Rombo Balabac: Punta Sibaring

Prior to my Balabac trip, I knew nothing about the place, except for a blog I’ve read, which stoked my interest all the more… and after seeing some photos, I knew right there and then that I have to visit Balabac come hell or high waters!

And so, it came to pass (so they say)…

Bugsuk Island: Punta Sibaring

Bugsuk Island is one of the largest island baranggays in Balabac; and a large portion of it is owned — according to our boat captain — by the Cojuangcos (which ones, he did not elaborate). Approaching the island from Rio Tuba, you will be amazed by the vastness of the pearl farm owned by Jewelmer.

Day 1 of our five-day safari in Balabac brought us to Punta Sibaring, owned by the family of Rene Principe. Although based now in Manila, Sir Rene coordinated our trip and entrusted us in the capable hands of Kap Andong Noe.

We reached the Punta Sibaring campsite late afternoon, just in time to bathe ourselves in magnificent sunset.

Punta Sibaring is a very idyllic place. Too bad, we had to leave our camp site very early for our journey to another island.

 

Next: Mansalangan Sandbar, Patawan and Candaraman Islands >>>

I’m only human…

A marine turtle in Onuk Island, Balabac, Palawan

Rombo Balabac: An island-hopping safari

Constructed in 1892, the lighthouse in Cape Melville, Balabac is among the country’s oldest light towers.

The first time I heard about Balabac was when I was commissioned to do a 2012 calendar featuring Philippine lighthouses. That time, my interest in this remote town at the southwestern tip of Palawan was solely on its Cape Melville lighthouse. Little did I know that there is more to Balabac than its ancient light tower!

Balabac: Palawan’s “South Sea Pearl”

The municipality of Balabac is composed of 14 baranggays spread across 33 islands and islets, the largest of which are:

• Balabac, its socio-economic-political center;
• Bugsuk, where Jewelmer Joaillerie operates a vast pearl farm;
• Pandanan, home to various endemic species of birds, including the katala or Philippine cockatoo;
• Ramos, which — locals say — was the real site of Gen. Douglas McArthur’s first landing after his “I shall return” promise;
• Bancalan; and
• Mantangule.

Balabac Municipal Hall

Located about 30 km southwest of the southern tip of Palawan, its Poblacion in the main island of Balabac is roughly twice that distance north of the island of Sabah, Malaysia.

The Molbogs, a Muslim ethnolinguistic group, is concentrated in this island. Their livelihood includes farming, fishing and barter trading with the nearby Sulu, Bangsamoro, and Sabah market centers.

Balabac is blessed with magnificent coral reefs or ‘bahura’ , and is particularly noted for its rare glory-of-the-seas cone shells. Sightings of the elusive dwarf spinner dolphins have also been recorded in the waters of Balabac, as well as Irrawaddy and bottle-nose dolphins. Its waters is also home to several species of marine turtles. It is not uncommon to be swimming with a Hawkbill every now and then.

Many of the straits and passes; coves, beaches and sandbars; caves and caverns; and islets and rock formations are yet to be explored and charted. If Palawan is the Philippines’ last frontier, then hands-down, Balabac is Palawan’s!

Rombo Balabac!

“Rombo” in the dialect of the natives here means: Let’s go!… or in Filipino, Tara!

But first, here’s a teaser:

Next: Punta Sibaring >>>

Long after I am gone…

Comiran Island owes its pinkish sands to this red coral and its kind.

Message in a bottle…

Remembering What Is Important

Every time we experience something for the first time — our first kiss; our first embrace, our first love — that moment is frozen in our memory forever. Even our first view of a spectacular sunrise or a poignant sunset is indelibly imprinted in our minds. And, floating among these most-cherished reminiscences are images of the very first trip we took with our husband, our wife, our boyfriend or girlfriend, or someone very dear to us.

I have similar reflections archived in the hallowed chambers of my consciousness… scenes of two lovers walking hand-in-hand along a makeshift bamboo bridge, of an old couple whispering sweet nothings to each other while sitting on the wooden platform, of playful young pairs taking turns photographing each other by the emerald waters of the Twin Lagoons… Ooooops! There I said it: The images playing back in my mind are of Coron in Palawan.

