be back in February 09 to try the 15 shots again because I want to reach  40  .”No doubt in my mind he’s going to reach his goal.

He went onto mention ,” I drank the still standing after 15 ,back in the year 2000, nine times in three weeks.”So in actual fact,  Roy is a double record holder here at Cocomangas , one for most still standing’s ever drank, and second , for most still standing’s consumed over three weeks(9).

Roy is far ahead of his competition for most still standing’s with second place  going to another friend , Kevin Cleveland from Canada , coming in at 12 still standing’s consumed.

I just read on the scoreboard at Cocomangas Shooter Bar, which keeps tally  of  the still standing’s ordered, Norway is at 212 total since 1990.Congratulations Roy   you make up 18 % of your  countries total still standing’s. Stand tall as your country is proud of your huge effort , or at least I am.

See you in February for 15 more…..

Yours,

John Munro

Photo shows Joshua climbing up the Crystal Cave wall  on Boracay Island.

I like when family and friends visit Boracay and I get to be tour guide  , showing them the different beaches surrounding the island and all the other tourists attractions that make Boracay famous . My favorite attraction on Boracay Island is  the  Mount Luho View Point, which is the island’s highest point,which gives you a magnificant view of Boracay,  and the Sibuyan Sea.Make sure to climb up the tower which has been built at the top of Mount Luho , which will give you a great look at  the golf course to the north , and to the south you can see all the developments along white beach, and on a windy day you can watch  the kite-boarders catching air along  Bulabog Beach .

Next on my favorite list is the Crystal Cave located up at the very north end of Boracay in Baragay Yapak (Bring flashlights and 50 peso entry fee).There are two caves worth visiting on the island , the Bat Cave , and the Crystal Cave which are located only 50 meters apart . I prefer the Crystal Cave ,  because once you get to the bottom of the cave you can crawl up  through a little opening that leeds to cliffs high above the ocean , but be careful as you must have good balance to hang from the tree branches to take in the incredible view.

Next up is Puka Shell Beach which is also located up north in Yapak . Take a left when you enter the beach and walk all the way down til the end of the beach where you ‘ll find yourself alone looking at the jungle , cliffs ,and ocean . Beautiful and peaceful .  This beach reminds me of the old days of Boracay, back in the 80’s, when the island was empty of tourists and crowds .

Next on my favorite list is sailing a paraw(local sailboat) at sunset along White Beach.Once I’m on the paraw , the silence of mother nature propelling me across the ocean makes me feel relaxed,peaceful and content.Try the paraw on a windy day and you’ll have to balance hanging on the outriggers which is challenging but a ton of fun .

Lastly on my top 5 list  , is a sunset swim on White Beach in front of Cocomangas any day or night of the week. I love the warmth of the crystal clear water and   looking back to the shore I see all the coconut trees lining the beach and i know I live in paradise . It’s a sight i never get tired of and for me it rounds out my top 5 favorite attractions on Boracay.

I love this island life.

Yours Truly,

John Munro

But what happens if a bus or truck does not stop and look? Delicado na.

When i first flew into Caticlan Airport back in 1986, the pilot had to do a fly over before landing to insure  there were no cows  grazing on the grass runway  .A few years later the grass runway was replaced by gravel . Than finally in the 90’s the cement runway was put into place but it was too skinny and short to handle big turbo prop planes. A few years back another investment was made to widen and lengthen the runway and that’s where it stands today.Even though the airport has improved 1000 percent since my first landing in 86 , the airport still needs one more major make over to cope with the huge influx of tourists.

I got very excited earlier this year when  I heard  about the extension of the Caticlan Airport  runway .  How fantastic that would be for the development of  Boracay tourism and the safety of all tourists and locals flying in and out of Caticlan .But it’s now November 08 , and 2009 is just around the corner,  and  I still see no action with the runway extension project , so it’s either been placed on the back burner,   cancelled all together, or was just talk. (It’s end of April ,09, and I ‘ ve read in a national newspaper the plan of President Arroyo is to make Caticlan an international airport .)

