10 things I love about CamiguinFran Ng falls for the tiny island of Camiguin, off the northern coast of Mindanao, a great place for doing something...or doing nothingDESTINATION GUIDE, October - November 2006Sitting in the Mindanao Sea about 20km off the north coast of mainland Mindanao, the pint-sized island of Camiguin (“cam-ee-gin”) is one of the country’s most appealing tourist spots, with ivory beaches, iridescent lagoons and undulating scenery. There’s no shortage of adventure here either, with excellent scuba diving and some tremendous trekking and climbing in the rugged interior, especially on volcanic Mount Hibok-Hibok. Camiguin also has six other volcanoes, a multitude of hot springs, a submerged cemetery for divers to explore near the coastal town of Bonbon, a spring that gushes natural soda water, and 35 resorts, most in the northern half of the island but some on the southwest coast near Catarman. Another major tourist draw is the annual Lanzones festival, held in the fourth week of October. Revellers dressed in lanzones leaves stomp and dance in the streets as a tribute to the humble fruit, one of the island’s major sources of income. The festival is one of the liveliest and most welcoming in the country, and this on an island already renowned for the friendliness of its people. It’s also a peaceful, almost spiritual island, where residents are proud of their faith. Old Spanish documents indicate that Ferdinand Magellan and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi passed this way in 1521 and 1565 respectively, but it wasn’t until 1598, when the first Spanish settlement was established here, that the natives – mostly from nearby Surigao – converted to Catholicism. 1. The mountains and the beaches 2. Eat your heart out 3. It’s budget-friendly 4. It’s simply soulful 5. Dive, dive dive! 6. It’s the Galapagos of Southeast Asia 7. The tour operators really know their stuff 8. Water, water everywhere 9. Good roads with great vistas 10. That easy, peaceful feeling You can go almost anywhere by bike. Strike out along the coastal road and stop anywhere you want to. From the south of the island there are spectacular views of Mantigue Island, the northern tip of Mindanao, and the virgin forests of Mount Timpoong. Where to stay Secret Cove is a cozy, well-maintained beachfront resort managed by Canadian Tom Skolski and his wife Bida. It only has a handful of rooms, so the service is personalized and you almost feel like a guest in the Skolskis’ home. Rooms range in price from P750 for a fan room to P1,400 in high season for an aircon double. Where to book your adventures A boat dive costs US $20; five boat dives over two days are $95. Mountain bike day rental is $5 and a guide for climbing Hibok-Hibok is $30. Canyoning and rappelling above Katibawasan Waterfall is $35. How to get there From Cagayan de Oro you can take a bus or van from Agora Market to Balingoan port, 88km away. A hired van will cost around P1,200. The Balingoan ferry bound for Camiguin makes the one-hour crossing 14 times a day (P107/one way). The ferry schedule isn’t too reliable, so it’s best to be at the ferry station much earlier than you intend to. Getting Around Banks and internet Information Our thanks go to DOT Region XI Director Butch Chan, Camiguin governor Pedro Romualdo, DOT Tourism officer Candice Borromeo and Secret Cove Beach Resort owner Tom Skolski.
Come to Camiguin By Isah V. Red It’s an island called Camiguin, home to seven volcanoes that rise in the middle of the island. These volcanoes, most well known among them is Hibok-hibok, have shaped both the land and the culture of the people. The pear-shaped Camiguin, according to Philippine history, used to be part of the district of Misamis during the Spanish regime. When Misamis was created as a separate corregimiento, Camiguin was made part of the new district as a division or partido de Catarman. In 1929, Camiguin, together with the eastern coast of Misamis became the province of Misamis Oriental. By virtue of Republic Act 5058 in 1957, it became a subprovince and through Republic Act 4669 in 1966, a province. In 1968, Camigueños celebrated their newfangled freedom from Misamis Oriental. Up until this day, Camiguin as a province holds the record of having the least population in Northern Mindanao (Region X). It is also second to the smallest province in the Philippines. Why come to Camiguin? The island holds the Lanzones festival in the capital town of Mambajao (pronounced by the locals as mam-BA-haw) in October every year beginning on the 23rd until the 28th . The festival has become so popular that many of those who have come to Camiguin for a taste of the sweet tropical fruit also discovered many other things the island offers. We went to the island at the peak of the hot season, months away from the famed Lanzones festival. There are two ways to reach the island. The more popular route is via Cagayan de Oro where a ferry takes visitors to Mambajao. The other way, which is becoming more attractive to those who prefer a more convenient way to travel, is to fly to Cebu and take a connecting Seair flight to Mambajao. It’s a 35-minute ride on Seair’s LET 410. The downside of taking this route is Seair flies to Camiguin only three times (Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) a week. The Seair management, however, is ready to mount daily flights to the island once it sees encouraging signs in traffic. Cristina Chan of Camiguin Island Tours, a travel agency based in Mambajao is very optimistic about this possibility as she reports increase in inbound traffic since Seair started commercial operations to the island sometime this year. Chan said apart from the Lanzones festival in October, Camiguin has become a popular destination for divers. Active, a travel magazine devoted to diving, recently named Camiguin as the seventh best divespots in the country. This is perhaps the reason why local entrepreneur Richard Abreu has invested in a chain of shops called Johnny’s Dive ‘n’ Fun. It has three shops now located in three resorts—Secret Cove Beach Resort, Caves Dive Resort and Bahay Bakasyunan—in Mambajao. The driving force in the dive shows is an American who found Camiguin more than a paradise. Johnny “T,” as he is fondly called by the locals considers the island as his home away from Southern