Resorts on SAMAL ISLAND on an upgrading frenzy.

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Never lose the wonder

By: Cathy Babao

Philippine Daily Inquirer

SAMAL ISLAND, Davao – My friend, PDI columnist John Nery, calls it “a permanent sense of wonder.” That’s how it’s been for me and the children the last few days, as we’ve cocooned ourselves in my slice of paradise here in Mindanao.

A month ago I decided to bring my children back to discover part of my roots. My father was born and grew up here before he moved to Manila after college. The place where we have been staying, Chema’s, is a small and quaint hideaway, 15 minutes by ferry boat from the city.

We wake up early and try to catch the sunrise. The waves gently crashing against the shoreline is our alarm, as are the different species of birds that chatter and sing right outside our bedroom window.

We take quiet walks on the wharf, getting to know one another, trading stories about family and friends back home. We soak ourselves in sun, sea, and sand, investing in memories that will hopefully last a lifetime.

New experience

Viewing this paradise island through the eyes of my children has been a whole new experience. My son, the city boy that he is, has been mesmerized by the sea. My daughter, she with the photographer’s eye, has helped me view Davao and Samal through a different, more insightful lens.

Being here, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, brings out one’s creativity and sense of adventure. I’m both glad and anxious that my children have grown to be much braver than I ever was, having a sense of daring, wonder, and adventure that their  mother discovered only at midlife.

Margaret Tartakovsky, associate editor of PsychCentral website, outlines five ideas for cultivating a sense of wonder.

First, she says, “Watch children play or do anything.”  I found great joy on this trip watching my normally reserved son focus and build his sandcastles by the sea, humming and singing songs to himself, inspecting the different shells, and corals washed upon the shore.

Tartakovsky says, “We can all take a lesson from observing children, from how excited they get with a new toy to how they smile at the simplest things. Apply some of that wonder to your daily life.”

Second, she suggests that we read up on creativity, or allow ourselves to simply let our imaginations soar and run free. “I think of having fun and being free. When we’re preoccupied with the quotidian, we forget that.” Start with the classic, Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life.” Everyone has an inner artist buried deep within, waiting to be unleashed.

Mindfulness

Next, she suggests taking up photography and taking time to appreciate good photographs. Maintain a sense of wonder at the beauty all around you, because all it really takes is for one to be still for a moment and appreciate the beauty, even in the simplest of things. I believe “mindfulness” would be the right word. “Photographers do an incredible job of finding and capturing the beauty in the smallest of things, in the most mundane of moments.” I saw that for myself in my daughter’s photos of seemingly inconsequential things.

Travel. If you can afford it, great. You don’t have to ride a plane or a boat, or go away for long periods. Sometimes all you need to do is go to the library or browse a website and just imagine that you are there. Really. When I feel down I always like to visit travel websites and add to my bucket list of places I would like to visit.

Lastly, Tartakovsky suggests that we always learn something new, about yourself or the world around you. “Learning is one of the best ways you can cultivate wonder. You can either dig deeper into topics you’re already familiar with, or take on a totally strange, interesting subject.”

Learn with your children. Ask yourself, what have I always wanted to learn about? What classes do I want to take, but never had time to do so? What skill or hobby do I want to pick up that will add to my joy?

Last night, my children and I sat on the balcony of our cottage on a hill. Shooting the breeze, fully engaged and immersed in conversation, a gentle wind blowing, and capiz lanterns swaying from age-old talisay trees.

Midway through a sentence, I paused and we all looked out into the vast Davao gulf to watch the flickering lights from ships passing through the night as they mingled with stars. Whether you’re at midlife or adolescence, it’s important to never lose the wonder.

Email the author at cathybabao@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @cathybabao.

Summer is Samal Island

By MA. GLAIZA LEE

April 17, 2011, 10:58am

Life is definitely a beach in Samal Island.

SAMAL, Philippines -- Summer is officially here. I really can’t wait to start my own version of summer. And what better way to spend it than traveling around the Philippines and exploring its every nook and cranny? The Island Garden City of Samal, also called IGaCoS, in Davao del Norte is as good as any other Philippines tourist destinations. It perfectly suits the vision of summer that I have in mind.

Situated in the southern part of the Philippines, the name Samal was derived from Sama, which is the name of a tribal group found in the island. It is characterized by mountain ranges at the east, with an estimated elevation of 532 meters above sea level at the Tayapoc, Puting Bato peak, flat terrain in the Babak District, and gently sloping areas around the coastline.

The Island Garden

Most people, when they learn that the local people call Samal a garden island, start looking for floral gardens. An inside joke among the locals answers their search: “Swim first to see the garden.”

Indeed, Samal is one of the best diving and snorkeling sites in the Philippines. One can dive around the two main islands, the Samal Island and the Talicud Island, and/or the three islets namely Malipano, Big Liguid, and Little Liguid.

