Smart has full cell coverage in Cebu’s Bantayan Island

Smart Communications, Inc. has announced that it now has full cellular coverage in Cebu’s best-kept island secret Bantayan Island.

The cellphone company recently installed an additional cellsite in Sta Fe, connecting its hundreds of residents to the rest of the world. It will also activate another cellsite in the northern town of Madridejos, boosting full cellular coverage in the three towns of this Northern Cebu beach haunt.

Bantayan Island is one of the 15 islands clustered off the northern tip of Cebu.

According to Bantayan Island Mayor Geralyn Escario its development will surely contribute to the local government’s efforts to promote the island as a key tourist attraction in Northern Cebu.

Bantayan is famous for its fine, white sand and very clear waters stretching as far as one kilometer, making it ideal for swimming and snorkeling. Lagoons and caves are also favorite hideaways on this paradise island.

Among Bantayan town’s frequented areas is the Garden of Life Farm, owned by the Pachecos . Found on this five-hectare property are caves with subterranean lagoons.

Bantayan’s tropical waters are also rich in marine resources. Its three towns Sta. Fe, Madridejos, and Bantayan are full of reefs and shoals, and are important fishing centers supplying the Cebu metropolis.

The island is also the "egg basket of the Visayas," producing a daily average of 1.5 million eggs. This number supplies the growing demand of eggs for mainland Cebu, Negros, Panay and neighboring Leyte.

The egg industry as well as tourism in the area are seen to flourish more with the improved communication links now provided by Smart.

The cellphone company has been aggresively installing GSM cellsites in the rural areas, in line with the government’s thrust to provide communication lines in the countryside. – Mary Ann Reyes