Last visit (18 mos ago) to the PI, I took a detour down to SBMA to see if I could visit some of the locations where I worked back in the '70s. Struck out on all three: SRF building I was looking for is behind a fence and could not get in without a sponsor but able to get a photo shot through the fence; MSCPAC building/office is no longer standing; and Grande Island, where I worked at the EW/Radar Site on the backside of the island, was closed. Really disappointed with Grande Island being closed as I had some really great times out there both with the girls who worked out there for the base MWR and the bar girls who came out for ship parties - trolled for girls along the beach in our jeep during the parties, pick up a couple of babes being ignored by their drunken dates, haul them up to the site for a blow and go session and drop them off before last boat departure.
Before heading to SBMA I checked the SBMA tourist site for Grande Island info and all seemed OK, but when I showed up to catch the morning boat for a day trip I found the ticket office opened but could not get a ticket as they said the Island is closed. In typical Filipino fashion, the people working at the office had no idea of why the Island was closed or when it would be back open.
Planning a PI trip in Mar/Apr 2014 and wondering if any of the EXPATS in the area have any status info on Grande.
Used to be a couple of small semi-private beach locations on the backside of the island with some really good snorkel areas around Chiquita Island also on the back side.