Its unspoiled dive spots have attracted hordes of divers coming from different countries because of the rich marine ecosystem that houses colorful and diverse aquatic fauna and flora.

But one need not go so deep. One can just stay afloat in the water surface and see numerous underwater gardens that boast of colorful breathing coral reefs which the local islanders have kept intact for many centuries now.

Cruising around the island could be the best way to take a closer look at the over 40 commercial resorts and private beaches spread along its 116 kilometer stretch of white-sand coastlines; 27 of which have joined forces to give visiting domestic and foreign tourists a variety of discount packages through the Visit Samal passports.

Participating resorts and inns include: Hof Gorei Beach Resort, Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort, Pearl Farm, Punta del Sol Beach Resort, Marex Beach Resort, Chemas by the Sea, Golden Bay Beach Resort and Spa, Blue Jaz Resort and Water Park, Club Asiano Beach Resort, Captain Hook’s Red Parrot Inn, Aznebo Grill and Restaurant, Rainbow Breeze Beach resort, Island Ridge Mountain Resort, Fernandez Beach resort, Mahan Garden Resort, Hagimit Falls, Mayumi Disney Sea Beach Resort, Hi-5 Princess Island Tropical Inland Resort, Camp Holiday Resort and Recreation Area, Blue Water Village and Resort, Sea Grass Beach resort, Ilihan Beach Resort, Precious Garden of Samal, Florenda’s Beach Resort, Maxima Beach Aqua Fun, Ato ni Bay Hotel Reservation Service – Travel and Tours, Wind and Wave DAvao, Pasalubong Center and Carnation Travel and Tour.

Guests can present their passport at the various resorts to enjoy discounts and freebies. The Visit Samal passports are available for free in all DOT-accredited travel agencies, Robinsons Malls, and major airports in the country. A raffle stub is attached at the back of the passport that can be used by customers to win gift certificates from the participating resorts and other businesses.

One of the most accessible beach resorts is the Camp Holiday Resort and Recreation Area. It is located right beside the Samal Ferry Port. The 1.5-heactare beach resort has 12 villas and 22 fully air-conditioned rooms, a swimming pool, and a recreation area. It boasts of a huge function hall – probably the biggest in Samal Island – that can hold up to 600 people.

One of the most popular resorts in Samal is the Pearl Farm Beach Resort. Nestled on the southern part of the island, the 14-heactare beach resort was once a pearl farm, where thousands of white-lipped oysters were cultivated for their pink, white, and gold pearls.

Nowadays, Pearl Farm is a captivating retreat for foreign and local tourists alike. It features pristine white-sand beaches in a picturesque island landscape, with abundant marine life, lush mangroves, and flourishing flora and fauna.

Island adventour

Of course, when in Samal, one shouldn’t be cooped out in his room in a beach resort. There are a hundred and one places to explore in the island garden.

Aside from its underwater garden, Samal also has several botanical gardens and nature parks. One of which is the IGaCoS Mariculture Park, a 224-hectare mariculture park which showcases the new fisheries development strategy that aims to transform coastal communities into centers of growth and prosperity.

Another is the 15-hectare Coral Garden and Marine Reservation Park located in Talikud. Then, there’s the Aundanao Fish Sanctuary located in Brgy. Aundanao.

There was a time when the marine resources in the eastern coast of the island garden were so depleted due to illegal fishing activities. But through the intervention of the local government and the communities around the area, the area was transformed into a fish sanctuary. To date, Aundanao Marine Park serves as a role model for other coastal communities and a tourist destination for divers.

A must-visit is the IGaCoS Mangrovetum, the first Mindanao laboratory for dendrological, educational, eco-tourism, and phonological studies on the mangrove ecosystem. Located in Brgy. Isidro in Babal District, only 10 minutes away from the Davao City by ferryboat, the mangrovetum houses 27 true mangrove species and 23 mangrove associates, a far cry from the 11 true mangrove species and 20 mangrove associates when the project had started.

Be amazed with the Vanishing Island, or the Sanipaan Shoal. An 80-hectare shoal half of it emerges as a sand bar during low tide but vanishes during high tide creating an illusion of being in an open sea.

Extreme is the name of the game

Don’t have time to visit all the  parks? One can marvel at the rich flora and fauna, especially the wild orchids hanging from the old dwarfed trees, thriving along the rocky mountainsides. If you’re adventurous enough, one can climb the summit of Mt. Puting Bato, the highest peak in the island, towering approximately 1,346 feet above sea level. The summit has a panoramic view of the entire island, as well as the enchanting Davao Gulf that seems to embrace the island.