According to aviation aothorities from the Philippines , Caticlan Airport is the third busiest airport in the country.The airport is fifth in passenger arrivals and second busiest in aircraft movement.

This  airport upgrade project should be a priority with the Department Of Tourism(DOT)  and should be built now and  at all costs .It’s worth the investment.If the government does not want to spend the money  to make the airport safer and for bigger planes , than perhaps a Filipino corporation or multi national company would be interested to make the necessary improvements .  The sooner the better.If Boracay and DOT want 1 million tourist arrivals a year than Caticlan Airport must be improved.

Caticlan airport has several flaws. The runway is too short . When planes are on the final approach ,the traffic on the road at the western end of the runway must be stopped to prevent an accident  between a bus, truck ,-, or tricycle and  the wheels of the landing aircraft .At the eastern end of the runway is a large hill , almost a mountain , and when the wind comes onshore  it forces the aircraft to approach  flying across the top of  the mountain , than pilots must really turn the nose of the aircraft down towards the runway and make a real effort to land . Than hold on to your seats as the aircraft slams on the breaks .

The departure lounge waiting area of airport  is too small .With so many flights in and out from 6 different airlines , it’s hard to find a seat at the departure lounge .On the Sunday during Holy week 2008 , there were 55 flights arriving and departing from Caticlan Airport , or about 6,000 passengers coming and going.The departure lounge needs to increase it’s capacity so every passenger can sit. The arrival area and baggage claim needs a lot of work . Actually, all it needs is a conveyor belt for luggage like every  other airport.Right now you have to kinda of fight to get to the front to claim your suitcase and some tourist’s get   frustrated by the process .Not a good start to your holiday in paradise.

The airport needs a lighting navigation  system along it’s runway to handle the late arriving aircraft.Right now some flights from Manila are being diverted to kalibo as it’s to dark to land in Caticlan . Tourists are not happy to get diverted to kalibo as the extra 2 hours of travel time is  tiring  .

One solution for the runway extension  would be to  extend the runway right into the ocean at the western end  .You could take the mountain down from the eastern end of the runway and use the dirt to reclaim the runway  into the ocean on the western end . The main  road that runs along the coast of Caticlan could be built to go under the runway, like in Manila where EDSA passes under Ayala Ave .

Of course this would take a lot of cash ,but  would be worth the investment to show the world Boracay is  worthy of it’s world class status.If a new airport is built i think tourism number’s could reach 2 million a year.

Yours Truly,

John Munro

Notice on the bottom right of the photo the old  power lines powering Boracay .At the top of the photo, the linemen are putting the finishing touches on  the new  Boracay Electrical Grid Power Upgrade Project, which is fantastic news for all of us living and working in Boracay , reliable power .

The electrical power situation in Boracay has always been poor and unreliable , with never enough power to supply all the residents and businesses here .With the island’s fast population growth , the power company could not supply enough energy and instead of the power coming into my bar at 220 , it sometimes reached as low as 160. The power was too low to power our refrigerator’s , stereo’s , television’s, and other appliances  ,causing them to breakdown .Our losses have been huge as we went out to buy new appliances just to have the new appliances destroyed by the weak power.But times are a changing for the better and just in time as the island population is exploding  .

In order for the power company to upgrade the grid ,  Boracay has experienced daily 8 hour long  brownouts since August , and now it’s November which means it’s been 3 1/2 months.All Boracay residents and business owners  have made a huge sacrifice to endure such long daily brownouts but it’ll be worth it in the end to have a powerful,  reliable energy source.

This new energy will certainly help Boracay and tourism reach it’s full potential and help the island become world class. I ‘m very grateful for this new exciting project .

Yours Truly,

John Munro

My nephew Sean (far right)dancing up a storm with mates on the bar top at Cocomangas all with big happy smiles.

