why I need to go back to Guimaras

The limited day I was in Guimaras was a teaser. With just under 24 hours in the island province to finish some business, how could I squeeze some time for a tour?


century-old mangroves at Inampulugan island, southeast of Guimaras


The answer is I couldn’t. The good thing is when coming from Iloilo, the fastest route to Guimaras is to catch the 15-minute boat ride between the ports of Ortiz in Iloilo City and Jordan which is in the northwest of Guimaras. Getting to our destination of Sibunag in the southeastern end therefore meant traversing the hypotenuse of island.


the highway out of the Jordan port got deluged by heavy rains and the high tide


The road trip took about 2 hours but the rains poured down heavily. From the little that I and my companions could see through our covered-up jeepney which we rented, Guimaras is largely agricultural. Large tracts of land are devoted to rice, coconut, mango, vegetables, livestock and poultry.


a view of Kanlaon volcano of Negros Occidental, as seen from Inampulugan Island


By 3PM, we were done with work. Next stop was Inampulugan Island’s Costa Aguada Resort where we elected to stay overnight. Again, the choice was logical as we needed to check the seaweed plantations along the coast.


the coast of Sabang, Sibunag


Early the next morning, we retraced our route and hopped on a boat and rode the same jeepney back to Jordan. Too bad we did not have much time anymore and we had to miss the one thing I would have loved to photograph, the 17th century Navales Church in Buenavista at the north.


a display of spices at the public market of San Miguel, Jordan

However, when all things fail to align, we still accomplished that thing that matter most: buy our pasalubong (giveaway gifts). At Jordan, a convenient detour is the Trappist Monastery, an enclave run by monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance. Their souvenir items are quite reputable and we came home with jellies, jams and candies like the yema, tarts and piyaya.


a stained glass window of the OLP Trappist Monastery


And of course, we could not leave without the famed mangoes of Guimaras. I’m not about to dampen or bolster Guimaras’ claim over my favored Cebu mangoes but honestly, the Guimaras mangoes are as tender, as sweet and redolent as the best Guadalupe mangoes of Cebu. However, they do get extra points for consistency as they strictly search and dispose of any non-Guimaras mangoes at the ports. I have to give it to Guimaras for keeping the strain of mangoes “pure” and undiluted with errant varieties.


mangoes for sale at San Miguel Market, Jordan


Soon: Guimaras’ Inampulugan Island

Philippine Summer Destinations, part 2 (the isolation series)

True to the dictates of the word isolation, this series spells out my choices of summer escapes where you will be sequestered away from the madding crowd. Think of a hidden mountain resort, an exclusive privately owned island or a secluded retreat in the middle of the sea. Here in these nooks in the Visayas region, there can be no choice but to totally embrace what nature gives. Sometimes, we too can be willing exiles.

the sandbar of Bais-Manjuyod, Negros Oriental

This is the Maldives, existentialist-style. Imagine a sandbar in the middle of the deep blue sea, not more than 500 meters long during low tide and reduced to nothing when the tide comes back in. Three houses on stilts provide creature comforts but not much really, which is part of the sandbar’s adventurous charm. No electricity, just car battery-operated lamps. No running tap, just a barrel of freshwater. No radio nor television, just the sound of rushing waters and of course, the company you keep.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/400s, f/8.0, 18mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
the sandbar of Bais-Manjuyod, Negros Oriental, the Philippines


Inampulugan Island, Guimaras

I did not know that there is still a privately owned island in the Philippines, at least not one which is more than a thousand hectares big. The island is Inampulugan. Lying 40 minutes by boat from the southern town of Guimaras, Inampulugan is renowned as an eco-tourism haven years before the term was popular. The mountainous island is forested with hardwood, bamboo and coconut and dotted with centuries-old mangroves around its coast. It has beach coves, a cave, a mini zoo, a giant turtle sanctuary, a manmade seawater lake, an authentic WWII Japanese bunker and a thriving handicraft village. Now open to the public as the Costa Aguada resort, hideaway does have a name.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/50s, f/5.0, 18mm, ISO 200, -2/3EV
a manmade seawater lake, Inampulugan Island, Sibunag, Guimaras, the Philippines


Mambukal mountain resort, Murcia, Negros Occidental

A favorite mountain getaway in Negros Occidental is Mambukal. Nestled at the foot of the active volcano Canlaon, the resort juxtaposes the coolness of the highlands against the healing heat of its famous hot sulfur springs. Thanks to its seven waterfalls, rivers, lakes, jungle trails and bat sanctuary, adventure is also never far away. Mambukal is a favorite among nature trekkers who would gladly escape the bustle of the city for the cocoon of the wilderness.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/30s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100
a waterfalls in Mambukal, Murcia, Negros Occidental, the Philippines

part of an ongoing series on Philippine summer destinations:
part 1 - Alegre (Cebu), Pandanon Island (Bohol), Siquijor Island
part 2 (the isolation series) - the sandbar of Bais (Negros Oriental), Inampulugan Island (Guimaras), Mambucal (Negros Occidental)
part 3 - (Pagudpud, Bantayan, Dakak)