The untold stories of Misihis

Because Misibis does not have direct trips by air, sea or land from Cebu, one must find time to find it. On its website, Misibis beckons potential visitors and investors with a four-worded invitation, "bring the outdoors in."

Misibis is a village in Cagraray Island, Albay. To get there from Cebu, one would have to take the Masbate trip by conventional ship, take the fastcraft from Masbate to Sorsogon. From Sorsogon, take a van to Legazpi City and from Legazpi take the Misibis shuttle to the village wharf. The van stops here. Because the Sula Channel separates Misibis from Legazpi City, property developers have especially chartered a boat that crosses the channel. From there, a jeepney scales the hills to the Misibis Resorts, Estates and Spa.

In a sense, it’s a long route to paradise. But for one akin to sight seeing, it’s worth the trip. The 42,211.38 square meter Misibis Resorts, Estates and Spa is an urban arcada nestled in the heart of a valley. Surrounded with hills and lost vegetation, one would have to cruise around the hills to get to the valley that opens to the sea.

It’s not so hard to imagine. Elsewhere around Albay, towns like Daraga is still going through rehabilitation after mudslides and boulders shattered the town and buried some of its buildings in the aftermath of a violent typhoon. Congress has allocated one billion pesos from its total annual budget of one trillion pesos this year to help ravaged towns like Daraga rise up and build.

For storm-scarred, catastrophe- ravaged Albay, no one would quite expect that there is a 20-hectare prime commercial and residential estate in its midst. Protected with hills, Misibis has somehow been spared and unscathed with storms. Keeping its pristine countenance where other towns were devastated, Misibis Resorts, Estates and Spa have real estate investment in one place - there are residential estates, condominiums and resorts.

The Amalfi Condotel has seven blocks of three to six storey condominiums and two hotels. The V-type buildings were so designed to achieve harmony with the slopes of the seaside property. The V-type blocks have a bridge that leads residents from the outside pathway to the third floor lobby.

Amenities range from swimming pool, spa, gym, a garden area, and 23 cabanas. There are business and entertainment features like spacious function rooms, a restaurant complete with pool tables, dart boards and other leisure facilities. The terraced viewing deck atop the restaurant allows a spectacular view of the mountain, sea and countryside.

Residential properties are selling at P2.4 million to P3 million for land areas of 300 to 400 square meters. Price range varies on its location.

For those who want the outdoors in, it’s not so hard to imagine at Misibis.