If you’re feeling depressed,stressed,tired, angry, lonely or just generally upset with life,I’ve found a cure for your troubles .All you have to do is visit Cocomangas Shooter Bar on the beautiful Island of Boracay in the Philippines, and jump up on the center stage dance floor and shake your booty. It’s that simple .

Dancing is fun and  makes people happy.I hear the screams of joy when the DJ spins  their favorite song  .I see the groups of friends gather in circles to see who can out dance the other, all giving each other the  high five , and smiling.Some have the sexy seductive dance , while others have the hyper-energetic dance throwing their arms above their heads while  jumping up and down .They sing the lyrics ,they  feel the beat and their bodies start to gyrate , and the expression on their  face says it all,a big wide smile telling me they’ve forgotten all their problems and have reached a new level of  happiness. I witness the joy every night of the year , people from all walks of life and from all corners of the world , dancing ,than laughing ,clapping , smiling , and generally feeling good about life.

During peak season  customers love dancing  on the center stage , but also on the many different levels that Cocomangas offers, like the bleachers , or the stairs leading up to the bar ,or on top of the bar , or at  the lounge tables with the big cushions which get pushed aside to make room for dancing .It’s an awesome sight and one I’m glad to be apart of every night.

Visit us  here at Cocomangas and give our dance-floor a chance to put a smile on your holiday…

Yours Truly ,

John Munro

Photo shows the building construction site of the Boracay Regency Lagoon Hotel project, Nov.,23,08.

If you left Boracay a week ago and you returned today than you’d notice some changes on the island . It’s that quick. Boracay is booming and it’s going to keep booming for many years  to come as millions of tourists will visit the island over the next  years .The Government of the Philippines tried to slow the boom down with a 9 month moratorium on building ,  but that did not  work as those with building permits  continued building .The moratorium has expired now and  there are many on-going projects all over the island  , mostly large hotels.The quaint bamboo huts that lined white beach over the years are toast , making way for the giant corporations which are building multi storied luxury hotels.I guess that’s called progress and the same thing happens in every tourist place around the world that gets famous , the small family businesses selling out to the big time corporations . 

Shangri- la is the biggest project right now with total investment valued at 5 billion peso’s(100 million dollars) and opening the 1st quarter of 2009, providing Boracay with another few hundred rooms and millions of dollars of international advertising . Other major  hotels building right now include 3 developments by the Crown Regency Group from Cebu . One they just opened near station 3 on the beach ,  and the other two projects located on the back road still far from completion .The 7 Stones Condominiums is nearing completion and will also open in 1st quarter 2009,and  The Boracay Regency Lagoon won’t be ready til 2010.

There are many more projects online  but i don’t want to bore you with details . Just understand that if you were here on Boracay already and you’re making a return trip , the island is different now and changing by the minute .But thankfully White Beach has remained untouched and beautiful and will always be  worth a visit to the island of  Boracay .

Yours Truly,

John Munro

 Photo shows the Balabag National High School with potential future site for a playing field /pitch.

I don’t know many communities around the world , with populations as big as Boracay’s 30,000 people, without a sports playing field . Boracay is small and land is very valuable but still there must be room to build a  sports field so the youth and active older guys like myself can play Football(Soccer) ,Baseball , Rugby, American football, Ultimate Frisbee,or just run around and sweat .

Here’s an example of how badly the pitch is needed . The Boracay Dragon’s Ulitmate Frisbee team is one of the best teams in the world, finishing 2nd place in the Ultimate Beach World Cup, held in Brazil in 2007 . This weekend , Nov 22 , 23 , 2008 , the Dragon’s join the Manila Spirit’s International  event  being played on grass in Manila. In order to practice for this event, the Dragon’s were forced to travel from Boracay all the way to Malay in order to find a picth . Thats a trycycle, a boat , and another jeep trip away just to practice .Thats way to far just to practice . We desperately  need a field here on Boracay  for the Dragons and all the youth of this fast growing island.

