PUERTO Princesa, Palawan — When you talk about the exciting and dangerous sport of motocross, you always begin with Edward “Butch” Chase.

He could do anything with a motorcycle that until now, most riders — young and old — still call him “Mr. Motocross” more than 50 years since becoming the beloved “Poster Boy” of the sport.

In a sport that never failed to elicit ohhhs and ahhhs from a highly- appreciative crowd, Butch is always the man to watch back in the good, old days of motocross in the country.

A certified rock star among riders in the 80s and now, a cool and well-respected leader in the riding community.

You always want to see Butch ride a motorcycle the same way you want to see Manny Pacquiao to climb the boxing ring, Eugene Torre play chess, Efren “Bata” Reyes handle a billiards stick or Paeng Nepomuceno roll a bowling ball.

Watching them perform is always like an event in your life that you know you’ll remember long after you’ve forgotten a lot of other things that happened about the same time.

It brings a sense of order to our sporting world.

The rest of it may be in trouble with a lot of controversies, but you can always say it’s not all that bad, “Butch Chase is still riding a motorcycle.”

Well, I talked to my long-time friend and kumpare Butch Chase in his world-famous Kinabuch’s in Puerto Princesa City the other day. It was our first time to see each other again in almost seven years.

I remember the last time. It was not for motocross when we saw each other back in 2017, but the Pilipinas International Beach Sports Festival organized by then Puerto Princesa City Mayor Luis Marcaida III and the late Mayor Edward Hagedorn at the Baywalk.

With Butch helping Mayor Marcaida and event organizer Dale Evangelista in the promotion of the competition, it was, as usual, a big success.

Typical Butch.

Back in the 80s up to the 90s when Butch was managing the highly-popular Camel Motocross in various parts of the country through his Cycle Sports and Safety Association of the Philippines (CYSSAP), we spent a lot of times together with his trusted lieutenants as he laid out his plans to raise not only the popularity but also level of motocross in the country.

Under Butch and CYSSAP, motocross produced modern-day heroes such as Jovie Saulog, Jolet “Mr. Excitement” Jao, Ernie Leongson, Glenn Aguilar and Junjun and Kenneth San Andres.

Like Butch, all these motocross heroes would become household names, especially in the provinces where Camel Motocross was revered as much as the now-defunct Marlboro Tour.

And in my nearly 40 years in sports, I was fortunate enough to know most of the finest gentlemen in the field. To me, working with them make sportswriting look as easy as reciting the alphabet.

Butch ranks high on my all-time list. He is “Mr. Motocross” and more.

One of the things I always admired and liked about Butch is his genuine concern to motocross and the people around it.

And long after he is no longer active in organizing motocross races, he still cares for the people working at the racetrack.

“Motocross will always be part of my life ever since the day my mother bought me my first motorbike on my 18th birthday. When I was still a kid, I asked her for a motorcycle almost every day until she finally bought one for me,” recalled Butch during dinner which he hosted for me and my wife Liza during our visit.

“Even now, I still follow motorcross when I get a chance. Nakiki-balita pa din sa mga dating kaibigan,” claimed Butch, who rose to prominence when he captured the 1977 Rider of the Year award as a mainstay of the Suzuki team from 1975-1979.

He was inducted into the Golden Wheels Awards Hall of Fame at the SM Aura in Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City in 2014.

When the pandemic struck in 2020, Butch took another role when he decided to provide food to volunteers working at hospitals and barangays around the province.

“I have more than 35 people working for me now at Kinabuch’s. Kahit nung panahong wala halos turista na pumupunta sa Palawan dahil sa lockdown, we have to continue to support them. Kinausap ko halos lahat ng mga businessmen dito at nagka-sundo kami na magtulungan para makabangon uli ang Palawan,” added Butch.

When I asked Butch if he had any regrets, any things he wished he had done differently, he shook his head with a smile.

“I did it my way.”

Butch still does it — motorcycle or no motorcycle.

It’s what keeps him young at 72.

* * *

When in Puerto Princesa, one of the nicest places to visit during the long and hot summer is the Rancho Mitra owned by the the late Senator Ramon V. Mitra Jr. and his family.

Located in the hilly terrain of Sta. Monica Heights, Mitra’s Ranch is now regarded as one of the more popular tourist destinations in Puerto Princesa.

Rancho Mitra has a viewing deck that allows the tourists to have a good view of the city and the sea. The serenity of the place and its fresh air are ideal for meditation, strolling around, reading a good book, watching the beautiful sunset, or simply breathing in nature’s energy.

The place also offers a lot of interesting attractions that caters to the young and even young at heart, including a breathtaking giant slide, a zip line, horseback riding and a hanging bridge.

Rancho Cafe is another must-visit, with its highly-popular Tatay Monching’s kape barako, Mommy Cecil’s Americano and Caramel Macchiato ni Baham.

NOTES — A big shout out to my daughter Steffi and my apo Apollo Nathaniel for hosting our newest trip to Puerto Princesa, Palawan as part of her birthday celebrations last May 1. And this early, I can only imagine what is the next beautiful place to visit on her next birthday celebration with the family.

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