California. He is a dive instructor in the island for the last couple of years after moving in from Cebu. Johnny said there are about 14 major dive sites in the area, foremost of which is the While Island, a sandbar 10 minutes from the Secret Cove resort. The Reef slope (six to 20 m) is a feast for divers. There’s a “forest” of black corals on white sand, and an abundance of sting rays, moray eel, lion fish, frog fish, ribbon eels and sea snakes. For the more adventurous, Camiguin’s famed Sunken Cemetery is also an interesting destination. It’s also a 20-minute boat ride from Secret Cove. Popular among visitors from the United States, Canada and Europe, it’s not easy to book a room at this charming by-the-beach resort. Well, it has only seven rooms, that are, year round (almost) occupied by tourists who have come to know about the Secret Cove by mere word of mouth. The place owned by a retired Canadian married to a Camigueña is also a popular destination for diners who are booked in other resorts. The menu is designed for tourists, dominated by western cuisine. The dishes are served hot right from the kitchen managed by the very affable owner, Tom Solski. Solski’s fondness for Camiguin could be baffling to Filipinos who have met the guy for the first time. In a way, he has become an unofficial spokesman for the island. “I fell in love with the island the first time I came here,” he told us over dinner. “I don’t really know why, but I found the place really beautiful. And of course, how could I resist the charm of the island’s beautiful women?” Tom and Johnny have decided to live in Camiguin for the rest of their lives. No, they’re not at all afraid that Hibok-hibok might once again unleash its deadly fury, the last of its most destructive eruptions was in July 1953 that killed 500. Sights around the island For those who are traveling for the first time to Camiguin, here are some interesting points you might want to visit. Old Catarman Church Ruins Located in Barangay Bonbon, 10 km from Catarman Poblacion. According to local history, the ruins are what were left the church after it was destroyed in the 1871 Vulcan Daan eruption. We noticed that a chapel is being built within the ruins. It is not only maladroit, but doesn’t at all make sense. I just hope the National Historical Commission do something about this and put a stop to the madness of some local government official. Cross Marker and Sunken Cemetery Some 15 km from Bonbon, Catarman, a huge cross put up in 1982 as marker of a cemetery that sank in 1871 during the Vulcan Daan eruption is within line of sight of those traveling around the island by land. Camiguin doesn’t fall short of waterfalls—the 250 ft high Katibawasan Falls about 5 km southeast of Mambajao and Tuasan Falls 6 km northeast of Catarman. There are also a number of springs—hot and cold —that have become favorite picnic grounds among locals. The two more popular are Ardent Hot Springs, Tangub Hot Springs, also perfect for diving. Temperature is determined by high or low tide. Mountain climbing and rappelling are also becoming a favorite extreme sports among visitors and Mt. Hibok-Hibok is the top destination, which is approached from the base in Barangay Esperanza, Mambajao. The 1,250 m slope, loose rocks and boulders are among the challenges. Old Vulcan, 13 km west of Mambajao, has a 70 to 80 m drop-off. For those who simply want to soak up the sun, White Island, 2 km across Agoho or Yumbing beaches, beckon. The uninhabited sand- bar is a favorite sightseeing destination among Koreans. So is Mantigue Island, 3 km offshore across Hubangon and San Roque in Mahinog town. It is a four hectare forest-fringed white sand beach. Tourist class accommodations While most travelers to Camiguin may prefer to stay in resorts near the beach like Paras Beach Resort (P5, 450 two to three in a room per day), Secret Cove (P2, 400 fan; P2,700 aircon room), there are also accommodations that may not have a beachfront but as charming. Take for example Camiguin Higland Resort in Baranggay Soro-soro. At night it looks like a bejeweled mansion in Louisiana. The three-story hotel is the latest addition to Camiguin’s booming tourism. All rooms are airconditioned with private baths, cable TV and telephone. It has a coffee shop, a videoke room and business center. If your complexion doesn’t take to saltwater too easily, the resort has a pool with manmade falls, a Jacuzzi. Night swimming is popular as the pool is lit from underneath. Room rates are reasonable (P3,300 a night). For more information on tourist accommodations in Camiguin call Camiguin Island Tours at (032)233-9688 or 0917-7222247. Pastel to go Three days will not be enough to experience Camiguin to the fullest, not to mention the specialties that have made Camiguin a buzzword among people with good taste. We were told not to go back to Manila without having a taste of the famed pastel, a bun made special with sweet filling (yema). And guess where the best pastel is found in the island, at a store called VJANDEP Bakeshop and Refreshment on Plaridel Street in the central business district of Mambajao. VJ stands for Virgilio Jose, a retired Armed Forces officer, and EP for Eleanor Popera, his wife. The pastel the Mambajaonons now know had gone through recipe change after Eleanor attended a baking seminar in Cagayan de Oro. And ever since business has never been so good, the couple has opened a branch in Cagayan de Oro. While they have yet to put up one in Manila, those who have tasted it are ordering in bulk from Camiguin and reselling them in Manila. We bought some too along with baked siopao, which Eleanor said is now a bestseller, second only to the shop’s pastel. With boxes of pastel and baked siopao, we proceeded to Camiguin’s airport, which the local government hopes to improve when tourists start flocking in droves. As we board our Seair aircraft to Cebu for our return flight to Manila via Cebu Pacific, we bid our hosts goodbye. The trip wasn’t just fun, it was an enlightening experience to us who previously had never been to this part of the archipelago. “Thank you for the wonderful time in the island,” we chimed. And our hosts chorused, “You are welcome and please, Camiguin!”
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Secret Cove Beach Resort Yumbing, Mambajao Camiguin Island, Philippines |