I was born and raised in El Nido. I remember this island when we only had limited electricity. Life was simple, dictated by the sun and the tides. When locals went island hopping, we didn’t rush to check off five destinations in four hours. We picked one or two islands. We dropped anchor, set up tables and chairs, and stayed all day. Time was our greatest luxury.
The Power of Contrast
Eventually, I left the island to study Architecture and Civil Engineering in college in Manila. The city taught me a lot, but above all, it taught me the power of contrast. The noise and rush of the city made me deeply mindful of the quiet I had left behind.
I didn’t finish my degree, but I never stopped building. I returned home and built Inigtan; bamboo villas crafted with my neighbors and fishermen. I realized that the most beautiful structures, and the most profound experiences, do not fight their environment. They breathe with it. In architecture, the empty space inside a room is just as important as the walls that build it.
The First Principle of Travel
El Nido has grown rapidly since then. I don’t blame other investors and operators for the crowded spots or the rushed itineraries. I know they didn’t intend to create stressful systems. But I believe the industry simply forgot the First Principle of traveling: We travel to seek a contrast to what we usually have. If your daily life is fast and demanding, you do not fly across the world to be rushed. You travel for solitude.
I know many guests arrive in Palawan with a long wishlist of famous spots they have researched. Honestly, it sometimes weighs on me that we cannot check off every single item on your bucket list. But we strictly cap our destinations for a reason. Every island, lagoon, and hidden beach has its own profound beauty. But that beauty only reveals itself when you give it time. If you rush through five spots in a day, they blur together.
But when you stay, when you sit quietly with the land, the sea, and the ecosystem; you form a connection. The longer you are connected to a single place, the harder it is to forget.
Yohaku and Kahoy
We named this company Yohak to reflect this exact philosophy. The name holds a dual meaning. It is inspired by Yohaku, the Japanese concept of the beauty found in empty space. But it is also Kahoy; the Filipino word for wood, spelled backward, keeping us deeply grounded in our local roots.
We are a startup, but we have invested heavily in mastering this craft. I am not a traditional tour operator; I am a builder of systems. Alongside a crew born and raised entirely in Palawan, we have designed every touchpoint of this company ourselves—from the code on this website to the invisible logistics on our boats. We do not outsource our soul.
The Root of Hospitality: Kusa
Part of our mission is to educate both our guests and our industry. The world knows Filipinos as some of the most hospitable people on earth. We believe the true root of that is Kusa; the quiet, invisible initiative to anticipate a need before it is spoken.
Kusa cannot exist in a rushed, overworked environment. That is why we strictly control our crew-to-guest ratio to a good number. The math of human energy is simple: fewer guests mean less stress for our crew. A respected, unhurried crew delivers flawless, invisible service. It is a win-win ecosystem where everyone has the space to appreciate the beauty around them.
My promise to you is simple. We have done the heavy lifting behind the scenes, engineering every detail of your journey, so that when you step onto our boats, all you have to do is breathe.
Welcome to Yohak.
Crafted Space to Breathe.