I think the best place for this sports playing field is at the Balabag National School . Makes sense because the students could avail of the facility during class time and other’s living here could use the pitch during late afternoons , early evening’s . The playing field should be built with flood lights so night time games could be possible . The field could be rented out and run like a business so maintenance of the facility would be maintained and even a profit could be reached. 

Now we just need an investor . How about the government or a big time corporation ? It would be worth the investment to invest in the community of Boracay . I hope someone will step up to the plate and invest in the future of this island as sports is one very important aspect of life .

Yours Truly,

John Munro 

Happy customers enjoying the Illusion Shaker at Cocomangas Shooter Bar , Boracay.

Cocomangas Shooter Bar on Boracay Island has a reputation well and beyond the Philippines  for it’s wild party atmosphere fueled by famous alcoholic concoctions.The most famous drink at Cocomangas is undoubtedly the drinking challenge ,” Still Standing After 15…”,where customers drink 15 shots of different assorted brands  of booze and if you’re still standing you’ll receive a free t shirt or jersey , score 1 number for your country , and get your name engraved on the famous wall of fame to hang at Cocomangas forever. So far over fourteen thousand customers are still standing .

Cocomangas other famous signature drink is the Jam Jar , of course served in a jam jar .Now all Cocomangas cocktails are served  in jam jars , from the original Jam Jar mix to  Margarita’s ,  Long Island Ice Tea’s,Illusion Jar’s,Bailey’s Shakes , and more…The jars are big and can contain up to 2 shots of booze for P140.00 ($3.00), so it’s good value . All jars are served 2 for 1 during our daily happy hour which is 7:30pm to 9:30 pm .Come early to get a table during happy hour , and try one of the tasty Cocomangas pizza’s to go along with the alcoholic jars.

The shaker menu was introduced to Cocomangas a few years back and has  really taken off with it’s popularity .With over twenty different flavored and colored shakers on Cocomangas drink menu we cater to all tastes. With 5 shots of booze in every shaker , it’s ideal for groups , friends, and party people .Some hardcore drinker’s drink the  shaker’s through a straw as they like the buzz of 5 alcoholic shots in every shaker. You keep the shaker , and refills cost only P195.00( $4.00) . Great value.

Now  bring on the buckets. A massive drink with 13 shots of rum , gin , or brandy , all for the price of P195.00($4.00).served with 10 straws . Buckets are great for getting drunk and making new  friends.If you’re not into the spirits then try the ice cold beer , San Miguel Light , Pale , Red Horse , Colt 45 , or Coors Light .

For the non alcoholic customers try the delicious ice coffee shakes , or  a mango , banana,  pineapple  fruit shake.

Cocomangas has been serving millions and millions over the years and will continue going strong for many years to come . On Dec., 5, 08 , Cocomangas will celebrate 21 years of business on Boracay Island. Thanks to everyone that has come to Cocomangas over the years to dance , drink , and eat. We appreciate the business.

Hope to see you soon.

John Munro

Photo shows a bottle full of the  famous white sand of Boracay,   hanging at a store ready to be sold to the next tourist. Please don’t buy…. 

It’s depressing for  me to see vendors selling the famous white powdery sand in little bottles to tourist’s all over the markets and mall’s on Boracay Island . What a short sighted way to make a living , selling off  the number one asset that Boracay offers and what millions of tourists travel around the world to see and feel , the perfect white sand. If all the  sand on Boracay Island  is sold off in little bottles than you can say good-bye to tourism on this island paradise .

If you’re a tourist and you read this blog , please don’t support these thoughtless ,  environmentally unfriendly vendors by buying the white sand that they sell , and also please don’t take a free sample of White Beach away with you when you depart the island .It’s illegal to remove the white sand from Boracay’s White Beach and it is punishable by law . 

Boracay’s enviroment is so very fragile and it will take a concerted effort from all of us to keep it a paradise island so that future  generations of locals and tourists can  still enjoy  .

Yours Truly,

John Munro