Go extreme and be mystified as you explore the “gates into a new world.” There are about 70 caves in Samal, all in different sizes and have different features and wonders which really could test the endurance and limit of any adventurer. Balete and Magongawong Caves are the favorites among the trekkers because of their challenging trails, while Baga Cave is known for its undersea tunnel passageway.

One can also rappel down Bito Depression, or camp out in the midst of lush forest or maybe beside the rustling waters of Tagbaobo Falls or Hagimit Falls.

Or probably meet the night flyers of Samal, the Geoffrey’s Rousette Fruit Bats, in the Monfort Cave.

There was a time when all the 70 caves in Samal housed these fruit-eating bats, and their population was flourishing. But due to human negligence, they are slowly gearing toward extinction. Thanks to people like the owners and residents living near the Monfort Cave, the bats have found a new home.

In 2006, the Bat Conservation International estimated that there were  about 1.8 million fruit-eating bats living in the cave, the largest bat colony not only in the Philippines but across the globe. In fact, it was so large that the Monfort Cave had set a Guinness World Record in 2010.

To some, having that large a population of bats could be scary, but to the locals, it is a blessing. The bats would fly 40 to 60 kilometers per hour at night, pollinating durian and bananas. Durian flowers bloom only at night, and having the bats help a lot to keep Davao’s most popular produce thriving.

Samal is an urbanized center within a rural setting. The urban amenities were built amidst the island’s natural endowments. It goes to show that nature and technology can work harmoniously for the benefit of mankind without destroying each other.

This summer, in Samal, life is definitely going to be a beach.

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Source: Manila Bulletin

Summer escape

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

March 26, 2011, 3:51am

Pearl Farm Beach Resort

This summer, re-live the wonders of four local tourist destinations:

BOHOL: A geological marvel

“Bohol is like a jade brooch set on a velvet-blue sea,” one author wrote.  “Its fertile land has hills that roll gently around lush forests and grassy meadows. Marine life – from schools of tiny reef fish to bigger pods of dolphins and whales – teems in the surrounding waters.”

Carmen, an interior municipality, is home of the world-famous Chocolate Hills, an amazing geological curiosity that can only be found in this part of the world.  Nearly 2,000 regularly shaped hills, with their peaks ranging from 30 to 50 meters above a mainly flat land, never fail to amaze both locals and tourists with their collective splendor and the legend that surrounds them.

Boholanos are a deeply religious people, and the island has eight fine churches, including Baclayon, seven kilometers southeast of the capital Tagbilaran.  Baclayon Church is the best preserved Jesuit-built church in the region, although its facade and most of the stone structures surrounding it were built by the Augustininan Recollects in the late 19th century.   In 1995, the National Historical Institute declared the church as a historical landmark.

Like most islands in the Philippines, Bohol is also noted for its fine beaches.  Some of the more well-known beaches are found on Panglao Island.  The Alona Beach, named after the popular film star of the 1970s (Alona Alegre), has the greatest variety of beach front accommodations anywhere in the province.

Bohol may not be as famous Boracay, but is well-known locally as a paradise for divers.   The dive sites are noted for their deep, steep walls – the creation of continental shifts during prehistoric times.  Just over the causeway from Tagbilaran is Panglao Island with its spectacular drop-offs.

IFUGAO: Stairway to heaven

People flock to the province of Ifugao because of the gracefully contoured rice terraces nestled within the rugged Cordillera mountain range.  The rice terraces reach up to heights of 1,500 meters and if stretched end to end, will extend to over 20,000 kilometers. They are said to showcase an irrigation system, which uses gravity to bring forest waters from about 1,800 meters high down to the lowest tiers.

The rice terraces can be viewed from the town of Banaue.  However, the more spectacular terraces can be found in Batad and Mayoyao.  Batad rests snugly at the bottom of a magnificently steep circle of terraces, which resembles an amphitheater.  With no visible encroachment of civilization, the place is home to a village of authentic Ifugao people.

Mayoyao, on the other hand, is a three-hour ride from Banaue along a road which dips and climbs hundreds of meters along picturesque terraced hills, forests, and villages.  Houses here have huge roofs and a neater, less crowded layout.  The views of the terraces along the route are awesome.

SAMAL: Earthly paradise

Over 20 beach resorts (both commercial and privately-owned) dot the island’s 116 kilometer-stretch of white sandy beach.  Fellow travel writer Ronald de Jong observed: “The beautiful and serene seashore is endowed with mangroves, swamps and coconut trees. This earthly paradise has been praised for its beauty like no other island in the region.”

The Island Garden City of Samal is rich in coral reefs, ideal for scuba-diving and other aqua sports, such as snorkeling and sailing.  Two sunken World War II Japanese vessels await discovery by divers, just 60 meters away from the Pearl Farm Beach Resort.

The Haguimit Falls is located about two kilometers away from Peñaplata district.  It is a haven for picnickers, swimmers and nature trippers yearning for the simple, inexpensive pleasures in life.  The area is well-covered by a canopy of full-grown trees from the scorching heat of the sun.