Blessed with mangrove forests and lakes, almost untouched white beaches, pristine waters in hues of emerald and deep blue, and diverse marine ecosystem, Coron has become synonymous to P-A-R-A-D-I-S-E — a lovers’ paradise.

Coron’s Twin Lagoons, easily accessible by small motorized boat from Kayangan islet, are separated by a massive limestone wall. From my perch by the bow of the small banca, I watched in the distance as a couple played catch with the cool waters of the big lagoon. Holding hands, they jumped into the welcoming embrace of the ocean, their shrieks and cries of joy reverberated around the limestone cliffs of Calis Mountain. The pair gingerly swam towards a small and narrow opening in the wall, the only access to the much smaller “secret” lagoon. This secluded lagoon is a sight beyond words! It’s like entering a whole new dimension where only you and your partner are the center of God’s magnificent creation. This smaller lagoon owes much of its enchantment to the peace and quiet that envelopes it — where the only “alien” sounds you’d hear apart from the gentle rustling of the waters are your heartbeats. Closing my eyes, I created a mental picture of the two lovers exchanging vows of eternal love.

Ah, love. Love has inspired many wars, plays, poems, songs and tales. There is so much to love, that I cannot sum it all up into this short piece. I don’t know exactly what love is. All I know is that everyone manages to express it in the best possible way they can. And in Coron, love will always be in the air.

Vanishing Point

Tantaran sandbar in Quezon, Palawan

Be like the spider…

 

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.

Marie Curie

San Vicente: ‘Waiting to be discovered’

Palawan is not just about El Nido, Coron or Honda Bay–to the more adventurous traveler anyway…

Located 174km northwest of Puerto Princesa City (PPC), the sleepy fishing village of San Vicente is about four hours away by van. If you are coming in from Port Barton–the municipality’s more “touristy” barangay, and home to several resorts and lodging houses–you can reach San Vicente in 45 minutes via motorized banca. I took the PPC-San Vicente direct route because it is faster and more convenient, with several trips a day beginning at 4AM. On the other hand, there is only one trip per day going to Port Barton and it leaves at 9AM.

San Vicente is touted by many as “the next Boracay”. It is home to the country’s longest contiguous beach, aptly named Long Beach, an 8km stretch of undeveloped, unexploited virgin beach–the entire island of Boracay, from end to end, is only 7km long! Many believe the beach stretches 14km, but looking at the sattelite imagery on Google Earth, this can only be possible if you include the beaches of Bokbok, Tagpis, Alimanguan, and Boong.

Other interesting places to check out in San Vicente are Daplac Cove in Boayan Island; Inamuran Island; New Capari, Kemdeng and Tangdan beaches; and the islands off the coast of Port Barton.

Daplac Cove, Boayan Island

Daplac Cove is owned and managed by Palawan Cove Corp., a private institution. Palawan Cove, the LGU of San Vicente, and the DENR set up a coral nursery in the clean, calm waters of Daplac Cove, where several varieties of endemic corals are cultivated and grown.

The waters of Daplac is home to several species of marine life which includes a huge school of matang-baka, some sea turtles, a 4-foot long black-tip shark, a manta ray, and many more. I was very fortunate to have been given the chance to explore its underwater residents.

The cove’s powdery soft sand is a welcome treat to tired feet..

A welcome break…

Tangdan Beach and Palawan Camping site

By far, this islet just across Tangdan Beach is my favorite! Locals call it “Palawan Camping”. I call it heaven!

Stonehenge?

This islet has some of the most spectacular rock formations…

… it makes you think you’re in Eastern Samar.

..Nope. This ain’t Biri Island.

Walking on Tangdan’s powdery off-white-close-to-beige sand makes you miss…

… Boracay!

But, I like it here better than Boracay.

Peace. Quiet.

Kemdeng Beach

Port Barton and nearby islands

To fully realize San Vicente’s tourism potential, infrastructure development is in full swing: an international airport is being constructed near the former Inandeng airstrip; the Itabiak road is being rehabilitated and widened, and construction of a bigger wharf is underway.

Personally though, I really hope San Vicente doesn’t turn into another Boracay. The island–and beaches–of Boracay is undoubtedly world-class, lovely and all that, but given its highly commercialized transformation, Boracay has become an ecological nightmare; which, I seriously hope won’t happen to San Vicente once it opens up its doors to the influx of tourists.