Who mourns when a paradise is lost?  Famous 17^th century English poet John Milton did, and so do many people the world over.  This may be happening to Puerto Azul Beach Resort soon, a breathtaking sanctuary in the Philippine Islands of Southeast Asia.

The owner recently posted the site for sale for two million dollars apparently for political reasons, such as losing money from the stigma of being a Marcos crony.  A crony translates into a close friend or ally of the late Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.  The former president had been accused of siphoning off billions of dollars from the Philippine economy by a government agency dubbed as Raiders of the Lost Wealth.

Poor Puerto Azul Beach Resort is caught in the crossfire.  It is sad to see it go.  The beach is still there, but the owner’s pending sale of this magnificent property has padlocked the vast hotel facilities.

Many people who have visited Puerto Azul for years attest to its breathtaking beauty.  So it is only understandable that the beach resort will become even more popular now that it is winding down.  You never know just how valuable something is, until it is gone.

That much can be said for Puerto Azul. Its famous conduit, the Riviera Golf and Country Club is still operational, but could be winding down soon, too.

Puerto Azul is located in the beach town of Cavite, a popular destination for Philippine locals and tourists alike, who are out to escape the searing heat in the capital city of Manila during summer. It is situated in the southern entrance of Manila Bay, beside Corregidor Island.

One needs to understand the unique topography of the Philippines in order to appreciate the beauty of Puerto Azul.  The country is made up of more than 7,000 islands, sprinkled like pearls in the Pacific Ocean.  This is why the Philippines has often been referred to as the Pearl of the Orient, a title found in the Philippine national anthem.

The fact that countless typhoons ravage the Philippine islands month after month, year after year, just adds to the charm of the country as a battered beauty.  The Philippine Coast Guard will attest to the difficulty of preserving peace and order in these islands, which are often small and remote.

Now that Puerto Azul has been placed in the proper context, take a look at what is left.  People who are attached to this beach resort can still go to the area from time to time and Jet Ski along its waters.  One can still take a deep-sea dive to view the corrals underneath in the protected marine habitat.

But there is nothing like good, old Puerto Azul with the lights of the hotel resort turned on.  It is impossible to count the sheer number of corporate events that had been held here.  Busy executives often brought their whole family while taking care of business matters.

From afar, the structure of the Puerto Azul Beach Resort is a series of rather primitive looking concrete huts from which it derives its old charm, now laid dormant by time.  Still another unforgettable view in these parts is when your ride descends from a spiral drive of the mountains, and the sun and the blue sea suddenly show over the horizon.