Another must-see is the Monfort Bat Cave, whose bat colony was certified by the Guinness World Records as the largest colony of fruit bats in the world with a population ranging from 1.8 to 2.5 million as of 2006.  

For trekkers and nature enthusiasts seeking higher grounds, climbing mount Puting Bato, the highest peak in Samal, towering 1.362 feet above sea level, promises to be a great adventure.  According to those who have scaled it, the mountain slopes are stunning and the changes in the landscape are astonishing.

The combination of unparalleled natural beauty and exotic attractions, its breathtaking panoramas, the warmth and the hospitality of its people make the tropical island of Samal indeed a real paradise on earth.

PALAWAN: Nature at its best

Palawan is known for having one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world. Sprawled beneath the seas are nearly 11,000 square kilometers of coral reefs. Palawan was proclaimed as a fish and wildlife sanctuary in 1967 and to this day, this group of islands is probably the most protected province in the whole country.

One reason why people come to Palawan is the world-famous St. Paul Subterranean National Park, a massive white rock mountain which rises 1,028 meters above sea level and stretches towards Cleopatra’s Needle.  Its main feature is the underground river, with its 8.2 kilometers of labyrinthine caves carved by rainwater and the waves of South China Sea.

The Subterranean River is a maze of intricate caves and endless wonders.  Once inside, you can enjoy seeing rock formations which resemble the real things like giant mushrooms and jellyfish, a huge madre de cacao, a man and his dog, and skeletal stalactites that look like filigrees.

There are two more destinations you should not miss: El Nido and Honda Bay.  El Nido is the place with crystal clear waters and many wonderful dive spots with first class resorts.  It is named after the nests harvested from the islands’ limestone caverns and exported to some countries to be consumed in bird’s nest soup.

For divers, Palawan is a paradise.  The mid-east part of Honda Bay area is studded with coral patches up to 18 meters across, interspersed with sand patches.  There are plenty of small reef fish, parrot fish, snappers, and sometimes crayfish.  Because the area is inconsistent, the tourism department urges divers to carry a compass.

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Write, pray, love-by the Davao sea

By Cathy Babao-Guballa

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Date

GALLERY

1 2

PHOTO: 

To have found this place where I feel so close to God has been a huge blessing

I FOUND myself channeling Elizabeth Gilbert (best-selling author of “Eat. Pray. Love”) several weeks ago when I went off to my slice of paradise down south.

Chema’s by the Sea is my refuge from the world. Located on Samal Island in Davao, this resort is a 10-minute jetty ride from the Davao Insular Hotel. Whenever I need a quiet place to write, be alone with my thoughts and away from the world, this is where I go to hibernate —well, sort of.

Chema’s is owned by one of Davao’s oldest families. I was pleased to discover from one of the owners that my dad used to come to this part of the island as a young boy. His best friend in the 1950s was from the clan that owned the property. They would ride motorized bancas, steered by young Muslim boys, as they crossed the Davao gulf to get to the other side.

Taking pause

I held these thoughts and images in my head as I sat on the terrace of my little cottage on a hill, taking pause as I looked out into the cerulean blue waters of the gulf. There is something about solitude and being close to the water that makes the words flow incessantly.

I don’t know whether it was the gentle rays of light that would peek through my gauze curtains, but each day I was there, I would wake up early enough to catch the sun rise slowly over decades-old mahogany trees, under whose shelter I would spend the rest of the morning writing away.

After a full day of writing, I would make sure to dip into the clear waters of the gulf and, as in a ritual, wash away the sadness of the emotions I had managed to put on paper, letting the waves carry them off to some distant place. Later on, back in the quiet of my hillside hut, I would give thanks for the day that had been, this time watching the glow of a glorious sunset paint the skies.

And then it would be back to writing once more.

On my last evening, a cousin joined me for dinner and, together with the resort owner, we sat under starlit skies, listening to ’80s jazz music and sipping wine. Through the darkness, my eyes were transfixed on the sight of lights coming from huge ships passing one another through the night. And then a gentle drizzle began to fall.

Quiet and solitude

It’s been said that women hold up half the sky, and to be honest, it can get tiring and weary sometimes. We all need these moments of quiet and solitude to refresh ourselves.

To have a found this place, not too far from home, where I feel so close to God, and where I can write to my heart’s delight, has been a huge blessing.

So I wrote, and prayed, and learned to fall in love, all over again, with the self I was getting to know better in the second half of my life.

As we celebrate women this March, I hope you are able to find those springs within yourself that would help strengthen and inspire you to go on with whatever it is you need to do—to keep on holding up your half of the sky wherever you may be.

For information on Chema’s by the Sea, call 0917-8140814.