The natural wonders of Ticao

26 April 2007

BEING IN THE NEWS FOR INTENSE POLITIcal rivalries and armed conflicts, one would think Masbate is nothing but a land of chaos. But who would think that it has a serene side waiting to be discovered?

Ticao Island, one of the three major islands, is home to natural wonders.

Monreal, one of the four towns considered the Manta Ray Capital of the Philippines, has a good number of potential tourist destinations. Lying in the southeastern extremity of Luzon, it can be reached by motorized pump boat in two hours from the port of Pilar in Sorsogon. Pilar is a 45-minute ride from Legazpi City.

An alternative route is from the port of Bulan in Sorsogon, which takes less than an hour of sea travel. From mainland Masbate, it takes two and a half hours to reach Monreal.

Untouched beauty

Monreal is bounded northeast by the Ticao Pass, southeast by the Samar Sea, northwest by the Burias Pass, and southwest by the Masbate Pass.

Not many resorts and tourist facilities are found, but the natural beauty of the place could just as well be its greatest asset.

Aside from its manta bowl and coral gardens that are perfect for diving, it has mangroves, white-sand coastlines, clear waters, caves, fish and bird sanctuaries, falls and huge rock formations.

It has the Baladingan coastline, a five-kilometer stretch of white sand with mostly virgin green terrain in the background in Barangay Famosa. It extends up to the boundary of the neighboring town of San Jacinto, where Ticao Island Resort is located.

Baladingan cradles stones and shells and shallow coral reefs near the coast.

No resort has been put up in it. Silence covers the untouched and uncommercialized beach.

The Guinlatayan Rock at Barangay Sto. Niño is a bird sanctuary. It is one of the huge rock formations along the Masbate Pass that has shrubs and trees on top serving as havens for different species of migratory birds.

The Bojo Cave at Barangay Togoron is another attraction. It takes a 45-minute hike to reach this cathedral-like cave, which village chief Pal Duano estimates to be 200 meters long.

It serves as home to many bats, stalactites and stalagmites that glitter when lighted upon.

Duano said other newly discovered caves in Togoron were still unnamed.

Luba Islet in Barangay Guinhadap has a small beachfront of powdery white sand with sprinkles of redish sand.

The three-hectare Burabangkaso Islet and Halea Island Resort in Guinhadap also have white coral sand and magnificent rock formations.

The waters are so clear one could actually see corals on shallow portions of the sea.

A century-old lighthouse can be found at Guinhadap, accessible by a 300-step stairway.

The parola, which is on top of a terrain, is said to have been built during the American period in 1901 and served as guidepost for sea vessels that usually crashed to the rock formations.

Shipwrecks are found around the parola’s terrain.

Some artifacts have been recovered by residents of Monreal. The Gueta family of Barangay Poblacion has showed the Inquirer their collection of ancient jars and utensils which, they said, they had recovered from the wreckage.

Coral and shell particles have stuck to one jar’s surface, indicating that it was under the sea for many years.

Duano said tourists could also enjoy wall diving at St. Jerome’s Rock near Togoron or wind surfing in the waters of the Masbate Pass from September to March, when the northeast winds are strong.

People, livelihoood

The most common sources of livelihood among Monreal residents are fishing and seaweed farming.

In Barangay McArthur, the biggest village, almost 90 percent of the 559 families have seaweed farms, said Almora Azares, village chief.

Some of the seaweed farmers have built makeshift shelters on top of rock formations in the middle of the sea where they stay on guard.

Rudy Garcia, 38, who has three children, tends to his farm every morning and fishes in the evening.

He harvests at most 500 kilos of seaweeds, locally called gulaman, which he sells to a businessman for P26 per kilo.

Garcia earns very little from seaweed farming, he said. His seaweeds have been damaged by typhoons last year and, just recently, were infected with an unidentified disease.

“Of the P4,000 we invested, we only earned P2,300. Out of the 10 kilos we planted, one-fourth was eaten by some fish and some were destroyed by the typhoons,” Garcia said in the vernacular.

Duano said tourism could open the doors for alternative livelihood for the people and uplift their standard of living. Ephraim Aguilar